Hell on Wheels (Faetal Attraction #1)

Smile

Holy shit, I just did that! How?!

It was so weird. I was fighting with Rebel and I knew I wanted to get out of there… Suddenly, the picture of a portal appeared in my mind and then it popped up. I mean, it was probably stupid to walk through with no idea where it was taking me, but I never claimed to be perfect. His overbearing bullshit was killing me, and paired with all the pain inside of me from the betrayals, I had to get away.

Portals aren’t part of my magic. Sure, Fae can use existing ones to get to Faerie, and I have before, but… I can’t create them. Only the royals of the courts or their relatives can construct them, and since I know I’m not royalty, I have no fucking clue how I just did that. Hell, I don’t even know if I can do it again.

I’m a little scared to try. What if it takes me somewhere awful?

This one dropped me close to the stage. I look around, hoping to see some of my fellow Bombers. The Banshees are playing, and their drummer is related to one of our blockers.

“Hey, Rogue! Get your ass over here!”

I turn, smiling as I see Betsy Sue waving at me excitedly. The siren looks small, but she can knock a bigger opponent clear across the floor, especially when the supe teams are playing with modified rules. “Your sis is wailing . I’m so glad I ditched the guys so I could find you!”

She doesn’t need to know about any of the drama with Mina or staying with the guys if it hasn’t gotten around yet.

“God, your step is so annoying yet mind-blowingly hot ,” Betsy gushes as we walk over to where the rest of the team is hanging out.

Something about that doesn’t sit right with me, but I’m not in a position to pick fights with the few people I have left. Well, except for the guys—they can suck it. I chuckle, pretending I find her fawning hilarious. “I agree with the annoying part. He’s like a dark shadow trying to steal all the joy from my world sometimes.”

“Maybe, but I wouldn’t say no to that shadow clinging to me!” Drusilla Banks slinks over to us, batting her lashes over the golden eyes of her cougar. “Especially if he brought his friends.”

“Hela, have mercy ,” Anita adds when she joins us. “I would ride those boys dry and put them away soaked .”

I momentarily forgot why I don’t have many female friends, but now I remember.

“Guys…” I sigh.

“What? I say twin sandwiches all around, ladies!” Drusilla practically purrs her suggestion as she swivels her hips and something snaps inside of me.

My wings emerge, glowing eerily as the cans by the stage fade to black light. The change in the light spectrum illuminates the Fae dust and tattoos all over my form as my hand shoots out to grab Dru by her collar. She cants her head downward submissively as I get in her face. “Stay away from Reb and his friends.”

“What do you care?” Betsy asks. “Dru’s not looking for anything serious, and they’re all known for short-term fun.”

I yank Dru forward, getting into her face as my magic crackles in my veins. “Did I stutter? Was I unclear?”

“N-n-n-no, Ca-Captain.”

Pain shoots through my injured wings as I flex them, but I ignore it. Dru is shaking like a leaf now, and I’m pretty sure we’ll be replacing two skaters on the first string team after this is over. I drop the cougar on the ground and turn to Betsy with a macabre smirk. “Did you have something to add, Intoxiskate?”

Her eyes widen at the use of her Derby call sign, and she backs away slowly. “No. You’re being very clear. Captain.”

“Anita?” I turn to see the wolf shifter leaning against a wall, giving me an amused look. “Do we understand each other?”

“Oh, I think we understand each other perfectly, Rainbow Smite. However, I’m not sure you understand what’s going on.” I lift my hand, and she watches the black sparks travel from finger to finger. “No need for theatrics. You’ve marked your territory.”

A slow clap sounds behind me, and I whirl around, my temper so close to the edge that I can’t control my reactions. The tension seeps out of my body when I see Angelo and Damon strolling towards us with their own wings stretched high. My eyes narrow at the sight of the cowardly demon from this morning. I have no intention of letting him think they saved the day by showing up.

“What did I tell you assholes about leaving me alone ?” I cross my arms over my chest, trying to figure out why, even though I got the team to submit, I’m still lit up like a Yule display.

“Nothing. You yelled at Rebel,” they sing-song.

Not the point, cockwaffles.

Reigning in the rage still gripping me, I flip them off. “Now I’m telling you: Fuck. Off. ”

Angelo’s feathery wings fan out, his obsidian feathers ruffling as he does the full spread. I roll my eyes at him as he walks closer with a devilish grin on his lush lips. “I’d like to see you make me, Princess.”

Why does he keep calling me that?

I open my mouth to shoot back a snarky retort, but Damon used my distraction to flank me. I feel the heat before he steps within inches of my back and I twist to give him a death stare. His eyes are full of familiar flames and the large, leathery bat wings of his demon are displayed as fully as his twin’s. I don't know what game they’re playing, but they don’t scare me, even with their wings and horns.

“You must be found deaf, boys.” I angle myself so I can see their dumbass pincer move as I give my own appendages a few test flaps. When it feels like they’re stable enough to use, I let them pitch backward and down until I’m hovering a few feet off the ground. The ache is excruciating, but I grit my teeth so they can’t tell. “It’s been real fun playing with you, but smell you later.”

The whirlwind created by the rowing motions of my wings allows them to feather and slice quickly. I’m off like a rocket once I find the bay wind, using each set of wings to accelerate as they flap in and out of phase. The sound of frustrated growls and larger wings reaches me, so I know they’re chasing me.

Neither of them flies very often, and they aren’t as aerodynamic as me, so good fucking luck, jerks.

Unfortunately, my glory is short-lived as I catch a hard crosswind and have to bank along the edge of the rave. It puts me in a heavier dive than I’d like and with the injuries; I have to switch to flapping out of phase. Within a few minutes, I’m forced to touch down on a hill just a few feet behind the main stage.

I lean against the huge blue gum eucalyptus tree there, panting as stabbing pains arc through the muscles at the base of my wings. The band on the stage has changed to the sultry, thumping bass of Blood Reign . My succubus side adores the sexy drum and bass music the vampire triplets spin, but I hurt too much to enjoy it.

Is it too much to have a normal night where I can forget my goddamn misery and lose myself in the music?

The betrayal and the assassins will still be there tomorrow. I just wanted to have some fucking fun tonight—and maybe piss the guys off. Instead, I had to get into a battle for dominance with what’s left of my team. I don’t even know why I lost the plot with them. It’s not like I give a shit if they want to fuck around with Reb and his friends.

Do I?

A loud thud prevents me from exploring my confusion and I look over to see three slobbering trolls giving me gap-toothed smirks. The tallest one cracks his knuckles, laughing like the big, dumb lummox he is. His friends snicker, mirroring their boss, and I groan.

Yes, I’m having my very own Harry Potter moment—just what I needed after almost getting into a brawl with my own teammates and doing the Kessel Run in less than twelve parsecs.

“Looky here, boys. We stumbled onto a payday without even trying. Our witchy friend told us she’d be here,” the warty leader says smugly.

One henchman scratches his head, drool sliding down his chin as he looks me over in a way that makes my skin crawl. “I dunno Dingus… She's kind of cute. Maybe we should play with her first.”

“What do you think, Mugs? Does Vern have a good idea?”

They’re fucking disgusting, lumpy assholes—like all trolls—but something about the way they’re looking at me as if I’m nothing makes my skin crawl. Trolls are almost at the bottom of the supe food chain because they’re so stupid, so don’t think I missed the part where they were sent to the rave to find me. These idiots don’t have a brain cell each to rub together, and that Mina sent expendable minions after me is almost laughable.

She really has gone full on megalomaniac.

“I don’t think, Dingus. I just do what I’m told.”

That gets a barking laugh from him, and I shiver. He’s desperately in need of a good dentist and some mouthwash—I can smell the roadkill on his breath. I take a deep breath, putting my hands out to defend when they rush me.

I’ll be damned if I go out without taking one of these little bitches out.

Blue flames shoot across the hill, hitting the one they called Mugs first. He screams as they sear the tough hide on his back and I put my hand over my mouth at the stench. The other two look confused, stomping around as they watch their friend burn. I look down at my hands, gaping at the hellfire engulfing them.

“What the fuck? What the fuuuuuck?” I whisper as I watch the fire dance in my palms.

Dingus and Vern turn back to me with ugly grimaces. They don’t seem concerned that Mugs is essentially cannon fodder; in fact, they look even more eager to take me on. The magical clubs their kind can make appear at will are in their hands and they’re holding them like we’re at fucking Dodger Stadium.

“Batter up,” Dingus guffaws.

I raise my hands again, praying I can repeat that last move consciously this time. “Sa-wing, batter-batter,” I mutter as I fling another column of fire towards them. It glances off of Vern’s shoulder and he lets out a roar of pain.

He’s not down.

Trying two more times to strike a blow, I realize I definitely do not have control of this shit like I do my magic. If my dust worked, I could take them out, but I can’t use the amount of magic I’d need to take out a troll in my current state. It might drain me completely and I’m still healing.

“That was a wild one, insect. Want to take bets on whether we end up grinding your bones for supper this evening?”

His taunt makes me pause and I stare at Vern for a moment. I thought that was just a fairytale humans told to scare their progeny. Trolls actually eat their enemies—even supes? Fucking gross.

“Mugs had the right idea, Vern. We’ll play with her first, then fry her wings for an appetizer. Bet they taste like chicken.”

I give Dingus a look of pure repulsion before I lift my palms again. The shot goes wild again, and I let out a frustrated screech. “You’re killing me, Smalls!”

“Who’s Smalls?” Vern asks as he drools all over his chest. “Is she high?”

What did I say? Dumb as a mother fucking rock.

Before I can remark on their lack of taste in movies, a loud crack booms through the sky and a bolt of red hellfire nails Vern between the eyes. I look at my hands in a panic, unsure if I’m completely on the fritz. Three powers I’ve never had appearing in one night are beyond weird and I don’t relish the karmic blowback from frying these fuckwads on my scorecard.

“Who dares to threaten someone under the protection of the Gemini?”

The thundering voice echoes in the stillness of our battleground, and when the twins land in front of me, I can smell the fear radiating from the would-be assassins.

Of course, they might have shit their pants; who knows?

“My brother asked you a question, asshole.” Damon glares at Dingus, only pausing for a moment before flicking a finger at the moaning lump that was Mugs. The blue flames surround him and within seconds, there’s nothing left but ash.

“D-Do you want our names or…?”

Angelo makes a scoffing sound as he folds his wings back and looks at me. “Why did it have to be trolls, Princess? They’re so fucking stupid.”

“No shit,” I mutter. “Zero witty repartee to work with.”

Vern opens his mouth, but Damon stalks over and literally rips his esophagus out with his bare hand, watching the body fall to the ground. “You know what? I don’t care. You touch her; you die.”

“Thank you for coming to our Dead Talk,” Angelo deadpans. Red hellfire appears at Dingus’ feet, swallowing him until he, too, is nothing more than dust in the wind.

Crossing my arms over my chest, I roll my eyes. “I had it handled, cavedemons.”

That’s when Damon strides across the grass, backing me into his brother as his hand wraps around my throat. “You don’t seem to understand, Sparkles.” My eyes widen as his fingers lightly pressure the sides, cutting off my airflow by the tiniest bit. “But you will soon.”

Angelo’s breath is hot against the tip of my ear as he murmurs low, “We told you from the beginning that what’s his is mine.”

Titania, Queen of the Fairies, what have I gotten myself into now?