The Mage’s Revenge (Crescent Moon Academy Book 2)

by CY Jones

  “You don’t need to lecture me to stay away from him. I want nothing to do with the asshat. It’s he that bothers me. I wish he’d just leave me alone.”

  “Sorry, poppet, I wish I can do more. If the opportunity comes for you to get away from here for a while, I want you to not worry about me and take it.”

  “What opportunity? I don’t have anywhere to go.” It’s not like I can go back to my old home, especially with the fake Quinn. Leslie may hate me, but she loves her son. As a parent, she’ll be able to spot the difference these fools here are too stupid to see. And Dad is still missing. Of course she’s shifted all the blame to me.

  He doesn’t answer. He just disappears, leaving me confused in an empty hall. I’m already late for class, and why bother going if Ruelle will be there? So instead, I head out to the archery range to practice shooting with Archer. Maybe the skill will come in handy one day.

  “It really isn’t fair competing against you, Archer,” I whine. No matter how far away the target is or what obstacle is in your path, I’m sure you can still hit the bullseye with your eyes closed.”

  “Beating me isn’t the point. I’m a spirit with unlimited power. Archery is a great way to clear your mind and exercise your power since it helps open up all your senses.”

  “My mind is clear. It’s everything else that sucks. Show me again on how to improve my aim.”

  Standing close behind me, he helps adjust my hold on the bow, pulling my taut arm muscles with me as I notch the arrow and pull back the string. With my lips on the center, I breathe in deeply before releasing the arrow and my breath at the same time. This time, with Archer’s help, I hit the bullseye dead center of the target two-hundred meters away.

  “Bravo,” a sarcastic voice cheers from behind me with an even more condescending clap of his hands. Pulling out his spiritual weapon, Archer stands between me and the intruder, ready to kill on my command.

  “What are you doing here?” I growl.

  “You should be happy your father doesn’t receive your progress reports. Your attendance record must suck.”

  “And you get an A+ in stalking. Don’t you have something else better to do than follow me around like a lost puppy. Get this in your head, I’m not interested. I’m more of a cat person.” On my body, Mr. Meow stirs, but he stays put, probably sensing Archer’s presence also.

  “Your mouth says one thing, but don’t think I’ve missed the way your eyes eye me up and down like a snack. If you’re wondering, my body is just as impressive without clothes as it is with.”

  “I wasn’t wondering. If you thought I was eyeing you then you misunderstood my intentions. It’s more of a way a wolf looks at its prey before it’s devoured. You’re the one who’s full of himself and has deluded yourself into seeing something that isn’t there.”

  “Do you really think you can take me? I mean, it was impressive how you were able to save your little fuck toy. What a neat little trick. A couple more seconds and my flute would have succeeded in shattering his mind.”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Kirito defeated you all on his own. Don’t be a sore loser. ” He smiles, but I can tell he doesn’t believe me. I don’t care if he does. I’d never admit to helping Kirito, and besides, it was his effort that defeated Ruelle.

  “Because I like you, I’m giving you this small courtesy of telling you my intentions. You were wondering what they were, weren’t you?”

  “There you go again. How can I convince you that I don’t care what you do? Follow me around like a lost dog if you want. I won’t be handing out any scraps or pets for that matter.”

  “You’ll care about this because it not only concerns you but your friends. What I did today was nothing. Your father only deemed Hawthorne untouchable since he’s your mate, the others do not have the same protection. While I’m here, I’ll kill each and every one of them and present their heads to you as a gift. Only then will I get your attention.”

  I can’t help it. I laugh so hard, I make my stomach hurt. What he just said is too insane. The fucking balls attached to this one got to be bigger than his dick. Tensing beside me, Archer doesn’t lower his bow an inch, his finger itching to let go. I could end this right here and now. Snuff out the threat before it becomes one. This idiot just threatened all the men I care for without batting an eye. So cocky. So self-assured. What’s in the Kool-Aid he’s gulping down in Morganstein’s mansion. Acid?

  Wiping tears from my eyes, I face the idiot in question. “If I were you, I wouldn’t worry so much about the heirs but me. I’m the bigger threat in this scenario, not them. I’m sure while I’m useful, you’ve been ordered to not lay a finger on me, but you have no such protection.” My voice gets colder. All the laughter is gone. Poof, like smoke, taking a back seat to my inner psycho bitch. “Threatening them is the same as threatening me. You can take me seriously or not,” I shrug. “Just know that if you lay an ill-intended hand on any one of them, I’ll end you. That body of yours you were just bragging about will look like a nightmare once I get done with you.”

  He smiles, but it’s just as cold as my words. “We’ll see, cousin.” With that, he leaves and Archer finally lowers his bow once he’s sure he’s gone.

  “I’m sorry. I failed you once again. I don’t know what power he holds that allows him to mask his presence from even a spiritual immortal,” Archer apologizes.

  “Don’t worry about it. Ruelle is an anomaly Morganstein cooked up. He’s bound to defy all logic just to piss us off.”

  “Sabre and her Master are on their way here.”

  “Great,” I mutter. Now, I get to deal with Zion. Oh well, I guess I need to give an apology of my own. Now that my grandfather informed me that it was his idea to keep me in the dark about the mating.

  After one release of the bow, he’s here watching me without a word. The silence is thick, nearly unnerving so with a heavy sigh, I lower my bow and take a seat on the grass. “Out with it. Why are you here?”

  “What if I told you I’m here because you got me hooked and I want to fuck?” he answers, sitting next to me.

  “I’d think you’re full of shit, but I’d still test you, just to fuck with you.”

  “Test me how?” he asks, raising an auburn brow.

  “Well, for starters,” I say, playfully, placing the tip of my finger to my bottom lip and giving him a coy look, “I’d move closer just like this,” I reply, shifting my body toward him and climbing his lap just like I was last night when I was riding his dick and circle my arms around his neck, bringing my face closer, nearly touching his lips with mine. His cock is hard, I can feel it growing bigger over the texture of our clothes.

  “That certainly will do the trick,” he murmurs, closing the distance and brushing his soft lips against mine.

  The kiss is sweet. Something I’m not used to from him, but it has the same effect as if he just ravished me, and I clench my honey pot as my body gets warmer.

  Pulling back, he says, “You’ve distracted me. I came here to speak with you.”

  “You can still talk, while inside me,” I add, rocking against him.

  Grabbing me by the hips and halting my movement, he groans, “I don’t think I’ll be able to think straight, but afterwards, after you hear what I have to say, if you still want to ride me I won’t stop you.”

  This gives me pause. Exactly what else is he hiding from me? Giving us both some much needed space, I move off his lap and sit across from him so I don’t miss a single thing from his face. “Talk,” I ordered.

  “Mate, don’t order me, or I will fuck you into submission.” Sounding like the Zion I know all too well, I actually relax.

  “Fine,” I huff, crossing my arms. “Speak at your own leisure, but don’t think I’m waiting out here all evening with you.”

  Giving me that half smirk that drives me crazy and makes me want to slap him, he grabs me by the chin, pulling me to his body until I’m sprawled all over him and kisses me deep before he w
ithdraws and pushes me back into sitting position. With my lips swollen and a dazed expression on my face, he’s finally satisfied and speaks.

  “When we brought you back from Crimson Blood Academy, even with Oliver diligently healing you, we knew something was still wrong.”

  “What do you mean, wrong? Isn’t that why you called in a healer?”

  “Yes, a well known one for her talent, which is why I did not doubt what she told us.”

  “What exactly did she say?” I don’t like this. He looks so serious, but there’s something else. Something that’s hard to place because it does not look right on his face. Fear.

  “After healing you in the waters, you were brought to my dorm where she explained that bones can grow and your superficial wounds have been healed, it’s your internal injuries, mainly your magical circuits that took the most damage and quite possibly will never heal right.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “It means, angel, that without your magical circuits to draw from your well of magic inside you, you won’t be able to use your powers properly, if ever. Forcing it will only hurt you more. I’m sure you’ve noticed by now that something about you is off?”

  “What!?” My eyes grow wide. I can’t believe what he’s telling me. Powerless… Me? Never. But even as I deny his words, I can’t stop my mind as it races through my memories of these last couple of days. How I have been feeling off. The exhaustion after using my powers just a tiny bit. The non-connection or the instability when they’ll explode on their own. I thought it was because I was injured and needed time to build back my stamina. But this? I can’t accept this. “No, you’re wrong. She’s wrong,” I cry.

  “She’s not. I could tell when you fought Mary in the gym. You may have been holding back, but it was clear the fight was still taxing. There were even times when your magic just sputtered out, so you dodged and used your flexibility to avoid attacks.”

  “No, you’re wrong,” I cry again, this time hysterically. He tries to grab me. To hold me, but I push him away.

  “Don’t touch me.”

  He doesn’t move again or speak, allowing me to lead. I stay quiet, staring at his face, hoping he’ll admit this is just a cruel joke. A mage without magic isn’t a mage at all. A dud. A human. I’d be the laughingstock of our whole community. No longer useful to Morganstein, he’ll kill me. Ruelle is powerful enough. Once I’m dead, he’ll make him his successor, and all I lived for, all everyone sacrificed for me, would have been for nothing.

  “Why are you just now telling me this? Were you waiting for me to get in a fight and realize my power was gone? I could have gotten killed,” I holler.

  “No. I tried.”

  “You tried,” I interrupt him. “When? When you explained everything that happened after Crimson Blood, you didn’t mention this. No matter how out of it I was, I would have remembered. You didn’t tell me in class when I fought your little fuck buddy either, putting my life on the line, or when you were balls deep in my pussy last night. You had many chances, but you decided to keep it from me like you did the decision about our mating. Why go to my gramps? Why didn’t you come to me first? This is my life!”

  “Like you came to me,” he yells. “Don’t forget who put themself in this predicament. You’re the one who went off half-cocked at Crimson Blood and almost got yourself killed. I’m just trying to deal with the aftermath. Did it cross your mind that the reason I didn’t tell you was because even though it’s happening to you that I’m the one who can’t accept it? Since finding out, I’ve been racking my mind on how to help you. We were told a short-term fix, but like it’s name, it’s not meant to be done long-term and also something never done before.”

  “We? Who else knows my business.”

  “The other heirs. They were there, of course. They all heard.”

  Zion and I are like oil and vinegar, yet were both the excelerant to our anger. It’s easy for me to be pissed off at him. Easy for me to forget my crimes and just blame him. Calling out his indiscretions.

  “So you all knew, yet none of you had the balls to tell me. What mighty men you are,” I snark as sarcastic and mean as possible. “The lot of you. Scared of a powerless female. What now? Are we going to add truth to the rumors? That the only reason why I’m able to keep my ranking is because I’m fucking you all? Want me to suck your dick now, so I can fill my quota? There are five of you, umm..”

  With fire in his eyes, he grabs my face, pinching the skin at my cheeks, efficiently closing my mouth and shutting down my poisonous words. “I better not hear you talk that way again, do you understand me?” I can’t answer with words, so I just nod. After a while, he lets my jaw go and I flex and crack my mouth.

  “The healer said I can help you, but it can only be me, and like I said earlier, it isn’t a long-term fix. Just a last ditch effort. I have my people looking for a remedy or a better solution, secretly, of course, but it’s not an easy find. Just know if there is a solution out there, I will do whatever, risk whatever, to find it.”

  “Why? You don’t even like me.”

  He looks at me like I’ve just grown an extra head right in front of him. With my double personality, maybe I did. “You’re my mate. Why wouldn’t I?” he answers incredulously.

  “I was just made your mate yesterday. All this happened before then.”

  “You were always meant to be my mate, which is why I’m the only one who can help you.”

  I ignore his declaration and concentrate on the statement. “What exactly did the healer tell you, and why is it only you that can help?”

  “Apparently, we’re so compatible that I can infuse my magic in you and share my mana between the two of us, like I’m doing with Sabre and now Archer. Somewhat like a battery. I’m not sure if I’m able to do so just because we’re both phoenixes or not, but when the healer scanned the others, I was the only match. To test the theory, I have been feeding mana to your champion through you since you’re unable to sufficiently give him what he needs.”

  “Is this true?” I ask Archer in my head.

  “The mana I have been receiving has been a tad bit different, but since it’s been coming from your body, I did not question it,” he answers.

  I still don’t understand how that is even possible. Never have I heard or read anywhere about mages sharing a power source. Seizing someone’s power, sure, there’s plenty of scumbags and evil spells capable of doing so, but a mage acting like a conduit, a power source.

  “Isn’t it taxing on you? You may be powerful, but it’s not unlimited. I’m not bragging, but I know my well of power is deep, so it has to be the same for you, but not vast enough to support two people.”

  “It’s not easy, but it’s working. It’s not like you get in fights everyday and since we have been mated and you share my blood, that has made the process easier. I’ve only started really applying myself after you fought Mary and nearly depleted yourself. If you want your circuits to heal properly, you’re going to have to stop using magic all together.”

  “That’s impossible and you know it. I’m a mage. We go to a magical school. Our classes involve using magic. Not to mention, I only fight to defend myself. Have you forgotten what’s coming up? You may not have to worry about angry mages lining up to steal your ranking, but I’d bet every dollar in my bank account that my line of usurpers is long.”

  “Then don’t go to class. It’s not like you go as it is. Your grandfather already knows and will understand. As for Founder’s Day, I’ll figure something out. I’m sure I can scare the competition away from you too.”

  “Yes and feed the rumors even more. Do you think I enjoy hearing people say I fucked my way to the top? With you acting like a guard dog, you’ll only incite the crowd.”

  “You’re my mate; it’s my job to protect you,” he shouts.

  “I didn’t ask to be your mate or for your damn protection,” I shout back. See? See how easy it is for him to enrage me? We perform and coexist on two funct
ions. One being down each other’s throats, the other fucking. There’s no middle ground. Gentle, tenderness, and understanding do not fit in our bubble. If either of those drift near, it threatens our already unstable stability.

  “It doesn’t matter if you asked for it or not. The fact is that I am. You’re mine now and forever. No one will take you from me, nor will I allow even you to deter me from my responsibilities.”

  Sighing, I stand. “You make all this sound so easy. It isn’t, nor do I think you can accomplish it alone. You may be full of yourself, but I’m not buying it. I’m grateful that you care. That you’re trying. Just don’t think I can accept all this like that. Don’t think, I’ll think everything will be solved just because you said so. I dug this hole myself, and it’s quicksand that filled the pit. You may be holding the stick that’s keeping my head above the sand, but don’t forget your struggle can also push you in. You make it really easy to hate you,” I tell him with a sad smile before walking away.

  He can take what he wants from that. Knowing him, he’s going to keep struggling to fix me, no matter the danger he’ll bring on himself. As much as I compare him to one, he’s not a god. His power isn’t limitless. Sharing with me isn’t feasible, at least not long-term. I don’t think he’ll find a solution alone, no matter how many spies he sends out searching. And what of his own problems? His father? Mine? If they find out about this, we’re as good as dead. To them, we aren’t their children but pawns to evaluate their position. Power is power. There’s no substitute in this world and now this fool decreased his to help me keep face. Love is not just blind but stupid.

  I’m lost in thought as I wander across the campus with no real location in mind. It seems everyday I’ve been getting hit with one disaster after another. One stupid decision has become equivalent to an avalanche with snow still falling, hell bent on burying me alive. Zion, too, if he still persists in helping me. Stupid, stupid. Everyone is stupid. Even me.