Frankie finally looked up from my shoulder. “We have hexes in Oz too. Does this hex bag do something different?”
Galen gave Frankie this easy grin. I swear, this was the first time I’d ever seen that boy smile that didn’t look like a forced grimace. Maybe it was because we were all together, and Idris was actually nice to him. Kindness went a long way with Galen since he didn’t get any of that growing up. I wished Idris would get that through his thick skull.
“Yeah. Hexes in Oz do things like cause pustules or make people physically uncomfortable. You can actually cause bad luck with a hex bag from the Fisher King’s realm. You can cause pain with dolls, too, but you need something from the person. I made sure I didn’t even leave a single hair behind when I ran.”
“That’s magic you like doing?” Idris asked with a mouthful of sandwich.
“I don’t like any of my father’s magic, but I think it would be poetic to use it against him since he’s hurt so many people with it.”
Idris just nodded. “Yeah, I get it. What do you need for the hex bag? I wouldn’t mind giving Locasta a big wedgie.”
“Some of the herbs should be in the potions lab. There’s a resin that’s made from several different flower types. I stole a bottle from my father’s stash. The hex bag needs a talisman to work. I can set to work carving one when I finish this sandwich.”
“You said the Fisher King could do things with parts of you? Did you happen to—”
Galen shook his head. “He shaves his entire body and burns the hair when he’s done. He also burns any nail clippings. The smell is pretty much horrible. He tried to convince my mother to do the same, but she was too vain. I was forbidden.”
“I’m confused about your mother, Galen,” Frankie asked. “Is she an innocent we need to save from him, or has he corrupted her beyond repair? I feel like this all could have been prevented if someone had listened to the North and the Sentinels took shifts watching his prison.”
Galen shook his head. “She never complained about it in front of me, but she did want revenge against the Sentinels. She was the oldest out of the group that trapped the Fisher King, and that was why she stayed behind. She felt like it was her duty as the eldest, but she was always bitter the Sentinels formed after that, and no one came to the cave to pay her tribute. It was like she thought the future generations of Sentinels owed her something. She thought they should have come bearing gifts and praise for agreeing to stay behind. It went to her head, you know.”
“Wasn’t the North doing that?” I asked, playing with Frankie’s braids.
Galen shook his head. “From what I understand, Locasta’s mother was the first one to visit the prison. She twisted Locasta into what she is now and raised her to do what she’s doing now.”
Frankie rubbed her face in my chest. “You’re avoiding the question. Do you want us to try to save your mother or not? She didn’t start out bad, and he’s technically abusing her.”
Galen shook his head. “The Fisher King never really tried to build his body back up after centuries of living off fish and water. He’s tall, thin, and not as strong as he was when he was a knight. My mother could stop him at any time. She could best him in a fight if she wanted to. She would just need to chop off the hand that his ring is on. She’s using him just as much as he’s using her. He wants to steal magic from Oz, and she’s just along for the ride because she considers it payback because no one thanked her enough for staying behind.”
“She’s plotted, but this plan has only just started. Maybe they haven’t hurt Glinda too badly yet. Do you think she can be redeemed? The Fisher King has to die. We have to find a way to end him for good, not just imprison him. Can she be redeemed?”
Galen was finally starting to relax and smile around us, but his shoulders slumped, and his face went blank like he didn’t like this conversation anymore.
“I wouldn’t know. It’s not like she paid attention to me or tried to get to know me. I’ve made my peace that I’m just a pawn to my parents. Please don’t ask me if they are worth saving. I wouldn’t know. They never showed me that side of themselves.”
“I’m sorry, Galen. I know these questions are unpleasant. The Sentinels only kill when they have to. We try to save and redeem anyone we can.”
“Frankie, both of my parents are responsible for your mother’s death. They won’t hesitate to hold you hostage and give you a slow, painful death. They’d do the exact same to Saffron. My father has probably already started on Glinda. The sooner we get to her, the better.”
“You’re right. I need to do the knowledge transference spells on magical alarms for all of you. It’ll be quicker than if we try to do it in the morning. Oprix, since I’m already in your lap, do you want to go first?”
I kissed the tip of her nose. “If it means you stay in my lap longer.”
I had no idea knowledge transference spells were so intimate. I couldn’t picture Glinda doing this with the entire staff. Frankie pressed her lips to mine, and I felt pressure building in my forehead. Images were passing behind my closed eyes that were so fast, and I couldn’t hang on to one. Normally, I loved kissing Frankie and would beg for one of her kisses, but the pressure in my forehead was starting to get uncomfortable. It was turning into a headache, and I was breaking into a sweat.
I knew I couldn’t break this kiss because it would break the spell, but I would be damned if this wasn’t the first time I kissed Frankie where I wanted it to stop. When it got to the point it was almost unbearable, and I thought my eyes might pop out of my head, Frankie pulled away and caressed my cheek.
“These kinds of spells aren’t normally done because they are pretty awful. Eat something sweet. It should help with the headache.”
“Can you fill in the gaps in my knowledge the normal way to do that spell?” Saffron asked. “I don’t want your tongue down my throat.”
Idris cracked up laughing. “I was wondering how Miss Priss Glinda did that spell if it involved tongue.”
“Skin contact is all that’s needed. You’re going to get a bad headache and so will I when I’m done. We’ll probably need that entire cake they sent up to recover. Galen, do you need the spell?”
Galen cleared his throat. “My parents never covered breaking magical alarms, so I don’t know how.”
I was dying to know if Frankie was just going to touch him or if she was going to finally admit she was into him and kiss him. Before I could make a bet with myself, I was going to need a piece of that cake because my head was pounding and felt like it was full of cotton. I was sure I knew things I didn’t before, but I felt like I’d spent the night before heavily drinking at a Winkie dive, and now I was paying for it.
I grabbed the knife and cut myself a piece of cake. “It hurts like a mother fuck,” I warned everyone, taking a huge bite of cake.
“It’s worth it to get a kiss from Frankie,” Idris said.
I already knew the headache he was going to have when she was done with him was going to be the one sure thing to shut Idris up for once.
Chapter 23
Frankie
N
o wonder my mother always told me I always had to learn everything the long way. As soon as I found out about knowledge transference spells, sometimes I would beg for them so I could learn everything about being a Sentinel faster. My mother would always tweak my nose and tell me I had to learn it the long way with a smile. I could see why now.
She taught me how to perform one when I was sixteen. It was one of the last lessons she taught me before she died. She told me I never wanted to do it unless the situation was dire and never to try to transfer too much knowledge at once. I could end up killing someone, and we were both going to feel sick when the spell was over.
We had a room full of people with headaches, and I felt like I hadn’t slept in ten days. It was like all my energy had been drained. My mother told me at the end of the lesson, sweets would help anyone recover from the more draining spells.
; The kitchen staff must have been working overtime just to feed the people in my room. We always had a spread available with roasted meats, cheeses, vegetables, fruits, and sometimes, like today, there were huge ornate cakes. Idris, Oprix, and Galen were on their third piece while I was still nibbling on my first. If Idris was still looking to find something in common with Galen, their love of food could be a topic to talk about.
I looked over at Saffron. She was pale and a little shaky. She was trying to eat her cake. I decided not to go the extra mile with her and give her the information to do a knowledge transference spell. I knew it would mean more work for Frabess and me in the morning. I just knew her headache was going to be worse if I did and I didn’t want to hurt my cousin more than I already was.
I was hoping to finish my cake and crash into bed, but someone was knocking on my door. Idris had recovered the most out of all of us since he’d shoved the most cake in his face, so he answered the door.
“Headmaster Daxar wants to know where Francesca is. She’s late for her lesson. He requests her in his chambers now.”
I saw Idris bristle. “Tell him—”
“No, Idris. It’s okay. I need to complete my training. Working while you feel bad is just part of my job. I’ll be back when I’m done.”
I took a huge bite of cake. Daxar’s rooms were in the school on the top floor, near his office. I wasn’t about to walk up twenty flights of stairs feeling like this. I called my broom to me. I nodded to the man Daxar sent.
“I don’t need an escort.”
He frowned when I shut the door in his face. I felt like I hadn’t flown in months. Really, the last time was when I fetched Todus off the side of the roof. I opened my bedroom window and straddled my broom.
“Don’t wait up for me.”
“You’re always sexy as fuck on that broom,” Idris growled.
I kicked off and flew up to Daxar’s window. There was nothing like flying. I was so excited to have my first lesson. I scared my mother to death hurtling towards the earth, then pulling the broom up at the last minute. I adored the danger of flying and the wind in my hair.
I flew up to Daxar’s room and peered in the window. I didn’t know if he was in his bedroom or sitting room. I could see a shadow in the sitting room, so I flew to the window and tapped. Daxar opened the window with a smile.
“Hello, Francesca. You always know how to make an entrance. Come in.”
Daxar took my broom and set it on the table. He led me straight to the sofa and made me a plate.
“You look like you started the knowledge transference spells. Eat these truffles, and then I have just the thing to make you feel better.”
I snuggled into his chest as he fed me chocolate truffles. They had cherries inside them, so I knew they were from the South. I was coming to love Southern food.
“You could make me feel better by telling me you weren’t harmed in the North.”
“I fashioned a spear from what I had available. I’m not totally helpless. Those dragons in the North would have eaten me alive if it weren’t for the Flying Monkeys. I just so happened to end up in the North when the dragons were waking up.”
“Did you manage to get anything from them? Dragon bits are rare ingredients for certain potions.”
Daxar laughed and popped a truffle in my mouth. “I was trying not to get eaten, Francesca. We can have dragon adventures once we beat the Fisher King.”
I groaned. “I understand why my mother warned me about that spell now. I don’t feel ready to beat anything right now.”
Daxar kissed the top of my head. “I get it. Glinda spent several days doing the spells on me first, then the two of us did them on the rest of the staff. I know exactly how you feel right now.”
That just made it a hundred times worse. “So, you’re telling me Glinda betrayed her right-hand man?”
“I’ve got an idea to make you feel better. I wouldn’t have dreamed of doing this with Glinda. Do you trust me?”
“You know I do.”
Daxar scooped me up like I weighed nothing and carried me to his bed. He set me gently on the bed and ran his finger underneath the strap of my top.
“Would you mind taking this off?”
“What do you—”
Daxar waved his hand, and all the strawberry-scented candles in his bedroom lit. He kissed the tip of my nose gently.
“A back rub. That’s it. Do you see this oil?” he said, showing me the bottle. “It’ll relax you, but I need you to take your shirt off so I can get to your entire back. I’ve already told you I won’t have sex with you just yet.”
“Why not?” I asked, tugging my shirt off.
“Because you need to do that with men your own age first. Idris and Oprix have been wanting that for far longer than I have. Don’t break their hearts, Francesca.”
“I wasn’t planning on it. I was just wondering how you stop with everything we do.”
I sat on Daxar’s bed without my top on, and boldly met his gaze. His eyes hungrily roamed my body. I wanted him to touch me. I wanted his hands everywhere. He had a lot more control than I did. He tucked my braids behind my ear. He did that a lot.
“Beautiful,” he murmured. “Mine. Lay down.”
I felt the warm oil from the bottle he showed me spatter on my back. It smelled like strawberries and vanilla. It was very Quadling. I groaned when I felt his fingers working the muscles in my shoulders. I felt like sinking into the bed and melting. His fingers started from the crest of my buttocks all the way up to my shoulders, and then he started kneading my neck.
“Where’d you learn to do this?” I moaned.
Daxar chuckled and leaned forward to nip at my ear. “Francesca, I think you want me to confess there is a woman back in the South I do this for so you can get mad at me. My best friend growing up was a girl. She was a dancer. I used to work her muscles out after she would finish dancing. We were never more than just friends. She’s married with nine children now.”
I sighed in contentment as he continued to knead my muscles. “I’m not trying to get mad at you. I know everything about Idris and Oprix. I’m trying to get to know you and Galen too.”
“Ah, yes. Galen. I had a feeling when I saw him, he would intrigue you.”
“Are you mad? Idris is jealous.”
I shuddered when Daxar’s fingers brushed the sides of my breasts. “Enough talk about unpleasantness like jealousy tonight, Francesca. I’m trying to relax you. Am I failing?”
“No, this is wonderful.”
Daxar’s touch went from massaging and rubbing to soft feathery petting. I broke into goosebumps. He leaned forward and licked my ear.
“If I were doing my job, you wouldn’t be able to talk at all.”
Daxar bit the tip of my ear, and I turned into this melty pile of goo on the bed. I moaned when Daxar started kissing my neck. He started planting kisses and nips down my spine. I was trying not to writhe on the bed. Daxar grabbed my hips and held me still as he bit my shoulder.
“Did you know this oil is edible?” he growled, trailing his tongue across my shoulder blades.
“No,” I whimpered.
Daxar growled and bit the back of my neck. “I want to taste other parts of you too.”
“Please,” I begged.
Daxar sighed and let go of me. “Not tonight, Francesca. Have you recovered from the spell?”
What the fuck? Had I recovered? Yes, I had. My body was on fire, and I needed release. Daxar was such a tease. I flopped on my back and met his green eyes. They were sparkling as he smiled at me.
“Not tonight. Not after that spell. If you’re feeling frustrated, you’ve got two men waiting for you back in your bedroom who can help you.”
“I’m starting to think you don’t want to.”
“Stick that lower lip back in before I bite it. Go back to Idris and Oprix. Invite Galen if you like. We could die in the North soon. Think about that when you go back to your boyfriends.”
I bit my
lip. Daxar was right. It was time to lose my virginity with Idris and Oprix.
Chapter 24
Frankie
D
axar knew exactly what I was planning when I left because he tried to help me. I was just planning on flying back to my bedroom and getting laid without even thinking about the future. Daxar stopped me and handed me a small vial. There was a silver disc inside that he told me to place on my arm and gave me a chant to say. That would prevent me from getting pregnant in the middle of this whole Fisher King mess. I was glad Daxar told me that because my mother certainly hadn’t.
It was a nice night out, and Oprix left our bedroom window open. The bedroom was empty when I flew back to my room. When I peered into the sitting room, things had certainly changed. Idris was sitting with Galen and Oprix, and they were laughing like old friends. It looked like Galen was opening up a bit, and Idris was accepting him. I wasn’t ready to invite Galen to my bed just yet. I was just getting to know him.
Saffron was gone again. I cleared my throat and made myself known. “Is Saffron out with Emarus again?”
Idris just smiled. “You know she doesn’t have a huge appetite. She couldn’t eat as much cake as we could so she went to sleep off her headache. You look like you’re feeling better and you’re back earlier than usual.”
“Daxar didn’t send you to the gardens?” Galen asked.
“Daxar isn’t a total hardass. He knew that spell took a lot out of me since he’s done it himself. He tried to make me feel better instead of working on my training. We can pick that up later.”
Galen gave me this knowing look. “We didn’t eat sweets when I lived with my father. That cake was really good, but now I think I’m crashing from all that sugar. I think I’ll go to bed too. Goodnight, Frankie.”
Francesca, The Great and Terrible: A Reverse Harem Academy Romance Page 11