by Lucy Auburn
As the demonic quartet is one of the stronger forms of demonic alliances, severing it is more complicated than severing a single or even dual demonic bond. Lesser demons rarely work together for long; only upper demons, with superior strength and intelligence, are able to form a bond that goes four ways such as this one. Because of this, once summoned, their anchor to the summoner will be quite strong, and grows stronger by the day. The severing of such a bond requires...
I flip the book shut, turning away from the description of the ritual, unable to bear the thought of completing it.
I don’t want them to go.
But I can’t expect them to stay.
Lost and alone, I lay back on my bed, close my eyes, and try to drift off into sleep. But all I can see is the echo of an overwhelming white light—and the death that followed, especially the last, quiet sound of Kayla’s breath leaving her body forever.
Blood, fire, and death. I didn’t know going to a fancy academy could be so messy.
My thoughts wander, and I find myself remembering the fantasy that made Sebastian corporeal again, at least temporarily. His hands on me. His mouth moving down my skin, going... lower. It makes my breath catch in my throat, and I find myself wiggling on the bed, absurdly turned on.
Maybe it’s the adrenaline of the fight still coursing through me, but I can’t yank my thoughts away. So I let myself indulge in the fantasy, let it play out a little longer. It might go away if I just let it happen.
Closing my eyes, I imagine that he’s there, standing next to the bed, leaning over me. His eyes are the sharpest blue, his mouth a playful, knowing smirk. He’s looking at me the way he did that night in the public baths, when I was naked from head to toe, breasts skimming the water.
Oh, I can imagine Sebastian touching me, that’s for sure.
But that’s not where it stops. On the other side of the bed, Mateo raises his brows and looks at me as I dip my fingers beneath the edge of my pajama bottoms, searching for warmth to touch. He reaches down and presses his fingers against mine, pushing my hand further down until I’m gasping as our fingertips brush my clit.
“That the stuff,” he says, voice a low purr, mouth grinning wickedly. “You know, they say if you fuck a phoenix, you see your whole life flash before you as she comes.”
“Don’t be so crude.” Sitting on the edge of the bed, Lynx reaches out towards my ankle and pushes the bottom of my pajama legs up. “Look at her—you can practically see her pulse flutter in her throat. She’s clearly a virgin.”
Bending down to suck a spot on my neck, Sebastian mutters, “Next you’ll want us to call it ‘making love’ like we’re in some teen romance.”
“I can’t believe you all started without me.” Eyes flashing, Ezra reaches over to my waistband and pulls my clothes down all at once, revealing the wet warmth between my thighs—and Mateo’s curious fingers parting my lips, delicately pushing in as he watches me with his eagle eyes. “You know I’m in charge. Of everything.”
My mouth opens on a light moan. Twisting in my bed sheets, I push my fingers between my slick lower lips, mind wandering. In my fantasy, Sebastian covers my mouth with his, tongue doing wicked things, making filthy promises.
Ezra takes his pants off and... my mind stutters and stops, suddenly hitting the edges of my own virgin ignorance. I’ve seen men naked, but it was never the ones I wanted to take their clothing off doing it. I can’t imagine what a drop-dead gorgeous man like Ezra looks like fully exposed and aroused.
Still, my heart is beating a mile a minute at the mere thought of it. I think I can get myself there if I just work at it a little harder. So I imagine Ezra opening his mouth, kneeling between my thighs, green eyes looking up at me...
And then. A throat clears. There’s a sudden awkwardness in the air. My fingers freeze, clamped between my thighs as I jerk up and open my eyes.
Fast heartbeat. Wash of adrenaline. Thread of anxiety.
Fantasy, meet reality.
I’ve summoned the demons to my room with my clothes pushed down around my hips and hand between my thighs.
Chapter 20
I swear, Lynx looks embarrassed, staring off to the side like he’s a blushing schoolgirl—even though he’s somehow inexplicably still shirtless despite being dismissed and re-summoned again.
But he’s the only one. Mateo has a roguish grin on his face, and Ezra’s brow is raised, his mouth slightly open. Sebastian is most certainly not looking away; not even close.
In fact, their eyes are all staying right at...
“I didn’t mean to!” Pulling my hand away from my suddenly-deprived, aroused pussy, I yank my clothes up and clarify, “I mean, summon you. I didn’t mean to. I was just trying to fall asleep.”
Of all the things in the world to say, Lynx comments, “Masturbation has been shown to increase serotonin and relax the body.”
“I was thinking of something a little more hands-on,” Mateo murmurs, his wicked eyes raking me from head to toe. “Think you could do that corporeal thing to me, Dani? I have a few ideas about where I could put my hands.”
I swear, if the heat from blushing could make phoenix wings manifest themselves, I’d be burning up the bed right now.
“Pretend it didn’t happen,” I tell them, panicked. “Just act like you didn’t see it.”
Raising a brow, Sebastian quips, “Is that an order?”
“Hush,” Ezra says, and Sebastian sighs, steps back. “Fine, Dani, we’ll pretend like it didn’t happen. I’m sure this is embarrassing for you, getting caught fantasizing about us.”
If it’s even possible, my cheeks turn more red. “How—how did you know it was about the four of you?”
“I didn’t.” Ezra has the gall to give me a rakish smirk. “Until just now.”
Apparently over his earlier embarrassment, Lynx says, “Next time, just ask, and I’ll give you an assist.”
I’m going to die of embarrassment.
But if I do, I’m taking them with me. Scowling, I grab for The Arcane Arts of the Living and the Dead, and yank it into my lap. “I found the ritual to get rid of you, so how about we do that right now.”
“Wait.” Reaching out, Ezra covers my hands with his—only for his fingers to slip right through my palm, sending that sensation through me again. Frowning, he yanks them back. “I was thinking about it while we were gone, and you shouldn’t dismiss us. Not yet.”
Mateo raises his brows. “So you admit that we’re right, then?”
Ezra nods, and I get the sense there’s some conversation going on that I’ve been kept out of. “We have to protect you, Dani. At least until that White Phoenix is gone and it’s safe here again.”
Glancing at each of them, I’m surprised to see resolve on their faces—and touched, too. “You really mean that? You want to... protect me?”
Licking his lips, Sebastian murmurs, “If there are more benefits like this, then yes.”
“White Phoenix are rare,” Lynx observes, knowledgeable and curious as ever. “Any time I get to spend learning more about them, about their powers or how to fight them, is time well spent.”
Mateo gives me a smirk. “I like the way you look with your hand down your panties too much to let you die a senseless death.”
“I hate going after Mateo,” Ezra grumbles. “I want to protect you, but for not-gross reasons.”
Rogue that he is, Mateo just winks. “It’s not gross if she wants it.”
Groaning, I put my head in my hands.
And resist the urge to smile.
They’re staying. For a while, at least. Not because I made them, but because they want to.
It means more than it should, and I don’t care. After what happened tonight, I don’t want to be alone here, in this “safe” place. Not as long as that thing is walking around, somehow getting into the school and out again without being seen.
As for afterwards, when they decide it’s time to leave—I’ll figure that out when I get there. I’ve been disa
ppointed plenty of times in my life. Surely a broken heart can’t get crushed again.
And if I want to summon them in the meantime, apparently all I have to do is get a little naughty.
I’m woken early in the morning to a pounding knock on the door. Groaning, I roll out of bed, pull a hand through my ragged hair, and call out, “Coming!”
Though I’m alone in my room, I can hear the echo tease of Mateo saying something dirty in response, like: I bet you are, Dani.
After I dismissed the demons last night, I took a long, cold shower and did my best not to think anything erotic. The fantasy is still hot and heavy in my memory, though, and for all I know I summoned them in my dreams.
Pulling on a pair of jeans and the freshest T-shirt in my wardrobe, I yank my teal-tipped hair back into a ponytail and peer out my door into the hallway. Three students I’ve never met are standing outside, looking irritated at the delay. “What’s this about?”
One of the two guys gives me an exasperated look. “We’re here to move you into Gemini Dormitory. It’s ten in the morning.”
“Yeah well, I had kind of a busy night last night,” I point out, glancing pointedly towards the workers currently repairing the burned staircase wall. “It’s not like I have much stuff. I’ll get it for you.”
“Not to worry,” the sole girl says, holding out her hand, “we’ll pack you up. I’m Amber. This is Matt and Perry.”
They look like models in a mail order upper class prep school catalog. The last thing I want is for them to root through my ten thousand dollars worth of loose, ill-gotten cash, or see just how worn down and thin everything I own has gotten over two years on the streets. But I can sense that they won’t go away until I let them in, so I reluctantly step aside.
“I guess you can help pack my toiletries.” Those, at least, are new; they came with the room. “I’ll grab the rest of my stuff. I don’t know why this takes three people.”
Amber says, “Your new room doesn’t have a closet, so we have to move the wardrobe in.”
Looking at the eight foot tall solid wood piece of furniture, I give the three of them a slightly doubtful glance. “It looks heavy.”
She grins in response, the expression lighting up her caramel highlighted hair. “Don’t worry, two of us are horse shifters. We can get it done.”
I have to force back an incredulous laugh. Of course the students who look like they play polo can shift into actual horses. It’s the richest rich kid thing I can think of.
Taking my stuff out of the wardrobe, I pile it up on the bed and sort through it. My cash is still in a bag, safely tucked away. Perry—the only one of the three not to speak yet—hands me tape and a few folded-down cardboard boxes. A weird feeling goes through me as I put one together and shove my meager possessions inside.
Every time I moved foster homes, my stuff was loaded up into black garbage bags and carried away. One lucky time I got one of my foster parent’s beat up old suitcase with duct tape on the edges, but that got stolen at the next house. Even when I left Sara’s place, she was too sick to do much to take care of me, so the social worker just pulled a few black bags out of her trunk and threw my stuff in like it was trash.
This is the first time I can remember that I’ve moved properly, with boxes and people willing—if resentful—to help out. The way Amber is packing my shampoo and toothbrush into a little box, carefully arranging it and putting bottles in individual bags, you’d think I actually owned something worth protecting.
It makes my heart twist a little in a way I don’t want to admit. This place was supposed to be temporary—a few meals, then I’d move on; later, it was doing the ritual, then I’d move on. Now I don’t know when I’ll be saying goodbye, or even if it’ll be up to me.
Reminded of the ritual, my eyes land on the nightstand drawer, where I’ve tucked the stolen book along with Olivia’s ID card. I didn’t have the energy to return it last night, and now I’ve got to figure out how to move it without the prep school catalog models noticing.
Thankfully my moment comes when the wardrobe is moved. Tipping it onto its side, the two guys carry it out into the hallway while Amber supervises, so it can be put onto some kind of carrying contraption and taken the rest of the way. Grabbing the smaller box, I call out, “Be with you in a sec!”
As soon as they’re out of eyesight, I grab the book, stuff it under a bunch of my smelliest clothing, and slip the ID card into my pocket. A moment later Amber pops in next to me and grabs the other box. “I’ve got this one. Now all we’ve gotta do is load up!”
I flash her a smile, hoping I don’t look like I’m hiding a literal book of demonic summoning. “Great!”
The two guys are waiting outside, while the wardrobe is on top of a sheet and some carrying ropes on the ground, waiting to be loaded up with some kind of special saddles. Everything about it feels weird, and I can’t help but ask, “What happened to the furniture in the dorm room?”
An uneasy glance passes between them for reasons I can’t guess at. Finally, Perry speaks up, his voice soft and melodic. “It was destroyed.”
That’s all he says before shifting into a horse and getting into position.
Leaning close, Amber whispers to me, “Someone he knew died in one of the attacks.”
“One of?” I raise my eyebrows.
Amber nods, looking sad. “Eleanor. They were dating. We told him he didn’t have to help you move into her old room, but he insisted. Guess he thought it’d give him closure.”
That note I found the other day flits through my head, and I wonder if Perry knows anything about what it was warning me away from. One thing is clear, after Yohan’s class and the events of last night: there’s a lot more happening at Phoenix Academy than anyone was willing to tell me during the tour, and their concept of “safety” is a little thin.
As Amber shifts into a horse as well, and Matt saddles them up so they can carry the wardrobe across the grounds and to my new dorm room, I reflect that this place is more than just a little weird. It’s downright deadly.
Also, preps are horses. Who knew.
When I get to the new room, it isn’t empty. Two female students stand by the doorway, heads lowered together as they murmur to each other.
“Did you know one of the other attacks happened while she was gone?”
“Yeah, but the first was before she even came to the school.”
“That doesn’t mean it wasn’t her.” A cold feeling washes over me as I realize they’re talking about me. “You know that White Phoenix are activated twice. Maybe her last death put her on the radar, but her first was hidden. I heard the attacker was working with—”
Their voices are cut off as I tap on their shoulders, giving them my best pissed-off delinquent look. “Crazy murderers like me might kill you for saying shit like that, you know.”
They blanch, rushing down the hall and out of sight—but not before I hear one last bit of gossip. “Did you hear what she did to Kayla? Everyone knows they hated each other. And she found the body...”
I take a deep breath to calm myself down, aware I’m on the verge of summoning the demons yet again. There’s nothing they can do about gossiping bitches, though I have to admit the thought of Ezra’s sword slicing them both open is a little satisfying.
Just a little.
Around the corner, the trio of movers arrive with my wardrobe, back in their human forms again. I didn’t realize the true necessity of using horsepower to move the thing until we started on the path towards the Gemini Dorms. Nestled in a clearing in the trees uphill with nothing but a thin path to guide the way, it’s not the sort of building that’s easy to get to by foot, and no car could possibly do it either. Without their equine forms, these three would’ve been shit out of luck trying to get a two hundred pound piece of furniture up a hill.
It was still really funny to watch, though. I might’ve had to suppress a giggle or two. To think, all these paranormal powers and the horse shifters are reduced
to moving furniture.
“Alright, here it is.” Matt grunts as he and Perry push the wardrobe into the corner by my bed. “If you want it somewhere else, well, don’t. Shit’s heavy.”
“Matt,” Amber scolds him. “You should’ve asked her where she wanted it before you put it there.”
Based on the look Matt gives me, I wonder if maybe he thinks I’m a murderer too. “It’s okay.” I flash Amber an easygoing smile, even though nothing about taking over a room that used to belong to a murder victim seems easy. “I don’t really care where it goes. It’s not like I have a bunch of stuff. I’ll just unpack my things in the bathroom.”
From the other room, I can pretend like the rumors swirling around me don’t sting. I never planned on staying here, after all, and if the students suspect I’m some kind of murderer that’s just one more reason to leave.
But what I can’t pretend is that I don’t hear the conversation going on without me. Apparently my three volunteer movers have no idea how good my hearing is, or the fact that the bathroom, shared with a room next door, has thin walls.
“You shouldn’t be so mean to her,” Amber scolds. “That rumor is bullshit.”
“Is it?” Matt asks. “Because we all know she was some kind of petty criminal before she showed up here. I heard that she stole a bunch of stuff from the headmaster herself. And she hasn’t manifested her wings yet, even though it’s been a week since she was activated. How do we know they’re not white?”
“It doesn’t make sense,” Amber argues. “Why would she have killed Eleanor?”
It’s Perry’s soft voice that settles the issue, once and for all, and sends my pulse skyrocketing. “Whoever killed Eleanor stole a bunch of cash from her that she’d been keeping in her safe. And you’ll never guess what I saw in this girl’s stuff.”
“Perry.” Amber sounds horrified. “I didn’t know.”
“Yeah, well,” he’s bitter, angry, “why do you think I volunteered for this? I wanted to look her in the eyes, face-to-face, and see if she really was the one. And it’s obvious she’s hiding shit. Maybe she didn’t commit the murder, but she was involved. And I’m gonna prove it.”