Page 33 of Baneful Magick

I’d never really had that chance. I could never manage basic craft skills, had lesbian moms that weren’t witches, and six siblings that were all different supes. Not being able to blend in was second nature to me. Standing out wasn’t always a great thing, but I had learned to embrace it and make it a shield to protect myself. Definitely not a healthy coping mechanism, but beggars can’t be choosers.

Wrangling in my wandering thoughts, I sat down and opened my laptop, quietly groaning at the lack of progress I had made. My two pages definitely hadn’t multiplied while I was gone.Why did we have to have fucking busy work?

“An issue?” a cool voice asked, and my head snapped up to see the librarian standing there, pointedly looking from me to the empty seat where Bones had sat.

I considered the vampire in front of me. He was tall, maybe right over six feet if I had to guess. A harsh, angular face and a sharp jawline made him look so different from a stereotypical vampire, and a hint of his fangs showed as he clicked his tongue. There was a scar on the left side of his face, starting right by his nose then curving up to his eye and stopping just above his eyebrow. Short mahogany hair was precisely styled without a strand out of place. His dark brown eyes scrutinized me.

‘Isla, stop gawking at the vampire and answer him.’

‘Now you have commentary? Not when I was alone with the bone fae?’I shot back, relieved to hear Cassius’ dry teasing after being silent for so long.

‘Beastie. Words. He is waiting.’

“Bones needed a break, so he went out for a smoke,” I replied, forcing my gaze from the man I had been staring at way too long to be polite. “I’m sure he’ll be back. If you meant to askwhetherIhave an issue, the answer is no. I'm just annoyed by this assignment.”

The librarian didn’t move. Was he even breathing? I couldn’t stop thinking about the vampire standing near me. An awareness of him surrounded me until I swore I could hear the slow pumping of his heart.What the hell is wrong with me?

“Bones? An interesting nickname for Bricriu… Even more intriguing is that you stuck to it. You are brave.”

I shrugged nonchalantly. “He kidnapped me to bring me here. I think that gives me special privileges.”

The vampire placed one hand on the table beside my laptop and another on the back of my chair, leaning into my personal space. He whispered in my ear, “Be careful, Miss Hallowes. There is a beast that slumbers inside of Bricriu just waiting for the perfect prey. Caution would be wise when dealing with him.”

“Isn’t that true for everyone here?” I forced myself to keep my breathing even as my heart sped up at his proximity. A hint of smokiness and blood hit me as he chuckled at the answer. “I’ve only been here a few days, but maybe it’s time to remind people to watch out for poisonous thorns.”

“We all crave and thrive amidst those thorns, Miss Hallowes. Some of us more than others.”

“Do you mean Bricriu or you? With all these suggestive warnings when it comes to him, I’m not sure which person I should be wary of,” I breathed, steeling myself to look him in the eye.

Hellsing didn’t move away when I met his stare, and I suddenly became aware of just how empty the library was. The students that had been there had all left at some point, and now I had the librarian right in my personal space. I licked my lips, all too aware of how close we were. His gaze dipped down to follow the movement then back up at me. Heat built between us.

‘Don’t you fucking dare, Isla.’

‘I haven’t done anything,’I retorted.

‘You’re—’

His snarky response was cut off when Hellsing leaned forward, his lips a breath away from my own. Even Cassius froze.

“Flings with students arenotpermitted, Miss Hallowes.”

“You’re the one in my personal space, Mr. Hellsing, not the other way around. And you have an awful lot of interest when it comes to Bricriu. Is that normal?” I replied, accepting the husky timbre of my reply when I accidentally brushed my lips against his.

Heat hit me like a wave, crashing into me so damn hard it took me under. It felt impossible to find my way to the surface. Now that I’d felt even a hint of his touch, the only thing I wanted was more of it.

My mind filled with flashes of sharp fangs scraping over skin followed by the teasing caress of his tongue along my collarbone. There would be a sharp bite, then hot blood flowing from my body as strong arms wrapped around my chest. Those visions felt… odd, tangible in a way I wasn’t familiar with, but a small movement brought my full attention back to the vampire.

As if he knew what I was thinking, his face became flushed, but he stood abruptly, his breathing ragged. A small gasp escaped when he stepped away from me, the fresh air making my lungs burn. What the hell was going on? The only other time I’d been hit so hard with this level of attraction was the first time I’d met the high fae that had brought my invitation to my home.

“Do your work, Miss Hallowes. Don’t play games you can’t hope to win.”

“What if I wasn’t playing to win?” I countered softly, my body humming with need. Hellsing quickly strode away from me, disappearing into the rows of bookshelves. Cassius’ displeasure was clear in my mind, but I couldn’t take my gaze away from where the vampire had gone.

‘Isla—’

‘He came onto me, Cassius, not the other way around. And his interest in Bones seemed more than just a professor concerned about a student. I’m leaving this homework for tomorrow.’

‘Your little friend saw you.’

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