13. ~Kai~ #3
As he did, and I forced myself to take a moment and shore up my power, I looked out at Ariana and Vorzyr. They were deep into their work together, the perfect time for me to observe.
They were creating a firestorm together, his red magical dragon flame levitating between them, the flames licking all around the sphere-type design he’d created, while her silver power was threaded through it, bolstering its power.
It was there steady and Vorzyr’s eyes were rolling back in his head as he had the pleasure of feeling her power against his.
Mmm. Ariana, on the other hand, wasn’t showing any such pleasure, her eyes narrowed in the utmost focus, worried as per usual about controlling herself and his power, too, in this case, seeing as though they were currently melded together.
Satisfaction rolled through me as I watched his eyes flame and what I’d predicted—and hoped for—happening actually transpired, and he let the rush of power get to him, his need to convey his raw might, as so often happened with dragons as a rule.
And especially him, given why he’d been sent here, which Nyx had reported to me from his dreamwalking.
He pushed more into the flame and it doubled in size.
“You’re going to lose control,” I heard Ariana warning him, as I strained to hold another auditory enhancement spell in place.
It was worth the discomfort to ensure things played out the way I’d intended when I’d made her partner with him, while he was in a state about her and his emotions were a little wild and unstable.
“Just let the magic flow, don’t overthink it so much. Be one with it and enjoy it infusing you,” he told her. “We can do much more than this mere experiment. Here, watch this.”
In the next moment, the fire flamed more wildly, sparks zapping in the process.
A couple shot out toward the wall, but Ariana reacted quickly and snatched them out of the air with her free hand glowing a vibrant silver, the sparks disintegrating upon contact like they were nothing to her. Mmm, hot as hell.
Vorzyr got caught up in the combat aspect of it that had accidentally come about with her attacking his magic in a bid to contain it, and he pushed ever harder until the flames were raging out of control.
“Take it down!” the professor called out, while he was busy dealing with an explosion of water that surged like a tidal wave at one of the students from another, while he held it at bay with his own magic.
Yeah, this was an advanced class for a reason.
It was complicated to have these types of magic interacting and it took a great deal of control and precision, and out-of-the-box thinking to manage a task like this successfully.
Vorzyr refused to pull his power back. He knew it couldn’t hurt her , she was far too durable for that.
And he wanted to establish his animal dominance—over everyone.
What I knew was also fueling him was the obsession that had been borne from him connecting with her the other night of their date , which had spawned a desperate need to infuse his magic with hers.
I watched as Ariana actually rose to the occasion for one of those very rare times, and thrust a glowing silver hand right through the raging draconic magic.
Vorzyr grunted as her magic radiated out from the center, then enveloped the flames entirely, before swallowing them whole until not a single spark was left.
“Motherfucker,” Vorzyr gasped, slapping his hands to the table to steady himself.
“You need to strike a better balance between raw power and control,” she told him.
She held her palm out and his fire flamed upon it. “Here,” she said.
He clasped her hand in somewhat of a stunned daze and groaned as she returned his magic to him. She’d actually fucking stored it within her? That was… incredible.
She caught my eye as she helped a discombobulated Vorzyr back into his seat.
A smile lifted her lips and I saw the realization take her as to why I’d wanted her to pair up on this lab with him.
I wanted her to see in a safe environment what a loss of control of raw power like that which was so great from the likes of a dragon really looked like, for her to recognize the difference between that and how she saw herself, and for her to also see how she had the means, knowledge, ability, and good instincts to counter it, how her great power could actually protect.
Her focus was so much on the destroyer aspect of what she was.
I’d wanted her to see something that countered that.
And it had worked.
I smiled back at her.
She turned away, and I watched her comforting Vorzyr and giving him some advice—the shoe on the other foot for once.
It was good for her.
Really good.
Vorzyr lingered as the last student left the classroom.
Nyx sat up on our desk, while I leaned against it, and watched as Ariana swept a glowing silver film over the room, performing a privacy spell.
She eyed Vorzyr, and before she could get a word out, he told her, “I know you want me kept out of whatever this mission is, but I also need to ensure all is well, so I’m at least staying to hear about it.”
“All right,” she conceded.
He leaned against the door and watched as she strode over to Nyx and me.
I brought my hand to my forehead and wiped away a bit of sweat there, my hand trembling as I did so.
Of course, she noticed.
“Are you okay?” she asked me.
Nyx caught my eye and grimaced.
“That almost sounds like you’re actually concerned for me,” I told her, trying to deflect.
Something flickered in her eyes that seemed to indicate that she did actually care.
But then it was gone in the next second, and she answered in a closed off tone, “I’m about to enlist your help, so if you’re not well it is a concern.”
Ice, ice, lover.
Knowing how much I actually wanted to help her, to insert myself further into her life, beyond just the physical, Nyx ended up revealing, “He’s holding a spell to take the edge off for me, one that blocks my allure from everyone on campus for the entirety of the day.”
Fuck.
I glared at him.
“You hate people thinking you’re weak in any way, so I figured it was better to tell her the deal here,” he said. “Plus, I know you want to be a part of this… whatever it is.”
Ariana stared at me, incredulous. “You’re really doing that for him?”
“Like he said, he needed to take the edge off. Especially after the Cafeteria debacle.”
“That’s… wow. It’s really thoughtful.”
“I wouldn’t go that far.” The last thing I needed, especially at this dicey stage, was her—or Vorzyr—thinking that I was soft.
She looked at Nyx. “How does it feel, cutie pie?”
“Like I can relax for once.” He reached out and stroked my shoulder. “It feels amazing.”
“You can control it better than you think, you know? You just had a setback. Don’t let it tar the big picture of it for you,” she told him.
“Besides, everyone else knows that you’d never intentionally do anything to influence or harm, that you’re very mindful of that.
The students here, most of them who aren’t outright assholes like Sorin, know that you try so very hard to reel in your abilities around them. That’s not in question, okay?”
“Thank you for saying that.”
“It’s just the truth. Don’t let that bastard get in your head.”
I saw an understanding pass between them. She didn’t want him ending up like her, somebody who had internalized people’s negative thoughts and reactions to her over the years so fucking much.
“Here,” she said, stepping up to me and holding out her hand.
Nyx, Vorzyr and I exchanged a look.
“In front of them, sweetheart? Are you sure? I mean, I’m definitely down for it, I’m just not sure you’re ready for such a thing.”
“I know you’re down for it. I saw the three of you embracing a group dynamic the other night.”
“You saw us?” Vorzyr rumbled.
“Damn, that was some hot shit. I’ve relived it in my dreams since,” Nyx said with a faraway look in his eyes.
Ariana shook her head at me in dismay. “Because of your recent interest in me, I had to take precautions.”
“You put a sensor spell on me?”
She nodded. “I know where you are at all times now even if you’re cloaked.
So I knew you were there before I teleported out.
Given that you didn’t show yourself to me , I realized you’d come to talk to Vorzyr.
So once I’d left, I checked in on what was going on via a holoscreen.
And that was when I saw what was happening—well, the beginnings of it, before I turned the screen off. ”
“You should have said something and come back out. I would have loved to have had your thighs wrapped around my head while I shoved my tongue deep into your cunt, as Nyx was swallowing my cock to the root.”
“This isn’t about sex,” she gritted out at me, as she grabbed my hand forcefully.
She had me grunting in the next second as her power surged through me, a confusing mixture of pain and pleasure.
“Fuck,” I choked. “You’re… taking the spell?”
“It’s easier for me to hold it,” she said, as her eyes flamed, and then I felt the strain leaving me, bit by bit, before she released me and stepped back. “It’s done.” She eyed Nyx. “I’ll hold it for the rest of the day.”
“Thank you. You didn’t have to do that.”
“I told you, I need Kai strong for this mission. And I need you not to be distracted controlling your allure.”
“And that’s it? The only reason you helped?” Nyx asked her.
“No, it’s not the only reason,” Vorzyr said, making a show of scenting the air.
Or her.
“Really?” I asked, putting two and two together easily. “You need me, sweetheart?”
A growl rumbled from Vorzyr and he pushed off the door, clearly having a lot to say on the matter.
But before he could, she held up her hands to both of us.
“How do you deal with the both of them, huh?” she asked Nyx.
“It’s not easy, I’ll tell you that,” he said, chuckling.
Ariana moved away from us and leaned against a nearby desk, then told us, “What I need help with is retrieving something from the Unity Council.”
“The… damn… seriously?” Nyx uttered. “Like, stealing?”
She lifted a shoulder. “In essence.”
The Unity Council was second only to the Guardian Movement.
Although, unlike the latter, the Unity Council didn’t safeguard the supernatural world and deal with threats to its members, or uphold the balance.
They existed for the good of the people.
Representatives were appointed through election, by the supernatural populace.
They checked the power of the Guardian Movement to ensure it never fell into an autocratic rule like it had been under Cornelius Martel for years before.
They made certain that decisions and policies were formed for the benefit of the supernatural everyman .
Its existence had helped to turn the supernatural world into a close-knit community.
They were essentially the voice for the people.
“That’s no small ask,” I pointed out.
“I’m aware.”
I folded my arms across my chest. “What do you want us to help you to retrieve?”
“During my party, unbeknownst to me, members of the Unity Council conducted a test on me to gauge my magical prowess, my stability, among other things. That test is being held on the lab level of their HQ. I need access to it.”
“Why can’t you retrieve it yourself?” Vorzyr asked, obviously thinking she was underusing her abilities again.
But that wasn’t it at all. I explained, “Those tests and everything in that lab are warded and only accessible to members. If she tries to retrieve her own test, it’ll set off alarms. The wards will read her magical signature.”
“We can’t technically steal it either,” she said, telling me, “I need you to replicate it. If we simply take it, they’ll know right away, and suspicion will either fall on me or my family, creating insane political ramifications.”
“And me?” Nyx asked. “You need me to use my stealth skills to get us into the building, find the best access and exit points, yeah?”
“Exactly. We can’t simply teleport inside, not with the magical countermeasures they have in place in that building. I’ll be right outside to receive the copy of the test.”
“Because you don’t trust me having it in my hands for longer than is absolutely necessary just to retrieve it.”
She merely lifted a shoulder at me in response.
“Why the fuck did they test you without your permission?” Vorzyr fumed.
“Me reaching magical maturity unnerved a lot of people.”
“Still, it’s bullshit. You’re a person, not a test subject.”
“That’s the thing, I’m not just a person to them,” she said, pushing off the desk. “I’m a thing, a dangerous thing.”
“They’re looking at it in completely the wrong way, sweetheart.”
“Regardless, it happened, and I need access to that test.”
“Why? You want to know what they found out?” I asked her.
“There’s just something I need to see for myself.”
“The Celestial side of things that they likely won’t understand?” I pushed.
She shoved her hand through her hair. “Look, will the two of you help me, or not?”
“It should be the three of us,” Vorzyr cut in.
“We’re infiltrating the Unity Council. If things go south, you’ll suffer. You’re already here as a punishment for recklessness and all of that. If you’re found to be a part of something like this, I can’t even imagine the consequences. You could be sent away, contained somewhere, even.”
“Like The Void?” Nyx asked, horrified, because it was the magical prison that held out of control supernatural beings and criminals.
“He could be charged, yes,” Ariana admitted.
She looked at me. “ You have your parents’ authority to protect you from something like that befalling you, and Nyx is covered under that because they love him as well.
But Vorzyr is at odds with his parents, and as per my investigation into it further after he told me, the Dracoryn Realm as a whole.
He won’t have the same support or protections.
” She eyed him. “So, that’s why I’m keeping you out of it. ”
The corner of his mouth turned up. “You want to keep me around, huh?”
“I told you, I like your company.”
“Just on your controlling terms,” I cut in.
She glared at me. “In or out, Kai? Nyx?”
“I love this stealth shit, and it’s been a long time since I’ve broken into anywhere worthwhile,” Nyx told her.
I looked out at him. “Work out a tactical plan and we’ll take it from there. I’ll research the details of the wards that the Unity Council uses.” I confirmed to Ariana, “I’m in.”
But once we had that test, that wouldn’t be the end of it.
I’d find out exactly what she wanted from it, what she wasn’t telling us.
It had to be something major if she was willing to go to these lengths to retrieve it.