Isaac (The Clan Legacy Series)

by J. S. Striker

  *****

  The fairies were obliging to her, testing her with their continuous flow of magic. She obliged them back and watched out of the corner of her eye as they took turns whispering kisses over Isaac’s body, commenting about how delicious he was. Roxie fisted her hands and thought up a plan, even while she outwardly remained cheerful.

  The ripe spot the fairies knew was in a field half an hour away from where they’d been sleeping, and Roxie heaved an inward sigh of relief when she realized they hadn’t been deceiving her on this end. She could feel it’s ripeness and immediately held onto it. She tapped inside herself and found the magic back, and deduced the Spring Court encouraged magic reserves far more than the Winter Court.

  Roxie was definitely going to use it to her advantage.

  When she turned back to thank them, she found their hands were already trying to remove his only piece of clothing—the cloak wrapped around his waist. She swallowed the reprimand and sauntered over to them, smiling wider.

  “My dear fairies, would you mind terribly if I said goodbye to my friend? I don’t think I’ll be seeing him again since he’s my gift to you.”

  They giggled, obviously excited. Then they gave her the space she needed, backing off but staying in sight and watching her curiously. Putting on a show, Roxie closed her eyes and stepped up to hug him, molding her body against his as she called the portal to open.

  Her cheeks turned hot when she felt his hard bulge against her stomach, but she ruthlessly held down her reaction and kept the magic up. Her body racked at the force and speed in which she opened the portal, but she couldn’t take it slowly this time, not when she could hear the murmurs of the fairies around them growing louder.

  A shriek came. Roxie opened her eyes and watched their curiosity turn to rage as they realized what was going to happen. They sprinted forward.

  Using all her strength, Roxie pulled Isaac with her and leaped inside the portal.

  *****

  They landed on the other end with a thud, and Roxie grunted as Isaac collided against her. They rolled over the sand and slowed down a few seconds later, with Isaac on top of her. She pushed him off and immediately sat up, breath heaving as she stared at her surroundings.

  The smell of the beach washed over her, and she could have cried at how successfully that dupe had been pulled off—and how close it was. She turned to Isaac, intending to apologize all over again and rejoice with him that they were finally in Summer Court, which was far more tolerable than the last two courts they’d been in.

  He spoke first.

  “How the hell do I get rid of this damn spring magic?”

  Oh. The spring fairies’ spell was still on him. She shook her head in amusement. “Well, the first step would be to slake the lust—”

  The words turned into a yelp as Isaac yanked her towards him, settling her on top of his lap. Her legs straddled him and her hands went to his chest, where she felt warmth and energy radiating off him in waves.

  There was a hardness settling in between her legs, too close for comfort. Tingles spread down her spine again, and she tried to push him off.

  But every action was stopped as he abruptly pulled her head down and took her mouth in his.

  It wasn’t a soft kiss, and it wasn’t an experiment. It was hard, and all kinds of sensory overload, and Roxie felt her body freeze as he took it deeper than she’d ever kissed anyone.

  His tongue slid in and tasted, and his hands cruised down her skin. Her mind went blank, and her body responded as the hardness turned cajoling, and a moan strangled in her throat as his tongue finally tangled with hers.

  It was hot. It was so, so hot, and she felt herself melting against his assault. Fire set her body and shook it, and she clung onto his shoulders as a wave of desire hit her stomach so intensely and threatened to make her come undone. A groan came from him, low and almost like a panther’s purr, washing over her like a balm.

  The fairies were right.

  He was delicious.

  No longer able to think properly, she kissed him back and expelled all the remaining spring magic from her system, feeling it spread over them. Intoxicated, she slid her hands down his stomach, feeling it heave and grow rigid as she caressed her fingers further down. A thumb brushed against her breast, and she felt her clothed nipple stiffen in response, her body arching against him as desire hit her again—

  And then it was gone.

  Or rather, he was gone.

  Roxie stared up in shock as Isaac stood and stared down at her with a hunger that had her growing wet. Then he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. When he opened them again, his gaze was unreadable as he studied her.

  “Did that work?” he asked.

  “Huh?”

  “Did it expel the spell from you?” His voice was impatient now, snapping her out of her muddled thoughts.

  “Yes,” she lied.

  “Good.” He held out his hand. “Come on. We need to find the ripe spot again.”

  He was so casual about everything, and her mind began to catch up that he’d just been using the kiss to slake the hunger and remove the spell. Ignoring the hard pounding of her heart, she took his offered hand and let him pull her up. Then she snatched her hand back.

  “Give me time to rest,” she said. “My magic is almost gone.”

  He nodded, then walked ahead. Roxie stared at his back, remembering the heat of his body and feeling her senses tunnel. Irritated at her own feelings, she held it down and tried to erase it from her mind.

  Then she followed him.

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  Summer Court was all about the sun and the sand, with a few spotty beaches and sweltering heat wrapping them like a blanket. Isaac didn’t mind because this was a hell of a lot better than being trapped in eternal coldness or that damn wonky, fragrant Spring Court. Remembering Roxie’s assurance that those spring fairies wouldn’t touch them, he glared at her back as she walked up ahead on the seashore.

  Glaring turned to studying as he watched her walk. She wasn’t like the women he was used to, whose hips swayed and eyes flirted when they caught his. No, she disliked him and didn’t hide it, and her movements were economical without a single ounce of sensuality.

  This was why it came as a shock when she responded to his kiss with all the hotness of an eager, ripe woman, turning his body on fire and making him lose his mind before he could control himself.

  He’d been an idiot to try it out—at the same time, he didn’t think they could move forward had he not kissed her like that. Now the spell was completely gone, much to his relief.

  But the kiss still lingered in his mind.

  Because he was studying her, Isaac was able to see her walking turn swiftly, though his long strides easily caught up. Then, just when he thought she’d actually start running, she stopped.

  Then her legs gave way.

  He shot towards her in an instant and carried her, ignoring her protest as he kept walking. Her spine turned rigid, but it didn’t make him fail to notice how soft she was, and warmer than the last time.

  How come he was only noticing this now?

  “Put me down,” she said, lifting her chin up.

  “Who was complaining about needing rest earlier?” he grumbled.

  She kept up the arguing, but he ignored her until she trailed off. She finally mumbled that her half human form made it harder to carry her magic in this world, and he told her there was no need to explain because she had far more magic than he would ever have. She was a light woman, and it wasn’t any hardship to change position until he was carrying her on his back and refusing to let her down. She eventually relented and rested her head against his shoulder, where she succumbed to a light sleep.

  Isaac let her be and kept walking, resting only an hour later in a grassy area. He gently placed Roxie down, giving her time to open her eyes and stretch as he looked around. The sun was higher now, and sweat poured down his back. He squinted his eyes when he found black spots fu
rther ahead.

  Roxie stood up. “Pirate docks!” she exclaimed. A speculative look crossed her face before it lit up. “They’re rebels of the court and against the Summer King. We can blend in until we find the ripe spot.”

  Her rose-gold eyes sparkled, distracting him thoroughly. Mouth dry, he asked, “Is that supposed to be a good thing?”

  She nodded firmly. “The Summer King is an asshole whose temper runs as quick as his mouth and likes dealing swift, harsh punishments.”

  As opposed to the Winter King’s slow torture, that sounded better. But he was sick and tired of royalty as it was.

  “Okay. Let’s do this.”

  *****

  They snuck into the docks, which was rundown and composed mostly of mismatching wood and glittering weirdness. Still, it was relatively more normal than the other two courts, and he had high hopes as they found some spare clothes and tried them on. He worried a bit about Roxie, as her hair and eyes gave her away. But she disappeared and promised she’d be back, and half an hour later, he stared at her with a start.

  “You cut your hair?” he asked, watching her. She was wearing the pirate clothes which were just as glittery as the dock, but light on her skin, and her head had a red bandanna over it. She shook her head.

  “I used magic,” she said, pulling off the bandanna and showing him her black bun. Then she put it back on and added an eye patch, grinning at him. Her eyes were now a subdued brown color. “Now let’s go.”

  She led the way, quick as a fox as she found a regular-sized pirate ship and snuck on without preamble. He followed suit, then watched in shock as she swaggered over to the man shouting orders and eagerly said she and her friend wanted to join the rebellion. Her modulated voice made her seem like a teenage boy, and he almost groaned. Then the pirate glanced in his direction, eyes speculative.

  “Help around,” the pirate grunted. “And maybe the captain will think about it.”

  She shot him a triumphant look. With a sigh, Isaac followed her. A few minutes later, more pirates came, and the ship finally sailed, with everyone getting busy and Isaac and Roxie getting separated by the crowd. He did his best to blend in, noticing that no one really bothered him much except for a few curious stares. The pirates he was used to back home were cruel, dirty, and ruthless.

  Summer Court pirates were civilized, glittery, and hot-tempered.

  A fight broke out before noon, and two more fights broke out before the sun went down. Even at night, it was warm, and Isaac found himself watching the ocean from the side as it glittered like dark jewels. Chairs were set up in the middle of the deck, with a magical bonfire adding more warmth as everyone was invited to join in. Roxie was on it in an instant, laughing around with everyone and in her element as she used her boy disguise to full advantage. He joined in a few minutes later, sitting beside a man named Merkat, who was a merchant and didn’t like the way the Summer King took half of his earnings to squander away. Isaac listened quietly as all the others grumbled about their grievances, painting the picture of a king that shouldn’t be a king in the first place as he ordered immediate death to anyone who so much as showed signs of defying him. Isaac figured the man was a tyrant and wondered what these people had planned to usurp him, and if it would be successful.

  “What about you, boy?” someone asked, turning to Roxie. “What has the king done to someone as young as you?”

  The laughter died from her face as she stared at the fire. “My mother tried to sell my sister to him when she was fifteen. He wanted to test drive her before the wedding. She barely escaped with her life.”

  There were a lot of protests and angry grumblings, but Isaac stayed quiet and waited for Roxie to look up. When she did, their eyes met, and he saw tears glistening in them before she blinked them back and glanced away quickly.

  She hadn’t been talking about her sister.

  A surge of anger jolted Isaac, making his hand shake. He didn’t know much about family other than his siblings, considering their parents died when they were young, but he knew without a doubt that only a cruel mother would ever put a daughter up on that kind of emotional torture. He kept his gaze on Roxie, watching her quiet figure as she opted to listen to more stories, the spark in her eyes now gone. An irrational part of him wanted to bring it back.

  He tried to toss it around in his mind and find the anger he felt for her, but there was none of that now. Now…something else coiled, a certain protectiveness, along with something hot and deep. He pushed it down—no, slammed it down, telling himself there was no place for that here.

  He wasn’t attracted to Roxie K'Lashtama, and he would never be.

  And he needed to get that through his thick skull and concentrate on his plan instead of drowning in thoughts of protecting her and her well-being.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  The ship’s captain was a woman named Andris—a blonde and beautiful summer fairy who was robust and had a cheerful personality. Roxie immediately felt a kinship to her, especially when she spoke to the men with a positive attitude and helped them organize a demand to present to the Summer King when they arrived at mainland in a day or two.

  Anyone could tell the crew respected her, and Roxie was one of her admirers.

  Then there was the daughter, Andra, who was about a few years older than Roxie and every bit as beautiful as her mother…and generally not the most positive person around.

  Because Andris was a single mother, she had no choice but to bring Andra with her—and obviously, the daughter didn’t like it that much. She complained about the sea, about the men, about this stupid plan and their need to get back to the city and ask for pardon from the king. It was a litany of complaints, some of which made Roxie want to roll her eyes or just slap the woman silly.

  And then it wasn’t so silly anymore when the woman began to take an interest in Isaac.

  It was subtle at first as Andra observed Isaac from afar, and Roxie figured she was quite intrigued with the mysterious pirate who was quiet throughout the whole cruise. Then the distant observation turned into full-on chatting, until chatting turned to flirting and Andra was beside Isaac day in and day out, working her charm on him. Anyone with eyes could see she was trying to get the man in her bed.

  Roxie was amused at first. Then amusement turned to something else when she ended up sitting beside Isaac on one of their nightly campfires, with Andra on Isaac’s other end. They were murmuring quietly to each other, with Andra giggling every now and then, and Roxie caught on to some of what they were saying.

  “You seem so strong and so…hmmm,” Andra cooed, placing a hand on his arm. He didn’t remove it. “For such a young fellow, you certainly have everything figured out.”

  “I try my best,” he murmured. “Is there any chance you might know of a ripe spot around here?”

  Andra smiled. “I know a ripe spot…in my room.”

  Roxie stifled a scoff and pretended to take a huge bite of her roasted fruit. Then she froze when she heard Isaac’s next words.

  “Let’s go now.”

  Her head snapped up before she could stop herself, and she looked in his direction, willing him to look back. But he didn’t because he was so focused on Andra and the hand she had on his thigh, which was moving more suggestively now. Roxie’s eyes widened as it was Isaac who stood up first, with Andra following.

  They were headed towards Andra’s quarters.

  Roxie didn’t think. She couldn’t, not with every emotion that was running inside her as she watched the two retreat. They separated in different directions so as not to look too obvious. Heart pounding, Roxie found herself standing up and wiping her mouth.

  “Where are you going?” Merkat asked.

  “Jingle,” Roxie said in her modulated voice. She walked as casually as possible to the other end of the ship. Then, when she was out of view, she immediately ran in an attempt to thwart Isaac’s bad decisions and give him a good scolding.

  But she ended up bumping into Andra instead.r />
  The impact had them stumbling back, and Andra stared at her in shock. Then the shocked look turned into one of derision, and those red eyes that had been flirty earlier turned cold.

  “Boy, what on summers are you doing here?”

  Roxie stalled, realizing in her haste, she’d run right in the leaders’ corner of the ship. Andra’s eyes narrowed in suspicion, and Roxie blurted out the first thing that came to mind.

  “It’s Ross. And you shouldn’t be dallying around with a married man.”

  The summer fairy’s eyes narrowed, and she looked severely annoyed. The annoyance translated into her blonde hair glittering as she stepped right in Roxie’s face.

  “With whom?”

  “Me—my sister.”

  “Your sister?”

  The glittering intensified, and Roxie knew she was about to blow up soon. Sparks hit her skin, burning, and she stepped back as Andra stepped closer and prepared to attack.

  “Ross is right,” a voice piped up behind them.

  They both froze.

  Andra turned to Isaac with accusing eyes, but his unreadable gaze met hers head-on. “I was married. But not anymore. And Ross needs to mind his own business.”

  “I don’t mind sleeping with married men,” Andra smirked. “And teaching little boys some flogging lessons.”

  Roxie’s blood boiled, and this time she was the one stepping forward to give Andra a good old punch. But before she could, a hand clamped on her waist and hauled her backward, and she gasped as she found herself bent over Isaac’s shoulder.

  “I’ll deal with this punk,” Isaac said shortly. “Flogging’s too good for him.”

  Andra giggled, and Roxie kept glaring at her until Isaac took her out of sight. She thought he would take her back to the campfire, but instead, he took her to an isolated part of the ship and kept hauling her protesting form until they were inside a closet. She was dropped on her butt with a thud. Roxie shot up in a standing position and whirled to face him, still glaring.