Page 65 of Foxes of Legend

“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.

39

Dove

“I’ve given the four of you plenty of time, Seven. Now, come to my office or I will be forced to use the measures that my position affords me.”

The Archfox didn’t sound happy as Seven kept his feet up on the coffee table, his eyes focused on the muted TV as everyone could hear the Archfox yelling through the speaker.

“Are you there? This is serious, Seven. Dove needs to be prepared—”

“Leave our Fated out of this,” Seven said suddenly, one of the only times he’d bothered to respond to the Archfox at all in several minutes.

“She is the key to all this. I’ve given a week for her to recover and for you to bond with her. That’s more than fair. Is she there right now? Hand over the phone to Dove. Let her make this decision for herself.”

Seven’s eyes went back to that glazed-over look as he stared at the TV and ignored the order. I reached for the phone. Seven jumped to his feet, holding it over his head and easily out of my reach.

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