“I can help you get there quicker, you know,” Hart spoke, holding his hands behind his back. “I’m one of the best with portals.”
Yes, Light remembered, his mood souring, this Fae had been the one who opened the gateways to Faith’s world. Faith had told him all about what Hart had needed, the sacrifice those Fae had made in New Hope. Light was not a huge fan of Hart, to say the least. He didn’t trust him.
Vyserous nodded in agreement. “I do think that would be best. You send me over, so I can smooth things out with my mother before bringing you all with me.” He rubbed the back of his neck, looking perplexed.
“Are you ready to go?” Hart asked him. “A day or two should suffice, before I send the others over, I would assume.”
Glancing at the others, Vyserous asked, “Is that the plan, then? We go to my mother for aid? We look for them all and go from there?”
Dracyrus only sighed, and Jag was too busy staring at a bug flying by, so Light was the one who answered, “Yes. It’s the only plan we have.” It seemed more often than not they didn’t have well-laid-out plans. As Faith liked to say, what’s the worst that could happen? Truly, it was the motto of their fellowship.
“Then I’m ready.” Vyserous whistled, and Fang pranced over, nearly knocking Light and Jag aside to get to him, almost unaware of how large and spiky her body truly was. To Hart, he said, “One day. One day should be enough.”
“Very well,” Hart spoke, nodding along as he rubbed the claw on his chest. Behind them, just above the pink grass, a portal opened, glimmering and shimmering with magic and aether put to use. Light was not a fan of portals, but then again, he’d never traveled through one before anyway.
Too magicky.
“Good luck,” Hart said. “May fortune favor you.”
Vyserous must’ve had no idea what to say in return, for he said nothing, only walking to the portal, motioning for Fang to follow him. Fang shot a glimpse and a whine towards Dracyrus, as if he could save her from entering the portal.
“Go,” Dracyrus told the creature. “I’ll be with you again soon enough.” It was almost disgusting how close Dracyrus had grown to Fang. How could someone so bloodthirsty show such a tender side to a creature that could easily tear someone limb from limb?
Fang’s head lowered as she went to Vyserous, who looked completely miffed that she’d gone to Dracyrus first. “Come on, you traitorous drake,” he said, stepping through the portal. Fang followed him through, and within a moment, the portal closed.
Hart turned to Dracyrus, gazing up at him. Hart was just about as tall as Faith, which put him the shortest of the bunch, followed by Jag. Light was only shorter than Dracyrus, who was like a giant among them, his tall, curled horns aside. “I trust everything went well last night?” Hart asked, seemingly ignoring Jag and Light entirely.
Dracyrus frowned at him, and Light couldn’t help but wonder if Hart was really asking about their time together. He was Faith’s father; he shouldn’t be so interested in her sex life. It was a thousand different types of weird.
Jag must’ve thought the same, for he quickly said, “Way to be creepy, Hart. I’m sure Faith would love that.” Whatever bug had been calling his attention earlier was gone, and he was now one hundred percent focused on the conversation before him.
“I ask only because it is an—”
Jag interrupted him, “An important union, blah, blah, blah. Yes, we get it. We understand. Still weird though, don’t you think?”
Holding his head high, Dracyrus said, “She is not here with us. That should tell you all you need to know, Lionheart.” His voice was deep and hoarse, the kind of voice that sent tremors down the spines of anyone who heard it. How Faith could ever find him attractive, Light would never know.
He’d also not spend his time thinking too much about it.
“Good,” Hart spoke with a lone nod. “Then I shall leave you to your own devices.” With a small bow of his head, he vanished through another portal.
Light sighed. The longer they waited, the further away Cam got. Where was Cam? What was he doing? Where had he gone without telling him? And Finn…Finn would never have willingly left Faith on her own. One of his elders had told him to watch over her; it was his duty to stay by her side.
Damn it. The more Light thought about it, the worse his thoughts became. What if…what if his mother had been right all along? What if the Cam that had been traveling with them wasn’t his brother at all?
Chapter Twenty-Five
They called themselves the Diren. A new race, though they were more like a cult than anything else. Made of Elves, Dracon, Fae and Malus. The secrets to all have been unlocked by Yesmyr and the Count. But these Diren did not last long.
They made for army fodder, for mindless drones who did what they were told, who hadn’t the willpower to stop and think about what they were doing, but they didn’t last. Hence the issue, the problem that had plagued the Count and Yesmyr for ages now. Years.
Years until someone came up with an idea, an idea only because the Count had realized what he had, what strings he could pull to control him.
Cam did not want to do this; he seldom wanted to do anything, but he would do whatever he had to, say whatever he had to say, in order to save the one he loved.
Love. It was not something many Ulen claimed to feel. Most Ulen were vicious creatures, more like animals than people, hungry for blood and craving power. The Count was no different than the ones he sent down to the Pit, where those mindless Ulen lived out the rest of their lives in dire hunger, in a cavern so black their eyes became useless.
Cam also felt regret for what he was doing, for the lives he had cost. After all, it was at his insistence they listened to Yesmyr and used the Diren at the Elven gathering, where the Human students would be. It had been her idea, and he’d hoped that it would’ve been enough. But alas, the Count was a greedy man, and he would not give Cam what he wanted until he got what he wanted.
A Diren who followed orders, who held magic—something Ulen could never do—and someone who wouldn’t die in a few fortnights from decay and rot. As it turned out, infusing the living with aether was more difficult than it first appeared to be, and it already appeared to be supremely difficult.
As they traveled, as they left the Malus tribe and the plains of G’alen, Cam had decided to remain silent. He did what he had to: fed his tagalong, let him bathe every now and then when they came across a pond or a lake; but he never let him talk, fearing the things he would say.
Liar. Deceiver. Manipulator.
And he was. He was all of those things. It was not his fault that Finn had fell for it, just as it was not his fault they all had fallen for it as well.
But it was as they neared the Cove, the home of the Ulen, that Cam found himself turning to Finn, watching him. Finn did not wear his own clothing; Cam had taken what he could find in the nearby tents before they’d left. The clothes were tight on him, mostly due to his muscles. His blood red hair seemed faded a bit, his face gaunter than it was before. He’d looked better, it was true.
Strange and as silly as it was, Finn was the one Cam had liked the most of the group. Jag was simply irritating in the way most Malus were. Faith was…Faith. And Light? Light reminded him far too much of his past life, a life he had not lived for ages now. A life he’d nearly forgotten, until the day his brother sent word to the Cove that the Harbinger was here. The Count had sent him with the cloak as a gesture of good faith. Little did they know the Harbinger was a female, and so very different from the Harbingers of the past.
As Cam stared into Finn’s green eyes, his own eyes flashed red, loosening his hold over him, enough that Finn had full control of his functions.
A mistake.
“You son of a fucking bitch,” Finn swore, reaching for his neck, swiping at his magical tattoo and tossing the rope that appeared through the air. It coiled around Cam tightly. If he would’ve needed to breathe, he would’ve been in a dire straight; he didn’t doubt
it blocked his airways.
What did they call these things? Victus?
Cam’s eyes flashed red again, and he took back only part of his hold over Finn, forcing the magical rope around him to loosen and disappear, Finn’s body going slack. “Now,” Cam said, “let’s try that again, only without attacking me. Do you understand?” He spoke slow and steady, a command from an Ulen this Human could not fight.
Finn nodded once. When his mind came back to him, when he could freely speak—though not attack—he demanded, “What have you done to me? Where are you taking me? Why? If you hurt Faith, I swear to God I will kill you.”
Cam was not sure whether or not he truly believed Finn cared for her, but he took the words at face value. “If you truly care for her, then consider yourself lucky that I took you and not her.” He grew quiet. Once Finn knew what the Count had in store for him, the last thing he would consider himself was lucky.
“I don’t understand,” Finn muttered, looking angry. Cam could tell he was trying to move, trying to bring his hand to his neck and activate his magical marking again, but Cam’s hold on him was too strong.
“I pray that you are what we need,” Cam said, taking a step closer to him. Finn tensed, but he could not move away. “I pray your marking makes you stronger than the rest of your kind. A predisposition to aether, or something.” He closed his eyes, willing it with all his heart.
“What are you talking about?”
“You, Finnick, might be precisely what the Count needs to continue his research. Once he finds what he’s looking for…” Cam trailed off, picturing the face of someone he hadn’t seen in a long, long time. “I hope you are what he needs. I do not know how much longer I can do this.”
Again, that pesky regret. Maybe loving someone was the last thing he should do; it only made him weak. But without love, without being connected to someone, what was the point of living? If one could call what he did living, that was.
Finn frowned. “You were never on Faith’s side.”
“I’m on my own side. I do what I have to.”
“Why?” Finn questioned, unrelenting even though he could not move. “Why are you doing this? Why lie to all of us and pretend like you were our friend?” In the Human’s voice was genuine hurt; Cam recognized it. Finn had honestly thought him a friend, which simply made this whole situation even worse.
More of a betrayal.
Cam thought on this. “It was easier that way.”
“And Faith,” Finn’s eyes shook with anger, hatred even, “you lied to her. You pretended to like her—”
“I do like her, just as I like you. I did not fake anything, but I do have other obligations.”
“The Count?”
“The Count took care of me when the Elves exiled me. He is my second father, but no, I’m not talking about the Count.”
Finn’s dark red brows creased. “Then who—”
“That day, when I became an Ulen,” Cam paused, remembering that horrific day, that awful encounter he should’ve seen coming, “I was not the only one who turned.” No, not the only one. And it was only because of their Ulen sides that they finally, after all that time knowing each other, connected.
Finn wouldn’t know who Cam was talking about, not unless he outright said it. After all, their history books surely taught about the Harbinger who had unlocked the gateways between worlds.
Yes, everything Cam did was for him.
Vince Reed was not dead. He was Ulen, just like Cam, and Cam would do anything to save the ex-Harbinger from the Count’s clutches, including march Finn to his impending doom.
Chapter Twenty-Six
Faith wasn’t sure if this was the best plan, but honestly, she couldn’t think of any others. She was sitting in bed, surrounded by Light, Jag, and Dracyrus, the latter who stood off to the side, far away from Light and Jag, who made themselves at home on the bed with her.
Her body was…okay, yes, it was hella sore, but it was so freaking worth it. Had she ever been pounded into oblivion like that? No, no she most certainly hadn’t. And no matter how hard Light and Jag tried, they couldn’t last nearly as long as Dracyrus had. And multiple orgasms from penetration alone? Dracyrus had a damn super dick. A magical, monstrous super dick.
Probably not something she should be thinking about while Light and Jag told her of the plan. Vyserous had already gone, thanks to a portal from Hart, to try to smooth things over with the Dracon High Queen, AKA his mother. Faith really hoped he had a better relationship with his mother than she did with hers.
Although, now that Faith knew everything, she could feel for her mother, especially since she found out that Hart had just used her to make Faith, even if the bastard had said he loved her. Still did, and all that shit.
“So,” Faith said, glancing between the three of them, “for now, we wait.” That was okay. Waiting could be fun. Waiting was…not something she was terribly good at, but she’d give it a try. What else could she do? Have more sex?
Ha-ha. As if her destroyed vagina could take any more penises right now.
She tossed a look at Jag. “And no partying it up tonight, either. When Hart opens the next portal, I want all of us at our top shape, ready to go.” Faith shifted on the bed, feeling the soreness between her legs dancing the line between simply being sore and being in pain. “And that includes me, boys,” she spoke with a wince. “You know what that means? No sex tonight, for any of you.”
Light looked appalled, wholly embarrassed that Faith could say something like that with a straight face, while Jag grinned and said, “Were you this worn-out the day after the maleek?” The maleek, which made them all a little high and completely out of their minds.
The maleek. It had to have been the maleek. She wouldn’t have been so forward, craving Finn so much, if it weren’t for that shit. Not to mention how she’d stumbled through the Malus camp looking for Cam, and then…yeah, then having sex with him, too. Oh, yeah. The night of the maleek was an infamous one, a night she did not want to repeat, ever.
Cutting off her answer, Dracyrus nodded once. “As mi’bellanon commands.”
Jag shot him an annoyed look. “Oh, don’t start kissing her backside, now. Don’t treat her like some kind of queen. Her head’s already too large as it is.”
“Are you saying you do not treat her as you would a queen?” Dracyrus shot back, further infuriating Jag to the point where Faith could’ve sworn she saw steam coming from his furry ears. “I find myself insulted on her behalf.”
Faith chuckled at the antics of her guys. Her guys. All of them, even Dracyrus. So strange, how fast things changed. So odd, how easily he seemed to fit in. Or maybe the guys had bonded during their journey here. She had been without them for weeks. It was plenty of time for them to bond.
Bonding, with the Dread King. Not a sentence she ever thought she’d think.
The hours passed by, and Faith grew tired again. Swift and Foresh brought them two trays of food, which they promptly ate, and then Faith wanted to go to bed. Get an early night, hope with all her might that her body would be better tomorrow. After all, now that she knew what sex with Dracyrus was like, she found it on her mind almost constantly, like some shiny and new toy. Only he wasn’t a toy. His dick was definitely not a toy.
Faith was surrounded by Light and Jag when she fell asleep. Dracyrus had opted for the floor instead of the other room, even though she’d tried to get him to go to his own bed. Sleeping on the floor couldn’t be comfortable—she knew from experience, after passing out on top of his image.
The night passed quickly, no dreams, shared or not, taking up her mind. Faith was the first one up, though she wasn’t for long. Swift and Foresh were at the door, ready to take them to Hart. It was time to leave. Fortunately, her body felt better. She could walk without waddling like a penguin. She slid on her boots and made sure to tie the cloak around her neck firmly. She wasn’t sure how windy Furen was, but it was mountainous, she knew.
Light, Jag, and Dracyr
us were in the hallway, but Swift and Foresh stopped her before she exited the room.
Foresh gave her a nod, his eyes, a beautiful forest green, happy and content. Kinder than they were when they’d first met. “You’ve done well so far. Continue to make us proud.”
Swift gave him an elbow in the side, causing Foresh to glare at him. “I think what he means to say is—save the world. Save all the worlds. But mostly this one. No offense, but this is the one I’m most worried about, since I live in it and all.” He grinned as the other Fae rolled his eyes.
“I’ll do my best,” Faith said, glancing at them both. “And just so you guys know, there’s no hard feelings.”
“Hard feelings for what?” Swift inquired.
She stepped around him, patting him on the back a bit harder than was amiable. “You did kidnap me, you know,” she reminded him.
“Oh, yeah,” Swift muttered. “I kind of did forget.”
They walked as a group through the depths of the Eldertree. If Faith was honest, she would miss the great tree and its magical, blooming vines. This entire place radiated nature, tranquility and serenity. It was nice. Earth had no place like it.
The Fae had once again gathered around the base of the Eldertree, the sun bright over their heads, shining down on them all. Hart stood in the middle of an empty circle of grass, where Faith and her guys moved to. He came before her, grabbed her shoulders, held onto her with a gentle squeeze, a slow smile spreading across his face.
This dude was her father, but she didn’t love him. How could she? Not only had Faith just met him, but he was also a monster. Literally. Turning all those Fae in New Hope to stone, basically all for her. How was that something Faith could get behind?
“We are all counting on you,” Hart finally said, pulling himself away from her. “Make us proud, Faith, and know that you have—”
The Lionheart (The Harbinger Book 4) Page 18