Insatiable (The Curse of Avalon Book 3)

by Sariah Skye

  Trystan was outside the women’s bathroom, trying to barrel himself into some sort of unseen force. “I heard her scream! I can’t get in, somehow this shite is blocking me, whatever it is!”

  I quickly scanned the surroundings; a couple of small black crystals lay on the floor. “Wards.” I shook my head, clicking my tongue. “If I had potions…” I raked my hands through my hair, pulling at the roots, urging an idea to come to me. “If we could… short it out.” I snapped my fingers. “Xan—lightning. Now.”

  He didn’t question it. He opened his hands to his sides and began chanting in Mandarin; something he did when trying to summon the strongest of his magic. White electrical bolts of lightning spun and twisted around his arms, swirling around his shoulders as his voice grew louder. The spectacle didn’t go unnoticed though as passersby stopped to stare. I didn’t give a flying fuck.

  Mathias was close behind. “What’s going on?” He began to shoo the people away with that intimidating stare of his.

  “Ava’s in there!” Trystan shouted, and Mathias began to rage.

  The hair on the back of my neck stood on end like before a nasty storm, and Xander channeled his lightning straight into the ward blocking the door. It sizzled the magic and crackled, but the ward held.

  “It needs to be stronger!” Xander called, “I’m not sure I can do it!”

  “Do something, lad!” Trystan insisted urgently towards me. “You’re the smart guy!”

  I’m the smart guy. Right.

  “You have the ability to channel the magic of others into your own and amplify it.” I wasn’t sure if it was the echo of a memory, or if it was really Igraine. I didn’t fucking care. I was about to see if she was right. I didn’t know how, but…

  “Do it again!” I demanded to Xander. “Trust me!”

  He nodded once and began again, lightning sparking at his hands as he chanted, pulling them apart, willing a larger blast.

  I watched the magic as it twisted and spun; concentrating on the air. Something in my vision changed, it blurred and churned until I viewed it on a molecular level. This was something I was able to do with chemicals and concoctions; somehow I could see past the obvious and pick apart layers to their smallest level. I never could explain it; I thought that was something everyone could do until about eighty years ago. When I reached the core—or what I interpreted as the core—I grabbed at it, either physically or mentally, I really couldn’t explain how I did it.

  For Ava. I closed my eyes and felt the prick of the electricity zap my fingers, and burn as it spun around my hands, up my arms. It hurt like a bitch, like being burned—something in my mind wanted to freak out. Fire still made me piss my pants to this day, but I choked it aside. That was over, the burning was gone. This was temporary. If I didn’t get in to help Ava well…

  I didn’t want to think about it.

  “Holy shite…” I barely heard Trystan utter behind me.

  When I opened my eyes, I was completely encompassed in lightning; the effect so bright everything in the hallway was illuminated. It was hot, it scalded and burned, but I ignored it. Xander watched me, wide-eyed, but didn’t falter.

  “Do it!” I shouted, and in tandem we both shoved the magic directly into the ward. It hissed crackled and finally, exploded; the crystals on the floor bursting into dust and the ward was broken.

  As the closest, Trystan didn’t hesitate; he barreled into the bathroom door with all his weight, Mathias hot on his heels, shirt straining against his growing muscles—he was enraging.

  Feeling woozy, I cradled my face in my hands momentarily, taking in a deep breath.

  “You all right, man?” Xander placed a hand on my shoulder; his eyes were inquisitive, and he wanted to ask so much but now wasn’t the time.

  I nodded once. “Let’s fucking go.”

  He grunted once in acknowledgement and we barreled into the bathroom. Two large, burly, but stupid supes—I guessed troll-hybrids or dragons—blocked the way, until Mathias swiped out a hand and clocked one directly in the head. I cringed, hearing the sickening sound of cracked bone, and my nostrils were assaulted with the scent of iron as blood squirted out his nose and mouth. He slumped lifelessly to the ground; eyes glazed over. I knew he was dead, or out for a bit depending upon what he was. When Mathias was pissed, he took no prisoners.

  Trystan was duking it out with the second male, and Xander summoned lightning. With a spinning kick, he knocked into him with force, and he shook on his feet as the lightning electrocuted him, giving Trystan enough time—with the weight of his body behind a heavy punch— to deck him in the face. Not as hard as Mathias, but enough to knock him aside.

  I shoved past them, knowing fully well that with Mathias shaded with fury, he might not be able to tell the difference between Ava or someone else. I gasped, my heart swooping into my stomach.

  Ava was pinned to the wall by the guy from earlier, eyes blood red with lust, her blouse had been tossed the floor at some point.

  Incubus, I realized. Fuck. She whimpered and sobbed openly and my soul ached seeing the beautiful force of nature helpless and terrified.

  “Ava!” I called out, and she tracked her gaze over towards me, eyes glimmering with hope.

  “Bash! Bash, please!” she cried, voice quivering until he placed a giant hand over her face, muffling her.

  Mathias roared at the sound of Ava’s desperate plea, slamming into him with all the force he had. He was almost completely enraged and stood about seven-foot-tall or more, but even with his super strength, it still wasn’t enough to take on the incubus.

  The incubus, I guessed, must have had a power that made him immune to supes or certain types of injuries. An incredibly rare skill, I’d only ever seen one other in my life. Fuck.

  The incubus just cackled evilly, looking triumphant; he thought he had us beat. The fucker was beyond wrong.

  I felt an uncomfortable surge of anger, my fists clenching at my sides, like that time when Ava went through the portal and disappeared. I must have inadvertently channeled Mathias’ magic that time, and I was again. It felt twisted and foreign in my body, but I gave into it.

  “Get the fuck away from our girl!” I bellowed, my voice had dropped a few menacing octaves. The incubus flinched, noticing Mathias and me flanking his sides, finally acknowledging that he was in trouble. I raised my fist behind my head and let it fly; the snap of bone and the scent of blood satisfying in my nose, its warmth splashing over my face. I grinned ferally as his jaw dislocated. “Fucking asshole, get the fuck out of here!”

  The incubus relaxed his grip, and Ava tumbled to the floor, Trystan was close enough to her to scoop her up quickly into his arms and pull her away. She buried her face into his chest and sobbed as he held her tightly. He was damn strong, but with no active power he wasn’t a match for the incubus without a weapon. He could shift but that wasn’t practical right now.

  Mathias had his hands wrapped against his throat, the incubus’ eyes bugging out of his head. It would take a lot to kill him, we knew from experience, but still didn’t mean we couldn’t dispatch him.

  But I wanted blood. He was going to die for what he attempted to do. The incubus’ foul blood dripped down my cheek. I rose my arm to wipe it away with my hand; something twisted in me felt pleased at the warm liquid that had been spurt. Dear God, is this what Mathias had to deal with? The bloodlust? I had a new respect for him now.

  The air reeked of iron and ozone as Xander summoned his storm energy; the second man not totally laid out had risen and was charging at him but Xander was fast, and able to lay him out against the wall quickly. Satisfied he posed no threat, Mathias and I focused on the incubus.

  His face was a punching bag, eyes swollen shut and purple as Mathias laid into him, over and over again. He grumbled and growled unintelligibly, his pupils dilated and irises a blood red with the bloodlust of rage; not to be mistaken for the deep maroon or scarlet of lust. Whatever power he had was obviously not working anymore.


  I glanced once more at Xander, still giving the second man a run for his money, as he channeled his bright lightning into his chest. He slammed against the wall with so much force, the wall cracked and splintered. Ava cried out, startled, as Trystan pulled her back.

  “Get her out of here!” I growled, and he nodded, gathering her up in his arms, and out of the bathroom. Where, I didn’t know; probably behind the entrance of the Underground.

  “I want their blood!” Mathias roared gutturally; the incubus wasn’t going down fast enough for his liking, nor mine. Xander spun in the air, twisting his lighting from his chest to his leg, and propelled the other with a jolt that barreled into the incubus.

  My fingers pricked with energy, an unfamiliar, burning, painful sensation, but…

  “All you got, Xan. Now!” This was really, really going to hurt.

  The bathroom flashed with bright light as Xander summoned enough storm and wind to form a small tornado. Feeling the energy, I breathed it in, sucking it up, and when it was too uncomfortable, too painful to bear, I released it. Xander followed.

  Mathias was quick enough to jump back as all the magic was propelled into the incubus and the other, flashes of lightning blinding as they cracked and exploded. The noise was deafening and in a flash of light and a puff of smoke, the incubus and other hollered in pain before they were completely annihilated. Along with the majority of the bathroom.

  Feeling weakened I slumped over, bracing myself up by stiffening my shoulders. I panted wildly, wheezing with exhaustion as my stomach heaved its contents up and out all over the floor.

  “Fuck, Bash,” were Xander’s only words as he pulled my wilting form into him and away from the pile of vomit I just released onto the destroyed floor. I dared to glance up, wiping my mouth away with the back of my hand, grimacing with the taste of burning bile in my throat.

  The floor was gone, blasted into splinters that stabbed into the walls or were pulverized into dust along the edge of the floor. The stalls to the bathrooms were off their hinges, stacked against each other along the far wall and the mirrors crashed to the floor, all splintered and cracked. A large crater about half a foot deep was in its place.

  Mathias was still feral, but he began to shrink, his shirt torn and split at the shoulders and along the seam of one arm. “Bash… what was that?”

  “Who gives a shit?” Xander countered. “Let’s just be glad it happened, or else…” he stopped mid-sentence. We know what else could have happened.

  Still breathing difficultly, still weak. “I… can… explain.” And I knew I was going to have to. But for now, I needed to go see that she was all right. “Let’s go get our girl.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  In the bathroom, my mind totally blanked out; I dreamed I was talking to my grandmother, and then she disappeared. Everything was black, though I remained unfortunately awake. I focused on the lights, the mirrors, the dent in the wall across from me. Anything to avoid acknowledging what was about to happen. I was being attacked. Eventually I started imagining the misty shores of Avalon, the thick air perfumed with earth and leaves, seeking out the drumming sound or the friendly chattering of the witches of Avalon, and being distracted when that… thing… began shoving his gross, disgusting hand up my skirt. I lost it altogether, shaking and sobbing until I heard the most wonderful sound I’ve ever heard in my life.

  “Ava?” Bash called out, and the guys came thundering in. There were scuffles, blood, a lot of bright light; I couldn’t comprehend at that point. It wasn’t until I was thrust—or taken—into Trystan’s arms that I began to come back into reality.

  I did about jump out of my skin when Trystan touched me but when I realized it was him, I quickly buried my face into his chest, clutching his shirt for dear life in my hands. There was a bunch of loud words, loud bangs, but I didn’t hear or understand what it was. Trystan had slipped us into a quiet area, away from predatory hands and eyes, and attempted to lay me on the floor, but I refused to part with his shirt. “No…” I said, shaking my head, pleading quietly.

  “Aye, you poor wee luv,” Trystan crooned in my ear, and obliged me by simply holding me tightly, rocking my slightly back and forth like he was soothing a child; and that’s how I felt at that point. Like a vulnerable, helpless child.

  I hated it.

  I was a strong, independent woman… and now, I was broken.

  “Just… keep talking to me. I feel better just hearing you talk.” I rose my gaze, daring to seek out those bright green eyes of his. They felt safe and warm, like sitting outside on the porch on a summer’s evening, sipping tea, staring out at the wide expanse of green meadow before you. I may have been exaggerating slightly, but that’s how I felt. If Bash’s voice was the best sound I’d ever heard, Trystan’s eyes were the best thing I’d ever seen.

  “What do you want me to say, luv?” He spoke in a hushed tone.

  “Something in… Scottish. Whatever. Call me a toilet, I don’t care. Just… Scottish. Do it,” I said, gently poking him in the chest, and he grinned warmly before tipping his forehead against my temple, his lips just barely grazing the skin of my cheek. He began to purr in his native dialect, slowly; his voice like melted honey.

  “What did you say?” I asked.

  “I said it’s called ‘Gaelic, not Scottish.’” He said, with a gentle laugh. His hands moved, shifting over my body, a finger accidentally grazing the skin on my thigh. Normally, it wouldn’t be a problem; hell, I’d turn into it and hope he moved higher. But now? I shuddered, wide eyed, and began to squirm out of his grasp, feeling panicked and breathless.

  He promptly set me down to my feet, and took a step back, eyeing me cautiously. “Avie, luv?”

  Taking a deep breath, I composed myself. “Sorry. I just…sorry.”

  Trystan wrapped his arms around himself, gazing at me questioningly. Something about his expression indicated he wanted to do… something. But wasn’t sure that he should. “Do ye want to talk about it?”

  I shook my head quickly. “No! Just… no.” In shaking my head, I realized that my shoulder still hurt; the pain had been what was keeping me from summoning my magic. Well, that and the terror.

  “Can I see?” He questioned, gradually reaching out.

  “No, it’s fine,” I said, even as I attempted to roll it backwards I flinched. Trystan hissed through his teeth in sympathy and out of instinct he started for me, hands outstretched.

  “No!” I hollered, panicked. Then immediately felt terrible, seeing the crestfallen look on his handsome face.

  Normally Trystan had no problem probing my mind when I wouldn’t speak, but a hint of a smile ghosted over his lips and he just tipped his head slightly. “All right. But, we should get some ice on that, at least. Will you let me do that?”

  I nodded slowly. “Yeah I can… yeah.” I stammered. This is ridiculous. This is Trystan! He has never been anything but attentive and caring. But I couldn’t stop my irrationality. I did hold out my hand though, the one not attached to the sore shoulder, and threaded my fingers through his. He smiled warmly, and we exited the entrance hallway to the Underground, back into the main hallway of the Stargazer.

  It was madness. Mathias, Bash, and Xander were shouting—no arguing loudly. Link, Naomi, and Summer were trying to do damage control, guiding people away from the newly remodeled, now destroyed women’s bathroom. The doors were blown off their hinges, the frame battered and splintered, hanging by a thread from the ceiling.

  “Holy shite…” Trystan said, as we slowly took in the damage. “What the hell happened!?”

  The three guys stopped arguing long enough to turn and notice us. Without a second’s thought they started to run towards me, but Trystan got in between them. I don’t know what he did or mouthed because his back was to me, but they stopped hesitantly in their tracks.

  After a few moments silence, Mathias opened his mouth first. “What were you—”

  Xander flicked up a hand. “Enough, Mathias. Just… fucking e
nough.”

  Mathias glowered. “You had one job, you guys. One. Fucking. Job.”

  Xander’s face darkened. He balled up a fist. “Oh, it’s fucking on, asshole. How about your job, huh? The one where you weren’t supposed to allow supes like that fucking incubus in here? Huh?” And even though Mathias was large and intimidating, Xander didn’t back down and put all his weight behind a taunting shove of the gladiator.

  “The bastard was fucking shielded somehow!” Mathias wasted no time in shoving him back. Both their faces red with fury, they grabbed each other’s arms and raised fists, it was only a matter of time before someone struck. All the while, Bash was standing, bent at the waist, panting heavily.

  “Are ye okay, lad?” Trystan asked with concern, as Xander and Mathias bickered, Mathias inadvertently shoving Xander into the back of Bash.

  Bash’s steely eyes grew stormy—literally. Just like Xander’s. I gasped, when he raised a hand and sparks just like Xander’s lightning emanated from his fingers. “I swear to fucking god, if you both don’t just put your dicks away and stop fighting, I’m going to blast you all to kingdom come! Got it?” His voice was thunderous, and Mathias and Xander promptly backed down. “Thank you,” Bash said, snapping his hand shut. “This is the last thing Avie needs right now.”

  “Um, how about Avie determines what Avie needs, huh?” I piped up. The four of them turned to me, looking sheepish.

  “Fuck, we’re a bunch of goddamn assholes.” Xander sighed, running a hand through his jet hair.

  “Are we done here, or am I going to have to hose you all down?” Link finally joined the fray, his voice full of warning. He motioned to the bathroom. “Can someone explain that?” I peered my head around the corner to get a better look. It looked like a meteor had crash-landed into the women’s bathroom.