Shadows and Sorcery: A Collection of Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance Novels

by Adkins, Heather Marie

  My lips parted, my blood heating. “I’m really starting to think this is real,” I whispered.

  Titus and Exos chuckled, their collective warmth searing me from both sides. Titus’s hand slid lower, exploring the apex between my thighs. “Definitely real, sweetheart,” he said against my ear.

  I shivered, licking my lips. Exos tracked the movement with his gaze before leaning in to trace the same path with his own tongue. Oh, fuck… It served as an invitation, one I was hopeless to turn down.

  Tilting my head, I accepted his offer and moaned as Titus dipped his finger into my weeping sex. Exos took advantage of my groan, his tongue sneaking inside to begin a dance that set my body on fire. Not in the way Titus had last night, but in an entirely new way. This touch was underlined with spirit, energizing me in a way no one else could.

  The combination of elements left me wired and hot and rejuvenated. I felt unstoppable, protected, adored.

  How is this my life?

  Oh, who the hell cares? Stop thinking!

  I had no idea where that last voice came from, but I listened to it and indulged in the sensation flourishing between the three of us. I thread my fingers through Exos’s thick, ash-blond hair, holding him to me as he devoured my mouth. My other hand went to lie over Titus’s as he explored me intimately, his fingers knowing and sizzling against my flesh.

  Fire and spirit dueled inside me, both tugging on different nerves and exciting a maelstrom of activity throughout my body. I shook beneath the onslaught, overwhelmed and consumed by both men and the gift of their touch.

  Exos cupped my breast, his thumb brushing my nipple and sending a jolt of electricity through my bloodstream. Then he nipped my lower lip, his eyelids lifting to reveal a pair of glowing irises. “Your arousal is invigorating,” he whispered. “I’ve never felt anything like it.”

  He kissed me again before I could reply, his fingers pinching my nipple. I arched back into Titus, gasping at the fierce contact. His lips went to my neck, kissing and nibbling, while his hand continued to work beneath mine, his fingers stroking a desperate need between my legs. “Are you going to show Exos how beautiful you are when you come, sweetheart?” he asked against my skin, his voice husky and dark. “I think he’s jealous that I saw it first.”

  I shuddered, the flames inside dying to be released.

  Then Exos shifted, his mouth leaving mine to kiss my jaw and then lower to my breast. His hand went to my thigh, lifting it to rest against his hip.

  I gasped as his lips closed around my nipple, the heat of his tongue a brand against my skin.

  Fuck.

  I squirmed between them, the dual sensations sparking a volcano inside my core that throbbed for release. “Exos,” I breathed, my grip tightening in his hair.

  Titus nipped my neck, his finger driving deep and eliciting a scream from me that resembled his name. I panted both of their names in succession, confused and aroused and needy as hell. I didn’t know whom to focus on—Exos at my breast or Titus’s hand between my thighs. Both were so, so good. So perfect. So mine.

  I gave in to that little voice that told me not to think, not to consider the complications of the moment. And I let go completely, enjoying the way they handled me, the way they encouraged my power to flourish between us.

  Exos skimmed his teeth across my stiff peak, forcing my gaze to his. A knowing gleam blazed in his irises, his soul seducing mine into an intimate dance that forced me out of this plane of existence.

  The tension building inside me unraveled, sending me spiraling into an oblivion of elements that thundered through the room. Incomprehensible words left my mouth, my limbs locking in pleasure, stars bursting before my eyes.

  Intense.

  Perfection.

  Addictive.

  I wanted more. I craved a deeper outlet, a more passionate understanding, a mating. The realization caused me to tremble, my heart skipping a beat. What are they doing to me?

  “Balancing you,” Exos whispered, licking a path back up to my lips. I must have spoken the words out loud. Or maybe he read them from my eyes. “We’ll help you learn how to fly with steady wings, beautiful, when you’re ready. But for now, we’ll keep you grounded in the only ways we know how.”

  “I can feel the bond,” I marveled, finally sensing it for the first time. “It makes me want more.”

  “I know.” He kissed me softly while Titus slowly drew his hand from between my legs, the dampness of my arousal creating a wet path across my skin. It left me quivering, stirring a desire for another round. I felt insatiable, needy, and undeniably smitten.

  “We’ll take it slow,” Titus spoke against my ear. “Teach you about our world, our customs, our powers. To make sure it’s what you really want, Claire.”

  “Handling both of us won’t be easy,” Exos agreed, his lips moving against mine. “That’s what the courtship is about—learning the other and deciding if it’s what both parties want. For that, you need a stronger comprehension of your abilities and this world. But we have time. And we’ll start training immediately.”

  Titus kissed my shoulder. “He means after a shower.”

  Exos’s lips twitched. “No, I meant now.” He kissed me again, his aura calling to mine on an intimate level that left me shaking against him. “Create something with me, princess.”

  “Like what?” I breathed, captivated by the swirling blue of his irises.

  “Anything.” He lifted his hand from my leg, holding it between us.

  I pressed my palm to his and marveled at the stimulating connection. “More flowers?”

  “If you want.” An electrical charge caressed the air, causing Titus to shift at my back. He didn’t leave but gave me space, allowing me to focus on the energy breathing life into my being.

  The energy of Exos.

  His spirit enticing mine.

  “Think about something you want,” he encouraged. “And show me with your hand.”

  “Anything?”

  He grinned. “Within reason.”

  “Okay.” I fell into the ocean of his gaze, drowning in all things Exos. Every inhale belonged to him. Every heartbeat. Every thought. He wanted me to create life. What would he enjoy? A pixie like Elana’s?

  Or maybe something from my home.

  Like a butterfly.

  I pictured a winged creature, giving it pink wings with my mind, and felt my heart warm at the idea as my fingertips tingled.

  Exos smiled in approval as a butterfly fluttered above our joined hands.

  “What is that?” he asked softly. “Your version of a fairy?”

  “It’s a butterfly.” I urged it to fly around the room, its wings glistening with life. “It likes flowers.”

  “It’s beautiful.” He released me to tuck my hair behind my ears. “Just like you.” He pressed his lips to mine once more, the kiss a possession and a promise wrapped up in one. “See how long you can keep it flying around. My record for a conjured spirit is three months, if you want a goal.”

  My lips parted. “Three months?”

  He waggled his brows. “Consider it your first assignment, princess.” He nuzzled my nose and glanced over my shoulder at Titus. “I think I might enjoy playing professor for a few weeks.”

  “We can teach her all sorts of things,” Titus agreed, drawing a finger down my spine. “But I do want a shower first.”

  “You and me both,” Exos said, some sort of understanding passing between them.

  I gasped, understanding dawning. They’re still turned on. “Wait, are you—”

  Exos silenced me with his mouth, his tongue a familiar presence that scattered my thoughts. “Pleasuring you in the presence of another, I can handle. Watching you return that pleasure to a man who isn’t me? Absolutely not.”

  “I agree,” Titus said. “And I can’t just leave the room, either.”

  Exos nodded. “We’ll come up with a way to handle this. For now, I’ll settle on a shower.”

  “There’s only one
here,” I pointed out.

  “Titus will go first while you show me what your butterfly can do. Then I’ll shower.”

  “And me?” I asked, raising a brow. “When do I shower?”

  Exos nodded. “You’re right. You should shower first while we watch, then Titus can go after you, and I’ll go last.”

  I slapped his shoulder. “That’s not funny.”

  “I didn’t say I was joking.”

  “For once, I actually like your demand,” Titus added. “Up you go, Claire.”

  I scowled over my shoulder. “No.”

  “You can’t turn down a royal,” he said, smiling. “And he wants you to shower first.”

  “I thought you wanted a shower?” Exos gripped my chin to pull me back to him, a smile in his eyes. “Or was that you being difficult?” He kissed me before I could retort, causing Titus to chuckle as he rolled out of the bed.

  “I’ll let you know when I’m done,” he said on his way out of the room.

  Exos ignored him and continued kissing me, the moment intensifying now that we were alone. He pushed me to my back, his hips settling between mine. “I’m going to kiss you until he returns, Claire.”

  “Okay,” I whispered.

  “And I’m going to make you come again.” The dark promise sent my heart into overdrive. “With my tongue.” He nipped my jaw on his way down, his gaze oozing sin as he looked up at me. “Consider it an introduction to the courtship bond, princess. And you have two of us vying for your attention.”

  Oh God…

  I might not survive this.

  Yet, I couldn’t bring myself to worry, not with Exos drawing a hot path with his tongue through my slick folds.

  This is my new life.

  Best to just embrace it.

  And I did.

  Twice.

  The End For Now

  * * *

  Continue the Elemental Fae Academy Series with Part II of Book One: http://lexicfoss.com/efa/

  About the Author

  Lexi C. Foss

  USA Today Bestselling Author Lexi C. Foss is a storyteller lost in the IT world. She’s quirky, adores playing with alpha heroes in dark worlds, and loves writing paranormal twists.

  http://www.LexiCFoss.com

  J.R. Thorn

  USA Today Bestselling Author J.R. Thorn is a Reverse Harem Romance author who has an unhealthy obsession with magical tattoos and alpha guys that need to be taught a lesson.

  http://www.AuthorJRthorn.com

  See No Evil

  Yumoyori Wilson & Elle Cross

  See No Evil © 2018 Yumoyori Wilson and Elle Cross

  All rights reserved under the International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to any actual persons, living or dead, organizations, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

  Warning: the unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.

  Created with Vellum

  See No Evil

  Twelve stranger. A rare genetic trait. And a man who would destroy nations to obtain them.

  A deadly game of hide and seek...

  Running is the only thing I can do to keep my freedom...and sanity.

  Freedom has become nothing but a daily illusion, especially when your enemies have the finest technology to tap into one’s brain and control your every movement. Whenever I think I’m finally free of them, they find me again.

  Still I run, even though I know they’ll keep finding me. It’s the only way for me to track down the man behind all of this - the one known only as the Wizard.

  He has endless wealth, power, and authority that can get him any resource at his disposal.

  At least for now, he only wants to capture me. Study me. Study us.

  But he can change the order from capture to kill with a snap of his fingers.

  I know because I was once his puppet.

  Even though he gave the orders, my hands were the ones stained with blood. My past is full of filth and dread of my multiple sins. I will have to live with those mistakes for however long I have left to live.

  First, I need to do something I promised myself I would never do again: use my powers to locate more people like me.

  And before I die, I will own one more sin — I will kill him.

  1

  No Trespassing

  The ruined husk of the cathedral had been left to rot. A litter of police barricade tape, demolition notices, and discarded trash built up in front of the building’s entrance. The backside of the church faced a narrow alley occupied only by the occasional vagrant or two-dollar hooker trading hand jobs for meth.

  What was once a pretty, sacred space became the casualty of too many city planners and not enough doers.

  And it was exactly what I had needed to hide me from...them.

  A moldy mattress from one of the old Sunday School classrooms lined the inside of the baptismal, creating a nest hidden from view. The stained glass window above the chapel cast rose-hued lights that glimmered and bounced. I was sure that the glow-effect was only partially due to the drugs in my system. Whoever built this church did a good job positioning the structure to capture the light during sunset.

  When the shimmer haze dimmed, I reached for the vial of purple pills that I kept strapped against my skin. There was no way I would allow myself to be parted from it. They kept my sanity from shattering into a million pieces.

  I struggled to sit up and shook the canister. It was nearly half-empty. My eyes lingered on the clear bottle like it was my only life-line, the dread of how something so tiny could bring my salvation filled my wandering mind.

  I shook one rice-sized pill out, and carefully, I licked it from the palm of my hand and swallowed it down. Ever so slowly, the pill managed to go down my parched throat, a reminder of how thirsty I was. I had to block the thought as quickly as it had appeared. I’m far too exhausted to deal with the nagging need for water...or any type of fluid.

  I quickly screwed the cap shut and slid it back under the strap and against my clammy skin once more just as the high overtook my brain. The sound of a blissful sigh reached my ears, the relief in the weak note made me smile at how pathetic it all felt. To be freed from the bonds of this regrettable circumstances.

  Reality fell away before my body lay to rest on the dirty mattress once more. Almost like in slow motion where you witnessed everything at a snail pace, but knew in real time, it happened within a second.

  I’d found this hole sometime last week, or had it been last month? Time blurred together thanks to the drugs I’d been forced to take. A special cocktail of heroin and ecstasy that suppressed my brain so that they couldn’t find me.

  I was surrounded by heavy metal and concrete as I stared up at the broken statue of Jesus Christ opening his arms in silent invitation to the invisible masses; it was a measure of protection in case I had any unexpected visitors. The white noise of the city and the heightened electromagnetic fields helped to shield me, too.

  A holy protection of belief and human creation.

  Of course, nothing was fool proof. If ever they knew I was in Vegas, they would find me, no matter how good my hiding place was or how loud the city noise was.

  The drugs were the only true shield I had against them, because when I was high, they could no longer trace me.

  Who were they?

  They were a global organization that operated under the smiling missions group called Helping Hands. Except instead
of sending aid to countries that needed food and water, they sent killers.

  Assassins

  Murderers.

  People who carried a rare gene that made their brains special.

  People like me.

  They had told me that I was gifted and it was my responsibility to help the world where I could. And what normal human being would turn their back on helping the world when they could?

  One who believed in our Savior would take the opportunity without thinking. Anything to receive redemption in the world beyond this plane of sin and isolation. Our body was but a vessel and were all on a time limit. Why not use such time for good?

  That was how they got me, how they got all of us. By the time we were smart enough to see past their shiny outsides and reveal the rot at their core, it had been too late.

  Our brains. Our stupidly special brains had been hacked into like we were nothing more than machines. That was how they treated us, too.

  Machines.

  Cattle.

  Things.

  Property.

  Branded with a serial number and tracked like you would your mobile phone. An entire network of killers ready to activate whenever they needed us to work. A sleeper cell in its most literal sense, except there was no waking up from our nightmares.

  A small group of us were able to escape during a job. There had been drugs and an accidental hit of opiates to blend in during that field op.

  That had been my salvation.

  I somehow made it back to America using some of the stash we’d swiped and split between us before we went our separate ways. I’d been staying one step ahead of Helping Hands for the past six months.