A shadow of deep sorrow passed over his usually stoic face. He parked the SUV and turned to me. “There’s a reason why Farkas and the Fae are after you. The order to bring you in came in as urgent from the highest level. I don’t know what makes you so special, but if there’s anything you guys can conjure up, now’s the time to do it.”
We looked at each other. I’d already suspected Callahan had no magical powers, but his words confirmed it. He’d just begged us to help him because he’d run out of ideas and wasn’t expecting his organization to be able to do anything, either. Which was scary on the one hand, but on the other, his trust in us was empowering.
“The ritual,” I muttered. Lance looked at me questioningly, but I shook my head. “Later.”
It didn’t take us long to settle in. Callahan showed us our rooms. The house was beautiful, both outside and inside. A turn-of-the-last-century Colonial Revival structure with white wood cladding, it boasted a large porch, an ornate entry door, and decorative moldings around the windows.
Dark hardwood flooring connected the rooms with their cream-colored walls. It would have been light and airy, had most of the windows not been nailed shut from the inside. Callahan shrugged and turned on the lights. “It’s a lovely house, but too many windows in case of an attack.”
The agent showed us upstairs and pointed at the doors off the massive landing. “Pick your rooms. Mine is the one next to the stairs.”
The rooms were largely identical with two beds each, except for the last one at the end of the hallway. It was by far the biggest of all the bedrooms. Its three double-windows were boarded up, and we didn’t see the furniture until I switched on the light. A California King dominated the room, with two Queen-sized beds on either side. There was plenty space for Lance, Kiernan, and me. Plus Slug could sleep with me.
Justin backed out, raising his hands. “I’ll be next to Callahan, as far away from you crazy kids as I can be.”
He grinned, taking the sting out of his words. I would have been offended, had he still been my teacher, but I’d stopped seeing him as an authority figure. He was Justin, the guy who’d helped us escape the Academy and nearly died with us. That kind of thing tended to bond people together. So I winked and closed the door in his face. He chuckled as he walked away down the landing.
When he was out of earshot, I turned to the guys. “He could be the fifth.”
Kiernan nearly gave himself whiplash as he spun toward me. “What?”
“We need the ritual, guys. You saw what happened with Farkas. She batted my energy ball aside as if it were nothing.”
“I don’t understand,” Lance interjected. “What ritual?”
I quickly filled him in while Kiernan tapped his foot impatiently, waiting for me to finish talking. “I agree, we’re not strong enough right now. But we’re still only four. Unless you’re into… you know…”
Kiernan gestured at Slug who was asleep on the huge bed.
“Yeah, no. Don’t even go there.” I grimaced before continuing, “But, and hear me out, we learned magic isn’t so much about the words or rituals. The rituals are meant to help us focus our powers, right? They’re not the key reason why magic works.”
Reluctantly, he agreed.
“So there’s the three of us, plus Macha, plus Justin. Even if Macha can’t take part, we can still give him affection and we know he loves us. He told me.”
They still looked at me dubiously.
“Come on, guys. We have no choice. She’ll find us, and next time, she’ll kill us. Is that how you want to go?”
My tone was becoming pleading, desperate. My heartbeat was ratcheting up, and my hands shook. Images of those dead men and women at Farkas’s feet streamed through my mind like a neverending horror movie. What they must have suffered. The agonized expression in the young man’s face when he realized he wouldn’t make it.
I didn’t realize I was crying until Kiernan and Lance hugged me tight and whispered reassurances. They laid me on the big bed, and stroked my hair. They held me, only shifting to allow Slug to join us.
The cat squeezed himself into the space between my neck and my shoulder. Then he licked the tears off my face which made me cry even harder. Because he was no longer Macha. He was just an animal, comforting his owner. I didn’t know how I knew, but the difference was obvious.
Eventually, I calmed down. Kiernan and Lance exchanged glances. Kiernan said, “We’ll do it if you think it’ll help.”
It was decided. We’d go ahead with the ritual from Denholm’s book with Justin and Slug.
26
Amber
"No." Justin crossed his arms over his chest. "I never slept with a student, and I'm not going to now. No disrespect," he added with a side glance at me.
"Come on," I insisted. "I'm not a student anymore, and this could save us all."
Again, he shook his head. "Not a chance. You admitted you don't even know if it works with having the cat in the ritual. Even if I agreed, you're still a man short."
There was no convincing him. He was obstinate, and I had to admit he wasn't wrong. But what choice did we have?
When I'd returned to our room, the guys looked at me expectantly.
"No go." I plunked myself down on the bed. Slug walked over to me, his tail high in the air. He turned around a few times, then stared at the ceiling and hissed. I followed his gaze, but saw nothing. Could it be? Was it possible Julian was still around, and Slug was reacting to him? I continued looking at the ceiling, wishing for some kind of sign.
"Come on," I murmured. "Are you there? Can you hear me?"
Maybe it was wishful thinking, but it seemed to me like the lamp moved. Just the slightest bit. But it was enough to re-energize me.
"We can still do this. I'm sure of it." I hopped off the bed. "The sooner the better."
Kiernan and Lance looked doubtful, but I knew what to say to get them on board. "Look. Even if it doesn't work, aren't we due a nice session? Or don't you want me anymore?"
I put on the poutiest pout I could. Kiernan took one look at my face and burst out laughing. "Making a frog face isn't that sexy, acushla."
I stuck my tongue out at him, because yeah, I was that mature. Kiernan took a flying leap and tackled me onto the bed. I oomphed as his big body drove the air out of my lungs. He blew raspberries under my chin until I dissolved into giggles. By the time we were done play-wrestling, I felt better. It was good to remember we were young enough to still have fun occasionally.
Lance opened the door. "I'll be telling Justin and Callahan to put in earplugs tonight. Do we need anything for the ritual?"
I rolled off the bed and grabbed my pants. In the back pocket, there were several handwritten pages I'd copied from the old book. Quickly scanning them, I said, "All we need is some chalk, or if we don't have that, some wax candles to draw out the pentagram. I'll need some basil, some sage, and some rosemary."
When Lance had returned with a white candle, a whole lot of tealights, and a selection of herb shakers from the kitchen, I briefed the guys on what was involved in the ritual. Then we got ready. Lance stripped naked and Kiernan followed suit.
"Wanna join us in the shower?" he asked.
"I'm not sure that's a good idea. The book says not to spill your seed before the ritual." I could feel my cheeks grow hot. Damn, would I ever stop blushing when talking about sex? Kiernan and Lance grinned at my discomfort.
"No problem, princess. We'll keep our hands to ourselves. Right, Kiernan?"
"At least until later anyway." His gaze turned heated as he looked me up and down.
My blush grew stronger as I waved them off. "I'll shower after you."
While the guys were getting clean, I laid out the crystals I’d brought with me. The green emerald for Kiernan, fire agate for Lance, the clear quartz to represent my lightning, and finally, the most beautiful, purple quartz for Julian.
I balanced each stone on my palm and closed my eyes, tuning into the crystals’ energy signat
ure. They felt right, but I was unsure about Macha’s. I’d picked the tiger’s eye because a tiger was a cat, and the red-brown, silky luster reminded me of Macha’s skin. In hindsight, my choice seemed silly since I didn’t know what Macha’s power was. Would it even make a difference, now that Macha was a cat again?
There was no point dwelling on this. We had to get a move on. I pushed the smaller beds to the side and pulled and tugged until the California King had slid away from the wall. When Kiernan and Lance returned, I was busy drawing a large pentagram on the floorboards with the white candle. It was barely visible, but it didn't have to be. Then I placed a tealight and a crystal on each of the five points. Then it was my turn to shower.
We were actually going to do this. My stomach flipped with nervousness. I’d never had a problem sleeping with Kiernan or Lance. The issue had always been Julian. And Slug was a total unknown. How could he even be included in this ritual?
When I'd asked Justin to join us, I'd been convinced it would be the easiest solution to have at least one more man in the group. But I'd been surprised by my relief when he'd declined. It had felt wrong. He wasn't one of us.
When I returned, Kiernan sat on the bed, wrapped in a towel. He was studying my notes and reading them aloud to Lance. "It says here we have to fuck each other. Like I do you, you do me, we both do Amber because, obviously, she's female and can't do us. Are you okay with that?"
I laughed at the way he condensed the complex, ancient instructions. “Sure. Fine by me.”
But Lance swallowed and grimaced. "I... I haven't actually... I mean...."
"But I thought you had boyfriends before?" I asked, surprised.
"Yeah, but that doesn't mean I've had anal sex."
My heart sank. It wasn't fair to force Lance into his first time like this. But before I could say anything, he continued, "Don’t get me wrong. I'll do it. I'm just nervous, I guess."
"Don't worry, petal. I'll treat you like a little flower." Kiernan’s shit-eating grin made me laugh.
"You're an asshole, Hennessy," Lance grumbled.
Kiernan chuckled. "Let's not fight over whose—"
"Oh, shut up, you two." I stuck my fingers into my ears. "This is going to be hard enough without you two being immature idiots."
Kiernan got up off the bed and pulled me into a hug. "Just releasing some tension," he whispered.
I clung to his neck until he kissed me. I opened up to his probing tongue, enjoying the taste and smell of him. Once I was breathing faster, he pulled back. "Wanna get started?"
"Yeah. Let me light the candles, and then we can talk about the details of the ritual."
I took the lighter Lance had found in the kitchen downstairs, and made sure each pentagram point had the correct crystal before setting the wicks alight.
When I was done, I turned off the main light. The small candles created an intimate atmosphere with swaying shadows. It was easy to imagine Julian being here with us. Slug was dozing again, and Kiernan pushed him to the middle of the large bed.
"There you go, Macha," he whispered.
Slug opened one eye and closed it again, without giving any sign of responding to his human name. Both men sat on the bed, waiting for instructions. They were seriously distracting. Kiernan's broad shoulders were sprinkled with freckles, whereas Lance was all sleek muscles under pale skin. His bald head added an air of sexy menace. They both had six-packs, and I knew what they were hiding under their towels. As I stared, Lance's cock twitched under its cover. I raised an eyebrow and smiled.
I had copied the positions from the book. I wasn't an artist and had used stick figures and arrows to remind myself which positions were required when. The last one, where four guys were supposed "to release their essences into the vessel" was the one I had the biggest problem with. But with only Kiernan and Lance to consider, I knew we would do just fine. A jolt of arousal hit me at the prospect of seeing the guys fuck each other.
I cleared my throat. "Right. Who of you wants to go first?"
Kiernan raised his hand. "Lance can do me. Don't forget I'm half-incubus. Once he's inside of me, he'll probably won't mind what I do to him afterward."
Jesus. I'd forgotten about Kiernan's heritage. My stomach flipped again, imagining what it would feel like when he unleashed his incubus nature. I tore off my pants and shirt so fast, I nearly brained myself on the bedframe as I lost my balance.
Kiernan caught me just in time. He pulled me on top and kissed me thoroughly. My head spun at the feeling of his furry chest against my nipples. At the same time, Lance ran his large hands down my back and squeezed my ass. I stretched like a cat under his ministrations, wriggling against the man under me. It was time for the Soul Weave ritual.
27
Julian
Lance stopped touching me, and paper rustled as he picked up the instructions. "So based on your notes, fire dominates earth, so I get to go first with Kiernan."
He peered at one paragraph. "Oh, and the guy on the bottom isn't allowed to come until he's on top."
This was gonna be good. I rubbed my lower body against Kiernan, just to feel his erection before he moved away. Then I scooted up in the bed, ready to enjoy the performance.
"Get under the cover, acushla. We don't want you to get cold," Kiernan said.
Lance sat on his heels, clutching the paper awkwardly. Compared to his usual, arrogant self, he seemed very unsure. His Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed, keeping his gaze on Kiernan who approached him with the ease of a predator. He grabbed Lance by the back of his neck, leaned in, and kissed him.
Holy hell. I'd never seen a kiss like that. Lance raised his arms as if he wanted to ward Kiernan off, but then he dropped his hands onto his lover's shoulders and held on for dear life. I couldn't see what Kiernan was doing, but Lance moaned deeply while his cock filled rapidly. By the time Kiernan pulled away, Lance's pupils were blown with lust. His chest rose and fell as if he’d been running, and his shaft was hard as iron.
Kiernan reached for the bag Lance had brought from downstairs. "I suppose you didn't find any lube?"
Lance shook his head, still dazed. "Callahan suggested olive oil might work."
Kiernan grimaced briefly. "It will, but next time, we're getting proper lube."
He opened the bottle and covered his fingers with the yellow-green liquid. Then he reached behind himself and did something I couldn't see. Lance's gaze was riveted, as he stared at Kiernan preparing himself.
"You've done this before."
"Duh. I'm half sex-demon. Plus I like having something up my arse.”
Under the cover, I rubbed my legs together while plucking on a nipple. This was beyond hot. According to the book, I wasn't supposed to come until I was filled by the members of the Quint, but oh, my God. This was so hot, I had to touch myself. My fingers found my clitoris, and I threw my head back with a gasp at the sensation.
Both men looked up at the noise. "You like that?" Kiernan asked hoarsely.
I nodded, and my Irish boyfriend grabbed his cock, giving it a quick squeeze. "You're not allowed to come, remember?"
"Yes," I whispered.
Kiernan leaned forward on one shoulder, reached behind with both hands, and pulled his cheeks apart. "Come on, Varga. Your turn. But go slow."
Lance looked unsure, maybe even a bit scared. But then he grabbed his sizable shaft and moved closer to Kiernan. I could see when he breached him. Kiernan grimaced briefly, and then his jaw dropped as he inhaled deeply. "Sheeeet," he moaned on the exhale.
Lance gasped. "You're so tight. I can't... oh my God..."
I had to force myself to move my hand away from my clit. At this rate, I wouldn't hold out. This was the hottest thing I'd ever seen. My nipples were so hard, they were about to poke through the cover.
Lance gave a tentative thrust. Kiernan's eyes rolled back. "Again. Harder."
Lance pulled back and slid back in again. And again. And again. Faster and harder every time. Kiernan made punched-out noises, ga
sping every time Lance bottomed out. Soon, the room was alive with the sounds of Lance's balls slapping against Kiernan's taint. Kiernan's cock smacked against his belly with every stroke. His arm muscles bunched when he was shoved forward, and his legs contracted when he pushed back.
Lance's eyes were closed, and his skin was shining with moisture. The smell of their sweat permeated the air. And there was something else. A familiar scent of damp moss and earth, but much stronger than should have been possible. I didn’t know whether it was the ritual making Kiernan's scent much stronger than it should have been. Or maybe it was his incubus nature that pushed forth pheromones.
But the effect was dramatic. Lance went wild, fucking Kiernan hard and without holding back. When the scent reached me, I fell back against the mattress without taking my eyes off my two boyfriends. My clit was pulsing, ready to burst without me touching it. My whole body was sensitized, and I felt my mind detach itself, floating on waves of green and blue.
And that's when somebody brushed against my skin. A cool hand glided down my legs, pressing into my muscles, distracting me from my impending orgasm. "Don't come yet, sweetheart."
I froze when I recognized Julian's voice. I couldn't see him, but he was here. His hands were real, and as I looked at my legs, the skin indented where I felt his fingers. The touch pulled me back from the brink.
"Keep watching the boys." Julian massaged my feet, digging his fingertips into the tiny muscles around my ankles.
"How are you here?" I whispered urgently.
"I'll explain later. Let them carry on. This ritual is important."
I shut up, but couldn't suppress my gasps as a cool touch crept up my legs to my center.
The head of Kiernan's cock was purple, and his chest was flushed red. He had to be close. Lance groaned with every thrust, speeding up his movements even more. Then he pulled hard on Kiernan's hips, impaling him on his cock. He threw his head back and roared. Kiernan squeezed the top of his cock, grimacing as if in pain. "I want to come so badly. This is fucking torture."
Second Chance Heat, a reverse harem magical academy HEA paranormal romance: Book Four of the Second Chance Academy Series Page 15