Fallen University: Year Three

“You picked up on him at the cave, right? So we just go back and pick up his trail again. Gavriel probably had his minions march Xero on foot. He’s sadistic like that. Just means we have to do the same thing. Track him the old fashioned way—no portal jumping.”

Oh, Jesus Christ. Thank fuck for these men.

I grabbed him and kissed him hard on the mouth. “You’re a genius.”

“Yeah.” He grinned, his emerald eyes half-hooded. “I know.”

I poked him in the side, then kissed him again for good measure. As a thank you. As a connection.

Just because I could.

“So let’s go back. Everybody ready for this?”

“Let’s do it,” Jayce said, shaking out his shoulders.

“Tracking always was my favorite part,” Kai said, his pupils shifting into slits as his vampire form rose to the surface.

I took a deep, calming breath.

Xero was still missing, still a captive of Gavriel. But I had my other men with me. They wouldn’t let me fall apart. More importantly, they wouldn’t let us fall apart.

We were going to do this together, even if we had to do it on foot.

Chapter Two

Kingston was right.

As soon as we returned to the cave where we’d left Xero when we returned to earth, I went back to the spot where I had originally picked up the pull toward him. Immediately, the gentle tug flared to life inside my belly again.

The pull dragged us through the wilderness for weeks. It was slow going though, navigating the wild landscape and trying not to lose our bearings.

After fourteen days, the city didn’t look any closer than it had before, although we’d covered a lot of ground. I wasn’t even sure that it would be our final destination. I had no idea how close or far away Xero was; I just knew when I went in the wrong direction, it hurt.

We hadn’t brought provisions this time, but our first time in the underworld had lowered our standards significantly. I lived on love—literally. Kai lived on me, and the occasional small underworld rodent, although he kept those to a minimum; he didn’t want to accidentally go feral again.

Kingston and Jayce both hunted and ate in their demon forms, but quickly discovered that morphing back into their human forms too quickly after eating turned their stomachs. Meals were saved for the end of the day because of it, so they could eat and sleep in demon form and wake up refreshed and nourished the following day. We got used to the pattern, but it wasn’t exactly cheerful.

It was hardest on Jayce, I think. Not the feeding my succubus powers part—he loved that as much as always, especially with a gentle nudge or two from me to break him out of his funk. But he was tired of death and killing to survive. It hurt his gentle hippie soul, and I did whatever I could to comfort him. Whenever I had the presence of mind to do that anyway.

As we neared our third week of searching for Xero, we trekked across the wasteland one afternoon as the dull red sun shone down from high overhead. Harpies screamed in the distance like vultures. Red dust kicked up around our ankles with every step, and there wasn’t a bit of shade or comfortable ground to be found anywhere. I followed the pull toward Xero blindly, barely paying attention to my surroundings. It took all my energy just to maintain the connection with him.

My muscles were weak. Every breath was a struggle.

I stumbled over a rock and nearly went down, but Jayce caught my elbow.

“Hey! You okay?” His cobalt eyes looked stunning in the ruddy light, I noticed dizzily.

“Yes,” I lied, my tongue feeling numb and too thick as I spoke. The truth was, I was feeling shittier and shittier by the day. I had never been this far from any of my guys for this long. Even when Kai had been ignoring me, he was still around. Still within the walls of Fallen University and in range of my feelers.

Xero was just—gone. He was so far away that moving a foot in the wrong direction felt like ripping my own heart out. His absence was killing me.

Jayce’s brow furrowed, and I could tell he didn’t believe me for a second.

He jerked his head at Kingston, gesturing for him to come over as he wrapped his arms around me.

I slumped against Jayce’s chest, sucking his sea foam scent in like it was fresh earth air. Kingston crowded near my other side, and I clenched his shirt in one fist, drawing him even closer.

Help me. Save me.