The Oracle's Locket Read online

  When I looked up behind me, Quintin had seated himself there. He stroked my hair again and gave me this wonderful smile. It was the first time during that day when I had the thought that maybe, everything would be all right.

  Aunt Maria was fine, still.

  She was still on this planet.

  And what the hell had I thought today would be? Had I really thought I would just be in some truck right then, racing off across the continent? Was that actually a reasonable idea?

  Quintin dropped his lips over mine and kissed me upside down while his hand played over my breasts and held onto the nipple and coaxed it until it was rock-hard between his fingers.

  “She still wants it. I can tell,” Quintin said.

  I lifted myself up and unlatched his belt, slipped his pants to the ground and off his legs. I straddled him, this monstrous heat between his legs so powerful and rock-hard that it slipped into me almost instantly. It was like we were two pieces of a puzzle.

  But we kept it slow. I couldn’t do anything else but slow. Not that day. I pressed my breasts hard against his massive chest and closed my eyes as I kissed him and fucked him with a soft rhythm. I couldn’t remember ever going this slow before, and it did something strange to my mind—made me feel we moved in slow-motion through time. I could feel every single emotion pass through me and then on to him and then back.

  Now, we had time. All summer long. Time to fuck and sleep and dream and plan and fall deeper in love. I peered into his eyes and saw his soul reflected back.

  Minutes later, I stepped up, my body glistening with sex and yearning. I undressed Ezra and drew him onto the bed with the rest of us and burrowed my face against his chest. His arms wrapped around me and he flipped me over and drew a perfect line of kisses from my neck, down my spine, toward the very top of my ass. Every kiss felt like a hurricane through my body. Quintin stroked my arm as Ezra plunged into me, doggy-style, and wrapped his hands around the base of my belly. His cock was deeper inside of me than I ever remember it being before and I gripped Quintin’s knee to steady myself. He responded with a kiss.

  I loved this feeling: this all-encompassing feeling that as Ezra fucked me, Quintin could feel my want for Ezra flow out of me and into our kiss; Raphael was rock-hard, beside me, watching, his massive hand wrapped around his cock and stroking himself.

  I wanted all of them at once.

  Ezra’s hands were at the very base of my belly. Suddenly, out of nowhere, he yanked them off my stomach and let out a cry. I turned my head as much as I could to see him lift his hands to his face and say, “You burned me! Baby, what...”

  He fell out of me quickly. I turned onto my back and blinked down at the mark on my stomach. It glowed bright orange and ominous, and the burning sensation had begun to shift up my stomach and through my breasts and into my head. I shook my head, my eyes welling.

  “What the hell...”

  I hadn’t seen a burn in a long time. I tried to understand what this could possibly mean. I stuttered and yanked myself to the very top of my bed. My hands shook as I tried to touch the mark, as though touching it might stop the scalding feeling.

  “Don’t,” Ezra insisted. He grabbed my arm and whipped it back, his eyes still on the mark.

  It was safe to say that the mark had interrupted our festivities for good that night. I was too petrified to do much but grab a t-shirt and a pair of shorts and tell the boys I would be right back.

  “If this is a warning or something, I need to go tell Professor Binion,” I told them. “And I can’t wait around till tomorrow.”

  The boys insisted they go with me. They dressed quickly and together; we shot out of the bedroom and down the steps. Whatever this was, I wanted to get to the bottom of it sooner rather than later. I’d gone through too much shit already to dismiss something like this.

  It was fucking sinister.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Night had fallen. I had no idea how late it was. The day’s timeline had been royally fucked already. We hustled toward the main building and then up the stairs to Professor Binion’s quarters. Nobody spoke, and I could tell the boys were just as freaked as I was, although they were better about not showing it. They would do whatever they could to protect me, but I suspected that they had no idea what kind of chaotic world they were up against.

  When we reached Professor Binion’s quarters, I whipped around and asked the boys if I could talk to Professor Binion alone.

  “He knows so much about all of this. So much more than I’ve even explained to all of you,” I said. “I don’t want him to leave anything out, just because he doesn’t want to tell you three all of it.”

  The boys didn’t like this plan at all. Their eyes glowed angrily. But Quintin was the first to say, “We’ll wait outside the door.” The others agreed and crossed their massive arms over their chests. This would have to do.

  And truthfully, I felt way better knowing they lurked out there, just in case. I did trust Professor Binion with everything—but at this point, I didn’t know how much I could fully trust anyone.

  When I knocked on the door, it didn’t take long for Professor Binion to appear. He wore a sad-looking grey robe, and his grey curls were mad across his head. He beckoned for me to enter quickly and I stepped in, even before Professor Binion had a chance to see the boys lurking in the shadows.

  Once inside, Professor Binion snapped off his television and grunted something about “not being able to focus on it, anyway.” I knew he was messed up about my Aunt Maria’s disappearance. I wished I could have told him everything, just to ease his mind. But it was essential to keep everything secretive until I knew more.

  “Ivy, you’re quite pale,” Professor Binion said. He hustled to the kitchenette and hurriedly made me a little cup of tea from some already-boiled water. He pressed it into my hand and said, “Sit.”

  I did, at the edge of his little sofa. I couldn’t drink anything but peered into the tea and finally mustered the courage to reveal the truth.

  “The mark on my stomach returned tonight.”

  Professor Binion didn’t reveal any kind of surprise. He studied me for a long moment and said, “I see.”

  I placed the mug of tea on the coffee table and lifted my shirt, just the tiniest bit to show the glowing orange mark, so bright against my skin. “I don’t know what to do. I don’t know what it means. I...”

  “It means that everything is about to get a great deal more complicated,” Professor Binion said. His voice was very grave. It was like he’d just aged another ten years.

  “More complicated than before?” I demanded. My heart raced.

  “I’m afraid so,” he continued. He stood and paced by the window. The moonlight splayed across his cheeks and his forehead. “You already know there are many factions in the supernatural world who would benefit from you never coming into power.”

  “Of course,” I said. It was the reason for all the bounty hunting. It was the reason I had to stay on campus like some kind of invalid.

  “These factions know where you are, I believe. It all seems to be coming to ahead. Now, especially, with your aunt missing...” He paused, searching for the right words. “They’re going to do everything in their considerable power to get to you, Ivy.”

  Suddenly, the moonlight across his cheeks went out. It was almost like someone had flicked a switch. Thunderous clouds formed from the west and a flash of lightning bolted across the night sky.

  I’d never seen a storm form so quickly. Not in all my life in Louisiana.

  I stood up. I couldn’t take this news for what it was while sitting there on Professor Binion’s crooked couch. I stared at the lightning and felt the ground shake with thunder. It felt like the golds above applauded us for all the horror we’d created. It was a perfect show.

  “Ivy, I must now ask you a question,” Professor Binion said.

  “Okay.”

  He leaned toward me, his eyes catching the light of the bolts that hammered through
the sky.

  “Are you ready to really test your powers. Are you ready to take everything you’ve learned over the past months and find the truth in it and use it to protect yourself and your loved ones? Are you ready for the war to begin?”

  The locket started to pulse like it had a heartbeat. I reached up and grabbed it and held onto it tightly. I wanted to answer Professor Binion honestly. I searched my feelings.

  Was I ready to test my powers?

  Was I ready for this war to begin?

  Was I ready to put my life on the line for those I loved the most?

  The locket was a reminder of the power between Quintin, Raphael, Ezra, and I.

  It was proof that I had my three protectors forever.

  Was I ready to test my powers?

  “Yes. I know this was what I was born to do,” I whispered. My voice cracked. “I’m ready to begin.”

  To be continued ...

  Book 3 The Oracles Harem

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