I nod, but I have no intention of doing that. I walk off in the direction of my room, but the moment I’m out of sight and know she’s heading towards the teachers’ quarters, I swiftly change direction and head towards the library.
If I’m going to find a solution, then I’d better start looking now.
I reach the library, knowing it’ll be locked at this time of night. Placing my hand over the keyhole, I whisper a spell and hear the click before I glance down the hallway and open the door ever so slightly before squeezing inside. Quietly shutting the door behind me, I’m about to whisper the spell to lock it when I freeze, realising there’s a key in the door… on the inside…
Someone’s here.
My heart hammers and I spin around, just as a shadow falls over me, my eyes widen, but before I can even react, a hand clamps over my mouth, pushing me into the door behind me and I find myself staring into a pair of glowing eyes…
First Years
Sienna
Jayce!
The tingle that rushes through my body as the scent of leather, cedarwood and dark spice hits me, makes my stomach knot and my heart pound far too loudly. Gods, he’s never been so close… His leg is grazing against mine; I’m far too aware of everything.
My cheeks heat up. I’m certain he can feel them against his fingertips.
“If you’re going to break into this library after curfew, then at least learn about the security…” His deep, husky voice caresses my ear, his hair brushing against my cheek.
He’s too close, my entire body is igniting in a way it never has, and the urge to rip his clothes off and feel his solid body against mine almost overcomes me.
To claim him.
I gasp at the intrusive thoughts, and I push him away. But despite using a lot of strength, it feels like I just punched a wall. He scoffs in contempt as he slowly moves back, but only enoughto look down at me.
“Any loud sound will activate the sound sensors, and if you so much as move across the floor, you’ll be caught on the camera to the left and get us both in fucking trouble. What are you even doing here?”
I swallow, wishing he’d move a little more back, but he doesn’t. I can see the glowing blue of his eyes, and even with the red that coats the room, I can still make out the colour of them.
Realising he’s waiting for an answer, I shake my head and clutch my gown tighter around me. “I, uh… I wanted to do some research on something…” I murmur, thinking he keeps seeing me in my nightwear, and right now I look ridiculous.
He doesn’t say anything, simply cocks a brow. “The security is lax, so as long as you stick to the walls, the cameras don’t really pick up, so don’t fuck this up like you do with everything else because if I’m caught…” He leaves his threat hanging, and I look away. I want to ask how he has a key to the door, but I’m not brave enough to.
Turning, he walks off, and I sigh softly. Sticking to the shadows, I begin making my way towards the restricted section. It’s not exactly restricted, as there are only a few barrier spells blocking entry, but these grimoires can only be removed with permission because some of the spells in the book require a lot of magic and can be dangerous for the one performing the spell if carried out incorrectly.
I wonder, what is he doing in here? I never took him as a book person. Distractedly, I glance into the darkness but can’t hear or see him anywhere. Then again, maybe he is just studying. He’s a Westwood. Their academic grades have always been great, except for Azura, anyway.
I turn my attention to the restricted section; this onehastobe guarded by magic… I smile slightly, an easy fix for a witch, but I’d have to make sure it’s done in such a way that the caster doesn’t realise.
“Can you get through that?”
I start with a gasp, clamping a hand over my mouth to make sure no sound escapes, and turn to look at Jayce. His sharp eyes are fixed on the open entrance to the restricted section. I tilt my head.
“What makes you think there’s something stopping you?” I ask innocently. I’d kind of like him to get into trouble, even if it’s just once.
He gives me a cold glare as he pushes away from the shelf he was leaning against. “I can sense magic,” he states as if this is obvious, his gaze dipping down as if that’s meant to mean something to me, and then looks away. “Answer the question.”
“Probably…”
“Not good enough, it’s a yes or a no question.” He looks at me, his eyes now icier than ever.
Hesitation and doubt flood me, and I glance at the opening again. What if I fuck it up? I…
“As I thought, completely fucking useless.” Without another word, he walks off, leaving me standing there feeling low all over again.
Asshole.
