Invincible: The Curse of Avalon #4

by Skye, Sariah

  “Yeah, I’m sorry. I should have thought about it. Damn, I knew I should have stuck to dudes…” Rhys said, slumping his upper body over the table and with a whine, he buried his face in his arms.

  “Um… in the meantime I can probably give you some of what we use,” Bash offered.

  “What do you use?” Rhys asked, not bothering to lift his head.

  “Contraceptives. I make something we all take, just in case.”

  Rhys’ head snapped up. “What? Me? I figured that they would—”

  “Laddie, it makes more sense to prevent the gun from firing than it does to wear a bulletproof vest, doesn’t it?” Trystan retorted, and Rhys just looked at him blankly, obviously clueless.

  Snorting, I said, “It’d be way too hard for Bash to make enough for all the witches, it’s easier for you just to take something. Okay?”

  Rhys grumbled, but nodded reluctantly. “You promise it won’t like, shrink my dick or anything, right?”

  Trystan laughed loudly. “I promise ye, there’s been no problems with dick size or complaints from Ava, eh? Ye’ll be fine.”

  “Can I see yours just to make sure?” Rhys wiggled his brow and smirked. Trystan just about jumped out of his chair and charged him.

  “You’re too much fun to mess with!” Cackling loudly, Rhys snapped his fingers and teleported out of the way, across the room.

  “Smug right damn crazy arse bastard…” Trystan muttered, setting his elbows on the table and cradling his chin in his hands, laughing loudly.

  “Aww, you love me!” Rhys said, pressing his hands together in a prayer pose and batting his lashes at him, totally reminding me of one of those starry-eyed animated characters on TV.

  “Don’t press you’re luck.” Trystan shook a finger at him and turned back to his lunch.

  “Enough joking, guys. This is the last thing we need right now.” Mathias turned from the kitchen, leaning back along the counter and sighed, shaking his head. His jaw was clenched, and a vein popped out gently from his forehead; he was obviously stressed. “We have all of these people walking around, clueless. We have a war to fight but no idea how to fight it. Somehow, we have to teach our fiancée to be a brilliant fighter because somehow she is the one that’s supposed to kill Arthur or something? And if that weren’t all bad enough, we’re being sued!”

  “Sued?” Trystan nearly choked on his sandwich. Bash and Xander muttered protests of their own, I just stared at him blankly.

  Sighing irritably, Mathias crossed back to the table, sneering severely at the wizard when he teleported back into the kitchen in his seat, reaching over Xander’s plate to steal part of his sandwich. Xander just glared, and opened up his hand, revealing a particularly nasty spinning ball of lightning and wind. “Get your own.”

  “Xan gets hangry, might want to heed that warning,” I said to him, flashing a wink at the sexy storm wielder. He didn’t even protest. “What’s this about being sued now. And why?”

  Mathias grabbed the papers he was looking over before, and handed them to me. “They just arrived this morning. Apparently, someone is claiming mental trauma from the little publicity stunt at the club.”

  “You have to be kidding,” Bash said drolly, and Mathias shook his head.

  “Wish I was.”

  I scanned the documents I was attempting to read, but I didn’t really understand it. There was an official raised seal of the courthouse of Hennepin County, but literally nothing else made sense. “I don’t get it. How is that possible? No one besides those asshole supes were hurt.” I gave Bash an appreciative smile and he practically beamed when I winked at him.

  “They’re just people looking to make a quick buck, Avie,” Xander pointed out, with a frown. “It’ll be over before we know it.”

  “Yeah…” Mathias sighed as I handed him back the papers. “I know Link said he’d take care of things, but with everything else…”

  “It’ll be fine, Mathias,” I said, reaching over and placing my hand over his, giving him a warm smile. His tense expression softened as his eyes met mine, the lids grew heavy and I knew he was having the same thought I was: just how good it felt to be together last night. Twice.

  “I know. I’m more worried about you than anything else,” he insisted. “How are you supposed to fight an army?”

  Rhys snorted. “She doesn’t need to. She has Excalibur. Literally it will do everything for her. The sword chose her for a reason, they’re connected. The more time you spend together, the tighter your connection will be.”

  I laughed shortly. “You sound like the sword is an actual person.”

  Rhys considered this. “It is in a way. It has a sentience because of the strong magic in it. Your magic wakened it. You literally won’t have to do anything, it’ll turn you into a badass fighter. You should keep it on you, though.”

  “Uh, how am I going to walk around with a giant sword at my side? Even in dagger form, it’s still too obvious to carry around.”

  Rhys just laughed loudly, setting a hand on my forearm. “Ava. Excalibur can transform into anything, just as long as it stays in somewhat of a blade-like form. Anything. Even something that might compliment your bling-bling there,” he said, hinting, as he briefly fingered the diamond pendant that hung around my neck.

  I cocked a brow. “Are you serious?”

  “As a heart attack. Where is it now?”

  “Upstairs. I’ll go—”

  “—you don’t need to. Just picture it in your hand. It’ll come to you.”

  “Are you sure?” I held up my hand, opened the palm, and pictured the sword there. Without skipping a beat, I felt a gentle warmth and the heft of the hilt in my hand as it appeared in its full sword form and the end was pointed directly across the table at Bash. Sheepishly I pulled it away, even though Bash just smirked.

  “Now try it. Anything you want, Avie,” Rhys persisted, looking excited.

  “Okay…” I said skeptically. I pictured the legendary sword much smaller, and dangling from a long chain. It shimmered and spun around in a whirl of gold, until its much, much smaller form dangled from my hands from a long gold chain. “Okay, that’s the coolest thing ever!” Triumphantly I pulled it over my head and let it dangle over my boobs.

  “What the hell?” Xander said with reverence as I fingered the chain around my neck. “That is… unbelievable.” Bash nodded in agreement, and Trystan muttered in Gaelic.

  “You know. Nothing surprises me anymore. Just… nothing.” Mathias said, shaking his head, grinning slightly. “Still, I think you should practice with it a bit. Merlin how good are you with a sword?”

  Bash, Trystan, and Xander’s faces all glared at him in protest. He lifted his hand and Rhys just shrugged next to him.

  “I’m good. I’m good at everything, duh,” Rhys quipped with a slight, cocky grin.

  “You seem the logical choice to help Avie with the sword, since you know the most about it,” Mathias said.

  “But, I’m the best—” Bash began to protest.

  “Yes you’re the best with the weapons. But you’re also a distraction,” Mathias reminded, and Bash grinned sheepishly. I giggled slightly and blew him a little kiss letting him know I didn’t mind his distraction. Xander snickered from nearby but thankfully looked amused instead of perturbed. “And you’re not better, Xiang. We won’t even begin to discuss you, eagle-bastard.”

  “Och, what did I do?” Trystan protested, feigning innocence.

  “Rhys is the logical choice.” Mathias opened his briefcase with two clicks of the locks, and slipped in the pages before shutting it. “Perhaps you can do that while we’re gone. Xander and I need to go to the club and work some magic. Since you’re the one best with the electronic things…”

  “Yeah. I’ll go,” he said reluctantly, sliding out of the chair, glancing down at his attire of a pair of fitted blue jeans and a black t-shirt that hugged all the lithe, hard lines of his sculpted body. I tried not let the flush my body was forming spread as I
eyed him. He smirked at me before he rose from his seat, flashing me a sexy grin. “Bash, what about you?”

  “Ye better get going on something for that wizard,” Trystan encouraged, giving Rhys a scathing stare that made him squirm in his chair. “Last thing we need right now.”

  Bash sighed and nodded in agreement. “Yeah, I can do that.”

  “Should I come?” I asked, hoping they’d say no. I’d really had about all I could take today.

  “No, Beautiful girl, we’ll be fine. Just stay here and relax, we’ve got this,” Mathias replied, rolling his eyes. “And make sure Rhys doesn’t get into trouble,” he said, leaning into my shoulder and said pointedly into my ear. I laughed, when his stubbled chin brushed against my cheek when he kissed me goodbye.

  Xander was less modest. He cupped my chin when Mathias walked away, and eyed me momentarily with those storm-cloud, sultry eyes. I knew exactly what he was thinking with that sideways smirk, just before he crashed his mouth into mine, mastering my lips and parting them with his tongue. The stress began to melt away when the heat of his kiss warmed my body, but just as soon as it began, it was over and he pulled away. I began to protest when he leaned in and spoke in gentle Chinese into my ear, something I had recently learned meant “I’ll see you soon, my love.” And it made me swoon.

  “See you later.” He glanced once at Trystan; some sort of male-posturing communication of understanding.

  Mathias poked a finger at Trystan, smirking. “You behave yourself.”

  “Eh, that’s not likely, laddie. Ye know this,” Trystan said, with a shrug.

  “I was talking to Rhys.” He made a face at the wizard who was peering over my shoulder at him.

  “It’s not likely for me either. Right, big boy?” Rhys’ eyes glinted with mischief at Trystan.

  “Och, shite…” Trystan just shook his head, playfully shoving Rhys across the room. The wizard just cackled.

  Mathias just snickered. “We’ll be back in a few hours. Trystan—”

  “—yeah, yeah I know. Don’t let anyone kidnap Ava, don’t get into any fights…and don’t kill Rhys. That about cover it?”

  “Pretty much. But if something happens to Rhys, I will turn my head and pretend I don’t know about it.” Mathias winked playfully as Xander laughed obnoxiously.

  “Be nice!” I called after him, as the two of them gathered their things, put on their shoes and departed, leaving only Rhys, Trystan and myself left behind. I glanced at the two of them, as they picked at everyone’s lunches left behind. I just pushed mine away from me, frowning as I leaned over the table and sighing.

  “What’s wrong?” Trystan inquired, with concern as he moved closer to me and leaned his body over mine, giving me a playfully sexy smirk.

  “I just don’t know how we’re going to pull this off. I can’t fight, Excalibur or not. It’s magic, and all magic has a weakness, right?” I grumbled, smacking my hand against the table, scowling. “Oh, and Rhys is knocking up witches and someone is suing the Stargazer for the little ‘lightning show’ claiming it ‘stressed them out’.”

  “Och, I know, it’s fucking shite is what it is…” Trystan grumbled in between bites of his sandwich.

  “We’ll practice some but you won’t need it,” Rhys insisted, with a smile at me. “The sword will care for you.” I eyed him strangely, wondering if there was something about the sword he knew that couldn’t tell me… but even if he did, it wouldn’t matter.

  “Yeah…”

  “Besides we have time, we’re waiting for Mordred…wherever the hell he is,” Rhys groused with a sneer at the mere mention of the Camelot prince.

  “I know… I’m just…” I trailed off, my words becoming strangled in my throat. I shook my head, setting both hands on the table and clenching my fists. I clutched the napkin once again in my hands and began to twist and yank on it, the simple action helping to relieve my stress. At least a very, very tiny, miniscule bit of it. “I’m just fucking stressed. I just don’t want to be dealing with any of this."

  “So.” Trystan pushed aside the plate he was eating from and came around to my side of the table. “Ye’re saying ye’re stressed?” His sexy mouth morphed into a sultry grin as he reached for me. I matched his grin with one of my own, feeling the desire slowly seep into my pores once again.

  “Yes. I’m stressed.” I bit my lip and slid out of the chair, as Trystan closed the distance between us, setting a hand firmly on my hip.

  “Can I help ye with that, luv? Is there something I can do?” Trystan’s Scottish accent crooned into my ear; his lips gently brushing over the delicate shell of it. I trembled under his touch, feeling my eyes slide shut.

  “Since when do you ask, eagle-boy. Don’t you always just… take?” I turned my head and gave him a sly look.

  “I wasn’t sure if it was appropriate behavior for a protector of a priestess.” Trystan trailed a series of kisses from my ear, down to my neck. “I thought, maybe I had to get down on my knees and worship ye, or something.”

  I swallowed thickly; the thought of Trystan down on his knees was… positively divine.

  “You could do that,” I responded.

  “Aye. Maybe I will.” Trystan’s eyes hooded, and the green irises tinged around the edges with a deep crimson. He caught his lower lip between his teeth, and slowly stalked around me, moving from my back to my front, dragging his hand and fingertips around my neck and shoulders. Oh hell… the look on his exceedingly handsome face was positively scandalous. My breath caught in my chest as he leaned in, his mouth aiming for mine but he stopped just short and instead of kissing me, caught my lower lip gently in his teeth; his heavy, salacious gaze holding mine. “Let’s go somewhere a bit more private, eh?”

  I nodded slowly, sliding my hand into his. “Yes. Let’s.”

  Rhys still sat across the island with a devious smirk on his face when we eyed him pointedly, telling him silently to leave. “Aw, come on, please let me watch.”

  Grumbling, I pointed down the hallway. “No way Rhys. And you better not peep in on us.”

  “I make no promises.” I groaned as Rhys laughed, and disappeared. “Get ‘im, girl!”

  “Good lord…”

  “Don’t worry about him, luv,” Trystan said lowly in my ear, raising his hand and cupping it over my breast, “if he shows up just make sure we give him a good show, yeah?”

  “Sure…” Right now I’d be willing to do just about anything if that meant being with Trystan right now. He held out his hand, and I slid mine in his and allowed him to take me to bed.

  Chapter Four

  The moment we entered his bedroom, he shut the door, locked it, and spun me around until I was pinned forcefully to the door by not just his body, but his predatory stare. The desire ebbed deep in my core, waiting for him, but I made no move; I wanted Trystan to make the moves. That’s what I wanted right now

  Having four fiancés was the best. Xander was passionate and intuitive. If I wanted control, he gave it. Bash had all the right moves and made me feel things I didn’t know possible—good things. Mathias was surprisingly gentle, and loved it when I called the shots. But Trystan generally took what he wanted. That’s what I needed right now. No decisions, no debates. No fear.

  Trystan leaned in close, staring at me intently through those crimson-rimmed, green eyes. The tip of his tongue not-so-subtly licked his bottom lip, and I about melted under the intense scrutiny of it all.

  Normally Trystan was very much “I don’t give a fuck,” laughing and joking and never serious. But this Trystan was beyond intense, beyond sexy… beyond otherworldly.

  I tried to set my hands on his stomach, but he dropped his, gripping mine, and pinned them at my sides. With a sidelong, seductive smirk, he said in his thick accent, “Not this time, Ava. It’s been a little bit since I’ve been with you. I’ve given you space with everything that has been going on. The other guys needed you, and that’s fine. But now…” Trystan pushed against me, his hard body and mass
of hardness against my thigh, and breathed onto my neck. I practically whimpered at his teasing, when he flicked out his tongue and gently ran it over the crook of my neck and shoulders. Holy forking shirt… I was so insanely turned on I was even forgetting to swear. That never happened. “Now, you’re mine. Got it?”

  I nodded slowly, turning my face towards his, hoping for his lips but he pulled away, refusing.

  Taking a step back, with a salacious look on his face, he crossed an arm over his chest, tucking it under the other elbow, and grazing his thumb over his chin. “Take everything off, Ava, luv.”

  “Everything?” I asked, swallowing with just a bit of uncertainty and a whole lot of unrequited lust.

  “Everything.”

  I took in a sharp breath and stepped away from the door. Trystan was fully dressed in a gray tee and jogging pants, so stripping everything off and standing there, totally vulnerable was… an amazing turn on.

  I pulled my shirt off over my head, and tossed it to the floor, never breaking Trystan’s gaze for a second. He liked to dominate, yes, but I was going to make him work for it. Just a bit.

  “Pants, now, luv,” he commanded in a thick, deep tone, sending a shiver of desire that shuddered my body intensely.

  Biting my lip, I did as he asked, pushing the leggings down to the ground, inadvertently giving him a “bird’s eye view” of my cleavage popping out of the purple lace bra I wore. I kicked the pants aside, and looked at him expectantly, setting my hands on my hips.

  “Is that one of the new ones?” He inquired, reaching forward and with a fingertip he traced the lace on the edge of one of the cups. “It is, isn’t it?”

  “Yeah, it is,” I replied, a flush of heat washing over both of our cheeks, clearly recalling the trip to the lingerie store, and the sexy interlude in the fitting room.