by Cara Wylde
Davien huffed. “All right, kitty. Let’s see what you got.”
He took off his own jacket, and his black wings sprouted out of his back. He lifted himself in the air, his red hair glowing eerily under the silver moonlight. I blinked, trying to focus my eyes. It seemed like he was surrounded by a shield of orange energy. With a wide motion of his arm, he directed the energy toward Seth. It took the form of an arch, and it hit the sphinx right in the chest. Seth grunted in pain as he fell to one knee. It was too soon for Davien to claim victory. With incredible speed and strength, Seth pushed himself to his feet, leaped in the air, and swatted at the incubus with his paw. His claws cut through the leg of his jeans, leaving red marks in their wake. This time, when the sphinx landed on all fours, the ground did shake, and not just subtly.
I pressed my back to the three against which Davien and I had almost fucked. It was strange to watch this battle between an honest to God sphinx and an incubus. Soon, they were both in the air, flying above the trees. Seth was trying to hit Davien with his humongous paws, at some point making an attempt to grab him and squeeze him to death. Meanwhile, Davien was using the energy he’d taken from me – more exactly, from my orgasm, – to keep him away and inflict wounds all over his body.
“Oh my God, please stop,” I whispered. Then louder: “Stop! This is madness! Knock it off! You’re gonna kill each other… For what?!”
They ignored me. What the hell was I supposed to do? Davien’s energy shield seemed to be diminishing. After all, he hadn’t had the time to feed from me properly. All I could hope for was that he’d come to his senses and fly away. But Seth had teased him about running, and I knew Davien was too stupid and too proud to prove him right.
“Stop! Please! If either of you gets hurt, it will be all my fault!”
People started popping out from behind the trees. The students partying in the clearing had heard the commotion or had probably seen the two idiots fighting up above the forest. Some seemed shocked, while others started cheering and encouraging either Seth or Davien. Domina pushed her way out of the small crowd and stomped toward me.
“This is all your fault! Bitch!”
She screeched like a cat, and before I knew it, her hands were in my hair. I grabbed her wrists and squeezed, hoping she’d let go. She spread her seraph wings and managed to lift me off the ground, which hurt beyond words! She refused to let go of my hair! I screamed in pain and kicked my legs, which only made things worse. I saw Hayley run toward us, and she grabbed me by the knees, trying to pull me down. But Domina was determined to rip my hair out, and the only thing keeping her from doing it was my strong grip on both her wrists. It seemed like an impossible situation, and Hayley was the only one who was trying to help. Everyone else was having a blast watching the show.
“I’ll kill you,” Domina yelled. “I’ll fucking kill you! He’s mine!”
“You’re crazy!” Granted that wasn’t the most intelligent comeback but seeing how I was at a loss for words, I was happy I could at least get that out. Never in my life had I fought with another girl over a… guy. Scratch that. Never in my life had I fought with anyone. “Let go!”
“I will rip your head off!”
Seth must have heard her, because he rushed toward us. His wings beat with a force so great that the trees bent out of his way. Seeing him, Domina screamed and finally let go. She flew away. Before I fell on top of Hayley, Seth caught me between his front paws and pulled me up. I felt Hayley’s fingernails scratch at my jeans, but it was futile. Seth rose toward the night sky, his wings beating wildly to propel us both over the forest, the clearing and the campfires, toward the ocean.
I was scared out of my mind. His paws held me tightly. Somehow, he’d managed to grab me from underneath my armpits. My body was slightly bent forward. From down below, I probably looked like I was paragliding – something I hadn’t done in my life and didn’t want to start doing now. The wind blew my hair out of my face and cooled the sweat that had gathered on my temples. I hadn’t had the chance to put my jacket on, and it was freezing cold up here. Seth’s warm, furry paws felt comforting, so I snuggled against them. I knew he didn’t want to hurt me, so I decided to be patient and ride this one out as best as I could. Too bad it was so freaking cold, otherwise I might have even enjoyed it. The sky was peppered with stars, the moon was bright and plump, and the ocean looked like an endless mass of dark waves, rushing to smash themselves against the rocks below.
Seth flew over the water. He beat his wings twice every few minutes, gliding the rest of the time, going lower and lower, until a wave brushed my feet. I yelped and pulled my knees up. I heard him laugh.
“Enjoying yourself?” I yelled at him.
“You have no idea! Aren’t you?”
“Shut up,” I grumbled.
The truth was that I was enjoying myself. I’d even gotten used to the cold. His big paws kept my upper body warm, and since I was wearing jeans and boots, it wasn’t all that bad. I closed my eyes and breathed in the fresh ocean air. It was invigorating and calming at the same time.
We glided like that for a while, then Seth flew toward the beach. He set me down, then landed himself. He remained in his shifted form, which I was grateful for, since there weren’t any clothes in his size around. I sat in the sand, pulling my knees to my chest, curling up within myself to preserve some heat. I didn’t want to leave, though. Not yet. It was nice here, away from the party, from Domina and her insanity, from Davien and his mind games. I was aware that, to some extent, Seth was right. Davien did use his incubus charm every time he was around me. However, I did consent to everything that had happened between us back there, and to everything that would have happened had Seth not interrupted us. I rested my left cheek on my arms, looking at his profile. He’d tucked his huge paws underneath him. He was staring at the ocean, his blue eyes following every wave as it started out big, then became smaller and smaller until it crashed against the shore. He had a long, noble nose, and high cheekbones. He looked as if he was made out of marble. Dark marble, since his skin was a shade of dark olive. His black hair was disheveled, the wind playing with it leisurely.
“Thank you,” I said. “For looking out for me. You shouldn’t, though. Please promise me this was the last time. That fight back there was embarrassing, and then Domina jumped me, you saved me, and from embarrassing, it all became so pathetic that I don’t think I can look anyone in the eye tomorrow.”
He laughed. “What Domina did is not my fault. It’s yours. She told you to stay away from the incubus.”
I huffed. “He’s not her property.”
“I didn’t say that. She’s so desperate that not even Davien wants her. I mean, I know he had her right after the test. She’s been stalking him since.”
“Right after the test? When?!”
“Before the sorting. You didn’t notice? They were both gone for like… five minutes.”
I laughed out loud. The echo caught the sound and carried it up the cliffs above.
“Fine minutes? Oh no! That’s plenty of time for Davien to propose and Domina to say yes!”
He laughed with me. “Don’t joke about that. Incubi move fast when they want to.” After a minute, he added in a more serious tone: “He moved fast enough on you.”
“Mhm. I’m no shrinking violet, you know. I’m not an easy victim, not even for an incubus.”
“I didn’t say that.”
“You’ve been treating me like a damsel in distress. I don’t appreciate it. It’s like you’re assuming I’m too naïve to see what I’m getting myself into. I know exactly what Davien wants. So, what if I want it too? I’m only human. In the literal sense of the word.”
He blew out his cheeks, then he eventually nodded.
“Good.”
“I like you, that’s all,” he whispered. “I want… what’s best for you.”
“And what do you think that is?”
He turned to me, his eyes bori
ng into mine. I lifted my head, but as we sat like that next to each other, he was still taller than me. If he wanted to kiss me, I wasn’t sure how I was supposed to make that happen. Climb onto his paws and take his face between my palms? Well… it didn’t sound like a bad plan. He didn’t lean in to kiss me, though.
“Someone who sees you. Who sees who you are, how amazing you are… Who sees beyond your looks.”
I munched on my lips, trying to fight a smile.
“Beyond your beautiful blond hair, your delicious lips, that long, tantalizing neck…”
His eyes traveled down to my breasts. They were mostly squished against my knees, but when I noticed him looking, I straightened my back to give him a better view. He sucked his lower lip between his teeth. He was probably going to come up with an embarrassing adjective for my boobs, so I felt like I was doing him a favor when I cut him off.
“Let me guess, you’re that someone.”
He cocked his head. “What do you think?”
“I think it’s time for me to go. It’s late and I’m tired.” I pushed myself to my feet.
He jumped on his four paws, his eagle wings spreading behind him.
“Climb up. I’ll take you back.”
I hesitated for a second, then shrugged. What better option did I have? A trek up the cliff and through the woods? No, thanks. I was exhausted. I could have teleported, but this was better. He leaned onto his forelegs, and I struggled a bit to get up on his back. Once I settled between his wings, he took off at a light run, pushed himself off the ground, and soared through the sky.
I could have had a worse Mabon.
CHAPTER TWELVE
October was uneventful. I kept my head down, avoided Davien as much as I could, and tried to stay out of Domina’s way. Her friend, Scarlett, had turned into a bitch, too. I almost couldn’t believe there had been a time not long ago when they’d wanted to be around me and eat at the MDC table. Professor Maat was still giving me a hard time in Geography. She could probably sense that Seth and I had a thing. Well, we didn’t. He followed me around like a puppy, and I did my best to keep him in the friend zone. Not that he was the kind of guy a girl friend-zoned, but I didn’t want any complications. The other professors had gotten used to having me in their class and knowing they really couldn’t teach me much. Except Professor Wyvern. The Unseelie warrior who, frankly, had no business teaching at Grim Reaper Academy since he himself had never had a career in reaping, was unbearably annoying! And unbearably hot. I wasn’t over him, not even after Davien had quickly gotten me off in the woods. It hadn’t been enough to satiate my desire for a man who could please me until morning, then hold me as I fell asleep. And Adrian Wyvern, in his rugged way, seemed to be the kind of guy who could offer those things to a woman, and then some. Too bad he hated me for reasons I was yet to discover.
It was nearing the end of October now, and my worth score was looking better. The second we entered November, everyone started talking about the Yule Ball, though that was at the very end of December, before the winter vacation.
Every day was the same. Today was no different. As I walked to my Anthropology class, where we studied ancient civilization and the different ways in which they regarded death, I ran into Headmaster Colin.
“Ah, Miss Aleksiev! Just the person I wanted to see.”
“Is that so?” I mumbled under my breath. “Headmaster Colin, how are you?”
“I’m fine, thank you.”
“What did you want to see me about?”
“I’ve had a little chat with Mr. Wyvern recently. He told me you’re not doing very well in PE. What’s going on? Are you okay?”
Oh, it was so nice of him to show concern. Insert sarcasm. In fact, Headmaster Colin wasn’t a bad man. He was just clueless sometimes. I wondered whether he truly wasn’t aware of what some students, and even professors, talked behind his back. Most didn’t think he was fit to lead Grim Reaper Academy, especially since the fiasco with the previous generation. Not that the current Grim Reapers weren’t delivering – they were, – but they’d needed four years instead of three to graduate. I would have argued that it hadn’t been Mason Colin’s fault, since the Council itself had appointed Valentine Morningstar as headmaster in year three, and Morningstar had managed to screw everything up in such an epical way that the year he’d been at the helm had had to be canceled and repeated. But Morningstar was dead – by my blade, – and no one ever blamed the dead. Headmaster Colin was, instead, very much alive and available to be held responsible for every single bullshit that happened at the Academy.
“I don’t know what Professor Wyvern told you, sir. I am perfectly fine, and I can assure you that I’m performing better than all the other students. By no fault of theirs,” I added quickly. “I’ve simply had more practice.”
He nodded but didn’t look convinced. “That’s not what I understood.”
Fucking Unseelie. I tried to smile, but I didn’t need this shit right now.
“What did you understand?”
“That you’re… erm… how should I put it? Dedicating more time to extracurricular activities than to PE?”
I blinked. “What extracurricular activities?”
He waved his hand. “Literature, for example.”
I swallowed hard. What did that arrogant idiot tell the headmaster? Was he crazy?
“I like to read.”
“Yes, yes. And Mr. Lovecraft is a good teacher, I get it. I’m not here to judge, Miss Aleksiev.”
“There’s… nothing to judge…”
“Professor Wyvern suggested that you could, for example, take another PE class instead of Literature. When you have Literature on Friday, he has another group of students, and he mentioned he wouldn’t mind if you joined them.”
“I don’t need an extra PE class.”
He shrugged. “I trust all my professors and their judgement, and this is what Professor Wyvern suggested. If he says you need the extra practice, then maybe you need it.”
I was very tempted to insist that I didn’t, but I realized it wouldn’t mean anything. Headmaster Colin had made up his mind because that idiot who hated my guts had probably convinced him that there was something going on between me and Professor Lovecraft. So, I gritted my teeth and nodded politely. It wasn’t the fact that I was going to miss Literature, since I’d already read almost all the books we were studying in class, but the idea of seeing Adrian Wyvern three times a week instead of two made me want to run into the forest and scream my head off.
What the hell is his goddamn problem?!
I was going to find out.
I took a left turn at the end of the hallway, and instead of going to Anthropology, I stormed into the gym. Wyvern was there, waiting for his next group of students. I stepped right into his personal space, too angry to realize what I was doing was inappropriate.
“What did you tell Headmaster Colin? I thought I’d made it clear that there is nothing, absolutely nothing, between me and Professor Lovecraft. That’s disgusting, okay? And wrong! I would never date a professor. What’s wrong with you?”
He had the audacity to grin. He crossed his bulky arms over his chest – his way of pushing me away a few inches, without actually pushing me away. He was wearing a plain black T-shirt today, and the material hugged his ripped pecs and abs in a sinful way.
“Miss Aleksiev, I think you just had a bad dream. It’s okay, you can wake up now.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means I didn’t tell Headmaster Colin anything about you and Lovecraft. It’s all in your head.” He did that swirly motion around his own temple, and my temper flared. “Relax. Your secret’s safe with me.”
“There’s no secret!”
“But if there was, I feel like I have to reassure you: whatever it may be, it will always be safe with me.”
He winked and walked away, leaving me there, seething with anger. I had a feeling the secret he was talkin
g about had nothing to do with Professor Lovecraft. He was trying to get it out of me. He wanted to know how I’d managed to live for over two centuries without losing even a sliver of my humanity. But why? Why was he so obsessed with this? I let out a sigh and leaned with my back against the wall. I closed my eyes, telling myself I’d just wait there for a few minutes. I didn’t want to walk into Mrs. Po’s class all angry and flustered.
I heard voices outside the gym. Wyvern’s students were coming in for class. I’d have to gather my thoughts and my strength and get out of there. But I stayed for a second longer. They were early, anyway, and they seemed to have stopped just outside the door to chat.
“I’m not making any progress, are you?” I recognized Valac’s voice.
“You’re not making progress, idiot, because you’re too pushy. You gotta take things slow. Get her to trust you first.”
Valac laughed. “Like you, fucker? You’re taking things so slow that she doesn’t even know your name. She doesn’t know you exist.”
“I’m biding my time.”
A third guy joined the conversation: “Davien almost got her on Mabon. That son of a bitch almost won the bet.”
My heart sank. I held in my breath and pushed my back flush against the wall, afraid to make the slightest sound.
“Seth took care of that,” Valac said. “For his own gain, of course, but whatever. He stopped Davien from fucking her. Which is fine by me, because I don’t want the incubus to have my family heirloom.”
“Would you rather give it to Seth? Because that’s what’s going to happen if he wins, and since he’s saved her from the redheaded predator and all that shit, he’s been making some real, solid progress. He says he’ll have her in his bed before the Ball.”
I covered my mouth with my hand. I had to breathe, so I did it softly and soundlessly through my nose.
“I’d rather not give my great-grandpa’s medal of honor to any of you morons,” Valac concluded. “Maybe you’ll give me yours, eh? I still have a shot at this, I’m telling you. And oh, what a sweet win when Davien Krause and Seth Khepri will have to pay up!”