16. Matilda
16
MATILDA
Lunchtime rolls around, and I race to the dining hall in the hopes of getting a table or at least a seat this time. I grab a plate of hot food and a bottle of water from the nearest counter to me. The room is already packed with students, their excited chatter filling the air. Spotting an empty chair at a table near the back, I make a beeline for it. Sliding my arse into it seconds before another witch, I smile up at her innocently, trying not to rear back from the sheer malice in her eyes.
“That is my seat,” she says.
“I was here first,” I counter.
“I always sit here at this time.”
“No, you used to sit here at this time. Now I do.” I don’t back down from her icy glare as rage courses through her.
“New bitches need to be more aware of their place here.”
“Her place is at this table, in that exact chair with me,” Draven says, magicking up another chair and sitting opposite me. He leans back casually, looking sexy as fuck dressed all in black, his black veins seemingly brighter under his skin.
The witch stares at Draven, practically drooling all over him, and Sammy’s words echo in my mind. I sigh and resist the urge to claw her eyes out. It’s not my place. I cast a glance at Draven, but his gaze is on me and only me. He leans forward and takes my hand, kissing it before he places it back down, but he doesn’t let it go. The witch hisses, ice forming all around her as she marches off, and I smile.
“Hi.”
“Hey,” he says. “Told you I would find you.”
“You did. I didn’t need your help with her.”
“I know, but the quicker that was over with, the quicker I get to be with just you.”
My heart thuds as those sparkling blue eyes bore into me.
Draven’s intense gaze makes my skin tingle. I’m acutely aware that his hand is still holding mine on the table.
“How was your morning?” he asks casually, as if we’re just any normal couple having lunch.
“Interesting,” I reply, thinking of the disaster in Dark Magick and the surprising success in Air Magick. “Yours?”
He shrugs. “Boring, mostly. Though I did get to show off a bit in Death Magick Mastery.”
I raise an eyebrow. “Show off?”
A wicked grin spreads across his face. “I may have raised a dead plant for the class. No big deal.”
“No big deal?” I laugh. “That sounds incredible.”
His thumb traces circles on my hand, sending shivers up my arm. “It’s not as exciting as raising an army of the dead to do your bidding, but the prof did say I could assist in his class, so that was a score for me.”
“Impressive,” I say, happy for him and not at all jealous.
Okay, maybe I’m a little jealous. More like envious. It’s not born of malice just longing to be more like him.
Before he can respond, a shadow falls over our table.
“Well, isn’t this cosy with your boyfriend tackling bullies for you already?”
Boyfriend?
I look up to see Luc standing there, his eyes flickering between Draven and me. There’s something in his gaze that makes me uneasy. It’s curiosity and hunger that sets my nerves on edge.
Draven’s hand tightens on mine. “What do you want, Luc?”
Luc smiles, but it doesn’t reach his eyes. “Just checking on Matilda,” he says, sitting down and staring at my plate. “You going to eat that?”
I glance down and only now realise that the closest plate of hot food to me was, in fact, a steak so raw it’s still bleeding, next to a pile of chips. “Oh, uhm… that’s not what I…”
“You don’t take it rare?” Luc asks.
I shake my head. “I don’t think so. I’ve never had a steak before.”
Draven’s hand tightens in mine, but Luc smiles. “I can fix that. Rare, probably isn’t your style, sweet witch.” He places his hand over the top of it and blasts it with what can only be described as hellfire. The heat singes the tips of my hair, and I scramble backwards, letting go of Draven.
“Wow, okay, calm your tits,” I mutter as I stare at the now-cooked steak.
Luc chuckles. “Try it now.”
I do, and I let out a moan of delight. “Fuck, that’s perfect.” Smiling at him, I feel something hit my chest deep inside when he smiles back. It’s slow and lazy but wicked. He sits back and picks up the reusable cup with the hard plastic straw sticking out of it. He takes a long sip, eyes on me, and I see red liquid shoot up the straw, and the coppery tang of blood hits my nose.
“You drink blood?” I croak.
“I like the taste,” he practically purrs at me.
Draven growls. “Fuck. You are such a cock. Fuck off, will you?”
Luc’s eyes flash dangerously at Draven’s words, but his smile remains fixed in place. “Tell me to fuck off one more time today, and I will kick your ass so fucking hard.”
“You wish,” Draven drawls, and I frown.
I hadn’t thought about it before but why do they have two different accents if they grew up together? Interesting…
“Look, I get that you two have a bit of sibling rivalry or whatever this is, but we don’t want to cause a scene,” I mutter, having already drifted above the radar with the confrontation with the Ice Witch.
Luc’s eyes never leave Draven’s face, but he addresses me. “She’s right. We’ve already had a warning today. Let’s not push our luck.”
Draven raises his eyebrow, his expression one of disbelief at his brother’s words.
Feeling eyes on me, I look up and see the TA from Advanced Dark Magick staring at me from across the dining hall.
Vex’s intense gaze sends a prickle of goosebumps over my skin. His blue eyes promise both danger and desire, and I find myself unable to look away. A slow smirk spreads across his face when he sees he’s caught my attention. He taps his wrist, and I grimace at him, going back to my lunch, slicing into the steak viciously. Part of me wants to meet him later because I want to learn, but first, I need to know if that class is a mistake or not. The other part of me is screaming at me to stay away.
Unfortunately, it’s not screaming loud enough.