Prophecy Read online

“Maybe.” I shrug before stopping him again, my whole body tight and alert. I move my head from side to side, I can’t hear anything unusual, or see anything, but there is a slight scent of scorched rosemary on the air.

  “What?” Kit sounds annoyed at being held up again. “If you don’t want to go to the tower, just say so, instead of being all weird the whole time.”

  I shake my head intently, frowning, and with a sigh, he quietens.

  Then, I notice someone sneaking around the corner of the hall in front of us, the scent getting stronger, until a faint light illuminates the person enough to recognise her. Litha! What is she doing here?

  “Hey, that’s...” Kit also sees her. He moves before I can stop him, sauntering over to Litha, and I catch a glimpse of the smug grin he’s put on. Oh, no.

  I quickly follow him, Litha’s scorched rosemary scent stronger as I get closer. She smells so good, I want to rub my face against her neck, inhale her scent even more. The wolf inside me is rumbling appreciatively at the idea.

  “Hello, beautiful lady.” Kit’s voice is smooth, and Litha jumps, before twisting to him, one hand balled at her side. Jumpy, and a fighter, good. “Whoa, whoa!” Kit laughs, holding up his hands as he turns his charm to a hundred. “I just wanted to see what a beautiful lady like you is doing all on her own, sneaking around the academy grounds in the darkness.”

  Litha looks to the side and catches sight of me, her eyes growing a little, but her breathing calms down and she straightens her back. “Do you princes have a habit of spying on people or something? Spying on poor new girls?” She rolls her eyes and shakes her head, the light from the moon catching a glimpse of fire in her hair. “The dragon prince this afternoon and now you two. What? The fae prince is going to watch me sleep like some creepy teenage romance? Can’t a girl have some time to herself? Get to know a new place without being creeped on?”

  Does she have any idea who we are? She keeps calling us princes, but she seems to be severely unimpressed by the implications of that word, even less impressed than my own family. “We were just on our way to the library. What were you doing?”

  She shrugs, her defences coming down a little, her shoulders relaxing. “Library, too. And getting something to eat, somewhere quiet, on my own.” She glares at me and then at Kit, who flashes her his best smile, and she flushes at that, her pupils widening. She’s definitely not unaffected by his incubus charms.

  “We could join you for dinner, right?” Kit glances at me, a twinkle in his eyes. He’s got a plan, which could be really bad... “We can’t have the future queen of the four kingdoms eat all on her own. That will not do.” He speaks the last words with a tone like he’s quoting some old school TV nanny or something.

  Litha’s eyes grow and she looks to the ground, her skin flushing darker. “That’s... You don’t have to. Really.” Her breathing is shallowing, she’s getting nervous and she slightly shakes her head. “I would rather forget about all that... stuff.”

  “We can forget about all that, over dinner.” I step closer to her, reaching out for a moment, wanting to touch her so badly, but she looks too fragile for that. She looks like she would break apart at a single touch, not physically, but mentally, emotionally, she looks exhausted. I want to say more, ask her things, but I have no idea what. It feels like I’ve always known her, like looking at her I’m looking at someone I’ve known for most of my life, the same way I’ve known the guys, but I don’t know anything about her. It’s weird, like I can sense that she’s right for me. That she’s mine.

  Litha plays with the hem of her shirt, taking a deep breath, letting it out with a little shudder. “It’s just... a little too much. I never knew about any of this.” She looks around. “About witches and dragons and werewolves and anything. I just found out this morning. It’s just been... I’d rather not think about it for a while. Feel normal for at least a moment.”

  “We can do that.” I look at Kit, who nods back gently. “Let’s just pretend that prophecies and kingdoms don’t exist for the evening and have a quiet meal somewhere. I know just the spot.” When we were exploring the campus before the summer, when we found the tower with the room with the prophecies, we’d also found a beautiful balcony a floor below it. Perfectly quiet and out of sight of anyone but those in the tower. “I just hope you’re not afraid of heights.”

  She pulls up a shoulder, smiling a little. “Depends on how high.”

  She’s so... normal. She’s a strange mix between humble and brash, like she has no idea how to act around royalty or how the social systems work here, but at the same time, she doesn’t seem to assume anything. It’s refreshing.

  After we raided the small shop next to the library, we went up a set of hidden stairs at the back of the library. Luckily, the shop was quiet, we only had a couple of stares, but it still made Litha break out in blushes every time. She’s obviously not used to the attention. Although, she better get used to it soon, because when people find out who she is... she’s going to be even more famous than we are.

  Kit opens the door at the top of the stairs, leading to a small balcony overlooking the whole campus. The stone railing around the balcony has a wide ridge, like a bench, the whole way around and at the far end is a stone table with six stone chairs around it. They’re all made from the same stone that this whole building is made out of, so I guess this was all put in place at the same time.

  Litha immediately goes over to the edge looking out over the courtyard in front of the library, where we just came from, her eyes wide with awe. “This is... stunning. So beautiful.”

  I grin at Kit as we put the food and drinks on the table. At least she seems more relaxed now. “Yeah, it’s one of the best views of the old sections of the campus.” I sit down on one of the chairs, the stone still warm from today’s sun, and dig through one of the bags. “What would Your Majesty like for dinner?”

  Litha jerks her head my way, glaring. “I thought you agreed not to do that.” Then she comes over, sighing, sitting down on the other side of the table. “Can I have a sandwich with eggs?”

  We mostly picked up food which humans would recognise and not be freaked out by. Simple sandwiches and things like that, give her some feeling of normalcy in this place. Though, I did get a sandwich with raw beef on it, because there is only so much ‘normalcy’ I can take in my meals, especially this soon after the full moon. I hand her a box with sandwiches as Kit flops down in the chair next to her, leaning his head her way, his feet on the table in the other direction, all stretched out, relaxing while showing off his body at the same time. Damn incubus.

  “Sooo... What do you think of this place?” His voice drawls as he opens a bottle of water and takes a couple of big gulps, his throat working fast.

  Litha glances at him, her eyes drawn to his lips, his throat and then down. Her face darkens again with an even deeper blush as she catches sight of his cock straining in his tight jeans. Because, of course, showoff. “Ehhh... The campus is pretty.” She takes a quick bite and looks away from him, swallowing hard, but I’m sure it’s not from the bite she’s still chewing on...

  I kick at Kit’s feet, making him almost fall over, but at least he takes his feet off the table. “The academy and the other schools have been around for centuries, so there are a lot of old buildings around. Some of them very pretty.” I nod, watching her relax a little. “Can I ask you something personal?”

  She meets my eyes for a moment, the beautiful burned umber stirring my cock, just like Kit’s, and then she nods.

  “Did you really only find out about this world this morning?” I know that there is a whole group of people dedicated to protecting her, but has she really grown up so unknowing of her fate? It’s hard to believe that her parents or guardian never told her anything. That would have been... She’s so unprepared.

  She nods again, her eyes closing for a few moments. “I grew up... human?” She winces. “I had no idea. They were overprotective, but... many parents of my classmates were to
o.”

  Which means that she has no idea about the importance of the prophecy, how much it has influenced all politics in the last two decades or the way it has influenced all our lives. She has no idea how powerful she is, or her bloodline. How they’ve been one of the strongest witch families for centuries, only to disappear within hours after her birth, and the chaos that brought.

  Something hardens in my chest and I meet Kit’s eyes again, he’s looking serious too.

  She has no clue. None. She’s innocent and I want to protect her, no, I need to protect her. I need to make sure that she’s not harmed or hurt until she can learn things in her own time.

  I have to protect her!

  9

  She’s so beautiful. Just sitting in the moonlight, I can’t keep my eyes off her, she’s almost ethereal in her beauty.

  But I also know what’s going through Bane’s head, the frustration, the anger, the need to protect her. If she has no idea what she’s gotten herself into, we need to protect her as well as we can. We have to.

  I want to undress her, touch her bare skin, explore every last part of her, but I also have this deep need to protect her and keep her safe. They’re not conflicting feelings, they’re extensions of each other, but it feels strange to have these feelings for someone I’ve just met. Even when she’s supposed to be the fated mate of one of us.

  When she went all red as she looked at me, that felt good. Actually, every time she looks at me feels good, stirring my need inside me. This is... I let out a slow breath as I grab something to eat from the bag in the middle of the table.

  She has no idea who we are and we have no idea who she is, apart from the fact that we’re all part of the same prophecy. Which is, of course, one hell of a thing to have in common, but it doesn’t mean that we’ll get along or that we’ll be a good match outside of the prophecy thing. Just because we’re connected like that doesn’t mean anything for who we are to each other.

  We’re sitting around quietly for a while, eating, drinking, each with our own thoughts.

  Below us, I hear people walk on the paths around the library, but we’re hidden away up here. Nobody knows we’re here. This is a perfect place to hide out, I have to admit.

  Litha stands up, going over to the railing and sits down on the ledge, leaning her arms and head on the stone railing, looking out over the square between the main buildings. She lets out a deep sigh. “How many people believe in the prophecy?”

  “Everyone.” Bane looks at her and I nearly growl at the look in his eyes, his want, his need. Though it also makes me totally hot, the guy is sex on legs...

  “How many people know who I am? That I’m going to be the queen?”

  “Everyone.” This time his voice is softer and Litha closes her eyes, giving a small nod, a jab of pain goes through my chest at her look.

  I stand up, strolling over to her and I sit down behind her, sliding in close, my thighs against hers, my arms protectively around hers. She’s warm against me, her breath soft on my arm, and I feel a fraction of tension leaving her as she lets me hold her. But as I touch her, using my incubus ability to feel her emotions, there is still a lot of fear and turmoil inside her. While Rune can feel emotions over a distance, I have to touch someone to feel them. “We’ll protect you,” I whisper, my chin on her shoulder. “Nobody will harm you.”

  The flood of new emotions coming from her surprises me, the pain, the anxiety, the way she’s lost, and I tighten my arms around her automatically. This shared-emotion thing is fun during sex, but I’ve never experienced it like this, this strong, it’s... heady.

  Bane sits down in front of us, taking her hand softly as he also looks out over the campus. “We’ll protect you as much as we can. I promise.” He meets my eyes for a moment and I wonder if our friendship might survive this after all, at least for the coming years. We’re too young to get married, to have to think about who will be the one to rule the kingdoms, but we can protect Litha. We can all band together to protect her, just like we’ve always protected each other.

  It seems that our words ease something inside her and her breathing slows down, relaxing a little. This new set of emotions almost makes me nod off, it’s so warm and comfortable, until she speaks up. “Can I ask you something? I feel silly for even asking...”

  “Hmm?” I don’t know if I have words now, just losing myself in this sensation, this feeling of curling up in front of a wood fire and wanting to fall asleep.

  “How do I sign up for classes? And which classes should I take?” There is a slight tension in her voice, but it doesn’t break through the comfortable warmth. Bane bursts out laughing and I can’t help my own smile. “It’s not a joke. I don’t know anything about this place. I don’t even know if I can even take classes... If they’re not too difficult... What even are witchy classes? I’m so totally behind...”

  “You can sign up for classes online, your code will be in the acceptance letter.” Bane’s voice is still filled with laughter, but it’s also soft and kind, and that’s our Bane, always helpful, always helping others. “And on which classes you can take? I don’t know, but there will be something for you, I promise. Just look through them and choose the ones that sound interesting. If you need help, I’m sure one of us can help you out.”

  Litha nods in my arms, falling quiet again. The need to let my hands wander like I’m used to, to places that most non-incubi or succubi would find inappropriate, grows, but I don’t want to scare her, and having her in my arms is already an amazing feeling, even when I’m hard like a rock and I’m sure she can feel it against her back.

  We were coming to the tower today to read the prophecy, to find out more, and even though it’s so close, I have no urge to move away from here. The prophecy can wait another day, it’s been waiting for almost two decades, one more day won’t hurt. This is so much better than hunting through dusty shelves and books.

  This, right here.

  “I’ll be fine.” Litha laughs softly as she opens the back door to her building. “Really.”

  “Okay.” I let my arm slide from around her waist. “Maybe I can catch a glimpse of your room next time.” I wink. She colours a deep pink, something that she seems to do often when things get a little sexual, like she has no idea what to do in sexual situations. Does she have no experience? Uh-oh...

  “Maybe.” She nods, her eyes anywhere but on me, then she turns to Bane. “Thanks for everything.”

  “No problem.” He flashes her a grin. “If you need help, just find me online. I’m not hard to find, none of us are.”

  “Right.” She nods. “Night.” She slips inside the building and closes the door behind her.

  I keep Bane’s gaze for a while before we both grin. “She’s something else.” I lick my lips, wanting to taste her so badly.

  Bane nods, his eyes dark with lust. “She is. Fuck.” He lets out a groan. “The way she looked in your arms, so pure and sweet. That should be illegal.” He pushes at my shoulder, grinning.

  “You were looking at her, but I was holding her... So who was better off?” I grin back. “Fucking hell. She’s... Yeah...” We quietly make our way back to our building. It’s getting pretty late, so there are barely any people around. “Not how I expected today to go.”

  “Me neither.” Bane sighs, looking serious. “How are we going to do this? For fucks sake, she has no idea and we know all too well.”

  I nod. “She may be glaring at us for acting like ‘teenage romance’ characters, but I think that her impression isn’t too far off. We need to protect her and the best way to do that is by making sure that she’s never on her own. That one of us is always around.”

  Bane looks at me strangely, but then shakes his head, grinning widely. “When you actually use that brain up above, you can come up with pretty good ideas, you know.”

  I snort, pushing him. “Hey, I’ve got the top spot in our class academically. Who are you calling stupid, Number Five?”

  “I’m calling t
he one who tends to just think with his dick when he sees someone he likes instead of his brain stupid, as he is.” Bane sticks out his tongue and starts running towards our building, getting away from my grasp.

  I sprint after him, laughing softly. He’s much faster than I am, but that won’t stop me from running after him, enjoying the strain in my muscles, letting the pent up energy go.

  Summer may have been hell, the constant badgering about me finding my ‘true mate’ and their plans of what would happen if I’d be the one to marry Litha, how that would help our country and show that we’re the supreme race... And this morning didn’t exactly start off well either. But I think things may have turned around. None of the problems have been solved, none at all, but at least I feel better about our future, if only in the short term. We have to protect Litha, we have to help her. She didn’t ask for this, she didn’t grow up in all this, we did. So we have to help her, because we’re the only ones who can.

  And fuck, I need to get rid of this sexual energy still rushing through me...

  I hope that Rune’s offer from this morning still stands... I may have been able to keep my hands off Litha while holding her, but my sexual energy kept rising and I need to find a way to let it out. Preferably one that doesn’t end with me alone in the shower with my own had around my cock.

  As I reach the building and look up, I find Rune looking down at me from one of the windows in my room, not wearing a shirt, and as I come closer to the house, he slowly slides his hand into his slightly opened jeans, his eyes still on mine over the distance, the heat scorching me.

  Oh, fuck him! I’m not taking the stairs, not when he’s so inviting.

  I pull all my energy inside me together and push off the ground, my wings unfolding with a whoosh behind me and I’m in the air, soaring up to my room.

  With a toothy grin, Rune opens the windows and as soon as I’m close enough, he pulls me inside, crashing me against him as we fall back on my bed.