Academy of the Elites: Broken Magic

by Alexis Calder

  I laughed with Makayla, trying to blow it off but my mind had already gone to picturing Ben's tongue on my neck. I squeezed my thighs together. I wasn't the only one thinking that maybe this party could be the one where we finally break the sexual tension between the two of us.

  "Well, you get him a few drinks to lower his inhibitions first," I joked.

  "Raven Winters, are you trying to take advantage of my alpha?" she asked.

  "Maybe I am." I laughed and Makayla joined in. I might be attending the party late, but I'd still get to go, and I knew that no matter what happened, I'd have a good time.

  Professor Halifax was waiting for me when I walked into her classroom. I set my backpack down in my usual spot out of habit despite the fact that it was just the two of us.

  "Where are your partners?" she asked.

  "I'm not sure," I said. "I didn't see them at dinner."

  "You must start spending more time with mages," she said. "I do think it'll help your power return to full strength. We fae do better around our own. We feed from their power. That's part of why fae are so much more powerful in their realm."

  "Do you miss it?" I asked.

  She blinked, her large eyes searching my face in silence for a moment. "Of course. But there's no point in worrying over things you can't control."

  It was the first time I'd ever heard her speak about Faerie or about being fae. With her appearance, there was no way she could disguise what she was, but she had never come out and said it. This was the most personal she'd ever been with me.

  "Do you think you'll ever go back one day?" I asked.

  "Perhaps," she said. She looked like she was going to add something more but turned toward the door just as it opened.

  Matt and Zach walked in. They were both in jeans and tee shirts, having shed their school uniforms. And damn, they both looked amazing in their tight jeans.

  I pulled my gaze up from their jeans and looked at their faces. Their identical, handsome faces. They were both smiling, but Zach's smile was a bit more crooked than Matt's.

  I looked down for the freckle, and realized that for the first time, I'd identified them correctly without my cheat. The more I got to know them, the more I noticed their subtle differences. Matt was cockier and walked with a swagger that was different from Zach. Not that Zach wasn't cocky, he was. Just in a different way than his brother.

  "What are we working on tonight?" Matt asked.

  "I want to see what the three of you can do together with portal magic," she said.

  "Really?" Matt asked.

  Professor Halifax lifted her brows and gave him a look that seemed to dare him to question her.

  "Alright, let us know what to do," Zach said.

  19

  Raven

  "You two here," Professor Halifax pointed, "one on each side of her."

  The twins moved to either side of me. Zach on my right and Matt on my left. I wasn't sure where she was going with this, but I'd had some luck with lessons so far. If this was going to be the thing that finally unlocked my magic, I would go for it.

  "Stones?" Matt asked. "What are those for?"

  "Conduction," Professor Halifax said as she set the stones in a circle around the three of us.

  "Conducting what?" he asked.

  She set down a stone and looked up at him. "Do you want to help her get her magic back or not?"

  "I do," he said.

  "Then don't question the process," she said.

  "There's a process, Matt," Zach said, not hiding the sarcasm.

  "Your family might not allow us to fail you, but I can assure you that your mother would not be happy to hear you are not living up to her high standards," she said.

  "Can you two just trust her?" I asked. "When we tried this last time, she was able to find some of my magic. I even got a candle to light."

  "Without setting yourself on fire?" Zach asked.

  "What is with you today?" I asked.

  "Nothing," he said.

  "He's jealous," Matt said.

  "Of what?" I asked.

  "You sure spend a lot of time with that incubus," he said.

  "So?" I asked. "He's my friend. And you don't have any say over who I spend time with."

  "Can we get back to the lover's quarrel later?" Professor Halifax asked.

  "There's no lover's quarrel here," Zach and I said at the same time.

  Brow furrowed I looked on either side of me, wondering why the twins were being so strange today.

  That's when I noticed that there was a blue glow around the three of us. I'd been so busy watching Professor Halifax set up the stones that I didn't even notice that our magic had activated. Was the magic doing something to the twins?

  "Go ahead and hold hands," the professor said.

  Matt and Zach grabbed my hands and a rush of heat shot up my arms from the point of contact. My skin tingled and I felt more alive than I ever had before. Then the tingling sensation traveled to my core and I sucked in my lower lip, biting down to keep from moaning. What the hell?

  "Just as I suspected," Professor Halifax said. "The three of you formed a mage bond. You really shouldn't mess with magic you're not prepared for. I suppose we should be grateful for the fact that you did considering it's the best chance at helping Raven retrieve her magic, but it's going to keep you three bonded for the rest of your lives."

  "So it's real?" Matt asked.

  "It's real," she said.

  "What does that mean for us?" I asked, fighting against the sensual sensation of the twins’ magic caressing me.

  "It means you're experiencing a bond similar to a mating bond. It's rare in mages. The three of you are going to have a lot to talk about after this," she said. "For now, keep those libidos in check. Focus on the candles."

  I took a deep breath in, trying not to be too overwhelmed by all the sensations in my body. Apparently magic and sexual attraction were a dangerous combination. But there was no way in hell I was going to let it get to me while standing in a classroom.

  I looked at the candles in front of us. There were eight of them in a line at Professor Halifax's feet.

  "Raven needs to light these candles but she'll need your help. However, you need to focus on connecting to her magic and sending it through her. Don't use yours," Professor Halifax said.

  "Got it," Matt said.

  "Can do," Zach said.

  The warmth intensified in my hands and I felt the familiar shockwaves of magic as it filled my veins. Narrowing my eyes, I focused on the candles on the ground. I needed to find my magic and light them all.

  Behind the candles, I was vaguely aware of a sizzling sound but I ignored it, focusing on the wicks.

  Trying to send all other distractions away, I focused on the sound of my breathing and the feeling of my chest rising and falling. The harder I focused, the more clear things became. I felt like I was alone. Just me and the candles. Nothing else mattered. I couldn't hear anything else. I couldn't see anything else. I felt magic flowing through me, my hands acting as a conductor for the power.

  Urging the magic forward, I imagined the flames rising from each of the wicks, one at a time, down the row.

  Suddenly, the whole room went dark and I fell to the ground. Slowly, I blinked, adjusting to an odd weightless sensation. It was as if I was in a swimming pool, suspended in liquid.

  As my eyes adjusted, I noticed a row of lit candles in front of me. From somewhere far away, someone called my name.

  I looked up just as a hand grabbed me and pulled me up.

  All at once, the lights returned and I could breathe normally again. "What happened?"

  "You nearly opened the portal," Professor Halifax said.

  "I don't understand," I said.

  She smiled. "I made a tiny tear again to pull in some extra magic. It was too much. You're almost too strong with your mates."

  Brow furrowed, I looked at the row of candles. They were all happily flickering away. "I did that?"

 
She nodded. "You did."

  "Does that mean her magic is back?" Zach asked.

  "It's close," she said. "I can feel it just below the surface. She'll need something big to push her over that last edge to bring it out."

  "Like what?" I asked.

  "I have a few things in mind that we can try," Professor Halifax said. "But for now, you should get some rest. While your friends were supporting you, that was your magic being used."

  "She's right," Zach said. "I don't even feel like I used any magic."

  "You're helping her find hers," Professor Halifax said.

  "Thank you both," I said.

  "Maybe you should come back to our room with us for a while and rest where we can keep an eye on you," Matt said.

  "I don't think so," I said. "We might have some kind of bond, but it'll take more than that to get into my pants."

  "That's fair," Zach said.

  I smirked at him, reading between the lines. He was looking at me as a challenge and part of me was looking forward to making him work for it. Just because they were spoiled and cocky, didn't mean they didn't have a chance. Especially given that our magic was practically begging us to get it on. If anything, it would be a test of how long I could go before I broke.

  20

  Ben

  The Wolf Moon party was in full swing. Tomorrow night, we'd all be running in the woods in our shifted forms. It was the biggest night of the year for shifters. The Wolf Moon was almost impossible to resist. Many of us had our first shift on that night and as we got older, we still felt the pull. It was the one night of the year when shifters yielded to their feral side and ran free.

  It's probably where all the werewolf myths came from. The forced shifting on the full moon and all. Most of us had control, but the Wolf Moon could break the control of even the most reserved shifter.

  I had always credited myself on my ability to keep my emotions in check. The last few months had challenged me in ways I'd never experienced before with Raven.

  Leaving class to go to her aid, nearly attacking a student who insulted her, none of that was like me. And tonight, I was on edge. With the moon nearly full, it called to me. It called to my wolf. I knew I was the closest I'd been since I was a kid to losing myself to the monster within.

  I took a deep breath, trying to push the thoughts of Raven from my head. The school was empty tonight. Everyone was either at the party in the dungeons or out doing normal Friday night activities.

  Tomorrow, only the shifters would be out. It was too dangerous for non-shifters.

  I'd ducked out of the dorms so quickly, I didn't even catch wind of Raven's scent, but she had to be there. Where else would she be tonight? I was sure Makayla was with her and I was sure they were having a great time. Thank gods for Makayla. I'd trust her with my life and since she and Raven were inseparable, I knew she'd keep Raven safe.

  My wolf growled sending a low rumbling vibration through my chest. He wanted out. He felt the pull of the moon already. Not yet. That was the other part of Wolf Moon. We held off on shifting for the five nights prior. It was challenging, but that shift tomorrow night would be the most liberating feeling in the world.

  He growled again and my skin prickled as if someone was nearby. I glanced around the empty hallway. Dark classroom doors and a few emergency lights were all I saw.

  It was probably just the pull of the nearly full moon. I glanced at a clock on the wall. I had a few more hours to kill. Maybe I should go to the library. The trolls running it kept it open round the clock.

  I turned around and headed back the opposite direction. If nothing else, I could find a spot to take a nap. It might make the night go faster.

  Just when I'd convinced myself that a nap in a quiet corner was the perfect solution, I caught the distinct scent of honeydew laced with hints of burning sage. As soon as the roses hit me, I knew I was in trouble.

  There was only one person in the world who carried that scent and as I turned the corner, I was face to face with her.

  Raven's lips parted in surprise and she jumped. "You scared me."

  I could hear her heart racing. "I'm sorry."

  "It's okay, I'm glad it's you and not someone else," she said.

  "Were you expecting someone?" My wolf tensed, ready to take out any other male who might be a threat to our mate.

  "No," she said. "I was just walking back to my room."

  "You smell like magic," I said, then regretted it. Who says that?

  She smiled and cocked her head to the side. "You can smell my magic?"

  "Wolf thing," I said.

  "Wow," she said.

  "You're out late." I could smell another male on her. Two if I wasn't mistaken. It was taking every ounce of control I had to keep myself from pushing her up against the wall and taking her right here.

  "They're making me take extra lessons to get my magic back," she said. "Actually, I've been wanting to talk to you about that but you've been avoiding me."

  "I haven't been avoiding you," I said.

  "Liar," she said.

  "Fine," I said. "What did you want to know?"

  "How did you shift again?" She combed her fingers through her hair, a trait I'd noticed she did when she was nervous.

  I didn't like that I made her nervous. I was supposed to protect her. I was supposed to make her feel safe. I took a step back from her in case I was too close.

  "You did lose your magic for a while, right?" she asked, taking a step closer to me.

  My wolf clawed at my insides, desperate for release. Begging me to move closer to her. I wanted to feel her warm skin under my hands and my lips on hers. I wanted to slide my cock inside her. I wanted to claim her.

  Swallowing, I tried to ignore my desires. "Yes. I couldn't shift until that day in class. When I felt like you were in danger. I had to respond."

  "Why?" she asked, moving closer to me again.

  I could feel her body heat from here. She was too close. I was going to lose control.

  "Why did you do that and then stop talking to me?" She moved closer again. We were nearly touching now.

  I could smell her arousal. She was just as drawn to me as I was to her.

  "Raven, I can't," I said.

  She didn't respond, she stood there, staring at me with those green eyes. I couldn't take it anymore.

  With a growl, I advanced on her, pushing her up against the wall and boxing her in with my arms.

  I didn't wait. My body took over. All I could think about was making her mine.

  21

  Raven

  He moved so fast I didn't have time to react. Suddenly, I was against the wall and his mouth was on mine.

  Matching his force, I pressed my lips into his, my breathing already shallow. Everything about the kiss was passion laced with desperation. It was hungry and brutal and holy shit I was wet already.

  I couldn't deny that I'd wanted Ben from the moment I saw him. Everything felt so right. Our breaths in synch, our lips moving in rhythm, everything felt just as it should be.

  I felt one of his hands on the side of my head, pulling me even deeper into the kiss. I pressed my body against him, wanting more.

  He shoved me back against the wall, pinning me there with his hips. I could feel his erection through our clothes. The feel of him against me made my breathing even more rapid and I slid my tongue into his mouth, hungry for more.

  I laced my fingers in the tangles of his dark hair, pulling him down a little lower. He grabbed my wrist and tugged it away, moving it to the wall.

  Breaking free of the kiss, he pulled back so he could look at me. Using my free arm, I reached for him to bring his lips back to me. He grabbed my other wrist and held it against the wall, keeping me pinned in place.

  Panting, I looked up at him. "Why'd you stop?"

  He smirked, then he moved my wrists in front of me and used one hand to hold them in place. "I'm just getting started."

  His mouth was on mine again. His kisses almost pain
ful. I welcomed it, pressing back harder. My lips were swollen and his stubble scratched my face, but I couldn't stop. I didn't want to stop.

  Dropping my hands, he moved his hands around my waist, then lower to my ass. Without breaking the kiss, he lifted me and I wrapped my legs around his waist.

  Effortlessly, he carried me to the nearest classroom door, using one of his huge shoulders to push it open.

  He dropped me on the teacher's desk.

  My ass hit the desk hard, but I didn't care, I was already reaching for Ben's fly. He batted my hand away, grabbing hold of my wrists again and this time, pinning me down on the desk.

  I groaned in protest, lifting my head to try to nip at Ben's lips. He smirked down at me, unyielding in his hold on me. "You're not getting away this time."

  "I don't want to get away," I said.

  "That's what you say now," he said.

  "I think I can handle it," I said.

  He climbed on top of the desk, straddling me. Then he lowered his face and kissed my neck. He nipped me and I moaned. I never thought I'd be into that. In fact, this whole thing was something I never thought I'd be into, but I was up for him holding me down any time.

  I tried to lift myself enough to kiss him, but he pulled away again, sending a surge of frustration through me.

  "Not yet," he said.

  Still holding my wrists with one of his huge hands, he slid the other down my chest and down my hips to my upper thighs. Goosebumps spread across my skin as he tugged the skirt up around my waist.

  His fingers slid under the waistband of my black panties and he stopped before he got any deeper.

  I whined in frustration, bucking my hips in encouragement. In a single motion, he tore my panties off and tossed them aside.

  I gasped in surprise but it turned into another moan as his fingers found my clit. I lifted my hips, enjoying the sensation of his fingers on my body.

  Just as a finger entered me, he silenced my moans with a kiss. I pressed into him, my bruised lips still sore from the hallway. Releasing my arms, he started working on the buttons on my shirt.