Rosemary Johns - Rebel Academy - Curse

"I guess Ty isn't the only one who's lonely. I want to, right?"

Ambrose snatched his hand away from mine and then looked like he regretted it. He wrapped his wings around himself.

"You shouldn't," he whispered. "Ty's the innocent. I’ve only fought so hard to survive for his sake. I'm bad, deposed, and disowned." He smacked his hand against his thigh with a crisp smack , and I winced. "The other families out there are bastards, but everyone at my Court turned their backs on me. I haven't seen my ma and da since..."

When he pushed himself up, wiping the snow off his uniform briskly, I sought out his gaze, but his head was ducked.

"Why?" I asked.

Ambrose froze, and he glanced at Ty's window. His expression softened. Did Loki look like that when he thought of me? Loki had always said that becoming a dad had been the making of him. Was it the same for Ambrose even if he didn't know it?

"If you use this against me...spread this to the other students..." Ambrose pinned me with his dark gaze.

I stood, straightening my shoulders. "Hey, I'm not a jerk Prince."

Ambrose's lips quirked. "You swagger around just like one...the same as I once did. But then, I fell in love with a non-magical, Emily." When he paled and the smile fell from his lips, I missed it as much as I hated the haunted look in his eyes. "It's forbidden to love humans, but I was arrogant, young, and blinded by love. I married her in secret, but when she became pregnant, honor as royal heir dictated that I present her to my ma and da in order to make my heir legitimate."

" Ty ," I breathed.

That was why he didn’t have wings: he was half-human .

"I was a daft brat." Ambrose’s hands balled into fists. "Right, like honor or my throne mattered when the woman who I loved with my own son growing inside her was safe… ?"

When had I stopped breathing? Odin's cock, please don't let him say it...

"They took Emily from me. Locked us both up separately." His eyes were glassy like he was lost in the past, separated from his pregnant wife. "My parents didn't even visit me because I was disowned. Every day, I begged for news of Emily's pregnancy but the first I knew of the birth was when a guard placed a wailing baby in my arms. My Ty ."

My guts churned. "And Emily?"

For a long moment, I didn't think that Ambrose would reply.

Then his eyes became bleak in a way that I never wanted to see again. "The bad bastards executed her. I didn't even get to see her before..." He held out his hand to me warily like he expected me to slap it away. Perhaps, I would've done before. Now, I gripped it because he'd been brave enough to share this with me. "They sent Ty and me here. This prison is all Ty knows, and the only real friend he has is Emerick, the Principal's adopted son. Ty didn't know his ma, and I've failed him as a da but I've kept him safe, even if it's meant..."

"Training the dragons...?" My eyes widened.

Ambrose nodded. "What would you do for your son?"

"Everything."

Ambrose gave an approving smile. "So, how can I make sure your daft behind wins this tournament?" When I gaped at him, he rolled his eyes. "I know the stakes. Professors gossip too, and Ezekiel's just like me. He's always been kind." By the way that he flushed, I thought that it was kind with his dick . "But the Princes are champions. They've been taught how to ride since they were young. Lysander's an Unseelie arse, but he's outstanding at Dragon Polo, and he's been playing for a decade."

"Let Bask ride Rayn," I urged.

Ambrose cocked his head. "Lysander will make a fuss since that's his dragon."

I smirked. " Ouch , you're breaking my heart."

Ambrose shared a smile with me, which made my pulse beat faster. "Deal. Now good luck and be off with you, boy. It’s time for me to free the dragons, greet our patron, and for the Dragon Polo Tournament to begin.”

Tonight, the chaos moment gleamed bright. If us Immortals won, my lovers were saved, but if we lost, none of us would be freed.

I’d been desperate for everything to move faster , but now the tournament was here, I wished that time hadn’t run out.

I hugged Magenta, and Bask clung around my neck, as we waited outside the gates of the castle for the Dragon Polo Tournament to begin.

Snow wept in fat tears from the night-time sky. I shifted, and my feet slipped on the slushy ground. When Magenta shivered, I rubbed my hands up and down her back to warm her.

Valhalla! This was it. Why did it feel like Ragnarok had befallen us?

I gritted my teeth, as my pulse thrashed in my ears. Was I the cause of our personal end of days?

After all, I'd started this chaos moment .

Was this why Loki had been frightened of me making friends because I’d destroy whatever I touched?

On the runes, not this time .

Monsters could love, as well as destroy, and I'd prove it. Magenta had taught me that lesson. She'd saved me, as surely as she was fighting to save our mage.

What would Loki think about the fact that I was in love with a witch?

Honestly, as soon as he got to know her, he'd adore her. Just like I did.

I blinked soft snowflakes out of my eyes, as I peered up at the gates. An aquamarine blur flew above the RAemblem. So much for Mist being curled safely in the East Wing.

The mischievous dick. But then, he was me .

Mist ducked behind a crack in the stone like he'd got away with his trick. When I arched my brow at him, he dodged out with a swagger. His sparkling mane and tail fluttered. It was kind of comforting that he was here.

Mist raised his head and snorted flames at the dragons, which were opposite us in a circle around Ambrose. My breath caught at seeing them together like this with their wings freed. Odin's breath, they were majestic. They pressed together, winding their necks to rub against each other with vibrating joy. How could anyone see them as nothing more than beasts ?

What would it feel like to be separated from my brothers?

Rayn stretched out his wings, and his yellow magic wove to caress over Mist in response. Ambrose glanced up in concern, as he ran his hand over the leather saddles, which were strapped onto Rayn's brothers’ backs. I shuddered, wishing that I could rip the saddles off the dragons...or perhaps, put the saddle on Lysander, instead.

Except, Lysander would probably accuse me of leading him into kinky sex games.

I smirked. He'd know when I started doing that because I planned to wreck the virgin in all the fun ways.

When Bask's breath became ragged, and he pressed his face against my shoulder, I forced myself to reluctantly look out at the tournament's stadium, which had been magically created in front of the academy. Were we gladiators now? Hey, if they thought that I'd entertain them...well, they were right because I'd do anything to save my lovers.

But I could still scowl at the family and guardians who'd signed Blood Contracts to sentence their so-called loved ones to the academy. On the Norns, at least I was a hostage. Weirdly, I felt like the lucky one, especially when Bask was struggling not to tremble in my arms. He didn't want to show how much the bitch with red hair freaked him out.

The succubus Duchess, his ex-bond.

The Duchess' expression was like someone who'd never had to share their toys as a kid; she didn't have to share her playthings even now. There was no way in Hel that I'd let Bask become part of her toy collection again.