Dark Water: A Collective World Novel (Academy's Rise Book 2)

by Lia Davis

"Yes," Kevin gasped. "Do it again."

  I lowered my head and sank my fangs into his dick again, sucking the blood out of the hard shaft. He shouted, and his sounds spurred Randell on.

  I moaned around the blood flowing into my mouth and almost forgot to claim Kevin while my fangs were in him. As hot cum squirted out of his cock and landed on his legs and my chest as I hovered above him, I mentally reached into his emotions and grabbed him, yanking him to me roughly. He came willingly, his threads of self filling my mind with an explosion of pleasure as his orgasm finished. He settled in the back of my mind. And then there were three.

  Pulling my fangs from him again, I turned to look behind me. "Don't come."

  Randell nodded and pulled out of me, jumping back and off the bed, his hand clamping down on the head of his dick. "If you'd told me a second later, I would have." He moaned and hopped a little, trying to stay the orgasm.

  "I want to claim you," I said with a smile.

  He was in no mood to wait. As soon as I stood from the bed he grabbed me, lifting me so I had to wrap my legs around him. Walking to the wall, he pressed my back against it to help hold me up. I clung to him, my arms and legs wrapped around him. He shifted me, then thrust into me again, flexing his hips to fuck me standing up. He seemed to enjoy taking me that way, he’d done it many times.

  I sank my teeth into him, repeating the process with no less excitement or vigor. Randell had been my friend and lover for years. Feeling his bundle of emotions, I gladly and lovingly pulled him into me, connecting us forever, for better or worse.

  He came as soon as my fangs entered him, of course. My orgasm hadn't really stopped since the first bite from Kevin. Something about claiming all my mates, Kevin's bite, and all the fucking kept me hyped enough to make it last.

  As Randell finished, slowing down, I let go, and marveled at the bundles of emotions and energy in my mind.

  My mates. Four of them, four moods, four sets of affection. They didn't threaten to overwhelm me like the Empathy did. They felt right.

  My Empathy even felt less overwhelming. Maybe, somehow, they could help me cope with them and learn to control it.

  We climbed in the bed together, in the mood we were in, nobody complaining about where. Randell, of course, ended up on his own on one side of me. Fenton wrapped himself around me and Kevin snuggled close to him.

  Sleep claimed me without warning. For the first time in years, I was comfortable.

  Chapter Seventeen

  I woke earlier than I had all week and felt pretty damn good, even though I was alone in the big bed-pallet on the floor. After a long, hot shower, languishing in my water, I put on a fuzzy robe and ventured out into the common area. The smell of bacon and coffee filled the area and made my stomach growl. Ugh. I had to find out what was wrong with me that had thrown my body and powers out of whack.

  After drinking Phenex’s blood, I’d felt amazing, but even though I still felt good, I was hungry again, an unusual occurrence. I looked to the kitchen expecting to find one of my sisters or their mates cooking breakfast. Surprise made me raise a brow at Phenex standing in front of the stove in a pair of tight hip hugger jeans and a fitted black tee. And an apron.

  "Where did you get the apron?" I sat at the barstool at the kitchen island.

  Without turning around, he said, "I saw a cook on TV wear one, so I conjured one for myself."

  "Conjured?"

  He plated the bacon and brought it to the island. His teal eyes met mine. "I have many talents."

  I indicated the bacon. "I see that." The demon was still a mystery to me. I looked forward to peeling away his layers over the coming years.

  Meda emerged from her room with her mates trailing behind her. She came over and plucked a few strips of bacon and ate them. "Phenex, you can cook?"

  "That’s what I was saying. It seems he has many talents." I pursed my lips in a silly way.

  Phenex chuckled and went back to the stove. I noticed Meda followed his movements with her eyes. There was no desire in her stare, just curiosity. I tapped her hand. When she looked back at me I said, "We should plan for time alone with him. I’d say a date night, but I’m not sure that would be the right phrase."

  Meda smiled. "Playdate?"

  I busted out laughing. "That sounds dirty. And I’m so not going there." Not after the night I’d had.

  "Not going where?" Ami crossed the common area to the kitchen. She popped some bacon in her mouth and stilled as she noticed Phenex at the stove. "He cooks?"

  I met her gaze. "I know, right?"

  Randell burst into our dorm, cutting off our banter. When I meet his intense, pissed off stare, my heart sank. His features may have told the others that he was ready to kick ass and take names, but his emotions told another story. Something was wrong.

  His fear, panic, and rage washed over me, making my water boil. I jumped off my stool and crossed the room to him. "What?"

  His dark gaze held mine. "Your mom was taken while she and Quin were out shopping for the baby."

  "Fuck!" I rushed to my room and threw on clothes not caring if they were clean or matched, as long as I could fight in them. By the time I returned to the common area, my sisters, their mates, and our sentries were ready.

  Randell tapped on his phone. "According to Jillian’s GPS on her phone, she’s at…" He looked at us in confusion. "The mansion Kevin bought."

  I moved to look at his phone. "You track Mom’s phone?"

  Randell shoved his phone into his pocket and pursed his lips before answering. "I track hers, your niswi, and the three of you. It’s my job."

  He moved toward the door and stopped when Phenex held out a hand. "I have a faster way to get there."

  Randell gave a curt nod.

  Phenex waved his hand, and a large portal opened, giving us a clear view of the mansion.

  "Wait!" I glanced at Randell. "What about Fenton and Kevin?"

  "Already texted them to meet us there."

  Good. I’d have to reward Randell for playing nice. Then again we were all bonded together now, so what choice did he have? "Poppy?"

  Ami shook her head. "I’ve been trying to reach him through our link since Randell said they had mom. He's cut off from us somehow."

  That happened sometimes, and wasn't necessarily a reason for worry. Just bad timing. "We’re ready."

  Phenex motioned to the portal. The sentries went through, all except Randell. He waited for me and my sisters to go through, then followed. Phenex was last so he could close it off behind him.

  Standing in the parking lot, I didn’t hear anyone or sense Calista. It had to be her who kidnapped my mom. The big question was how did she manage to catch Mom off guard enough to capture her in the first place?

  The sound of vehicles entering the lot stole my attention from the oversized house. I turned quickly, expecting a fight. The first car skidded to a stop in a flash of red. Kevin. When Fenton got out of the passenger side, I gave them a weak smile.

  The next cars were my niswi and their sentries. Dad exited the Range Rover before Paw even put the thing in park. Dad locked gazes with me, then my sisters before scanning our entourage. When he spoke, he addressed Randell. "Why are they here?"

  Meda faced off with Dad with her arms crossed. "She’s our mother and this is our fight too."

  Her Alpha power flowed around her. I couldn’t remember the last time I’d felt Meda so pissed. She was embracing her rage. So was I. Even Ami took a step forward, daring Dad and the other niswi to argue. Things had changed for us. We no longer felt like their children who needed to be protected and cherished. We'd come in to our own. It was time for them to realize that.

  He ignored our show of strength. "How did you get here so fast?"

  I pointed to Phenex. Dad glanced at him like he hadn’t noticed him until that moment, then did a double take. "Phenex?" He was obviously shocked to see the demon.

  Phenex nodded. "Hello."

  Dad shook his head and pointed at us. "We n
eed to talk about this." He waved an arm around. "All of this."

  Paw glanced at Fenton, who stood behind me. "Fenton."

  "Voss." The two men exchanged a look I couldn’t decipher. Paw knew better than to let his emotional shields down in front of me. Fenton couldn’t because we were bonded. His emotions flowed through the thread that linked us together. Facing my father and his boss wasn't an exciting prospect for him.

  But we didn’t have time to talk about mates or worrying about pissing off my parents. Mom was being held inside my house by a psycho bitch.

  I clapped my hands. "Well! Now that we all know each other, let’s go get Mom." Our niswi gave me similar startled looks.

  I walked toward the house. Meda and Ami fell into step with me. I felt everyone else at our backs. "Hold on." Paw's voice stopped me. However much I was ready to go in and get my mom out, he was serious.

  "We don't march in, guns blazing," Papa said as they rounded and stood beside us. "Even though I want to. We've got the entire might of the sentries on their way, and we alerted the Collective volunteer rescue squad. Every able bodied vampire, lycan, and a good chunk of witches are on their way. Let's calm down and come up with a plan."

  We were still a good fifty feet away from the front door. I inclined my head, giving in to his request. He was right.

  Unfortunately, his being right did no good when the door opened and demons streamed out as fast as they could.

  Fucking Hell.

  I formed an energy ball, an idea popping into my head. I pulled in Meda’s and Ami’s elements faster than I ever had before, then threw the energy ball. The orb of power landed a few feet in front of the demons. Right where I wanted it. It exploded in a mix of fire, water, and air. The niswi jumped back and stared at me. Brushing them off, I charged forward. See? We know some stuff.

  Doing a round kick, my foot hit a demon in the stomach, and he stumbled back several feet. Growing, he charged again. I was ready. I formed a smaller magic ball and threw it at him from closer range. It did what the very first one I created did—turned into water and popped like a water balloon.

  Crap on Satan’s toast. I didn’t need my power to go wacky right then. "Meda."

  "I saw." She was fighting right beside me.

  Phenex must've seen, too, because he conjured a couple of swords and tossed one to me and one to Meda.

  "Hell, yeah!" Meda laughed and set her sword on fire as she swung it over her head and sliced the air in front her. Then she charged into the crowd of demons.

  "She’s scary," Phenex said.

  "Yeah? Me too." Pulling from Meda’s fire, I boiled my water and formed a basketball-size sphere, then tossed it at the two demons heading toward me while I swung the sword at another on my right. I wished I could've used their core magic and sent energy balls, but it was too slow. Grabbing their elements to aid mine was faster.

  Phenex turned and blasted a few behind him with an energy ball.

  "You can’t control them?"

  He shook his head. "They aren’t responding to me. They’re bound to someone of higher power."

  Well, shit. "I need to get inside and find Mom and Calista."

  Phenex nodded. "I’ll get you there."

  "I’m going with you," Fenton said after blasting a demon with his magic, turning the fucker to dust.

  "Alright, let’s do this." I connected with my sisters. Heading inside. Meet me in there.

  They replied at the same time. On it.

  Phenex sliced through the sea of demons like a Viking on the battlefield, all berserker. It seemed like for every one he killed five more popped up. "Where are they coming from?"

  Phenex growled and his eyes darkened. "Don’t know. Could be a portal." I looked around as best I could while being attacked, and saw my niswi rallying, a truck of sentries having pulled up. As I looked, several vampires ran in at preternatural speed.

  We made our way inside, slowly and with a lot of death around us. Some of the demons poofed when they died. Some fell to the ground and bled. Others sort of collapsed into a pile of goop. Those were my least favorite.

  Once inside, I pointed at Phenex. "See if you can find a portal and close it."

  My sisters rushed through the door. Harper and Elijah followed on their heels. Good. The more the better. I nodded at them. "We'll find Mom. Then take Calista out."

  I was done playing with the psycho bitch. Taking my mom was the last draw. It ends today.

  "Elijah, go with Tala and Fenton to search for Mom. Harper and Ami are with me. We’ll search for Calista." Meda met my gaze as if searching to see if I was okay. I knew she was sending me after mom to keep me from direct combat if possible.

  I waved her off. "When we get Mom secure, we’ll come find you."

  Closing my eyes, I tried to reach out to connect with Mom. Opening all my senses, I lowered my shields, trying to pick any trace of her. After a moment, I caught a hint of her scent. Mom. Can you hear me?

  Meda hesitated for a brief moment, then took her small team through the east wing, up the grand staircase to the left. We went to the right, toward the smell.

  "Elijah, can you scent my mom?"

  "Barely." He moved in front of me. Vampires didn’t have as strong sense of smell as lycans, but Elijah never failed to surprise me in what he could do.

  Being a hybrid, my nose was stronger than anyone other than my sisters. I only asked him to make sure I wasn’t being led into another trap. Because this is what this whole thing was. A trap for Calista to get to us. Plus, I wanted to focus on my internal senses as well and didn't want to miss anything.

  I moved up the stairs, slow at first. Mom. Where are you?

  Suddenly her scent intensified and I rushed up the stairs. Mom!

  Tala! What are you doing here?

  Tears formed in my eyes and I ran up the stairs, following her scent. I’m coming for you.

  No. It’s a trap. Calista has demons guarding me and a force field surrounding me.

  I rolled my eyes. I loved my Mom, but she could be a pain in the ass with her overprotectiveness. I know it’s a trap. Why else would that bitch take you?

  Mouth, young lady.

  I laughed while tears rolled down my cheek. Even being held against her will, she was being Mom.

  On the second floor, I took a left and ran down the hall. The stench of demons reached my senses, and I growled. I glanced at Fenton. "Mom said she’s in a force field. Please tell me you know how to break force fields."

  He frowned. "It depends on what kind of magic created it."

  That’s what I thought. The field was probably demonic since Calista was a demon.

  When I reached the room where Mom’s and the demon’s scents were the strongest, I slowed and held my hand up. Elijah moved around me to the other side of the door. He nodded, letting me know he was ready. I glanced over my shoulder at Fenton, then burst through the door.

  Two large-ass demons rounded on us. I glanced at Mom, standing inside what looked like a circle. They doubled as force fields with the right magic, trapping the person inside them.

  Elijah and I stormed the room, charging at the demons. I pointed to Fenton. "See if you can get Mom out of that bubble."

  "On it."

  I punched one of the demons in the jaw, then in the stomach with my other hand. He doubled over but recovered quickly. He swung at me, but I had a ball of my and my sister’s combined magic ready. When he lunged for me, I twisted so he missed and slid out of the room into the hallway. I followed him and threw my ball of power at him. It hit him in the chest. He screamed, then exploded into black dust.

  "Elijah, no!" Mom’s scream caught my attention. I turned in time to see Elijah jump in front of Mom and Fenton, blocking them from the sword the demon thrust toward them. I hadn’t even seen the sword in the demon’s hand as we’d entered the room.

  No. "Elijah!" This was not happening. My heart froze as I moved my body as fast as it would go toward him, trying to get there in time to stop the
sword.

  He body stiffened as the sword went into his heart, killing him instantly. His body fell limp on the floor at my feet. I was milliseconds too late.

  Rage brewed inside me, and I locked a glare on the demon. Fenton had managed to get Mom free and shielded her with his body while forming another energy ball. I created one of my own. We threw our magic at the demon in unison, the balls combining in mid-air, growing and pulsating in front of the demon. He stared at the ball with wide eyes as I rushed to Mom, threw my arms around her and ran out of the room, half dragging her beside me. Fenton was a split second behind me and shut the door after him. As soon as the door clicked shut a blast went off inside the room.

  Fenton and I locked gazes. "Wow. Did you know it would do that?"

  He shook his head. "No." Then he framed my face and kissed me. He pulled away and peeked into the room. "There’s nothing left," he whispered.

  Oh, Elijah. Tears coursed down my cheeks, but I didn’t have time to give in to the emotions. I shoved them behind my wall.

  "Tala?" Mom’s voice broke us apart.

  Ugh. I hadn’t told them about my mates yet. "Mom, we need to get you to a safe place." I turned to Fenton. "Can you find Phenex and have him port her home?"

  "Now wait a minute, young lady." Mom crossed her arms. "I’m the High Alpha, and I say where I go and who ports me around. And did you say Phenex? As in the demon?"

  "Yeah, you know him?" I blinked at her.

  Mom glared at me. "We’ve met."

  "Good. Then you can trust he’ll keep you safe." I pulled her hand to tug her down the hallway.

  She dug her heels in, stopping me. "Why is Phenex here?"

  I took a deep breath and tried not to disrespect my mother, as hard as it was. "Poppy sent him to be our guardian." No way was I revealing that he was also a mate for all three of us. We didn’t have time for that conversation.

  "Come on, Mom. The niswi and sentries are outside fighting demons. You need to get to safety, and I need to help Meda and Ami take care of Calista." I held her gaze for a long while. Too long considering what was on the line.

  I almost broke first, but she sighed. "Okay, but I’m not going home without knowing my mates and my girls are safe."