by LJ Swallow
Head spinning, I look to Jamie ready to charge over and intervene.
He stands. Unscathed. Steady—as if he merely sat down for a second. Jamie's locked in his own world as he storms back over to Oliver and looks down at him, eyes flashing with the aggression also held in his clenched fists.
The Blackwood spell. What else could inflict pain like that on a vamp?
"Jamie. Stop!"
He bends down and pulls Oliver to his feet. The vamp stands, unsteadily, then snarls at Jamie.
Jamie smirks then shoves him in the chest. "Come on. Try me again."
The vamp looks confused for a moment before he charges at Jamie, knocking him backwards. He seizes a fist of Jamie's hair and pulls, before smacking his head against the wall behind.
There's no sound, and Oliver drops the grip on his hair, screeching and holding the back of his head. He stumbles from side to side like a toddler learning to walk as Jamie looks on with smug satisfaction.
The vamp moves his hand to look at his palm.
Blood.
As Oliver crumples to the floor in shock, Jamie strides over and leans over him. His tie is torn away and shirt buttons ripped, and the material gapes open as he leans over the vamp.
The Blackwood pendant falls forward.
“What the fuck, Jamie? Back down,” I yell.
Before I can reach them, Tobias charges down the corridor and seizes Jamie by the arm. He yanks at the cord around Jamie's neck.
"What the hell is this?"
Chapter Forty-Seven
MAEVE
The noise from the hall grows louder, and I break from my shock to follow Tobias from the room and investigate. I'm pushed back again as Tobias drags Jamie inside, followed by a pale-faced Ash.
The door slams.
Jamie lashes out at Tobias who ducks and waves something at him.
The Blackwood pendant.
"How the fuck did you get that?" The fury on Tobias's face pushes Jamie backwards and into a seat. "Did I see you using Blackwood magic?"
Jamie holds both hands on his head. "Only a protection spell."
"You fucking moron!"
I back away, unsure which way Tobias's anger will fly next.
"Who knew? All of you?" He pauses. "Is this how the Blackwood book ended up in Theodora's office?"
"Yes," Ash says quietly. "But we didn't tell anybody because we saw what happened to Matt."
"I only had the book a day and for one spell." Jamie looks up, repeating the words he's told us over and over. The fight ruffled his hair, but he's unharmed.
Andrei slides into the room and quietly closes the door. "Did you wipe his mind?" asks Tobias.
Andrei nods.
"Did you know About Jamie's spell?"
The appalled look on Andrei's face answers the question. No.
I shake as the events of the last half hour shudder through me and I gulp in air. Ash takes my hand, and I shift closer to him, pushing my head against his chest until he wraps an arm around and kisses my head.
Tobias watches with a small tug to his brow then returns to his furious lecture. "How could Amelia allow this?"
"She took the book before Jamie could do more," I say. "Jamie would've cast this spell whatever we did."
"I had the incantation memorised," he mumbles.
Tobias swears repeatedly and paces from side to side in the room. "Why attack Oliver?"
"He upset Amelia."
Tobias lifts his eyes skyward. "It's always about a girl."
"She's one of my best friends. He disrespected her, and she's in tears. Have you seen the chaos in the hall? Your Petrescu students are practically tearing the place apart."
"And I was prepared to tear them apart," mutters Ash.
"At least one of you saw sense and kept your hands to yourselves. Where's Amelia now?"
"Still in the hall. Sofia is dealing with the situation and I bet security will be here soon." Ash pauses. "Why are you all in here? What's happening? I thought you were supervising the dance, Tobias."
"That's a bloody long story," mutters Andrei.
Tobias looks from one to the other, then at the door. "I need to deal with this. Someone will look for me and ask questions. One of you find Amelia."
"And are we banned from telling her?" I ask.
"As if you could hide secrets from each other." The words come as he walks through the door and I tense at the slam.
What happens now?
Chapter Forty-Eight
ASH
I'm stunned by everything Maeve tells me, and Andrei confirms her story is true, but she never explained why Tobias decided to tell them. Even though she's explained the truth about Tobias, I'm positive they left gaps in their story.
We agree to speak to Theodora tomorrow for confirmation or expose Tobias's lies.
Man, there are so many secrets in this world.
I'm all for heading back into the dance chaos and lending a hand, but Maeve refuses to let me back into the brawl. Instead, Jamie heads back inside with Andrei to find Amelia.
"Let's walk. You need to cool down," Maeve says. "The shifter anger is running hot through you."
"Are you reading my mind?"
"No, silly. Your face is red." She links her arm through mine. "Come on."
I don't protest when she guides me from the scene and leads me outside. There's a light dusting of snow on the path, and we wander along with no plans where to go.
The cold cools my face and my temper as I hug Maeve close. I came close to kissing her when we danced earlier, until she saw Andrei and walked away. Are my near misses the universe telling me to stop? Maybe, but my heart tells me otherwise.
Maeve shivers and her arms are covered with goose bumps. Where's that weird furry jacket she had before?
"Here." I slip off my suit jacket and drape the item around her shoulders. With a grateful smile, Maeve pushes her arms in the sleeves, and I laugh at how the jacket dwarfs her. Wrapped around her, the way I fantasise about wrapping myself around Maeve.
She looks up at me, the girl Amelia painted away into a strange new version earlier this evening. Her hair has loosened as if the girl beneath tries to escape, and the tiara in her her shines beneath the moonlight.
A snowflake floats downwards and lands on her cheek.
"Poor Katherine," she says.
"Nobody touched her. They wouldn't dare."
"No, the dickheads ruined her dance. The night meant a lot to her—and Amelia."
"Feel sorry for the guys who kicked off. Katherine-style revenge isn't pleasant."
"Surely the Petrescu kids will be expelled?"
I rub my thumb and fingers together. "Money, Maeve. The school will brush this away, but their parents will deal with them."
"That's bullshit," she mutters.
Snow drifts down thicker as a storm threatens, and flakes land on Maeve's lips. She darts out her tongue to lick it away.
I look around us. We're close to the end of the tree-lined pathway, and nobody's around. I've spent the last few hours, days, weeks wanting to kiss Maeve. Does she want the same? Are we both holding back for different reasons?
"How do you feel about Jamie?" I ask her.
"I worry about him. I hope now the Tobias has the pendant, he's back to normal."
I nod. "Yes. Agreed. But how do you feel about Jamie? You looked close tonight."
She strokes the front of my shirt. "Why are you asking me?"
"Because I'm confused. You send mixed signals."
"So do you," she says and pushes me in the chest. "How many times have you almost kissed me and stopped?"
"More than you realise." I sigh. "Do you think of Jamie as more than a friend?"
"Sometimes." She pauses. "But I feel the same way about you, and I'm confused. One thing's certain: I'm not going to be that girl—the one who plays two guys. That's why I've never kissed you or him."
I take my jacket by the lapels and pull Maeve towards me. "What if I don't care?" Her han
d is harder against my chest. Is she pushing me away? "What if I just want to kiss you and don't care if you kiss someone else? You're applying human norms."
Her lips part. "I'm doing that again, aren't I? You're right. I've seen guys and girls around the academy in relationships that are more than two people. Mostly vamps but not—"
"Witches and shifters?" I stroke her face and she shivers against my cold fingers. "I don't know what Jamie's opinion would be, but honestly, if you want to kiss me once or a hundred times, either is good with me."
Maeve moves her hand and presses herself closer, sliding an arm around my back. "I worry that if I kiss you, I will want to kiss you a hundred times. But the things you've said about witches worries me."
"Isn't what I feel about one witch what matters here?"
Our faces move closer, crossing that gap again, and the universe can bloody back off. This moment happens, and I don't care about the consequences.
I move my fingers into the back of Maeve’s hair. "I want to kiss you. I'm obsessing about it—seriously. You can tell me never to touch you again, Maeve, and I'll respect that."
"I thought you'd never ask," she says with a laugh and tiptoes to place her lips on mine.
The touch is brief, and I don't respond, surprised. The static charge of our mouths so close, and the snow drifting onto us, drags me into a world where who we are doesn't matter. Cupping Maeve's chin with my fingers, I tip her face and place my lips on hers. There's a hesitancy from both of us, but when Maeve presses her mouth harder, my body wins.
The jacket and the cold weather are a curse and a blessing—the held back lust I have for Maeve would send me in a direction that would overstep the mark for a first kiss. I settle with slipping my hands inside the jacket, around her small waist. Dragging her hips toward mine, I delve my tongue into her mouth, no longer aware of anything but her taste and scent, and the point our bodies connect.
Maeve makes a small noise as she welcomes my deeper kiss. I've made out with girls more times than I can count—until recently. Now, I hold back, convinced I'd want to possess Maeve like the girls before. But this kiss is different; this kiss consumes me.
The heat we create warms the falling temperature around us. If we stayed here, the world would become buried by the snow drifting around. We could escape who and what we are, the academy, and reality until the snow melts away, and life hits again.
Her soft lips and her sweetness have a power over me that I always knew she’d have.
Pulling back self-control, I tone down the kiss and wrap Maeve in my arms. I'm lost to the pull I expected, the one bonding me to a witch.
Kissing Maeve is the most natural feeling in the world and shouldn’t be. But I don’t care.
Car tyres screech and headlights shine, the beam putting us under a spotlight. I shield my eyes, and we both stare through the academy gates as a car skids in a circle. A door opens, and a large figure falls from the vehicle and lands heavily on the ground, before the tyres sound again, and the car speeds away.
I grip Maeve's hand as I scramble to take in the scene, stepping in front of her in case the figure scales the fence and attacks.
"What was that?" she asks, voice rising.
"Wait there."
Relieved the gates are locked, I walk towards them. Did whoever drove the car know the security guards would be attending to the riot inside the academy? Because there aren't any around.
A body lies on the ground, unmoving, and Maeve appears beside me, her hand over her mouth.
"Who's that?" she whispers.
I scale the gates, then jump silently to the ground a few feet away from the prone figure.
He's stocky, taller than me, face down in the settled snow. Blood from his wounds stains the white with red in patches around him.
I cautiously approach and look down at the shaggy hair and torn clothing. What and who the hell is this?
Stretching out my leg, I poke at the body with my foot using my strength to push him over without drawing any closer.
The guy flops onto his back, eyes still closed, and the moon picks out his features.
I drop to my knees, head reeling as I place a hand on his chest. The guy is breathing. Shallow, but clinging to life.
My blood turns as cold as the evening around as I stare at his beaten face.
Vincent.
To Be Continued
Nightworld Academy: Term Three is now available for preorder.
Click here to preorder Term Three
Release date August 2019
Look out for the new series Ravenhold later in the year for a look at the students who live in the institute, including the powerful hybrid Dorian Blackwood.
There will also be a Nightworld Academy book telling Amelia and Matt’s story from before Maeve arrived at the academy.
Thank you for reading and please feel free to contact me any time.
If you want to keep up to date with all things LJ Swallow, including early sneak peeks and cover reveals, giveaways and more please join my Facebook group here.
Read on to find details about my other books, including the bestselling The Four Horsemen series.
OTHER BOOKS BY LJ SWALLOW
All books available on Kindle Unlimited
The Four Horsemen Series
Reverse Harem Urban Fantasy
(COMPLETE series available now)
Legacy
Bound
Hunted
Guardians
Chaos
Descent
Reckoning
or as two box sets
Books 1-3
Books 4-7
Sinister and Tricked
(The Halloween episodes)
Bright
(Christmas episode)
The Demon’s Covenant Series
Reverse Harem Urban Fantasy
Held by Magic
Elements of Magic
Coming Soon
Shades of Magic
Daughter of Shadow series
Reverse Harem Fantasy romance
Dragon Soul
Silvercrest Guardians
Fringe Realms series
A reverse harem gamelit fantasy
Mage
Academy of Gods
Reverse Harem Fantasy
Written with Angel Lawson
HUNTRESS
www.ljswallow.com
LJ Swallow is the pen name for USA Today bestselling author Lisa Swallow… if you like contemporary romance then read on!
About the Author
LJ Swallow is a USA Today bestselling paranormal romance and urban fantasy author who is the alter-ego of USA Today bestselling contemporary romance author Lisa Swallow.
Giving in to her dark side, LJ spends time creating worlds filled with supernatural creatures who don’t fit the norm, and heroines who are more likely to kick ass than sit on theirs.
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Books by Lisa Swallow
Like contemporary romance? I write those too!
What would you prefer to read?
British rock star romance?
Try broody Dylan…
Summer Sky
Or bad boy Jax…
Cadence
College romance at an English university?
Because of Lucy
Hollywood romance?
Unscripted
A gamer romance?
End Game
And More….
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