He gave me a look of resolve and a faint nod. Hang in there.
I nodded back.
Then I heard the other cage creak open and I turned around so fast I almost tripped on my own feet. “Firian…!”
He was able to step out of the cage but was still on a leash.
The blonde witch who was apparently my great-aunt had opened the cage. She gave me a stern look and flicked her wand at Firian. “Rester un renard pour toujours!” Bands of glittery golden magic wrapped around Firian’s ankles. He tried to escape and she yanked on the leash, holding him there.
He made a strained sound of anguish as the magic locked around him. I could see he was trying to fight, but he was helpless against the witch, who kept repeating the spell, sounding more angry with every word. I twisted the ring he had placed on my finger three days ago. The spell exploded into sparks around his feet and he slumped to his belly, looking lethargic.
She thrust his leash at me. “He fought me,” she said. “But now he is a fox forever, as he should be. He will help you control your magic. Nothing more.”
“I—I never asked him for more.” I took it. I was shaking all over. I knew I couldn’t reveal how much Firian meant to me.
As soon as she turned away, I dropped to Firian’s side and tore the collar off his neck. I ruffled my hands through the fur there, erasing the indent the collar left behind. “Firian…did they hurt you? Can you speak?”
“I can,” he said. “But maybe I shouldn’t.” His soft head backed up out of my hands. He shook himself off a little and then vanished into Etherium before I could say another word.
“Firian…” A lump rose into my throat. I gripped my wand in my hand and Montague was there to offer a hand, but he was very quiet, his expression not just dark but bordering on murderous.
“Miss Byrne.” Master Nicolescu came up to me. “Well, it’s been quite a day but I’m glad you’ll be remaining here at my school. I’m glad to meet you. I apologize for all of this. I certainly think there is still a chance for you to live up to the Caruthers name.”
“I’ll be happy if I can live up to Master Blair’s hopes for me,” I said, unable to hide my contempt as I briefly glanced at him.
Harris was standing with us too, and his cousin’s attention shifted his way next. “Harris, I heard you broke up with Daisy. She went a little nuts, didn’t she? Hope the poor girl’s okay. Probably a good decision on your end.”
“I hope she’s all right,” Harris said.
“Have any of you seen Professor Jablonsky?”
“No,” Harris said.
“That is certainly strange,” Professor Nicolescu said, narrowing his eyes. “Well, we’ll all talk later.”
The crowds were breaking up. I saw Master Blair sitting in the back of an idling car as the warlocks huddled together in discussion before leaving. The witches were already departing, somewhat huffily. The kids who always kissed up were trying to catch Master Nicolescu and kiss up to him, while our professors were trying to calm other students down.
I couldn’t take this anymore. I ran for Lancelot House and the tears wouldn’t stop.
Chapter Forty-One
Charlotte
I burst into the bedroom and mashed my face straight into a pillow. I didn’t breathe for a minute. Then I lifted up my face and dragged in a long sob.
They took Firian from me. They used his love for me to trick him, and then they humiliated him…
I was torn between despair and rage. I had been focusing on the Withered Lord and my mom, but now I thought I hated the council even more.
‘Ethereal’ my ass!
Montague and Alec ran in after me. “Charlotte!”
I was still just…sobbing. “I’m sorry,” I choked out before getting back to it.
“You have nothing to be sorry about,” Montague said, and I noticed his teeth had gone full fang. “I could kill those—”
Alec gripped his hand. “We have to keep our tempers if we want to get through this new…situation.”
“Will Firian ever be able to…be a person again?”
“Yes,” Alec said. “Every spell can be undone. We’re in this together, okay?” He wrapped his hand around mine.
We were jolted apart.
When I saw him reach for me, for a moment I forgot he couldn’t touch me, and obviously he forgot too. He wanted to protect me from this pain so badly. Montague ran a hand over my head and pulled me against his chest. He wiped some tears off my face with the back of his hand.
“Alec’s right,” he said. “Unfortunately, because I do want to kill them right now. But we are in it together.”
Alec rubbed his hand. He must have gotten a pretty bad jolt from how firmly he tried to grip me. His nostrils flared. “I can’t do it anymore.”
“Alec—”
“I need to hold you,” Alec said. “I need to touch you. How can I comfort and protect my woman if I can’t even take her hand when she’s crying? And how can I fight for her without my full strength?” He took out his wand and started tracing the tattoos on his arms.
“Freyja, my lady of desire, this is not my curse to break but all curses of passion are yours to unweave, and I beg for you to do so.” He reached for a drawer of his nightstand, rummaged somewhat impatiently, and took out a feather, which he set on fire. “Let me touch her in all ways!”
My eyes widened. Should I stop him?
I didn’t want to stop him.
Alec turned to us. Fire raced along his tattoos and lit up his eyes briefly as his entire body briefly seemed to glow.
Wow. This was Alec 2.0. He was hot before but now he seemed like he was brighter, stronger, unfettered by the spell that held his incubus powers back.
The fire and glow faded away, but the sense of greater power remained. He reached for my hands and took them in his own.
His hands were so big and warm. I felt instantly soothed.
“Charlotte,” he said. “I swear to you that we will keep you safe and we’ll save Firian, too.” He ran his thumbs over the tops of my hands. “The dreams were good. This is a hundred times better. I feel like I could do anything for you just from the touch of your skin. I’ve touched other women, and it was nothing like this. My mom was wrong. It isn’t better to mate with hundreds of different people. It’s better to know you.”
“Alec…!” I flung myself into his arms, the rock-hard solidity of his chest. It soothed me and it also turned me on even though I was worried about Firian, so I felt bad about how frisky I was feeling.
Of course, I was also getting pummeled by raw incubus magic. I popped the buttons of his shirt. “Oh my god, what am I doing and why can’t I stop doing it,” I murmured as I moved to his pants.
“Don’t stop,” Alec said. He looked at Montague. “Monty…”
“Go for it,” Montague said. “You’ve been patient.”
“I’ve been patient too,” I said, as I tore off Alec’s pants and underwear almost at the same time.
“You have hardly been patient,” Alec said, holding up my hand. “You’ve been busy.” He unbuttoned my pants, hooked two fingers around them and my panties and yanked them both down in one move while shoving me down onto the bed. “And now it’s my turn and I have a lot to claim. You are already so wet for me. What a good…little…witch…” He marked every word with a kiss to my wrist…my arm…the crook of my elbow. He had shoved my sleeve up my arm as he went.
He climbed on top of me and I had a moment of anxiety when I realized he was going for it, and it was one thing dreaming about a well hung man when he couldn’t touch you but I had never had anything like that inside me.
He wasn’t going to be gentle. I knew that. Unless I screamed or something.
I bit down on my lip and decided I was going to take it.
He thrust into me in one stroke and reader, I took it.
“Oh, fuck, you are thick…go slow,” I said. “Mmm…”
“Worth the wait? You’re doing great, Charlotte. Look
at me inside of you.” He sat up enough that I could see my pussy spread around his big cock. Damn, that was hot.
Montague dragged a hand down his cheek. “This is…getting me so hard. Leave something for me, Alec.”
“You are so beautiful,” Alec said. “I want to devote every moment to your happiness, Charlotte.”
“Easy to say when you’re pounding me,” I gasped, although he really was just slowly rocking me a little at this point, getting me used to his size and making his way a little deeper in.
“No, I mean it. I really did want to wait for you this whole time. I wanted to make sure I really loved you. That it wasn’t just about this. But we both need this now.”
“We do. Yeah. We do. Four years…is too long.”
“I want you to do something else for me,” he said.
“What?”
“I want you to suck Monty’s cock while I pleasure you,” he said. “So everyone’s enjoying themselves.”
I had never really gone there before, but right now, if Alec asked me to do anything I felt like I’d be happy to do it.
Well, maybe not anything. Who knows how crazy the imagination of an incubus could get. But that? Okay. I could do that. Firian certainly gave me the pleasure often enough.
“Monty,” Alec said. “Maybe you should lay down next to her and she can turn her head sideways. That way I can still touch her breasts.”
“And…you’re going to watch us?” Montague said.
“Yes. I am,” Alec said firmly. “But I’ll be looking at Charlotte more than you.”
“Okay,” Montague said.
And that was that, I guess. I was glad that whatever awkwardness they felt, they decided this was not the time to hash it out, because I was starting to adjust to Alec’s size and I needed to feel more of him. Even when he was barely moving, he seemed to hit every spot that existed even as he was almost painfully big. Pain and pleasure mingled, my center growing hot and wet even as the two of them spoke. And he was going to touch my breasts too? I was going to lose it.
“Go slow,” I breathed again, as Montague climbed into bed beside me. I reached for his cock eagerly. I was already getting so overstimulated that I wanted something to do, and the groan of satisfaction that he made when I wrapped my lips around the head only spurred me on.
Alec pulled out of me slowly, almost to the head. He wasn’t just thick but also long. The friction of the long shaft withdrawing from the tight space—oh shit. More pain and pleasure. I licked and sucked on Montague and his cock trembled in my mouth.
Just as Alec was almost out, he thrust back in, rocking my whole body. “Mmnn,” I moaned.
Montague stroked my head. “So good, Char. So hot.”
Alec stroked in and out again and now he wrapped both of his strong hands around my breasts and kneaded them gently, treasuring the shape and weight of them. In and out, grazing every nerve in my core. I shut my eyes now and then only to open them because both of these men were so gorgeous and feeling such desire for me.
Alec slowly went faster, reading my own cues and I tightened my sheath against him and twitched my hips encouragingly, and as he sped up, he went from kneading my breasts to pinching my nipples. I started just exploding with a climax. It hit me like nothing I’d ever experienced. I had to stop pleasuring Monty because I was screaming as I rode it out.
Alec was fucking me hard now, wringing everything out of me, and he slammed his mouth into mine at the final moment, as I was seeing stars like my body was breaking into a thousand pieces for him.
“Shit…here I go…Char…you’re blowing my mind…”
I was so happily exhausted I almost passed out. Like, I felt like I was fainting in slow motion. Everything just got soft and relaxed.
“You didn’t use a condom,” Montague said. “So you’d better cast a spell for that.”
“I will. I’ve got magic to spare after that.”
I forced myself to stay awake and I put my mouth on Montague again. I was determined not to leave him hanging.
He let out a little grunt of deep satisfaction and settled back into it. He was already close. I got him there and then he seemed to sense that I was a little freaked out once he started ejaculating in my mouth so he finished on my breasts.
I let out a sigh. “Thank you,” I said. “That helped. With Firian…like he is…and all the stuff with Blair…I just want to be in oblivion.”
“Only now and then,” Montague said. “We have to fight this. But not today.”
They both slipped rings on my fingers.
“I have to buy more rings,” Alec said. “A lot more.”
“No more than seven,” Montague said. “She takes them off at the end of the week and you still have to be a warlock.” When Alec paused, he said, “That was the original plan, right? You police my fangs and I police your dick?”
“It’s called the Incubuster,” I said. “I dub thee the Incubuster 5000.” I might have been a little drunk on Alec vibes.
“Right. Yes. It’s a…plan,” Alec said. He looked at me like he was already ready for seconds. “I’ll make the spell for the…birth control. Sorry, Char.”
“It’s okay,” I said. “Is there a magical birth control pill I can take? Because…I’d better look into it. Montague and Firian weren’t much risk.”
“Yes, there is. We’ll figure that out.”
I kind of collapsed into a warm bath and changed into my fox pajamas, which I now regretted buying. When I came out, Alec and Montague were fully clothed and having a heavy discussion over coffee. I marveled briefly over how quickly they could transform back and forth from naked sex gods to serious-looking dudes in suits. Both equally alluring to me, I might add.
Although now the fox pajamas seemed even more inappropriate.
They looked up. “We got a message,” Alec said, holding out a paper to me.
When you get an opportunity to slip away, you’ll find me at the Wyrd tree. —Stu
Chapter Forty-Two
Charlotte
Stuart was living out in the woods waiting for us? I hoped he was patient. Slipping away without notice wasn’t easy.
It was immediately clear that life would be different at Merlin College under Master Nicolescu. He gathered us all for an assembly to introduce himself.
“My name is Piers Nicolescu. You already know my promising young cousin Harrison. He might take my place on the council someday, ha ha ha.” He waved a thin, pale hand at Harris, who looked like he might be hating this more than anyone. “I’m kidding, of course. I am the youngest warlock on the council, as you all know.
“Now, our first order of business, we have a new professor of necromancy. This is Professor Pacetti.”
“Professor McGuinness is gone?” I whispered.
“Good afternoon, everyone, I am Professor Pacetti, you might have heard of me. If you haven’t, let me tell you, I don’t tolerate any funny business. Okay?”
“Have y’all heard of him?” I whispered.
“Um…no,” Montague said. “I don’t think anyone has.”
The rest of the professors seemed to be remaining in their positions, but Professor Adams looked like he’d sucked on a lemon watching Master Nicolescu.
“We also have a new chef,” Master Nicolescu said. “Chef Morris specializes in wholesome food and optimal magical diets. The current selections will be replaced with a prix fixe menu.”
“What if we have allergies?” someone called.
“We have a treatment for allergies, thank you,” Master Nicolescu said. “Our vampire student will pick up his blood in the infirmary going forward.”
Montague’s expression turned from exasperated to furious. At least the old chef made the blood into something that almost looked appetizing to everyone so he could eat with the rest of us.
There was also a curfew now, an increased staff of school guards so they could not just watch over the gates but also the campus itself, and we were promised in the new year we could look for
ward to a “fresh curriculum” and a “new system of punishment and reward” which could not sound more ominous.
And then, he said, “There will also be a new rule for all faculty. Since it seems that there is a woman here and the place hasn’t fallen apart…the council has agreed that wives are now allowed on campus. So if you see my bride-to-be here next year, be good, boys. She’s mine.” He laugh-sneered.
I saw all the old professors looking confused.
“Oh my god,” Harris said, clutching his head.
“What?”
He shook his head and started walking over to catch Master Nicolescu. The rest of us followed because we were nosy, obviously. “I didn’t know you were married, Piers.”
“Oh, not yet.” Piers gave him a look of cruel satisfaction. “It’s in the planning stages. I’m sure you will hear about it soon.”
“Who is it?” Harris’ teeth were gritted.
“Daisy. Her grandmother wanted to send her to the Haven for rehabilitation after you broke up with her and she—had a breakdown, I heard. But we worked things out. Perhaps she needs a man to handle her, not a youth.”
“You’re twice her age.” Harris was trying to stay composed.
“I’m sorry. What did you say? I am a member of the council and the dean of Merlin College and unlike you, I know a good catch when I see one? Oh, no. That’s what Ermengarde Pendleton said. You said something irrelevant. Good day, cousin.”
As his cousin strolled off (both Nicolescus had the same arrogant stroll), Harris said to the rest of us, “Can we talk?”
“Of course,” I said. “We all need dinner.”
“I don’t know Piers that well,” Harris said, once we all had drinks. “At big family gatherings he was an off age for me to talk to him. But he’s one of the family golden boys, as you might expect. And I do have one clear memory of him. It’s…uh…it was also the first time I saw Daisy. It was the National Magical Conference. I’d met her the day before and she was very memorable, in a Daisy sort of way. You know what I mean. He was engaged to a relative of Daisy’s. A second cousin or something. Close to his age and less important because she wasn’t in line for the big Pendleton family prize. Daisy was thirteen.”
A Witch Among Warlocks: The Complete Series Box Set Page 49