by CY Jones
“Really?” he says surprised. “How would you describe him then?” he asks, staring at me seductively as he moves his lips closer to mine.
All of a sudden, my mind short circuits. All I can see is the pinkish-red haze surrounding his aura as it completely takes over his usual dark blue hue. My own lust leaks out, not really having a break in the first place. I’m already hooked on his drug and completely fucked. My hormones have a mind of their own, and they’ve taken over me like a body snatcher. It seems like lately, when I’m not wallowing in guilt over killing Quinn or fighting off my own insanity, I’m drowning in lust and fighting my cravings for the sexy mages in my life and one elusive faery king. It would be so easy to just give in, but I refrain. I refuse to give them the power to wreck me. I made that mistake once. I can’t do it again.
But even still, I admit, “I would say he’s extremely sexy.” His irises light with a spark, and he closes the already diminishing space between our lips and kisses me so deep, it feels like I’m drowning. Like he’s using the power he controls to keep me under so that I have no choice but to rely on him for air. No matter how hard I fight. How much I give it my all not to, I’m falling hard for these heirs and that scares me more than not being able to breathe.
Oli and I never got to watch that movie. Instead, we made out for hours until his twin came home and I excused myself with red swollen lips and drenched panties before I did something stupid, like suggest a threesome. The expression on Blondie’s face as I was leaving said it all. I had mere seconds before his restraint snapped like a skinny twig and he threw me on the floor to have his wicked way with me. As much as I want them, I don’t think I’m ready for them together yet. I’m such a nutcase. My emotions all over the place. I’m either at a zero or ten on the emotion scale with no middle ground.
When I get back to my cabin, it’s late evening. The sun will be setting soon, and it will be dark before long. Stuck to my front door is a maple leaf, and I approach it cautiously. A leaf stuck to a door may not be suspicious in normal terms, but it is to me since maple trees don’t grow anywhere in this forest and messages in this place are just as deadly as a dagger. Archer materializes in front of me and launches a glowing arrow at the leaf. When nothing happens, he rips it down and gives it to me. Written in Quinn’s neat script are coordinates and a short message to wear something sexy. Geez, even his writing is the same as my brother’s.
“Are you still planning on going to this party?” Archer asks.
“I kind of have to since I struck a bargain with Oberon. Besides, I'm curious. I want to know exactly how much I can trust him. I’d be irresponsible to just turn my back on him while he’s here and let him have full reign of Quinn’s body unsupervised. Not to mention, I’ll need his help tomorrow if I plan on succeeding.”
“Even with all the planning, your plan is still risky,” he points out.
“Every day I wake and start a new day is risky. I never know when one of the other Masters will come after me. At least this time, I’m the one in control by launching a sudden attack.”
Once I’m safely inside, Archer disappears to stand guard, and I busy myself with the first part of my plan. Taking out the supplies I need, I start stuffing and sewing a whole bunch of tiny burlap dolls that look like an army of gingerbread men. Since it’s only the three of us invading Crimson Blood, I’ll need a great deal of these little guys to up our numbers. Imbued with my magic, their purpose is to lead the enemy outside to a spot previously plotted beforehand with a map I was able to procure on Crimson Blood Academy. They really shouldn’t put information like that in their brochures. Who knows what types of people they’ll attract with such knowledge. They’re almost making it too easy to ambush them.
The last part is the hard part. Since I can’t have my blood anywhere on this thing for the possible fear of someone turning the tables on me with my own doll and using it against me, I have to go through the tedious process of painstakingly writing out a spell on a tiny script of paper, which I have sewed into the doll. Like a gholam, the only way they can be destroyed is to destroy the paper hidden inside, which is why the script has to be so damn small. It’s not a task that can be rushed either. Tiny pins and special ink is used, and I have to be careful not to smear it.
I have about a hundred of these done before my stomach starts to growl with hunger. Stretching, I head into the kitchen searching for food. I can’t cook for shit. I know, crazy when casting spells require gathering ingredients and assembling them step by step like a recipe. Cursing people is easy, but unfortunately, my level of cooking is barely the basics.
Sick of sandwiches, I make a cheese omelet which I eat with a glass of red wine. It’s so quiet out here, peaceful. Being all alone can be lonely, but I can’t say I miss the hustle and bustle of living in the dorms. Always watching your back gets old, plus female mages are petty. I don’t know how many times food I labeled either ended up in the trash or a curse was placed on it. Communal kitchens are as safe as communal bathrooms, which is a whole lot worse in my opinion.
In the bathroom, they would use their magic to either try to burn me alive or freeze my tits off. I was almost stabbed in the thigh with an icicle, and once, they managed to blow up one of the stalls. Thank goodness Mr. Meow was around to prevent me from going in there at the time. I heard a rumor that right before Quinn and I came to the academy, a girl cursed the remote because her best friend kept hogging it. After she touched it, she walked up to the roof of the building and threw herself over and died. The stories only get more horrible from there. So, no thank you to that shit. I rather be lonely and safe than deal with the extra drama.
The cabin is pretty sizable inside with six bedrooms, all masters with their own ensuite bathroom. On the outside, the dimensions are small to keep it hidden within the thick foliage of the forest surrounding it just like the building my grandfather’s office is located, with the only difference that it has a similar barrier surrounding it just like the one concealing the academy. If you didn’t already know about the cabin, the barrier prevents you from seeing it, which makes me wonder just how powerful the faery king is to bypass it and leave notes on my front door.
Inside, it’s cozy and charming like a wooden retreat with high wooden beams and big square windows. Out of the whole house, the living area is my favorite. It has a cozy fireplace I like to use to roast marshmallows and make s’mores. If I ever summon up the courage to invite one of the heirs here, it would be nice to snuggle against them in front of the fire on the soft bear rug. Unfortunately, it’s real, but I was told the bear died of old age, and it’s not one of the tacky ones with the poor animal’s head still attached. Hanging from the ceiling is an impressive looking chandelier made from deer antlers of all sizes with tiny fae lights hanging from a thin wire. Gramps neglected to tell me how all those deer died, and for my own sanity, I didn’t ask.
Like in my dorm room, the cabin has built-in wooden shelves that I’ve already filled with books and manga, my guilty pleasure. When I’m not training my butt off, I take advantage of the reading nook with a padded bench near the window with the view of the small pond behind the house. There’s a plasma television above the fireplace, but I hardly turn it on. The barrier protecting the school prevents WIFI from working, making all electrical devices useless. When it comes to technology, if you can’t power it using your magic, you’re SOL. But for some strange reason, the electricity works, so that’s a plus. Toward the back is a small study with enough space and storage to hold all my magical books and supplies. Besides the many extra rooms, I would think this place was built just for me.
Glancing at the clock, I figured I wasted enough time. It’s dark outside with a thin white crescent moon shining amongst the stars. Heading to my room, I take a quick shower, only taking my time to moisturize my skin afterwards. It must be my heritage, but the heat here dries out my skin, and even at night, the temp is still in the 70s.
What to wear to a king's impromptu party out in the
woods amongst killers? I ask myself as I stand in nothing but my towel, shifting through my clothes. A harlequin outfit Quinn bought me catches my eye, but I bypass it, not wanting people to think I’m trying to be something I’m not. I have nothing to prove to them, but all the same, I’d rather not give them ammo to harass me. Instead, I decide to wear my favorite black skirt. The material is shredded, cut in various lengths making it grungy and sexy at the same time. Paired with a bra-top covered in shiny pirate skulls, I didn’t have much clothing on, but you should see the outfits these females wear to class. I adorn my arms and wrist with jewelry and around my waist is a chain made of solid silver imbued with magic. I leave my hair down, but I bead in more charms as well as a couple of darts filled with poison disguised to look like hair pins. I also have Quinn’s engagement bell braided in my hair for protection. I promised him no matter how upset with him I am, I’d never take it off.
Lastly, I attach a voodoo doll to the chain and put on my combat boots, sliding my dagger, Dagga, inside. No matter where I go, it’s always on my person. I have mastered over a hundred places to cleverly hide it on my body, where it won’t be detected.
In the full size mirror attached to the closet door, I check out my reflection, staring down at the giant tattoo of the panther resting on my right side like it’s about to jump off my skin any second. Since we’ve fully bonded, Mr. Meow has been resting a lot on my skin, channeling and sharing our magic. Gramps said once the newness of the freshly established bond wears off, he’ll be able to detach himself from me longer.
Besides his upgrade in size, this is all still very new to Mr. Meow, just as it is to me. As my cat familiar, he was used to roaming about, causing chaos wherever he went. Having to stay in one place makes him antsy and uneasy, which is why he doesn’t stay in one spot for long on my skin. Now, his face is on the side of my neck with it’s huge body completely covering my back.
“Okay, let's get this show on the road,” I tell Archer in my head. Earlier, he scouted the location with the coordinates provided so I don’t have to worry about getting lost. “What will I do once you’re gone?”
“Buy a compass or use one of those GPS thingys,” he answers my unasked question.
“You know the magical barrier surrounding the school prevents all electronic devices from working, including GPS. I rather not track down and pay a mage with power over technology just to get around.”
“I was being sarcastic,” he retorts in a snarky tone.
“I know, and I was being a smartass,” I reply, laughing. In the short time we’ve been paired up, I’ve taught Archer the wonderful world of not giving a fuck and sarcasm. When I first met him, he was way too intense. He certainly had that super powerful warrior act down pat and reminded me too much of the heir’s stoic leader, Zion, so of course, I had to change that little trait of his for my own sanity. He’s not fully there yet, but it is a work in progress. Apparently, everything in my life is a work in progress.
Kirito
“Are we going to that party I heard so much about out in the woods?” I ask Zion, catching him before he leaves. Milo and I just got back from pulling our shift spying on Crimson Blood. He’s going to replace us since Ryker is helping his brother recover.
That stupid party thrown by the false Quinn is the only thing I’ve been hearing about since I got back. Imagine both mine and Milo’s surprise to learn Oberon was here at the academy making trouble and not off seeking revenge with his newfound freedom. Kitten sure has a knack for causing trouble since she was the one to set him loose in the first place, and like her, he’s not trying to follow the rules. It’s a big deal for the top mage of the light mages to throw a party inviting us dark mages. To be truthful, any get together mixing the two is newsworthy. I’m dead on my feet, but I have plenty of energy when it comes to matters dealing with my kitten, and I’m sure she’ll be there.
“You can go if you like, but I have better things to do than watch some old tired king hold court for a bunch of idiots too stupid to tell that’s not the real Quinn.”
“Do you think she’s going?” I inquire.
“Possibly, but I couldn’t give a shit if she does or not,” he grumbles.
“Oh hell, not this shit again. I thought you were over your issues with her.”
“I was until she had the audacity to demand help in exchange for the prize at the end of the war.”
“What? When did she do that?” I ask, shocked. When I left, she was still under the magical coma the headmaster put her under. She couldn’t have been up for long.
“Yesterday, after we left our Magical Element class early because Oberon crashed it, along with other things.”
“What other things?” I growl.
“Look, it doesn’t matter. The point is, she’s not exactly operating on all cylinders. She’s making reckless decisions, and I refuse to let her drag us down with her insanity. If she doesn’t want to help us, that’s fine. I refuse to let her think she can hold Archer over us. We'll have to stay the course without them, but tell me now, which side are you standing on if the day comes and you have to choose?”
“What the hell does that mean?” I shout.
“I know how you feel about her. You nearly went against me once because of your feelings. Chances are likely you’ll do it again, this time with a knife in my back.”
I grit my teeth annoyed, but he has a point. I do feel for my kitten deeply, but it isn’t in me to betray him after I pledged my word that I’ll work with him in this war. Afterwards, it’s every mage for himself.
“I’ll stand on the side that’s right,” I answer honestly.
“And her current behavior?” he hedges.
“She was wrong. What more do you want me to tell you?”
“Nothing more. I just wanted to hear your opinion,” he says in his cocky tone before walking off, but then suddenly, he stops and looks back. “Oh, don’t worry about the party. The twins and their Champions will keep an eye on it. You should go back to your room and get some rest while you can. I have a feeling Crimson Blood will be making a move very soon.”
“Yeah, okay,” I reply, walking off in the opposite direction. He’s right. I do need my rest, but not just to deal with Crimson Blood. I’m sure I’ll need it to keep him and kitten from killing each other. I wish they would just fuck and get all this misplaced animosity out of their system. Things would certainly be a hell of a lot easier if they did.
Chapter 6
Angelica
Following Archer’s directions, it doesn’t take me long to get to the meeting point. I only needed him until I got a mile out and followed the sound of the music blaring from the speakers the rest of the way. I wonder if my grandfather knows about this little shindig out in the woods, or if he even cares. Since it’s still going on, I’m doubtful it’s on his shut-down list. He has other things on his mind to worry about. Like me, the Council, and Morganstein.
Having read up on fae lore, I don’t know why I’m shocked by the debauchery before me. Maybe it’s because I thought mages knew better than to give into their urges in a public setting because we’re constantly on guard, but with countless barrels of faery wine and whatever that conspicuous substance is in the crystal bowl on top of the crates made into a table that their lapping up like Kool Aid, has made them all of these assholes lose their senses. It’s easy pickings in here for anyone looking to level up or just need a nice kill to calm the nerves.
Next to the crystal bowl are piles of unusual shaped fruit in a multitude of bright colors definitely grown in the fae territory. Don’t these idiots know never to eat anything from faery? Even if they are under the assumption that Quinn acquired it for the party, these idiots should know what food grown in the fae lands looks like and not to touch it.
Walking further into the fray, I dodge sweaty bodies bumping and grinding on the makeshift dance floor. Strobe lights flicker and change in a multicolor stream of light from the trees, straight lines of colorful paper lanterns han
g above our heads, and scattered on the ground are tiny balls of light adding to the party atmosphere as well as preventing those too intoxicated to function from falling in a ditch.
Light mages, dark mages, for tonight, it doesn’t make a difference. It’s almost nice to see if I didn’t have to be a witness to so many naked bits or tongues being shoved down each other's throats playing tonsil hockey. And to think, I was worried I was underdressed. Topless really is today's theme as well as see through and barely there skirts.
It’s not hard to find the host of the party. Right in the thick of things, seated like the king of the castle, Oberon is holding court in what looks like an actual throne. What the hell? Did he steal it and bring it here after he razed his castle to the ground? In his lap, nibbling on his earlobe, is Gazette, a dark mage I’ve seen in the halls from time to time. I haven’t had a run-in with her yet, but I suspect I will eventually, since she’s currently rated seventh to my eighth. She’s a sneaky one and works mostly with curses and spell casting. Oberon might want to watch out and not let his guard down around her.
On the floor, on her knees, running her hands up and down his body, massaging his muscled thighs is another female I’ve never seen before. She’s probably a light mage.
When he sees me standing there watching him, he has the decency to straighten himself. Gazette stops nibbling on his earlobe long enough to sneer in my direction before going back to her business of seducing him, but stops again when she realizes her efforts are not being appreciated.
“Sister dear, I’m glad you made it. Are you enjoying yourself?”
“I just got here, but it appears everyone else is enjoying your little party,” I say, looking pointedly at the two females fawning all over him. I refuse to admit I’m a tad bit jealous, but geez, get a room already.