Witch, Please (Not Your Basic Witch Book 1)

by A. J. Macey

  I claimed the first room I opened since it had only one bed. The guys can fight over what’s left. Plus, I would have an entire bathroom to myself, and I wanted to dress up for tomorrow’s festivities. By the time I stepped back out, everyone had already claimed their beds and the doormen had left, leaving us in peace. At least Xan seemed a bit more relaxed again, my happy boyfriend back. Our familiars all settled in along the fluffy rug, nestling together in a pile of fluff, feathers, and sass.

  “We still have an hour or so until dinner. If you guys want a snack, they’re complementary,” Xan said, pointing out the snack bar. “I have to call my father, or he’ll come find me. Nobody wants to hang out with a high councilman all evening.”

  “Do you want some company?” I asked quietly, feeling awful he was in such a rough place.

  “Nah, I’m just going to go onto the balcony,” he said with a smile, stepping out and closing the door behind him.

  “Don’t worry, Angel,” Drayce said quietly as I stared at Xan’s turned back. “He’ll be fine, and we’ll learn to adjust when his family is around. Until then, you better hurry if you want to snag that honeyed Hex Mix,” he whispered conspiratorially. I lunged for the bag, snatching it as Kye approached, his answering scowl worth the extra effort.

  “That’s just plain rude,” Kye grumbled, reaching for a box of moon cookies instead. Feeling generous, I grabbed a drink cup and poured some in before handing the bag over.

  “Don’t be so dramatic, I can share… sometimes,” I joked, taking a bite and flopping down on the couch.

  “This place is so nice. It’s hard to find a room for Samhain. I’m glad Xan has connections. Everyone from school is across town at the big hotels. I like this place way more,” Caspian added, flopping down next to me on the couch, resting his head in my lap. I absently played with his russet locks as I munched on my snack. My eyes flickered back to Xan every few moments, watching as he paced back-and-forth and ran his hands through his hair, sure signs he was struggling with the conversation.

  Xan stayed on the phone for close to an hour, the rest of us getting restless in the meantime. It felt wrong not having Torryn here with us, but at least he was staying with some of the faculty in the same building, instead of across town.

  “I’m going to get ready for dinner,” I said, finally standing up and stretching. “Once he’s done, we can head down. We only have thirty minutes before they open.”

  Since the place was so fancy, I wanted to dress up a bit. I grabbed a pretty, deep purple lace dress before starting on simple makeup. Sure, I could probably use a charm to do it, but I loved to do mine by hand, just like my hair. Once my smoky eyeshadow and deep purple lipstick were in place, I slipped on my black heels and went off in search of the others.

  A catcall rang out from the open balcony door where Drayce was leaning against the railing as he chatted with Kye, both dressed in black pants and button-downs, looking classy and sexy as hell. Kye even styled his dark hair a bit, giving me a better view of his gold speckled eyes.

  “You like it?” I asked with a grin, spinning slowly, so the skirt flared out a bit. It was one of those outfits that made me feel beautiful.

  “You look sexy,” Kye said in a low voice as his eyes slowly moved down my form. I grinned back at him, feeling even more confident thanks to their attention. Cas and Xan walked out a few minutes later, both looking equally delicious as the others.

  “Look at us, all looking perfectly respectable,” I joked, taking Xan’s extended elbow as he led me out of the suite and down to the dining room like a true gentleman. Waving a quick goodbye, I left Mr. Stripes lounging with the other familiars.

  Walking in with Xan made me feel like a celebrity with the way everyone whispered and talked when we entered; even a picture or two was taken as we stopped at the hostess stand. As soon as the staff recognized him, we were whisked off to the back of the restaurant, getting a private room for our group. It actually gave me a glimpse of what kind of life he lived before us, his stuffy, boring demeanor making a whole lot more sense now.

  “Welcome, Mr. Eideann, your other party is already here,” the hostess said as she opened the door to the private room. My heart sank as I realized what she’d done, and Xan’s arm tensed under mine.

  “We would like a normal table, please,” he said, stopping her from opening it the rest of the way.

  “Oh… but your father insisted,” she said in a wavering voice, her hands starting to wring together as she looked up at him.

  “This will be fine, we can handle it, right, guys?” I said quickly, looking to the others for confirmation. They all put on their serious faces, giving me a determined nod, knowing this would probably be the first of many we’d have to go through. With a sad sigh, I let go of Xan’s arm and stepped back to stand in line with the others, knowing his father wouldn’t approve of his son being with a Mixta.

  We can address that in the future.

  Xan started to protest, but I gave him a firm nod, and he gave up with a sigh. Gesturing for her to open, he squared his shoulders and led our group in. A woman who looked like Xan stood, rushing around the table and air-kissing his cheeks. I almost expected her to embrace him, but she simply patted his cheek and gave him a soft smile before returning to her seat. His father was easy to spot, a stoic expression on his face, looking like a sterner version of Xan. The others at the table stood and bowed to Xan before taking their seats. His father simply gave the rest of us a calculated stare.

  “Xanthius, care to do an introduction?” he asked, his deep voice holding such a bold command, I almost saluted.

  “Of course, Father. My apologies. This is Kyelerian, a Rune Drawer, Caspian, a Potions affinity, Drayce, a Summoner, and Aris Calisto,” he said, wincing as he added my last name, but honestly, it was his best option to deal with this.

  “Ah, Calisto. You must be Councilman Calisto’s daughter?” Xan’s dad asked, eyeing me before nodding slightly.

  “Yes, sir,” I said quickly, internally praying he didn’t ask why I was here and not at school in Ignis, so I gave him the most diplomatic answer I could think of off the top of my head. “They thought me going to school here would be a better fit and broaden my options for the future.”

  “Being this close to the capital didn’t hurt, did it?” he asked, this time a hint of a smile on his face, shocking the hellsticks out of me. “There’s a reason we sent Xanthius to Aether Academy.”

  “This is Councilman Altermin and his wife, Sircey,” Xan introduced, trying to drag the conversation away from us.

  “It’s a pleasure to meet you. Thank you for offering us to join you in your private room. It was a kind and appreciated gesture,” I gushed, giving my best smile and taking the seat Kye pulled out for me. We all sat, looking over the menu, not bothering to hold a conversation. The other table started discussing something about a new law they were planning to introduce.

  Dinner was excruciatingly slow, but thankfully, the conversation was much less intense when we were all finished. It didn’t hurt that the food was delicious, down to the chocolate tart I was convinced was infused with some kind of charm to make it even tastier.

  The only rough part was the dinner took so much longer than normal, leaving us no time for any other plans. We all decided our best option was to go to sleep early and spend tomorrow exploring the town.

  I hope Xan can handle being here with his dad and doesn’t lose the Xan I’m falling in love with.

  October 30th

  Wednesday Morning

  Aris

  The next morning at breakfast, Xan was still tense, which threw the others off as well. I nibbled on my toast and considered what to do about it, but after the fifth one-word answer, I’d had enough.

  “Nope… nope, this isn’t happening. We played the game last night, but this weekend is about fun and relaxation. You need to push aside that unemotional side of yourself and give us Xan back. We are going to go to the pumpkin festival today, carve pumpkins,
and enjoy Samhain,” I said firmly, his eyes flying open in surprise at my outburst.

  “I have to agree. I don’t care much for Xanthius… but Xan, I like,” Caspian said, giving him a nudge with his elbow. Xan nodded, letting out a breath as some of the tension left his shoulders.

  “Sorry, old habits die hard, I guess. I’m definitely fine with having fun. Thank you for last night though. You won over my father, and that’s not easy to do.”

  “What can I say? I’m a charmer,” I teased, grinning like a fool at the prospect of actually carving a pumpkin. My family wasn’t much for messier activities.

  “Come on, it’s only a block away,” Caspian said excitedly as he showed us the map they’d handed out at the front desk with all the major locations and activities listed. We followed his lead as he left the dining hall, stopping only long enough for Xan to tell the front desk we’d be out for the day. As soon as I stepped into the crisp autumn air, my stress melted away.

  We left early enough the crowds were thin, mainly families with young children making their way to the pumpkin patch with us. All the kids were pointing to our familiars, the odd assortment catching a lot of eyes. I couldn’t help but grin as they cooed over at our little companions. Even broody Kye looked like he was having fun, grinning down at me as I intertwined my fingers with his and led him ahead.

  “Pumpkins first,” I declared, already leading Kye over to the rows of pumpkins in the field. We veered off to the side, not wanting to pick the first rows of pumpkins or right alongside the families. They continued to dart around the different sizes and shapes of pumpkins in chase, squeaking and chirping to each other as they played tag.

  “Look,” Drayce called, lifting a perfectly round pumpkin, after magically separating the vine. “I’ve got mine! Now I’ve got nothing to do but wait for you slowpokes,” he teased. After a moment, his eyes lit up with a wicked gleam, and he continued, “That’s okay though, I’ll just wait here and check out Caspian’s ass as he bends over to find his pumpkin.”

  “It’s a pretty fantastic ass,” I agreed, giving it a smack as I passed him. His cheeks tinged pink again as he turned his back to Drayce and did a shimmy before smacking his own ass and cracking up. I was glad Cas was starting to retaliate to the flirting, especially as I watched Drayce’s eyes light up at the returned teasing. A memory of our night together popped into my mind, making my own cheeks heat up. Easy girl!

  “I like this one,” Xan said, picking up a pumpkin that was a bit odd. It had swirls of green and orange as if it was confused on what to grow into and stayed that way. It was artsy and perfect for him.

  Caspian was being picky, choosing one before setting it back down and moving on. Which only gave Drayce more chances to quietly catcall and tease him. Kye let go of my hand so he could choose a bit easier. I took the opportunity to wander down the rows of pumpkins, waiting for one to catch my eye.

  The others were finished by the time I found mine. Cas chose an oblong pumpkin he was oddly proud of while Kye picked one almost too big to carry. The one I found was completely white with a twisted stem. It reminded me of something out of a fairytale story.

  “Isn’t the hotel a bit fancy to be scooping out pumpkin guts?” Caspian asked with a chuckle.

  “Um, YES!” Xan exclaimed, looking half startled at the very thought of it. “They have a section for that here.” He pointed out a row of tables to the side of the patch, just for prepping and carving. They even had a witch separating out the pumpkin seeds next to a huge kettle so she could roast them. The smell of roasting seeds wafted over as we approached. By the time we’d found our spot, it was starting to get a lot more crowded. I picked up one of the spelled daggers from the table and started to carve the pumpkin, using my magic to lift out the guts and deposit them into the pail they provided. Once the inside was cleaned, the witch came by to collect them to clean and roast. I agreed happily, my stomach rumbling at the idea while I watched the knife carve out a perfect depiction of my favorite fuzzy lemur. He squeaked proudly when it finished, clearly recognizing himself.

  With handfuls of carved pumpkins and roasted seeds, we made our way back to the inn an hour later to drop them off. Drayce was insisting we check out the magical circus that was in town. It was the one thing I’d seen enough of as a kid, but I refused to say that to him, he was too happy. Plus, it wasn’t my guys’ fault my parents had made us go each year, then forced me to sit a bit away from them. I would swear most of their friends probably thought they only had three kids, not four.

  Pushing the wave of negative thoughts away, I followed them up to our room, setting our loot on the table before heading back out. Picking up on my mood, Caspian hung back and tugged on my hand, forcing me to stop.

  “What’s the matter, Cupcake?” he asked, his brows furrowing as he studied my face.

  “No worries. It’s just the circus doesn’t hold the best memories for me. It’ll be fine, please don’t say anything. We can make new memories,” I said in a pseudo-cheerful voice, pulling him out the door with the others.

  “There you are, Gorgeous,” Torryn’s voice said from behind me, his hand trailing down my back as he joined us. “Where are we headed?”

  “To the circus,” Drayce answered excitedly. “You finally joining us?”

  “Hell yes, I am,” he said, his hand still moving over me until it rested on my lower back, teasing the band of my jeans.

  “Actually, I forgot something upstairs,” I said, giving Torryn a pointed look. Cas snorted, clearly catching on.

  “I can run back up with you,” Torryn offered, picking up on my meaning as well.

  Caspian surprised me, giving a smile and a wave.

  “We’ll meet you there,” he said quickly, giving me a wink before putting his arm around Drayce’s shoulder and leading him away, leaning close to whisper something in his ear, probably explaining what was happening.

  I owe him some serious snuggle time later.

  As soon as we hit the hallway upstairs, Torryn stepped forward and nipped at my lip, excitement and anticipation dancing in his eyes. When he slowly moved his kisses down my neck, I let out a small moan, fumbling for the room key as I tried to coax him to our room.

  Laughter echoed down the hall as a group of witches turned the corner. We pulled apart as if we were on fire, trying to look innocent as Tor tried to hide the obvious bulge in his pants. I noticed a few people in the group, including Delilah, who gave me a small wave, looking from me to Torryn. Shit, she definitely noticed. I returned the wave, and they continued walking, not letting myself relax until they were out of sight.

  “You think they noticed anything suspicious?” I asked, worried I just got him in major trouble.

  “I don’t give a fuck. This isn’t high school, we’re adults. I kept it out of the school, but I’ve decided I want you, and I shouldn’t have to treat you like a dirty little secret. I should be able to spend time with you outside of class how I want,” he said firmly, capturing my lips once more.

  I pulled away long enough to unlock the door and close it behind us. Torryn took the click of the door closing as invitation not to waste time, pulling his shirt over his head and pulling me close. Our lips crashed together in a flurry of long-awaited kisses, my skin practically buzzing with the anticipation of what was about to happen.

  My hands roamed down Torryn’s chiseled body as our tongues danced together. I broke the kiss long enough to rip my shirt over my head, Torryn’s hands snaking behind me and unhooking my bra before I even had the chance. His eyes moved slowly over my body, the desperation giving way to reverence. He moved closer, tucking a piece of pink hair behind my ear as he stared into my eyes, his seafoam depths showing me how much he wanted and cared about me. Heat burned my cheeks at his attention, but I was too turned-on to care about the flush of pink. My fingers moved to the button on his pants, quickly undoing and sliding them down, taking his boxers with them.

  I looked up at him from under my lashes, giving a sexy grin
before falling to my knees and wrapping my lips around his cock. My hand moved over the silky skin as I bobbed my head over him, taking him further into my mouth with each pass. His deep groan had my own arousal practically dripping down my thighs as I swirled my tongue over him, teasing him to the point of losing control.

  My eyes drifted up to his, the heat flaring in them as he watched me made the moment even sexier than it was a moment ago. Every flowerpot in the room exploded with life, distracting me for a moment before I moved my tongue away from him, swirling it over his abs as I stood. I’ve always wanted to do that, and it was hard to resist the dips and cuts in his muscled torso.

  Torryn was done playing games, bringing his lips back to mine as I stood, backing me toward the bed. In one swift movement, he picked me up and threw me onto the soft mattress, giggles bubbling out of me as I landed. Heat flooded me at the predatory look on his face as he crawled onto the bed, slowly moving his body over mine.

  “I feel like this is a bit unfair here,” he teased, pulling the rest of my clothes off, every movement deliberately slow and calculated as he took his time with me. I wanted more, and I wanted it now, but I fought with myself to find patience, knowing Torryn had to wait this long, and now, it was my turn to wait. Wouldn’t want to spoil his fun.

  Tossing my clothes haphazardly to the side, he peppered kisses over me, starting at my feet and moving up my body, pausing only to take one peaked nipple into his mouth, grazing his teeth over it and sending a shiver of pleasure down my spine. His other hand moved up to tease the other, pulling a moan from my lips. I was lost in sensations, needing more but loving the attention he gave me, my pleasure building as he continued his torturous teasing.

  His hand slid down my body until he reached my slick core, my legs falling open for him as I tangled my hands in his hair, bringing him in for another kiss. He pumped his fingers inside of me, capturing my moans with a kiss.

  “I could listen to that sound all day,” he groaned, moving his thumb over my clit, making me moan even louder. I rocked my hips into his hand as he moved his fingers faster, my building orgasm making me lightheaded with its intensity. He moved away from my lips, nibbling on my ear as he whispered, “Come for me, Gorgeous.”