“No, I suppose not,” she grumbled.
“I really didn’t know what was happening, I swear it.” She twisted her head to the left so that she was looking at him, and noticed the overwhelming earnestness in his eyes.
“I know,” she half-whispered. His expression changed before her eyes as a large grin spread across his face. He leaned in and kissed her quickly, not lingering for a second. Much to her disappointment.
“I’m glad.”
“Right, now that’s sorted. Shall we?” Flint asked, waving his hand towards the Staran in front of them. Macey nodded, untangling herself from Jared’s arms, and making her way towards him. She wrapped her arms around Flint’s waist, wishing it was her legs instead. Looking up at him, she saw the soft smile on his lips. He was clearly feeling a lot better than while they’d been under water. For that she was glad.
“Ready when you are,” she said.
“Oh, I’m always ready for you.” He wiggled his eyebrows at her, and Macey’s skin flushed just thinking of all the things he would do. She decided she needed some alone time with him soon.
“Let’s get going, Flame-Man.”
“I see you’ve finally arrived,” an echoey voice greeted them as Macey’s feet touched the ground, and she pulled away from Flint. While weird, at least this voice wasn’t just in her head. She’d had enough of those kinds of voices after the encounter in her bedroom and with the storm kelpies.
She turned in the direction of the voice, before stumbling back slightly in shock, narrowly avoiding falling only through the steadying hand Flint placed on her elbow. A head floated in front of them. An honest-to-the-seas head. It was a little bigger than a normal head, maybe about the size of Macey’s chest, with a long flowing beard and hair. Oh and had she mentioned the lack of body? Or the fact that it was white and ever so slightly translucent?
“Malan,” Cam acknowledged, taking a step forward.
“Camdan, good to see you again.”
“Again?” Cam frowned, and Macey wanted to take a step towards him and offer support. But that meant going closer to the head. No, Malan, she shouldn’t keep thinking about him as just a head. That would be rude when she knew his name.
“For me, yes. I watch all of the new Wardens. Macey, Flint, Jared,” he acknowledged them one by one with a nod. Which was impressive in the circumstances.
“New?” Macey squeaked.
“Well, yes. You didn’t think you were the first Wardens, did you?”
“I’m not even sure I’m any Warden,” she muttered.
“Oh, you are, little Kelpie Princess. But you’re not the first. Nor even the second. Nor will you be the last. Though I suspect you may last longer than the previous ones. Humans can be so fragile, even when blessed with eternal life.” Malan sighed wistfully, as if it was of no great importance that he’d just announced other Wardens had died.
Macey wanted to take a step back, to get as far away from the prophet as possible. But something was telling her that she needed to hear this. That, actually, even if she didn’t want to accept it, this was her fate, and she’d probably better get used to it.
“I’m not human,” Macey said defiantly, refusing to let the head-prophet see how insecure she felt in his presence. “I’m kelpie.”
“Yes, you are. The Fates have decided to mix it up a bit. Good. It was getting boring.”
She stared at him, unable to hide her disbelief. How could he be so nonchalant? He was talking about other Wardens dying, for waves’ sake.
Malan sighed. “If you’d seen as many people pass through my doors only to die a few decades later as I have, you’d be the same, little kelpie. Now ask your questions, chop chop. And no, Jared, I don’t have waffles.”
The big question Macey wanted to ask was ‘what happened to the rest of your body’, but she’d been raised to be more polite than that.
“What exactly are Wardens?” Macey asked and Malan’s stern glance turned to the guys.
“You’ve not told her?”
“Ehm, we don’t know a lot ourselves,” Jared defended himself.
“There are seven of you, one for each element. Some generations of Wardens don’t have to do much except existing to keep the balance. But sometimes, like in your case, you have to come together to heal the worlds. So no pressure.” He grinned. “Next question.”
“Who is hurting the Staran?” Cam asked and Malan sighed again.
“Wrong question. Next.”
Cam looked confused. “Why are they hurting them?”
“Wrong.”
Macey grimaced. “Are the Staran actually being hurt?”
“Clever girl.” Malan’s head bobbed around in approval, giving her a slight sense of vertigo. She still wanted to find out why he only had a head. Even ghosts deserved a full body.
He didn’t seem to be in the mood to expand, so she frowned, trying to figure out what he was not telling them. “If the Staran are not being hurt and are deteriorating nonetheless, they must either be ill or hurting themselves.” She paused. “I’m talking about it like it’s a living thing... is that correct?”
Malan did something that looked like a smile. “They’re not hurting themselves.”
“Then they’re ill. What is making them ill?” She was starting to feel a little silly now. Was she going to ask next whether the mist was suffering from the flu? Maybe a chest infection? Waves, this was weird.
“I can’t tell you that.”
“Because you don’t want to?” Cam barged in, more annoyance lacing his voice than Macey would have liked.
“Because I do not know. I can tell you what’s wrong with them, but not what is causing it. That is the Wardens’ task to find out.”
“And how the hell are we supposed to do that?” Macey put her hand on Cam’s arm, trying to calm him down a little. Not that she wasn’t asking the same questions in her head. Just... his anger was making Malan’s head more translucent. She had a feeling that he could disappear whenever he wanted. And they needed answers before he did that.
“First, you need to find the other Wardens. You are only strong when you’re all together. Seven elements, seven Wardens, seven problems. The Staran are strong, they couldn’t be hurt by just one thing. It’s a multitude of factors coming together and combined they are stronger than they would be on their own. There is not much time left. Soon, nobody will be able to travel on the Staran, and the worlds will drift apart. We can’t let that happen.”
“We? I thought it was us who had to do all the work?” Jared quipped, a smirk on his lips. Much better than Cam’s anger, Macey decided. She was going to reward him with a kiss later on.
“I won’t be coming with you, little incubus. I’m bound to this place, but I will be able to monitor you from afar. The Mahoun isn’t the only one who’s got eyes and ears everywhere. And just because I don’t enter your pretty head, doesn’t mean that I can’t.”
“The Mahoun? Entering my head? What?” Macey was confused.
“It’s what he calls himself. The devil. Don’t think that’s what he is, but his past and future are shrouded in mist. All I can see is the present, and he is preparing. He wants the Staran to fail. He knows the Wardens will be the only ones who can thwart him, so he’s hunting you, even now. One of you is already in his clutches, and another one will be soon.”
“Oh, you mean the Voice?” Macey exclaimed, her head hurting at the memory. It all started to make sense now. Well, a little bit, at least.
Malan chuckled. “He wouldn’t like that name. He’s used to be called the Terrifying, the Monster, the Devil, not the Voice. Bit boring, if you ask me.”
Macey grimaced. “He hurt me.”
Malan turned serious. “He did. And he will do it again. He’s doing it to one of the Seven just now. But before you can go find the others, you four need to bond. You need to be strong together or you will be torn apart. You need your magic, Macey, or you won’t have a chance. And you know how to unlock it.”
; He actually winked. Macey shuddered a little. That was creepy. He knew that she was going to have to have sex with the remaining two guys. And while she didn’t have a problem with the actual act - waves, she was feeling the arousal coming even at this moment - but this weird ghost head knowing... yuck. Who knew how detailed his visions were. Did that make him a pervert?
Flint noticed her unease and put an arm around her shoulders. She leaned against him, savouring the warmth of his body.
“Where shall we go now? If we can’t find the others yet and don’t know how to heal the Staran, what is our task?”
Besides having sex, Macey added in her mind. She didn’t think that was the only thing they could do. That was tempting, but quite unproductive.
“You must visit the Sìth. The na fir ghorma are right about them being connected to the Staran, but not how they think. They have been the Staran’s guardians for millennia, but they are having trouble keeping it working. They can use your help... or maybe you can use theirs.”
Chapter 13
She almost couldn’t believe they were back at the house. This wasn’t getting them anywhere. It certainly wasn’t helping find her brothers, or clearing their names, or doing whatever it was that Wardens were supposed to do. Surely they should be getting on with that?
Oh damn. Guessed that meant she’d finally accepted that she was a Warden. Bye, bye plausible deniability.
She glanced at the three men, who were looking slightly nervous and uncomfortable. Probably because they’d also been told that they had to perform on demand. She just hoped they felt like her and wanted to have sex, but were just a little on edge for having to have it. Huh, maybe this was how Jared felt most of the time. A wave of affection, and concern flooded through Macey. The poor man. Least he had her now, she could keep up with what he needed. Possibly. If Malan was to be believed, then she had a lot of keeping up with needs to do in her future.
So long as her own were met.
“Oh, this is ridiculous,” she said, grabbing the hem of her shirt and whipping it over her head as three pairs of eyes zoned in on her. Good, that was more like it.
“Okay, I’ll be in my room if you need me,” Jared said, clearing his throat loudly. Before making his way to the door.
“Wait, you’re not…” Macey trailed off, trying to plead with him using her eyes as he turned to face her. Jared changed his trajectory, swiftly closing the distance between them and caressing her cheek tenderly.
“Not this time, no. If I stay, then I’ll want you all to myself. And if my incubus takes over...well, then you’ll never get the bonds with the others sealed.” He leaned forward and pressed a sweet kiss to her lips. She longed to deepen it and make it go further but had to respect his wishes. She couldn’t push further than he was willing to go, and still expect the opposite to be true. Then again, him pushing had been highly enjoyable.
“Next time?” she asked, a small whimper slipping out at the end of her question.
“Definitely,” he said the word softly, then pressed his forehead against hers in a gesture that was surprisingly intimate. “Have fun, little kelpie.” His face took on a wicked look as warm hands smoothed over the skin of Macey’s back. Flint was behind her then.
She shuddered, leaning back into him as Jared pulled away. She watched him leave but was soon distracted by the small kisses Flint was trailing along the side of her neck, and the hand that was pressing on her stomach and pulling her towards him more.
“Didn’t anyone tell you it’s good practice to share?” Cam’s eyes twinkled as he asked, and Flint chuckled against her neck, the vibrations travelling down her body and desperately making her want to slip her hand down her jeans and relieve the tension she was already feeling.
The tension that was completely natural, it had to be without Jared’s influence anywhere near. And she assumed that he didn’t need feeding either, otherwise he’d have stayed to watch at the very least. Or maybe he could feed from a distance? She’d have to ask him about that later.
All thoughts fled her mind as Cam pressed his body against her front, capturing her lips with his and kissing her with a passion she hadn’t quite expected. He’d been the gentlest of the three of them so far, but this was something far more primal about this kiss. Especially as it was pressing her back into Flint, whose hardness rubbed against her ass.
She pushed at the hem of Cam’s shirt, desperate for him to take it off, but whimpering when his hands and lips left her while he did so.
“I’m not going anywhere,” Cam said, pulling down her lower lip, making her bite it involuntarily. He groaned. “You’re going to be my undoing.” His voice was low and husky, sending shivers through her.
Or that might have been Flint’s hand creeping across her stomach and unbuttoning her jeans so he could slip a hand down them. He slipped his fingers as far as they could go, but, much to her disappointment, he was restricted by the tight denim.
“Do you trust me?” he whispered against the shell of her ear, before taking it between his teeth and giving it a nip. If the two of them carried on, she wasn’t going to last until the main event.
“Yes,” she moaned as Cam pressed kisses across her collarbone. She threaded her hands through his hair and tugged on it, desperate for him not to let up.
“Remember that,” Flint said, pulling back a little and placing his hands on either of her thighs. She was just thankful that his hard, hot chest was still pressed against her back, even if he was annoyingly clothed still.
Her legs began to prickle, heating a surprising amount. But it felt good, almost as if whatever Flint was doing was adding to the pleasure building inside her. Though that was unlikely. It was probably just that she was already on edge from the attentions of the two of them. And still on a high after sleeping with Jared.
A cool breeze fluttered against her legs. That must have been Cam’s doing. She tried to look down, but that was the moment Cam chose to rip her bra away from her, and twist her nipple between his fingers. She moaned, tipping her head back and resting it against Flint’s chest. He chuckled, slipping his hand around her body and palming her other breast.
His other hand was resting on her naked hip. Wait...naked? Hadn’t she been wearing jeans just a moment before? Oh no...if he’d burned her clothes off, he was going to have a whole shit storm coming…
Her thoughts disappeared as Flint’s hand slipped between her legs, teasing in a sinfully delicious way. If he kept doing that, he could burn anything off that he wanted. As many times as he wanted.
She knew that she was playing with fire, but luckily, she was water. She was going to extinguish whatever they threw at her. With every kiss that the men left on her skin, she could feel the barriers around her magic break down. If only she had known this before. She’d have taken them into her bed much earlier. It was the best excuse ever.
Flint began to fuck her hard with his fingers and she moaned, pressing her thighs together to prevent herself from climaxing too soon. All that held her upright was being sandwiched between Flint and Cam’s chests. Cam was massaging her breasts, playing with her nipples in a way that made her lightheaded the more she concentrated on the sensation. Wasn’t Jared supposed to be the sex demon? She’d never heard of wraiths being known for their pleasuring skills... but here they were, making her feel better than she ever had before.
When her moans became erratic, Flint gently lowered her onto the floor, where Cam was already waiting. How did she not notice him leaving her? He was lying on his back, fully erect, ready to sink into her folds. Well, she was just as ready. Too much so, in fact, she was having a hard time not coming immediately. Flint had a way with moving his fingers that left her breathless and trembling. He helped her sit down on Cam’s cock and she moaned as she felt him fill her to the brink. He was large; she was glad Flint had prepared her so well. When she had taken him fully inside, she breathed a sigh of relief, which quickly turned into a groan when Cam began to slowly move in her. He gripped her hi
ps and directed her movements until she was swaying her hips in a circle. It felt incredible.
Flint was standing nearby, touching himself as he watched them. Macey smiled and licked her lips, motioning him towards her. She grabbed his cock and kissed his tip long and gently, then wrapped her lips around him.
“Macey, this is not a good idea,” Flint groaned as she began to run her tongue up and down his length. She looked up at him and fluttered her eyelashes in what she hoped was a seductive gaze. He arched his back as she sucked hard, making him twitch in her mouth.
“Don’t forget me,” Cam whispered and she noticed that her movements had slowed. Cam was doing all the work, pressing his hips upwards to reach new depths. Macey grinned - which was hard given that she still had Flint’s cock in her mouth - and began to move up and down, almost to the point where Cam slipped out of her. But never that far. She wasn’t experienced but somehow, she knew what she was doing. And the guys seemed to enjoy it. More than enjoy it, judging from their ragged breaths and groans.
She was running out of air and had to stop for a moment, taking Flint out of her mouth. He used the pause to step behind her, going on his knees.
“Do you trust me?” he asked again, and she nodded, breathless. What was he planning to do this time? There was nothing left to burn.
Then she felt a finger at her back entrance, that dark, forbidden place that nobody had ever touched before. Flint gently rubbed the sensitive skin around her ass and she leaned forwards until she was fully lying on Cam’s chest. Her nipples rubbed against his hard muscles as she moved, somehow trying to both escape and get closer to Flint’s teasing finger.
The pressure increased until he entered her slowly. He was gentle and careful, but it was sore nonetheless. Macey was tempted to ask him to stop, but then his other hand began to play with the most sensitive spot between her legs and all protest was forgotten. By the time he added a second finger, she was a quivering mess, squirming on Cam’s chest. The wind Warden was whispering calming words to her but only half of them reached her brain. She was in another sphere, a place filled with nothing but pleasure, a place she shared with the two men.
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