Felix
A dull ache settled in his neck, and the sunlight pulled him from his sleep. The blackout curtains were pulled to the side, tied down by elegant braided twine and red tassels. For a moment, he was unsure of where he was until the glint of red hair caught his eye from where she stood in front of a full-length mirror beside the door. Cernunnos, burn him, she was beautiful. So beautiful, it made his heart ache and twist. Her long, red hair was freshly brushed, and her delicate fingers skillfully worked the strands into a long French braid. She wore nothing but her usual black leather pants and training bra, the same outfit he had seen so many times in the past, but it still took his breath away. Her dragon tattoo shimmered in the morning sunlight, and even the sleeve tattoos seemed to cling to her as if they too wished to touch her. He envied them; he always envied them. Their eyes finally locked in the mirror's reflection. Those stunning emerald gems could notice anything, no matter how small. The eyes of a trained killer. The eyes that visited him in his dreams more times than he could count.
"Good morning. Did you sleep alright?" She mused, her voice always sent tendrils of shivers down his spine. Throaty and delicate. He always thought her voice didn't match the danger of who and what she was. It's alluring and so unbelievably sexy, but it was a trap. That sweet voice can cut you just as easily as her blades, and gods, he craved it. Each and every day.
"As well as one can hope on a damn armchair." He drawled before finally pushing himself out of his chair. Every muscle protested. As if he trained for 14 hours straight. He rolled his shoulders, biting back a hiss at the uncomfortable ache.
"I do remember saying you didn't have to sleep there." She chuckled as she tied off the braid with a black hair tie.
"And I do remember you nearly being killed yesterday. One night's uncomfortable sleep is worth your life, Syl." He sighed, waved his hand, and a duffle bag appeared on the chair where he had slept. He could practically hear her rolling her eyes as he dug through the bag for his leathers.
"It would take more than a hunter to kill me, Felix." There it was, the venom. As sweet as she might sound, she was dangerous. More so than people believe. He watched her kill a fly from 10 feet away with a dagger throw. He's trained with her for decades and still got his ass handed to him more times than he would admit, but that only ever made him desire her more. She's blessed by Cernunnos in more ways than just her looks.
"They have Palladium blades now, Syl. We're not risking it." He mused before tucking his gear under his arm. She shifted towards the bed, tugging on her leather boots.
"132 have failed. More will fail in the future." She mumbled with a small smirk on her lips, and he couldn't help but stare at it. The lips he's craved for decades, the lips he's kissed so many times, and only one thought remained. Want her. Need her. Claim her. He gingerly reached out to brush a loose strand of red hair from her forehead, and her gaze immediately met his. Those emerald gems could capture everything, deciphering every thought racing through his mind. Cernunnos, burn him. Her eyes trailed over his bare torso, taking in the hard muscles on his chest and abdomen. Her gaze burned his skin, sending his mind into primal chaos and need. His wolf thrashed inside him, eager to touch her as well. His wolf always had a thing for hers, but he knows she would never return the affection. She struggles with these types of emotions. Always have. In the 60 years that he has known her, he has never once heard her say those three words. Not to her siblings, not even to Jasper, and he respected that. He would wait an eternity for her if that's what she needs. She was worth it. Her eyes lingered on the waistband of his sweatpants and what they concealed. His cock was hard the moment he saw her when he woke up, and it hasn't subsided since. The vanilla and rose scent enveloped him, and his wolf purred with delight as her hands gripped the freshly made bedding. As if she had to restrain herself from touching him. Then a new scent mixed with that lovely aroma. Desire. She knew the effect she had on him, and he knew that her body reacted the same way to him. He has had his chance with more than enough females, but none of them compare to her, and none ever will. So, he swore them off. Her eyes finally met his again, and he could see the mental struggle she was experiencing. She desired him, but not in the way he desired her, and he knew the moment he could touch her, fuck her. He would never be able to let go, and she knew that too, so she always said no. It didn't hurt when she rejected him. She could easily kill him if she truly wanted to, but she only ever said no.
"Date me." Those words were like instinct to him, as was the smile etched on his lips, and her eyes softened as they always did before she gave him the same answer.
"No," her voice broke on that one word every time, and that's why his smile always widened. Part of her wanted him, and he would gladly be her friend just so he wouldn't lose her.
"Then I'll just have the memory of you in the shower." As he cooed, her eyes darkened at the thought of them in the shower. She rolled her eyes, then brushed past him to grab her shirt and cloak.
"Just clean up when you're done." She teased, shooting him her usual grin over her shoulder before he huffed a laugh and disappeared into the bathroom.
╭──╯ . . . . . . . . . . ╰──╮
By the time he finished an unbelievably cold shower and left the bathroom, she was already dressed. Lounging in his chair with the book he left on the floor beside it. Her eyes scanned the words on the page, and her nose crinkled before she looked over at him.
"Is this seriously entertaining to you? Why not do this with some females and be done with it?" She purred, her eyes dancing with amusement, and he flicked his wrist, making the book disappear from her grip a second later.
"I'd happily try it with you." He added, eyeing her long legs stretched out in front of him. The legs he longed to have wrapped around his waist, and her laughter reverberated through him, shaking his very bones.
"That's all quite too vanilla for me, Felix." Gods, he just got rid of that damn boner. "How about some breakfast?" She added before pushing herself from her seat and grabbing her weapons stashed beside the door. He tied the string of his cloak around his shoulders as he watched her strap those blades to her body. She secured the broadsword across her back and the daggers by her ribs before he did the same. He only added his short sword to his waist. They could see their weapons, but he had cast a glamour over their blades since the moment they entered Riverhoff. No human eye can spot the blade, and Lesser Fae would have to really focus to see it as well. Reece did the same for him and Jasmine. It's better not to stand out in a human capital, but they wouldn't be caught dead without some protection.
"Sounds like a plan. I could eat a damn horse." He admitted, finally tearing his gaze from her to wave a hand at his duffle bag.
"Reece came by while you were in the shower. They're waiting by a café not far down the road." She said as she opened the door into the hallway. They filed out of the room and down the stairs into the brothel below. The building was quiet so early in the morning; only a few waiters scurried around the room, cleaning the tables for the new day. His gaze found the blond male who disappeared with Jasmine last night. He looked exhausted, and small bruises were hidden by the bowtie around his neck. Jasmine was rough with him. He followed Sylvia out onto the cobblestone road. The day was hot. A hint of summer is around the corner. It was days like this that he despised the black leather; it felt suffocating. Sylvia's eyes drifted to the horses tied against the wall to their right, and a smile bloomed on her face. Spirit. The only creature he's ever seen her fawn over. Sunburn whinnied when he noticed him, and his own smile mirrored Sylvia's. His lovely stallion.
"We'll see you guys later. Don't cause any trouble." He cooed, and the horses pounded their hooves on the cobblestone in reply before they started down the road. The streets were teeming with life. Mostly human, but a few lesser fae wandered in between. He checked that his hood was secure before wrapping an arm around Sylvia's shoulder, and she immediately leaned into him. This was the only indication she ever showed that she cared for him. She didn't need protection or to be coddled; he knew that, and she had made it clear throughout the years. However, this was her compromise. Since she couldn't say the words, she showed it to them by allowing them to protect her and hold her. Jasmine more so than him and Reece, but they were best friends.
"Did you see Len this morning?" She mumbled, biting back a grin, and he snorted.
"Yeah. Jas really rode him hard." They both suppressed a snicker as they turned their attention to watching the bystanders. Most people were completely unaware of them, while others observed them carefully. They were tall compared to most humans. As he walked, a few caught his attention, and he mentally noted those who might be concealing weapons. He knew Sylvia was doing the same.
The café was smaller compared to the one in Greenhollow, but it had a cozy atmosphere. The front wall was entirely made of glass, with small tables placed outside in the sun. A few people were enjoying their breakfast as they walked through the door. The inside was welcoming, decorated with blush red chairs and wooden tables. The walls were painted a faded cream color, and the floor was covered in stained white tiles. The smell of bacon and eggs filled the building, with a hint of herbs scattered in between. Reece and Jasmine were already sitting at a table against the right wall, each with a cup of steaming liquid in front of them. His arm finally dropped from Sylvia's shoulder, and he immediately missed the contact as he followed her to the table. Reece was the first to notice them.
"Good morning. How did you sleep?" Reece asked, using a spoon to stir his coffee, guided by the smell of it.
"Like a baby." Sylvia sighed, lowering herself into the seat beside Jasmine, and he took the one beside Reece.
"I've slept better." He mumbled, and Jasmine shot him a playful grin.
"You were welcome to join Len and me." She took a sip of her coffee, and Sylvia rolled her eyes before signaling one of the waiters over.
"And miss out on listening to Syl snore?" He teased and received a kick to the shin beneath the table. He bit back a groan before rubbing it. "Unnecessary." He whispered, and she shot him her usual take-no-shit smirk. He was about to open his mouth again when the waiter appeared beside the table.
"Can I get you anything?" She is a young human girl, possibly 18, with short black hair and delicate features. Pretty for a human, if he might say so himself.
"Two coffees, please." Sylvia said with a smile, and the girl's cheeks turned a bright crimson. He knows that blush all too well. Not a lot of people can look at Sylvia and not react that way. If only they knew the predator that she is.
"Of course. Would you like something to eat?" The girl added, fiddling with the notepad in her hands.
"We'll take four breakfast specials, please." Reece answered, giving the girl a smile of his own, but her eyes lingered on Sylvia before she nodded and wandered away.
"Do you think she's old enough to come home with us?" Sylvia mumbled as she watched the girl disappear into the kitchen.
"She smells old enough." Jasmine added with a grin of her own, and Reece sighed.
"You two will be the death of me." Felix had half a mind to agree. It was enough to imagine Sylvia naked, but three of them. Gods, he should have worn looser pants. "Before we delve into that rabbit hole, the museum will open in an hour. We should discuss our plans for retrieving the Horn."
"Did you arrange a meeting with the head of the museum?" Sylvia asked, eyeing the few humans left in the room, as her shoulders tensed. His gaze followed hers to a lesser fae downing a glass of water in the far corner. He looked familiar. The one from the main road, maybe? "What is he doing here?" She whispered, and the others followed her gaze.
"He probably lives here." Reece said with a shrug before turning his attention back to the table. "And yes. I've arranged a meeting."
"We should be prepared for anything." Jasmine added, taking another sip of her drink. "They have the thing encased in bone dust. We'll need to find a human to open it for us if buying it isn't an option."
"One thing at a time." Felix sighed, his eyes still fixed on Sylvia. She was unnervingly still. Not a muscle moved as she watched the lesser fae stand. The male's gaze met hers for a second, and a sneer pulled at his lips as he slipped through the front door.
"I'll be right back." Sylvia announced, shooting up from her chair and striding to the door.
"Syl, don't start something!" Reece called after her, but Felix knew he wouldn't stop her. It's hard to stop her once she has her sights on someone, and the fact that he disrespected her family was enough to sign his death sentence.
"I'll go after her." Felix started and Reece grabbed his wrist as he started to stand.
"No. Let her be. It's daytime; hunters would be foolish to attack her now." Felix knew he was right, but he hated letting her go off alone. Not because she couldn't defend herself, but because he despised not having her around. He settled back in his chair, anyway.
"How was your night with Len?" He teased, eager to distract himself from the empty chair in front of him.
"Exquisite." Jasmine mused with a satisfied smirk. "There's just something about Lesser Fae that excites me." Reece rolled his eyes before taking a sip of his black coffee.
"You're the only female I've ever met who prefers inferior males." Reece sighed as the waiter returned with two fresh cups of coffee and a small cup of milk. Her eyes immediately noticed the empty chair, and she was gone again without a word.
"Why don't you show me how superior you are then?" Jasmine teased, eyeing Reece with her piercing blue eyes. Even Felix would shudder under that stare. Jasmine was sweet and kind, but she was intense in bed. Even when Sylvia was bedding her, she always had bruises scattered across her sun-kissed skin the next day.
"If I weren't a baron's son, I would have proved it to you long ago." Reece added, unfazed by the intense determination in Jasmine's eyes.
"Oh, is the poor prince scared?" Afraid dad will be disappointed that you ruined yourself for your future bride?" Jasmine's grip tightened around the porcelain mug. She loved provoking Reece whenever she had the opportunity. Reece wasn't betrothed yet; his father wants to give him enough time to find someone on his own. However, if he's still single by his 200th birthday, a marriage will be arranged. The bloodline must continue. As Jasper has explained.
"I've been ruined more than once, but one night stands aren't really for me." Reece answered. He was calm, unbothered by the teasing, and even shot her a devastating smile.
"Okay, let's all reel in the animalistic lust before you two grope each other on the table." Felix countered, using a spoon to stir the milk in his coffee.
"Says the male who probably had to rub one out in the shower." Jasmine whispered over the rim of her mug, wiggling her eyebrows at him.
"In due time, sweet Jas. She can only say no for so long." He countered with a smirk of his own before taking a sip of the sweet coffee. Reece opened his mouth to say something when he suddenly stilled. The smell hit Felix a second later. Blood. He shot up from his chair in a heartbeat, reaching the front door just as Sylvia entered. Blood splattered her face, but she was smiling. It's not her blood. It has a lighter scent, not the deep musky aroma of high fae blood. Lesser then. "You killed him?" He whispered as she closed the door gently and fell in step with him back to the table.
"Idiot tried to ambush me." She answered under her breath, and they both took their seats at the table again. Jasmine immediately eyed her commander for injuries.
"Could you fight despite the wound?" She asked, craning her neck as if she could see the wound beneath Sylvia's leathers.
"It's not entirely healed yet, but it's no longer an issue." She stated before placing a dagger on the table. The familiar deep gray metal made him scrunch his nose.
"Palladium." Felix answered, and she nodded.
"That's two hunters now." Reece sighed and took the blade, sliding it into one of the empty holsters at his side just as the waiter returned with their breakfast. Her eyes widened at the blood staining Sylvia's face, most of it possibly hidden by the black hood, and she quickly retrieved a few napkins from her apron. The smile Sylvia gave the girl made even his heart race and he could hear the girl's speed into a gallop.
"What's your name?" Sylvia mused, her voice sultry and sweet. Curse Cernunnos for making her so perfect.
"Lilly." The girl answered, blushing from ear to ear.
"Thank you, Lilly." Felix could have sworn the girl would faint when Sylvia winked at her, but she composed herself enough to hand each of them their plates before wandering off again.
"Anyway." Sylvia continued, the flirty smile disappeared, and her eyes hardened. "That wasn't the most interesting part." She eyed her plate for a second: the sausage, the three strips of bacon, the two perfectly cooked eggs, and finally the toast. Her lip curled upward as she grabbed the slice of toast and took a bite.
"Well, don't keep us waiting." Jasmine added, biting into the sausage.
"They were two." She started, taking another bite and swallowing. "Turns out, one of them wasn't too keen on the whole killing part. It would seem the rebels have all the lesser fae here on a short leash, and they know we're heading to the museum for the horn." Reece stopped mid-bite to watch his sister.
"How did they find out?" Reece mumbled, taking another sip of his coffee, and Felix did the same.
"Len." Her eyes darted to her second and Jasmine coughed on her slice of toast.
"Len? How the fuck?" Her brow furrowed as she took a sip of her coffee to help the toast go down.
"Well, according to him, every single lesser fae in town is working for the rebels. By choice or by force. I was about to kill him when he begged for his life and told me everything. The museum is a trap, but he wants to get the hell out of this city, so he is willing to help us." Sylvia added, taking a long sip of her coffee.
"I assume if he helps us, we help him get out?" Jasmine mumbled, still frowning at her food. Looks like Len used her for more than her looks.
"This could be another trap." Reece added, finishing his sausage in two bites.
"No, he was telling the truth." Sylvia countered, finishing off her slice of toast before digging into the eggs.
"Are you sure?" Reece pressed, and Sylvia narrowed her eyes at him. How could she possibly know that? "Okay. So, what did he suggest?"
"Wait, hold on." Jasmine started, eyeing the siblings. "Just like that? How did you know he was telling the truth, Syl?" Felix nodded in agreement; they are hiding something.
"I just know, Jas." Sylvia answered with a commanding tone, one that left little room for argument, but this time he wouldn't let it go.
"No, that's not good enough, Syl. How do you always know when someone is lying?" Felix pressed, biting into his own toast now, and her gaze darted to her brother's again.
"We should tell them. We can trust them." Reece whispered, and her eyes flared.
"We'll put them in danger, Reece." She countered, and Jasmine raised her hand.
"Excuse me, but we can decide whether we want to be in danger or not, and when it comes to you, we'll gladly put ourselves in harm's way." Determination shone in Jasmine's eyes, and Felix grunted his agreement before finishing his toast.
"Fuck." Sylvia whispered, downing her coffee in one swallow. "Fine. It's hard to explain." Her eyes were fixed on the remaining food on her plate.
"Sylvia was born with an innate ability to know something without conscious thought," Reece started, "she has this voice-"
"My own voice." Sylvia corrected.
"Right, that tells her things. Like when someone is lying or if someone's in danger. We don't know how it works or why, but that's how she stayed alive as a kid." Reece finished, and Jasmine's eyes widened.
"So that's the voice Jasper mentioned." Felix sighed, leaning back in his chair, and Sylvia nodded. "That's why you knew Xander was hurting Jasper." Another nod. "Cernu really loves you, doesn't he?" She rolled her eyes this time and bit into her sausage.
"Why didn't you tell us?" Jasmine's voice broke and her eyes softened as she looked at her best friend, but he could still see the pain lingering in them.
"Because it puts you in danger, Jas." Sylvia sighed and cupped her friend's cheek. "We don't know where this ability came from or what people would do to obtain it." Felix's stomach twisted and knotted in on itself. Fuck. He should have known; he shouldn't be surprised. His gaze met Reece's, and his friend forced a smile before turning back to his sister.
"So, what else did the male say?" Reece asked, finishing off his breakfast with a few more bites, and Sylvia's hand dropped from Jasmine's cheek.
"The meeting is a trap. They'll be waiting for us, but he knows the human janitor and will have him break the bone dust barrier before we get there. We'll have to fight our way out, but he can get us access to the horn. In return, we provide him with safe harbor until the war is over. He never wanted to be a part of this war, and his father was completely against the rebellion. As a result, they killed his entire family. He wasn't home that night and didn't dare return out of fear for his life, but they found him anyway. It was either help them or die, and he chose to survive." She shifted in her seat, and her eyes seemed to fog over. She was still haunted by the memories of what it felt like to do anything to survive. Felix knew that, and his heart ached for her.
"Alright. Guess we're springing a trap." Reece added, downing his coffee.
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The museum was elegant, carved out of pure white marble, with matching statues of the Fae and human gods scattered throughout the front gardens. They stood in a line for almost 40 minutes trying to get in. Clearly, the humans enjoyed the scenery that the museum has to offer. They all found themselves in the garden, eyeing the various statues and flowers with low cut hedges encircling each statue. Stone benches were placed throughout the garden for lounging. Felix found himself staring at a half-naked depiction of Fionnuala. It's eerie how closely High Lady Ianwenys resembled their goddess.
"Why do humans often depict gods as half-naked?" Beside him, Reece complained with a look of disgust at the statue, the sun causing his auburn hair to shine.
"It makes them seem more human, I guess." Sylvia added from his other side, eyeing the stone thing around the statue's waist that resembles lacy fabric.
"They're gods. There's nothing human about them." Reece countered, watching the swarming crowd around them, while Jasmine brushed a hand over the hedge separating them from the statue.
"Do you think the gods are still alive?" She whispered, glancing up at Sylvia as if she would know. She returned her best friend's stare with a scowl.
"That's not how the voice works, Jas. So I don't know. Maybe, maybe not. If they did, then it's clear they don't give a shit about the rebels killing their children." Sylvia stretched her right arm over her head, testing the wound on her side. The lack of a grimace led Felix to assume it was pretty much healed or at least manageable.
"Don't make us regret telling you about it, Jas." Reece added, eyeing her closely, and she simply shrugged before lifting her hands up in defeat.
"Sorry, I'm still trying to process it." Felix could see the conflict in his friend's eyes, but he knew she would work through it, just like he had.
"Come on, let's go find this damn horn." Sylvia ground out, clearly annoyed already. They fell in step with her as they ascended the marble stairs and entered the museum through the grand glass doors. The floor was spotless, made of white marble with silver spiderwebbing running through it. If he tried hard enough, he could almost see his own reflection in the stone. Pillars lined the walls on both sides of the massive room, with portraits and paintings displayed every few feet. Some depicted wars, some portrayed landscapes of what the continent looked like before the land was split between the Fae and humans, while others showed the promise of what the world could look like if they simply worked together and lived in peace. A pipe dream. Some humans would never accept that Fae were the superior race, and some Fae would never accept humans as their equals. Not when the human's god had so much hate towards the Fae gods. The only sound to be heard was the hushed whispers of people taking in the scenery and the sound of boots against the polished floor. A few archways lined the walls here and there, leading to smaller rooms filled with books and busts of important Fae and humans. He wondered if this place had to deal with vandalism. By the lingering bleach smell drifting in from the Fae section, he wouldn't be surprised if they had to clean graffiti off the Fae displays. By the time they reached a large wooden door, they all stopped, eyeing the humans around them before slipping through the door with a Fae artifacts sign on a metal plaque above it. The room had no windows to prevent the old tomes and artifacts from being damaged by sunlight. In the middle of the room, surrounded by velvet ropes, was the Horn. It was different from what he expected. It was a curled horn with golden etchings and a golden mouthpiece on the thinner side. Ancient symbols were carved into the bone, and a low drum of magic filled the room. His eyes darted to the pale white powder encircling the horn. Bone dust. If they can sense the power of the horn, then a part of the circle must be broken. They fanned out around the display when the door behind them slammed shut, and a lock clanked into place.
"Fuck." His head snapped to Sylvia, who stood a few feet away from him with her broadsword already drawn. The rest of them followed suit, but something felt wrong. Different.
"Do you feel that?" Jasmine whispered, her eyes darting around the room, trying to find her opponent.
"Our magic is muted." Reece answered, his face set in determination as he twirled a dagger between his fingers, his other hand firmly gripping his short sword.
"You're smarter than we anticipated." A low voice drawled from the shadows behind a Forest Fae tapestry. A man stepped out from behind it, the dim light catching on a large scar along his collarbone that snaked up behind his curved ear.
"Let me guess, the room is lined with bone dust." Sylvia mused, resting the flat side of her blade on her shoulder as she watched the man.
"In the very walls, even the door was lined with it. Just in case you pointed ears decide to come for the horn." The man drawled, leaning against a bust of Dagda.
"So you knew we were coming, then." Sylvia continued, brushing a fleck of dirt from her leather outfit, entirely unfazed by the human in front of her. "Did you plan on taking us on by yourself?" Her green eyes seemed to study him, observing every breath he took and every movement of his muscles, while the others did the same.
"I'm not that eager to die." The man answered, his eyes flicking to the mezzanine above them for a split second. A heartbeat passed, and the sound of cutting wind filled the air—a arrow. Before Felix could react, Sylvia turned with a dagger in hand. A flick of her wrist was all it took for the dagger to knock the arrow cleanly off its course and send both of them clattering to the marble floor. So damn fast, it still surprised him sometimes.
"Cheap shot, but anticipated." Sylvia yawned before turning back to the man; his shoulders were more rigid now.
"It still surprises me how arrogant your kind is." The man seethed, his brow furrowing as he took a step back from the bust. "You come into our home, eat our food, fuck our women and men, and now you simply want to steal from us as well."
"The horn doesn't belong to you." Reece countered, still twirling his dagger between his fingers. "It's a Fae relic and deserves to be returned. We were more than willing to pay for it."
"Pay for it? That horn is priceless. We are well aware of what it is. It belonged to one of your gods, did it not?" The man started to move in slow and calculated steps around us as new scents appeared, one after another. Until Felix could note at least 6 other humans and three lesser fae. Reece's eyes shimmered with annoyance. "No matter, we would never allow your kind to have such a powerful relic at your disposal. We tried to destroy it, but nothing worked. It didn't burn, it didn't melt, we couldn't even crush it; nothing we did left even a dent in the damn thing. Nothing. So we hid it, and now we would like to know who told you about it." The man stopped again, and two others flanked his sides, both brandishing swords and wearing metal-plated armor. Interesting. Felix turned to check on Sylvia, who was standing a few feet beside him. However, her gaze was fixed on a young lesser fae male in the far corner. Barely 30 by the looks of him. His eyes widened with fear, and he could hear the rapid heartbeat pounding in the male's chest. Was that her informant?
"Only a god can destroy what a god made." Jasmine added, her eyes taking in every opponent in the room, sizing them up with a smirk. One man appeared to take a step back when her gaze locked onto him. Good, he should be afraid.
"I grow tired of this." Sylvia sighed and her strides ate up the distance between her and the nearest person. Faster than they had trained, faster than any human could anticipate, her blade seemed to slice through the air effortlessly as she wielded the broadsword with one hand, cutting cleanly through bone and muscle. The head thudded on the floor at her feet, and she smiled. Gods that smile terrified him sometimes. It terrified him how much she enjoyed killing, but fuck it made him horny as hell. "This was an ambush, right? How about we forgo the foreplay and get to the fun part?"
"You arrogant bitch." The man seethed, his skin flushed with anger as he waved a hand, and three more arrows whistled through the air before chaos erupted. Felix moved immediately, deflecting two of the arrows as Jasmine rushed towards the human she had her eye on. Metal met metal, and arrow after arrow cut through the air. Sylvia's smile never faltered, nor did her aim. Each strike was clean, with blood quickly coating her blade, matching Jasmine's. Reece raced for the stairs leading to the mezzanine to take care of the archers, while Felix found himself facing a lesser fae. A female, it was hard to pinpoint her age. She seemed young, but she moved like a trained fighter. Matching his blows and countering with ease. The copper scent of blood quickly filled the room as the humans fell to the floor, their heads rolling to the side. All of them except for the leader and his two guards. Sylvia was facing them alone, leaving the rest to the three of them. Felix spared a moment to check on Reece, stepping away just in time to avoid being hit by a falling body being flung over the railing. It was dead before it landed. A searing pain shot through his thigh, and a howl ripped from his throat, causing the female to smile.
"Better focus on your own fight, dog." Her voice was grating and rough, as if she had been screaming for too long. His eyes found the wound on his thigh, with no sign of healing. Palladium, great. Cloudwing Base really fucked up by losing those weapons. He sidestepped the next blow, deflecting it with the flat side of his sword. The metal sang upon contact, and he bit back a scream as pain rampaged through his thigh with each movement. "Stings, doesn't it? How about we match the other leg?" The female moved again, wielding her sword like an extension of her arm. She was clearly well-trained, but she had no idea who she was up against. Instinct drove him; years of training and fighting flowed through him as easily as breathing. Blocking and parrying every advance, he could see her breath quickening, becoming more labored. She was good, but she lacked his stamina. This time he fell into the offensive. Hacking and slashing with ease. His blade met skin, muscle, and then bone. Each strike went deeper than the last, leaving wounds scattered across the female's pale skin and saturating her clothes with her own blood. Each step was agonizing, causing his thigh to throb. How did Sylvia even move when they cut her? His wound was but a flesh wound, but it burned like poison. He forced himself to move again, keeping his weight on his left leg to prevent the wound from worsening, and pivoted to the side when the female attempted another advance. He dropped the sword from his hand, catching it with the other hand where the female's side was wide open, and drove the blade through her ribs. Bones shattered and his ears twitched at the sound, but he didn't stop until blood formed on the female's lips. His thigh screamed as he took a step back, yanking the blade forward and slicing cleanly through the female's stomach, nearly cutting the body in two as she slumped to the ground with a wet thud. Another searing pain shot through his arm, and he whirled around to find another man beside him. This one human.
"You've got some balls, I'll give you that." Felix mumbled, eyeing the wound on his arm. This cut was deeper than the one on his thigh, exposing the muscle. He hissed air through his teeth before shifting the sword to his other hand and locking eyes with the human. He could smell his fear and hear the rapid pounding of his heart. "Come on then." He readied himself, extending his sword in front of him, as the man's eyes widened. A blade protruded from his sternum. A second passed before the body fell forward, revealing Jasmine. A cut adorned her cheek, still not healing, and her leather was slashed along her abdomen. "He was mine, Jas." Felix sighed, eyeing her wounds.
"You seemed tired." She mused and shot him a proud smile before noticing his arm. "Remind me to stitch that up later." Felix nodded before turning to Sylvia, who was now crouched in front of the man, with his guards dead at her feet. The man seemed to be clutching his stomach, blood oozing out over his hands in waves. Not a single wound adorned Sylvia's skin, not even a tear in her leathers. Like he said, terrifying. Reece vaulted over the railing of the mezzanine, landing beside them with ease. He seemed void of wounds as well.
"I'd hate to be the one to clean this up." Reece whispered, giving them a faint smile before striding over to his sister with Felix and Jasmine in tow.
"What was it you called us? Arrogant?" Sylvia whispered, her eyes burning into the man's pain-stricken face. "Do you know why that is?" The man spat blood at her feet, and her nose scrunched at the notion. "You will be the 136th person to try to kill me, yet here I am. Now, call that arrogance all you want, but I earned that. I earned my own survival. I'm not arrogant because I think I deserve more; I'm arrogant because I know I deserve more. I'm arrogant because I've earned it; I've fought for it. You mortals are all the same; you all believe you're the best. Believing you deserve everything for doing nothing, but unfortunately, that's not how the world works. Your god hated ours for one reason and one reason alone. He wasn't strong enough to put in the work; he wasn't willing to build the world he wanted, so he tried to tear down others. What a damn role model you humans have. It explains so much." Venom laced each word. Sylvia was many things, but above all, she was fair. She showed respect to those who earned it, not to those who insisted on it. She didn't care about race or beliefs; she cared about fairness. That's why the rebels always got under her skin. They wanted to take the lives they believed they were owed instead of building a life for themselves.
"Go fuck yourself." The man's voice was hoarse, and each word caused more blood to leak from his lips.
"If only I could." Sylvia mused with a devilish grin before unsheathing a dagger at her side. "Say hi to your god for me." With that, she flicked her wrist, and the blade embedded in the man's throat. Blood gurgled as he groaned before life drained from him, causing him to slump to the floor. She wasted no time retrieving her blade and cleaned it on the still clean part of the man's shirt before sheathing it, along with the palladium blades beside her.
"I do believe we missed one." Reece mused, eyeing the lesser fae by the door. Even from here, Felix could hear the furious gallop of the male's heart.
"He's not to be hurt." Sylvia answered as she strode past them to the horn in the middle of the room.
"So, that's our little helper?" Jasmine cooed, smiling brightly at the young man, causing the cut on her cheek to curve to the side.
"Danny, meet the gang." Sylvia said as she eyed the circle of bone dust scattered around the glass casing. Felix took a moment to observe the young male; the dark brown skin and short black hair styled in a crew cut. The pale silver eyes seemed out of place against his dark skin, but they felt warm and inviting. The male opened his mouth, but shattering glass filled the room, and Reece sighed deeply.
"Did you have to break the glass, Syl?" Reece strode over to where his sister stood, the shattered casing lining the floor, and she simply shrugged. A heartbeat passed, and a wave of magic filled the room, thick and pulsing. As if he could reach out and touch it.
"Damn, that thing is more intense than I thought." Jasmine mumbled, eyeing the horn.
"We should leave; the commotion would have attracted the museum guards." Danny said, his voice deep and husky, enough for Jasmine to purr beside him. Her fascination with lesser fae was odd to him, but many would say the same about his fascination with a female who has denied him more times than he could count.
"I'll get the horn. Sylvia, you and the others, find a way out." Reece commanded, and they quickly fell in step towards the door, but Danny shook his head.
"This way, you can't leave here like that. Too much blood." The male's throat tightened on the last word, but they followed him further into the room. Danny's eyes darted across the row of books on the third shelf before he reached behind them. A soft click sounded, and the bookshelf began to move, revealing a wooden door hidden behind it. "This will lead us through a small tunnel that opens up to the back of the museum. Stay close; it can get confusing with all the turns along the way." The male slipped through the door into a tunnel. It was only large enough for one person, so they filed in one by one, with Reece taking the back. The thick wall of magic was gone now; he must have sent it back to Greenhollow. At least this went better than they anticipated.
