Page 39 of A Curse So Cruel
Confusion creases Jensen’s brow, but he doesn’t dare argue. He simply takes the seat offered, his shoulders relaxing now that he’s no longer standing in front of the class.
“You know, for a man who denies that we’re mates, you’re awfully possessive,”I point out to Galen. I can’t be sure, but I suspect Galen has just placed Jensen in the front row to keep him away from me.
“And I told you,”Galen’s whisper sounds in my ear.“You might not be my mate, but I can still tell you’re mine. You’re not bedding that student unless it’s so I can watch before taking you myself.”
His words make me shiver.“I wasn’t planning on getting with anyone. I asked him a single question.”
“That you did, treasure.”
Clearly, logical reasoning isn’t going to get through to him, so I leave it there and listen to everything else he has to say to the class. Galen goes on to tell us about the twelve original warriors who came after Queen Krosia—six of whom are now the professors of Shadowbone Academy, and six who still fight on the front lines as war generals.
My breath catches. Kenzie had already told me Knox and the others are originals, but I hadn’t realized what that meant. It’s a lot for me to get my head around.
“Wait, so you, Raith, and the others are the original warriors who started to defend against the dark beings?”I ask Galen.“The Xalgrith or whatever they are? Exactly how old are you guys?”
Galen only chuckles and continues talking to the class about how the academy was formed as a facility to train more shadow warriors. Apparently, after summoning the originals, the oracle sent out a plea to Lady Fate, asking her to handpick suitable candidates for the academy. Having more warriors has helped with the war, but over the years the dark beings have continued to grow their numbers. The shadow warriors are the only ones stopping that darkness from spreading across the different realms, and the thought has chills racing down my body. I listen, riveted.
“Why only humans?”I whisper as the question pops into my head.“Why aren’t any of the students from the other realms?”
Galen takes a moment before he replies,“Humans are a blank canvaswithout an ounce of magic in their bones. It makes them the perfect candidates to obtain shadow powers.”
“I guess that makes sense.”
For the next while, Galen talks about the different realms, including Norso, home to the water monsters, Kanzepes, the beast realm, and Rostof, the realm of the giants. None of thisis new information to me, so I end up tuning out, turning over what I’ve learnt in my mind.
I’m busy wondering how many shadow warriors there are, when a shadow seems to come from nowhere. It slides over my shoulder and between my breasts, slithering slowly down my belly before it settles between my legs. None of the students around me react, and I get the feeling they can’t even see it’s there. I’m somewhat grateful for the little writing table that’s positioned in front of me.
“What are you doing?”I ask, guessing it’s one of Galen’s corali shadows because he has a devilish smirk on his face. What had he said? That they’re not sentient beings but manifestations of the wielder’s power?“I think one of your shadows is lost,”I mutter.
“Not lost, I’m simply ensuring my class remains interesting to you,”Galen drawls as the shadow presses against the sensitive spot between my thighs.Well, holy smut gods.Galen smiles smugly from across the room, right as that shadow starts to feel like fingers pressing between my legs.
I try to focus, but Galen’s phantom fingers push my thighs further apart, and while there’s no sensation of ice and fire, it doesn’t stop the desire that heats my body, making my stomach clench.
Calm down, Shade, it’s just a shadow. A really, really dirty little shadow that feels exactly like a certain shadow daddy’s fingers.
“You’re distracting me,”I whisper, because Galen has asked another student to tell more about what they’ve learned over the past weeks, and right now, I can’t concentrate on a single thing she’s saying.
“Do you want me to stop?”Galen asks.
His shadow fingers slide under the band of my bikini bottoms, and I have to bite my lip to stop myself from groaningwhen those fingers find my sensitive clit and stroke up and down my center. I know it’s not really him. At least, not physically, but that doesn’t stop my body from responding. I can’t bring myself to tell him to stop. Not when he’s right, and I do want this. God, I want so much more than this.
“Knox won’t be happy that you’re touching me,”I rasp instead, remembering how Knox had told Raith and Galen to leave me alone.
Galen’s shadow fingers swipe through my wetness before focusing on my clit again, massaging it with slow, teasing, torturous circles.“Focus, treasure, or you’re going to fail this class.”
I tear my gaze away from him and stare at the student who’s still speaking. Is she saying something about the originals? If she is, I can’t tell.
“And I’m not touching you,”Galen adds.“Not…technically.”
He continues to tease me, playing with my clit mercilessly until my knees start to shake.
Crap.I blow out a shuddering breath.Honestly, since becoming human, I haven’t actually explored my body much. Sure, I’ve tried a little, but my own fingers never make me feel like this. And to think this isn’t even his physical body…
His phantom fingers glide down to my entrance, and I suck in a sharp breath, subconsciously shuffling like he’s under my little writing table, and I want to give him better access.
“Mmm…You’re such a good girl, aren’t you? Look at how wet you are for me. Why is it that even when it’s only my shadow touching you, I still don’t want to ever stop being between your thighs.”His voice sounds tortured, and my heart thunders as the image of him between my legs pops into my head.
The student has stopped speaking now and she’s sitting again, but I’m still not paying attention.“If I fail this class,I’m blaming you,”I rasp, not at all remorseful because Galen’s shadow fingers feel too damn good.