Chapter 5
I was havingthe most blissful dream. In it, Aiden was feeding me fruit and berries from a silver platter while I lay floating in a pool. I was completely naked, and the golden water lapped at my body, spreading tingles through every nerve.
I groaned, opening my mouth to ask for more, unsure of whether I needed more food or more sensation.
Aiden chuckled and pressed a finger to my lips. “If you want more, you need to wake up, baby,” he murmured in my ear.
Wake up?
Was this really a dream?
I was having trouble focusing my thoughts, the water moving ever so slowly between my thighs, the light touches driving me to distraction.
“Wake up, and I’ll make sure you know that I can service you better outside of a dream than in one,” Aiden said.
His voice sounded farther away now, dream-Aiden walking away from me, the water lapping around his thighs as he moved. The wavelets rocked my body as I floated.
“No, don’t go,” I whimpered.
“I’m right here. Siobhan, wake up.”
My eyes shot open, my desire to sleep and continue my dream not outweighing the need to see Aiden again.
He was resting between my spread thighs, lightly running his fingers along my skin everywhere he could reach. “Good morning,” he said with a small smile. “Can I have my breakfast now?”
“Your breakfa— Oh!” I cried out when he bent his head to my pussy and gave it a thorough lick from ass to clit, showing me what exactly he had planned for breakfast. “Yes, yes, yes,” I urged him.
He chuckled and bent over me again, thickening his tongue as he speared into me, questing for my juices.
My brain was still foggy from sleep and I blinked down at him in the dim morning light. “I thought you hated getting up early?” I asked.
“I promised myself that I would spend time praying at your altar this morning,” Aiden replied, licking his glistening chin. His eyes were hooded with exhaustion, but sparkled with vitality. “I meant to do it last night, but you were so tired from walking home naked that I didn’t have the heart to wake you when you fell asleep.”
“We could have used the mirror. You were the one who wanted to watch me walk naked through the entire woods,” I pointed out.
He pinched my clit between two fingers and my back arched. “Like you didn’t get off on it just as much as I did,” he retorted. “We had to stop twice more for me to fuck you against trees because you were so turned on.”
I grinned sleepily. He wasn’t wrong. “Well, get to your worship. I won’t stop you any longer.”
Fire flashed in his eyes before he ducked his head again, feasting on my sensitive flesh until I cried out in ecstasy over and over.
The sunlight was no longer weak by the time Aiden let me off the bed, my legs shaky from the repeated onslaught of pleasure.
“You might have eaten, but I hope there’s enough time for me to get my breakfast the normal way before classes this morning,” I grumbled half-heartedly.
“More than enough,” Aiden said, looking extremely satisfied with himself. “I’ll meet you in the cafeteria?”
“Where are you going?” I pouted.
He raised an eyebrow at me and gestured at his naked body. “I’m not sure the teachers would approve.”
“I’m going to learn an inverse of the emperor’s new clothing spell,” I said. “Then I can see you naked all the time, but nobody else will.”
“Yeah, because you’ll be dragging me off to plow you every chance you get,” he teased. “I’ll see you in a few minutes.” He bent over my upturned face and kissed me thoroughly, the taste of myself mingling with his own unique flavor.
“Get out of here,” I said, but the smile on my face wouldn’t fade.
Dip chirped sleepily and rolled over on Lilia’s bunk, the tiny dragon somehow spread out over most of the single bed.
Aiden saluted the little dragon, magicked himself a robe, and walked out my door.
I shook my head at his audacity and hurried to dress myself. I was starving.
That probably has something to do with the extra energy expended last night.
And this morning.
I grinned sheepishly at myself in the mirror and then shrugged. A quick brush of my hair after an untangling spell, and then I was hurrying down the hallway to the stairs.
I tried not to blush as I rounded the corner, catching a glimpse of the chair that Aiden had bent me over and pounded into me until I screamed.
Lilia was eating breakfast with Una and Rhiannon. I hugged all three girls before sitting down with my plate of bacon, eggs, and toast.
“So?” I asked Lilia eagerly. “Did you learn anything?”
“Not as much as I’d hoped, unfortunately,” Lilia said apologetically. “Hazel was seen going up the stairs after the fight, but I guess she didn’t make it to our room. Nobody saw her on the fourth floor.”
I frowned. “Maybe she went to a different floor?”
“She could have gone to see a teacher,” Rhiannon suggested.
“Could be. I want to talk to her thesis professor at some point. Hopefully, she went to see him,” I said thoughtfully.
“Did she get a boyfriend over the summer?” Una asked. “She might have visited him instead.”
“No, she didn’t get a boyfriend,” I said. “And before you suggest it, she’s not the one for one-night stands.”
Una fluffed her hair. “Not everyone has the temperament for it.” She eyed a boy walking past her. “I, however, crave diversity.”
The rest of the table giggled at her.
“Focus,” I said, tapping the table with a fingernail. “What’s next?”
“Talk to Professor Calderwood,” Lilia said promptly.
“I see him this afternoon,” I said. “I got it.”
Aiden slid in beside me, munching on a bacon, egg, and hashbrown sandwich. “We could find out more about the victim.”
“Great idea,” I said. “Does anyone know anything about him?”
Bruce sat down beside Rhiannon. “Richard Smith, plant witch. He was desperate for Hazel’s thesis position, and willing to threaten her for it. His family is extraordinarily wealthy, so he always got what he wanted, the spoiled brat.”
“You know him?” I asked.
“I know of him,” Bruce replied, wrinkling his nose. “He is—was—the star of the academy’s Dragon Polo team.”
“Professor Dunlop mentioned that,” I interrupted. “What is that?”
Una stared at me, her jaw agape. “How do you not know about Dragon Polo?” she asked, incredulous.
“I assume it’s a sport. I don’t do sports,” I said with a shake of my head. “I don’t get the point.”
“Okay, but this is Dragon Polo,” she reiterated.
“You keep saying that like repeating it will help me understand,” I said with a sigh.
Aiden chuckled. “It’s a sport with a ball. The players are in teams and try to get it through the other team’s hoop.”
“Where do the dragons come in?” I asked.
“They’re being ridden.”
My jaw dropped. “But... What? Dragons are huge!”
Everyone at the table laughed, much to my embarrassment.
“Not these ones. They’re about the size of horses,” Bruce said.
“We learned about them in Care of Magical Creatures last year,” Rhiannon put in. “They were bred small but fast from the big dragons, always taking the runts of the litters of the fastest dragons.”
I nodded in understanding. “Okay, that sounds like it could be fun.”
“It’s a lot of fun!” Una exclaimed. “There’s going to be a match against Academie Bellamie soon. You’re coming with us.”
“Sounds like I don’t have a choice,” I said, rolling my eyes.
“You don’t,” Una said dismissively.
I chuckled. “Well, I’m interested to see these genetically engineered dragons, at any rate.”
“You know that Dip and Pinkie Pie are genetically engineered to be pet-sized for thier entire lives,” Lilia put in with a grin. “It’s not like you’re unfamiliar with small dragons.” The aforementioned Pinkie Pie, hearing his name, stuck his head out of Lilia’s long brown waves and gave me a wide-eyed look before he hissed and scuttled back to his safe place underneath her hair by the back of her neck.
My mouth opened and closed for a moment. “Good point. I forgot Dip wasn’t a cat,” I said sheepishly. “She acts so much like one.”
Everyone laughed again.
“Getting back to the point,” Bruce said. “Richard was the star of the team. He may have bought his way on in first year, even though first years aren’t allowed usually on the team, but he was actually really good.”
“There’s nothing money can’t buy, like the best tutors and athletic coaches in the world,” Lilia said dryly.
“So maybe someone who was jealous of his athletic prowess?” I suggested. “Who stands to take his place on the team? Was there a... I don’t know what you call it in sports. A stunt double? An understudy?”
Una collapsed in giggles. “A substitute?”
I wrinkled my nose. “Isn’t that for teachers?”
“It’s for sports, too,” Aiden reassured me.
“There’s an entire second string of substitutes, both dragons and riders,” Una said. “We can look into them.”
“Great. Who else knows him?” I asked. “Was he seeing anyone? What about roommates?”
“I don’t think he was seeing anyone,” Una said, fingering a strand of her hair. “He liked to keep his options open, or so he said last spring.”
Rhiannon shook her head. “Hopefully, he was telling you the truth before you let him—”
“If he had been seeing someone, I’m sure they would have told me. It’s not as if I keep my conquests secret,” Una said primly.
I nodded. “I do vaguely remember you telling us something about Dick’s dick,” I said thoughtfully. “I remember the pun.”
“We should probably get to class,” Lilia said, checking her watch.
I glanced around the mostly empty cafeteria. “Yikes! Yes, we should!”
“Hey,” Aiden said as we were gathering our trays. “Everyone watch out for each other, okay? I’ve heard rumors of more missing people this morning.”
I stared at him. “And you only think to tell us now?”
He blushed. “Sorry. I got distracted. And it’s nothing concrete. I just overheard a couple people in the hallway asking if other people had seen their roommates.”
“How many people?” I asked.
“At least three,” he replied somberly.
“Maybe it’s nothing,” I said, trying to sound confident. “Maybe they were in the gym, or the pool, or the cafeteria. Do you remember the names?”
Aiden shook his head. “Not really. Sorry. I hope you’re right.”
“But if I’m not, we’ve got a big problem,” I muttered under my breath.
The halls were empty as we ran up the stairs to the second floor and split up for our various classes. Aiden and Bruce followed me down the hall to Qualitative Spellcraft.
Professor Reynolds welcomed us in and closed the door behind us. “Now that we’ve all arrived, I would like to discuss what we’ll be covering this semester.”
The three of us took seats in the last row, behind a row of be-perfumed girls dressed to the nines.
“I’m not sure they are here for the content so much as the deliverer,” I whispered to the boys.
Bruce smirked. “Is it just me, or did he get even more attractive over the summer?” he asked in a low voice that the row in front of us could hear.
A sigh of longing went up from several of the girls, and I had to bite back my laughter. I nudged Bruce in the ribs. “Leave them alone or I’m going to bust a rib!”
He grinned at Aiden over my head and nodded approvingly. “She’ll do.”
Aiden rolled his eyes. “Not that it matters, but yes, she’s got a great sense of humor. I’m keeping her no matter what.”
“Can I please pay attention?” I begged.
It was gratifying how quickly they quieted.
“—focusing on spell dissection this year, now that you can see any variation of spell. We will continue to work on describing and analyzing spells accurately. Those of you who are more advanced will learn how to build new spells from components of others. This is complex and delicate work, and also very dangerous, so you will only attempt a newly built spell in the presence of a teacher.” He paused to let his words sink in. “I am extremely serious about this. Even the most skilled witch in the world would not dare attempt a new spell without peer review and safety guidelines.”
I nodded eagerly. I couldn’t wait to start building my own spells.
There wasn’t much time for anything else; the first day of classes always had shortened periods so that we could meet all our teachers.
I didn’t mind. Next class was my favorite.
Professor Akhtar welcomed me with what almost passed as a smile, for him. “We need to meet today, to go over your duties as a TA. Please come to my office after classes this afternoon.”
I nodded and made a mental note. “I will see you then.”
Aiden and I found our seats in the front of the room this time. Not many people liked to sit near the front, as Akhtar had the habit of calling on the first row when nobody raised their hands. That wouldn’t be a problem for me. I loved participating.
“I hope everyone’s looking forward to taking things up a notch this year,” Professor Akhtar said, rubbing his hands together. “We’re going to be taking some field trips to particularly potent nexus points. Anyone have any guesses about where we might be going?”
My hand shot into the air. When he nodded at me, I said, “Cairo. It’s the closest.”
“True that it’s the closest. However, it’s also the most powerful. We’ll go there later in the semester. Anyone else?”
A few other students called out names of the biggest nexus points. We’d be visiting them all, according to the professor.
“Any others?” he asked, grinning.
It was strange to see.
“We will be visiting one of the smaller nexus points tomorrow. Be prepared for rain and mild weather. Any guesses?”
I searched my brain for a nexus point that fit that description. “Easter Island?” I guessed tentatively.
“Are you asking, or telling?”
I thought for a moment. “Well, there are several other nexus points in the southern hemisphere that could potentially fit, but this is the most prominent one. I’m asking, because there are other minor points that fit the description, but I’m hopeful because I’ve always wanted to go there.”
“Good answer,” he replied, nodding approval. “You are correct. We will be visiting some of the other less obvious nexus points and comparing them, but they will be more difficult to access. You will all have to pass the underwater testing by the end of September before we can use the underwater portals to those points. You will also need to brush up on your Aquan sign language so that we don’t cause an international incident. There will be a test in mid-September.” He glared around at the quiet room. “Well? Why aren’t you writing that down?”
There was a flurry of books as everyone rushed to open their planners and mark down the testing information.
“Good. Let’s review, starting with the standard greeting.”