by Lucy Auburn
He narrowed his eyes at me, cocking his head. The tattoos swirling up his arms almost seemed to move. “I know you.” He advanced on me. Naomi was getting into position. I prepared to use my powers to drain him. “You look just like her. You even have her face. You must be her—”
My eyes widened, and I took the opportunity to charge him, pushing my hands against his body. I felt my powers push against him—and then stop. Nothing was happening.
“I can’t drain him!”
“I got it!”
As I tried in vain to pull from his energy with my hands, Naomi loosed a knife from her hand. It sank into his shoulder, getting a bellow of rage in response.
The dark fae swung his arms and pushed me off him, seemingly unaffected by my attempt to drain him. I scrambled away from him, staring at my hands, which hadn’t done anything.
“Stupid bitches,” he muttered, just before he vanished.
I stared at Naomi through the air where the dark fae had been, blinking. “Did he just teleport away?”
“Seems that way.” She knelt to pick up her knife, which had fallen from his body as he disappeared. “What the hell was he talking about before you attacked him?”
“Oh. You heard that.”
“Yeah, I heard that,” she deadpanned, narrowing her eyes at me. She held out a hand to help me up from the ground. “Who is this ‘her’ he was talking about?”
I stood up and let go of her hand, nonchalantly brushing off my pants. “It’s nothing.”
“Didn’t sound like nothing.” Sheathing the knife, she crossed her arms and stared at me, her face softening. “Look, you don’t have to tell me if you’re not ready. But eventually you’re going to have to explain to someone what the hell happened the past few months while you were in Hell. Otherwise, you’re leaving us all in the dark without vital information.”
I nodded, pushing a loop of hair behind my ear, unable to meet her eyes. “I know. It’s just—tough. There’s never a good time to talk about it.”
“What about now?”
Looking around, I gestured to the empty building around us. “You want to talk here?”
Naomi smirked at me. “Where else? No one’s going to interrupt us. We can go to a bar if you need some liquid courage though.”
I wrinkled my nose at her, shaking my head. “Now that I’m almost twenty-one, sneaking into bars with my fake I.D. just doesn’t have the same appeal.”
“Then settle in.” Pacing away from me, she found two empty crates that were about the right size and pulled them towards the area where we were standing. “Here, take a seat and talk to me.”
“The dark fae could come back,” I pointed out.
It was the wrong thing to say, because it made Naomi smile and pull out one of her daggers, which she set on the crate beside her. “Good. That would make my night.”
So we were just going to sit here, apparently, in the middle of an abandoned warehouse, near a spot where a mysterious tattooed dark fae vanished after being stabbed. I wanted to protest, but it wasn’t much weirder than anything else I’d been through since that fateful night with Talia, so it made just about as much sense as anything.
“I don’t think you’re going to like what I have to tell you,” I confessed as I sat opposite her. “And I need you to keep most of it secret.”
“Secret is my middle name.” She made a motion with her finger across her lips, which drew my eyes to them. “I won’t tell your harem of drooling men anything.”
“They’re not my—” Naomi raised a pointed brow; I sighed and gave in. “Okay. Just—especially don’t tell Petyr. Or Leon, probably, because he doesn’t like to lie.”
“Obviously.” She stared at me, tapping the point of the dagger against the edge of the empty crate. “You done stalling now? It’s time to tell me something. It doesn’t have to be all of it, but Selena—you at least need to tell us how you got to the Underworld. Did you realm walk? Was it your Lightblood powers?”
I shook my head, memories from that fateful day flooding back to me. “No one can even give me a straight answer about my Lightblood powers,” I said, thinking of the book with the symbol that I somehow used to get to the Shadow Realm and back. It had been a foolish thing to do; I didn’t think I would risk it again. “The day that I disappeared, the dark fae, he—he whispered something to me about my birth parents. So I went to Maggie’s house to find out the truth.”
Naomi leaned forward, reaching out with her hand that wasn’t holding the dagger to rest against my knee in comfort. “Go on.”
“Maggie had letters from my parents. When I went looking for them, I found a necklace—one I hadn’t seen before.” I took a deep breath, let it out, and went on. “It looked like the gemstones I got from Vincent and Elah, the fae ones that communicate back and forth. But it was smaller. When Maggie came home she said that it came from my birth mother.” I looked down, afraid to tell her the next part, even as something large and brightly burning inside me desperately needed to get it out. “There was something else, something she wasn’t telling me, so I used my powers on her.”
I knew that Naomi had to have heard this part, but there was no tension in her as she waited, not even the dagger in her hand moving. When I dared to look up into her face, I was surprised by the softness there—and the comfort. She seemed to read my surprise, because she murmured, “Sometimes our parents lie to us to try to keep us safe, but they’re only delaying the inevitable. I practically had to shake some not-fun news out of my mother the other day. I get it.”
“Okay. Well, she told me something.” This next part was hard. “She confirmed what the dark fae told me first.” I swallowed, my mouth dry. “When her coven found me as a baby, they performed spells to figure out my origin. And they discovered that I’m not completely fae or human. Part of me was from the Underworld. Percy said that I had demon blood,” I took a deep breath, “and when Maggie confirmed that it was mostly true, and I ran away, the necklace brought me to the Underworld. To meet her. My birth mother...”
I didn’t know if I could say the next part without changing things between us permanently, but at this point there was no turning back.
“The Queen of the Underworld,” I saw the widening in Naomi’s eyes as shock settled in. “She calls herself Persephone, but I don’t know if that’s really her name. While I was down there, she was the one keeping me from leaving—and I’m pretty sure she’s behind all these demon summoners trying to open the hell gates, too.”
27
Selena
I wasn’t sure what to expect from Naomi when I told her the truth about my birth mother, so after the words made their way out of me I fell quiet. The worst reaction would be for her to repudiate me—to declare me dark side, and turn away.
But what I hadn’t expected was the way she reached out to take my hand, tugging me towards her. I leaned into her awkward embrace, the space between us folding away as I scooted my makeshift chair towards hers, her strong arm around me.
“Are you okay?” Her voice was warm and soft in my ear. “I mean, of course you’re not okay. That fucking sucks, Selena. What terrible luck.”
I swallowed, burying my face in the softness of her neck. “So you don’t hate me now that you know who my mom is? I mean, she’s basically the worst of the worst. She runs Hell—or half of it at least.”
“Of course I don’t hate you.” Pulling back, Naomi looked into my eyes, her stroking my hair. I was surprised at how close I felt to her; it was a relief to get this secret out. “It’s not like you picked your birth mother. I would know—mine has her share of issues, too. And you’re nothing like her. If anything, you’re proof that nurture is just as valid as nature.”
“Thanks.” I closed my eyes, leaning into her touch, which sent little thrills up my scalp. “That really means a lot, coming from you.”
“I know I can be a judgmental bitch,” she said, and I opened my eyes to see her mouth twitch up at the edges, “but even I won’t judg
e you for this. Your mother isn’t the be-all-end-all of who you’re gonna be. And I’ve got my own so-called shitty fate that I’m resisting, so as far as I’m concerned we’re in the same boat.”
Hearing her words was a relief that calmed my fast-beating heart. Naomi’s opinion seemed to matter to me more than most—though these days I was collecting important people in my life like a raven collecting stones, it seemed.
“Thank you,” I said, “that really means a lot.”
“You’re welcome.” Setting the dagger down, she reached up to push my hair behind my ear, and suddenly my pulse was skyrocketing for another reason entirely. I found my eyes drawn to her mouth as she spoke. “You know, it looks like we’re going to be alone in here for a while.”
“Yeah.” I licked my lips and saw her eyes flicker to follow the motion. A hunger rose in me, sharp and wanting in the back of my throat. “I guess this mission was a bust.”
“I can think of a few other things we can do.”
Naomi leaned forward until her hair was swishing against mine, the thick strands bringing with them her signature scent of shampoo. Her eyes flicked up to stare at me, low and dark, and I ducked my head until our mouths were near.
This time her kiss was slow and full of exploration.
There was no frantic hunger, no need to make the kiss be everything all at once. Her lips first brushed up and down on my mouth, lightly drawing sensations from it until I felt little pinpricks all across the delicate skin there. Then she tilted her head opposite mine, fingers guiding my chin, and sank into my mouth. I felt the taste of all that she was on my tongue, sharp and brilliant and electrifying.
Naomi worked her mouth against mine slowly and deliberately until my lips were warm and wanting, my tongue desperate for more. I brought our makeshift chairs closer together, my right leg sliding in between hers. Her hand traveled up the inside of my denim-clad thigh, reaching up to my waistband and tugging slightly.
I responded to the unspoken question by deepening our kiss. As she palmed her warm hands against my bare skin, one at my waistband unbuttoning my pants, the other on the side of my neck, I found my own bravery and reached out to touch her too. She was warm and strong all over, the muscles of her arm shifting beneath my curious touch as I brushed against them. Reaching beneath her shirt, I gasped a little at the hard planes of her stomach, the tips of my fingers finding the strong contours of her waist. A sharp desire shot through me: to feel every bit of softness and hardness on her body and sink into the concave of her form until we were indistinguishable.
But a thought occurred to me, and I broke off from our kiss reluctantly to speak it aloud against her warm mouth. “Here, though?”
“Where else?” Her voice was roughened with lust, and it woke something in me that ached for her. “Fooling around on a mattress is overrated.”
She stood, pulling me up with her. I followed her lead as she backed me up against one of the strong, tall shelves, pushing away the trash that had collected there. As my back hit the metal, I stared into her eyes and licked my lips.
“C’mon then,” she said, pressing her hips against mine. “Let’s do this.”
I scooted up onto the empty shelf for a ledge and drew her between my parted legs. She kissed me again, one hand reaching up to press against my neck, the other unzipping my pants. There was hunger and fury in the kiss this time. I felt the brush of her teeth against my lips like an electric shock.
Then her clever, warm fingers were splaying out against my back, moving up beneath my shirt. She found my bra and unclasped it, releasing my breasts from their wire prison. I moaned into her mouth as her hand reached around to thumb against my nipples, bringing them to life.
My own hands reached beneath her shirt and palmed the strong muscles of her back and shoulders, alive with constant energy. I felt the heat of her desire for me in her mouth and hands as she touched me. Her mouth moved down from my lips to my neck, sucking light kisses into the bare uninjured skin on one side. I whimpered against her and felt her hand reach for my pants again, searching for more.
There was a question in her touch, again, and again I felt myself wanting more. I wanted to go further—to see what it would be like, if it could live up to every hot fantasy in my head. So I grabbed her wrist and pushed her hand down inside my pants.
Naomi chuckled against my neck. “Hungry Suck.”
“This is all me,” I said, and it was true; the hunger I had for energy was nothing next to the desire living inside me. “I’m hungry for you. For this.”
“Then let’s see how you like it.”
She pulled back from me and knelt between my knees with a hungry look on her face. I gasped, breath sharp and gone in an instant as she took hold of my pants and yanked them down to my calves in a smooth, strong motion. Her eyes seemed to reflect the dim moonlight up at me, making promises that even the hottest of my dreams couldn’t compare to.
When she opened her mouth and pressed its heat against my underwear, I squirmed at the layer still between us. Tonguing her way up to the thin waistband, she grabbed it in her mouth. I pushed my hips up off the shelf with one hand so that she could pull my underwear off, exposing me to her completely.
For a moment, I felt vulnerable, naked and brand new to this in an abandoned warehouse at night. Then she looked up at me with a soft face, murmured, “Beautiful,” and opened her mouth to consume me.
My gasping cry of pleasure seemed to echo off the empty walls around us. Threading my hand in my hair, I arched against her as she used her lips and tongue to bring me to life. Her clever tongue stroked against my outer lips towards the inside, teasing against my entrance for only a moment before she pressed herself against my clit with a woman’s accuracy. When she sucked there and flicked her tongue against me, I shuddered all over, moving against her mouth. The pressure and ecstasy of it was so much that I had to grab the shelf above me for support, my thighs clenching against her head, that dark silky hair of hers spilling out against my legs like a promise.
When she found the motions that made me gasp in all-consuming pleasure, she pursued them with single-minded focus, never changing her rhythm or backing off. I sought my orgasm against her, my teeth clenching as I felt pleasure descend on me in waves. She backed away for only long enough to let me come in beautiful agony, and then licked my pussy with the flat of her tongue, her eyes meeting mine in the darkness.
When I came down from it completely I felt like I’d just done something that I’d been meaning to do for ages, and wondered what had kept me from it. “That,” I said between panted breaths, “was amazing.”
She chuckled as she pulled back, standing in a fluid cat-like motion in between my knees. “You’re welcome.” When she wiped the back of her mouth and licked her hand I had to suppress a whimper. “Are you ready to switch?”
I nodded, hungry to discover if I liked this just as much as I’d like it the other way around. “Just let me pull myself together.”
Naomi backed up as I slid off the shelf, shimmying back into my clothes—my underwear still damp from her tongue. Though my legs felt like jelly and my thighs were weak, the last thing I wanted was to be a selfish lover. It was time to repay the favor.
I didn’t know how good I would be, though, and for a moment that made me hesitate. Naomi arched a brow in response, smirking at me. “Everyone has to have a first time. I’ll show you how to do it.”
Nodding sharply, I fell to my knees in front of her, pressing my mouth to the strip of skin between her shirt and jeans. She unbuckled them and took them off in a smooth motion, revealing herself to me—her scent, the landing strip above her clit, the delicate lips between her thighs. I took it in as she scooted back against the shelf behind her, grabbing my hair and pulling me forward.
“Now,” she said, “put your mouth on me.”
Arching a brow up at her, I opened my mouth to engulf her in a smooth motion, and did my best to get her to stop talking. She tasted like musk and woman, li
ke earthy wine on my tongue. When, a few minutes later, I found the right rhythm to make her breath come shallow in her chest, I stuck to it until my jaw twinged. And then I reached up beneath her shirt to lightly pinch her nipples, a thrill going through me when her thighs clamped around my ears and she shuddered against me, my tongue working her clit over and over again.
Looking up at the expression on her face, I decided that I could get very used to this feeling—and taste. After, when I pulled back to lick my lips experimentally, she was watching me like a hawk.
“Not bad,” she said, her voice a purr. “Maybe next time we should get a room, though. I think someone’s coming.”
Whipping to my feet, I looked over at the shadow standing on the other side of a dirty window and hissed at her, “You could’ve warned me earlier!”
“Nah.” She hopped off the shelf and fixed her messy hair, re-fastening her pants. “You should put your bra back together, by the way.”
I did so as she went over to grab her dagger from the crate, her quiet feet barely making a sound. She motioned for me to follow her—and then, as the doors squealed open, grabbed my elbow and yelled, “Run!”
We careened through the open space towards the doors in the back, ignoring the sounds of shouts and heavy footsteps following us. Naomi was fast—and with the taste of her heady on my tongue, I looked inside myself and found I had borrowed speed from her as well, enough to stay on her heels. With a few twists and turns down dark alleys we’d lost them, and came out on a sidewalk near a strip of bars, brightly lit and warm from outdoor heaters.
“There.” Stopping by the curb, she turned to me and laughed, seemingly not out of breath at all even as I gasped in lungfuls of air. “It’s always an adventure with me.”
Laughing as much as I could on so little air, I elbowed her in the side and ran a hand through my hair. “I can’t believe you! We almost got caught—” I lowered my voice, “In flag-ray, in deli...”