Courts and Cabals Omnibus: Books 1-3, page 13
Despite all the firepower, which I didn’t stand a snowball’s chance in hell of surviving, the dominant feature of the plateau was a black stone altar. It looked like a place to make human sacrifices. If Aveena was about to offer up a changeling to some dark god of the Fae, I wouldn’t have been surprised. The last thing in the world I expected was to see the Fae noble on all fours, panting like a dog, as she smacked her ass backward onto some changeling’s waiting dick.
“She’ll just be a minute,” Chloe informed sweetly.
I couldn’t hide my eye roll, but Jerome’s jaw was on the ground. “Can I just stay here forever?” he asked.
Chloe’s laugh sounded like summer bells, but I knew it was a lie. “Only if you’re a good doggy.”
I took the statement as offensive, but Jerome took it as flirtation. If those two wanted to dance around each other, that was fine by me. The werewolf would watch my back as I focused on the real target.
Aveena didn’t even pretend to notice I was there. She was moaning softly as she continued to pound herself into the changeling. She might be trying to kill me, but that didn’t stop her from being beautiful. On the spectrum of women I’d recently engaged in sexual activity with, she was somewhere between Lilith and Chloe. The Fae noble had the best of both worlds. Lilith was five-seven, but built as a sexual goddess with curves to die for. Aveena had the lithe, athletic dancer’s body of the nymph, but more substantial curves. She was close to six feet, taller than both other women. She’d tied her blonde hair back in a ponytail, so her pointed ears stood out sharply, but even getting her pussy hammered doggystyle, she looked regal.
I was forced to stand there, hearing the slap . . . slap . . . slap of flesh on flesh. “This is the weirdest power play ever.” I was stunned.
“My lady, I’m going to . . .”
“Don’t you dare,” Aveena cut the changeling off, and I saw the physical effect her words had on the man.
He stiffened like a statue, while the noble Fae continued to pleasure herself. Another minute passed, and the look on the guy’s face was one of pure pain. It looked like he was being tortured, not fucked by a gorgeous woman.
“Yes . . . right there . . . oh!” I could tell when Aveena came. She slammed her ass on the changeling’s cock, shuddered, and gripped the stone slab hard enough that she dug shallow furrows with her fingers. She stayed like that for a moment, breathing heavily, before sliding forward and away from the changeling.
“Jesus Christ,” I took a step back.
I wasn’t a Christian. In a time where there were supernatural creatures that could easily replicate the “miracles” of the son of god, the monotheistic religions had lost a lot of worshipers to the gods people could see and touch with their own two hands. Still, it was an appropriate curse for what I saw.
The changeling’s dick looked like an eggplant: crooked, engorged, purple, and just plain wrong. He also just sat there, his knees bloody from being Aveena’s plaything, and unable to move. I knew all about the oaths of fealty, being a Fae vassal, and the power and control that gave a noble Fae like Aveena, but I’d never seen anything like this.
Two more changelings approached their liege with a plush robe that she draped over her shoulder. She didn’t bother to tie the waistband, flashing me and Jerome with her runway strip of pubic hair. She studied me closely as a rocky throne grew out of the ground itself. She sat down on it like she was the queen of this space, which she absolutely was.
“She’s brought a bit of the Faerie Realm with her,” I put two and two together and suspected I’d made a terrible mistake.
“I don’t know whether you are incredibly brave, or incredibly stupid, mortal,” she accepted a glass of water and a towel from a female changeling that took up station next to the throne.
Aveena sipped at the water and began to pat down her brow and chest. She’d worked up a sweat from the workout, and it made her half-exposed tits glisten. I hated myself that it turned me on.
“I simply wish to make amends, Lady Foxbelle,” I bowed deeply, nearly prostrating myself before her.
“Humph,” she grunted as I rose back up. “I see he’s still alive,” she turned her gaze on Chloe.
The nymph averted her gaze and went down to one knee. “He was aided by the succubus, my lady.”
“The half-blood whore,” Aveena spat on the ground, and the female changeling produced another towel and went to wipe it up.
“They’re nothing but fucking slaves,” I was barely able to hide my disgust.
While the female changeling was wiping the spit off the ground, the changeling Aveena had just finished fucking was turning a dangerous shade of red. “My lady . . .” he groaned.
Aveena was still judging Chloe’s failure, but sighed and waved her hand. “Fine.”
I’d never seen someone cum so hard before. The stone slab was roughly eight feet long, and his first ejaculation cleared it. Many more followed, staining the surface of the stone. With his dick looking less like it was about to burst, the man gave a cry of ecstasy and promptly passed out. He collapsed off the slab and landed on his shoulder with a crunch. Other changelings rushed over, but didn’t help him. They went about wiping his jizz off the slab.
I watched it all in horror, and Aveena watched me. That was her power play; the physical, emotional, and mental power she had over her vassals. Nothing humans had even came close. It was complete and utter servitude among the lesser Fae, and even worse, it was determined by blood. Your fate was sealed before you were even born. I promised myself then and there that I would never visit Aveena’s home realm.
I snapped myself out of it and quickly produced my offerings. “I offer what was agreed upon, a baby’s rib,” I laid the small bone down at her feet. “Because of my failure, I offer you dragon’s heartstring, phoenix feather, powdered unicorn horn, and a protective pendant. Please accept these with my deepest apologies, and let us bury this feud between us.” I backed up and kept my eyes downcast, waiting for a decision.
Slowly, the Fae noble got to her feet and stood over my offerings. “There was a reason I required the baby’s rib on a deadline, mortal. Because of you, I missed the opportunity, and now have to wait until the next blood moon,” she stepped on the baby’s rib and shattered it into half a dozen pieces. “Dragon’s heartstring,” she scoffed. “Only used in the most rudimentary Fae magic,” she picked it up, took a bite out of it, and spat the chewed remains at her cleaning changeling’s feet. “Phoenix feather,” she stomped on the red-orange feather that disintegrated into ash on contact, “used by tricksters and charlatans. And powdered unicorn horn,” she picked up the bag and tossed it to Chloe, who wiggled her eyebrows at Jerome. “Do you think I am unable to get aroused, mortal? Do you think the men I bring to my bed aren’t filled with desire?” The sneer on Aveena’s face showed me I was utterly and completely failing.
“And this trinket,” she tossed it back in my face. It happened to hit directly where Chloe had stabbed me, and I winced in pain. “My own glamour is stronger than that second-rate charm.” She was shorter, but she towered over me as she stood inches in front of my face. “I find your offerings lacking and insulting, Cameron Dupree. There will be no peace between us.”
“Please, Lady Foxbelle,” I made the split-second decision to get on my knees. “What do you require to make peace between us?”
Whatever she was about to yell at me, my question brought her up short. She sat back down on her rocky throne and studied me closely. “Twice you’ve been saved by the half-blood. And twice I’ve smelled her foul stench on you. She sees you as valuable in some way. I would have that value taken from her. That will bring peace between us,” she sat back smugly. “Swear fealty to me. Be mine.”
“Are fucking kidding me. You realize I just watched you use your vassals like playthings. They stand guard all night, clean up after you basically spit on them, and nearly die pleasing your spoiled ass. You’re just some brat princess who was given everything by mommy and daddy, and the first time you don’t get what you want, you throw a hissy fit. Why the hell would I ever want to be bound to you, bitch?”
That was what I should have said, but I wanted to leave here with my head attached to my shoulder. “My deepest apologies, Lady Foxbelle, but I can’t swear fealty to you. I am my own man.”
She probably expected it, and if she didn’t, her emotions didn’t show on her face. “That is my price,” she reiterated. “If you cannot pay it. There will be no peace.”
“If that is your will, noble Fae,” I deflated in acceptance.
“It looks like the harem deal is the only option,” I couldn’t see any other way to pull my ass out of the fire. I was still trying to figure out how all of this got away from me so quickly.
“This negotiation is concluded, but the rights of parlay will hold,” Aveena declared, with a pointed look at Chloe. “There will be two sunsets of peace for you to prepare yourself. Get your affairs in order, Cameron Dupree. At the stroke of midnight on Monday, your death is sealed.”
“Very well,” I didn’t know what else to say as I gave her a final bow and backed away, careful to not show her my back.
Jerome looked even more shocked than when they’d entered the plateau, and not even Chloe’s naked grace could hold his attention anymore.
“I’ll be seeing you soon, Cam.” Chloe’s smile was pure intimidation as she followed us down the hill to the carved entrance. “Second time is the charm.”
“That’s not how the saying goes,” I shot back.
“I don’t care,” she continued to smile. “You’ve got until midnight tomorrow.” With that, she pushed us through the glamour entryway and back into the hall.
The changeling I knew gave me a sad shake of the head. “Sorry, Cam. Next time I see you, I’ll be compelled to kill you.”
“Fuck my life,” I growled and stomped down the hallway. Everything was going to shit, and I only had one way out of it.
***
The investigation was a bunch of bullshit. Vernon had put the professors and even the Dean through everything he could think of. There were only so many ways to conceal something you’d done with magic, and the tests he’d done should at least indicate something. He had jack shit.
“Well,” the Dean had a smug look on her face.
“Wait,” Vernon didn’t add a please. He was that frustrated.
He backed out of hearing range, and Wood followed him. “Well?” she asked the same question.
“I’ve got nothing,” he ground his teeth in frustration. Granted, this type of investigation wasn’t his bread and butter, but with his skill, power, and artifacts, he should at least have a lead on something.
“Maybe the data was bad,” she offered helpfully. She could see he was pissed and was at least trying to be nice. A night between the sheets didn’t exactly make them friends, but the brotherhood of law enforcement connected them at some level.
“Maybe,” he conceded, but it would be the first time the data crunchers got something wrong on this level. There were stringent algorithms, filters, and criteria that an incident had to meet before reaching an agent’s hands. They were a limited resource, and wasting their time was bad for everyone.
“I’ve got one last thing and then I’m all out of ideas,” he started to head back over to the Dean. “Thank you everyone for your time this morning. I know it’s the last place you wanted to be,” that got a few appreciative chuckles. “You’re all free to go. Dean,” he called as the stately woman turned to leave. “I just need the data from the student’s physical, and to survey the scene of the incident. After that, I’ll have everything for my report, and I’ll get out of your hair.” The last statement seemed to be the magic words.
He had the medical data on his tablet in under five minutes, and a member of the maintenance staff was taking him to the scene right away. The school grounds were beautiful, and even though it was Saturday, students were walking around with their backpacks slung over their shoulders. They all looked him over with questioning eyes, and most spotted the gun on Wood’s hip. Along with her badge, they gave her a wide berth. Some even turned around and walked the other way as they approached.
She inhaled deeply. “Like I’m going to bust a billionaire’s kid for marijuana possession,” she laughed as the man leading them came to a halt.
“This is it.” The man looked tired. His weathered face unhappy that he was probably in on his day off.
“Sorry, I’ll be quick,” Vernon felt worse for this working fellow than the teachers and students whose lives he’d interrupted.
“Stupid,” he mentally slapped himself. “I should have come here first.” Within a second, something wasn’t adding up.
“Excuse me,” he gestured the man over. “This is where it happened?”
“Yeah,” the guy gave an exasperated sigh. “I’m the one who found the kid. He was right here,” the man drew an outline on the grass.
“Thank you, you’ve been incredibly helpful,” Vernon dismissed him and pulled out various artifacts.
“What, do you have something?” Wood bent down next to him and sniffed, engaging her shifter senses. His were probably better, but hers were nothing to scoff at.
“What do you smell?” he asked, as he waved the devices and enacted a few quick rituals.
She took her time and took several deep breaths. “Nothing,” she concluded with a shrug.
“Exactly,” he was grinning like he was about to get laid again.
“What?” She hadn’t put two and two together yet.
“A day ago, this was the sight of a lightning strike,” he explained. “We should be seeing dead grass, blackened soil, remnants of a fire, and everything else that comes along with a billion volts of energy hitting the ground.”
“I guess,” she chewed on the issue. “But knowing this place, they probably used magic to clean it up. I wouldn’t leave a blackened crater if people were paying me forty grand a head.”
“True,” Vernon nodded, “but I’ve got no magical traces. No one came here to regrow the grass, repair the land, or dispatch the stench of burnt hair and ozone. If we didn’t have data suggesting it, medical reports, and eye witnesses who are attesting to it, I wouldn’t think there was a lightning strike at all.” Now he had her attention.
“What does that mean?” She looked as intrigued as he felt.
“It means we need to talk with Cameron Dupree.”
Chapter 12
I didn’t waste any time. Aveena had made her decision. Chloe would be gunning for me at 12:01 Monday morning, and I wasn’t going to sit around vulnerable like this. The Fae noble had decreed that I was safe until then, but I didn’t trust her farther than I could throw her. This could be the perfect ruse to lure me into a false sense of security and allow Chloe to strike. Instinctually, I gave a drain in my path a wide berth as I headed for Lilith’s dorm.
I blew past the other senior on floor monitor duties and waved an annoyed hand in his direction when he protested. I climbed the stairs two at a time and sprinted down to her room. It felt like a lifetime ago that she’d invited me here to repay me for those quiz answers. I hammered on the closed door until someone came to answer it.
“For fuck’s sake . . .” Dani opened it. “No, not gonna happen,” the dwarf tried to close the door, but I shoved my foot in the opening. That didn’t stop her from painfully slamming me with the heavy wood.
“Fuck, Dani, come on,” I growled, pushing uselessly against the handle. “Let me in. I need to talk to her,” I pleaded, because I knew there was no way I’d overpower the small woman.
The door swung open, and I nearly toppled into the room as my momentum pushed me forward. “She’s not here, lover boy,” Dani walked away, wearing nothing but booty shorts and a sports bra.
“Do you ever wear clothes?” I snapped, unable to help myself because of my throbbing foot.
“Do you ever stop barging into my room like some love-drunk puppy?” she snapped back, and we stared each other down.
The dwarf was as infuriating as she was cute, and I either wanted to fight her or fuck her. Unfortunately, neither of those things was going to happen, and if they did, they wouldn’t work out for feeble old me. If I was going to be in Lilith’s life, I was going to have to get through a year of a love-hate relationship with this other woman.
Dani broke the stare-down first with a sigh and pointed to Lilith’s bed. “You must be packing some serious firepower down there,” she pointed at my crotch. “I’ve roomed with Lilith for two years, and she’s never worked this hard to get a guy,” she looked me up and down. “I know you two have never done it,” she made humping motions. “Do you want me to take you for a spin and put in a good word with her?”
I looked at her, dumbfounded, and thought she was joking until she started to pull her sports bra off. “No!” I shouted. Me from three days ago was kicking present-me in the ass, across the time-space continuum, for turning down guaranteed sex with a hottie.
“Geez, let a girl down easy, will ya,” the dwarf didn’t look too hurt by my rejection.
“It’s not that,” I sighed and rubbed my eyes. “Sorry, you just caught me by surprise. I’ve kind of got a lot of shit going down right now.”
“I’ve heard,” it was hard to get a single iota of compassion from her. “Rain check?” she raised an eyebrow. “You know what they say; once you go little, I own that pickle.”
Despite my approaching execution, I couldn’t help but laugh. “I don’t know what my contract stipulates, but we’ll see.”
