Page 64 of Self Studies

I blinked awake. Lust and need tingled my core and clashed with memories of dark misty terror with gem-red eyes. The evil inside of me had manifested. A tremor ran through my body.

I should’ve died with Damon.

“Dot.”

The mattress I lay on leaned toward Beryl as he sat next to me. Tremors of desire ran down my neck. I wanted to rush into his arms and kiss him until he knew the truth of my last text message.

“Back up, Beryl,” Saffron growled. He leaned over me from his seat next to the bed, his eyes stormy. “You’re still here, so I can keep an eye on you. You’d made the right choice yesterday, don’t cack it up already.”

Beryl’s eyes softened, and he brushed a stray hair off my forehead. “I won’t leave her.” He glared up at Saffron. “I fuck’n dare you to come over here and try and force me away.”

I started to sit up, and Beryl gripped my waist, helping. While the sapphire-eyed mage held me, Saffron adjusted my pillows. I lay back in more of a sitting position and looked between the two men, who were still glaring at each other.

The unfamiliar room felt tiny with three people in it. It wasn’t much bigger than the bed I sat in. A few colorful bean bag chairs and drapes of cloth reminded me of Professor Garnet’s office.

“I’m not fighting you, Beryl,” Saffron responded evenly. “I’m not playing your game either.”

“Everything here’s a game,” Beryl said, his voice overly light. “You might as well play mine.”

Saffron gestured to me. “Look where it got Aphy.”

“I didn’t do this to her!” Beryl yelled. He took a calming breath. “I can’t charge a fear multiplier even if I made one.”

“But you sell them,” Saffron growled.

Beryl narrowed his eyes. “Dude, you don’t even understand what I do.”

“Why do you two hate each other?” I asked before they could start fighting again.

The two turned their attention from each other back to me. Goosebumps pebbled my arms. My magic swirled with need making me ache for their touch.

Saffron scowled. “Beryl has no morals.”

“You’ve eaten so much bullshit. You live it,” Berly shot back, crossing his arms over his chest.

I squeezed my eyes shut and ran my hands across my GS uniform. My excited nipples hardened under the sports bra.

“We’re in Professor Garnet’s bedroom,” Saffron told me, his eyes following my hands. “Keith’s with the administration. You don’t even have the basic barriers a normal human would have.”

I chewed on my bottom lip. “What are barriers?”

Saffron’s frown deepened as if that was something I should know.

I tried to sink into the pillow.

Beryl’s eyes traced my shoulder down to my waist. His gaze was like a physical touch. I shivered. Want chased my frustrations out of my thoughts, and I squeezed my thighs together.

“Is this conversation turning you on?” Beryl asked, raising an eyebrow.

I shook my head and wiggled my hips.

“You’re worked up again, like after the transfer and Metaphysics.” Saffron’s voice dropped slightly. “Keith had to draw magic from you and then use a lot of power to remove the fear multiplier.”

Beryl gave me a sly smile. “Having magic move through you turns you on?”

“I wasn’t sure,” I answered. “Before this, outside of transferring, I’d never had others’ magic going in and out of me.”

Blood rushed to my cheeks as the thought made my hips buck. My magic sang. Beryl’s smile turned into an evil grin. He brushed his fingers across my shoulder, over my collarbone, and pressed against the remnants of the dark hickey Saffron left at the base of my throat days ago.

---