by LJ Swallow
I stare in unblinking horror as Andrei storms from the room. Tobias watches him go too; his brow deeply creased.
“That was a bit extreme,” mumbles Jamie.
“He’s scared for Maeve,” replies Tobias.
“We all are, but we don’t behave like that,” says Jamie. “Every time there’s a crisis, Andrei loses his shit. The night you two disappeared, he attacked me.”
“What?” asks Tobias sharply.
“Not a vampire attack. Physical.”
With a sigh, Tobias takes the seat Andrei left and I stare at his face, wishing he’d kept his distance, because his scent intensifies my memories. “The death adds an extra complication,” he says.
“Complication? You should’ve been more careful,” Ash retorts. “Nikolai didn’t need to die.”
I left out the finer details about Nikolai’s death, including who killed him—but I did tell them about my anger, now reflected in Ash’s face when I tell him how close Nikolai came to assaulting me.
"Perhaps we’ll discuss other matters whilst Andrei isn't here. I believe we’re safe from the Blackwoods currently; if they reveal themselves, the Confederacy will learn more about them. I don't believe the family is prepared for that yet."
"How do you know?" asks Jamie.
He takes a deep breath and side glances me. "When I first arrived at the house, I spent time with Anastasia and the family. I didn't see or hear anything to suggest they wanted to leave their enclave yet."
"But Nikolai died," protests Jamie. "They'll want revenge."
"Eventually. The family have lost members before. Their revenge tends to be calculated and not knee jerk." He rubs his temples. "If they become involved in Dominion activities, the Blackwoods will use that opportunity to retaliate against Nikolai’s death."
"Why won’t they kill you as soon as they can? What makes you so important?" blurts Ash.
"Ash!" I protest. Tobias doesn't respond, but I catch his flash of irritation. "If anything, they're aware there's a connection between me and Tobias.”
Tobias isn’t telling them the truth—that the Blackwoods expect he’ll die without them getting their hands dirty. The curse will kill him before they do and with more pain than they could inflict.
“Have you experienced any ill effects since you returned here?” asks Tobias.
"Only that I'm having nightmares, and I've never had one in my life. In them, I'm trapped in places, trying to escape, and the walls are closing in." I chew my lip. "I hear a heartbeat too."
"Yours?" asks Tobias.
"I don't know. Maybe.”
Tobias wrinkles his nose. "I'm unsure what that means, if anything. The psychological damage you suffered from your captivity could have affected this part of your consciousness."
Captivity, as if I'm a wild animal. "Do you honestly believe that?"
"Tell me if you dream about anything else. These don't sound like visions.”
“They’re frightening,” I retort.
His expression softens. “I’m sorry. I’m worried about magic after-effects and if your magic energy feels... unusual.”
I glance at Jamie. He understands what Tobias means. Blackwood energy. “No. Nothing like that.”
“Good.” Tobias looks as if he wants to reach out to me but sits stiffly, angled away from me.
Jamie drinks from his mug and sets it on the table. "If we’re not worried about the Blackwoods for now, what do we do about the spy in the academy?" He pauses. "Because there definitely is one."
"Protect each other and watch," says Tobias simply. "Lorna had connections that led to her death. Perhaps others do. Apart from Theodora, we can’t eliminate anybody."
"And the visions Maeve had about the fire and the academy?" asks Jamie. "We need to delve further into those."
I straighten. "Trigger them?"
He bites his lip and nods. "I’ll help."
If I’m delving into visions, I want to delve into my memories. The scenes Gabriella planted in my mind—were those attacks on me by Andrei and Tobias from her magic, or visions? Tobias's loss of control two nights ago edges me closer to believing they could be.
"Sofia will want to be involved. Be careful," says Tobias.
"You think she's the spy?" I ask.
"As I said, we can't discount anybody. Ash—I need you to keep an eye on the kids influenced by Vincent. How they behave and if you think Vince has any contact with them."
"Vince wouldn't dare." Ash frowns deeply. "We're aware what he is. The Confederacy are too."
"We haven't seen the last of him," says Tobias. He gestures at Ash. "How are your scales? Have they disappeared yet?"
I blink at Tobias's blunt question and Ash glances at me—I've seen and touched his back recently. "No, but the patch hasn't grown."
Tobias looks between us. "Are you sure, Maeve? Did you look closely?"
Why is he looking at me with surprise?
"She did," says Ash. "If I'm away from Vince and keep my temper, I'll be fine."
Tobias pulls on his bottom lip. "Your shifter side is developing. When is your birthday? Soon? Is your family celebrating your coming of age or are they low-key?"
"I've had other things on my mind," he retorts to Tobias’s barrage of questions. "In a couple of months."
"Clive?"
"Sooner. Why?"
Tobias shakes his head. "I’m tracking what's happening with the older shifters."
“I wish Amelia came back with us,” says Jamie. “I’m worried about her—what if the Blackwoods know where to find her group?”
“I expect they’re low priority. I’m more concerned they will find a way into the academy.” Tobias chews his lip. “The academy wards are powerful, but that’s no guarantee.”
Perspiration breaks out along my back. “With help from whoever is on the inside.”
The cottage door opens and a sheepish Andrei slinks in and stands in the corner, resting against the wall. Tobias meets his eyes briefly and Andrei looks away.
Jamie isn't as subtle. "Have you considered joining Ash's meditation class, Andrei? The lessons could help with your anger management issues."
Andrei mutters something inaudible.
"He came back to the cottage," says Tobias. "That's what matters."
I attempt to catch Andrei's eye but fail.
"I'll continue my research tomorrow," announces Jamie. "I'm determined to find something about the academy's history."
"I think you’re wasting your time," says Ash. "You've spent hours looking and discovered nothing."
He pulls a sour face. "I sense something around the books. I'm unsure what, but there's bad energy."
"They're from a Victorian asylum," says Ash. "Of course, they hold bad shit. I've read the history books—I know what they did to people back then. My people. Where do you think the word ‘lunatic’ comes from?"
I look at him blankly.
"The moon was linked to insanity. The wolf shifters are influenced by the moon and a few suffered in places like this."
"Oh." I hadn't expected a history lesson tonight, but this adds to my certainty Jamie's research is a good idea.
"Okay. Jamie continues his research and Maeve explores her visions more. Ash, watch Gilgamesh for signs anything is wrong."
The silent Andrei makes a soft, amused sound. "Told you Tobias is the leader."
Tobias sighs heavily. "Andrei. You can keep an ear out in Petrescu for any Dominion sympathisers. All of us need to be on our guard."
"And you?" he asks.
"And I keep an eye on everything. The discontent in the academy is growing." He pauses when Jamie stifles a yawn. "You should sleep, Jamie. I don't believe you've fully recovered."
"Yeah, it's late," Ash says as he stands. "I'm headed back; I have rugby practice tomorrow."
The gathering breaks up, like a business meeting with matters closed, which is almost what we are. The knot in my stomach grew through the conversations, worse since my visions were mentio
ned. Away from the academy, they'd lessened, and I believe Jamie that there's something unsettling about the academy building. My visions told me that.
I glance over at Andrei, who watches me intently.
“I need to speak to you,” he mouths at me.
Chapter Forty-One
MAEVE
I take the mugs from the table into the kitchen and turn on the tap to rinse them. Andrei appears by my side and rests against the counter, silently looking at his shoes.
"Are you feeling better, grumpy?" I ask and flick water at him.
He wipes it from his cheek. "Sorry."
"You should apologise to everyone, not only me."
He lowers his voice as he points at the others preparing to leave. "I'm still freaked out by seeing my mother and discovering she's reconnecting with the Blackwoods. That’s bloody serious, and I didn't feel that anybody was listening to me in there."
"I understand." I set the rinsed mug on the drainer. "But try to stay level-headed."
He smirks from under his hair. "Yes, ma'am." Huffing, I flick more water at him, and Andrei cracks a smile for the first time since he arrived back. He grabs my wrist. "Don't."
"I can't wash these if you have hold of my wrist, Andrei."
Tobias ducks his head in the door and informs us he's leaving, giving us a cursory glance before he walks away. The cottage drops into silence as the front door closes. Andrei immediately takes my other wrist and pulls me towards him.
"I'm so fucking worried about you," he says. "I keep imagining you with them. My mother attacking you—and I don't believe you've been straight with me about Nikolai."
Downplaying Nikolai’s mental attack seemed the best idea; I want to forget and deny that dark magic doesn’t exist. "He didn’t touch me, Andrei. Not... like that."
"But he planned to." Andrei drops my wrists and strokes my cheek with the back of his hand, watching the movement. "If he did, I would've found the bastard and killed him."
"How do you think I'd feel if you died?" I whisper. "Because that's what would've happened if you attacked a Blackwood."
He wrinkles his nose. "Yet Tobias thinks he's safe. What's with that?"
"Who knows with Tobias? Probably another of his mysteries."
"Hmm. The guy has too many secrets."
I turn back to the sink, wanting to avoid the conversation. As I pick up another mug, Andrei pushes my hair to one side then wraps his arms around my waist. He presses his lips to the back of my neck, and I dip my head forward as he trails kisses slowly across the skin towards my collarbone. Hairs lift on my arms as the lingering kisses continue, and I drop the mug back into the sink as his teasing mouth and tongue distract me.
Andrei slips his hands beneath my shirt, and his light touch sparks against my skin. "Your breathing sounds strange," he whispers against my ear.
"So does yours," I murmur.
“That's because sometimes I can't breathe when I'm with you."
I turn in surprise at his words and rest my back against the counter, winding my arms around his neck. “I missed you.”
With a smile, his lips meet mine with the same sensual softness as on my neck, hand moving to the nape to hold me steady.
Kissing Andrei triggers a slow burn inside from the moment his lips touch mine. I constantly crave his touch, and the passion he returns matches mine, every time. We could lose ourselves in each other for a whole day, and I’d still want more.
Andrei grips my hair with his other hand, tugs my head back, and his kiss becomes stronger as he delves his tongue into my mouth. He pushes me harder against the counter and the urgency grows as I rapidly lose sight of how late in the night it is. Andrei sweeps his tongue against mine, and I surrender my control as the desire for Andrei pushes through my body; a body that's now aching for his attention and touch.
The counter is cool beneath me as Andrei lifts me up, and I wrap my legs around his waist. I clutch his back, digging my fingers into the lean muscle as I kiss him with the same need and hold tight. We should leave, but my mind fills with ideas about what could happen next.
Andrei slides his mouth from mine and nudges my ear. "I caught that image," he says, voice thick with shared desire.
"Stay out of my head," I murmur and tip my head back as he switches to kissing my neck again.
"That's not what kitchen counters should be used for," he says. "Or is that what you use them for in your human world?"
"Stop teasing.” I take a surprised breath as Andrei hitches my skirt and drags my hips closer to his.
Slipping my hand beneath his shirt, I run my fingers along his stomach, tracing the contours of his muscles. Andrei pushes up my shirt, hands rough against my skin as his lips move to the side of my neck, kissing my pulse point, nipping his way to my collarbone, breath coming in short bursts.
I shift against Andrei and his hand brushes the edge of my cotton bra. He groans as I arch myself into his hand, stroking me through the fabric. With this, he trips the switch on the lust I’ve fought uselessly to hold back. Kissing him harder, I unbutton Andrei’s shirt, smoothing my hands across his chest. Andrei pulls his mouth away and rests his forehead on mine.
“Do you trust me?” he whispers.
“I always trust you,” I say hoarsely.
I wriggle towards him, not wanting him to stop. Andrei puts his palms on my back and squashes my breasts against his chest. My hardened nipples touch his smooth, warm skin; a connection that's only the start of what my body wants from him. We collide mouths again, his heart hammering against mine in unison. Holding each other's heads, as if not wanting to let go, we kiss fiercely as we hurtle towards another moment where we step into the forbidden.
The place we find ourselves in within seconds.
The intensity of our passion when we’re together constantly burns between Andrei and me. The moment he touches my skin, the desire triggers. The second his mint-cool lips touch mine, common sense leaves. How much restraint does Andrei have when we’re together like this? I’m unsure I’d have the same, because every time, he drags me away from decorous Maeve into the girl who loves the taboo and surrenders to the thrill.
Andrei’s eyes always go to mine if his touch becomes harsher or I sense his control slipping. I recognise the struggle in his look now, and use the moment to whisper how I feel, how I trust, and how I love him. We’re more than the infatuated vampire who craves the witch’s blood. But without the heart-bursting emotional bond we’ve created between us, sex with Andrei could lead in a dangerous direction.
Andrei grips the counter either side of me, preventing himself bruising my skin, as he did once before. He'd reacted with anger and shame, despite me reassuring him I was okay. One small bruise, but to him, one step in a risky direction.
His arms shake and his kisses soften, but I'm a trembling, panting mess wrapped around him, and urge him away from restraint as I chase the high. Catching the thought, he holds me around the waist and curls one hand around the back of my neck, murmuring words that would shock the demure Maeve. I’m lost in him as Andrei drags me to the blinding edge, and the tension and fear that built up in the meeting washes away.
We’re there again, proving to each other and the world that something more can exist between a witch and vampire. We constantly crave each other with a need that overrides everything I should be cautious about.
The inexplicable and dangerous attraction has fused us in a frighteningly intense way.
Chapter Forty-Two
JAMIE
Maeve's imprisonment by the Blackwoods weighs heavy on her as we sit at breakfast. I watch her enjoying the chocolate muffin as I eat yoghurt and wish I could take away the tired, sad aura around her.
"Did you sleep?" I ask.
She licks crumbs from her lips and the action fires inappropriate thoughts for breakfast dates. "More nightmares."
When Maeve told us about the heartbeat last night, nobody knew what to say. She’s unused to dreaming and nightmares stick with peo
ple. She’s traumatised—this is how her mind is dealing with events. "The claustrophobic ones?"
"And the heartbeat. That freaks me out the most." She pauses. "This time, I was in a hallway that was more like a tunnel—grey stone either side and cold. The ceiling was pushing down on me, and I couldn't run fast enough."
She trembles and pales, the way she does if she has a vision. I shift my chair around and wrap an arm around her shoulders.
"The heartbeat—because I'm sure that's what it is— gets louder with each dream too. Last night the pounding wouldn't stop when I woke up." She pushes hair from her face and takes a sip of coffee.
"Can you hear the noise now?"
"No. The heartbeat stops when I wake up."
There’s one other unthinkable explanation—the Blackwoods put a spell on Maeve. What Maeve needs right now is time away from everything.
"Are you busy this afternoon?" I ask.
"I have the Magical History assignment, but that's not due until next week. Why?"
"I promised you a date, remember?" I'm cautious, stomach tightening that she might say no.
Maeve's worried face creases with a smile. "And I reminded you."
"How about today? We can head off campus for something to eat and watch a movie. One that’s nice, ordinary, and human-like."
"Rather than a scary, extraordinary, and supernatural-like movie?"
"But only if you want to go. If you're not too tired," I say and watch for her reaction. She smiles—that must mean something.
"Jamie!" She pokes me in the ribs. "I'd love to spend time with you away from the academy. I hope you've thoroughly researched where to eat and what to watch."
I roll my eyes in exaggeration at her teasing. "Superhero, horror, or chick flick?"
"Superhero. Not keen on the other two."
"I should've guessed you wouldn't be a chick flick kind of girl."
She pops more muffin into her mouth and shrugs. "I prefer action movies."
"Okay. Done deal." I kiss her soft cheek. "I've research to do this morning, but I'll meet you outside the main building at one?"