CHAPTER 30

Silas

Nika pushed me back, and I exited the tunnel with a smarmy grin on my face. Mostly because I couldn't help being tickled by the hand she planted on my chest to get me moving.

She needn't bother, but hell if I told my little rebel anything that meant I didn't get to touch her anymore. Looming apocalypse or no, if given the chance to touch, kiss, or explore Nika's body, I'd fucking well take it. Nothing—not an evil villain with my brother's face or an old minger who needed to answer for her crimes—would ever get in the way of this sorry, undeserving sod worshipping his perfect goddess.

Nothing.

Nika's eyes danced across the room, something akin to grief reaching the blue beam of her ethereal irises. Then her pink magic danced around her body. She removed a blade from her hip. It was the one I'd given her. I noticed it was the first weapon she grabbed every time she readied herself for a fight. Whether or not that had anything to do with me, I was chuffed to see how quickly she'd grown fond of it.

I followed, curious how she'd go about the lit corridors all the way to the locked room we needed to enter before finding the secret passageway. I still had the invisibility stone, but I wanted to see how my bird approached creeping across corridors without one.

Turning, the little rebel moved like the wind, passing through the corridor in a blink. I nearly didn't catch her movements or how swiftly she broke into the door before she disappeared.

I hadn't seen anyone move that fast in some time. It wasn't the normal fast movement of a Fae. Not anything like my spiriting from one spot to the next. Didn't match what Vapor or any of the Brothers did to get around. It had an air of phantom to it. Maybe a Soul Collector thing? Whatever the case, I was nearly left behind because I'd forgotten I was meant to follow.

We made it to the secret room without any trouble. Nika did a quick sweep, taking the lead in a way I wasn't used to. I'd worked alone for so long it was new to have a companion more adept and in tune with me than anyone I'd ever worked with. Not only were we a match in the bedroom but on the battlefield, too. Somehow, Nika always knew how best to complement my moves. I didn't need to ask. She always intuitively picked up on it. A feat very few mastered, mind you.

Again, I was stricken by how lethal and powerful this woman was. Even without being a Soul Collector, my little rebel was formidable. It was a wonder how these tossers overpowered her in the first place.

"How did you...you know...?"

Nika's lips were lifted as I brought down the outer barriers keeping the secret room protected. "Move like that? You're not the only one with tricks, mercenary."

The confidence beaming in her sideways glance was another throb to the cock, and I'd never had so much trouble staying on task during a mission. This woman was a bloody nuisance. But I'd be lying if I said I wasn't eating up every second of it.

Nika moved ahead of me once the barrier came down, and we crept into the back room where blue flames danced at every corner in curved plates. In the middle of a foggy, misty glow was the box the lad drew on his notepad. I honed in on it and all the surrounding area, sensing the magical traps laid out around it like a minefield.

The smell of blood magic permeated the space, weighing down the room the second we set foot into it. Magic this heavy was devastating to the senses, and it took me a second to figure out where it was coming from. Was it the box or the wards placed around it?

"It's the box," my goddess whispered, somehow answering my question before it'd been voiced.

Reading thoughts now, is she? Or just a perceptive little thing like always, I wonder?

The Dark Fae, who'd worn tight clothes that masked her body in darkness, moved carefully, watching for traps or magical forcefields. I disarmed the ones we came in contact with one by one, the shadow at her back, whispering directions whenever she veered too close to one she hadn't sensed. But very quickly, I noticed the traps weren't the only thing keeping the box protected. I hadn't sensed it because whoever put it into place was clever enough to dull its impression. But it became impossible to think.

Fog grew across my mind. I slowed, and then stopped altogether. I lost my purpose and train of thought. Why was I here? What was I doing? An urge to go back the way we'd come, to get out of this place, started to nag at the back of my head. I tried to turn around, but someone caught my arm before calling out. The voice of a goddess was distant, but it broke through the fog. Slowly, I started to remember what I'd been doing.

Hands were on my face, and the iridescent beam of blue drew me back to where I was. "Silas, focus on me," the little nymph ordered, refusing to let me go when I tried to pull away.

My head was spinning and everything was urging me to leave. "What...the bleeding fuck..."

"It's a mind alteration forcefield meant to confuse and chase out anyone who comes inside of it. Focus on me," she said slowly, yanking my face down to hers and quickly removing my mask. I wasn't sure what was happening until our mouths collided roughly and my head cleared a little.

Mind alteration...why does that feel important?

I could think a little better after the kiss, but I still didn't know what my little rebel meant. I offered the cute Dark Fae a goofy smile, thoughts growing distant while my thumbs brushed across her cheeks. "Fuck me, Nika. You're a beautiful sight."

Sighing loudly, Nika pulled my face close and forced her tongue into my mouth. I breathed in her scent and tasted her magic on my tongue. The fog cleared again, and I blinked.

Fucking hell, I'd never been held hostage to such a strong spell like this one, not since Bane. A kiss wouldn't be enough to save me from the effects because the fog was already creeping back in, driving out my cleverness and focus.

I struggled to piece together a thought to ask Nika about how she was unaffected by it. "How...?" I managed through the jumbled thoughts in my head.

Why's this nymph so bleeding beautiful?

I traced the column of her neck with my hand before her voice cut through the emptiness growing inside my head. "Let's just say that I'm no stranger to mind alteration attacks or the effect they have on a person. I'm pretty sure you aren't either, but this one's potent. Blood magic probably. I can share my mind's barrier, but...you need to touch me."

Nika's fingers carded through my silver hair after removing my hood, pulling the silky strands away from my face so that her icy blues were all that I saw. Her magic caressed my body, and I closed my eyes before she called out again.

"Silas, you need to touch me, or this won't work," she demanded, our bodies fused at the hip.

I was confused at first. "Touch you, love? Isn't that what I'm doing?"

Her soft, musical laugh drove away some of the confusion before the fog returned and my thoughts grew distant. "More than that, you oversized brute."

Her arms wrapped around my broad shoulders. I didn't understand what was happening until her tongue was in my mouth and her powerful legs were wrapped around my waist.

"The best way to give you what you need is..." she trailed off, her delicious lips taking over in place of words.

I could taste her magic on my tongue and flowing down my throat. The mind fog moved and cleared enough for my thoughts to click over.

Is she talking about magical transference? Here? Right now?

Magical transference wasn't an easy feat. It required strong, potent physical intimacy and a connection most magical folk didn't have with each other. Of course, based on our last run-in with Rilas, it wasn't the connection I was worried about. Instead, it was more the fact that a time-sensitive mission like ours didn't exactly create the sort of environment to ensure a successful transfer.

Nika only paused to see that my noggin was doing its bloody job before our mouths fused at different angles and her tongue chased mine. Normally, I'd celebrate the aggressive advances of the woman who turned my world upside-down, but we were only feet away from the box she was meant to collect the souls from so we could thwart my evil twin's diabolical plot to rule the world.

"You saucy little devil...are you actually saying we should have it off right here, right now?" I gave the room a onceover. "I might be the king of terrible time and place, love, but I think you're taking the cake by suggesting we get down and dirty in a room like this."

"Just shut up and fuck me before you lose your head and this entire night is fucked instead."

"Fair enough," I sassed, removing our clothes with magic because we didn't exactly have time for romance. "Can't say I'm unwilling, but this is definitely the most unromantic romp I've ever been a part of, little rebel."

"Won't need but a few minutes though, right?" she quipped, getting a loud cackle out of me.

"Oi, don't make me laugh, love. I can't get my knob to cooperate if you have me in crumbles."

"That's why I told you to focus, asshole," she cooed, biting my ear and breathing life back into the appendage in question. "We need to get closer. I can't do this without you. You need to disarm the barrier around the box for me to reach into it, but I need you with a clear head. So, we do this now, got it? Fuck me like you did when my friend was feet away."

That put the hard-as-fuck throb back in the knob, it did. This saucy minx was going to be the death of me, and I honestly couldn't plan a better way to go if I tried.

I'd say that I was upset by the turn of events, but I wasn't. Magical transference was strongest during sex. The blood magic mind alteration they had filling the room was clearly powerful. Enough to conquer the likes of the Shimmering Assassin. What a feat. But with my head in shambles, I couldn't deconstruct anything. The only way to clear it was either to leave or steal a little power.

It appeared Nika had the ability to clear this extreme level of mind alteration. Impressed didn't cover the feeling. Even an old bastard like me wasn't up to the task. We could temporarily share her ability sort of like an enchanted stone. It couldn't be stolen. The caster—in this case, Nika—would need to consent in a way to sharing it. But doing it required a high level of skill.

Enchanter level skill.

I was surprised my little rebel knew about this sort of thing. Though, guess I shouldn't be shocked because she was clearly clever and excelled in defensive magic based on what the lad initially told me. This was a top-level defensive maneuver to counter attacks. Just, it wasn't one most were capable of doing.

I stared at her, the thoughts in my head foggy again. "Are you sure you can do it, love?"

Her hands sunk into my hair, and her hips moved, sinking down onto my cock without warning. When had that little bugger gotten rock-hard?! "I've never done it, but I'm not worried. Don't you trust me?"

Fuck, she's got you there.

"With my life," I responded, coming down for a kiss and thrusting the rest of my throbbing prick inside her wet heat. "Fuck the magic right into me, little rebel. If you kill me, collect my soul and use it to do what I couldn't."

Her moan was in my ear as she clung to me, pink magic dancing around our bodies. "You're not allowed to die, asshole, so just move your fucking hips and get on with it already."

Grunting, I smacked into her over and over. Her electric power sizzled across my flesh, intensifying with every thrust into her warmth. My bird's breathing grew haggard as she kissed me and rocked her hips, sending her power colliding with mine. Slowly, my head started to clear. By the time she reached climax, her body tightened around my cock to the point where my own climax was only two short smacks behind hers.

Normally, I'd take a minute to come off my high and enjoy the view, but with the sudden feeling in the air, I had her dressed and moving closer to the box before she could suck in another breath. I tore down the barrier around the box, heart hammering with fear and the potent feeling of her magic inside of me, but I wasn't quick enough. The air in the room changed faster than my eyes could move.

I threw up walls of blue, impenetrable magic to keep the black that grew out from the walls away. Nika had a hand on the box, her head thrown back, and time seemed to crawl to a stop when out of the corner of my eye, a figure appeared.

She sucked in a breath, turning her head to the side and visibly shaking. "Lev?"

Lev looked as he always did, but around him a shadow loomed. There wasn't enough time to explain, so I grabbed Nika's arm just as she took a step in his direction. "That's not the lad. Well, not anymore, love."

"You were always so quick to pick up on things, Silas," the lad called out, his voice distorted by one I'd hoped never to hear again. "But I'd expect nothing less of my infamous brother." His eyes flicked over to me, an eerie red glint to them. "Unfortunately for you, that won't be enough this time."

I couldn't react with my power fast enough. I was thrown back and wrapped protectively by Nika's magic the second my brother possessing Lev appeared in front of her, his hand already on top of hers.

"Nika!" I yelled out angrily before black and pink collided and everything seemed to be colored by it.