by A. J. Macey
“Look, the Mixta is finally alone. Tell me, how does a lowly Mixta manage to get a familiar? Did you fuck Thane?” Tasha asked, cackling at her own taunt. “That’s the only explanation that makes sense.”
“Some of us don’t have to fuck our way to good grades, and last time I checked, familiars choose who they want. Maybe they thought your personality was too hateful for theirs. Maybe you should wait for a snake or something,” I shot back, done with being treated like this.
“Why a snake?” Amber asked, clearly not getting it.
She’s obviously not the shiniest cauldron in the cupboard.
“She’s calling us sneaky and vicious,” Tasha clarified, giving me a hard look.
“We aren’t vicious. We haven’t hurt you once… at least, not yet. But I’ll admit we’re a bit sneaky… maybe. I mean, how else do you expect us to find out how a girl like you keeps men you don’t deserve? Especially men as strong as them,” she snarked.
“Step one, don’t be an asshole,” I deadpanned, pushing through them and walking toward the door again. I kept my head high, not wanting to stay here and fight or show them how much they had gotten to me. As my hand wound around the knob to pull the door open, I was yanked back by my ponytail, hitting the nasty bathroom floor for a second time. My magic sparked to the surface, dancing under my skin and fueling my emotions higher. It took everything in me to pull them back, my breathing slow and steady as I fought to keep from exposing myself and my guys by extension.
“Don’t you dare think you can be rude to us and walk away,” Esmerelda seethed, a few strands of bubblegum pink hair hanging from her fingers. Her nostrils flared as an ugly sneer contorted her features.
“Do you even have a reason for hating me, or is it just petty jealousy? Because I don’t see any other Mixtas at the brunt of your hatred,” I asked, standing up and brushing off my jeans before staring them down. I just want to wash my hands and leave. What the hell?
“We just don’t like when peasants try to move above their league. Caspian, Kye, Drayce, and Xanthius are all above you. They deserve better. Can you imagine what Councilman Eideann would say if he heard his son was hanging out with a no magic witch like you?” Esmerelda shot back, both of her minions nodding like bobbleheads behind her.
“The Councilman has nothing to do with me hanging out with Xanthius, and neither do you. You’ve known them for this long, and yet not a single one of you were dating, so I’d say they’re not your territory,” I said, finally turning to the side and washing my hands again before pushing past, this time forcefully enough to knock them back and giving me a chance to properly escape.
My anger bubbled the entire way through the lunch line until I slammed my tray down on our table. The guys all looked up at me in shock though nobody said anything right away. I slid Mr. Stripes his plate of fruit before glaring down at my own food, not even seeing what was on my plate.
“Uh, Cupcake, you doing alright?” Caspian asked slowly, leaning away from me like I was going to explode any second.
“Yeah, why?” I asked, my voice harsh. Fuck, rein it in, Aris.
“You picked a salad for lunch, have no dessert, and you’re glaring at your plate like it personally offended you,” Kye said, giving my tray a pointed look.
I grabbed what?
“Oh, gross,” I finally realized what I was seeing—a green leafy bowl of blandness. “Someone want this?” I pointed to it, but Mr. Stripes darted over, taking an armful of the salad, and running it back to his fruit. “Never mind then, guess my baby wanted it.” I slid the rest of the salad over to him where he gave me a happy chirp, shoving the leaf in his hand into his mouth.
“So, going to tell us what’s wrong, Angel?” Drayce questioned with a raised brow.
I hesitated, nibbling on my lip before finally responding. I guess they should know... I mean, it kind of has to do with them.
“The Curse Crew struck again. I thought they were finally getting over this shit, but they just cornered me in the bathroom and started in on me again. I handled it,” I added when they all opened their mouths to interject something. “Someone just talk about something else for a bit,” I pleaded, not wanting to dwell on it anymore, not to mention the magic was still too close to the surface for comfort.
“Coral and I are getting along well, and she has the coolest set up in my room now,” Caspian said, giving his otter an adoring look.
Could he get any cuter?
“This chicken and I are tolerating each other,” Kye grumbled, shooting his sweet chicken an unpleasant look. “I’ll never say she’s not fierce again, though.”
“Chickens aren’t gentle creatures most of the time,” I pointed out, laughing at his annoyed expression. “She’s a fierce little raptor; her name fits.”
The conversation lulled for a second as we all looked over at our odd assortment of familiars. They were kind of like us, a group that didn’t seem to fit together but somehow did.
Having them with us now makes me feel like we can actually make this bond work.
October 3rd
Thursday Evening
Aris
After sitting alone in my room for a while, I decided to visit Xan. I’d been feeling bad we hadn’t gotten as close as I had with some of the others, so I figured a visit might help. Maybe I could even convince him to go out with me this weekend.
The moment I turned down his wing, I noticed there were more students in the halls than normal, all of them facing one door and whispering. My confusion only grew as yelling and clattering came from the door in question… which happened to be Xan’s room. I knocked on his door, waiting for a few minutes before knocking again, louder this time.
The guy who opened the door looked nothing like the Xan I knew. His hair was disheveled, as were his clothes, and a streak of bubblegum pink paint that matched my hair perfectly was on his cheek. Part of me loved that it matched me, but the other part was worried he was mid-breakdown.
“You okay?” I asked as he stood there, breathing heavy and looking confused.
“Yes,” he said quickly, pulling me in and pushing the door closed behind me before running back for the mess in the middle of the room. I let out a giggle when I saw his little hedgehog run over his paint, leaving the most adorable paw prints all over his stone floors. “He just won’t stop messing with my paint!” He looked ready to pull his hair out, and I just lost all self-control. One tiny hedgehog making my tall, adept boyfriend lose his mind—it was far too comical not to laugh.
“Come here, Hedgie,” I said, dropping to the floor and holding out my hand for him. He scurried over to me, taking a detour in the orange paint and leaving another trail of footprints behind. “You didn’t mean to drive him crazy, did you?”
“Oh, he meant to. He runs right for it!” Xan yelled, his arms gesturing wildly to the mess on the floor.
“You aren’t used to anything in your life being messy, are you?” I asked, imagining the same scenario but with multiple crazy toddlers running around. Though let’s be real, Caspian, and maybe Drayce, would be running with them.
“No, I’m not,” he said with a sigh, dropping down onto the stool behind his easel. He gently turned it away from me, but I didn’t mind. Art could be private, and I would never demand he show me what he was working on.
Spotting a roll of paper towels by his desk, I gave Hedgie one last rub, then tore a few off and went to work cleaning up his floor. Most of it was easy. The tubes were already closed, so it was just his palette that was ransacked by a spikey little trickster. When I had it cleaned up, I tossed the papers in the trash can and led Xan over to his bed to sit.
“Take a deep breath, Picasso,” I said, giving him an amused look. It was kind of nice seeing him not so ‘perfect.’
“Wait… who’s Picasso?” he asked, his head tilting to the side. I could practically see him searching his brain for the unfamiliar name.
“He’s a famous human painter,” I answered, laughing at his exaspe
rated expression. “I like to learn about the humans and collect things from their realm sometimes.”
“You know, that’s something I love about you. How did you manage that with those parents of yours?” he asked, his eyes soft as he studied me.
“Well, I live by the ‘what they don’t know won’t hurt them’ code. They were always training my siblings or too busy showing off to really care what I did. You should have seen the relief in my mom’s eyes I was going here. Dad managed to get me a spot in a school closer, by sheer status alone, but Mom was worried about how much people would talk. And dammit, I’m rambling again,” I said, wincing. I hated when I got nervous and started talking, and the feeling of his leg pressed against mine definitely wasn’t helping that problem. Inappropriate thoughts flew through my head, increasing my nervousness among other sudden... feelings. How am I going to keep getting closer to my guys when the magic is so meddlesome?
“I wish I could be like that. Say, ‘fuck it,’ and do what I want. To paint and travel. To not have to keep up appearances,” he said emphatically, standing up and waving his arms as he listed everywhere he wanted to go.
“Well, you can, and we will go to all kinds of places,” I said, my smile bright as I watched him.
“That sounds nice,” he said quietly, a wistfulness to his voice that made my heart ache for him.
“You don’t have to give up living just to follow a career you choose. Emphasis on you… not your father. It’s your future,” I said firmly, willing him to believe it.
“It is my future,” he agreed, turning to me and closing the distance. He pressed his lips against mine, no hint of sweetness as he showed me how much he wanted this, us, our future… all of it. “All because of you, my muse. Come look.” He took my hand and pulled me behind the easel, his smile proud as I let out a gasp. He had painted a picture of me, the work so realistic, it looked like I was coming to life on the canvas. My heart clenched at how sweet it was, how beautiful he had made me look.
“It’s so pretty,” I said, admiring the way the colors blended perfectly.
“Yes, you are,” he said, pulling me into his lap. Feeling bold, I turned to straddle his legs, his hands moving under my ass to support me as he fused his lips to mine. He was forceful and demanding in his kiss, no tension in his movements, just pure passion and fire as he gripped my ass tightly and nipped my bottom lip. Wasting no time, he pushed my shirt up and over my head, hands reaching behind me to unclip my bra. It took him a few tries, but with him peppering the tops of my breasts, I barely noticed, nearly drowning in his kisses. As soon as it was off, he swirled his tongue over one of my nipples, sucking it into his mouth.
His hair was silky against my fingers as I ran my nails up the back of his neck, making him shiver. Xan made me feel sexy with his strong and demanding movements as he picked me up, laying me on the bed under him, but instead of nestling between my thighs as I thought he would, he immediately slipped my skirt off. Grabbing my ankle, he pressed a row of kisses down my calf before trailing down my thigh, his deep brown eyes centered on my face as he finally reached the edge of my underwear. Knowing he was a virgin, this bold and confident Xan was completely unexpected, but I absolutely loved it.
My eyes fluttered shut as he kissed over the wet spot, nipping slightly at my clit, making me jump at the jolt of lightning that shot through me. I couldn’t stop the breathy moan that left my lips. Slipping his fingers under the hem of the one barrier left between us, he shifted back far enough to pull them off. My eyes refocused on him when he didn’t move back in right away, worried there was something wrong. My chest squeezed, and I nibbled on my lip and watched the way his eyes filled with such heat and adoration as he took in my naked body laid out on his bed.
“You are a work of art, Muse,” he murmured, running his hands gently over my thighs and stomach to cup my chest, thumbs gently running over my peaked nipples. The warmth flooding my body had me nearly tearing up. Feeling worshiped—like the goddesses—was something I had never expected, but with Xan, I did.
He pulled off his shirt to reveal his lean chest and abs, leading to trim hips—all of which had my mouth watering. When he folded over me and captured my lips, it was softer, slower, drinking me up completely, instead of a flurry of movement like most of my times before. I wrapped my arms around his bare shoulders, neither of us hurried to break our embrace as we leisurely nipped, licked, and made out.
“I want you to lie down,” I murmured against his lips, my eyes opening to see him watching me with a curious expression. Doing as I asked, he traded places with me on the mattress. Taking the same reverence he did with me, I pulled his pants off and ran my hands over his thighs until I reached his cock. Wrapping my hand around him, I stroked him slowly as I bent down to wrap my lips around him.
“Aris…” he breathed, his eyes falling shut as I bobbed my head.
I wanted him to feel just as good, just as wanted and worshiped as I did, so I poured all my attention into what I was doing. His sharp gasps as I swirled my tongue around the head of his cock had me moving faster, empowered knowing I was turning him on so much.
“Aris… I’m going to come if you keep that up,” he ground out, his hands coming to pull my mouth off him. Looking up at him, I smiled before crawling up on top of him.
“Maybe next time, I can finish you like that,” I whispered, my body flaring as I talked, my cheeks burning at my first attempt at trying to speak aloud those kinds of things. His cheeks flushed, but he smiled at me.
“I would like that, but right now, I want you. I... uh, I’ve never...” he stuttered, the pink flush on his cheeks darkening to red as he struggled to explain he was a virgin. Pressing my finger against his lips, I silenced him.
“I remember, babe. Just let me start, then if you want, you can take over. How does that sound?” I proposed, wanting him to fully enjoy his first time. Reaching between my dripping core and his cock, I repositioned him against me. He nodded, jaw clenching as he pressed against my slick entrance. Groaning, his head pressed back against the bed as I sank down onto his cock, going slow enough for both of us to adjust.
Sitting up, I braced myself against his chest, rocking my hips gently at first before bouncing up and down. His hands moved from my hips to my chest, rolling my sensitive peaks between his fingers. Our moans mixed together, both of us getting lost in the intoxicating feelings and sensations of being together. The longer I rode him, the more confident he became until he grabbed my hips to thrust into me.
“Xan…” I breathed, barely able to speak as my body tensed. Nearly painful waves of tingles shot through me as I clamped around him, falling blissfully into release. I felt myself go slack as aftershocks ran through me, but instead of folding over into his chest, Xan shifted us until he was sitting and clutching my torso in a warm embrace.
“You’re absolutely the most beautiful work of art I have ever seen, Aris,” he murmured, continuing to pound into me. Peppering my chest in loving kisses, his rhythm faulted, and his breathing hitched. I rocked slightly, and that was all he needed until I felt him pulse inside me in orgasm. He continued to hold me, his sweaty forehead resting against my chest, his fingers lightly trailing over my back until our breathing evened out.
“I couldn’t ask for someone more perfect, my muse,” he whispered. His deep brown eyes had my chest squeezing. In that one look, I felt a lifetime of love and caring, and in his arms, and I nearly melted into a puddle of girly giggles and butterflies. “Can I paint you?”
“You already painted me,” I reminded with a soft smile. His lips curled, a small chuckle rumbling his chest.
“But I didn’t get to paint you like this,” he stated simply, his hands moving to lift me off his lap and onto his sheets. “Will you let me?”
I beamed, nodding as I let him position me the way he wanted. I had to nibble my lip to keep from moving as he sat in his stool, naked, behind a fresh canvas.
“You know,” I started, the silence was nice, but we
hadn’t gotten a lot of time alone, and I didn’t want to waste it. “You never asked me out on that date.”
“I suppose I didn’t,” he chuckled again, the warm and deep sound radiating to my very bones. “Aris Calisto, my beautiful muse, will you go on a date with me?” His eyes lit up as he looked at me over the top of the canvas. This time, I couldn’t stop the girly giggle that bubbled out or the flush I felt heat my pale skin.
“Of course, but when?”
“Can we go after Samhain? I don’t want us to be worried about midterms or focused on the festival,” he explained.
I agreed, letting my body relax into the position he wanted, allowing him to focus. Before long, I saw his little hedgie peek his prickly head out from the top drawer of Xan’s dresser.
So, that’s where he ran off to, little troublemaker.
October 4th
Friday Evening
Aris
With the prospect of a night of fun since it was Friday night, I rushed out of mentoring with Torryn. I was still bummed he wouldn’t be able to go with us, but I didn’t mention anything because I knew it would make him feel bad, and I didn’t want that. Besides, we had more fun in this session than actual work. We’d watched and laughed as Mr. Stripes and Ruby played. We even snuck in a few kisses.
The guys said we’d go do something after dinner, so I wanted to stop in my room first. I hurried through the hallways, getting quite a few strange looks from my peers. After last night with Xan, some of my magic seemed to settle. At least we didn’t set the bed on fire.
As I turned my key in the lock, an unusual magic seemed to emanate from the door, and even Mr. Stripes jumped back in alarm. That’s strange, there shouldn’t be any magic here. I considered going to find one of the guys, but the thought of lugging my textbooks across campus sounded like a form of torture I wasn’t interested in.
Taking a deep breath, I pulled my key out and pushed the door open. Peering into the room, nothing looked weird, so I took a step forward. As soon as I moved over the threshold, it was like I moved through a pit of fire, agony blistering across my skin until it felt like it was melting from my body. I fell to the ground as a scream tore from my throat, a scream I knew would go unheard, thanks to dinner being across campus at that moment.
