Wicked Magic: Harper Shadow Academy (Book Three)

by Luna Pierce

  Silas studies his palm, and I’m not so sure he’s going to shake it. He grips it firmly. “Silas. I appreciate your assistance back there.”

  Jackson’s gaze meets mine, and he nods. “Of course.”

  “Dude, I haven’t seen you in forever. How have you been?” Deghan clasps Jackson on the shoulder and breaks the awkward standoff between him and Silas.

  “Not bad. I’m back in town, though. Working at the coffee shop part-time.”

  “Wait, you two know each other?” I point from one to the other. It’s then I remember how brutally injured my hands are.

  “Yeah, we grew up together. Kinda family but not blood.” Deghan grins and punches Jackson’s shoulder.

  Silas steps in front of me. “We should get that taken care of.” He takes my arm and leads me a few feet away to a random fallen tree to sit on. “May I?”

  “Mmhm.”

  Silas bites into his palm, drawing his blood and wiping it onto my unbandaged hand.

  It’s strange to watch, and I’m well aware it shouldn’t be as seductive as it is, but the intimacy of the whole thing is next level.

  The pain disappears within seconds, along with any trace of an open wound. All that is left is my blood mixed with his.

  He unwraps my other hand, and for the first time since I burnt it, I see the mangled destruction of my skin.

  “Jesus, Willow,” Silas nearly hisses. “I thought Tremont was healing you. This has to hurt like hell.” He nips at himself again and gently rubs my injury.

  Almost immediately, the dull ache I’ve had for days now fades.

  “Holy shit.” Kole’s jaw drops. “She’s… I had no idea. I’m…” He shakes his head. “I’m so terribly sorry.”

  “Wait.” I focus on the stranger. “What are you talking about?”

  “Don’t,” Silas demands.

  “You’re his Malachi.”

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  “You mean to tell me you’re not going to explain?” I plead with Silas.

  He stops, puts his arm under my legs, and lifts me into the air into a bridal carry. “No.”

  “Let me down,” I command.

  “I have to get you back to the school and inform the headmaster of the intruder.”

  The beast who threatened to turn me into a vampire, the one who ended up apologizing moments later. For a reason, I’m still unclear of.

  “You’ll be safe now.” Silas rushes us into the clearing behind the building. “He won’t touch you ever again.”

  “You’re telling me that this freaking psycho, who was about to turn me into his dinner, is all of a sudden not going to want to rip me apart?” I jump out of his arms once he slows down.

  “Yes, that’s correct.” He grips my upper arm and continues to lead me the rest of the way.

  “And it’s because I’m your Malachi? What does that even mean? Why won’t you tell me?”

  Silas turns me toward him, bringing us both to a stop. “Because you don’t need to know. Leave it alone. Please. Christ, Willow. Let it go.”

  I study his pained face. Why is he so insistent that I only have the minimal bits of information on him? He’s always been secretive about our intertwined fate, and now this.

  I’m his Malachi.

  Whatever the hell that means.

  I rip my arm from his hand. “Fine. Don’t tell me then.” I leave him standing there and stomp all the way to the bathroom to wash all the nastiness off me.

  Next stop, the library.

  If he’s going to continue being so secretive, I’ll have to find some other way.

  I head straight to my usual spot and scour the texts, desperate to find anything on the Harlows.

  Five minutes later Sydney appears in the doorway.

  “Um, Willow. We could really use your help. Deghan ran off and hasn’t come back, and Silas is nowhere to be found.” He leans on the wall and studies me. “This was your idea.”

  “Sydney, what’s a Malachi?” I try not to sound as dumb as I feel.

  His emerald eyes widen. “You found out?”

  “What do you mean? You already knew about this?” My anger grows at how out of the loop I am. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

  Sydney rubs his temple. “It wasn’t mine to tell.”

  “What about now? What is it?” I bite at my lip anxiously.

  He sighs and shakes his head. “I shouldn’t be the one explaining this to you. It should be him.”

  “I’m going to find out, you realize that, right? If it’s not you, I’ll comb every single book in the library until I figure it out.” I lower my voice. “Please.”

  “I can’t. I’m sorry.”

  Why is everyone so fucking reserved? Is the truth so terrifying that I can’t be told? Does that mean this is bad? That has to be the only explanation for why they won’t tell me. What could possibly be so terrible about what is going on between me and Silas?

  “Willow, can we save this for another time? Cam really needs all hands on deck.”

  “Yeah, absolutely. You’re right. This can wait.” It was selfish of me to storm off in the first place to find Silas. And now, I shouldn’t be focusing on something that’s incredibly unimportant compared to Cameron’s bake sale.

  I’ve been in the dark this long, what’s a bit more?

  Sydney puts his warm hand on my lower back and leads me up the stairs and through the foyer. “Holy shit.” He stops and turns my palm up. “You’re completely healed. Tremont really did a good job, didn’t he?”

  Little does he know, Tremont had next to nothing to do with the miraculous recovery.

  “What aren’t you saying?” He scans my face with his gaze. “Ohhh. I get it. Wait, what exactly happened?”

  “Um, well.” I glance around the room and lower my voice. “A random vampire attacked me, some were-dude named Jackson came out of nowhere and took him down. Deghan showed up. We got Kole tied up, and then Silas brought me back to the school.”

  “Kole? That’s the vampire? Is everything under control now?” Sydney’s energy fizzes over like he’s about to take off.

  “Yes. He was secured. Silas was going to get Walker and take care of it. Silas wanted to kill him, but Deghan said it wasn’t allowed.” I study my perfectly normal hand. “The vampire saw Silas mend this and freaked out, said I was his Malachi. Apologized for attacking me.”

  “Well, yeah, it’s a not-so-secret secret oath. They can’t touch another vampire’s…” Sydney stops talking. “I’m saying too much.”

  “You’re killing me. Please finish. What does this mean?”

  “It means that Silas needs to man up and tell you himself. I’m not really sure why he hasn’t, but there has to be some explanation. Maybe he’s protecting you somehow. It’s hard to say with him. But, if you’re sure they have it taken care of, let’s get to Cam. They’ll catch up once they’re done.”

  I hesitate. “What do you think they’re going to do… with… the vampire?”

  Sydney looks around. “Um, in this kind of situation? Probably stake him.”

  “I thought they couldn’t kill him.” Maybe they couldn’t do it in front of me?

  “No, it wouldn’t destroy him, it would only immobilize him indefinitely. Vampires are weak to Rhodium. It’s a super-rare metal. They won’t die, but if they’re impaled with it, they desiccate.” Sydney takes my hand gently and changes the subject like he wasn’t just talking about serious supernatural stuff. “Come on.”

  We go through the doorway of the kitchen, and Cameron’s face turns into a smile.

  “I’m so sorry, Cam,” I say.

  “You’re here now, and that’s all that matters.” He winks.

  “Where the hell were you?” Remi carries a fresh-out-of-the-oven tray of cookies.

  “Long story.” I walk over to the sink and wash my perfectly fine hands. “What can I do?”

  “Here.” Cameron holds out a measuring cup. “Can you put three of those in here for me?” He motions t
oward a powdery white substance. Flour maybe?

  I quickly get to work, pushing away all of my wandering thoughts and focusing on Cameron and what he needs.

  “Hey,” he whispers to me. “Is everything okay? Deghan ran out to watch the sunset but then never came back.”

  That explains why Deghan was outside when shit went down.

  “Yeah, there was a bit of a snag, but it’s being resolved as we speak.”

  It’s then that he notices the lack of bandage. “Damn, you’re good now?”

  I shrug. “I guess so.”

  “That’s great. I’ve been worried about that. Couldn’t help but feel as though it was my fault.” Cameron rolls dough between his hands and places the balls on a baking sheet.

  “No way. That was all on me.” I scoop the last level cup into the bowl. “What next?”

  He points to a stack of spices. “Cinnamon. Two tablespoons.”

  A buzzer goes off, and upon turning around, Kyra is pulling another pan out of the oven.

  Behind her, Lillian is fully absorbed on stirring something in a pot. She doesn’t take her eyes off it for a second.

  An hour goes by of helping Cameron measure things and getting him whatever utensils he needs, and finally, Deghan shows up.

  No Silas, though.

  Deghan comes over, but for some reason, it’s not his normal gait. It’s a little slower, maybe more sluggish than usual.

  “What’s wrong, Deg? Did something happen?”

  He shifts his attention to the girls and back to me. “I’ll tell you later. Everything is okay, though.”

  Does that include Silas, too?

  The moment I’m about to ask, the man himself strolls in. He heads straight toward us, stopping in front of Cameron to ask, “What do you need me to do?”

  We all work until sometime in the middle of the night. The only reason we stop is because half of the group has fallen asleep in random chairs in the kitchen.

  “Thank you, everyone, for your help.” Cameron beams at us. “I couldn’t have done this without you.”

  Silas doesn’t bother sticking around and leaves the moment he’s dismissed.

  I was hoping we could have talked, but he probably anticipated that very thing and bolted at his first opportunity.

  A few mumbled goodbyes later, we head our separate ways, the girls to their respective dorm, and us toward the supernatural side.

  Sydney veers off and says, “I’ll see you in the morning.”

  I follow his path to the basement steps. He must be going to the library.

  “Do you mind if I crash with you guys tonight?” I ask Deghan and Cam.

  “What? You kidding? You never have to ask, princess.” Deghan wraps his arm around me. “I’m obsessed with cuddles, it’s my love language or something.”

  “And food. Pretty sure if that was one of them, you’d choose that first.” Cameron elbows Deghan playfully.

  “I can’t help it I’m hungry all the damn time. I’m a cuddly bear. Hibernation and food. That’s my jam.”

  “Can we stop by my room to get some comfy clothes?” Cameron yawns and stretches his arms wide.

  “You can borrow some of mine if you want,” Deghan offers.

  “That works.” Cam tugs me to him. “What about you? Do you need anything?”

  “I gotchu, girl,” Deghan interjects.

  I melt into a Deghan and Cameron sandwich on our way to Deghan’s room. It’s soothing and exactly the comfort I need, considering the hectic day we all had.

  Plus, I’m sure tomorrow will be full of stress, and I need all the relaxation I can get.

  “Hey, why are you limping?” I swing my gaze to Deghan.

  “Oh, right. Um, so, typically, I only shift on full moons, but I could hear Jackson’s struggle and sort of prematurely changed. I’m fine, it’s totally okay. I’ll be sore for a few days, though. Usually, it gets easier with age, but I’m still at a point where it sucks a little bit.”

  “Damn,” Cameron mutters.

  “I’m so sorry, Deghan. It’s all my fault. Is there anything I can do?”

  He grins wide. “Looks like your hand is all better now, maybe it’s my turn to get my hair washed?”

  I nudge him. “Your wish is my command.”

  We arrive at Deghan’s room, and he divvies out clothes.

  For me, it’s one of his t-shirts, which happens to fall all the way to my knees when I put it on. I hop onto the bed tucked in the middle and pull the covers to my chin. “It feels good to lie down.”

  Deghan flips off the lights while Cameron climbs in next to me.

  Seconds later, Deghan is on the other side.

  I lay flat on my back, reaching to each of them and taking their hands in mine.

  It’s not long until Deghan is sawing logs. He abruptly flips over, facing away from me, releasing my hand in the process.

  I turn to face Cameron and take his hand into both of mine, holding it to my chest.

  “Come here,” he whispers and extends his arm for me.

  I scoot over and nestle into the wonderfully carved-out space.

  Cam puts his lips gently to my forehead. He rakes the hair out of my face and tucks it behind my ear.

  I tilt my head up to him, and somehow, despite the darkness of the room, his ocean blue eyes light up my heart.

  I inch forward and lay a soft kiss on his cheek.

  He moves slightly, pressing his mouth onto mine.

  All at once, the desperation and longing we shared in the library not too long ago comes back in full force. Desire turns into a heated passion which turns into me climbing on top of him.

  Quietly, though, in an attempt to not wake Deghan up.

  I break away, bringing my finger to my lips to tell him to be silent while I check for the rising and falling of Deghan’s chest. Instead, though, his loud snoring rings through.

  Cam and I smile at each other and go right back to what we were doing.

  He weaves his fingers up under the oversized tee, along my bare torso. His touch is fire and ice, and damn if I don’t want more.

  I grind my body against his growing hardness until I can’t wait any longer.

  I waste no time, reaching back to tug his gym shorts off.

  He takes the opportunity to snake his hand along the front of my body and into my panties. He dances his finger teasingly on my opening and then hooks my undies and pulls them to the side.

  I rub my exposed parts up his and finally, I reach to position him in place. I swallow the moan upon his entry and glance over to make sure Deghan is still asleep.

  Cameron grasps my ass and thrusts himself inside me.

  I bring myself back down, crushing my lips into his and sliding my way onto his shaft.

  He guides me in and out with his hands on my hips, but for the most part, I’m in control, riding him like there’s no tomorrow.

  It’s a fucking miracle we haven’t woken up sleeping beauty beside us.

  I guide myself on the length of him, hitting just the right spot. I pick up the pace, and he grows even more solid.

  His fingers dig into my sides, reeling me in and begging for more.

  Sitting straight up, I grab on to his hands, track them up my body, and then interlace our fingers. I shove them behind his head and pin him in place. I continue to wiggle my body onto his. The motion brings me so close I can almost taste it.

  The moment I’m about to come undone, he gets himself free, reaching across my waist and flipping me onto my back in a move so smooth I barely knew what was happening.

  This time, it’s him who traps both of my wrists with only one of his hands.

  With my lack of mobility, he brushes his mouth onto mine, dragging his teeth along my bottom lip. He thrusts deeply and runs his free hand up my stomach and onto my breast. He takes my nipple between his fingers and twirls it around.

  The combined sensation is nothing I’ve ever experienced.

  His next plunge sends me over the edg
e.

  I clench around him, my orgasm extreme and rattling my body.

  Cam puts his hand over my mouth to help muffle the moans leaving me, but he never stops his in-and-out movement. Which only adds to the intensity of my pleasure.

  I finally come down from my high right as he pulls out and strokes himself finished onto my belly.

  I exhale and revel in how fucking sexy he is.

  He grins like he’s doing the exact same, but to me.

  I peek beside me, and having no clue how, Deghan is still fast asleep, none the wiser to the insane sex Cameron and I just had a couple feet away from him.

  Part of me wonders what would have happened if he’d woken up.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  I get probably the best night’s sleep in my life.

  Don’t get me wrong, I was already wickedly exhausted once we finished in the kitchen, but my time with Cameron fully wore me out and breathed an entirely new life into me.

  Somehow, every second I spend getting closer to the guys, whether it’s physically or emotionally, I end up feeling stronger. Is that even possible? Maybe that’s what happens when you fall in love.

  “Girl, if you don’t sit still, I swear I will leave your hair looking a mess,” Remi threatens.

  I spit out a sorry and sit up straight. “Although, I’m not opposed to leaving it.”

  She lets out a long breath. “Don’t embarrass me, Wills.”

  Her shaking hands tell me she’s nervous about the formal, given I’m pretty sure she’s finally going to make a move on Kyra.

  “Is there anything I can do to help you get ready?” I subtly extend my index finger and press it against her leg without her realizing it. I push some calming energy into her.

  “Nope,” she responds. Already with less harshness in her voice. “I want to get you finished so I can focus on myself.” She twirls a strand of my hair around the sizzling curling wand. “What are the guys wearing?”

  I shrug but immediately regret it the second my shoulder gets too close to the hot surface. “Not sure.”