I feel my cheeks heat as his grin grows. He looks away, hasty to smother it.
“Shut up.” I duck around him toward the girls’ changing room, and he laughs, the sound fueling my annoyance.
“Stupid guys…” I growl as I walk into the changing room, an evil little idea filling my mind as I walk past the girls with their sports bras and gym clothes in hand.
I close my eyes and focus on my powers, finding the little weed inside Dane, and I enable the curse. My lips twitch as a deep yell echoes from the boys changing rooms, followed by an even louder roar, calling my name. The girls eye the door with wide eyes as the yelling grows louder, and then me.
My evil little soul rejoices as I get changed and take my time walking back into the field. I pass wide-eyed girls who glance between my Cheshire-cat grin and the dark, brooding cloud that is Dane. His arms bulge as he crosses them over his chest, and his eyes narrow as I try and fail to suppress my smug grin.
I take my place next to Rory and focus on the Professor as he explains today’s session.
“Today, we will be focusing on agility which means no sparring.” His eyes flick to me and I send him a disappointed pout. “Agility,” he continues, “is what will help you defend yourself, as well as land attacks. It is also a vital skill required to survive the Trials that, need I remind you, you must survive twice if you are to graduate at the end of your time at the academy.”
I ignore the seething mountain that comes to stand at my side.
“Right, a lap around the track. Now!” Worgren claps his hands and thrusts an arm to point at the opposite end of the arena. I follow along with the group of runners as I sense a large shadow descend over me.
“Something wrong, Dane?” I ask as he maintains pace beside me.
Staring forward, I can feel the anger rolling off him as he leans down to hiss in my ear. “What the hell did you do to my dick, Serena?”
“Whatever do you mean?”
“My fucking dick is gone, Serena. Give it back,” he whispers harshly, and the runners nearest us laugh, the sound dying off as he glares in their direction.
I straighten up until my lips are near his ear, and the hammering in my chest grows as I feel his body vibrating so close to mine. “Promise to be a good boy from now on?” I sing, and he practically growls out my name.
Turning forward, I sprint after Paxton who is hunched over, his shoulders shaking, and his soft laugh greets my ears.
“Serena!” Dane calls, and I grin as I glance over my shoulder and wave, his eyes darkening in a way that thrills me.
“You can have it back at the end of the day!” I grin as I spin back around and jog on, my cheeks hurting from the curses erupting from his mouth.
Some days, I love being me.
A familiar presence follows behind me as I whistle my way through the overgrown path to First Aid.
“Honestly, Mistress. I think if that boy didn’t like you, you ought to be watching your back,” Lore informs me with a light chuckle as we enter the open field, languishing in the warmth of the sunlight.
A laugh escapes my lips, and I can feel Dane shooting a mega-watt glare into the back of my skull. I peer over my shoulder. “Dane, is something wrong?” I ask with mock worry as we near the greenhouse. Our classmates see his glare and the powerful energy rolling off him in thick waves and scatter out of his path, hurrying through the open doors of the greenhouse.
“Serena…” he growls, and I can hear the warning in his voice. “Give me back my dick. Now.”
A bark of laughter and a few giggles erupt from our classmates who quickly quieten down when he growls again, the sound remarkably beast-like. I know he has an affinity for earth magic, but I wonder if he can shift. He’d be a bear… or maybe a lion.
I glance back over my shoulder at his muscular body and shake my head. “Nope. Definitely a bear.” As we take our seats, I search for the curse within his body, and release it with a sigh.
Dane’s eyes widen as he reaches under the table to pat his crotch, and he sags against the chair. Turning to me, his eyes hold both a challenge and the need for revenge. The prospect of both erupts sparks across my skin.
“I can’t believe you did that,” he says softly as Professor Ariella begins her lecture on common healing plants that can be found out in the forest.
I huff as I give him my full attention. “Really? I did say that if you tried to read me again, I would happily curse you. I didn’t say how, though, so that’s on you for thinking it would be something innocent.”
Dane’s eyes darken as he leans in close, and I watch in fascination as his eyes fill with heat. “I don’t think there’s anything innocent about you, Serena Stollmeyer.”
I lick my lips. Something about his tone draws me in, and all I want to do is push him until he snaps. To see what would really happen if he lost control.
“Serena, would you like to share with the class your thoughts on primrose?” Professor Ariella asks, a hint of amusement in her voice.
Without turning my gaze from Dane’s, I answer, reciting word for word the properties, uses, and how it can be applied with a hint of magical enhancement. Dane’s eyes widen as I finish, and silence greets my ears.
I shift away from Dane and glance around at our classmates, their expressions matching Dane’s. The only one who doesn’t seem remotely surprised by my answer is Professor Ariella, whose eyes fill with pride and also curiosity.
“Good work, Serena. I
