by Paige, Bea
“And what about you?” Ezra asks.
“Knowledge,” Amos says, laying the book on the coffee table between us. “This book, it is just a physical representation of my gift. I am not so precious about showing it to others. Kitar here always gets a little antsy when I bring it out in the company of strangers.” Amos taps his forehead with his finger. “But all that I need is up here. It is that knowledge, Rai’s objective decision making and Kitar’s protection that somehow brought us together when we needed each other the most. We escaped from Ever Vale, a mutual decision made at a time of great conflict with the intention of going our separate ways, and we did for a while. Only ten years ago did we make acquaintance again, deciding to pool our resources and our gifts. We have built a life here, a successful one. A life which suits us. We have no need to ever go back. My knowledge of the Queen tells me she will not be easily defeated, if at all. Look what she has done to Nostra already.”
“Yes, but…” I start.
“You are here because the Queen is too powerful for you to stay in Ever Vale. Why would we go back there? Why would we risk our lives for this prophecy, a prediction of something that is not set in stone? There are too many eventualities that could go wrong. It is illogical and downright foolish, and that is why we will not partake.”
“Aren’t you forgetting one important factor?” I ask.
“I believe we have considered everything,” Rai says.
“Not everything. The missing clan daughter. She is here, somewhere on Earth. She is the future of your clan. If you find her and fulfil your part of the prophecy, she will take command of Ever Vale. She will rule.”
“Alongside you and three others, it would seem. There is no gain for us.”
“No? Ever Vale is a whole world. Here, you are just businessmen. You might be rulers of your little kingdom, but you are not as all powerful as I suspect you’d like. It’s not so easy here to become gods, is it?”
Kitar glares at me, his ego bruised, it would seem. I suppress a laugh.
Nice one, Red. I can hear Devin’s chuckle resound in my head. I remain straight-faced. I know men like these. Power is their currency, and right now I am offering them more power than they’ve ever been able to obtain here. All they have to decide is whether it is worth the risk.
Amos looks at Rai, who already appears to be weighing up what I’ve said. I can practically hear the cogs twirling, the scales balancing in his head.
“You have made quite the argument. I can see why these men adore you so.” Rai considers me for a moment. “You’ve convinced me enough to at least find our missing clan daughter, for no other reason than the chance to meet this chosen one and decide whether she is worthy enough. Though I highly doubt she will be.”
I roll my eyes, choosing to ignore the remark. Right, more like your desperate need for power.
Yes, we shall need to watch these three. Power is a drug to them.
Amos and Kitar stand. “Until then, you can rest here in our little kingdom,” Amos says.
“I shall escort you to your rooms. Follow me,” Kitar orders.
“Room, we shall need only one,” I respond.
The three demi-gods look at me with stunned expressions.
“Another bonus of the prophecy, having three men at my beck and call. Not bad, for a woman,” I say, turning on my heel. I hear Ezra’s low chuckle and Devin’s laugh follow me as we head upstairs.
Chapter Twenty-Four
“Those men, urgh,” I say, sitting on the edge of a large bed. “Whoever the missing daughter of Clan Aequalis is, I sure hope she is able to put up with such obnoxious pigs.”
Devin laughs. “If she is anything like you, I am pretty sure she’ll be able to handle herself.”
“You think they’ll go for it, that they’ll search for her?”
He sighs. “I hope so. I think you managed to pick at a sore point. Now they want more power. Look at this place, it reeks of it. I think you were right to say what you did. I am hoping, however, that their missing daughter will persuade them to change their attitude. Otherwise we’ll have a big problem on our hands.”
“I hope so too. All of the other clansmen are willing to do what it takes. Yet these three, they have everything they want here. Offering them such a chance at power is risky, given how little they appear to respect women. Whoever she is, she must be strong enough to control them. It won’t be easy for her.”
He looks at me for a long time and I am caught by the love in his eyes. “Have you forgotten how difficult it has been for you? Look what you did for Rhain, for me, for Ezra. Even if we break the curse…” Devin grits his jaw. “This isn’t what I wanted for you, my love.”
“Devin, come here,” I say, holding my hand out to him. He walks towards me, not for one minute taking his eyes off mine. He kneels before me and I take his face in my hands. “I love you. I love all of you, there really was no other choice I could make,” I say. He grabs my wrists in his hand and presses his mouth against the soft skin of my palm.
Red. I feel the tenderness of his soul move against mine. A warmth pools in my belly.
There is a light knock at the door, but he doesn’t pull back as Ezra enters. Devin remains where he is, pressing featherlight kisses up my arm. I look up, trying to regain some control over the longing I feel.
“How is Nostra doing?” I ask.
“He is better than he was. Lissandra is taking care of him. Amos has agreed they can stay here as long as they need to recuperate. He has extended that offer to us too,” Ezra says.
“I am glad they both have chance to rest. They need time with each other without the immediate threat of Adrielle hanging over their heads,” I say softly.
“I know what you mean. I think we could all do with a little time and space to take stock, to breathe, to prepare for what is to come,” Devin says, raising his free hand to my cheek.
“I agree. Just for a while I want to be with you all, safe. Can we do that?”
Rhain appears behind Ezra. He takes one look at me and Devin and steps into the room, his eyes alighting with desire and love. He does not hesitate, but strides over to me and kneels on the floor next to Devin.
“Of course, we can do whatever you wish.” He pulls my head down for a kiss, a low moan rising up his throat. “Cia, I cannot wait a moment longer…” he grinds out, pressing kisses against my bare arm.
“I know,” I say, feeling my body react to him in the same way my soul reacts to Devin. To complete the circle, Ezra must come willingly too. I want him just as much as his brothers, but he has to come without coercion. We were interrupted at Nostra’s place. Now, there is nothing and no one who can stop us from loving each other freely. Each of my men are intrinsic to my survival, I understand that completely. They are a part of me now; my body calls to Rhain, my mind to Ezra and my soul to Devin.
“Ezra,” I whisper, holding my hand out to him. It reminds me of that broken memory in the club, he was so different back then. He loved Thalia still, now he is mine and I am his.
Ezra steps into the room and gently closes the door behind him, twisting the key in the lock. A slow smile spreads across his face.
“If you think I am going to share a bed with these two stinking men, you can think again,” he says with a laugh.
Devin and Rhain pull back. We all look down at our filthy clothes.
“Ezra’s got a point,” Rhain chuckles. “I am not averse to a bit of dirty sex, but this wasn’t the kind of dirty I had in mind.”
“Then let us take a bath,” Devin says. He pulls me to my feet, wrapping an arm around my waist. “This room appears to have a rather large bathing pool through that door.” He points to an open doorway. Through it I can see a whirlpool bath.
“There is room enough for four,” Rhain says with a devilish look.
“So there is,” I laugh. “You’d better start running the water.”
Rhain jumps to his feet and rips his shirt from his back. Buttons fling across the room.
I stifle a giggle.
“You idiot,” Devin grins. It warms my heart to see them all smile so. To feel relaxed enough to joke and laugh. We have spent too long running from one crisis to the next, and although I suspect we still have more to come, our part in the prophecy is over, at least for now.
“Afraid of a bit of competition?” Rhain asks, his pec muscles moving up and down in jest.
Devin rolls his eyes. “Hardly, brother,” he says, ripping his own shirt from his chest. I feel my fangs lowering from my mouth and a swell of desire building inside at the sight of their muscular chests and arms.
Ezra strides past them both and heads into the bathroom. I see him twist the taps and hear the water begin to fill the bath. Turning in the doorway, Ezra slowly undoes the buttons of his shirt. Not for one moment does he look away and I feel my own heart thundering at the sexy striptease he is giving me. He takes his time removing his clothes, not caring in the least that Devin and Rhain are watching too.
I didn’t know he had it in him, Devin says between our connection. It shows just how much he’s moved on, Red. To feel comfortable enough with us all to bare himself like this. Nostra is right, love is the most powerful magic there is.
“Now that is how it’s done,” Ezra jokes as he stands utterly naked before us.
Rhain and Devin explode with laughter. Ezra and I join in. It feels good to finally release some of the strain. As our laughter subsides and the room fills with a different kind of tension, I know this moment is leading to a place I’ve never been before, but it feels right. All we have is each other and for now, at least, we are taking what we can and finding the joy in it. A tiny well of happiness fills my chest as I glance at my men. All the other worries I have can wait.
Beside me, Devin takes my hand and leads me into the bathroom. Rhain follows. The bath has filled quickly, and Ezra has already settled himself into the water. On a shelf is a bottle filled with bubble bath. I twist open the lid and pour some in.
“Swish the water,” I say to Ezra.
“Swish?” he says, frowning.
“Like this,” I say, showing him how to move the water so that bubbles form.
Ezra stands up abruptly, backing away from the foam. “What magic is this?”
“Not magic, just science,” I say, biting back the laugh that threatens to burst just like some of the bubbles before me. “Ezra, sit back down.”
Rhain strips off his trousers and jumps in, splashing Ezra in the process. “Ah, that feels damn good,” he says as he sinks into the water up to his neck. Leaning his head back against the side of the bath, he watches me with heavy lidded eyes. Ezra settles back down next to him. He too watches my every move.
Devin pulls off his trousers. I am still wearing the same red dress that Lissandra gave me to wear to the ball. It is torn, covered in mud, ash and filth, and I want nothing more than to be free of it. It reminds me of something I no longer wish to recall. I want to wash away that memory and replace it with something else, something beautiful.
“Here, let me,” Devin says, moving behind me. His fingers trace over the nape of my neck before reaching for the top fastening. I expect him to slowly undo my dress, and am pleasantly surprised and more than a little turned on when in one quick motion he rips the back of my dress open.
I’ve been dying to do that for quite some time, Red, he says, steadying me as I step out of the ruined material. Turning me in his arms, he pulls me in for a deep kiss. I feel his soul caress my own as his tongue probes my mouth hungrily. His hand rests on the base of my spine, pulling me against his own naked body. I react without reservation. That part of me is gone now. I am not that pent up woman from before. The woman who was afraid to open her heart, to love, in case she was rejected. I am not her anymore. I am Accacia, I am Cia, I am Red.
Devin tears off my knickers and lifts me off my feet. We are still kissing and touching each other as he lowers me into the warmth of the bath. As soon as the heat of the water hits my body, Devin manoeuvres me to the centre so that I am surrounded by the three of them. They each begin to clean me. Devin pours water over my hair, taking his time to massage some of the soap suds through the tangled mess. He presses a light kiss against the spot where he bit me on my neck. The skin has healed now, but the crusted blood remains. He is so tender, so loving as he washes it away and it is exactly what I need to feel, it lessens the pain of that memory somewhat. Ezra and Rhain also move their hands over my skin, wiping away all remains of the dirt, cleansing me. It feels heavenly. I feel adored, worshipped, loved.
“Accacia, my love,” Ezra says, lifting me up and pulling me into his arms so that I am facing him. He grabs the back of my neck and rains kisses over my face, my neck, moving lower to my breasts. As he takes my nipples into his mouth and draws them into hard points I groan, my head tipping back, falling against a broad chest, Rhain’s. He takes Devin’s place, his strong arms circling my waist as his legs move either side of me. Firm fingers move lower, finding the nub of my desire, knowing exactly what to do. Ripples of pleasure pulsate outwards from my core as I respond to Rhain’s touch, to Ezra’s teasing mouth. I hear the sound of water trickling over our bodies as Devin manoeuvres himself next to me.
What do you want, Red? he asks.
All of you, everything. This.
Then that is what we’ll give you. Forever more, my love. He bends over, the long, wet curls of his hair falling against my skin, and presses his mouth against mine. I am lost to his kiss, Rhain’s touch and Ezra’s lips.
We spend all day entwined in each other’s arms. I am the centre of their attention, their love. Rhain takes me to the edge repeatedly, falling with me into the blissful afterglow of our orgasms, our bodies instinctively drawn to one another. Ezra too loves me fiercely and without restraint, giving me all of him, as I do in return. He and I are so very alike, two separate minds made whole together in our love. Then there is Devin, he fits the last piece in place, our circle finally complete as his soul entwines with mine whilst we love one another. There is no jealously here or envy, just acceptance, forgiveness and a promise to always care for one another.
We come together, the four of us, in body, mind, and soul, and as we do so the ring on my finger finally releases its grip. I hold my hand up to the fading afternoon light, my beautiful men all wrapped around me and watch as the scratched brass dissolves. In its place a permanent, more binding circle settles around us, one born from a magic more powerful and everlasting. Love.
Epilogue
Queen Adrielle
Those filthy, rotten, traitorous creatures. I will tear each and every one of them limb by limb.
A loud scream rips from my throat. As I raise my hands, the familiar coil of black magic thrums across my skin and out of my palms darkness erupts, smashing into Abanthe’s chest, throwing him against the wall of my living quarters. His body smacks heavily against the stone, limp and broken, bloody and beaten. But it is not enough to appease the darkness that rages within my chest. It will never be enough. That empty hole within me will never be filled. Those tiny hands…
I shake my head of the thought. Love makes you weak and I am not weak. Nostra was wrong.
“Please, my Queen, I did not know, please…” Abanthe begs, raising his hands upwards. It makes me sick, watching him squirm. I want to squash him.
“Pathetic creature. You dare to beg for your life? You are worthless. I have relied on the people of Clan Lux for too long, believing the darkness I have given you would finally make you stronger, like it has me. Alas, you are just as weak as the rest of those who have betrayed me. I will hunt each and every one. I will make them pay, just like I did all those years ago when I took the lives of your leaders, when I murdered their wives.”
“My Queen, I am loyal to you…” he stutters, pushing up on shaky limbs. “I will hunt Blake down, I will bring him back and I will skin him of his beautiful pelt. I will not fail you again.”
The black flame flickers in my palm. I know what it wa
nts. It wants to devour this man, but perhaps he has a use after all. “The wolf is not your priority. There are others who I can rely on to ensure he is taken out. No,” I say, thinking. “You have another task.”
“Anything, my Queen. I will do anything.”
The darkness ignites within my chest. It battles against my will, wanting to end this man, but I have plans.
“You, Abanthe, will hunt the Angels of Darkness in the land they call Earth and you will find what it is they seek. When you do, you will destroy it and you will destroy them.”
“But what of the Dark Knights? Nostra and the girl.”
“I will let them believe they have found peace, freedom,” I sneer, laughing at the thought. “Their time will come, but not just yet. First, we deal with the angels who have betrayed me.”
From the depths of my black soul comes the darkest magic I can conjure. It leaves my hands and wraps around Abanthe. He screams, his skin boiling and blistering under its touch. I watch as his skin hardens like molten lava and wings made of metal sprout from his back, matching the two horns that curve upwards and out of his head. He screams as the magic transforms him into a magnificent creature born from the pits of my blackened soul.
“There, now you will be my Destroyer. Do as I ask, and you will forever live by my side, demon,” I say, approaching my new creation.
Abanthe, in his new form, looks at me with blood-red eyes. “My Queen, your wish is my command,” he rasps, bowing his head in subservience.
I flick my hand, tearing a portal open to Earth right here in my quarters. Nostra is a fool if he thinks I am incapable of such magic. I may not be able to pass through, but that doesn’t mean my creations cannot. After all, did I not witness no more than a few hours ago my Dark Knights and Angels of Death do just that?
“Go. Bring me back their wings and their heads,” I demand.
Abanthe leans over and press a rough kiss against my mouth. “My Queen, it will be my pleasure,” he says, stepping over the threshold.
