CHAPTER 7
Aelys
I curse softly under my breath. What was that dream?
I hear movement from the other side of the bed and I stiffen.
My eyes fall on Mattheo who turns onto his side, facing me.
I breathe a sigh of relief when I see he's still asleep.
Flashbacks of my dream come back to me and I blush deeply before getting up and rushing to the bathroom.
I splash cold water on my face. What's wrong with me? How could I have dreamed about... this? I've never had dreams like this before. I'll never be able to look Mattheo in the eyes again.
For fuck's sake, I just had an erotic dream about him!
I groan, running my hand through my hair in frustration. I know I won't be able to go back to sleep after a dream like this. Especially since he's sleeping in the same bed. However, it's too early to get up. I can't leave the room. So I'm stuck here.
“Fuck,” I moan.
I return to the bedroom and am relieved to notice that Mattheo is still asleep. I grab my wand and go sit on the sofa in front of the bookcase. I murmur, “Lux”.
A small light appears at its tip and I open my book. At least I can finish it to banish this nasty dream from my mind.
The sun begins to rise and I whisper the counter-spell to extinguish my wand. I hear Mattheo moving under the sheets and my grip on the book tightens. I can't let him read my thoughts after what happened with Tom in my dream.
I swallow the lump that's formed in my throat and glance over at him. He stands up, rubbing his eyes. He looks at my side of the bed before frowning and looking across the room. I keep my head down, not letting him know that I'm aware of him staring once his eyes land on me.
“Why are you up so early?” He mutters in a hoarse voice.
Shivers run down my spine and the hairs on my body stand on end. I clear my throat. “Couldn’t sleep…”
He mumbles unintelligible words, still half asleep, then I hear footsteps coming towards me. Then I feel his presence right behind me and my breath catches.
“How long have you been awake?”
“What time is it?” I ask softly.
“It’s 6h30.”
I swallow. I was almost finished reading my book, I was so engrossed in the story that I didn't notice the time passing.
“Three hours.”
He doesn't say anything, but I hear him walk away, probably to get dressed. I need to get ready too, since we're leaving at 7:00 am. I finish the last chapter of my book and put it back on the shelf. Then I go into the dressing room to get dressed.
Mattheo comes out at the same time, wearing black trousers and a white blouse.
He also has a black tie, which I assume is part of his uniform for the Academy.
I figure I should wear something similar, so I choose a knee-length black skirt and a white blouse.
I don't have a tie since I've never bought one before.
I hesitate to borrow one from Mattheo, chewing my lower lip nervously, before changing my mind.
Who needs a tie anyway?
I go to the bathroom where Mattheo is brushing his teeth and grab my hairbrush. I braid my hair so it doesn't bother me during the day. I brush my teeth, put on mascara and red lipstick. I don't really like wearing makeup, but I feel better when I wear it. It makes me feel prettier.
I feel his eyes on me, but I try to ignore it. I can't look at him without having flashbacks to my dream, and I really don't want him to see me blush, or worse, read my mind and find out.
Once my morning routine is complete, I grab my bag full of hygiene products and put it in my trunk. I grab my wand and put it in the holster attached to my thigh. Once again, I feel Mattheo's eyes following my every move. I slip on my shoes, black ankle boots with low heels.
I see Mattheo heading towards my snake's vivarium, grabbing its transport box as he goes.
His strong hand opens the enclosure's glass before disappearing inside for a few seconds.
When he pulls it out, the reptile is wrapped around his fingers, its long black body gripping tightly around his forearm.
Once the animal is safely inside the box, he turns towards me.
“Are you ready?”
I nod and watch as he picks up his wand and points it at our trunks.
They levitate behind him, and I follow him out of our room.
We find Arthur and Tom at the bottom of the stairs, both waiting for us with their trunks at their feet.
Once they notice us, they both smile in my direction, practically ignoring Mattheo.
“Well, my little Lady, ready to go to the Academy of Witchcraft?” Arthur asks me in a cheerful voice.
I laugh and nod. Mattheo rolls his eyes but remains surprisingly silent. He stops the spell on our trunks before casting another. They disappear, and I frown.
“They're at the monastery now, darling.” Tom whispers in my ear once he notices my confusion.
I blush when I realize how close he is, memories of his touch yesterday flooding my head. I quickly think of something else when I remember that he and his brother can read my mind.
Fingers adorned with cold rings that make me shiver grab my left wrist, bringing me back to reality.
Mattheo.
Surprisingly, his touch is softer than last time and I frown, confused.
A hand slips into my free hand, its fingers intertwining with mine and I turn my head, meeting a pair of blue irises.
Tom.
Arthur places his hand on Tom's shoulder, and the feeling of being crushed fills my body. I close my eyes in discomfort, waiting for my feet to touch the ground again.
“You can open your eyes, darling. We're here.” Tom's deep voice echoes in my ear again.
I do as he tells me, still feeling his hand in mine and Mattheo's around my wrist. A huge black train catches my eye, and I stand there, amazed by the sight. The only ones I've ever seen were in the books I've read or in the newspapers my father brings home every day.
Someone clears their throat, and I feel Tom's hand quickly leave mine.
I frown as I look at him, then at Mattheo.
He looks at his brother darkly, and I realize he saw us holding hands.
I swallow, knowing he's probably angry. I can't blame him.
The way Tom held my hand was intimate and inappropriate considering who I am.
His brother's fiancée.
Mattheo lets go of my wrist, only to grab my hand. Our fingers intertwine and my eyes widen.
Where did this come from?
He guides us to the train before entering and finding an empty compartment. I sit by the window and he sits right next to me, his hand still in mine. I feel myself blushing but I try to stop it, not wanting him to know the effect he's starting to have on me.
Arthur and Tom enter the compartment in turn and sit opposite us. Arthur sits opposite me by the window and Tom faces his brother. The blond boy looks confused, his eyes flicking between our clasped hands and mine. I shrug, letting him know I have no idea what's going on either.
Tom, on the other hand, stares at his brother, his blue eyes darkened with anger. His jaw tightens, and I understand they're probably having an argument via telepathy.
Well, the trip is going to be nice…
“Ah, you're here!”
I jump, my head turning towards the compartment door. Two cute, dark-haired boys are standing there. They both have slightly wavy hair, but one is clearly taller and more muscular than the other. The shorter one notices me first and smiles brightly, almost seductively.
“I didn't know we'd have such pleasant company! What's your name, beautiful?”
“Aelys,” I smile shyly, feeling my cheeks flush.
“A pretty face and a pretty name, damn, we're lucky! I'm Lorenzo, but you can call me Enzo, honey,” he winks at me and I laugh softly at his flirtations.
Until I feel Mattheo grip my hand tighter and see his jaw twitch. My smile falls and I stiffen, preparing for his anger.
“Forget it, Berkeley.” He growls, his voice menacing.
Enzo raises his hands innocently, a mischievous smile on his lips. “No need to bite, Rigast. I didn't know she was taken.”
“Now you know,” he bites out, menacing.
Enzo sits down next to Tom, rolling his eyes. The other boy smiles at me as he introduces himself.
“I'm Theodore, but others call me Theo, so feel free to do the same.”
I nod smiling, and he goes to sit next to Mattheo.
Arthur frowns, trying to understand Mattheo's behavior.
His gray eyes are on me, full of confusion.
The door opens again and I look up to see Nancy enter.
My eyes light up with joy, and my smile widens.
She notices me immediately and throws herself at me.
I stand up, Mattheo's hand leaving mine, and hold her tightly against my chest.
“Aelys! What are you doing here? Oh my—did your Father finally allow you to join the Academy?”
I laugh softly, nodding my head. “In a way, yes. I'll explain everything to you later, I promise.”
She nods before pushing Mattheo aside and making us both sit where I was before, and she where Mattheo was.
He looks outraged but says nothing. He just rolls his eyes.
The door opens again, and this time, a tall, brown-skinned boy enters.
He sits down next to Enzo, greeting us. His eyes land on me, and he smiles softly.
“I'm Cameron Tesco.”
“Aelys Hewloc,” I smile back at him.
“Ah, so you're the famous cousin Nancy keeps telling us about. It's a pleasure to finally meet you.”
My smile widens. He seems kind. Nancy starts asking me a thousand questions. She doesn't seem to have noticed that I was holding Mattheo's hand, because she doesn't mention it.
She tells me about her other friends, two sisters named Kiara and Paula Wilkins, who are shapeshifters. Kiara is our age, while Paula is a year younger. She explains that she can't wait to introduce us, saying we'll be best friends.
We chat for a while, her explaining the workings of the Academy in more depth than Mattheo did, and me listening attentively.
Nancy, being a lover of gossip, makes sure to mention the rivalries between the factions, as well as between some of the popular students.
Then, finally, the lack of sleep due to my short night takes over, and I fall asleep on my cousin's shoulder.