Magic Academy (A Fantasy New Adult Romance)

by Jillian Keep

  She bit her lip as she slowly withdrew her palm from his. Her head felt so light and airy as her blue eyes met his emerald gaze. “It’s just a language. How hard can it be?”

  Mae’lin couldn’t help but laugh.

  Chapter 21

  Time was of the essence; Firia knew that. She hadn’t been able to speak with Varuj in so very long, and classes continued as she worked with Mae’lin to catch up. The two of them were working hard to learn the arcane symbols that the others took for granted, and they’d been able to glean enough to start making some sense of the classes, at least. Though she knew there was still so far to go.

  As she headed off to meet with Mae’lin again, Ala’nase stopped her, the dark elf slipping in front of her, books in arm. “Where are you sneaking off to?” she asked with a curiously raised brow.

  Firia noted the tomes her friend held and wondered if it was wise to be truthful. She paused as she thought it over before she finally shrugged. “To the library.”

  Ala’nase scrutinized her with that sceptical look that seemed like it might bore holes through stone once her magic prowess increased. “You’re meeting with Mae’lin again, aren’t you?” she asked.

  “We…” Firia paused. If it was one thing she learned about the upper class elves was that they hated hearing that their fortune was given to them by luck and not prowess. “We’re falling behind.”

  Ala’nase tipped her head back, those piercing eyes of hers locked on Firia as she continued her deep study of the young woman. “I don’t buy it,” she said. “I think you two are rushing off to go make out in some corner of the library and do all those things you never could back in your farm town school house,” she said brazenly.

  Firia’s eyes narrowed and for the first time she felt truly disappointed in the other woman. As if she was so heavily policed that she couldn’t do that if she wanted to! She summoned and bound an entire demon and no one was the wiser.

  “I’m being serious. I’m not… I don’t have as much experience as you or Bran.”

  The elvish woman’s head tilted to the side and a grin was slow to form there. “Yeah right,” she said with humour in her face. “Run on then. But you know? We should make time to hang out and chat more still. Doesn’t do good to ignore the rest of your friends for Mae’lin,” she said with eyes wide as she backed away at an increasing pace.

  “I just don’t want to be kicked out,” Firia called after her, loathing how whiney her voice sounded. Still, she hated to have her new friend feel neglected and all the way to the library she felt distracted and forlorn.

  She missed Varuj. If he was around he could help speed this all up.

  The faint tingle of his presence within her reminded her he was there, but she’d still not been able to find a way to circumvent whatever magic seals kept him from being able to break out again. Was he starving, trapped as he was? Lonely? He had to be frustrated with his position. She knew she was, and she was free to wander.

  She came upon Mae’lin in their usual spot, already engrossed in the work. He was copying some of the runic letters into his own pad as he smiled up at her. “We’re making good progress I think,” he said with such glowing optimism. He’d never let her down by surrendering to defeatism again after that first time.

  She plunked herself down and even though she felt miserable, she endeavoured to lose herself in her studies. To work as hard as she could.

  To free the demon once more.

  “I hope so. It’s getting tiring being yanked home just when things are getting good, though,” she lamented and then paused.

  She’d called it home.

  Mae’lin seemed to have caught that remark too and he smiled at her with his head tilted. “You’re really liking it here, huh?” he asked, never ceasing his work as he jotted down the notes. Her study partner was almost as diligent and dedicated as her; she had to give him credit.

  “Well… sure. I mean, it’s not like living back there was ever easy or stress-free. And I’ve always put this kind of pressure on myself, so not much has changed except now I actually have a chance. I never figured I did before.”

  The tall elf studied her a while, seeming to have found some deeper appreciation of her and who she was. “I didn’t realize it had been that hard on you,” he said softly. “I mean… I always struggled, but never quite like this. I just…” he looked around, “I just wanted something more me than being a farmer.”

  “You already are.” She smiled at him. “Not many farmers around here. And not many elves that have as good of attitude as you, so be grateful you weren’t spoiled.”

  He laughed, but it was slightly bemused. “If I was like them I’d be able to just teach this stuff to you,” he said, holding up the book briefly. “Would be much easier going than having to learn it with you. Or… more accurately, struggling to keep up with you,” he said with a wry smile.

  “If you were like them, you wouldn’t want anything to do with me,” she corrected, not looking up from her book.

  Those green elvish eyes of his lingered on her. “I can’t see how that could ever be true. You’ve always been the talk of the class, and… I’ve always wanted to get to know you. I doubt that would change if I were a little snootier. Didn’t stop the others from craving information about you.”

  She stopped, her brows furrowed in confusion as her blue eyes finally rose from the page. “No one cares about the groundskeeper’s girl. They just thought I was weird.”

  With a crooked smile he shook his head and lowered his gaze to his book, but not entirely. He still stole glances at her now and then. “They thought you were mysterious. Clever. And very pretty. They just didn’t like to admit those things, so they’d try to hide it by poking fun.”

  Her nose crinkled.

  She’d spent all her years growing up on the outside, feeling isolated and alone. She had so little support, especially after her mother died, and never did she feel like anyone cared about her. About her wants or desires.

  She figured they’d sooner watch her fail than help her succeed.

  She was just about to argue when she realized he’d said they thought she was pretty and immediately she shook her head. Lowering her gaze to the book, she muttered into it, “You’re just saying that.”

  Things went quiet a moment, but he piped up again. “They’d always tack on ‘for a human’, but you could see what they meant. I mean… they’d blush or stammer their words after.” He laughed. “I called them on it once. Told them to either start treating you nice or simply get over their crush and stop obsessing. They didn’t speak to me for weeks after that.”

  She barely knew what to say. Instead she stared at him and hoped that she wasn’t gaping.

  Her heart beat faster and she didn’t even really understand why. It wasn’t like she cared about the people in her class. She’d been with them for so many years and barely talked to any of them.

  But the way Mae’lin was looking at her made her flush deepen.

  The elf cleared his throat and lowered his head to his book again. “I wanted to talk to you too,” he said after a long silent gap. “But I was just too shy,” he confessed. “I figured with how cruel the others could be you wouldn’t want to speak with me anyhow.” The red in his cheeks obvious even with his face ducked down.

  “You spoke to me at the competition, though.”

  With a shrug of his shoulders he said, “I didn’t know if I would ever see you again. And… and after the last day of classes when I…” He struggled then said, “Never mind.”

  “You can’t start then expect me not to want to know the rest,” she pressed, though she wasn’t certain. Did she want to know the rest? Her body felt so warm and prickly as she stared at him. She needed to know. That was why she was here. She needed to know everything she could.

  She licked her lower lip, finding it so dry.

  His eyes flickered to her, but he couldn’t maintain the gaze before he stared back into his book. “I determined that
I would approach you on the last day of classes, and ask… and try…” he coughed, clearing his throat. “I would talk with you. But… I chickened out,” he confessed sadly. “So when I saw you at the competition I knew… I knew it was my last chance, for real. That I couldn’t blow it. And I guess… with all the courage I had summoned up for the competition…” He trailed off and licked his lips, his own seeming so dry. The two awkward youths trying to talk so.

  Her lips quirked at the side, her eyes narrowing, “And you were still willing to kick my ass to get in here.”

  Mae’lin raised his head and stared at her with shock. “I couldn’t throw the competition! My dreams all rested on it!” He cleared his throat. “Besides… it’d be insulting to you if I did,” he added as he lowered his head.

  She smiled, feeling a bit more comfortable as she gave him a stern nod. “Well, that means that we’re going to have to both work as hard as possible so we don’t get kicked out, huh? I mean, I’m the one that ended up assaulting you to get in here, right?”

  With a grin he nodded to her slowly. “I knew we were alike the day you nearly burned me to ashes to get into the academy,” he retorted with an attempt to hide his smirk.

  “If what you said is true, it’s probably less dangerous for you to be burned than for me to be a drowned rat. It’d ruin my image.”

  Mae’lin's eyes widened then he laughed and shook his head. “I don’t know that you could’ve done anything that would make you seem less mysterious to them,” he remarked, smiling so happily that his mouth hung open.

  She didn’t know where she got the courage to even banter with him, and it was almost as though recognizing that made her clam up. She felt so warm and sticky under her clothing, and there was an excited buzz that she couldn’t quite place.

  “Get to work,” she managed, but she almost felt like floating!

  With a grin, Mae’lin nodded and gave one of those peculiar elvish salutes. “Yes ma’am.” He couldn’t help but smile though, and look over at her once more before returning to his studies.

  Chapter 22

  The grass fields were so full, it was nearly time for harvest. Firia could recognize it, as she’d lived in that country long enough to tell by the simple feel of the air alone. It was where she was born and grew up, after all.

  The warm wind washed over her face and she heard, in the distance, a curious sound of approaching feet. When she opened her eyes again she saw it was Mae’lin. Bare-chested and wearing his work pants, she could see every outline of his leanly muscled physique. He’d just come from working his farm. There was a sheen of perspiration on his body, and the way his muscles bulged from a day of strain and effort were so pronounced.

  “What are you doing here?” he asked, and instead of feeling awkward or out of place, it felt so incredibly… right.

  She wasn’t sure she spoke. Not really. It was almost as if something was passed between them, said without the need for words and she smiled. She felt so much lighter than usual, as if her worries had dissipated and left her free of the burdens of reality.

  She didn’t realize how much they were weighing her down.

  Lowering himself down onto the field with her, Mae’lin rested on one side right next to her. “I was hoping you’d drop by,” he said so casually. “I was thinking about you all day. And some of the guys dropped by, they were asking about what was going on between us,” he said with a bit of a grin as he reached an arm over her waist with a certain familiarity and closeness that felt so natural.

  She felt a buzz of excitement and realized she wasn’t wearing the usual heavy, hand-me-down robe she was so fond of. Instead it was something lighter, more suited to her mood, and it ruffled against his hand. “What did you tell them?”

  The grin on his face grew as he leaned in closer. “That I was going to propose,” he stated so warmly, so boldly, “but that you would probably refuse me.” It was like the words, though so exciting, were expected. It made her heart beat faster, her skin flush, but it felt… right, and he closed the gap between them and pressed their lips together, his tongue dipping into her mouth as their eyes shut and the world vanished.

  Her arms went around his neck, and she his body pressed against hers. He tasted so sweet, so warm, and she felt that spark of electricity travel between them once more.

  It only increased as he moved tighter to her, his hard, hot body so primed from a day’s labour pressing against her as he moved down atop her form. It felt so right. His kiss so skillful, so… passionate! It grew in intensity and she felt him grind down against her until their mouths broke and…

  Varuj looked down upon her. “Have you forgotten me, Firi?” he asked, sounding a little hurt. Wounded.

  She blinked, startled from the pleasantness of her surroundings, of her company.

  Instead it had warped and she suddenly felt wracked with guilt.

  Why?

  She shook her head, but words wouldn’t come. It wasn’t the free flowing sensation she had with Mae’lin where she knew he understood her. This was the silence of shame, of trying to hide from the questions the demon posed.

  There was still the heat and hardness of his body pressed against her, his bare chest upon her in her light dress. “I can’t hold on forever, Firi,” he said sadly. “I’m counting on you to get me out,” he pleaded.

  She looked away in her shame. She’d wanted to help him, but failed. Then to be caught in such a private fantasy…

  He kissed her again upon her neck, soft and pleasing, so caring and romantic. “Use what I taught you,” he husked lowly. “I gave you the tricks you need to free me. Just… use what I taught you. Please. I miss you so much,” he confessed in a low voice. “I long for your company.”

  She missed him too. The isolation was so great at night, when she was trapped in her room. Yet when she was out and studying, she couldn’t bring herself to think of him. Of the loneliness she was so desperate to escape.

  “I don’t know how,” she whimpered, but the feeling of his body was so pleasant. She could feel every bit of him, every thud of his heart, every breath.

  “I’m trying, but I don’t understand.”

  His sweet, hot lips moved across her neck to her ear, and she felt him suckle upon the lobe. “You have what you need, you don’t need to know,” the words a bit raspy but full of desire. She felt his strong hands move across her form, touch her thigh and slide up it, taking the dress with it. “You have the key to free me, Firi. Don’t let me down when I need you most.” The curl of his tongue took the bite off his words, the sensuous movements of his hand and mouth so mesmerizing, so pleasurable…

  She’d been making it so much more complicated than it needed to be. Figured she needed to learn a spell, a way to unbind herself from the academy’s bondage.

  Yet even those thoughts began slipping away as she felt the demon’s hands and lips move against her flesh. Her body was on fire as she whimpered beneath him, half-heartedly trying to move away but she didn’t want to. Not really.

  “I miss you,” he rasped as his hand moved beneath her dress and across her thigh. “I need you,” he added with a husk as his fingers rubbed over her panties to such glorious effect, the other hand clasping her petite breast and squeezing ever so pleasantly.

  She squirmed and a moan escaped her against her will. “No,” she breathed out but she didn’t want him to stop.

  She simply didn’t want to like it so much.

  To feel so uncomfortably warm, a heat emanating from her core and igniting as his fingers moved against her clothed sex.

  He didn’t stop, but the sensations, the touches, only got more pleasurable. The swell of heated man flesh only more appetizing. The press of his body only greater… and she trembled before opening her eyes and seeing him as he was when she’d first summoned him: giant, hulking, and terrifying. “I long for you, Firi,” came his growling voice. “Don’t betray me…”

  She nearly fell out of her bed as she gasped awake. Her skin was b
urning and she threw off the blankets, needing the air, but it wasn’t enough. She had to throw off her nightgown too, yet that somehow only made it worse. Her flesh felt so alive with sensations, with needs, and she whimpered as she begged her body to calm down.

  She’d woken with such desire a few times before but never to such intensity. It felt so overwhelming and no matter which way she turned, she couldn’t get comfortable. She was so confused by the dream, by what it meant.

  Was that really Varuj?

  Or just another of her fantasies?

  The thought occurred to her that realistically, it was likely a mix of both.

  Varuj had been seeming so much weaker inside her since she’d arrived, and his warming presence within her had only seemed to fade more with time. Did he even have the ability to influence her dreams like that anymore? Or had she waited too long to act?

  Her thumb ran across the ring as she lay in her bed, staring at the ceiling. She mulled over what he’d taught her, what she’d seen, and wished he wasn’t always so cryptic. Though the books had a habit of hiding their secrets as well, and she deciphered them in time.

  There had only been time for him to teach and do for her a few things. He had bonded the ring to her, which had saved her at least once. Then there was the familiar… He’d taught her some tricks with it, how to command it…

  She remembered searching the old civic building on her trip to the academy. She’d simply asked the familiar to search out some sense of magic, then to find the flaw in the stone she needed. Could she command the ethereal minion to find whatever wards were keeping Varuj at bay and dispel them?

  Standing up, she immediately did the motions bringing forth the conjuration, its shimmering light filling the room as the magical fox looked to her with swaying tail.

  It was harder to concentrate, in some ways, because of her dream. Because of the way it made her feel. She only wore her panties, but of course, Luka was a part of herself and she felt no shame around it. The idea of putting clothes on her sweltering body was simply too much.