Chapter Eighteen #2
His broad shoulders taper down to a slim waist, and the blue tinge to his skin practically glitters under the lights, defining the groves of his stomach and the V lines leading down temptingly.
There are darker patterns etched into the skin, and I’m familiar enough with the fae to know that it’s not a part of their usual genetic makeup, but I also don’t think that it’s magically done or a tattoo.
More and more, I’m starting to realise that my first assumption that they were all rare supernaturals or more than they first appeared was accurate.
There’s still a lot of mystery surrounding them, and I’m getting more curious.
Suddenly Killian appears by the edge of the sofa, stepping out of the shadow created by the lamp and making Loki jump.
He grins at Loki and takes a seat next to me, wrapping his arm around my shoulder.
His body stays tense though, and I’m assuming they found something out on their trip to spy on the Headmaster.
I’m about to ask where Storm is when black and smoky shadows start to coalesce into a shape in the middle of the room.
“Where’s Reaper?” Storm asks immediately, looking around the room. He’s not doing quite as good a job at hiding his anger and worry as Killian is trying to do, and I straighten, what the hell is going on now.
“I’m here. What’s up?” Reaper asks, appearing from his room and joining the rest of us on the sofas.
“We were right. As soon as the kid left the office, he was on the larimar stone. We're not sure who was on the other end, but his side of the conversation was extremely telling,” Storm crosses his arms over his chest as somehow his expression darkens even more.
“So he does have it out for us then?” Loki asks.
“Not for us,” Storm replies, looking at me.
“Oh, for fuck sake, me again?” I groan.
“Explain,” Reaper barks, and Storm’s gaze snaps to him with a questioning look and a raised eyebrow. Reaper holds firm and doesn’t try to defend his tone.
“The whole point of it was that Reaper would lose control and take Farren out. He banked on us staying out of the way and not caring enough to warn her,” he’s interrupted by a roar so loud that it shakes the room.
Everyone looks at Reaper, concerned as his fists clench and his eyes glow as the slit in his pupil grows.
“Reaper,” Storm warns.
He doesn’t reply, just shakes his head sharply, and for some unknown fucking reason, I get up from between Loki and Killian and plop my ass down on his lap, sitting sideways so I can wrap my arms around his neck.
As soon as my brain catches up with my actions, I start to panic.
What the fuck was I thinking? They’ve all told me how volatile he is, fuck, he’s told me he's deadly, and here I am just casually sitting on his lap whilst he’s growling fiercely enough that he’s shaking the fucking room?
What the fuck is wrong with me? As I start to spiral myself into self-hatred and despair, his arms wrap around me, and he looks at me confused, almost completely calm now.
Okay, so maybe a part of me knew what it was doing then.
That or I’m just extremely fucking lucky this time.
“What the hell, Farren, that was incredibly dangerous!” Storm practically shouts at me, the flames roaring between horns and starting to wrap around them, which is a new development. I glare at him in response.
“He’s fine. Carry on the explanation,” Killian orders.
Storm turns his glare on him, and then seeing whatever look is on his face, he backs down. I want to turn to see what look Killian just gave him, but Reaper is holding me so tightly I can barely move.
“He was going to use me to end her?” He asks, his voice still a rumble, but at least he’s talking instead of growling.
Storm watches him warily but answers anyway, “From what we overheard, yes. But it wasn’t his plan. He was working under someone else’s orders.”
“No idea who it could be?” Mayhem asks, looking at me.
I sigh, “Honestly, it could be a number of people. I need a little bit more information to go on than that.”
“Why am I not surprised?” Storm mutters with no real bite, so I just stick my tongue out in retribution.
“So we need to keep a closer eye on the Headmaster then. If we don’t get anywhere with that, we’ll have to question him ourselves,” Loki suggests.
“That’s probably all we can do for now. As well as stay alert, I highly doubt this is the only time he’s going to try to get to Farren,” Killian replies.
“Yes, especially since he clearly felt threatened by whoever was on the other end of the stone, and it takes a lot for the Headmaster of the Black Onyx Academy to feel threatened,” Storm adds.
“Great, now that we’ve got a plan in place for that.
I need to go back and check in on the crypt.
I also want to do some digging and see if I can find out who sent one of my assassins after Farren when she first arrived.
I should be back before classes tomorrow,” Killian gets up to stretch and gently pulls me out of Reaper's arms, grinning when he reluctantly lets me go.
He pulls me into a tight hug and kisses the top of my hair as I practically sink into his embrace, his tail tapping my leg.
“Stay safe,” I mutter.
“Always. You stay out of trouble.”
“I’ll try,” I chuckle as I step back.
“Do you want some company?” Rival asks.
Killian claps him on the shoulder, “Thanks, man, but it’s probably best I do this alone. They’re not the most trusting bunch of fuckers.”
“Fair enough,” Rival nods, looking slightly disappointed that he doesn’t get to tag along.
“Farren, could you do the honours, please?” He asks me.
I call forward my Void magic, pulling back at the last second when it tries to explode out of me and hoping that they don’t notice that I almost lost control.
I grasp hold of Killian’s hand and step in.
There’s a feeling of anticipation in the Void, different from the usual nothingness that I usually feel when I’m here.
For the first time, I’m slightly nervous.
Even when this gift first developed, I wasn’t worried.
Thankfully I manage to keep my reaction from Killian, and when we arrive in his office, he gives me a lingering kiss on my cheek, close to my lips.
“Fuck it,” he mutters, and suddenly his lips are on mine, and I melt into him as my nerve endings start to fire with pleasure.
He runs his tongue across the seam of my lips, and I eagerly open up, moaning when his tongue tangles with mine and his hands flex on my hips, shadows start to caress my neck, I honestly had no idea he could control them like that, and my mind goes wild with possibilities.
Eventually, the kiss slows, and he steps back, his smile is gentle, and his eyes are full of affection as he reaches his hand up and gently strokes his fingers across my cheek.
“Go on, you better get back before I’m tempted to keep you here, and the guys have my head.”
I nod, at a complete loss for words from the pure need in that kiss, as I call the Void forward and step through. It felt like it meant more than it had before.
As soon as I’m alone in the Void, something rushes me.
“Whoops, used a bit too much power then, sorry.”
I suddenly find myself in my room with no idea how I got there, the last thing I remember is kind, deep blue and gold eyes and then nothing.
I feel like something important happened, the memory is just on the periphery of my mind but remains out of reach.
My magic is calm, which is a good sign. It means that whatever happened wasn’t necessarily a threat to me.
As frustrating as it is, I know I’m not going to be able to force myself to remember what happened, and I have a feeling that when the time is right, I’ll remember.
My stomach grumbles, so I head towards the door, feeling slightly shaky and, for some confusing reason, excited.
“Hey, your back. Did Killian get back okay?” Loki asks.
“Yeah, I’m not sure how he’s planning to get back to the academy though, he didn’t say. I guess he might get one of the guys good with portals to drop him just outside the grounds since this whole place is warded,” I reply, rambling slightly.
He looks at me slightly suspiciously but doesn’t comment on my rambling, “Probably. We’re just about to order some food, none of us fancied going down to the dining room. Do you want anything?”
“Sure,” I reply, relieved that he’s let the subject drop.
It's not until after we’ve eaten and everyone has gone to bed that I realise that Killian fucking kissed me like I truly meant something to him.
After everything that happened in the Void, it slipped my mind.
I love it when Killian kisses me, and it doesn’t happen as often as I’d like. I go to sleep with a smile on my face.