Filed To Story: Cursed Legacies Series Free PDF by Morgan B Lee
Everett rears back. “
Demon? No. Absolutely not. You are not getting in touch with a godsdamned demon.”
I fix him with a look. “Let me refresh your memory. I grew up in the Nether. I’ve been surrounded by demons my entire life and know how they work. I’ve killed more than my fair share, paid the price each time, and find them to be useful. So don’t fucking question me.”
He opens his mouth and closes it twice in a row before sighing heavily. “Okay, Oakley. You’re right, and I’m sorry. But can we at least make sure you’re bathed, rested, and cared for before diving headfirst into more danger?”
I think about it. “Fine.”
Mostly because I want to see Silas open his ruby eyes before we get to deal with more enemies.
Nearly an hour later, we take a back entrance into a hotel where Baelfire made a reservation for their biggest suite using cash Everett provided. They usher me to a metal door that slides open and reveals…a tiny room.
I frown in confusion.
Baelfire bursts into laugher as he reaches up to cover something above the door inside the little room. “It’s an elevator. Never seen one, huh?”
I haven’t, but I vaguely recall Lillian telling me about them. She told me about many things I still haven’t been exposed to in the mortal world. Honestly, most of what I know about the human world comes from Lillian, watching movies with Kenzie, and random tidbits I picked up at Everbound. There are still cavernous gaps in my knowledge about this world, which I dislike.
Although, I guess I’ll be exposed to a lot more now that we aren’t on lockdown inside an isolated, gothic castle.
We all step inside, but I tip my head when Baelfire continues covering something up with his hand. “What are you doing?”
“It’s a camera,” he explains. “Humans have them everywhere. Don’t want them getting footage of you.”
Interesting. I’ll have to keep an eye out for those.
Once we reach the actual suite, I’m impressed. It has two rooms with king-sized beds connected to a shared space with a TV, couch, mini kitchen, and glass wall with a view of Hastings.
Even though I’m good with this setup, Everett makes a face at it.
“Don’t mind him. He’s used to being hand-fed caviar and pissing in golden toilets,” Bael rolls his eyes as he goes to deposit Silas on one of the king beds.
“It’s just kind of small,” the elemental argues, pushing open the bathroom door. It seems clean and spacious to me, but Everett frowns.
Baelfire laughs from the other room. “That’s what Maven’s gonna say when you finally whip out your?—“
“Shut the fuck up, dragon.”
I turn and lay several simple but effective protective wards on the front door. I do the same thing to the windows. Just as I feel myself lagging, Crypt wraps his arms around me from behind, murmuring gently in my ear.
“Time to rest, love.”
“I still need to bathe. Silas needs to be cleaned up, too. I need to track down clean clothes and food and get that phone and some means for disguising you four—” I begin listing everything on my to-do list in my head, fighting a yawn.
He hums. “Sounds like we have plenty to do while you rest.”
Before I can argue, Baelfire appears on my left side and scoops me out of Crypt’s arms.
“I call bathing her.”
Crypt smiles cruelly. “So long as you give a sponge bath to the fae, too. Fair’s fair. Don’t miss his tender bits because, against all reason, Maven likes those.”
Baelfire shudders and starts to protest, but Everett pipes up as he approaches. “I can get food and clothes for all of us.”
“You’ll get recognized,” I argue, trying to squirm out of Bael’s strong arms. Godsdamn it, I’m way more exhausted than I realized because my attempts are pathetically feeble. They all watch in amusement as I give up, sighing and letting my head hang back over his arm.
“Fine. But we’re rearranging things. Baelfire will go out to get food, clothes, and a basic burner phone because he’s the least likely to get recognized—
or frighten the hell out of people and spread unnecessary rumors,” I add when Crypt opens his mouth.
The incubus laughs. Bael nods in complete agreement.
“Crypt can keep watch until we know whether the coast seems clear.”
“Happy to, darling.”
I pause, frowning. “You were in pain earlier. Do you have enough reverium to help with that?”
He blinks as if he didn’t realize I’d noticed. “I have enough for now.”
“
For now will be fleeting when we’re on the run, so gather more from Limbo while we’re here. Everett, you’ll stay here to wash up because all that dirt and blood has been driving your poor neat freak brain crazy for the last few hours,” I say knowingly.
His cheeks pinken slightly. “Come on, Oakley. That’s not a priority. Let me help somehow.”
“Fine. You’ll help wash me.”
Now, his blush is flaming red. “I—uh, okay. If…if you want.”
I don’t understand why Baelfire tries to smother a laugh. Crypt mouths something at the elemental I don’t catch, and Everett flips him off.
Whatever. I move on. “Good. Then we’ll eat, rest, and look for a way to disguise you four later since I doubt we’ll be here long. Hopefully, we bought Silas some time coming here, but they’ll be after us, so I need all of you to be well rested.”
I realize Baelfire is smirking down at me in his arms. “What?”
“It’s just hot as fuck when you take charge. You’re a damn good keeper, Maven.”
Crypt grins. “That she is, dragon.”
“Perfect,” Everett agrees quietly, still blushing and adjusting his sleeves repeatedly.
Great, now
I feel like blushing. Not to mention, how does my quintet still look so fucking gorgeous after the shit day we’ve had? It’s not fair when I know I look like a walking smudge of dried innards. Still, I glance between the three of them and clear my throat.
I seldom do this, but…
“Sorry.”
“Whatever for?” Crypt asks.
“You’ll be in deep shit from now on. The Immortal Quintet and Legacy Council will try to kill you four for going on the run with me. I wanted to prevent you guys from getting mixed up with everything my being the telum entails, but…I could only be tempted so far,” I finish lamely.
Baelfire snorts as he takes me to the bathroom, setting me on the counter and tipping my head up so I’m forced to look into his amber-gold gaze.
“Okay, first of all? Fuck anyone who has a problem with you. Sure, you’re the scourge, but it’s not like that was your choice—and second of all, we know what you’re really trying to do. You’re a good person. In fact, you’re the most aggravatingly selfless, self-sacrificing person in the world, so you’re not allowed to apologize for anything. Ever.”
He kisses my forehead. “You’ve been through hell, and maybe you did some shit you didn’t like just to survive it, but that doesn’t change the fact that you’re a fucking hero to all those humans in the Nether. If you ask me, I’m lucky to breathe the same air as you. Got it, Mayflower?”
MAVEN
New Book: Returned To Make Them Pay
On her wedding anniversary, Alicia is drugged and stumbles into the wrong room—straight into the arms of the powerful Caden Ward, a man rumored never to touch women. Their night of passion shocks even him, especially when he discovers she’s still a virgin after two years of marriage to Joshua Yates.