Chapter 18 Evira
~Evira~
Tonight was finally the night.
The last few days had been incredibly busy.
Classes were in full swing, so the workload had become intense. Readings, assignments, and projects were coming in hot. For all of us.
Sylas had put his foot down about Winter’s pre-apprenticeship prep, and because Winter had been glitching for so long—unknown to anyone outside of our unit—he’d had to play catch-up when it came to that in a major way.
He’d been so reluctant to perform one of the required necromantic feats that Sylas had outlined, known as Undead Domination, that I’d asked a favor of my vampire friends, the couple, Isabella and Marian, and they’d agreed to volunteer to have that performed on them.
The two of them had enjoyed what they’d termed the “freeing feeling” of it so much that they now kept bugging him to do it again.
Not sure it was the healthiest thing on their end, but it had been for Winter, because it had given him his first positive response to doing something like that.
Beforehand, he’d just considered it a nasty violation upon death-touched beings.
Over the last few days, I’d realized that the boys had been trying hard to tone down the sexual aspect of our relationship. They’d been concerned about it overwhelming me, given my previous well-known inexperience. And they’d also wanted to ensure our relationship didn’t devolve into just fucking.
But I’d had enough of that approach and put my foot down.
So, two nights ago we’d all come together in one hell of a filthy, carnal, and very animalistic marathon of fucking in Vaxan’s dorm room.
Or as Vaxan had termed it: deep eroticized expression.
I chuckled to myself at the thought. He was really something.
That night I’d also discovered that he was a sculptor, and that he and Zayn shared that artistic nature.
He’d shown us all his special sculptures that he’d made from shaping stone with a mixture of Basilisk vibrational abilities and his magic.
Tonight we were all finally going to do the racing that Zayn had suggested many days ago now, and I was really looking forward to it.
Right now, I had my Primal Mastery: Harnessing Instinct class with Professor Willa Rossun for all shifters and shifter hybrids.
This was the practical session, not the theory, meaning no sitting in a lecture hall just taking notes this time.
I would get to spend most of the two-hour class in full dragon form this time.
And if that wasn’t enough, there was even more good news.
Today was the last class of Arcane & Elemental Synergy without Winter.
The next one, he would be present in along with the rest of us, because he would have completed four sessions of the prerequisite class all hybrid beings needed to take before Synergy.
It was turning out to be a great day.
I turned the corner, making a left down one of the dark marble corridors that led to the east side of campus outside where Morphic Range was located. It was a massive area where even dragons like me had enough space to shift into their animal forms, and use their abilities freely.
I was taking a roundabout route to it, because I’d wanted to finish my text conversation with the guys before I reached the area and then got immersed in it all.
Speaking of that, I hadn’t managed to keep from contacting T for several days like I’d told him I would after his attack on Winter.
I’d messaged him just a day later to make sure he was okay, because he’d been going through a lot with the fallout of that attack and his crumbling relationship with Fanor.
And immediately he’d apologized. Not just that, he’d even shown that he recognized that he should have come to me instead of performing some archaic chivalrous defending-of-my-honor bullshit as though I was incapable and just some pathetic damsel.
Mistakes happened. I knew that. He knew that.
And the two of us didn’t hold grudges between us.
So, we’d moved on, and we were back to our regular supportive pseudo-sibling dynamic.
I finished the text conversation with the boys, mostly because of Vaxan reminding us we needed to get to our respective classes, studies, or tasks.
Just as I slid my phone into the pocket of my coat, commotion reached me. It was coming from the double doors of The Archive Annex at the far left of the corridor a few feet from the exit. The room was kind of like a spillover for The Central Archives, which was the main library of Loxley Academy.
My intent to ignore it and continue on to my class went to hell when I heard Octana’s voice from inside.
“Is this my punishment?”
I frowned, slowing in my step.
Then another voice reached my ear. River.
“Me suddenly stopping when you were right on the edge?”
“Yes. Is it punishment for the Cafeteria thing? The theatrical nature of it was your call. But I obviously didn’t mean to actually get your handsome face with all that yogurt. I misfired when I got nervous with so many eyes on us.”
“What? No. Of course not, darling.”
“Oh, did you already… detonate?”
Rumbling laughter rang out.
“Again, of course not. I just lost control of my magic when you did that thing with your tongue… there. The glamor is down. I stopped to try to get control so I can re-erect it.”
I reached the room and peered inside.
And I immediately wished I hadn’t.
Worse than I’d thought.
Way worse than I’d thought.
I jerked away and blinked, trying to rid my memory of the image of my friend half-naked, River actually fully naked, as they licked each other all over while humping against the stacks.
After Zayn had claimed the two of them were having a secret relationship, I hadn’t actually asked her about it. At least not outright. I’d hinted at it in case she’d needed to confide in somebody she’d know would understand the whole complicated deal.
But she hadn’t.
Well, if she needed me, I’d be here.
I felt a rush of Octana’s magic, indicating she’d erected a glamor this time, after River’s had fallen. The sounds were muted immediately, no signs of the two of them being in there now.
I pushed through the exit at the end of the corridor and stepped outside.
I could already see students gathering in the distance at Morphic Range.
Excitement rolled through me.
I was about to hurry over with a burst of speed when my phone buzzed in my pocket.
Once.
Twice.
I pulled it out to see two texts.
Torvek: I’m so sorry, snow cub. It’s out. I was just leaving a meeting in the Dracoryn Core when I heard whisperings in the corridors from diplomats, council members, and even aides.
Dad: We need to talk. Now. Yes, about Winter Nox. And the other two, while we’re at it.
I came to an abrupt halt.
Uh oh.
The shitstorm was here.