"Wake up. Now."
I kept my eyes closed. If I keep them closed maybe he'll leave.
Smack. He slammed his fist into my back. I turned. "Fucking ouch!" I yelled. None other than Barrons was standing over me. I opened my mouth to let loose a sting of cuss words in multiple languages when I realized something. This wasn't Jeremy. This was Jericho. I'm screwed.
"We're not here to play, little girl. Get up, and get dressed. We're going to Chester's in an hour. Be downstairs in twenty minutes." he said very calmly, and left the room.
I was shaking from fear. He wouldn't hesitate to kill me if I got in his way. But Ryodan promised me protection, and even if he did kill me, he'd have Ryodan to recon with.
I grabbed a pair of leggings, and a long deep green knit v-neck sweater. I put on a pair of black flats and grabbed my thigh length jacket, just in case. You never knew where you'd end up when you were at Barrons's beck and call- both Barrons.
I hurried down the stairs and saw that a whole group was flocking- except now, there were a lot of girls who looked like they belonged to the Keltar clan. They all stopped talking when I got to the bottom of the stairs, and just stared. The nine were there, all standing in the corner closest to the door leading to the actual store part of BB&B and looking broody and dangerous.
The male Keltar were in a group with their female counterparts and their parents. I looked them all over and sighed. "I feel like some introductions are in order." I said.
Brody stepped forward, and without stopping embraced me tightly. I leaned into the hug, whispering in his ear, "You do realize that they're all staring, right?"
"Yes I dae lass, and that's exactly why. My cousins need tae know they havenae go' a chance with ye anymore. Ye are mine now, lass. There's nae backing out now." He kissed me lightly, and pulled me down, into the crowd a little more, who all looked slightly awkward after seeing that exchange.
"As ye know Pierce, Gavrael and Harmony are all children of my father Drustan," Brody started, and I nodded. "Well, his twin brother, my uncle Daegus, is that man," he pointed to a man of 6' 5'' with long black hair and tiger gold eyes, "and his children are Tempest," he pointed to a girl of about 23 with straight brown hair to her chin and light gold eyes who stood at 5'7'' at most, "Tierney," he pointed to a girl of 5'8'', who was about 19 with green-gold eyes and wavy brown hair to her shoulders, "and ye know Dean Drake and Spencer."
He then pointed to another tall man, with mahogany hair and brown eyes, "That is my uncle Cian, that is his daughter Valora," he pointed to a girl with bright blue eyes and curly gold-blonde hair to her shoulders who was about twenty two, and who only reached 5'2''. "That is Briony." he finished, pointing to a girl with gold-blonde hair to her mid-back and grey eyes. She was an inch taller than her sister, and looked to be my age. "Ailis is over with her mother, sae I'll introdaece ye later, and her sister Allira is also there."
"That is my uncle Christian," he pointed to a man that looked surprisingly normal for a man who'd been turned Fae in the last book of the Fever Series. He had dark hair, and dark eyes, and gold skin, but he looked much like his uncles. "That is his daughter Artemis," a girl of 16, if that, who stood at 5'4'' and had frizzy red hair to her shoulders, green eyes and tons of freckles was bouncing around in a corner with Briony, "and that is Destiny," a girl with wavy strawberry blonde hair to her chin, a little less freckles and darker green eyes than her older sister was brooding beside a chair, not really looking at anything. She was only about 14.
"And their wives are all over there." he pointed to a group of middle aged women whispering in a corner. "My aunt Gwen, Drustan's husband." He pointed to a short woman with blonde hair and laughing grey eyes. "My aunt Chloe, Daegus's wife." He pointed to a short woman with blonde hair interspersed with copper, and blue eyes. "My aunt Jessica, Cian's wife." He pointed to a woman of 5'6'', with black hair and green eyes. "And my aunt Fallon, Christian's wife." He pointed to a woman with frizzy red hair to her shoulders, and deep green eyes.
"Wow, you have a lot of family." I breathed.
He laughed. "Ye could say that we all just want our clan tae survive."
"It's like grade nine all over again..." I whispered without even thinking.
"What, lass?" he frowned slightly, confused.
I laughed. "It's just that, in grade nine, all of my teachers started getting pregnant. There were about ten that were all pregnant. Me and my friends used to joke that they all went to the same crazy teacher party..." I trailed off, a lump forming in my throat. I missed them so much.
Brody pulled me into another hug, and I ignored the rest of the people in this room. I buried my face in his chest, and inhaled him. He smelled like soap, sort of musky, and sort of like sandalwood. I looked up at him and a drop of water fell from his hair onto my nose. He'd obviously just had a shower.
He leaned down and kissed my nose where the water fell, and I searched his dark blue eyes with mine. My stomach was fluttering and I just wanted to jump his bones right here and now. I heard someone clear their throat from behind Brody, and blushed.
"We need to discuss our strategy from here on out." Jericho stepped forward, and began. Brody and I sat at the foot of the stairs, and when Jericho stepped forward, my first instinct was to bury myself in Brody's chest, but I fought it. "As you must all know by now, our rescue attempt failed. Solus knows about Dru's powers. He'll be more wary now. Viridia is not able to help much, because she's been sworn to an oath that can only be circumvented at the most particular circumstances." His face looked grim. "It's down to us. We made an agreement, that if you helped us get the Spear, the diary and the Amulet that we'd help you get Harmony, and we'd all have our revenge on Solus. So far, you've kept your end of the deal. We have the Spear, and the Amulet, but we still need the diary. It's our turn to get Harmony.
"So, what we're going to do is this. We have received Intel from Viridia that Solus plans to use the diary in a ceremony at 'a place where stones are set in a circle' which is so very obviously Stonehenge. It will be the Spring Equinox, March 20th. So, what me and my nine are going to do is teach you kids how to fight. We're having swords made out of iron as we speak, and guns with iron bullets. Dru and Mac will finish whatever Fae off that you harm." Barrons finished.
"Alright. Let's do this." I stated.
The sword slammed into my side for what seemed like the hundredth time today, and I winced. It wasn't a sharp sword, but it was hard, and it hurt terribly when it hit me. Ryodan swept my legs out from under me and I was on the floor again.
I looked up and glared at him. "This would be a lot fairer if I got a teacher who wasn't super-fast and super strong. You know, like every other student here." I glared. Barrons had set up a faux-school environment, sending those who'd already finished back, and pulling those who still were in school out, into this one. But, instead of having normal classes like English, Math, French, Gym, Science and even History or Geography, we were taking classes like Fae History, Objects of Power and Their Uses, The Fae A-Z, Fighting Lessons, Dissimulation Class and Ancient Languages.
"Fairs are for tourists, Dru. You also happen to be faster than all of them, and faster than the teachers teaching them, which wouldn't be fair." He smirked, throwing my own words back at me. "Again." He commanded.
"No. 'Class' is done in three minutes. No time. Sorry." I turned, and got up. I heard the whistling of a blade, and ducked reflexively, and lifted my own blade, in case Ryo decided to sweep the sword down on me. When he didn't, I swung my sword around, feigning for his feet, and almost laughed when he lifted one up, and I got my sword under it. I swung the sword up between his legs and he cried out, furious.
"You promised me protection!" I yelled, running away now. Ryodan was getting up, still in a large amount of pain. "Just remember that!"
I sprinted back inside the bookstore, and ran up to my room, getting changed into some jeans and a loose purple tee-shirt. I grabbed my binders that had been provided and freeze-framed to my Dissimulation Class, shoving a bar into my mouth on the way.
Jeremy stood at the front of the mock classroom, with the brand-new blackboard posted on the wall and eighteen desks set up in pairs, with three rows and three pairs in each row. Jeremy even had a nifty desk with all sorts of teaching instruments.
When everyone was finished filing into the class, and they'd sat down, Jeremy made us all stop talking. "I've made a seating plan," there were some groans, and I rolled my eyes, "so that there will be a minimal amount of talking. So, stand up. Everyone go stand at the back of the room."
Brody and I got up from where we were sitting, and walked to the back of the room knowing we would not be sitting together.
"Okay, at the front, Strix will be sitting next to
Gavrael." A girl of fourteen with straight strawberry blonde hair to her chin flounced over to the chair, with irritation flashing in her eyes. I had no idea who this was, but she reminded me a lot of someone. I shook that thought off. It didn't really matter much anyways.
"Behind them will be Briony and Allira." Allira was only about twelve years old with wavy, shoulder-length black hair and green eyes. "Behind them will be Dean and Destiny." He moved over to stand in front of the next row. "At the front will be Brody and Valora. Behind them will be Elysia and Spencer." Elysia was very obviously Strix's twin, with straight strawberry blonde hair to her shoulders, the only difference was her green eyes. "Behind them will be Dru and Bryce."
Bryce was a fairly tall boy, at 5'10'' or so, with short curly auburn hair and light blue eyes. But I could see the family resemblance in his face, in the way their eyes were all set. He, too, reminded me of someone, someone I just couldn't put a name to. I went up and sat next to him, waiting for Jeremy to finish calling the seating arrangement.
"Pierce beside Tempest. Behind them Artemis and Drake. And Tierney and Ailis at the very back." Ailis looked exactly like her younger sister Allira, with black hair that was kept cut above her ears, and green eyes. She had a lot of freckles, as well. "Alright. So, take out a paper. What we're going to do is list all the ways we know to camouflage." Jeremy started.
"And let the torture begin..." I murmured and Bryce chuckled in spite of himself. He obviously knew the others fairly well, some of them probably better than me, but he was still uncomfortable here.
I looked up and saw Jeremy giving me a look that said 'You're lucky that I'm not supposed to be able to hear that...' I winked and he pressed his lips together, less than pleased.
"So how'd you end up here?" I asked quietly.
Bryce frowned slightly. "Killed our parents then kidnapped us. You?"
"Threatened and kidnapped." I frowned slightly as well. "They seem to have a thing for that don't they? But then, that woman Barrons was with, Viridia, I think it was, didn't seem to mind." I chuckled slightly thinking about them in the room. Viridia had saved my life there.
He clenched his fists, and looked like he wanted to punch something. "Oh, she minds." he growled.
"I didn't mean to offend you- don't get me wrong, she's fantastic; she saved my life. I just thought her and Jeremy looked like they loved each other a lot." I bit my lip. I always said things that offended people. My mother always said my bluntness would get me a black eye one day.
His features softened slightly, and he relaxed. "What happened?"
I shrugged. "When we went to rescue Harmony, things happened and I ended up using most of my life energy to save them, and so Viridia popped in and had me drink something from Faery so that I wouldn't die."
He smiled. "She always did have a soft spot for girls like her."
"Girls like her?" I asked.
"Girls who always got themselves into trouble, no matter how hard they tried not to."
"Alright, so what we're going to do now is have a volunteer come up and camouflage them self." Jeremy looked around the class, and he stopped at me, smiling. "Why don't you give them all a demonstration Dru?"
I rolled my eyes. "Jeremy, we both know that my camouflage will be better than any of theirs."
"Arrogant, much?" Bryce frowned slightly.
"No, I'm just stating a fact. It's hard to beat me. Trust. I am to illusion and camouflage as Mac is to tracking Objects of Power." I smiled slightly. I walked to the front of the class, and willed myself to look like whatever was behind me. I felt the energy start to leech out of me and knew that it was working.
There were some gasps and I rolled my eyes, coming back into view. "It's as if some of you haven't ever seen anything magical." I walked back to my seat, and crossed my legs.
"I see what you mean." Bryce whispered from beside me.
I laughed softly. "You thought I was just being arrogant?"
He looked slightly uncomfortable. "Well... You were acting confident."
"I know, I'm just teasing." I smiled, nudging him playfully with my elbow.
By the time the class finished I wanted to punch something. It was so boring. It was as if Jeremy was trying to make us all die of boredom.
"Okay, you guys can go for lunch now." Jeremy said, and I jumped up from my chair, sprinting to the front of the class, grabbing Brody and Freeze-framing out of there.
I stopped at my room, and pulled him down for a kiss, smiling against his lips.
He chuckled against my lips, and pulled away. "Ye need tae eat something, or ye'll be weak."
I groaned. "Maybe I want to do something else right now." I went on my tippy toes, and kissed him again.
He pulled away again, and I growled in frustration. "Eat. Now."
The world went black for a second, but I blinked it away.
I scowled and took a bar out of my bag, and ate it quickly. He leaned down when I was finished, but I ducked out of his way. "No, too bad for you. You made me stop when I wanted to, so you're not getting anything today."
He frowned. "I donna think that is fair."
"Fairs are for tourists, my druid boyfriend." I smiled evilly.
"Ye are a tourist though, lass, in a way. I could be yer fair..." he wiggled his eyebrows at me.
"Not today." I smirked and walked into my room, swaying my hips an unnecessary amount. Besides, that awful attempt at a pickup didn't deserve a kiss either.
"Och, lass, yer killing me here." His eyes were burning with lust, and I felt a satisfaction deep inside that I could do that to him.
"I know." I blew him a kiss, and closed the door on him, giggling. I heard him let out an exasperated sigh, and heard him sit down, and lean against the door.
"I'm not letting you i-in!" I called in a sing-songy voice.
"Ye need tae leave at one point, lass. We've got class soon."
I rolled my eyes. "Yes, because Fae History, The Fae A-Z and Ancient Languages sound like a blast."
"They'll murder ye if ye don't go lass."
"No they won't. They need me." I smiled, at that knowledge.
"They'll definitely make ye miserable if ye don't go though."
I sighed. He was right. "You just want me to come out."
"Yes I dae. But ye know I'm right anyways." I could hear the smile in his voice.
"Yes I do..." I grabbed the handle, and opened the door slowly. He stood up and wrapped his arms around me before I could protest.
I leaned into him and breathed in him. I then realized that I was supposed to be angry at him. Whatever. I like this better anyways. I leaned up and kissed him hard.
He rumbled deep in his chest and I smiled against him. He pulled away, and leaned his forehead against mine, our noses touching. "I love ye."
"I love you too." I grinned like an idiot.
"We need tae go eat some lunch, lass."
I groaned. "Food, food, food. That's all you ever talk about now."
He winked. "Well, there's some great things I'd like tae dae with whipped cream."
I blushed furiously, and grabbed his hand, pulling him downstairs with me. As I pulled him down the stairs images of whipped cream and him flew through my mind, and I blushed even harder as they slowly got more and more intimate. I shook my head hard and tried to think of something else.
"So what do you think the full plan is?" I asked him.
"I donna know lass. Something good I'm sure." he went and searched for something good to eat in the cupboards, finding some Mr. Noodle packages. He handed me one, and took two for himself, and started boiling water for them.
"I'm not hungry." I handed it back to him. I was stuffed full. He was stuffing me full of food constantly and I had no more space at the moment. Even the thought of food was nauseating to me.
"Eat, lass." he said sternly.
I rolled my eyes. "Why are you feeding me so much? Are you trying to fatten me up like the witch in Hansel and Gretel, so you can eat me when I'm ready?" I played with his fingers while I talked. "And that 'manly' voice doesn't work on me. I'm not that easily moved." I dropped his hand with that and went to look in the fridge for juice.
I searched throughout the entire fridge, and noticed a juicebox at the back of the fridge, behind all the clutter and one very large pickle jar. I turned to Brody and pouted. "I want the juice, but it's at the back of the fridge behind everything."
"Awww first world problems." Dean entered the kitchen and winked at me even as Brody watched.
I rolled my eyes at him this time. The fact that that twitter trend had reached this tiny corner of the world was sad in itself. "Hello Dean."
Brody turned on Dean and towered over him, using his full size to intimidate his younger cousin. "Are ye really going to start this, lad?" he glared, almost willing him to say yes, just so Brody could give him a beat-down.
Dean just rolled his eyes. "I'm just appreciating the attractiveness of yer girlfriend. I'm only playing, cousin. Calm down." With that he grabbed my packet of Mr. Noodle and sauntered out of the kitchen.
Brody was steaming, and I swore I could see smoke coming out of his ears. His fists were clenched at his sides, and he started off after Dean.
I grabbed his arm and pulled him back. I went in front of him, and pulled his face down to my eye level. "Brody, don't. He's not worth it. He's trying to get a reaction out of you. There's nothing his idiocy is going to do, anyways. It's not like I do, or will ever reciprocate these feelings, or this attraction he has to me. I only love you." I kissed him on the nose.
He pulled me toward him and gave me a hot, passionate kiss, as if he only had these last minutes with me and he wanted to make them the best. I clutched at the man I had come to love in a place I certainly never thought I could appreciate, but in the end would never like to leave if given the choice.
I pulled back, my face flushed and my lips slightly swollen. "We should eat." I whispered.
His eyes were filled to the brim with love and lust, swirling in the dark blue. He pressed my body tighter against his, to let me know just how lustful he really was at this moment.
I blushed and looked away.
"I was thinking of nibbling on something else right now." his voice was an octave deeper, and his eyes were doing crazy things to my body.
A warmth pooled in my stomach and I felt an ache that I'd never felt before, something that I'd never felt the need to even think of until now. I shivered under his gaze and went closer to him. "You mean like this?" I whispered and kissed his jaw. I kissed a line up to the corner of his mouth, and kissed around it, kissing his nose, and tracing a line to his earlobe, which I teased lightly with my teeth.
He sucked in his breath quickly at that. I kissed my way down his neck, and let my hands run underneath his shirt, lifting the hem up, and then lifting it over his head.
"Lass donna light this fire unless ye well intend tae see it through." he was breathing rapidly now, his chest heaving slighty.
I looked around, and freeze-framed into my room, shutting and locking the door within seconds. I smiled up at him and bit my lip slightly, "Call me pyro."
With that he wound his hand in my hair, and put the other at my waist, and pressed me closer to him. The kiss made my head spin, and my legs began to feel rubbery. I was in heaven, enclosed in his arms. I wanted to crawl inside him.
He pulled back only to pull my shirt over my head and toss it to the floor. I ran my hands over his chest, exploring the muscles and ridges, committing each line, each curve to memory. I felt his hand go around and unhook my bra.
He dropped it to the ground, and pulled back from the kiss, gazing at me. I blushed and looked away, self-consciousness welling up inside of me. His hand gently grabbed my chin and turned my gaze back to his. I saw all the love in his eyes and I smiled, love swelling up inside me as well.
He undid his pants, and let them drop, and only then did I realize that this man did not, in fact, wear underwear of any sort. I blushed once again as my gaze fell to the part of him that was swollen with need, and I bit my lip.
He reached over and undid my pants, helping me out of them, and then he knelt on the floor. He kissed his way up my leg, all the way to my hipbone, nibbling at the sensitive skin there. He then grabbed m panties with his teeth and pulled them off, all the way down to my ankles, where I stepped out of them. He kissed his way back up my leg, nibbling my inner thigh. He pulled me closer, and began to lave and lick the place I was aching for him most.
I sucked in a breath, clutching my desk behind me, as the waves of pleasure went through me. He licked until I felt an explosion of pleasure, and continued until I was finished shaking. He looked at me, and then carried me to the bed, placing me down gently on it.
He nudged open my thighs and came closer, but I put my hand on his chest. "Wait." I whispered.
He stopped, hardly daring to breath, thinking I was not going through with this after all.
Instead, I ran my hand down his chest, lower and lower until I finally reached his swollen manhood. It was slick with need and I ran my fingers up and down lightly, exploring the length of him. I crept toward him slowly, unsure of myself. I kissed his stomach, and kissed and licked my way down. I licked and laved at the part of him that was swollen and wanting, just for me, until he groaned, and I felt his release. He wound his fingers in my hair, and murmured words of love all the while.
He lay me back on the bed, and nudged my legs open with his knee, and fingered me lightly, making me slick and ready for him. He continued until I was about to climax, and when I felt my peak, he pushed into me. I felt a pain engulf me, only to be replaced quickly with pleasure as he rocked his hips against mine in a slow, steady rhythm.
"I love ye so much, Dru." his voice was thick, as he rocked, cradling me in his arms.
"I love you, too, Brody." I kissed him, wrapping my arms around his neck.
This was how it was supposed to be, cradled in his arms. I wished I could stay here for eternity. I felt myself tighten around him, and I climaxed, calling out his name. He followed me soon after, murmuring my name, raining kisses all over my ears, my neck, my face.
Afterwards, I lay in his arms, not caring that we were skipping class, or that we probably shouldn't be doing this, in light of all that was happening, with Harmony, and the tension between the MacKeltars and the nine.
I snuggled into him, embracing his warmth, and the scent that was uniquely his. I fell asleep to the melodic sound of his heart beating, right next to mine.