by Antara Mann
Inside, Kagan led me to his private suite. I was already familiar with it since I’d spent quite a few nights here.
When we entered his den, I almost fainted with desire. Four big pizzas completely obscured the small glass table in the center of the room.
“Wow! “ I exclaimed when my eyes fell on the scrumptious looking food. The smell of spices, pepperoni and mushrooms wafted in the air, and my mouth instinctively watered. The few times I had been here, Kagan’s master French cook had always prepared Irish, French or British dishes, but never anything Italian. I was eager to try his latest creations.
“If that pizza tastes as good as it looks, I’m moving in,” I said and lifted a slice from the nearest one to my mouth. The delicious aroma wafted into my nostrils and that was all I needed. I devoured the slice. The balance between crispiness, spiciness and savory exploded in my mouth, and I didn’t stop until I realized I’d gobbled two of the pizzas down in no time at all.
Then I felt Kagan’s intense look on me. He’d been staring at me the entire time. I blushed with embarrassment. When his eyes met mine, he smiled and drew nearer, close enough to kindle a virtual fire under my skin. His breath was hot on my cheeks, his eyes burning with desire; tiny mischievous sparkles danced in them, promising passions beyond compare.
I bent my head toward him. He pressed his lips hard against mine, making me gasp. He took advantage of that to slip his tongue past my lips. His magic came into contact with mine like burning fire and sizzled on my skin and in my mouth. He slid his hands down my butt, pulling me roughly onto his lap, our bodies colliding on the couch. Couch? How had we gotten there? Thank magic we were on the couch, where there was more room.
“I thought… we were going to rack our brains… investigating Blondie and… the missing mages,” I said between kisses.
“Too… late. The investigation can… wait… tonight.”
Kagan pulled me closer to him, his hands impatiently stripping off my shirt. Once my naked skin touched his, fire sizzled even brighter within me and painted my senses in yellow, orange and red. This is what it must feel like to be drunk on magic, I thought.
His power, his scent, he himself tasted like a delicious old dandelion wine but strengthened by the fervor of thousands of burning suns. My body pulsated with wild, untamed magic, every pore of mine throbbing with desire. My magic flared up, tangling with his. The more I got from him the more I wanted.
I rubbed my body against his, the heat between my legs growing. I roughly took off his shirt and my hands slid along his chiseled chest. I inhaled his scent, my hand stroking down in languid movements toward his belt. Too many clothes, I thought. I was about to lose it when he moaned and whispered into my ear, gently nipping at my lobe, “Bed?”
I nodded. He stood up and took my hand, pulling me toward him. Still kissing me hard and urgently, he slid open the door to his bedroom suite. He pulled me in his arms and carried me to his large, king-size bed, then lowered me onto it surprisingly gently considering the fervor of his caresses.
For a moment he stopped, and my breath caught in my throat. He traced his finger along my cheek, down to my chin, staring into my eyes with his ocean blue gaze.
“God, Alex — you are so beautiful,” he muttered. I tugged at his arm, pulling him onto me.
***
His voice reached my ears, rousing me from my deep sleep. I moaned and turned to the other side.
“What time is it?” I growled. The world could be on fire and all I would care about would be more sleep.
“It’s past eight, sleeping beauty.” He chuckled and placed a kiss on my cheek.
“Past eight? Given how late we fell asleep, waking up at this ungodly hour feels like torture!”
“Get out of bed, sleepy head. We have a training session scheduled for this morning. Have you forgotten?” He ruffled my hair playfully.
I groaned in frustration and turned over once again.
“Get up and get ready for our morning routine, sweetheart. We don’t have a lot of time.” He raised his voice.
“Why?” I turned to him, surprised. His statement had intrigued me, waking me up more effectively than anything else.
“Because today is the last new moon, and I’m sure Garrett and the inferni will try and strike while the moon is new. Not leave it for tomorrow when the moon begins to wax.”
There was logic in his statement so, grudgingly, I got up and started to put on my clothes. Last night had been a hell of an experience. My body was still pulsating with the fae’s magic — sweet, tempting and highly seductive, just like fairy dust.
Half-dressed, I looked around for some sporty clothes, but Kagan said, “We’ll change in the training room.” He waved his hand as if this were some trivial tiresome business.
When I got myself into yesterday’s clothes, he took my hand and guided me down the corridor to a room I’d never seen before, smaller compared to the majority of the halls and chambers in here. The room was nearly empty except for a wardrobe pressed against its far right wall, in the very corner.
“You work out here?” I asked him, unable to contain the mischievous grin my face broke into.
“Sure. I conjure fitness items, and once my training’s done, I dispel them.” A smile danced on his lips and he came over to me. “I prefer this to the multitude of first-class NYC fitness studios. It’s the comfort of my own home.”
“You get quite easily tired of objects… and people.” I hesitated before blurting out, “How am I to know you won’t get tired of me, too, someday? After I kill the inferni and complete my purpose according to the prophecy. You may get bored of me, too.”
Was I coming across as clingy and insecure? I wondered too late, after the words were spoken. Or teasing, pushing his buttons? Or both?
Hmm, I’d say playful. And a bit insecure, my inner voice chimed, nearly startling me.
“What?” Kagan turned, surprised, to me. “Are you serious?” He grabbed hold of my shoulders and turned me to face him, his beautiful face worried. “This was the dumbest question you could ever utter, my love. Of course I care about you! A lot more than anyone else, in fact.” He didn’t blink, his eyes didn’t flicker away from mine, and his voice was steady and sincere. I couldn’t help but smile from ear to ear.
“Now, what was that you couldn’t tell me back at the Magic Council’s building?” I asked him.
“Ah, that thing.” He let go of me and instead took my hands in his.
His touch was soothing. The magical waves he sent my way tasted like the nectar of the gods. I always felt secure and comfortable when he touched me. “Listen, love. I believe Garrett and his inferni ally don’t only want to kill you, but…”
I laughed out loud nervously recalling the conversation I’d had with my mentor the other night. “Big news!”
Kagan pretended he hadn’t heard me and continued, “I think they are going to trick you, ugh… us… and then they’ll try to steal your magic as well.”
I lifted my chin. “Yes, I know. Awen has warned me about it after I fought off Garrett a month ago.”
“Oh, very good of him.” I could see the fae was slightly taken by surprise.
“Do you honestly believe my magic will be critical to these freaks’ attempt at a supernatural apocalypse?”
“Most certainly, yes. You’re unique, and so are your powers.”
“But how are they going to use them to destroy the world?” This seemed to be the million-dollar question, and no matter how much time I’d beat my brains about it, I couldn’t answer it. Was I valuable to them alive or dead? Last time they’d needed my heart, but something told me they were after much more than my goddess heart now.
Suddenly I felt a lump at the back of my throat. The idea that these abominable creatures could use my powers for their nefarious goals over and over again left a bad taste in my mouth — my magic shouldn’t play a part in their wicked schemes. I wouldn't repeat my parents' mistakes. Now, finally, thanks to my goddess p
owers, I had the chance to avenge their deaths.
“Yes, I can imagine how you feel about that. That’s why I brought you here. Our family’s magical vibrations — the bubble we put around the castle — increase our powers and strength and help us manage our weaknesses. I expect the inferni and Garrett are going to attack soon so we need to go over some important training points.” He went to the wardrobe and took out a pair of workout tops and some cotton slacks. “Wanna change?”
I nodded, my mind still wrapped up in the ideas he’d shared with me. We put on the more comfortable clothes. Kagan — black pants and a dark t-shirt, me — leggings and a gray t-shirt. It seemed the dark colors were his personal favorites.
“Ready for a magical blast? I promise I’ll bring in the big guns. I won’t go easy on you.” His eyes gleamed with a strange greenish light, and I instinctively sensed both trouble and a challenge.
“I am ready, but are you?” I held my head high and pretended I had total control of the situation; after all, I was a half-goddess, the moon would begin waxing in a day, and in only a few more days I’d turn 25. What could possibly go wrong? Well, except for Garrett’s crazy cult, his minions and his mysterious inferni.
“Okay, let’s start easy.” Kagan smirked and blasted me with a fairly strong portion of his magic. But I was quicker than him; I’d already summoned a magical barrier, so his magic only sizzled in silver light across the edges of my wall. A few seconds later, his magic exploded, painting the air round us in orange-red flames. The magical barrier bent, but remained intact. Smoke, debris and fire spread across the room. Wait, where did this debris appear from? I didn’t remember any item to have been burned or destroyed.
That’s a magical illusion. He is using your fears against you, my inner voice said.
Happy to hear you, girl, I rejoiced.
He knows he can’t break down your barrier. That’s why he’s playing mind games with you.
Makes sense, I agreed and asked it, Now, I need your advice. What should I do?
Face your fears. When we face them, they no longer have power over us.
Okay. Sounds good.
I concentrated on my fears and let everything — the fire, smoke and debris — all these illusions reach my senses. They were unreal, I repeated to myself. A part of my brain was screaming, “Girl, are you nuts? Aren’t you going to put up a fight? Just do nothing and watch the chaos consume your flesh?”
I stubbornly resisted my survival instincts. Once the flames reached my skin, they exploded in the air, coloring the space around me in dark purple. I didn’t feel any pain. Soon enough, the air got back to its normal color.
“Very well,” the fae said, satisfaction and pride discernible in his voice. “Now, ready for round two? It’ll be harder than the first one,” he warned me, but I didn’t care.
“Try me,” I challenged him.
“Oho! I like your boldness and competitive spirit, Princess. Turns me on.” He grinned and winked at me.
I was still staring at his face when I noticed that a dark cloud had formed over my head. I renewed my firm hold onto the barrier I’d summoned. As long as I didn’t step over its shimmering edges, I’d be safe. Small circular waves from the dark, grayish cloud sizzled at the barrier edges. A lightning flashed. Then I found myself in Awen’s apartment.
What the hell? I needed to work on the quality of my magical barriers. I had the sinking suspicion, though, that it wasn’t my wall’s problem. The fae’s manipulative energy had reached me somehow.
My mentor’s room was colder than usual, and unnatural purple light was coming from above. I saw Awen bent over on his favorite couch, grimacing in inhuman pain.
“Alex, ugh… help me.”
“This is again an illusion!” I repeated to myself quietly.
“Please… the pain is… excruciating. Please, darling… save me.”
“This is all bullshit,” I said out loud.
“Please… Save me! Ugh! Give me a little of your magic.”
“No!” I stomped my foot on the floor and suddenly the air around me shattered into hundreds of sharp glass pieces, all swarming around. They all sparkled and blinded me. I prepared myself to be cut to shreds, but then the space around me darkened and a sinister laughter cackled.
“Have you missed me?”
I felt a jolt in the pit of my stomach and in the next moment Garrett’s face popped out of the darkness, glaring at me. I instinctively recoiled, but managed to stay put. “This is all a big, fat illusion. It’s not real, Alex,” I said over and over to myself, sometimes mumbling, sometimes out loud, and sometimes even shouted.
The voice kept cackling in his particular sinister fashion. The whole scene was too familiar — a déjà vu. Too much like Garrett. Frozen shivers crept along my body, and I stiffened.
“Ah, how nice. I see you’ve missed me,” he spat. By then I was chanting to myself like a mantra, “He isn’t Garrett, he isn’t Garrett, this is all illusion. Very intricate, very real one, but still an illusion.”
“Everything we think of is real,” the voice said, and suddenly a lightning from above flashed illuminating his body and face. His head was shining as if he had a halo. Only he was a demon, not an angel.
“You won’t save your mentor because I am… a demon? How bigoted. And close-minded. Tut-tut.”
I wanted to argue with him and tell him to go away because he was just an illusion, but at that moment Awen’s howling cry reached my ears. His face convulsed with pain, his eyes large and bloodshot. I could read shear horror in them. “Please,” he was barely whispering.
I glared at Garrett and anger boiled inside me. “Okay, you wanna play dirty? Let’s do it, then, Kagan.” I didn’t like that the fae used my love and respect for my mentor to manipulate my emotions.
“Kagan? Who is that? O-ooh, I remember. Your little boyfriend. Now I see that I must have targeted another of your loved ones.”
I gritted my teeth and was just about to blast him with my elemental magic when the bastard hit me hard in the chest. I howled in pain. My knees buckled and I tumbled to the cold, marble floor, unable to hide being hurt. I hated that Kagan had to see me like this, weak and vulnerable.
“Asshole,” I spat. I called out my inner voice. It responded immediately.
This boyfriend of yours is pretty good at illusions. Faes have long mastered the art of manipulation, of all kinds, and he is in his element.
I don’t need a crash course on fae powers. Help me blast this Garrett illusion of Kagan’s, please.
My inner voice agreed. Okay, though I think it is commendable that he is training you.
With these words, a wave of vast, intoxicating power surged within me, the very same feeling I’d had when I fought off Garrett and Kagan’s stone dragon. The magic vibrated within me, ready to be released at any moment. It only awaited my consent. The Garrett illusion before me smirked, but before he could blast me yet again, I blasted him with my magic squarely in the chest. He tumbled to the floor, his knees bending, and the air exploded around us. The fire swallowed up the whole space, together with Garrett, my mentor and me. I wasn’t afraid or hurt; I knew the illusion spell was broken.
I expected to see Kagan’s grinning face next, but when I found myself back in his room, he was bent over on the floor, a thin trickle of blood dripping from his gashed mouth.
“Holy magic! Are you all right?” I rushed to him. What have I done?
“It’s okay, don’t worry. I challenged you, and I must bear the consequences.”
I bit my lip, guilt rushing to my cheeks, hot like shame. I have to do something… I should do something to boost his magic and powers, the thought crossed my mind.
Wait, what? I challenged it as I came to my senses. My inner voice chimed, He is the almighty fae, member of the magical dynasties. He will be just fine.
Kagan turned to me. “Can you heal me, Alex? I just need a little of your magic, just to recharge.” He stared at me with his blue, beautiful eyes, a
nd they totally made up my mind; I had to help him. Who would have thought my goddess magic was stronger than one of the most powerful fae in the world?
Don’t you find it strange that this super-powerful boyfriend of yours is so hurt by us? my inner voice intervened.
Well, now that you mentioned it, yes, it’s a little strange, I agreed.
He is playing you. This is his final illusion. Get with it, girl.
There was sense in my inner voice’s words. What if this was another trick?
“Alex… Just a little of your power?” Kagan’s weak voice brought me back to reality.
Before I could do anything, his hand plunged to my chest, his power seizing my own. At first I only felt the shift of power, but then his hunger compounded and my magic swirled inside of me, fluttering away. A sudden exhaustion pounded in my chest. The bastard was draining me.
“Stop! Kagan. You have to stop,” I yelled, but too late; my inner voice had been right: This was a trap, yet another illusion. I wanted to wrench myself free from Kagan when I realized with horror that it wasn’t Kagan on the floor, but me. I lay on the floor, my face pale and frozen. Above me stood Garrett with his hand on my throat. Dark stars burst before my eyes, and his laughter cackled in my ears.
“I got you, little goddess.”
My eyes would barely stay open, but his words propelled me into action. I pushed myself up, raging and seething with wild hatred. I hurled the last remaining power in me at him, wanting to kill the asshole. He had killed my mother. He would never hurt or insult another goddess again.
The magical wave hit the completely surprised Garrett, and a dark-gray explosion colored the air. Particles of magic, dust and fire showered over me. I instinctively closed my eyes and waited for the storm to pass. When I opened my eyes again, I was back in the fae’s room. Or so I thought.
Is it real now? I mean, am I back to reality? I asked my inner voice.