27. Bricriu
Chapter 27
Bricriu
THURSDAY
I sla whimpered against my lips but there was no hesitation as she kissed me back. I groaned, tilting her head to deepen the kiss needing to savor this moment. Her small hands grasped my arms, clinging to me and pulling me closer.
The feel of magick surrounding us thickened, pushing us toward some unknown destination that had my heart pounding in my ears. What was happening?
“Isla,” I purred, forcing myself to break away from her. “Do you know what’s happening?”
“No.” She gulped, her cheeks flushed and hazel eyes wide. “The magick… It’s everywhere.”
I blinked slowly, trying to process what she was saying. “You can feel it too?”
“I can see it,” she whispered. Reaching out a trembling hand, she moved her fingers as if she were playing with something I couldn’t see. Whatever it was sent a shiver through my body.
While she watched those invisible strands of magick, I watched her . We were close enough that I could see her clearly for the first time, and she was absolutely breathtaking.
There was a hint of brown roots at the top of her head, but the rest of her wavy hair was pitch black. Expressive hazel eyes looked around me, a cautious smile tugging on her lips that weren’t painted their normal black. She had pale skin that reminded me of the bones I was wearing, and there was enough softness to her curves that I had to refrain from kneading her body with my hands.
She wore a pair of sweats and a t-shirt that seemed out of character for her. They held the scent of someone else on them, probably the incubus. It should have bothered me more, but right now, I didn’t care at all.
“Are you really okay?” I asked, unable to hold back my worry.
Isla shifted her attention to me. Pain flickered in her eyes, and her expression was pinched for a moment before she let out a shaky sigh. “No and yes. I don’t want to talk about it right now.”
“Then what do you want to do?” I asked, my voice thick. I was trying to fight the magick thrumming around us, pushing me toward her.
Magick or no magick, I wasn’t going to force myself on Isla. She’d just been through days of nonstop sex that she may or may not have been okay with. Just the thought of it made me want to hunt down the man who’d taken her and rip his body apart with my bare hands.
A soothing hand was placed on my face, and I forced myself away from my rage.
“I want to be here with you at this moment and forget everything else for a while.”
“Isla—”
“I choose you and this, Bones. No regrets. Whatever you want to do.”
I growled and pounced on her. My illusion magick rushed over me, the cool power covering me in skin until I resembled a high fae. She looked up at me, her hair spread around her like a dark halo, with a soft smile on her face.
“I’m not fucking you in that form. It’s more?—”
“Next time then,” she ordered, then wrapped her arms around my neck to pull me down on top of her. My lips found hers again. I lost myself in her, and the power around us suddenly caught fire. It felt as if the very air was about to boil over. Lips, teeth, and tongue danced together in a battle as I tugged at her clothes and she at mine. We separated for mere moments to take off our shirts.
I knelt there, looking down in fucking awe of the woman splayed out in front of me. There were bruises and marks decorating her body, but nothing looked particularly painful. Part of me wanted to add just one more mark. I needed to leave a visible claim on this witch, wanted the incubus to know, if he tried to touch her again, that she wasn’t wholly his.
“Bones,” she whimpered, her back arching. “Touch me.”
“Witchling—”
“Memorize me with your hands and your tongue, Bricriu. Take your time and make sure that every inch of me is burned into your memory. No matter what happens after this, I want to be burned into your thoughts forever.”
There was no way I could refuse such an offer. Starting with her feet, I slowly teased her body, my fingers tracing every inch of her before following with my tongue. Time became nonexistent as I worshiped every part of her.
I bypassed her pussy, laughing mockingly at her whimpers and pleas for me to touch her there. Instead, I kissed my way up her soft stomach, breasts, then arms before I got to her face. Ignoring her lips for now, I gently ran my fingertips along her face, tracing the planes of her expression and softness of her lips.
Her breath was hot as she panted, keening for more. She was fucking perfect.
No matter what she said about a second time, I doubted that would ever happen. No one picked me, not even Julian. He used me for blood and fucked me for the thrill of it. The power he had over me was more of an interest than I ever would be.
I was nothing if not a notch on his belt, and Isla was just riding the aftereffects of the rut, but I’d learned to take every scrap that life threw my way. She could hate me tomorrow. Today, she was crying my name as I settled between her legs. She wanted to be seared into my thoughts after this, and I damn sure was going to make sure she’d never forget what was about to happen.
I knew I never would.
ISLA
Bones teased me with his tongue, carefully licking my core as if he had all the time in the world. Meanwhile, a sheen of sweat covered my body as I thrashed. I desperately needed him to hurry up.
He laughed at my attempts, easily holding me still so I had to go at his pace. I stared down my body at him, loving that I saw his purple orbs watching me. His bone white hair was short, and part of me was saddened I couldn’t grab the long braid he had in the other form so I could urge him for more. Not that he would let me get away with that, but part of me craved the darker side that he kept in check.
“Bones!” I cried out when he sucked hard on my clit. Shit, I was so damn close.
He pulled back, and before I could make another sound, he slammed balls deep inside of me. My body twisted, every nerve ending overly sensitive from being with Echo for days, but he didn’t care. Bones just gripped my hips and made it impossible to get away from him.
“Whatever I wanted,” he taunted me as he rolled his hips. “That’s what you said, Isla, and I’m taking you up on that offer.”
“Please,” I pleaded.
“Fuck, if you’re going to beg like that, I might have to go even slower,” he threatened. “You take my cock so well, witch. So fucking hungry for it.”
I trembled beneath him, needing him to claim me until I couldn’t think.
“Hungry for you,” I admitted. “Since the moment I saw you in my garden.”
“You lie,” he croaked, disbelief clouding his features. His control slipped, and the skin on his cheek thinned until I caught a hint of bones showing through.
“It’s the truth. You were awe inspiring that night. Every creature in the forest was silent, aware of you watching me.” My hands trailed up his arms to his face, making it so he couldn’t look away from me. “The fact that you had no idea how to respond to me was just a bonus. You’re holding back from me, Bricriu. Don’t.”
“You have no idea what you’re asking for,” he gasped. Then his hips snapped hard, making me cry out.
“Show me,” I challenged and arched my back to press my lips against his. He met me partway, kissing me so thoroughly I thought I could see stars. He growled into the kiss, and his thrusts sped up. The magick increased, winding up and building until we both came. Our climaxes triggered the magick to erupt like fucking fireworks.
Coldness seeped into my bones, stealing my breath away, and he groaned, his body shaking. I saw dark green and black tendrils wind their way into him right before another orgasm hit me. I felt Bones spasm again, filling me with even more cum. The icy feeling numbed my left arm, and I looked over to see a tattoo crawling up from my hand to my forearm. Rich green, sharp leaves appeared, then bunches of dark purple flowers, hanging down to resemble hoods. Monkshood. Wolf’s bane.
A mark?! What the fuck did that mean? I whipped my gaze up to Bricriu. He was staring at my hand, his body now completely still.
“Bones? What— what is that?”
He shifted, pulling out of me as he shook his head sharply. “There’s no way.”
“No way what?” I asked again.
“You don’t know what that is?” he asked incredulously.
“Does it sound like I’m lying?” I asked sarcastically, attempting to hide my fear. Given his soft stare, I wasn’t successful.
‘Cassius?!’ I called out to my constant companion, but there was only silence. ‘Please.’
“Isla…” Bones sat back, curling his legs up like he was trying to protect himself.
“Just tell me,” I snapped. Being scared made me lash out. Luckily, Bones didn’t look offended.
“Witches can have fated mates,” he started, “but from what I know, which honestly isn’t much, it’s very rare. Anyway, witches who have fated mates get marks like those.”
I glanced down at my mystery tattoo then back up at him.
“So we’re…”
“Mates? Yes.”
“Did you get one too?”
After a brief pause, then he let the illusion magick fade away and held out a skeletal hand. My eyes widened in shock when they spotted what looked to be vines carved into his hand.
My eyes flicked up to his, and the grim expression there made my stomach twist into knots. “I didn’t mean for this to happen, Bones,” I started, trying to reassure him.
“Regretting me already, Isla?” he asked, his voice dripping with venom.
“No!” I shot back, narrowing my eyes on the fae.
“You can’t control who you bond with,” he replied dryly.
“What I was trying to say was that I didn’t want to bond with you when you can’t consent to it,” I told him stiffly, looking around for my clothes. With jerky movements, I put them on, ignoring his cum dripping down my inner thigh.
“Isla…”
“What?” I shot back, glaring at him.
“Magick is in charge of the bonding,” Bones said softly, squinting in my direction. “There is no warning for anyone involved in it.”
I sighed heavily as I looked around until I found his glasses. Grabbing them, I gently held them out to Bones. He murmured thanks before slipping them on. Bones remained quiet as he got dressed and sat down beside me again. We stared ahead rather than looking at each other.
“What now?” I asked for the second time today. Internally, I braced myself, fearing that he would avoid the question like Echo had.
“We’ll have to figure that out. Together,” he replied. “Good luck to you.”
I burst out laughing, and the sound turned to hiccups as tears stung my eyes. Finally, I turned into him. It was so easy to snuggle into his side, and it broke me when he hesitated before slowly wrapping an arm around me.
Whatever made him so hesitant to show affection made me want to hunt down and kill whoever had hurt him. Tears fell as I took every bit of comfort he offered. There were so many emotions and questions tangled up inside me.
What about Echo? What had passed between us wasn’t just nothing. I knew witches had multiple partners, but what did others do? I needed to figure that out soon.
“I think you’re the one who needs good luck,” I managed once I could talk again. “I have no idea what’s going on.”
“Even better then. We’re on even footing.”
We were totally going to fuck up, but as I leaned back to look at the fae I’d found myself bound to, I didn’t feel an ounce of regret.
Just as I was about to kiss Bricriu, a hum filled the silence. Shit, Demir’s note. Bones turned, looking toward my backpack, and I grabbed the enchanted paper from a pocket with a mumbled curse.
I scanned the notes a few times, and my jaw dropped in shock when the words really sunk in.
“What is it?”
“It’s my mom… She’s pissed.”