Page 48 of Malcroix Bones Academy (Bones and Shadow #1)

Dreams And Crystals

Isaw him the moment he appeared in the doorway.

Like always, he drew my eyes, even when I didn’t want him to.

I stared at him openly now, seemingly outside my control, watching as he slid unhurriedly into the full classroom and made his way between tables.

He wore a white shirt, open at the collar, maybe more open than usual, over his dark pants.

His sleeves were rolled up, and I could see the dragon tattoo on his left arm.

He wore the rings he always wore, including the gold skull I suspected was a family ring.

He looked the same, yet I could feel something was different.

I continued to follow his languid progress with my eyes, my heart beating harder, painfully hard, faster, deafeningly loud in my chest.

He’d told me not to stare.

He’d specifically warned me against doing this, so why wasn’t I looking away? And why was he watching me? He didn’t cross to a different part of the room like he normally did, but walked casually in my direction, his gold eyes never leaving mine.

“Summoning me, Shadow?” A faint smirk reached his lips. “This is new. Don’t tell me you brought me here to help you finish your homework?”

Everyone was looking at us now. I heard them whispering behind their hands. I felt their stares. Everyone except Professor Underwood, who continued to stalk around the classroom, her expression serene, her walk unhurried.

The long-limbed witch nodded approvingly at Caelum as he passed.

“I think you’re correct, Mr. Bones,” she said, her hand a lingering touch on his bare arm. “It’s definitely time for a practical exercise, and Miss Shadow clearly needs it more than the others. Why don’t you assist her?”

Bones laughed, his eyes never leaving mine.

“Happy to. I’m already intrigued.”

My adrenaline spiked higher.

“What are you doing?” I whispered, when he got close enough. I motioned him sharply away with my hand. “Go away, you idiot. That was your rule. Remember? You’re the one who said?”

“You heard Professor Underwood,” he said, still smiling. “You need to be put through your paces, Shadow. Don’t you want to be the top of your class in all subjects?”

Even as he spoke, I could feel him sensing the air, like a dog picking up a scent.

Picking up on… gods, what was he picking up on, exactly?

Whatever it was, I definitely got the feeling he was pleased.

Maybe a bit more than pleased.

He walked the rest of the way up to me, and around the classroom table where we’d first partnered in Seeing Arts.

Before I could make sense of what he wanted, he sank to his knees.

He knelt in front of me, his gold eyes cautious now, but also with a faintly growing edge.

He rested his hands heavily on my thighs, nearly a question.

When I didn’t shove him off, or tell him to go away, he began pushing up my skirt to stroke my bare skin.

His fingers dug into my flesh, and I arched towards him.

I was embarrassed, horrified, but couldn’t seem to do anything about my own reactions.

“Gods. I thought I had to be imagining things,” he murmured, looking down at my bare legs. “I’m already hard as fuck. But I’m guessing you know that.”

“Go away,” I whispered, but I still didn’t push him back. “What are you doing?”

He gave me a direct look, eyes glassy, pupils blown out.

“Open up, little mongrel,” he said. “It’s time for your lesson.”

I fought to breathe, feeling paralyzed, caught. “What lesson?”

“I think you’re going to like it,” he said, watching my eyes. “I think I’m going to like it even more.”

When I couldn’t form words to answer, his smile slid wider.

“Gods, you’re hot like this. Look at you.” His voice shifted lower. “I’m going to kiss it first, Shadow,” he enunciated, gauging my face. “Then, if you behave, I’m going to let you kiss me back.”

After studying my expression, his eyes briefly closed.

He leaned into his hands.

“Gods. I think you’re going to have to talk to me before I let you get off, mongrel.

I’ve dreamt of that mouth of yours for months.

” He tossed his head to get his hair out of his eyes, then glanced around at the classroom.

“See if you can keep the rest of them out of our minds. There might be eavesdroppers, if you don’t…

and I’m liable to get really fucking distracted in about five seconds if you let me tongue you. ”

My body writhed under his hands again, and I flushed when his fingers tightened.

He could tell how turned on I was. He liked it, a lot.

“Caelum, I don’t think this is a good idea?”

“Of course it’s not a good idea,” he scoffed. “It’s a dangerous, reckless, absolutely fucking stupid idea. You don’t even know the half of it, sweetheart.” His gold eyes stilled. “But I’m not going to say no. Are you?”

I bit my lip. Slowly, I shook my head.

“No,” I admitted.

His hands finished pushing my skirt up to my hips, and I half bucked against him.

I glanced down, and was immediately mortified.

I wasn’t wearing anything at all under the skirt.

I felt his strong approval.

“Open, Shadow,” he directed, his voice gruffer now. “Open your knees, or I’ll use my belt on your arse in front of the whole class until you do as you’re told.”

An involuntary, near-painful spasm rippled my spine.

I opened my legs.

Staring down at his platinum blond head, I struggled to think, to even breathe.

He straightened his spine without rising from his knees, and his eyes locked with mine. He wrapped his hand around my arse on one side, then gripped me briefly between the legs. I jumped, but his fingers slid inside me before I could decide what to say.

I moaned, watching him look at me.

He let out a low, heavy sound in return.

“Gods. That’s it. Just like that,” he coaxed. “Fuck. What did I do that I’m getting this present, Shadow? Tell me, so I can do it again.”

He angled his fingers deeper, then curled them up, and leaned into me. He found a spot I liked and magic swam out through his fingertips, turning the spot hot, turning my whole body liquid. I opened my legs more to let him in, then whimpered and bucked when he went harder.

He groaned for real that time, the sound coming from deep in his chest.

“Fuck,” he murmured, still watching my eyes.

He brought me halfway to an orgasm that way, watching me the whole time. When he removed his hand, I bit back a cry. Honestly, I nearly slapped him.

I forced myself to remain silent as he closed his eyes, longer than a blink, then lowered his mouth. He sucked on my inner thigh slowly, maddeningly slow, but long and hard enough to leave a dark mark.

I felt the possessiveness behind it. I felt the control behind it, too.

I also felt him waiting.

When I couldn’t stand it anymore, I reached for him. My fingers clenched in his hair, trying to bring his mouth higher. His thumb stroked my clit and between my lips instead, and I nearly came apart right there.

“Gods.” He breathed out on my bare skin.

“You’re wet as fuck for me. Maybe you’re not a mongrel at all, but a little fucking cat.

My own little purring pussy. Will you purr for real if I fuck you into that chair?

” His gold eyes lifted to mine, his expression shockingly, unnervingly open.

“You are such a very, very good girl. You’re definitely getting a present from me after this, pussycat.

Now show me your gods-damned tits, before I rip that fucking shirt off you?”

I snapped awake.

I stared up at the ceiling, panting, covered in sweat, soaked between my thighs, unable to move for how hard my heart hammered in my chest. My whole body hurt. I clenched my thighs, clenched my hands into fists, feeling like I might die from the longing that paralyzed me.

I wanted to scream. I wanted to punch him in the face again.

I wanted to smash that smirk of his into a million pieces.

I knew none of that was real, though. I knew it was defenses, fear, embarrassment, horror at myself, at everything that lay under my attempts to convince myself to stay away from him. Gods. I wanted him. I really wanted him. It might even be more than that.

I winced at the thought, pressing my palms to my eyes.

Did he know? The thought that he might know made me feel sick. What a laugh he’d get with his royal friends if he did. Gods, I’d never hear the end of it.

The room remained dark and nearly silent as I fought to control myself. I could hear Jolie snoring lightly from the other bed, but it didn’t reassure me, didn’t do anything to relieve the anxiety mixed with mortification that closed my throat.

Caelum Bones.

I was having explicit sex dreams about Caelum-bloody-Bones.

And it wasn’t even the first one.

It was definitely the most vivid one, though.

It was also the one where Dream-Caelum had the most to say.

I didn’t know if I wanted to punch myself in the face, in some feeble attempt at aversion therapy, or go masturbate in the shower until I got the worst of it out of my system.

I’d never felt so upside down and confused and disturbed by a sex dream (crush, don’t you mean?

my mind supplied unhelpfully) in my life, even when I had the bizarrely graphic one about Professor Quicksilver.

I could still feel Dream-Caelum’s fingers dug into the meat of my arse, bruising my skin while he sucked on me with his tongue.

Gods, it felt so real.

I swore I could still smell him.

His presence swam all over me, on my tongue, between my legs. It clung like a scent, vibrating my skin, making me feel like I was losing my mind.

Gods-damn it.

I needed to get laid.

I needed to go out with someone else, to think about someone else.

Anyone. I didn’t even care who.

I had to find some way to purge myself of him.

I couldn’t fall back asleep.