Page 30 of Self Studies

As my sensitive twitching body quivered under the two men, Saffron’s mouth found mine. He gave me a gentle kiss.

“That was something else,” he whispered in my ear. “You’re something else.”

Professor Garnet pulled Saffron up and crushed the younger mage to his chest. I bit my bottom lip hard as the professor dominated Saffron’s mouth in a kiss that burned into my memory. Sweet, desperate, and unassuming, love radiated from the two.

A pang of jealousy knotted my stomach, and I forced my next breath to stay calm.

“This is not what control looks like, Keith,” Saffron said when Professor Garnet eventually let him breathe.

My jealousy mixed with guilt.

Professor Garnet grunted and playfully smacked the younger man’s sculpted, naked ass. Saffron moved to a basket of towels like he’d done it a hundred times. I caught one after he tossed it to me.

Much more relaxed than earlier, Professor Garnet knelt at my side. He took the towel from me and dragged it up the inside of my thighs. I shivered.

His red-rimmed eyes bore into me. “That was unexpected. Do you want to talk about it?”

I blinked. Unsure if I did or not.

He smiled reassuringly. “I’m here if you ever need anything, Aphy.”

My magic sparked in his hair, crystal jumping from strand to strand, and he quickly backed away as if remembering he was still under its influence. “Get dressed, both of you.” Professor Garnet continued, his gaze shooting to Saffron as well. “I’d no intention of this happening. There are no rules here about conduct between students and staff, but too soon, you’ll learn that nothing is as it appears. What happens behind closed doors is best kept behind closed doors. Ultimately, it’s your decision.”

I nodded, my mind going back to Mercedes’ warning. I’d not stayed away from Saffron, not even close. The Greek God didn’t look at me as he dressed and moved to the other side of the room.

“We need to prep you for your placement tests tomorrow,” Professor Garnet said. “The Institute, although doing good things, has its pitfalls. Much of your education will be about control, both magical and emotional. But creativity and imagination are what make a real mage.”

Although I didn’t want to leave our little sex den, I found my clothing and moved to the low table, now cleared off and waiting. I could do this. If these strangers believed in me, then I could too.

* * *

“I’m not a mage!” I yelled, still sitting in Professor Garnet’s office.

Two hours of building frustration and anger poured out of me. “I’m a vessel. I’m a tool. I’m nothing more. I don’t have my own ideas.”

Professor Garnet’s patient smile dropped, and he pinched the bridge of his nose. I couldn’t help but glance over at Saffron. He continued to ignore us, drawing runes on a slab of gray stone and metal. I don’t know what I’d done to piss him off, but his gentle kisses felt like years ago, not hours.

“Aphy,” Professor Garnet said, folding his hands across the low table we sat on opposite sides of. “You don’t know who or what you are.”

I tugged on my braid.

He started to move forward, but my magic flared between us, and he backed away. “I know we just met,” he said, calmer. “But I feel a powerful pull toward you. I might be one of the more sensitive mages at the Institute, but I’m not alone in realizing your potential.” He frowned. “I know your advisor sees it. All I want is for you to have a chance to discover who you are instead of getting lost in another.”

My anger drained out of me, leaving me aching for my old life. “I could get lost in you,” I whispered. “I want to get lost in you.”

I didn’t want a new master, but if Professor Garnet asked me right now, I would serve him until my dying breath. He’d lived through the same things I did. I’d only known him for half a day, but in the last two hours, he’d realized how uncomfortable I was asking questions and started giving me answers. He’d patiently waited for me to draw conclusions and encouraged me to explore my thoughts, even when I didn’t want to. It felt like he understood me even though I didn’t understand myself.

Professor Garnet’s red-rimmed eyes started undressing me. “You’re a temptress, Aphy. It’s not only your magic. You’re smart and creative, even if you don’t see it yet. I would...”

Saffron cleared his throat from his spot across the room and stood. “This is no longer productive.”

I hadn’t noticed how far across the table the professor and I had leaned. Inches from kissing. He rocked back, my magic still sparking in his hair, and my clit pulsed, ready for round two.

Opposite that, guilt churned in my stomach. He’d not wanted my magic in the first place.

“Do your best,” Professor Garnet reiterated. “When your magic comes, I have no doubt it will; remember to keep it small.” The Professor frowned as if not liking what he was about to say. “You must fit into society. It’s the only way to survive.”

I swallowed and nodded.

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