“What is it?” Aiden asked warily.
“My guardian volunteered as a chaperone, so she won’t be home for hours.” Tiago gave him a wicked grin. “We could have the house all to ourselves.”
“You mean—?” Aiden swallowed heavily, his pulse speeding.
“Uh-huh.” Tiago kissed him, hand gently squeezing his butt. “No pressure. We can do whatever you want. Watch a movie, make out… but I really want to do more with you.” His voice dropped at the end until it was almost a growl.
Aiden’s body was rather enthusiastic about the idea. “I want to.” Just saying it made him blush all over. He and Tiago had done… things, but they hadn’t gone all the way. With his parents in the house, or with Tiago’s guardian there when they were over at his place, Aiden didn’t want to do more than make out. The times they’d done more had been out in the woods, but the cold made things uncomfortable.
“So that’s a yes?” Tiago’s eyes were so very, very dark.
“Yes,” Aiden breathed. Tiago went in for a kiss, but Aiden held him back. “But what if I change my mind?” His insides fluttered.
“Then we stop.” Tiago moved his hand up to brush along Aiden’s cheek. “I want you to feel safe with me.”
“I do.” Aiden pulled him in for a kiss. Tiago occasionally tested boundaries but never went over them. Always stopped when Aiden asked him to, kept checking to make sure things were okay.
“Good.” Tiago’s thumb traced his bottom lip. “I don’t really know how to be a boyfriend. I’ve had boyfriends before, but we weren’t together long because we moved so much and my parents…” A dark look crossed his face. “So I’m trying my best.”
“You’re doing a good job.” Aiden couldn’t believe his luck, finding someone this wonderful. “I don’t know what I’m doing at all. I went out with Hanna for a little while, but it was so awkward.” A sliver of fear went through him. “Am I a good boyfriend?”
Tiago smiled. “The best.” He brushed his lips against Aiden’s.
It warmed him all over, but then guilt crept in. “Am I really though? I feel like such a coward. After what you did at school, telling everyone the truth, but I’m still scared to—”
“Shh…” Tiago put a finger to Aiden’s lips. “You’re not a coward. You just need the right time.”
The right time had been that moment, when Tiago stood in front of the whole school and told them everything. That was when he’d needed support. When he’d needed his boyfriend to stand by him and not keep their relationship a secret.
But would that have made things worse? For Tiago to admit to murdering people and come out at the same time?
Or would Tiago have been relieved to have all his secrets in the open?
“I just—”
“Aiden.” Tiago kissed him. “Stop worrying.” He kissed him again, tongue slipping into Aiden’s mouth.
Aiden groaned as heat pulsed between his legs. “I wish I was okay with fooling around while my parents were home.” Because right now he wanted it so bad. But knowing they were right downstairs, that they thought he was studying, he just couldn’t.
“Me too,” Tiago said with a chuckle. Then he let out a breath and sat up. “We should get back to that stupid homework before you drive me totally crazy.”
“Yeah.” Don’t look, don’t look, don’t look. But Aiden glanced down at Tiago’s crotch anyway. He bit his lip against a whimper. Why did I look?
Aiden turned away so quickly he almost fell off the bed.
Tiago made a low sound. “Prom can’t come fast enough.”
Staring at the desk strewn with their homework, Aiden tried to calm his body down. He was already counting the days.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
Dylan’s parents fussed and took pictures while he reconsidered this whole thing. At least he’d convinced them to let him drive—alone—and not come along to Sakura’s house.
Dad fiddled with the little flowers pinned to Dylan’s jacket, and Dylan pushed his hand away. “Stop it. It’s fine.”
“Just want to make sure you look good.” Dad was grinning. “This is so exciting.”
“It’s just a stupid dance.”
“Please don’t say that to Sakura,” Mom said. “This probably means a lot to her. So be nice. And compliment her. And at least dance with her to a few songs.”
Dylan sighed. “Yeah, fine.” Mom had given him some dance instruction, which he suffered through only because he didn’t want to step on Sakura’s feet. “I should go so we’re not late.”
He escaped the house after a few more pictures and drove to Sakura’s house. Dylan had never been there before and triple-checked the address before going up to the front door. It opened seconds after he knocked.
“Hi, Dylan.” Sakura’s dad smiled, but it looked a little strained. Was this about Dylan being… well, Dylan, or was this about a boy taking his daughter to prom? He would have assumed the first reason if it was anyone else, but Sakura was cool enough that he wanted to give her dad the benefit of the doubt.
Her mom seemed more genuine. Clasping her hands to her chest, she said, “Oh, you look so handsome! Come in, come in. I’ll go get Sakura.”
The moment she was gone, Sakura’s dad turned to him. “I hope you’ll behave yourself.”
In which way? Dylan decided to be blunt. “I’m not going to have sex with her.”
The man’s face went red, caught somewhere between anger and embarrassment. “Well, uh… that’s good to know.”
Sakura’s mom hurried in, a wide smile on her face. “Come on. I want pictures of her coming down the stairs.”
Dylan winced a little as he realized there’d be more pictures, a lot of them from the look on her face. Schooling his expression, he followed Sakura’s mom around the corner to the living room.
Sakura’s mom picked up a camera. “Okay, ready.”
Sakura appeared at the top of the stairs, and she looked beautiful. She wore a light pink dress with layers of flowy material that went down to her ankles. It also covered most of her boobs although the neckline and sleeves were sheer. He wasn’t sure if he wanted to see more or not. He was still trying to wrap his head around Sakura being his date.
The camera flashed with every step she took. Sakura looked at Dylan with a shy smile, and his stomach fluttered. She was the same girl from gym, but with her hair done up and wearing a dress, she looked so different. The swirling jewels across the top of her dress sparkled as they caught the light.
“You look really pretty,” he told her.
“Thank you.” She got to the bottom of the stairs. “You look really handsome.” She gazed up at him with a blush, and his heart did a weird little flip.
“Oh, look at you! What a lovely couple.” Flash, flash, flash.
After several dozen more pictures, they finally made it out of the house.
* * *
Excitement and nervousness fluttered in Aiden’s stomach. He pushed back a flicker of guilt at lying to his parents. They dropped him off, thinking he was hanging out with Tiago, nothing more.
“No pressure, remember?” Tiago squeezed his hand as they sat on the bed.
“I know.” Aiden licked his lips, face heating. “But what if I… if I’m not good?”
“I’m sure you will be.” Those deep, dark eyes fixed on him. “But if you make a mistake, if it’s a little awkward… Well, that’s what practice is for.”
Aiden swallowed. “You mean we’ll do it again?”
Tiago bent to kiss his neck. “Uh-huh. Lots of times.”
Aiden moaned and slid his hands around Tiago’s back. Oh yes, lots of practice sounded wonderful. Tiago’s lips felt electric against his skin, and Aiden wanted to return the favor. He trailed his lips and tongue along Tiago’s neck, earning little surprised gasps out of his boyfriend. But there wasn’t enough skin, so Aiden pulled off Tiago’s shirt.
For a moment Aiden admired the muscles along Tiago’s chest and abs. Aiden could hardly believe some
one this gorgeous wanted to be with him. He kissed Tiago’s shoulder and slowly worked his way down.
“Aiden.” Tiago panted. “God, that feels good.”
It thrilled Aiden that he could make Tiago react like that, could make his breath come faster and his body tense. Every gasp and moan heated Aiden’s blood even more. He likes the way I make him feel. He wants me.
Then they were kissing, touching each other everywhere. Aiden was barely aware of Tiago stripping off his shirt, but desire flared through his body when their bare skin touched. Aiden pushed Tiago down on the bed, an ache building between his legs.
Tiago’s hands moved along his back, fingers occasionally digging in. Aiden kissed him deep, their tongues sliding against each other, hot and wet. Tiago lifted his hips, rocking against Aiden.
Aiden pulled away to suck in a breath. His body tingled everywhere, mind spinning with possibilities.
This time they wouldn’t have to stop.
God, he wanted this so much. Even if he was still a little afraid, he trusted Tiago to show him what to do.
Tiago slid a hand along the back of Aiden’s head. His brown eyes were so dark, pupils almost swallowing the irises. “What do you want?”
Aiden told him.
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
Prom was supposed to be such a big deal, yet they held it in annex number three, the same room they used for the advanced and master classes of Major Magical Control. From TV and movies, Dylan knew it was typical for prom to be held in the school gym, but he’d been hoping for something more.
He half expected to be challenged at the door, but the teacher took their tickets with a smile and a nod, telling them to have a good time.
The school had made some effort. A small stage had been set up at one end with a DJ booth next to it, and they’d put in a floor where the dirt used to be in the middle of the gym. Huge speakers were hung on the walls, and the whole place had been decorated.
“Oh, it’s so pretty.” Sakura squeezed his hand.
Okay, so they had a serious advantage over mundane proms. The ceiling had been enchanted to resemble the night sky twinkling with stars.
“So um, I guess you want to dance?” Dylan said. The DJ was currently playing an old, upbeat song from the ’90s.
She turned, giving him her full attention. “I would love to.”
Dylan felt awkward, especially since people kept looking at him, but he moved to the beat and spun Sakura around a few times. After two songs they took a break and Sakura spotted Izume.
He left them exclaiming over each other’s dresses and went to get some punch. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted Mr. Johnson standing near the wall. So the warden liaison was watching the dance. Just being a chaperone, or did he expect trouble? Dylan ducked his head and hurried to the refreshment table, hoping Mr. Johnson wouldn’t notice him.
The punch tasted like cheap crap, but Dylan drank it because he was thirsty.
Someone nudged him. “Wow, didn’t think I’d see you here.”
Dylan turned to face Hanna. Great. Like things couldn’t get more awkward. “Oh, hi.”
But she was smiling. Hanna’s hair was pulled up in an elaborate style, and she wore a blue-and-green dress with a crisscrossing top. It wasn’t super low but still showed some cleavage. “Did you come here with someone? Or did you decide to come alone?”
“I uh, came with Sakura.” When she raised her eyebrows, he went on quickly, “What about you?” Did she have a new boyfriend? Had she lied about why she dumped Dylan? Or had she been on her own long enough and decided it was okay to date again?
“I’m here with my pack. The seniors anyway. I even got Carter to dance.” She turned and pointed to the ghoul kid, who was dancing badly with the vampire girl. He had a wide grin on his face.
It was selfish to feel relieved since Dylan was here with another girl.
“So you and Sakura?”
Dylan groaned. So much for trying to distract her. “She asked me, and I said yes. We’re not dating or anything. Although I guess this might count as a date, huh?”
“Don’t worry, I’m not jealous.” She put a hand on his arm, then drew it back, looking self-conscious. “Sorry, I’m used to touching my pack.”
“It’s fine. Are you having a good time?” If she hadn’t broken up with him last year, would they be here together? Or would Dylan have screwed things up somehow?
“I am, actually.” Hanna smiled.
“Wait. Did you sneak out to get here, or did your parents actually let you come?”
“They let me come. I talked them into it.” She looked extremely pleased about that. “Dad even bought me this dress.” She did a little twirl and the skirt puffed out. “Isn’t it pretty?”
“Yeah. And you’re pretty too.” He’d liked dating her. Holding her hand and kissing her. And from what he’d seen over the past year, she’d gotten more confident and happier. He liked this new Hanna. Maybe… But then he remembered she was a senior. In a few weeks she would graduate and leave town. “I mean, you know. Just saying.”
She blushed. “Thank you.”
The music changed to a slow song. “Dylan!” Sakura appeared out of nowhere and gripped his arm. “I love this song. Will you dance with me, please?”
“Um, sure.” He gave a parting smile to Hanna as Sakura tugged him toward the dance floor.
He hesitated, and Sakura put his hand on her waist. This was a song meant for an actual partner-type dance, and it made Dylan nervous. He’d seen the strappy little shoes Sakura was wearing, and they wouldn’t be any protection if he stepped on her feet.
She moved closer, looking up at him. The swirling light from the disco ball made her eyes sparkle. “Thank you for coming here with me. This is… a dream come true.” The hand on his shoulder moved a bit, fingers brushing the hair on the back of his neck. “I’ve had a crush on you for years.”
His heart beat double time. “Really?” Aiden had called him oblivious, and maybe he was. “I didn’t know.” All this time?
Sakura looked down. “I hid it really well. Even Izume didn’t know until last year.”
Dylan didn’t know what to say to that.
She met his eyes. “Do you like me, Dylan?”
Aw, crap. He almost tripped but managed not to stomp on her feet. “I think you’re cool.” That was the truth.
“Oh.” Somehow she took that as a bad thing and looked away. “Are you still in love with Hanna then?”
“What? No,” he said a little too loud. “I mean, we were never in love. I liked her a lot and stuff, but it wasn’t love.” Although now he wondered if Hanna had loved him. But then why would she have broken up with him?
One side of Sakura’s mouth turned up. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be pushing. I’m just glad you’re here.” She laid her head on his shoulder.
Her warm body pressed against his as they swayed to the music. Dylan wrapped his other arm around her waist and listened to the nervous flutter of her heart. He could even feel it against his chest through the thin fabric of her dress. “This is nice,” he said into her ear. “Dancing with you.”
She lifted her head to look at him, eyes searching.
All he could think of was how beautiful she was, how good she felt in his arms. Her lips parted slightly, and he thought, Well, why not? Slowly he leaned in.
The lights went out.
People cried out in surprise and grumbled in complaint. Even with his night vision Dylan could hardly see. They were inside, without any moon or starlight. The magical lights in the ceiling had gone out too. Only the red exit lights shone in the huge gym.
“I’m sure it’s just a malfunction of some kind,” a teacher said. “We’ll get this fixed in a few moments.”
“Hey, my magic’s not working,” someone said.
Dylan took a few steps back from Sakura. “Need a light?” he joked. But when he reached for his magic, nothing happened. “What the hell?” He tried again. Nothing. His magic had never fa
iled him.
Except once.
When the wardens had put him in that cage, trapping him so he could be hunted.
His breath came faster.
Sakura gripped him. “I can’t use my magic either.”
A few lights sprang up through the room as people turned on their phones.
“I can’t get a signal.”
“Me either—no bars.”
“There’s a barrier.” A faint ripple of magic cast a light purple glow at one side of the gym. Jabu stood a few feet from the wall and reached out. Magic rippled again. “Someone changed the wards to trap us in here.” He pointed at the floor where a silver line indicated the edge of the wards.
They were meant to keep spells inside so they wouldn’t damage the building or hurt the students waiting their turn.
One of the teachers came over to test the barrier, pushing hard to no avail. “Why would someone do that?”
The scent of fear grew in the room. Some of it was coming from Dylan. “The wardens,” he told Sakura. “They trapped us in here.” Panic made his chest tight. He was helpless. They were all helpless.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
Aiden lay with his head tucked against Tiago’s shoulder. “How long do we have?” His mind floated, his body pleasantly heavy. It would be so nice to stay here a while longer. Maybe forever.
“Couple of hours at least.” Tiago brushed his fingers up and down Aiden’s back. “But your alarm thing will warn us, right?”
Aiden had connected with the house, putting up the same early-warning system he used at home. It hadn’t been as easy because the wood and stone of this house was less familiar, but reaching out with his magic now, he could feel the awareness all around him. “Yeah, but I’d rather not wait until the last minute. Once she walks in the door, we’ll barely have time to put our clothes on before she makes it to your room.”
Zen and the Art of Major Magical Control Page 16