The sun was blazing in the sky the next morning when we found ourselves standing on the outer wall of the outpost. I brushed my hand over the stone of the parapet, using a nail to pick at a loose stone.
"From what we have gathered from the remaining soldiers, no one saw them coming." Felix summarized from where he was leaning against the parapet beside me.
"No. There was no sign, no warning. It was the dead of night, and they appeared as if from the shadows." Commander Adrel said from behind me, his gaze focused on the soldiers training in the courtyard below.
"No Fae has the power to manipulate shadows; it has never been documented in our entire history." Jasmine commented, fiddling with one of the bows that was resting against a wall by the stairs that led onto the wall walk.
"I'm well aware, which is why I said it appeared that way." The commander snapped, and a low growl escaped my throat in response to the way he spoke to my second. The commander seemed to stiffen behind me. I didn't have to look at him to know he was glancing at me over his shoulder. "Either way. They caught us off guard." His tone shifted slightly, as if he was correcting his attitude.
"I went out earlier to scout the surrounding areas. No sign of footprints or carts that could have possibly hauled the crates away." I added, and the commander sighed.
"We did the same but found nothing."
A hollow feeling settled in my gut. What could possibly appear and disappear without a trace? No human or fae possessed that kind of power. Was it something entirely different? No, that's impossible. Although we lack some knowledge of fae from other continents, there has never been any recorded evidence of such powerful beings. A low rumble from the earth drew me from my thoughts, and Felix quickly straightened himself as Matthew and Jasmine rushed to my side.
"Fuck." Jasmine ground out and quickly reached for the blade strapped across her back. "They're early." The ground a few paces ahead of the front gate shuddered and tore apart as three massive scorpions crawled out of the hole forming in the earth. The black exoskeleton immediately caught my attention—the scars on the bone, the glint in the silver eyes. Tomas. My day just went from alright to royally fucked. It was barely 8 a.m., but the Desert Fae could burrow underground and travel along it with ease, cutting their journey shorter by a few hours. The scorpions hissed as a way of greeting the guards by the broken gate. A few lesser fae were already busy hammering the bent metal back to its original state. The ground that had split open a second ago slowly began to fix itself until it was back to its original state, courtesy of the lordling's power. One step, and the arachnids gave way to two large fae males and one rather dainty female. Tomas is in the middle as always. The male's onyx black hair was styled in short curls with a low drop fade down the sides. His silver eyes met mine before the guards in front of him or Commander Adrel, who now stood beside Felix, eyeing the Desert Fae with cool indifference. A slow, curved grin tugged at the corners of the male's lips, causing my blood to boil within seconds, the scar along his cheek curving to the side. The morning sun danced along his dark brown skin, contrasting against the pale scar adorning his face.
"Sylvia." Tomas mused. Gods, I hate it when he says my name. Like a promise. Like a threat. Before I could stop myself, I vaulted over the parapet, facing an easy 30-foot drop. My boots hit the ground with a loud thud, and a prickle of pain shot up my legs as my bones rattled from the impact.
"Tomas." I ground out, putting as much venom to the word as possible. The guard beside me took a quiet step away from me in the process.
"How I've missed your beautiful face." The lordling drawled sweet words, but nothing but loathing laced them.
"Lord Tomas." Commander Adrel said from the wall, but Tomas didn't even glance in his direction. Not while our eyes bore into each other like a silent promise, a silent threat. "You're early." The commander tried again, and this time Tomas tore his gaze from mine to nod his greeting to the commander.
"I heard the mutts would be here, so we wasted no time." Tomas answered, another shit eating grin tugging at his lips. I took one step towards the male and strong, calloused hands gripped my elbow. I don't know when the others joined me, but I tore my gaze away to look at Felix beside me. He was flanked by Jasmine and Matthew now, both baring their teeth in silent snarls at the lordling. Felix narrowed his eyes at me in a silent plea to let it go, but my ears started to ring, and my blood felt too hot for my veins. I want to tear this arrogant bastard to shreds. He cocked his head to the side. Please. His eyes conveyed the message, so I stepped aside, allowing the lordling to enter the courtyard. I watched Tomas take each step, each annoyingly graceful one, until he came to a stop beside me. His silver eyes bore into mine. "How are the humans? Still worshipping you?" I didn't answer. I didn't trust myself to say anything; otherwise, I might just rip out his throat with my teeth. So I grinned, flashing my fangs in the process. Fangs no one but I possessed. A weapon I have honed over the years from living on the streets. Fangs that have torn into his skin before, coated with his blood. The lordling narrowed his eyes at me before walking through the gate. The hand on my elbow tightened, as if Felix was struggling to control his own anger.
"Fucking arachnid." Jasmine whispered beside me, her hand white-knuckling the hilt of her blade. I just watched as the female beside the Lord glanced at me over her shoulder, clad in her own shit eating grin before she linked her arm with Tomas's. Girlfriend? Or whore? The female's strawberry blonde hair was braided over her shoulder, and her hips swayed with each step.
"He'll get bored of you too, bitch. He always gets bored after a few weeks. Don't think you're special." I mused, not fighting the grin, and the female's brown eyes narrowed in on me. Felix just shot her a vulgar gesture before she turned her attention to Commander Adrel, who was now waiting for them in the courtyard.
"Let's go." Felix stated as he looked at me again, his eyes scanning my face as if he could see the simmering anger beneath my skin. I nodded, but my gaze still lingered on the lordling's back as we began to move. Only when my boots hit the soft grass did I finally look away. I didn't trust myself to shift until I could no longer smell the earthy scent of the lordling, the faint hint of acidic vapor that lingered in between from the poison in his scorpion tail. I didn't trust myself not to run back and sink my claws and fangs into the male's back and neck.
╭──╯ . . . . . . . . . . ╰──╮
We didn't speak until we crossed the Vicepath canal and made camp in one of the abandoned human towns along the main road. The sun had already set by the time we found a spot to set up camp inside one of the rundown buildings. It had no roof, no doors, no windows. Just four walls, on the verge of crumbling to pieces. The second I shifted, rage flooded my veins. One second I was walking, the next my fist slammed into one of the walls. Stone broke from stone, cracks spiderwebbing along the wall, and a faint sound of bones shattering filled the night air. I barely felt it. A light throbbing pain reverberated along my arm as my fingers broke from the impact. I hissed air in through gritted teeth before removing my fist from the wall. A few chunks of the wall broke off, landing on the ground with a thud at my feet.
"Dammit, Syl." Felix sighed. I ignored him, waving my unbroken hand, and the supplies appeared at his feet. Jasmine and Matthew quickly started setting up camp as I flexed my broken hand. A few glimpses of the bone shining bright against the tanned skin of my hand, and a few heartbeats passed as the bone, skin, and flesh started to mend itself. It will take about an hour. I've learned how long certain healing processes take over the years. I've broken bones more times than I can count. Some took three hours to heal, some even longer, but mending a hand usually takes an hour at most. The heat from Felix's body radiated beside me as his hand brushed a few dirt-coated red strands of hair from my shoulder. "You shouldn't let him get to you like that." His voice was just above a whisper, and his touch was delicate and caring. Another reason we could never be together. He was too calm to be thrown into the storm and chaos of who I was. His fingers brushed against the nape of my neck, causing goosebumps to rise in response to the gentle touch, and I quickly slapped his hand away.
"I'm fine." I ground out, still staring at the mark my fist left on the already crumbling wall. His gaze lingered on my face for another second before he turned around to help the others.
Other than the handful of squatters inside the abandoned town, the night was quiet. No bandits, no bloodshed. We were up and moving again before dawn. Sleep did little to extinguish my annoyance, but at least I didn't feel like ripping into the first person to look at me the wrong way. By the time we reached Greenhollow, it was night again. A few scouts greeted us with welcoming howls once we entered the Westpond forest. Once we reached the training grounds, we all split up without a word, each eager to get home. The moment I arrived at my house, I found myself sinking into that familiar old bean bag. The anger from the day before was gone, but I wasn't tired, and a small sense of guilt settled in my gut. Gods, I hated that feeling, one of the few things I learned from Jasper. Before I came here, I only ever felt rage, indifference, and emptiness. He taught me what happiness, guilt, and family love felt like. I snapped at Felix and haven't spoken to our seconds ever since we left Cloudwing Base. I should apologize.
After taking a quick, boiling hot shower, I dressed in a pair of black jeans and a green t-shirt before putting on my usual black, leather jacket. Within minutes, I was knocking on Jasmine's door. She lived two blocks away from me in a one-bedroom apartment. It wasn't lavish or expensive, even though she inherited a lot of money from her parents when they died almost 50 years ago. They were traveling back from the Ocean clan where they attended her aunt's wedding. Jasmine had stayed behind to look after her younger, adopted brother, who now lived in the capital, when they were attacked by bandits. The Ten Knives. Both of her parents were well over 700 years old, but neither of them were warriors. Her mother was a seamstress, and her father was a baker. They never learned to fight in their wolf form and were slaughtered that day. For that reason, Jasmine decided to start training and excelled through the ranks until she became my second. It took her five minutes to open the door, dressed in a lacy nightgown.
"Syl? Are you okay?" Worry flashed through her eyes, and I chuckled, shoving my hands into my jacket's pockets.
"Better now. You know I can see your nipples through that, right?" I teased, and she grinned in response.
"Want me to take it off?" She mused, pulling at the thin strap on her shoulder, and I rolled my eyes.
"I've seen you naked more than once before." I countered. It's true. I won't deny that I've explored every inch of her lean body on numerous occasions in the past. Nor that she's done the same to me. We're animals down to our core, which means we have the sex drive of one as well, but that's all it was. Sex. I eyed the thin lace of her gown once more before smiling. "I came to say I'm sorry. I shouldn't have ignored you after seeing Tomas." I mumbled the "I'm sorry" part. It's not the easiest words for me to say, but she simply shrugged and took a step out of the doorway to let me in.
"I know you by now. When you get like that, I just give you some space. You don't have to apologize." She said as I slipped through the door, having to duck my head slightly to avoid hitting it on the doorframe. I've told her multiple times that I'll pay to replace the old, stained wooden front door that could barely lock due to swelling over the years, but she outright refused me every time. She liked the way it looked. A reminder of how old the town truly was. Most Fae were around 5 feet 7 inches, much like Jasmine, but being 6 feet tall myself made it hard to fit through the front doors of old buildings.
"I do. Tomas rubs me in all the wrong ways and I shouldn't take it out on you." I mused, eyeing the living room just beyond the door. A large, plush, brown couch sat in the middle of the room, angled towards a stone hearth with a dark grey rug laid out in front of it. A small archway led to the kitchen on the left, showcasing new and expensive appliances. In the far right corner, there was a stunning oak dining table large enough to seat three people. A short hallway was situated between the two rooms, leading to a medium-sized bedroom and a bathroom. From here, I could see the open bedroom door with the canopy bed, adorned with black curtains along the wooden frame and matching bedding. We broke her first one. I had her gripping the post so tightly that it shattered, causing the entire canopy to fall on top of us. So I replaced it for her the next day. The look on Jasper's face when I asked for the money to buy it was priceless; even Ariel blushed in the deepest crimson I've ever seen. Reece found it hilarious and bombarded me with questions about how I pulled that off. It pulled a smile to my lips, and Jasmine snickered beside me, knowing full well what I was thinking about.
"Would you like some coffee?" She asked, still snickering, and I met her blue eyes.
"I still have to go apologize to the others, but why don't you get dressed and we go out for a drink? I'll see if I can get the boys to join us." She gave me a brief nod before heading to her room. I watched her for a few seconds. The gown was short enough to brush just below her ass and she gave me a teasing smile over her shoulder before closing her bedroom door. I let myself out, closing the front door behind me.
I made my rounds of apologies, but it went about the same. They weren't bothered and felt that I didn't need to apologize, but they appreciated it. About an hour later, the four of us made our way to Brackenridge. It was nearly midnight when we sat down in our usual booth at the Moonshine Lounge, the only place that stayed open until dawn. The building was of a decent size, with two levels. The floor level was a typical bar, featuring booths and tables for seating. The floor was constructed of hardwood, with wood-paneled walls and a bar along the far wall. A few humans sat at the bar on old metal barstools, while the stairs leading to the second floor were on the far right wall of the space. Worn and rundown with age, the railing had a few broken balusters, and the handrail was half the size it used to be due to drunk people clinging to it on their way up or down. A large metal door sat at the top of the stairs leading to the second floor. The second floor was where the DJ played, and people danced to their hearts' content. The floor was tiled with a checker pattern of brown and black tiles, while the walls were covered in soundproof foam to muffle the sound enough not disturb the neighborhood. A single pillar stood in the middle of the dance floor to provide support when people started jumping to the beat of certain songs. Our nights typically began downstairs, where we consumed a gross amount of alcohol just to get the buzz going before heading upstairs. With our fae metabolism, it was hard to get drunk, and we quickly sobered up if we didn't keep drinking. As a result, our tab is normally quite heavy, but over the years, we had gotten to know the owner quite well. A human. One who still worshipped our kind, so some nights we didn't even have to pay. He was too honored to have us frequent his bar since it drew in a massive amount of clientele. Eager humans that want to catch a glimpse of the fae who protected them all those years ago. The owner, Chris Wheeler, was also the one who supplied me with SwiftRA on the nights when alcohol wasn't enough. The pendant light above our booth flickered once, twice, and started to emit a buzzing sound, blending with the murmur of the humans around the bar.
"We should have Chris fix that sometime." Matthew mused, gazing at the dull yellow light above us.
"Nah, it gives the place character." Jasmine mused, taking a long drink of her beer.
"Only you would say that." Felix teased, and she gave him a pointed look.
"Why's that?"
"You live in one of the oldest buildings in Greenhollow by choice. You might as well be an old lady working in a library, complaining about the young people who don't respect the old books." Felix said as he shot her a playful grin, and I bit my lip to keep my laughter at bay.
"At least I don't pine after my commander like a lovesick puppy." Jasmine shot a narrowed gaze at him, but he only smiled.
"Have you seen our commander? Cernunnos only knows how much I'd give for a second of her time." I rolled my eyes at the shameless flirt across from me before downing my drink. I'll need a lot more to get through this night.
"Hey, Chris." I shouted, glancing over my shoulder at the owner behind the bar, and lifted my empty jug into the air. The man nodded once, and I shot him a bright smile before turning back to my friends. Felix downed his drink as well, always keeping pace with me.
"Is this going to be one of those nights where we stumble out of here?" Matthew asked, taking a long drink.
"That's the plan. I need some solace after the last few days." I answered as the waitress appeared with four fresh mugs.
"Well, fuck. I'm behind then." Jasmine added, downing her drink.
"Hey, Lizzy." Matthew drawled. The waitress was no more than 23, our regular server for the past two years when we visit this place. She was a curvy brunette with round, brown eyes. Matthew has taken her home once or twice before, and she always went eagerly.
"Hey, Mat. I'm glad to see you guys again." She was one of the few humans who didn't address us as Lord or Lady, one of the things that made us like her more.
"How've you been, Liz?" Jasmine mused, taking her new mug from the tray Lizzy placed on our table and replacing it with her empty one before doing the same with mine.
"I'm doing alright. Dad's better." She gave us a small smile, but I could hear her heart flutter at the mention of her father. The old man was sick the last time we were here, with the flu or something. Liz couldn't afford the medicine her dad needed, so we gave her an extra-large tip that night. Her mom passed away years ago due to cancer, so her dad was all she had left. "Thank you, guys, again. You honestly saved his life." I met the girl's bright brown eyes and waved my hand in dismissal of the thanks.
"It's the least we could do; you always take great care of us when we're here." I added, brushing my hand over her elbow, and a blush peaked on her pale cheeks. She smiled before pointing to Matthew's still half-full mug.
"You're behind, Mat." The male rolled his eyes dramatically before finishing the drink and handing her the now empty mug. She replaced their drinks with new ones and started back towards the bar. As she walked away, she shouted over her shoulder, "Shout if you need anything else."
"Now that's a girl worthy of ruining a thousand-year High Fae bloodline." Matthew mused, and Jasmine nudged his shoulder.
"You'll watch her die of old age, nitwit. It's not worth it." Jasmine countered, and he shrugged.
"I'll have at least a good 60 years with her." This time, we all shook our heads at him. "What? A male can dream." Matthew sighed into his mug before taking a sip of his fresh drink.
We spent the next two hours drinking beer after beer and didn't stop until a satisfying buzz settled in our minds, washing away the experience from Cloudwing Base. We slid out of the booth seat one by one. Matthew nearly tumbled out of his seat, and Jasmine grabbed him before he could faceplant on the wooden floor. I watched from the foot of the stairs with Felix as Jasmine linked arms with the male and chuckled as they bumped into the corner of an empty table. A heavy arm draped over my shoulders as we all made our way upstairs. Felix had one hand on the wall the entire way, while I used the railing for support on the way up. The metal door creaked as Felix shouldered it open, allowing us to enter first. Music blasted from large speakers in the far corner of the room, while the smell of sweat and alcohol lingered in the space, emanating from the crowd of people jumping and dancing to the beat. The room was much hotter than the open bar below, with the music drowning out any thoughts that dared to break through the alcohol haze. I could feel the vibrations in the tiled floor, swimming up my legs, my hips, and my arms. A blissful symphony able to rock your body into new realms of ecstasy. A small bar stood just beside the door for those in need of refreshments between songs. There was currently loud, head-banging music playing with bass guitars and someone hammering on the drums in the background.
"Come on, Syl!" Jasmine shouted over the ear-twitching music, grabbing my hand as she ran past me, pulling me onto the dance floor. Felix and Matthew close at our heels. Jasmine gave me a pure lupine smile as she elbowed her way through the sweating crowd until she found a spot in the middle. The music slowed down, creating a steady hum of rhythm with the promise of a neck-snapping drop. We glanced at each other, equally vicious grins on our faces as the music dipped farther, deeper, threatening to break into loud bass and cymbals any second. A heartbeat passed, and it was as if everyone in the room held their breath, waiting for the drop. I could feel Felix's body brush against my back, his hand grazing my waist for a second before it dropped again, and the music started to swell and merge into harmonizing waves of sounds. It kept building and building, replacing the blood in my veins with music notes. My mind was swimming with rhythm, and my body was trembling in anticipation. This is what I lived for. These blessed moments of peace and harmony, with no responsibilities, no wars, and no lingering anger. Just living. I held my breath as the music stopped for a split second before all chaos erupted. Bass guitars and pounding drums. The speakers vibrated with the bass, and everyone immediately broke into a frenzy of bouncing, headbanging, and hollers. Excitement filled the air as fists pumped and the floor seemed like it would break beneath our feet while everyone rode out the drop. Jasmine's shoulder brushed mine with each jump, my knees screaming in protest, but we didn't stop. Not until the music died out and another song started playing. Matthew was screaming the lyrics of the next song, drowned out by the others doing the same all around us. We danced and screamed the lyrics, our arms brushing against each other, occasionally crushing toes when someone danced too close, and soon sweat coated our skin. There were no slow songs here, only loud, thundering bass. By the third song, Jasmine was on me. Grinding with an elegant sway of her hips, one arm wrapped around my neck and I met each movement of her hips with my own, a bright smile on our faces. My fiery red hair was swaying with each movement, some strands plastered to my neck and face. Matthew was off to our right, grinding against a beautiful blonde woman. Her eyes glistened with interest as she dug her fingers into his blond hair, slick with sweat. Felix had moved away from the dance floor after the previous song and was now drinking a small glass of clear liquid at the bar. I met his hazel eyes as we lingered on the dance floor, with Jasmine's arm still around my neck as she moved against me. I was tall enough to see him clearly over the sea of bobbing heads on the dance floor, and he gave me a lazy smirk. Gods, he was hot. What I wouldn't give to have my legs wrapped around him, but even with the haze of alcohol in my mind, I knew it wouldn't be just sex.
I tilted my head slightly, silently requesting him to join us, and he immediately did. Elbowing his way through the crowd, he pressed against our side. Jasmine tore herself from me just enough to wrap her other arm around his waist, urging him to move with us, and he did. Matching the sway of our hips with ease, he snakes one arm around my waist, his fingers brushing the bare skin on my hip where my shirt is now riding up and clinging to my sweat-covered skin. A firm, but gentle grip. Lips brushed my neck, Jasmine's lips, and goosebumps assaulted my skin, but my eyes were locked with Felix's. I don't know when Jasmine left, but at some point, it was only Felix and me. Dancing and swaying to the music, his leg firmly positioned between mine, his hand on my waist pressing my lower body against his. Each step is intimate with a hidden promise. Arousal mixed with the scent of sweat and alcohol. He had a lupine grin that bordered on animalistic desire, and my core burned under his gaze, but warning bells rang in my mind. Too close. Too intimate. The song stopped at that moment, and I immediately took a step back, my back brushing against the lone pillar in the center of the dance floor. However, his gaze didn't falter as he closed the distance again. One hand rested on the pillar above my head as he leaned close enough for us to share a breath.
"Date me." He was whispering, but I could hear him clearly over the music that had just started playing again.
"Felix..." I started, my mind instantly sober at the pleading look in his eyes.
"Just one date, Syl." His gaze darted to my lips, and I had to bite the inside of my cheek to refrain from licking them.
"No." It was a flat, honest answer. Sleep with him? Yes. Date him? No. It was as simple as that. I studied his face, and another slow smile crept across his lips. No devastation, no anger, just a smile that reached his eyes.
"Then I'll try again. I won't stop. I would burn the Pyronix desert to the ground for you, Sylvia. I'll try again." He whispered, and his lips brushed mine, gently at first, then eagerly as I kissed back. It wasn't the first time we had kissed, and it won't be the last, but that's all we have ever done and will ever do. His lips broke from mine seconds later, revealing that same wolfish smile he always wore after I denied him. He pushed off the pillar and strolled over to the bar, where Matthew was now full on making out with that blond woman.
I finally joined them at the bar after another song, just as Felix ordered all of us a shot of the strongest liquor the bar had to offer. Jasmine brushed past me as she slipped out of the dancing crowd behind us to take the shot from Felix's extended hand. Matthew tore his lips from the woman long enough to take his and I took a second to smell the drink. It was sweet with a sharp undertone, like scotch. Felix held up his shot glass, smiling brightly as the rest of us did the same. "To friends." We all cheered before we threw our heads back and downed the liquid in one swallow. The yellow liquid burned down my throat, warming its way to my stomach before we all returned to the dance floor, where we stayed until dawn broke.
