Page 31 of Overwhelmed By Magic

The week passes uneventfully for the most part. I skip nearly every class after sitting through the first one and realizing that it’s literally a repeat of Astral Academy with a few added perks and the ability to play with our essence. As fun as that sounds, I’ve become a little more protective of Skye, following him like a little puppy dog and wrapping myself around him at night.

Not that any of the professors, counselors, or Helen have noticed or cared. It’s as if they are just performing their required motions, eager to stay within their lane and away from the shenanigans.

Skye hasn’t complained but I can see the life slowly draining from his eyes. He’s always been a free spirit, a fountain of knowledge. His curiosity has gotten him in trouble more times than I can count but here, Skye can’t roam. He can’t discover or explore. Stepping outside his office or our shared room without at least two of us isn’t even an option anymore.

It doesn’t help that my last attempt to protect him dragged him into the very void that his nightmares come from. I’m still fucking kicking myself for that.

Skye groans at my side before rolling out of bed, a wince following when he hits the floor. Sharing a twin bed isn’t great but having him wrapped around me like a koala is always preferable to him using the other bed. He sits up, rubbing those adorable brown eyes, his mussed hair standing at odd angles.

He’s strung out and hasn’t been sleeping well but I’m hoping that’ll change as he settles in. I’m a little worried about what will happen on Friday when he has to meet with his batch of Magila but at least he has ones he’s already met. There’s an earth elemental and another mage, both of which Ambrose has assured me will behave.

Skye pushes to his feet, scratching his bare chest before bumbling to the door and into the hallway. He’s not thinking this early in the morning but I am and it’s not a second too soon. A snarl hits my ears as I appear beside Skye, snapping him into the void and dropping him back onto the bed away from the danger. I didn’t even see who it was. I just know that my boyfriend is safe for the time being.

Unfortunately, Skye isn’t staring at me with gratitude and it takes me entirely too long to figure out why. I dragged him through that void of nonexistence I’ve mentioned to him in passing, a void that he nearly got dragged into four years ago.

“Fuck, babe. I’m sorry. I just-”

He waves a hand at me, telling me that it’s okay but I can see that it isn’t. He’s no longer meeting my eyes and the way he hasn’t instantly grabbed onto me for comfort tells me that this is one thing that won’t be easy to just get over.

“You did what you needed to. I get that.”

I go to speak and he just shakes his head. Well… fuck.

Skye hasn’t said much since that incident Wednesday morning, opting to sleep in his office with the door locked rather than in our room. I’ve still slipped in every night and curled up against his back but he isn’t as receptive to my touch. He’s forgiven me—that’s not the problem—but I think it’s brought him one step closer to the nightmares that I can’t save him from.

“You up, hot stuff?”

I stand up and twist around to see Ambrose throwing my door open as he has every single day since the one time he actually knocked. My cheeks heat a little at the nickname as I throw a shirt over my head, preparing to stumble down for breakfast and take Skye a plate. Maybe he’ll talk to me today.

“Yeah, I’m up.”

Ambrose nods, fingering one of the stones by the door. He doesn’t do small talk but he’s obviously worried about something. “How’s your little human?”

“Stressed but you would know that. You check on him as much as I do.” And he does. It was a little strange the second day when Ambrose’s attention kept zoning in on Skye’s neck and then the rest of him, ensuring that my boyfriend was okay. It quickly became apparent that that wasn’t the only reason Ambrose was staring and as much as I want to have a problem with his attention, I don’t.

Neither does Skye.

It’s a conversation that will have to happen eventually.

The mage tilts his head to the side. “Is that a problem?”

“No, I explained things to him and…”

My breath hitches in my throat as Ambrose comes to stand in front of me, holding my face in his hands just like he did Skye a few days ago. I know he’s an asshole and his essence is dangerous but I just haven’t seen the outbursts that Rumi jokes about. Not around me anyway and definitely not near or with Skye. My lids flutter close against my will as I fall victim to his touch, hating how vulnerable I am to it.

It's been a long fucking time since someone else touched me.

“I’m not sure why I’m drawn to the two of you,” Ambrose whispers, bringing his face close to mine. I can feel his breath against my lips and a small part of me wonders what he’d taste like. “This is different than Jade or Stellan. Stronger, somehow.”

We stand like that for several minutes until it grows awkward and I pull away.

Ambrose doesn’t address it as he lets out a heavy breath and his hands fall to his side, “Your little human will be just fine today. All of his students have been spoken with so there shouldn’t be any incidents.”

I raise an eyebrow, not entirely sure I believe the mage. There are quite a few powerful rejects running around Grimrose Academy, some of them more than happy to cause a little chaos. “You talk like you’re 100.”

“A few years older than that, hot stuff. Does that bother you?”

“Should it?”

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