Fortune Academy: Year Three - J.R. Thorn Page 0,18

after me.”

Luc lifted an eyebrow. “Calamity? The vortex of death, destruction, and chaos is after you, and you want to trap it here?”

Well, when he put it like that I wouldn’t buy what I was selling either. “It’s not like that—” I began, but Luc burst out in a wicked grin.

“Why didn’t you start with that, Princess? Do you have any idea how long it’s been since I’ve had a decent battle to defend the lower realms?” He snapped out his wings, startling me. “Centuries!”

“So you’ll let us stay?” Jess asked with a sparkle in her otherwise dark eyes.

“Stay?” Luc responded. “I’ll do better than that. You all can use the barracks as honored guests and when Calamity comes knocking, you’ll have Hell’s power in your reserves, and my armies ready to fight.” He clapped his hands. “Alright. No time to waste, then and it’s getting late. The next low tide of Hell’s pit won’t be for another twelve of your hours, so I suggest we all get some rest. You’ll want to be at the top of your game when it’s time to make the run to the next level.”

“Tide?” I asked.

He chuckled. “Princess of Hell and you don’t even know your own realm. Cute.” A tail I hadn’t noticed twitched around his ankles with excitement. “Hell’s layers beyond this one overflow with fire from the pits, so if you want to go down, you have to go during low tide and get yourself to a stronghold before it comes back up. It runs in cycles every twelve hours, so as long as you don’t get lost, you should be fine if you want to get to the Royal Courts.” He fluttered his wings. “Now, sleeping arrangements. I trust you all to work that out. Guest bedrooms are down the hall and my underlings will show you the way, as well as free your… Virtues, from their shackles.” He pinched Jess’s chin, making her blush. “And you. You’re coming with me. We have some catching up to do.”

Her eyes lit up and her tail flicked. “Oh. Um—of course.”

We all stared after the Demonspawn pair as he took Jess around his throne and through a door in the back.

“Jess seemed nervous. Should I go make sure she’s okay?” I asked.

Hendrik huffed. “Not unless you want to see them humping like bunnies. I have a feeling those two have a history and it’s best if we stay out of it.” He glanced at the Demonspawn underlings who surrounded us. “Can you all kindly fuck off? We have our own sleeping arrangements to work out.” The Demonspawn blankly stared, so Hendrik added. “Your master already said we’re free. His orders, yeah?”

While the Demonspawn shrugged, leaving Hendrik and Dante shackled, all my Virtues homed in on me. I stared back at them until I realized what Hendrik was talking about.

These were all my mates and we had twelve hours to kill. I turned in a small circle, taking in the hungry stares of Orion, Hendrik, Dante, Logan, and Kaito. Now that I had almost sealed the mate-circle, there was no denying the pull we had toward each other.

Gulp.

Kaito, always happy to play the mentor, jumped in on the teachable opportunity and cleared his throat. “Now that the mate-circle has been sealed, all of us are drawn to you, Lily. We are here to serve you and help build your strength in preparation for the final battle.” He took my hand and turned it over, giving the sensitive skin on the inside of my wrist a kiss. I shivered as the demonstration of his power spread warmth down electrified nerve endings. “We are all in-tune with you now. You helped me accept who and what I am, and now I can give you so much more.” He kissed me again, sending another surge more powerful than the last and I yanked my hand free before I jumped him right here. He grinned. “You feel the change, don’t you? If a kiss does that, imagine what more I can offer, what we can all offer.” He came closer to me, making me fall back a step. “The easiest way we can help you is by sharing our bodies with you. Our love, our adoration, and our worship.”

Damn. When did Kaito become so… direct?

“You had your share of ‘worship,’” Dante cut in, crossing his arms and looking entirely unamused.

“She’s not a piece of meat,” Logan countered, snapping his teeth for effect. “You just assume she wants