Page 6

“Are you worried about me, Kael?” I ask breathlessly. He doesn’t answer audibly, instead, he kisses me. I relax into him until he pulls away.

“You are still a witch.”

“And you are still an ass,” I reply with a smile.

“Good luck, Lilith,” he says with a smirk.

Before I can answer, Daemon pulls me off Kael and moves me to my back on the ground. When my eyes focus on him in the dark, I gasp and try to pull myself up into a sitting position so I can move away from him. “Oh, fuck you. Hell no,” I say as he laughs and grabs me by my ankles. He pulls me back towards him as he kneels between my legs.

Daemon is nearly twice the size of Kael and Callum, and he has two. This man has two massive dicks, and he thinks he is about to use them to fuck me. This must be the goddamn twilight zone because there is no way in hell that they will fit into any part of my body. “You’ve lost your fucking mind if you,” I start to say, but he interrupts.

“Shhh. You don’t have a choice, baby. Be a good girl and take all of me,” he seductively says as he brings my legs to his shoulders and leans into me.

“Fuck, you’re going to break me,” I groan when he presses against me.

“You can take it, Lilith,” he says, offering encouragement as he eases the tips into me. Right as I think he will be easy on me, he slams the full lengths of both his cocks inside of me. A broken scream pours out of me as I arch off the forest floor. It feels as though lava is bubbling in my belly as he fucks my holes simultaneously. I can feel a surge of energy shoot through me just as an orgasm washes over me. Every point of contact between us is electrified, and my climax silently rips through me. My moans get trapped in my throat while causing the rest of my body to go rigid again as he power-fucks me into the ground. He has his hands wrapped tightly around my thick thighs as he groans through his release.

He lets my legs down as he leans in and kisses me through his last few powerful thrusts. When he pulls out of me, I suddenly feel empty, but a void inside of me is now overflowing with a warmth that I never knew how badly I was craving.

Daemon breaks our kiss and looks down at me with his hands planted on either side of me. He looks sad, almost forlorn. I reach up and gently caress his cheek. I’m not sure why I’m doing it, but I sense that he needs this comfort and connection from me. He closes his eyes while he leans into my hand for a moment before suddenly snapping himself out of the somber state he seemed to be stuck in.

When he looks up toward the old stone building, he does a double take. “Woah,” he says as he stands and pulls me up with him. Kael picks up Daemon’s shirt from the ground and wraps it around my waist. It’s a sweet gesture, so I don’t pick at him.

Kael and Callum notice Daemon staring at the building. When they turn to look, both of their mouths simultaneously fall open in what seems to be shock. “What is this place?” Callum asks.

“Beats me,” Daemon says. The wisp comes out of a broken window, and they all snap their heads to look back at me.

“I told you I saw something,” I shrug.

“What the fuck is that, Lilith?” Kael demands.

“Oh, that? That was just to lure you into the woods so I can kill you,” I say. I try to keep a straight face but end up giggling when he frowns at me. “It’s a will-o’-the-wisp. It’s like a guiding light. It wanted me to follow it, so I did. Did you not know that you had a creepy old building on your property?”

“No,” Callum says. “Why can we only see it now?”

“Well… You just mated with a witch who happens to be the only one here who could see it, apparently, so I think I am to thank for this. You’re welcome,” I say.

“She’s right,” Daemon says. “We can come back tomorrow and check it out.”

“Tomorrow?” I ask.

“Yes, Lilith,” he says. “We need to get you back to the house.”

“Why? Am I going to turn into a pumpkin at midnight?” I ask.

“Something like that,” he mutters.

Kael scoops me up into his arms, and I frown at him. “Put me down. I’ll walk,” I complain.

“Humor me,” he says with such a soft tone that it stuns me.

“Okay,” I reply. They are all starting to act weird, and it’s freaking me out. Is this what happens when you mate? Do the guys just get all ominous and vague? Let’s not forget how depressed Daemon looked after having just come inside me.

Kael carries me back to the house and doesn’t set me down until we are in our room. Callum goes to the closet and grabs clothes for everyone while Daemon goes to the bathroom. When I hear the shower come on, Kael leads me to the bathroom. They all look like someone stomped on their favorite puppy and made them watch. The energy in this room is giving me the feeling that I am missing a massive piece of the puzzle with these three. I have no idea what’s going on right now, so I just follow their lead.

Kael and Daemon undress me as Callum walks in and sets the clothes on the counter before moving over to us. None of them speak or look me in the eye as they take me into the large walk-in shower. In unison, they wash me while providing each other with assistance in washing the dirt off of their bodies. I am searching their faces, trying to find the source of all the pain I am seeing. Kael seems to be the most affected by whatever is going on.

My eyes catch sight of the marks I left on his forearms. I gently take his arm, unsure of how he will react. He lets me bring his arm closer and I run my fingertips over the small cuts that my nails left. “I hurt you,” I say quietly.

“It’s okay,” he says, placing his hand over mine.

“It’s not,” I say. I move his hand and slowly drag my fingers across the cuts again, before focusing my energy on him.

“What are you doing?” Kael asks.

“Shh. Just let me.” I have never attempted to heal someone else before, but I want to at least try it. It feels as though it should be draining, but it’s not.

“ Rescarcio ,” I say softly as I lay my hand over the cuts on his arm. When I pull my hand away, the marks are gone. I smile brightly at my accomplishment before taking his other arm and repeating the process. When I look up at him, he is smiling, but the pain is still at the forefront of his outward expression of emotions.

“You didn’t have to do that,” Kael says. “But thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” I say. “I’ve never had the opportunity to do that before.”

“Well, I’m glad you got the chance to experience it,” he says. Nothing in his tone suggests he is being a smartass, and a realization comes over me that I can’t quite make out. I feel as though I should understand what’s going on with them, but I can’t quite pull all the thoughts into the correct pattern for it to make sense to me.

They continue to thoroughly wash me, and themselves, before Daemon turns off the water. Callum wraps me in a large plush towel while Kael dries and brushes my hair. Daemon dresses me by putting me in my oversized shirt and then helping me into my shorts.

“Are you tired?” Callum asks.

“I am,” I admit with a sigh.

“Come lay down,” Kael says. He grabs my hand, pulls me out of the bathroom, and leads me to one of the beds that is not mine.

“Why do I have a bed if I don’t get to use it?” I ask.

“I know it’s a lot to ask of you,” he starts to say, but I quickly cut him off.

“It’s a joke, Kael. Seriously though, what is up with you three?” I ask.

“We’ll talk about it tomorrow. Just not tonight, okay?” he asks.

“Okay,” I say as he pulls the blanket back and sits me down. He walks around the bed and lies back before pulling me down with him. Callum and Daemon come over and sit beside me while Kael wraps his arms around my waist and pulls me back against his chest. I instantly relax and close my eyes. This comfort is unreal after all of those intense, back-to-back orgasms. Both Daemon and Callum have their hands on my thigh and leg while they all three remain deadly silent.

Just as I am about to drift soundly off to sleep, a sharp pain stabs through my head, making me groan. “What happened?” Kael asks, almost sounding panicked. Suddenly, it happens again, and I sit up. I must not have done the spell correctly or I wasn’t focused enough, because the pain happens again but this time it returns with vengeance and comes fast. “Lilith. What is it?”

I slip out of the bed, away from all of them, and rush into the closet before I get a nosebleed. I try to shut the door behind me, but Daemon throws the door open. “What’s going on?” Daemon asks.

“It’s just a migraine,” I say dismissively, as I bring myself down to my knees and search for my bag. The pain is searing through my forehead and temples. It’s never come on this quickly, before. My vision is getting blurry; it’s hard for me to focus.

“Fuck. Her nose is bleeding,” Callum says. He reaches back and yanks a shirt off a hanger. I take it from him so I can wipe the blood off, myself.

“Fuck,” Kael says in a pained voice. “One fucking day? That’s all we get with our mate?”

“Lilith,” Daemon says softly, as he kneels in front of me.

“I can fix it; I just can’t focus. I’m okay,” I say, as I pull everything out of my bag with shaky, unsteady hands.

“Lilith, you can’t fix this,” he says, as Callum and Kael kneel beside me.

“I can. I can fix it. I just need to focus,” I say.

“No, you can’t,” Kael says.

“Yes, I can !” I snap at him.

“No, Lilith,” he says louder, grabbing my shoulders and turning me to face him. Pain shoots through my head again, forcing me to squeeze my eyes shut. “It’s the curse. The witches that killed all those people three hundred years ago, cursed our families.”

“What the fuck are you talking about?” I ask him while I try to open my eyes to look at him in confusion.

“Anyone we have sex with dies. If we don’t have sex, then the paranoia and psychosis set in until we eventually die too. All of those other maidens died, and it always starts with a headache. Then, it goes to a nosebleed and eventually moves to the eyes, ears, and mouth. You can’t fix this, Lilith,” he says with tears in his eyes. “It doesn’t usually happen this quickly, and we have more time to explain it. I’m sorry, Lilith. This is something you aren’t able to fix.”

“Yes, I can,” I repeat. I try to start explaining, but more waves of pain collapse me, and Kael wraps his arms around my body.

“I’m so sorry,” Daemon says tearfully.

“We try to fight it as long as we possibly can, but no one has ever been able to break the curse. We’ve all tried and failed miserably,” Callum says, equally as emotional.

“ Stop ,” I say louder and pull away. “Just stop for a second. I can fix this, but you need to let me fucking focus.”

“Lilith,” Kael says, cupping the sides of my face, as a tear slides down his cheek.

“I understand you are all scared because of what’s happened to the others, but I’ve been getting these headaches and nosebleeds since the day I turned eighteen,” I say.

“What?” Daemon asks.

“Just shut up and stop touching me for a few minutes so I can focus,” I say. “Please!”

They all reluctantly back away, and I put all my focus into lighting the candle while suffering through the pain that’s trying to cripple me. By the time I get it lit, I am a whimpering mess consumed in pain with blood physically pouring from my nose. It feels like I am crying, but I know I’m not. I know with certainty that it’s blood when they all suck in a deep breath of air and have to restrain themselves from grabbing me again. I set everything up the best I can, getting blood all over myself and everything in front of me. My main concern is trying to get the pain to stop before it makes me pass out. I put my shaking hands on my thighs and straighten myself up as I close my eyes.

“ Light mends as the candle burns. As I breathe, health returns, ” I say slowly and quietly. The pain continues to intensify, even as I take slow, meditative breaths, so I repeat my words. “ Light mends as the candle burns. As I breathe, health returns. ”

“Lilith,” Kael says softly.

“ Shut up, ” I yell at him and speak my words louder. “ Light mends as the candle burns. As I breathe, health returns. Light mends as the candle burns. As I breathe, health returns .” I keep repeating myself as I move my shaking hands to the floor in front of me to steady myself.

After several more attempts of nearly yelling the spell, the pain starts to slowly subside. I continue repeating my words, even as I start to feel a comforting warmth growing inside of me. When I slowly open my eyes, while continuing to chant my words loudly, I see a soft light emanating from my chest. Each time I chant the words, my body glows brighter until I am completely flooding the room with a beautiful, blinding red light. The candle’s flame is snuffed out by my audible gasp, and the light emanating from my body slowly dims until it completely disappears. I’m able to finally relax but don’t move.

“What… the fuck… was that?” Kael says slowly.

I can’t help but laugh at his reaction. “Can someone get me a wet washcloth?” I ask.

“Yeah,” Callum says after a second. He quickly kisses the top of my head before leaving the closet. I sit up, and Daemon is still kneeling in front of me in complete shock.

“Did you just…? Did she just break the curse?” Daemon asks in utter disbelief while turning to Kael.

“I… I don’t know,” Kael says. “What the fuck was that?”

Callum comes back into the closet and kneels down before tilting my chin up. He gently wipes all of the blood from my face before he moves to clean my arms and hands. “You should change your shirt,” he says.

“Yeah,” I say. “I’m sorry. I usually catch it in time. I don’t know why it came on so strong. Typically, it builds gradually.”

“You have nothing to apologize for,” Daemon says as he pulls a shirt from the dresser and hands it to me. “May I?” He gestures to my book of magia before picking it up.

Magia is the way our magic is referred to when speaking of it as forbidden. It means the same thing, but keeping the forbidden aspect separate from what we truly do is important to us. Nothing about what we do is inherently evil.

“Yeah,” I say. “It’s just where I keep track of all my spells. Families typically have a Book of Shadows that’s passed down over generations, but I don’t know who my family is, because my parents were discovered and killed shortly after I was born. So, I decided to start my own when I realized I was a witch at sixteen,”

Daemon inquisitively flips through the pages of the book for a few minutes before looking back at me. Showing me the first page of the book, he asks, “What is this?”

“I assume it’s a family crest. I saw it in my dreams the day I turned eighteen, the same day the headaches started. It felt important, so I drew it in the front,” I answer. “Why?”

“That’s my family crest,” he says. I take the book from him and quickly flip to the back, where I have two more similar drawings.

“I had a dream about these two last week,” I say as I turn the book to show him.

“Holy shit,” Callum says.

“Are these all three of your family’s crests?” I ask. “Is that what the dream was trying to show me?”

“Yeah,” Kael says.

“Then I need to know more about where the curse started for each of your families,” I say. “We need to find out how I am connected to that, or if it’s just random. I don’t get to practice my magia often so I don’t know as much as I should, but I want to. I think I could give you a lot of answers if I can figure out how I’m connected.”

“Right now, you need to sleep,” Daemon says.

“Daemon!” I say in protest.

“No, Lilith. We have watched far too many people go through that and die. You almost died . You need to go to sleep,” Daemon says firmly.

“I’m not even tired now,” I frown. Daemon sighs and shakes his head as he stands up. “What are you doing?”

“Taking you to bed,” he says as he picks me up from the floor into his arms.

“Daemon! This is ridiculous. You’re a beast. Put me down,” I complain.

“You are a brat, you know that?” he says as he carries me back into the room and lays me on a bed. He covers me up and then gets into the bed beside me.

“You’re bossy,” I say as he pulls me closer. I turn to face him so I can snuggle against his chest, as he wraps his arms around me.

“Go to sleep, Lilith,” he says, kissing the top of my head. Callum and Kael come over and kiss my head as well before the light shuts off and they move to their beds.

“Only because I want to,” I say. “Not because you told me to.”

“Of course,” he chuckles. “Only because you want to.”