by AJ Mullican
I can’t eat meat? No more chicken, no fish, no steak?
“It’s not fucking fair. The corn and potatoes used to be alive, too, but I can eat that shit with no problems. This is a rip-off.” I mutter under my breath and huff, crossing my arms over my chest as I stare at the untouched chicken.
Lena reaches across Finn and snags my meat with her fork, winking. “I can eat it for you. I’m eating for two, anyway. I need the extra protein.”
“Har-dee-har-har.” I stick my tongue out at her. “Very funny.”
“Mm! That reminds me!” She points with her meat-laden cutlery as she talks around a mouthful of chicken. “Are those, like, useful? Aistan thinks I should get one, so he can try it out.”
“What, the tongue rings? How would Aistan try it out if you get—Oh! Ew! We don’t need to know that!”
“C’mon, we’re all adults here. Well, except Callie.”
Kalen leans across me and nudges Lena’s ribs. “I highly recommend them. Of all her jewelry, those are some of my favorites, and for good reason. When we lie together—”
I push him back to his side. “Kalen! Shut up!”
At this point, everyone except me is doubled over in laughter. Even Oren and Finn snicker, and Kalen’s broad grin tells me his little over-sharing faux pas was more to get a rise out of me than anything.
Little bastard’s lucky he’s cute, or I’d deck him for that.
See if he gets any tongue ring action for a few days. I may hold out on him just to get him back.
Looking at everyone’s light shine bright with their laughter, I find myself unable to stay mad. Life’s been nothing but doom and gloom for days, and who am I to begrudge them a little humor in dark times like this?
Once the laughter clears, Lena sobers and straightens in her seat. “Okay, enough of that. We’ve got to get down to business.”
Buzzkill.
“What’s the plan, then, boss?” Holden grabs a toothpick and starts digging chicken from his perfect white teeth. I wonder if he ever gets bits and pieces of animal stuck between his teeth when he’s shifted.
“Well, for one thing, we need to figure out how we’re going to stop these damn possessions. The demons already have hundreds of bodies that they’ve stolen, and people go missing all the time in Nowhere. Sooner or later, we’ll have to have a plan of action for stopping their progression rather than just reacting to them every time they pop up.”
Should I mention what I found out? Is it too soon? Damnit, Asmodeus, give a girl some better instructions next time.
“I wish we’d had more time to study the bodies of the demons and possessed we killed the other night. The army that swarmed my house had no shortage of both.”
“Ahem.” All eyes swivel towards me as I clear my throat. “I, uh, I mean … We have a possessed person right here. Have you guys looked into studying her body? Seeing what changes have happened, what differences there are?”
Blank stares. Jesus, did everyone forget I’m fae now? I mean, I know I was the sole human out of our group for a while, but I’ve got magic now; I can contribute.
Tired of being overlooked, I square up my shoulders and try to command more presence than my five feet three inches allows. “Well, I happen to have done some digging on my own. Lena, how much time did you spend on that tattoo on Callie’s back? The one with the rays. Of all the infernal tattoos left over from her time possessed by Lilith, that one has the most residual magic in it. Have you checked into it?”
Lena blinks and gapes. “Residual magic?”
Can she not see it? “Callie, come here. Move your hair.” She pulls her hair over one shoulder. “Right here. You can’t see that red glow? All the infernal tattoos have it to some degree, but this one’s the brightest.”
Arman reaches out and touches the tattoo, and with my fae sight I see his magic slip out in glittering red tendrils to probe the design.
“Lena, she speaks the truth!”
“Well, of course I speak the truth. I’m not gonna lie about shit like this.” Fucking A, man! Give me a break here.
Elena’s hand shakes as she stretches for the mark. Her light swirls and flows into the tattoo, testing it. “By the Gods … I never even noticed. All the times I tried to remove this shit, and I never saw…”
A surge of sympathy hits me as I realize the guilt I’ve just placed on Lena’s shoulders. She prides herself on being in the know, on being the strong one, the capable one, and I kind of pulled all that out from under her in one fell swoop. She thought there was no harm in leaving the tattoos as they are, but now I’ve gone and proven that there’s still a demonic link buried deep within them.
Oops.
“Lena?” Callie’s voice shakes. “What does this mean? Can they age me again? Can they put another demon in me?”
Lena shakes her head. “I don’t know…”
“Molli? Is there anything you can tell with your new magic, since you’re the one who noticed this first?” Cherry’s question hangs in the air, the weight of it heavy and stifling. Once again, I find myself the center of attention.
“Um…” Shit. “I mean, I might be able to work something out, but as you said, it’s all new to me.”
Callie turns to me with tears in her big blue eyes. “Can you help me, Molli?”
Double shit. Pressure’s on now. “I can try, but I can’t make any guarantees.”
Oren places a hand on my shoulder. “You can do this, Molli. I have faith.”
Yeah, okay, but I don’t have faith. So very, very little faith right now. Like, negative faith. If faith was currency, I’d be in faith debt. Running on credit as it is, and I don’t know if I’ll be able to pay it back.
I wipe my damp palms on my pants and stand. Dozens of eyes follow my every move as I trace the outline of the tattoo with a trembling fingertip. Heaving a sigh, I turn my vision inward, focusing on the lights around me and how they interlay over what my physical eyes see. The red lights in Callie’s tattoos dance and whirl, and I pause to study the one on her back closer.
Twelve rays. It could be hours, days, months, or years. Okay, Molli, think. If Callie was aged from thirteen to twenty-something and back, what’s the most likely scenario? Years. Okay. That’s a start. So if each ray is a year, then … what? God damn it, I wish everyone would stop staring at me. Fuck. I’m getting performance anxiety.
Focus. Years. Each ray, each spoke is a year. That means the coil is what? Is it her lifeline? That might make sense; if the coil represents Callie’s life, then its spiral through the spokes must be her transformation into an adult.
Well, that’s two things down. Now on to figuring out the removal of this shit.
Let’s see … Lena undid the magic that changed Callie, but she didn’t remove the magic. It’s still here, still pulsating in the tattoo. The tattoo that represents Callie’s life.
Right now, I am life. My whole being, my essence, tuned into the ebb and flow of life.
Callie’s life in a tattoo. Her life, diagrammed here.
Can I undo this without undoing her life? Shit. I didn’t think about that. I have to be careful. One wrong move, one misstep, and I might undo Callie in the process. Besides, I’m a life-touched fae now; I don’t think I can undo the lifeline. That seems counter to my new nature.
Okay, so if I can’t take away the life-coil, maybe I can at least take away the years that the demons tacked on. That’s reasonable, right? I mean, life’s all about compromise—or something. Jesus. I’m flying blind here.
“Callie? Listen: I think I can make it so you won’t get aged again, but I can’t take the whole tattoo away. Would you be okay with that?”
“Y-you can’t get rid of it?”
I shake my head, forgetting for a moment that I’m behind her. “No. I mean, not the whole thing. I think they mapped your life out in this tattoo. Now, I can take away the extra years—these rays—but I can’t take away the part that represents you. It’s tied to your life. I might kill you if I e
rase that part.”
Crap. I said the wrong thing; she’s shaking even more now.
“Calm down, Cal. I’m going to fix as much as I can. I don’t even think I’d be able to erase that part, because my magic is all about life. So relax. I just need you to stay calm and let me work.”
Taking a deep breath, I plunge headfirst into my magic.
For a while, the room melts away. The world melts away. All that’s left is me, Callie, and the demonic tattoo. One by one, starting with the biggest ray first, I focus my light on each spoke. As my light hits the mark, white engulfing red, the ink bleaches and fades before disappearing entirely. At each intersection of a ray and the coil, I use my light to spot-weld the point where they meet, repairing any damage caused by the addition of years to her life. As I suspected, my light doesn’t affect the life-coil at all.
Through my peripheral vision, I take note that her joints light up just a little brighter, and the line of change in her hair fades.
Since I don’t know which of the remaining infernal tattoos was the portal through which the demons inserted Lilith into her body, I decide it’ll be best to erase them all while I’m at it. I don’t stop to ask permission. I just move from the back tattoo to her shoulders, arms, legs, chest … everywhere she’s marked up. My fae white-out blanches the tattoos, fading them into nonexistence.
“Molli?”
Finn’s voice comes through a thick fog, and I blink to clear my eyes. When I do, my entire being experiences a weird snap, and I jerk awake.
But I wasn’t sleeping—was I?
Wait … How did I wind up on the floor? I struggle to sit up, to right myself, and Finn’s arms wrap around me, supporting my physical body.
“Did it work?” I want to look for myself, but I can’t bring myself to check.
“There remains only one infernal mark. It would appear you have removed all of the demonic magics from little Calliope, save the spiral on her back.”
Callie stretches out her arms with a gasp. “Holy shit, they’re gone! Like, all of them!”
“Well,” I struggle to my feet, leaning on Finn, “most of them. That spiral, though—that one I can’t take off. They somehow marked you with your own lifeline, and I’m afraid if I wipe that one out, I’ll wipe you out.”
Lena gapes at us, slowly getting up. She touches Callie’s chest, where moments ago an inverted pentagram marred her youthful skin. “By the Gods…”
“Nah. Just by me.” Ha! I’d high-five myself, but that would look weird. “Now, can I get some water, maybe a soda? I’m thirsty.”
Chapter 13
After my demonstration, Lena and the incubi bombard me with questions about the hows and whys of what I did. I wish I had answers for them, but I can barely explain it to myself. I mean, I can put it in vague fae terms, but when they start asking about the specifics of the tattoos I removed, I’m at a loss.
“Guys, please! I don’t know how I did it, okay? I just kind of did it. Can we let it go for now?”
No such luck. Lena in particular is like a dog with a bone, and she’s not letting the damn thing go. “Just tell me about the rays. Now, you erased the added years; will that shorten Cal’s life?”
I put a hand to my forehead, where a spectacular migraine blossoms. “No. It shouldn’t. Her lifeline is still intact. I just took away the extra years.”
“It won’t, or it shouldn’t? Which is it?”
Oh, my God. “Can I get some room here?”
The distinctive ring of a sword being drawn effectively silences the interrogation. “My lady requests room to breathe. Is that a problem?”
I’m not sure whether I want to kiss Kalen or smack him upside the head. Who draws a sword at dinner? “Kalen, stow it. Just put the sword away. I’m going to go to bed, and any questions can wait until tomorrow. I’m exhausted.”
“But—” Lena reaches for me.
“No buts.” Finn takes my arm and tugs me in the direction of Rick and Billy’s room, drawing me away from Lena’s grasp. “Molli has spoken. She needs rest, and rest she shall have.”
My three fae usher me out of the living room, and I finally breathe a sigh of relief. “Thanks.”
Kalen frowns. “They were most rude. Are you certain the sword wasn’t necessary?”
I fight the urge to roll my eyes. He means well. “Yes, I’m certain. What I need now is peace and quiet.”
“Do you wish us to leave you?”
“No, Oren. Don’t go.” I take him by the hand and motion for the others to follow. “I want all of you with me.” They file into Rick and Billy’s room behind me, and I shut the door, locking it.
With the sounds in the living room muted, my headache fades a bit, downgraded from a migraine to a nuisance, but still something I want to be rid of. I take Oren’s hand and press it to my forehead. “Can you kill this headache, babe?”
His magic flares, and I sigh again as the headache disappears. “Thanks.”
Oren’s hand drifts down to rest above my heart, which beats a little faster at the touch. “Any time you are in pain, my love, I shall be here to ease it.”
I gaze up at him through my lashes. His pupils dilate before my eyes, and I sense a surge in the core of his light energy. I grin and reach down, rubbing the bulge in his jeans. “Anything I can help you ease in return, baby?”
He moans and leans forward, pressing me against the door. A giggle bubbles out of my lips, and he catches it with his mouth on mine, turning it into a gasp. His hand snakes down my front, caressing my breast and stomach, coming to rest on the waistband of my leggings. “Are you certain?” he murmurs against my lips. “You did say you were exhausted.”
“Mm, maybe … but I think if Kalen feeds me some fire-berries I might be able to keep up.”
Kalen’s magic flashes, and he places some of the juicy morsels in my outstretched hand. I place a berry on my tongue and roll it around my mouth, savoring the juices. Oren’s pupils blow even more, and he slips his hand inside my pants.
One thing I learned in Faerie is that my guys’ berries have their essence imbued in them. That means their desires as well as their fae magics—and eating a piece of pure desire is divine. I lean my head back against the door and bite down, releasing more of the sweet juice. A shudder ripples through my body as I chew, and I moan when Oren’s wandering hand reaches my clit just as the fae magic hits.
Lena didn’t have this side effect when she ate Kalen’s fruit, but then again, he’s not attracted to her. He desires only me, and I swallow the full force of that desire with a whimper. Oren’s fingers rub and stroke me over the edge, and I shatter against his hand in a flash of blinding white light, biting my own hand to stifle my screams. I’m damn near climbing the door, and I wrap my arm around Oren’s neck, pulling him closer.
Oren pulls his hand out from between my legs and licks his fingers with long, languid strokes. “Mm. Molli, my darling, your love tastes sweeter than ever. Here.” He slides a finger past my lips, and I suck my cum off him.
Well, I’ll be damned! I’ve never minded my own taste, but this—this brings sweet to a whole new level. I wonder if I can conjure my own fae fruit now that I’m changed. If this is what I taste like, then whatever berries I conjure must taste heavenly.
I ball one hand into a fist and focus, pouring my new light into my closed fingers. When I release, I feel several small, round objects in my hand. Cool. I roll them in my palm and give Kalen and Finn a sly sideways glance, noting that both men have their cocks in hand, watching the show intently. “Care to try some, boys?” They each grab a few of my glistening white fae berries, and each man moans and pumps faster as he dines on my essence, their individual life-lights flaring.
Oren frowns and groans. “I would like some as well!” He reaches for my hand, but I move it out of reach.
“You got to have it straight from the source. Let them try some.” I wink and bite my lip ring.
He grinds his hips against me, sparking a new fire in my
groin. “Perhaps they would like to taste the source as well.” I mewl and whine as Oren bends to nibble on my neck. “I am sure I can produce more of your sweet, sweet juices without you having to spend your energy on conjuring.”
“Mm. Are you willing to share, though?” The lights connecting the four of us glow even brighter at the mention of sharing me, which I take as a sign that we’re all in agreement. I find the scintillating light show fascinating, with each fae’s light surging as his desires peak.
With a deep grunt, Oren grabs my shoulders and turns me around so I face the door, my chest pressing against the wood. One hand pushes my pants down past my hips, and the other toys with my wet slit. “I shall milk you of your delicious cum, my love, and once I’ve made sure there’s plenty to go around, then yes, I will share.”
Oh, God, that’s hot! He can talk like that to me all day long…
Oren’s hands slide up to my arms, pulling them behind me. I hear the whisper of a belt slipping loose of its loops, and I tremble as he secures my hands at my lower back. He tugs at my hips, pulling my lower half away from the door while keeping my upper torso pressed to it. The arch to my back makes it a hard position to maintain. Oren’s lips tickle my ear as he whispers his commands.
“Hold very, very still, my love. I’m going to lick your cunt until you come, then I’m going to stroke you until you spray all over me. You’re going to be tempted to move. You’re going to think you’ll go mad if you hold still. You’re going to want to back away from me. Don’t. You can wiggle, you can squirm, but I want you to stay put. Can you do that, love?”
I nod.
“Good.” He strokes my bare ass with a gentle touch before delivering a wicked smack on my round cheek. I jerk, but as promised, I stay pressed against the door. “Good.”
Fabric rustles behind me as he kneels down, taking my leggings to the floor and tugging them off right over my Kiks. I stand there, arms belted, bare-assed, in nothing but a tank top and my sneakers, and I wait.