by Light
Rome watched timidly as Kaleb smoothed his hands down the leather, thumbs running along the jagged edges of the zipper. It was making his heart stammer and his hands tremble. Rome had to grip the edge of the desk just to feel like he wasn’t going to lose his footing. There was something stirring inside of them both – something dangerous, longing to be set free. The way Kaleb was staring at his lips left Rome mesmerized.
“Kaleb,” he said warningly. Strong fingers closed around his hips, lifting him onto the desk. Rome’s hands shot up, grasping at Kaleb’s shirt for support. “Don’t,” he breathed, even as he found himself licking his lips.
“Do you find me attractive?” Kaleb asked, slipping between Rome’s legs. He rocked forward impulsively, pulling him back against his hips. The motion was so fluid it left Rome gasping.
“I—” Rome stammered. “I’m not answering that,” he decided quietly.
Kaleb smirked. “Your heart’s racing again,” he whispered. “Is that fear, or anticipation?” His hand curled tightly around the back of Rome’s neck, fingers slipping into his soft hair as he held his gaze. Rome had to know what was coming, and he was doing nothing to stop it. Not even as he pressed a firm hand to the top of his thigh, sliding it seductively up his leg. They were so close he could feel the warmth of Rome’s skin radiating between their bodies. Before Kaleb could stop himself, he was crashing his lips over Rome’s, kissing him fiercely. Rome let out a startled moan and the soft, broken sound was filling him with heat. For once, he finally felt in control around him, and he wasn’t going to let that feeling slip away. He wanted to protect him, he wanted to own him, and he did not want to share. He nudged his tongue insistently into Rome’s mouth, claiming him with vigor as his fingers clawed over his stomach.
“Tell me you’re mine,” he breathed, pulling away just long enough to utter the words and then kissing him again hard enough to bruise.
Rome felt like he was falling. Pleasure jolted through his body at Kaleb’s words, at his lips against his. They were softer than he’d imagined. It was that feeling you get when you’re plummeting in an elevator, the sensation that you’re losing yourself. It was beyond amazing. He couldn’t even think. All he could do was kiss him back, working his jaw and his tongue against his with a frantic, wild need. There were hands moving underneath fabric and over skin, and soft, breathy moans filled the air. They were rocking their hips together in a steady, pleasurable motion, and Rome couldn’t deny that nothing had ever felt this exhilarating. Kaleb’s lips found his neck, and he shuddered.
“Bite me.”
Kaleb pulled back, staring into Rome’s eyes as his own danced with mischief and desire. “Do you want to taste me instead?” he asked, scraping Rome’s nails over his neck and down to the edge of his shirt.
He wanted him to draw blood.
Rome was nearly salivating at the thought. His lips were quivering and the dull ache in his gums had him inching forward. The door to his room squeaked open abruptly, sobering him out of whatever was about to happen. Rome had never felt so disappointed and relieved all at once.
Trevor was yammering on as he walked in with a stack of books piled up to his eyebrows. He hadn’t seen them yet, and Rome wanted nothing more than to keep it that way. Move, he mouthed, pressing his palms insistently against Kaleb’s chest. It only seemed to excite him more. Clearly Kaleb didn’t get that whatever this had been, was now over.
“Get out,” Kaleb breathed aggravatedly.
Trevor didn’t hear him over the excited sound of his own voice.
“So I got everything you asked for from my dad’s private collection. He’s got: The Artisan: Man or Myth, The Artisan’s Craft, The Way of the Artisan, the simply titled book, Cursed, and my personal favorite, The Artisan is an Alien.”
By the time Trevor set the books down on Rome’s desk, Rome and Kaleb were standing next to each other near the window as if nothing had happened.
“You okay? I didn’t interrupt, did I? You told me just to walk in.”
“What? No. We were just hanging out,” he said, punching Kaleb on the arm. “How many times do I have to tell people there’s nothing going on?” Kaleb turned his head slowly to glare at him before tromping towards the door.
“Where are you going?” Rome asked.
“Away,” Kaleb said flatly.
“Here, take your jacket, before I forget.”
“Keep it.”
Kaleb closed the door behind him and Rome sighed inaudibly.
What the hell? he thought. Why did I let that happen?
When it came to Kaleb, Rome felt like he was drowning, like he was always fighting to stay above the surface. Yet at the same time, all he wanted was to be pulled under. Because it was only in those brief, fleeting moments that he actually felt like he could breathe.
“When you said collection, I was thinking something more… old. You know, dusty and weathered.” Like that journal, he thought. All these books were new, glossy paperbacks that read like fiction. Still, the two of them cracked them open and combed over the pages for what seemed like hours. There were books scattered all over his room before they were done – on the bed, the desk and the floor. Rome fell back on his mattress in defeat, resting one of the books over his face.
“This is getting us nowhere,” he mumbled.
“Have you searched the internet?” Trevor asked, his eyes catching on the sleek new laptop on Rome’s desk.
“No,” he said. “I need to give that thing back to the Dean. He left it for me after the incident in the auditorium. I just don’t feel right keeping something like that.”
“That’s actually a common thing. The Dean is well known for his involvement in the lives of Vardel’s scholarship students. I think it’s because he was one,” he shrugged. “You should just keep it. Besides, there’s an entire directory of websites if you log into the school database, and you can find even more resources if you access some of the teacher’s files. They have way more material to work with. Everything is one big secret though. I’m genuinely surprised they’re still teaching us magic at all.”
“Teacher’s files?” Rome said, raising an eyebrow. “Isn’t that a little too… against the law for you?”
“Nope, I’ve hacked into the database for City Hall, and The Witches Collective, too. But that was just to show them that their firewalls were a complete joke. I thought they should know.”
“What are you, some kind of computer genius?”
“My intelligence doesn’t just begin and end with computers,” he smiled. “I’ve got an IQ that’s ridiculous. I did skip a year, you know.”
“You don’t usually act like it,” Rome laughed.
“I really don’t need to give people any more reason to pick on me. And hey, I’m still a thirteen year old boy. Cut me some slack.”
“Alright boy genius, hack into the school or The Witches Collective then, and get me something I can actually use.”
“Not on that thing,” Trevor said. “I’ll do it on my computer. If I find anything, I’ll let you know.”
“Sounds good.” Rome helped him collect his books. “Hey, Trevor… thanks for helping me with this. And for forgiving me.”
“Sure. That’s what friends are for.”
Chapter 29
It can be devastating, finding out someone wasn’t who you thought they were, learning that you can’t always trust your judgment. Ariahna had been taught a lot of hard lessons in life, but this was one of the hardest she’d had yet. She wondered if five years from now, she’d look back and realize that Christian had been her greatest mistake.
By dinner, everyone knew that they’d slept together. It was a small miracle that today was a Saturday and she didn’t have to face all of the rumors and the whispers in class. It was hard enough walking down the hall and feeling the stares, hearing the catcalls and the mean names flying past. They were calling her a slut, and a whore, and a freak. Some of the boys were saying things so crude she was alarmed, and the girls
were being cruel and nasty. She’d never felt so completely ashamed, so disgusting. She was tainted and defiled, filthy, and none of them had any problem reminding her of it.
Aria had been ignored a lot in school. She’d been ignored most of her life, in fact. She was used to the anonymity. What she wasn’t used to was being noticed. Most people had considered her so unimportant that she didn’t even warrant being mocked. This was different. She didn’t know how to handle this.
The courtyard was empty, quiet. Night was falling and there was a chill in the salty coastal air. She could hear the energetic voices of her peers through the cafeteria doors at her back. There was no place for her in there anymore, if there ever had been. She was sitting at a stone table, facing the endless tree line along the edge of the property. And for not the first time in her life, she considered running – leaving everything and everyone behind and just disappearing into the wilderness.
Would she even be missed? Somehow she doubted it. She doubted even Rome would care. He knew about her and Christian. Maybe he just thought she was easy, like everyone else. Aria exhaled around her anxiety, retrieving a metal chain from her pocket. It was Christian’s. She’d found it in her bed. A small pendant hung from the simple necklace. It was some kind of Celtic knot. It almost looked like a triquetra, but it was inverted. She ran her fingers gently over the metal, puzzling over where she’d seen the symbol before.
“It’s always the quiet ones that are kinky,” Jesse said, slipping onto the bench beside her. The grin on his face was pure sex.
“Maybe if I’m lucky, I’ll get pregnant, and then everyone will have something amusing to talk about for the next nine months,” Aria whispered. “Go away. I’m not interested in your clever lines.”
Jesse opened and closed his mouth wordlessly.
“I was talking about myself,” he laughed. “I know some people. Do you want me to have him roughed up a little for you?” Jesse was grinning again, but it was a softer, more sympathetic expression. He was trying to make her laugh, putting his dukes up and rolling them around in the air. “They’d all shut up if I threatened to take back the alcohol I provided for the party. I’d do it though, for you. Then we could revel in the looks on their faces. I’d imagine it would go something like this,” he said, contorting his features in outrage. “Sorry, I ramble. It’s perhaps why no one talks to me.”
“Do you want something?” he asked suddenly. Jesse was an awkward person on his best day, but dealing with upset girls was not on his set list of skills. He plopped his messenger bag down on the table, flipping it open and rummaging through it for something to cheer her up. “Do you smoke?” he asked. He shook his head no. “I don’t think you smoke.”
Aria was frowning so deeply it hurt. She was confused and concerned by his behavior. She watched Jesse fish a condom out of his bag and a shocked look washed over his face before he tossed it over his shoulder.
“Not that,” he said. “Bad bag.” He’d have to be more careful with his thoughts. Aria scooted slowly towards the edge of the bench, obviously trying to sneak away, and Jesse looked up at her pleadingly. “Wait, just give me a second. There’s gotta be something in here you want.”
“Are you okay?” she asked. “Do you need to go see the nurse?”
“Why? Do my eyes look red?”
“Well, a little. You’re just being… odd.”
“Huh,” he said, scratching at his neck. “I smoked some new stuff – magic laced. I think it might be amplifying my personality. Also,” he whispered, “I’m not completely convinced that bush is not watching me.” A hand connected solidly with the back of Jesse’s head and he bent forward, clutching his skull and glaring at his attacker from underneath his arm. A tall boy with close-cropped hair stood behind him. He had a narrow face, fine features, and a pinched, annoyed sort of look around his eyes.
“What the fuck was that for?” Jesse breathed angrily.
“People know we’re related,” Logan said. “Cut that shit out.”
“Really, people know that? It’s funny that everyone seems to know we’re cousins and yet no one knows my freaking name,” Jesse said. “I’m ‘that guy’, or ‘hey, you’. Or, or, not even a person! Just ‘cigarettes’.”
“Speaking of,” Logan said.
“Fuck, you’re so predictable.”
“What is your name?” Aria mumbled. Jesse cast her a disbelieving look and she glanced away in embarrassment. “We have one class together,” she said. “And before today, no one knew my name, either. Not even you.” The sound of a blade being flicked open startled her. Another boy came walking up behind them, fidgeting with a switchblade in one of his hands. He had dark skin and straight, dark hair that swept across his forehead. He seemed to be of pacific island descent.
“She doesn’t need to know your name to suck your dick,” he said.
“Only if you want to hear her scream it while you fuck her,” Logan added. Jesse stood up and shoved a pack of cigarettes into his chest, smashing them against his shirt.
“Get the fuck out of here,” he said. “Take your cancer sticks and go kill yourself. Oh, and Trent? Talk to her like that again, and everyone’s going to know what I caught you doing in the boys’ locker room.” Jesse watched in amusement as Trent flipped the blade of his knife back open. He shoved Logan out of the way, walking up to him and pressing the tip of it to his own gut. “Do it,” he said. “I fucking dare you.” Trent was staring back at him with furious, jet black eyes. “Touch me and Johnny will put a bullet in your brain,” Jesse whispered. He pressed an index finger to the middle of Trent’s forehead, shoving him back. Jesse may have disliked his cousin, but he hated Trent.
“Forget about this idiot,” Logan said as Aria rose to her feet in alarm. “Why don’t we go hang out back in my room? I’ll give you a little free therapy. All you have to do is lie on your back and I’ll help you forget all about Christian.”
The doors to the cafeteria burst open and Dallas came storming out into the courtyard like an angry tornado. Scarlet followed quickly at his heels. “Did someone decide to throw a party and forget to invite me?” he said, throwing an unhappy smile onto his face. “Beat it Logan, and take your dog with you, before I call our resident pain in the ass in on this.”
“Dallas,” Logan said affectionately. “You and I, we have a mutually beneficial relationship. Don’t fuck it up by making me your enemy.” His tone had turned razor sharp to match the hard glint in his eye.
Scarlet stepped cautiously towards the group, grabbing Aria’s arm and pulling her slowly away from the circle of hostility. Logan and Dallas were facing off, staring each other down like they were waiting to see who was going to throw the first punch.
“Shawn was walking this way,” Scarlet said helpfully.
“You think I’m afraid of that little weasel?” Logan smiled.
“I know someone you’re afraid of,” Jesse commented.
Logan turned a sour glare to him.
“Just piss off,” Jesse said. “Before you make an even bigger scene.”
“I don’t take orders from you.”
“Oh, see, that wasn’t an order,” Jesse smirked. “That was a courtesy. You’re not stupid, Logan. Stop acting like it. I’ve known you your whole damn life and there’s more than one canary in your closet that I could make sing.”
“I think you mean skeletons,” Aria said quietly.
Jesse frowned at her in confusion, quirking an eyebrow.
“Singing skeletons?” he said. “That’s just weird.”
“Whatever,” Logan said. “Your bullshit has lost its entertainment value.” He snapped his fingers at Trent before waving his hand for him to follow. The two of them slipped back into the cafeteria and out of sight.
“Sorry about him,” Jesse said. “He doesn’t like people.”
“Yeah, well, people don’t like him either,” Dallas muttered.
“Now, what was I doing,” Jesse said, frowning at the group. “Oh yeah! What do you
want?” he asked, pulling his bag open and sticking his head inside. “Let’s see, what could I give you…?” he mumbled, throwing a few things on the table. “Candy? Cellphone? CD’s? How about some of the stuff I just got in? Guaranteed, you will not be sad anymore.”
Dallas ripped Jesse up out of his bag before he fell in and got lost forever. Jesse was holding a little baggie of pot in his hand. “Put that away,” Dallas said. “She doesn’t need drugs, you idiot. In fact, if I ever catch you selling to her, it’s not going to matter who your cousins are.”
“Selling? No, this is a freebie.”
Scarlet plucked a sucker up off the table.
“You won’t miss this, right?” she smiled.
Jesse shook his head no, grinning at her like a love-struck puppy.
“That’s alright,” Aria said. “I don’t need anything.”
Dallas’s face lit up. “That’s not true. She needs a phone.”
“No, I don’t.”
“Yes you do,” he said. “If for no other reason than so that I can get a hold of you.”
“Yeah, I can do that. What do you want? I’ve got smart phones, dumb phones, burner phones,” he said holding up a handful of devices.
“I don’t want one, and I can’t take something like that from you.”
“Sure you can. Call it a, ‘I’m sorry my cousin harassed you’, gift.”
“There, you see?” Dallas said happily, snatching a shiny new cell from Jesse’s fingers. “Consider it a payoff for not reporting that asshole to the Dean.” He glanced at Jesse who was nodding continually. He looked like a bobble head. “Whatever the hell you’re on, get off of it. I expect you to be sober by tonight.”
“Whatever you say, Chief.”
Dallas bit his lip, smiling angrily. “Don’t call me that,” he said. Jesse saluted him and Dallas decided to let the sarcasm slip. He programmed his number into Aria’s phone, barely punching in the last digit before Scarlet swiped it out of his fingers to do the same. He watched Jesse adding his own number to her cell with a frown. “Why would she need to call you?”