Chapter 77
Sunday morning, I roll over and open my eyes when the mattress dips lower on one side.
“Morning, Brene,” Kiarr says in that Viking accent that makes my toes curl. He brushes fingers along my brow and down my cheek and jawline like he’s memorizing the shape of my face.
“Is everything okay?” I ask more breathless than I thought. “What about the magical attacks?”
“Shhh… ’tis all right for now. Ben says this Gwen using the grimoire has to replenish her magic before she can do it again. Tomorrow would be the earliest he estimates.”
Tomorrow. I sigh, snuggling closer to Kiarr. “Wait. When did you talk to Ben?” My night with Ben is still fresh on my mind and I blush. Did he tell Kiarr what we did?
“Early this morning before ye woke. He’s gone to check on yer friends… the werewolf and the necromancer.”
“Nora and Melanie?” I lift my head, worry cramming in my throat. “Why? Is something wrong?”
“Easy, lass. Your friend has been busy helping with the healing and we thought we’d help by seeing about your other friends. Your healing mage is so tired she hasn’t looked at her phone since she sent the text yesterday.”
“What if they found Gwen or they're hurt?” I sit up further, but Kiarr brings me back down by pulling gently on my arm.
“Ye need to stay in bed, Brene. Let Ben find out what’s happening and if it’s dire, he’ll let us know.” He grins when I lay down again. “Don’t worry, battles will always come, no need to rush them.”
“I can’t stop worrying about them.”
“Allow me to get your mind off your troubles?” He grasps my chin with his fingers and kisses me.
With his mouth on mine, all the world falls away. His fingers slip underneath my nightshirt and my breath hitches. I place my palms on his chest. The muscles are cool and firm under my hands. Our kiss turns carnal.
Kiarr lifts my shirt, his head going underneath. His mouth twirls over my nipple and I arch my back as desire spikes through me.
One hand massages my other breast while he holds the back of my head by my hair with the other. I moan, rubbing against his body.
He moves out from underneath my shirt to kiss my mouth again, thrusting his tongue inside. And my body yearns for him more. I jerk at his tunic until it’s off his broad shoulders.
“Yer turn.” He takes my shirt off and my nipples harden just from his gaze.
Lust ripples through me and my stomach tightens. “I’ve always had fantasies about Vikings ravishing me,” I say in a hushed whisper.
“Aye.” He smiles. “We know how to please our women.”
“Woman,” I correct him, nibbling at his ear.
His hands slide down my body and I shudder in pleasure from his touch. He kisses me like he can’t get enough, and neither can I. He tastes sweet like honey and heady like I’ve drunk too much alcohol.
His beard tickles my cheek. I pull back from our kiss because I’m burning with need for him. His fingers move down to my underwear and rip the fabric clean off me.
Then his teasing fingers dip between my folds, gliding up and down my sex until I’m coming off the bed. I claw at his shoulders and arms. Desperate for him.
“I don’t want to hurt ye, lass.”
“Y-you’re hurting me now. Please, Kiarr.”
He settles between my legs and pushes into me. I gasp in pleasure and pain. My body adjusts to him slowly. His sapphire eyes watch me, but he doesn’t move except for his teasing fingers over my clit and another pinching my nipple. Liquid heat floods me and I moan, bucking.
Slowly, ever so slowly it feels like he’s going to kill me, he pulls out. Then plunges back in. His movements are in rhythm with his hands that are touching my body, finding all my crazed-lust-filled buttons and some I didn’t even know I had.
His movement speeds up and the bed groans with us. My climax builds like a sailing ship. I bow my back and he lifts my legs, plunging into me deeper. His fingers rubbing my sex move faster and faster.
“Fuck, fuck, fuck,” I scream as my orgasm bursts out of me.
But Kiarr is still hard and deep inside me. His fingers slowing briefly until I catch my breath. Then they speed up again. And my body, like it’s purring under his touch, builds up heat again.
Colors flash behind my eyes as I yell his name over and over. He grunts, making moans that undo me.
“Brene!” His body tenses and he finds his release as I slowly drift back down to Earth from mine.
He holds me in his arms a long time before getting out of bed and covering me with the blanket.
“That was amazing. I think you thoroughly ravished me,” I breathe out.
Kiarr struts around my room like a puffed-up peacock. “Aye.”
My phone buzzes and I groan, my side still sore and tight as I reach for it.
“Hello?”
“Hey, are you okay? You sound out of breath,” Melanie asks over the line.
“Yeah.” I glance down at my nakedness and my skin heats. “Um…give me ten minutes. What’s up?”
“Meet us in the library on the third floor by the study tables.” She hangs up and I stare down at my phone.
Unease wraps around me like a cold blanket and I shiver.
Kiarr meets my gaze.
“I’ve got to get ready. Melanie and Nora are back, and it doesn’t sound like they have good news.”
* * *
Fifteen minutes later, I sit at one of the empty tables in the library chewing on my fingernails. Ben is on my right and Kiarr on my left.
“And you're sure they're okay?” I ask Ben for the third time since he came into my room when I was taking a quick shower.
“Yes. I saw them driving on the road leading to the school half an hour ago.”
My phone dings and I glance at the text message from Melanie.
Change of plans. Had to make sure you weren’t being followed. Come to my room pronto.
My stomach rolls and I swallow down a bitter taste in the back of my throat.
“What is it, Brene?” Ben asks, standing.
“We won’t allow anything to harm ye.” Kiarr draws his sword.
“I don’t know what’s going on, but Melanie just asked me to meet them in her room.” I stand up and try to walk without looking over my shoulder every two seconds.
“No one is following ye, lass,” Kiarr says behind me.
I nod, but my nerves make me jump at every turn.
At Melanie’s door, I knock, and a muffled sound answers me. Before I can ask Ben or Kiarr to see what’s going on, the door opens. A hand grabs my arm and yanks me inside.
Jezza sits on a chair with dark circles under her eyes sipping a cup of tea. Melanie joins Nora standing at the end of the bed. Between them is a girl with a hood over her head and her hands and feet bound with ropes.
“What the hell is going on?” I ask in a hushed whisper.
“Well,” Melanie shrugs, “we know you couldn’t leave the academy and so we brought her to you.”
“Who?” This is bad. Like really bad. Like I’ll get locked in a dungeon and throw away the key forever bad.
“We traced the magic back to your old school and of course,” Nora yanked the hood off the girl, “Gwen.”
She has a gag over her mouth and glares at me but tries to talk and it comes out mumbled.
“Can you put up a dampening spell?” I ask. “You know, keep anyone but us hearing her?”
“I’m out of magic right now.” Jezza takes another sip of her tea.
“Don’t look at me, I’m a werewolf.” Nora places a hand on her hip.
If I did the spell, I might damage something.
“Leave it to me. I’ve already got one preprogrammed in my room thanks to my ex-boyfriend.” Melanie moves over to her nightstand and clicks the lamp on and off three times. “There.”
When I glance to Ben, he nods. “The room is soundproof now. I can see the magic glowing like a bubble around the walls, ceiling, floor, windows, and doors.”
“All right.” I walk to Gwen, but I don’t take the gag out yet. “We know you have the grimoire. Why are you attack us and the school?”
I yank out the gag.
“You fucking bitch,” she snarls. “Untie me. I’m going to have Decan strip your magic and leave you homeless on the street.”
“Wrong answer.” Nora raises her hand to slap her, but I stop her.
“I’m sure Decan would love to hear about how you’ve been behind the magical attacks here at the school.”
Gwen makes a face of disgust. “You’ve lost your mind. I don’t have any magic. Remember?”
“But you’re using the grimoire.” I look to the others for confirmation. “We’ve felt the magic. You’re trying to rip it out of us, but you’re going to kill us in the process.”
She pales.
“What’s the matter, Gwen?” Melanie says. “Couldn’t handle the competition of us having magic and you not? So, you decide to wipe out all supernaturals?”
“Why would I do that?” She squares her shoulders. “My mom and dad are paranormals and as much as they irritate the crap out of me, I wouldn’t kill them.”
“I think she’s telling the truth, Brene,” Kiarr says.
“I don’t have your stupid book and even if I did, I can’t do a spell like that without magic.”
“Is that true?” I ask.
The others shrug their shoulders, but Ben looks thoughtful. “She may have a point.”
Suddenly the room starts spinning and I sit down on the floor before I fall.
“So, you’re really not attacking the school or us?”
“No.” She lifts her chin. “My baby sister goes here. Why would I do something that would hurt her?”
If Gwen wasn’t the magic-user, then who was?