by A. J. Macey
“I don’t freaking have either of those,” I hissed, yanking my arms away from him. The magic started to overwhelm me as his hands moved toward me again, still searching for something he wouldn’t find. “I just fucking told you I don’t have an affinity. I can just move shit. You told me to show you, and I did. Now stop fucking touching me.”
“There’s no reason to cuss, Miss Calisto,” he tried to lecture me, but the frustration of the day had finally caught up to me, too much to handle.
“Well, maybe if you had fucking listened and kept your grabby fucking hands to yourself, I wouldn’t be!” I practically shouted, uncaring there was a class right outside the door or that he didn’t deserve the brunt of all my anger. At that moment, I decided I was done with this fucking class, the professor, and all the unexplained things that had been happening since I arrived here. Overwhelmed and nearing a breaking point, I stomped out to the classroom and grabbed my bag, ignoring Caspian’s questions as I hurried from the room.
No sooner did the classroom door shut behind me than Caspian threw it open and ran after me. When I refused to speak, he simply walked beside me, letting my anger run its course. I didn’t speak until I made it all the way to the dorm and up the stairs to my tower.
“Alright, enough. What did he do to you?” Caspian demanded, his voice seething with anger. I took a deep breath, letting the last of my agitation fade.
“He asked what I could do, so I showed him. Then he pretty much called me a liar, and after all the shit today, on top of traveling for days on end, I was done. He assumed I had a rune stone or something on me.” Now that my anger was fading, I felt I had overreacted. Way to make an ass of yourself on day one.
“What a fucking douche,” Caspian bit out, shaking his head in disgust. “Don’t let him make you feel like less because of what you can do or who you are. I happen to like who you are, Cupcake.”
“Thanks, Caspian,” I started, trying to come up with a way to turn the conversation to something else. “So, what’s your affinity?” I started looking around at all the stuff I still needed to set up while I waited for him to answer. Caspian followed my lead and helped me push my bed in front of the big window before plopping down on top of it.
“Potions, though most see it barely above Mixtas,” he said quietly, picking at a thread on his sleeve. When he finally looked up, I gave him another soft smile, knowing how it felt to be considered to be at the bottom. Not wanting to make him feel weird, I focused on finding my box of books and started to line them up on the shelves.
“Do you have a big family?” he asked, standing up and walking over to my curling iron, picking it up. He looked perplexed as he shifted it around in his hand.
A small smile crept across my face as I waited to see what he’d do with it. It was a human thing that most witches wouldn’t understand. I’m a weird witch in more than just my lack of affinity. I also can’t help the obsession I have with everything to do with the human realm. It fascinates me.
“My parents, my sister, and my two brothers are all I have, but I never really had them. They didn’t like I was a Mixta and brought down their reputation,” I said absently as I moved on to hanging my clothes in the wardrobe. I’d resigned myself to their opinion of me long ago.
“I get that. I come from a long line of Spell Casters, and here I am, a Potion Brewer,” he sighed, finally putting down the curling iron without questioning it… much to my disappointment.
“Do you enjoy it?” I asked, turning around to gauge his reaction. I took a moment to study his ocean eyes as he got lost in his thoughts, his eyebrows furrowed as he thought it over. His hair was pushed out of his eyes, the brownish-red locks in that messy yet styled look boys could somehow pull off. The corner of his mouth finally quirked up into a small half-smile before he finally brought his gaze up to mine. Our eyes locked for a moment, and he finally relaxed.
“Yeah, I do like it,” he admitted, lifting one shoulder in a shrug.
“Then fuck ‘em,” I replied in a cheerful tone, loving I finally found someone who understood how idiotic the ridiculous hierarchy witches loved to cling to was. He walked over to me, stopping when he was mere inches away. His hand moved to my face, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear, giving me a soft smile as heat bloomed in my chest.
“I’d like to fuck you instead,” he said, the offer hanging in the air for a moment as he looked into my eyes. There was more than just innuendo within the deep blue depths. I could see a sense of acceptance in his eyes I’d never seen before. The warmth in my chest spread to the rest of my body, and my hands reached instinctively for his. The moment our hands touched, the warmth seemed to spread between us. A cool drop of water touched my face, startling me out of the moment. Above us, a small rain cloud was forming, the darkening gray swirling mass rumbling softly before a steady stream rained down on us—literally.
“Are you doing this?” I asked quietly, laughing as the rain poured down around us. I threw my hands up and danced in a circle, feeling an odd sense of magic flowing through me.
“I think we are doing this, Cupcake,” he said, laughing at my antics. He grabbed my hands and pulled me to him when I turned back around, the movement causing my chest to crash into his, his arms circling around me, holding me close. He shook off the rain dripping from the ends of his hair. When his eyes locked onto mine, the world seemed to stop for a moment. It was just us and the new magic flowing between us, the strange magic amped up now that we were touching once more. Something changed within us at that moment, our emotions aligning under that rain cloud.
He leaned in slowly, the hesitation giving me a moment to pull away. I stretched up to reach him, closing the last inches between us and pressed my lips against his. The kiss started sweet, his soft lips barely touching against mine before he deepened it with a tentative brush of his tongue. My heart pounded in my chest, unable to deny something about this felt so right as if my body was calling to his. He must have felt it too, his hands moving from mine to run down my sides and lower, gripping my hips possessively. A soft moan escaped my lips as my hands ran down his chiseled chest, the thin material of his shirt clinging to him, thanks to the water cascading around us.
Caspian nipped at my bottom lip, his body shifting to walk us to the bed shoved against the curved stone wall. When the back of my legs hit the side of the mattress, we fell back, not caring we were both dripping. My legs automatically opened, and he settled against me, his hard cock rubbing against my clit in the most delicious way. Tangling my hands into his russet hair, I held him against me as his hands hooked under me to grab my ass. Pulling up, he ground our bodies together as our tongues brushed against each other. Needing to feel his skin against mine, I gripped the hem of his shirt and broke the kiss, pulling it over his head. Before bringing his lips back to mine, he pushed my top up and off me, tossing it to join his on the floor.
His mouth moved to my neck, nipping at the sensitive flesh, pulling a moan from me. The magic pulsed through me, heightening with each new touch, kiss, and sensation, leaving me breathless and needing more. His hands moved from my ass up to the clasp of my bra, undoing and tossing it aside. He leaned back, his eyes taking me in before letting out a groan of appreciation.
“Cupcake, you’re beautiful,” he said, his voice husky. The rain was still falling steadily, but neither of us seemed to mind, more enraptured with each other than our surroundings. A small smile moved across my face at the compliment, loving the way he made me feel beautiful and sexy.
“You’re pretty damn sexy yourself,” I murmured, leaning forward to pepper his bare chest with kisses. Sucking at his skin, my hands fiddled with his belt buckle in a rush to feel the hardened bulge straining against his jeans. He moved on top of me, holding his weight on his arms as he rested them on either side of me, giving me the chance to take the lead. Once I got the belt unhooked, I unbuttoned his jeans and pushed them down, freeing his cock. Thank God for going commando. He let out a low groan as my hand circled
him, his breath coming out in pants as I moved it up and down. My pussy throbbed with need as I explored his body, wanting his impressive length inside of me, despite never having done this before.
After only a few more minutes, he torqued our position, so I was on top, pushing the band of my skirt down to reveal my lacy pink underwear. I kicked off my skirt, wanting as few barriers between us as possible. I rocked my hips against him, my hands resting on his chest. Groaning, he pressed his head back into the bed as I continued to grind my lace-covered pussy over his length. I could feel myself soaking, each pass hitting just the right spot to stoke the flame growing in my core.
Needing more, I slid off Caspian and quickly shimmied out of my underwear. He propped himself up on his elbows, and the way his eyes raked over my body left a wave of shivers rolling down my spine. Now that I was standing here with him looking at me so intently, a shyness crept over me. As if sensing my dilemma, he sat up and reached for me, adjusting us, so I was underneath him again, his cock resting against my entrance. I wrapped my legs around him, urging him on as I pulled him in for a kiss. As he leaned into me, he pushed forward, entering me with little resistance thanks to how wet I was. I winced slightly as he rocked his hips, and his eyes widened at my reaction.
“Cupcake... are you… a virgin?”
I felt my cheeks burn as he was still inside, staring down at me with a surprised expression.
“Are you really asking that now?” I huffed, embarrassed. Still feeling fire burning within my veins, I shook my hips and nudged his with my legs.
“Are you sure you’re okay with this?” His face reddened as he started to pull away. Groaning, I cupped his face and yanked him back into me as I kissed him—hard.
“Stop talking, Caspian,” I murmured against his lips, giving him a not-so-subtle hint to keep going as I wrapped my legs tighter, making him sink further into me.
That was all the nudge he needed before he started thrusting into me. Our eyes locked again, the magic now so thick in the air, the room seemed electrified. The more he moved inside of me, the more the power burned in my veins. My eyes rolled back, my moans turning to frantic cries as he pistoned in and out of me faster. As I neared that edge, Caspian captured my lips once more, silencing my cries as I fell into that pit of release.
As soon as the aftershocks subsided, he sat back, hooking his arms under my legs to position them on his shoulders. At the new angle, he hit deeper, my hands clawing the bed in response. His eyes closed and his head fell back as he lost himself in pleasure. The small, sexy noises he made as he fucked me only turned me on more. No matter how much he gave me, I felt like I had to have more of him.
“Fuck, Aris,” he panted, shaking as he continued his relentless pace before finally finding his own release. But he didn’t stop, and a few moments later, I found myself following him as my pussy tightened around his cock, milking him. When we both had our breathing and heart rate under control, I moved back from him, and we shifted, lying next to each other.
“So, Cupcake, you going to answer my question?”
“Ugh, yes, alright?” I ground out, my hands coming up to cover my quickly reddening cheeks. “Can you stop asking?”
“Why would I do that? I want to know everything about you,” he added sweetly.
Glancing over at him through my fingers, I was met with a cute smile, his sapphire eyes lit up in happiness.
“Now, stop hiding that pretty face from me,” he said gently, pulling my hands away and twining his fingers with mine.
A loud knock echoed through the room, startling us. The magic in the room seemed to disappear as we were pulled from our post-sex bubble. The loud banging continued as the boxes and furniture, including the bed we were on, dropped to the ground. Caspian’s strong arms wrapped around me to stop me from pitching forward off it at the sudden movement.
“Oops,” I giggled. “My bad.” Rolling off, I grabbed the closest articles of clothing, which happened to be my wet skirt and shirt. I didn’t stop to think about how my shirt was white, and now wet, shadowing the edge of my boobs since I didn’t have a chance to throw on my bra. Opening the door, I came face-to-face with Professor Callahan and his narrowed seafoam-green eyes.
“Aris,” he said, his voice strained. Even outside the classroom, his voice demanded all attention. His eyes hardened as his gaze dipped down to my chest. Grinding my teeth against a new wave of magic, my nerves fried from all the extra stimulation, I crossed my arms over my pebbling nipples as cold air rushed in from the hall. “Why are you soaking wet?”
“I took a shower,” I blurted out the first thing that came to mind. He cocked a brow, looking extremely skeptical at my answer.
“In your tutu and shirt?” His question conveyed his disbelief.
I shrugged, unsure how to respond. A soft shuffling sounded behind me before Caspian’s warm torso pressed into my back. I looked up at him as his arm propped up on the door frame as his other one curled around my shoulders possessively.
“Torryn,” Caspian greeted coolly. Professor Callahan’s jaw clenched at Caspian’s disrespectful tone.
“Nice to see you’re welcoming the new student in such a personal way, little brother,” the teacher countered, looking pointedly at the scrap of pink lace lying in the middle of my bedroom floor. I didn’t know whether to die of embarrassment or question how the fuck these two were related.
“Only for my Cupcake.” Caspian flashed a challenging smile. “Is there something you need, or did you just come up here to yell some more? I know it’s what you’re good at and all, but we have shit to do, and I like my eardrums intact.” It seemed like everything that came out of Caspian’s mouth only put his brother more on edge.
I’m sure family holidays are a blast, I thought sarcastically, feeling awkward and out of place between the two feuding siblings.
“Yes, actually. Miss Calisto, you have mentoring with me Monday, Wednesday, and Friday afternoons after familiar training. Which you skipped today, by the way,” he lectured. Glancing back to Caspian he continued, “Don’t think I didn’t notice you leaving class early, either. Be happy I’m not putting both of you in detention.”
“You already put him in detention,” I spouted before I realized what I said, my eyes widening at throwing Caspian under the bus. Professor Callahan’s eyes brightened as his stony expression finally cracked the tiniest of smiles.
“That’s right, I did. I guess I had two reasons for coming up here. I expect you to report to the Assistant Headmaster tomorrow morning before breakfast.” Caspian’s body trembled ever so slightly in anger.
“You never know, Tor, I could let it slip how you yelled at Aris enough to make her want to leave class.” Caspian shrugged again, his smile triumphant as Professor Callahan’s grin fell, his expression hardening.
“Miss Calisto, don’t skip any more classes. I’ll see you Wednesday. Caspian, stop acting up,” he bit out, but before Caspian’s brother left, his eyes fell to my discarded underwear once more before he turned and strode away. Pulling me back into the room, Caspian kicked the door shut, leaving us alone again.
“Sorry.” I cringed. “I wasn’t really thinking when I brought up the detention thing.”
“It’s okay, Cupcake. I know you just want me to play a bad boy,” he smarted, throwing me a wink. Sobering, he curled me into his arms in a warm hug. “Don’t worry about it, it’s all good. I’ve been getting myself out of trouble from his wrath for a long time.”
“So,” I hummed, drawing out the word. “Brother?” I asked, looking up at him. He grimaced.
“Yeah, I don’t really want to talk about Torryn right now after seeing him checking you out in a wet shirt.” His expression went from angry to panicked as he turned to me with wide eyes. “What about birth control?”
I snorted at the sudden change in conversation.
“I’ve been spelled for birth control, so it’s not an issue. Don’t worry, no babies,” I teased him, “but I do think we should talk
about the fact that my fucking room is covered in water. It rained on us, Caspian.”
“Are you sure you’re not an elemental?” he asked, stepping away from me and looking around at the damage, seemingly transitioning from one major topic to another with ease. I’m just glad he was handling everything with a level head, not acting all freaking crazy or like a douche.
“I’m not, but I wish I was an air elemental so I could dry all of this,” I mumbled, peeking into the boxes and hoping my stuff wasn’t damaged. Thankfully, the water seemed to be contained, so only my bed and right around it were wet. I pulled a few towels out of my boxes and threw half to Caspian. Catching them easily, he started mopping up the water. When I walked closer, I felt that pulling sensation settle, and I couldn’t resist asking him.
“Caspian, I know this seems crazy. But have you felt…?” I started to ask, trying to figure out how to describe the weird sensations that had been plaguing me all day.
“A pull?” he took over seamlessly. “A weird kind of vibe when I’m around you? Yes,” he said definitively before his brows pulled low over his eyes. “But I’m not feeling it as much right now.”
“Me either,” I agreed with a nod. “Maybe it was just this weird magical fluke sort of thing?” I rambled with an exaggerated shrug.
“Maybe,” he mumbled, not sounding convinced. “Maybe we can do some research during our study class, see if there’s anything to it. I’ve never felt this kind of ‘magical fluke thing,’ as you so appropriately named it,” he teased softly with finger quotes. Glancing around, he changed topics yet again, “So, with all this going on in here, do you want to warm my bed tonight?” he asked with an eyebrow wiggle.
“If we’re just cuddling, hell yes. I don’t think I can go another round,” I murmured, shifting as an ache settled through me after our toss around in my bed.
“Don’t worry, Cupcake. We can do that whenever you’re ready, so if you just want cuddles, then cuddles it is,” he agreed with a bright smile. “Grab what you need, and we can head down, hopefully, giving your room the night to dry.”
