Page 140 of The Holy Academy of Witches

“If you touch the chocolate I’ll show no mercy!” I cried, launching after him, his answering laugh bringing a little more hope to my aching heart.

Seventy-Four

Adeline

“Oh look! It’s the American!” Lillian whispered, tugging my elbow. I rolled my eyes at her and glanced over to look at Sage but stopped mid-step on seeing Theo, leaning against a wall, talking to one of his room mates. I couldn’t get used to this, he was everywhere. It was bad enough when he was just occupying my mind, but now… He was in the halls, in the library, in the pool, in the air I couldn’t quite find enough of. I shook my hair over my shoulder, feigning disinterest and continued walking like I’d not even seen him. But I felt his eyes on my every step. My heart was the pounding evidence.

“He’s so hot,” Lillian continued in a not so subtle whisper.

“You’re only saying that because he’s new and exotic,” Gemma replied. I snorted whilst shaking my head as I passed Sage the notes I’d promised her in a class this morning.

“I don’t think so, he’s absolutely gorgeous. Look at those muscles!” Lillian mimed fanning herself and a completely irrational rage burned low in my stomach. “You agree, don’t you Adeline? I’ve seen you staring at him.” I looked away from Lillian to see Dorcas watching me.

“Nah, he’s not Adeline’s type… No one’s good enough, right Adeline?” She smirked in a dare.

I laughed coolly and Sage pulled a face at the topic of conversation, “Of course not. We’re just… Nothing, we’re nothing.” Sage frowned at my insistence and opened her mouth to object. “Okay, he’s Sage’s brother so we’re… friends?” I nodded firmly to get both Dorcas and Sage off my back. Though as soon as the words left my mouth they felt wrong, even more so when I felt his presence at my back. Lillian giggled in a ridiculously flirtatious way and I have never wanted to rip someone’s throat out more in my entire life.

Turning, I met Theo’s eyes.

“Afternoon girls.” Lillian opened her mouth to respond but Gemma elbowed her hard enough for her to make an unnaturally high squeak, which resulted in her cheeks going bright pink, “Adeline… a word?”

Shit. Why was he talking to me?

I watched as my friends walked away, glancing over their shoulders and whispering. Great. As soon as they were out of sight, he closed in on me, forcing me to move until my back pressed against the cool panelled wall, his arms braced on either side of me, penning me in. He took a step closer into my personal space. His aftershave consumed me and I’ll be damned if it wasn’t the best thing I’d ever smelled.

Leaning into me, his lips grazed my ear as he whispered, “Friends?” My heart raced as his warm breath raised goosebumps across my flesh, “Because it sure feels like you’re trying not to think about what it’s like to kiss me… What it’d feel like to have my body pressed against you…” he leaned even closer, his knee nudging between my legs, “What it’d feel like if I wrapped those pretty thighs of yours around my waist…” he stepped away from me. My thoughts clearing, his cold laugh like a slap to the face. “Or maybe that was before?” He turned and walked up the corridor and I let my head fall back against the wall, my knees weak.

“Oh, Adeline?” He called. I turned my head his way to see he was walking backwards away from me, “I’m not your friend.”

“Well, shit. We were joking, but maybe there is something going on with you two.” Dorcas said, leaning against the classroom door.

“There isn’t, I don’t even like him. He’s a twat.” I snapped and stormed into the classroom.

As I sat at the desk Sage regarded me closely, “Why are you being weird?”

“I’m not being weird, it’s just your imagination.” I replied coolly as I opened the textbook we would be working from in today’s lecture.

“You’ve been weird ever since the boys joined the Academy. I would have thought you’d be happy to see Cillian more.” Sage commented.

“Speak for yourself.” I replied, staring her down.Two could play this game. She pursed her lips and looked to the front of class. “I’m not being weird.” I insisted once more.

Lillian leaned back in her seat to talk to Dorcas on my other side, “Courtney Wagstaff said Theo’s hung like a horse.” I stiffened in my seat as Sage pulled a face like she had sucked on a lemon.

“How would Courtney Wagstaff know what his dick is like?” Dorcas asked, leaning across my desk. Her strong perfume invaded my nostrils.

“She heard from Jennifer, who heard from Kylie who overheard Chelsea say that she saw him changing in the locker rooms!” Lillian whispered back with excitement.

I banged my textbook down on the desk, making Dorcas and Lillian jump apart, “Well, Courtney Wagstaff needs to learn to shut her mouth before someone shuts it for her!” Dorcas and Lillian exchanged a look as I pointedly ignored them both. “Now, can we please concentrate on the lecture? It’s important.”

“But it’s not even started?” Lillian looked at me with confusion, I turned my head slowly till I was looking at her. She swallowed nervously and looked to the front of the class with her hands clasped, remaining completely silent as she waited for the lesson to begin.

“I thought listening to girls talk about Cillian would be… I forgot how crazy girls get for my brother.” She shuddered, “Thanks for shutting them up, I don’t know how much longer I could have listened to that without puking.”Yeah, that was totally for your benefit.

* * *

Professor Biggle droned on about scrying in a lecture I could have taught in my sleep. I checked the time on my phone to see how long I would be subjected to this and saw I had a message off Cillian.

Cillian: Hey, wanna meet for lunch? Courtyard? X

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