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FELIX

“Pass me that grimoire,” Luke says, his voice echoing off the stone walls of MistHallow’s forbidden eastern tower. “The one with the red binding.”

I hand him the ancient text, our magick brushing briefly. The contact sends a jolt of magickal awareness through me. His power is immense but erratic, like a storm barely contained in a cup.

“These wards need complete reconstruction,” I observe, running my hand along the invisible barrier that surrounds the academy. “They didn’t just breach them; they corrupted the entire matrix.”

Luke nods grimly. “Founder’s blood. They used it to destabilise the original enchantment.”

“That is the trouble with having wards made with the blood of people you can’t trust.”

“You don’t say,” he drawls, almost under his breath.

“Just an observation. Aurelius clearly can’t be trusted.”

He flicks the grimoire open. “People are rarely what they seem, Mr Davenport. A lesson you’d do well to remember.”

We’ve been working for nearly an hour, systematically dismantling the compromised wards before rebuilding them from scratch. It’s delicate, dangerous work. One mistake could leave MistHallow entirely unprotected or, worse, trap us all inside a collapsing magickal field.

I watch Luke carefully as he sketches a complex sigil in the air, blue light trailing from his fingertips. He’s the most powerful mage I’ve ever encountered. Throw in that vampire edge, and I can see why Gaida has fallen like a brick from the top of a tower for him. There is something alluring about all that power, that age and wisdom.

“Why dark magick?” he asks suddenly, not looking up from his task.

The question catches me off guard. “Why dark magick what?”

“You have an affinity for light magick as well. I’ve seen it in your work. Yet you choose to specialise in dark. Why?”

I consider my answer carefully. This feels like more than casual conversation. A test? Assessing me for something?

“It comes easier to me. I have to concentrate on light.”

“Your parents were light magick wielders.”

“They were,” I say carefully.

“So where do you think that ease comes from?”

“A corrupted soul.”

He glances at me, something like approval in his ancient eyes. “You are an enlightened young man, Felix.”

His use of my first name makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. It is a feeling that doesn’t come along very often. It feels like… approval.

“Well, trauma early on shapes you.”

“It does,” he says with more meaning than I’m comfortable with.

“My parents wanted me to focus exclusively on light magick,” I blurt out, surprising myself with the personal revelation. “They banned dark magick. They said it was a path to corruption.”

“And yet here you are.”

I shrug, turning my attention back to the ward structure we’re creating. “Here I am.”

We work in silence for a while, our magick intertwining as we construct layer upon layer of protection. My dark sorcery weaves through his more classical spellwork, creating a pattern more complex than either of us could manage alone.

“Your power complements mine well,” Luke observes as we complete the eastern boundary. “Most practitioners of dark magick find it difficult to synchronise with other forms.”

“I’m not most practitioners,” I reply.

He gives me a half smile. “You are in a minuscule bracket of a point zero one per cent.”

“Oh? That’s oddly specific.”

“I am an oddly specific man.”

“Oh, that you are.”

He chuckles, and I feel a barrier has dropped between us. There are still plenty of defensives up on both sides, but I’m starting to have maybe an inkling of trust in this authoritative figure, which is something that always slams my guard down immediately. Authority figures can rarely be trusted, in my experience.

Those thoughts drift from my mind as Gaida worms her way in. She is never far from my thoughts. Although I still don’t know what to do about her yet.

“You’re wondering about Miss Aragon,” Luke says suddenly as we move to the northern perimeter.

Heat rises to my face. “I wasn’t?—”

“You were,” he interrupts, not unkindly. “Your magick fluctuates when your thoughts drift to her. It’s quite telling.”

I swallow hard, focusing on rebuilding the ward structure rather than meeting his gaze. “It’s complicated.”

“Relationships usually are.”

“This more than most.” I need an emotional connection before physical attraction develops. With Gaida, that connection formed almost instantly. The soul bond that locked into place was mind-blowing. Strong. Real.

But…

What if I’m wrong? What if I’ve built this up in my head, and she doesn’t feel the same way? Or worse, what if she does, and I somehow mess it all up?

“Fear of failure often prevents us from our greatest successes, Mr Davenport.”

“Says the man who’s lived for centuries and mastered practically everything,” I mutter, wondering how he knew my thoughts. Or maybe I’m just that obvious.

To my surprise, he laughs, a genuine, if brief, sound. “You think too highly of me. I’ve failed more times than you can imagine. The difference is, I’ve had centuries to learn from those failures.”

We move to the western boundary, our magick flowing more smoothly now as we settle into a rhythm.

“Maybe. But I think there is more to it than that.”

“Like what?”

“Trauma early on shapes you.”

He gives me a sharp stare and then ignores me.

We continue working, the tension gradually dissipating as we focus on our task. The new wards take shape, stronger and more complex than their predecessors. My dark magick creates a shadow lattice beneath Luke’s more visible spellwork—a hidden layer of protection that will be nearly impossible to detect, let alone breach.

As we reach the final section of the perimeter, I notice Luke’s movements becoming less fluid. A fine sheen of sweat covers his forehead, and his hands tremble slightly as he casts. His power feels increasingly erratic, surging and receding unpredictably as we work.

It sets off every red flag waving, but I know if I confront him, he will deny it or rip my head off. I’m not risking the latter, so I pretend not to notice, but I will discuss it with Gaida later. She is probably the only one who will make him talk.

I channel more of my own energy into the wards, silently compensating for his fluctuations. The strain shows on his face. His jaw is tight, eyes intense with concentration. As he completes a particularly complex binding spell, I catch something disturbing: his eyes flash completely black for a split second before returning to normal.

I blink, uncertain if I’ve imagined it.

He raises his hands for the final sealing spell, drawing power from deep within himself. I watch carefully as the wards shimmer into place, a nearly invisible dome of protection enveloping MistHallow completely.

“There,” he says, satisfaction evident despite his obvious fatigue. “That will come as a shock to the Equilibrium if they come back.”

“Does it make me a bad person to hope that they will?” I ask blithely.

He chuckles. “Not really.”

“I’ll take it.”

“I need to check on the ferals, ensure the containment is holding.”

I nod. “I’ll go and check on Gaida and Dante. Tell them the wards are up and running.”

He disappears in a billow of cloak and blue lightning, leaving me to head the long way back to the residence building.

I reach Gaida’s room and knock softly. No answer. I knock again, louder this time. Still no answer.

Reaching out, I turn the handle, and it clicks open under the force of my magick. Pushing the door open, I see the bed is slightly messed, and there is the sound of a shower running. The scent of sex hangs heavy in the air.

Glancing around, I see the sword on the pillow and frown at it. At least it has detached itself from Gaida’s hand.

Walking over slowly to the ajar bathroom door, I push it open gently as the sound of fucking hits my ears. Soft grunts, desperate moans. It makes my cock hard. The shower doors are steamed up, so I lean against the doorway, wondering if they will know I’m here.

The shower door slides open a fraction of a second later, and Dante sticks his head out.

“Empath and a vampire. You can’t sneak up on me.”

“Wasn’t trying to,” I say with a slow smile. “I’m just enjoying the show.”

“The audio version? Wouldn’t you prefer to have the visual?”

He shoves the door wide open and steps back into the shower. The steam billows out around me as I remain rooted to the spot. Gaida is pressed against the tiled wall, her legs wrapped around Dante’s waist as he thrusts into her. Water cascades down their bodies, her hair plastered to her skin, his muscles flexing with each movement.

“Felix,” she gasps, climaxing hard as she feels my eyes on her. She is a goddess in that moment. My name tumbling from her lips while she comes on another man’s dick is more arousing than I thought I was capable of feeling.

Her eyes lock with mine, wide and vulnerable in her pleasure. My cock strains painfully against my pants, demanding attention I refuse to give it yet. This moment isn’t about me—it’s about witnessing her raw, unfiltered desire. When I take her, if I ever work up the courage to take that leap, it will be about us.

“Carry on,” I murmur. “If you don’t mind me watching?”

“I never mind someone watching,” Dante grunts, slamming into Gaida with such force that I think he is going to break her.

She moans, riding his shaft with an unfettered passion now that she knows I’m watching. Her body arches, her tits bouncing with each thrust. Dante’s fangs are extended, his eyes dark with lust as he pounds into her.

“Fuck, Gaida,” he growls. “You’re even tighter now.”

I struggle for breath. The room suddenly seems too hot. My magick responds to my unusual arousal by crackling at my fingertips. Dark tendrils of energy curl around my hands, responding to my heightened emotional state.

They work their way through the air, drifting over to Gaida. Her sharp intake of breath lets me know she has felt it. The tendrils wrap around her, absorbing her lust and passing it on to me.

Her eyes never leave mine as she comes again, her body shuddering against Dante. He follows shortly after with a low growl before he slowly withdraws and sets her down.

“The wards are up,” I say, my voice huskier than I’ve ever heard it. “Blackthorn’s checking on the ferals.”

Automatically picking up a towel, I hold it up for Gaida as she steps out. She smiles slowly and backs into it, letting me wrap it around her. “Did everything go okay?”

“Mostly.”

Dante steps out of the shower, completely unconcerned with his nakedness. “Meaning?”

“Luke’s broken sire bond is affecting him. He has fluctuating power levels. Tremors. Sweats. He is fighting it, or maybe it’s fighting him. Either way, we need to keep an eye on him.”

Gaida nods and turns around. “I saw it too. He is strong, but you’re right. We can’t let him go through this alone.”

“We won’t,” I promise her, meaning it with everything. “We’ve got his back.”

She cups my face and brushes her lips over mine. I fight the urge to deepen it, to act on these feelings, but it’s just not the right time. I would regret it if I did. “Thank you,” she murmurs. “It means everything to me.”

Gripping her chin, I stare into those deep blue eyes. “You mean everything to me. There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for you.”

Her lips part, but I let her go, stepping back and returning to her bedroom where it’s cooler and I’m able to breathe without wanting to tear my virginity away from myself in a selfish act of lust.

We both deserve better than that.