A Familiar Magic, page 29
“Are you referring to his animal?” I asked, defensive on Bast’s behalf. “Because I don’t care about that, and I didn’t think you were one to care about it either.”
“What?” Auden replied, shocked. “I don’t care about that.”
I crossed my arms. Something was bothering him.
Auden raised his palms. “Really. I couldn’t care if he shifted into a flamingo.”
Wrinkles creased on his forehead and for the first time, I noticed the dark circles under his eyes. Auden looked haggard. His messy hair was more unruly than usual and even his clothes seemed a little rushed. Was it a bad night’s sleep or secret keeping for his father?
Ugh. All this doubt gave me a headache. I wasn’t usually this skeptic and for it to be over someone I cared about…
“There’s been some rumblings about your friend and his mom,” he voiced, obviously uncomfortable with the conversation. “People are complaining that they’re not supporters of my father and other traitorous whispers. I just don’t want you to get mixed up in whatever it is.”
I switched between outraged and suspicious, never landing long on either. The question wasn’t who was saying these things about Bast and Adira, because everyone was against them. No. The real truth was whether or not Auden was trying to use me to gather information for his father. I truly believed he cared for me. But I wasn’t sure yet about everything else.
“Who’s saying these things?” I demanded. “People in the community? The Council?”
“I don’t know exactly—”
“Don’t know or refuse to say that it’s coming from your father?”
The words sat between us, angry and loud. Thunder rolled outside but it sounded amplified in the large room and the growing storm mirrored the expressions slipping across Auden’s face as I waited for an answer. He settled on shock with a bit of irritation.
“Come again?”
“You heard me.” I wasn’t in the mood to repeat myself, and I didn’t have the courage to ask twice.
“No. The news wasn’t from my father but I’m sure he’s been made aware of the rumors.”
“By you?” I held my breath. This was it. If Auden worked for his father, even unknowingly, I didn’t know what I’d do. Cry first. But not sure about after.
His gaze softened. “No.”
My relief was instantaneous. Auden wasn’t working with his father. I knew that now. He was being played like the rest of us. His honesty was more than skin deep; it was who he was. So, if he said the rumors weren’t from the king and that he wasn’t the one who reported them, I believed him. That didn’t make the news any less dangerous. Adira would need to be cautious for a while. And it didn’t mean I could suddenly divulge all my secrets like Auden wasn’t loyal to his family. It was a big weight off my chest, though.
“Why do you have so much animosity toward my father?” Auden’s voice hadn’t lost its rough edge, he was still upset.
“Because he made Bast’s life the way it is.” The truth was out of my mouth before I could take it back. Auden frowned with such confusion I had no choice but to share the heartbreaking story of Bast’s childhood.
How the king did nothing to protect him when he shifted the first time. How he allowed the community to run his mother to the edge of the island like a pack of wild animals and how he continued to allow their mistreatment. Bast wasn’t even allowed in most businesses in the community all because of something he couldn’t control and didn’t ask for. The hex bags, the abuse; it wasn’t right. Auden listened to every word, revealing honest disbelief at all that I revealed.
“My father is powerful,” he whispered. “But he can’t control his subjects on matters where there is no law.” I opened my mouth to argue, but he covered it with his hand. “That doesn’t mean it’s right or that something shouldn’t be done about it.”
There he was, that honorable gentleman that he couldn’t hide. I pulled his hand down but didn’t let it go. Turning it over, I grazed his palm with my finger, thinking.
“Okay, but this thing between us isn’t going to work if you can’t get along with Bast.”
Auden’s hand closed around mine and I looked up at his smirk. “What thing between us?”
Talk about self-conscious. I tried to pull my hand back, but he held it in a firm grip.
“Well, aren’t we friends?” I asked, my mouth going dry.
“Sure we are,” he confirmed, and I felt a little less like dying. “But I was kind of hoping to be more.”
I took that back. I was definitely dying. Auden’s eyes danced with mirth as he held my gaze. There was no stopping my blush and we were too close to back away now. He’d seen it. When my tongue finally came unglued, I’d gotten over the shock. Somewhat.
“We can’t be more, Auden. You know that.” It physically hurt to say the words, but one of us had to be realistic.
“I’m not next in line for the throne, so I have no immediate duties to fulfill.”
“That doesn’t actually solve anything,” I sighed.
“How about this,” Auden pulled on my hand, hard enough that I bumped into his chest. His arm snaked around my waist and pulled me even closer. “We play it by ear and see where this goes. Because I really like you.” He drew back just enough to look in my eyes. “I like spending time with you.” His other hand drifted up my side, over my shoulder, and along my neck until it cupped my cheek. “But I especially like doing this.”
This kiss was filled with the same urgency and the same longing as the first. My eyes fluttered shut and my fingers wasted no time reaching up and burying themselves in his hair. His lips moved over mine, encouraging, and when I flicked my tongue against his lip, he growled. Lifting me against him, he pushed me into the wall. My legs rose of their own accord, wrapping around his waist with the support of his hand on my thigh. His mouth found the sensitive spot where my neck met my shoulder and he grazed it with his teeth and my next breath came out a moan as warmth coiled low in my belly. My muscles tensed, fueled by a liquid heat coursing through them with each swipe of his tongue. He pushed against me harder, his breathing just as frenzied as mine. I bucked against him with a whimper. Something was growing, a pooling of sensations between my legs that ignited with each roll of his hips.
“Auden,” it was supposed to be a protest, a warning to slow down, but it came out more like a moan.
“I’ve got you sweetheart,” his voice thickened as he rolled his hips harder. Faster.
He scooped both his hands under me, palming my ass and adjusting me in such a way that…stars. He lined us up perfectly and I sank my teeth into my lower lip to silence my scream.
“That’s it, Kaya,” he whispered against my neck. “Let it go.”
As if I could stop it. I erupted. Starting from my toes and branching into every part of my body, my nerves tingled as millions of pinpricks of pleasure speared through me in wave after glorious wave. Auden’s hips gently rocked against mine as I came down and I kept my face buried in his neck as feeling slowly returned to my limbs. He peppered small kisses along my neck, the side of my face, and my hair until I unwrapped my legs from around him and he let me go. I thought I’d be more embarrassed to lose control like that, but Auden had such a satisfied grin on his face that it was hard to do anything but match it.
“You’re beautiful,” he spoke against my lips in one more kiss.
The storm had settled outside the window, but the one in my chest was just getting started.
chapter twenty-eight
I rode the rest of my weekend on a high, satisfied for the first time in almost every aspect of my life. The parts I still worked on couldn’t dull the shine of the rest. That was until Monday reared its ugly head. I was prepared for Instructor Lyra. Neither she nor Lincoln would break me. I didn’t care if the whole class ganged up on me again. My good mood couldn’t be shattered. But it wasn’t Lincoln standing in the middle of the room today. The newcomer had dark, rich hair somewhere between black and brown, cut close to her head and slicked down. She wore the usual attire of a witch on duty, black cargo pants, matching shirt, and combat boots. The class tentatively gathered around, cowed by her less than friendly disposition. Instructor Lyra was a hard ass, but this woman was something else. Unease took root at the base of my spine, burrowing deep until I shook with it.
“I see you’re all aware of our visitor today.” Instructor Lyra’s voice rang out, a heartbeat before she appeared. “I’ve asked her here today to help those of you struggling to conform to what’s expected of you.”
My palms grew damp with sweat when her eyes landed on me. The corner of her mouth twitched in a barely concealed smirk, and I knew I was fucked. Beside me, Bast stepped closer as a sign of solidarity, but I didn’t want him dragged into whatever shitshow was about to go down.
“You all may call me, Nakela,” the newcomer announced, her hands laced behind her back as she surveyed the class. “I’ve been active in the field for the past fifteen years and faced the worst demonkind could throw at me. There is no job I can’t handle.”
Her gaze slid to me and I visibly gulped. Her eyes were like spears, metallic and cold. They pierced through the uninterested façade I hastily donned like scissors through paper.
“Miss Thornton.” My name rang like a bell and my classmates fell away.
Bast was the only one to remain by my side. I gently pushed him aside, lest he capture Nakela’s attention next. When I didn’t move, she took a step toward me.
“I’ve heard you’ve been having trouble shifting.” I cut a glare at Instructor Lyra, but Nakela moved back into my line of sight. “Don’t worry about her, she only wants what’s best for you.”
I laughed. “Did she tell you that?”
Her skin tightened around her eyes, but she plastered on a fake smile. “She brought me here to help you. She knows I can get results.”
I didn’t want to think about how she planned to get those results. My heart was in enough of a panic without my imagination getting involved. Something told me her plans weren’t sanctioned by the Council.
“You’re not a familiar,” I said, moving to the side, only to be blocked by a ring of students. I huffed. “I fail to see how your ‘expertise’ will help.”
“Humor me,” she dared, and it wasn’t like I had a choice.
Silence fell and the sunshine with it, like the world held its breath for what would come next. There were still streams of dust particles hanging stagnant in the air, but they did little to distract me from the situation.
“Close your eyes,” Nakela began. “Visualize your door.”
It seemed simple enough, so I shrugged and did as she asked. Her footsteps made soft scoffs on the hardwood that I heard even without tapping into my extra senses. She circled again. I tensed, not trusting her behind me, but kept my eyes squeezed shut. The door in my mind was exactly as I described it to Bast, weathered and damaged, looking much older than my seventeen years of life. Cobwebs littered the upper corners while brittle vines creeped across the threshold in silent wait for a victim. This was no longer the peaceful gift I thought it once was. Time and resentment warped it into something else entirely. Even so, I sensed my inner cat pacing on the other side.
“Once you’ve located the doorway, step through.” Nakela instructed, like it was as simple as that.
If that were the case, I wouldn’t be here right now. I heard the soft breaths of everyone in the room as mentally, I stepped closer to the door. The hinges were rusted and tarnished, but I wrapped my hand around the doorknob and gave a half-hearted push.
Nothing. It wouldn’t budge.
A soft hiss filtered in from the other side when I tried again with the same results. My eyes opened to a watching gym and the instructors patiently waiting. I hadn’t even sprouted a claw.
“Again,” Nakela commanded.
I rolled my eyes and searched for the door. This was going to be a long, boring class if all she did was repeatedly tell me to open the door and—
“Ouch!” My eyes sprang open at the sharp pinch on my arm.
The bitch pinched me! I stared at her, incredulous. Were we in the fifth grade?
“Close your eyes and try again.” There wasn’t a smirk this time. Her face was set like marble, leaving no room for argument.
I’d barely approached the door when another pinch to my side forced me away with a curse. “I fail to see how this is helping,” I growled, my pupils flickering in anger.
The slight reaction pleased Nakela and she shared a look with Instructor Lyra. “Fear and intimidation did nothing to spur your animal half into action,” she explained, her voice sickly sweet, as if she spoke to a child. “I’ve found pain to be a great motivator in times of need.”
She was certifiably insane. I glanced around the room to catch the reactions of my classmates. Some of them looked properly disgusted, but they kept their mouths shut. Others, like Lincoln, smiled in an almost gleeful way as they waited to see how this lesson would unfold. Nakela no longer waited for me to close my eyes, and she was past telling me to open the door. She moved right into trying to force the change out of me. Her hands whipped out with lightning speed, landing in soft spots all along my body. The pain was sharp and immediate but faded quickly. Frustration welled inside me as I failed to dodge her attacks.
“Enough,” my voice was rough, my inner cat right below the surface.
The pressure of my claws against my fingertips, the prick of my canines along my lower lip, the feeling of my skin stretched as fur broke through in spots. My body was on sensory overload. After days of bullying and harassment, this was the final straw. I promised myself I wouldn’t roll over and allow the mistreatment any longer. And that included assault from an uppity witch that didn’t know how to take no for an answer. The next time her hand came at me, I blocked it, twisting my wrist until I gripped hers. Her eyes briefly widened at the challenge…and then she struck. Her foot swung low at my ankle, intent on knocking me down. I jumped over it with ease and used my momentum on the way down to pull her forward, directly into my knee. The feel of air leaving her lungs was more than satisfying and there was no stopping the grin that split my face.
“You bitch,” she wheezed, dropping all pretense with a glare. Instructor Lyra made to intervene, but Nakela held out a hand, the other still cradled across her stomach. “She’s mine.”
I didn’t expect her to move as quick as she did and that was my fault. When she lunged, I tripped over my own feet trying to dodge. Her fist grazed my jaw. The pain was fleeting, but I was still pissed she made contact at all. My animal grew more agitated as we fought. Bits of her attributes escaped in the form of strength and speed, but not enough to completely immobilize Nakela. Her experience was obvious in how swiftly she moved and in knowing exactly where and when to strike. I held my own though, landing just as many blows as she did.
“You will shift before the day is through,” she promised, switching up her attack to grab the front of my shirt in an unbreakable grip.
I slammed my forearm down against hers, trying to free myself. She held strong with a sinister smile and twisted. I flipped over her hip. My back met the hard floor and all the air left me in a near mirror of my attack on her. As I tried to recover, she climbed on top of me and straddled my waist.
“Your resistance is admirable, if not a bit stupid.” Nakela clutched my wrist and brought it up in front of her.
I was too busy trying to breathe to put up much of a fight as her stubby hand wrapped around my middle finger. My first breath barely filled my lungs when it left again on a scream as Nakela yanked, breaking the bone with a sure snap! My inner cat went nuts, tackling the door from the other side. But she failed to break it down. Instead, claws sprang free and sliced Nakela’s skin to ribbons. She hardly blinked. Her fist wrapped around my index finger.
“That was close,” she goaded. “But I know you can do better than that.”
The next break hurt worse than the first. I bit my lip until I tasted blood, refusing to scream a second time. The doorway in my mind trembled and cracked. Not enough. My hips bucked and caught Nakela off guard enough to throw her forward. She still had a hold on my broken hand, but my other was now free, and I scooped it around her elbow. My leg moved outward and in a flash we flipped. I scrambled away, keeping my broken fingers close to my chest. My eyes were wild—the pupils split as I scanned the crowd for an exit. This had gone too far. Teachers weren’t allowed to fucking break bones and while Nakela was the one who technically did the crime, Instructor Lyra stood by and watched. Faces swam around me in a blur of shocked masks, terrified frowns, and leers. They stood shoulder to shoulder, surrounding me and Nakela with no room to escape. Both of us were breathing heavy. My fingers were bent at odd angles and her arm was shredded. Neither of us were willing to back down. Nakela held her arm out to the side where a fully charged cattle prod magically appeared.
Fuck. That.
I frantically battered the doorway in my mind, my animal fighting just as hard from the other side.
“Your petulant tantrum is over.” The end of the cattle prod sparked as she pointed it at me. “It’s time to shift.”
Her grin revealed bloody teeth from one of my earlier blows and it enhanced the crazed look in her eye as she stalked me. I kept as much distance as the crowd would allow. It was only a matter of time before that thing made contact if I didn’t think of something quick. She stabbed. I dodged. We circled a few times and she tried again. This nerve-wracking dance drew us closer together with each turn, our room to maneuver growing smaller as the others crept closer. Fur broke out on my back, hidden under my shirt. Another crack in the doorway that came too late. The cattle prod grazed my arm, and the shock was agonizing enough to blur my vision. My heart beat like a drum inside my chest, threatening to give out as the electric current tapered off somewhere in my elbow. My animal and I worked in tandem to break the door down. Nothing else would save me. No one was coming to stop this, and I didn’t know how far Nakela would take it. Already she sprinted around like a mentally altered ringleader, high on trying to tame the large cat in her cage. With some kind of sick battle cry, she leaped, arm outstretched, and prod thrust forward. I tried to twist, to turn, to get away, but there was no room. The barbs struck in my lower ribs and dug deep.
