by Marie Mistry
“I have kleptomania,” he explained. “I’ve had it since I was a kid… the only difference is that now it actually helps me gather power.” His mouth twitched. “I guess it must be karma or something.”
I smiled, just a little, surveying the rest of the hall. “Am I your only target?”
“Just my favourite,” he admitted. “I have friends in my caste that I can take stuff from and they don’t care. Aeron’s quite chill if I do it to him as well, so is Daron.”
“Is that what you were arguing about earlier?” I asked, curiously.
Bane’s cheeks flushed red. “Something like that,” he muttered. “Now, about that dress.”
I wasn’t oblivious to the blatant attempt to change the subject, but I let him drag the other girls into a discussion about the dresses anyway.
“Of course, tradition dictates it’s a two-piece because the old fogeys have it out for curvy girls.” Rina looked sourly at the head table.
“The caste colour is dark blue,” Nelly informed me. “You have to have that as the main dress colour, and then there are other colours that will have to be incorporated to show your gifts. What colours did your droplet go today? Hopefully they go together. Sometimes people end up with horrible colour combinations like brown, olive green and orange.”
“Violet and lavender,” I hedged.
“Could work.” Nelly smiled. “Lulu and I never had to worry, we’re as ungifted as they come.”
“I’m going to have to have green, brown and light blue on my coat, and then a cummerbund in yellow.” Bane grimaced even as I silently wondered what on earth a cummerbund was.
“It’s not so bad for boys,” Rina snapped. “If girls could wear a black frock coat to cover up the caste colours it wouldn’t be so bad. And you get to wear white trousers, that’s half your outfit sorted!”
“No worse than trying to match purple, gold and pearl.” Kain shrugged, ignoring Rina.
“I got off lightly. Everything I have is in shades of blue.” Jin smirked.
“Dark blue, white and grey isn’t bad.” Aeron protested.
“Wait, you’re all gifted?” I stared at them.
Rina snorted. “Did you think the Strange God would give his ‘chosen one’ average mates?” She rolled her eyes at my title. “Of course they’re all gifted.”
“So what does the purple and the lavender mean?” Aeron asked, studying my face intently.
“Lilith has odynokinesis and pathokinesis.” Daron piped up before I could deflect the question.
I glared at him. “I don’t want to talk about it,” I grumbled, shoving another forkful of carrots into my mouth so I physically couldn’t answer questions.
“What are those?” Kain looked around blankly.
“Pain,” Jin whispered. “Pain and emotions.”
I stared him down. “I don’t want to talk about it. I don’t even want to use them.”
He shook his head. “Pet, I knew someone in Korea who had odynokinesis. It’s not as bad as it sounds, with the ability to manipulate pain comes the ability to give it and take it away. The demon I knew was a great healer and an honourable man.”
I wasn’t stupid, I knew that to do the good things Jin was telling me about, I’d have to learn to control the gift first. “And who do I practise on?” I asked. “Which poor sod am I supposed to use my gift on?”
Lulu shrugged. “Do you really have to worry about it until next year? I mean, you won’t actually use it till you get to Maddox’s advanced class, and then it’s his job to find a volunteer.”
I shivered slightly, and Aeron pulled me into him, one arm around my shoulders. “She’s right. One hurdle at a time, Baby Girl. Dress first.”
“Is it wrong that getting a dress feels like I’m betraying my mother?” I wondered quietly.
“Is it possible to really betray such a horrendous bitch?” Nelly enquired, stabbing at her food like she was imagining it was my mother.
“Probably not,” Bane agreed with her.
“In what way?” Daron asked, ignoring both of them.
“She probably already designed a dress for me,” I mumbled. “She may be a bitch, but she’s one of the best designers out there; it would have suited me perfectly. She would have had the mask I need as well.”
“And you want that, despite the fact that she tried to kill you?” Bane looked at me incredulously.
“She’s my mum.”
Jin nodded. “I get that.” He stood abruptly. “Give me a few days.”
I caught his arm as he moved to leave. “She will have burnt it all by now. I appreciate the effort, but I’ll just find someone else.”
He shook his head. “Give me till Friday. I owe you for allowing you to come to harm by my hand this morning. If I can’t come up with something by then, you can start looking for something else.”
He disappeared from the hall, and Kain took the opportunity to sidle closer to me on the bench.
“Hello, Sunshine.” He scooped me out of Aeron’s arms and draped me across his lap as easily as he would a doll. Aeron glared at him, but whatever truce they had kept him from saying anything. “How about we ditch this party and go have some real fun?”
I smirked despite myself. “You’re very certain of yourself.”
He flashed me an easy grin. “Your call, Sunshine, but if I had so many men after me, I’d be trying them all to figure out which one was my favourite.”
I giggled. “I don’t have a favourite.”
“One night with me and you will,” he promised.
Rina made a gagging noise. “Get a room.”
“I’m her favourite,” Aeron protested.
I shook my head. “I will never have a favourite. I couldn’t choose, and both of you have disqualified yourself from my room for tonight for even thinking I could pick one of you!”
Kain’s brows rose and he looked over at Daron. “I guess that means you win.”
Daron stared at me, his eyes flashing with heat. My thighs clenched at the idea of getting into bed with my nerdy mate. “It’s up to you, but I don’t need more power, I’ve barely used any today.” I extended the offer, but I knew he wouldn’t take it in front of everyone.
“Not tonight,” he mumbled, looking down at the table. “I have some stuff…”
The table turned awkward once again, and I used the silence to finish off my food.
“Blaze is here,” Rina announced out of the blue, and I jumped at the opportunity to escape.
“I’ll see you all later,” I mumbled, grabbing my bag as I tried to disentangle myself from Kain.
“Later, Sunshine.” Kain pulled my head down and kissed me, the move so unexpected that I responded instinctively. His lips moved on mine lazily, exploring my mouth as though we had all the time in the world. I had no doubt that this was an intentional claiming in front of Aeron. Despite knowing I shouldn’t let him use me like this, the heat pooling low in my belly had me sweeping my tongue out to taste him. He tasted like cherry tarts and ice cream, and I sighed as he broke away, already knowing I’d always want more.
Aeron predictably swooped in as soon as I let go of Kain, taking my mouth in a kiss that was more demanding, heightening my desire until I was nearly panting, drowning in the scent of strong black coffee and sandalwood that was uniquely him. His hands caressed down my back, landing on my ass and squeezing possessively, soaking my panties with liquid need. When he pulled away, letting me go, I almost fell over the bench.
I didn’t expect the third set of lips which came crashing down on mine. I stared wide-eyed into Daron’s glasses, as the familiar lightning arced between us. His mouth on mine was so hungry, devouring me, leaving no doubt that Daron wanted me just as much as the others. With my eyes open, I noticed when, just for a second, his gaze flicked over to the other side of the table and back again. Before I could think anything more about it, Aeron’s hands were back on me, squeezing my breasts from behind, massaging them lightly through my clothing. Not to be outdo
ne, Kain’s hands moved to my ass, petting and kneading the flesh till I forgot where I was and let my arms wind around Daron’s neck, grinding my lower body into his.
“Mine,” he whispered against my lips.
“Yours,” I agreed, panting, yearning for completion.
But he stepped away, and Kain and Aeron’s hands disappeared. I wanted to pout and demand they finish what they’d started, but someone cleared their throat. I looked around the hall to see a few curious gazes flicking over to my table, and at the teachers’ table, Professor Saxon was watching us with a curious glint to her eyes that made me feel very awkward very quickly.
I grabbed my bag and made a beeline for the door on wobbly legs, head ducked slightly in embarrassment. Logically, I knew it was no big deal, Lulu did more than that at the breakfast table when she was really wiped out. Somehow, even though I knew that no one really cared, it still freaked me out to have my mate’s mother watch our make out session.
When I reached the door, my gaze was so locked onto the floor that I almost walked into Blaze. He just smirked, confirming my suspicion that he’d also seen everything. Still, he waited till we’d left the castle and turned a corner before pulling me around and pushing me up against the wall. He was rough, but I wasn’t hurt, and I got the sense he knew exactly how much force he was using.
“Blaze what—”
His arm moved under my butt, lifting me and drawing me against him in just the right spot for me to feel the hardness of him pressed against my most sensitive place.
“A man can only take so much,” he groaned, hiding his face in the crook of my neck and leaving suckling kisses against the skin there. “I’m going to make you come, and you’re going to be a good girl and not move whilst I do it.”
“Yes,” I writhed against him, thrusting my hips forward.
He slapped my inner thigh lightly with his free hand. “No moving.” I disobeyed, pressing us further together.
Suddenly his presence was gone, leaving me cold and struggling to support my weight on weak knees. I mewled at the loss of him, staring blankly at his silhouette standing a few feet away.
“What are your instructions?” he demanded.
I tried to think. “Don’t move.”
“Good girl.” He approached me again, but instead of lifting me up, his hands went to my shirt, ripping it down the middle and sending buttons flying. My bra got the same treatment, torn through the middle. “You have gorgeous tits.” He pinched one nipple roughly, then the other, and I fought not to arch into his touch. “I’m going to taste these beauties another time,” he promised, his hand sliding down to my skirt, roughly pushing it up and out of the way.
There was a snap as my panties were ripped at my hips, and I stared with wide eyes as he stuffed the tattered remains into his pocket with a wicked grin. “Widen your legs. Wider.” He gripped one of my legs and knelt, pulling it over his shoulder in one smooth move.
His breath fluttered over my lower lips and I shivered, receiving a slap to my inner thigh. “Stay still, I want to look at you. God, you’re fucking perfect.” His finger stroked up and down my core slowly, pausing on each pass to probe my entrance teasingly. I struggled to stay still, and the task only became harder when his finger entered me fully in one rough, swift motion, making me gasp as he started fucking me mercilessly with it. A few strokes in, he used his thumb to start circling my clit, sending fireworks sparking through my body.
Then, when I thought I couldn’t take any more, his tongue joined the fray, dancing heated circles around my clit just like his thumb had done, setting me on fire with the need to come, but never hitting me in just the right spot to take me there.
“God you taste like fucking honey.” He withdrew his finger and held it up to my mouth. My pussy clenched around nothing, needing to be filled. “Taste yourself for me,” he ordered. I found myself complying, sucking and swirling around his finger with my tongue, trying to tease him like he was teasing me.
He took his hand away, returning to my pussy and adding a second finger, pumping and curving them inside me, hitting that special spot every time. I was so close, shaking from the force of an orgasm that was just out of reach.
“Come for me,” Blaze ordered, sucking sharply on my clit.
I exploded into his mouth, shuddering and jerking from the force of my orgasm. Blaze kept his fingers inside me, pumping shallowly whilst his tongue gave long, gentle licks to my abused clit, drawing out the last notes of my pleasure with skilled strokes.
I sighed as he removed his fingers, licking them clean before letting my leg fall and pulling my skirt back into place. He stayed on his knees for a few moments more, head pressed into my stomach. “You have no idea how much I want to take you,” he whispered, so quietly that I wasn’t sure I was meant to hear it.
“Then do it,” I dared, feeling brave.
He shook his head, moving to stand as he helped me pull my shirt closed and button up my blazer over the evidence.
“You’re not ready,” he grunted.
I looked into his eyes, the burning green there calling to some primal part of me. “Jin said you have a flat… That you have stuff there.”
Blaze’s surprise was covered up quickly. “Then the boy needs to learn to keep his mouth shut.” He tucked me under his arm and started walking us towards the Carnal Tower. “One day I’ll take you to my flat,” he promised. “But you were a virgin a month ago. Give yourself some time.”
I frowned. “I’m a Succubus and I’m your mate. I can take anything you want to give me.”
He chuckled. “Lilith, have any of your boys tied you to the bed yet? Have they fucked you in the ass after spanking it a pretty shade of red? Have they ordered you to wear toys all day under your clothes and then made you come in public just because they can?” His voice dropped. “Have they held you down and fucked you like an animal? Because that is what I will do to you if given the chance.” He stepped back. “You’re not ready, so don’t push my control.”
“I’m ready,” I insisted. “Test me if you want.”
Blaze raised one eyebrow. “Maybe I will,” he muttered.
We both were unusually quiet for the remainder of the trip, it wasn’t till we reached the door to the Tower that I broached a different subject. “Are you running security for the ball?”
He stiffened minutely. “Yes. I’ve been planning things with Daron,” he replied. “He’ll be helping me monitor you for the entire event, making sure no one gets too close… Just in case.”
I wrung my hands nervously. “So, you won’t have time to dance with me?” I asked in a small voice.
His posture relaxed. “I’ll try,” he hedged. “Get some rest, I’ll see you tomorrow.” He leaned in, giving me a sweet kiss to the forehead that made me feel cherished and protected all at once before disappearing.
Chapter 30
The next few days were a strange flurry of activity. Partly because Maddox accidentally let slip that a crucial part of our exam would be the ability to manipulate and merge PK within our groups. But also, because – despite knowing that we were swamped with practice for our practical exams – all our teachers announced written mock exams in their subjects would be happening in two weeks’ time.
Vrosis suddenly restarted his evening sessions. Then two feet of snow fell in one night and it seemed that every course book for our year had been booked out of the library overnight. All of these annoyances built up to the point where I yearned to stay in bed on Friday morning and pretend the outside world didn’t exist.
Only a knock at my bedroom door had me shrugging on my fluffy robe and padding softly across my room. Some part of me distantly hoped it was Aeron, because we hadn’t shared a bed since I’d slept with Jin that fateful morning, and my body missed him like a drug. I hadn’t taken power from anyone else since then either, and the extra practice session with Daron and Rina last night had used up a sizeable chunk of my reserves.
But it wasn’t my yellow-eyed m
ate who was waiting for me behind the door, instead it was a smiling Jin clutching a large, plain envelope.
“Good morning, Pet.” He was grinning like he’d won the lottery or pulled off some great prank.
“What is it?” I snapped, then groaned. “Sorry, sorry, I’m just… not looking forward to today.”
His smile didn’t falter, but he extended the envelope towards me. “Maybe this will make it more bearable?”
I frowned. “You didn’t…” I ripped open the seal and pulled out the pieces of paper inside.
“What is this?” I was looking down at one of my mother’s designs, albeit slightly crumpled and smudged in places.
