My chest was heaving for breath under Kiernan's bulk. I pushed against him, weak as a kitten. He grinned, peppering my face with tiny kisses, and rolled off me. Lance shuffled aside to give him space.
For several minutes, none of us said anything. The sounds of our pants and gasps got quieter until we'd recovered our normal breathing. I smiled as I checked on Lance and Kiernan. They were cuddled against each other, Kiernan's head on Lance's arm.
There was no awkwardness between the boys. None of the guys I'd known at home would have been comfortable hugging another naked guy. Things really do work differently in the magical community.
Then I looked to the other side. Julian's head was turned away, and he was asleep.
"Julian," I said, touching his arm. His skin was icy. "Hey, you'll catch a cold. Let's get under the cover."
No response. There was something about the way he didn't react at all that made me uncomfortable.
"Julian?"
Lance and Kiernan sat up, alerted by the urgency in my voice.
"Julian? Come on, wake up."
Kiernan crawled to my other side as I pushed myself from a sitting position to standing. He shook Julian's shoulder, harder and harder. Then he put his fingers on Julian's wrist. The color drained from his face as I watched, dreading his next words.
"I can't wake him. Something is wrong."
I hated myself for asking it. "Is he...?"
Kiernan shook his head. "No, he isn't dead. But he's unconscious, and his pulse is weak. Get dressed, we need to get help."
35
I stayed with Julian. His head rested on my lap while I ran my fingers through his hair. He looked so vulnerable; I kept my eyes on his chest to make sure it was rising and falling. The stillness of his body couldn’t be mistaken for sleep. His lips, devoid of their usual black paint, had a blue tinge. His skin didn't get any warmer, no matter how much I rubbed my palms over his arms.
What had gone wrong? I felt tired, but not like the overwhelming weakness I’d experienced the last time we’d all been together. Maybe Lance’s presence had tempered the effect? But why hadn’t the protection bags worked for Julian?
Kiernan had covered him with a blanket to make sure he didn't cool down anymore. If his chest weren't moving, I might have been holding a corpse in my arms. A dry sob escaped me before I clamped down on the thought. Hard.
Lance sat next to me, one arm around my shoulder, his other hand clutching Julian's. His head hung low as he stared at the motionless body. His thumb rubbed to and fro over Julian's thumb.
Julian had been the first boy to catch my eye at the academy. He'd welcomed me despite my reputation and made my heart beat faster from the moment I'd talked to him. I can’t lose him. Not when things are starting to slot together with Kiernan and Lance.
Julian had lost his parents before arriving at the academy. He'd held his dying father in his arms the same way I was holding him while waiting for help to arrive. I couldn't hold back the tears running down my cheeks any longer. It was so fucking unfair.
Loud steps in the hallway approached the room. Kiernan flung the door open, followed by the healer, Mr. Odwell, and two men with a stretcher. Mr. Odwell took in the situation with one glance. "What happened?"
Embarrassment rushed through me. I stared at the floor, wishing I was anywhere but here. Even though we were all dressed, except for poor Julian, the smell of sex hung in the air. That, and the scattered pillows, and the bra visible on one of the bed, gave the game away. How was I supposed to explain that?
But before I could open my mouth, Lance said matter-of-factly, "We all had sex, and then Julian lost consciousness."
The healer kneeled down while Lance got out of the way. Mr. Odwell measured Julian's pulse with his fingers. Then he closed his eyes and ran his hands above Julian's body without touching him. The space between the healer's palms and Julian's skin seemed to become denser. The heat emanating from Odwell's palms was visible to the naked eye.
The healer moved around, scanning the entirety of Julian's body from head to toes. Then he sat back on his heels before giving his diagnosis. "I'm afraid he's in a coma. He needs immediate treatment if he's to survive."
Lance sounded shocked. "But how? He was fine just an hour ago."
Odwell looked at each of us in turn. "You drained him during sex. I'm not sure how that happened. People might feel ill or nauseous, but it's usually quickly fixed by giving them sugar. In all my years at the academy, I've never seen somebody being drained so thoroughly. I'll put him on a glucose drip when we get him to the infirmary. Then all we can do is hope for the best."
What? We did that?
I must have gone completely white because Kiernan put his arm around me to support me as my vision swam in and out of focus. Lance moved closer, tightening his hold on me. Both boys looked at each other with scared eyes. As the men loaded Julian onto the stretcher, we held each other tightly, pulling strength from each other.
When Mr. Odwell and the men had taken our boyfriend away, we moved from the floor to one of the beds. It wasn't big enough for three grown adults, but we made it work somehow. Now that I knew Julian was being taken care of, the shock set in. My entire body shook, and I felt cold throughout. At some stage I fell asleep, pressed tightly between the bodies of my two remaining boyfriends.
The next morning was brutal. Every muscle ached as if I'd worked out too much. I felt exhausted, despite the fact I'd never woken once I'd fallen asleep. The room looked exactly the same way we'd left it last night, but I was alone. Hugging myself, I shuddered as a memory surfaced.
Julian had never even reacted when the two men had lifted him onto the stretcher like a side of beef. What if he didn't recover? What if he died? Was it my fault? The bag was supposed to protect him, to ground and protect us.
I knew he was a water mage, and I was lightning. Was it possible my power had depleted him? But shouldn't I be stronger? I sure as hell didn't feel like I’d drained anybody.
The door opened, and Kiernan entered. He was fully dressed, but his hair was still wet from the shower. He walked to my bed and sat down on the mattress. His eyes were dull, but his voice was steady. “Good morning. Time to get up if you don’t want to be late.”
Oh, no. I’d forgotten all about P.E. first thing. Kiernan bent and kissed me on the forehead. “If you get up now, you’ll have time for a shower.”
I took a second to appreciate how domestic and cozy his gesture was. Then I groaned. “Why am I so exhausted? How are you so fresh?”
Kiernan shrugged as he got up. “No idea. Maybe it’s sleeping next to you that gave me a good night’s rest.”
I really, really had to get going. There was no time for me to check on Julian’s condition. My throat closed up, thinking how scared he had to be, waking up by himself in the infirmary. “Kiernan. Could you go and see Julian?”
“Of course. I’ll have some time now. Can you see yourself out?”
“Sure,” I responded, before groaning again as my muscles protested. Gathering my clothes took more strength than I thought possible. When I was dressed, I made my way across the campus, avoiding eye-contact with the few students who were up and about.
I opened the door to my dorm room, hoping I wouldn’t have to talk to anybody. Sharon’s bed was made, but Beth’s was the usual mess. She sat on the cover, frantically writing something into her workbook.
Looks like somebody hasn’t done their homework. I felt a little smug until she moved her head and her hair fell away from her ears.
What the…? The halo I’d noticed a few times before was back, but through the shimmer, her ears looked different. Not round, like mine, but… pointy?
“Beth,” I tried to say, but my throat had gone dry. I cleared it and tried again. "Beth. Why do your ears look funny?"
Beth's hands flew up to the sides of her head as if to cover them up. When she dropped them, her ears looked perfectly normal.
"What do you mean?" she said, trying to sound
innocent. But she couldn’t fool me. I'd seen her ears. They hadn't looked human at all. And then she’d tried to lie about it.
My mouth pursed in irritation. "Please, don't. This isn't the first time I've seen this weird, floaty veil around your head. What's going on? I thought we were friends."
I sat next to her, aware of how little time I had before getting to class. But this was important. Something strange was going on with my best friend, and I already felt guilty for not offering more support after her father had died.
Beth's head was lowered and her eyes squeezed shut. She seemed to fight an internal battle, torn between whether to tell me her secret or not. Finally, she came to a decision.
She looked straight at me and said, "I'm not human."
36
I waited for the punchline. It didn't come. Eventually I said, "Right. As in, you're magic-born? I know that. That's hardly news."
Beth shook her head. "No. I mean, I'm not human because I'm half-fae."
What? Was she trying to make fun of me? I laughed, because what else was I supposed to do? "Fae? As in faeries? You're joking, right?"
My best friend held my gaze. "My father told me shortly before his death that my mother hadn't been human. He also told me she never died in childbirth, but that she was killed by her father's enemies."
"Who was her father?" I couldn't help asking. The story drew me in, even though I still didn’t believe a word.
"My dad never said. But my mom put a spell on me, what he called a glamor, to keep me safe. Dad found out my life was in danger as well, so he sent me here. But then they killed him. And now I'm on my own…"
Beth couldn't speak any more. She broke into heart-wrenching sobs and buried her face against my shoulder. I held her until she calmed down. Then I asked her gently, hoping to distract her, "So are your ears actually pointy? And why couldn’t I see them before?"
My best friend wiped her eyes. "Dad said I couldn't have sex, or the glamor would lift. Turns out, he was wrong. We never did more than make out, but I fell in love with Luke and Kenzy. That's what did it. Since the beginning of the year, the spell has been weakening. And I don’t know what to do. I can't trust anybody. I’m so scared. don't know who's coming for me. Maybe nobody. I just don’t know."
I didn't want to point out her dad had been killed by some kind of supernatural assassin. So the chances were high that she was in danger as well. "So what other physical changes are there? Apart from your ears? I mean, you could probably cover those with a hat."
She chuckled, which was what I’d been aiming for. The conversation had turned way too heavy.
"Sometimes, when I'm tired, my eyes look a little different. Like, there is a silver film on them. But it never lasts long."
"So a hat for your ears and sunglasses for your eyes. That’s easy."
I rubbed my chin, thinking about something she’d just said. "Hang on. So your eyes look different when you’re tired, right? Does that mean you can control this? Like that—what did you call it? Glamor? Maybe it is dependent on your physical condition?"
Beth stared at me. "You're right. When I'm upset or exhausted, it slips for longer."
I suddenly remembered I had to get to P.E. and jumped off the bed. "I won't have time to shower before class. But I'm glad we talked. Are you ready?"
"As I'll ever be. Don't want to keep Castle waiting."
I hated it when she looked so sad. And I loved that I managed to make her smile, even though her eyes were still red and swollen.
We walked side-by-side to the gym, each of us deep in thought. I suddenly realized I hadn't even asked about Kenzy. But maybe that would have upset Beth even more. Better to raise the topic another time.
Kiernan was waiting for me. As we got near enough, I asked, "How is he?"
Beth glanced at me, probably wondering what was going on now. I said to her apologetically, "I should have told you earlier. Julian fell ill last night."
I still couldn’t bring myself to talk about sex as easily as the other kids at the academy. Kiernan had no such restraints. "Yeah, he got drained when we had sex last night."
Beth grinned. "We? As in, all of you?"
Kiernan nodded. "Amber, Julian, Lance, and me."
"And I," I corrected him, because seriously, who drops information like that so casually? Kiernan shrugged, ignoring my grumble.
"Anyway, Julian got sick afterward and had to be brought to the infirmary. I called by this morning, and he's better. Still out, though. The nurse said it might take another day or two. They're giving him glucose infusions to bring his energy levels up, and sedatives to let him sleep it off. Plus whatever healing magic he needs. He'll recover fully."
He shook his head ruefully. "I got a serious lecture on safe sex. Especially after we just learned about it in Elemental Magic. I showed Denholm the protection bag, and he says it should have worked. Maybe not prevent a drain completely, but Julian’s energy should have never gotten that low. Something is wrong. Mrs. Palmer wants to talk to us to make sure this won't happen again. In the meantime, no happy endings."
"Kiernan," I hissed. If I could have blushed anymore, I would have burst into flames.
Beth's gaze moved from Kiernan to me. "How are you guys feeling after your session? Any lingering effects?"
My stupid boyfriend answered, "Other than an amazing orgasm”—I facepalmed, wishing the earth would open and swallow me up—"and some very sexy dreams, I'm feeling great."
"What about you, Amber?" The way she bit her lip, Beth was trying hard not to laugh.
I waved her concern aside. “I’m fine.”
I wasn’t. My legs felt tired, and my body ached as if it carried a heavy weight. I didn’t want to worry Beth, though, so I tried a diversion. “What about Lance?”
Kiernan’s gaze on me was steady. He knew I’d evaded the question. And his raised eyebrow said, ”We’ll be discussing this later.”
Out loud, he said, ”He’s not great. I had a hell of a time waking him this morning. But then, he’d been tired before we got together last night.”
Beth’s expression was skeptical, as if she didn’t quite believe either of us. She shook her head before holding the door open. “Come on. I want to know the whole story after class. Right now, we’re going to be late if we stay here any longer.”
Kiernan nodded and walked ahead. As I followed him to the hall, I marveled at his posture. There was no fatigue, no tiredness, after the night we’d had. If anything, he looked full of strength and vigor. Unlike me, who could barely keep up.
37
Today had been one of those glorious April days when the temperatures rose high enough to make us forget winter. After P.E., we hadn’t had time to shower or change. The miasma of sweaty teenage feet and armpits clung to me like sticky tar when the final bell rang.
I’d rushed back to my room to wash up before visiting Julian. When Beth entered the room, I was humming while drying my hair with the threadbare towel I’d been given when I first got here.
"Hey, I just found your familiar digging in a pile of bricks on my way to the forest." Beth held the giant tomcat with both arms.
"Why didn’t you leave him to it?" I asked. After all, Slug was always out and about. I couldn’t explain his fascination with the building dirt, either. Maybe a female cat had peed on it. I'd long since given up figuring out what my stupid pet was up to.
"I'm not so sure. He seemed upset when I picked him up. And check out his paws."
I took his foot and looked closer. "Is that blood? What did he do to himself?"
"I don't know, but no cat I know of would hurt themselves like that. And he is a familiar. I think we should go to the brick pile and have a look."
I didn't have the heart to tell her Slug was nothing but an alley-cat I’d stumbled upon by accident, but she was right about one thing. He’d hurt himself, trying to dig something up. Maybe it was time to investigate what fascinated him so much.
"Okay," I said, grabbing my coat.
"Let's go. We might find a buried treasure or something."
The moment Beth sat Slug down, he ran ahead of us. There was a pronounced limp in his gait, but it barely slowed him down.
"Slug. Wait!" I shouted as we stumbled after him in our haste to keep up. I was getting concerned about his injuries. They were superficial, but the scratches needed to be washed and disinfected.
By the time we arrived at the dirt pile behind the west wing, Slug was at it again. Digging furiously, he bit at the edge of a broken brick. I rushed to pull him away before he broke a tooth.
He screeched in protest, his neck hairs standing up and his ears flattened. I didn't give up and was trying to lift him away when he twisted and drew his extended claws across my wrist.
"Ouch, you little shit." I dropped him, looking in disbelief at my arm. There were four scratches, two of them pearling with tiny beads of blood where he'd broken the skin. Slug had immediately scrambled back to his old position, still biting and clawing at the sharp-edged brick.
What is going on here? Why is he so adamant to pick at a piece of useless building waste? I bent down and stretched out my arm to pick up the offending piece of red clay. I kept my other hand ready in case Slug lashed out again. To my surprise, he meowed softly and moved aside, allowing me access to his obsession.
My fingertips connected, and my eyes flew wide open. What the...? Instead of the rough surface of old terracotta, I felt smooth plastic and softened edges. My brain melted a little at the disconnect of the two inputs. I saw brick. I felt a small, thin item. My fingers closed around it, and I picked it up.
The moment the thing was removed from the big pile, it changed its appearance. The spell or glamor that had hidden the item was cast on the pile, not the object. Beth stared at it, as confused as I felt. "That's a USB stick."
Second Chance Soul: a paranormal reverse harem steamy slow burn academy adventure (Second Chance Academy Book 2) Page 18