I waited off to the side, watching for Luka. He walked out of the room with his usual swagger and a grin on his face. His blonde hair was perfectly tousled and he cut quite the figure in his white button down shirt and fitted black slacks. If it weren’t for the other things we had to do, I’d drag him right to my bedroom.
“Luka,” I called.
His eyes found mine and it sent a charge through me. How he could get me going with one look, I’d never know. But it worked every time. It was either the incubus in him or it was our bond. Either way, he made my whole body feel hot.
“Hey, kitten,” he said as he walked over to me. “What a nice surprise. I was worried
about you with those rumors going around, but you look okay.”
“I’m fine,” I said.
“Good,” he said grabbing me and pulling me in for a kiss.
My lips felt hot against his and I leaned into the kiss, savoring his smoke and leather scent. After the day I had, Luka was like instant relief for my tension. His hand moved to my lower back and then slipped down to my ass. He squeezed it as he deepened the kiss.
Someone whistled as they passed us and it broke me from the temporary trance he’d caused. I pulled away from the kiss. “I needed that.”
“Should we go somewhere and finish?” he asked, a mischievous glint in his eye.
I groaned. My body wanted to but I knew I couldn’t fully relax till this fae thing was under control. “I need a favor.”
“Anything, kitten,” he said, lifting his eyebrows.
“Not that kind of favor,” I said, wishing it was. “Can we talk in my room?”
“Lead the way,” he said.
The halls were less crowded than they had been as we made our way to the dungeons. Luka stayed behind me, but I could feel his body heat as we walked. He was just as interested in doing other things as I was, that was for sure.
When we reached the common room, I winced and then quickly tried to cover my expression. Ben was sitting on the couch looking toward the stairs. He stood when he saw me. “I’ve been so worried.”
While I was relieved to see him and find out that he was safe, I wasn’t looking forward to kicking him out so Luka and I could do what needed done. I walked toward him and he met me in an embrace. His strong arms felt safe and comforting.
“I’m okay,” I said as I pulled away from the hug. “I was only in there for a couple of hours.”
“I should kill her for getting you sent there,” he said with a growl.
“Not necessary,” I said. “I think we actually worked everything out.”
“Oh?” he asked.
“Yeah, I have a feeling she won’t be bothering me anymore.”
He grinned. “I heard you had a hell of a right hook.”
I couldn’t help but smile. “Well, that’s not what made her back off, but I held my own.”
“You missed lunch,” he said.
“Yeah,” I agreed.
“Come on, I’ll buy you dinner. Your other boyfriend can join us too,” he said without even looking up at Luka.
“I feel so seen,” Luka said.
“I’m glad to see you two playing nice,” I said. “But there’s kind of something I need to do with Luka.”
“He’s welcome to join us,” Luka said.
I glanced over at my incubus. Was he flirting with my other boyfriend? “Not that. I told you already.”
“Oh, yes,” he said. “It’s a secret. I don’t even know what she’s up to.”
“Just trust me on this, Ben,” I said.
Ben’s jaw tensed and I could feel how conflicted he was.
“I promise, if this works, I’ll explain everything to you tomorrow,” I said.
“I have to wait a whole night?” he asked, looking skeptical.
“Please,” I said. “Tomorrow, me and you. One on one.” It was a cheap trick because I knew what that meant to him. I knew he preferred to have time with just the two of us more than any of my other mates.
For a moment, I wasn’t sure if he was even going to respond. Then finally, he nodded once. “You win this time, demon. But remember, I’m right next door all night long.”
Luka gave him a mock salute. “You got it, boss.”
Ben scowled at him, then looked back at me. “You need to eat, at least.”
“He’s right there,” Luka agreed.
“Fine, I’ll go for dinner but you two both need to promise me you’ll go along with me being on my own tonight. I don’t want the others to know yet. Not after Violet.”
Ben’s face fell. “That’s what this is about again? How many times do we have to tell you that you don’t have to protect us?”
“Look, if this goes the way I hope, I’ll have some information and then we can all make a plan together. I promise,” I said.
“Alright,” Ben said. “I’ll hold you to that.”
13
Luka
Surprisingly, dinner went smoother than I thought it would. Nobody questioned Raven about wanting to get back to her room. Everyone was worried about how she was feeling from her time in confinement and turning in early seemed like a normal reaction.
When I arrived at her room after giving her a head start, I noticed that Ben’s door was open a crack. I shook my head and walked over to his room and pushed the door open. “Hey.”
He was laying on his bed reading a comic book and looked up at me over the top of the pages. “Hey.”
“You know I can protect Raven,” I said. “You aren’t the only one who is strong.”
He set the book down and sat up. “It’s not that you can’t protect her, it’s that I could be helping.”
“Maybe,” I said. “I don’t know what she’s up to. It could be something that involves my unique skill set.”
Ben narrowed his eyes.
“Not like that,” I said, quickly. “But dude, you gotta get over this macho thing you do.”
“I don’t do a macho thing,” he said.
I laughed. “You do.”
He growled.
I shook my head. “Listen, if Raven was in trouble I’d ask for help.”
His expression softened at that comment.
“I wouldn’t sit in the room next to you and let her do something stupid. Though, we both know she’s totally capable of taking care of herself.”
“Most of the time,” Ben said. “But this is something more. That fae wasn’t messing around. He nearly killed Violet.”
“I know,” I said.
“I’m starting to think she should just give him what he wants. Her life isn’t worth it,” he said.
“Let’s give her the chance to do whatever she’s planning tonight before we jump to giving some crazed fae something that could very well be a weapon. He hasn’t given his word that he won’t hurt Raven if she gives him the book, has he? We don’t know what he’d do with it.”
Ben scowled. “I hadn’t thought of that.”
“I know,” I said. “You have to trust her. And me.” I took a deep breath, hating the words I was going to say next. “And the twins.”
Ben shot me a look that I could practically feel. He hated the idea as much as I did. Then, he took a deep breath. “You’re right.”
“I know,” I said with a grin. “I usually am.”
Ben shook his head. “It’s going to be a challenge sharing her with all of you.”
“Yeah, good thing she’s worth it,” I said.
“She is,” Ben agreed.
“And hey, I’m open to you joining in any time.” I winked.
“Alright, that’s your queue to leave my room,” he said.
I walked out, closing the door behind me. Ben and I had a weird relationship. We weren’t quite friends, but at the same time, we had a connection through Raven that almost made me feel like we understood each other better than friends would.
Raven’s door was closed and I wondered if she’d been able to hear our conversation through her wall. The walls i
n the demon dorm were pretty thin. I’d heard things I wish I hadn’t over the last few semesters.
I knocked on her door and she opened it almost instantly. Her hair was swept back in a ponytail and she’d already changed out of her uniform into black shorts and a white tee shirt. She wasn’t wearing a bra and I could see her nipples through the thin fabric. My cock twitched. I wanted her so bad I could almost taste her kiss already.
“Come on in,” she said, as if she wasn’t aware of what she was doing to me.
When I walked past her, I caught the scent of arousal and smirked. She wanted me just as much as I wanted her. It took all my willpower to make myself not just throw her on the bed right now.
She asked me here for a reason and I would have to wait to find out what her plan was. And hope that it ended with my cock inside her.
I heard the door close behind me. “So what’s this top secret plan of yours?” I asked.
“I want you to try to talk to Professor Halifax in her dreams,” she said.
“I’m sorry, what?” I blinked at her, stunned. Why the hell would she want me to contact the crazy professor that nearly got us all killed?
“I think the book is from the fae realm and I want to know what it is and why he’s after it. She gave me the book. She might know. Then we can find out what the deal is and maybe even find out a way to destroy it,” she said.
“Um, what part of this plan helps us get rid of the fae who already took down one of our friends?” he asked.
“It’s a start,” she said. “We have to start somewhere.”
It felt like my own conversation with Ben was coming back to get me. I’d told him to trust Raven and I needed to follow my own advice. She was right, it was a start. We didn’t have any other strategies. “Alright.”
She let out a breath and her shoulders dropped in relief. I could feel her tension ease. “Thank you.”
I closed the distance between us and slid my hands around her waist. “It’s a little early for her to be asleep so we’ll need to do something to kill some time.”
She cocked an eyebrow. “Oh? Did you have something in mind?”
I pressed my lips to hers and she practically melted into me, her body conforming to mine as she kissed me back. Our lips moved in unison and I deepened the kiss as I dropped my hands to the hem of her shirt.
She slid her tongue into my mouth and I slid my hands under her shirt, stopping when I got to her breasts. I groaned into her mouth as I caressed her tits and played with her hard nipples.
Raven’s body was hotter than usual and I could feel her need for me in the force of her kiss. I pulled back, breaking contact long enough to remove her tee-shirt.
Her hands reached for my pants, expertly working my belt loose. She popped open the button and pulled down the zipper. Then she grinned at me as her thumbs rested in the waistband. She was making me wait. Teasing me. And it sent a rush of heat through me, making me want her even more.
After several long heartbeats, she tugged my pants down and then she dropped to her knees.
I gasped as her warm mouth closed around my cock. My eyes rolled back and I moaned as she worked her mouth up and down. Her tongue flicked at the tip before closing her mouth back around me. Every movement drove me wild.
I grabbed a fistful of her hair, guiding her head as she continued to suck me. Her mouth was incredible and with each flick of her tongue, I felt myself inching closer to climax.
Raven’s hands grabbed my ass as my cock hit the back of her throat. I was nearly there, and while I wanted to take my time with her, I couldn’t think clearly enough to pull away from her.
Suddenly, the pleasure reached its peak and I groaned as I thickened in her mouth, coming so hard my body convulsed.
Raven looked up at me from her knees, a smile on her face. “Was that the kind of distraction you were hoping for?”
“You are amazing,” I said, taking her hand and pulling her to her feet. “My turn.”
Music came through the wall, the pounding of bass and muffled words of some rock song. I glanced at Raven and laughed. “Guess I was too loud for Ben.”
Her cheeks flushed crimson.
“Let’s see if I can make you scream louder than his music,” I said.
She laughed as I picked her up and carried her to her bed. It was my turn to make her feel good.
I could feel her body responding to every touch. She lifted her hips, making it easier for me to pull her pants off. In no time, I removed all her clothes and I stared down at her gorgeous body.
Her red hair was splayed out behind her making her look like a mermaid in the water. Her perfect tits and the curve of her hips drove me wild. I grabbed her thighs and moved in closer to her, my cock already coming back to life.
I pulled on her legs, dragging her ass off the edge of the bed. She squealed and grabbed hold of the blanket. The whole room seemed to heat as I sensed her arousal peak.
In a single thrust, I was inside her. She moaned, arching her back as I thrusted into her. Leaning down, I caught a nipple in my mouth, sucking on it. My hands explored her body while her arms wrapped around me, pulled me closer to her.
Her hips moved in rhythm with each thrust, the two of us moving in unison, our breathing getting heavier. Raven dug her fingernails into my back and cried out as she climaxed. As she tightened around me, I gasped, reaching my own climax.
I rested my head on her chest. Both of us were sweaty and breathing hard but it was perfect. Being here with her was more than I ever dreamed of. I’d do anything to see her happy. And I’d do anything to keep her safe.
14
Luka
It was odd attempting to enter someone’s dreams when I knew Raven was watching me but it wasn’t much different than it had been for me in school when I was a kid. I’d attended Brimstone Academy’s lower school in the Underworld as a kid. Most of the students there were demons and fallen angels and other creatures that lived in that realm. The upper school wasn’t exactly a place most people wanted to go. It had a population of reform students who were required to be there and a number of kids who went there when they or their parents didn’t believe in mingling with people who lived in this realm.
I was fortunate that my test scores and my mom’s status allowed me to come here. Especially because it led me to Raven. I took a deep breath as I tried to clear my mind, but all I could think about was staying in this realm with Raven. The idea of only going back to the underworld for holidays was actually really appealing. Whatever our future held, I hoped it was here.
Opening one eye, I peeked up at Raven. She was sitting on the bed next to me, staring at me. “You know, it’s not helping with you hovering over me.”
“Sorry,” she said.
“Come on,” I tugged on her sleeve and pulled her down next to me on the bed. She quickly settled into my chest with my arm wrapped around her. “Close your eyes. If you’re calm, it might help me.”
“But you said I can’t let you fall asleep,” she said.
It was true, I needed to be only half asleep to enter other people’s dreams. If I fully fell asleep I was just as likely to fall into my own subconscious as everyone else. But I’d been doing this for years without supervision. “Nobody keeps me awake when I visit your dreams. I think I can handle it.”
She yawned and nestled in closer. “Okay. Thanks, Luka.”
I kissed her forehead. “Anything for you.”
She was asleep in seconds and I wondered if she even slept at all last night. Feeling more relaxed with Raven in my arms, I closed my eyes and attempted to contact the in between. The place that existed between dreams and the waking world where I could travel to other people’s subconscious.
After a few deep breaths, I found myself there. It was a gray space of nothing that had to be traversed based on emotions, sensations, and intuition. I thought about the magical signature I got from Raven, the part of her that I’d struggled to identify when we first met. I was pretty sure th
at was the fae blood. I used that to make my way through while trying to seek out Professor Halifax. Visiting dreams wasn’t an exact science, and I’d made mistakes and ended up in stranger’s dreams, but I was determined to pull this off.
“Luka?” Raven’s voice floated toward me.
I turned and my jaw dropped open. “What are you doing here?” Raven was standing in front of me in the inbetween. We weren’t in her dream, at least I didn’t think so. It was as if I’d called her to me.
“I don’t know where I am,” she said, sounding nervous.
“You’re in the gate to the dream realm but I don’t know how you got here,” I said. “I’ve never heard of anyone besides an incubus or succubus doing this. And I’ve never been able to bring someone through with me.”
“Maybe it’s a fae thing?” she asked, sounding hopeful. “I mean, I have to admit this is better than my usual nightmare.”
“That’s true,” I said. It broke my heart every time I met her in the dungeon in her dreams. I wasn’t sure why she was always there and I’d been afraid to ask. I really hoped it wasn’t a memory from her past or a premonition of the future.
“What should I do?” she asked.
I shrugged. “I guess you should come with me. If it doesn’t work, you’ll either go to your own dreams or wake up.”
“Okay,” she said. “How do we do this?”
15
Raven
It was an odd place, this dream gateway or whatever it was. Everything around me was in soft focus. Gray, smoky fog spanned as far as the eye could see. Under my feet was a flat gray walkway that reminded me of cement but with the texture of a cloud. It was strange. I almost felt like I was floating, but my feet were grounded. As if I weighed almost nothing. Each step felt like bouncing and I was afraid that if I jumped, I’d keep floating away forever. Did gravity even exist in this place?
“You might be able to help,” Luka said, reaching for my hand. “Focus on Professor Halifax’s being. Your feelings about her and the way she made you feel when you were in her presence.”
Academy of the Elites: Unbound Magic Page 7