by A. K. Koonce
A woman in just her bra and underwear passes behind Darrio, and she looks carelessly our way before looking back down the hall. Her head flings back up, her eyes growing wide with interest at the sight within the room.
I stand, my hand slipping around Darrio’s as I drag him inside and close the door swiftly behind him.
“You act like you’ve never seen two dicks in one place before.” I say it to annoy him. I haven’t had the opportunity to see something so amazing either, but it doesn’t stop me from taunting him.
His serious eyes fall to me and he rakes his attention down my body. The look he always gives me makes my heart race. I’m still not entirely sure I’m not a masochist. Darrio doesn’t look at me with desire. He looks at me like I disgust him and intrigue him all at once.
And for whatever reason it makes me smirk. It makes me want to get a rise out of him. It makes me want to give him a reason not to like me.
Or so I tell myself.
He licks his lips before looking away from me. A thundering sound accompanies his steps as he makes his way to the foot of the bed. With a hard thrust of his foot he bangs his boot against the bedframe, shaking it violently.
A wide stance fills his massive frame as he waits for them to flutter their pretty little eyes open.
Ryder actually pulls Daxdyn closer to him and buries his face into his neck.
Laughter rumbles through me, but I push it down out of fear of disturbing their intimate moment.
When the hard, straining length beneath Ryder’s thin boxers grinds against Daxdyn’s muscled thigh, I nearly clap with excitement.
Darrio doesn’t share one bit of my lust-filled enthusiasm.
If I had to guess, I’d say it’s probably the strength surrounding him that has Daxdyn raising his hands away from his friend’s smooth body. His hands are held above his head as if he’s surrendering. He looks around the tangled sheets to find Ryder pressed sexually against his side.
“What the fuck, man?” He shoves at Ryder’s arm that he was just caressing a moment ago.
Darrio looks back at me and the smallest smirk pulls at his full lips. That tingling feeling starts right back up in my stomach.
I practically roll my eyes at myself and my primal reaction to his attention.
Ryder’s blue eyes flutter open, and he raises his lashes to look up at Daxdyn before shoving harshly away from him.
And here I thought their friendship could withstand close proximity, morning hard-ons.
“You ladies about ready to leave?” Darrio asks them, his smile growing with each passing second.
“I was actually starting to call them Thing One and Thing Two,” I mention in a quiet tone. All eyes swing to me.
Laughter shakes through Darrio’s chest and the sound of it makes a proud smile form on my lips.
Today’s going to be a good day.
***
Ryder’s sea blue gaze lands on me once more. It’s the third time in twenty minutes. The soft cotton of his shirt brushes against my wrist as we walk. My fingers run through my long, dusty blonde hair, shading me from his suspicious glances.
What is he thinking?
A tired sigh slips from my lips. I’m almost done with this journey.
The sea is just up the bend. Dark, smoky clouds blanket the pale morning sky. I can almost taste the burnt smell of Juvar.
We’re close to it. Close to the Hopeless city as well, I suppose.
Daxdyn had asked me to come with them. Could I really do that? It seems … impossible.
All my adult life I’ve only ever been a thief. I’m not special. I’m just human.
“You weren’t born with the mark of the Hopeless?” I ask, tilting my head slightly toward Ryder.
His hands push into his pockets, bunching his wide shoulders together.
“No, I’m mixed; half fae, half human. My mother was apparently fae. Sometimes the fae blood lies dormant. I could have lived my whole life as a simple human. Sometimes it manifests. The power of my blood changed, marring my body with this scar.” He holds his arm out and I think about how similar his mark is to mine. “It’s just like scar tissue, but once you enter the Hopeless realm it darkens with power. Once a fae enters the Hopeless realm, their energy surges and their true power awakens. They aren’t truly fae until they enter the Hopeless realm.”
From behind us, Darrio and Daxdyn talk among themselves about the soldier we ran into. The one walking around with Darrio’s hand prints on his face now. The two of them chuckle and laugh about the ordeal. A smile pulls at my lips and I look back long enough for my eyes to meet Darrio’s light gaze. Quickly I look away before our easy comradery ends with him calling me a ‘fucking human’ again.
“The twins, they’re full blooded then?”
“Yeah, they were born into the Hopeless city. Their powers are a bit stronger than mine. They’ve had longer to train their abilities. But they took me in. Helped me understand what I was. I was never alone because of them.” I glance to him. His strong jaw is tilted down as he watches his boots skim across the dry grass.
My heart warms thinking of the three of them as a family.
I wish I had that.
“Shit. We’re here,” Daxdyn says, his chest brushing against my back as we all come to an abrupt stop.
It’s felt like an eternity has passed, but the black ocean that separates this safe land from the kingdom of Juvar is now right in front of me. The ocean would probably be beautiful if the sun could cast across it. Nothing but inky color shines within the depthless sea.
Dread sinks into me at just the sight of the drifting water. The waves crash against shore, pushing recklessly at it. An enormous ship is anchored at the coast. The ship makes my stomach sink even further.
Across the broad side of the glossy ship are the carefully written words The Noble Kingdom of Juvar.
It looks like a prison all on its own.
Two soldiers enter the only building in sight. The three fae make their way closer to that building, and my steps begin to slow. I fall back until I’m barely keeping up with them.
“Stay out here, we’ll make some arrangements,” Ryder tells me as all three of them enter the only building around for miles.
The building isn’t one I’d willingly step foot in anyway. Jagged pieces of what once were the windows hang from wide openings in the brick structure. Ash taints every inch of it, shadowing it with a burnt and decayed look.
I lean against the wall, letting the char stain my clothes. Dark clouds and pollution cover the sky, shutting out the sunlight and any sign of the good mood I possessed from earlier this morning.
Two men in pressed uniforms descend the ship. My heart thrashes at the sight of them walking my way. It only takes a second for me to make up my mind. Stealthily, I slip into the building.
The door swings open with a shuddering, screeching sound. I flinch from the noise. Then, I come face to face with Daxdyn.
His posture tenses at the sight of me.
“You shouldn’t be in here.” His warm palms shove against my shoulders but, with a simple turn, I slip away from him. He isn’t his brother. He doesn’t manhandle me like his brother. Realistically, I don’t believe Daxdyn has the aggression in him to wrestle me to the dirty floor over something he barely seems to care about.
He watches me with interest as I skim my index finger along a tall table. Dust clings to my fingertips. Opened cardboard boxes litter the floors and wooden table tops. Tattered envelopes of every size are scattered haphazardly in every corner. The letters USPS graces every one of the forgotten parcels.
“They told you to wait outside. If Darrio finds you here, he won’t be happy.”
I almost roll my eyes. Is Darrio ever really happy?
“Perhaps I’ll tell him his brother snuck me in.” I look up at him from beneath my long lashes. Firmly, my lips pull together.
His mouth opens with a slight smile. “Do you always have something terrible waiting on the tip of your
tongue to be said?”
At the mention of my tongue, he takes his time crossing the messy room. His fingers splay across the tabletop, an inch away from my own. The lean muscles of his chest are emphasized by his thin white shirt that’s stretched across it.
“It could just be that I’m a terrible person, Daxdyn.” The crooked smile on his lips causes me to breathe out his name on an uneven breath.
“I don’t believe that.” The warmth of his palm skims along my jaw as he carefully pushes back my long blonde hair. “You saved us from that tower. I thought I’d die up there, and you saved me.” A look of wonder gleams in his gray eyes.
The screeching of the door breaks the trance in an instant.
“Shit.” He shoves me by the back of my head until I’m crouched down. From below the table, past mounds of boxes and crinkled papers, I can barely see Darrio’s wide shoulders spanning the doorframe.
Why can’t I be in here? Because I’m a girl? Because they think they’re in charge? Or are they hiding the arrangements they are making here?
My teeth grind together just thinking about what their petty reasoning could be.
“What are you doing? We’re almost done already.”
Daxdyn tilts his head down and gives me a long, hard look before releasing his fingers from my hair and giving his brother a smooth smile.
“I think you were right, shouldn’t have ate that food at the whore house yesterday.” His palm runs over his stomach.
My eyes narrow on him.
He might be a better liar than I am.
I guess we’ll see.
Kneeling on the dusty floor at his feet, my fingertips push up his thigh. He tenses from my touch but never breaks eye contact with Darrio.
“You need a minute or what?” Darrio’s voice holds a hint of annoyance.
My palm pushes demandingly against the center of his jeans. Rough fabric and a noticeable hardness is all that can be felt. He shifts, his boots scuffing the tile. I rub more until the harsh sound of his voice clearing makes me smile.
With a quick flick of my wrist the zipper lowers with ease, and smooth skin meets my eager fingers.
My heart pounds, and I watch his face closely as I take him in my hand and begin to roll my wrist slowly up and then down.
I really am a terrible person.
“I—” Daxdyn murmurs before clasping his hands together. “I’m gonna need a minute.” The clipped words grind out.
Darrio curls his lips at his brother’s odd behavior. I lean into Daxdyn’s warm body, pulling at his hard length until his sensitive, smooth skin presses to my full lips. Daxdyn slowly lowers his eyes and shoots me a single, desperate look. Something similar to pain and worry fills his face.
Holding his beautiful gaze, I swipe my tongue across the tip. My lips wrap around him, and I lower them until his hardness hits the back of my throat.
He groans and leans his weight onto the table top, his hands still clasped as he hangs his head low. In a rushed movement, his fingers thread through the back of my hair. Faster, I move against him, my hands gripping his thighs as I hold him to me.
“I’ll be outside. You look like shit.” Darrio’s confused voice echoes through the small room.
Daxdyn’s teeth clench as he nods carelessly to his brother.
The moment the door screeches closed, Daxdyn leans back against the brick wall, his head tipping up to the ceiling. Tightly, his fingers grip my locks as he guides my mouth down his throbbing dick.
“Fuck.” The word’s a rasping whisper that makes my thighs clench together. I suck harder just as warmth slips across my tongue. Every muscle in his body tenses.
When I press a final kiss to his slick skin, he loosens his grip on my now tangled hair.
Slowly, his back slides down the concrete wall until we’re eye to eye. His hands still hold my head. Wide, gray eyes look at me with a mischievous glint in them. I swallow hard and my tongue slips out and licks across my bottom lip.
“You’re,” his thumb brushes the outline of my mouth, tingling energy right through me, “not at all what I thought you’d be.”
I want to reach out and touch him too; run my fingers up the smooth edge of his strong jaw.
But I don’t move an inch for fear the emotions in me will break and come falling out of my tightly closed heart.
As much as I don’t want to, I like Daxdyn. It’s a reckless feeling that shakes through me. It worries me. Caring about someone is dangerous. Caring about someone as careless as Daxdyn is asking for trouble.
The buckle of his jeans clasps once again as he zips up his pants. Then he takes my hand in his, spreading warmth through me from the weirdly intimate feel of his hand in mine. For once, I don’t object. I let him lead me from the room.
When we step foot outside, I keep my place directly behind him, hiding in his shadow from the guards that might be lurking.
We wait for only a moment before Darrio and Ryder join us. Their eyes fall to Daxdyn’s possessive hand on mine.
His fingers slip away from me and he doesn’t give me a second look.
“So?” Daxdyn asks as he raises his palms from his sides with impatience.
Darrio cocks a dark brow at his brother.
“So we leave at dawn. The guards inside said the ship is heading back to Juvar tomorrow morning.”
We.
He definitely means them.
“And I suppose, I’ll be taking my payment now.”
All three of them pin me with a look that makes me shift on my feet.
“We’ve never been to Juvar. Hell, the former prince himself hasn’t seen it in decades.” Darrio gestures to Ryder. “Take us to the gates and we’ll pay you.”
“She doesn’t have to do that,” Daxdyn says.
Is he defending me?
It feels odd to have someone stick up for me. It makes me … uncomfortable.
“We had a deal. I brought you to the shore. That is as far as I go.”
I certainly am not stepping foot on a Noble ship.
This is why I wasn’t allowed inside. They were arranging their departure with the enemy.
“He’s right, Kara. We need you.” Ryder’s pleading gaze only makes me angrier. “Come to the kingdom with us and I’ll pay you double.”
Anger burns rapidly through my tight chest.
“You don’t even know my fucking price.” The words seethe through clenched teeth. My fists shake at my sides.
I should have known better than to trust them. I need to go. Now. This is dangerous. They’re going to get me killed.
Or worse.
“Fine,” I grind out. My lips press so tightly together it hurts. I can’t look any of them in the eye. The dry dirt holds my attention.
“Fine?” Darrio repeats like a broken clock that can go fuck itself for all I care.
“Okay. We better make camp then,” Ryder says uneasily. His eyes bore into me but I refuse to look at him.
He’s a liar. They all are.
First thing tomorrow morning, they’ll be sailing away from me.
And I’ll never see them again.
Chapter Eleven
An Opportunity
With defiance, I glare up at the heavy moon. It looms wide in the sky, taking up too much of the beautiful, starry heavens.
Their snores lull softly around me.
A pleasing sound.
The feeling of achievement swirls within me, and I slowly stand. The thin blanket slips from my poised body, falling to the dirt without a sound. My gaze drifts over Darrio and Daxdyn. They lie on their sides facing the forest. Ryder lies closest to the small, fuming fire with his back to me as well.
I smile at them; at the sound of their tired breaths.
They’d be cute if I cared for them at all.
An indifference fills me as I shrug my shoulders at the thought and move away on soundless steps. My heart pounds as I skim through the shadows, away from the three men who I wish I could trust. I wish them nothing b
ut the best in life, really, I do—just without me in it.
The heaviness of the sword bumps against my thigh as I trail along the enormous waterfront. As if I’d risk my life to sail on a Nobel ship and cross these waters with men I barely know.
I can’t believe they believed me.
A smirk catches my lips as I roll my eyes at their pathetically naive minds.
Then he tackles me. For the second time since we’ve met.
The wind is knocked out of me as Darrio’s rigid body rushes mine. He grips my waist, strong arms holding me tightly. I shove against him, breathing hard as I push at his shoulders.
I stumble and he pulls me into him, his warmth surrounding me.
He does nothing but stare at me for a moment. Light shines against his beautiful eyes. My heart skips a beat from the unfiltered look he’s giving me.
Then my fist connects with his strong jaw and I slip out of his grasp.
His teeth clench together. He reaches for me once more but I push him off.
Warm hands brush around my hips and he tackles me to the ground. We fumble until we both fall into the cold water of the ocean.
“Oh, my Gods above!” I seethe, my shoulders hunching as a chill stings into my skin. “You asshole.” I shove against his slick arm once more.
He wastes no time as he lifts me from the sea, water dripping down my body as he throws me over his shoulder.
The way his fingers skim my flesh along my lower back sets me on fire.
I cannot believe he’s doing this.
“Darrio, put me down,” I demand in a weak whisper as we get closer to our camp.
“Why, so you can ditch us again?” His voice skips a little as my fists beat against his wide shoulders. “They trusted you. You’re nothing more than a selfish little brat.”
My lips curl at his description. Outrage burns through me.
I open my mouth to correct him but nothing comes out.
I come before anyone else. It’s been that way since I was sixteen. Me and me alone.
Selfish.
Yes.
“What did you expect?” I hiss.
He sits me down. My damp, pale hair clings to my jaw line.
His lips part just as I start to unbutton my pants. The line between his brows smooths as he follows my movements. Without hesitancy, I kick angrily out of my boots and shimmy out of the drenched jeans.