Fortune Academy: Year Three, page 5
part #3 of Fortune Academy (Part 1) Series
His eyes blazed with red and his spirit released a screech of rage, but still, he didn’t stop.
The internal battle fascinated me and brought tears to my eyes. “Kaito,” I whispered, heartbroken that he had struggled with this for so long. Determination made my jaw clench. “Tonight, we bear our suffering together.”
I gripped my Blood Stone and drew out the power I needed to finish the job. Heat exploded in the room and billowed my hair away from my face. The powerful flame reflected in Kaito’s eyes as his pupils blew wide. He released a roar, one that went through my body and filled my soul as he gave me everything and I opened up to him, my pleasure matching his as I shattered into a thousand tiny little pieces.
Together, we lost ourselves to the fires of Hell.
And together, we would find redemption in each other’s arms.
Chapter 6
“I don’t know what the fuck you two did in there, but I have a feeling we have all been banned from every demonic bar in a thousand-foot-radius,” Logan said on a growl.
He staggered ahead of us naked and covered in soot. My session with Kaito had brought hellfire into the Demonspawn city, which apparently was not supposed to happen. The streets glowed red and Demonspawn had fled the vicinity seeking shelter.
Even Demonspawn thought Hell could get too hot—who knew?
Although the streets were clear, I felt eyes on us as we followed Logan toward the Demonspawn barracks. We knew exactly where to go because our mate-circle connection guided us. All this time bonding with my Virtues made sense to me now. I hadn’t been wasting time, and instead reassured each of my Virtues that they belonged with me, and I with them. Together, we would grow and learn to trust one another despite all the bad history between us.
Kaito and I clasped hands as we walked in silence. His body glowed with waves of red power and his tattoo lit up like a metallic brand on his skin. Above all, I sensed a growing confidence in him that hadn’t been there before. A smile lit my face when I realized that I had put that conviction there. Because of me, he wasn’t afraid to face what he was: a demon who he had believed to be beyond redemption.
That was a kindred fear that I could relate with and together, we would conquer it.
“Thank you,” he said, glancing at me and rewarding me with a gorgeous smile. “It’s like a weight has been lifted from my shoulders. All this time I have been pursuing the prophecy in hopes of gaining power—power that would wipe out all my sins. But I realize now that the power I sought wasn’t as I imagined it.” He brought my fingers to his lips for a kiss. “You are that power. You are everything I’ll ever need.”
Logan paused to glower at us. “I’d tell you two to get a room, but that proved to be a bad idea.”
Chuckling, I grabbed Logan and squeezed his hand. He made a sound of complaint, but then fell in line so that I could walk with two of my Virtues hand-in-hand. Despite where we were, and the challenges coming our way, I couldn’t help but burst into a giddy smile. I didn’t dare name this feeling, because if I admitted I was actually happy, I knew something would swoop in and take it away.
And being between two powerful males who loved me, with one of them showing off all the goods that were entirely at my disposal? Yeah. I was pretty fucking happy.
“We really have to find you some clothes,” Kaito said to the wolf. “You’re distracting Lily.”
Logan grinned. “Hey, after that last show you two pulled, I’m going to use every advantage I can get.”
While my two Virtues broke into witty banter with me literally stuck in the middle, the Demonspawn barracks came into view. Magnificent black spires jutted into the cavern’s ceiling and creatures flew around the top, giving the building a haunted atmosphere.
Yep. This was the place where my screwed up destiny would take a nose dive further into the pits of Hell.
At least I wouldn’t be alone. I felt the pull to the rest of my guys, even if they all had mixed feelings about my latest session with Kaito. It had brought heat and hellfire into the mate-circle, fueling us all with the power of suffering that came naturally to the darker parts of my genetics. Being part-succubus and part-Demonspawn, I had to come to terms with the source of my power. Suffering was a part of my history, a part of the culture all around me and it couldn’t be ignored.
As they say, when in Hell, do as the demons do.
An armed entourage of Demonspawn greeted us at the entrance. One of the males with crooked horns motioned to the hall. “Luc is waiting for you.”
I kept ahold of Logan and Kaito as we walked in. The remaining four Demonspawn surrounded us and didn’t seem to notice Logan’s lack of clothing, but they did keep a wary eye on Kaito.
My mentor glared back at them with defiance as his tattoo glowed with power. I had no doubt that if they made one wrong move, he would show them what a Kami was capable of.
The entourage led us through the halls until we came to a massive throne room, complete with a smug-looking male who didn’t need a crown to demonstrate his claim. Two large horns protruded from his head, but those weren’t what captured my attention. The fanning bat wings behind him swayed and spread out over the throne’s armrests as he considered us.
The audience of Demonspawn parted, revealing the rest of my Virtues chained by their wrists. Orion broke his shackles the moment he saw me and sent the Demonspawn around him roaring with panic.
Hendrik chuckled while Dante watched with those ever-pensive eyes of his. Jess screeched from her position next to the male on the throne. “I told you guys to play it cool!”
Orion ignored them all while he scooped me up, ripping me from Kaito and Logan in the process. “Little star. How are you feeling? Are you okay?” He held me aloft while his other hand ran over me as if checking for injury, although he spent too much time checking my breasts. He smiled as he squeezed.
“She’s more than okay,” Hendrik commented as he glared at Kaito. “And I’d say the counselor has some explaining to do. I know dark magic when I feel it and that was some pretty dark shit.”
I squirmed in Orion’s crushing grasp as I tried to kick him. “Put me down, you oversized hornsickle!”
Orion chuckled, but obeyed. I spotted the demon on his throne watching us all with an amused expression. He bowed his head in respect. “Princess. It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”
Huh. A polite demon, go figure.
“I assume you’re Luc?” I asked, shaking free of Orion’s groping hands to approach the throne. The rest of my Virtues watched in silence, but I sensed their tension.
Will you all calm down? I said, sending out the thought into their minds. I can take care of myself.
I didn’t need to remind them that until recently, I’d had no one to protect me from them.
Their emotions quieted as Luc rose from his throne. I didn’t like the smile on his face that said he knew exactly what was going on. “I can’t hear you, but your powers stem from Hell itself, so please be aware that I can sense when you’re having a telepathic conversation with your…” he glanced at my males, “guardians?”
“Virtues,” I corrected. “I may be a princess, but I’m no damsel in distress.” I released my claws, showing them off for his benefit. “I don’t need guardians.”
He chuckled. “I can see that.”
“We totally didn’t mean to intrude,” Jess interrupted, rudely shoving between me and Luc. She grabbed onto his massive forearm and giggled in that flirty way of hers when she was putting on the charm.
She was good at it, too, which I had always written off due to her experience as a succubus, but now that I knew she wasn’t a succubus at all, I had to admit, I was a little jealous of her ease around males.
Jess tugged Luc aside, making sure she had his full attention. To my surprise, he allowed it and his massive, gorgeous wings fluttered before folding to his back. “You’re not intruding,” he said with a wicked grin. “You know how I love new prisoners.”
Dante banged his chains against the floor. “This is a fucking courtesy, you asshole. Lily needs something from you and we’re respecting your turf, but we’re not going to be staying. You can count on that.”
Luc pouted as he glanced at me. “Is that true, Princess? If you want to vouch for these…” he twirled his wrist, “mongrels, then I’ll permit their release.” He glanced at Orion. “Even if they tend to disrespect this realm’s hierarchy.”
Logan snapped his teeth. “She’s the fucking Princess of Hell. How’s that for hierarchy?”
Luc smirked as if he knew something we didn’t, then he raised both hands in surrender. “Who am I to argue with a nude shifter?”
I waved Logan to stand down. I wasn’t sure if I preferred my guys being assholes to me, or assholes to somebody else. Either way, they needed to chill. “Sorry about them,” I said, giving the handsome Demonspawn my best apologetic smile. “What they’re trying to say is that I’ve come here for my mother’s help. I’m the Champion of the Third Echo of Calamity and it’s going to be coming after me.”
Luc lifted an eyebrow. “Calamity? The vortex of death, destruction, and chaos is after you, and you want to trap it here?”
Well, when he put it like that I wouldn’t buy what I was selling either. “It’s not like that—” I began, but Luc burst out in a wicked grin.
“Why didn’t you start with that, Princess? Do you have any idea how long it’s been since I’ve had a decent battle to defend the lower realms?” He snapped out his wings, startling me. “Centuries!”
“So you’ll let us stay?” Jess asked with a sparkle in her otherwise dark eyes.
“Stay?” Luc responded. “I’ll do better than that. You all can use the barracks as honored guests and when Calamity comes knocking, you’ll have Hell’s power in your reserves, and my armies ready to fight.” He clapped his hands. “Alright. No time to waste, then and it’s getting late. The next low tide of Hell’s pit won’t be for another twelve of your hours, so I suggest we all get some rest. You’ll want to be at the top of your game when it’s time to make the run to the next level.”
“Tide?” I asked.
He chuckled. “Princess of Hell and you don’t even know your own realm. Cute.” A tail I hadn’t noticed twitched around his ankles with excitement. “Hell’s layers beyond this one overflow with fire from the pits, so if you want to go down, you have to go during low tide and get yourself to a stronghold before it comes back up. It runs in cycles every twelve hours, so as long as you don’t get lost, you should be fine if you want to get to the Royal Courts.” He fluttered his wings. “Now, sleeping arrangements. I trust you all to work that out. Guest bedrooms are down the hall and my underlings will show you the way, as well as free your… Virtues, from their shackles.” He pinched Jess’s chin, making her blush. “And you. You’re coming with me. We have some catching up to do.”
Her eyes lit up and her tail flicked. “Oh. Um—of course.”
We all stared after the Demonspawn pair as he took Jess around his throne and through a door in the back.
“Jess seemed nervous. Should I go make sure she’s okay?” I asked.
Hendrik huffed. “Not unless you want to see them humping like bunnies. I have a feeling those two have a history and it’s best if we stay out of it.” He glanced at the Demonspawn underlings who surrounded us. “Can you all kindly fuck off? We have our own sleeping arrangements to work out.” The Demonspawn blankly stared, so Hendrik added. “Your master already said we’re free. His orders, yeah?”
While the Demonspawn shrugged, leaving Hendrik and Dante shackled, all my Virtues homed in on me. I stared back at them until I realized what Hendrik was talking about.
These were all my mates and we had twelve hours to kill. I turned in a small circle, taking in the hungry stares of Orion, Hendrik, Dante, Logan, and Kaito. Now that I had almost sealed the mate-circle, there was no denying the pull we had toward each other.
Gulp.
Kaito, always happy to play the mentor, jumped in on the teachable opportunity and cleared his throat. “Now that the mate-circle has been sealed, all of us are drawn to you, Lily. We are here to serve you and help build your strength in preparation for the final battle.” He took my hand and turned it over, giving the sensitive skin on the inside of my wrist a kiss. I shivered as the demonstration of his power spread warmth down electrified nerve endings. “We are all in-tune with you now. You helped me accept who and what I am, and now I can give you so much more.” He kissed me again, sending another surge more powerful than the last and I yanked my hand free before I jumped him right here. He grinned. “You feel the change, don’t you? If a kiss does that, imagine what more I can offer, what we can all offer.” He came closer to me, making me fall back a step. “The easiest way we can help you is by sharing our bodies with you. Our love, our adoration, and our worship.”
Damn. When did Kaito become so… direct?
“You had your share of ‘worship,’” Dante cut in, crossing his arms and looking entirely unamused.
“She’s not a piece of meat,” Logan countered, snapping his teeth for effect. “You just assume she wants us all to screw her tonight. She’s not ready for that.”
I knew my wolf. What he really meant was he was not ready for that. As an Alpha, he was supposed to choose who his partner mated into their pack, but there’d been no choice for him at all. His alliances with the other members of my mate-circle were shaky at best and it would take time for him to come to terms with our family unit.
Because, that’s what all my guys were to me. We were a family. A dysfunctional family that would probably get everyone we knew killed, but a family nonetheless.
Then it dawned on me what they were all actually arguing about. “You all want to… um… At the same time? Together?” My face turned red hot. And being a princess of Hell, that was a feat.
Orion shoved the other guys out of the way as he rested a massive hand on my shoulder, the motion a claiming one that I loved as he stroked his touch up my neck. “Logan’s right, little star, but so is Kaito. You need all the power you can get to fight Calamity and that’s why we’re here in the first place. If you’re not ready for that, no one is going to push you.”
I blinked up at him, stunned. Was this the same sex-crazed demigod from the Academy who hosted mind-bending orgies and hated me for shoving him into a bond he wasn’t ready for?
“Orion,” I whispered, touched by his concern. “You’re so sweet, but I never said I wasn’t ready.” My skin heated again despite my confidence. I loved all my Virtues and it felt like I was just now finally starting to learn them all, one-by-one, but the idea of them all taking me at once…
Uh, hot much?
I swallowed hard and forced myself to continue, “If you’re all ready to share me—”
“Who said anything about sharing?” Orion boomed, towering over me with wide eyes as if I’d just proposed we all stick lava up our asses. “Everyone has gotten a turn with you. I’m saying it’s my turn. Screw everyone else.”
Yep, there’s my selfish demigod I know and love.
“Orion,” I began, my tone stern.
“Enough,” my Hunter snapped. He moved to shove Orion out of the way, but his shackles kept his arms bound. He growled as if he just remembered they were still there—simply a nuisance to get rid of. Red magic coursed through Dante’s skin until it gathered at the cuffs around his wrists, shattering them into pieces. He shook his hands free of molten dust and glowered. “If anyone deserves time alone with Lily, it’s me. I’ve sat on the sidelines with Hendrik, then Logan.” He left out the part where we’d already had plenty of special alone time on Hell’s surface. Greedy bastard.
All of my Virtues argued at once. Male voices clashed together as each demanded that it was their turn to be alone with me.
What the actual fuck?
At first I’d been flattered, even excited at the prospect that my Virtues had finally accepted what they meant to me, but this was not what I had bargained for. I would not be fought over like a bone with my mates who were all supposed to love and support me.
“Ugh! All of you, shut up!” I shouted, my anger building until a shockwave shot out from my feet, making them all stumble. I glared as I balled my fists. “I’m not some screw toy to just pass around. I didn’t sign up for this.” I stormed past them, shoving Orion and Dante out of my way. “You can all stop arguing, because I’m sleeping alone.”
I caught Hendrik’s amused gaze as I marched past him before storming down the halls.
All of my Virtues knew better than to challenge me right now, but the Dark Mage might just be stupid enough to test my verdict.
If he thought he was going to change my mind, he’d sorely regret trying.
Chapter 7
“I miss Olivia,” I grumbled as I grabbed another red velvet pillow and slammed it to the ground. It bounced and didn’t give me the satisfying sense of destruction I needed, so I searched the guest room for something else to abuse.
I had to admit, Hell was a lot fancier than I had imagined. The Demonspawn had caught up with me in the halls and guided me to a room at the end they insisted was reserved for royalty and hadn’t been used since the Queen’s last visit.
The room positively glittered with ruby gems stuck into anything that had space, evident by the massive chandelier, the oval mirror near the bathroom, and even in the trim of wood that ran around the vanity desk. However the most notable element of the room was the bed. King-sized was an understatement. Maybe double or triple-King would be more accurate.
Then I remembered, this room was reserved for royalty and my mother had multiple partners, just like me. She had been the Champion of the First Echo of Calamity and had once faced a similar plight. I wondered if it had been like this for her. If all her mates had been so… difficult.
Scanning the room, I found a delicate orb garnishment sitting on the desk.
