Chapter 3 #2
Mating was so much more than just transactional sex to nightmares. It was why it happened so rarely, because it was usually a commitment. Especially since it would result in a child. I blinked away that thought, not even wanting to go down that thought process right now.
“Hurry up, guys.” Arabella’s voice floated back and I sped up slightly, narrowing my gaze at the second set of doors up ahead.
The current corridor we were in was made of older stone walls that showed the age of this part of the institute and smelled very faintly of mold.
It was strong enough that I was surprised it didn’t bother Arabella, before the realization slammed into me that she’d obviously been down here before.
I shook my head at that, almost laughing. Pixie. Always getting herself into situations like this… I felt like putting herself in that type of danger warranted a punishment.
One that would include exploring her body with my tongue before fucking her senseless until she was begging to come. I might even let her at that point. Or I would wait until she admitted that she was literally a safety hazard to herself.
“Amun.” Arabella’s amused tone had me focusing on Amun, who had snapped ahead so that he stood in front of the door she was attempting to access, offering her a lighthearted smile that was not his usual M.O.
I watched curiously as he flattened his palm against the door, which seemed to cause his runes to light up, one after another, in a gold light that made it seem as if they were on fire.
Instantly, the material from the door gave out and turned into a tar-like liquid that wrapped around his forearm before hardening.
A surge of power filled the space, and the hardened substance began to crack with gold light before shattering, a boom sounding as it burst into thousands of obsidian glass shards that fell around them.
Razar grabbed Arabella and moved her out of the way despite none of the pieces touching where she’d originally been.
Amun looked annoyed, but he didn’t say anything.
I could understand that completely, especially if you weren’t used to Razar.
I could feel the dry amusement radiating off of everyone else from our team as Arabella smiled at the legend terror in surprise.
“That was really cool,” she chirped as she broke from Razar’s arms and then wrapped her arms around Amun, kissing his cheek. “Thank you.”
“We could have just used the key.” Eve’s voice was unimpressed.
Then again, did I really blame her? Not only was it clear that she was upset about something, but when you were a god terror and had been around for as long as both she and Saint had, I found it hard to believe you would have found anything impressive.
Or you were like Saint and found everything and anything amusing or fascinating, especially when it came to Arabella.
“I didn’t want Arabella to have to waste any more time,” Amun pointed out.
“Plus you didn’t have the patience,” Damian added.
Amun shrugged, not denying it. Nightmares were able to expedite most human processes, but the institute was set up the way it was for a reason, so usually we just took our time to go through it. It was clear that in this instance Arabella hadn’t minded in the least.
I appeared right behind my pixie as we walked through the now empty archway, my hand wrapping around her hip as I felt a weird chill of power move up my spine.
The creature inside of me began to move restlessly, making me consider pulling Arabella fully into my arms because it would moderately calm me.
I couldn’t though. I could tell she needed to do this, and if Arabella wanted something, she would absolutely get it.
The room we entered into was cavernous. It had to be more than ten stories high in height, the stone archway and ceilings all curving to lead towards a back wall that was covered in four sections of heavy iron bars.
Each was covered in an electric wall of magic that buzzed bright blue in response to something within the cages.
I looked towards each darkened side, where I could see four massive sentinels guarding the space.
I would have loved to say they were just statues, but the power radiating off them had me knowing that they were some type of terror, I just was unfamiliar with what kind. Obviously, it was something fairly threatening if they were able to guard and contain the nightmares down here.
“Good evening, everyone!” Arabella’s voice filled the space, and my cock hardened further at the sound of how relaxed she seemed. I had no idea what it was about this woman going directly into danger without a care in the world that turned me on, but did it ever.
I think part of it was the idea of saving her from it. A primal part of me truly believed that if we saved her, she became ours and we had a claim over her. It was obviously ridiculous, but it didn’t stop it from being true.
A second or two passed where nothing happened, but our girl looked completely unperturbed, staring up at the sentinels patiently. When the one in front of her began to shift and move, the sound of rocks grating against one another causing my jaw to clench, I tightened my grip on my pixie.
The statue opened its bright white eyes to her, staring down with an impassive expression. I could hear our team shifting defensively, and I wouldn’t deny the threatening sound that came from my chest at the idea of anyone looking at Arabella. Literally anyone.
Especially a powerful nightmare.
“Little human.” The deep voice echoed through the space and shook the walls. “You return once again.”
Arabella nodded happily before looking towards all of us, beaming with excitement. “I have, but this time I brought friends.”
We were her friends, that wasn’t a lie…but right now I hated the word because I wanted this nightmare to understand that we were far more than that.
“For what purpose?” the sentinel questioned.
“We need help from you guys, all four of you, and…” She looked towards the cages, “hopefully the four of them as well. It’s super important. You know I wouldn’t bother you if I didn’t think that was the case.”
The sentinel examined her before nodding slowly, a surge of power filling the space as an electric barrier came up behind us so that we couldn’t leave through the same entrance as before.
He had locked us in, but I wasn’t nearly as concerned as I should have been, and not only because we were powerful.
No, I wasn’t concerned because it was clear the sentinels knew and respected Arabella, unsurprisingly.
And more so, considering the individuals in the cages were essentially prisoners, it would be really fucking dumb to decide to hurt the one woman that could play a part in getting them out of here.
Unfortunately though, it seemed the creature inside of me disagreed, because when the barriers to the cages came down and unfamiliar magic filled the space… I shifted with Arabella in my arms.