Nightworld Academy: Term Five

by LJ Swallow

  She looks to Alaric.

  "And then we hope you're as strong a team as you say."

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  MAEVE

  Tobias sits on the edge of the bed, head in hands, and I touch his back. He shivers against me, but his skin is covered in perspiration. What do I say? What can anybody say about something like that?

  "You never told me that part of the curse, Tobias," I say gently and move to sit beside him.

  He reaches out to me, eyes troubled as he rests his hand against my chest. His eyes drop to my naked breasts. "Please dress, Maeve."

  His ragged breaths make his voice hoarse and he looks away. "I could've killed you."

  "But you didn't."

  I want to tell him that the fact he stopped kills me. I now understand why his touch and kiss wrap around my body and soul to draw me away from the world. He's a spider paralysing a victim who'll take poison from the veins instead of pleasure. But I refuse to believe this is him. This isn't who we are. The curse brings us together as lovers, but we have a love to stop death happening.

  "I'm not hurt," I say, although the aching between my legs is unbearable, the desire to push him to finish what we started consuming, especially beside him now as I soak up the energy he's radiating.

  "I knew the Blackwood magic affected me, but I didn't think about heightening the curse. He was close to the surface. I'm sorry if I frightened you."

  "You did a little, but I trust you." With a shake of his head, Tobias grabs his trousers from the floor and pulls them on. "I met you halfway," I whisper. "I experienced what you felt. I'm prepared to lose control for you."

  Tobias looks over his shoulder at me. “And that is as big a problem.”

  I take the T-shirt I discarded yesterday and pull the soft material over my head. The T-shirt reaches halfway to my knees but his pained look tells me I’m not covering enough. I reach out to touch his face and he catches my wrist before rubbing a finger across the back where a bruise appears.

  “Look what I did.”

  “I bruise easily.”

  He laughs harshly. “Yes, everybody bruises when someone attacks them.”

  “You did not attack me!” I retort.

  “I marked your skin. That’s enough.” He jerks his head up. “We don’t have time for this. We need to figure out our next move.”

  My mouth drops open. “That’s what bloody hurts more than bruises, Tobias. You're changing the subject as if this means nothing.”

  “What do you want me to do? Stay buried in what just happened or think straight and get us out of this situation?”

  “Logic doesn’t fit this,” I snap. “Us.”

  “Maeve, rein in your emotions,” he says through gritted teeth.

  “No.”

  His eyes darken. “Do what I ask, Maeve.”

  “Excuse me?” I half-shout. “Don’t talk to me like that.”

  I stumble backwards as Tobias grabs my shoulders and jerks me out of my anger. “You saw how I lost my mind. I’m fighting really fucking hard to push that side of me away; I can’t let him feed on your distress.” Tears prick my eyes and Tobias’s eyes widen as one escapes. “I once told you I’d do anything to protect you, Maeve. That includes protecting you from me.”

  “I can make that decision,” I say as my heart tears.

  He holds my face in both hands, wiping tears with his thumbs. “I love you, Maeve, with every part of me. You’re burrowed so far into my heart and soul that your fate is mine too. I'm too cocky. I never thought I’d care enough for a witch to trigger the curse. I didn't think for a moment I might die.”

  “Do you think the witch knew about us?” I whisper.

  “I imagine she was future-sighted and saw my future. I think the curse was attached to me at that point, so that when we met, you'd destroy me.”

  I lick a teardrop from my lip and Tobias bends to place his mouth on mine, soft and loving, but filling me with a hunger as overwhelming as the fierce kisses minutes ago.

  “See, you can control yourself,” I whisper as he draws away.

  He shakes his head with a sad smile as he searches for his shirt. "Andrei might risk hurting you. I won't."

  “We could break the curse,” I suggest, hoping that’s not the stuff of fairy tales.

  He laughs as he deftly buttons the shirt, hiding the lean muscle I'm aching to touch again. “No witch would want to break a curse against Tobias Whitlock.”

  “If I could, I would,” I say. “I love you and don’t want to see you suffer.”

  Tobias tips my chin and my heart shatters as his eyes shimmer with tears. “Thank you, Maeve.” He kisses my forehead and we stand together like this for several moments. “But for now, I need to save your life.”

  The unspoken joins his words. I once worried Jamie would die but was convinced I could stop that happening. I never thought my existence could be tied so tightly to Tobias’s. Is this why I’ve seen him in visions?

  “We will leave this place with you alive,” I say.

  “I like your confidence.”

  “No. I’ve seen you in the future. With me beneath the academy. If anywhere, that’s where this ends.”

  Tobias chews his lip, absorbing my words. “I hope you’re right.”

  A sharp rap on the door sends me into a panic and we look at each other, paralysed. “Bathroom,” I say and shove Tobias.

  “No. I stand side by side with you.”

  I scowl. I’ll never be able to argue with this man.

  Someone knocks again. “Maeve? It’s Anton. I know what’s happened. To Nikolai.”

  My heart beats faster and I look to Tobias for guidance.

  "Let him in," he says. "If this witch knows what I did and he sees me with you, he won't want to cross us."

  "What if he isn't alone?"

  Tobias moves to the door and cocks his head. "I don't hear anybody else's thoughts. They could possibly be blocked, but we should take the risk."

  As he reaches for the handle, I interrupt. "Wait." I grab my jeans and lean over as I pull them on. Tobias blinks then looks away before opening the door a crack.

  "Let me talk to you," comes Anton's voice.

  "If you know what we've done, be careful," says Tobias gruffly as he steps back to let the witch in.

  "I'm not here to threaten you." Anton paces to the window then looks back at us. "Your friends are here."

  My stomach clenches. "Not in the house. Please don't tell me that the Blackwoods took them too."

  "No, no. Outside. They're waiting to help." He swipes a hand over the top of his head. "Beyond the perimeter that's near the lake."

  He gestures at the window and I walk over to look down. The lake isn't visible under the ink-black sky, but I can see the trees bordering the lawns.

  "How do you know this?" asks Tobias and crosses his arms. "Have you met them?"

  He shakes his head. "I haven't, but someone I know outside is helping."

  "When did you speak to them? Where are they?" Tobias's expression continues to tug down into suspicion.

  Anton taps his head. "I have a witch bond with a girl who's with them. Her name's Izzy. We work together."

  "Against the Dominion?" I ask, eyes widening as I attempt to catch up with his story.

  "No. Both." He fixes his gaze on Tobias. "Both sides are a threat."

  "And they're waiting?" I ask, my spirits soaring for the first time since I woke up on the floor in this room.

  He nods. "I'd hoped helping you escape wouldn't be dangerous. Killing a Blackwood speeds up the need to get the fuck out of here."

  I look to Tobias, whose expression hasn't changed. We should trust him. Can't you feel his fear?

  Why would he help us?

  "Ah. So, you communicate too. Unusual for a vamp and a witch." He tips his head. "Especially you, Tobias."

  Tobias scowls.

  I don't have time to waste, even if Tobias seems to. "Do you know the best way out? Can we leave?"


  Anton strides to the door. "Yes. There's a back way through the servants' quarters. Can you mind-wipe them if we pass through, Tobias?"

  "That depends on how much time we have and how many are in there."

  "Most are involved in the gathering, which continues. That's another reason we have time. Few people have left the party."

  I shuffle from foot to foot. "Can we not stand around talking? I want to leave."

  "I still don't understand how we can. The Blackwoods—"

  "Tobias, shut up and leave!" I retort as my anxiety to leave ramps up.

  The sullen-faced Anton laughs. "Listen to her, Tobias and stop thinking you're the one in control."

  Tobias's mouth thins. "You know nothing about us."

  Nobody does.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  MAEVE

  We make our way through the servants' quarters, past the kitchens filled with roasted dinner aromas that would normally whet my appetite. There's nothing but acid in my stomach as I pass by. Only two staff see us, a young girl dressed down in plain clothes washing plates and the guy beside in his butler uniform flirting with her. They watch us open-mouthed, the guy asking where we're going. Tobias hangs back to use his mental magic on the pair, and each second that passes as he does is an eternity before his tall figure appears through the small doorway.

  I hate our slow steps as we carefully navigate around the house towards the lawns. Our feet spring on the grass as we head into the dark and in the opposite direction to the gathering. Have some guests left now? Somebody could see us.

  We break into a run at the edge of the lawns towards the trees and when the lake comes into view I halt, heart pounding and chest tight from the run and the fear.

  A small victory. One step closer.

  I stand with Tobias and Anton at the edge of the willow trees that line the banks of the lake. In the daytime, this place must be tranquil and pretty; there's no sound around us. Tonight, the still, dark water scares me. Does the magic stretch this far?

  To the right, there's a small jetty with a rowing boat moored, for those who want to spend lazy days on the lake beneath the sun. The lake is large enough to row into the middle, far enough for privacy, which means walking around the edge takes time.

  "Where are our friends?" I ask.

  Anton points. "The woods on the other side of the lake. There's no fence, but of course, magic protects the estate."

  I frown. "Then how do we get out?"

  "We hope our combined magic is strong enough to break through."

  Tobias grunts and leans against the tree. "Hope isn't a useful weapon."

  "No, but water is." He walks to the lake and turns, spreading his arms either side of him. "I can cast a spell on the water, and Izzy can focus her elemental magic too. Maeve, you can influence minds. If anybody follows us, you can work your magic."

  "Unless they're stronger than me." Tobias squeezes my hand and I look down as his power shimmers between us. Together.

  Anton leads us around the lake, past the moored boat. Tobias's hand remains in mine as our footsteps are muffled by the long grass beside the bank. Suddenly we're out in the open again and beads of perspiration break out across my back. Behind, the mansion towers through the night, the white facade less imposing than the academy but as eerie. Each time I look, I'm terrified I'll spot somebody following us.

  I bump into Anton as he abruptly stops. "What's wrong?"

  He holds a hand up. "Shush. I'm listening."

  The only sound I can hear is the blood whooshing in my ears, and I grip Tobias's hand tighter. He's calmer now, focused more on what's happening than what happened. The sexual connection from handholding still hums uncomfortably, but I don't want to lose his safety right now.

  "Okay." Anton lifts his head and moves to a spot between the lake and the trees. "You need to stand here and wait. I've let Izzy and Alaric know that you're here."

  "And Alaric is...?" asks Tobias.

  "Strong. He's Thornbrook coven. Or was. His magic can cause a weakness in Blackwood spells. He can penetrate the barrier even if he can't destroy it. That's what Izzy needs." He scratches his cheek. "Once there's a weak spot, Izzy will create a channel for you. If the earth trembles, step aside and watch. Once the channel appears, run."

  I sense Tobias's continued doubt and nudge him. "This is our chance. If we don't take it, I don't want to imagine what the Blackwoods and Gabriella might do to us."

  "Or this spell could kill us."

  Anton twists his head around. "The witch-killer isn't very optimistic, is he?"

  Tobias tenses. "I don't kill witches. I teach them."

  "But what did you teach Maeve tonight, Tobias?"

  I'm glad of the dark as heat reaches my cheeks. How does he know? "How not to kill a Blackwood," he says gruffly.

  Anton chuckles. "Your energy shines brighter than I've seen in anyone before, and you're both lit up by the lamia magic that passed between you."

  "Irrelevant. How long will this take?" he retorts.

  "I don't know. Sit and wait."

  Wait? Stupidly, I expected us to reach the edge of the estate and magically escape. Okay, we will escape magically at some point, but when?

  Tobias returns to the tree he stood beneath and I follow him. The willow branches hang down, a green curtain against us and Anton, who sits and talks to himself—or Izzy.

  Leaning against the tree, Tobias takes hold of me and pulls me to him. His arms wrap around my waist holding me steady and the fire flares again. His eyes glitter as he looks down at me.

  "You're about to say something, aren't you?" I ask and place a hand on his hard chest.

  "If we make it out of here—"

  "When," I interrupt.

  He sighs. "When we make it out, and return to the academy, you understand things are different between us, but they have to stay the same."

  "That's confusing, Tobias."

  "You know about the curse now and understand the consequences if we continue on the road we took tonight."

  "Don't say that," I whisper and touch his face. "Don't push me away now."

  "A relationship is too dangerous," he says in a flat voice.

  "No," I say, voice thickening as his rejection builds a lump in my throat. "I'm willing to try."

  Tobias looks upwards to the canopy above. "I'm not."

  "Tobias."

  "Maeve, I will love you and care for you. I'll keep you safe—and that includes from myself. Please understand the thought of a distance between us tears me apart as much as you, but I don't want to tear you apart."

  "That won't happen," I protest. "I can fight you if I need to."

  He sighs deeply and strokes my face with the back of his hand. "Why should anybody have to fight a lover? That's wrong on a sickening level. I'm not taking the risk I'll abuse you. You have to understand how important you are to this world."

  "Guys!" calls Anton quietly. "Come back."

  Pulled away from the hellish conversation, I spin around. A small crack appears at Anton's feet. The ground fractures along with my heart as Tobias steps away from me.

  "Stand with me," Anton says and beckons me.

  I gape at the ground as the fracture becomes a split and grows until there's a deep channel several metres in diameter. The shaking ground destabilises me and I grip Tobias's sleeve.

  "Jump in and run. Hurry," urges Anton. "This magic will alert people."

  With a nod, Tobias steps down into the hole a couple of metres deep and holds out a hand. I jump down and dust clouds my face as my feet land on the rocky ground.

  Tobias snatches my hand and runs forward; I try to keep up, my pulse haywire as each step takes me closer to escape. The crack in the earth runs directly in front of us, past the willow trees and towards another copse. Figures come into view and I squint at them. A broad-shouldered, tall guy could be Ash, and I hope he is with every fibre of my being.

  A separate female figure stands directly at the end of the chasm, her a
rms outstretched as a whirlwind of stones and earth swirl around her hands. Izzy? Another broad-shouldered guy stands beside her with one hand outstretched but no apparent magic.

  "They're here!" calls the girl and the figures rush forward to stand at the edge of the tunnel.

  "What the hell?" yells a voice behind us.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  ANDREI

  I stand beneath the tree with Jamie, happy to hold back and watch events unfold. If something goes wrong, I want to be out of sight again.

  Neither of us have spoken the words, but we both know the truth—if something does go wrong, we’ll all die anyway. Alaric and his gang appear to know what they’re dealing with, and I admit I’m impressed by their magic, but is that enough?

  Seriously, I never thought I’d come across someone able to intercept Blackwood magic. I can sense the strain on Alaric from here, and I’m several hundred metres away. The witch chick’s magic isn’t exhausting her as much as his, but I’m concerned how much of the ground that she’s throwing around will hit Maeve and Tobias.

  When the pair told us their plan, I was sceptical. A witch her age performing magic strong enough to rip the ground apart? Impossible. The academy elemental witches can play around with earth elements, but nothing as strong as this. Even Matt’s fire spells never reached this magnitude when he was at the academy.

  I watch in awe as the chasm opened and hear them yelling at Maeve and Tobias. They’re not visible, but Ash ran forward anyway when we’d promised we’d stay back. I’m tempted to join him, but don’t want to leave Jamie on his own. Or the book.

  “This is insane,” he murmurs to me. “I’ve never seen magic like this.”

  “Yeah.” I run a hand down my face. “As long as Maeve gets out of there safely.”

  He stares at the ground. “Do you think they hurt her badly?”

  “Stop asking that. I don’t wanna think about her hurt.”

  Jamie doesn’t respond. He keeps his hold on the rucksack strap. I understand why he didn’t want to leave the book at the group’s house, but I’m also wary he’s close to the Blackwoods and holding their grimoire. They detected the pendant; why not the book?