The Blackened Blade, page 34
Grey slaps Ash on the back and wraps an arm around Morgan, his gaze focused fully on her as he pulls her gently along and toward the main academy building.
“How about we head in first?” He turns slightly to Ezra, giving him a small nod before heading off with Ash and Morgan.
I feel two burning gazes on me as I watch Morgan leave; a small giggle leaving her lips as Ash whispers in her ear.
“Red.” Calls Annex just as I’m about to follow after them.
He slides a hand over my right arm as Ezra takes my left hand in his, entwining our fingers together. He pulls them to his lips, placing a light kiss along my fingers, just as Annex pulls my right hand toward his lips.
But he doesn't kiss them…he bites them. It's not hard enough to hurt or break my skin, but enough to pull my attention away from Ezra’s tender touch and gaze.
I go to pull my hand back from Annex, but his grip is like steel. He leans down and licks the marks he’s just left on me, a look the complete opposite of Ezra's on his face.
A shiver runs down my spine and straight to my lower abdomen, a new heat beginning to unfurl with all of their heated gazes and light touches.
“Enough playing Annex…it’s time.” Ezra gives Annex a look, the both of them sharing a brief moment before Ezra nods and slowly pulls his hand back. Almost reluctantly.
Ezra takes out a small black box and places it in my hand. Annex gives me a small squeeze before releasing my hand.
I look at the small box in my palm and then back toward them. What was it?
And why did the thought that they got me something have my breath catching in my throat?
Their gazes flicker between me and the box as I stand there slightly frozen, not quite knowing what to do or say. Between the dress and now this, they had given me more than I had ever received from someone. And simply because they wanted to.
Ezra rubs the back of his neck. “We hope you like it.”
“It’ll definitely suit you, Red.” Annex adds, his eyes a little narrowed toward the box as he bites his bottom lip.
I gaze between the two of them. They were both acting strange.
They looked almost nervous? But why?
Was it because of what was in the box? I guess there was only one way of knowing.
I slowly open it, half expecting something to pop out at me or for it to be empty as some kind of prank.
But it wasn’t.
My eyes widen at the sight of the small silver necklace.
I lift it up in my hand. And in the centre of the chain sits a small glinting dagger. It instantly reminds me of Annex’s drop earring, except this was all silver with a slightly longer blade.
Small markings on the metal dagger catch my attention and have me leaning in closer. And there along the tip of the blade, sit delicate music notes carved all the way to its hilt. They look so small and ornate, and must have taken a lot of effort to carve.
A knot catches in my throat, it was so beautiful but…somehow this felt like I was receiving more than just jewellery from them.
I look toward the two boys whose eyes haven’t left me, their own growing more anxious with my silence.
“Do you like it?” Asks Ezra, his eyes searching mine as he tries to read my expression.
“We should have gotten one with a bigger looking blade, or maybe an actual blade.” Mutters Annex, his brows furrowed and focused on the delicate metal glinting between my fingers.
“I love it.” And I do. I lift the necklace up between the two, they’re expressions instantly relaxing with my words. “Put it on me?”
I don't know who I’m asking but they both jump forward, reaching for my hand.
I chuckle hearing them scuffle as I turn around.
“Just as fucking sexy from the back.” Annex groans.
Ezra’s hand takes my necklace, having won the scuffle they had. He leans in closer and places the chain around my neck.
“You look so beautiful, Micai.” He places a soft kiss against my shoulder mumbling, “I’ll end up joining Annex if they stare too long.”
“What–”
“Nothing.” Ezra spins me around, a soft smile on his lips as our eyes meet.
He and Annex then give me an arm to link, and their gazes turn tender as I place an arm in each of theirs.
We head to the ball, the expressions and widened gazes are almost comical as we make our way in. There were some open mouths, bitter glares and quick glances directed my way as we made our way inside. But tonight, I couldn’t care one bit about any of it.
We make our way further into the room and I’m met with two slightly widened blue eyes and a rigid expression that quickly schools itself into its usual fake smile.
“Micai.” Seria steps forward in her long hot pink halter neck gown, her blonde hair loose and falling down her chest in curls.
Suddenly my view is blocked by Ezra’s frame as we pass her and the group around her, and head to the dance floor. He turns to me, a small grin on his face. “There’s no need to waste time with the past. Tonight’s about you and us, no-one else.”
Annex flicks out his blade, glaring at anyone who stares our way for too long, and quickly narrows in on a group of boys across the room looking this way. “Guess I’ll be starting my collection early–”
I grab his shoulder before he can finish and pull him with me and Ezra to the dance floor.“You can be stab-happy another night, but right now you're both mine.”
His eyes slightly widen before turning hooded, a groan leaving his lips as I pull them both closer and start swaying to the music.
“I knew you always wanted me,” his smirk grows, turning into something sinful, “I could see it in the cute little glare you’d give me.”
I chuckle as Annex leans further into me, his hands reaching for my hips as Ezra’s reach for my waist, that familiar heat building inside me as Ezra’s body sits flush against my back and Annex to my front.
The music thrums throughout the room, the white and blue crystals glistening like stars on the ceiling as we become lost in our own world and the feeling of each other.
We slowly sway with the music, our bodies completely in tune. Their hands slide slowly up and down me, reminding me of our time in the Roller-Room. And I realise that I want this, I want them.
I place my right hand over Annex’s fingers on my hip, and slide up his arm until I reach his shoulder. While my left hand reaches behind me for Ezra, his head falls onto my shoulder to meet it. I brush my hand through his hair, eliciting a low hum, while my fingers trace the ink along Annex’s neck, his eyes turning slightly dazed and heated. I can feel my heart beating like a drum in my chest as our touches become more fevered.
“Fuck, Red…” Annex grins, a more tender look in his eyes as he leans his head against mine. “You’re too fucking perfect.” His nose brushes softly against mine as his voice lowers to a whisper, “I never knew I was missing something until you came along.”
The look that follows pulls the breath from my chest as he leans down further and kisses me. It's a kiss so sweet and soft and so unexpected from Annex that I lean further into him, wanting more. Annex lets out a low growl before deepening the kiss. His lips and tongue exploring mine; capturing and consuming every seam of my lips. A kiss that's both punishing and pleasurable, and all Annex.
His grip on my hips tightens as he pushes further into me; each hard edge, muscle and ab laying flush against my front as our tongues slowly battle for dominance. And with each twist and stroke of his tongue and lips on mine, he stokes the heat that's quickly building in me.
A hand on my waist slides up my side, its fingers spanning out and brushing gently across my chest before quickly sliding down again. He repeats it again, and the slight movement sends flutters to my core.
Ezra’s lips leave a trail of soft kisses down my neck while his fingers brush up and down my waist.
I become lost in the feel of the two of them.
“My turn.” Ezra’s lips brush across my neck once more as his deep voice rings in my ears. Then I’m gently pulled from Annex and twirled around.
A small annoyed noise leaves Annex’s lips with the sudden movement before he schools it and pushes flush against my back. One hand goes to my hip as the other falls on my waist. He then takes over Ezra’s heated trail up my shoulder. A shiver works its way up my back as his teeth graze across my skin, his tongue licking a path up my neck as he moves.
But two heated turquoise eyes quickly draw me in, his lilac flecks swirling as he leans toward me, his fingers brushing along my cheek before he captures my lips with his.
If Annex’s kiss was passionate and dominant, then Ezra’s was intense and loving, and all encompassing. The feathery strokes and soft twists of his tongue has a small moan leaving my throat as our tongues dance and entwine, quickly becoming lost in the taste of each other.
A slight sting on my shoulder has me pulling apart from Ezra. Annex chuckles, his tongue sucking and kissing the spot on my shoulder he’s just bitten.
Ezra leans in again, his lips brushing across my cheek and drawing me back toward him.
My breath comes out in small gasps, the heat between my thighs building to new heights with each touch and kiss.
“Micai–” Ezra groans low in my ear before he's suddenly pushed forward and cut off.
“The fuck!” Barks Annex as he steadies me and Ezra, his glare dark and cutting toward the group behind us.
“I’m so sorry.” Seria tries to place a hand on Ezra but he shirks her off, wrapping his arm around my waist, completely ignoring her as he checks me over.
“I didn’t mean to bump into you…” She gives me a small frown, her gaze sympathetic before they flicker to Ezra for his reaction. “I just lost my footing in these new shoes.”
She tries to give him a warm smile but he doesn't even look her way. So she turns her attention back toward me.
“Micai, you look…” Her eyes trail down my dress, a slight stiffening to her jaw, “...Really pretty.”
Her gaze flickers from Annex to Ezra. “Who are your–”
“Pretty?” Annex’s eyes narrow toward Seria, a demented incredulous look slashed across his face. “She’s fucking breath-taking.”
His grip on my hip tightens, pulling me into his side as he glares at a speechless Seria. I have to school the grin trying to spread on my lips with her look of surprise. I don’t think anyones ever been so outright hostile toward her. “You don’t need to know us, and we sure as fuck don’t care about you, and your fucking shoes.” He bares his teeth, “The next time you act like some thick clutz, I’ll cut your fucking feet off.”
“Hey! What the hell do you think you're saying to her?!” Xander steps up in front of Seria, his normal dickhead glare set toward Annex.
“Her future if she keeping fucking breathing near us.” A slow demented grin spreads across Annex’s lips as his gaze turns toward Xander.
By the look on his face, I bet he’s imagining all the ways he would make Xander bleed. And the slight flinch from Xander tells me he sees it too.
I watch Annex reach for the blade he always keeps tucked into his back trousers. I squeeze the hand still holding my hip, trying to pull his focus to me, just as Knox, Kane and Anders come up beside Seria and Xander.
Seria takes a step closer, her hand gently falling onto Xanders chest as she gives him a small smile. Then she turns toward Ezra again.
“I’m not sure what Micai has told you about me…but I–”
Ezra looks toward Seria, but the expression on his face is so hard and cold, she flinches with just one glance toward him.
His gaze is more cutting than I’ve ever seen it before, his jaw tight and eyes narrowed as he looks back and forth between her and the boys behind her.
“Why do you think you’re so important?” He gives her a smile Annex would approve of, his voice stoney and cold. “Micai has never mentioned you, not once…and now I can see why.”
Her brows furrow, “There must be some misunderstanding. I’m her sister–”
Annex chuckles darkly, a humourless tone laced in his voice, sending even a shiver down my spine with the sound of it. He notices, and takes my hand in his, lifting it up to his lips as he places a kiss along each finger. His piercing blue gaze meets mine as he opens his mouth, “She doesn’t need you or anyone else now. She has us.”
Ezra follows suit, entwining our fingers together, “She’s a part of our family now.” He places a slow kiss along my knuckles, “We take care of our own.”
Seria’s gaze flickers between both boys before falling on me, her mouth slightly opening as she takes a step toward me. Annex shifts forward, placing himself to my front with Seria quickly freezing. His eyes narrow in a dark glare daring her to take another step closer.
“Back the fuck off.” Barks Xander as he pulls Seria behind him. “She’s only worried about her sister…” His eyes flicker to me behind Annex, “Not that she's worth worrying about.”
“What the fuck did you just say?!” Annex takes a step toward Xander, his frame a fraction taller as they go toe to toe with each other. Ezra tightens his grip on my hand, as if trying to hold himself back.
“Lets all calm down,” Anders steps in between Xander and Annex, trying to push them apart but only moving Xander as Annex doesn’t budge an inch. “There's no need for a fight.”
He looks at me and Ezra, his face slightly paling at Ezra's glare before flickering toward me.
“Seria didn’t mean any harm. She would never hurt you Micai. You know that–”
“Fuck, are you blind as well as deaf?” Annex grits out, his eyes more maniacal than before.
“Calm down, Annex,” Calls Ezra as he takes a deep breath, his eyes still dark and menacing. “There's no point in wasting your breath on them. Let them stay in their little delusion.”
“Delusion?” Xander scoffs, a vicious sneer twisting his lips, “You’re the delusional ones, thinking she's something she’s not.”
“Xander–” Calls Seria as she tugs at his sleeve but he pulls away, too engrossed in his own anger to listen to anyone anymore.
“We also used to believe all the lies she told us and the fake little ‘act’ she put on. But the truth came out, and we realised what she truly was…” He glares at me, disgust dripping from each vitriol word thrown my way, “A horrible, lying, bitter–”
And something finally snaps inside me. Like the end of a rope, pulled too tight and stretched for too long past its limits.
I move in a flash, grabbing the blade from Annex’s hand as he takes it out, and reach Xander in a fraction of a second. I kick his feet from under him and place the blade to his throat. His words cut off, his eyes widening in shock as he looks up toward me.
“I remember warning you before…” I lean the blade a little closer to his neck, a small cut forming on his skin as a few gasps sound around me. “Not to start shit with me.”
“Micai–” Call’s Knox, his voice a little shaky as Anders echos him.
“Gut him, Red.” Grins Annex, coming up behind me. “If you don’t, I fucking will.”
“Don’t Mic–” Knox reaches for me, but Ezra steps forward blocking him.
“She’ll do whatever the hell she wants, and you or nobody else will get in her way.”
Kane gently slides Seria toward Anders and steps up beside Knox, a stand off starting between them and Ezra, as Annex chuckles darkly behind me.
Kane's eyes flash gold as Knox raises a hand, a slight static forming around his fingers.“We don’t want to fight Micai, please–”
“Shut the fuck up.” Growls Annex before his lips reach my ear, “Make sure you hit the right artery babe, if you get the wrong one, your sexy dress will get blood all over it…” His gaze slides down my dress, a heated look taking over his eyes, “Scratch that, you’d look even hotter.”
I grip the blade's hilt, and even with the tension spreading throughout the room, I felt calm and quickly realise it was because of Ezra and Annex. I wasn’t planning on killing Xander but knowing they had my back and were giving me the option to…it had a warm feeling spreading throughout me.
Just as Kane tries to take a step toward me, Ezra's deep voice lowers to a dark timber. “Don’t even think about it.”
“Who do you think you–” Kane starts before I become tired of all this bullshit.
I lean closer to Xander, looking into his shaking eyes as the blade nips his skin further.
“There won’t be a second time, Xander. I’m not putting up with anymore shit. Stay away…All of you,” I look toward Kane, Knox and Anders before I pull the blade away and straighten myself before handing it back to Annex.
I turn back to Xander and watch as Knox helps him up.
Ezra’s hand reaches for me, pulling my attention back toward him as I place my hand in his, with Annex’s arm sliding around my waist.
And the growing warmth settles in my chest as I look at them both.
They flicker their eyes toward Xander and Knox, a look telling me this was far from over with them. And a single thought crosses my mind…They didn’t care what others thought or said, they had my back.
Seria calls my name, but it's drowned out by a blood curdling scream.
Everyone turns toward the doors as a female student in a bloodied grey gown falls to her knees.
“Beasts!” She shrieks, “Magical beasts are attacking the academy.” She falls to the ground limply, as blood pours from a large wound on her side.
Was this some sick joke? This never happened in my previous life.
A large roar filters into the room from outside, pulling me from my thoughts as screams and shouting soon follow.
Ezra and Annex grab me and place themselves around me, just as the room turns into chaos.
CHAPTER 38
We make our way through the panicked crowd and toward the grounds outside.
Annex leads the way punching anyone who comes near and promising to gut anyone else who pushes against us. Ezra wraps his arms around me from behind, making sure no-one jostles us or touches me as we move.
