Rosemary Johns - Rebel Academy - Curse

Look at that: he was scared of my slinky self.

Brilliant.

"This is a phoenix hunt." I darted my tongue along my dry lips. "If you want your freedom, then you catch it first."

Beneath my legs, Rayn trembled.

My hands clenched. This was for Fox, Magenta, and Ezekiel. I'd lost Hector. No matter how long I'd sat staring at the board of the Membership, wishing that Hector's name would appear on it again or longingly gazed at his portrait in the gallery, I knew that he was...

Dead .

I couldn't lose anyone else, and I refused to take any more ghosts with me to the Succubi Court.

The heartbeat bass of "Take My Breath Away" boomed out louder, signaling the start of the tournament. My own heartbeat raced in time with the song.

The Princes had earned the right to kick-off the game.

I sucked in a deep breath. Yet every one of mine, meant one less for Fox.

My eyes narrowed, and the phoenix burst to life in front of the Princes.

The bird was huge, flaming red and yellow. Its wings sparkled, and its tail fanned behind it. When the phoenix screeched, I shuddered at its piercing cry. Before I could recover, the Princes were on it like hawks.

I gaped at the Princes’ speed and elegance, as the phoenix swooped away from them and they pursued. Lysander chased the bird with an aggressive determination that was hot. Willoughby barely moved, but followed after him with an eloquence and grace that made my dick tight in my pants.

So, that was why they were Champions.

Perhaps, I should've been wetting my pants.

Willoughby and Lysander herded the Phoenix above our heads, towards the far goal that was attached to the Groundskeeper's Cottage. Sleipnir whirled around to block them, but they dodged him. I urged Rayn in pursuit.

Don't be too late...

Lysander glanced over his shoulder at me with a smirk. Then his dragon blasted the phoenix. Its tail flared on fire, and it screeched as it burned to ash. My eyes widened, as it scattered like gray snow, blowing through the goals.

In neon pink lettering, the score sparkled across the night-time sky:

1— 0

Willoughby and Lysander closed ranks, clasping hands. For a moment, jealousy spiked through me at their closeness.

Was it for Willoughby or Lysander? Or both...?

Adrenaline made me shake. For once, even my shiny hair wouldn’t help me.

How could we beat the Princes, who'd been trained at this since they were kids? It was as easy for Lysander as any of their other haughty princely duties (like walking as if he had a stick up his arse).

I glanced at Magenta, and she wore the same worried frown as me. Then her magic caressed over me, and I knew .

This was a duty to the Princes.

Willoughby was going through the motions; he didn't even want to play on the Princes' side. But for us Immortals, it was our heart and Soul. It was everything for all four of us, including Rayn, and our magic could sense it.

We needed to harness that.

I patted Rayn's side. "These are your skies, if you want them. But you have to take them. You're flying now as a true shifter; I'm riding with your permission. But your brothers are enslaved and saddled. Don't you desire to show everyone what a free dragon can do?"

Rayn roared, beating his wings. His magic reached out to Sleipnir, who raised his head.

Sleipnir nodded his understanding.

Magenta's magic sparkled across Rayn. I gasped at the combined sensation of such powerful magics combining.

This time, when the phoenix burst to life over the ruins, Rayn and Sleipnir flew towards it in total harmony, before the Princes had even spotted it. I laughed, unable to do more than cling on for the ride.

Had I thought that Rayn had been fast before…?

I'd never seen a dragon fly like this, and when I glanced back at the Princes, I knew that they wouldn’t catch us. It was like a wild eagle versus a tamed one. Sleipnir swooped at his side with a fluid deadliness.

Rayn chased the phoenix towards the goal. When it dodged to the side, Sleipnir caught it with his wing and hurled it, still screeching, in a flaming ball through the castles' goal.

And that was how a rebel played…

The neon score lit up the sky:

1 —1

We could do this.

Lysander's creative cussing was loud enough to be heard across the music. I was glad that Willoughby had thrown away his whip.

Rayn circled, and my heart thudded hard in my chest, as I scanned for the phoenix.

Come on little birdie, where are you...?

All of a sudden, the phoenix flared to life just in front of Rayn. I didn't even hesitate .

Rule 73 of the Incubi Night Code: Never miss an opportunity to snatch a quick orgasm.

I was pretty certain that it also applied to snatching phoenixes.

Rayn charged at the phoenix. I focused on nothing in the dark but that flaring light. The goal was just ahead.

A little more...only a little...almost there...

Rayn lurched to the side, and I screamed.

Don't let me fall.

My stomach dropped. I was going to hurl.

Rayn's magic wound around me, yanking me onto his back. My shoulders ached, and I blinked, dizzily.

What'd happened? My hair must be a mess, and limp too after that scare. Hurt an incubus, but never make his hair limp.

I'd been so close to scoring for my foxy. Where was the phoenix? Where...?

I glanced up with dazed eyes, into Willoughby's concerned ones.

The Princes had rammed me with their dragons.

Was that in the rules? I didn't care. I was cursing them both to hear a creepy whisper from under their bed every time that they fell asleep.

Limp hair was a serious crime. Oh, and also the ramming part.

"My apologies." Willoughby’s gaze was anguished. "Are you hurt?"

"I'm pissed.” I gritted my teeth, as I was forced to watch Lysander score at the other end of the pitch, pursed by Sleipnir.

2 — 1appeared in the sky.

"The next point is mine." My eyes became flinty.

"I’d be sincerely disappointed otherwise." Willoughby wheeled away towards Lysander.

I knew that I loved more than simply the elf's pretty hair.

My guts churned, and my chest tightened. If the Princes won the next point, then they'd won the entire tournament.

No way would I allow it to happen.

I might only be a freak of a broken incubi but I was also a Rebel. And my friends and lovers in this academy had shown me that meant something.

I studied the sky and then across the wood, lake, and the castle.

Nothing.

I tapped the rhythm of my own heartbeat on Rayn's hide.

Nothing.

Magenta met my gaze, offering me a reassuring smile.

Nothing.

In a burst of light, the phoenix resurrected itself in the middle of the pitch, directly between the Princes and me.

"Hunt the phoenix!" I howled.

Rayn dived for the phoenix like he was part of the storm. At the same time, Lysander flew towards it with deadly intent. I'd have admired his talent and how regal he looked if he hadn't just tried to unseat me with dirty tactics. Now, I was imagining him over Willoughby's lap for a non-fun spanking (and that was fantasy role-play Number 17 in my role play list).

I swallowed: this was going to be close.

Too close.

With a whoosh of wings, Lysander and I arrived at the Phoenix together.

I clenched my jaw.

Come on, fae, let’s play the phoenix version of Chicken...and you should never play that with an incubus because they never blink first...