Cruel Mercy (Book 2)

by Lola StVil

  “He’s not expecting me back for another few hours yet, and if he thinks this was too easy, he’ll never let me go.”

  She roots in the folds of her loose shirt and pulls out a silver hip flask. She opens it and drinks. She holds it out to me.

  “What you just did deserves a drink,” she says, her smile shy now.

  I take the flask and drink a gulp of the Coy. I hand it back to her.

  “So how did the elusive Fish end up in debt to a demon?” I ask.

  “The usual way,” she says.

  I wait for her to explain.

  “He caught me stealing from him.”

  I bark out a laugh. Fish looks surprised at first, then she joins in.

  We pass the flask back and forth between us again.

  “And how did the overprivileged Phoenix end up drowning his sorrows with the tourists?” she asks.

  “I told my brother’s girlfriend he was cheating on her,” I respond honestly.

  “Nice,” she says with a twinkle in her eye.

  “You can call me Nix if you want. All my friends do.”

  “Are we…friends?” she asks, sounding small. I smile at her and take another drink from her flask.

  We spend the next hour finishing up the Coy and talking about how we ended up here. I don’t tell her the full story, and I’m sure she doesn’t tell me her full story either, but we say enough to empathize with each other.

  I start to realize that Fish is more than just a petty thief. She’s just a girl who made a few bad choices somewhere along the way and found herself trapped in this life.

  I want to tell her that I get it, but I don’t think I have the words.

  She seems to know I want to say something, but that I can’t, and she’s okay with that. She nods at the outside of our little cove.

  “The sun is setting,” she says.

  I follow her gaze, surprised at how beautiful the skyline looks. The sun is a mere slit now, and all of the sky and clouds around it glow an intense fiery orange. The sea reflects the glow.

  We sit in silence, watching the last of the sun recede in our own private little world. I can hear the thumping of the music in the distance, but now it’s comforting.

  I’m shocked when Fish shuffles closer to me and rests her head on my shoulder. I’m even more surprised when I reach up and wrap my arm around her, pulling her closer to me. I can feel the sticky dampness where our bare skin touches.

  I can feel the Coy burning in my stomach, but I don’t think it’s only the Coy that’s giving me the warm glow.

  I’m suddenly aware of how hot Fish is. Her face is beautiful, and her long wavy hair makes her look like a goddess as it cascades over her bare shoulders and tickles at her neck. The last of the sunlight catches in her eyes, making it look like little green flames are dancing there.

  THE NEXT SCENE CONTAINS MATURE CONTENT AND YOUNGER READERS CAN SKIP TO CHAPTER FIVE WITHOUT MISSING MAJOR PLOT POINTS.

  As the sun finally disappears, Fish lifts her head up and I turn to her, pressing my lips against hers. She doesn’t resist my kiss. Her mouth opens, her lips against mine, her tongue probing hungrily against mine.

  I feel the warmth in my stomach change, burning with my need to devour this girl. She makes a little moaning sound as my kiss becomes harder, more insistent. She meets it with a desperation of her own, and we cling to each other like shipwreck survivors floating on the tide.

  I pull back and gently push Fish onto her back. She lies looking up at me, panting slightly. I can see the need glistening in her eyes. I undo the buttons on the front of her shirt and trail my fingers over the bare skin there. She gasps and arches her back, pressing herself against my touch.

  She pushes herself onto her elbows and pulls off her shirt. I undo her bra, casting them aside, and she pulls me back down towards her. We kiss again and I can feel myself becoming lost in her.

  I follow the moonlight glistening down her body with a trail of passionate kisses. She runs her fingers through my hair as I slide my tongue back up her torso to one of her nipples, popping it into my mouth, swirling my tongue around it, teasing her. She groans and I gently clamp my teeth on the sensitive part. Her groan becomes a sharp intake of breath. I move to the other nipple, flicking my tongue across it until it too stands to attention.

  I move further down, kissing my way down her stomach, tasting the saltiness of her sweat. I hook my fingers into her waistband, and she lifts herself up enough that I can remove her leggings and panties in one movement. I discard them and crouch above her, looking down at her to make sure she has no doubt.

  She crosses her ankles behind me, pulling me in, and I bury my face in her wetness, tasting her, smelling her, breathing her in.

  I feel her pushing herself against my tongue, building up the pressure as she sails towards her orgasm. I feel her stiffen beneath me, her back arched again and her legs holding me tightly. She moans in a low, husky growl as the waves take full grip of her, flowing uncontrollably.

  I stay where I am, keeping the pressure on as she writhes against my tongue. She relaxes, her breath coming in short, sharp gasps. I push myself back up onto my knees and look down at her exposed body. I can see the look of vulnerability that passes across her face, but it’s gone in seconds, replaced by a hunger that almost makes me lose control right there and then.

  Without a word, she shuffles back slightly and reaches out and undoes my pants. She pushes my clothes down, releasing the thing she wants most. I fall backwards, completely exposing myself, and kick my jeans and boxers away.

  She pushes me back until I’m laid flat, and she nibbles across my chest, flicking my nipple with her tongue. I lay my head back in ecstasy just as she bites down with a smirk, and my body jolts from the pleasure. She straddles me, rubbing her warmth against me.

  The sand is gritty beneath me and I feel it sticking to me, scratching my skin, but I am too busy to care at the moment.

  Fish grins at me and reaches down and lightly trails her nails along my length. I need to be inside her. I can’t wait any longer. As if she’s read my mind, she pushes me inside her and brings her body down against mine.

  As her warm slippery flesh grips mine, I can’t think straight. It feels like nothing I’ve ever felt before. She lifts herself up and moves back down. She moves so deliciously slowly, teasing me, dragging my pleasure out until I can’t straight.

  I reach out and put my hands on her hips, speeding up her movements. My hips buck beneath her. She matches my pace and I know I can’t hold off much longer. I sit up so we are eye to eye, and stare deep into her eyes as she does mine, and as our movements sync, I see a bright light growing next to us. My wings flap wildly, kicking the sand up around us.

  I speed up even more, needing to feel the release I crave. Fish gasps, calling my name again and again as her muscles clench around me.

  The tightening of her pushes me over the edge and my mind is overtaken by a pleasure so deep it’s almost unbearable. I ride on wave after wave of pleasure. I can’t move, I’m paralyzed. Every muscle in my back in clenched tightly, my thighs are like rocks.

  The feeling starts to pass and I draw in a shaky breath as I coast back down from the high. The energy ball splits itself in half and goes into our chests. I see what she was thinking the whole time

  This is too good to be true, don’t let your guard down.

  And she sees what I was thinking. A look crosses her face, but it’s gone before I can read it.

  Fish gracefully climbs off me and lies down on her back beside me. I feel a coolness envelop me where her warmth had been, and I feel empty for a second, but it soon passes. My mind is whirling with the memories of the most intense orgasm I’ve ever had.

  “Was it worth the feathers?” Fish asks from beside me. She’s still slightly breathless.

  I look up with a smirk. “Best three feathers I ever spent.”

  She smiles at me. I take a quick glance at the mischievous look on her face that tells me she d
id this because she wanted it as bad I did, not because I helped her.

  She rolls over to face me.

  “That’s probably the best haul of your life.” I point out the giant group of white wings protruding from her back.

  “I’ve never felt anything like that before,” she admits.

  She has a way of going from cocky and self-assured to vulnerable and open in the blink of an eye. I find it a bit unnerving, but also kind of cool.

  “Me neither,” I say.

  My words seem to appease her momentary vulnerability. She rests her head on my chest.

  “Maybe you’re not so bad after all,” she mumbles sleepily.

  I don’t know a lot about this girl, but I know one thing. She’s like no other girl I’ve ever met…

  I open my eyes slowly, feeling my head spinning. I let out a groan and in return, I hear a feminine giggle. My eyes fly open, and I am fully awake on high alert. Where am I?

  I can feel something gritty beneath me and a warm breeze is blowing over my exposed skin. I push myself up onto my elbows and I see her. Fish.

  It all comes rushing back to me. What I did to Lucas, why I came here. And of course, meeting Fish and everything that happened after meeting her.

  “Morning,”

  Fish gives me a sleepy grin. She sits in the entryway to the cove. She is sideways, looking out towards the sea, but she turns to look at me when she speaks.

  I am suddenly conscious of the fact that she is back in her clothes and I’m still completely naked. I glance around, trying to subtly find something to cover myself.

  Fish watches me for a second.

  “Looking for these?” she asks playfully, throwing my jeans over to me.

  I nod sheepishly. Subtlety isn’t really my strong point.

  I quickly shake the jeans free of the sand that coats them, grateful to discover my boxers rolled up inside of them. I pull them on and stand up to fasten them. I crack my back and scoop up my T-shirt.

  Feeling much more confident now that I’m dressed, I walk over to Fish and sit down beside her.

  “So,” I say.

  “So,” she says back.

  Dammit. That was all I had.

  “Last night was fun,” I say.

  My choice of words could have been worse, but it could have been much better. My awkwardness doesn’t seem to faze Fish.

  “It was,” she agrees, the ghost of a smile dancing across her face.

  She goes back to watching the sea, and I allow myself to look her over. She’s gorgeous, that much I know for sure. But she’s much more than that. She’s, well, special I guess. But it could never work between us. There’s just no way. Could it?

  “A feather for your thoughts?” I ask her.

  As soon as the words are out, I dread what her answer will be. Is she thinking we could be together? I’m worried we come from two different worlds.

  “I was just thinking about how I’m never going to get the sand out of my ass,” she responds.

  I laugh, and she joins me and some of the awkwardness slips away.

  I watch as a man comes into view. With him is a small boy, maybe around six. The boy is laughing and running along the sand, the man chasing him. He catches the boy and lifts him high in the air. The boy screams with laughter.

  “What?” Fish asks, looking at me questioningly.

  My face has given me away. I can’t help but feel a pang of longing as I watch the scene play out. Just a boy and his adoring father.

  I shrug.

  “I guess I was just thinking that I wish my dad was like that,” I confess.

  “What, your dad’s mean to you or something?” She frowns.

  I shake my head.

  “No. He’s great. But he’s not my biological dad, and I just, well, I guess I wish he was sometimes.”

  Fish places her hand lightly on my arm.

  “Family is the people who are there for you, not the people who made you. You’re so lucky to have a place to call home.”

  It suddenly occurs to me that I must sound like such a spoiled brat to someone like Fish who has nowhere she really feels at home.

  “Do you ever wish you could settle down?” I ask.

  I expect her to make a joke and tell me she’d get bored or something, but she surprises me.

  “All the time,” she says, her voice barely above a whisper. She continues with a longing in her voice.

  “I would love a place I could truly call my own, a life where I wasn’t always moving from place to place. I can picture myself standing on the porch of my own little house. It would be yellow and have a cute little white fence and a mailbox with my real name on it.”

  As she talks, she stares into space and I can almost see it with her.

  “What is your real name?” I ask, realizing I don’t even know.

  Is it bad that I have no idea what this girl’s name is after last night?

  She doesn’t answer me for a while, and I don’t think she’s going to, but finally she does.

  “Rebecca,” she says.

  “Rebecca,” I repeat. Somehow, it suits her.

  She’s gone quiet and I suddenly need to fill the silence.

  “Where would it be?” I ask her. “Your dream house.”

  “Oh, you know. Somewhere exotic. Like Ohio.”

  The glint is back in her eyes and Rebecca is gone again, replaced by Fish.

  “Good choice,” I say. I put on a fake posh accent.

  “I hear real estate down that way is a fantastic investment.”

  We both laugh.

  “And if all else fails, I can always rob my neighbors,” Fish laughs.

  I feel the laughter die in my throat. This girl who I can feel myself getting too close to isn’t a mystery. She’s a thief. A lowlife. But deep down I want to believe she can be better than this life.

  “Or you could be a decent person and not,” I say.

  “Do you have to be so judgmental all the damn time?” Fish glowers at me. “Just because you get to have a perfect life and get everything handed to you doesn’t mean we all do.”

  “You know something?” I fire back. “I’m getting a bit fed up of this. You call me judgmental and all you do is judge my life. Yes, I know I’m lucky. Yes, I know you got the shitty end of the stick, but that’s life. It’s not fair, and it’s not right, but that’s the way it is. You can’t just play the victim all of the time and use it as an excuse to steal from people.”

  “So, what do you suggest? Should I just crawl under the nearest rock and starve so people like you don’t even have to know I exist?”

  “Oh, don’t be such a drama queen. Why don’t you get a job like normal people.? Or are you afraid of having to do some actual hard work?”

  Fish snorts down her nose at me.

  “You think stealing isn’t hard work?” she barks.

  “I’m not saying it’s easy, but it’s not work. It’s wrong, Fish, and deep down you know it.”

  “Oh, here we go. Mr. Morality is back. All I know is I do what I have to do to survive.”

  “There has to be a better way,” I say.

  Fish gets to her feet.

  “Well there isn’t.” She holds her hands out to me. “What are you going to do about it, Nix? Handcuff me and drag me to your father now that you got what you wanted from me?”

  “It wasn’t like that,” I protest, getting to my feet too. “I did that because I liked you, I thought I saw something in you.”

  Fish smiles sadly. “And then you remembered who I really am.”

  “How could I forget? You probably only stuck around to see if you could steal something from me.”

  I regret the words as soon as they’re out, but it’s too late to take them back. Instead, I stand there, glowering at her, waiting for her to deny it.

  “I did take something. Your watch. But it wasn’t my intention, and I didn’t take it for the reason you think,” she says.

  “So why did you take it?” I ask.


  “Because I guess I wanted us to be even. You took something of mine too you know. Something I wasn’t ready to give.”

  “And what was that?” I demand.

  She looks me straight in the eye, and I am shocked to see tears glistening in hers.

  I think I know what she’s going to say, but I have to hear it from her. She can’t mean I stole her heart, can she?

  She blinks and the tears are gone, replaced with a steely determination that is much more Fish.

  “It doesn’t matter,” she says. “Unless you’re really going to have me arrested, I should go.”

  She doesn’t wait to see if I am really going to hand her over to my father. We both know it’s gone too far for that.

  As she turns and walks away, a hundred thoughts run through my mind. The main one is that I want Fish gone and Rebecca back. Rebecca is the sort of girl I could be with. Maybe even love.

  “Rebecca, wait,” I call after her, stepping out of the cove.

  She’s a couple of paces down the beach. She shakes her head without turning back or stopping.

  “Rebecca doesn’t exist outside of the cove, Nix,” she says.

  I don’t go after her. I wouldn’t know what to say.

  Maybe she’s right. Maybe Rebecca was last night and now it’s over.

  I sigh and sit down on the sand. I know I have to go home and face whatever’s waiting for me there.

  I decide I will talk to Parker first.

  Surely, I can’t mess that up as spectacularly as I did this.

  I land just outside of school. I try my best to shake as much of the sand off me as I can. Most of it fell off as I was flying back, but I can still feel a few stray grains scratching at me.

  I sigh as I head through the double doors into the school.

  How did I end up in such a mess? Who goes to the other side of the world to escape their problems and manages to cause more? Only me apparently.

  I head down the corridor and duck into the unused classroom we meet up in every morning. I might as well just get it over with and face everyone now.