Foxes of Legend (Fated Mates of Foxfire Academy #1)

38

Dove

Moonlight glinted against our blades as they crashed between us. Kairos’ cheek lifted as I blocked his swing. Enko swooped in, taking a stab. Dodge. We danced more than we fought. Their magic guided me through the motions, their intentions before they acted. The new magical ability to read their minds was more than their thoughts. I could feel them near without seeing them.

Kairos hit my sword, the vibrations running through my whole arm as I let my katana fall and I pounced on him. He dropped his mace quickly so as to not hurt me. He caught me, spinning me around and placing me beneath him on the ground in a bed of dead leaves before climbing on top of me.

“I win,” he mumbled as he leaned forward, his lips closing in on mine.

I closed my eyes, finding the ball of light within me and releasing it. My body transformed, and when I opened my eyes, my night-vision aided my play.

Enko shifted into his fox form as I dashed around Kairos’ legs.

His six tails ignited, swooping dangerously close to the layer of debris all around us.

Kairos remained in his human form. “Try to calm down before you set the whole forest ablaze, Enko.”

Enko sprang back, then leapt at me. His tails brushed against me, but the fire didn’t burn my soft white fur. I hurried away from him, but my solitary tail meant he was six times faster than I was.

Help! I called out to Kairos as Enko gained on me, knowing he could hear the word.

Kairos laughed, “You’re on your own, Dove. You’re the one who chose to play with fire.”

Enko’s teeth brushed through my tail and I let out a squeal—I was still defensive of my new bushy tail.

He caught me, his much larger fox form hit me, causing us to tumble through the russet leaves. We shifted back into our human forms and I laughed as we laid next to each other. Enko’s nude form was muscles on top of muscles, every bit of him woven into raw power.

The stars gleamed like diamonds, the fire of leaves falling from the trees onto us. Kairos’ eyes glazed over me, and my body heated from the scrutiny.

“Don’t cover yourself,” Kairos grumbled, causing Enko to turn his attention to me as well.

Enko brought his lips to my neck, fiery kisses. My neck tilted back automatically, eyes on Kairos. There wasn’t any jealousy in his eyes as he watched Enko work.

“Careful, Enko,” Kairos warned.

“Just a taste,” Enko whispered.

A squeak of surprise escaped me as Enko repositioned me, drawing my legs onto his shoulders and into the air. His hot breath against me quaked from my core through my entire body.

“Enko.” His name slipped from my lips as his mouth pressed against me.

“Yes, little fox,” he said, pressing his mouth against me, his tongue sliding over my hot center. “Don’t you know foxes love a good chase before they eat their prey?”

Kairos approached, cupping the back of my neck and lifting me off the ground as his mouth hovered over mine.

“Mmmm…” Kairos mused as our lips locked. He planted a trail of kisses down my neck.

I let out a long moan, my eyes closing as my neck rolled back. And when I opened them, red eyes watched from the edge of the forest.

Seven?

Neither Enko nor Kairos were aware yet, but I scraped my teeth over my bottom lip to give him a show as Enko lowered me back onto the ground, a feral lust hazing over his eyes. He pulled himself back, breathing heavily.

The breeze billowed around us. The water of the brook bubbled by, moonlight glimmering in the ripples. The smells of soil and dried leaves, and the melody of the fall with every breath of wind.

My feet curled into the soft bed of nature, pebbles tumbling down the bank, plopping into the river as they tumbled down.

“Nearrgg!”

I scrunched up my nose with the whiff of a fishy odor. The slap and splash of water broke the peace of twilight as a green turtle-creature waddled on two legs out of the river. Webbed feet like flippers, scales that shone with venomous iridescence. A bowl-like dent atop its head, filled to the brim.

Kappa, Tier II.

My katana lay discarded nearby, forgotten in the passionate mist. Kairos’ mace and Enko’s sword, too. My eyes snapped back to the trees where Seven had been. Had I been imagining it?

Enko swept me behind him, raising his fists toward the incoming kappa. As it reached him, he swatted it from the air, spilling the river water from its head. The kappa wheezed for air, hands frantically cupping the top of its head to stop what was left from spilling and weakening it completely.

While the kappa scurried back to the water, the water bubbled into white rapids. More of the creatures spawned from the water, a flurry of green, blue, and purple scales attacking as the first refilled its well of water.

A single low-Tier demon was easy to take out. But, like imps, their strength was in numbers. The three of us hurried to our discarded weapons. A purple kappa stood in front of me, several others right behind it.

The fire blade sliced through it and I knelt down to grip the katana, holding it out just in time to run through an attacking demon.

My two Fated men had cleaned up the rest, scaring any remaining demons back underwater. My blade absorbed the black blood before I could wipe it away and I secured it within the sheath.

“Why are they so far down the river? They’re usually not so active this close to winter.”

“Probably Lethe’s toxic dumping,” Kairos responded, leading us back to the dorm.