by Leah Silver
“Without a paddle,” Ed added.
I snorted, but the pooh-bah didn’t even crack a smile. “Any ideas for what to do about this?”
“Ideas? You’re the council. Isn’t it your job to come up with ideas, and tell us to implement them?”
“Yes, well, you quite often seem to think our ideas are dumber than a troll, to use your words. So, perhaps I’d like to hear yours.”
I leaned back in my chair and folded my arms over my chest, frustrated. I missed Tempest. She was easier to reason with. “Levi’s right. He can come up with a cure, but you’re vulnerable until he does. We need to get to the root. Even if we snuff this plague out, this super race or whatever they are won’t stop if this plot is foiled. We need to try to bring them peacefully into the fold. Ask them to coexist.”
“And if they won’t?” the pooh-bah asked.
“Then we’re looking at a war,” I said. The room filled with mumbles from the other members at the table.
“We cannot afford a war, Ms. Young,” the pooh-bah said.
“I understand that. It’s not my job to tell you how to respond. You asked me a simple question, and I gave you a simple answer.”
“War is most certainly not a simple answer,” he argued.
“Maybe not. But there it is.”
Silence reigned in the room while the other members shifted uncomfortably. The new representative from the Fae wasn’t someone I knew, and he watched me closely, not adding much to the conversation. They’d selected him quickly and quietly after I’d explained what Devlin had done, and said maybe they needed to use more caution when selecting council members.
I wondered what the Fae knew of Tempest’s daughter’s involvement in the plot. But I could tell he wasn’t going to give me anything. He was a closed book, and it made me miss my friend even more.
“We’ve already discussed what we would like you to do. We realize you may not agree, and if you don’t, we have no plan B, so please keep that in mind.”
“Laying the guilt on awfully thick, aren’t you?” I asked.
He ignored me and went on. “We’d like you to ferret out this super race and parley with them. If they won’t negotiate, cut off the snake’s head before it can lay eggs.”
It was an odd analogy, and the second time he’d mentioned snakes during this whole shit storm. What did he know about this race?
“I thought you didn’t have any ideas,” I pointed out.
Again, he ignored me. “Do you accept?”
“Who goes with me?” I asked.
“Anyone you like.”
I looked at the men on either side of me, knowing I’d have to leave Levi behind with Sara. They returned my gaze steadily.
“We’ll see this through,” Ed said. Ike and Oscar nodded their agreement.
“But what about Levi?”
“I’ll be playing my part by finding a cure,” he said.
“We should be together,” I retorted.
He took my hand, lowering his voice so the council wouldn’t hear him. “That’s true. We should. But this won’t be forever. We have forever, love.”
I turned back to the council. “I have a condition.”
“Yes,” he said, narrowing his eyes as he watched me.
“You need to be more forthcoming about what you know. Tempest knew more than she let on about who was behind this. How do you expect me to be successful when you’re hiding information from me?”
He sat back in his chair, tenting his fingers in front of his mouth. “I am bound by things out of my control, hunter.”
“What the hell does that mean?”
He just looked at me. “It means I can’t tell you what you want. But believe me when I say I don’t know who’s behind this plague, or the apparent master plot against our world.”
There was a small element of truth ringing through his words, but it was muffled by what he was hiding.
“Fine. But if I fail, you’ll have no one to blame but yourself.”
I glared at him. I’d never actually disliked him, but he’d lost some of my respect just now. Was he with them? Why wasn’t he trying to help me?
Unless they had something of value to him, something they were dangling in front of him as a threat. Were they using him as a puppet, too? If they were, any information he did give me couldn’t be trusted anyway. Shit shooters, I thought. This was a mess. One I did not want to be in the middle of.
“So, does that mean you’ll take the job? You’ll save our world?” he pressed.
“No pressure there, pooh-bah.” Levi squeezed my hand, and I realized it was the first time I’d called the man by my nickname to his face. But he was asking an awful lot of me, so how much did I really care at this point?
Of all things I expected him to do, actually cracking a smile on that pasty white face wasn’t it. So, maybe he gained some respect points back.
“Fine. I’ll give it a go. But you give me what I need to facilitate this. No questions asked.”
“Within reason, it’s done. This is our priority. We all worry this is bigger than we originally feared.”
I nodded. “If that’s all,” I said as I stood.
He nodded. “We’ll need you to get to work at once.”
“Where am I supposed to start?”
“Sir?” Finally, the Fae representative spoke up. “You might want to see this.” He passed him a smart phone, which surprised me. I wasn’t sure I’d ever seen a Fae with one of those. They didn’t need them.
The pooh-bah turned up the volume so we could all hear it. “A mysterious illness has hit this small town hard. Over thirty are thought to be ill, and it’s unknown how many have already died. What we do know is that it is fast-moving and unforgiving. Please, if you or your loved ones are showing any signs of illness, get to a healer quickly.”
It was a reporter from one of the supernatural stations. Ones that were blocked from the humans.
“It’s already happening,” Levi breathed.
I squeezed his hand. “Where is that?”
“New Orleans,” the pooh-bah answered.
“Where my wayward demon was supposed to be when he attacked us in Devlin’s caverns. Fine. That’s where we go,” I said as I walked away.
The men stood, chairs scraping on the floor, and followed me. Sara held my hand as we walked. Whether she wanted to or not, I wasn’t letting her go again, not after this was over. Leaving her behind would be torture. My only comfort was that Levi would be with her. I knew he would die before he let something happen to her. Because if he didn’t, I would kill him when I got back.
The ride back to the house was silent. I didn’t know about the others, but I had a lot on my mind that I didn’t really feel like talking about out loud.
Unfortunately, my sanctuary of silence was broken when someone knocked on my door while I was packing for the trip.
“Yeah,” I said without turning around. The only one I really wanted to talk to was Sara, but I wasn’t sure just what I was going to say to her yet. We hadn’t been apart like this before, and now it would be twice in such a short time span. I wasn’t sure I could—
Levi cut my downward spiral short. “Need a hand?”
“No, not really,” I said without looking up. It was insensitive, but in that moment, I wasn’t thinking about him. “What’s up?”
“Well, I was thinking…” he began.
“Oh, the Mother help us,” I said, putting another black tank top into my duffle bag. Just another work uniform as far as I was concerned.
“Hear me out. You might actually like what I have to say.” He walked up behind me and put a hand on my back. “Hey.”
His touch stopped me, and I reluctantly turned to face him. “What’s up?” I repeated.
“I was thinking we might go with you.”
Such a simple thought brought my downward spiral to a screeching halt. “What?”
“Would you rather us not?” he teased.
“No, I just…
I don’t understand. I thought you needed your lab and stuff.” I scrambled for the explanation he’d given for staying behind. It made sense at the time, as much as I hadn’t wanted it to.
“That was before.”
“Before what?” I demanded.
“Before there were sick people. Sick people I can help. Well, Sara and I can help.”
A glimmer of hope so small I was almost afraid to reach for it flashed in front of me. “But … your lab.”
“There are plenty of hospitals and places I can work in New Orleans. I need to be where the sick are, so I have someone to test our cure on.”
It made perfect sense. We could do this, and I wouldn’t have to leave either of them behind.
Before I could process what I was thinking, I threw myself at him, showering his face with kisses.
“A simple thank you would suffice,” he said as I clung to him. I wrapped my legs around him, hugging him fiercely. His hands went to my rear to keep me from falling.
I looked deep into his golden eyes. “Is that so? Well, I’ll just climb down off you then.”
His grip on my ass tightened. “No need to be hasty.”
He walked to the bed, placing me gently on it. I stretched out, pillowing my head on my arm. He kept his eyes on me as he untucked his shirt.
“You gonna make me do all the work?”
“Just enjoying the view,” I said, watching as he unbuttoned his white shirt. His chest was all hard planes and angles. I bit my bottom lip, imagining my mouth over his smooth skin.
“Your turn,” he commanded.
I raised an eyebrow playfully. With slow, teasing motions, I pulled my blouse over my head, revealing a lacy black bra that barely held my breasts in. He eyed me, drinking me in hungrily. “I thought you said there wouldn’t be time for a romp in the sack? You seem very prepared.”
I shrugged. “It matched my shirt.” Truth be told, I had hoped they’d see me in my underwear eventually, so I’d gotten out some of my more risqué lingerie for the trip. So what if I hadn’t known Levi would be coming with us? Him seeing it was just a delicious bonus. Even if it wasn’t practical, and was proving a bit uncomfortable already.
“You’re still not as naked as I am,” Levi said. He stood near the edge of the bed, watching me with hot eyes.
“You don’t want to relieve me of this torture device yourself?”
“I’d rather watch,” he said, his words strained as if he were struggling for control.
“Have it your way.” I reached around, freeing the clasp with one twist of my fingers. Shimmying my shoulders, I let the straps fall, the swells of my breasts still managing to hold the cups up. Levi took a deep breath as he closed the distance between us.
“Demon’s breath, that’s such a tease,” he murmured as he knelt, caressing along the edge of the lace with his fingertip. It was my turn to inhale sharply as he tormented me by not going underneath the material. I leaned back on my hands, pushing my shoulders together in hopes the bra finally gave way, but no such luck.
He shook his head, his eyes dark. “If you wanted to be bare to me so badly, you should have taken it off when I told you to,” he scolded. Instead of removing it for me, he dipped down, tracing his tongue lightly over the edge of the lace. I moaned, pushing harder into his mouth, but he pulled back, nipping at my covered nipple in reproach. When I gave in, he licked over my skin again, so softly I barely felt it. Just as I was on the verge of begging, something I’d never admit to, he struck, grabbing the silk in his mouth and yanking it down. His eyes flared as he took me in, his hands weighing my breasts in his palms. He drew one to his lips, his hot mouth closing over my nipple. I gasped as he rolled it gently between his teeth.
“Levi,” I breathed, wanting more.
“Greedy girl, you’re right. Time is of the essence here, isn’t it?” He quickly stood, unbuttoning his pants and pulling them off, leaving him in nothing but a tight pair of black boxer briefs that hid nothing. I swallowed hard. Not hesitating, he slid them off as well, his erection jutting out proudly. “You are off to save the world after all.”
I groaned as he pushed me flat on my back. “Don’t remind me.”
“Let me remind you of something else then.” He made quick work of the rest of my clothes, making little noises of appreciation when he uncovered something he liked, but not stopping to explore. When he finished, he settled his body over me. His mouth closed over mine, and he went to work on my fangs, just as he had before. I’d never known that little pleasure point existed. With his hardness pressed against my belly, and my body aching for him, it only sent me into more of a tizzy.
“Levi…” It was a demand for more.
He nuzzled into my neck, opening his hot mouth to slide his tongue along it. His fangs scraped my skin, making me shiver, before he whispered into my ear, “I can’t wait to feel your pussy wrapped around my cock. Are you wet for me, love?” He moved one of his hands between us, dipping between my legs with no hesitation. I arched into his palm at his touch, and he laughed. “You are so ready for me, aren’t you?”
I was beyond words, beyond reason, needing only what he could give me. The charmer had charmed me, without even using his magic. As his fingers stroked between my silky folds with one hand, he pushed my legs wider with the other, opening my body to him even more.
With barely an adjustment, his cock replaced his hand. I gasped as he pressed against my opening with teasing little pushes that didn’t quite go in. He brought his thumb to my clit, flicking it, then pressed down on it at the same time he finally slid inside me. It was as if we were made for each other. I moaned as he stroked me, lifting my hips and inviting him even deeper into me.
“Oh, yes,” he purred, quite satisfied with himself as he pulled out almost to the hilt, and then worked his cock back in slowly. “This is going to be good. You’re so tight.”
“Stop talking and get down to it,” I commanded. I grabbed the back of his head, pulling him down to me. The kiss was hard and urgent, just like our need for each other.
Removing his hand from between my legs, he pushed it under my ass to lift and pull me tighter to him, leaving no space between us. Never releasing my mouth, he teased my fangs with his tongue as he picked up speed, thrusting into me hard and fast. I could feel my body tightening, heat coiling in me, and my body rhythmically gripped and released him, searching for its release. Together, we reached for the peak.
“You are so hot,” he murmured as he rode me. “I knew you’d look good coming all over my cock. I can’t wait to get the chance to actually taste that sweet pussy of yours.”
Those dirty words were all it took to send me right over the edge. I spasmed around him, and he groaned, thrusting even faster as he shuddered his release, his body jerking in pleasure as my nails dug into his back.
He collapsed on me, breathing deeply. “Well done, hunter.”
“Well done, charmer,” I answered, working to catch my own breath as I smoothed my hands over the gouges my nails made. I couldn’t remember when I’d had an orgasm that good. I doubted I ever had. Somehow, I knew all four men would rock my world just as hard as Levi had.
“Just wait until we have more time,” he murmured. “Don’t think I forgot about tasting that pussy. I can’t wait to have your juices all over my tongue.” I melted at the words, more than ready to have him make good on that promise, until I remembered why we didn’t have much time. It was a reminder of what waited on the other side of my bedroom door. As much as I wanted to just lay there with him, I needed to get up and face it. And yet, after the gift he’d given me, it didn’t seem as daunting as it had half an hour ago.
“Thank you for this,” I said, leaning up to kiss him one last time.
He laughed, rolling off me. “Oh no, thank you. My balls were turning blue.”
“Sounds like a personal problem,” I said as I reluctantly stood up and pulled my clothes on. I felt energized. As if maybe, just maybe, it would be okay. And I was more grate
ful to Levi for that than I could ever express.
After we left my room, I went in search of Sara. I needed to talk to her. She’d been thrown into this without so much as a nod in her direction. Like she was a child who would just go along with whatever plan the adults came up with.
I knocked gently on her door. “Sara?”
“Yeah,” she called, and I went in to find her busily packing her own bag.
She glanced at me and did a double take. “You had sex.” It wasn’t an accusation, but more of a joyful declaration.
“What? No. That’s not why I’m here.”
“Which one?” she asked, completely ignoring me. “Levi. I bet it was him. Start out with the one you’re most comfortable with.”
I was so not having this conversation with my baby girl.
I swatted her on the head. “Excuse me. You keep your nose out of my sex life,” I chided. But she didn’t seem fazed. At all, much to my chagrin.
Instead, she smiled widely at me. “It’s about time.”
I sighed and sat on her bed while she finished packing. “I guess you heard the news.”
“Yeah, Levi came and asked me if I wanted to go to New Orleans. I told him I did like it there. The beignets, after all.”
My mouth watered at the thought of the powdered sugar goodness. “Ugh. Don’t remind me. So, you like them? Or at least Levi?” She must’ve if she so excitedly pegged him as the one I’d had sex with. How could she even tell? Nope. I wasn’t even going down that road.
“Yeah. I like them. They’re good for you.”
“What do you mean?” I asked as I watched her zip up her bag.
“They respect you and clearly care for you, but don’t let you get away with anything, either.”
“You saw all of that in a few hours?”
“Mom, please. I’m not blind. And for the Mother’s sake, don’t make the rest of them wait, especially now that you gave Levi some. I think their you-know-what’s are turning blue.”
Burying my face in my hands, I groaned. I was not having this conversation with my baby girl. I stood up abruptly, more than ready to extricate myself from the situation.