by Riley Moreno
Hazel looked up at him with a pout shining in her violet eyes and he couldn’t contain the chuckle at her expression.
“I had to stop you before I embarrassed myself.” He said simply with a shrug as he pulled her to her feet.
“I would have loved it if you had embarrassed yourself.”
“I just bet you would have, little witch.” Jayce murmured at her back, enunciating his words with a light tap to her behind, not enough to hurt but just enough to jump start the slow burn that had been rolling through her into an all out forest fire.
Finally, they make it to the bed, Jayce guiding her from behind and Nika leading just in front of her, but before she can move to lay down, he stops her. He positions himself right on the edge, sitting with his legs slightly parted and holds out a hand to her. Instantly, she complies, following his unspoken request to go nearer.
Unsure of what he wanted, she let herself be totally guided by his desires as he turned her around and pulled her back across her lap so she was sitting with her back pressed tight against his front. Then, Nika draped each leg on the outside of his, spreading her as wide as she could go for Jayce who was staring at her with a sharp, greedy gaze.
Nika’s hands continued to run up and down every inch of exposed skin he could find, which was a lot until he finally swept his fingertips lightly up the oversensitive skin of her inner thigh. A wave of tingling shivers erupted across her body and she writhed on his lap, relishing the feeling as her hips pressed sweetly against Nika’s pulsing erection.
Jayce stood there for a long, heady moment, just staring heavy at them until finally he moved, dropping to his knees which put his face exactly level with her body, spread open on Nika’s lap.
Jayce wasted no time at all as he leaned forward, at first just teasing her with his tongue until she was squirming in Nika’s lap but with his arms around her like a vice there was nowhere for her to go but ever upward with every lick.
While Jayce continued his sweet torture, Nika’s hands began to move over her, driving her out of her mind as he knew just where to touch to bring her the most pleasure. Finally, Jayce’s mouth on her had her close to the edge and she ran for it, desperate to ease the deep ache they had started inside her body, but just before she could reach the top, Jayce stopped. Leaving her hanging there, right on the edge.
She groaned in frustration but it was quickly swallowed as Nika turned her head to face him, his mouth slanting over hers in a heady kiss, distracting her while Jayce moved around the room.
Breathless, she pulled back, and tired of being just a willing participant, put both her hands on Nika’s shoulders and pushed him back. Hazel hated the fact that there were still clothes separating their skin and made quick work of the rest of his remaining articles of clothing, throwing them heedlessly over her head to land in a haphazard pile on the floor. It didn’t matter. Nothing mattered except getting as close to him as she could.
She crawled up Nika’s now naked body, reveling in the feel of his hot skin rubbing against hers, and leaned down to kiss him once more. Just then, a hand reached her from behind and she looked back to see Jayce, kneeling behind her, also having shed his clothes. It was almost too much to bear, to have both of their magnificent physiques on display.
Jayce’s touch turned from teasing to something so much more as he thrust two long fingers in, drawing out her own moisture and spreading it all over her, even further back until he just reached her other hole. It made her slightly nervous, that touch, but at the same time it sent an electrical storm raging through her, wave after wave of sparks that turned her trepidation to pure want.
Back and forth he went, his touch light at first and growing harder and harder as her body grew ready. He let out a low growl at the sight of two of his fingers in one hole and his thumb in the other, continue to stoke the slow fire he had started in her.
But he was going too slow for her. Hazel need more, so much more than just his fingers filling her. She needed them. She wasted no more time, urgency pounding through her blood as she straddled Nika, one thigh on either side of him. Her heart was racing like galloping horses as she slowly lowered herself on to his length, savoring the look on his face as he had to squeeze his eyes shut tight against the pleasure of her body.
The incredible sensation had her arching her back, rocking her hips against him in that age old rhythm, seeking the one thing she knew only they could give her. Hazel stopped a moment as she felt another pressure behind her, added gently as Jayce grasped her hips, holding her still for him.
All of a sudden, she wasn’t sure if he would fit, aware of exactly how long and thick he was, but he had been far more patient than she, preparing her body, stretching her slowly so that as he pushed inside, joining Nika with only a thin barrier separating them, there was only a slight pinch, and then a mountain of heat as pleasure consumed her.
Hazel moaned, deep and husky and torn from her throat at both men filled her, completing her. She never could have imagined how good it would feel, how right, to have them both moving inside her, filling every part of her and hitting that spot deep inside over and over and over until she was chanting their names, not even aware as the words slipped past her lips.
She couldn’t hear them, she couldn’t see them. Couldn’t experience anything except the all encompassing pleasure of them loving her.
Suddenly, a new heat began to grow, deep inside her. The wealth of her magic thrown wide open and it shattered over them all in a bright violet light that seemed to intensify ever movement, every touch.
She could feel them in a new way, their emotions, the sweet tenderness and raging lust that stormed through them both. Hazel didn’t want it to end but her magic pushed her that much closer to the precipice and with another breath she was sailing over, screaming out their names over and over as the wracking pleasure eclipsed everything. Everything but the words chanting over and over in her mind. Begging them to stay, to be safe. To Live. Above all, to live.
With a hoarse shout, Nika’s voice joined her own, and a second later so did Jayce’s as they all climaxed together, the sensations so intense that she immediately collapsed bonelessly on top of Nika, barely even aware as Jayce dragged himself to the washroom and came back to clean them up. She was already unconscious when he curled up beside her still naked body, wrapping his arms tightly around her and joining her in a deep, dreamless slumber.
Chapter 19
Hazel awoke to a feeling she couldn’t ever remember, and it took her a long moment to place it. Nika was lazily stroking up and down her side, his body curled around her own, and head was pillowed on Jayce’s chest, his arm wrapped around her so tight it was like he would never let go. And she was more than okay with that.
There was a golden haze suffusing the bedroom as early morning light poked its way through the pine trees outside, filtering through her window in a way that made everything seem gilded, or maybe it was just the way everything looked to her happiness drenched mind.
Memories of the night before rang through her mind like chimes, delighting her. Then it struck her, what she was feeling. For the first time in her entire life, she didn’t feel lonely, for the first time she felt complete.
“Hey, sleepy head. We know you’re awake.” Nika said, the words mumbled softly into the back of her hair. She could feel the way his chest rumbled as he spoke and she curled even closer into him, reveling in the feel of his hard body pressed against hers.
Her eyes were still closed, because she was desperately afraid that as soon as she opened them, the feeling would flee. She would crack open her eyelids to find this was all some wonderful dream that would just disappear on her.
“We are not a dream, sweetheart. We are right here, and we’re not going anywhere.” Jayce’s lips touched hers in a kiss so sweet, so tender, that it had tears pricking at the corners of each eye, and she finally forced them open to reveal his golden hued ones staring straight into her own.
This close, she could see ever
y fleck of gilded bronze and gold speckling his iris, like a painting with gold leaf. She was overwhelmed by his beauty. Not just his physical beauty, even though that was also impressive, but the beauty that he had inside. The strength of his spirit, his kindness, and humor.
“You are so beautiful.” She whispered, not even realizing she had spoken the words out loud until he had begun to laugh.
“What? What’s so funny?” Hazel demanded in mock effrontery. They both just continued to laugh, not answering her. Jayce leaned in, kissing her sweetly on the lips once more before sighing loudly.
“I guess it’s time.” He said so softly, but the lighthearted mood darkened noticeably as a little bit of the fire went out of his eyes. Hazel could feel her heart sink deep in her chest. All of the doubts she somehow forgotten about came flooding back, leaving her paralyzed, unable to think past the certain knowledge that she would fail them all.
“Hey, you can’t think like that.” Nika said, trying to comfort her but id did nothing to bolster her already waning confidence. But what choice did she have? The witches had proven woefully unprepared for the amount of power Eidolon possessed and the centuries he had on them alone was a major disadvantage for them. How to you defeat a hundreds old dark spirit intent on bringing only chaos and destruction?
Nika held her even closer against him, impossibly so. He must have picked up on her thoughts. Although how they expected her to stay positive on the day they would go out hunting not only the greatest evil she’d ever faced, but also one who wanted to completely destroy her and all that she cared about.
They got ready in near silence. Nika cooking a quick breakfast for them of eggs and toast as she and Jayce sat at the kitchen table. Hazel couldn’t stop the small grin that appeared as she watched Nika putz around the stove. He had an innate fascination with all of the technology he had seen evolve but could never touch, never experience. It made her marvel anew at the world around her, seeing everything fresh through their eyes.
She would never forget the way his eyes lit up like a kid on Christmas morning when she showed him how to use the toaster. Something that she took for granted had seemed like a technological marvel to him.
After she had choked down a few bites, they were ready to go, but she didn’t think she’d every really be prepared for what they were about to face. Jayce had said they had no choice but to go after him, and they were all aware of the strength he was gaining with ever soul he consumed.
There had been a rash of mysterious deaths in the black hills, mostly attributed to wild animal attacks, but they knew better. They set off out of the house, and thankfully there was no Guardian Mother or furious council members to bock their path. She’d almost wished there had been. Some excuse, any excuse to turn around and hide under the blankets for another day. Preferably with the two sinfully gorgeous men on either side of her.
They all piled into her beat up old car, deciding it was better to drive deeper into the forests where he would be most likely to be hiding, because he was also weaker when the sun was at its zenith. Eidolon was a creature of the dark.
But before she started the rickety contraption she turned back to look at Nika sitting beside her, and Jayce taking up the entire back set, assembling a series of powders and tinctures into a vile.
“Are we sure about this?” She asked, desperately hoping one of them would tell her they were just joking, they could just stay inside and watch a movie and not have to face an incredibly dangerous dark spirit intent on killing them all.
“Hazel, we’ve talked about it, even if those council members of yours disagree. He will strike again, if not tonight, then by tomorrow night. During the afternoon is the only chance we’ll have at catching him off guard. We just don’t have a choice. I wish…” Jayce trailed off, a sadder than sad look in his golden eyes. “I wish you didn’t have to come with, but in our dragon forms we are especially weakened against any magic he might throw at us, and he definitely will.”
“Well, there is no way in hell I would let you face that psycho alone, no matter how scary is, so just forget about that altogether.”
He sent her a heart stoppingly handsome smile, and she felt herself melt a little under that gaze.
“Are you ready?”
“Are you kidding me, dragon man? Of course I’m not ready!” Hazel said in a huff as she threw the car into drive. It started with a loud, grating rumble that had her thinking in relief for a moment that her ancient car would pick that precise moment to fall to pieces, but fate had other ideas and as she pulled out of the driveway her car, unfortunate, stayed together.
It made her think of the one and only other time they had ridden in the car with her. She had decided to go to the grocery store, and Nika demanded to be taken with, excited to see every new thing, experience it all. Jayce had reluctantly agreed that it would be okay as long as they kept it short.
They had stared at the junker in curiosity in Nika’s case, and pure horror in Jayce’s.
“No, I’ve seen what these things can do. They can kill people!” He had protested.
“Well, they also get you there a hell of a lot faster, so…get in.” and with that she had popped open the driver’s side door did just that, Nika following excitedly behind her. Jayce had finally slunk in, and once she’d shown them how to buckle the seat belts had sat their grasping it with white knuckles the entire drive while Nika peppered her with questions about everything.
Jayce still looked a little green around the gills as they took off down the side street, but he was handling it much better than the last time. When she had finally arrived at the grocery store he had immediately stepped, shaking his head and saying never again. I guess being threatened by a centuries old dark spirit bent on your destruction would change your mind about a lot of things, Hazel thought with a mental shrug.
It was a forty five minute drive to the spot they were looking for. According to Jayce, Eidolon would be attracted to the least populated and most desolate areas during the midday, only coming out to wreak chaos in the later hours, or early in the morning.
Hazel pulled into the deserted parking lot, which was basically a strip of dirt with a mile marker, and they got out. She shrugged on the backpack filled with the one spell book she had found that mentioned dark spirits, and amulet her grandmother had crafted for protection, and some food and fresh water.
Feeling more and more anxious with every step, she followed the two men deep into the forest in silence. No one spoke, every one trying to make as little noise as possible as they trekked through the vast stands of sweet smelling pine, the only sound that of birds calling, but even that seemed muted.
They walked for hours, Jayce searching for some sign, some track that he said would help guide their path, and Hazel just following them blindly, trying to keep her thoughts on anything but the confrontation that they were walking into.
For the first time in her entire life, she felt uncomfortable in the wilds. There was a heaviness in the air, like lingering smoke and the taste of ash that grew stronger and stronger the deeper they went.
“Nika, tell me what the plan is again?” The dragon warrior looked up from where he was watching his footing as he stepped over a log.
“We find Eidolon, he should be in his weakened state, we capture him and try to destroy him.”
“Right. How exactly are we going to do that?” This time the look he gave her was different, sadder.
“We still had remnants of the potion used to enact the original curse. We know the incantation by heart. We are going to trap him the one way we know works.”
“No!” Hazel stopped dead in her tracks as his words sank in. That had definitely not been the plan they had discussed before. “You can’t! You just…can’t! There has to be another way!”
“I’m sorry, little witch, there isn’t.” In her panic she must have spoken louder than she meant to because it was Jayce that answered her. “We tried all the ways we could think of before; this was the only th
ing that actually worked. It’s the only way to save you.”
“I don’t care!” The words shot out, “What about you? What am I supposed to do without…” Hazel’s words trailed off. She could see they were useless, could see the hard resolution on both of their faces. Well, she would just have to come up with a plan of her own. One that didn’t involve the men she had come to care so dearly for sacrificing themselves to save her. But how? What could she possibly do if she couldn’t access her magic?
Before she could get any further on her own, secret plans a noise sounded behind her like the crack of cannon fire, so close that it had her ducking to one side, thinking that a tree limb had broken or something. She turned to see. It was so much worse. Both men were suddenly laying on the leaf and moss covered forest floor, completely unconscious. Thankfully she could still see the steady rise and fall of their chests, but before she could take a sigh of relief a thick, black mist began to settle over the area.
It could only mean one thing. Eidolon had known. Somehow, he had known they were coming for them and set a trap, and they had walked right into it.
“No, please. Wake up.” She hissed quietly, trying to get close to the men but as she neared, tendrils of the black smoke shot out like transparent fingers and the closer it got to her she could feel it draining the life force from her body. Hastily, she jumped back, her heart thumping painfully. What was she going to do?
A cackling laughter filled the air, and she knew he was coming. The dark spirit, the nightmare monster that haunted her dreams. He was coming for her. With a harsh curse and tears of frustration and fear filling her violet eyes, she turned and dashed headlong into the forest.
Chapter 20
Hazel ran for as far as she could, running until her lungs burned for air and her throat rasped painfully from gasping and her feet were torn and bloody. But nothing compared to the pain in her heart. It was if it had been ripped from her chest, torn to shreds before her eyes.