Page 50 of Elmwood Inclusive Magic Academy
I gasp, breathing in the crisp night air. I feel myself getting wet and I ache for her. My toes curl in the dewy grass.
Now her mouth goes lower, kissing the tender skin of my bare stomach.
“I’ve wanted this moment,” she whispers, her dark eyes gazing at me. “Since the night I first saw you in the woods.”
“Me too,” I reply, meaning it with all my heart.How could I have ever wanted anything else?
She smiles, a dimple forming in her cheek. “Can I?”
I breathe, “Yes please.”
Her eyes glow yellow, just briefly. Then her mouth finds my most sensitive place and she takes me in completely. Her tongue moves in smooth, confident circles.
Waves of pleasure crash through me and my back arcs in ecstasy. I moan as loudly as I like. So deep in the woods, there’s nobody else around for miles. It’s just the two of us, perfectly intertwined.
The only light is the stars and the moon.
THE CAT AND THE RAVEN
Maggie
“Ok, I figured it out!” Hallie announces grandly. She slams a massive, dusty book down on the library table. We recently discovered the mostly abandoned library near my mother’s classroom. It has enormous, stained glass windows and tall shelves filled with leather-bound, ancient-looking books. Hallie has been giddily working her way through the stacks. Rae and I mostly use it as a make-out spot.
The mer-siblings jump and scramble away from the book. Persephone swears in some high-pitched mermaid language.
“Isn’t that bit getting a little old?” Rae asks, raising an eyebrow at me.
I smile. “Aww, they’re still getting used to paper. Give them some time.”
She rolls her eyes, but she’s grinning. Ever since the night in the clearing, we’ve been almost inseparable. And neither of us can stop smiling.
“Youguys,” Hallie says, gesturing to the book. “Focus! I’ve been doing a lot of research, and I think I’ve I figured it out, Maggie. Why your magic is being so wonky!”
“My magic is being wonky?” I ask.
“Yeah! Don’t you think it’s weird that you had so much trouble at first, but then you suddenly got way better at witchcraft?”
“Well, I mean, I needed practice…”
She shakes her head. “That’s not it. Have you noticed the other witches in our year? They started out better than you, but they’re takingwaylonger to improve. I mean, yes, practice makes perfect, and you can definitely improve whatever naturalmagic ability you have, but not like howyouhave. You lit the black-flame candle, you healed Rae’s wound, you’re an incredible flier. It usually takes witchesyearsto be able to fly like you do!”
I blush with pride. “Ok, but why would my magic suddenly get strong like that?”
“That’s the thing!” she waves a hand towards the book on the table, which opens to a page in an ancient language.
“Hey, your magic is getting good,” Rae says to her, impressed.
Hallie beams.
“Thank you! Now,look,” she points to a paragraph in the middle of the open page. Rae and I squint at the tiny, elaborate script. “Your magic didn’t strengthen. It was just weaker before because it wasbound. This is your normal magical potential. When magic is unbound, it can manifest as insanely powerful bouts of magic. Like your healing spell on Rae!”
I stare at Hallie, completely flabbergasted. “Bound? Why would my magic be bound?”
“I don’t know, but the healing spell you did somehowunboundit. It’s all laid out here, clearly,” she gestures towards the book. “Nothing else could explain it. Your magic was weak before that spell, and powerful afterwards.”
“Hmm…” Gwen furrows their dark purple brows, then looks over at Rae. “But don’t you think it could be the fated mates thing-”
“Hey, Gwen, I think I can hear that mer-professor calling you from the lake,” Rae interrupts, her ears perking up. “Yep, definitely for you!”
