Winter Term

by J. J. Krzemien

  On the second floor, as we passed the bathrooms, my nostrils flared. At first, I thought it was some kind of metallic cleaning chemical that caught my attention. I sniffed the air.

  “Do you think—” Lana glanced at me. “What is it?”

  “Nothing, I guess. Just that smell…”

  Her head tilted back, as if she were trying to catch the scent. “Is that—?”

  As soon as she recognized it, so did I. “Blood.”

  24

  Caprice

  I bolted to the second floor bathroom. There were seven individual bathrooms down that short hall, each had a tub and shower, toilet, and a sink. Lana darted past me, opening each of the doors on the right while I opened the ones on the left. They were all empty.

  The last one to check was at the end of the hall.

  Lana tried the handle. “It’s locked.”

  I banged on the door. “Hello?”

  No one responded. The metallic scent of blood rose in thick waves from under the door. Adrenaline pulsed through me. Someone was badly hurt. But why had they locked themself in the bathroom?

  I knocked one more time, pressing my ear to the door. No sound came from the other side. Okay, it was time to try some more of this new-found magic stuff. I kneeled in front of the lock and shifted to dragon form.

  “Open,” I breathed over the handle with the red-hued vapor. The door clicked open, slowly swinging inward with a creak.

  Lana entered first. She made it two steps inside before turning back around. “Oh my God, I think he’s dead!”

  I moved past her. In the bathtub was the long, lean body of Brody Collins. He was fully dressed. His eyes were closed and one arm hung over the side of the tub. He was bleeding heavily from a wound on his wrist. A massive amount of blood pooled on the white tile floor.

  I gripped Lana’s shoulders. “Get help.”

  She nodded and dashed out the door.

  Trying to skirt around the pool of blood, I reached for Brody’s arm and pressed my scaly fingers over the wound. His pale skin had taken on a kind of transparent look.

  I tried to find a pulse at his neck. His skin was cool, but not cold. For a second, I didn’t feel anything. Then a tiny flutter sent hope straight to my chest.

  “Brody, you asshole, you’re not dying like this.” I adjusted my position so that I was crouching beside him. Reaching for that dwindling amount of magic in my center, I drew it up with all my willpower. “Live.” I breathed the word over his face. A thicker, denser red vapor entered his nose and mouth. That was it, the last bit of my magic store was used up.

  He didn’t stir. I felt for his pulse again. There. It was stronger than before and his skin had marginally warmed. I put more pressure on his wrist to try to stop the bleeding.

  Glancing down, a glint of metal caught my eye. In the tub, in his other hand, was a smooth bladed knife.

  “Oh, Brody.” I sighed.

  Lana and I waited outside Brody’s hospital room in the Dean’s Hall. The doctor and nurses had been in there for quite a while. Even with the magic I’d cast on him, I didn’t know if he was going to make it or not.

  Part of me struggled with what I’d done. If I had saved his life, would he hate me for it? Maybe his way out would have been better than what the Tromara had in store for him at the end of the year. Either way, it wasn’t like I could have left him there to die. I wasn’t capable of that.

  A nurse slipped out of Brody’s room and glanced at us. “You two should get to your next class,” he said.

  “Is he going to live?” I blurted. I wasn’t going anywhere until I knew one way or the other.

  The nurse hesitated. “Yes. He’ll live. Now get to your classes.”

  I let out a heavy breath and nodded to Lana. Without a word to each other we headed back into the night. I’d already changed and washed Brody’s blood from my hands, so we headed straight to Fotia Hall and our Shifting final.

  “I don’t understand why he’d do that,” Lana said.

  I shot her a disbelieving glance. “Really? It makes total sense to me. He couldn’t deal with the stress of the Culling and there was no other way out for him.”

  “Yeah, but suicide? It’s strictly forbidden. Only the Tromara can take lives. If he’d actually died that way, his family would have gotten in huge trouble. They’d have demanded a replacement.” Lana shivered, hugging herself.

  Just when I thought I couldn’t be any more appalled by the Tromara, they managed to make me more disgusted.

  “That’s fucking crazy. They really are monsters,” I said. This information only hardened my resolve. If there was an opportunity to take out the Tromara, the supernatural community should go for it.

  Finals in our Beast Shifting class should have been fun, but I was too focused on Brody’s attempted suicide, and the Tromara. How much power did the Council Queen have? Was it an honorary position at this point? Isabella seemed to be able to negotiate with their King, but what real authority did she have over him? My guess was none.

  I had my last shift as Mr. Sharpe’s assistant first thing Friday. If I needed extra credit next term, I’d totally work for him again. My Math and English finals went fine and the night seemed to zoom by.

  As I left English, a sense of satisfaction filled me. Term over. By Monday I’d know if I’d made it out of the Culling Club. I had my fingers crossed. The satisfaction turned to guilt. If I got above the dreaded red line, then someone else had to take my place. How could I live with myself for that? How could anyone here live with themselves?

  I stopped by my room to drop off my pack and pick up The Last Dragons. Then went over to Academy Hall to find the guys, who were already gathered at Jaxon’s place. Now that the students’ work was done, the teachers had some long nights ahead of them to get everything graded by Monday.

  Setting the book on the coffee table, I said, “You guys need to read this.”

  Liam snatched up the heavy tome. “A bit of light reading over spring break. Perfect.”

  I sat next to him, leaning against his shoulder as he studied the book. Jaxon sat down on my other side. The sensation of being sandwiched between these two brought back some fond memories. A slight shiver of pleasure zipped through me.

  Jaxon’s thigh touched mine. “I’ll be gone for most of the break for Council business. I’m leaving late on Sunday, that should be enough time to finish up my paperwork here.” His fingers trailed down my arm. “You can have access to your phone for the whole week. I’ll text you.”

  Angel sat by himself on the opposite couch. His gaze flicked over the three of us, his jaw set. I didn’t know what to tell him. We were at a stalemate. Until he said or did something, anything, nothing would change between us. I was at a loss. He was still hanging around, but why? What did he want?

  My dragon stirred, focusing on him. On that primal level I knew he was mine. He had to know that too. How did we get from where we were now to where I deeply felt we were supposed to be?

  Angel’s gaze locked with mine. His eyes weren’t glowing, but they still smoldered with desire. My body responded instantly.

  Next to me, Liam tensed, glancing over, then followed my gaze to Angel’s. He went back to the book, but his shoulders didn’t relax. Jaxon’s fingers crept up my arm to the back of my neck. He massaged it.

  “You seem tense,” he said, leaning closer.

  It had been a crazy forty-eight hours. Hell, it’d been a crazy term, and the future wasn’t looking too much more settled. I could totally use a distraction from it all. I licked my lips. The kind I wanted, I didn’t know if I could have right now. But the thought brought a wave of heat straight to my core.

  Angel’s amber eyes lit with that golden glow. He moved to stand up.

  I reached toward him. “No. Stay. Please.”

  He hesitated, then sat back down.

  Jaxon kissed the side of my neck, his other hand coming up to caress my breast. I closed my eyes and leaned back onto the sofa. The book made
a thud as it was returned to the coffee table. Then Liam was on my other side, his lips claiming mine in a scorching kiss.

  Liam pulled back. “Are you sure you’re okay with this? After what I did before…”

  “That wasn’t your fault.” I cupped his cheek. “I want this. What do my feelings tell you right now?” I asked.

  He took a moment to read me. With a moan, he took my mouth again, his tongue sweeping past my teeth.

  Jaxon whispered in my ear. “You like sharing yourself with us? You like all of us watching you?”

  I broke away from Liam, turning my head to kiss Jaxon.

  Liam grunted, but didn’t say anything. His hands wandered under my sweater and upward until he found my breasts. He massaged them, one in each hand, until my nipples hardened. He pinched them between two fingers, tugging lightly. I moaned into Jaxon’s mouth.

  With a tug, Liam brought my sweater up and over my head, forcing Jaxon and me apart. The two men gazed at each other, doing that weird nonverbal communication thing they’d done before.

  A naughty twinkle sparkled in Jaxon’s eyes. “I’ll take the top,” was all he said. Then he was hauling me to my feet. I was about to protest when he stood behind me and unclasped my bra. He palmed my breasts. Leaning down, he planted hot kisses on my neck and shoulders. I reached back, grabbing his thighs to steady myself.

  At the same time, Liam went to his knees. He slowly unzipped my jeans and began to slide them down my legs. Helping me out of them, he repeated the process with my panties. I stepped out of the bit of black cloth and Liam bunched them in his fist. He threw them across the coffee table at Angel.

  Angel caught them, his eyes blazing. He stuffed them in his jeans pocket with a wicked smirk, the first sign of levity I’d seen on his face in ages. He went back to watching me with his usual serious expression. His gaze swept over my naked body, making my skin blaze.

  As Jaxon continued to torture my breasts and neck, Liam’s tongue sought my clit. I moaned, leaning my head against Jaxon’s T-shirt clad chest.

  Liam took my hips gently in his large hands, holding me in place as he explored. His tongue caressed my slit, making me shudder. He found my clit again and suckled. I bucked. His hands tightened on my hips. He blew a hot breath over my sensitive core and I squirmed.

  One of Jaxon’s hands came down to grasp my thigh as he ground his erect cock against my butt. The rough texture of his jeans created a delicious friction. Having me naked, and all of them still fully clothed, was turning me on so much. I whimpered.

  Liam took me in his mouth again. He slid a finger into me, slowly, feeling everything. He stroked in then out, and a second finger joined the first. Setting a steady rhythm inside me, he echoed it with his mouth.

  Heat flushed my skin. Every nerve ending was on fire. The brush of Jaxon’s cotton clothing against my back was almost painful. He nipped at my neck. I panted. My core tightened, spiraling toward release.

  The metallic grating of a zipper reached my ears. I glanced at Angel who was leaning back on the couch. He undid his jeans, releasing his rigid cock. His heated gaze caught mine as he gripped himself in his hand and started stroking. His lips parted as his eyes took in every inch of my body.

  I shattered, digging my fingers into Jaxon’s thighs. He held me firm against his body as I shuddered.

  Letting Jaxon take all my weight, Liam stood and claimed my mouth with a passionate kiss. I faintly tasted myself on his lips.

  “You’re not done yet, cupcake,” Jaxon said to me.

  Liam peeled off his clothes, dropping them on the living room floor. He came around behind me and took me from Jaxon, who made quick work of shedding his own clothes. Jaxon lifted me up, wrapping my legs around his waist. He found my opening and buried his cock to the hilt in one fluid motion. I gasped.

  Liam’s warm body pressed against my back. I found his smooth, hard length and stroked. He let out a long moan, resting his forehead against my shoulder. His breath tickled my back in quick, ragged gasps. He teased my nipples with his warm hands.

  The three of us found a relentless, pounding rhythm. I glanced at Angel, who had his head tilted back but still watched us from under his lashes. His cheeks were flushed, his chest heaving as he pleasured himself. As I continued to watch him, he let out a low growl. His brow knit and he licked his lips. With one last stroke he came in his hand. His body shuddered with the intensity of it.

  My grip tightened on Liam. His cock spasmed as my own orgasm blazed through me. Jaxon grunted, throwing his head back as he found his release.

  The four of us panted in unison, no one moving. If there was ever a way to begin spring break, this was it.

  I glanced again at Angel. His eyes were closed and his head rested on the sofa back. He’d stayed. He’d given in a little and been with us tonight, in his own way. I hoped this meant there was some progress between the two of us.

  25

  Jaxon

  I left campus later than I’d wanted on Monday, but was still planning to catch Isabella before the Council meeting began. Angel had taken the Ex Codice Tromara, but I had Marsilia’s journal and a copy of Liam’s notes to show to the Council Queen.

  My stomach felt like someone was squeezing it. Usually, speaking to Isabella was easy, but for some reason tonight I was nervous. Not for some reason, I knew exactly why. The entire supernatural community fell strongly on one side or the other when it came to rebellion. Though Isabella had supported my father as much as she could during the last rebellion, it had gotten her son killed. I had a feeling that she would be opposed to any talk of going up against the Tromara again.

  But would’t it be different this time? If we could be sure that the Tromara were growing weaker, and we could truly defeat them, that could change her stance.

  My gut twisted again. I wasn’t sure that I wanted to live through another uprising. The last one had left me orphaned. It had also left me as the outcast son of a traitor.

  I pulled into a turnout along highway 224. Resting my forehead on the steering wheel of the brand new SUV, I felt sick. Maybe this wasn’t a good idea. Maybe we should wait to tell anyone until we knew what we could do with the information. There were too many assumptions, and not enough concrete facts.

  With a new resolve to wait for a better time, I pulled back into the roadway. Ten minutes later, I cut the engine in front of my house. I never thought I’d say this, but I felt safer inside the walls of the Academy. There hadn’t been any more threats to my life since the beginning of term, but every time I ventured into town my adrenaline spiked.

  I opened the vehicle door, flooding the interior with light. Gathering my bag, phone, and jacket, I stepped into the quiet night. The air down here, closer to the river, was a little warmer than up in the forest. I fished in my pocket for the house keys.

  “Jaxon!”

  I startled, even though I recognized Isabella’s voice. She didn’t carry a light, but the crunch of gravel under her shoes told me where she was in the darkness.

  “Isabella. How are you?” I asked, facing her as she strode toward me.

  The front porch light illuminated her face which was set in a grim expression. “I come bearing bad news. At least…surprising news. Your Aunt is dead.”

  I staggered. Aunt Gladys was dead?

  “How,” I asked, immediately suspicious.

  “She never got over that sickness. Some type of aggressive pneumonia.” Isabella rested a hand on my forearm. “I figured you hadn’t heard because I just received the call about half an hour ago.”

  Aggressive pneumonia or poison? After that car bomb, I didn’t believe a thing my cousins said. But was it one of them trying to clear their way to the Council seat? Or was someone after my entire remaining family?

  “Thank you for letting me know. Is there anything I need to do right now?” My mind reeled.

  Isabella shook her head. “No. Your cousins are taking care of everything. There’ll be a service on Friday.”

  �
�Okay.” I gestured toward the house. “I’m just dropping my stuff. Should I meet you at the church in a bit?”

  Isabella glanced at her wrist watch. “In a bit, yes. It’s still early.” Her gaze found me. “You take your time. Let me know if you need anything.”

  “I will.” I let myself in and switched on the hall light. The old farmhouse had been in my family since it was built. It had a similar style to Isabella’s, but I wasn’t so good with the upkeep. Nothing had really been moved since my father died. All the same gaudy upholstered furniture cluttered every room. It wasn’t my style at all, but redecorating felt wrong somehow.

  Off the long hallway was the living room, den, formal dining room, and at the end the kitchen. The stairs were to the left of the entry. I climbed the dull wooden steps to the second floor which held four bedrooms and two bathrooms. It was too much space for one person.

  My room was the second on the right. The one large window looked out through the trees that separated my house from Isabella’s. With a sigh, I set my pack on the bed. I hated being here alone. Maybe once Angel took over his dad’s seat, he’d opt to stay with me when we had Council business to attend.

  Angel had said his initiation was to take place next Saturday. Between that, and my aunt’s service on Friday, it was going to be a busy couple of days. First, I had to get through whatever was involved in this end of quarter business.

  Half an hour later, I was back in my SUV and headed to the church. I parked it on the street instead of in the lot. I thought I’d still be a little early, but both Diego Cortez and Demarcus Freeman were already there. They both gave me a reserved nod in greeting then turned back to continue talking with Isabella. No warm receptions there.

  Isabella, at the head of the table, flashed her usual smile my way as I took my seat. Moments later the rest of the Council strolled in. Mia Chang sat down with a brusk manner. Linus Stewart and Richard Aimes chatted as they came in. Were those two getting chummy? God, I hoped not.