54. Chapter Fifty-Four
Chapter Fifty-Four
Astrid
The sun sets over the horizon, and we rumble through the sky. Warmth seeps from Augustus’ back and I am too aware of how good he feels pressed against me. The vibrations of the magecycle has warmth pooling between my legs. I wish I could rub my thighs together. Augustus maneuvers us around a curve, the magecycle leaning into the turn, but all I’m aware of is the calloused hand against my thigh. My breath hitches every time I think it’s going to roam higher only for disappointment to flood my system when he backs down. The engine rumbles on through the air and pleasure is building in my core. His calloused palms against the inside of my thigh has me burying my face in Augustus’ neck breathing in the smell of sandalwood and smoke as pleasure crashes through me.
“And here I was worried you wouldn’t like the bike.” I can hear the smirk in his voice, and I wish I could shrink until I disappear in between atoms. Heat blooms across my cheeks, and shame threatens to creep up and ruin the moment.
“Do that again, and we’ll be camping tonight,” Augustus challenges, my cheeks growing warmer as my blush deepens and butterflies pick up in my chest around a glowing warmth that I’m not ready to acknowledge yet. A smirk on my own lips as I shift my hips forward meeting his challenge. The magecycle lowers from the sky as I ride it into another crashing orgasm. I barely see Effie as she hovers near us looking at Augustus questioningly.
“I need a night,” Augustus says simply and she nods, landing a few feet from us but still within sight and sets to work making her own tent site. I dismount first, and Augustus roots around in the bag on the side of his magecycle until he pulls out a small seed-like capsule. He plants it into the ground, before adding a drop of his blood to some water that he then pours over it. “You might want to step back,” he says, pulling me from the spout a second before a large mushroom sprouts from the ground with a large black door, and a smoking chimney.
“How did you do that?” I ask walking through the front door into the foyer of the open plan house. The inside of the house is pastels, the colors are magical as they bleed into each other.
“The plants in the forest, in Myrr, they just listen to me. I can grow anything if I bleed my intention into the seed. I try not to use my plant manipulation too much; they tend to not like it,” he muses, following me through the house. Each room is immaculate and I can’t help but be impressed.
“I can’t believe this is real,” I say and he’s pulling me to him, his hand brushes the hair on the side of my face as he leans in. His kiss is tender, soft like he’s savoring the way my lips feel against him, and I feel everything with him in that moment. He shoves me against one of the mushroom walls in the hallway we wandered into as his hands roam stroking up my torso to cup my breast and moves higher around my neck. I kiss him back not wanting him to stop relishing the feel of his skin against mine as I cling to him. My legs wrap around his waist and we’re moving through a door and onto a plush bed. He rips my pants from me before dropping and nipping and kissing up the inside of my thighs.
“Are you still sore?” he asks, his lips a whisper against my skin. I shake my head, biting my lip as he kisses closer to my center, and I just want him to touch me. “Good girl,” he growls as he throws one of my legs over his shoulder and continues to pepper kisses along the other, until he's throwing my other leg over his other arm and sucks my clit between his lips. A gasp escapes me as he runs his tongue over my pussy, the roughness of it contrasting with the gentle warmth.
“I want to feel your skin on mine,” I gasp, and he’s pulling away, his clothes dropping to the floor. Before he’s there at the foot of the bed staring over me, lust raging in his eyes as he drinks me in. His eyes hug my curves like he’s looking at his next meal.
“Augustus!” Effie’s voice sounds from somewhere in the night, and the mood shifts as fear snakes in. We scramble for our clothes. I hop on one foot getting my leggings on before I rush out the door.
The moment I step outside it’s like I stepped into something from a movie, the wind roars around me, lifting my hair as a swarm of black wasps create a cloud that blocks the sun.
“We need to get the fuck out of here.” I scan the area for Effie, but I can’t see further than a few feet in front of me, “Effie!” I scream into the night, Augustus’ warm hand envelopes mine and we’re running through the swarm. The wasps bump into me, but there’s no stinging or pain. I realize why when we find Effie, and the wasps have nearly overtaken her.
“Get them off!” Effie shrieks, a few flying into her mouth that she immediately gags and spits to get rid of them.
“Where’s your fire?” I ask, panicked not knowing what to do or how to help. Helplessness and desperation fills my chest and my eyes meet hers.
“They’re feeding on my magic, I can’t use it,” she says and Augustus runs behind me starting her purple glowing magecycle, and every wasp flocks to it.
“Hang on!” Augustus calls, picking us both up sprinting to his motorbike, taking off faster than the wasps can follow.
“They look like the wasps that swarmed Demendia,” I say once we land at the base of a mountain range. The black mountain looms high above my head, and shine purples and blues where the sun hits directly. There are at least five different peaks that shimmer in colors that can be revealed only by the sun. The top of the points are white with snow. A slight chill seems to fill the air but it’s not bad enough to warrant a jacket.
“They were feeding on my magic; I could feel them draining me.” Effie shivers from where she has situated herself on the very back of the magecycle. We did what we had to so that we could get out of there in one piece.
“First wasps in Demendia, and now here. What the fuck is going on?” I ask looking both Effie and Augustus in the eye, but they exchange a look of confusion before shrugging in unison.
“This isn’t something we’ve seen before, but I bet its connected,” Augustus says in way of explanation. I cannot wait to get home and be done with all of this. I cannot wait for life to go back to normal. I just have to find a cure for my people, for my father, for Reyna. I remind myself steeling my will and determination.
“We’ll be able to look for the answer here at least.” Augustus flourishes his arm toward the beautiful mountains. “Welcome to the Obsidian mountains.” Augustus restarts his magecycle with a roar, and we climb back on, Effie hanging to my waist tightly.
The magecycle takes off into the air, climbing the height of the mountain. The temperatures in the air steadily drops as we approach. I can make out a flat ledge through the snow that begins to fall around us, the delicate snowflakes getting caught in my hair, tangling in my eyelashes. After we land, I dismount the bike and peer over the edge. The sheer and abrupt drop off makes my vision blur. I hastily take a step away as fear clenches in my heart at the small thought of jumping. I watch the snow as it flurries around us and I can feel the warmth of Augustus’s stare. His eyes follow me as I stick my tongue out to taste the white flakes falling from the sky. I close my eyes, savoring the moment of experiencing something new when warm arms envelope me.
“Are you ready to go in?” Augustus’s warm breath tickles the back of my ear, and he turns me to face two slabs of rock that create what looks to be a triangular cave entrance. Ice and rock shifts and crunches under my boots. He releases me, but keeps my hand gripped between his fingers as we enter the darkness. Effie hums a tune as she follows behind us.
“You don’t mind the dark, do you?” I throw over my shoulder to Effie.
“What’s the point when I command the darkness?” is the flippant response she gives, and I can hear the shrug in her voice. I’ve never minded darkness, but this darkness is overwhelming. I can’t see anything in front of me. I don’t know how Augustus is leading the way so confidently.
We travel through the darkness for what seems like hours before dim lights start to pepper the walls, getting brighter until we reach a set of grand natural stone double doors. Two guards stand on either side. Their skin as black as night, they would blend in with the shadows around us were it not for the pinpricks of light and swirls of color that make them look like they are made of stars and galaxies.
“Queen Nera is expecting you,” the guard on the right says, a streak of purple on his skin swirls from his cheek to his temple as magenta sprouts over the tip of his nose. White freckles cover his midnight cheeks that trail down his neck. I can’t take my eyes away from him. The night elf guard is as beautiful as the night sky. The second guard has a blue streak in his skin that shoots from one cheek to the other. Spiraling across his white freckles that accumulated over the bridge of his nose before dissipating to the rest of his body.
“We are ready to greet her.” Augustus’s voice is commanding, but his eyes look me over, curious. The guards turn toward the stone door and chant in their ancient language, and it rises. Guided by a glowing blue mist, it reveals a grand hall one would expect to find in a castle. A deep purple velvet rug lines the finely finished wood floors, while paintings that depict their history line the walls. A chandelier of silver skulls flickers high above my head.
“Welcome to Scandes, home of the Night Fae,” a smooth sultry voice coos as I round a corner coming to a stop in front of a female fae. Effie steps in close to me as I take in the Queen of this city. Her skin is as black as the guards we met before, but it is littered with colors. Greens and blues swirl together, purples and pinks come together before flying apart. All illuminated by the white freckles that pepper every part of her. If the guard outside was a night sky, this female is a galaxy far away where stars are born and made. A crown of red gems twisted with black metal sits on her shoulder length white hair. Augustus bows while Effie offers a curtsy, and I drop to a curtsy a moment after her nearly falling over.
“Thank you for your warm welcome, your highness,” Effie says rising.
“There are conditions to your stay, conditions the human must fulfill.” The queen looks down at me, and I expected to see disgust, fear, or pity in the Queen’s eyes but instead there’s a spark of recognition and curiosity. A look that awakens my own questioning curiosity.
“Name them.” My voice wavers. Hopefully it won’t involve murder, or losing a limb.
“You must meet with our Crone. If she agrees to let you stay, then you may.”
“When will she be ready to meet?” I ask, meeting her gaze with my own. If this is the condition I have to meet in order to get answers I’m going to do it as quickly as I can. If she is ready to meet tonight then I will do it just to get it done and over with. Whatever this crone is looking for she’s not going to find it, not in me.
“You’ve had a long journey, and I’m sure you and your friends would like to get some rest. I figured the morning would be the best option. I can have food prepared within the hour if you find yourself peckish, but unfortunately you missed dinner.” Queen Neera lifts her chin looking down the bridge of her nose at me.
“If it’s all the same, I would rather meet with the Crone sooner. Tonight even, if that’s a possibility.” I hold my head high and meet her gaze. I will show her respect as a queen but she’s not my queen, and she better remember that.
“My Newtons will show you to your rooms, and I will fetch you when the Crone is ready,” Queen Neera says, lifting her deep purple robes and two glowing lizards scamper from under her skirts. They start down the hall, and the queen ushers us to follow. “They’re merely some of the underlings who reside here.” Queen Neera smiles in answer to the question written on my face.
I follow the Newtons, antsy to get things moving. I can’t help but bounce on my toes to try to mitigate the anticipation of finally getting answers. I’ll get the cure, and finally be able to go home and save Papa and Reyna. Oh Reyna, I hope she’s still alive. I don’t know what I’ll do if I arrive too late. If I go through all of this just to be too late. I don’t even know if I should give the cure to King Daemon. I don’t want to be thrown in the prisons again. I don’t even know if I want to be locked behind those walls for the rest of my life, but I have to find a way to get the cure to my people. Maybe I should just pass it through the district and hope it hasn’t spread to any of the others. All of that will have to come with time, I need to speak with a healer and get the cure first. To do that I have to meet and win over this crone person.
I trail behind everyone as we walk through the halls, and the way Augustus walks catches my eye. I can’t help but appreciate the way he moves with elegance and grace in a way that reminds me of a cat even with his stocky nature. He moves with such ease, and the golden tone to his long brown hair that looks so soft I wish I could run my fingers through it. My eyes follow him through the turns in the hall before it lets out into a cavernous room. Floor length windows overlook the sea that crashes into the mountain below. The fading sunlight throws a gold glow through the room, casting long slanted shadows across the darkly stained wood floor. Matching black chairs line a long glass table with a couple of fae females sipping tea from dainty black porcelain cups painted with patterns of red. A thin wispy woman with olive skin, and deep brown hair adorned with a crown of blue gems is seated across from another night elf. Her skin glowing with more blues and purples as they streak across her face, her white freckles glowing slightly and seem to move across her skin. Her snow-white hair is woven from her hairline down her back in an intricate braid. A tiara of black metal and red gems graces her head. It looks to be the companion to Queen Neera’s.
“That’s the princess; Illuma is her name,” Effie says, stopping to let me catch up to her. “On the right is Renna, the queen’s charge and the Princess of Illaria.” She nods her head toward the girl wearing the tiara of blue gems. My stomach rumbles at the smell of snacks being made, even if it’s not a meal, maybe it would be a good idea to grab a snack.
“Can we grab a snack?” I ask quietly and Effie nods, whistling to get Augustus’s attention before we make our way to the table. I take a squished seat beside Effie, and Augustus takes a seat across from us before I look up to greet the princesses. They’re already looking down their noses at me before I can say a word. Soft clinks fill the air as they gather their teacups and biscuits.
“I think we should finish this in the garden,” Illuma says and Renna grunts her assent before they are up and disappearing down one of the many tunnels.
“Does everyone in Scandes live here?” I ask, wondering if I’ll ever be able to find my way in the catacombs that seem to surround every room here.
“This is just the palace, the only place in Scandes sequestered off from the rest of the city. Though Neera loves her people and has talked in the past about breaking down the walls that separate her from them.” Augustus answers this time placing a hand over mine in a moment of affection, a soft smile playing on his lips. Out of the corner of my eye, I see something peel from the wall. I start standing from my chair and backing away from the table before the clay creature comes into view.
“What is that!” I nearly shriek. I jump into my chair and stand on the seat as I let a few more shrieks go.
“They’re the servers, the only work these underlings can get on the continent is here, anywhere else they would dry out and die,” Effie says as she tries to fight off a laugh, Augustus is hiding his mouth behind his hand as his shoulders shake with amusement.
“But what are they?” I ask again, not ready to get down from where I stand.
“Clayrics made by magic, Queen Neera’s to be exact, once she infuses her magic with the mud here they become her underling minions. Taking on as much of a life of their own as the trees in Myrr.” Augustus says, accepting a plate from one of them. “You look ridiculous by the way, like a human who’s seen a mouse.” My ears burn as I get down from where I stand and reclaim my seat. The Clayrics make their way to each of us, placing small oval plates in front of us with a pair of tongs.
“Have you ever had a mountain hog before?” Effie asks conversationally as she places her napkin in her lap and picks up the tong looking utensil.
“I’ve had bacon, does that count?” I ask as the savory smell drifts through the room and into my nostrils. My stomach gurgles in response and in moments we each have a bowl filling the plate in front of us.
“It’s the closest humans in Demendia can get, I suppose.” Effie uses the forked end of the tongs to twirl noodles, picking them up and shoveling them in her mouth. How the hell do I do that? I try to mimic her movements. I pick up the tongs the same way she does, spearing then twirling the noodles only for them to fall off halfway to my mouth.
“Where are the forks?” I whisper after a few failed attempts.
“They don’t use those here,” Effie whispers, setting her set of tongs down to rearrange my fingers in a way that gives me a little more stability and control. The noodles don’t fall off as easily now. The chunks of meat taste like bacon, but somehow better. The meat melts in my mouth, the texture reminding me of the best steak I’ve ever had. By the time we finish I feel like a professional with the new utensil and I have a new favorite food.
“Your quarters are ready when you are,” a clayric says once the table has been cleared. “The Newtons will show you the way.”