Hex Crimes

by Dorie, Sarina

  I turned my head over my shoulder, wanting to see his expression. He captured my lips between his, all the while pressing deeper inside me. I luxuriated in the sensation of him filling me. Even now with him easing into me, I yearned to be closer. I closed my eyes and let myself be swept up in the bliss.

  My affinity danced in my core, nourished by the pleasure of his touch. It took everything in me to concentrate on containing my magic underneath my skin, to not let any of it escape.

  I might have remained like that, kissing him forever, but I was twisted uncomfortably, and I couldn’t breathe. I tore away, panting for air. He eased my shoulder away from him again, and gently turned my chin to rest my face on the pillow before he resumed thrusting. His breath tickled against my neck, sending shivers over my clammy skin. I tilted my pelvis, trying to welcome him deeper.

  A long low creak sounded in the background.

  “Well, I knew it would only be a matter of time,” Vega said.

  I must have been really far gone into the throes of enjoyment because I had no problem ignoring her.

  Thatch’s response came between pants. “Remove . . . yourself . . . from this room.”

  Her heels clicked on the floor. “I just thought I’d check on Clarissa after I heard about Josephine Kimura. It sounded like no one thought to check on her, and I didn’t want her to waste away of a nasty spider bite.”

  “Leave, Vega.” Thatch’s body grew rigid with tension. His pace slowed. “I’m handling the situation.”

  She snorted. “Of course you are.”

  I tried to turn my head to see her, but there were too many curtains of spiderwebs. My voice came out a snarl. “Get the fuck out, Vega.”

  “Whatever.” Her heels clattered away. The door closed behind her.

  I suppose I should have felt more fear about what Vega would do now that she’d caught Thatch and me in bed together, but I was preoccupied by more pressing matters.

  Thatch plunged into me, gaining speed and momentum. Unbridled delight throbbed inside me. I cried out like an animal in heat, my body ruling me in a primal state I couldn’t control. My affinity fluttered arrhythmically. I fought to retain my focus. He rocked into me, the rhythm of our bodies making the bed creak in a lullaby to our lovemaking.

  This was the moment I had dreamed of—literally and figuratively. I had yearned to be locked in his embrace, and finally this was it, my every fantasy realized. The orgasm wasn’t as intense as the first one, but it satiated me on a deeper level. That pining in me subsided, whether it was jorogumo venom or my affinity. I melted against him in a sweaty heap.

  He nuzzled the back of my neck. “Are you fully satisfied?”

  “Yes. Completely.” More than dancing or art or magic. This moment was perfection.

  “Good.” He kissed my cheek and my temple. His nose trailed through my hair. “I trust we can say any venom that was left in your system is completely gone?”

  Every muscle in my body relaxed. “Yes.”

  At some point during our lovemaking, I had pushed back the covers. My skin chilled as sweat evaporated from my body. I eyed the blankets, just out of reach, wishing I possessed the kind of magic that could make spiderwebs part or blankets come closer according to my bidding.

  Thatch’s arm was draped across me, his hand on my thigh, his wand resting between my legs. I stared down at it, perplexed. I shifted my pelvis against him, noticing the absence of his erection between my legs. It was possible that lump poking into my lower back through his pants could have been a penis, but that didn’t make sense. He’d been inside me.

  I stared at his wand, dumbfounded.

  Had he used his wand on me, not his penis? I sat up and turned to face him. He was fully clothed, his pants still zipped, and his belt still fastened.

  I stared in disbelief. “You tricked me?”

  “’Trick’ is such a strong word.” He spoke slowly and carefully, his expression solemn. “It implies a malicious intent, someone who wishes to entertain himself. That wasn’t my motivation.”

  I waved a hand at his crotch, finding it difficult to find a way to express my anger. “Why would you do that to me? I thought you wanted me. I thought… .” I thought he loved me. Tears filled my eyes. This was worse than all the times he’d lied with words. He’d lied with an action. It reminded me of all those stories I’d heard about people faking an orgasm, building a relationship on a foundation of distrust.

  Just when I thought he’d shared something of himself with me and let down his guard, I found out it wasn’t real. The new hurt opened up a world of old hurts and distrust between us. I thought about all the times he’d lied to me for one reason or another.

  His tone was kind, patient. “You are exhausted and still aren’t quite yourself. The venom will make you feel vulnerable for a few hours. Perhaps later you will understand I was trying to be a gentleman and not take advantage of you.”

  I hugged my knees to my chest, trying to sort through the chaos inside me.

  “Clarissa, lie down beside me. Please.” His eyes were sad, imploring. “I don’t want to ruin this moment by vexing you.”

  Had there been any hint of arrogance or condescension, I would have pushed him out of the bed.

  He patted the bed behind me. Reluctantly, I lay back down. He turned me away from him and tucked the blankets around me. I relaxed as he cuddled up behind me.

  “There is something you should know about me,” he said.

  I waited. He kissed the back of my head. I didn’t like not seeing his expression. It was hard enough to decipher the emotion behind his words when he spoke so calmly in his monotone.

  “Are you going to tell me what I should know about you?” I asked.

  “Indeed, but not now. There is something very specific I require from a woman. When you’re ready to sit down and listen without the influence of your magic or mine, I will tell you. That is, if you still want me to tell you when I’m not touching you.” He swallowed, the sound loud behind my ear. “That’s how I’ll know you really want me. It will tell me this isn’t jorogumo venom or your affinity ruling you. It’s what you truly want. Later, if you feel so inclined to pursue this topic further, I will be happy to do so.”

  “Oh.” Disappointment weighed me down into the mattress. My limbs were heavy with exhaustion.

  Unfortunately, everything he said made perfect sense. I wanted to feel free to love someone of my own volition rather than it being decided for me by magic. I could understand his need to feel wanted even when I wasn’t under a magical influence. It was something I wanted to know myself.

  Did I love him? Sometimes I didn’t even know.

  He tucked his chin over my head. I closed my eyes and lay in his arms. Drowsiness swept over me. I could have gotten used to this. I didn’t think I would change my mind about wanting him later.

  I just wondered if he would.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  Teaching to the Test

  I snuggled into Thatch’s arms and closed my eyes. I thought I only closed them for a few seconds, but I must have fallen into a deep sleep.

  He was gone from my dorm room when Vega woke me at five in the morning, an hour earlier than usual. She threw back the shutters and let in a draft of cold air and cheery sunlight. I cringed away from the light. I wondered if the night before had been a nightmare. Not all of it had been bad. The idea of Thatch willingly kissing me certainly seemed like a fantasy.

  Ragged sheets of spider silk hung from the ceiling, wafting in the breeze. Hands still twitched in the cocoons they’d been trapped inside. Vega ground a heel of her shoe into a spider scuttling across the floor. Last night hadn’t been a dream?

  “Get up, midget.” Vega grimaced. “We have an emergency staff meeting at seven thirty. Homeroom has been canceled. Also, if you want to see Josephine Kimura before she leaves, she’s awake and back to her pathetic little self.” She surveyed the spiderwebs, dead spiders curled up o
n just about every surface, and the bloody smear across the floor.

  My stomach felt sick when I thought about what Josie had done to Jeb. His words came back to me in a haze. He had been Jeb, but he’d also been . . . a murderer.

  He was Ludomil Hummeln Ba’Izabul!

  He’d been embezzling money, and he had set me up to use my affinity. Like Julian Thistledown, he’d wanted to use me for my affinity, only he’d been smarter. He’d studied me. He waited until I was at my weakest to exploit me.

  A shiver stole up my spine.

  Vega crunched her heel into another spider. “This is actually an improvement to the room. Anything beats all that pink furniture and your sappy art.”

  A sheet of silk wafted in the breeze, brushing against Vega’s shoulder and sticking to her black blouse. She swore and used her wand to cut it away.

  She tore one of the tapestries from the wall that Josie had made. It depicted a princess in a kimono petting the nose of an Asian-style dragon. “At least we aren’t going to have to look at Josephine Kimura’s insipid weavings anymore.”

  Vega’s words finally registered.

  “What do you mean about Josie leaving? Where is she going? Did she get fired?”

  Or perhaps she’d decided to take another medical leave like she had at her last school.

  “It would be in the best interests of the school if Khaba fired her, but he probably feels bad for her, which is why he hasn’t announced it yet. She’s in protective custody, under watch in our infirmary.”

  I jumped out of bed. “Oh no! Is it because she’s a jorogumo? Or because she killed someone?” Too late I realized I had zero clothes on. I tried to pull the sheet from the bed, but it was tucked in extremely well.

  Vega flicked away a curtain of spiderweb wafting toward her. It tore from the ceiling and fell to the floor. “I didn’t ask. I just know officers under orders of the Witchkin Council will be here at nine to interview Mr. Khaba about what happened. They’re quite speedy, unlike the justice system in the Morty Realm. They’ll remove her and most likely execute her before noon.”

  I grabbed Josie’s discarded robe from the floor and wrapped it around myself. “I need to help Josie. No one knows what happened.” I started toward the door again.

  Vega’s hand closed around my arm. “Not so fast. You aren’t going anywhere like that. Do you think anyone is going to listen to you when your hair looks like a spider vomited in it, and you smell like you were having sex all night with Felix Thatch? First thing you are doing is taking a shower. And if you still smell like jorogumo sex juices, I’m covering you in my perfume. No need to thank me. I know how much you like it.”

  I hoped I wouldn’t make things worse by going to see Josie. Vega didn’t say why she was being kind enough to come with me to the infirmary. Maybe she really did have a heart.

  Or maybe she intended to rub it in about what a bad roommate Josie was compared to her.

  Pinky sat on a chair, his oversized frame making it look like a child-sized seat. He slumped against the wall, sleeping. His hand rested on Josie’s bed, his fingers touching hers.

  I almost didn’t recognize Josie without her witch hat or glasses. Her eyes were red and puffy. Her face crumpled up when she saw me, and she turned her head away. She hunched in over herself, but she didn’t completely turn away. She couldn’t. She’d been restrained, her wrists and ankles bound to the bed. Seeing her like that made me feel even more sick with shame and anguish.

  I rushed forward, wanting to throw my arms around her. “Josie, are you okay?”

  Vega circled an arm around my waist and hauled me back. “For once in your life, be smart, would you?”

  “Listen to her. I’m dangerous,” Josie said. “You shouldn’t come any closer to me.”

  Pinky stirred in his seat, blinking his eyes open. “What’s going on?”

  I stopped struggling against Vega. It was true I shouldn’t touch Josie. “You aren’t dangerous. This isn’t your fault. It’s mine.”

  “Close your mouth, before you say too much,” Vega murmured into my ear.

  “Don’t blame yourself. You don’t have anything to do with this. I lost control. It isn’t the first time it’s happened, but it was worse this time.” She broke into hiccupping sobs. “I killed the principal. . . . I could have . . . hurt you. I would have forced myself on you . . . and eaten you afterward. . . . I’m the worst friend ever!”

  Pinky placed an arm around her protectively and patted her back. There was such sorrow in his chocolate eyes I suspected he knew about her execution.

  “Probably not the worst friend.” Vega released her death grip on me. “But definitely the worst roommate.”

  “No, you have to listen.” I remained a safe distance from Josie, not wanting to draw out her affinity. “You killed Jeb, but he was bad. He was using you to get to me.”

  “What?” Josie asked.

  Vega tilted her head to the side, a warning in her eyes. I understood her motive for wanting to be present now. She didn’t want me to reveal too much. She didn’t want anyone to know about my affinity—and now hers. Anything I said could jeopardize an alliance with Elric and his family. I didn’t doubt Vega would strike me down right then and there if I risked her chances for power.

  “Don’t you remember what Jeb said last night?” I asked.

  Pinky spoke slowly, compassion in his voice. “Clarissa, when most jorogumo lose control, they have no memory of what they’ve done. I’m surprised you remember. Mr. Thatch said you’d been bitten. Are you sure you didn’t hallucinate what happened?”

  Josie convulsed hysterically. Her hair fell into her face, a curtain of black and lavender obscuring her from view. Her words were almost unintelligible. “Oh, God! I bit you? I’m so sorry.”

  “It was just a scratch or two,” I said. “I’m fine.”

  “That’s right,” Vega said, her smile sly. “Thatch injected Clarissa with his magic elixir. She’s all better now.”

  I shot a dirty look at Vega. “Here’s what happened. Jeb admitted he was Ludomil Hummeln Ba’Izabul! He was the one who killed Galswintha the Wise hundreds of years ago. He’s been embezzling money at our school. He said he had used Josie’s spider magic back on the day of the meteor shower to distract everyone.” Jeb had said that, hadn’t he? Or was I extrapolating based on what I knew? “He agreed to let us share a room together and used your magic to tie me up and subdue me. He then attacked you. He tried to attack me, but. . . .” I tried to think of a delicate way to describe what she’d done to him. “It was self-defense. He’d tried to asphyxiate you and intended to kill me. You were protecting me.” Sort of.

  Josie sniffled. “Really? Jeb was the one who drew out my magic and weakened my wards?”

  I hesitated for a beat too long.

  “Yes,” Vega said. “It’s the only logical explanation. Aside from that one other slip on the roof, you haven’t had a problem until recently, correct?”

  If one didn’t count the time she’d tried to attack Elric with spiders or the excessive amount of arachnids that congregated, there were no “slips.”

  Pinky raked his fingers through the long fur growing from his chin like a beard. “As much as I want this all to be true so Josie can claim innocence to losing control and explain this was an act of self-defense, I worry about what the Witchkin Council will say. Why would Jeb try to hurt you, Clarissa? Why would he want to distract everyone during the meteor shower?”

  “We were digging up some information about the past.” I looked to Vega, hoping she would back me up on this if my embellishment sounded flimsy. “Khaba can corroborate the information we told him. Jeb must have feared we’d discovered who he was.”

  “So he tried to kill you once with lightning on the first day and waited this long to strike again?” Skepticism filled Pinky’s nasally voice. He might have been a big furball, but he was savvier than I’d given him credit for.

  Vega laughed. “
Of course not! He tried to kill Clarissa earlier because she’s annoying and showed him up last year at graduation. Remember how he wanted to get rid of the art position at the end of the school year, but parents wouldn’t let him? He wanted to get revenge on her. I’m sure he would have tried to attack her sooner, but he couldn’t get a moment alone with her.” She placed an arm around me in a chummy sort of way she never did normally. “I was always looking out for her.”

  Yeah, right!

  A clock on the other side of the curtained bed dinged, signaling it was the half-hour mark. Pinky rose, his stature startling me, even though I’d stood next to him plenty of times.

  “The staff meeting is about to start. Khaba will be announcing your resignation.” Pinky looked to Josie. “How about we tell him you’ve changed your mind?”

  Pinky ran up ahead of Vega and me, his long legs thundering down the hallway so hard I thought he might break through the floor. Vega strolled at a leisurely pace, always her elegant self. Even though I ran, I managed to lag behind them both.

  When I burst through the doors of the staff meeting, I found all the teachers and staff assembled, aside from Mrs. Keahi, who was probably monitoring the cafeteria, and Satyr Sam, who never entered the school’s interior. Pinky stood beside Khaba, explaining the situation between gasps for air.

  Khaba held up his hand, stopping him from going further. “Are you saying it wasn’t a coincidence my door jammed, and I couldn’t open it last night? It wasn’t the students playing a prank on me? It was Jeb?”

  “It appears it was all connected,” Pinky said.

  Thatch sat at the conference room table, his eyes flickering from Pinky to me. His expression remained blank and unfeeling. My heart lurched seeing him. I expected him to smile at me or acknowledge me in some way. Pinky had mentioned hallucinations. I hoped the most satisfying sex of my life hadn’t been a hallucination.

  Then again, it hadn’t even been real sex. My most enjoyable sexual experience had been with Thatch’s wand. He hadn’t been a true participant.