Academy of the Elites: Broken Magic

by Alexis Calder

  Luka leaned down over me and slid his hands under my shirt. His touch was rough but welcome and he slid his hands around my back to unsnap my bra without any trouble.

  I sat up a little more, making it easier for him to slide my shirt off. He tossed my shirt aside while I threw off my bra. His hands were on my breasts in a heartbeat, caressing them.

  I moaned as he sucked one of my nipples into his mouth. With expert strokes of his tongue, he kissed and licked each nipple as he settled in between my thighs.

  Squirming, I shifted so I could work my skirt up around my waist, giving him better access. Suddenly, his hand was in my panties, his fingers working around the sensitive nub. Then he inserted a finger, instantly finding the place inside that made me gasp.

  All thoughts left my mind. I couldn't concentrate on anything other than the feel of Luka's fingers. I moaned, tossing my head back, enjoying every touch.

  Luka's lips pressed against my neck, sending a shiver of tingles down my spine. His every touch was electric.

  I could feel little sparks traveling up and down my skin as if I was covered in static electricity. My body tensed, heating as I gasped for air. Pleasure built low in my belly, working its way to a crescendo as Luka continued to pleasure me.

  Just as I was about to come, an alarm blared. I jumped back and Luka stopped what he was doing.

  Covering my ears against the wailing tone, I looked to Luka.

  "Fire alarm," he yelled as he tossed me my shirt.

  I threw it on and then re-covered my ears. Luka tugged on his pants and pulled a shirt over his head. Then he reached for my hand and led me out of his room.

  The hall was full of bewildered students. Each of them pausing outside their rooms to look down the hall. Finally, someone started walking toward the stairway and they all followed. Luka and I joined the crowd.

  All I could think was that there better be a damn fire.

  12

  Luka

  We'd been so close. So, so close. My cock ached, begging for release as I pulled Raven closer to me. A small crowd had gathered outside the dorms and surprisingly, I could see smoke coming from one of the upper floors.

  Even the vampires had crawled out of the basement. I shuddered at the sight of them. All dressed up for something in the depths. You'd think that vampires wouldn't bother me. I'd seen my share of scary shit in the depths of the underworld, but they didn't feed on death the way the vampires did.

  When I was young, I'd once walked in on a vampire as she was draining a victim. Unfortunately, for the vampire, the victim was a demon. I was accompanying my mom on a visit to a reform house for demons. One of her many charity projects that she ran to make her look better than she was. I was a kid, but already being groomed for the family business.

  When reports of a disturbance came from the landlord, my mom figured it would be a good learning experience.

  I never expected to find a blood covered naked vampire feeding on a sprawled out dead demon. It was weird shit. Especially for a kid.

  My mom hadn't hesitated in convicting and sentencing the vampire. She was staked right there in front of me.

  I thought about the stake I kept in my room. My mom had insisted I bring it with me. She wasn't fond of the fact that our dorms were in the same building as what she referred to as the leeches of the supernatural world but there wasn't much choice. This was the top school and if you got in, and you could afford it, you went.

  While I wanted to gain power and make my family proud, I knew I'd be handling things differently if I did accept the position. Being a prince in the underworld was hard enough without accepting the title. Once I stepped up into the role officially, I'd have the same authority my mother did. Judge, jury, and executioner all rolled into one.

  I glanced around and found Violet. I knew she spent time with Raven, and I knew Raven liked her. In fact, I'd made friends with several of the vampires here. I just didn't want to be in their dark basement ever. That was too much. I didn't want to know if they were doing anything illegal down there.

  Violet caught my eye and waved in our direction. I felt Raven turn toward her. She shifted in my arms, then looked up at me. "Let's go see if Violet knows what's going on."

  "Sure," I said.

  Raven slid out of my grip and I instantly felt like part of me had been cut out and removed. Every piece of my instincts was fighting me to grab her and drag her back to me.

  But she'd come to me tonight and she was ready. I'd waited this long. All I needed was a quite space to be alone with her and we could finally be together as we both wanted.

  I could finally get my cock inside of her.

  The thought made me clench my teeth. It was taking everything I had to force myself to wait. The scent of arousal still clung to her from our interlude and she'd felt so good under my touch.

  I needed her. As soon as they cleared the building, I had to get her back into my room.

  "You still coming to the party?" Violet asked.

  "What party?" I asked.

  Raven turned to me. "Violet invited me to a vampire party tonight. You should come with me. We can hang out together."

  "I'd rather hang out with just you," I said.

  She grinned. "I know. But we can finish what we started later."

  "Oh, did the fire alarm interrupt something?" Violet asked. "About damn time."

  I cocked an eyebrow. Was Raven talking about me to other girls? That had to be a good sign, right?

  "What's with this alarm anyway?" she asked.

  I glanced toward the building. The smoke I'd seen moments before was gone.

  "No idea," Violet said.

  "Hey, lover," Scarlett called. "They're saying we can go back in."

  "Come to the party, please," Violet said.

  I looked back at Raven. She seemed so happy about being invited to a party. Who was I to freak out about it? I mean, that crazy vamp encounter happened when I was a kid. I was sure they weren't hiding chained up humans in the basement. Probably.

  "Alright everyone, that's enough excitement for tonight," Dr. Green called out.

  I turned to see him coming out of the dorms. I didn't even know he was in there. My brow furrowed. He must have gone in to check out the fire alarm.

  Professor Halifax walked out behind him, her chin high and her sharp eyes darting around at all the gathered students.

  "You may go back to your rooms," Dr. Green said. "Except for Raven Winters."

  "What do you think happened?" she asked, looking up at me.

  My chest tightened as I noticed the flicker of fear in her bright green eyes. "I don't know."

  She took a deep breath and blew it out. "I really wish we were back in your room right now."

  I groaned, unable to control myself. "So do I."

  "Raincheck?" she asked.

  "Any time. Any place." I was trying to be playful, but I meant it. I was so ready to finish what we started.

  Dr. Green walked toward us as the students around us darted toward the door. I glanced down at Raven, who had to be freezing. Her nipples were showing through her white shirt. Fuck. I didn't grab her bra on her way out. I wished I had my sweater but giving her a tee shirt wasn't going to do much good.

  "Ms. Winters," Dr. Green said. "Sorry to interrupt your evening plans, but I'm afraid we have to have a chat."

  "What happened?" she asked.

  Dr. Green glanced over at me, then back at Raven.

  "You might as well just say it," she said. "I'll tell him whatever it is anyway."

  Dr. Green frowned. "Fine. The alarm that went off was set off by someone inside the demon dorm manually."

  "Sounds like someone pulling a prank," I said.

  Dr. Green shook his head. "Professor Halifax couldn't match the magic with any species of supernatural we have on campus. It came back as fae magic."

  My brow furrowed. "Isn't Professor Halifax fae?" I asked. It had never been said out loud but that was the only explanation for her appea
rance and her abilities.

  Dr. Green cocked an eyebrow. "Are you suggesting one of our faculty came into a student dorm and pulled the fire alarm?"

  My face heated. "No, that doesn't make any sense."

  "I don't understand what all this has to do with me," Raven said.

  Dr. Green sighed. "We have reports of several more government officials who have been found dead, all their magic drained. One of them was fae."

  Raven looked like she'd seen a ghost. Her already pale features washed out completely. She honestly looked like she was going to throw up.

  "Raven?" I asked.

  "You're saying the thief was here, aren't you?" Raven asked, finally.

  "It can't be," I said. "How would she get in? Don't you have security at this school?"

  "Watch your tone, Mr. Drake."

  I pressed my lips into an angry line. They were supposed to be protecting Raven, not letting the crazy Thief who was trying to kill her gain entry to our school. This place was supposed to be the best there was.

  "How did she get in?" Raven asked.

  Dr. Green shifted, his gaze downcast.

  "How?" Raven repeated.

  "One of our guards left his post ten minutes before the alarm was pulled. He left the gate open and removed the wards," Dr. Green said.

  I felt numb and betrayed. Grabbing hold of Raven's hand, I pulled her closer to me. She didn't resist and leaned up against my chest.

  "What does that mean?" she asked.

  "It means you're no longer leaving the main building. You have to stay in the castle all the time. The wards on that building can only be broken by me. You'll be safe there."

  "That's what you said last time," I mumbled.

  Dr. Green shot me a glare. "She will be safe."

  I swallowed hard. This changed things. "You have to get your magic back now."

  She nodded. "I need to see Zach and Matt. They might be able to help me."

  "The Obscura twins?" Dr. Green asked.

  "We did a magic meld before and we connected somehow. I think maybe they could help me bring it back," she said.

  "I should have known there was something going on with you and that family," Dr. Green said.

  "What do you mean?" Raven asked.

  "They're the ones who have been paying your tuition." Dr. Green started to walk away, then stopped and looked back at us. "Get in the building. And stay there."

  13

  Raven

  I paced my room as a rush of tangled emotions flooded through me. I was stuck here, without my magic and without any way out. It was possible my magic could return on its own. It was possible it would never return. Add in the fact that the thief was still after me and when I could defend myself, I was punished for doing so.

  I stopped walking and glared at the book on my desk. It had told me that if I could unlock any of my magic, it could all come back. I wished I'd shown the book to Luka. Maybe he could have found something in there that I'd missed.

  I was seriously regretting telling him I wanted to be alone.

  If the thief was on campus, if she'd broken into the demon dorm, I was pretty much screwed anyway. Plus, there was that whole thing about one of the school's guards letting her in. I had my doubts that the wards at the school would keep me safe.

  And why the hell would she pull the fire alarm? What if she wasn't here and it was some kid with fae heritage who pulled it?

  I ran a hand through my hair and worked my fingers through the tangles. None of this made sense. And I was getting frustrated.

  I should be at a party right now. Making friends and trying to fit in to this place. Instead, I was pouting alone in my room.

  Doing what I was supposed to do hadn't helped. Going to classes hadn't helped. I was getting tired of always doing the right thing. Besides, I was starting to think I was screwed no matter what I did. The two times I'd used magic to defend myself, I'd gotten in trouble. Now that I didn't have magic, I was defenseless. I was fucked either way.

  Before I could change my mind, I ran into my giant closet and tugged one of the little black dresses off the hanger. Quickly, I changed clothes and pulled on some knee-high boots.

  As soon as I shrugged on the black leather jacket all of my worries slipped away. If I was going down anyway, I might as well have some fun before I did.

  I felt like a spring wound too tight. And I knew if I didn't let off some steam, I was going to snap. A party with a bunch of vampires sounded like just the right amount of debauchery to get this out of my system. Nobody expected me to leave the school. I could sneak out and sneak back in two hours. Get it out of my system and settle into my house arrest tomorrow.

  Feeling confident in my decision, I left my room and quietly walked down the hall. Thankfully, the common room was empty. Everyone was probably out doing fun things. Or at dinner.

  I wondered if I was going to be too early for the party but now wasn't the time to second guess that. Worst case, I'd hang out with Violet a bit then come back here.

  As I walked through the halls of the school, I passed students who were on their way to various Friday night activities or heading into town. Nobody stopped to ask me where I was going. Keeping my chin up, I powered through as if I was on a mission. I'd learned over the years that you got a lot less questions if you pretended you knew exactly what you were doing.

  As soon as I slipped through the main doors and the cold air greeted me, I felt liberated. I took a deep breath, the cool air sending a welcome shiver. I was out and I was free, for now. Tonight, I just wanted to be a normal student, whatever that meant.

  I wanted to forget about the thief, forget about my missing magic, and forget about my past. I wanted to embrace the present and live my life without worry.

  I'd never been in the vampire dorm, but I knew they had a basement entrance on the opposite end of the demon dorm. Their entrance went straight down to the basement from what I'd heard.

  I slipped into the door and found myself on a dark staircase much like the one that led to my dorm in the dungeon. Like the dungeon, the hallway was lined with flickering magical torches.

  Their wall was finished, beautiful brick, though. Whereas the walls on our stairs were coarse, damp rock.

  I frowned at the reminder of how poorly the shifters were treated. The thought solidified the fact that I didn't want to spend time with the other mages on campus. Aside from the twins, none of them had been welcoming. Plus, there was that whole shifter whore thing that was going around.

  The thought of Ben made my throat tighten. He still wasn't talking to me and when we passed in the halls or saw each other in class, he ignored me. It was like a knife to the heart every time I saw him. I kept hoping he'd get over whatever anger he had toward me with time, but it had been weeks.

  If not for the distractions with Luka and the research, I'd have probably barged in on him in his room and demanded answers. It was only a matter of time at this point, though. I was feeling reckless and that streak of rebellion rising up in me felt good.

  If I was facing another upcoming attack without any magic, what the hell did I have to lose? Maybe I'd go pound on his door when I left here. Or maybe I'd go right to Luka's room instead and finish what we started earlier.

  For a second, my memory flashed to Luka and me in his bed. His mouth on my nipple, his fingers inside me. Then, the mental image shifted and instead of Luka, it was Ben.

  My eyes widened in surprise and I shook the thought from my head. I hadn't even spoken to him in weeks, where had that come from?

  The stairs ended in a long, dark hallway. Thumping bass vibrated the ground and I knew I wasn't too early for the party. Ahead, I could see colored lights dancing on the walls.

  I moved toward the sights and sounds of the party and ended up in a large room that was probably their common room. Only they didn't have any couches or chairs. Instead, it was a massive open space. Other than the green and purple lights that moved along the walls, the room was as dark as a
night club. And the music was just as loud.

  Probably a hundred people filled the room, moving and dancing to the music. Most of the ladies were dressed like me in little black dresses. Some of them were in bras and underwear. A couple were wearing nothing at all.

  There was a rhythm to the movement I'd never seen at a club or party before. Nobody seemed to be in couples. The dancing was free flowing, with people moving from partner to partner without regard for who they were dancing with. A man in cutoff jeans shorts grinded against a woman in a pink bunny onesie. A woman in a bra and underwear was chest to chest with a woman in a little black dress. A couple of men in school uniforms slow danced with their arms around each other.

  As I watched, the music changed rhythm and everyone moved, finding a new partner and resumed their dance, unfazed by the change. It was freeing to see. Nobody here was worried about the details. They only wanted to dance.

  "You made it!"

  I looked over to see a breathless Violet in a black slip dress. A streak of red was smeared on her mouth and cheek and her fangs, which were usually retracted, were on full display.

  "I made it." I gestured to her face. "Looks like you already had dinner."

  Her eyes widened and she quickly retracted her fangs then wiped her face with the back of her hand. "I'm so sorry you had to see that."

  I shrugged. "It's not like I don't know what you eat."

  "Well, you don't," she said. "Not really."

  "What do you mean? Don't you drink blood?"

  "Sure," she said. "But we're supposed to stick to the synthetic stuff from Japan or the donor bags."

  I glanced around the room again as realization dawned on me. Sure enough in the back of the room, along the wall were several couches I'd missed at first glance. People were making out on them. Only, I was pretty sure they weren't actually making out. When I looked closer, I could tell they were feeding.

  "They're all willing, I assure you," Violet said. "And I'm told it's actually very pleasurable. Most of them sit there and orgasm the whole time we feed."