Surviving Plagues (Artemis University Book 3)

by Erin R Flynn

  Fuck that. He was my dragon and I decided I was going to make that really fucking clear and that I could give him way more than any other woman could.

  Hudson: Nice fight in training today.

  Hudson: I hope we get a chance to roll on the mats too.

  Hudson: No comment? I figured that would lead you into lots of snark.

  Hudson: Are you studying with Darby? You weren’t wearing a skirt today.

  Hudson: Could we pretend you were wearing a skirt? I need you.

  Hudson: Don’t make me beg, my princess. I need to feel you. Can we meet up over break? I can’t go a month without you.

  Hudson: Please? I was kidding on the begging. You know I love begging you. Come see me tonight.

  I chuckled at how the messages got progressively needy and demanding. The last was a picture of Godiva truffles. A large box with the promise he’d keep them stocked in his room if I liked them.

  Yeah, I’d go there just for chocolate. Goof.

  I didn’t answer and the looks he gave me during dinner spoke volumes. I left him hanging until Darby went to work on a final paper and headed out. Izzy was pretty much asleep and I snuck over to the dragon dorm. I climbed up the holds River had made for me and wasn’t surprised to find the window unlocked and cracked for me. I slipped inside and realized he was in the shower.

  Perfect.

  I got naked and decided to join him. For a few moments I simply watched him like a perv but he didn’t seem to mind when he turned and found me there.

  “So you want to see me over break?” I asked as I stepped in the shower stall with him. “You’re that addicted to me no one else will scratch the itch?”

  His lips twitched and I saw the possessiveness in his eyes as he surrounded me with his larger body. He leaned down and brushed his lips over mine. “No one else could satisfy me. I’m a man of taste and quality over quantity. I’m not putting my cock in just anyone so it gets wet. It needs you to be sated and taken care of, my princess.”

  “How do you want me, my dragon?” I purred as I squirmed against the tiles.

  His answer ended up being a few different ways and now that I was having sex regularly I could go more than once, which thrilled him.

  And yes, I snagged some of the chocolates before I left his room the next morning. Who was I to turn down good spoiling?

  21

  My first final Monday was a breeze. I was in the finals for Physical Training III so I had to show up. Part of me wanted to blow it since I knew I was still getting an A but it seemed to annoy Coach Khan I was doing well again. I think he thought the first was a fluke or the guys weren’t used to a female supe that kicked ass and didn’t know what to do with me.

  Ha. I kicked ass fair and square.

  Currently Mason and Lucca were fighting and there was an extra edge to it I didn’t understand. They were really going at it, not just sparring for class. Had they gotten in a fight or something? Mason seemed ready to bring Lucca pain and the other bear was determined not to let him win. Was it like an Alpha thing?

  “They realize they don’t get to sleep with you, just fight you, right?” Darby murmured quietly since I was battling the winner.

  “I don’t think it’s about me.”

  “I do,” Juan snickered. “This is more than normal Alpha bullshit bluster.”

  Well, there went that theory.

  The intensity was off the chart though. It seemed odd to think it was about me. I couldn’t see Mel and I every taking sparring with that edge.

  “Twenty bucks the loser has to back off of you or something,” Juan muttered. “That’s the last time I saw them this intense. I don’t think it was over a girl but they were settling something between their bears.”

  I nodded I heard him, glad that it was still in line with the “norm” in a way. Lucca let out a snarl that didn’t sound human at all as he took the next shot at Mason. He landed a good hit before flipping the other guy and sticking him in a hold. Mason tried and probably went over the lines a bit with the scratching but he ended up tapping out.

  And the look Lucca gave me after made Juan’s theory seem pretty accurate. I cleared my throat and glanced away as we all clapped. He had some time to recover before our fight but we’d still be on the mats soon and with an audience I wouldn’t ever cross that line of fun flirting matches.

  Away from judging eyes and for fun I’d always be up for it.

  I watched Hudson with his opponent next. He didn’t compete last time after his dragon flipped out and instead had to fight some of the guards to show he deserved his grade so it was interesting to see a competitive side more than normal class sparring. He didn’t disappoint, easily taking down a junior guy who was not thrilled to get knocked out and so fast.

  One more fight and it was my turn with Lucca. We started with circling each other as I turned on my telepathy.

  “Fuck, I want to get her under me. If I do, I don’t know I won’t behave. Shit, stop thinking about how she smells. I’m going to be dreaming of her pinning me and grinding on me all night. No, bouncing on my cock with those tits—”

  I slugged him, totally catching him off guard. I smirked at him as he took a step back and blinked at me. “Well, maybe now you’ll start actually thinking about the fight.”

  “I am,” he growled, his cheeks flushing a bit when I simply raised an eyebrow at him. “I’m trying to.”

  “Yeah, well, at least now I’ll know what will be on your mind tonight,” I taunted. He frowned at me and took his eyes off of me, which was when I made my move. I landed a kick to his ribs before spinning back the other way and taking out his feet. I noticed shifters were a lot like their animals in fights and Lucca kept with that, definitely not as agile on his feet as a feline shifter.

  I got a nice shot in as he got back up. But he could take the hits like a bear so he still got me and that was when the bear shifters were a problem. His arms were like steel bands.

  I did not rub my ass on him on purpose but I still felt he was hard for me as he sniffed my hair. That wasn’t necessarily sexual. All the shifters did it because they could get a lot from scents on people.

  I was pretty sure it was sexual with Lucca though. I managed to get free and his thoughts were to how flexible I was and I had to shut off my telepathy or it was too distracting for me given what was on his mind instead of being helpful.

  Plus, he was fighting mostly on pure instinct. I’d learned a lot with human fighters that they tended to mentally call out moves but not supes.

  So the telepathy wasn’t much of an advantage now that it was stronger and I could hear more.

  Shame because that would have been badass.

  I still took him down though. It was a combo shot that laid him out and allowed me to pin him. The only way he could have gotten out was to really hurt me—like snap the arm I had holding him—and going way over the line so he tapped out.

  He gave me a heated stare as I rolled off of him, clearly thinking something at me. I shook my head and told him I turned it off since his thoughts were distracting.

  The pout he gave me reminded me almost of a cartoon bear finding no honey left or something. It was pretty adorable if I was honest.

  I was done for the rest of the day and ready for the long day tomorrow. I reviewed and practiced but honestly what I needed most was fuel and rest. So I did, reading some books on Faerie to keep me motivated on bringing magic back to it.

  The next day I started with my English final, which was essay questions I was prepared for. I seemed to have it but even if I tripped up on grammar or other minor deductible points, I would still pass.

  Then was my scheduled final debate, which had two three-minute rebuttals on either side of the issue. This time I didn’t get Instructor Tate grading me but another instructor who didn’t seem very thrilled with my argument. Not my actual outline or points, but the actual merits and clearly disagreed with me.

  That better not affect my grade or I’d be pissed. Deduc
ting points for landing on the other side of the debate seemed ridiculously unfair… Which probably meant I would totally get graded that way with my luck.

  I had a break for lunch and then was the dreaded Geometry 101 final.

  All the math and theory culminated into this one test to attempt our first cleansing circle. That was the first step in setting down any spell circle and a fucking joke we did it our first time for the final. I knew others had been practicing off the record so the joke was on me for actually believing we’d be in deep shit if we did it before the final.

  Awesome. Really, just awesome.

  Next semester we would get into other spell circles so in theory I understood this was needed. It was dangerous to lay out a spell circle without a cleansing circle first as anything in the area—or anything that had been done there to possibly magically stain the ground—could affect the spell. I understood the importance of someone watching our first attempt at it.

  It was just mean to make it the final.

  We were all over the quad in our assigned spots and the extra eyes didn’t help. I realized the pressure was part of the test and many came to see which freshmen would tank their grade.

  I got everything set up and after double- and triple-checking all my math and symbols, I started filling it all with power. And then it was done.

  Just done. I blinked down and that was it. I didn’t even have to go through the levels and fill this area with magic or the rest of the steps.

  So clearly this was one of those fairy things like what happened over fall break with the portal. That would have been nice to know.

  Professor Richardson came over a few moments later as he made the rounds, giving me a shocked glance I was done. My gut told me to flip the switch on my telepathy and I was really glad I did.

  “She’s a fairy. That’s the reason she won’t declare. I haven’t felt this energy in a cleansing circle since they’ve been gone. My gods, I must tell everyone. My council will be thrilled to learn of this.”

  Fuck. I had a split second to make a decision and went with my gut again.

  “I would speak with Headmaster Edelman before you break the confidentiality rules of the school and tell your council about private information.” I met his gaze when he flinched and focused on me. “And you should know I made it clear there was a life debt if anyone with the school told what they shouldn’t.”

  “People need to know.”

  “And who are you to decide that?” I raised an eyebrow at him as I continued talking in his mind. “You wanted to tell your council to get in good with them. That’s not noble. You weren’t doing it to keep me safe. You have no idea the risks and reasons people would want me or want me dead. You would risk my life and the lives of those who protect me by doing what is best for you.

  “So think very carefully how you handle what you think you know and do next. You love your mate, I know you do. If you tell and break your oath to protect the students here, I will take her life.

  “That will be the price for your selfishness and speaking on what you shouldn’t. The right people do know and are helping me, standing with me, so you will not only incur my wrath.”

  “What people? Helping you to do what? Are you going—”

  “I think you’ve already figured out more than I would like you to and certainly don’t need to know any more.” I gave him the disgusted look he deserved. “Why is it always the fucking vampires? Immediately your thoughts went to what it could do for you, what you could get, and everything selfish.

  “Why can none of you be like the others who have found out? I get you don’t like me and think I’m trash, but I’m still a student you’re supposed to protect. I’m dating a damn vampire. Doesn’t that get me any leeway with any of you? Fuck, you want money? Fine, take some. I’ve got loads. I’ve got as much as I do problems and people who would want my death as the last.

  “Why can’t the vampires ever think of how to help? No, just out me and add more shit to my plate because you’d get the pat on the back.” I clenched my fists and took a step towards him. “You should be smarter than to blindly believe that. They could just as easily kill you to silence you because of my value. They easily silenced the girl who was drugged and raped on video. Why would you be different?”

  He flinched and I eased down a bit, feeling better that he would at least consider that. I wasn’t sure what his response was going to be but we were interrupted when Professor White came racing over towards us. She slowed as she got closer, taking in the dynamic.

  “I’m too late. He figured it out.” She did a double take and realized I was listening. “I realized this would out you and came as fast as I could. I apologize, Ms. Vale, I was so busy making a list for Craftsman on anything in his classes that might out you, I forgot about the math aspects.”

  “Thanks for trying. That’s more than some are willing to do and not just simply sell me out for what they can get.”

  “Yes, my mind went there first, but you cannot hold my first thought against me,” Richardson snapped… In both our minds from the way they flinched.

  I shrugged when they both gave me confused looks. “That’s a new one for me too. I’ve never linked minds before but I’ve only been able to speak in someone’s head for a month. So it’s all pretty new to me.”

  “In his defense, we’ve all heard for twenty years that the one to find any fairies or answers as to what happened would be a hero, rewarded beyond our dreams,” Professor White explained.

  I glanced between them and rolled my eyes. “And that didn’t set off warning bells for anything else? I’ve been dealing with councils and your world for about twenty seconds, I get that, but already all I see is corruption and greed. You cannot really have thought that the outcome and not a huge trap?”

  “Well, when you phrase it like that, yes, I find myself feeling rather stupid,” Professor Richardson admitted. “But it’s also not something we think about regularly. It’s been twenty years. Most of us have given up hope.”

  I saw that hope sparking in his eyes and gave a swift nod. “If people help keep me alive and shield me when they can from being outed, that hope is not unfounded. That’s all I’ll say. Mr. Geiger was very clear what not to tell a soul. But I’m trying.”

  “To open Faerie?” he pushed.

  I rolled my eyes. “I’m trying to get answers. I’m nowhere near that far. I’m also trying to save abused hobgoblins and fair folk that have been barely surviving and lost hope too. I’m barely surviving and now with that big Underground guy getting snagged, things are much more complicated.”

  Professor White’s eyes flashed shock. “That was you?”

  I snorted. “Hell no, that would be stupid. I simply set it up with the right pieces in place to lay traps. Mrs. Vogel was all over that and handling most of it now that everyone is demanding to be involved to try and catch their own glory. Which will absolutely make it not work as not everyone in their houses are clean.”

  “People are staring. We will discuss more of this later as you did us all a great service helping to catch that monster,” Professor White hurried to say, subtly glancing around. “I know you’re a good man under all your piss and vinegar, so I trust you’ll land on the right side of this. But if you do not, I will hex your entire bloodline, Richardson.”

  “Well, dayumn, trusting you was definitely a good call,” I whispered, shocked she’d throw down for me.

  She gave me a quick wink. “I might have stumbled into figuring it out and not understand all of your plotting and who’s involved yet. But I’m not the Dean of Witches and Warlocks for nothing, Ms. Vale.”

  I didn’t know that, letting out a heavy sigh. “Someday I have to really figure out who everyone is if I’m going to survive.”

  “Yes, because from what I’ve even picked up, you’ve had such an easy, relaxing time,” she drawled.

  “Why weren’t you at the meeting when I was found? The Dean of Vampires was.”

  “He know
s?” Professor Richardson whispered, his voice worried, but quiet as we were. We were far enough away from the next student or group of people watching that if we kept our voices down and spoke vaguely we shouldn’t be overheard.

  I gave a sharp nod. “We’ve been around a few times but he’s agreed to keep to the rules of the school.”

  “I wasn’t there as it seems top-heavy overkill with Headmaster Edelman being there as our top warlock,” Professor White explained. Her eyes flashed shock again, glancing around me as a sign I’d come to realize was reading my aura like when Craftsman did it. “But you don’t trust him.”

  “No, I do,” I argued. “But his family makes him having too much information dangerous.” I thought of what to say next in the best way without giving too much away. “We tripped early on and he tends to think as a scholar wanting to share information with the world instead of a logical being who doesn’t see the dangers with that.”

  “Then why is there guilt in your aura?” she wondered.

  I shrugged. “Because even if it was the right thing to do, saying no to him felt a bit like kicking a puppy who was so excited for something he always wanted.”

  She nodded, seeming to understand even without the specifics. “Which side are you landing on, Richardson?”

  He shot her a bored look. “Of course I will keep it to myself. I would never endanger the life of a student and I know there are dangers for her. I needed more than a minute to think that through.”

  “Good. Maybe we can join the cool kids club then and get involved with all they’re doing,” Professor White teased, but hope in her eyes. “If we’re welcome?”

  I swallowed loudly, not sure what decision to make… But then it hit me. She was the Dean of Witches and Warlocks at one of the best universities. She could be an asset. And Richardson was the guy who taught portals to the best of the powerful.