by Evie Wilde
I stopped momentarily when I felt the rolling euphoria in my soul, a second orgasm exploding against Braeden’s face. I stuck him back into my mouth and sucked his cock as if the fate of the world hung in the balance.
Braeden tensed, and his legs shook. I grabbed his balls and squeezed, moving him to the back of my throat, the warm jets of come sliding easily down my throat. I waited several minutes, keeping him in my mouth and letting his spasms subside before removing him. I looked back and found him almost lifeless, his eyes closed, his head still.
I moved to the side and turned around, lying atop him, my head on his shoulder, his limp cock pressing against my pussy lips. His heart thumped against my chest, his breath making strands of my hair dance. We stayed this way for several minutes before he finally spoke.
Braeden kissed my head. “I think the sky’s the limit,” he said.
I looked up and kissed his chin. “That’s exactly the way I want it with you guys,” I said. “No limits.”
“The time is coming,” he said. “You know that?”
“I do, and I can’t wait,” I said. “I think it’ll be incredible.” I smiled and ran my hand along his face. “I’ve definitely thought about it. And you wouldn’t believe the dreams I’ve had.”
“Oh, I think I would,” he said. “I've had dreams too. About us with you.”
“Everyone will be okay with it?” I asked. “I just want everyone to enjoy the experience when it happens.” I strummed my fingers along his shoulder and let out a small laugh. “I’m still trying to figure out the logistics.”
“The logistics?” His smile lit up the chamber.
“You know what I mean,” I said.
“There’s four of us and only one of you,” Braeden said, his hand combing through my hair.
“We’ll figure it out,” I said and kissed him. “We should find the others and make sure we aren’t missing out on some life-changing spell.”
“It makes no sense that he brought us out here,” Braeden said. “Was this for you and I to move on?”
“I’ve been wondering the same,” I said and fixed my bra. “These are expensive, you know.”
“Don’t wear them,” he said.
“Nice try!”
We pulled ourselves together and shared a long kiss before heading outside where we found Aurelius by himself.
“What’s really going on?” I asked Aurelius. He squeezed the bridge of his nose and shook his head. “We should return to the hotel.”
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Cassandra
I opened my eyes to find Dash’s sleeping face directly in front of mine, his breathing relaxed, a bit of a smile on his face. I wasn’t sure I wanted to know what he was dreaming about. I turned to find Braeden behind me, his stiffness pressing against my ass, a smile on his face as well. I raised my head and spied Oliver sleeping on the couch against the far wall. He also had a smile, but his smile could have been from dreaming about his computer or finding a new hex.
We had done nothing sexual the previous night, just kept each other warm. Well, maybe that wasn’t necessarily true. At one point, shortly after midnight, Braeden, while behind me, moved my hair back and kissed my neck, his hand on my ass, squeezing. Dash, seeing Braeden’s brazenness, laid in front of me. As long as the guy’s competitive nature didn’t harm the group, I didn’t see a reason to worry.
I remembered Dash spreading my legs with his right leg and kissing me, knowing exactly how to tease. The two mostly competed with bumps and grinds, me feeling like I was driving a bumper car with no steering wheel. They were having fun, so I dared not stop them. Oliver slept through all of it though neither Braeden nor Dash cared he’d been left out. I sensed Oliver had a plan to make himself be more assertive. I thought he was just waiting for the right moment.
We’d all agreed the group thing had to be me and the four of them. It could never happen if one of them were absent. It could never be two on one or three on one. If so, the group dynamic wouldn’t work properly.
I pushed the covers away and realized the three of us were naked. A smile crossed my face as Dash and Braeden’s cocks pointed at each other, a sword fight that would send them scurrying in opposite directions once they realized the situation.
I delicately crawled over Dash, and the two guys reached their hands out, their fingers touching. Braeden opened his eyes, the whites as big as golf balls. Dash opened his and then everything seemed to move in slow motion. The two guys screamed and quickly backed away from each other, each falling off their side of the bed. Dash cursed, and Braeden groaned.
Oliver sat up and laughed. He stood and held his stomach. “Did you two?”
“Shut the fuck up, Oliver,” Dash yelled, but Oliver couldn’t refrain. Dash pulled on his pants and grabbed his shirt before disappearing into the bathroom. “Nothing happened! I swear!”
Braeden looked over the edge of the bed only his eyes and forehead showing. “That was a little awkward,” he said.
“It’s safe,” I said and he stood, his cock no longer hard.
In less of a hurry, Braeden grabbed his pants and slowly dressed, ignoring Oliver who was still laughing.
“Good morning,” I said, standing in the middle of the room naked, my hands on my hips. I winked at Oliver, and he stopped laughing.
“Did we?” Braeden asked.
“I think you would know if we did,” I said.
“I’m pretty sure I should be happy I wasn’t part of that,” Oliver said and smiled. He sat on the couch and grabbed his computer, expanding his knowledge every opportunity he got.
Dash exited the bathroom, and I grabbed my clothes, walking past him toward the bathroom, and he smacked my ass. I closed the bathroom door and spied my ass in the mirror. The handprint stung a bit, but the pain was also exhilarating. Dash had no trouble turning me on. I smiled at myself in the mirror and then showered.
We ate together and then piled into the van before heading to the guild. The second visit would be easier than the first. Lying in bed, after Braeden and Dash fell asleep, I remembered Ren had special hiding places around the guild campus. Although he never said exactly where those places were, he did say he never kept important documents in a single location. I needed to find a certain set of scrolls he’d mentioned years ago. I was betting those scrolls had the answers we were looking for.
Dash pulled from the parking, and we headed toward the guild, Aurelius in the passenger seat, Braeden, Oliver, Kyler and I in the back. Ruby, Nicolette, and Sonny sat in front of us. What little trust I had in Sonny was beginning to wane. I had no proof he was involved in any of the disasters that had befallen me or the academy, but my gut told me to keep an eye on him. I’d been wanting to talk to Kyler about Sonny since he’d returned from his run, but we hadn’t had a moment alone.
Nicolette had pulled me aside after breakfast and encouraged me to hang tough and not let things get me down. She talked about her past and some of the things she had to overcome in both her personal life and in the world of magic. She gave me a long, heart-felt hug and kissed me on the cheek.
Aurelius stole a glance back, and I noticed his skin color had changed. His pale face looked sickly. I glanced at his hands and found they were just as white. Oliver noticed me staring and shrugged. I wondered if he would last our entire four years at the academy. He now looked eighty-years-old.
At the guild, Aurelius sat on a brick wall while we trained, mixing hexes with each of our elements. I learned how to trap one of Oliver’s snowballs inside a fireball without turning his element into a puddle of water. We also learned a variety of hexes, easy stuff like changing the color of the grass and trees, changing the sizes of insects, and changing each other's appearance. We also learned to close our eyes and sense the need to use our magic both offensively and defensively. While we trained, I continued to notice Aurelius’ expression growing grimmer.
I pulled Dash aside. “What’s up with Aurelius?” I asked. “He looks like he’s given up on l
ife.”
Dash shook his head. “Don’t know, but his entire aura is flickering. Something’s bothering him. He’s not going to tell us; you’ll have to pull it out of him.”
I left Dash’s side and approached Aurelius. There was a sadness in his eyes that hadn’t been there yesterday. “We’re worried about you,” I said.
Aurelius placed his hands on his knees and stared at the ground. “There’s no need for you all to concern yourself with me.”
I sat next to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. “Everyone is always so concerned about me,” I said. “You and the guys tell me to save my energy and power. I think maybe you need to do the same. Just tell us what we need to know and be easy on yourself. We can help carry some of the burden.”
The others gathered around us, Kyler sitting on Aurelius’ other side. “We got this,” Kyler said. “Take a break.”
Aurelius looked up at us. “The headmaster and I have been fighting Edius and Ren for months,” he said.
“All those times you were both gone?” Ruby asked. She was still working in the admin building and knew when the headmaster was away.
“Yes,” Aurelius said. “The other academies and guilds have been helpless. So, the headmaster and I have been tracking the two and have encountered them on several occasions. They are much younger than we.”
“You need us to fight those assholes,” Dash said. “The seven or eight of us can do it.”
Aurelius shook his head emphatically. “Absolutely not! I will not risk your lives until I’m absolutely sure you’re ready. Even then I’ll be hesitant.” He looked back at the ground. “I need a word with Cassandra, alone.”
I nodded at the others, and they returned to training.
Kyler made a motion with his hands toward the trees, and dozens of sticks came toward the group, encapsulating Oliver in a jail cell of wood. Everyone laughed.
“That boy has all the potential in the world,” Aurelius said of Kyler. “If we could get him to focus and throw away whatever is on his mind, he could reach that potential. The rest are progressing nicely.”
“He won’t talk about some things,” I said. “He’s the only one of the four I can’t totally figure out. But I think he likes it like that. It’s the shapeshifter in him.”
“Dash and Braeden are getting along,” Aurelius said. “And Oliver just seems to be Oliver. Always happy.”
“Yeah, it’s all going to work out,” I said. I turned to Aurelius. “I’m thinking you didn’t ask to speak to me alone to discuss my relationships.”
“Before we left, I received a message from the headmaster,” he said and slowly turned his head. “The entire student body was hit with a hex while we’ve been gone. Every student has fallen into a deep sleep.”
“Headmaster Eliphas?” I asked, stunned.
“He’s okay, but most of the faculty fell to the will of the hex also,” Aurelius said.
“Then we need to go!”
Aurelius placed his hand on my knee, holding me in place. “No, Cassandra. We don’t know if the hex is still hanging in the air or not. The eight of you could be susceptible. I’ll return to the academy, and the headmaster and I will see what we can do. I’ll be in touch. Stay away until then.”
Aurelius stood, wobbly on his feet, and disappeared into the forest.
“Where’s he going?” Oliver asked when everyone joined me.
A blue starburst showered the forest, and Aurelius was gone, transported back to the academy.
“The academy was attacked again,” I said and explained what Aurelius had told me. I had to fight with every bit of willpower not to disobey Aurelius’ orders.
“Damn it,” Dash said and started toward the van. I grabbed his arm. “Not this time, Cassandra.”
“They don’t think it’s safe for us to return,” I said. “We need to wait to hear from Aurelius or Headmaster Eliphas.”
Dash looked at the others. Sonny walked away.
“She’s right,” Oliver said. “We’ll be useless if we go back and become like the others.”
I nodded at Braeden. “I think I know what will help,” I said. “Ren used to hide his most important documents. I don’t see him revealing all his secrets to Edius. They would be good insurance in case the two parted ways.”
“I remember,” Braeden said. “Everyone spread out and pour over the campus. It’s small enough for us to cover in an hour.”
“You know what we’re looking for?” Kyler asked.
“Scrolls,” I said confidently. When we started toward the main guild building, we found Sonny sitting on a pile of bricks, holding a half dozen scrolls.
“Looks like your buddy already found them,” Dash said to Kyler.
“Asshole,” Kyler said, his fists clenching in anger.
“I’ll take care of this,” I said, and everyone followed me.
“What’s up?” Sonny asked and stood. He looked at the scrolls. “I think you’ll find these useful.”
I ignored the scrolls and glared at the guy who’d been nothing but trouble since his arrival. “How did you know where they were?” I asked.
“The spirits told me,” Sonny said. He eyed Kyler. “Witch doctors have that ability, at least the ones who pay attention to their mentors.”
“The spirits,” I said flatly, ignoring his barb at Kyler. If he ever thought he could come between Kyler and me, he was sorely wrong. “We could use those against Ren.”
“Where’d you get them, douche bag?” Dash asked and stepped in front of Sonny. Now wasn’t the time to pummel Sonny. He could still be useful against Edius.
Sonny looked around Dash. “You should be more concerned about Aurelius and the other students than about getting revenge on Ren.”
“And maybe you should mind your own business,” I said. “You’re not the one who’s lost friends and an entire guild because of Ren. He needs to be punished.”
Dash grabbed the scrolls and handed them to me.
“I’ll deal with you later,” I told Sonny and walked away.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Cassandra
No one said much of anything on the drive back to the academy, each of us anticipating what we would find, none liking where our minds took us. We stuck Sonny in the very back, ignoring him as if the back seat were empty. Even if the spirits had told him where to find the scrolls, why didn’t the spirits tell him how to fix all the problems we were having? It seemed to be very convenient for him to be the one to find the scrolls.
The weight of everything was beginning to take its toll on me mentally. Every time we took a step forward, we would then take two steps back. The guys reassured me they were there to help and that we lived as a team and died as a team. I couldn’t help thinking about Ren and the day he showed up at my house to tell me I either went to the academy or I would be exiled from the guild. Had that been to get me away so Edius could eventually show up and destroy the place? I wanted the opportunity to take Ren out on my own; not for what he did to me, but for what he did to the guild. Too many people had been harmed by Ren. Sonny was wrong about it being revenge; it was about bringing justice and closure.
We pulled through the academy’s open gates that were usually guarded by an attendant and were immediately met by gloom. There were books, backpacks, and landscaping tools strewn across the grounds. Dorm windows were all dark, not a single light on in any of the buildings. Trash blew across the main courtyard. The place had become a ghost town. I searched the skies for Edius and Ren, but I figured they had conducted their terror and would return later for another bout of terror. We were the mouse being batted around by the cat.
“I’ve never seen it like this,” Ruby said.
“Will they call in help from the surrounding guilds or academies?” Nicolette asked.
“No,” Oliver said. “Everyone is under some sort of attack from Edius. They won’t risk leaving themselves vulnerable.”
“This is what we get for not hunting him down,” Dash said.
“We’re letting school leadership make decisions they seem incapable of making.”
“We need to let things play out for a bit,” Braeden said. “I feel like we’re missing some underlying cause for all this. Like everything is connected and nothing should be seen as a surprise.”
Kyler, who was driving, eyed me in the rearview mirror and then shifted his eyes to Sonny. I had a sneaky suspicion that whatever was going on between them also had a connection to Edius and Ren. He slowly pulled through the campus, all of us shaking our heads at the emptiness.
“We need to make this right,” Dash said. “It’s on us now.”
“Stop at the dorm,” I said. “I wanna check on the students first. There’s no way they’re all in the infirmary.”
Kyler did as I instructed, and we stopped in front of the dorm. There was a stillness to the air that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand at attention. A foul smell wafted on a sudden breeze. I couldn’t quite place the scent, but I knew it meant trouble.
“Everyone watch their asses,” Dash said. “We’ll start a search.”
“We should wait,” Oliver said. “Let’s check the dorm first and make sure the students are safe.”
“Who put you in charge?” Dash said jokingly.
“He’s right,” I said. “Let’s see what’s inside, and then we make a plan.”
The hallways were eerily quiet. All we heard from Aurelius was that the campus was safe; though, he said the students and faculty were still asleep and failing in health. He said he and the headmaster had managed to account for every last student; though, he sidestepped our questions about what type of hex could have possibly caused everyone to fall ill.
At the second floor, every dorm room door stood open, and in each room, there were two students in separate beds, sleeping, wrapped in covers, obviously suffering from chills. The scene was devastating, our friends close to death while we were away training.
I moved into one of the rooms and tried to speak to the students, but they remained asleep. I pulled the cover up to their shoulders and assured them it would be alright, a lie for both me and them.
