"What I feel," Sleipnir's breath was hot across my cheek, as we pressed together in a circle, "is that some asshole rock has us trapped, when it should be helping us travel through to the Court of the Gold Dragons.”
“It’s a sad thing that you can’t trust anyone nowadays,” Bask smirked, “not even bad bastard Gateways.”
My magic trailed out of me in glowing roots, lighting the inside of the ruins. I shivered at the connection to the cold stone floor and walls, as it climbed like brambles across all that remained of my ancestor’s home.
I’d never been more grateful that I’d been trapped in Hecate’s Tree with Flair and Echo. Had she had a familiar as well? Her magic wailed through my mind. Juni had warned me before that I’d been wrong to believe only bad boys had been imprisoned here.
Why did I keep forgetting that all of us alike were caught in the academy?
By the light of my glowing brambles, I glanced around at the Immortals. “Even if we travel through the Gateway on our mission, we become kidnappers, stealing the dragon archduke’s freedom.”
“His name’s Marcus,” Fox murmured.
I reached up to the metal collar that was twisted in the shape of crows’ feathers, which hung from my black pearl necklace. Its wretched magic called to mine, yet it poisoned me every moment that I carried it.
The unnatural collar was cursed, and I had to force it around a shifter’s neck.
I clutched the sparkling bag that Professor Ambrose, the Seelie fae, had tied around my neck. The bag contained a Sleeping Charm that Ambrose had made. Next to the witches’ collar, it felt natural and safe.
Yet, appearances were awfully deceptive.
Sleipnir noticed the way that my fingers caressed the charm. “If the Gateway ever stops being a dick, then it’ll transport us straight to Marcus. You crush the bag, he’ll fall asleep, then someone else will have to buckle the collar on, before we bring him back because being a kidnapper is kind of about being stealthy…”
When Sleipnir reached for the collar with a grimace, however, Bask batted him away, which was like a kitten pawing at a lion.
Yet Bask’s expression was fierce. “Away with you, like I don’t know how caging the shifter who you set free would hurt you. I’ll collar the dragon.” He slipped his fingers across the collar, and I shook as the searing weight was removed from me. He unhooked it from my choker and slid it into his blazer pocket. “I’ve already done a lot of bad things.” His intense gaze met Sleipnir’s. “But I won’t let this academy ruin you.”
“And what about Marcus?” Fox said, deliberately emphasizing the archduke’s name. “So, he’ll just go to sleepy byes in his Land of the Dragons and then wake up whipped and…”
“Ambrose swore that he wouldn’t punish him for escaping,” I said.
Sleipnir snorted.
“You’re truly not helping. I believed him because as much as he pretends to be a…”
“Hardass?” Sleipnir suggested.
I tilted my head. “Whereas in fact his behind is quite soft. The fae listens to songs about snowmen with his son and protects him above all else, as well as risking punishment by granting me this illegal Sleep Charm to try to save our lives.” The memory of Fox’s still face and broken body in the snow choked off my words. “Did you forget that if we fail, then you shall be executed, my sweet mage? Do not tell me that I’ve yet to convince you that your life has worth?”
Fox’s expression was thoughtful. “I’m convinced, but just not that my life’s worth more than any other shifter’s.”
“When we break open the wards on this academy, all the dragons will be freed.” I gripped Fox’s curls like that would stop him escaping or sacrificing himself.
“I don’t trust our furry assed lover not do something…noble.” Sleipnir narrowed his eyes at Fox.
Fox glanced between us, alarmed. “Ehm, why did that sound like an insult? If it balances things out, I’m pretty certain that I have the makings of a brilliant villain, since I have the tragic backstory, criminal powers, and epic sounding name.”
“You’re not to become a villain,” Bask ordered.
Fox grinned. “You never let me have any fun.”
“Huh, well how about this, why don’t you have fun as a hedgehog?” Sleipnir drawled.
Ah, that must be shifter fun.
Fox blinked. “Cheers for the offer, but Mr. Fierce doesn’t want to come out and play right now. I’ve never heard of prickle kink…okay, it’s one of the more unusual furries…”
Sleipnir wrenched Fox away from me, clutching him by his neck. “Honestly, since I don’t trust you to understand why we all…value you…you’ll be riding along as an observer. On the name of the Valkyries, it’s only your first mission. I won’t risk losing another Immortal.” Bask’s pained gaze met his, then he shifted, awkwardly. “You lying unmoving in the snow was like a premonition. Now get your hedgehogy arse out here because I’m feeling possessive…”
That was as close to I love you as Sleipnir got.
Ah, our Romeo.
Fox laughed. “Who am I to prickle shame? Mr. Fierce at your service.”
With a pop of glitter, Fox transformed into an albino hedgehog with ghost white prickles and red eyes. I forced myself not to coo. He tried to curl into a ball, but Sleipnir swung him into his blazer pocket.
When Fox’s little paws and whiffling nose poked over the pocket, however, I gave up and cooed anyway.
Was that his new power: cuteness?
Possibly, I shouldn’t ask him that.
Unexpectedly, the Gateway crashed against the entranceway. The ruins were lit a hellish crimson. I recoiled, as it bellowed.
Its magic was calling to mine.
Could the others feel the stinging darkness, singing through their blood?
Bang, bang, bang.
The Gateway slammed itself again and again like it’d crush us, if it could only reach us. Except, we were safe within the blessed sanctuary.
Yet the Gateway thirsted for my blood, and the joining of our magic. Its roar echoed through me, and the infinite number of realms yawned.
Such power…
I stumbled towards the Gateway, smacking my hand against the rock. Its sharp nose cut me, and my blood melded with the stone.
The Gateway screeched victory.
Shouts behind me… My Immortals clutching at my shoulder…
Then my Immortals and I were dragged inside the Gateway and torn to burning pieces.
Chapter Three
Rebel Academy, Friday September 6th
FOX
Traveling through the Gateway felt much like becoming a cooked hedgehog.
Mage's balls, that tickled. If tickling meant doses of electricity frying me from the inside, at the same time as my insides were torn to teensy weensy pieces.
It was the type of tickling that I'd have imagined the kinky witches inventing as a cruel method to travel through realms. Except, they'd stolen this technology from the angels.
Wow, angels were dicks.
Yet right now, I felt like one too because my lovers and me were on our way to kidnap the dragon who'd shown me on my first night in the academy that shifters could be more than monsters. I'd been brought up to hate my shimage heritage, but Marcus' gentle beauty had shown me that I didn't need to fear transforming.