by A. J. Macey
I took out my basket of nail polish and plopped down on my bed, painting my toes, then moving on to my fingernails. Sure, most witches would use magic for a task like this, but I preferred the human way. Not everything is better with magic. Just as I started waving my hands back-and-forth to dry them, a paper airplane flew through the air and beaned me in the forehead. Grumbling, I opened the note delicately, not wanting to ruin my nails.
Hey, Sweets,
We had a discussion, and I won. So, you want to go to the Aether Annual Mabon Feast with me tonight? It would be nice to hang out, just the two of us. Let me know.
-Kye
A smile spread across my face at the invitation, and I hopped up to write him back, using some air magic to dry my nails quickly. Once I sent it off, I hurried for my wardrobe to pick out something to wear. The thought of Kye dressed up in a black button-up that showed every ridge of his muscles had heat pooling between my thighs as I rifled through the closet.
An hour later, I was ready and waiting, wearing a cute flowing, black dress with pink accessories that matched my hair and nails. Mabon was one of my favorite holidays. It was about being outside, celebrating the harvest, and giving thanks. I kept my shoes off, knowing bare feet was the best way I could connect to nature directly. I’d never been to a Mabon celebration outside of the stuck-up one my parents threw each year, and I’d hardly call those the proper way to celebrate. Their “festivals” had nothing to do with the purpose of the feast and everything to do with their appearances.
A soft knock on my door had me running to answer, throwing it open with a huge grin. “Ready?” I asked excitedly, not even bothering to hold back my happy dance. Kye’s welcoming grin grew even more at my dancing, his entire demeanor more carefree now that it was just us two. Hopefully, in time, he’ll get used to the others.
“How did I know you would be this excited?” he joked, pulling me in for a searing kiss. “You look gorgeous.”
My cheeks flamed at the compliment, taking that moment to run my eyes over his outfit. My daydreaming was clearly on point—his dark button-up was as glorious as I expected. Fitted, it hugged his toned torso, making me want to yank open the dress shirt to revel in the tanned planes of his chest and abs. Trailing my eyes down, I admired his dress pants and the black belt that cinched them to his trim waist, lingering on the quickly growing bulge even the dark material couldn’t hide.
“Ready, Sweets?” he asked, pulling my eyes away from his body and up to his heated, half-lidded gaze. If we hadn’t been running late, I would have pulled him in my room to have some real alone time. Nodding, I hooked my arm through his before looking over my shoulder at Mr. Stripes.
“You coming, buddy?” I cooed in a soft voice, hoping to coax him out. One beady little eye opened before he let out a little chirp and snuggled deeper into the hammock. Like witch, like familiar. I’m not always the easiest person to drag out of bed either.
They had really gone all out for Mabon. The halls were strung with spiraling ribbons in deep reds, burnt orange, and the startling yellow that can only be found in the heart of autumn. As we wandered, wide-eyed, the sweet scent of baked apples floated through the air, the hint of cinnamon making me aware of just how hungry I was as my stomach growled. Kye led me through the halls and outside to the courtyard, his eyes darting to me every few moments to see my reaction, his smile still in place.
I let out an audible gasp as my eyes landed on the courtyard. Floating candles illuminated the area, helping us see the flowers, streamers, and stacks of pumpkins and gourds decorating nearly every surface, giving that Fall feel. The scents were even stronger out here, mixing with the savory smells of stews and roasted vegetables lining the buffet tables on the pathways. Tables and chairs were set up banquet style, faculty and students already filling them.
The gentle tunes of a string quartet filled the air, drawing my attention toward the clock tower. Instead of finding a group of musicians, the instruments were each standing on their own, the strings plucked and bows waving completely on their own, transitioning from one song to the next seamlessly. Whoever enchanted them did well. A group of barefoot witches danced and swayed to the jazzy tune under a cluster of sparkling lights.
“It’s so perfect!” I exclaimed, tugging on Kye’s hand and dragging him to the closest table.
“You hungry yet? Thirsty?” he asked, suddenly looking a bit awkward as he tucked his hands into his pockets. Of course, his first thought was food.
“Not yet, we can go get something in a bit when the lines slow down. You want to dance or sit?” I asked, hoping he would say dancing but knowing better.
He studied my face for a moment before letting out a sigh, smiling just a little as he tilted his head toward the dance floor.
“Come on, Sweets.”
Beaming, I followed him, my fingers intertwining with his as he spun me into his waiting arms. His free hand curved around my lower back, holding me close enough, I could see every tiny speck of gold in his eyes that were only amplified by the romantic overhead lights. With my arm resting on his shoulder, my fingers lightly brushing over the back of his neck, we started to slowly sway to the beat. I knew it was more of an upbeat tune, but right now? I was too engrossed in the romantic and soft way Kye was holding me, my chest warming as he leaned down to give me a kiss.
It was light at first, just the briefest touch of his lips against mine before he pulled away, his eyes lighting up as I pouted slightly before moving in to kiss me deeply. My eyes fell shut, and when he moved our clutched hands to his chest, I felt the rhythmic beat of his heart thudding. When his tongue darted out against my bottom lip, I barely held back the tiny moan that wanted to escape. I had just started to open my lips when a large crash sounded to our immediate left, startling me enough to jump and shriek.
“Hells bells and tarot tells,” Kye breathed, his heart rate racing against my hand. The lights above us had fallen to the ground in a wave of broken glass and cords. If I hadn’t of jumped toward Kye, a collection of broken shards would have shot out toward my legs and bare feet. Glancing around, now that my breathing had evened out and my heart rate had slowed, I noticed everyone else had moved toward the outskirts of the dance floor or toward the food and drinks.
“That was really close,” I mumbled, a niggle of anxiety worming its way into my stomach before I pushed it away.
“You alright, Sweets?” Kye asked, his eyes scanning my legs and feet before looking back at me, his brows furrowed as if he could read my worry. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing, Honey, it just startled me,” I assured with a smile, pushing the last of my concerns away as I saw my other guys making their way out of the crowd to join us. There was no reason to worry him or the others who I saw slowly moving out onto the dance floor.
“Are you guys alright?”
“What happened?”
A thousand questions were fielded our way from our group until I finally got them calmed down. When that was accomplished, I moved us out of earshot as discreetly as possible.
“I’m fine, I promise,” I reassured again as the questions started back up. “If you guys get worked up, the magic will too. Go have fun, I’ll be fine. Kye and I are going to hit the buffet now,” I said confidently, so I could put an end to their fussing. They didn’t look happy with my answer, especially Torryn who hung back from our group, trying to keep some semblance of professionalism.
Knowing I was fine and not wanting to argue, I grabbed Kye’s hand and started toward the food. All my annoyance washed away as I took in the array of deliciousness spread in front of me, piling my plate high before finally heading for the table. I powered through half of my plate before looking up. It took one look at him licking a bit of chocolate frosting from his lip for me to want to drag him back to my room.
“Uh, I’m ready to go. You?” I asked awkwardly, his eyes drawing down in confusion.
“What? You love this kind of stuff,” he pointed out, taking another bite of h
is oversized cupcake, leaving more frosting and crumbs on his lip. Not wanting to explain, I darted forward and licked the frosting off, his eyes widening in realization.
“Yup, yup, I’m ready to go.” He snatched my hand and practically ran for the door, gaining an annoyed look from Torryn we passed by where he loitered near the clock tower. I hate that he has to keep his distance like this.
We had just gotten into the staircase when he pushed me up against the wall, kissing me with such intensity, my breath left my lungs. I reached up, grabbing the lapels of his shirt to hold him tightly against me as I kissed back, our tongues brushing together as I felt just how turned-on he was as he pressed against my hip.
We were panting when we finally pulled apart, my body buzzing as we practically sprinted up the stone steps and into my room. Before the door even closed, we were back at it, battling for dominance in a fierce kiss. Wanting to feel his tanned skin against my fingertips, I smiled and yanked his shirt open. The buttons popped off, splaying around the room as I palmed the hot, cut planes of his chest.
“I liked that shirt, Sweets,” he murmured huskily, his rough kisses traveling across my jaw and to my neck as he whispered against my skin. I tried to chuckle, but it turned into a moan as his hands cupped my breasts in a light squeeze. Running my hand over his hardened bulge confined by his dress pants, I stroked him at a leisurely pace, content to enjoy feeling his hands on me as he massaged my breasts and rolled my peaked nipples over the fabric of my dress. Shifting as our hands continued to rove over each other, I pulled Kye over to the closest piece of furniture and hopped onto the top. Kye flowed easily into the new position, stepping between my parted thighs, one hand shifting from my chest to my thigh.
Stars flared in front of my eyes as soon as Kye’s fingers ran over my sensitive clit, the barely-there touch enough to send me spiraling into a wave of need and desire. His nipping bites along my neck and collarbone had me wanting more, so when he pulled my dress up my hips and torso, I yanked it over my head and unhooked my bra. As soon as my chest was on full display to his nearly molten golden-brown eyes, he dove in, sucking a pebbled peak into his mouth, picking up a rhythm with his fingers as they stroked me over my underwear.
My hips bucking against his hand, I grasped onto his muscled back and shoulders to keep from completely melting at his ministrations on my breasts and pussy. The signature building fire within my core flared, pushing me that much closer to release when his fingers slipped under the thin material of my underwear to slick up his fingers.
“Kye,” I breathed, nails digging into his back as he pushed into my wet entrance. I could barely breathe as the fiery tension built to a higher level with his thrusting fingers, until finally, my body convulsed, falling into a pit of release. Shuddering in his arms, I waited until my body settled before turning my attention to him. I quickly unbuttoned his pants and wrapped my hand around his shaft as he shucked his bottoms and boxers. When he was bare except for his shirt, I palmed his balls, circling them in my palm as I stroked. Leaning forward, I flicked his lower lip with my tongue, a tiny smirk curling my lips as he growled deeply within his chest.
“Enough teasing, Sweets. I want you,” he murmured softly, cupping my cheeks and kissing me hard. Before I could even kiss back, he was sliding my underwear down my legs until he had them off, letting them drop haphazardly on the floor. Moving back in, he spread my thighs, eyes flaring in appreciation as he lined up. I held my breath as he slid in, inching ever so slowly until I was a moaning, shivering mess with the need to feel him thrust in earnest. “Teasing isn’t so fun, now is it?” he whispered with a cocky smirk and half-lidded gaze. Narrowing my eyes at him, I wrapped my hands around his jaw roughly and yanked his lips to mine, wanting him to know exactly what I needed at that moment.
Taking the hint, he wrapped his arms around my waist and hips, moving in rhythmic thrusts until I was shaking with my impending release. When I thought I couldn’t handle the building tingles, Kye sucked on my neck, and I exploded in his arms, my pussy clamping around his cock. My moans turned to cries as he picked up his pace through my orgasm, pounding into me until he shuddered, reaching his own climax in our intense but quick moment together.
“Holy hellsticks, I think I need some sugar to replenish after that,” I huffed in his arms, my body coated in a thin layer of sweat from our exertion. He chuckled, pulling out of me before lifting me off the desk.
“I want a nap and to feel my sexy girlfriend in my arms,” he stated simply as he carried me over to the bed. Laying me down, Kye curled around me and reached into my nightstand. “Besides, I know you always have a stash in here.” I chuckled as he pulled out a bag of Hex Mix, our favorite treat. We spent the rest of the night tangled up in the sheets, playfully fighting over the bag of honeyed goodness before finally falling asleep in each other’s arms.
September 24th
Tuesday Afternoon
Aris
Potions seemed to be one of the classes I didn’t feel as out of place. Our last class, we were learning about making a simple healing tincture. Everything on the list was familiar to me, simple things we grew in our garden back home. Well, our gardener grew, and I tried to help when I needed to escape my family. It was nice to feel like I was actually grasping a topic. Even with the added magic, I still felt like such an outsider here. To everyone else but our group, I was still just a Mixta.
“You’ll need to get your cauldrons hot before starting the mixture, and when it is completely dissolved, it needs to be cooled immediately,” Professor Brogan started his lecture, his loud voice booming through the room. “Use care when dealing with this while it’s hot because it will be thick and can cause serious burns.” I didn’t miss the look he gave me, clearly remembering the few clumsy moments I’d had since starting here.
I got to work adding water to my cauldron and boiling it, putting Mr. Stripes safely on the chair behind me. As the water boiled, I ground the herbs I would need. Once that was ready, I slowly added the ingredients, following the instructions meticulously so I could nail this one on the first try. I stirred slowly, my mind so focused, I was startled by the commotion behind me. Looking back, I saw Mr. Stripes lunging for Delilah’s bag, knocking it on the floor, her books and papers spilling out.
“I’m so sorry!” I said, crouching down to help her clean it up. “No, no, Mr. Stripes, not cool!” I scolded gently, turning toward him and scooting out of the way as she reached for the pens under my chair. He was munching happily on something I had no chance of getting back now. “I’m so sorry, I think he ate something too.” I winced, hoping it wasn’t bad for him or something she needed.
The smell of something burning caught my attention, and I gasped, suddenly remembering how close my potion was to being finished before the commotion. When I glanced in my smelly cauldron, the thick liquid was no longer a liquid, but a black, burned goo. Hellsticks, I mentally groaned.
“Miss Calisto, I see you didn’t get it cooled off quickly enough. Start again,” he encouraged, not looking annoyed as most would be. I gave him an apologetic smile, taking my ruined potion to the cleaning counter, scraping the blackened gunk from my cauldron. Mr. Stripes scurried over, climbing his way up my pastel-purple skinny jeans until he was seated on my shoulder, his tiny hands clutching my hair and forehead as he held on. A flood of happiness filled me, telling me my tiny lemur had enjoyed his unexpected treat—little troublemaker.
“Well, baby, at least I didn’t blow anything up this time,” I perked up as I continued to scrub.
Baby steps.
October 1st
Tuesday Midday
Aris
The past week had been a whirlwind, flying by before I even realized. Between learning how to take care of Mr. Stripes, keeping up with classes, and trying to keep all this extra magic under control, there was little time left for relaxing.
My absentmindedness had been worse lately, but even I couldn’t explain away the random objects moved in my room and tha
t more of my stuff had gone missing. I had no clue what this person was looking for, but they wouldn’t find much of value in there. I hadn’t had a chance to mention it to the guys or the incident with the cloaked figure, but now that I had power, I could defend myself.
I don’t want to make them feel like I they have to babysit me all the time. It seems like some new situation pops up every time we’re together.
Grabbing my bag off the floor as soon as the clock tower chimed the end of class, I started toward the cafeteria for lunch. Lunch had quickly become my favorite time of day; all the animals got along so well, and we got to see them really interacting. On the first day of having them all together, we moved to one of the tables near the door that wasn’t as cluttered with people, giving our familiars a chance to interact without people practically stepping on them.
Mr. Stripes was in his usual spot, using my bag as a seat as he held onto the strap and my arm, chattering happily as we walked through the halls. He loved the attention he got as we wove through the crowds, puffing out his chest as the other witches cooed and petted him. It was odd to feel the emotions of another creature so deeply, but I welcomed it wholeheartedly after spending years alone.
The moment we stepped through the doorway to the dining hall, he leaped from my shoulder and took off for our table, the familiars holding our spot as we all headed for the food lines. Seeing how long the lines were today, I headed for the restroom instead, figuring it was going to be a long afternoon, so I may as well go now.
Thankfully, the restroom was empty when I went in, and it wasn’t until I was washing my hands the door opened, revealing the Curse Crew. Esmerelda’s smile curled up the corners of her mouth the moment they spotted me. Keep your magic under control. They won’t hurt you, and you don’t want to reveal your magic yet.
“Excuse me, ladies. All yours,” I said quickly, tightening my ponytail and walking for the door. Before I could step around them, Amber was pushing me back, so my denim-clad ass hit the floor. Ew!
