Academy of the Elites: Unbound Magic

by Alexis Calder

  A flicker of something I hadn’t felt before rose within me and instead of snuffing it out, I embraced it, coaxing it along. The feeling grew and then I felt a popping sensation in my hand.

  It startled me and I pulled my hand away, shaking it. Only, when I moved my hand, the shadow stayed where it was.

  “Holy shit,” I said.

  “See if you can get it to do anything,” Professor Flora said.

  I lifted my hand and used my fingers to attempt to guide the shadow the way I might guide a flame I’d conjured. To my surprise, the shadow responded, moving in the direction I indicated.

  Shocked, I dropped my hand to my lap and released the magic. The shadow vanished in a tendril much the same way the shadow fae had.

  If I could get better at this, there had to be some way I could use it to address my shadow fae problem. But how?

  The bell rang.

  “That was good,” Professor Flora said. “See you tomorrow.”

  I was a little stunned as I walked out of the classroom but for the first time since the shadow fae cornered me in the locker room, I was starting to think that I had a shot at putting an end to this whole mess.

  Between the weekend in the library and my newfound shadow magic, an idea formed. And I was no longer just thinking about how to hide the book. Now, I was thinking about how to capture and stop the shadow fae. There was a little more to do, but things were finally coming together.

  24

  Raven

  Matt was waiting for me when I left the Spellcasting room. I nearly forgot he had previously been attending this period with me so he was off. I wanted to go right into my thoughts about the fae, but I was more curious about his exam.

  “How was your test?” I asked.

  His face fell.

  “That good, huh?” I asked.

  “I passed,” he said. “So I guess that’s what counts.”

  “What happened?” I asked.

  “Did you know that an incubus can control someone while they sleep? And even force sleep?” he asked.

  My stomach twisted uncomfortably. I did know that but I also knew Luka didn’t like that others knew. Though, I supposed it wasn’t a secret anymore if Matt had found out in his test. “Not all of them.”

  “Right, but Luka’s family can. Which probably means Luka can,” he said. “Raven, has he ever forced you to sleep?”

  “No!” I exclaimed. “Why would you think that?”

  “How would you even know, though?” he asked. “He could make you sleep and you wouldn’t even know.”

  “He’d never do that,” I said.

  “Raven, it was awful. I saw myself being controlled and I couldn’t stop it,” he said. “If I didn’t know I was dreaming…”

  “Matt, I trust Luka, and you should too.” I set my hand on his chest, trying to comfort him. Whatever he’d just been though had clearly been traumatic. “Luka would never hurt us.”

  “What if he lost his temper? Or thought he was helping?” he asked.

  I shook my head. “What if you lost your temper? Couldn’t you use magic you didn’t mean to? Even I’ve stopped time on accident.”

  “That’s not the same,” he said. “You weren’t raised with it. You didn’t even know you had it. And with mages, we can fight magic with magic. You can’t even use magic in a dream.”

  “What happened, Matt?” I asked.

  “I don’t want to talk about it,” he said. “But I don’t think I like you being alone with him.”

  I raised my brows. “That’s not your decision to make. And I told you, he’d never hurt me.”

  “You didn’t just see what I saw,” he said.

  “Well, explain it to me,” I said.

  “I have a feeling it’s not going to change your mind,” he said.

  “No, it won’t,” I said. “But maybe I can help you get over this fear.”

  “It’s not fear,” he said, shaking his head. “It’s complicated.”

  “Matt, whatever she put you through was done on purpose as worst case scenario,” I said. “And honestly, I’m starting to think it was also done on purpose to get you to not trust Luka.”

  Matt’s brow furrowed.

  “Think about it, Matt,” I said. “Has Luka ever given you a reason to doubt him?”

  “No,” Matt said.

  The bell rang and I jumped. We were now late to class but between all the distractions, it was hard to care.

  “You should go,” Matt said. “I don’t want you getting in trouble.”

  “I can’t go while you’re like this,” I said. “Besides, I have something I need to talk to you about.”

  “It can wait till after class,” he said.

  I sighed and slid my hand up to his shoulders and stood on my tiptoes so I could give him a kiss on the cheek. “It’s going to be okay. Meet me in your room after last period?”

  “That I can do,” he said.

  “Bring Zach,” I said. “You should both hear this.”

  I waved as I darted down the hallway toward my History of Magic class.

  Class was already in session when I slid into my chair but Professor Craft didn’t skip a beat in her lecture as I settled in. She lifted her chin in greeting, but didn’t make a fuss about my being late.

  As quietly as possible, I pulled out my notebook and opened it to a blank page so I could take notes.

  “If you turn to page 347 in your text, you’ll see the diagram of the years the Black Plague was most active in Eastern Europe during the rise of the Blood Cult that dominated the vampire community at the time,” Professor Craft said.

  I dug my book out of my bag and flipped through the pages. To my surprise, there was a folded up piece of paper shoved in the book at the exact page she’d asked us to turn to. I wondered if the student who had the book before me had left their notes tucked in there.

  “It was a slow rise to power until the high point of the plague,” Professor Craft said.

  I opened the paper and my blood ran as cold as ice. I could no longer hear my professor and I felt like I was suddenly trapped in the dark dungeon that haunted my nightmare.

  It wasn’t notes from a former student. It was a warning. And it was written in what looked like blood.

  Four Days

  The shadow fae had been in my room again. He’d left a note in my textbook in the exact place I needed to turn to. Was he here now? Was he lurking in the shadows following my every move?

  Suddenly, I felt like I couldn’t breathe.

  How was I supposed to do this? The beginnings of a plan formed in my mind, but if I told anyone, he’d know.

  I glanced around the room, suddenly feeling totally exposed. A shiver ran down my spine. What if he watched me practicing shadow magic in my lesson? What if he was in my room while I was sleeping?

  This had to stop.

  My mind whirred as I half listened to Professor Craft. I knew I wasn’t safe and the worst part was that the people I loved weren’t safe.

  I was so deep in my own thoughts that I nearly jumped out of my seat when the bell rang.

  Quickly, I packed up and raced out the door toward Matt and Zach’s room. I was done being afraid and it was time to fix this.

  Matt and Zach greeted me at the door but Zach was closer so I grabbed him and pulled him into a kiss and went right for the button on his pants.

  “What the hell, Raven?” He was startled, but his cock was already forming a tent.

  I stood on my tiptoes and pressed my lips to his ear. “I think I’m being watched. Please go with it.”

  He kissed me back, fiercely and then grabbed my hand and led me toward his bedroom.

  “Um? You guys?” Matt called.

  I turned and gestured for him to follow us. Thankfully, he did. As soon as the door closed behind us, I walked over to Matt and kissed him.

  He didn’t fight it like I expected him to, instead he moaned into my mouth, grabbing the back of my head and pulling me deeper into the ki
ss. I enjoyed it for a moment before pulling away.

  On my tiptoes, I whispered. “Can you put us in that bubble?”

  He nodded and quickly called the spell, sealing the three of us in a bubble in Zach’s room.

  “Are you going to explain why I’m going to have blue balls for a week?” Zach asked.

  “This keeps our conversation private, right?” I asked.

  “Yes,” Matt said.

  “Sorry for all that,” I said. “I’m hoping the shadow fae isn’t one to watch.”

  “He came back?” Zach said, his tone changing instantly to worry.

  I climbed onto the bed and sat cross-legged. The twins joined me, taking a seat on either side of me.

  “What happened?” Matt asked.

  “Three days ago he reappeared,” I said.

  “Raven!” Zach shouted. “Why didn’t you tell us?”

  “Let me explain,” I said. “He showed up in my room. Which means, he has more access to places than we realized. And he gave me a week to meet him with the book. So I’ve been trying to figure out what to do.”

  “He was in your room?” Matt said. “That’s it, you’re moving in with us.”

  “No, I’m not,” I said. “I can’t change anything. I need him to think we’re in here having sex right now.”

  “Shit, you really think he’s following you?” Zach asked.

  I nodded and pulled the piece of paper from my textbook out of my pocket. I set it on the bed between us. “This was in my textbook during History of Magic. On the exact page the professor asked us to turn to.”

  “I’m going to kill him,” Zach said.

  “How?” I asked. “Because that’s part of the problem. He’s powerful and his magic is unfamiliar.”

  “I don’t know, but I’ll figure something out. He can’t do this to you, Raven,” Zach said.

  “You said you had an idea?” Matt said.

  “Yes,” I said. “I want to set up a trap for him.”

  “I don’t like where this is going,” Matt said. “We tried this once before, remember?”

  “I know,” I said. “But we’ll be smarter this time.”

  “What do you want us to do??” Zach asked.

  “Well, first, I think we have to talk to Professor Flora. We need a better decoy book or a way to destroy the book completely,” I said. “And she knows fae magic better than anyone here. If there’s a way to do it, she might know.”

  “Okay,” Matt said.

  “And we’re going to need everyone’s help,” I said. “Ben and Luka.”

  “No,” Matt and Zach said at the same time. “This is mage business. They’re unpredictable. What if they do something crazy?”

  I cocked an eyebrow. “Technically, this is fae business and we’ve been through this. We’re in this together. Whatever weird thing you’re going through with them has to end.”

  They didn’t look happy but they didn’t argue. And that was good enough for me for now. “As soon as we sort out the book, we can move on with the rest of my plan.”

  Quickly, I described my idea.

  “That could work,” Matt said.

  “I think it will,” I said.

  “But I need one of you to talk to Professor Flora for me. And try to keep it private,” I said.

  “I’ll go tonight,” Matt said.

  “Thank you,” I said. If there was a way to destroy the book or make a copy, we had a shot at my plan.

  “Since we’re here, though…” Matt said, moving a little closer to me. “Maybe we should make our distraction more believable?”

  My lips parted and I tried to think of a response. It had been a while since I’d been with more than one man at a time and to be honest, I’d wanted to do it again. I just didn’t think it would be with Matt and Zach.

  Matt’s mouth closed over mine, his kiss warm and confident. I leaned into him and slid my tongue into his mouth.

  His hands went up my shirt and he pushed up my bra, freeing my breasts. He cupped each of them and played with my nipples. I moaned into his mouth.

  Another set of hands slid around my waist from the back and went to work on the button of my pants. I shifted my hips, giving Zach more access. He slid my pants and panties down and I stepped out of them while continuing to kiss Matt.

  Zach’s hands explored my ass and then one of his hands went between my legs. His fingers found my clit and he teased me while Matt continued to caress my breasts. So many sensations at once had me bucking my hips and panting into the kiss.

  Finally, I couldn’t take it anymore and tossed my head back to cry out as an orgasm spiked through my core.

  Zach turned my face toward and claimed my mouth with his. I turned into him and discovered that he’d removed his clothes when I pressed my hips against him. His cock pressed into my side and I reached down for it, stroking it with my hand.

  He pulled away from the kiss, groaning in approval from my touch.

  Matt was next to me now and he turned me back to him for another kiss. I let go of Zach and quickly stripped Matt of his clothes. He pulled my shirt off over my head in return.

  He tangled his hands into my hair, gently pushing my head down. I smirked. I knew exactly what he wanted. Leaning down, I took his cock in my mouth. He groaned as I expertly worked my mouth and tongue along his erection.

  Behind me, Zach’s hands caressed my ass before a finger slid into my wet slit. I moaned around Matt’s cock.

  Zach added a finger and I moved my hips, accommodating him as the pleasure continued to grow. After another orgasm, he removed his fingers and I could feel his cock at my entrance.

  It slid in easily and I moaned just as Matt pulled out of my mouth. He came hard in front of me and I grabbed hold of his hips to steady myself as Zach continued to thrust.

  Pleasure was already building again and I gasped with each movement. Zach groaned and pulled my hips closer as he came.

  Sweaty and still panting, I stood and kissed each of my mates in turn. The two of them had almost made me forget about the danger lurking at the academy. I was grateful for them and how well they read me. The encounter had been exactly what I needed.

  After we dressed, Matt let down the bubble around us. As soon as it was down, my anxiety returned. I knew we were about to embark on a dangerous plan. I just hoped we could pull it off.

  25

  Raven

  Matt didn’t waste any time getting the bubble up around all of us in our training session with Professor Flora.

  “What is the meaning of this?” she asked, raising her hands in the air as if she was going to cast magic.

  I rushed to her and grabbed her wrists. “Please, wait. I have something I need to talk to you about.”

  “Raven, what the hell is going on?” Ben asked.

  “All of you, just give me a minute,” I said.

  “Let her talk,” Zach said.

  “You two are in on this with her?” Ben said. “Why am I not surprised.”

  “First of all,” I said. “I’m over the weird competition going on between the four of you. We were in a good place after the portal disaster. I need all of you. I’m not making exceptions. You four need to get it together.”

  My mates stared at me wide eyed.

  “Thank you,” I said. Then I turned to Professor Flora. “We’re in here because I need your help and it’s not safe out there for me to talk.”

  “He came back?” Ben asked.

  “What did he say this time?” Luka asked.

  “Who came back?” Professor Flora said. “Raven, explain yourself or I’m breaking this spell. There is no need for me to be part of you and your mates working out whatever is going on between you all.”

  “There’s a shadow fae loose in the school and he wants something from me,” I said.

  Professor Flora’s eyes narrowed. “Are you certain?”

  I nodded. “He’s visited me three times now, asking for a book that used to belong to Professor Halifax. App
arently, it has dark magic that can only be used in the fae realm.”

  Professor Flora scrunched up her mouth. She looked annoyed.

  “Please, I need help destroying the book. Or making a passable decoy. Something to convince him I have it so we can catch him.”

  “Why do you want to catch him?” she asked. “Why not tell Dr. Green. This really isn’t a job for students.”

  “Because last time I told someone and he found out, he nearly killed my friend,” I said. “He’s been hiding in the shadows and I’m pretty sure he’s watching me.”

  Professor Flora shook her head. “You aren’t skilled enough to catch a shadow fae yet. Maybe with a few more weeks of study, but not now.”

  “You know we can bind our magic,” I said, glancing around at my mates. “I think with all of us working together we can stop him. But the book is what I need help with. If it’s as bad as Professor Halifax says, I don’t want it around.”

  “She’s not a professor anymore,” Professor Flora said.

  “True,” I said. “But that doesn’t make the book any less dangerous.”

  “If the book is what I’m thinking it is,” Professor Flora said, “there’s only one way to remove the magic. It can’t be destroyed, though. That’s not possible.”

  “Well, how do we remove the magic?” Zach asked.

  “You transfer it,” Professor Flora said. “It’s not the book that has the power, the book is likely just a vessel. And the fae who is after it is likely tracking the magic. He’ll know if the book is no longer holding it.”

  “So we move it to another object and keep it close by,” Matt said.

  “That doesn’t stop the magic,” I said. “What if he gets the new object?”

  “You can’t transfer it to an object in this realm,” Professor Flora said.

  I ran a hand through my hair as frustration tugged in my gut. We were going around in circles. It was like the only way to get rid of the shadow fae was to give him the book. But I felt an obligation to keep it out of his hands. How could we pull this off if everything I thought might work was another dead end?

  “We can transfer it into a person, can’t we?” Zach asked.