by Casey Morgan
We slowly opened the door to the classroom and were taken aback by the sheer amount of different equipment that was thrown around the classroom.
I didn’t recognize any of the strange machines that were laid out in front of us, but I did see Professor Goldwin and Professor Bigsby. Goldwin made eye contact with me and stopped his conversation with Bigsby to make his way over to where we stood. While we waited for him to reach us, my eyes caught a strange box that had a different feel to it than the rest of the equipment. It felt vampiric, empty, desolate.
Angie noticed me staring. “That’s the magic freezer,” she explained.
“That’s it?” I replied.
She nodded in response. Professor Goldwin soon stood in front of both of us. Suddenly, the speech that I had practiced and repeated so many times escaped from me. The atmosphere was too foreign and strange for me to feel comfortable in my own skin, let alone in the formation of my words.
“Professor, I just wanted to say,” I started, “Thank you so much for everything you have done, not that you have done anything that I consider too much, but you still helped a lot, I mean, the wand helped a lot, not that I’m devaluing what you have done for me...”
My heartbeat picked up as I handed the wand back to its rightful owner. Professor Goldwin looked up at me with a slight smile tugging on his lips. He wrapped his hands around his wand and took it back gratefully. He then stood on the tips of his toes and leaned forward, tugging my cheek with his worn fingers.
“I know you’re trying hard, kid,” he stated. “Keep going, you’re making progress.”
“Thank you, Professor.”
“Now, get out of here. Bigsby and I need to get back to work.”
I nodded, and both Angie and I turned around to head to the cafeteria for breakfast. The odd feeling once again tugged at the back of my mind and I found my eyes trailing one last time on the magic freezer. For some reason seeing it again reminded me of Drew. Maybe it was the cause of all his distress?
The thought stayed with me all the way to the cafeteria. Angie didn’t say anything to pull me out of my head, probably thinking that I needed that time to clear some of my thoughts. I was appreciative of the space, but gratefully that she remained by my side throughout the walk.
My peace was interrupted, however, the moment that I stepped into the cafeteria. Red Eyes was immediately in my face.
“Blaise?” I questioned.
“What’s your deal?” he demanded aggressively.
“What’s my deal?”
“You were supposed to meet me at the tower last night, but you were a no-show.”
“Ah. That—”
I tried to respond, but I couldn’t form the words to explain. I had completely forgotten that I was supposed to meet up with him. The thoughts of not only the dream but the entire Drew situation had just occupied the majority of thoughts and my worries. I didn’t feel bad about missing the date, but I was beginning to feel bad about not giving the vampire a reason.
“Ah. That. What?” Blaise asked.
“It’s my friend Drew, he’s missing and I—”
For some reason, the half-explanation began to make him even angrier. His nostrils flared and it seemed that heat began to rise to his cheeks.
“The ghost?” Blaise demanded.
I didn’t like the way that he said ghost as if it was a disease. Did he not like that I was friends with a ghost?
Before I could speak on my own behalf, a shout came from across the cafeteria. I looked up to see both Cade and Jasper making their way towards the three of us. Cade was the first to get in Blaise’s face.
“Hey, bloodsucker, why don’t you step away from her before things get ugly?” The alpha werewolf threatened.
To my surprise, Blaise laughed in response. “Well, if it isn’t dumb and dumber? If you’re looking for the weight room, it’s across campus. If you’re looking for your lack of brain cells and personality, I can’t help you there.”
“If your pale-pansy ass really thinks that you can drop insults like that, you have another thing coming,” Jasper snapped.
I watched the three boys begin to sling insults back and forth with no consideration for any of the parties affected. Different people from across the cafeteria began to get up and started to involve themselves in the fight as well, some of them shifters and some of them vampires. It looked as if an entire war was unfolding in front of me.
Angie grabbed my arm and led me out of the cafeteria. I didn’t put up a fight as she dragged me behind her. Soon we were out in the hallway, away from all the chaos taking place.
Chapter Seven
The hallway was an eerie quiet in contrast to the cafeteria. It felt as if I had stepped into a different world. Angie scoffed as soon as we were a decent distance away. I smiled as I felt the tense air dissipate.
“So catty,” Angie said, shaking her head.
“Catty?” I asked.
She smiled and pushed a lock of her bright orange hair behind her ear. “For lack of a better word. But seriously, different types of magical creatures at Ironwood have never gotten along.”
“Never?”
“Nope, but you would think that by now people would be more civil towards each other. They should’ve left that behavior in the past.”
I shrugged. “Maybe one day in the future.”
Angie smiled at that, “Yeah, maybe. But for now, it’s best to just stay out of it.”
I nodded at Angie. However, I wasn't sure if I could stay out of it. I was already so involved with both the shifters and the witches at the school, not to mention that I was entranced with Blaise. I wanted to date him, be with him, not to mention that I was more than curious about what it was like to be a vampire. There was no desire within me to get rid of that curiosity.
Something small told me that I should tell Angie about all of it, but it really would do no good for either of us. She had her brother to worry about. I had a death curse to worry about, there was no need to argue about involvement with other creatures.
“Anyway,” Angie continued, “Jacob works in the library during the mornings, so we should head over there.”
I nodded in agreement and followed Angie through the hallways and out to the green. I had only been to the library at Ironwood once, so I didn’t know where I was going. As we walked, the building came into view, it was massive and towered over the others. The architecture was slightly different and gave off a more rustic, ancient air. However, the big doors were still red, reminding me that this was a part of Ironwood.
I was somewhat excited that we were walking into the building. The sheer size and the numerous bookshelves were almost overwhelming. If I wasn’t following Angie, I definitely would have gotten lost.
We walked throughout the winding halls and open areas full of students and books. Eventually, we made our way to the second level of the library, where we ran into Jacob Savannah, pushing a cart of books around.
My eyes trailed up and down the body of the lion shifter. I had never met him in person before, but I remembered watching him fight. I had forgotten how sexy Jacob was. The way that his dark, curly hair helped sculpt his sharp facial features drew me in closer. His dark-skinned body was lanky and defined, muscles clearly showing through his white shirt, which was barely able to stay on the way that his pectoral muscles flexed against the buttons.
I could’ve gotten lost in my thoughts if not for Angie happily bounding towards him, eager to explain what was going on. “Jacob!” she called out.
Jacob whipped his head in our direction. Almost instinctively, he raised a finger to his lips to indicate that we should be quiet. As soon as we were standing beside him, he fully turned his attention to us.
“Angie,” he started, with a quick glance at me. “You need to keep it down, it’s still a library.”
I interrupted, “You two know each other?”
“Not really,” Angie explained, “But I bump into Jacob pretty often when I’m here. He�
�s helped me find a book or two?”
“Speaking of which,” Jacob continued, “Is that why you’re here?” I noticed that even when he was talking to Angie, his yellow-colored eyes would shift to look at me.
The air got heavier. Angie shuffled uncomfortably while trying to find the right way to bring up the subject. I decided to let her think about it, to be honest, I wasn’t sure how to really bring it up either. Eventually, she stopped swaying back and forth and decided to just go for it.
“We need your help with something,” Angie explained, seriousness weaved into her tone.
Jacob raised an eyebrow. “Okay. It seems like it’s about more than just a book. Want to go somewhere more private?”
“Is that possible?”
“There’s an empty study room just over there, so we could use it for the time being.”
Angie smiled gratefully. Jacob moved his book cart off to the side so it wouldn’t be in the way of other students. We followed him through the shelves until we reached a small room with a lock on it. Jacob pulled out a key from his pocket and unlocked it, holding the door open so we could both walk in first. He followed behind and waved his hand to indicate that we should sit down. He sat down as well and folded his hands over his knees.
“What’s bothering you?” he asked, concern written all over his face.
Angie answered, “It’s about my brother, Drew, as well as my best friend, Ruby.”
Jacob looked towards me again. “Is this Ruby?”
“Yes. My brother went missing, and she keeps having dreams about him.”
The lion shifter sat back and crossed his muscular arms over his chest. “Did you tell campus officials?”
“We did, but it’s a bit more complicated.”
“How so?”
“Drew is a ghost.”
Jacob didn’t answer. The air hung heavy on each of our shoulders as he thought about what he wanted to say next. I could tell that there was some sort of inner war going on inside of him. Something was holding him back from just answering our questions. It must’ve been the mention of ghosts. He had seemed so eager to help out before, but the moment that Angie clarified that Drew was a ghost, the atmosphere turned sour.
He finally spoke up, “Listen, I would love to help, but there’s not much that I can do.”
Angie argued, “But isn’t your mother a powerful shaman?”
“She is, but she never taught me anything to do with ghosts. Not to mention, the majority of magic and arts in relation to death, like necromancy, is illegal at Ironwood.”
I wasn't buying what Jacob was saying. By the tone of his voice and the way his hands gripped his arms, I knew that he wasn’t telling us something. Angie was too nice to press further, so I decided to take up the task. This issue was too important to waste time.
“Listen, Jacob,” I spoke up, “It’s really important that we find Drew. I know that you can help, please.”
The big shifter shook his head. “I’m sorry, but I can’t.”
“Jacob, please. I have a death curse on me, we need to find him.”
He stopped and stared at me. “I think it’s time that you leave.”
I stood up to argue, but Jacob didn’t rise to meet me. He continued to speak in a firm and unforgiving tone, “I was kind enough to hear you out, but now it is time for you to leave. I said that I can’t help.”
Angie got up from her seat and made her way to the door. I follow, and my own mind tunneled into chaos. I needed to try again. I needed to get the information out of him. I had the tools and the skills to do so, I just needed a shot. Jacob had his chance to help without any influence.
I followed Angie all the way to the stairs that would take her down to the bottom level. I softly grabbed her arm, and she turned to face me.
“Hey, Angie,” I said. “I’m sorry it didn’t work. You must be pretty upset.”
“I am,” she responded honestly, “but there’s nothing we can do besides try to find answers elsewhere.”
“Why don’t you head back to the dorms, and I will meet you there? I can pick up some chocolate?”
“That sounds nice. But why don’t we head back together now?”
I shook my head. “I’ll catch up with you. I actually saw a book earlier that I want to look at.”
She nodded and went down the stairs. As soon as she was out of sight, I turned on my heel and made my way back to the study room. It shouldn’t be too hard to sway Jacob’s opinion.
As I walked, I began to focus my energy into my succubus necklace. I could feel my body and features already begin to emphasize the attitude that I was going for. By the time I opened the door to the study room, I was more desirable.
Jacob jumped in his seat. He obviously wasn't expecting me. His yellow eyes lingered just long enough for me to know that it was working. I could feel the desire radiating off of him. I was hot and ready, and I knew that it was going to be easier than I thought. I took the opportunity to grab a chair and move it next to his. My fingers wrapped gently around his arm.
“Hi, Jacob,” I purred, “You should forget what happened earlier, you know that I would never do anything that would get you into trouble.”
The lion shifter’s eyes trailed from my fingers on his skin up to my lips then eyes. He gave me a soft smile. “It’s already forgotten,” he whispered. “I’m sorry for snapping at you.”
“It’s okay, if anything, I should be the one apologizing.”
“No, don’t place the blame on yourself.”
I licked my lips gently with the tip of my tongue. “But I feel bad. Maybe we could meet up later in the backfields, I could do something to... make it up to you.”
The moment that his eyes softened and he gently shook his head, I knew that I had Jacob right where I wanted him.
Chapter Eight
I was excited when night fell. I snuck out of the dorm room, not feeling any guilt as I practically skipped down the hallways and out to where Jacob and I had agreed to meet. The moon was beautiful, and I felt as if all my activities were blessed. It only gave me more confidence as I strutted down towards the backfields.
Jacob was already there waiting. His hands were tucked awkwardly into his pant pockets and he gave me a small smile in greeting. I walked beside him and pulled him with me as I made my way down further into the fields.
“Good evening, Jacob,” I said. “How are you?”
“I’m good. How are you?” he replied, almost blushing.
“Better now that I’m here with you.”
We let comfortable silence sit between us for a while until we decided to settle down on the ground. The long grass felt cool, even through the fabric of my skirt. My hand intertwined with his warm fingers in the grass, a stark contrast to the cool atmosphere. I waited until his breathing calmed down into a comfortable and steady rhythm. It was then that I decided to strike.
“So,” I brought up the subject carefully, “What was it like to grow up with your mother being a shaman?”
He tilted his head so he could engage in conversation. “It was difficult.”
“Difficult?”
“She was incredibly famous, not only in our community but through the ones surrounding us. It placed a burden on me, it was, and is very high expectations.”
I hummed in acknowledgment. I couldn’t understand the situation very well since I wasn’t used to living in the magic community. In fact, no one had really expected much from me at all—except my grandmother, and she had died when I was young. However, I tried my best to sympathize.
“I don’t expect much from you,” I stated.
Jacob laughed. “Thank you?”
It felt natural in that moment. I leaned forward towards his already tilted head, letting my lips melt into his. All it took was that small spark for the two of us to burst into flames. Jacob’s hand tightened around mine as we continued.
The tingling sensation that I got from his hand caressing mine made me feel somewhat playful. He see
med to sense my attitude and leaned towards me, pushing my body lightly to the ground. I mock growled to tease him, and he took it as an invitation to roll on top of me. The grass tickled my nose as we rolled around and mock wrested. I laughed as we tossed and turned. Eventually, I felt his strong hands grip onto my hips and pull me into his lap. I could feel his thighs flex and relax until he had me straddling him.
We made eye contact, and I smirked with desire. I knew exactly what I wanted. The succubus necklace around my neck collected my energy and placed it on display for him to feel. My desire was his desire, and we burned together in sight of the stars.
With a graceful force, we switched positions, my body laying out like a full course meal that his ravenous eyes could devour.
Jacob’s strong hands caressed my face, they were rough and calloused. The feeling of rough skin against the smooth of my cheek sent shivers down my spine. My mouth involuntarily parted to let out a shaky breath. As if to tease me further, one of these fingers trailed along the bottom of my lip, inviting me to open further. I was not so easily dominated, but little did he know that he was under my spell.
As if on cue, his cool, confident hands traced down my shoulders and midsection. Suddenly, he was tugging on my waistband. I squirmed in his grip to assist him and found my legs and hips free from my skirt. The grass was cool on my skin and sent mini shocks of sensation to my core.
His eyes attacked mine, and I could tell that the lion shifter was starving for me. I lifted my hands to cup his face and tilted my head. Jacob met me halfway, and our lips met in a moment of passion. The heated cavern of his mouth set my body on fire. As our tongues danced, we began undressing ourselves.
I suddenly felt somewhat body-conscious. I knew I was beautiful, but I wanted him to know it as well. His hands explored the dips and plains of my body, sailing over every curve and dimple. I melted into his hands as they wrapped tightly around my ass.