by Meg Xuemei X
“We can’t get them all, doll. There are too many,” Max said, but he chased them out the window.
CHAPTER 20
_____________
The battle ended, and I wasn’t exactly happy that so many demons got away. I’d wanted to slay them all.
The women, all freed and dressed, gathered in the hall, staring down at the heaps of demon corpses. The floor was slippery with their black blood. Max, Ash, and I had demon blood all over us, and our own blood. Killian ignored everyone, since he was busy eating a horned demon.
Max led us down to the open courtyard to get a breath of slightly less foul air.
Amber and Liz turned out to be healers and insisted on taking care of me. I was on the brink of exhaustion, so I couldn’t be of use healing myself or others right now. A few women offered to help clean my mates’ wounds, but Ash and Max waved them away. They could regenerate fast, like me.
“What do you want me to do with this castle?” I asked the women. “It’s yours now.”
But I knew that the demons would return. Hadn’t the demon captain mentioned that Elijah and his legion would arrive in three days?
“Burn it,” Liz said. “Burn it all to the ground.”
“Burn it!” the petite girl agreed as she brought a pitcher of water for me and my mates.
“Burn it to hell!” the women shouted.
“And we’ll follow you anywhere, our queen,” Amber said.
It wouldn’t be practical for all of them to follow me to the Upper Realm. Our small group had to reach the portal before the demon legion came. But it wasn’t in my heart to leave them behind. I’d have to discuss the logistics later with my mates when we had more energy.
We’d have to vote.
The women dropped to their knees at Amber’s mention of “our queen,” despite the ground being tainted with demon blood.
“Girls,” I said. “What did I say about never kneeling again?”
Some of them laughed and some wept.
“We kneel only to Queen Calamity,” Amber said, and many shouted their agreement.
I sighed. It seemed I was stuck with the title of queen.
“Please rise,” I said. “Get going. I need you to take out some supplies, all that we can carry, before we burn this place down.”
The women cheered. Octavia and Amber effortlessly stepped into their roles and led the woman in carrying out their tasks.
When we had all the supplies we needed—medicine, food, and all the angelblades we took from the demons—we carried them across the drawbridge.
The women had poured gas all over the castle. They retreated to a safe distance, and only my mates and I remained on the bridge.
I turned to look at the women on the desert sand, and they raised their fists, tears streaming down their faces. They’d held on long enough, and now they’d see Desert Belle burn.
I returned my gaze to the castle and threw up my hands. Red lightning from the dregs of my magical well streaked across the air and ignited the fuel.
A vast wall of flame erupted from the stone castle and shot into the overcast sky.
Max, Ash, and I zoomed from the bridge toward the desert like three flashes. A moment later, the castle exploded, a sheet of flame engulfing the entire demon fort.
“You’ve done a good thing for all of them,” Max said. “You made a statement in the Underworld and sent a message by burning down a demon fortress. You’re an immortal queen in your blood, my Ayanna.”
“Every fucking brick and stone was soaked with innocent girls’ tears and blood for centuries,” I said. “This is only the beginning of the fall of the Underworld.”
“We need to get our mate to Atlantis as soon as possible,” Ash said, watching the fire redden half of the sky. “We can no longer delay.”
I bit my lip. “The demon captain said Elijah would lead a legion to hunt us.”
“Elijah is a cold, calculating bastard,” Max said, his fingers holding my chin as he peered into my blazing eyes. “He never does anything without a reason. But whatever he does, he’ll never hurt his own mate.”
What if the Underworld had affected him? It had turned all of the fallen angels into hideous demons. Would that be his fate, too? Ice formed in my bloodstream. I didn’t voice my fear to Max and Ash, afraid that if I did, the nightmare would become reality.
“What then?” I asked defiantly, my aching heart cracking a little. “We leave him behind?”
“He’ll catch up with us,” Ash said. “Worry about nothing, Blossom. We got this.”
Max and Ash had once sworn that they’d get me home even if they didn’t get out of this hell, but I made my own vow: I wouldn’t leave any of them behind.
I tore my gaze from the raging fire to my mates. Adoration, protection, and passion blazed in their eyes. I reached out to grasp each of their large, powerful hands.
“I’ve got you,” I said. “Thank you for coming for me.”
The mating fire between us ignited the air, and their male scents wrapped around me, singing in my veins.
Our mating bond flared, strengthening.
Ash’s and Max’s eyes brightened like starlight, their raw, primal need for me crashing through me, echoing mine.
When lust rampaged through me, hotter than the flames burning the sky, I wondered if I could survive this mating fever. Standing on the desert sand, I squeezed my thighs together, but I knew I wouldn’t be able to douse the fire.
Of Shadows and Fire 2: The Fall of the Underworld
Coming in 2019
Author’s Notes
Dear reader,
Thank you for reading this book. A lot of you want more stories in the First Witch universe, so now you have Of Shadows and Fire series. For those who haven’t read the Dragonian’s Witch yet, I’d love for you to turn the page and check out the excerpt.
<3 Meg
The Dragonian’s Witch
He abducts me to find his fated mate, unaware that I am she.
I am Freyja, the First Witch. I was born with a cruel curse: anyone I touch with my bare skin will die an agonizing death. That is, until a formidable, drop-dead gorgeous Dragonian prince invades my forest home.
The prince’s lust burns hot and bright for me, yet he resists, wanting his destined witch more. The oracle promises the witch will be his true queen and bring him the greatest kingdom on Earth. Knowing he’s the only man who can touch me, I crave his scorching caress. But I’ve sworn never to reveal that I am the witch. Not until he chooses me above her.
When the mating frenzy drives both of us to the brink of insanity, someone has to give, but it won’t be me.
SNEAK PEEK: THE DRAGONIAN’S WITCH
I wore the fine travel clothes Merlin gave me, the cloak covering half of my face, and gloves tight on my hands. If I toned down the aggressive grace I carried, I could pass as a regular human. Ares, however, was a completely different case.
It didn’t matter that he didn’t put on his sculpted armor, his size and powerful build already made him stand out, and the natural menace and raw energy rolling off him and saturating the air made it even worse. He looked handsome in his faded trousers, white shirt, and long trench coat.
His face was always feral and serious if not lustful. He never bothered to mellow it. But I doubted he could succeed if he tried. Even his smile left a predatory imprint.
No wonder the crowd gave him a wide berth, instinctively sensing a ravenous lion among the sheep.
“You’re like a lighted beacon,” I said. “You should just let Einarr go with me instead of drawing all the attention.”
“Complaining again, Freyja?” he asked, scowling at whoever glanced in our direction, and the humans averted their gazes hastily.
“See, no problem here,” he said. “No one’s bothering us.”
We passed one shop after another. The crowd thinned. Ares became impatient, which showed he was definitely not the type to go shopping with his female companions.
“What
’s wrong with those shops?” he asked.
“I don’t like their styles,” I said.
“They look fine,” he said. “We don’t have the whole day to fool around. If you don’t pick one in the next three minutes, I’ll drag you into a shop to get what you want and get out of here. I don’t give a rat’s ass about styles.”
“Because you have no style,” I said.
I soon spotted a quiet alley, which led to another busier market. It was odd that no one walked through this passage to the other end, as if it spelled more than just danger. We were strangers in this city, so we couldn’t know a cursed, forbidden place, and I wouldn’t care much. Danger could kick Ares’ ass, and I would walk away.
I strode into the alley.
“I knew this would happen,” I said. “You should have let Lucas come with me so you don’t need to keep nagging me on everything I do. Lucas is the opposite of you. He’s very amiable and pleasant to be around.”
“Since you mentioned the shifter,” Ares said acidly, “try not to mislead him.”
I blinked. “What? Mislead Lucas? How would I do that?”
“You tell me. I’ve been watching you two. You’re giving him the wrong ideas.”
“What kind of wrong ideas?” I asked, anger and curiosity both rising in me.
“You’re flirting with him every chance you get. If I didn’t tell him to back off, he’d have taken you as his mate, and that’ll be disastrous for all of us.”
“How will it be disastrous?” I asked in outrage. “And who is everyone? What’s the big deal with Lucas taking me as his future mate?”
I knew the mating thing would never happen between Lucas and me. Even if I wanted him, he would never be able to touch me and live. I just wanted to drive Ares mad. The humiliation from our encounter at Merlin’s cabin still clung to my heart and I wanted him to feel the same pain I was feeling.
“Because you can’t be his mate!”
“Why not? Who dictates that? Lucas and I are both adults and available. Whether, when, or where I fuck Lucas is no one’s business.”
“You want to fuck Lucas?” he asked incredulously and viciously.
I glared at him defiantly. “There’s nothing you can do about it.”
Red sparks glittered in his golden eyes. In his jealous rage, Ares lunged and grabbed my shoulders, shaking me hard. “You’ll not fuck anyone on my watch!”
He wouldn’t have me, yet he didn’t want anyone else to have me. This was the most selfish asshole I’d ever met!
I hissed. “Try me. I’ll fuck whoever I want.”
He roared in fury. “I’ve suffered enough of your attitude. I’m the future ruler of the great Dragonian race. No one has showed me such contempt, except you. But I won’t suffer yours either.”
He spun me around and almost slammed me to the stone wall. In a second, he had both of my wrists in his large hand and pinned them up over my head.
I didn’t struggle. I knew a predator always preferred a squirming prey.
Besides, I was curious to know what he was going to do to me next.
His hard body pressed against my back.
He threw down my hood and breathed into my hair; his strong aroused male scent enveloped me like a midnight net. I had no intention of escaping from it.
We both panted hard.
Even in his anger, he didn’t know how to punish me. His mouth lowered to the hollow of my shoulder blade and his lips assaulted my skin.
And just like that, my body was on fire. My eyelids lowered from the intense rush of lust. A moan of pleasure fled my parted lips. I arched my neck to the side to let him have a full access.
He didn’t waste it. His hot lips traced up along the column of my neck, the tip of his tongue hitting my every sensual spot. He branded his kisses on my skin with such hunger and passion that I believed I would combust.
I begged for more.
His erection prodded the curve of my ass, his heat, enticing and distracting, searing my skin through my pants. Gasping, I swayed my hips and propelled backwards to rub his groin.
My shame and anger became a distant memory and lust gripped me mercilessly.
Ares groaned and thrust his hardness toward me and grinded on me. I wanted his cock to be inside me. I desperately wanted it driving deep inside me to expel the twenty-two-years of empty ache.
Ares moved his hand to my front and slithered up my clothes, cupping my full breast and squeezing it hard. I threw my head back and leaned against his shoulder.
His lips wrapped around my earlobe and his teeth nipped it.
“What am I going to do with you?” he said hoarsely. “You set me on fire every second of the day like no other. The very sight of you tortures me. You constantly challenge my destiny. If I give up now, I’ll lose everything. I’ve never wanted anyone as I want you. I wonder if I’ll even feel this way for the First Witch when I finally meet her. Freyja, you’ve stolen something from me and I can’t get it back.”
“Then take something from me,” I whispered. “Take me. Just don’t think of the future for now. Moments are all we can have.”
His rough hand yanked my pants down to my knees.
We were in the alley; anyone could walk in on us, but I didn’t care. My body wanted him more than anything. It didn’t want to be denied again.
Ares let go of my wrists. He tweaked my nipple between the thumb and forefinger of his left hand; his other hand stroked my sex. I was wet and ready. I was at the peak of the liquid fire.
A deep, rumbling sound vibrated from his chest. His hand left my breast and pulled out his cock. Its silky, hot, and hard crown rubbed against the curve of my ass, then between my thighs. I could feel the moisture on the slit of his shaft.
I lifted a leg and pushed my hips backward toward him to let him enter me from either behind or sideways.
A hot steel rod nudged at my entrance.
I purred, swaying my ass impatiently. I wanted his cock now.
No more foreplay. I needed him inside me. His touch was the fire of drugs that had turned me into a junkie. I urgently needed to release the storm of sexual energy in me.
Ares stilled behind me.
“Just fuck me, Ares,” I hissed. “What are you waiting for?”
That only got him to pull away from me. His ragged breath told me how torn he was.
“I want to bury my cock deep inside you more than anything,” he said. “I want to fuck you like there’s no tomorrow. I want to make you mine.” He let out a string of cusses. “But I can’t do it.”
“You can’t?” I said roughly. “You’re as horny as I am. You’re rock hard.”
“I won’t,” he said. “I must be faithful to the First Witch.”
“You’ve already touched me. Your cock was inside me the other night. It felt good, didn’t it? So what’s the big deal? Just finish what we started. I’ve told you I wouldn’t say a thing. No one ever needs to know. Let’s just fuck this once and get it out of our system.”
With a growl, he aimed his cock between my folds again. Then with a long, explosive thrust, he drove deep inside me to the hilt. I cried in pain and extreme pleasure.
Liquid fire erupted from between my thighs and spread, lighting my every cell like wildfire.
I moaned and he groaned in intense pleasure. He drove hard and fast inside me, and I moved my hips back to meet his every powerful, delicious thrust.
Ares pinned my hips to stop my moving.
“If I finish this,” he said painfully, “I’ll fail her. You’re the fire in my blood. You called out the primal male need in me, but you aren’t her. This will be the last time I’ll ever touch you.”
He drew out of me.
The fire in me screamed, and an empty ache struck me like hail. I almost told him who I truly was to get him back inside me. I needed him to finish it. But I didn’t whisper a word. Even if I told him now that I was the witch, he wouldn’t believe me. He’d only disparage me for being willing to say and do anythi
ng to be screwed. He would brand me as an imposter and a liar before walking away.
“Damn you to the seventh hell, Darken!” I cursed, pulling my pants back up. I wheeled toward him in a blinding rage and kicked him in the calf, but to no avail. It was as if my foot rammed into hard marble. I snarled. If I had an angelic blade, I would have rammed it into his fucking heart.
The unquenchable, lustful fire kept burning in me, and there was no channel for it to vent out of.
Ares seemed no better. Agony, lust, and half-insanity brimmed in his now blood-shot eyes, yet his will and reason still won.
“Damn myself to the seventh hell,” he agreed and pulled further away from me. “Let’s get the things you need and get out of here.”
We kept our silence. I stormed toward the end of the alley, and he stayed a step or two behind me. I was sizzling. Ares looked like he wanted to destroy the world when I looked over my shoulder. I glared at him and gestured for him to keep the fuck up. I didn’t care for his self-inflicted and much-deserved torment, though I would pity anyone appearing in front of us now.
When we both exited, a vendor who was selling an assortment of weapons looked at us, face paling, as if seeing ghosts. I glanced at his booth and didn’t spot any angelic swords. They were extremely hard to get anyway and only valuable when fighting an Angel. There hadn’t been reports of Angel sightings for decades.
A few blocks away, I found the shop that fit my needs.
It was the largest, busiest clothing store in the area. Rows of hats were at the front, women’s tops and pants and dresses followed, and scarves and undergarments were all the way in the back.
I strolled in, grabbed two long dresses and a hat, and headed upstairs.
“Get what you need,” Ares advised. “I’ll pay, and then we go. We’ve been out for too long.”
“Whose fault was it?” I hissed.
“Fine,” he grated. “Take all the time you need.”
“I’ll get five pairs of boots,” I announced. “They wear out too quickly.”