Shadow Magic: Year 3

by Alexa B. James

  “What are these for?” I ask, picking up the condom and letting the rest unroll. “Colored, flavored condoms?”

  He grins and grabs for them, but I hold them away.

  “I thought sorcerers had magic juju to keep from getting diseases. And you better not have gotten me preggo.”

  “Those are just for fun,” he says. “In case you wanted to taste the rainbow instead of my dick.”

  “Aww,” I say, leaning over to kiss him. “You’re so considerate. But you missed your chance of getting a blowjob tonight.”

  “Never say never, remember? The night is young, and I’m very convincing.”

  “That you are,” I agree with a laugh. “Now, feed this girl.”

  Note to self—eating a picnic in bed is the worst idea ever, especially when you and your partner are naked and trying not to sully new sheet set. We give up on using wine glasses, instead taking turns passing the bottle between us while lazily snacking on chocolate strawberries. Which, much to my delight, Rocco insists on feeding me between stolen kisses.

  “I’m not sure if you’re doing this to be romantic,” I begin while eyeing the next sugary delight just out of reach. “Or trying to fatten me up.”

  Rocco lets out a fake gasp, gently lowering the strawberry to my lips. “What? Would I do that?”

  I let out a snort in response, delicately biting the end of the strawberry as a burst of tang and bitter chocolate filled my mouth. “Um, yes.”

  “Just making sure you can keep up with me,” he says, rolling over so the curves of my stomach line up with his chiseled abs. The moment our skin touches, an electric pulse ripples through me. Cleo sings softly from my bedside table, obviously delighted by the amount of magic I’ve already given her tonight.

  “How are you hard again already?” I ask, feeling his rigid shaft biting into my belly.

  “Watching you eat those strawberries has got me all hot and bothered again,” he says, rubbing his nose back and forth across mine.

  “Then feed me some more.” I drape my leg over his midsection, shivering in delight at the sensation of perfectly muscled abs and the heat of his erection against the tender place between my thighs.

  “Mmm, maybe later,” he says, rolling his hips against mine.

  “Hey, not yet,” I say, pushing back against his chest.

  He draws back, a concerned furrow in his brow. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing.” I settle my head against his chest, relishing the sound of his steady, heavy heartbeat. “I’m just not recovered yet. You know, I didn’t know you’d store all this up for me. I would have understood if you were with other girls this summer.”

  He smirks down at me, looking somewhat bemused. “That sounds like a trap.”

  “I’m serious.” I shift myself in bed, managing to work my head underneath the crook of his neck. “Sure, I’d be jealous, but it’s only fair that our open-door policy goes both ways.”

  “Yeah, but I’m not the incarnation of the divine masculine,” Rocco points out. “As hard as that may be to believe.”

  I roll my eyes. “Hardly. I’m afraid you’re a regular old pig.”

  Rocco tickles me and lets out a series of pig snorts, sending us both into a fit of laughter. When we recover, he gives me that dimpled grin. “Sorry, but if you’re implying I’m a pig because I sleep around, then you’ll have to settle for being the only pig around here. I’m happy to save all my dickings for you.”

  “Since we’re being honest,” I begin, suddenly feeling nervous. “I want to tell you something.” I roll onto my side, using my arm to prop myself up so Rocco and I are eye-to-eye. “Before you and I became, well, us…” I bite my lip, finding this harder than expected. I told them I liked them all, but no one ever responded. Still, he knows I do.

  “Yes,” he says slowly, his eyes becoming a bit guarded.

  “When my magic was way out of my control…” I take a deep breath, steeling myself for this. “I slept with someone else,” I admit in a rush.

  “Oh.” Rocco rolls onto his back and stares up at the ceiling. I resist the urge to fill the silence with excuses and justifications. He’s been with lots of women, had sexual adventures that included threesomes and who knows what else. I shouldn’t have to feel guilty for being with one other man, especially since I was open about my desires all along.

  For a full minute, Rocco doesn’t say anything. His expression is unreadable, eyes faraway as he processes that information. My head is a mess as I wait for him to answer, to tell me what he’s thinking, how he’s feeling, if he sees me any differently.

  Finally, a smile breaks out across his face, and he pops back up onto his elbow, those delicious biceps of his on full display. “Yeah, I know.”

  “You know?” I demand.

  “Well, yeah. Your magic wasn’t exactly subtle about it.”

  I feel my face go red. Right. I’m sure everyone in a sixty-mile radius knew the exact moment I’d gotten laid. Probably right down to the second.

  Rocco strokes my hair back. “But hey. I’m not mad about it. I’m flattered that you see me as a candidate worthy of handling the magic of the High Priestess. That doesn’t mean I think I can handle it alone. My ego’s not that big.”

  “Are you sure about that?” I tease, so relieved he’s taking this well that I can’t help grinning my fool head off.

  “If you need to see other guys… I understand.”

  I don’t need magical powers to know which guys he’s thinking of. “Just for the sake of clarity,” I say. “It wasn’t Ryker.”

  “Hm, too bad,” he says. “He could use it. But yeah, I know it wasn’t him. Thanks for telling me, though.”

  I draw back a bit. “How do you know?”

  “First off, because you were a virgin, and Ryker doesn’t do virgins. And secondly, because you would have needed a wheelchair if he was your first. And third, because your first dick is the one you compare all others to, and my poor little soldier would never make you happy if you expected a Ryker every time.”

  “Awww.” I pat his cheek, grinning. “Does someone have penis envy?”

  Rocco takes my hand, fingers intertwining. “Maybe a little,” he admits.

  That takes me by surprise. I lean forward a bit, just enough to press my lips against his. “You’re still my number one,” I reassure. “And trust me when I say if it’s bigger than yours, I don’t want it anywhere near me.”

  “Well, at least I can break you in,” he says with a wicked grin. “I’m still counting on you luring him in with your magical pussy. The dude could really use a woman like you.”

  “And what kind of woman is that?” I ask, running my fingers over his expansive pecs.

  “Damn, this bed is a minefield,” he says, looking around in feigned alarm.

  I laugh and shove his shoulder. “Seriously.”

  Rocco sighs. “My brother doesn’t like to be challenged,” he says. “He likes to be top dog, and he likes everyone to know it. He’ll put you in your place real quick if you don’t show him you know your place is far below him.”

  “I gathered that,” I say, rolling my eyes.

  “I said he doesn’t like to be challenged,” Rocco says. “But that’s exactly why he needs to be challenged. And you, Cinderella, are a challenge.”

  “Well, I don’t think he’s ever going to chase after me, so I guess I’ll just have to challenge you instead,” I say. “And you won’t have to worry about him ruining me for other men.”

  “Good,” he says, wrapping an arm around my waist and nuzzling into my neck again. “It’s always nice to hear you’re the biggest a girl’s ever had.”

  “Who said you were the biggest?” I tease.

  His head pops up. “What? Who was it?”

  “Nope, not going there.” Damn it, why’d I go there? There’s no way I can tell him who it was. I could never risk Darius’s job that way.

  “Wow,” Rocco says. “Is it really that bad?”

  “No,�
�� I protest. “But I can’t tell you.”

  “Are you going to fuck him again?” he asks, a challenge in his voice.

  “Maybe,” I admit, biting my lip.

  “Then you better tell me,” he says. “And not for any silly, dick-comparing reasons, either. I have to know you’re safe. If you can’t tell me his name, how is that supposed to reassure me?”

  He has a point. Still, I can’t say it. I can’t get Darius in trouble. It physically hurts to think about keeping such a huge secret, but at the end of the day, I’m not the kind of girl to ruin someone’s career like that. And soon enough, we won’t have to keep it secret. Once I graduate, we can be together, and Rocco will laugh and call me crazy for being so overprotective. That’s just the kind of guy he is.

  “I promise you I’m safe with him,” I say, cupping his cheek in my palm. “I’m keeping the secret for his sake, not mine.”

  Rocco stares at me long and hard, as if hoping I’ll break under his gaze. But I’ve stared down a demoness and lived to tell the tale. My boyfriend isn’t going to break me. Eventually, he lets out a defeating sigh. “Then you care about him,” he says. “You’re protecting him.”

  “Of course I care about him,” I say. “If it didn’t mean anything, I wouldn’t sleep with him. I’m not the pig, remember?”

  He gives a little smile, but I can tell he’s just appeasing me. “Okay, okay.”

  “I’m not in danger,” I assure him. “He cares about me. I promise. If there’s one thing I learned growing up the way I did, it’s how to read someone.”

  “Sure you did,” he says, rolling his eyes. “That’s why you knew from the start that I’m the most caring, loving, adorable, sexy, tender-hearted puppy you’ve ever met, who could make you cum so hard you screamed until you broke the sound barrier.”

  I can’t help but burst out laughing. “Exactly.”

  “Seriously, though,” Rocco insists. “I trust you. If you trust this guy, whoever he is, then I have to believe he’s doing right by you.” He pats his chest invitingly, and I lay my head against it. “If he ever hurts you, I’ll strangle him with his own intestines.”

  “You are seriously disturbed.”

  He flashes me a grin, complete with adorable dimples, like he didn’t just say the most fucked up thing I’ve ever heard. “You should hear my brother’s threats.”

  “No, thanks,” I say. “But thank you for understanding. I’d tell you if I could. Believe me.”

  Rocco just chuckles. “Hey, that just means I get to imagine what sort of weird fetish you’re too ashamed to share with me. I bet the guy’s a slime monster.”

  “Not even close,” I say, remembering the intense, dominating way Darius held my hands to the bed while he fucked me.

  “Then he’s got a tentacle dick,” Rocco goes on, grinning from ear to ear. “Or—ooh—maybe he’s got more than one dick like a moon dragon? Oh, or smaller dicks hanging off the sides of one huge dick?”

  I snort with laughter. “Like some kind of fungus?”

  “Yeah,” Rocco nods, letting out a large, sleepy yawn. “Like a gross-ass fungus. I bet that’s it.”

  As Rocco’s eyes close and he tightens his arms around me, I realize I don’t just have feelings for him. I’m falling for him. Falling with the big L, the four-letter word that scares the fuck out of me. How is it possible that my asshole guard, my bully, who I despised at this time last year, has now melted my heart into a puddle so ridiculously sweet and gooey that I don’t even want to get out of it?

  I am so fucked.

  Chapter Four

  A few days later, it’s time for the opening ceremony, held way too early in the morning for my taste. After sluggishly pulling off the covers, I start for my bathroom, fully stocked and set up for the rest of the school year. As much as part of me wishes Rocco were here to share the shower with me, as he was on my first three days back at the Academy, I have no time to waste today. If there’s one day to take my looks seriously, it’s today.

  My belly does a little flip as I step into the shower. This will be the first time I see Darius this year.

  My skin tingles with anticipation as hot water washes down me. So much happened last year between us—some good, some a little more than good, some I wish I could forget—but this is my chance to show him how much I’ve matured. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, after all, and a little lip gloss and eyeliner never hurt anyone. The only downside is wearing the school uniform. Sure, some guys like it, but I don’t think fetishizing little girls is exactly what I want Darius focusing on. Damn uniforms.

  Hooking Cleo in my waistband after a last look in the mirror, I head out, following the crowd of students to the Great Hall. Nobody seems thrilled to be awake right now, most of them partially put-together or trying to hide yawns behind their hands. At least I’m used to being up at this ungodly hour since Silas demands punctuality even over summer break.

  I’m busy thinking about where to find Elowen or Asher when a voice rudely interrupts my thoughts.

  “Oh. It’s you.”

  Ugh. I had almost forgotten the shitty part of the Academy of Sorcery.

  Like a case of herpes, Bella Goodwin never really goes away. I hate to admit it, but she looks good for a six AM wake-up call. Her face is all dolled up, platinum hair done in ribboning curls, and her uniform’s nicely pressed and paired with a pair of dazzling red heels. I resist a quick glance at my boots and force myself to keep my eyes on blondie. No way is she going to get in my head this year. If she wants to play this early in the morning, I’m game.

  “Hm, I thought there was a draft somewhere, but it’s just an incoming frigid bitch,” I reply.

  “Trust me, there’s nothing frigid about me,” Bella purrs. “Ask Rocco if you don’t believe me. I hear he’s been spending a lot of time in your room.”

  Damn it. This bitch is about to get decked before we make it to a single class. “Where’d you hear that?” I snap. “Did you plant a camera in my room so you could learn some moves?”

  “Where do you think he learned those moves?” she asks, shooting me a challenging look.

  I sigh. “What do you want, Bella?”

  Much to my surprise, she gives me an exasperated look, her haughtiness disappearing. “Okay, look. I know we’ve got this thing going on between us, but…” Her attention suddenly flips to her perfectly manicured nails, like they’re more interesting than me. Not a surprise, since she’s trying to piss me off.

  Or is she trying to avoid eye contact for a different reason?

  “Can we just not?” she asks.

  I’m so shocked I have to process what she’s said for a few seconds. “You know you’re the one who goes after me, right?”

  She lets out an irritated huff. “It’s not exactly fun to do by myself. Plus, we’ve got all this baggage now.”

  Baggage? She must be talking about the mess that happened with the old headmaster. We barely saw each other in the few remaining days of the last semester, so I haven’t talked to her since the big showdown at Headmaster Orville’s. I spent the days with Dad at the infirmary, and the other two Bellas never showed up again. I hadn’t expected the Queen B to make a peace offering, though. I sure as hell didn’t expect her to go down without a fight. I’m almost disappointed in her. Here I thought she was the leader all along, but without her Bella Brigade, she’s ready to roll over and admit defeat.

  “Just to be clear, you’re calling a truce?” I ask.

  “Yes, for fuck’s sake.” Bella stops dead in the walkway as the other students shift around us like fish around a river rock. I seriously don’t know how to respond. Did she hit her head over the summer? I mean, I’d fucking love to have Bella leave me alone. But there’s something in her eyes that looks so…sad. I can’t blame her. She doesn’t have any friends left. And yes, it’s a grave she dug for herself, but still. I can let her reap what she sewed without adding insult to her self-inflicted injury.

  “You know what?” I plant my
hands on my hips. “That sounds good. In fact, let’s sit together during the ceremony.”

  Now it’s Bella’s turn to look shocked. “What about your real friends?”

  I glance ahead to the Great Hall. “They’re probably already in there. Besides, you must’ve gone somewhere cool over summer break. You can keep me awake while the heads go on and on.”

  In truth, I’m so nervous about the thought of seeing Darius that I might puke. Trying to figure out Bella’s angle might distract me.

  Bella snickers. “Ugh, they talk for an eternity, don’t they? Let’s get back-row seats, and I’ll tell you all about my trip to the Incandescent Shores. It’s in the dragon realm, if you haven’t heard of it. It’s covered in black sand and these amazing quartz pillars.”

  I let out a whistle as we start forward again. “Shit. Sounds fancy.”

  Bella flashes me a smile—a somewhat pretentious, self-indulgent one—but a smile, nevertheless. “The quartz from the pillars is crazy expensive, and you’re not really supposed to take it, but if the jewelers are already selling it, there’s no harm, right? If you’re really interested, I might be able to hook you up with some jewelry made from them.”

  “Maybe some other time.”

  Bella knows I don’t have any money. She called me Dumpster for the past year. She’s obviously rubbing it in my face, but I’m too grateful to have a distraction to worry about her pettiness.

  It feels like I stepped into a different realm myself as we pass through the archway and find a seat among the others in the Great Hall. Bella Goodwin and I are chatting away like actual friends. But as we listen to an old geezer from the Society of Supernaturals go on about replacing the Headmaster, since the old one went all nutso and tried to steal my magic, I’m happy enough to listen to Bella humble-brag about her vacation. It’s kind of like watching a reality show like My Fairytale Life, about the lives of the rich and famous. Something so far removed from me it’s hard to believe that’s her reality.