Divination Class that included enchantments, as well as the art of telling the future, was a lot less fun than I’d been hoping. I blamed J. K. Rowling. Okay, witch families already blamed her for everything from showing non-segregated witch and wizard learning to creating a patriarchal world with men in robes. But this was different: it was personal now, bitch.
Nowhere had J.K. (as I’d liked to imagine in daydreams in my attic, she’d allow me to call her), written about her mage hero (yeah, I was casting myself as the hero), hanging upside down by his ankles in Divination as the whipping boy test subject next to a naked vampire.
Although, Aquilo had whispered to me about some kinky fanfiction that he’d read about Draco all tied up. Maybe Divination Class was meant to include bondage as well, after all?
How would I know? This was my first week of school in a decade, and I had to be honest, so far it’d sucked.
Yet freeing Magenta hadn’t, nor had sleeping in a real bed. The friendship of the Immortals was like being wrapped in a warmth that I’d never realized I’d been missing. I’d spent most of my time alone in the House of Jewels, but here, I hadn’t even been able to brush my teeth, without Sleipnir jostling my elbow to style his hair in the mirror.
There were only three more days to win the Rebel Cup, and if we lost, then I died.
Yeah, no pressure.
I didn’t want to kiss goodbye to my furry tail but at the same time, I knew now that I’d been slowly dying, locked away in the attic. If I only had this week of life, then I’d take it.
I could lie to myself, but I couldn’t lie about that.
The rope burned my ankles, as it dug in. My shoulders ached. My temples throbbed from the blood rushing to my head. I flailed, swinging around. Then I spluttered, as my shirt rode up to cover my face, revealing my stomach and chest.
Cocooned in the dark, I still heard Lysander’s snicker.
The smug…wish I didn’t keep thinking about how hot Andro and him together would be…bastard.
I shoved away the shirt from my face, flushing. Then I yelled in a manly way… Okay, shrieked… Okay, squealed like Mr Fierce when he’d been a hoglet. Midnight had twisted to me, and his fanged face was so close that his nose touched mine. His dick, which was hanging free, pressed against my thigh.
Wait, this wasn’t actually the Rebel Academy version of pinata with the best prizes if you hit our cock and balls?
I winced, wishing that I could cross my legs.
Floating silver candles lit Juni Crow’s classroom, which was next to Bacchus’ in the East Wing, in a glimmering glow because there were no windows. I’d guess that it was Juni’s way of making it easier to use the vampire because although they could go into direct sunlight, it gave them a crippling migraine. Who was feeding Midnight? Dad had told me that the Fallen liked to bond with the willing, taking Blood Lovers. Somehow, I couldn’t imagine either of the Princes becoming bonded to a whipping boy.
The walls, ceiling, and floor of the classroom were obsidian, but the pentacle shaped table that Midnight and I swung in the center of was royal blue lapis lazuli. The other Rebels hunched over it — Princes on one side and Immortals on the other — one with an icy alertness, and the other with the slacker attitude of The Breakfast Club.
Lucky for Sleipnir, who’d lifted Magenta onto the table and hiked her skirts up so that she could wrap her legs around his waist, whilst he busied himself studying up on her neck. Mist galloped around the table excitedly like it was his personal racecourse. Juni hadn’t arrived yet. Otherwise, both Sleipnir and Mist would’ve been strung up next to me.
Bask lay on the table gently snoring. But then, he’d barely slept last night.
Nightmares, I reckoned.
Why was there a cage in the corner? Just for a moment, I grinned with excitement, hoping that I’d see the Omega werewolf again. But the cage was empty. Did the wolf belong to Juni?
Midnight rubbed his nose against mine and smiled like this was a relaxed day at the office for him. “Thank you for the freedom you granted me in the café. It was a fine thing that you did to reward me like that.”
“Don’t mention it…I mean, really don’t. The last thing I want to think about is Lysander in that outfit right now.” I didn’t have to admit that it was because I’d added it to my Wank Bank, right? I tried to pull off casual, but I’d obviously had less experience of Bondage Small Talk because it came out as a squeak.
Midnight’s lips curved onto mine; his fang caught on my lip, and I tasted tangy blood. “Do you want to know how long it’s been since anyone’s shown me such kindness? Us whipping boys must look out for each other, see?”
Truth: Finally, I’m not alone. Maybe somebody will save me now?
Breathe, come on, breathe…
I yanked back from Midnight sharply. I counted back from hundred in my head, desperate to calm my thoughts.
How many years had I thought exactly the same as him? But I couldn’t let him know. I’d never allowed anyone to discover my desperate hope because no one had ever come to save me.
“If I’ve offended…?” Midnight said, tentatively.
I clenched my jaw, forcing myself to close my eyes and spin myself away from him. I felt him stiffen next to me.
Don’t look at him…don’t look…
My power of Confess washed Midnight’s despairing pain through me in haunting waves of piano that crested in Twenty One Pilot’s “Goner”. He was calling out to me through my magic without even knowing it. I shivered at his pain and need. Yet also, his strength that was drummed in every screamed syllable. He was holding on, desperately waiting for that single connection that could save his life.
How could I turn my back on that? Pan’s balls, I didn’t care that Midnight was meant to be my rival, I wouldn’t.
I twisted back to Midnight, catching his surprised gaze with mine. Then I kissed him, so that I could whisper against his lips, “I promised the Omega that I’d free him. I helped break Magenta through the veils, but I know that she’s still trapped. On Merlin’s breath, I’ve no idea how I’ll manage it, but I will free us for real from this academy. Hold on for me, okay? Swear it on your fangs or your gorgeous wings.”
Midnight shook. He raised his wings to wrap them around me, hiding us from sight. The feathers were soft, and my feline side urged me to snuggle into them, claiming them as mine.
“Mind you don’t make promises that you can’t keep.” Midnight licked across my lips just once. He was as cool as moonlight. “On blood and bones, keep yourself safe. You’re only a whipping boy like me.”
“Hey, foxy, the vampire’s only touching you in all the good places, right?” Sleipnir called.
“Swear to me,” I urged Midnight, “or I’ll start screaming that your fangs are getting bitey with my delicious throat. My blood’s food to the gods. It resurrected a ghost witch.”
I swallowed nervously. Was it a good idea to use your blood as both a boast and threat to a vampire?
I mentally slapped myself. Oww, that smarted.
Midnight’s eyes widened in alarm, but I didn’t know if it was at my threat or fear of being unable to control himself around my throat. I would taste epic. “You have my oath.”
“Desist kissing my vampire,” Lysander snarled. “If there’s anyone assaulting another around here, it’s your common wretch of a whipping boy. One warned you what would happen if you didn’t discipline him.”