Page 53 of Taste of Thorns (The Firestone Academy #3)

Chapter Forty-Nine

B riony

The morning of the next trial, I wake, not in my hard, rickety bed in my cold bedroom in the drafty old tower, but in Beaufort Lincoln’s strong arms. These last few weeks I’ve been deviating from his bed to Dray’s, occasionally ending up in Fox’s, on a couple of occasions visiting Thorne’s bedroom for another round of explicit peekaboo, and spending very few nights in my swanky new room up at the top of the Prince’s tower.

I also wake up refreshed. Not like the previous trials where I hardly slept a wink.

Last night, after my tryst with Fox in the Great Hall, I’d climbed straight into Beaufort’s bed and promptly fallen straight to sleep.

Something about the presence of these men is unnervingly reassuring, even when I know I’m about to take a big risk today.

I tiptoe off to the bathroom, showering while Beaufort sleeps on, and I’m dressed and my hair plaited down my back by the time he eventually groans and blinks open his eyes.

He gazes up at me and blinks some more.

“Am I late?” he asks, scrabbling around for his watch on the side table. He looks frankly delicious like this, his hair all messy around his head, his eyes blurry with sleep, the muscles rippling across his back.

I sigh.

“What?” he asks, looking up from the face of his watch.

“It’s very tempting to climb back into bed with you.”

He rolls onto his side, creating a space on the mattress beside him, and draws back the covers, revealing his sculpted chest, toned stomach, and hard cock.

“Then climb away, sweetheart.”

I bite on my lip, gaze lingering on his cock.

“I can’t. It’s the trial. And I need to eat and –”

“The trial,” he says, rolling onto his back and combing his hands through his tangled hair, his fingers catching on the knots. “Yeah, for a moment you distracted me so much with offers of … I forgot.” He turns his head back my way. “Let’s get you fed and some strong coffee down you.”

I nod enthusiastically and he retrieves a pair of boxers from his chest of drawers, then takes my hand in his and leads me down to the kitchen.

To my surprise, Dray, Thorne, and even Fox are already there, each with a cup of coffee in their hands, Dray sitting up on the counter, legs swinging; Thorne and Fox standing on opposite sides of the kitchen.

It’s funny, but even now after weeks of being in this situation with the four of them, it still kind of takes my breath away when I step into the room with all of them there.

It makes that new sensation in my blood – that magic – dance and spin and basically lose its head.

If I were a dog, I’d be wagging my tail so aggressively, furniture would be sent flying.

As it is, my heart pounds so violently, I’m sure all of them must hear it.

“Morning, Kitten,” Dray says, pacing straight towards me and slapping a passionate kiss on my mouth. Fox follows, resting a cold hand on my shoulder and pressing his lips to my cheek. As usual, all Thorne can do is stand and watch.

“I didn’t think you’d be here this morning,” I tell the professor as he squeezes my shoulder and steps away. “Don’t you have to be doing trial things?”

“Not yet. And besides, I wanted to see you, to try and convince you one last time that this is a stupid idea and you should forget all about it.”

“Go ahead, but I’m not going to change my mind. I need to do this for Amelia, for all those other kids and,” I swallow, “for me.”

My sister’s death has haunted me for nine long years.

I was never able to shake the feeling that something wasn’t right about it, that she didn’t die in the way they said she did.

Now I know the truth, I need everyone else to know it too.

My sister wasn’t a careless imbecile, killed in an accident.

She was murdered. And the person who murdered her is going to pay for her crime.

Fox sighs, nods and says, “Then let’s go over the plan one last time instead.”

Dray groans. “Do we have to? We’ve already been over it like one billion times.”

“Yes, we have to,” Fox responds.

“Okay,” Dray says, knocking back his cup of coffee.

“You’ll be keeping an eye on Briony throughout the trial.

Once me and the others have completed the trial, we’ll come join you, bringing the Empress with us.

When Bardin moves in for the attack, we’ll be ready with the Empress to show her just what that bitch has been up to.

” He slams his mug on the counter. “That’s it in a nutshell, right? ”

“Yes,” I say. Dray is right. We’ve been over it a million times. I don’t see the point of going over it again.

“Just remember–” Fox starts.

“That I may need to do something dramatic with my magic to capture the Madame’s attention. Although, I suspect she’s going to be watching me anyway.”

“And you will need to–” Fox tries again, this time directing his comments to Beaufort.

“Persuade the Empress to penetrate any illusion spells the Madame casts and focus in on Briony,” Beaufort says, firmly.

Fox nods. “Good. At least we all know what we’re doing.”

“I’m going to be okay,” I tell him with a confidence I probably shouldn’t feel, but one I can't help feeling when I’m in the company of these four men. “This is going to work.”

“Even so. I’ve been thinking of additional ways we can keep you safe.”

“The collar,” Beaufort says.

I shake my head firmly.

“Are there any others?” Beaufort asks.

“I looked into a few. There’s one I think we could make use of, but it’s complicated.”

“What is it?” I ask.

“We each give you a piece of our magic.”

“Like Thorne did before?” Dray blurts out. “Doesn’t that risk all five of us being banished?”

Thorne’s gaze flicks to the professor and he shuffles on his feet uncomfortably.

“It’s okay,” Fox says, lifting up his palm toward Thorne. “I already know and I’m not about to snitch on you.” He focuses his attention on Dray. “This would be different. Briony would accept our magic into herself–”

“That sounds like accepting help …” I say. This plan is already dangerous and I don’t want these men to take any further risks on account of me.

“It’s not,” Fox says. “This would be different. It would allow us to track you – to feel you through our magic.”

“Would I be able to feel you too?”

“I’m not sure,” Fox says.

“Is this magic safe?” Beaufort says, asking a question I hadn’t even considered.

“The magic is tricky, but I wouldn’t suggest it if I thought it was unsafe,” Fox says, a little tetchy.

“What do we have to do?” Dray says, jumping down from the counter.

“Are you happy to do this, Briony?” the professor asks me.

“Yes,” I say, “if you think it will help.”

“It would make me feel better knowing where you were,” Thorne says.

Fox crooks his finger and I place my now empty coffee mug on the side and pace towards him.

I stop right in front of him and smile up into his face.

He doesn’t return the smile. His features are serious and fixed in concentration.

Even so, I feel my breath whipped away, just like it was in the bedroom this morning.

Even as he is now, Fox Tudor is still one of the most handsome men I’ve seen in my lifetime.

His glowing eyes, ivory skin, and sharp fangs only add to his appeal.

He rests his right hand above my heart, palm against my skin, his flesh icy cold as always.

Then, holding my gaze, whispers words in the old language.

I gasp as I feel his shadows permeate his hand and penetrate my skin.

They are cold and make my skin and my ribs, the muscle of my heart, tingle, my magic humming in response.

It’s like the times Beaufort or one of the others has healed me, except a million times more intense, and for a moment my head spins and I think I might faint.

Then his words stop, he removes his hand and I can feel the faintest trace of his shadow magic resting in the space around my heart.

“Okay?” he asks me softly, the lines on his brow written with concern.

“Just fine,” I say, although my voice comes out a little hoarsely.

He inhales and I get the impression it’s to steady himself. He peers over to Beaufort. “Did you get the words?”

“Yes,” Beaufort answers.

“What did they mean?” I ask but he doesn’t tell me.

Instead, he’s moving aside so that Beaufort can repeat the procedure.

Beaufort’s shadows are warmer, spicier even.

They make my skin and my chest tingle in an altogether different way, although a way that still has me curling my toes and biting down on my lip.

“Do you feel that?” he asks me.

I nod, because the emotions are too much and I can’t speak.

“Good,” he says, “we’re going to keep you safe, sweetheart.”

He kisses my temple, and steps aside so that Dray can take his turn.

Dray’s magic is erratic and skittish. There’s an energy to it that makes me feel like my chest is alight. He skips through the words, pressing his hand firmly against my ribcage.

“I like this,” he says, grinning. “A little bit of me inside you.” He winks.

Only Thorne is left, but he stays where he is on the other side of the kitchen, body pressed against the wall.

“I can’t,” he says before any of us can ask him.

“You don’t need to touch Briony for this spell to work,” Fox says.

“So you were just being a perv, Prof?” Dray asks.

“No, it’s likely to be more effective that way, but it isn’t necessary.”

“It’s still a risk. Leaving a piece of my magic in the maze to help her is one thing, letting my magic penetrate her …” He trails off.

“Like I said, I wouldn’t suggest it if I didn’t think it was safe,” Fox says, “but at the end of the day, it’s up to you.”

“And me,” I interject, “and I want you to do it, Thorne.”

This may only be some tracking device to ensure the four of them can find me over the next few hours but it feels more than that.

Dray is right. I have a part of them sitting inside my chest, wrapped around my heart and it doesn’t feel right that the others are there without Thorne. I belong to all of them, don’t I?

His nostrils flare.

“Thorne.” I stride across the room, stopping only a foot in front of him. “We’ve done stuff together, and it calmed your magic. Your shadows didn’t attack me. They didn’t hurt me. I trust you and,” I steel my shoulders, “I trust them.”

“You’re sure?” he asks me.

“100 percent.”

He looks down at his hands, clearly considering his response, then slides the glove off his right hand.

He stretches his arm out in front of him, letting his hand hang in the space between us and his fingers stretch towards me.

He repeats the words the others have said and his magic rushes towards me.

Maybe my instinct should be to step away but something keeps me glued to the spot, eagerly waiting for the moment when his magic hits my chest and forces it way down to my heart.

Thorne’s magic is hot and powerful and it has me gasping.

“Briony?” Beaufort asks.

I nod. I’m okay. Thorne’s magic spins with the others around my heart and it’s weird but now that feels right. Now it feels complete.

Thorne finishes the words and lowers his arm, sliding his glove back on his hand.

“Thank you,” I whisper, noticing how his hands are shaking.

He stares at me for a moment with his dark eyes and it’s so intense, I have to break away and turn back to the others.

“Has it worked?” I ask them. “Can you feel me or whatever?”

“Yes,” Fox says as Beaufort nods.

“Fuck, yeah, it’s incredible. How long does this last?” Dray asks.

“For as long as Briony wants it to,” Fox says. “You can cut the link, reject our magic at any moment.”

I’m about to ask more questions, but then the tower clock clangs.

“Time to go, sweetheart,” Beaufort says.

Yes, time to go.

Time to reveal the truth once and for all.