Page 10 of The Never List (Never List #1)

Rylee

Seeing the Legends of Chaos without their masks literally takes my breath away.

Jax is the first one out of the elevator, and my eyes are immediately drawn to him. His blue-black hair is slicked back, his skin so pale it looks like he lives off moonlight instead of the sun. He’s shed his jacket, leaving him in a black long-sleeved shirt and a leather harness filled with various blades strapped to his ribs. Those indigo eyes are set deep in a chiseled face that looks like it’s constantly shifting between glaring and growling. Except the warmth from earlier is all but gone, and my heart plummets as he walks by me without a second glance.

Like he didn’t choose me. Like it isn’t his fault I’m here in the first place.

“Thank you for returning so quickly. I know you don’t have to.” I force the words out. I can’t play their game if I let myself be starstruck.

Axl smiles at me. His lips are full and wide, that grin absolutely infectious as he walks up to me. He’s so damn tall, with bronze skin over tons of muscle, and his energy is just as large. It’s a marvel there’s space enough for him in this room; it makes me wonder what else about him might be big.

“Just because we’re Legends doesn’t mean we’re assholes,” Axl says, dropping into a chair at the table. He plucks a berry off a silver tray and pops it into his mouth. “Well, some of us are,” he amends.

Jax stalks through the room—it’s the only way I can describe his walk, like he’s always on the prowl—and sits at the opposite end of the table.

“Which ones?” I ask.

Axl’s eyes are practically sparkling. “Guess that’s for you to figure out.”

I can’t help it—I laugh. It’s small and quick but real.

Jax’s brows raise just slightly at the sound, and it takes everything I have to not pick the seat right next to him. I can’t deny the connection I feel, but this is the Nightmare. The Legend who kills first and asks questions later. The one who, according to gossip, spends his time in his nightclub, Lust, in the Obsidian City, providing his consumers with endless liquor and enhancements while he siphons off their wealth. Plus, his prick of a father… What he just did to me…

“Will you sit?” Kal asks, his confident, kind voice jerking me to the present. He’s still standing, hands on a chair he’s pulled out. He’s asking me, giving me a choice in the matter.

As if I have one. I belong to them now, and my lifespan directly correlates with how long I can keep it that way. My earlier search of the room presented no bed, but there are plenty of couches spread throughout the massive space. Goddess, they could take me right here on this table if they wished.

Heat flares through my core, and I quickly take the seat in an effort to hide how unsteady I feel. After Baydel’s test, I should be in no mood to entertain these princes, but I can’t stop my body from reacting to the thought of it.

Kal helps push my chair in, and I give him a small nod of thanks as he takes a seat to my right. Pierce settles across from me as Kal reaches for an empty crystal glass and pours sparkling wine into it before giving it to me.

I wrap my fingers around the offering, and the way Pierce tracks the movement makes my heart race. His dark brown eyes lock with mine, and I’m immediately overwhelmed by their depth, though I honestly can’t tell if he’s intrigued by or indifferent toward me.

Pierce is refined in a way I’ve never seen before, all elegance and intelligence wrapped in one gorgeous package. His curly black hair is thick and neatly cut, his smooth brown skin shaping a wide nose and square jaw, but it’s his eyes, brimming with confidence and mischief, that make my breath catch.

I look away and take a fast sip, hoping the sweet wine will calm my nerves. I’ve never seen such delectable men, and I’m baffled by my reaction to them versus their fathers. I don’t feel the fear I felt in the kings’ presence with the Legends. Anxiousness in the face of the unknown, sure, but I can’t deny the innate curiosity tingling beneath my skin sitting among them.

“What happens now?” I ask, twirling the stem of the glass between my fingers. My heart starts pounding when four sets of eyes land on me, flooding me with anticipation and curiosity. I realize I’m waiting for them to grab me and start tearing off my clothes. Isn’t that how this works?

Jax sits up in his chair at the head of the table, leaning forward to rest on his elbows as he studies me before he grins sinfully. My stomach flips. “We’re going to spread you out on this table,” he says, tapping on it. “Peel your dress off and take turns making you come.”

I try not to react, but I can feel my face heat, and my core throbs at his words. Goddess, what is wrong with me? They’re strangers. They’re royalty . They stand for everything I hate. And if I’m found out? They’ll have me executed.

It hits me all at once: I’m trapped, magically bound to their mercy for an entire month, and even if I leave at the first chance I get, I’m still screwed. If I reject them formally, I’ll be discovered when they pull my records to elevate my social standing as part of my compensation; if I run, I’ll raise suspicions, and they’ll track me down when they learn the truth. My plan for this evening has gone so wildly off course, I’m not sure I could read the map of this foreign world even if I had one. I’m no virgin, but this… What he’s saying, what I’ve gotten myself into, is an entirely new game I’m not sure I’m equipped to play.

But I have to. I must. Because the prize I’m playing for is my life, and getting them to fall for me is my only chance of protection if the kings discover who and what I am.

Jax continues to focus on me, and I stare back at him, giving away nothing—not fear or intrigue or submission. He laughs then, that slow, sardonic sound that makes my heart flutter, and leans back in his chair, downing his glass of whiskey. I’m half tempted to ask for one, too, but Kal has already poured me another glass of sparkling wine.

“We get to know you,” Kal says, and I tear my eyes from Jax to him. He tilts his head and smiles a little. “Maybe feed you,” he continues, reaching for a plate and piling it with fruit and cheeses and bread and chocolates. He slides it in front of me, and I can’t help but stare. It’s more food than I could afford in a week and far more luxurious than anything I’ve ever eaten, but I’m so lost in the emotions of this game, I’m not sure I can actually eat it. But it would send the wrong message to refuse their hospitality, and I can’t afford that.

“Thank you,” I say, reaching for another strawberry and popping it into my mouth. It’s as crisp and sweet as the one I had at the party, and it’s an effort not to moan. Instead, I close my eyes and savor it.

“You’re welcome,” Kal says.

I open my eyes and take another bite. Then another, sipping my wine as I do. With each mouthful, the tension eases just a bit, and I swear I can feel their powers relax around me. I don’t know what they were expecting, but I suddenly realize they’ve been just as on edge as I have.

“Do you need anything else?” Kal asks when I’ve finished my plate.

“I don’t know how to answer that question,” I admit. “I brought nothing of my own. I honestly never thought…” My voice trails off.

“Personal effects are not an issue,” Kal says, frowning in concern. He shifts in his chair, angling his massive body to face me. Goddess, he’s nearly as big as Axl, tall and muscular, maybe even a little broader. “I’m asking if you need anything after your encounter with our fathers.”

The bread turns to paste in my mouth at the memory of Baydel’s hands on me, his powers rendering me helpless. I swallow around the lump in my throat, and I can’t help glancing at Jax. His demeanor changes from infinite boredom to murderous rage in the blink of an eye, but just as quickly, the rage is gone and his face is as hard as stone. It happens so fast, I could’ve imagined it. I focus on Kal again.

His question hangs in the air, heavy and suffocating. I scan each of them, note the tense set of their shoulders, the flex of a jaw or clench of a fist atop the table.

“You have nothing to be ashamed of,” Kal says. “Telling the kings no is impossible—”

“No, it isn’t,” I say, unable to stop myself. Blame it on the wine, my frayed nerves, or my inability to control my mouth, but there it is.

“You denied them?” Pierce asks, his tone surprised yet calculating.

I arch an eyebrow at him, then glance at Axl and back at Kal, unable to look at Jax another time. His opinion means the most to me, and I don’t know why. We only danced, for fuck’s sake, and he’s barely spoken to me since, minus his dirty tease a moment ago.

“Of course I did,” I say. “I didn’t consent to being with them .”

A low rumble rattles from Kal’s chest, and the sound eases the knot in my chest. Just like before, his unyielding protection feels like a sun-warmed stone wall, solid at my back. “Did…” His blue eyes are severe, and his lips clamp together, his curled fist on the table trembling. “Did any of them force you?”

The power in the room rises, a brush of lava over my skin.

“No,” I say, my traitorous eyes glancing toward Jax again. His are on me, his jaw hard-set. In a flash, he slams a knife into the table, the blade sinking in an inch. I jolt in my seat.

“Tell the truth, butterfly,” he says, harsh and cold compared to how he spoke to me at the party.

I glare at him. “I am telling the truth.”

His lips peel back, shifting into a sneer that matches his eyes. “You know what lies feel like to me, butterfly?” he asks. “They’re an irritating vibration.”

My blood goes icy. He can sense lies? I’m so fucked.

“And you’ve been buzzing since the moment I called your number.” I’m trapped in his gaze; it feels like being flayed open.

“Jax,” Kal chides. “You know full well it isn’t exact. Of course she’s going to have secrets—reservations, even.”

Relief barrels through me. Jax can tell I’m hiding something but not what. “I’m telling the truth,” I say again.

“But not the whole truth,” Jax says, retrieving his blade and pointing the tip at me. The move should elicit fear or anger, but for the life of me, I only want him to keep looking at me like that.

Goddess, I really am mad. I’ll never be able to win them over if I can’t even keep myself in check.

“That mouth,” Jax continues. “That’s what got you here in the first place.” His voice is low and rough. Everything narrows until it’s just the two of us, caught in each other’s eyes. “Speak the rest.”

There is no room for refusal in his demand. “One king tried.”

Jax falls back in his seat, letting out a rush of air. He turns his blade end over end, disappointment and a hint of that chaotic rage I saw earlier coloring his features. “Baydel.” He drags out the name in a statement, not a question.

“You fended off Baydel?” Axl asks, leaning over the table toward me. He’s amused. Maybe even impressed. Good. I need more of that and less of whatever Jax is giving me.

“For the most part,” I admit.

“How?” Pierce asks, unbelieving. He seems to be more inclined toward Jax’s mood, which is so not team Rylee. I’m not offended by how surprised he sounds or how shocked they all look. I don’t blame anyone who couldn’t successfully deny the kings, but I am sad for them. I’m more pissed that they chose me and now they’re practically interrogating me like I’m the villain—well, Jax and Pierce, anyway. Fuck them both, then.

I take another sip of my drink. “I told him Jax would carve him to pieces for touching me.” I spare a look at Jax, who fiddles with his blade. “I reminded him Kal nearly ripped off an enforcer’s arm for merely touching me roughly.” I turn to Kal, and he nods his affirmation. “I assumed you two would do the same if they took me without my permission.” I motion to Pierce and Axl.

“You’re fucking right about that.” Axl shakes his head. “Pricks.”

“Do the others normally…consent?”

“You shouldn’t judge them for it,” Pierce says in his matter-of-fact tone. “Anyone who stands against our fathers usually doesn’t live to see another dawn.”

I raise my eyebrows, shocked at the blatant truth. I assumed the princes of Lumathyst would be on the side of the kings. Maybe they are, for the most part, but don’t mind calling them out when needed.

“I would never judge them,” I say a bit too harshly. “If the previous potentials consented to it, more power to them. But I will blame the ones responsible if the potential said no and the kings forced their hand.”

“Easy,” Axl warns, but the corner of his mouth is turned up. “Walls have ears here.”

I clear my throat, flashing him a grateful look for the heads-up. “Well, I don’t need anything in that regard,” I say to Kal, circling back to his original question. “But I will eventually need to change out of this dress.”

Axl and Kal laugh, breaking the tension, and I try not to get hung up on the fact that Jax and Pierce are still looking at me like I’m the enemy.

Kal relaxes his fist on the table. “Like I said, everything you need will be provided.”

I think about my sister, wondering if all I have to do is ask and they’ll use their status and wealth to find her for me. I shoot down the idea just as quickly. No way can I trust them with my greatest weakness.

“Where are you from?” Axl asks. Such a casual question after such a serious conversation.

“Cedar and Silk. I’m a dyer.” The lie tastes especially bitter now that I know Jax and Pierce are analyzing everything I say.

“A lottery winner, then,” Pierce says with what sounds like disappointment. “Such slim odds.”

“Is that all you do?” Kal asks, not suspiciously, but like he’s genuinely interested in my life. It may be an act, but I soak it in, allowing his calm, kind demeanor to ease some of the tension rattling through me. In this chaotic storm of a conversation, Kal is a welcome lighthouse.

“I also procure things,” I answer, sticking to half truths. Pairing lies with truths may be the way to shake off the Nightmare’s intense study. In the Ashlands, I am a procurer. One of the oh-so-lucky assignments that have me breathing dust and ash all day, searching for rare jewels or minerals for the royal cities. Funny that we’re considered the lowliest of the cities when our lands are rich in the resources that supply the wealth of Lumathyst. “Valuable materials for my mistress.”

I try to give them just enough to be satisfied with my answer without intriguing them so much that they’ll start digging for more.

“When I called your number,” Jax says, “you hugged two women. Who are they to you?”

Goddess, I don’t want to tell him. I don’t want them to know Ivy and Layce exist in case this blows up in my face in the end.

“My friends,” I say.

Jax flashes me a predator’s look. “Their names?”

Bastard. I can give them fake names, but that would only put me more at risk of getting caught. “Ivy Parcell and Layce Willis,” I answer with a smile on my face.

“You’re close?” Kal asks from my right.

“We’ve known each other since we were children.”

“Same as us,” Axl offers.

“Yes, I would say we’re as close, though I suppose I don’t know any of you all that well.”

“Yet,” Kal says. “You will soon enough.”

“And what do you know of us, Rylee?” Jax cuts in, and I have to fight not to glare at him. He’s the one who chose me, not the other way around. It’s not my fault he’s got a lie trigger I can’t help but trip. Maybe I can convince him my lies are little, feminine secrets that are no matter to him. One step at a time.

“I know what anyone else in Lumathyst knows,” I answer.

He rolls his eyes and returns his attention to his blade.

“Not all the rumors are true,” Kal says.

“Some of them,” Axl counters with a laugh.

“I’d wager sixty/forty,” Pierce says. “Depending on the content.”

I laugh again, unable to help it. They’re a contrast that has my head spinning, but they truly live up to their nicknames.

The night wears close to dawn as they pepper me with more questions—easy ones like what type of music I prefer, if I enjoy the theater, my favorite foods, et cetera. I pluck most of the answers straight from my experiences with Ivy and Layce, since the only time I’m around such luxuries is when I’ve snuck over the borders to dine and dance with them.

And when exhaustion settles in my bones, my feet aching in my high-heeled boots and the brim of my nose irritated from the mask I still don, I’m finally ready to ask the one question I’ve been avoiding all night.

“I could stay up talking to you the rest of the night,” I say, indicating mainly Kal and Axl, since Pierce has been calculatingly quiet for the most part and Jax has done his best to ignore me entirely. I’m curious despite myself. Ignoring the axe hanging over my head, they are remarkable to speak with. There is an unshakable bond between them that I admire.

I want more. I want to peel back the layers of who they truly are and piece out if the interest and kindness they’ve shown me is merely an act.

“But if I don’t sleep soon,” I continue, “I’ll wind up passing out at this table.” I swallow hard. “What are the sleeping arrangements?” I ask, trying to keep my voice light.

This is it. This is what we’ve been leading to this whole time. I’m not sure I have the energy to entertain all of them, especially if I want to make it unforgettable so I’ll be irresistible to them, but I do my best to muster it.

“Of course,” Kal says. “It’s already nearing dawn. We have a room prepared for you.”

My eyes widen. “Just for me? Not for…all of us?”

Axl laughs. “If that’s what you want,” he says, “we can arrange it.”

My stomach drops.

“But if you don’t,” he continues, “you get to choose.”

“I get to choose?” I ask.

Axl nods. “You’ll spend a month with each of us in our home cities,” he explains. “You can decide who you want to stay with first.”

My lips part, but I have no idea what to say. That isn’t a decision I’d been preparing to make.

“Did you truly believe Jax’s jest? You thought we’d just have our way with you here? Get it over with?” Axl cracks that infectious grin. “Where’s the fun in that?”

I feel my cheeks warm a little, but I file that information away. So, Axl likes the tease, the anticipation. Good to know.

“In all fairness,” I say, “the invitation rather explicitly required my consent if chosen.”

“Ah, but it didn’t specify a time, did it?” Axl grins at me.

“No, I suppose it didn’t.”

“And consent can be withdrawn at any time,” Axl says.

“That wasn’t in the contract,” I say before I can stop myself.

“It’s one of our terms,” Axl says, motioning toward the other Legends. “You set the pace. And you choose who you want to start your first month with.”

Hope spreads through me for the first time since Jax called out my number. Their stance on my role here, intentionally granting me that power, is a welcomed surprise. It separates the Legends from the kings’ earlier actions more than anything else they’ve done so far.

“Do you have a preference?” Kal asks. “Because we can choose for you if you feel overwhelmed.”

I smile at him, shaking my head. “I appreciate the option.”

I scan their faces. Each of them makes my heart thump, but it damn near stops when I look at Jax. He seems the least invested out of the four—Pierce is a close second—but I can’t help but remember the man who flirted and danced with me at the party. Can’t help that burning connection practically begging me to say his name, to choose him first, as he’d chosen me.

But he’s the Nightmare. His father is an evil piece of shit. And because I want him the most, he’s the most dangerous of them all. With him, all my defenses come down, and I lose sight of everything but him.

No, I need someone I can easily win over. Because I must win them over to survive this.

I glance at Pierce again, and my skin heats at just the thought of being with someone as intense and intelligent and ruggedly handsome as he is. He can enter the minds of others at will, but he must not have attempted to enter mine, or he would’ve arrested me already. He’s also kept himself at a calculated but polite distance, so he may be hard to reach.

I study Axl next. He seems to be pure fun and adventure, with a side of danger. He’s been nothing but welcoming and friendly, but I have the sense that a timid partner would quickly be swept under and drown in his wake, and I’m not ready to make that cliff dive just yet. Then finally, I look at Kal, who has been the kindest and most attentive of them all throughout the night. Plus, he fed me, and that small act of service means more to me than he’ll likely ever understand.

Who can I make fall first? The Nightmare, the Mind, the Player, or the Dreamer?

“Kal,” I say. Hopefully, he’ll have the fewest obstacles blocking my way to gaining his trust. “If it’s all right with you, I’d like to spend the first month with you.”

Kal’s smile is genuine as he nods, rising from his chair and offering me his hand. “It would be my honor,” he says.

I take his hand, unable to stop myself from looking at Jax one last time. I swear I see a hint of disappointment in his eyes, but I blink, and it’s gone. In a blur of movement, he sheathes his blade, shoves away from the table, and stalks toward the elevator.

Pierce follows him with a cool “good night.”

Axl stops before us, and he’s so damn tall, I have to arch my neck to meet his eyes. “You know, just because Kal looks like a teddy bear doesn’t mean he won’t bite.” He laughs when Kal rolls his eyes, then drags a knuckle along the edge of my jaw, making my breath hitch. “See you soon.” He disappears into the elevator with Jax and Pierce, leaving Kal and me alone in the room.

Kal squeezes my hand and tugs me into the elevator once it’s returned. “I’ll show you to your room,” he says after we descend a couple of floors, stepping into a long corridor.

Even the hall is stunningly decorated, with lush carpets of ruby and gold, walls adorned with gilded art, and little wooden tables holding priceless vases full of fresh flowers. Ivy and Layce would love it; Erin would’ve already marked everything she’d lift from it.

I smile sadly as we walk, my heart aching for the sister I can’t find and the friends I was forced to leave behind.

“This is you,” Kal finally says as we come to a set of double doors on the left. He opens them, guiding me inside. He doesn’t bother shutting the doors behind him, but he lets go of my hand, allowing me to venture around the room on my own.

It’s bigger than any bedroom I’ve ever slept in. A bed fit for a king is tucked in the corner, with a four-poster frame draped with luscious red curtains. There’s a sitting area on the opposite side, complete with a lush couch and chaise longue with gold details. There’s also a wet bar and a giant wardrobe next to a set of glass doors that leads to a balcony overlooking the city below.

I turn around, looking up at Kal, who has been watching me the entire time.

“Does it suit you?” he asks.

“More than,” I say. “Thank you.”

Kal hesitates, and my heart races as the air between us tightens.

They said it’s my choice.

My eyes flash toward the massive bed. “Will you be staying with me?” I finally ask.

He grins softly as he walks toward me, his long stride eating up the space between us in a single breath. I don’t back away, don’t retreat. I feel no need to; no instincts flare within me. For whatever reason, call it fate or bad luck, I’m in this for the long haul. May as well start now.

“Not tonight,” he says, and my chest deflates with…disappointment? Except his stunning blue eyes dance as he reaches for me. “May I?” he asks, his fingertips brushing the delicate fabric of my mask.

I nod because I can’t speak. My heart is in my throat, his scent of the sun and lemon verbena swirling around me. I can feel the heat from his body, can see the muscles straining beneath his suit. More than that, he’s been so kind, so aware of my needs the entire evening. I want him. There is no denying it.

A breath shudders from my lips as he slides off the mask and cool air brushes my oversensitive skin. Or maybe it’s from the graze of his skin against mine. Just the brief, innocent touch feels intimate.

He gently lays the mask on the table near us, his eyes never leaving mine.

“Stunning,” he says, smoothing his hands over my cheeks, cupping my face. “Absolutely stunning.”

I’m trembling now; his touch is like a flame against my skin. I’m aching in all the right places, need making me breathless as he slides a hand into my hair, gently tipping my head back.

He draws us together until our bodies are flush. His body is hard against mine, nothing but muscle and power radiating against me. He holds me there, watching my reaction, as if he has all the time in the world to do so.

“Rylee.” He breathes my name, and I nearly whimper. Forget the Choosing, forget that he’s royalty and I’m ash. My need tugs and yanks and begs. “May I?” he asks again, his eyes flicking to my lips.

He’s asking permission despite already having it. Where is the ruthless Legend I’ve heard of? Where is the royal prince who works people to the bone in his precious Ruby Aire? Maybe the rumors aren’t true. Maybe the people have it wrong.

Maybe I no longer give a shit.

“Yes,” I whisper, and then his lips are on mine.

I gasp at the way his mouth presses against mine, all warmth and sunshine and sparks. Goddess, he kisses like a dream, parting my lips and sliding his tongue between them, rubbing against mine in expert flicks that make my hand close around his suit jacket, desperate to draw him closer.

The doors are wide open behind us; anyone could walk by and see what we’re doing, but not an ounce of shame creeps inside me. In fact, a thrill of delight shivers through me at the idea of being caught like this. If I had to bet, I’d say Kal likes the idea, too.

He snakes his arms around my back, lifting me off my feet with an effortless grace that doesn’t break our kiss. In the dress, I can’t wrap my legs around his waist like I desperately want to, but he doesn’t seem to care. He keeps kissing me, keeps claiming my mouth in deep strokes that have me trembling against him, have me whimpering with each teasing caress. I slide my arms up and wrap them around him, tangling my fingers in the hair at the base of his neck, giving back all he’s taking as I lose myself in this moment.

Kal breaks the kiss and rests his forehead on mine, holding me against him. He smiles, his eyes hooded and churning with desire. His immense power swirls around me, and without the others in the room, I can finally feel the depths of it. The Dreamer is a god—only half of one, yet his power makes mine feel like a drop in a vast ocean.

Slowly, Kal lets me slide down his body until my feet touch the floor again, eliciting warm chills everywhere we connect. Almost reluctantly, he releases me, stepping away enough that I feel cold where I’d just been burning.

“Tomorrow,” he says, still backing away, grinning in a way I haven’t seen yet tonight. It’s hopeful, just like his eyes, and it makes my heart clench. “I’ll take you home.” He reaches the open doors, licking his lips like he can still taste my kiss there. “Sleep well, Rylee Gray.”

And then he’s gone, disappearing in a blur of movement so fast, my eyes can’t follow.

It takes me five whole minutes to catch my breath and shut the doors.

In a daze from the kiss and exhaustion and the events of the night, I shed my dress, drape it on one of the chairs, and grab the first thing I see in the wardrobe. I sigh in relief at the feel of the loose cotton tunic and fall into the oversize bed.

My skin is ultrasensitive, every nerve pricked to awareness, begging and searching for more of a touch that isn’t there. I blow out a breath, sinking deeper into the luxurious mattress, hiking the fluffy blankets over my bare legs. Tomorrow, the game will resume, and I hope I’m smart enough to survive it.