Page 104 of Group Studies

“It was hot,” Beryl answered, slinging an arm over my shoulder. “You should join us next time.”

Professor Garnet’s red-rims blazed. “You lied to me, Aphy.” He shook with the power of his emotions.

I narrowed my eyes, waiting for guilt or something to burn my stomach, but it didn’t.

“Every time I hold back,” the professor continued, “you transfer into someone else. All of our work to prevent you from transferring…” he trailed off and shook his head. “This is a mess. But honestly, a more peaceful solution than the anger that’s been brewing for the last month. Go to your tower. Ram’s girlfriend has come forward. Ram injected you with human ketamine and then stuck you with a magical version; it will take the rest of the night to get out of your system unless you let Ashe take it out.”

I wrinkled my nose. “Ah, I think Ashe is indisposed. I’ll be riding it out.”

Professor Garnet nodded and looked at Saffron and Beryl. “Don’t leave her side. Make sure she gets a lot of water.” Professor Garnet stepped forward and cupped my cheek. My magic reached for him, and I let it, sinking a small piece under his skin.

Professor Garnet scowled. “Aphy, don’t. I’m an addict. This is not right.”

“Why?” I asked. “Because the MA said it wasn’t? Because someone told you transfers were unnatural?” I balled my fists. “I know your history. You love teaching because, like every person in your life, the students here are in it and then move on so you can’t get attached. I don’t want to be just another student.” I narrowed my eyes. “I’m tired of hearing your excuses for why we can’t be together. I want us to be more than our pasts.”

Professor Garnet’s eyes widened.

I kept going, everything I’d been holding back, pouring out. “I don’t know what right and wrong are anymore. I never did. But transferring is who I am.” I poked Professor Garnet in the chest. “You fear my magic because it makes you crave a dark part of your nature. But dark isn’t bad. If I’ve learned nothing else here: nothing’s black and white. You have more self-control than anyone in this place. Liking something that makes you happy and being addicted to it are not the same thing. I’m done trying to guess what other people think is right and wrong, and I’m done living in fear. There has to be a place for me to be me.”

I dragged the tall professor down to me and kissed him fast and hard. My magic didn’t flow into him. It stayed where I wanted it. I was in control. After a tense moment, where I was sure he’d pull away, he surged forward and attempted to wrap me in his arms.

I didn’t let him.

Bending my knees, I slipped out of his embrace and stepped back. “I’m still the same Aphrodite you pulled away from when I didn’t have control.” I rubbed my chest. “Being with me means facing your demons, not hiding from them. I’m building something. No hiding, no rules, no guilt. Just raw honesty. Think about what you want, Professor.”

I took Saffron and Beryl’s hands and tugged them toward the door.

“Aphy, you have to find a place in society working within the rules we all live by,” Professor Garnet said quietly. “We all do. They destroy everyone who doesn’t.”

I giggled. “Let them come at me, I’m a powerhouse.” I got the attention of my MA agents still guarding the door. “You two, with me, you get to guard my tower now. The rest of you escort Professor Garnet to Officer Keres and support whatever he’s doing.”

I gave Professor Garnet a hard look. “And if I die, I die being true to myself.”

The professor’s eyes glowed as I walked past him. Although he still frowned in disapproval, conflict danced in his gaze.

Chapter 16

The sun streaming through my low windows woke me the following morning. I tried to stretch and found myself pinned by bodies. I snuggled deeper into my love nest and enjoyed being alive.

One of Beryl’s beefy arms rested on top of me, his heart beat steadily under my ear. Saffron’s morning chub poked my butt. His breath wooshed across the hickey he’d left on my neck.

Although still sticky with our juices, I wiggled between them, trying to wake them up for a final round. But the two mages were dead to the world. Magical hard-ons were no joke. I didn’t know a man could have seven erections in one night. Or that I could have that many orgasms.

Beryl stirred enough to give me a half awake kiss, before rolling over and going back to sleep. I gave up on my efforts and shimmied out from between them. The sound of Ashe doing his morning exercises drifted up the stairs. I pulled on Beryl’s shirt before making my way down.

Ashe didn’t pause in his crazy half push up, half jump and clap thing. My bladder chose this moment to desperately cry for relief. I fled to the washroom.

A long, hot shower helped me sort through my emotions. Although Ram’s drugs had lowered my inhibitions, I remembered every time I used my magic. Every decision I made. I wouldn’t take any of them back. I’d enjoyed controlling others, maybe too much.

Since coming to the Institute, I’d fixated on good and evil. And yet, under my nose, good people had been doing bad things. I did an evil thing by taking away others' free will, but they were slowly strangling us. The entire point of the Aptitudes was to teach us to make better choices, but someone with no power had no choice.

I dried off and donned Beryl's shirt once more. The hem brushed my knees. though I could’ve put on my issued cream PJ’s, I liked this better.

As I exited the washroom, Ashe turned from the coffee machine. Dark bags hung under his eyes. With his lips in a tight line, he scanned me up and down, before turning back to the machine. “I brought your guards a snack and a bottle to piss in.” A stream of brown liquid poured into a mug. “But you might want to fucking invite them in to relieve themselves, at least.”

I blinked a few times as guilt twisted my stomach. I’d ordered them to guard my tower. Their needs hadn’t even occurred to me. I sprinted to my door and threw it open, apologizing profusely.

The two accepted my apology with the stoic faces I associated with the MA. One at a time they came in to do their business. Ashe gave them a coffee as they headed back out. Other than maybe looking a tad annoyed, they didn’t seem hurt in any way.

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