Nobledark Academy 3: Chosen Hearts

by Laney Powell

  Then he kissed me, and I forgot about everything else. I felt his care and his desire right down to my toes.

  “My moms are cooking enough to feed an army,” I said, when I could speak again.

  “The other guys here?”

  “Not yet. You’re the first,” I said.

  He inhaled, and stood up straight. “Well, let’s get this over with.”

  Hand in hand, we walked into the house. It felt good to be honest and open. I couldn’t be out in the open at school, as much as I loved it. Polyamory wasn’t a normal thing you saw, even in our world. But here, my parents knew, and if they had issues, they were keeping said issues to themselves.

  “Mom, Mána, Dad,” I said.

  At the sight of Silas and me, all three of them stopped.

  “This is Silas Tomberle,” I said.

  Dad came forward to shake his hand, and then Mom and Mána did the same.

  “I know your father,” Dad said. “He’s a good man, and he is talented as a leader. I’ve watched him work with the packs. That takes skill.”

  Silas smiled, and I could see that this comment about his father really pleased him.

  I gave my dad a grateful look.

  “It’s not easy. Everyone is pretty independent, but Dad’s always looking out for the benefit of all of us, and he always has,” Silas said. “That’s what makes it possible for him to get things done, I think.”

  “He’s proved that more than once,” Dad said.

  My phone buzzed in my pocket. Checking it, it was a text from Jake.

  On our way. Room in the greenhouse for both of us?

  Yes. I’ll wait outside, because you’re both huge and it’s not that big of a greenhouse, I texted back. “I’ll be right back,” I said. “Matty and Jake are portaling.”

  Silas squeezed my hand, and I left him, leaning against the kitchen island, talking mostly with Dad. Mom and Mána were watching. Taking notes, probably, I thought.

  I stood outside the greenhouse door, and when I saw the flash, I rushed in.

  The greenhouse felt even smaller than usual because both of the Pearson twins were in it. I found myself crushed in a hug that lifted me off my feet, and I managed to get an arm around each of them.

  Then Jake kissed me, his arms around my waist. I let my fingers tangle into his hair, and my body melt into his.

  “Ease up,” Matty said next to us.

  Jake let me go, and it was Matty’s turn. He brushed a hand along my cheek. “I’ve really missed you,” he whispered. Then he kissed me, tenderly at first, and it grew to demanding. I could feel the flame of desire getting even hotter, after kissing three of my guys, and realizing how much I missed every bit of them.

  When he let me go, I leaned on one of the narrow tables along the side of the greenhouse. “Wow,” I said. “Between the three of you, I’m feeling overwhelmed and dying to get you alone.”

  Both of them laughed.

  “That makes three—probably four—of us,” Jake said.

  “Who’s here?” Matty asked.

  “Silas. Caspian hasn’t texted me yet,” I said. Caspian would be a little more difficult. Where the fae lived was removed from the human world, so communication took longer. I hadn’t known that until we’d talked about how to be in touch over the summer.

  The three of us walked out of the greenhouse and into the house, with both of them holding my hands. All of the guys knew that my family knew, but I liked that they all seemed to have decided to go all out, and hide nothing.

  I remembered that we’d made plans for all of us to meet one another’s families, and I hoped we’d find a similar kind reception. The thought made me nervous. I shoved that aside. I had enough on my plate right now.

  Introductions were made, Silas and the twins all hugged one another, clapping each other on the back like guys do. My parents watched with interest. Even Iliana, who had told me that having multiple mates was not out of the ordinary in the siren families.

  Mom and Mána set out dishes of tzatziki sauce, and pita triangles, inviting everyone to start eating. I was starting to get worried about Caspian when my phone buzzed once more.

  “Thank goddess,” I said, looking at my phone. “Caspian is on his way. Be right back,” I smiled at all three of the guys, and hurried to the greenhouse once more.

  Caspian was the newest member of our pack. He and I had kept running into each other, kissing our faces off, and then he’d stalk off for what seemed like months without anything happening. Then the guys got together, and told him the deal, and I’d told him that he was welcome to join us.

  Initially, he’d refused. But he’d changed his mind, and I was so happy he’d done so. When he did, it was as though something fell into place that made my life complete. I’d always felt that he was meant to be a part of my life, and now, finally, he was. There was also the fact that he’d heard a prophecy about us from a fae seer before we’d even met, but I didn’t know how to feel about that. Good? Bad? Weird? I just didn’t know.

  With a flash, I saw Caspian standing in the middle of the greenhouse. It was getting dark, and he glowed with the silvery moonlight I always associated with him.

  “This is pleasant,” he said, looking around and inhaling deeply. Although not as bad as Silas, Caspian was a sniffer, too. He looked at me. “Even more pleasant because you are here.” He stepped forward and wrapped me in his arms. We kissed, and I felt like I was falling into a dark pool under a moonlit sky. Caspian had that affect on me.

  “Is everyone else here?” he asked.

  “Yes. And now that you’re here, I’m complete,” I said.

  We walked out onto the deck, and he slowed to run his hand along the tops of the plants and flowers that my mom had growing in long containers along the deck. “I like this. It’s an oasis in the middle of—”

  “Not an oasis?” I asked with a laugh as a siren went by outside on the street.

  “It’s a very busy human city,” he said.

  “I love it, but I understand why you might not,” I said.

  “You are here, and that makes anything bearable,” Caspian said. He kissed my forehead.

  “Come on in,” I said.

  Caspian had an arm around my waist. As we came into the living room, Matty, Silas and Jake came over to give him a hug, and they were laughing as they greeted one another.

  Then I introduced Caspian to my parents.

  My moms seemed a bit in awe. I got it. Caspian was truly beautiful. Although they seemed in awe of all four of the guys, which was also quite fair. Every one of them was scorchingly hot, as I could attest, in great detail.

  Not that I would. Not in this crowd, I thought to myself, suppressing a giggle.

  “I hope you’re hungry,” Mom said. “Because dinner is ready, and there’s a lot of it.”

  And with that, we sat down to eat around the island.

  Chapter Three

  Olivia

  For a few moments, there was no conversation, as everyone filled their plates, made their gyros, and settled in for what looked and smelled like a fabulous dinner.

  Then, after everyone was eating, Mána looked around at the four guys, who sat two on either side of me.

  “So. Do you understand what it means to be a mate of a Karidias, one of the Arabethym?” she asked.

  I groaned. “Really? Now?”

  Mána nodded, not looking repentant in the least. “Yes. It’s not easy to be our partner, and it’s only fair that they are in possession of all the facts.”

  “I told them,” I said. I risked a glance on either side of me. All four of the guys were interested, but wary. They were waiting to see where Iliana was going with this.

  “Well, as your mother, it’s my duty to make sure they are informed. First, if you make this choice, you will be a Karidias. Any children must carry on the Karidias name. You will only have daughters. We do not have sons.”

  “Iliana!” I said, shocked out of the new name I’d been using. There were
facts, and then there were holy shit facts. She’d jumped right to holy shit without any build up at all.

  “And should the protection of the stone be needed, you will need to guard the stone. I say this,” Mána sent a glare my way to stop me from interrupting, I thought, “Because part of the problem has been that the heirs of our families have not had partners who could be of help, and keep them safe.”

  I immediately felt bad. Kassandra and Aella had both changed into the stones to protect themselves and their daughters, and because they had no mates, they’d been at the mercy of the Giant Asshole, Marbys. So I shut my mouth.

  Caspian spoke first. “Olivia has shared this with us, Iliana. She has not kept anything from us.”

  “That’s good. And while the rest of the world may look at you with a narrowed gaze, I think more than one mate is a good thing,” Mána said, taking a bite of pita. “It allows for more protection for the heir. We need it. We need all the help we can get. The demons are getting smarter, as Marbys has shown us. Never before has one demon gone after all three heirs with the intention of having a child with them. But he did, and here we are.”

  “Have you found the third sister?” Jake asked.

  “I have not located her,” Mána said. “I’m getting close, I think.”

  “We don’t keep secrets from each other,” Matty said. “Well, not anymore,” he looked at me with a rueful expression. “We all learned the hard way that wasn’t a good idea.”

  I saw the other three guys nodding.

  “You are bonded,” Mána said, looking from one to the other. “I can feel the bond. It’s not just emotional, or physical, but you have bonded magically. How did that happen?”

  Which meant that we had to explain what had happened right before the end of term when we closed the hellway in the library at Nobledark. Things weren’t going well until the five of us held hands and concentrated our magic together.

  “That makes sense,” Mom said. “If you are truly bonded, then once you worked together magically, that would show in the strength of the magic.” She looked between all of us. “Had you done magic together before?”

  We all shook our heads.

  “That’s something you’ll need to practice,” Dad said. “Teams take time to get in sync with each other. If you do that, if you practice, and you know each other’s magic like you know your own, you’ll be stronger.”

  I hadn’t thought of that, but it was a good idea.

  “That is something for us to work on,” Caspian said.

  Silas nodded. “I can ask my dad about it. Packs work together like that. And they have to practice working together, because otherwise, everyone is trying to do their own thing.”

  “You all need to tell your families,” Mána said. “Because there is risk in being part of one of the Arabethym Trinity families, your family should know. Have you told them?” She looked at each of the guys.

  Slowly, they all shook their heads.

  “Dad knows I’m dating someone, but I haven’t told him more than that,” Silas said.

  “You must tell them the truth, both about Olivia, and that you are all part of a mating bond.” Iliana was firm. “It’s only fair. And they may not like it, but they need to know.”

  “Won’t that expose Olivia?” Matty asked.

  “We have spent a lot of time making sure people don’t know about her,” Jake added.

  “I don’t know that you need to get into detail about her paternal lineage,” my mom said. “I think her siren side carries enough of a wallop, if you know what I mean.”

  Her words made everyone chuckle, and had the added effect of breaking some of the tension. Iliana could be intense, although I got the impression she was really piling it on tonight. I just didn’t know why.

  “You should share this with your families soon,” Iliana brought the conversation back to the serious once more. “Like this week.”

  “That’s kind of pushing it—” I began.

  Iliana shook her head. “No, it’s not. I’m not saying this to be your crazy mother, but because things are so volatile. There are six of us, here and now. Once we find Violet, we’ll have to act quickly. We’re up against an opponent who is smart, strong and capable. I don’t want any of you hurt,” she smiled then, and the intensity on her face relaxed. “So it’s better to get this all out in the open, and work from there. How do you think you’re families will react?” She looked between the four guys.

  “I don’t know,” Jake said.

  “Dad’s pretty pragmatic,” Matty said. “Not sure about Mom.”

  “My family won’t put up any roadblocks,” Silas said. “Wolf shifter, remember? We’re big on the pack aspect.”

  Everyone laughed.

  “I cannot say how my family will see this,” Caspian said. “I was expected to marry within the fae, and my choosing a human, for that is how they see you, regardless of the other aspects of your makeup, will be seen as… problematic. I will need to bring this to my parents. Other than that, I cannot offer assurances.”

  Mom and Dad frowned, but Iliana nodded. “Thank you for your honesty. It’s good to know. Until we close the hellways, and banish the demons who would come here, we are in danger. You cannot ever forget that.” Her words fell like a bomb in the middle of the island.

  “Well, with that pleasantry, let’s try and eat some more,” I said. “Because danger aside, we still need to eat.”

  I felt Jake next to me squeeze my leg. On the other side of me, Silas brushed his hand against my back. Both Matty and Caspian met my eyes, and theirs were filled with care and concern.

  Iliana was giving me the creeps. Why had she decided to go all Sarah Conner in the Terminator movies? That’s what she reminded me of. Not that Sarah Conner was wrong, I thought. But her delivery left something to be desired at times. I couldn’t call her anything but Iliana at this point.

  I’d been watching Iliana as she talked. I was looking for colors, for an aura. She gave off a strong blue, and hints of pink that made her color look purple at times. It was more a magenta, a vivid splash of color that demanded you see it. Which was Iliana to a tee.

  Thankfully, dinner proceeded as normal after that. Iliana was quiet and watchful. When she spoke, she sounded more like herself and the prophetess of doom and gloom.

  After dinner, and far too many donuts, the guys and I went and sat on the deck. I didn’t turn on the lights, not wanting my parents to be watching us as though we were on stage.

  I sat on the sofa in front of the small fire pit, and Silas sat to my left. Jake sat on the other side of me, and Caspian and Matty pulled chairs closer so that we could talk without shouting.

  “I’m really glad to have met your parents—all of them—” Matty said. “But Iliana was a little…”

  “Heavy handed?” I asked, feeling my eyebrows go up.

  “Intense,” Jake said.

  “Honest,” added Caspian.

  Everyone looked at him.

  “I appreciate her being open. It doesn’t change how I feel, or what I have chosen to do, but I like knowing what I will face.”

  “Is being with me a burden?” I asked.

  “No more than being with me,” Caspian said. “Your, Iliana,” he hesitated as to how to address her.

  “Mána,” I offered.

  “Yes, your Mána showed us the obstacles, but they are no more what I, what we will face when my family learns of this.”

  “Are they going to be angry?” Silas asked.

  “Not so much angry as disappointed, and concerned. They do not approve of meddling in the affairs of the non-fae. My father,” he smiled slightly, “feels the fae have enough concerns of their own.”

  “Iliana is right,” Silas said, turning to look at the rest of us. “We need to let our families know. Particularly because you’re not safe, not yet,” he said to me.

  “I think we have some time,” I replied. “I don’t think Marbys will get out of wherever it was we sent him tomorrow.
”

  “But he may next week,” said Jake.

  “We’ll talk to Mom and Dad tomorrow,” Matty nodded, as though having come to a decision. “I think we should try and meet each other’s families in the next couple of weeks.”

  I felt a pit of dread open in my stomach. Here, within the confines of my family world, I was safe. This was accepted. Elsewhere, my guys’ families would be asked to accept not only a siren as their son’s partner, but three other guys in the mix as well. Outside of Raven, and despite the claims of our respective siren mothers, I didn’t know anyone who had more than one partner.

  I sighed. “I’m in. After that speech in there, my parents will be fine. But maybe we don’t need to tell them about the demon dad thing. I think the siren mother will be enough.”

  All four of the guys, even Caspian, chuckled.

  We sat outside for another hour, talking, just being with each other. It was nice, to be like this, where I wasn’t worried about an exam, or a project, or a demon actively trying to bring me over to the demon side, or one of my classmates getting kidnapped. It was just… us.

  I wished it could stay this way.

  When they left, I walked with each of them into the greenhouse, and was able to kiss them all goodbye. By the time Caspian, the last to leave, went through the portal, I was breathless and raging with desire.

  This summer would be a challenge in more ways than one.

  Over the next week, I texted back and forth with the guys. One by one, they told me that they’d told their families, and were planning on the right time for a visit.

  Silas was first, and as he’d predicted his family wasn’t all that bothered. I got the impression that his mother wished he’d chosen a fellow shifter, but other than that, all was well. His parents issued an invitation for dinner that included my parents, which I hadn’t expected.

  Matty and Jake told me that their dad was intrigued by our pairing. They didn’t mention their mom, which sent up warning flags for me. But a dinner invitation came from the Pearsons as well—and again, included my parents.