Chapter 14
FOURTEEN
ATLAS
I jolt awake as an intense tugging sensation grips my chest. This time I know exactly who it is. Drax.
Closing my eyes, I focus on the connection in an attempt to strengthen it. “Can you hear me?”
“Of course I can. I’m right here. Why aren’t you sleeping?”
“No, it’s Drax. I can feel him reaching out again.”
Rune sits up, his eyes eagerly trained on my face. “What can I do?”
“Um, get closer. Skin to skin, right?”
Rune nods, closing the already small space between us so his chest is touching mine. “Ooh, there it is.”
“You feel it too?”
“Yes.”
Before I can say anything else, Rune slams his mouth against mine, and as he does, the connection to Drax strengthens, bouncing between us.
Rune breaks the kiss. “Try now.”
“Drax? Can you hear me?”
“Gods. There you are. Can you…”
His words wobble and drift away. “Shit. I lost him already.”
Rune frowns, his eyes moving briefly to the ceiling. “Focus on Drax. I’ll focus on you.”
“What do you—” I choke on my words as Rune climbs on top of me, moving his warm, plush lips down my neck and chest, heading straight for my cock.
“Focus,” he mumbles before wrapping his mouth around my cockhead.
Well, that’s a hell of a lot easier said than done. He’s right though, something about our connection improves my ability to talk to my friends. Drax’s voice comes through loud and clear, as if he’s in the same room.
“Atlas?”
“Yeah. Can you hear me?”
“Yes. Okay. We’ve been trying to find you. We went to see Kallis and got a clue you might be in New Orleans, but Kallis couldn’t be more specific than that.”
“We’re completely blocked from the outside world,” I answer, my breath hitching as Rune snakes his tongue around my crown. I swallow down a moan and do my best to sound normal as I answer. “We could be anywhere.”
“Is Rune okay?”
I gaze down at him, doing his best to cram as much of my length in his mouth, his hair falling around his face, his lips stretched wide around my cock…
damn, the sight is something to behold. He’s a beautiful man as it is, but with a determined gleam and a sultry mouth working me over, he’s a masterpiece.
“He’s good.” I choke on the words. “Safe.”
“Okay. Hold on as long as you can, Atlas. We’re trying to get a sense of where you might be.”
“At?” That’s Cassius. “Focus on the room around you and any details. Maybe that will help.”
Focus on something more than Rune’s mouth on my cock? Yeah, okay. I close my eyes, noting every detail I can think of.
“We might be underground. It’s dark and damp, but there’s a shield around us so we could be in the middle of the French Quarter for all we know.”
“What else?” Roman asks.
“There’s a dead woman as a guard. Rune can tell. Another person came today, but they didn’t speak much and they were cloaked.”
Rune lifts his head, letting my cock slip from between his lips. I fight another groan, my cock twitching towards his mouth with an ache to find its home in the warm, wet depths again.
“They know my favorite foods, and they have my band t-shirt from when I was younger. They know my family,” he says.
“Did you guys hear him?” I rasp.
“Uh, yeah, we did,” Mac says with an awkward cough. “We’re getting some interesting vibes over here. I take it you two are getting along okay?”
“Shut it, dragon, and focus,” Rune barks out.
“I see Rune hasn’t lost his edge.” Mac chuckles.
“Focus,” Drax says. “Anything else?”
“No,” Rune says, but the connection starts to waver. He puts his hand on the center of my chest and dips his head to continue his oral assault on me, slurping and bobbing, taking me into his throat.
“Whoa,” Drax says. “I can really feel you now. Yes. Keep doing whatever you’re doing right now. It’s helping.”
I throw my head back, swallowing a moan of intense pleasure. My body ripples with desire and need to be even closer to Rune, but I do my best to concentrate on my friends. When I’m able to open my eyes and focus on the gorgeous man, his tattoos are alight and fluttering.
For just a moment, the room around us flickers, appearing more like an old living room than a prison cell. The cot is replaced by an old floral couch covered in soft, velvety brown and orange fabric. The air is scented with something rich and spicy, the air warm and sticky.
Rune’s breath catches, but he doesn’t pop off me at all. Instead, he increases his sucking, and the images around us flicker back to life, almost tangible.
“Gods,” Drax says. “We can see it. It’s a house. It’s… light blue. Columns on the porch. Ring a bell?”
Rune’s eyes shift to me, and I see pure terror in them. “Impossible,” he mumbles with his mouth still full of cock. “It can’t be.”
“There’s a sign in front,” Drax says. “It says…” The connection crackles and his voice breaks up.
“Drax? Can you hear me? Guys?”
The sound of the cell door unlocking startles us. Rune scrambles off my lap and I throw myself into the wall to disappear. The tugging in my chest fades and grows cold, and I know the connection is broken.
Rune grabs his shirt to cover his nudity just as the door opens, and instead of Elvira, it’s the cloaked figure. I don’t know how I can tell, but the person is angry. Rage pours off of them, and I imagine Rune feels it too as he scoots until his back presses against the wall.
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?”
The voice is neither masculine nor feminine, but it is definitely angry.
“I… I don’t know what you mean?” Rune stands, covering his nudity with his shirt and bravely facing off with the hidden figure. “Who are you? Show your face.”
The figure laughs darkly. “You are hardly in a position to demand anything of me.” The figure steps farther into the space, their unseen eyes roaming across every surface. “You think you’re clever, but you underestimate me. You always have.”
Always have? Does that mean Rune knows this person?
“Now’s your chance to prove me wrong, then,” Rune says. “Why won’t you face me?”
“In due time.” The figure lifts a hand, and whatever they are doing causes Rune to flinch as if in pain.
The desire to jump out and protect him is fierce, but showing myself isn’t a smart idea.
“For now, we do things as I wish, and you will just deal with it.”
This is bad. Really fucking bad.
RUNE
The block on my magic is stronger with this person in the room, preventing any ability of mine to poke and prod for their identity. How are they strong enough to do this? Last time I checked no one alive could face off with me. I made sure of it.
With my back literally pressed against the wall, I open my mouth to say more, but I have to push against the magic.
They obviously haven’t detected Atlas in the room, though something brought them here to check on me.
They can’t possibly be watching, if they were, they would know by now I’m not alone.
But maybe they could sense the flair in my magic when Atlas and I touch.
“What do you want with me?” I manage to ask. “Why hold someone captive and make no demands?”
“In due time, as I said.” The figure keeps themself shrouded, and I sense the magic swirling around them that hides their identity should I get a glimpse of their face.
“Where did you get this shirt?” I ask, pointing to my band t-shirt. “How did you know this was my favorite band?”
“Is it? Just lucky, I guess.”
“Bullshit. I was served gumbo. Another favorite,” I accuse. “Where have we met?”
The figure chuckles, and a tinge of dangerous familiarity tickles at the back of my mind.
I wish I could reach out for Atlas right now and get a burst of magic, but that’s far too risky.
If they know he’s here, they could take him away from me.
Maybe even hurt him. I shudder at the thought.
I can’t let anything bad happen to him. He’s the only connection I have to the outside world.
“Oh, Rune, you’re too smart for your own good. What is that saying… can’t see the forest through the trees? That’s you. Blinded by your arrogance and skill, you can’t see what’s right in front of your face.”
“Humor me then and fill me in.”
“Oh no, this is far more fun. Watching you flounder and strain your little brain for clues amuses me. I’m in no hurry.”
In a huff of anger, I lunge at the figure, but I’m slammed back with a mere flick of their wrist. Stumbling, I rub my chest.
I narrow my eyes. “You’re going to pay dearly for this. I will have my revenge.”
“I’m positive you will,” the figure says. “In fact, I’m counting on it. I can’t be faulted for defending myself, now, can I?”
“By whom? The mortal court system?”
The figure laughs again, and again, I get that hint of something else behind the obviously fake voice. I’ve heard that laugh before, I’m sure of it.
“Can you at least tell me your name?”
“You already know it.”
As I suspected.
“Now what I want to know is what you’re up to down here? Who were you talking to?”
“Myself. What else is there to do?”
The figure says nothing, but I feel their gaze on me behind the magic shield. “It will do you no good. Even if you’re able to somehow summon your magic, I’ve made sure it’s blocked at every turn. You’ll have it back if and when I decide.”
I seethe with anger. “The least you can do is tell me how I’ve offended you.”
“You already know that too, Rune. I suppose you just need a bit more time to stew on it. Once you figure it out, oh, what fun we’re going to have as I destroy you.”
I scoff. “Oh, please. You may have a few tricks, but there’s no way you can take me down.”
“I guess we’ll see, won’t we?” The figure walks back toward the door. “You are being monitored at all times. Be aware of that.”
That can’t be true or they’d know Atlas was here. Whoever they are, they’re bluffing. I smirk and blow them a kiss on their way out. “Enjoy the show.”
They scoff. “It’s time you were pushed off your ivory tower, and I’m delighted to be the one to do it.”
They leave before I can say anything else. The door clangs shut behind them, and I slump against the wall, right into Atlas’s arms.
“Do you recognize them?” he asks.
I shake my head, dragging a hand through my unstyled locks. “No new clues, anyway.”
“They obviously have a history with you,” Atlas says.
I nod. “I just wish I could figure out how.”
“What do you think brought them down here? Your magic?”
I nod. “Yes, they felt it. It was very strong for a few minutes.”
“I noticed your tattoos. Do you know why it works?”
“Sex magic. It’s as old as time.”
His brow creases. “But…” He cuts himself off and shakes his head. “Okay.”
“Maybe your friends saw this house and can find it. It might lead them to where we are. Maybe we’re in the basement of a house.”
“Maybe,” he murmurs.
Not that most houses in New Orleans have basements either. My family estate was kind of a special case. Then again, we still don’t know for sure if NOLA is even where we are. Too many questions and not enough answers.
I glance down at his flaccid, but still impressive, cock. Sucking it was like climbing the tallest mountain, but I was up for it. Too bad I couldn’t finish.
“We should get some sleep,” Atlas says.
“I can try. I don’t know how I’ll relax enough.”
“Maybe I can help.” He smiles, brushing his thumb under my chin.
It’s strange how his skin manages to be hard and soft at the same time. He moves his large hands back to my shoulders, gently massaging the kinks out until I feel the tension slip away. I lean against his chest as my eyes grow heavy, my chaotic mind settling into blissful nothingness.
How this man manages to soothe me is a mystery for the ages, but I can’t be bothered to think about it anymore, as sleep drags me under.