Page 20 of Baneful Magick

His mouth opened and closed a few times as a blush warmed his cheeks. Eventually, he sat down on the grass by my feet and started looking over his schedule, avoiding our stares.

Zhara clicked her tongue. “You’ve embarrassed him, Isla.”

“By including him? No way,” I responded before turning to the witch near us. “Did I embarrass you?”

“Unless she commented on your manhood, then it’s nothing compared to how we met her,” Aizel commented dryly.

I snorted when Wells looked between us, probably trying to figure out how serious the incubus was being.

“And yes, we all just met last night. We’re suitemates,” Echo added as he and his brother sat down and completed our circle.

“See? We’re all clingy.”

“I just don’t know anyone else to help me get away from you lot,” Aizel retorted. We all pretended now to see the wave of students moving around us. If he really wanted to strike out on his own, all he’d need to do was stand up and pick someone to talk to.

“What classes do you have?” I asked Zhara, leaning over to see her paper.

“Magickal Self-Defense, Supernatural Politics, Werewolf History, Herbology for Beginners, and Sex Magick.” She sighed after the last one. “How about you?”

“Magickal Self-Defense, Advanced Herbology, Supernatural Politics, Forbidden Magick, and Familiar Care,” I replied, happy that some of ours were the same.

“How the hell do you not have Sex Magick?” Zhara asked. “How doIhave it?”

“It could be a beginner course, or maybe it will lean more toward werewolf stuff,” Echo offered.

“I have it too,” Wells said, “though I don’t know what time.”

Zhara leaned forward and grabbed the paper out of his hand to compare their schedules. It seemed they did have the same class, and as Zhara talked, Wells started to relax more. The more we casually included him in conversation, the more at ease he became until he started to willingly contribute here and there.

We sat there for a while, and as the minutes passed, a twitchy feeling built. I was being watched, but by who? Studying my surroundings, I tried to pinpoint who it could be, but the Barbie bitches were nowhere to be seen, and I didn’t spot Bricriu, who was my second guess.

No one stood out, so I tried to keep my attention on my new friends. As we finally got a game plan together to explore thecampus and find our classes, that weight vanished. I swallowed hard, fighting down my nerves and discreetly wiping off my sweaty palms as I stood up.

“Sex class first?” Aizel asked suggestively, wiggling his eyebrows.

“You really need to review the basics that badly?” I asked without missing a beat.

Wells choked as Aizel stumbled back, wincing dramatically and pretending that I had hurt him, though the good humor in his eyes told me that my brand of humor didn’t offend him. In the meantime, his brother wrapped an arm around my shoulders and started to lead the way toward the lecture halls.

“I can show you how good I am at everything, including the basics,” he flirted while Aizel laughed and fell into step beside Zhara and Wells. The hair on the back of my neck stood up, but it had nothing to do with the man beside me. That feeling of being watched overcame me again.

Between that and the silence from Cassius, my anxiety was on the rise. What the hell was going on?

AMBROSE

Fire scorched through my veins as thatincubustouched Isla. He didn’t even have the fucking right to breathe the same air as her much lesstouchher. Her laugh rang in my ears as they disappeared out of sight, but I could detect a sense of unease.

She knew I had been watching.

I licked my lips, recalling her surprise when I entered the lecture hall today.

She was just as fucking appealing as I recalled. Thatcher wanted me to stay away from her, and Julian had given me a warning glare when he caught me staring at Isla during our talk, but I’d never been good at following directions.

I couldn’t wait until she realized that she would be seeing me every week for Forbidden Magick. Before the end of the semester, I’d have her on her knees… one way or another. I couldn’t fucking wait to know what she tasted like.

Her blood was going to be so damn sweet, and I bet her tears would be too.

Chapter 8

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