Chapter 25 Amarhuk （Rook）
AMARHUK (ROOK)
I’d stayed out late at The Bower — the on-campus bar — last night, so I wouldn’t have to suffer through any of Izzy’s sexual escapades with whoever she’d gotten herself bonded to.
I may have also had too much to drink and was still paying for it as I knocked on Izzy’s door early in the afternoon.
I used the door in the hall, not the bathroom door, since this wasn’t a social call.
“Time for your extra study,” I called out.
It didn’t take long for Izzy to open the door. She looked tired and mildly put out.
“Should we do it here or somewhere else?” she asked with a huff.
For half-a-heartbeat, I thought she was talking about sex. It didn’t help that she was dressed to kill. To be fair, Izzy would look smoking hot in a sack, but her hip-hugging pants made my cock stir and her dark blue blouse, which set off the deeper blue in her eyes, made my heartrate spike.
Blazes! What was it with this woman? Why did I want her so damned badly?
Even exhausted and upset, with no makeup on, she stimulated me more than any of the done-up dolls at the bar last night.
“Wherever you’re most comfortable.” Whether we were talking about sex or study, it was the right answer.
Her eyes narrowed. Her expression grew dark. “You’re thinking about sex.”
“Anyone who sees you and doesn’t is dead, gay, or female. Scratch that, your hips in those pants would raise the dead, your eyes would sway any man, and I know more than a few women who’d jump you without a second thought.”
She blinked.
Then she gave a little laugh, smiling as she shook her head. With that simple shift, the fatigue seemed to vanish from her, like sun coming out from behind dark clouds.
“If we stay here, you’re just going to flirt the entire time, aren’t you?”
“Yes, but to be fair, flirting and study are not mutually exclusive, and I’d flirt just as hard in public. I’m shameless.”
“Not sure I have the stamina to put up with you while people are watching. Come on in.”
She closed the door behind me as I took in her room.
Of most interest was the high-end computer on her desk.
The school wasn’t all that charitable to those from the human realm who were forced to study here.
They were given a tiny stipend, barely enough to live off and certainly not enough to afford toys like that.
“Where’d you get the new computer?” I asked, trying to sound innocent and curious, not digging for information.
“From one of my many paramours,” she quipped as she sat at the desk and brought the magical machine to life.
It wasn’t that I doubted she could have many paramours, just the likelihood of her accumulating a vast group in only a few days. Though she’d bonded to someone in that time, so…
I so wanted to ask her about her sex life — I was part incubus, it’s what we did — but I restrained myself.
“Glad you got a replacement.” I sat on her bed, reclining against the wall.
She turned in her chair, one brow raised. “Really? Not going to ask me who they are, or how many, or whether or not we’re having wild orgies?”
I winced as my body and soul responded viscerally to the thought of Izzy partaking in a wild orgy, especially one where I was involved.
“Also, where did your wings go?” she asked. “I’ve noticed… others… who have wings sometimes and not others. How does that work?”
Good, a question I could answer without thinking of Izzy naked and panting with lust.
“Most of us who have wings can vanish them when we wish. They… sort of retract into our bodies and come out again when we want them. I tend to keep mine hidden unless I’m alone. In general, most others will do the same. Elves don’t like being reminded they can’t fly.”
She cocked her head. “Does anyone from Seial have wings?”
I quirked a smile. Izzy was a fast learner. She’d already picked up a few details about this world and retained them.
“Only shifters with a flying animal form. Otherwise, nope. Though… anyone who’s mastered transmutation magic could give themselves wings if they wished. Most don’t though, because just having wings doesn’t impart the knowledge on how to use them and they’d look like an idiot trying to learn.”
Her eyes looked up and away, thinking, remembering. “And dragons… they’re not from any realm… or all of them?”
“All is a better way of putting it than none. They’re primordial beings of air and earth and fire, beings of all three fae realms. They could have wings in their human forms, but most don’t, they find it…
degrading… to see their wings so small. They’d rather just revert to their dragon form to fly. ”
Izzy nodded. That seemed to firm things up for her.
“And speaking of transmutation… shall we begin today’s lesson? I’d love to insert my massive knowledge of magic inside you.” I gave her a wicked grin.
Izzy rolled her eyes. “If only it was as easy as you blowing your load in my mind.”
I laughed at her vulgar comeback to my heavy-handed innuendo. Blazes, but I loved how lewd Izzy was, never ashamed to talk dirty. It made me want to get this silly study over with so we could move on to more pleasurable pursuits.
I didn’t think she’d go for it, still standoffish around me, but a sex-demon could hope.
“Okay, let’s begin.”
We spent the afternoon going over what Izzy had missed so far this semester, as well as the even more basic stuff most people in this realm knew from a young age. As hoped, Izzy was a quick study and soaked in information, making plenty of notes on the more complex subjects.
I decided to end with a review of the basics, asking, “What are the four elemental tenets?”
Izzy answered right away. “Earth binds and breaks. Water alters and solidifies. Air clarifies and baffles. Fire blazes and consumes.”
“And that means?”
“Earth magic is used for binding people or things, restraining or subduing them. It is also used to break such bindings.” She mused for a moment, that same distant look in her eyes.
“Apparently, I have a binding on me, to hold my human form. Someone must have put it on me when I was a child. Could my parents have done that?”
“They wouldn’t have been able to do it themselves… do you know why?”
“Nymphs don’t have earth affinity?”
“Exactly. They’d have needed and elf to do it. Some dwarves can, but it’s less common among their kind.”
“Huh,” she muttered with a grimace. “Does that seem likely? That an elf would help them like that?”
I gave a scoffing laugh. “Depends on the elf, but no, not likely.”
Her perplexed looked matched what I felt. It made sense that if Izzy had appeared to be human her entire life someone had bound her form and power, restrained them, but as for who and why they’d have done it… I had no clue.
Izzy sighed, then continued reciting the meanings of the elemental tenets. “Water is used to alter a being’s properties but also can keep them from changing. That’s why tritons and undines and nymphs can change their forms so easily, right?”
“Spot on,” I said with approval.
Izzy smiled.
Blazes, that smile made my heart skip a beat.
Down boy, we’re here for sex and fun, nothing more. Still, it was good to see Izzy smiling, adapting to this world so well.
“Air is used to sharpen the mind and senses or dull them, and fire is used to enliven the spirit or douse it.”
“Correct. Now what are the corresponding physical and metaphysical properties associated with each element?”
“Earth is the body, strength and permanence. Water is the soul and emotions, but also the impermanence of the body, hence the shapeshifting. Air is the mind, and fire is the spirit.”
“And the sub domains of the elements?”
“Earth and water make nature, water and air make storms and mist, air and fire make smoke, and fire and earth make lava.” She continued without my prompting, “Body and soul make creation magic. Soul and mind come together to make empathy. Mind and spirit form artifice or deception, and spirit and body create passion. And concubi are beings of passion, which is why you’re so horny all the time. ”
“Me?” I deflected. “I just want to give people pleasure. You’re the one who fucks like a bunny every night.”
She blushed at that.
The color on her cheeks made my cock stand at attention.
“Are we done for today?” she asked, tone a bit hard.
I’d gone too far.
“Yup.” I got up and made to leave, but one word from her stopped me with my hand on the door handle.
“Rook?”
I paused, but didn’t look back. “Yeah?”
“With your power over lust, could you… temper a mate bond, make it less… insistent?”
Yikes, not what I wanted to be discussing with her. Also, a tricky subject all around. Mate bonds could form randomly between anyone, but they were usually a shifter thing and beastfolk were off limits. The elves didn’t want anyone helping them in any way.
“Never tried,” I said honestly, still not looking back.
“Could you… try?” The hope in her voice pierced my heart.
I blew out a breath, head falling forward. This was dangerous territory.
I should say no.
I should say no because it was probably illegal and could get me in deep shit with my master or the elves.
I should say no because I wanted to help her, but it wasn’t to get into her pants, but to get on her good side, to get into her heart.
And getting that close to any woman wasn’t a good idea.
If I declined, she’d be forced to fuck her bondmate, not me.
And that was a good thing. I shouldn’t want to me with her again.
I shouldn’t want more. I’d never wanted more from any woman ever.
I didn’t do more. I did one and done. One amazing night to leave ’em wanting more, then on to the next conquest.
But with Izzy I did want more. More sex, more of her, just… more! And that had all my red flags waving. She was trouble, and I should stay away.
Also, if I met her bondmate I might punch him in the face. I was jealous. I’d never been jealous before and it was a very weird feeling.
“Maybe.”
Fuck! Where had that come from?
Damn mouth, what were you saying?
“Thank you, Rook.” She was close. Since I was part salmaeri and attuned to spirit, I felt her presence.
Her hand touched my shoulder, soft, tentative.
I spun and had her in my arms in an instant, my lips pressed to hers, drinking in her delicious cinnamon and apple scent as she moulded against me, a soft moan escaping her lips.
Her hips rocked against my ragingly hard cock, enticing, teasing, tempting. I’d never met a non-succubus who was so sensuous and responsive. I’d never met any woman who destroyed my control like Izzy did.
She gave an odd sound, then pushed back forcefully. “No! I’m still mad at you!”
“Your body says otherwise,” I breathed.
“My body doesn’t know what it wants and needs to be punished.”
I groaned. The image of some pain-play with Izzy flitted through my mind and nearly did me in.
I must have grinned.
“You’re insufferable,” she mumbled, pulling out of reach. She didn’t go far though, and the heady flush on her cheeks told me she’d felt the connection we’d shared.
A connection she didn’t want.
A connection I didn’t want.
A connection her other lover probably didn’t want.
“Just… go,” she muttered. “Forget about the bond thing.”
“I will,” I whispered, though I wasn’t sure I could. Every time she banged the guy I’d feel it. And that, if anything, was the one reason I should help her.
I left, but didn’t go back to my room.
There were any number of other willing ladies on campus and right now I needed one or more of them. Though I had a sneaking suspicion, nothing and no one would ever fully distract me from Izzy.
And that was dangerous territory for me.