We'd been working on air all week in Spellcasting and I was okay at it. Decent enough that I could probably send a gust to blow the books out of his hands.
Silently, I called to my magic, letting it flood through me, gaining in momentum as I pushed it out toward Professor Hurd in a rush of wind.
To my surprise, it worked, the books went flying, pages open all over the room.
The students near the front jumped up and started helping while the rest of the class either moved to help or laughed at the situation. Quickly, I left my seat and casually walked toward Ben, picking up a book that had fallen right at his feet.
He bent down, his fingers brushing mine as we both picked up the book. Quickly, I slipped my key card into his hand. He closed his fingers around it.
"I got it," I said, taking the book.
He took his hand away and sat back in his chair.
I carried the book to the front of the room and handed it to Professor Herd.
"Very funny, whoever did that," he said with a frown. "Whoever it was, you cost your classmates an essay. You no longer get to choose from one of the three essays, you'll now complete them all."
I winced as I walked back to my chair. The class booed around me and I quickly joined in, trying to cover up my own involvement.
"That's not fair. Just make the mages do it," one of the shifters said.
"You'll all do it," he said.
I settled into my seat, feeling guilty. Though, knowing that I might have a visitor later tonight made it all worth it.
28
Raven
It was cold and dark. Water dripped somewhere nearby. My bare feet were freezing against the cold stone floor.
Wake up, wake up. I was back in the dungeon of my dreams and I knew it was a dream this time, but I couldn't get myself to wake up. Shivering, I dropped to the ground and pulled my knees to my chest. I had to wake up since I knew it was a dream, right? Wasn't that how it worked?
Leaning my forehead on my knees, I took deep breaths. I pictured meadows full of sunshine and sunflowers. I imagined sitting at the beach and feeling the sand under my toes.
Fear crept down my spine in icy tendrils. I was stuck here in this dream. How long would I have to wait until I woke up? It was the same dream I'd been having since I was a kid. Nobody ever came. I was always alone. And terrified.
Trying to distract myself again, I thought of Luka's dream world. The temple with a roof of starlight. The soft pillows and cushions where we'd had our first romantic interlude, even though it hadn't been real.
For the first time, I found myself wishing I had his magic. If I could control dreams, I could get out of this one. I wondered how he did it.
"Did you call for me?" Luka's voice came from behind me and I turned to see him standing in the dungeon with me.
He was dressed in his uniform, his hair in that perfect mussed look that made him look like he woke up looking that good.
I stood and turned to face him. "Are you really here or am I imagining you?"
"I'm here," he said. "I could hear you thinking about me."
"Thanks," I said. "I hate this dream."
"Should we improve it?" The room spun around me and when it stopped, I was in Luka's temple. It was just as beautiful as I remembered.
Suddenly, his brow furrowed. "You're not alone."
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"Someone else is in your room, I can feel them. Wake up, Raven."
Luka vanished and I was left alone and terrified in the dream temple. It didn't last long, though. Before I could even process what just happened, I was back in the cell.
I started screaming.
"Raven, wake up." Ben's touch on my arm was gentle as he shook me awake.
I sat up, gasping.
"You were having a nightmare," he said.
"Yeah, I guess I was," I said.
Ben put his arms around me and pulled me close. "Come here."
I snuggled into him, feeling my heartbeat slow as I settled into his embrace.
Suddenly, a loud thumping sounded on my door. "Raven, open up."
"Oh, shit," I said.
"Who is that?" Ben asked.
I ran to the door and opened it before Luka could wake the whole dorm.
"Raven!" Ben whispered behind me.
Luka stood in the doorway, his gaze quickly moving away from me to where I could only assume Ben was standing behind me.
"I was right, you weren't alone," he said.
"Luka, I can explain," I said.
"She's busy tonight, demon," Ben said.
He wrapped a protective arm around me and I shrugged it off. "Hold on now."
"Did you try to slip into her dreams?" Ben asked.
"I've been in more than just her dreams," Luka said with a grin.
I could feel the temperature in the room rising and I knew Ben was pissed. It was like his emotions were vibrating through me. He felt hurt and jealous and a little murderous.
On the other hand, I could practically feel Luka's come at me thoughts. His cocky grin was just the right kind of ammo. He was doing exactly what he needed to piss off Ben.
Shit. This wasn't going to end well if I didn't do something quickly.
"Okay, first you need to get in here." I grabbed Luka and dragged him into my room. Then I peeked out into the hallway to make sure we didn't have an audience. Thankfully, the coast was clear. I closed the door, then flipped on the light before I stepped in between the two of them.
"First of all, you both need to calm down," I said.
"I'm calm," Luka said.
I glared at him. He really was calm. None of this seemed to bother him.
"Now that I know you're not in here with a killer, I'm good," he said. "Well, that's not true, I'd be better if I was in Raven's bed, but I suppose it's not my turn."
Ben growled, and I turned toward him and set my hands on his chest. "Ben, don't do anything stupid."
He looked down at me. "Have you been with the demon?"
"I thought you knew that," I said.
"I didn't know for sure," he said.
"Ben, I share a bond with both of you," I said.
"Wait, you have a bond with him too?" Luka asked.
I looked over at the incubus and saw the first sign of concern on his expression since he realized I wasn't in danger. "I do."
"Wow. I've never heard of that before, have you?" He was looking at Ben, waiting for him to respond.
"No," Ben said.
"Then again," he said, "You rarely hear of a mage having a mating bond at all. Especially not with a shifter or an incubus."
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you," I said, looking from Luka to Ben. "I need you both."
"We haven't been exactly keeping things a secret," Luka said. "Why hide the shifter? Are you embarrassed that you're with a wolf?"
Ben growled again.
"I'm serious, I'm not trying to insult you," he said. "I never thought of Raven as the type to hide things unless there's a good reason."
"My father can't know about this," Ben said.
"Your father?" Luka's brow furrowed, then his eyes widened as realization dawned on him. He took a step closer to Ben. "What have you done?"
"He didn't do anything," I said.
Luka wasn't listening to me. He moved closer again. "You're putting her in danger. Did you think about anything other than your cock?"
"Hey, stop." Now I had to diffuse Luka. And to be honest, seeing him mad was a little scary. He was standing tall, his upper body tense, his hands balled into fists. Flames danced in his eyes. What the fuck?
Shaking off my own fear, I grabbed Luka's arms, squeezing gently. "It's okay. I'm safe."
He looked down at me, his eyes returning to normal. He still looked pissed, but he looked calmer. "It's not okay, Raven. Do you know who his father is? Do you know what he does to people?"
"Yes," I said. To be fair, I didn't fully know, but I had a general idea. And I knew it still didn'
t matter. I didn't have a choice. Ben was mine and I was his. The same as it was with Luka. I couldn't walk away from either of them even if I wanted to. And I didn't want to. I needed them. We were bonded in a way I couldn't explain.
"Listen," I said, rubbing my palms up and down his upper arm. "I didn't get to choose him any more than I chose you. But I'm glad for it. I need you. I need him too."
Luka's eyes flicked past me. I could feel Ben's body heat moving closer to me. I turned so I could see them both, releasing my hands from Luka. "You two don't have to like each other, but you're both going to be in my life and you're going to have to at least pretend to get along."
Both males let out low growls.
"That doesn't sound like pretending to get along," I said.
The growling stopped.
"Look, you know none of us chose this. But you both have to know that I wouldn't trade either of you for anything. You're going to have to be okay with this." I held my breath as I waited for them to respond.
"At least he can be out with you in public," Ben said. "He can keep you safe when I'm not able to."
"You know I will," Luka said.
"See? We can make this work," I said.
"I'll play nice if he does," Luka said.
"Ben." I looked over at my handsome shifter, wondering if he was going to go along with it. "I need you."
He reached his hand out toward me and I took it in mine. He squeezed my hand. "I need you too."
"Well, I suppose since it's your turn tonight, I'll be on my way," Luka said.
My face heated. I never imagined I'd be in a position where I was juggling two males. At least it was all out in the open now.
Ben pulled me closer to him, wrapping his arms around me. "You can show yourself out."
"See you in the morning, Kitten," Luka said as he slipped out the door.
29
Raven
Makayla was waiting for me outside the cafeteria and I hurried to meet her. I'd skipped breakfast this morning. Luka had joined me in a dream, and I didn't want to wake up.
My stomach grumbled at the smell of food. "I hope it's good today, I'm starving."
"Yeah, I wondered where you were during breakfast," she said. "Ben seemed to be looking for you too."
"Sorry, I overslept. Those magic sessions with Professor Halifax wear me out." I ignored the comment about Ben. The two of us managed to get quality time a few times a week at least. Yesterday, we'd skipped lunch together and met for a quickie in his room. Between him and Luka, I was getting quite the workout.
"How come you have to keep doing that now that your magic is back?" she asked.
"Just helping me catch up," I said. "I did miss quite a bit while my magic wasn't working."
"That's true," she said. "Hey, pizza day."
I grabbed a tray and pulled two plates of pizza slices onto it. The cafeteria made the best pizza I'd ever had. After picking up a bowl of salad and a bottle of iced tea, I left the line and followed Makayla to our usual table.
Ben was sitting with us again, though the two of us never sat next to each other. He smiled at me quickly, then went back to his conversation with Jessica.
I was pretty sure all the shifters at the table had figured out what was going on between us, but they never said a word. I didn't know if he'd talked to them and asked them to keep quiet or if they were just following our lead. I wasn't sure I wanted to know. It was almost easier to feel like I had to hide it from them too. If I got used to being open about our relationship in front of them, I might slip in front of someone I shouldn't.
Just as I took my first bite, Luka slid onto the seat next to me. He planted a kiss on my cheek as he did every day. At this point, the fact that Luka and I were an item was old news around the school. Though, I knew Ben hated every second of Luka's affections. I felt bad about it, but I tried to make it up to Ben in our private time.
"Hey, I have something lined up for tonight. All of you should come," Luka said to the table.
"What is it?" I asked. "I still can't leave the main building."
"You won't have to leave." He lowered his tone, making everyone have to lean in to hear him. "But meet at the gym at midnight."
"Why?" Jamal asked.
"Or don't, your choice." He shrugged, then took a bite of his pizza. "Hey, did you all hear about Remi and Dolores?"
"What about them?" Jessica asked.
"I guess someone walked in on the two of them in a classroom last night and they were not studying," he said.
"I knew it," Jessica said. "I knew those two were sneaking around campus. Students always try to hide it, but their relationships come out into the public sooner or later."
My stomach churned and suddenly I wasn't as hungry as I was before. She was right. It was difficult to hide anything at this school.
"I'm sure there are lots of secrets at this school," Luka said. "That's what makes it so much juicier when one breaks."
The table broke into conversation about past rumors and secrets that had come out. Most of the stories were new to me and they helped take my mind off of Ben and me. I knew I didn't want to keep our relationship hidden forever, but until we had a better way of dealing with it, this was how it was.
The rest of the day flew by. Even gym was tolerable today. I'd gotten pretty good at running laps on days when Coach Miller ignored us while he lifted in the corner. He recruited some of the larger shifters to lift with him or spot him and seemed to be enjoying their sessions. I was happy to run around the circle with Violet.
"How are things with the demon?" she asked.
"Good," I said.
"Good, that's all I get?" she asked.
"How are things with you and Scarlett?" I asked.
"Let me tell you, the things that woman can do with her tongue. I mean, she's a handful and sometimes I wonder why I put up with her shit, but once we get naked, I stop thinking completely."
"Oh, that's what you were looking for," I said.
"Of course," she said. "Like I could give two shits about how you feel or what your bond is or whatever. I just want to know how he is in bed. I hooked up with a succubus once. Best night of my life. Wasn't sure if the male version was the same way."
"Well, I've never been with a succubus, but I can confirm that Luka is incredible. In my dreams and in the real world."
"Dream sex, I'm jealous. That means you could literally doze off in class and have the most amazing wet dream ever," she said.
I laughed. "I hadn't thought about it like that, but I guess I could."
After class, as I changed in the locker room, I couldn't help but wonder what Luka had planned for tonight. He'd never invited the whole group to anything before. In fact, the only time he was part of the shifter group was at meals. When I hung out with them, it was usually in the common room.
I left the locker room thinking about how I'd pass the time till dinner when I ran smack into one of the twins. It took me a second to shake off the surprise to realize I was staring at Matt. "Hey, what's up?"
I'd been avoiding them lately, which I felt bad about after all they'd done to help me. But their mom freaked me the fuck out. It was one thing to be interested in someone, it was another thing to have their mom ready to throw you a baby shower before you've even decided you want to have sex with her kid.
"I heard a rumor," he said.
My heart raced. How did he find out about Ben?
"I heard you and your friends have some plans for tonight and frankly, I'm hurt." He frowned in a playful, exaggerated way.
"What are you talking about?" I asked.
"Word travels," he said. "Gym at midnight?"
"Oh, that," I said. "I don't even know what Luka is planning."
He frowned again briefly but this one wasn't forced. It was real. And I had a feeling it was in response to me dropping Luka's name. Since I'd been more public in my affections with the incubus, Matt slowed on his flirting with me. There was a part of me that missed it.
>
"We want in," he said. "I thought we were friends."
"We are," I said. "But I feel like I'm missing something here. What do you think we'll be doing?"
"The gym is being set up as we speak for the practice trials. If your friend wants you to meet here tonight, my guess is he figured out a way to get a preview. We want in."
"Oh, yeah." I hadn't even thought about the fact that they might set up for the trials early. We took them Monday.
"Any peek is going to help," he said. "I take mine Monday. I drew the first position."
"You must be so nervous," I said. "I'm so sorry."
He shrugged. "Someone has to be first. But I'm not thrilled that it's me. It gives me a huge disadvantage. I don't get to ask anyone about it before my turn."
"Of course you can come with us," I said. "
He smirked. "Nice to see you still care about me even if you're spending all your time with that incubus."
I winced. His words hurt. Just because I'd been avoiding him didn't mean I didn't still feel dawn to him and Zach. I just wasn't ready for the pressure of his family. And I couldn't afford to mess things up. His mom was paying for me to be here. What if we hooked up and he dumped me? What if he decided he didn't want his family helping me anymore?
Also, right now, his mom's help was charity. Granted, I knew she had ulterior motives, but I could try to ignore that. If I started sleeping with her son, there was so much more pressure.
"I do care about you," I said. "But things are complicated right now."
"I worry about you, Raven," he said.
"Why?" I asked. "I'm fine."
He shook his head. "It's not just jealousy that I'm not in your bed, which, trust me, is a thing. I do want to be in your bed. But Ben isn't exactly the type of guy you should be sneaking around with."
I felt like a bucket of cold water had been thrown on me. He knew. Which meant other people had to know too.
"You don't need to deny it or tell me anything, really," he said. "I won't say anything."
"Matt, there's a lot going on," I said.
Academy of the Elites: Broken Magic Page 13
