Page 87 of Magical Academy for Delinquents
I was searching during Study Hall when I got nature’s call. I closed my laptop and grabbed the hall pass from Professor Torrez’s desk. He was snoring, a pile of half-graded Magical History papers in front of him.
When I went into the girls’ restroom, it was empty, mercifully. It didn’t stay that way, however. Shoes clicked across the tiles and sneakers squeaked and soon I heard the dulcet tones of Laura Whitehall. I gently lifted my feet from the floor and set them on either side of the stall door. I didn’t have time for petty girls today. And I’d already had one of her lackeys try and knife me on our run. Evan had scared the kid off. But if she found me alone—I could hold my own. But I didn’t have time to recover from a knife wound. Not when the clock was counting down.
Laura’s feet stopped in front of the mirror. A zipper sounded and then a littlepopas she opened her lipstick. “He hates that bitch. What the hell was he doing in her room?”
“Heard he pranked her, I wouldn’t worry about it,” another girl said. “You know they have that war going on.”
Laura snorted. “I don’t think it’s just that. He’s not taking me to the ball anymore.”
“WHAT?” The indignant shriek echoed around the room. “No way he’s taking that whore.”
“I’d already bought my dress and everything.”
“He shouldn’t even get to go, he’s not an Unnatural.”
“Please. His dad can buy his way into anything.”
“Fucking bitch. We should get one of those Fang dudes to shift and let him loose in her room. You know they mark the shit out of everything.”
Laura’s laugh was brittle. “I know where Callum is. Let’s go find him. He’d probably do it just for fun.”
I stayed still and silent as they finished up their makeup and left. Then I stood and let my power flash under my nails, lighting them up. If Laura wanted to do this, I wasn’t gonna stop her. I was just gonna make sure she got caught.
* * *
That night wasMalcolm’s night since he and Evan had traded. Evan had tricked Trusk, the Spell writing professor into testing him with the most complicated spells possible, feeding into the professor’s hopes that Evan wanted to make it out of here and get a job with the Pinnacle. Every professor seemed to aspire to teach a Pinnacle-bound student.
When I got to Malcolm’s room, backpack in hand, video feed of my room playing on my phone, I expected another board game. Instead, Malcolm grabbed my phone and backpack, tossing them down.
He backed me up against the door, pinning me with his hips.
Immediately, my nipples tightened. Malcolm gave me a dark, knowing look. Then he slid his mouth over mine, teasing me with those lips. I grabbed onto his honey hair and yanked his mouth down to mine so I could take what I wanted. But, ever the patient torturer, he simply gently stroked my arms until I lowered my hands. Then he bound both my wrists in one of his large palms and returned to teasing kisses.
I pulled back and whined. "I thought the point was to for you to fuck me for a power up. Why haven’t you taken me yet?"
Malcolm chuckled. "You think I give a shit about the power up, Shakespeare?" Something in my heart skipped at that. My breath caught and I leaned up onto my tiptoes, so I could kiss him better and show him what that admission meant to me.
But he just backed away again. When I tried to kiss him harder, or press my pelvis forward, he simply leaned away until I was utterly frustrated and completely wet.
"You're mean," I pouted, jutting out my lower lip.
"You're impatient. I'm winning, by the way." His lips gently brushed over my jaw.
"Winning what?" I sighed, tilting my head to give him better access.
"A new game. The rules are—the person who comes first, loses."
"But I want to come first."
"Then you're going to lose."
"Maybe I don't care about winning," I said, trying to sound impertinent. But Malcolm knew better. He'd trained me better than that. Any little game he wanted to play, I always wanted to beat him. He stoked that competitive streak in me. "Dammit!" I tried to pull away from him, but he wouldn’t have that. Instead he spun us around so that my back was to the middle of the room.
He chuckled as he moved my hands behind my back, where he secured my wrists together once more. He pressed lightly against me. "See what a fun game this is?"
I laughed into our kiss. "It's not at all fun, you jerk."
"Come on, Shakespeare, you like my games. Admit it." His tongue darted out and traced down my neck to my collarbone. I arched into him.
