Second Chance Hope: a paranormal reverse harem academy adventure (Second Chance Academy Book 3)

by Ella J. Smyth

  I laughed mirthlessly. “Safe? Hardly. Farkas sold us out.”

  I expected Julian to jump to her defense, but he just said, “Figures. At this stage, I wouldn’t put anything beyond her. I can’t believe I ever trusted her.”

  His eyes turned sad. “When I first got here, there was a guy in my cell who’d also been snatched. He told me he saw Farkas here, in the faerie world. I nearly didn’t believe him, but he was adamant. And then they took him. The poor kid was kicking and screaming, but they didn’t care. He never came back, so I don’t know what happened to him.”

  But I knew. I’d seen it on the video. There was no point telling the guys, though. It was bad enough I knew what was waiting for us. They’d be happier not finding out until the last moment. So I kept my mouth shut.

  “Anyway,” Julian said. “What happened to you, Kiernan? You look different.”

  I nodded rapidly. Finally, somebody said out loud what I’d been thinking since Kiernan had stepped into this strange world. “Right? The same thing happened to Beth. When she passed through the portal, her human half dropped away.”

  Julian grinned. “Yeah, you were always an ugly bastard. But now I can barely look at you without hurling.”

  Kiernan growled, but it was an amused, not an angry sound. Julian had lightened the mood with his silly joke. We settled into a comfortable silence, not willing to let go of each other. Julian had swung his arm around Kiernan’s shoulder. Kiernan was holding my hand. Lance leaned against Julian, and I enjoyed whatever comfort I could draw from their presence.

  After a while, my fingers tingled in Kiernan’s grasp. A pleasant warmth moved up my arm, through my torso, and into my lower belly. My nipples tightened.

  Of course. Kiernan was half-incubus with his human half suppressed in the faerie realm. His powers were definitely getting stronger if I reacted to his skin touching mine.

  Julian had been watching me. “Can you feel it?”

  “What?” I asked innocently.

  “Kiernan is putting his sex demon whammy on us.”

  I nodded. I felt it, alright. My nipples peaked, my stomach was full of butterflies, and my pussy felt wet against the fabric of my underpants. “Sex demon whammy” was a good way to describe it.

  Julian sported a noticeable erection. His eyes stared hungrily at both Kiernan and me.

  Kiernan let go of my hand and stepped back. “Sorry guys, I don’t know how to turn this off, but this isn’t the right place or the right time. I tell you what, though—when we’re out of here, I’m going to show all three of you what an incubus can do.”

  An unpleasant shudder ran through me at his words. I’d already experienced what an incubus could do. Taking a deep breath, I forced myself to calm down. This was different. This was not a demon assassin out to kill me. This was Kiernan, my Kiernan. The guy I trusted with my life.

  Julian said dryly, “I’ll hold you to that, stud. Although I’m not sure it wasn’t your incubus power that put me into the hospital in the first place.”

  Funny how that hadn’t occurred to me earlier. I looked at Kiernan with wide eyes, wondering if Julian was right about that.

  Julian continued. “Actually, forget that. I got weak the other day after kissing Amber. My legs nearly went out from under me.”

  He smirked at me. “Sorry, sweetheart. You drained me with just one kiss. I think if I let Kiernan fuck me, it would probably kill me.”

  Ooh, boy. There’s an image to drool over. The idea of my two boys getting all sweaty nearly made me forget where we were. Kiernan’s power pulsed through the cell like a drumbeat in my groin. I had to remind myself about the dire situation we were in. At least, judging by how Lance needed to adjust himself, I wasn’t the only one affected.

  Time to change the subject. “Kiernan, did you know Sibelius was your half-brother?”

  Kiernan whirled towards me. His eyes were wide with shock. “No, I didn’t. Are you sure?”

  I sighed. This was the moment I’d been dreading. I didn’t want to, but I had to tell them about how I’d snuck out and found Sibelius. Their faces grew stern the longer I talked. But when my eyes welled up, describing how the incubus had died in my arms, Lance pulled me against his shoulder, his strength supporting me.

  When I was done, I prepared myself for the recriminations I richly deserved. My head hanging low, I waited for them to judge me and tell me how stupid I’d been. They didn’t say anything for a long time.

  Kiernan was the first to break the silence. “I always knew there was something fishy about him. Remember how I pulled you out of class one day because you acted weird around him?”

  “Yes. He aimed his incubus powers at me from the start.”

  Kiernan stepped closer and hugged me. He clutched me so tightly against him, I could barely breathe. “Acushla. What if he’d killed you? I don’t… Jesus…”

  His body shook against mine. Was he crying? When he finally released me, wiping his eyes, he said gruffly, “Don’t ever do something stupid like that again, you hear?”

  I felt like shit. Avoiding his gaze, I nodded.

  “No. Promise us.” Kiernan’s voice was calmer, but the anger was palpable.

  “I promise I won’t do anything stupid unless I have to.”

  31

  Julian protested. “Amber. Come on. Are you going to rush into danger every time you feel like it? Without even talking to us?”

  I stared at him defiantly. “Look at it from my point of view. Julian, you didn’t believe me when I told you Farkas was behind all of this. And at the first sign of trouble, you broke up with me. And your keeping secrets from us.”

  He opened his mouth to say something, but I was on a roll. “Kiernan, you never once stood up to your mom until now. When exactly was I supposed to talk to you about things? You weren’t even there.”

  It was Lance’s turn. “And you. You… first you were all supportive when I told you about Sibelius’s assault. And then out of the blue, you dissed me and called me a whore! Like, what the fuck, Lance?”

  Kiernan rounded on his friend, punching his shoulder hard. “You did what?”

  Lance didn’t defend himself. Instead, he covered his face with both hands. “Shit. I’m so, so sorry, Amber. I don’t even know how to explain it.”

  “Try.” I stood, arms crossed, waiting for an explanation. This better be good.

  Lance’s voice sounded small, belying his size. “My parents began using when I was a kid. By the time I was a teenager, they’d progressed to heavy shit. I remember how one of them would try to get clean, but the other dragged ‘em back down. It went on for years, and every year, it got worse.

  “First, we had to move from a house to an apartment. Eventually, we ended up in a one-bedroom shithole. I’ve got no idea how I managed to stay in school. The teachers must have known what was going on, but nobody came to remove me. I dreamed about Social Services breaking down the door and taking me away, but it never happened.”

  Jesus Christ. How awful. I leaned against him to offer support. My heart went out to the kid who hadn’t had anybody to rescue him. At least my parents had loved me until… they hadn’t. I pushed the thoughts down. This was about Lance.

  He ran his fingers through his hair. “One day, my dad had a psychotic break. He thought I was a demon”—Kiernan flinched—“and came at me. He grabbed my neck and started squeezing.”

  I listened, barely able to breathe. My heart went out to the young teenager who’d survived such awful abuse.

  “My mom tried to stop him, but he lashed out, and she fell. It killed her, but I didn’t know that at the time. I remember the stink from his rotting teeth as he screamed in my face. That’s when I realized he wasn’t going to quit. I managed to grab a kitchen knife and stick him.”

  “Christ,” Kiernan murmured. He grabbed Lance’s shoulder and squeezed.

  Lance nodded in response. “I called an ambulance for them both, but it was too late. I ended up in court, charged with their murde
r. The prosecutor tried to make me out to be a cold-blooded killer. I don’t know why. Maybe to cover up they didn’t give a shit about me when teachers complained to Social Services. Whatever the reason, it didn’t work. After several months in juvenile prison, they let me go.”

  Julian, Kiernan, and I looked at each other. Lance had gone through all of this alone, scared, with no guarantee they wouldn’t convict him as a murderer.

  Lance took a deep breath and addressed me directly. “After what that creep did to you, I felt so much anger, so much fury. I don’t know what came over me. I thought maybe you’d given him a reason. I wanted to push you away, to believe you deserved it, because if you were innocent, what would that make me? I killed my parents, for God’s sake. The only way I can live with that is to think they deserved it. Because if they didn’t, I’d be the monster the prosecutor thought I was.”

  My thoughts were falling over each other. There was so much wrong with his statement, so much to untangle, I barely knew where to start. I took a deep breath and let rip.

  “First of all, you moron, I never gave him a fucking reason. He was an incubus. That’s what they do. Second of all, you’re not a monster. You survived horrific abuse and defended yourself against the bastard who tried to kill you. But that’s no excuse to behave the way you did.”

  His gaze dropped to the floor and his head hung low. He looked like a scolded schoolkid. I stepped closer and took both his hands.

  “I should have been more open with you guys. But make no mistake, Lance Varga. You ever call me names again, I will roast your balls. Literally.”

  To finish my point, I punched him in the gut. He bent over, grunting as the air left his lungs. I smirked at his theatrics. When he straightened again, a relieved grin stretched his mouth from ear to ear.

  Kiernan nodded his approval. Julian shoulder-bumped Lance. There would be more conversations about this, but for now, we’d moved to a better understanding of each other.

  It didn’t take long for boredom to set in. Kiernan walked the perimeter, circling the walls like a trapped animal. Eventually, he said to no one in particular, “I wonder if my mom knows what Sibelius was?”

  “Did your mom know at the time your dad was an incubus?”

  Kiernan smirked. “Not a conversation I ever want to revisit, but according to my mom, all she remembers is having the best night of her life and not much else.”

  We fell quiet after that. The waiting frayed our patience. At least Kiernan managed to control his powers a little better, and the overwhelming lust to tear my clothes off and spread my legs passed.

  All that remained was the occasional reminder of my nipples tingling, and the boys discreetly rubbing their erections.

  I didn’t know how many hours went by. We weren’t speaking, and our apprehension was growing into fear the more time we spent in the windowless cell.

  Every time a guard walked by, I stiffened. At any moment, the steps might stop in front of the door, and the fae would take me away. But not yet, and I would release a relieved breath whenever the steps moved on.

  I’d just nodded off against Lance’s shoulder when the key rattled in the door. I jumped to my feet, wincing at my stiffness, but not willing to meet my fate sitting down.

  A guard entered, followed by a noble man, judging by his clothes. The light falling in through the opening revealed a handsome face, blighted by haughtiness. His tight jacket, made of a black material, set off his broad shoulders and trim waist. He barely spared us a glance. Right behind him, Farkas entered.

  32

  The tall figure with her black hair pulled into a tight bun was as impressive as ever. I didn’t care who she was or used to be. As far as I was concerned, she’d betrayed all of us. If it came down to it, I knew I could kill her. I’d have to get out of here first, though.

  The Fae nobleman swept his gaze over our faces, stopping when he got to me. His scrutiny felt like hairy spider legs on my skin. I was glad when he turned away from me and addressed Farkas. “What is she doing here? She’s not ready yet. Why didn’t you wait until she came into her full power?”

  She shrugged. “I had no choice. She’d gotten too close to the operation.”

  I interjected, “Hey. I’m right here.”

  But Farkas and the nobleman ignored me. I crossed my arms and tapped my foot, getting increasingly irritated by the conversation. I really hated it when people talked about me in the third person, and the guard threw me an amused glance.

  I scowled at him with narrowed eyes, and he pointedly looked away. I couldn’t expect any help from him, I knew that. But somehow, I’d hoped against hope somebody might speak up for us.

  The nobleman came to a decision. “Well, if you’re sure. It won’t matter when she dies as long as she does.”

  He gave a signal to the guard, and the tall male turned towards me. I stepped back, but before I got very far, he’d grabbed my arm. I knew there was no point, but I still instinctively tried to zap him. Just as before, it didn’t work.

  Farkas tittered. “Don’t bother, child. The cell is lined with iron to keep Fae prisoners from escaping. But we also sold our dampening technology to the Fae. While you’re in here, you’re powerless.”

  If I didn’t know better, I would have thought there was a glimmer of regret in her eyes. “I would have liked to see how far you could’ve grown as a mage, Amber. But I suppose it doesn’t matter. Your lightning ability will disappear once you die.”

  Always with the dying. The cryptic comments were really pissing me off. Because the alternative was to break into tears. And that I’d never do in front of my enemies.

  I pulled at the grip the guard had on me. As I was being jerked forward, I looked back for a last glimpse of the boys I loved. It took me a moment to realize they were straining against some kind of invisible wall. No matter how hard they fought, they couldn’t move towards me.

  Kiernan’s face had turned bright red, and Julian shouted in frustration. Lance didn’t fight. Instead, he kept his arms hanging loosely by his side in a position I recognized from dueling practice. He was waiting for an opening.

  Farkas had lifted her hands. The invisible barrier hadn’t been there earlier, so it had to be her power keeping the boys pinned. Those dampeners were as selective as the ones at the Academy. She caught my scowl and said matter-of-factly, “The dampeners won’t interfere with my power, but you and your friends? You are helpless here.”

  “Why are you doing this?”

  Farkas shook her head, disappointed at my question, I assumed. “You watched the content of the USB stick you stole. So you know what will happen to you. Your magic, once it’s extracted from your body, will be worth a lot of money to the Winter Court. I’m sorry it’s going to be extremely unpleasant for you. The pain Shunts experience is dependent on how powerful they are, and you, Amber, are very powerful.”

  Shunt. The first time I’d heard the derogatory word was when I’d arrived at the Academy. Julian had taught me the correct term for people who’d been caught in the reactor fallout. Magic-turned, as opposed to Magic-born like Kiernan. Farkas had used the slur so casually, it was clear she was also part of the Magic Supremacy movement, just like Lawson.

  She turned to the guard. “Take her away.”

  The man had an iron grip on my arm. He pulled me out of the cell as if I were a child. Whatever compassion I might have seen in his face previously was now replaced by icy obedience.

  Ms. Farkas brushed past me without another glance. She swiped her hands through the air in the now familiar pattern and disappeared from the gloomy dungeon. I tried the same, but the magic suppression extended to the travel spell.

  The nobleman scowled. “Who taught you that?”

  He grabbed my shoulder and pushed me so hard, my shoulders collided with the stone wall behind me. His strength was far superior to any human’s. I sagged in his grip, surrendering to the pain in my upper back.

  That’s when the cell door flew open, catching the
guard unawares. The door slammed so hard against his face, he stumbled to the ground. The sound of the impact made me flinch. So did the noise when Lance rushed at him, grabbed his head, and slammed it against the ground.

  Farkas’s spell must have broken once she was out of range. If the guard hadn’t been distracted because of the nobleman losing his temper, he’d have locked the door and taken me away. The split-second distraction had given Lance an opening.

  Julian was right behind him. My goth boyfriend had never looked more gorgeous. His black eyes sparked with fury, his hair was tousled, and his expression fierce. He stared at me and snarled. I stepped back, startled at this anger. He ran past me, and I spun around.

  The noble man had pulled a silver knife and was about to grab my hair to pull me close to him. Instead, he fell back with Julian on top. Julian quickly disarmed him and punched him several times.

  Kiernan was standing in the narrow hallway outside the cell and pointed into the other direction. “I can see daylight. Come on, guys. There’s the way out.”

  Lance called, “Julian. Have you got him?”

  Slightly out of breath, Julian replied, “Yeah, no problem.”

  That’s when the fallen Fae pulled a second knife out of his belt. I shouted, “Watch out!”

  But it was too late. In slow-motion, I watched the nobleman, his face distorted with anger, slide the blade into Julian’s chest.

  Julian hardly made a noise. A sigh, a whispered breath, and the Fae pushed him aside and leaped to his feet. I barely noticed that he ran down the hallway. All I could see was my beloved man on his back, his hand grabbling weakly at his injury.

  “No,” I whispered. I fell to my knees, my hands uselessly fluttering over his body. I had no clue what to do.

  Looking for help, my gaze met Kiernan’s. He looked as horrified as I felt. Lance was leaning against the wall, his face so pale I thought he was going to pass out.