by Sariah Skye
Bash suddenly yawned widely. “Shoot, I’m just… really tired.” He stammered, nudging me playfully.
Igraine smiled smugly. “You should go rest. We will have plenty of time to catch up later.” She and I exchanged a brief hug, and so did Morgause and I.
“We’ll be in shortly,” Mathias said, “I can make a snack or something.”
“Okay,” I said, but the only thing I was hungry for right now was a certain blond siphon standing beside me, his heart beating a mile a minute. Giving him a brazen look, I grabbed his hand and nodded towards the house. He grinned widely, knowing exactly what my “look” was saying.
Trystan snickered, watching us walk away. “Have fun,” he said tauntingly.
When we were out of immediate sight, Bash and I picked up our pace to the house, thundering through the door and up the stairs and hallways to my bedroom; we’d have the most privacy there. Because I definitely didn’t intend to be quiet. I kicked open the door my bedroom and Bash gripped my shoulders, pushing me through, the waves of lust pouring off of us like a raging waterfall.
We crashed our mouths together in a mass of heady desire, ripped off each other’s clothes and landed into the bed. Both of us hollered and cried out, moaning loudly as we explored each other’s’ bodies and clawed at hot flesh. The sex was furious, rough, and fast, not wanting to bother with much foreplay—we were already ready to go— and our orgasms were long and earth shattering.
Afterwards, Bash, breathing heavily crumbled on top of me, releasing my legs from around his neck. We were a mess of sultry sweat and gasping breaths. I managed to open my eyes from my blissful state to see the misty air and golden strings of Avalon bind us together. I felt somewhat relieved; I was afraid that with the isle here now, it’d be gone. If anything it was stronger than ever.
He clutched me tightly against him as his breathing and heart slowed, coming down from our blissed-out state and entering a form of exhaustion the likes of either of us never felt. A dreamless sleep claimed us quickly, and we faded away into oblivion… content to ignore the world and troubles for the time being. We deserved that much, at least.
I wasn’t sure when the rest of the guys emerged overnight, but they did. The door was wide open, and the autumn sun streamed in lazily through my sheer purple curtains, billowing gently in the breeze. It was warmer than it should have been for September; it must have been the isle’s influence that warmed the air. Other than that, nothing felt different.
Except for the four incubi curled up in my bed, or on a nearby chair. Bash was spooned against the length of my back, his arm draped over the curve of my hip and my comforter was wrapped tightly around both of us; something I was thankful for because we were still naked. I faced Xander, my face was buried in his chest as he breathed evenly; his hand resting on the top of my breast, fingers twitching gently in some sort of dream.
Mathias was laying along the width of the bed, his feet hanging off the edge, one of his heavy arms draped over my calves. It had to be uncomfortable as hell, but he slept soundly.
“Mathias,” I whispered gently, hoping I didn’t wake up the other guys. He stirred and sleepily grinned at me. I crooked a finger, beckoning him upward, and he slumped his heavy body over my lower half, taking care not to touch the other guys, his head resting on my soft stomach and his knees curled into his chest, and drifted off again. I don’t know how he fit like that, or how that was comfortable, but he slept peacefully regardless.
Trystan was the exception. He was sleeping upright on a lounge chair he had dragged over the side of the bed, and propped his legs up on the edge, purposely avoiding Xander, but his toes just barely brushed my ankles. He was slumped against the back, with a sweatshirt draped over his upper body as he breathed evenly.
We slept like that pretty much for most of the day; none of us wanting to end the closeness or the peace of being together, and I wondered if they made bigger beds than king-size. Incubus sized—was that a thing? I was going to have to invent it. I think even guys enjoyed it, even though none of them were touching. It was familiar after a string of uncertain events, and we just wanted some time before shit hit the fan.
War.
It was coming, we all knew it, but fate at least allowed this little bit of downtime until hours later when our stomachs rumbled in protest did we reluctantly rise to face the world around us.
Chapter Forty
Two days after the events with Nimue and Avalon, we craved a bit of normalcy. Having ancient witches wandering the property, even if they were my aunt and grandmother felt a bit off. But, the animals seemed to love it, and everyone seemed to be at home. Still, it definitely was an adjustment.
Days ago, we decided for one weeknight per week we were going to open the club for a theme night, starting around dinner time and ending around 11 P.M. Tonight we began with Nineties night and the deejay played all the greatest hits—alternative, pop, dance, whatever—from the decade I was born.
Currently, I was leaning against the bar in the rear of the dance floor. Bash was filling in only for a bartender to take a break, and I didn’t leave his sight this time. I dressed a bit more casually in the purple dress Trystan bought me before, and I left my hair down in curls down my back. I nursed my vodka-cranberry drink, commiserating about everything.
Yeah, we had some rough times ahead of us. Soon, we had to tear open the portal to Camelot, and go through to find my father. In doing so, I knew we’d be declaring war, but we’d need reinforcements. Four incubi, one—whatever the hell I was— of me, a wizard, and a group of witches did not exactly command an army, Excalibur or no. Hopefully the rebel army would be on board. But we’d deal with that tomorrow.
Tonight, was just about being normal. Well, as normal as a woman and four incubus boyfriends could be, anyway.
“This is great!” Summer sidled up next to me, bobbing her head gently to “Gangsta’s Paradise” that blared from the speakers. We clinked our plastic-cupped drinks together—hers was some sort of margarita—and smiled.
“Yeah, it is, isn’t it?” I said, nodding with satisfaction. The crowd wasn’t as busy as it normally would be since it was a weeknight, and these club-goers were older than the normal barely-legal crowd. There was no “twerking” and for that I was eternally grateful. After the past few days, being in a noisy club didn’t really stress me out anymore. I knew it could get much worse.
“Say,” Summer said. “I wanted to tell you we found a place in St. Michael. We can’t move in until October, but… we’ll be closer.”
I linked my arm with my best friend’s. “I’m glad. Really. I miss you, Tall Shit.” She grinned and gently nudged me with her curvaceous hip.
“I can’t wait to see this… isle. You have a grandmother and an aunt. Are they like your mom?” She wondered aloud.
I laughed sharply. “No, nothing alike.”
“That’s good. Is she—?”
“Well, she’s here. She’s being watched, but she hasn’t tried to leave or anything. I think she might feel bad, but I don’t know,” I said sullenly.
“Your…dad though.” Summer sighed slowly. “Man, I wish you didn’t have to go. Do you think it’s really going to come to war?”
“I do,” I said. She knew about Mordred’s warning, about Arthur amassing his army… all of it.
“When do you go?” She inquired.
“Not sure. We need time to prepare, and we’re waiting on Mordred’s instructions. Igraine said time moves slower over there, so we still have time to get my dad,” I replied, swirling the drink in my hand, watching the ice cubes bounce together in the garnet-colored liquid.
“It’ll be fine, babe.” Bash leaned over the bar to give me a quick kiss on the cheek. “We’ve made it this far, we’ll get it.”
I flashed him a grateful smile. “I know.” He gripped my hand quickly before turning back to his bartending duties.
“Hey, lassie,” a Scottish accent said beside me. “Can I talk to you for a minute?” He ex
changed a look with Summer and she waved at him in acknowledgment.
“Sure,” I said, glancing up into his flirty green eyes. He led me by the hand to an empty booth alongside of the dance floor, out of earshot of the rest of the guys.
Gorgeous as always, he was dressed pretty casually, jeans and a tight white tee, but still delectable and sensual. He slid into one of the seats next to me and continued to hold my hand. The nerves washing off him were tangible.
“What’s wrong?” I asked, concerned.
“I just… need to explain something,” he said. He stroked his jawline contemplatively with his thumb and fingers, scratching over his light, ginger colored beard.
“Well, what?”
“The reason I haven’t…” his accent started becoming thicker, and I knew he was becoming nervous. He sighed decisively. “Rhys was right before, I haven’t been able to say the words. Even though they are true.”
“I’m not sure what you mean.”
“Yes ye are. Look, Ava… I’ve never ever told another living soul that I love them. My daughter wasn’t old enough by the time I was cursed, and… my wife? It wasn’t love, just formality,” he said, chewing his lip nervously and drumming his fingers against the table top.
“It’s okay, Trystan. Really.” What else could I say? I wasn’t going to force the words out of him.
“No, it’s not. During that spell, I—” He shifted his body until he completely faced me. He pulled my hand into his chest, against his heart that beat rapidly. “I was scared. I’ve never been so scared, I wasn’t sure if we’d be getting you back. You or Sebastian. It was…” He trailed off, glancing away.
“Trys, really. I’m okay with it. You just take—” I began, until he pressed his fingers to my lips.
“No, it’s not. Ava, I do love you, but I’ve been afraid that if I say it, something bad would happen to you. The second I felt love for… well… my daughter and it took some time, being a father wasn’t something I was good at. Then.” His words hung heavy in the air and he eyed me carefully, gauging my reaction. “Being a father wasn’t something I was good at. Then.”, he had said.
Did he expect… or did he think about… babies? I swallowed thickly.
“Do you ever picture yourself wanting a family, Ava?” he asked carefully. This was the third time I’d heard this question now in just the same amount of days; I wasn’t sure what to think about that.
I shrugged. “I didn’t, but now…” My cheeks burned, and my heart shook under my ribs, swooping deep into my stomach. “Now, maybe it could be different. I don’t know how, but… in time, maybe.”
He grinned slowly. “In time. I just… needed to know if it was an option. Ye don’t have to know for sure, I just… feel better knowing maybe…” He laughed uncomfortably. “Och, the shite? Why can’t I talk about this?”
“I don’t know. Four pregnancies at least, though… that’s…” My eyes widened. “Oh fuck that’s…”
“Don’t think about that yet. Remember, Bash has a solution for everything, aye?” His grin was so wide it crinkled the skin around his eyes.
“Right. Maybe after all this… Arthur shit we will sit down and talk about it. Lay everything out there,” I suggested.
“Good plan. And, Ava?” He said, raising a brow.
“Hmm?”
“I do love you, I love you with all my heart. I’m sorry I didn’t say it until now,” he said solemnly.
“I know. I love you too,” I replied. He grinned and leaned in for a kiss; it was tender and sweet and when we parted I felt dizzy and breathless.
A cough from the side of the table indicated we weren’t alone. “Everything okay?” Mathias questioned, exchanging a look with Trystan.
“Aye,” he replied, and slid out of the booth. “I need a drink, luv. I’ll see ya in a bit.” He smiled at me before he started off towards the bar.
“So…” Mathias turned over his hand. My eyes roamed over the length of his body, my breath catching in my throat. He’d abandoned all business wear for a fitted jade green V-neck tee; tucked into blue jeans that hung low on his hips and belted with a black belt. Oh god, he was sexy. “Will you dance with me?”
I narrowed my eyes. “I thought you didn’t dance?”
“Eh, I’m trying new things.” He pointed up, indicating that the song had turned slow. “Will you?”
Intrigued, I slid my hand into his. “Okay...”
I was surprised when he pulled me into his body deftly, and easily swung me out. “You can dance, you ass!” I scolded him, with a wide grin.
He shrugged. “I don’t like to make the other guys look bad.” He gripped one hand out to the side and slid the other around my waist. I tried to wrap my free hand around his neck, but I couldn’t quite reach comfortably he was so tall and opted to place it on his thick chest instead. Oh darn the luck. It didn’t matter though, because after a few bars of swaying easily to Savage Garden’s “Truly Madly Deeply," I sank into his arms, feeling safe and secure, letting the music lull me into a trance.
“Hey.” He said, tipping my chin upward with his finger. “I need to give you something.”
“Oh?” I asked suspiciously, and he produced a small black box out of his pocket and set it in my hand.
“You… you didn’t…” I said wide eyed, the nervous butterflies flapping in my stomach, until I opened the box. Inside was a large, white diamond in a gold setting, attached to a golden snake chain necklace. “What is—why?”
Mathias took the box from me and eased the jewelry out, unclasping it and reaching around my neck, careful to not tangle into my hair. The diamond sparkled like a supernova in the swirling lights of the club and rested with a bit of a heft in the hollow of my collarbone. I opened my mouth to protest, but he shook his head. “It’s from all of us,” he said, nodding over his shoulder. Bash, Trystan, and Xander stood in a line not far away, grinning or waving gently. “We each chipped in,” he explained, and I was pretty sure my mouth fell open. It was the biggest “shiny” I’d ever seen.
“Goddammit you guys this is—”
“No.” He said forcefully. “It’s okay. You know me, I know people, and I got a deal.” He winked with exaggeration, and I chuckled. “It’s a promise. When you are ready—we can fit it into a ring. But only when you’re ready. And it will be from all of us—not just one or two. We won’t make you choose, it’s all or nothing, if you want.”
“I…” I fingered the large stone gently, clenching my lower lip between my teeth. “I don’t know what to say.”
“Don’t say anything, beautiful. Just enjoy it. After all we’ve dealt with… you deserve a little something,” he said, sliding his hand under my chin and bringing our lips together in a passionate kiss.
“But!” I protested, breaking away. “If it is from all of you, why did you give it to me?”
He laughed. “Because I did the dirty work, went to the jeweler, had it made and okayed it with your best friend. And they don’t know shit about diamonds.”
“That’s what you were doing when you went to get your hair cut by Summer. You jerk!” I kidded. But I crashed into him for a hug. I didn’t realize that I’d actually started crying a little into his shirt.
“Aw, lassie, don’t cry. It’s not that bad!” Trystan joked. I stood upright to playfully smack him.
“Thanks, you guys. Shit… I am so lucky,” I said, gently taking the stone into my hand, glancing at each of them in turn, emotion visible on all their handsome faces.
“So, you’re officially stuck with us forever,” Xander said, snaking his arm over my shoulders, brushing my hair down an arm with his fingers. His grin slid sideways with a hint of seduction.
“I hope that’s okay,” Bash said with a nervous laugh, leaning his face into my neck and trailing his nose gently along its length, wrapping his arms around my waist.
I laughed gently. “Yeah, yeah it’s okay.”
“I just hope ye don’t want a big wedding,” Trystan snarked, wi
th a grin.
I rolled my eyes. “Maybe…” I didn’t but I was going to torment him. He looked momentarily horrified.
Mathias grinned. “We’ll discuss it… later.”
“Right,” I said, smiling at each of them, as they all folded into me for an awkward hug; awkward only because there was so much of them, and so little of me. But, we made it work. Just like we’d made it work before…
…and we would then. Come Arthur or Camelot, war or peace… we’d make it.
We had to.
Coming soon…
To be CONCLUDED
In INVINCIBLE, CURSE OF AVALON #4
Author’s Notes
If you’ve read any of The Fated Saga books, you might recognize a couple of the characters mentioned, as well as a sly little mention of its main character. Lincoln Abrams or “Link” appears for the first time in Fated Hope, and Finnian is a huge fixture throughout the series. The lore regarding the dragon shifters is also part of that series, as both Avalon and Fated take place in the same world.
Part of the plot of Insatiable is an actual Minnesota legend: The Kensington Runestone. The facts given by Sebastian are basically correct; it was a stone tablet unearthed by a farmer in 1898, tangled in the roots of an Aspen tree. For the most part it was deemed a hoax, and generally forgotten as little more than a novelty.
But after time, people became curious again, and the Kensington Runestone was once again investigated and carbon-dated; there is little chance this could be a hoax concocted by the farmer. Now, what is it? Anyone’s guess, but there are many theories, including the one that it was brought here by the Knight’s Templar, via the same path Bash mentioned in the story, and possibly hidden or just plain forgotten, with time. The Knights Templar, as is known, are supposed to be a secret organization from the past, dedicated to preserving the Holy Grail.