3. Matilda
3
MATILDA
The tremors haven’t stopped since we weakened the curse further with our sick, little ritual sex. They rattle through MistHallow’s ancient foundations, a constant reminder of the gateway straining against reality. But right now, I’m too exhausted to care.
“Food,” Draven says, guiding me toward the dining hall with his hand at my lower back. The contact helps ground me, helps quiet the chaotic swirl of power still coursing through my veins. That reminds me…
“Where’s Chaos?”
“He’ll find his way back to you,” Draven murmurs.
“Hope so.”
Another tremor shakes the building, making the chandeliers sway. I feel a twinge of guilt. We should be working on containing the gateway, but my legs feel like lead, and my hands are still shaking from channelling so much power.
The dining hall is weirdly empty when we arrive, most of MistHallow’s residents probably told to stay in their rooms due to the crazy nature of what is going on. Not that it will help if this curse breaks. We are all doomed in that case. Vex is already there, having finished helping secure our prisoners. He’s demolished half a chicken and is working on his second plate.
“Eat,” he commands, pushing a plate filled with a roast chicken dinner with all the trimmings towards me as I sink into a chair. “You’re no good to anyone if you collapse.”
I don’t need to be told twice. I’m starving in a way I’ve never experienced before, like there’s a hollow void inside me demanding to be filled.
“So,” Luc says, “we have the psycho goddess and her equally psycho protégé locked up, Hell preparing for damage control, and a gateway that’s still trying to tear reality apart. Where do we even start?”
“Don’t forget the missing Angel,” Draven adds darkly.
I swallow a mouthful of food. “Laurent will be back. She’s too invested in whatever game she’s playing to stay away for long.”
Another tremor rocks the building, stronger this time. Dust falls from the ceiling.
“We should be out there,” I mutter, but Draven’s hand on my arm stops me from rising.
“We will be. After we rest.” His eyes meet mine, serious. “You pushed yourself to the limit today. A few hours won’t make a difference now that Anu and Ellie are contained. ”
He’s right, but it doesn’t stop the guilt from gnawing at me. Still, as I look at my three exhausted warriors, I know we need this. Just a moment to breathe, to recover, before diving back into the chaos.
The power inside me shifts restlessly. It wants to reunite with its full force. I don’t blame it. All my life, I was weaker, a shadow of what I was supposed to be. What will happen when the curse breaks and the Praxian finds itself inside me? Will it rip me apart? Will I be able to withstand it? Work with it? Or will I become that thing in Vex’s trial vision that he had to kill in order to save the world?
“I need to speak to Blackthorn,” I say abruptly.
“Okay, we can go after you’ve had some rest,” Vex says.
“No, I want to go alone.”
Silence.
“Look,” I state with a huff. “I need to be able to focus on what I want to say. It’s easier if I go alone, and I can get my words out how I mean them with no interruptions or distractions.”
Vex nods slowly. “Okay, I get that. But promise you will try to sleep a bit first. You look exhausted.”
I nod, knowing sleep won’t come easy with what is rumbling underneath MistHallow. We are fucked if we don’t get this shit sorted out sooner rather than later.
“Our goal is still to break the curse, right?” Draven asks. “Or are we thinking we should try to recurse it?”
“Break it,” I say. “It’s the only way to end this. Are you having second thoughts? ”
“Not exactly. I’m just wary about what we will be unleashing. The Praxian is one thing; Hell’s army is another. And our mother is in a separate league of her own. If this even smacks of going sideways, all the rest will be the least of our worries.”
“So we make sure it doesn’t go sideways,” I say with more confidence than I feel.
We finish eating in a silence that borders on uncomfortable.
We all seem to race to finish eating, and afterwards, we make our way through the trembling corridors. Chaos appears and scampers alongside me, his Araxi form shifting slightly with each tremor that rocks the foundation, making it seem like he can sense something we can’t.
“What is it?” I ask him softly, but he just gives me one of his inscrutable looks.
“The gateway’s affecting everything with Hell origins,” Draven explains, watching Chaos. “Even creatures from the Wastelands aren’t immune.”
We reach Vex’s room, and my body is already shutting down from sheer exhaustion. But my mind is racing with what I need to discuss with Blackthorn. There are contingency plans that need to be put in place, things my warriors can’t know about. Not yet.
“Sleep,” Vex orders, opening his door. “Whatever you’re planning to say to Blackthorn can wait a few hours.”
I want to protest, but another violent tremor shakes the building, and I stumble. Three pairs of hands steady me immediately.
“Fine,” I concede. “A few hours.”
I sink into Vex’s ridiculously large bed, barely registering them settling around me. Chaos curls up against my side and falls asleep. Exhaustion pulls me under quickly after that.
I wake to darkness and the continued rumbling of MistHallow’s foundations. The guys are passed out around me, but Chaos is awake, sitting on the windowsill, staring out of the window at something only he can see.
Moving carefully, I extract myself from between the guys. Chaos hears me and leaps towards me. I look down at myself and realise I didn’t even get undressed. I just fell asleep fully clothed. One of the guys must’ve taken my boots off. I quickly slip them on, and then Chaos and I make our stealthy escape.
The tremors help mask my footsteps as I slip out of the room. The halls are eerily empty; everyone either evacuated or is hiding in their rooms. Hopefully, most of them have left because I just don’t know how this is going to play out. I’d rather not be worried about innocent bystanders if tough decisions have to be made.
Making my way down to Blackthorn’s office, I knock, and he calls out for me to enter .
He is behind his desk, surrounded by ancient texts and looking like he hasn’t slept in days.
“I was wondering when you’d come,” he says without looking up. “Close the door.”
I do, then take a seat across from him. “We need to talk about what happens if I can’t control it. When the curse breaks and the Praxian power returns...”
“You need someone willing to do what’s necessary,” he finishes, finally meeting my eyes. “Someone who won’t hesitate.”
“Yes.”
The building shakes again, and somewhere in the distance, something crashes. We both ignore it.
“Vex won’t do it,” he says. “He thinks he will, he did in his vision quest, but even if it means saving the world, Luc and Draven aren’t strong enough emotionally to kill the only creature they have ever loved. They’re too attached.”
My heart stutters, making me feel lightheaded. Tears prick my eyes, but I forget about them. “I know. That’s why I’m here.”
“If it comes to that,” Blackthorn says carefully, “you understand what it means? The kind of power it would take to end you once you’re merged with the Praxian?”
“You have that kind of power, don’t you?” I ask, though I already know the answer. Chaos jumps onto Blackthorn’s desk, but then remains motionless.
“The pendant will be enough before I can step in.” He leans back, studying me. “Once it merges with you completely, stopping you won’t be simple. It will be messy, violent, and there will likely be collateral damage.”
My stomach drops, but I steady myself. “As long as they’re safe. We haven’t completed the soul bond. They’ll survive without me if it comes to that.”
Another tremor rocks the building, stronger than before. Books tumble from shelves, and somewhere above us, glass shatters.
“We don’t have a choice,” I add, my voice steady despite the terror gripping my heart. “If I lose control, if I become what Vex saw in his vision... everything ends anyway. At least this way, there’s someone I know will stop it.”
“Very well.” Blackthorn stands, coming around his desk. “I’ll do it if necessary. But Matilda?” His expression softens slightly as he loses some of his formality. “Don’t make it necessary.”
“I’ll try my best not to,” I whisper. “Don’t tell them. About any of this. Please.”
“They’ll figure it out eventually,” he warns. “They’re not stupid.”
“I know. But by then, it’ll be too late to stop it.”
A massive tremor suddenly hits, nearly knocking us off our feet. Chaos hisses.
“You should get back,” Blackthorn says. “They’ll be looking for you soon.”
I nod and turn to leave, but his voice stops me at the door.
“Matilda? For what it’s worth, I don’t think it will come to that. Despite everything you have gone through, you are remarkably well-balanced. It shows your fortitude, your resilience. You’ve got this.”
“Thanks,” I mutter. “I think I needed to hear that.”
Making my way back to Vex’s room, my heart feels heavy. Chaos sits on my shoulder, a ferocious yet comforting presence. Before I slip back inside, he leaps off and scampers away. Maybe he senses what I’m about to do. When I slip back inside, I find them still sleeping, but Draven stirs as I approach the bed.
“Did you speak to Blackthorn?” he murmurs sleepily, reaching for me.
Instead of answering, I lean down and kiss him, soft and slow. His eyes open fully, understanding dawning in their depths. I move to Luc next, waking him with gentle touches and kisses. Vex is already awake, watching me with those intense eyes that seem to see right through me.
“Let me love you,” I whisper, my hands trailing over warm skin. “All of you.”
This isn’t like the times before. There is no desperate passion or primal need. This is different. Slower. Deeper. Every touch, every kiss feels like a memorisation, a farewell hidden in tenderness.
Their hands are gentle on my body as they undress me, following my lead and not pouncing on me. Vex’s lips trace my collarbone while Draven’s fingers thread through my hair. Luc’s mouth finds the sensitive spot behind my ear that makes me shiver.
“Beautiful,” Vex murmurs against my skin. “Our beautiful girl. ”
I try to commit everything to memory. The way Draven’s breath catches when I touch him, the sound Luc makes when I kiss that spot over his heart, the feel of Vex’s hands tracing my curves. If things go wrong, I want these memories to take with me.
The tremors get worse as they shake the building, but here in this bed, wrapped in their arms, nothing else exists except us and this moment. This precious, perfect moment that I wish could last forever.
The air is heavy with unspoken words as they surround me. Every touch feels magnified. Luc cups my face as he kisses me deeply, tenderly, like he has all the time in the world.
I’m trembling from the overwhelming emotion threatening to choke me. How do you say goodbye without saying the words? How do you tell them you love them so much it physically hurts, knowing what might be coming?
“You’re thinking too hard,” Vex murmurs against my shoulder, his arms tightening around me.
I turn in his embrace, trying to touch all of them at once, trying to show them what I can’t say. Vex groans softly when I trail kisses down his chest. Luc rasps softly when I reach for him, taking his hard cock in my hand and tugging gently. Vex arches into my touch when I take him in my mouth and suck slowly, wrapping my tongue around the head of his cock before I graze my teeth down the length.
Draven comes up behind me and slides into my soaking wet pussy. His movements, slow, steady, savouring every second.
The tremors rock the building, but they feel distant now, unimportant compared to the way Draven’s hands shake slightly as he reaches around to find my clit, the way Luc whispers my name like a prayer, the way Vex watches me with such intensity it makes my heart ache.
I want to freeze this moment. Store it away somewhere safe where nothing can touch it. Where there’s no curse, no impending doom, no impossible choices. Just this, just us, tangled together, loving each other with everything we have.
My eyes burn with unshed tears as pleasure builds between us, slow and sweet and devastating in its intensity. They’re so gentle with me, so careful, like they can sense something’s different but can’t quite figure out what.
“We’ve got you,” Luc whispers, and I have to bite back a sob because they do. They’ve always had me.
Waves of pleasure wash over me as Draven thrusts inside me, his strokes long and deep. Vex wraps his hand in my hair and pulls me off his cock. I look up at him and shuffle over him, bringing Draven with me as I straddle Vex. He caresses my breasts, teasing my nipples as Luc’s fingers join Draven’s on my clit. The sensations are almost too much, overwhelming in their intensity.
“Such a good girl,” Vex murmurs, his blue eyes locked on mine. “Taking what you want from us. So beautiful, so strong. ”
Those words break something inside me. Tears spill down my cheeks as I come apart in their arms, crying out their names. My body convulses hard, my pussy clutching on Draven as I climax around him. He groans and speeds up his thrusts. Vex guides his cock inside me alongside Draven and my orgasm doubles up.
My body trembles as wave after wave of pleasure crashes over me. Draven and Vex move together inside me, their cocks stretching me deliciously as Luc’s fingers circle my clit. The sensations are almost too much, teetering on the edge of overstimulation.
“That’s it, petal,” Draven murmurs against my neck. “Let us make you feel good.”
His words send me spiralling into another intense orgasm. I cry out, clinging to them as my body shakes. Vex groans, his hips jerking up as he finds his release. The feeling of him pulsing inside me is pure bliss as Draven’s climax hits him hard. He buries himself deeper, grunting my name as he comes.
Luc gently turns my face towards him, kissing me deeply as the aftershocks roll through me. When he pulls back, his eyes are dark with need. Without a word, I slide off Draven and Vex, taking Luc into my mouth. He hisses in pleasure as I swirl my tongue around him, tasting him.
“Fuck, Tilly,” he groans, his hands tangling in my hair.
I take him deeper, hollowing my cheeks as I suck. His hips twitch, fighting to keep still. I can feel how close he is already. Reaching between his legs, I gently cup and massage his balls as I work him gently. Luc groans, his fingers tightening in my hair as I take him deeper. I can feel him trembling with the effort of holding back. Pulling off slightly, I swirl my tongue around the sensitive head of his cock before taking him all the way down my throat again.
“Tilly,” he rasps, “I’m close.”
I pop my mouth off him and push him back to the bed, straddling him. I slide over his cock, taking him balls deep in one swift move. He groans as I rotate my hips, riding him slowly, steadying myself with my hands on his chest.
“Don’t you fucking dare,” he whispers to me, gripping my hands. “Don’t you fucking dare say goodbye.”
“I’m not,” I murmur, my cheeks heating up as he busts me. “I love you, Luc. Draven, I love you. Vex, I love you. I’m sorry I didn’t say it before now. I should have.”
I lean down and kiss Luc deeply, pouring all my love and desperation into it. His hands grip my hips tightly as he thrusts up into me, matching my rhythm.
“We love you too,” Vex says softly, his hand stroking my back.
Draven presses kisses along my shoulder. “You’re ours, Tilly. No matter what happens.”
Their words of love and reassurance nearly break me. I ride Luc faster, chasing another release, needing to feel that connection one more time. His fingers find my clit, circling it roughly as I bounce on his cock .
“Come all over me, my sweet,” he urges, his voice rough with emotion. “Let me feel you.”
My orgasm crashes over me suddenly, intense and all-consuming. I cry out as my body spasms. Luc groans, his hips jerking up as he follows me over the edge.
I collapse onto his chest, panting heavily. The guys surround me, their hands gentle as they stroke and caress my trembling body. For a moment, everything is perfect. Just us, tangled together, basking in the afterglow.
Then, another massive tremor rocks the building, shattering the peaceful moment. Reality comes crashing back.
“It’s time,” I whisper, forcing myself to sit up. “We need to end this.”
They nod solemnly, understanding, mourning the loss of this perfect moment, but knowing we have no choice. It’s now or never.