Keystone

by Chloe Adler

  “Why this way?” I nuzzle his neck.

  “We have more rooms to choose from.”

  “Do you now?”

  “Or maybe it’s because I want your scent all over my bed,” he growls.

  Way to make a girl feel special. “I’d like to make that dream come true but I’d rather fill it with my after-shower scent,” I say with a giggle.

  When he reaches the couches in this wing’s shared open sitting room, he sets me down, then sits down next to me. “Can I take a minute to enjoy you just the way you are first?”

  I lean my head on his shoulder in acquiescence. Cedar sits on my other side and Forrest moves behind the couch to massage my shoulders. I huff out a long breath of air, close my eyes and let the men dote on me. Hands move over my body, gently at first and then more insistent as Verity’s clothes are quickly peeled off.

  “One sec.” I stop the hand tugging at my pants to carefully unfold the elastic hem and pull out Vasily’s lock of hair.

  Viking Arch towers over me, looking like an untamed beast, with Verity’s blouse dangling like a tiny coverlet from his enormous hand. “What’s that?”

  “Vasily’s hair. He has mine too. With it, he thinks we may be able to link telepathically.” As soon as I speak the words, I cringe. Telepathy sounds ridiculous but no more ridiculous than everything else I’ve encountered this past month.

  “Cool.” Cedar reaches out and I place Vasily’s hair in his outstretched palm. “I’ll find something for you to keep it in.”

  “Thanks, Cedar.” I push myself off the couch and face Arch. “Which shower should I use, big guy?”

  “Mine.” Arch drops the blouse on the couch and I can’t help imagine my stench wafting off it and through their living room in a thick, noxious cloud.

  “We’ll show you where it is.” Forrest takes my hand and leads me down the hallway.

  “I’ll be right there.” Cedar veers off toward his room.

  Arch scoots ahead and opens his door. And I thought Vasily’s room was big, though it makes sense, Arch is the biggest of the bunch. He needs the biggest space. It’s at least triple the size of mine with an enormous, four-poster, modern chrome bed frame.

  “I didn’t realize they made beds for giants. For families of giants, even.”

  Arch cocks a brow at me. “It’s called family size, and it is only twice as big as a king.”

  Of course it is. “And why do you need such a big bed?”

  He shrugs. “I’m a big guy.” Grasping my hand, he tugs me toward the door across from the bed. “And maybe I was planning ahead, trying for something that would sleep our entire family in comfort.”

  I turn pink at the thought.

  “Nothing is too good for our queen.” Forrest opens the door that Arch has ushered me toward and I freeze at the threshold, blinking into an opulent tiled bathroom.

  “Where’s the shower?”

  “This is the shower,” growls Arch.

  “Huh?” I look around the room, which is as large as my entire bedroom in the mansion. Rich blue and white tiles cover the floor and the walls. Each one has a different design reminiscent of ancient magical symbols, yet they all meld together into a harmonious aesthetic. I step inside, my head twisting and turning. The sink and toilet are almost hidden, built partially into a corner and flanked with a light blue tiled half wall. Low tiled benches, some with cushions, surround the space. Plants abound, sitting on the tiled floor and nestled inside tiled shelves built into the walls. One entire wall is made of glass bricks that filter in the sunlight. “I still don’t understand.”

  Cedar appears at the doorway and practically pushes the other two through. Arch points to the ceiling where an enormous showerhead is mounted.

  “This entire room is a shower?”

  “Yup, a wet room,” Bodhi replies, entering through the open door with a tray of food. He flicks a switch on the wall and several ceiling heaters hum to life.

  “But how is the water contained?” As soon as I ask the question I spot the small tiled lip surrounding most of the room, as well as an inconspicuous corner drain.

  “What the fuck is this?” Jules bursts in after Bodhi. “Goddamn bitches. Score!” Her head swivels just as mine did a moment ago. She doesn’t even seem to notice that I’m standing naked dead and center.

  Someone slips a luxuriously fuzzy robe over my shoulders and I slide my arms inside, cinching it around the waist before Jules’s gaze travels back to me.

  She’s shaking her head with eyes that may just bug out completely and roll down the tile floor. “This is just so . . . opulent.”

  Bodhi deposits the tray on one of the ledges next to me and moves close, pulling me in tight.

  “My cue to skedaddle. Dayum girl . . .” Giggling, Jules wheels around and exits the room, closing the door behind her.

  “Are you hungry?” Bodhi asks.

  I shake my head, surprising even myself. “I’d like to wash up first and then maybe . . .”

  He moves in front of me and unties the robe. Cedar stands behind and clasps a long chain around my neck.

  I reach up to find a small gold locket dangling at the end, just above my breasts. It’s dotted with diamonds and sapphires. “What’s this?”

  Cedar bends down to kiss my neck. “It contains Vasily’s hair, so you can have it with you always and in a pretty vessel.”

  “Pretty is an understatement.” I hold it out in front of me. “Thank you.”

  Cedar kisses my neck again and peels off the robe, tossing it to Arch, who throws it on the floor outside the shower room’s lip. The men strip too, piling up their clothes in the toasty bathroom. Arch turns on the showerhead, which rains down like a waterfall, and motions for me to step underneath.

  After I’m drenched, the men move in close to soap me up. The scent of honeyed peach fill the steamy air as they rub the body wash gently over my heated skin. W

  hen the grime and dust of two magical lands is washed away, Forrest pats a waterproof cushion nestled along one wall.

  “Here, sit down.” I do as I’m told and he towers over me. “We want to give you exactly what you need right now.” He bends down, reaches for my hand and places it on his heart. “This isn’t about sex or, if that’s what you want, it’s not about satisfying us.”

  Well that’s a nice twist. “Why?”

  “You’ve had a long journey and it couldn’t have been easy.” Cedar moves to my side, pours a liberal amount massage oil into his hands, then rubs them together and massages it into my upper arm.

  “Especially if you traveled not only to Tara, but also to Juna.” Arch drops to his knees before me and gently picks up a foot, caressing it for a moment. His head bows and he lifts it to his mouth, pressing electric kisses into the arch.

  “Every time you’ve been to Tara, you’ve almost been killed.” Bodhi snatches the massage oil from the ledge above me, where Cedar set it, pops it open and pours some into the outstretched hands of the other two, adding some for himself. The brothers work together to please me like a well-practiced quad.

  “You deserve to be pampered.” Forrest sits next to me and reaches behind to rub the back of my neck.

  My eyes roll back and my head falls forward. “This is amazing, thank you all so much.” As the minutes pass, I forget where we are, floating away on a cloud of pure bliss.

  Chapter Sixteen

  In the morning I awake with all four men spooning me in Arch’s family-sized bed. The memory of our sexy hot spa night floods through my mind and I bury my face in Cedar’s chest. His minty scent settles my thoughts.

  “Hey, beautiful,” he whispers above me.

  “Our queen has awakened?” Arch spoons me from behind, pressing his bulge into my back. I respond by pressing back and he growls low in his throat.

  “None of that,” says Bodhi. “We’ve all gotta get to work.”

  “I don’t.” Cedar cups the back of my head.

  The men grumble, leaping out of bed and kissi
ng me one by one.

  “Stay. Use my room, and my bed, as long as you two want.” Arch winks, heading to his bathroom.

  Cedar pulls me into his warm, hard body and I rest my head on his shoulder. “So, Vasily is really going to push for democracy among the royalists?”

  I push myself up and lean on his chest so we’re eye to eye. “Well, I hope ‘push’ isn’t the operative word. It’s something his people will have to be in a position to embrace. If he tries to force it on them, he’s no better than a dictator, telling them what to do and how to feel.”

  A smile ghosts his face. “You’re so wise. Too bad you can’t help him with this transition from afar.”

  Yes but—maybe I can. If we find a way to communicate, could I help?

  “Amaya,” he sits up, bringing me with him. “I wanted to talk to you about our magic.”

  “So you’re not just the pretty man who’s tasked with the Stetlers’ finances?”

  He snorts. “I’m interested in why and how our magic has returned, even if it’s only a little bit.”

  “You’re a jack of all trades.” I trace his jawline with a finger.

  “Yeah, kind of. I do know a little bit about a lot of things. When something interests me, I’m off running.”

  “Until it doesn’t anymore?”

  His bright smile creases the corners of his eyes. “You got me.”

  I burrow into his chest and look up at him. “So what’s happened? Did you have another breakthrough while I was gone?”

  “We’ve all been able to do small things since you left. Specifically, since that night the five of us spent together making love.”

  “And you think that had something to do with it?”

  He nods vigorously, a huge smile creasing his boyish face.

  I nibble his shoulder. “Wishful thinking, or should we practice again to find out?”

  “We should definitely practice again to find out. But . . .” He rubs the back of my neck.

  I lean into his hand.

  “None of us have been able to use our magic, even in the slightest, for many years. Not until you. So it’s no surprise it had something to do with you. But something more happened that night. You unlocked something more that night.”

  I smile against him. I like that idea. “So what things were you able to do while I was gone?”

  He caresses my arm absently. “Each of us tried the most simple spells first. Raising items off the table or floor. First light items, then heavier ones. But that was all we were able to do, until . . .”

  I wait, but an eye twitch does not.

  “Betty suggested something.”

  I practically leap out of bed but Cedar stills me. “We were excited too but that’s quite a reaction.”

  “Apologies, but any mention of that duplicitous witch makes me squirm.”

  “Yes, but we didn’t know that at the time. Hindsight, right?” He strokes my back.

  I lie back against the hard plane of his chest and finger a bicep. “I’m listening, go on.”

  “Betty asked to see our spell room, and no one’s ever shown an interest in it before, so we brought her in.”

  I squeeze my eyes shut and force myself to keep quiet.

  “Then she asked about our spells and asked specifically what had changed to bring our powers back, even a little.”

  “And you told her about our orgy?” Part of me is embarrassed at the thought of Betty knowing, and the other part is proud. The proud part wins, my chest puffing out like a proud male peacock.

  “We didn’t use that word, but yes.” He kisses the top of my head.

  I snuggle closer, breathing in his fresh scent.

  “She surmised that it was because of our connection to you, but specifically because of the growth of your own powers. The concurrent release of energy, when we all climaxed together, must have sparked our dormant magic.”

  I sit up. “Like a match to kindling?”

  He traces the contours of my face, nodding while holding my gaze.

  For a moment I lose myself in the depth and wisdom of his gray eyes, reaching up to touch the scar above his left eye.

  His eyes crease in the corners with his grin, the scar puckering slightly with the motion. “Soon. Let’s finish this topic first.”

  I shake my head. “Bringing me back to Earth when I want to fly off into an etheric tangent.”

  “I can’t blame you, it’s not a comfortable topic.” He leans close, rubbing his crooked nose against mine, then leans back again.

  “True. Back to it then. What did she do?”

  “She had us sit around the table and conjure the exact moment when we all came together.”

  “Literally?” I scoff.

  His smile broadens. “Yes, literally. She talked us through it. Bringing back your smell, the feel of your body, the feelings within our own bodies, even what we were thinking or not thinking at the exact moment.”

  I don’t like the idea of them being so vulnerable with her, their eyes closed and conjuring a rapturous moment, but what’s done is done so I wait for him to finish.

  “After several minutes, she told us all to open our eyes, and when we did, Betty herself was levitating.”

  I frown. “That could have been her magic.”

  His head bobs, his dark hair swaying. “It could have been. We didn’t know she was a witch then, so that would make sense. Maybe. But she didn’t cast a circle or speak any incantations.”

  “Maybe she’s strong enough not to need all of that.”

  “I don’t think so.” His body relaxes against mine. “There are only a handful of witches in the world who can cast that effortlessly. Only one in all the Edge, and it’s not Betty, believe me. We don’t think it was her, though she definitely helped. Probably just as a guide though, someone to focus our thoughts.”

  “Yeah, maybe.” I could see that. Even I have been able to use my powers more successfully when I have help focusing.

  “I think we should try to perform some spells with you in the spell room.”

  “I’d like that.” I lean in for a kiss but he places both hands on my shoulders.

  “Something else happened while you were gone.”

  I close my eyes and focus on his breathing to calm myself.

  “Bob sold your parents’ house.”

  That’s why he kicked us out? Bastard! I grit my teeth so hard my ears pop. “Their things?”

  “Still in storage but we’re moving them here. I’m so sorry about the house.” He places a gentle kiss on my forehead. “I didn’t want to have to tell you something so awful, but you deserve the truth.”

  “I appreciate that, thank you.” It would have been devastating to find out accidentally, especially if these guys knew and didn’t say anything.

  “Rumor has it that he and Cheryl are trying to buy Ichor.”

  “I hope not.” That would be awful, having them as the owners instead of Janice. She’d never sell to them, would she? They’d run it into the ground in a year. All while prostituting young, innocent girls. “We can’t let that happen.”

  “But what can we do about it?”

  I rub my hands together. “Talk to Janice, make sure she doesn’t sell to them. Or, what if you buy it instead and sell it back to Janice for a fair price? Or put it into a trust for her or will it to her.” Anything that doesn’t end with Bob and Cheryl owning Ichor.

  “Yes, we can look into that.” Cedar leans toward me and I lift up my mouth for a kiss. His itchy stubble has grown out overnight, but I like it and slide my face against his chin, enjoying the sensation.

  His hands roam over me in a new way, different from last night. They’re both insistent and soft. My body yields to his touch, softening to the point where I need to press into him. His hands run up the tender skin of my belly, then around to my back.

  “Let me give you a back rub.” His breath tickles my ear.

  I nod and roll over, lying face down on my bed. He pushes the covers off
and I shiver as cool air glides over my back. He straddles me, sitting on my butt. “Am I too heavy?”

  “No, it’s good.”

  He leans over, his shoulders brushing the top of my back as he sweeps my hair off my shoulders, planting kisses in its wake. Strong, firm hands knead my tender, sore muscles and I moan in pleasure.

  “How about we finish what we didn’t get to complete last night?” he growls close to my ear. Little shocks of pleasure travel through my belly, igniting my throbbing pussy. His bulge grows, pressing through his boxer briefs and into the small of my back.

  I reach a hand around and squeeze.

  “Amaya,” he grounds out, letter by letter.

  Chapter Seventeen

  My phone pings and I roll over and rub my eyes. The sun is bright, flooding through my window and I’m alone in my bed. The covers have been pulled over me and I’m tucked in. Pulling the phone off the nightstand, I scan the text. It’s from Jules, but I squint to make sure I’m reading it correctly.

  Hey ho, need advice.

  I text back. Where you at bitch?

  Ichor.

  That’s weird. What’s she doing there? You ok? Meet at your house?

  Nah, meet me here.

  I jump out of bed and into the shower for a quick rinse. When I get downstairs, the foyer is empty. Sabin and Candy are eating at the table in the dining room.

  “Where is everyone?” I ask.

  “They all went out.” Candy looks up, holding a piece of toast. “You can call them if you need to.”

  “It’s fine.” I wave my hand. “I’m going to run out to meet Jules for a little while. I’ll be home before dinner.”

  “How are you getting there?” Sabin pushes his chair back and stands up.

  “I can call a Lyft.”

  “No need.” He walks around the table, smiling. Candy takes another bite of toast and leaps up to join him. “Follow me.”

  I follow them into the atrium, then out the front door, confused. In the front of the house, nestled in the circular drive, is a sporty BMW.