Page 25 of Gemini Hunted (Dark Witch Academy #5)

Zara’s booted toe starts tapping the stone floor.

“We’re willing to play fair,” my girl says, but her pretty turquoise eyes linger on the door we came through. Through our bond, I sense her growing worry for our missing mates.

“Good. So are we.” Mallory gives a decisive nod, straightens Jae’s tie for him, then tucks her hand into his and leads him over to join Draco. “Our plan isn’t complicated. It’s a fair exchange. Let us join your team, and we’ll help you win the contest.”

“ That’s supposed to be uncomplicated?” Zara tilts her head and looks quizzical. Her turquoise gaze moves over Mal and her menage, measuring them one by one, taking her good sweet time about it.

“You can’t join our team because you’re not part of our domus . It’s against the rules,” Neo says, earnest as fuck, though I’m pretty sure Mallory McSnicker already knows this. “You’re part of House Hadrian. We’re Villa Augustus.”

“Well, yeah, that’s obvi.” Mal leans into Draco, who engulfs her narrow waist with his possessive arm. “We can only join your team if we join your harem.”

Vasili zips back over the water before the echo’s faded. His startled gaze rivets mine, then darts to Zara, who’s staring at her bestie with her lush lips parted.

But it’s Max who’s first to find his tongue.

Planting himself firmly at Zara’s side, our dragon snarls, “This harem is closed! No others are allowed. Especially other males.”

“We’d only be joining temporarily,” Mallory says patiently.

“No offense or anything, Maxim, but you are totally not my type. You scare the heck out of me when you’re shifted.

And Lucius is my prof, so he’d be completely against the rules.

Plus I’m straight and not questioning, so Zara’s not my type either. No offense.”

“None taken,” Zara murmurs. She cocks a hip, shifts her duffel, and looks thoughtful.

Jae rubs his face affectionately into Mal’s neck to scent her, then hitches one shoulder in a fatalistic shrug. His amber eyes gleam at me. “I’m not straight, me, but I’m with my bébé . On everything she said.”

“Same,” Draco mutters. “ Fokk . And you didn’t mention Pendragon, either of you, but you both fucking shoulda.”

I can’t be certain in the eerie light, but I think Mal might be awkward-blushing. We were never a thing, she and I, but I’m used to this sort of reaction.

What’s a chap to do? Like Zara says, my hotness is my superpower.

Taking pity on Mallory’s embarrassment, I mutter, “Put a sock in it, Mars. My one-and-done days are history. I’m committed to this lot, aren’t I? All bloody seven of them.”

“He means eight,” Mordred pipes up. “There’s eight of us. Right, hot stuff?”

Yeah, no. I’m not including Mordred in the headcount, not with the way Zeph feels about him. But I’ve been with Zara long enough to recognize the signs. Our girl falls in love like a skydiver jumping out of a plane.

She’s curious about that demon. Attracted to him. Whether she wants to be or not.

And he’s curious as hell about her. In fact, he acts like he’s drawn to all of us.

Fucking pansexual sex demon.

“Guess that’s legit.” Draco dips his chin at me in a grudging nod. “Just don’t get me started on Romanov.”

“Or whatever kind of terifyan creature that is, oui ?” Jae jabs a finger at Mordred, who’s knelt to peer curiously into the black water, with his own dark look. “Even so, queen, the offer stands. We wish to join your harem. Temporarily.”

No one has expressed any sort of reservation about Neo, natch, because any polycule would gladly make room for him. Now our bookworm pushes his glasses up his nose and asks what we’re all wondering.

“So, just to be clear, this wouldn’t be a harem with benefits?”

“There will be zero fucking benefits,” Draco growls, glaring straight at me for some bloody reason. “We clear, Pendragon?”

Annoyed as fuck by this point, I snap back, “Crystal. Already had your boyfriend anyway, haven’t I?”

“You have?” Zara dips a hand into the carrier to stroke her kitten and gives me an interested look.

“Just another of my one-and-dones. Freshman year.” I shrug. “He’s a right proper shag, if you’re asking.”

Zara giggles like the vixen she is. “I wasn’t. But thanks for sharing.”

“Glad you enjoyed him,” Draco growls. “Because now he’s off limits. Touch Jean-Emilien once and I’ll rip your arm off.”

“Bon bagay.” Jae rolls his amber eyes at both of us. “You’re not helping, you.”

Draco and I are still scowling at each other when Ash sidles into the room. He’s a big guy and I haven’t heard him coming, so I’m guessing he’s been lurking out there in the tunnel and having himself a proper nosey.

“Could be a lil’ bit of a hiccup with that whole ‘join the harem’ plan.” For once, the Seelie Prince—who’s typically chill, the mellowest and most laid-back guy in any group—looks awkward and apologetic.

From Mallory’s general vicinity, a stricken gasp rushes out. But my eyes stay locked on Ash, who’s filling the doorway and shifting from foot to foot.

“Color me curious, big man.” Zara, too, is staring wide-eyed at this totally new version of Ash. “What’s the hiccup?”

Ash scuffs a booted toe against the flagstone floor.

“With benefits or without ’em, you’re not legally allowed to be in a harem with your own sister.” Ash rubs a sheepish hand over his face, then smiles right at Mallory and finishes softly, “Hiya, kiddo.”

Her silver eyes wide and round as vintage CDs, Mal takes in a long speechless look at the Seelie Prince who’s just invaded her domus .

Suddenly, her eyes flood with tears.

Jae Labête snarls and drops into a defensive crouch between Mal and the rest of us. Black talons, wicked long like box cutters, sprout from his curled fingers.

“Hjartfólgin.” Draco’s powerful body bunches and swells. He looms over his girl protectively. “Who is this bastard to you?”

Still speechless, Mallory shakes her head.

“Give her some space,” Ash says softly. “Been a minute since she’s seen me. But she’s still my kid sis. The only one I got.”

Without warning, Mal’s freckled face lights up in a grin that makes her whole body glow.

Blooming hell. All of a sudden, the rule-following First Girl looks a bit more than human.

“Oh my gosh, Ash! ” Our normally quiet and well-mannered Mallory squeals like a piglet, then scrambles past a snarling Jae and launches herself across the room like she’s airborne.

Straight into Ash’s welcoming arms.

She’s a tall girl, but Ash catches her like she’s a kid, swinging her into the air, all long legs and pigtails and flying plaid skirts.

Her face burrows into his shoulder and her skinny back heaves with emotion, but his face is a blooming study.

Normally the reliable steady eddie, somehow he manages to look simultaneously guilty, sheepish, and pleased as punch.

“The fuck?” I stare blankly at this bizarro spectacle.

Mal is literally crying happy tears. Ash lowers her gently to the ground, then pats her back and kisses her forehead and looks pretty close to tears himself.

“Dear God. She’s his sister ?” V murmurs. He’s standing beside me, and he’s way too bloody close considering I’m supposed to be pissed as hell at him.

But we’ve bigger troubles than my mixed-up feelings to contend with, haven’t we, at the mo?

“Truly, I never even suspected she’s Seelie.” Vasili lifts one perfectly groomed eyebrow. “How could she be? She’s McSnicker.”

I grunt in agreement, because I grasp what he’s getting at. Mal has to be the most unmagical, unpedigreed, unremarkable witch in the whole Academy. She gets by on wicked smarts and solid study skills, always has. Plus she’s handy at hiding from the bullies.

Not to mention she’s so clumsy she can barely walk without tripping over her own big feet.

Not very Faelike, that.

Looking thoughtful, V taps a black-lacquered finger against his pursed lips. “Mallory McSnicker is secretly the sister of the Seelie Prince?”

“Looks that way to me, love.” My casual endearment ignites a flame of fierce emotion that melts my boyfriend’s pissy facade in a heartbeat.

V lowers his hand and smolders at me like he’s ready to shove me facedown over the nearest bed and ruin me.

I look away from him fast, before my foolish heart gets all mushy, and say the first non-sexual thing that pops into my noggin. “Since Ash is the Prince, and the royal Light Fae line’s matrilineal, that would make McSnicker…”

“She’s the next Seelie Queen.” Draco scowls ferociously at all of us. “After her mom. And no one can fucking know. Especially the Dark Fae King. Or that sick twisted fuck will kidnap her just like he did her brother. Then he’ll kill her.”

“So, yeah.” Ash shifts his big body and manages to look even more sheepish. “About that whole kidnapping yarn…”

Right on cue, the gray silk voice of my Unseelie lover twines through the dense silence like a ribbon.

“’Tis rather late in the game to conceal this dangerous secret from me.

” Zephyr slips into the cavern behind Ash, jade eye burning with purpose in his feral face.

His crossed swords jut over his armored shoulders like skeletal wings.

“Since I am, unfortunately, the twisted fuck in question. Even so, I fear I’m the least of your current troubles. ”

That’s the precise moment in this monumental cock-up of a day when all bloody hell breaks loose.