REFLECTIONS OF YOU (Brighten Magic Academy Book 1)

by Yumoyori Wilson

  It was still too early to start anything, but my instincts told me it would work out in the end. The small little gestures and moments like these were thrilling. I opened one of my eyes and saw Braxton was now sitting in bed with a pair of glasses on as he read something I couldn't really make out.

  "You wear glasses?" I asked, licking my lips as I stared at his transformation from sexy model to sexy spell teacher model. He looked even hotter in glasses, if that was possible.

  He looked down at me and smiled. "Yes. Only when I'm super tired like now. I usually wear contacts but we still have a few hours before class. No point in getting up yet,” he explained.

  "So we didn't have sex or anything?" I asked.

  He grinned. "If we did, you'd still be sore after having my length in you." He winked and I pouted.

  "No I wouldn’t..." I mumbled.

  "Are you still a virgin?" Braxton inquired.

  "Yes," I replied.

  "Then it would hurt and I don't want to make you cry. Also, don’t forget, I'm third in line," he reminded.

  I smirked. "My memory fails me."

  "Could be a good reason to in this case, but I'll follow the man rules. I don't want to deal with a pissed off Logan and I don't even know what Nixon would look like mad," Braxton mumbled. I glanced at the book he was reading, curious at what he was studying.

  "What are you reading?"

  "Spell book on manipulating things and people,” he replied.

  "Like mind control?"

  "More like how you shift from a female to male. This book gives an estimate of how long an individual can remain in the shape of say a fish or a bunny and the toll it has on the body. It also teaches how other people can give energy to help the person who manipulates it so they can stay in the form even longer," Braxton explained.

  "Like what Nixon did?" I asked.

  Braxton turned his head to look at me. "When?"

  "During the exam. I was struggling during the last few seconds and I noticed Nixon was giving me energy through these strings," I recalled, snuggling into the blanket that wasn't doing much good in keeping me warm. Braxton eyed the blanket before inserting his bookmark to save his place. Then he held out his right hand in an inviting gesture.

  "You can rest against my chest if you want," he offered and I smiled appreciatively. Logan said I could try other guys if it makes me happy. I guess if we're not intimate, it’s okay.

  I moved to rest right next to him, laying my head on his bare chest. He lowered his arm, wrapping it around me as if to secure me in his side embrace while his other hand held his book. My body instantly felt warmer and I sighed quietly.

  Braxton chuckled softly, the gentle vibration emitting from his chest made me look upward to see his softened expression as he smiled down at me.

  "Better?” he inquired.

  "Yes, thank you," I replied.

  He nodded, returning to our previous topic. "Yes, if Nixon did something like what you explained, he must have used Energy Exchange magic," Braxton concluded.

  "Why are you reading that?" I questioned. He blinked before his cheeks began to grow red. He focused on the book in his hand, opening it back up to where his bookmark rested between the cream colored pages.

  "No reason,” he mumbled and I grinned, resting my head back on his chest. We both remained quiet for a few minutes, Braxton returning to his book while I looked at the different magic circles on the off-white pages. My eyes were too tired to concentrate on the text, but the magic circles were easy for me to read and understand how to create them.

  Maybe I understood them because of my extensive knowledge of magic and spell casting that I had obtained during my youth thanks to the large number of books in my parents’ study. I was dozing off when I had a thought.

  "Where are Nixon and Logan?" I asked.

  "They're asleep in the bunk bed,” Braxton replied quietly.

  "Ah. Nixon's sleeping in my bed?” I asked, realizing we were clearly resting in Nixon's since Logan and I shared the bunk bed, even though we normally both slept in the top bunk.

  "Nope."

  I opened one eye, looking up to give him an inquisitive look. "Nope?"

  "They're in the bottom bunk,” he answered with a grin.

  "They? As in Nixon and Logan are in the same bed? Please don't tell me Nixon's cuddling Logan," I sighed, taking a moment to imagine them in the same bed: Nixon's long red locks messily spread across his back with a few strands resting on his chest while his arms were around Logan who normally slept on his back with an arm resting above his head.

  "Definitely cuddling. Alice is on Logan's chest," Braxton revealed.

  "Interesting..." I replied, attempting to raise my head to take a peak but yawned instead and decided to rest my head back down. Braxton's hand went through my hair, calming me to the point I almost forgot what I wanted to do.

  "Don't worry. I took pictures from every angle,” he reassured me.

  "Insurance?" I asked.

  "Nah. I just want to tease Logan," Braxton confessed, sounding amused.

  "Everyone loves to tease Logan," I pointed out, closing my eyes.

  "It's fun because he gets frustrated so easily," Braxton replied. "But he's a good person."

  "How do you know?" I inquired.

  "My gut tells me so. He also loves you dearly," Braxton pointed out.

  "Hmm. You’re not the first to remind me," I mumbled with a smile. "Do you think he and Nixon will get along one day?"

  "It may look like Logan and Nixon hate one another, but to me, I can tell it’s rather the opposite. They respect each other, even though Nixon antagonizes him and Logan makes a fuss over it."

  "I don't get how you see any of that." I just didn’t picture their relationship like that. Braxton's hand brushed against my cheek, prompting me to open my heavy eyelids and glace up to meet his gaze.

  "Trust me. It's male intuition,” he declared confidently.

  I rolled my eyes. "Male intuition my ass." I saw no difference with Nixon and Logan's interactions when I was Jinn. Braxton laughed softly and closed his book, placing it on the nightstand. Then he removed his glasses and set them on top of the book.

  "Let's go back to sleep. We have a few more hours before we need to be up," Braxton encouraged.

  "Is it okay if I sleep in your arms like this?" I asked nervously, worried it might be inappropriate. I didn't want to offend Logan. Even though he said I could potentially date the others, I didn't want to look like I was making advances to Braxton and the other guys and neglecting him.

  I was only in my lingerie and an extremely thin shirt, which was the reason why I felt so cold, but I didn't want to pull away from Braxton's warmth.

  "Logan said it’s fine as long as we don't touch you in a sexual way. Or he'll kick our asses and make sure we wished we were never born," Braxton revealed.

  "Well then. That's an intense punishment," I commented.

  "I agree with you, but if I had a woman like you as a partner, I'd say the exact same thing. After beating the shit out of the person, burning them to ash, and throwing their remains in the ocean at the edge of Brighten,” he concluded.

  I blinked and then gawked at his sweet smile. "Now that's just cruel."

  "Nah, Precious. When I have my eyes on something I like, I protect it from any harm and will make anyone pay if they dare look at what's mine the wrong way,” he whispered; his low voice sent thrills of excitement down my body and my heart skipped a beat at his words.

  "Even though you just met me?" I questioned.

  "A person can meet someone once and feel like they've known each other for years. One interaction can be enough to set off a chain of interactions that can lead to friendship or even love. Just because I only recently met you, doesn't mean I can't show you kindness."

  "You wouldn't let some random girl or guy lay their head on your bare chest," I pointed out.

  His grin widened and his eyes twinkled with mischief. "You're right, I wouldn't. I gue
ss you’re the exception, Jewel."

  I blushed, looking away and lowering my head. "You're still a tease."

  "And you're beautiful with and without clothes,” he complimented, making my face grow hot at the reminder that he had seen me naked. I slapped his chest and he flinched.

  "Ow. You're not supposed to inflict damage on fragile items,” he complained.

  "You're nowhere near fragile with that cock of yours," I teased and grinned when he stayed silent. I took a quick peek and saw that his face was completely red.

  "Jeez, leave him alone."

  "Him, as in your cock has a name? Please don't tell me you named your cock," I snickered. His face grew even more red and my jaw went slack. "Your cock has a name? What is it?" I inquired, dying to know. "Please don't tell me it’s Jimmy or something. That's like the perfect vibrator name."

  Braxton coughed at my words and shook his head. "I feel in some areas you're as innocent as ever and other areas, you're too knowledgeable."

  "I'll take that as a compliment, but fess up," I pressed. "What about Alexa?"

  "I would not give my cock a female's name or name it after that stupid device that's some new trend. We have magic to open doors and give us a glimpse of the weather. Don't need to ask a computer,” he grumbled.

  "You're avoiding the question."

  "..."

  "Pretty please?"

  "..."

  "I won't tell a soul," I reassured him.

  "Haneul,” he spoke quietly. The Korean name sounded lovely in his native tongue.

  "Heavenly?" I translated, grinning at the word. I guess his cock brought heavenly experiences to any brave soul that tried to take all of him.

  He raised an eyebrow at me. "You know Korean?"

  "I'm half Korean. I look more like my father, but my complexion is like my mother’s, that's why I'm paler. I look more ‘white' than ‘Asian’ as most of my old friends would say," I explained.

  "Intriguing." He seemed impressed. A small grin formed on his lips. "Guess I'll speak in Korean when we're intimate one day." He winked. I became flustered at his words.

  "I....who said we'd be intimate?" I huffed, lifting my hand to slap his chest again but he caught my wrist and stopped me. "Ah. Don't damage the fragile goods, Precious,” he whined.

  "Did Logan tell you he calls me that?" I asked.

  "Yes, and I like it. Goes well with your name, Jewel. Doesn't match Jinn though. I think sexy is better,” he admitted, nodding to himself. I grinned, losing my resolve to slap him.

  "Braxton. Can I call you Brax for short?" I asked.

  "Sure,” he replied with a teeth showing smile. The shortening of his name seemed to brighten his mood. "Now, can we sleep?" he asked before yawning. Watching him made me yawn too and I rubbed my right eye.

  "Sure. As long as you tell me when we wake up what we did when we got drunk," I proposed.

  "I'll show you. I took a video." He chuckled.

  I groaned. "From your laugh, I feel it was a mistake to get drunk in your presence. Note to self, Braxton will gather evidence on people and Nixon will poison you with magic without your knowledge," I told myself.

  "It wasn't that bad and at least Nixon uses his magic for good things,” he praised.

  "And you use your unique videotaping camera skills for blackmail," I countered. He ruffled his hair and yawned again before reaching over to the nightstand to turn off the lamp. Then he got comfortable in the sheets, moving the blanket so it covered him but still gave me a good two-thirds of the material to wrap around myself.

  "Blackmail is such a strong word. Negotiation sounds better and evidence is always useful when you think about it. If it weren’t for the fact my parents wanted us to be mage warriors, I'd do photography,” he commented.

  "Photography...hmm. Can you take pictures of me and Alice one day?" I asked.

  "Anything you want. As long as I get a picture with you too," he suggested.

  "Deal."

  I yawned again, finally getting comfortable while snuggling into Braxton's embrace. His soft Irish soap scent was comforting and the slow rise and fall of his chest was just what I needed to fall back asleep.

  "Casting Magic for Advanced Mages. So Nixon and Logan," I announced, staring at the two. I rolled my eyes at their scrunched faces; Logan was sporting a bruise on his cheek and Nixon a scratch on his.

  "Would you two get over it and at least heal your man wounds before we get on the school property?" I insisted, crossing my arms.

  "Hoot." Alice fluttered her wings while resting on my shoulder. "Man wounds? More like their pride hahaha."

  The weekend had been filled with lots of partying, getting to know one another and drinking competitions. Braxton and Maximus had stayed out of the game, wanting to ensure we woke up in time for our first class. Of course, Nixon, Logan, and I had a drinking war which was unusual for Logan because he always scolded me for drinking too much. But this time his competition was Nixon and he declared he wouldn't lose.

  We all were wasted by the 15th shot and Brax said he had to carry all of us with the help of Maximus back to our rooms. At least I was in my female form so carrying me back was a piece of cake and Brax took on the adventure of cuddling with me.

  Braxton and I woke up in the morning to Logan kicking Nixon off the bed. Then they got into a manly brawl which Brax had to break apart, which led to them being drenched in ice cold water, which was Braxton’s chosen method.

  I thought it was absolutely hilarious but I had to be sympathetic in some manner. I raised my hand, snapping my finger to cast a quick healing spell. Nixon and Logan both flinched at the warm magic that appeared on their face, healing the bruise and scratch lingering there.

  "I only did that so you two would put your grown-up pants on and stop acting like two little boys who got caught in the closet."

  "He's the one who snuck in my bed," Logan whined.

  "Not my fault. I thought it was Jinn's bed," Nixon argued.

  "Even if it WAS Jinn's bed, I get to sleep with him, not you."

  "That sounds so wrong, but technically speaking at school, Jinn and I are a couple." Nixon winked.

  "When the fuck were you two announced as a couple?" Logan questioned.

  "When I kissed him at the party, now are you two done?" I huffed, having no tolerance for their bickering at eleven in the morning. I was never a morning person and eleven was STILL far too early for my liking. I enjoyed the night owl life.

  "Hoot," Alice replied. "Damn straight. Not to mention it's quiet and you can watch those naughty shows of yours." I turned around to hide my embarrassment.

  You're not supposed to say anything to ANYONE about my porn, alright?! Or I'm showing Mom where your hentai collection is.

  "HOOT?!" Alice fluttered off my shoulder to land on my head and began poking it. "DON'T YOU DARE! I'll reveal all your secrets!"

  "What kind of familiar are you?! Ugh! Okay! Stop poking me. It's too early for this shit," I grumbled sternly.

  I turned back to Logan and Nixon who still looked to be in shitty moods but at least their faces had returned to perfection so people wouldn't ask why they looked scratched up.

  "Wait, you kissed Nixon?" Logan asked me, raising an eyebrow. My gold eyes met his as I ruffled my short tresses. I'd removed the purple highlights from last night and left the red ones.

  "Yes," I replied and began walking down the street towards the main road. I heard them follow a few steps behind and slid my hands into my pockets. As much as I wanted to think about the moment my lips met Nixon's, I set the memory aside, not wanting to walk around campus with a boner. Totally inappropriate but might make me an internet sensation with all the media attention this school gets.

  I was wearing the school uniform, black dress pants, white t-shirt and my red blazer. They were delivered to us about an hour ago, ironed and all. I guess when you lived on Spellbound Road, everything was aimed to be perfect.

  I slowed my pace so Logan and Nixon could catch up. Nixon
passed me and continued a few steps ahead; Alice left my shoulder to land on his, leaving Logan and I to walk side by side.

  I may have been blind to males making advances on me, but I knew Nixon was purposely walking faster to give me and Logan a moment alone. Brownie points for Nixon.

  "Why did you two kiss? Or was it just an in the moment kind of thing?" Logan asked, his voice low. He didn't sound upset. I turned my gaze to look at him.

  The gold blazer he wore had black trimming, unlike mine that was red with gold trimming. I looked back to Nixon whose blazer was red like mine but with black trimming. All three of our blazers had the BRIGHTEN MAGIC ACADEMY crest on the back.

  The symbol was a magic circle with a sun in the middle, and a half moon shape on the top left side. The main circle was a light blue and the same symbol in different colors overlapped the bottom half. The four remaining colors were gold, red, purple, and green. Our school name was written along the top half of the circle in a gold that shifted between bright gold and a dark brown.

  I realized I hadn't answered Logan's question so I turned my attention back to him. "Some dudes were trying to bully him, saying he was gay. They asked where his boyfriend was and I stepped up to bail him out," I gave a shortened account.

  "Hmm. So you had to kiss him?" He turned to look at me as we both came to a stop.

  "Yes. To prove a point," I concluded.

  "Did you like it?" Logan questioned.

  I took a minute to answer, having to consider whether I truly enjoyed it. "Yes," I replied confidently even though inside I was trying not to freak out.

  I still didn't understand why, but as a male, I felt I had to maintain a calm, cool persona, even though that was the total opposite of how I felt in the moment.

  Logan nodded and I feared he was upset and trying to not show it. We began walking again and I ruffled my hair.

  Shit. Maybe he is mad. He didn't say anything else. Maybe he's worried I'm gonna start liking men. Well...actually, I do like men, cause I'm a girl. But right now I'm a guy. So does he want me liking girls? Hmm...that doesn't sound too bad right now actually...but wait. Does that mean I'm bisexual? I don't think so. This is really complicated. Maybe I should ask Brax, but that might sound weird coming from Jinn instead of Jewel. Why am I referring to myself in the third person? Fuck, what is he-