Chapter 11 Ash
Ash
Both Silver and I were standing in the Dean’s office along with the head of magical security and Professor Blackwood. We were in deep shit.
“So, Mr. Vale,” the Dean said, taking a seat behind his desk. “Would you like to explain everyone how you managed an unsanctioned teleportation from within the wards being only a sophomore year student?” He looked at Silver. “And how Mr. Erestolal here is involved?”
“D-Do you need the exact story?” I asked, heat rushing to my cheeks. “Or is a rough approximation alright?”
“Exact details, Mr. Vale,” the Dean said, looking thoroughly unamused by my deflection. “This is a serious breach of school security. We need to know every detail so we can make sure it doesn’t happen again.”
My stomach dropped to the floor. “Um, well, sir...” I stammered, looking anywhere but at Silver or Professor Blackwood. The shadows in the corners of the room seemed to shrink away from me, as if even they were embarrassed.
“We’re waiting, Mr. Vale,” Dean Thornfield said, tapping his fingers on the desk.
Silver cleared his throat beside me. “Sir, if I may—”
“You may not, Mr. Erestolal,” the Dean cut him off sharply. “I’d like to hear from Mr. Vale first, considering he’s the one who apparently transported you both through our supposedly impenetrable wards.”
I took a deep breath, wishing the ground would open up and swallow me whole. “We were in the locker room, sir. I was cleaning, and Silver came in to get a textbook he’d forgotten.”
“At midnight?” Professor Blackwood asked, one eyebrow raised.
“Yes,” I nodded, not meeting her eyes. “I’ve been... adjusting my cleaning schedule to accommodate my coursework.”
The head of magical security, a stern-looking djinn with turquoise blue skin, scoffed. “And this required both of you to be naked when you were found?”
My face burned so hot I thought it might catch fire. “We, uh... that is to say...”
“They were engaging in sexual activities, obviously,” Professor Blackwood stated matter-of-factly. “What I want to know is how that led to breaking through the school’s protective wards and materializing in the woods three miles from campus.”
I glanced at Silver, who looked surprisingly composed despite the situation. His silver eyes met mine briefly, and I felt that familiar spark between us.
“My shadows got... excited,” I admitted, wishing I could disappear into them right now. “When we... when I... during the...” I gestured vaguely with my hands.
“During your orgasm,” Professor Blackwood supplied helpfully, making me want to die on the spot. “Your magic responded to the heightened emotional and physical state.”
“Yes,” I whispered. “That.”
Dean Thornfield sighed heavily, removing his glasses to pinch the bridge of his nose. “And the protective ring I had Professor Blackwood give you? The one specifically designed to prevent uncontrolled shadow walking?”
I held up my hand, showing the circular burn mark where the ring had been. “It... disintegrated, sir.”
That got everyone’s attention. The Djinn stepped closer, examining my hand with newfound interest. “Impossible. Those rings are forged with enchanted silver. They don’t just... disintegrate.”
“Well, this one did,” I said. “Right when we... you know.”
“Fascinating,” Professor Blackwood murmured, her academic curiosity apparently overriding her concern about the situation.
“The combination of sexual energy and your natural shadow affinity shouldn’t have been able to surpass the enchantment on the ring.
” She stepped closer, looking between me and Silver.
“Is there something more going on here?”
I shrugged. “I don’t think so.”
Then Silver sighed next to me. I glanced over at him, confused by his reaction, but he kept his gaze on the floor.
“There is a possibility…” he began.
“Go on,” the Dean urged. “We need every detail.”
Silver took a deep breath, steadying himself. “There is a possibility of… of a mate bond forming.”
“A mate bond?” Professor Blackwood seemed confused. “How is that possible? It’s my understanding that Dark Elves don’t form mate bonds.”
“I didn’t think so either until I checked.
” Silver shifted uncomfortably next to me.
“It’s rare, but not impossible. In our history, there are legends of dark elves forming profound magical connections with beings from other realms. But usually, it’s with a shifter that has a proclivity toward mate bonds to begin with.
I don’t know of any between a witch and a dark elf. ”
“And you believe this is happening between you and Mr. Vale?” Dean Thornfield asked, his expression unreadable.
“I don’t know,” Silver admitted. “But every time we touch, there’s this... electricity between us. And his magic responds to me in ways that aren’t normal.”
My heart hammered in my chest. A mate bond? Was that why I couldn’t stop thinking about him? Why my magic went haywire whenever he was near?
“Mr. Vale,” Professor Blackwood turned to me, her eyes intense. “Did you ever cast any spells related to love or bonding? Even as a child? Perhaps something you didn’t fully understand at the time?”
My stomach dropped. The memory hit me like a brick. The spell book I’d found in my grandmother’s attic when I was twelve, a midnight ritual performed under the light of a blood moon. I’d convinced myself it hadn’t worked when no one appeared.
“I... might have,” I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper. “I know they’re forbidden, but I was twelve years old. I didn’t think true love spells actually worked.”
The room fell silent. Dean Thornfield’s eyebrows shot up so high they nearly disappeared into his hairline.
“You cast a true love spell?” Professor Blackwood’s voice was eerily calm. “At twelve years old?”
I nodded miserably. “I was lonely. No one at school liked me. I thought... I thought if I could find my true love, everything would be better.”
“And what were the material components of the spell?” the Dean asked.
“Blood,” I said. “Just a few drops. And I had to chant under a full moon. The spell was supposed to draw my true love to me, but nothing happened. No one showed up. I figured it didn’t work. I was just a kid screwing around with things I didn’t understand.”
“Or,” Professor Blackwood said slowly, “it worked exactly as intended, but the timing wasn’t right. The universe doesn’t operate on a twelve-year-old’s schedule, Mr. Vale.”
Silver was staring at me now, those silver eyes wide with shock.
“You’re saying that spell I cast a nearly a decade ago... brought Silver to me?” I couldn’t wrap my head around it. “A spell that was far too powerful for anyone in my family worked for me?”
“Far more powerful than anyone at this school could pull off, I dare say,” Professor Blackwood nodded. “Most would be lucky to manage a short-lived lust. But true love… that takes an exceptionally powerful witch to achieve.”
“True love?” Silver’s voice broke through my shock. “That’s not possible.”
“And yet, here we are,” Dean Thornfield gestured to the both of us. “A shadow witch who can break through our wards during climax and a dark elf who claims to feel a mate bond where none should exist.”
I couldn’t bring myself to look at Silver. A true love spell? Had I really bound us together without either of us having a choice? The thought made me sick.
“I didn’t mean to,” I whispered. “I was just a kid. I didn’t think it would actually work.”
“Intention matters little in magic of this magnitude,” Professor Blackwood said, her voice gentler now. “What’s done is done. The question is what we do about it.”
“We need to break it,” I said immediately, finally looking at Silver. His face was unreadable, those silver eyes studying me intently. “We can’t be bound by some spell I cast when I was twelve. That’s not fair to either of us.”
“Fair or not,” the Dean interjected, “we have a more immediate problem. Mr. Vale’s shadow magic is clearly unstable and potentially dangerous. If he can break through our wards during a moment of... heightened emotion, what else might happen?”
“I can control it,” I insisted, though I wasn’t entirely sure that was true. “This was just... unexpected.”
“Clearly,” the Djinn said dryly. “But what happens next time you two decide to... fraternize? Will you teleport into the middle of downtown? Into another realm entirely? Into the Veil?”
A chill ran down my spine at the mention of the Veil. The empty space between life and death where nothing existed except gray waters and wandering spirits on their way to the afterlife.
“I think,” Professor Blackwood said carefully, “we need to investigate this bond further before making any decisions. If it truly is a mate bond strengthened by a true love spell, severing it could have serious consequences for both Mr. Vale and Mr. Erestolal.”
“What kind of consequences?” Silver asked, speaking for the first time in several minutes.
“In the worst cases? Death,” Professor Blackwood replied bluntly. “More commonly, the loss of magical ability, chronic pain, or deep psychological trauma. Breaking a true bond isn’t like canceling a charming spell.”
I felt the blood drain from my face. “So, we’re just... stuck like this? Forever?”
“Not necessarily,” the Dean said. “But we need to proceed with caution. In the meantime, Mr. Vale, you’ll need stronger containment for your magic.” He turned to Professor Blackwood. “What do you suggest?”
She thought for a moment. “The Obsidian Bracers from the vault should suffice. They’ll dampen his shadow walking abilities without completely suppressing his magic down to nothing.”
“Obsidian Bracers?” I echoed, not liking the sound of that at all.
“They’re not punishment,” the Dean added. “We just want to keep you and the rest of the students safe until we figure this out.”
“But all I did was teleport!”
“No,” the Djinn responded, “you didn’t just teleport. You punched a literal hole in the wards surrounding the school causing them all to fail. For sixteen and a half minutes, Widdershins Academy was completely open and visible to the entire human world. Anyone could’ve walked in.”
“That’s not possible,” I stammered, panic rising in my chest. “I couldn’t have! The wards are centuries old! My magic can barely clean a locker room on time!”
“And yet you did,” the Djinn replied, his turquoise skin darkening with anger. “Do you have any idea what could have happened in those sixteen minutes? Any creature could have wandered onto the grounds! It could’ve killed as student!”
I felt like I was going to be sick. My shadows curled protectively around my ankles, responding to my distress, but that only seemed to make the magical security head more agitated.
“Control those,” he snapped, pointing at the shadows. “Or I’ll contain them myself.”
“Enough, Samael,” Dean Thornfield said firmly. “Mr. Vale isn’t doing this deliberately.”
Silver’s hand suddenly found mine, his fingers intertwining with my own. That familiar electric current passed between us, but instead of making my magic more erratic, it seemed to calm it. My shadows settled, reluctantly retreating to their normal positions.
“I’ll wear the bracers,” I said quietly, trying to keep my voice steady. “Whatever you think is necessary.”
Professor Blackwood nodded approvingly. “A wise decision, Mr. Vale.”
“In the meantime,” the Dean continued, “you two will need to be contained together. We’ll need to put special wards around your room to make sure you can’t shadow walk out again.”
“You… You’re not going to separate us?” I asked, looking up at the Dean.
He just smiled. “I used to be a college student once. I know that separating you two won’t keep you apart. Better to have you in one place that we can keep an eye on in case the bracers aren’t strong enough. You two will share Mr. Erestolal’s room.”
“What?!” Silver looked stunned. “We’re going to share my room?”
“Is that a problem?”
“No, sir. I just…” Silver faltered for a moment. “My family calls unexpectedly sometimes and they might be upset about me sharing rooms with a… a…”
“A witch?” the Dean finished.
Silver nodded with a sigh. “Yes.”
The Dean raised an eyebrow. “I’m well aware of the tensions between some dark elf families and witches, Mr. Erestolal, but this is a matter of school safety. I’m sure you can explain the situation to your family if they call.”
“Yes, sir,” Silver replied, looking resigned.
I stared at the floor, feeling completely overwhelmed.
In the span of a single night, I’d broken through supposedly impenetrable wards, discovered a forgotten childhood spell I’d cast had actually worked, and was now being forced to wear magical restraints and move in with the guy I couldn’t stop thinking about.
A guy who was apparently my magically-bound true love mate thing.
“When do I need to move my things?” I asked quietly.
“It’s already been started,” the Dean said, snapping his fingers. “Campus staff is moving your things as we speak.”
“What about my roommate?” I wondered aloud. “What will you tell him?”
“That you’ve been reassigned due to your special magical needs,” Professor Blackwood said smoothly. “It happens often enough with students who require particular magical accommodations.”
Silver squeezed my hand gently, the warmth of his touch sending that familiar electric current up my arm. Despite everything, I found myself drawing comfort from the contact.
“There’s one more thing,” Dean Thornfield said, his expression growing more serious.
“This situation must remain confidential. The official story is that Mr. Vale had a magical mishap that requires closer supervision. Nothing about true love spells or mate bonds or shadow magic. Is that understood?”
We both nodded.
“Good. Now, Professor Blackwood will take Mr. Vale to retrieve the Obsidian Bracers, then to his dormitory. Mr. Erestolal, you’re free to return to your room and prepare for your new roommate.”
Silver reluctantly released my hand, and the loss of contact left me feeling strangely bereft. He gave me one last unreadable look before heading for the door.
“Silver,” I called after him, not even sure what I wanted to say. Sorry for accidentally binding us together with a spell I cast as a child? Thanks for not completely freaking out?
He paused, those silver eyes meeting mine. “We’ll talk later,” he said quietly. “In private.”
As the door closed behind him, I felt a knot form in my stomach. What a mess I’d created. And now I was going to be living with him, wearing magical restraints like some kind of dangerous criminal.
“Come along, Mr. Vale,” Professor Blackwood said, her voice gentler than usual. “Let’s get those bracers fitted.”