The Trials of Blackbriar Academy

by Olivia Ash

  “Are you doing okay?” he asks.

  I smile. “I’m great. You?”

  He chuckles. “I’m good.”

  He kisses me, and it’s a gentle, long, passionate kiss that ignites my entire being. When he pulls away, he says, “We better get back.”

  I nod and we both gather our clothes, pulling them back on. The memory of us having sex replays, and I’m suddenly aware that I could become pregnant. “What about pregnancy?”

  “There is a potion I can give you. It will help prevent that.”

  I nod.

  We walk back, taking our time. He grabs my hand and winds his fingers through mine. I smile at the feeling that gesture brings me. So much joy and hope.

  But as we get closer to the academy’s walls, he pulls his hand from mine. He seems much more rigid and constantly looks over his shoulder. He stays very close to me, and I get the impression that he is fiercely protective.

  He still has his asshole moments, and I’m sure it will be to an annoying degree, but I smile as one thing is blatantly obvious.

  He doesn’t hate me anymore.

  “Is everything okay?” I finally ask.

  “So far, yes.” It’s a short response, but that doesn’t surprise me. Not with this being Soren.

  He leads me to the kitchen for House of Phoenix and pulls out the ingredients for the potion. I take the kettle and fill it with water, then place it on the stove and turn the burner on.

  “Some training today, huh,” I say as the silence between us becomes unnerving. Something seems to be on his mind, and for a guy that just had his wicked way with me, I almost expected a little more banter.

  He cracks a smile and turns his back to me. “Yeah, it was a good session.”

  “Hmm,” I say.

  The kettle whistles and he pulls a mug from a cabinet as I turn the burner off and pull the kettle off the stove. He takes it from me and pours the right amount of liquid into the mug. He hands the steaming cup to me and says, “Give it a few minutes to cool, then drink it all at once. It may make you cramp a little later, but this will prevent a baby’s conception.”

  “Thank you,” I say and blow into the contents to help speed up the cooling. “For everything.”

  He faces me, and his expression is hard to read. “Look, I’m not good with feelings and things like that, so please don’t take that personally.”

  I nod, but I can’t help but feel a small flutter of doubt flicker in my belly. “Okay…”

  “I won’t let anything happen to you, all right? Trust in that, please.”

  Please? He’s using manners with me? Huh. Will the wonders ever cease?

  I nod again.

  A peaceful silence settles between us. He stands right next to me, shoulder to shoulder, and I lean a little into him.

  I don’t know where this relationship will go or if it will end, but I know one thing. He’s taken up a spot in my heart that will forever belong to him.

  “That should be cool enough now,” he says.

  I nod and gulp it down. It burns the back of my throat and is earthy with a hint of spice. I place the cup in the sink and spin around to face him.

  “What should we do now?” I ask. “Shower?”

  He chuckles. “You’re insatiable.”

  “Not my fault you released a beast.”

  “I’ll take you to your room so you can shower,” he says, still chuckling to himself as he heads for the door.

  As soon as we enter my room, and the door is shut, Soren pushes me against the wall, kissing me with unhinged passion. I wrap my legs around his waist and my arms around his shoulders, never pausing in our kiss.

  I can already feel his erection pressing against me, and I honestly can’t say that I mind. Already my body is eager to be filled with him.

  He carries me into the bathroom and sets me down, but doesn’t immediately let go of me, he holds me close to him. I can feel his heart hammering away in his chest.

  “How hot do you like your showers?” he asks.

  “I honestly don’t have a standard temp. It’s whatever suits my mood.”

  He smiles. “Fair enough.” He pushes the shower curtain to the side and turns on the water, twisting the lever for the shower to kick on. As he faces me, he pauses and says. “Want me to undress you again?”

  I shake my head and bite the corner of my bottom lip as I pull my shirt over my head and slowly, teasingly remove the rest of my clothes. I keep my gaze on Soren’s as he watches me. His lips part, and his eyes darken again. I make the assumption that, that look in his eyes, is his tell on just how turned on he is.

  As I shake off the last bit of clothing, I stand in front of him, toe to toe. “Want me to undress you?” I ask in what I hope is a sultry voice.

  He quickly removes his clothing and crashes into me, kissing me everywhere as he pushes me against the sink. Steam fills the room as he plunges his fingers into me. But he doesn’t let me climax, instead, he pulls me into the shower, closes the curtain, and proceeds to send me to heaven all over again.

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Soren sits with me in the library, waiting for Milo to show up. He seems fidgety with the way he bounces his knees and occasionally stands up to pace the space between bookshelves.

  It’s almost as if he doesn’t want to leave me. But I don’t give that thought too much credit. Things are still very new, and after the endless series of orgasms he had put me through earlier, it’s hard not to give that thought some credit.

  “Are you sure Milo will be able to protect you?” he finally asks.

  “If the need arises, yes,” I say. “Gideon wouldn’t agree to it if it wasn’t necessary, and we have to have faith things will work out just fine.”

  He shakes his head. “I…”

  I arch an eyebrow. “You what?”

  He shakes his head, paces a bit more, then sighs and sits down. “You’re right. But I swear if harm ever comes to you …”

  I smile and try my best to reassure him. “I’m sure the world will probably quake in fear of your rage. But don’t forget, I still can handle myself.”

  Soren looks like he is about to say something, but movement catches our attention. It’s Milo. He looks exhausted, but his eyes brighten as they settle on me. I smile. “Hey, you.”

  “Hey. All set?” he asks.

  “Keep her safe.” Soren’s voice deepens with the commanding tone he’s given me a few times. After a final glance toward me, he nods and walks off.

  Milo’s gaze follows him as he storms toward the door and when he returns his gaze to me, he sighs. “He’s rather intense.”

  “You have no idea,” I say. “You doing all right?”

  He nods. “Yup. Stayed up most of the night trying to get more research in. So far, I’ve come across three different versions of the fable Headmaster Storm told us yesterday, but not much else.”

  “That explains why you look so tired.”

  “Wanna go for a walk?” he asks. “This room probably won’t be very beneficial to me with my lack of sleep. Would hate to fall asleep on you.”

  “A walk would be nice,” I say and jump up from my seat.

  We make our way toward the courtyard and we take a seat on the edge of a cliff overlooking the ocean. A part of me wonders if something is bothering Milo. And after a while of dealing with the quiet between us—which is peaceful, don’t get me wrong—I know he’s hiding something for my sake. I’m drawn to him, and I want to do so much more than just use words. But I don’t know what. Not yet.

  “What’s eating you?” I ask.

  Milo chuckles. “I’m not sleeping well. Been having nightmares since that fourth trial.”

  I nod. “Yeah, that one is a doozy.”

  I grab his hand and rest my head on his shoulder. It feels right. My head fits perfectly here. He kisses the top of my head and fluttering enters my stomach. I smile.

  “Hopefully, it will pass,” he says.

  “It will, in time. But
you will do me no good if you fall off the edge of this cliff because you fell asleep.

  “Good point.”

  I look and find a tree with a wide base, still near the cliff, but poses little risk in him falling over. “There, go sit under that and I’ll come sit with you. If you fall asleep, I’ll wake you when it’s time to go.”

  He yawns. “You’re right. Maybe a quick nap.”

  We move over to our new spot, and he takes a seat between roots, leaning his head against the tree. He looks peaceful as his skin absorbs the light of the sun. His glasses reflect the glow, but it doesn’t bother my eyes.

  He pulls a book out and I leave him be, enjoying the peaceful moment outside of the library walls with him.

  Before long, I’m occupied by the shadows flittering through the water. Occasionally, a mermaid pokes its head out and stares at me before dashing under the surface again. Before long, another mermaid does the same. It almost seems like they are trying to figure me out.

  Maybe they are the ones that were in my fourth trial and are trying to figure out how I got away.

  Clouds pass in front of the sun every now and then, taking the warmth from my back. And as they pass by, letting the rays shine on me again, I’m reminded of the way I feel with Soren.

  I smile to myself.

  My thoughts drift to what lays ahead of me now that I know what I am and why I have so much power.

  “Well hey there, stranger.”

  A familiar voice pulls my attention, and as I turn to see who it is, I find Savannah taking a seat next to me. I wrap my arms around her and pull her close. “Hey!”

  “You’re glowing.” She smiles knowingly and moves her gaze to Milo. “Is he the cause of it?”

  I cover my cheeks to hide the blush. “Milo? No.”

  “Okay,” she says, still smiling. “Who’s the lucky guy then?”

  I peek at Milo, who is either extremely into his book and not paying attention to the conversation or is playing at that very well. Turning my attention back to Savannah, I say, “It’s a secret.”

  “Well, thank him for me.” She winks and bumps her shoulder into me.

  I laugh.

  “So, how are you doing?” she asks.

  I shrug. “I’m doing okay. You?” I want to tell her more. About the meteorite, about Soren, everything. But I don’t. Partly because I’m not sure I can fully trust her yet, and partly because, the more she knows, the more danger she is in. And I can’t have that on my conscience.

  I’ll wait for now. Because I know one thing for certain. Savannah has been a big part of my time here as well, and I know friendships won’t go on for long without mutual benefit. At some point, she is bound to find out more. Just not right now.

  “It seems like you are doing more than okay, girlie. But I’ll take it as a good enough answer for now. As far as me?” She sighs. “I’m totally crushing on my mentor. But he’s in a different house, has a girlfriend. It would be wrong to tell him, right?”

  I honestly don’t know. Relationships are a new thing with me, and I’m the least qualified to give advice. “Probably,” I say.

  “He’s cute too,” she says, nodding in the direction of Milo.

  I follow her gaze and see what she is referring to. Poor Milo. He’s fallen asleep with his book laying open on his chest. He really is cute.

  In fact, he’s adorkable.

  “I’m sort of jealous you have four guys.”

  “Four?” I ask, sounding incredulous.

  She nods. “Trust me. I know.”

  I shake my head and laugh. “No secrets with you, is there?”

  “Eh, you can pretend, and we will call that even.”

  “Okay,” I say as I laugh.

  “So, does your family know you are here?”

  I nod. “My father does.”

  “What does he think about you passing your trials?”

  I shake my head. “Haven’t told him yet.”

  “Ah. I see.”

  I give her a sideways glance. “What do you mean?”

  She shrugs. “Nothing. You’re just waiting for the right moment, am I right?”

  “You could say that,” I say and look back out on the ocean. “What about your family?”

  She smiles from ear to ear, and it reaches her eyes, taking on a hint of violet as she says, “My family is super excited for me! Almost everyone in my family has come here. Mom and Dad met here, and during their final year, fell in love.”

  “Oh yeah?” I nod in approval. “That’s really neat.”

  “Right? They know I want to help people. Healing and things like that. Especially for my younger sister. She was paralyzed in a horrible accident.” She sighs ruefully. “I miss her so much. And my life back in Georgia.”

  “You don’t have much of an accent for being from there,” I say.

  She shrugs. “Not all of us do.”

  “Makes sense.”

  Savannah brings her bag to her lap and pulls out some cookies. She holds the bag out to me. “I saw these and thought of you.”

  “Oh, really?”

  “Mm-hmm.” She smiles. “Just wanted to do something nice for you.”

  “Thank you,” I say and take a cookie from the bag. But I have to admit, I’m shocked. I normally don’t just receive gifts like this for nothing. However, it’s nice.

  “Dude, we’re totally friends. And that’s what friends do.”

  “We have to share though,” I say, holding out the bag.

  She takes a cookie herself and we sit, eating them in relative quiet. The waves down below us crash against the side of the island, sea birds echo their song somewhere in the distance, and the gentle breeze rustles through the trees, making soft rattling sounds.

  I check on Milo as he snores softly from his tree.

  Savannah and I giggle.

  “That boy could probably saw a log in half,” Savannah says.

  “Maybe.” I shrug.

  “You certainly surround yourself with hot men. I mean look at him!” She gestures toward Milo.

  “Yeah, I’m still getting used to that.”

  “Well, I’ll tell you what. Any friend of yours is a friend of mine.” She gestures between us, and there is light within her violet eyes that makes them look like they are glowing. She means what she says, and that makes me grateful.

  “Thanks. I really appreciate that.” I smile.

  “Speaking of, we should go see what your other guys are up to.” She bobs her eyebrows and I laugh.

  “Yeah, probably should wake him up too,” I say as I stand up and dust grass off my rear. Savannah follows me as I approach Milo and kneel in front of him. I shake him on the shoulder. “Milo.”

  He snorts himself awake, which gives Savannah a good chuckle, and he sits up and pushes his glasses up his nose and runs his fingers through his hair.

  I start to wonder what it would feel like to have my fingers in his hair, but I catch myself and say, “Savannah wanted to meet you.”

  “Hello, handsome!”

  He looks up at her and says, “Oh. Hi.”

  “We were just going to go see what the other guys were up to,” I level my gaze on him and he checks the time on his watch.

  “Perfect timing,” he says and stands up from the ground.

  We sit on the stairs watching the men practice.

  Gideon stands off to the side, watching the forms and calling out orders. Soren and Jesse are with the group, and they move on cue. Their motions are almost mesmerizing.

  Before long, Gideon and Soren spar, and I can’t believe what I’m seeing. No wonder Soren is so on top of his game. They move in unison, each one able to anticipate the other’s next move and are able to counteract with an attack of their own. It’s like a well-rehearsed dance.

  And, lest my eyes deceive me, Soren is smiling.

  Holy crap these men around me are hot as hell.

  I smile, knowing they are quickly becoming a part of my heart and soul.

 
Soren catches my gaze and gives a stern nod. Our, ahem, relations are hush, hush. I nod back and try to keep my cheeks from burning red. I absently cover the one closer to Savannah, in case she sees it. If she has, she doesn’t say a word, and that makes me happy.

  This thing with Soren is complicated, and I’m still not sure what it even is. I don’t know how to describe it. And, to be perfectly honest, I’m not sure I want to.

  I have no idea what to think about Gideon. He’s the headmaster of the academy, and yet, he kissed me. I lick my lips, remembering the taste of his mouth and I squeeze my eyes shut to ward off the ensuing pheromonal rage.

  And Jesse?

  I find him stretching. He catches me staring and blows me a kiss. I chuckle and shake my head.

  My adorable, ever-joking flirt.

  Milo is ever focused on the action in front of him, analyzing every move like he’s committing them to memory. He is sitting on the bottom step, watching everything like a hawk, jotting small notes in his book every once in a while. His attention turns toward me, and he smiles in that astonishingly bashful way that he does.

  He waves at me and turns his attention back to the training and his book.

  My men. My friends. My… well, I don’t want to get too ahead of myself, but damn it all if I don’t love watching them practice stuff.

  I’m always finding myself floored with the way my body and magic reacts to them. And I’m ever grateful to have them by my side. They all want to protect me, and I admire that about them, but I don’t like not having freedom to be alone.

  Not that I don’t understand why I can’t right now, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it.

  Hopefully soon, I’ll earn a little me time. Until then, these adorable men are my protectors, for better or for worse.

  “You seem lost in thought,” Savannah says.

  I turn to look at her, she is resting an elbow on her knee with her head propped in her hand. She looks at me curiously, breaking a smile as she seems to always know what’s going on in my head.

  I open my mouth to say something—anything—but as soon as I do, a click from the intercom resonates through the air.