“I did my fire thing.” I shrugged, helpless. “Just the same as always.”
“Except this time you tried to turn the mountain into a volcano, and you burned one of Abil’s sons. Not that I’m complaining, by the way, this is much more entertaining than babysitting a bunch of dweller-bugs and sol-princesses.”
“I need to heal Yael,” I said, ignoring him. I placed my hands over Yael’s blistered forearm.
“Oh you can heal things now?” Cyrus sounded amused. “Why not, I guess. Let’s see it.”
I could feel the colour rising to my cheeks, humiliation sinking into me. “I can’t,” I countered. “I just meant that I should do something.”
I was embarrassed because it seemed that the only thing my power was capable of, so far, was devastation. Maybe I was the new God of Devastation.
“There’s already a God of Devastation,” Siret said, answering my thought. “And a Beta. Are they still alive, Neutral?”
“They are,” Cyrus replied, watching me.
“So according to Staviti’s rules of the universes, you can’t ascend to Topia when there’s already an established God and Beta with your particular energy.”
“Also according to Staviti’s rules of the universe,” I countered, “Topia is full. Every energy has a God and a Beta. I’m guessing this would have been the case when I died … so why did I ascend?”
“Maybe you didn’t ascend,” Cyrus answered. “Maybe you snuck into the afterlife. Maybe you were reborn. Maybe you were already dead. The panteras wanted to help you, so I’m guessing they know the answers. We need to ask for an audience with them.”
“We?” Yael croaked out, wincing in pain. “Since when are you part of this group, Neutral?”
“I don’t want to be part of your six-way sex group.” Cyrus rolled his eyes. “I want to know what Willa is and what that means for the rest of us. I don’t trust you lot to keep me informed, and without my protection, Rau will tear that girl’s soul from her skin and send it straight to the imprisonment realm. Also, I saved her life.”
“You killed me,” I spat.
“It was the only way to save your life.”
“What the hell are we going to do about Yael!” I was on the verge of a meltdown. I couldn’t stand around talking about it anymore. I needed to do something.
“We’re going to stand around talking about it some more,” Coen answered, his voice low and smooth, as though he was trying to calm a wild bullsen. “Look at me, Willa, nowhere but me.”
Confused, I turned my head to the left, meeting Coen’s eyes.
“That’s it,” he encouraged, his calming voice rolling over me. “Just keep your attention here. Do not look at Yael. Do not look at anyone else. Focus here.”
“I’m focusing,” I answered. “But I don’t know why. What the hell is going on?”
A small laugh escaped from one of them, but I wasn’t sure who, because I was being a good Willa and keeping my eyes on Coen.
“Is there a bug on me?” I eventually asked, feeling my skin start to crawl.
“No.” Coen’s lips twitched. “Keep your focus here. Tell me, do you want Yael to get better?”
“Yes, of course I do.” My brow was furrowing in confusion, my hands twitching against Yael’s forearm.
“Good. Do you want him to get better?”
“Uh, still yes.” It wasn’t like any of the gods to repeat themselves, which made this even odder.
Coen smiled, his stare finally breaking as he glanced down at Yael, and then back to me. “You can look now, Willa, it’s finished.”
Frowning, I flicked my eyes to Yael. Why the hell was everyone suddenly so quiet? Yael shifted as my eyes met his. He moved to sit up. I started to panic, leaning forward to push him back down again, but then I caught sight of his skin.
His unmarked skin.
“You h-healed,” I spluttered out, relief flooding through me. I tossed my arms around his neck, half climbing onto his lap in my enthusiasm.
He laughed, pulling me the rest of the way onto his lap before his hands found my face, tilting it up to his. “No.” He shook his head, his eyes glinting with wonder. “You healed me. We could all see the colour leaking from your hands. Coen didn’t want to distract you by pointing it out, so he guided your focus.”
I froze, my eyes wide. “What?”
“You healed him,” Cyrus reiterated. “The colour wasn’t clear, but it was there; a brief light emanating from your palms.”
“I did something good?” I felt stupid asking these questions, but I could barely believe it.
“Yeah, Rocks, you did something good,” Yael murmured, his hands tightening on my face, drawing my lips up to his.
The kiss was strong, completely capturing my attention. Within a fraction of a click, I had forgotten that there were other people in the room. My legs had found their way around his waist, my hands threading into his hair. Yael groaned, pulling his mouth back from mine.
Somewhere in the room, there was an awkward cough. It sounded like Cyrus. This was followed by a few barked commands, and then the room was blissfully silent. Yael stood then, bringing me with him, my legs still around his waist. Our lips clashed again, our tongues tangling together. “I’m so sorry I hurt you,” I said against his mouth. “I feel terrible.”
His rumble of laughter sent intense vibrations down my body. “It was nothing, Willa-toy.”
Sparkling water came into view then, and just as I was about to ask what he was doing, he walked us into the pool, warm water washing across my legs.
“We’re going swimming?” I blinked up at him, excitement wrapping around my emotions.
He laughed again. It felt like both of us were a little too euphoric in that moment. The healing had clearly done more than just repair his skin.
“This is the bathing area, the water has healing minerals and properties, and it’s cleaned and filtered constantly.”
He was holding me in waist-deep water; I struggled to get down. When I was standing—the water almost to my shoulders—I took a proper look around.
“This is a bathing area?” I asked drily. “It’s twenty times the size of those baths you have in your marble god box on Topia.”
Yael just nodded, his eyes mesmerising in the low light of the room. On top of the huge mineral bath, there were statues in all four corners. They looked almost like baby gods, with wings, and musical instruments. The water was aqua in colour, the dimly illuminated lanterns mixing with the steam rising from the surface gave it a very ethereal look.
“It’s so pretty in here,” I mused, turning in a circle, my hands gliding across the surface of the water.
Yael looked around as well. “I figured we could both use some healing properties right about now.”
My focus was immediately back on him, my hands already reaching for his arm. “Are you not healed properly?” I asked in a rush.
He twisted his arm so that he could take my hand in his. “I’m fine. I was worried that you might be feeling the aftereffects of healing. It takes a lot of energy.”
Weird. I didn’t feel tired at all. If anything, I was amped up. Swishing my arms in the water again, I grimaced as my sodden shirt caught on Yael. Both of us were fully dressed, and wet clothes were the most annoying thing ever.
“Do you mind?” I asked Yael, half joking as I struggled to get Siret’s Trickery clothes off. Asshole always tricked me into the tightest outfits.
The right corner of Yael’s lips quirked up and it took every ounce of my self control not to kiss him. He didn’t answer me: he just reached forward and untangled my arms, helping me out of my shirt and pants. His hands were wrapped around my back, holding me up, and when my shirt was finally off, I realised how close we were pressed. Tilting my head back, I parted my lips and breathed him in. Yael and I had been together, but … also not really. I ached at how beautiful he was, his hair darkened by the water. His eyes locked on me with intensity.
I reached for his shirt, w
hich was plastered across his hard body, and slowly lifted it. He was so much taller than me that I only had to bend a little to press my lips to the sliver of stomach that I had revealed. As I pushed his shirt further up, I followed the movement with more kisses. My lips pressing to every rigid line of his abs and chest.
“Willa.” There was a rough quality to his voice. He threaded his hands through my hair, holding me close to him.
I responded by opening my mouth a little wider and using my tongue to explore him. The water which beaded across his skin had an odd taste to it, almost like there were herbs in it, but it wasn’t unpleasant.
By the time his shirt was pulled up and over his shoulders and head, I could barely keep my legs from collapsing under me. My body thrummed with need. It was stronger than ever. Undead sex was the freaking best.
Yael groaned above me, and I pulled my lips away from his body to meet his gaze. “Don’t say undead sex.”
“Sorry, it’s hard to remember all the rules when I start undressing you.”
His hand cupped my chin, tilting my head back even further. His hold was firm, almost rough, and I was getting the feeling that Yael liked to be in control. My body twitched at the thought. At his firm hand. His lips came down on mine with force, his hands spanning across my breasts. His palms covered my bra completely. As his thumbs brushed across my nipples, I almost lost it. My body was wound up tight. The sex with Siret had only started the need. I was starting to think it wouldn’t be sated until I was with all five of them.
“Stop. Thinking.”
His command had my mind going completely blank, as though my body had been designed to obey him. At least during moments like this. I pressed myself closer, needing to feel more of him. In response, he ran his hands down my sides, stroking my skin before sliding them under me and lifting me out of the water. My legs went around his waist, and he moved so that he could lay me back on the angled entrance to the bath. As Yael settled between my legs, water covering our lower halves, my body arched up to meet his. I wanted to cry at the fact that he was still wearing pants.
“Take them off,” I ordered.
He silenced me with a single finger over my lips. “I make the rules here, Willa-toy.”
My centre clenched, my legs moving involuntarily.
He lifted himself up, his powerful arms holding his body above mine, his eyes running across the length of me. “You need to get naked. Right now.”
At his command, my hands started moving. “Are you Persuading me?” My voice was so breathless it would have almost been embarrassing. Except I was too turned on to really care.
Yael shook his head once. “No powers, this is just you and me.”
A low heady sensation was already building deep in my body. My hands scrambled to remove my underwear, and I revelled in the feel of the water across my naked skin. Clothes were stupid. It was a fact. Yael, who was still between my legs, shifted his weight back so that he was resting on his knees. That freed up his hands, so he could run them along my body. Heat followed his every movement, as though his touch shot sparks through me.
“Don’t move, Willa. If you move, I will stop,” he warned me, and then he put his hands under my butt and lifted me up so that most of my body was out of the water. He leaned over and pressed his lips to my chest.
“How come you were so compliant when I was with Rome?” I gasped out, not sure who this guy was. Yael had always been competitive, and really, I should have expected this side of him to come out—but I hadn’t experienced it before now.
His voice was low and muffled. “You needed gentle and healing that night, and that wasn’t just about you and me. This, here, now … this is just us.”
I gasped again as his tongue and lips worked their magic across my skin. He teased and drew out every ounce of pleasure from my body. Whenever I wiggled against him, unable to help myself, he drew away. Eventually I learned that if I wanted the pleasure to continue, I needed to stay very still. The control was driving me crazier than I ever expected.
When his tongue reached my centre, I knew there was no way I could stop myself from moving, and as Yael slid one finger inside of me, followed by another, his gaze lifted to meet mine. I begged him with my eyes to release me from his order.
“You can move now,” he told me, staring up along my body. Watching me while I fell apart under his command.
Holyfreakinggods.
I was on the edge of release. It was building like a cyclone inside of me. Just when I was about to tip over the edge, Yael lifted his head and pulled his hand back. I was panting when he slid higher and settled between my legs, ridding himself of his pants.
“Good girl, Willa-toy.”
I wanted to yell at him, because he had deprived me of the pleasure that was supposed to be mine. Then he shifted forward, sliding his length inside of me. I shattered around him, unable to stop when I was already so close.
Yael grinned down at me. “That’s one.”
Of course the competitive bastard would want to keep track. Already, my body was tightening in anticipation of ‘two’.
He started to move, slowly at first, drawing out my first release, and then with more speed. After a few clicks, he shifted his position, placing his hands under me again, lifting me up for a better angle. He was so much deeper this way, and I let out a low moan as the strong sensations built within me again. A slow, steady, deep build. I could feel tingles from the top of my head, all the way to my toes. My nails bit into his shoulders as I held on, Yael’s eyes as green as I’d ever seen them as they captured me in their glow.
“Come for me, Willa,” he ordered, his lips moving to mine.
Unable to deny his command, I exploded, my body moving with his, and he let out a low groan, his tongue tangling with mine, my mouth absorbing the way he called my name.
“Two,” he murmured against my mouth.
I was starting to wonder if I would survive three. My breathing was harsh and I couldn’t feel my legs, but I was certainly willing to give it a shot. Yael’s smile was wicked as he pulled back, clearly having read my thoughts. His pace picked up, and I tightened my legs around him. My body was tender from the last orgasm, but soon need built within me again. He shifted back a little, before he reached down between our bodies and pressed a finger against the sensitive part of my centre.
“Three, Willa-toy,” he ordered again.
I was helpless to deny him. The force of my next orgasm had my head spinning, and dizziness pressing in on me. Yael stole my focus then with those gem-like eyes of his, whispering my name as he too found release.
I struggled to bring air into my lungs as we lay together, our bodies tangled, until our breathing had slowed. Yael’s touch turned gentle, running along my body soothingly. When he finally pulled from me, we drifted back into the water, staying very close together. There was a satisfied glint in Yael’s green eyes, and I was starting to suspect I might be addicted to swimming. The same way he was addicted to winning. He grinned, picking up on that thought, before a loud pounding on the door broke through our moment.
“Time’s up!” a muffled voice shouted.
“Shit,” Yael muttered, quickly moving to the ledge and pulling himself out. He reached for me, tugging me to the side of the pool, and then he started pulling his wet clothes back on. “I think Trickery got everyone to leave before, somehow, but the illusion must have worn off by now.”
“Three clicks!” the voice shouted again. This time, I recognised it as Siret’s.
My eyes went wide, flying to the door, and then I was scrambling out of the water and looking for my clothes. Obviously, I didn’t care about the Abcurses seeing me naked, but Cyrus was another story. I managed to wrangle my way into the sodding material just as the door flew open. The other Abcurses strode through. Siret glanced at me, the right corner of his lip twitching. His eyes were laughing, but the others all appeared serious. Cyrus followed them, looking mad as hell.
“Why the fuck are you two we
t?” he snapped. “Tell me that whole illusion trick wasn’t just so that you two fools could go swimming?”
“What’s wrong with swimming?” I asked.
“We were in the middle of something.” Cyrus threw his hands up, beginning to pace on the spot, his eyes flicking between Yael and me. “You almost incinerated the entire mountain. You burnt a god and overpowered his natural healing reflexes. Those are the reasons we were all in this room. And you use Trickery to send me out of the room so that you can go swimming? This is …” he was shaking his head, his hand flying out with a sharp, frustrated motion. A long, deep crack fissured through the entire length of the stone wall. I stumbled back a step. I might have had some kind of crazy ability with god-fire, but I couldn’t go up against Cyrus.
I took another step back as the Abcurses all tensed, closing in around me. I was stepping backwards, sure, but that didn’t mean I was backing down. I would never back down, not even against a Neutral. Mostly because I didn’t really understand what the Neutral power could do, and there was a lot of bravery to be found in stupidity. I was happily ignorant of all the ways that Cyrus would be able to successfully torture me.
“You don’t understand this,” I finally said, indicating the five bodies now forming a solid wall between us. “You don’t understand what it’s like to be going about your life and then suddenly you’re not yourself anymore. You’re one part of a whole and nothing makes sense unless you’re with the other parts of your whole. So I’m sorry that we had to kick you out of the room, but I hurt one of them. I hurt a part of myself. I needed to fix it.”
“And,” Yael added, his voice a little darker than mine, “if you try to come between us and Willa one more time, this little alliance we have going on is broken. Finished. You might be the Neutral, but she belongs to us and we belong to her—no amount of power is going to stop us from protecting that.”
“I think we’re done here,” Coen declared, apparently not willing to wait for Cyrus’s response.
Strength Page 10