twelve
The spicy comatose dream that was once full of erotic promise now seemed like a blip in time that got erased.
Guess that was the usual. Nothing good was really ever true in Lav's world.
She bit down hard on the inside of her mouth because it was either that or she would turn into a barbarian and bite off someone's hand. And maybe decapitate their head with a pastel pizza slicer she had lying around her room.
Whoever said violence wasn't the answer clearly had never experienced the gutting havoc of words.
Forget her. She's unimportant.
The same angel that rammed his tongue down her throat and had been seconds away from mauling her like a ferocious bear was now dismissing her presence.
Yet again.
She wanted to scream like a melting witch with green skin and a pickle shaped nose.
The dark angel she coveted had transformed into another being when he'd taken her mouth. It was like seeing Bigfoot. There were so many documentaries on the creature that she'd seen thanks to Ellra. Humans couldn't decide if the creature was a myth or real.
It was most definitely real.
And while she had personally witnessed the sensual beast lurking beneath Obsidian's cold, broody exterior, who the fuck was going to believe her?
The Guard with the teasing grin that had suggested a threesome seemed to enjoy catching Obsidian in such a predicament. He was pretty, too.
Probably could've passed as a faerie or an elf; the planes of his face were razor sharp and his hair was so long, it rivaled Athena's. Most of it was tied back in a knot but strands that resembled silk shifted free to frame his face.
"Eero, she's a fledgling." The other Guard, a handsome blonde, spoke in warning. Silver rings glinted on every finger and magic was inked onto his knuckles. North was his name. He had been the one to take her to the holding facility after Obsidian arrested her in Forsaken.
"So? Scared of a little fledgling?" Lav advanced towards him and Obsidian snatched her wrist, halting her taunts. The touch stole her attention like a child that had been handed a lollipop.
A scowling and sour lollipop. Good thing she loved sour flavors more than sweet.
"Lavender." The warning wrapped around her name gave her chills. The good kind, of course. "Take your bag and go back to your room."
"Can I take you with me?" Her voice dripped with enough sexual allure to leave all kinds of things to the imagination. And yes, she was laying it on thick in front of his friends because Lav had a reputation and it sure as hell wasn't being unimportant.
"No." He responded with no hesitation. Just like an apathetic Guard. "You will go back alone and stay alone. Don't even think about contacting that other fledgling. I'll know."
Kaede? Ugh. The likelihood of Lav asking him to come over was the same as butterflies taking over the moon. Not happening anytime soon. Even if it did, how would her dark angel even know about it?
He's watching you. That's right. Because she was a prime suspect or whatever in his investigation. Fantastic.
Obeying for her own sake, she bent to retrieve her discarded bag. It would've been a waste to not put on a show so she pressed her hips back and took her sweet time, pleased by the low whistle of appreciation that undoubtedly came from Eero.
She turned her head just slightly to blow a playful kiss at the bold angel with plum colored wings. He caught it.
"Eero." It was insanely hot how menacing Obsidian could sound by simply stating one's name.
Fingers dug harshly into her arm and yanked Lav up. Looming over her, the heat that once glimmered in his eyes was replaced by something cold. "Step foot in this dorm wing again and I won't be as nice."
"What if I prefer your mean side?"
"You won't." He released her all too soon and picked up her bag, which she had abandoned yet again. For a second, her heart stuttered, even though she knew he couldn't tell what was inside.
Lav was an expert at keeping a poker face but Obsidian's eyes narrowed regardless. No, no, no, no, no.
She was not going to go down here. She was not going to get caught in her own room. How did he even read her like that? It was unnerving. Quickly erasing any sign of unease, she painted that familiar sultry smile back on.
Obsidian was smart, though. Centuries smarter than a fledgling. Already, that brain was running ten miles a minute to uncover her secrets. But he wouldn't look in her bag. He wouldn't.
Shit. Why couldn't she stop reassuring herself? Because you know everything's going wrong.
True. The night went to shit when she ran into Kaede. That should've been her first warning to quit and hit the hay. But then again, kissing Obsidian had briefly turned the night around. Emphasis on briefly.
"Relax, babe. I'll head back to my room like a good girl." She reached for the bag, holding his gaze. Truth be told, it was like staring into the eyes of a predator. Retain eye contact and all that, right?
Slow, steady movements, Lav.
He lifted the bag out of reach.
He knew.
Don't panic. They had an audience so even if she did, the odds were looking shitty. Three Guards versus one fledgling. Ellra would say to win them over with lust after reading one too many reverse harem books. Lav only wanted one specific sexy angel to have his way with her, though.
Then again, how fun would it be to have three immortal men pleasuring her? Sharing is caring, they say. Maybe Ellra was on to something with those books.
It was insane to think Obsidian even kissed her earlier because now he was the enemy, ready to take her down. Again, what did you expect?
Fuck.
Lunging for the bag probably wasn't a good idea because she couldn't imagine the well-built Guard releasing it. Tweedle dee and tweedle dum standing behind her were another obstacle.
She placed a hand on her hip and arched a brow. "Can I have my stuff?"
Her dark angel lifted the bag higher. Almost like he was taunting her. Or looking to stir up a reaction. Nice try, babe. "I'm only going to ask you once. What's in the bag?"
That hard, demanding tone spoke directly to her lady bits. The things she would've done for a one on one interrogation with him were endless.
Keeping a straight face, she answered, "A giant inflatable penis."
Ellra and Athena would have appreciated that. Hell, Eero even snorted.
Eternally disapproving, Obsidian tossed the bag over her head and she spun to watch North catch it effortlessly. Screw it.
Lav took off running. But not for the door to her room.
Obsidian tackled her halfway on the bed. Her knees smacked onto the floor. This was so not what she had in mind.
Also, had he gotten faster or had she gotten slower? That night in Forsaken, she was like Sonic on steroids. Maybe alcohol was her power-boosting charm.
A strong arm snaked around her waist, hauling her firmly against the rigid lines of his body. She couldn't even enjoy the rough performance.
Groping underneath her bed, she palmed a taser. Another marvelous gift from the human realm. It wouldn't actually hurt but it would be enough to momentarily surprise him. She dug her fingers into the button on the side and a loud crackling sound was the only warning Obsidian got. She slammed the electrified prong behind her. Pretty sure she hit his shoulder.
And, judging by his reaction, pretty sure it didn't do anything more than tickle him with the strength of a feather.
That resilient grip didn't loosen. If anything, he wrenched it tighter, leaving her gasping for air as he basically squeezed her insides to a pulp as punishment.
The taser was ripped from her hand and she lashed out like a wild cat, trying to free herself. Obsidian's free hand pressed her face first into her own quilted blanket, smothering her shouts. If there were less clothes and more passion, she could imagine herself appreciating the situation.
Her entire body - wings included - jerked under the weight of his. It was like being stuck beneath a mountain. All her struggling proved to be useless. That didn't mean she would stop.
"Open the bag, North."
"Lousy goblin dicks!" She screamed. If another Guard was walking by on this floor, they'd definitely hear her and she already had a story whipped up to portray herself as the victim.
Great minds think alike, though. Obsidian's fingers tangled cruelly in her hair, yanking the short length and twisting her head to the side so she could see just how furious he was. "Shut it."
She snickered. "I don't know why you said I wouldn't like your mean side."
"Possession of a taser. That's a new one." Eero had definitely found entertainment for the night. He waved the weapon in her face, pressing the button that ignited the current of static.
She didn't even wince. Instead she produced a grin worthy of a maniac. Did he think she hadn't felt the bite of electricity before? Because she had. Plenty of times. And with stronger hardware.
"There's just clothes." North cut in, rifling through her bag. "And a book."
"See that?" Lav huffed out, "You attacked me for nothing." She gave another attempt at standing but Obsidian threw more weight on her and she grunted into the mattress.
"Tell me more about the book."
Fuck.
"Hmm. It's written in Swedish."
Rather than attempting to stand, Lav decided to crawl further up on the bed, scrabbling at the sheets and pillows to gain purchase. Obsidian hauled her back with so much force that her head flung back to clip his chin.
This time she did wince. Was his jaw made of marble?
"Babe, I think we need to reevaluate this situation."
"There might be something inside..." North trailed off and she rolled her eyes. Here it comes.
"What is it?" Obsidian's voice was hard, his grip continuing to grow more trying. Would he hold her down savagely like that while fucking her? Pretty please.
"Cigarettes. From the human realm. And some lighters."
That snagged her attention. He didn't mention the sandman pills. Were they not in there?
Eero snatched the book from North. "No way she got that on her own. Someone from the inside must be supplying."
"You ran because you were hiding cigarettes?" It was Obsidian's turn to fiercely swear this time. He flipped her around to look him in the eye and grabbed her by the shoulders. "Is this a game to you?"
"Pretty sure you bruised my intestines."
He shook her. "Listen to me-"
Nope. She was done with the threats and the manhandling for tonight.
Since they were mere centimeters apart, she closed the distance and kissed him. He froze. Her lips molded softly to his and she pressed harder, hoping his fellow Guards wouldn't breathe a word in that moment because she needed him to lose focus.
Lav felt his jaw tic and couldn't decide if this was working or not. Oh well.
Using the distraction to her advantage, she reeled back a fist and punched him. The blow totally came as a surprise and Eero actually laughed. Lav caught the look of death in Obsidian's eyes before she scrambled away, leaping to her feet and taking off.
He remained crouched near the bed and grabbed her ankle. A squeal slipped free as she desperately latched onto the dresser to save from face planting.
Why was everyone grabbing at her ankles? First the demon and now Obsidian.
"You really thought he was going to let you off so easily?" Eero mused at the same time her dark angel wrenched her ankle. Her nails dug into the dresser, leaving unsightly imprints.
"You know, guys in movies usually take a girl out for dinner before revealing their primitive nature."
Obsidian gritted his teeth. "They take a nice girl out for dinner. You are anything but."
Okay, rude.
"I'm done with your games, Lavender. Come here willingly or I'll break your ankle and drag you over."
The natural response would've been to let go of the dresser and agree to face the consequences of her actions. But...Lav was a defective angel who had earned her place at the academy. Some part of her wanted to know if he would truly cause her physical pain by breaking her bones.
The time she took to respond was evidently worrisome to North. "You really picked a crazy one."
Eero made a sound of agreement. "No shit, the taser didn't even make her flinch."
A hint of a smile crossed over Obsidian's lips. There one millisecond, gone the next. Had she imagined that? It was almost as if he was proud. Don't be silly, Lav. The man is threatening to break your ankle because you punched him.
"How about you let go and I'll give all three of you a kiss?" It was a very generous offer for her to make and Eero's eyes lit up with intrigue. North didn't appear to be considering the offer but that was okay, once he got a taste of her, he would be hooked like an addict.
Obsidian growled and she didn't realize he had been holding back all his strength until with one swift yank she was on the floor and being hauled towards him.
He released her ankle to fist the front of her top and she was surprised the string holding it together didn't snap with his ferocity. Pulling her in close to his face so she could feel his warmth and see the red mark she'd gifted his cheek, Lav wasn't sure what to expect. Especially with their audience.
He spoke lowly for her ears only, "My patience is gone. Behave or else."
Was it wrong that she was highly intrigued by the 'or else' option? Her eyes relayed the message and he sighed in irritation, gaze darting to her lips in a moment of weakness. Aha!
Obsidian was on his feet in a flash, leaving her awkwardly on her knees. She mimicked his actions, collecting herself.
"The book is being confiscated."
"And the taser." Eero threw it in the air and caught it.
Obsidian knowingly scanned her room with narrowed eyes that came to a halt when they reached her. You're walking on thin ice.
She got that message loud and clear.
If there was a list of fledglings to be wary of, Lav was high in the ranks.