Broken Fae

by Caroline Peckham

  Mars was blowing his whistle in sharp blasts and Knobbles was clawing at my hand.

  "Who got him first?" I turned, looking for Elise who was covered in sand and pursing her lips at us. I pressed my Charisma out towards her to get an answer from her, but she didn't so much as blink.

  "Fine, you have her first," Dante sighed, standing up and offering me his hand.

  Whaaaat? No waaaay.

  I took it, smiling like the cat who'd got the cream as Mars strode past us to heal Knobbles with a word of praise at our skill.

  Dante smirked at me then ran off to pick up Elise and do a victory lap of the field with her held over his shoulder, chanting my name. I grinned at them, my cock and heart twitching happily in sync with one another. They were both so content right now. I was gonna name this feeling dickbliss.

  My gaze was drawn to a figure up on the bleachers, sitting at the far back in the shadows. Gabriel's chest was bare and his wings were folded behind him as he sat watching, obviously not wanting to be noticed. He absolutely didn't want to be pointed out either.

  "Hey! Gabriel!" I waved enthusiastically. "Gaaaaabe!"

  He refused to look at me, but every single person on the pitch was turning to look up at him.

  "Gaaabrieeel!" I waved harder and he finally raised a hand in a brief wave and I chuckled low in my throat. Total BFFTB (best friend forever to be).

  Mars led Knobbles off the pitch and he swiftly said goodbye and jogged away, apparently counting himself out for the Waterback position already.

  I tsked, eyeing up our next prey as Mars directed another victim onto the pitch. Dante hurried to my side and planted Elise down, slapping her on the ass and she promptly slapped him on the ass right back.

  "We're playing for boobs this time," I told him. "Whoever loses doesn't get to touch them once."

  Dante nodded his agreement and Elise frowned at us.

  "What?" she growled.

  "We’re playing for titty rights, little monster." I winked at her and she snorted a laugh.

  "Alright, I want in on this. If I catch him then neither of you get boobs and I get to dominate you both. My rules.”

  "You're on," I growled.

  "I've got this in the bag. Quei seni sono miei." Dante lowered, preparing to run and Mars blew his whistle shrilly.

  The second guy lasted less time than the first and Elise won, having used her air magic to make us run into a solid fucking wall of it. We took out the final try-outs too and Mars put them all through their paces playing defence while we went on offence instead, pitting ball after ball. Not one of them took any of us down. It was pathetic.

  I snarled in frustration, the game with Dante and Elise wearing thin as I realised we were fucked in this year's inter-academy tournament. Fucked like a fucking fart in a fishbowl.

  I kicked the sand, losing my shit, about to go full Lion when Elise ran over, cupping my cheeks. "Breathe, Leo."

  I frowned at a cut on her brow and reached out to heal it, wiping away the blood. "We can't win without a decent Waterguard, let alone a Waterback."

  "Fuck me, that was abysmal," Mars sighed as he strode over to us and Elise stepped back, nodding her agreement.

  "We need someone with power, speed, confidence, we need a fucking miracle," Mars snarled.

  I huffed, my heart weighing down as I looked up to the stands and my gaze fell on Gabriel.

  Wait a fucking lickety split of a second…

  Power? Check. Speed? Double check. Confidence? Triple fucking check.

  "Hey Gabe, come over here!" I called excitedly and for some reason he actually jumped to his feet and started walking towards us. Oooh, this is happening.

  He walked up to us with a curious frown and Elise gave him a sideways fuck-me-now look. I wondered if he'd fancy upgrading our threeway to a fourway later...

  Mars raised his eyebrows at Gabriel, sizing him up as he caught on to why I'd called him over.

  "You wanna try-out? We need a Waterguard and you've got the shoulders and the attitude for defence," I offered.

  "Pfft, no." He folded his arms, his muscles tensing.

  "Night's got a good eye for players, Nox," Mars said, trying to disguise the hunger in his eyes at the possibility of getting the most powerful Fae in Aurora on the team. "No harm in trying out."

  "I've never really played before," Gabe said, shaking his head and Elise stepped forward, winding her fingers between his.

  "We'll teach you, all you've gotta do today is show us your tackle," she said encouragingly.

  "Calm down little monster, he doesn't have to get his dick out." I snorted but no one else laughed. My humour was lost on this lot sometimes.

  Dante rubbed a hand over his jaw, assessing Gabriel with a dark glare. "Nah, he won't do it. He's too much of a codardo." He turned his back on him and Gabriel put his wings away in an instant, looking to Mars.

  "Fuck it. I'll play."

  I bobbed on my heels excitedly and Mars hid a smirk with his thumb.

  "You can't play in those jeans," Mars said.

  "He can borrow my spare shorts!" I cried, racing away from them towards the changing room and flying inside at high speed. I almost crashed into my locker in my haste to get the shorts out then giggled like a school girl as I sprinted back outside and tossed them at him. Ohmystars, I didn’t even get a Mindy to do that. Look how well I’m doing stuff.

  "Thanks.” Gabriel frowned at my enthusiasm before changing into them and looking to us for direction.

  Mars pointed him to the Water Hole. "If you get one ball from there into the Pit, I'll give you a fucking medal, Nox. These three are out for blood today."

  Elise flashed her fangs on cue and Gabriel smiled challengingly at her.

  "Got it." Gabriel strode away toward the Water Hole in the far corner and I shared a look with Dante.

  "Best blowie ever right after the game for whoever takes him down," I offered.

  "I assume you're offering that to each other and not from me?" Elise sing-songed and I laughed.

  "Dalle stelle," Dante swore.

  "You'd love to watch that, wouldn't you little monster?" I called to her as she re-tied her hair in a ponytail, making her top ride up over her stomach. If there was a way to shrink my huge dick and fuck her belly button, I'd do it. No doubt. In fact, there was probably a potion for that...

  She shrugged innocently in answer and I quirked a brow. Noted. I'd do anything to make her happy.

  Mars blew his whistle and suddenly I forgot belly button fucking and the questionable image of Dante's dick in my mouth as I sprinted down the pitch, kicking up sand and roaring a battle cry.

  Dante was beside me in a heartbeat and Elise was chasing along beside him as we quickly outstripped the rest of the team. Gabriel caught the Waterball as it shot out of the hole, twisting fast in the sand and tearing down the pitch directly towards us without fucking blinking.

  He threw out one hand just as the three of us did the same. Gabriel froze the ground beneath our feet, sending us skidding wildly so my fireball went wide. Dante and Elise worked together to create a violent tornado that twisted around Gabriel, causing a sandstorm and blinding us all as he disappeared into its depths.

  I burned away the ice beneath us as I ran on and dove into the storm, squinting against the grains tearing around in the air and searing my eyes.

  I suddenly collided with someone, taking them to the ground and a feminine oomph told me I'd taken out Elise. Shitballs!

  She and Dante dispersed the storm and I twisted my head, finding that Gabriel had gotten past us and was tearing towards the Pit. He carved the earth in two, swallowing up the rest of our team as Dante chased him down with a bellow of fury. That shit was not allowed if he joined officially as a water player, but it was still impressive as hell. It was too late to catch him. Gabriel scored the Pit and I laughed my fucking head off, leaning down and kissing Elise messily with sand coating my tongue.

  Mars whooped excitedly and I got up, pulling Elise with
me and slinging my arm over her shoulders.

  "He's gotta join the team," I said determinedly and the smile on Gabriel's face said he might just be convinced. It was good to see him like that, fucking happy for once. I swear the guy was going to get frown lines by the time he was twenty five if he didn't cheer up soon. And I knew just the girl to help with that.

  When the try-outs were over and Gabriel had managed to score a couple more Pits, and was now sporting several bruises from being taken out by us too, I hurried over to him and ruffled the sand from his hair.

  "Say you'll be on the team, I won't take no for an answer, you beautiful bird boy." I grinned broadly and he rubbed a hand over his face, his gaze moving to Mars who looked like he was holding his damn breath for an answer.

  "I guess I could try it." He shrugged, but his eyes gleamed and I threw my head back with a roar of excitement before diving on him and making him crash to the ground. Elise piled on top of me and Dante crushed us all as he fell on her. I wondered if Mars and the rest of the team might fuck off so I could get this fourway underway.

  "Join us in our room tonight," I murmured to Gabriel as Dante stood up and pulled Elise with him, tickling her sides while she kicked sand at him.

  "What? No." Gabriel pushed me off with a huff and I frowned up at him as he stood, his wings spreading wide and blotting out the dying sunlight behind him. I bet he fucked like a ninja, slow and intense and sneaky like, then pow he'd blow your mind. I'd badgered Elise for details about her time with him and Ryder, but she wouldn't give me all the juicy parts. It’s not that I was interested in him exactly, it was about how he got my girl off. I needed to see it for myself. I wanted to watch her fall apart under this dark angel.

  "You can have her any time without me there, you know that right?” I looked to Dante. “Both of you can. And if you're not ready for a gang bang Gabriel-"

  "By the moon," Mars muttered then hurried away. Woops.

  Gabriel looked from me to Elise, clearing his throat and Dante folded his arms as he waited for his response.

  "Right," Gabriel breathed, glancing at Elise again in confusion. "Well, bye." He took off and I sighed as I watched him go, sailing through the sky above.

  "Guess he's not ready." I pouted.

  "You should really discuss it with the other members of the gang when you're inviting people to bed with us, Leo," Elise admonished and I gave her my big eyes.

  "If you stopped eye-fucking Gabriel, maybe I'd have to ask. But as you look like this every time you see him-" I rolled my eyes back into my head and let my tongue hang out of my mouth "-I feel like that's enough for an open invitation."

  Elise snorted a laugh, not denying it and Dante curled an arm around her waist, tugging her against him. "Fuck Gabriel, we don't need him. I'll let my wings shift out while I'm going down on you if you're into that, carina."

  She smacked his chest with a laugh. "First one back to our room gets the first orgasm." She shot away with her Vampire speed and we stared after her with our jaws dropping.

  "Dirty cheat," I growled.

  Dante glanced at me, then shoved me to the ground with a hard push. "Second one there gets to give it to her!"

  Motherfucker.

  T he idea that Gareth could have been planning to fake his death was plaguing me even though I'd sworn to myself that I wasn't going to obsess over it. Even more tempting to think on was the idea of him actually pulling it off, which felt like a dangerous kind of dream. Because if I let myself buy into it for even a minute then I knew I’d be lost to the fantasy of it, imagining some reality where he could still be alive, waiting for the right time to contact me and tell me where to find him. And I couldn't afford to entertain that idea, because if I did and it wasn’t true then I didn’t think I could survive grieving him all over again.

  Dante had asked me to wait to speak to the Kiplings with him about the fake IDs, but he was having trouble finding the time to help me with Felix causing so much trouble in the city and I was growing too anxious to keep waiting.

  I was sitting with Laini, trying and failing to study in the library while my brain kept going over and over it and when I spotted Kipling Junior walking past the window outside, I cracked.

  I made my apologies to Laini and shot away without any further explanation. Kipling was heading towards the Empyrean Fields and I guessed he was going to the cache so I turned and sped for my dorm.

  I shot into the room in a blur and Leon rolled over in his spot on the bed, mumbling something incoherent which brought a smile to my lips. I grabbed the fake documents Gareth had gotten made for me then shot out again without my Lion ever knowing I'd been there during his nap.

  By the time I got back to the fields, Kipling Junior was almost to the trees which lined them, heading for The Iron Wood and I skidded to a halt before him.

  "I need some information," I said, not bothering with formalities because I knew by now that the Kiplings didn’t care for them. They liked me to be blunt and to the point. It made business dealings so much more clean cut apparently.

  "It'll cost you," he replied, not even breaking his stride as he kept walking and I fell into step beside him.

  "I know." I pulled one of the passports from my pocket and held it beneath his nose.

  Kipling didn't slow his stride, but his perfectly smooth brow furrowed slightly for a moment as he looked it over.

  "You changed your hair," he commented, like the fact that there was a fake name and date of birth on an illegal document being waved in front of his face was less interesting to him than that. "I assumed you were a natural lilac."

  I snorted a laugh at the weird comment. "I don't think there is such a thing as naturally lilac hair," I replied, wondering if he was joking or being serious. His tone literally never changed so I had no idea.

  "Have you met every Fae that ever lived and asked them about the origins of their hair colour?" he asked mildly.

  "Obviously not, but-"

  "There's nothing obvious about it. Facts are not as simple as your teachers might like to tell you they are. There are countless possibilities in this world, especially once you take our magic into account and I think it’s foolish to assume that anything we know is the truth."

  "So, you believe the world is built on lies?" I asked and I wasn’t even sure I disagreed with that sentiment.

  "What I believe isn't relevant to anything or anyone. It’s an architectural construct my brain has developed to be able to process the insanity of the world. I am as insignificant as a fart on the wind. For a moment everyone knows it's there but then it's forgotten again and it doesn't even matter if it existed or not."

  "I don't know if that's incredibly deep, incredibly sad or incredibly terrifying."

  "It's none of those things. That's the point."

  We made it to the Kipling Cache and I waited as he used his magic to disperse the illusion of a large boulder where the entrance was hidden, lifted the hatch that covered it and led the way into the caves.

  Magic pressed at my flesh as we strode into the dark and the dim orange glow ahead of me was the only thing allowing me to make out the cold rocks of the cavern as we moved deeper into it.

  "So, the passport," I pushed, waving the thing at him again as silence fell between us.

  "I can't answer any questions on that until my brothers are with us. Previous jobs need authorisation from all of us before we can discuss them."

  "So you did make it," I announced proudly.

  "If you say so."

  "You're very good at answering a question without answering at all."

  "You're welcome."

  "Am I grateful?"

  "You tell me."

  We passed by the passages which I knew led to the Oscura and Lunar stores, but Kipling Junior didn't even spare them a glance, taking the central passage and leading me on as a repetitive grunting echoed off of the walls.

  I threw a frown Kipling's way but he didn't slow, not seeming concerned about what definitely soun
ded like someone having sex. Though I had to admit that the guy's partner was being weirdly silent as only the lone, male grunts sounded. Maybe he was a terrible lay.

  Junior led me into a wide chamber where a seating area was set up beside the door and indicated for me to take a seat just as a low, guttural groan sounded to our right.

  I flinched at what sounded a hell of a lot like a guy blowing his load and spun around with wide eyes as I noticed the bed set back to the rear of the cave.

  "Holy fuck," I gasped as I spotted a bare ass sticking up in the air amongst a mound of cushions and I recoiled as Middle Kipling slowly pushed himself to his hands and knees, butt naked and clearly just finishing up with whoever he had in that bed. "Shit, sorry, we didn't know you were busy in here," I began but Kipling Junior waved me off.

  "You wouldn't be blushing if he'd been breathing or eating," a bored voice came from the corner of the cave and I whirled around again to spot Kipling Senior sitting in an armchair with a book in his lap.

  "Were you here the whole time?" I asked him in horror. "While your brother was right there having sex?"

  I'd known these dudes were weird, but this was crossing some serious lines and I was about to bail fast. Dante was right, I should have waited for him to speak with them. They were too much. I'd had enough glimpses of their strange behaviour to warn me of that fact and now I was paying the price for ignoring the signs.

  "Sex is a need our body has," Senior replied with a shrug. "I have no interest in what my brothers do to relieve those urges and I'm certainly not going to excuse myself to conform to the pointless practice of privacy. You only care about him performing that act because you have been raised to conform to standards imposed by people who wish to deny that we are all, in fact, animals. If you saw two pigeons fucking you wouldn't care. Just as I don't care how my brothers choose to rid their body of whatever urges they need to sate."

  I gaped at him then slammed my eyes shut as movement in my periphery told me that Middle Kipling had made it off of the bed.

  "Would you prefer me to conform to the social standards of covering my body?" he asked from somewhere close enough to make me flinch.