by Rachel Angel
“San Francisco, California. USA,” I said.
“It probably does take about a week to get to Kingsbury,” he said. “The students…they have their private jets. There is a landing strip and hangar at Kingsbury Prep, from what I hear. They go straight from where they came from to Kingsbury just like that.”
My face dropped. “So I took the roundabout way to get there.”
Ricky laughed. “I would say the scenic route.”
“Why did they give me the directions for the roundabout way when they said they would handle the transportation?”
“The school operates on a tight budget, I hear,” Ricky said. “The faculty and staff are paid like other private schools. Although their school is for royals, they are not given a royal budget so they probably could not send you a private jet.”
“I know,” I said. “I’m not complaining. I just thought they should at least give me the option of knowing there was a landing strip on campus, rather than assuming just because I came in on a scholarship, I couldn’t figure out a way to afford to fly my way to the school.”
“Ouch,” Ricky said. “You don’t like my charming company?”
“I do!” I said. “Very much. You gave me more information than I could even find on Kingsbury anywhere. It’s like they have no presence or news on them, except for the public announcement for their first non-royal student.”
“They like to keep everything a secret. Wouldn’t you if you housed the most important and powerful students in the world? Sons and daughters of Kings and Queens, Heads of States,” Ricky said.
“How do you know so much about Kingsbury if they’re so secretive, and you probably don’t pick up very many of the students on your water taxi?”
“My mother works there,” Ricky said. “She works in the cafeteria. Her name’s Rosie. She has been there for over ten years.”
“Do you see her much?” I asked.
“Yes, she works her shifts and comes down the mountain to where we live in the city.”
“You live on the island with Kingsbury Prep?” I asked.
“Yes, I live in town, but I help my father out with his water taxi business when I can on weekends and after school like today.”
“So there is a normal city here with normal people, not just royals,” I said almost to myself.
“When you get a chance, come down the mountain to visit town. Heck, you can join me for a good old-fashioned soda jerk and hamburgers. Come down to visit us commoners when you’ve had enough of the royals in Kingsbury. My mother tells me everything that goes on in Kingsbury. Seems there are hierarchies amongst the royals and lots of jockeying for power.”
Ricky handed me his card. “In case you need to get away, contact me.”
The speed boat docked on a landing, and Ricky helped me off. Then deposited my suitcase next to me. “Thank you for the tour,” I said. “It’s good to know I have a friend in town.”
Ricky smiled and said, “I like that. Hope to be seeing you sometime.” He gave me a small hug. “And before I forget…Welcome to the City of Arcadia.”
I pulled my luggage from the landing and made my way through the beach up to the bottom of a steep flight of stone stairs nestled against the wall of the mountain. “You’ve got to be kidding me,” I said to myself. “Do I really have to climb all these stairs?”
I started climbing but was hindered by dragging my luggage up the stairs with me. It was filled with the most important items for me…my mother’s ring, my father’s watch, the family photo album, my sketch book, Lily’s baby blanket, some favorite outfits, my tattoo machine, and whatever necessary items I could shove in. Kingsbury Prep’s letter to me stated I could bring one large luggage only to the campus. Nothing more, nothing less.
Well, carrying the luggage up the stairs, made me regret packing so much into it. Now in order to make it lighter, I had to get rid of something. I stopped and was about to open my suitcase when a hand touched my shoulder.
“Tempest? Tempest Ryan?” a pretty girl with vibrant red hair, clear porcelain skin, a pouty mouth and blue eyes asked. She was looking me over as I glanced at her burgundy blazer embossed with gold threads entwining to form the words Kingsbury Prep.
“Yes, I’m Tempest,” I said sizing her up the way she sized me.
“I’m Sabrina,” she extended her hand, “I drew the short straw to bring the new student up the Castle.” She looked bored. “Actually, I just wanted a chance to get out of the Fortress and have a smoke.” She took out a pack of cigarettes, took one out, and lit it.
“Good to meet you,” I said. “Did you climb down these steps?” And how did you get here without looking sweaty since there must be over a thousand steps to get to the top of the mountain?
Sabrina inhaled her cigarette and proceeded to blow into my face.
“Let me finish this joint first before answering any of your questions.”
She continued smoking until half of her pack was gone. Could she be more rude as to ignore me so she could have her smoke?
I took off up the steps with my luggage.
“This way,” she said, rolling her eyes. “Can’t you hear? I said I would answer your questions when I’m done, are you dumb?”
I hid my smile. “Don’t you mean ‘deaf’?”
She fixed her hate-filled eyes on mine. “You don’t get to correct me, peasant. Don’t you know who I am? You should be bowing and curtsying to me.”
I smiled. “Oh, I forgot since you’re a student at Kingsbury Prep, you must be of royal blood. You’re somebody somebody, but I don’t exactly know who since I’m not one of your subjects. I’m American, and where I’m from, everyone has the same rights.”
Sabrina’s face turned a murky splotch of red. “You’re on Kingsbury’s turf now, peasant,” Sabrina said. “Kingsbury’s rules.” She’s almost smiling with evil, her mouth crooked like a comic book villain’s smile. I half-expected her to let out a villain fake roaring laugh and to raise her hands up as she laughed, like Dr. Evil from Austin Powers.
“I like your hair,” I said. “It’s such a nice color.”
She actually changed her expression and said, “It’s candy apple red. At least at Kingsbury, I get to dye my hair the color I want. All the kids do it. Back home, none of us are allowed to look anything but prim and proper.”
“I take it you like it at Kingsbury?” I asked, now walking with Sabrina and tugging my wheeled luggage behind me. We walked around the base of the mountain and into the wooded area. My senses was up as I noticed another girl wearing the Kingsbury uniform waiting in the trees. Like Sabrina, she wore an air of arrogance as she looked me over.
“Veronica,” Sabrina said, approaching the black-haired girl whose brown eyes looked at me with such hatred. “Tempest Ryan, the peasant commoner student just arrived.”
“I would have arrived earlier had I not taken such a pleasant scenic route and enjoyed visiting each stop. Have you ever had shish kabob guinea pig? I did, I was so hungry, and the street vendor only had guinea pig cooking on her cart. My how desperate people could get that they’re eating their pet guinea pig in some places where there’s no food.”
“Shut up,” Veronica said. “You talk too much.”
“And I assume you’re not really the Kingsbury Prep welcome committee.”
Veronica smiled that same comic book villain crooked smile. “We are. And I see you didn’t get the correct packet telling you how to get to Kingsbury and what to bring. Otherwise, Sabrina and I wouldn’t be at the base of the mountain, greeting you.”
“And you wouldn’t be lugging a big ugly suitcase. How peasant,” Sabrina said shaking her finger like I was a child and she was saying, ‘No no’.
“I figured something was off with the directions,” I said. “And the brochure I received. Only one page in a brochure? You might as well just have that one page as a letter instead of a freaking brochure.” I laughed. “Really? I thought it was because Kingsbury had so much money to waste, they mai
led out brochures one page at a time.” I laughed again. “Whose idea was it to make up a one-page brochure?” I looked at Veronica and then Sabrina. “You or you?”
“It was Veronica’s idea but I made it. Or I had someone make it,” Sabrina said.
Veronica glared at Sabrina. “Why are you answering the peasant’s stupid question?”
“I thought it was stupid to make the sheet of paper for the directions into a brochure,” Sabrina said. “Now Tempest is confirming it.”
“Whatever!” Veronica snapped at Sabrina. “I’m the Queen of Kingsbury. What I say goes or you’re out of the Q2.”
Sabrina flinched. Then looked sheepish.
“Q2?” I asked.
“Queens 2,” Veronica proudly said. “We’re the Queens of Kingsbury.”
“Just the two of you?” I asked. “That’s some elite group. One of you is Head Queen, and the other is her sidekick?” I looked at Sabrina. “What a bum deal to be the sidekick in a 2-person elite clique.”
Sabrina seethed with anger as she shot Veronica a venomous stare.
“Come on, we need to do this so the charity case never gets to even show up at Kingsbury,” Veronica said. “Then we’ll win over the K3s.”
Sabrina’s look of anger switched into a dreamy look. “Yes, the K3s. How I wished I could be as lucky as you, Ver. Sleeping with Hunter and making out with Ori. Of course Kaz is still off limits.”
“Yes, Kaz,” Veronica’s eyes glazed over in the same dreamy look. “So beautiful yet so unobtainable.”
“One day, he’ll break down. Your charms and birthright as Crown Princess will make him fall for you,” Sabrina said.
“We’re a perfect match,” Veronica wistfully said. “If only he’d realize it.”
“You’re only sleeping with Hunter to get to Kaz,” Sabrina said. “And Ori…he’s just convenient.”
“Kaz hasn’t even budged.” Veronica bunched her fists and punched the air. “I’ll show him that I am his equal. I could be just as cruel or crueler.” She grabbed my hair and pulled me towards what looked like a large meat grinder.
“Are you insane?” I cried out.
“The K3s said letting a commoner into Kingsbury will bring down the whole institution. The entire monarchy system of governing. We have to get rid of you,” Veronica said, dragging me with incredible strength.
Maybe I was just so worn down from traveling and didn’t have the energy to fight back so I couldn’t resist her for a moment. “This is murder,” I said. “Let me go. You don’t want to do this.”
Veronica gripped my hair harder. “Shut up!”
“You’re insane!” I yelled out at the top of my lungs. “Fucking stop!”
A large strong hand grabbed my left wrist, halting Veronica’s pulling. I looked into the direction of that hand, up the long muscular arm and into one of the most beautiful male faces I’ve seen. Black hair, smooth flawless white skin, dark chocolate dreamy eyes, a straight nose and full sinful lips; I felt like I was staring into a K-pop Prince’s face.
“Ronnie, Babe,” he said, pulling me to my feet as he ignored me and approached Veronica. “Nice to see you outside of Kingsbury’s grounds.”
“Hunter,” Veronica said, devouring him with her hungry eyes. He had his white shirt unbuttoned, showing off well-defined chest muscles and 8-packed abs. He was wet as though he had just taken a shower or been swimming. His shirt clung to broad shoulders, muscular and strong arms, and his nipples. He had taken off his wet uniform slacks and was only wearing black briefs. Wet, tight, and fill-out in front leaving no doubt where his lustful mind was.
“Oh, Hunter,” Sabrina cooed, clearly smitten by the gorgeously tall Greek God-like man in front of us.
“So ladies,” he said, flashing them a seductive smile. “I don’t have much time to waste before heading back to Kingsbury. Which one of you would like to suck me, and which one would like me to fuck? Since there’s two of you, why don’t we do suck and fuck? I’m game.” He took off his wet shirt and handed it to me. “Or we can skip our outing from Kingsbury, and we can all just head back together on the tram ride up.” His chocolate eyes met mine with a heated gaze before he broke off and looked over to a camouflaged tram hidden on the side of the mountain. So that was how Sabrina made it down to meet me. There was a tram that took people up the mountain to Kingsbury from the base of the mountain.
My eyes acknowledged Hunter’s and thanked him for pointing out the tram.
He had already moved on and was flanked by both Veronica and Sabrina who was already on her knees in front of him, sucking on his large thick dick. Veronica was licking his chest, her hands stroking his stomach. I couldn’t take my eyes off of them. He couldn’t take his eyes off of me, as he was getting sucked and now fucked. Veronica had pushed Sabrina out of the way and had taken off her panties, shoving her back in front of Hunter, riding him. He gripped her hips and was pumping into her while she moaned loudly.
Somehow I knew Veronica was a screamer.
Sabrina was behind Hunter, kissing his back, rubbing her naked breasts on his skin and moaning. As he pounded into Veronica from behind, his expression was fierce, raw, and even angry, but he kept his chocolate eyes on me, like he wanted to be pounding his hot flesh into mine. Heat soared between us, and my entire core flared up in lust. I wanted to join in. I wanted to push Veronica out of the way and have Hunter’s thick throbbing dick slide in and out of me with such force. I felt each thrust as he pounded deep and hard into Veronica with a grunt. I felt his girth fill me deeply until there was no space in between my flesh and his. When he moved, I moved. When he slowly pulled out, every cell and nerve ending in me felt his heat sear through me.
I was almost panting from wanting a release of my own, when Veronica screamed, “Oh Hunter, Fuck, so Fucking good!” Her entire body shuddered, and pushed off of Hunter to lay on the ground, still shuddering with intense spasms.
Sabrina took her place and was immediately sucking on him in a frenzied pace until he reached out his hand to her shoulders and came.
The entire time, his heated eyes never left mine.
I realized I didn’t breathe the entire time. I finally inhaled. My body was flushed, and my mouth was dry. I wanted to be part of Hunter’s harem at that moment. He knew it too, as he smiled a slow wickedly sexy smile at me with promises of what he wanted to do with me.
With their plans interrupted, Veronica and Sabrina followed Hunter to the tram after getting dressed. He indicated for me to come along. “You see,” he said, punching in a code to get the tram moving. “You wouldn’t be able to get up to Kingsbury without knowing the code.”
“No,” I said.
He smiled and leaned back into the plush seats of the tram. Clearly the tram was designed only for Kingsbury Prep’s students and faculty. And clearly, he may have indicated for me to go to the tram, he also had planned for me to watch him having his ménage à trois with Veronica and Sabrina. He clearly wanted to get under my skin. He did get under my skin, stroked it, and inflamed it with heat and combustive lust for his touch.
“Why even bother giving Peasant girl a code to the tram when she’s not even going to step into Kingsbury?” Veronica asked, looking at me in disgust. “She watched us having sex like a hungry dog in heat. She must’ve gotten off on seeing me naked.”
“Sorry, girlfriend,” I said, “while you had your eyes closed, my eyes were only looking into Hunter’s. I didn’t notice anything beyond that.”
A small twitch at the corner of Hunter’s mouth was the only indication of his amusement. And when our eyes met again, there was a little spark in his.
“We tried to get her lost so she wouldn’t even find Kingsbury Prep,” Sabrina said.
“Kaz will be so impressed with the effort we made to get rid of her before she even appeared. Smart thinking, huh, Hunter? You’d put in a good word about this to Kaz, wouldn’t you?” Veronica asked, wrapping her arms around his chest.
Hunter pried off her arms and sai
d, “For someone who’s supposedly fucking me, why are you always bringing up Kaz especially after we have sex?” He looked so annoyed he got up and came by to sit next to me.
The heat of his body next to me was electric, and I almost jumped. He felt it too, because he did jump slightly. His face flushed, and he turned to me, a look of wonder in his eyes.
“Hunter,” Veronica said. “What are we going to do about Tempest? We’re not going to let her stay are we?”
Hunter closed his eyes and said, “Can you shut the fuck up? I’m tired and don’t want to listen to your lame plans.”
He leaned back and looked like he really did suddenly fall asleep.
Soon he was leaning his head onto my shoulders and snoring.
Riding the tram could have been enjoyable with the beautiful natural sights going up the mountain. From the tram’s 360 degree windows, you could see the entire island filled with lush vegetation, forests, and farms to a vibrant and thriving city in the center. Clear blue water flanked the white sandy beaches covering almost half of the island’s borders.
Had I not known there was a castle on top of the mountain housing royalty, I would have thought this was an island resort.
The tram came to a halt, and Hunter’s eyes flew opened. “You ladies go first,” he nodded to Veronica and Sabrina.
They stumbled out, clearly unhappy how their plans to kill me was ruined. Sabrina was giddy about finally being able to have sex with Hunter, but Veronica shot her a murderous look.
Hunter stood up and helped me up, his hands firm against my elbows, sending all my nerves rushing to my core. I turned my face to him, and I could barely speak, my mouth was watering, salivating to kiss him. His eyes were downcast as he tried not to look at me.
I made an effort. “Thank you for saving me from them,” I said. I reached out for his hand, but instead of taking it, he shoved me to the wall and pushed his body against mine. His lips were almost upon me as my breath slowed into heavy panting. From the way his Adam’s apple bob, as he gulped, he was equally affected. “Get out, run, while you have the chance.” His lips lightly brushed mine sending a wave of heat over me. I wanted to taste his tongue, to open up my mouth for his to explore mine, but he had already turned and walked angrily away, leaving me more confused than ever.