The Curse (H. Academy Series #1)
Chapter 40: Communication Skills

“Quiet.” Leon put his palm over my mouth, shushing the moan. “Someone’s going to hear you.”

His other hand reached around me and trailed between my legs. He grabbed the fabric of my panties and tugged at them, causing another moan in my throat. I was fully clothed, except for the panties he kept pushing aside, allowing him more access.

He was fucking me from behind. In the library. Against the wall. I bit his hand on purpose.

“Ouch.” He let out a chuckle, the touch on my pussy turning rough.

“Fuck you.” I leaned my head against his shoulder, my mouth searching his. “We’re late.”

“No.” He pecked my lips, his finger forming circles against my flesh, making me squirm. “We’re right on time.”

He picked up the pace, his cock slamming against my walls. I shuddered and fell forward, palms ending flat against the wall. I ground my teeth to prevent myself from making a sound. Leon wrapped his hand around my throat and held me in place.

“We should have been in the training room ten minutes ago.” I whispered, the sound wanton. “Thar’s going to kill us.”

Leon stopped moving, “Do you want me to go soft?”

I chuckled, “No, I want you to hurry.”

“Your wish is my command.” He moved my hair aside and kissed my neck.

Then, he covered my mouth with his hand again and thrust inside me. I grunted against his palm, pain and pleasure mixing inside me. His fingers on my pussy weren’t helping. My knees wobbled, and soon the only thing holding me upright was Leon’s sheer strength. He made no sound as he came inside me, and I bit down his palm as my own orgasm thudded through me. I took a moment to recover, then stumbled off his cock, and grabbed my bag.

“Bathroom.”

“Sir, yes, sir.” He put his dick back into his pants and followed me through the bookshelves with a chuckle.

“Thar is going to kill us if you don’t hurry.” I pushed the girls’ bathroom door open, and Leon followed me inside. “Morta is going to kill me for sleeping with you again.”

“Wow, didn’t know there were so many targets on our backs.” He handed the paper towels to me.

I wiped myself clean, hating the fact he jumped me in the library. Ugh. No. I jumped him.

“Seriously, I told her I’d stop seeing you ten days ago.”

“I don’t understand days anymore.” Leon leaned against the wall. “I measure time in the number of times we’ve had sex now. And if you don’t count the broom closet, I believe we’re at thirteen.”

I side-eyed him while washing my hands, “Why did I think you wouldn’t be smug about it?”

“Because you thought I wouldn’t deliver.” He grinned. “Now you know my confidence is completely warranted.”

I rolled my eyes and stormed out of the bathroom, deciding against giving him the satisfaction of admitting he has been fulfilling my needs. He had stamina. And the longer I continued sleeping with him, the more it seemed like I wouldn’t be able to stop.

We half-ran to the training room, only to find everyone already inside.

“I know, I know.” I slipped through the door. “Sorry. We got caught up in the library.”

“Yes, the line to borrow books was... long.” Leon added.

Dean, Bella and Morta were in the training room. Thar went through the books on the table, ignoring our entrance.

Morta raised an eyebrow, “Where are your books then?”

I opened my mouth-

“Enough.” Thar closed the book he had in his hands. “You’re late. Again. Everyone is losing precious moments to train because of you.”

“Hey, you didn’t have to wait for us.” Leon said.

“I’m sorry.” I said. “Won’t happen again.”

Thar has become much colder towards me in the last couple of days, and I didn’t blame him. Leon and I were an open secret. Everyone knew. Everyone pretended it wasn’t true, including me. But I just didn’t have enough resolve in me to stop it.

“Where are Amma and Eugene?” I came closer.

“With Darth.” Morta crossed her hands on her chest. “Testing the black ooze.”

“Wait, why can’t we test the black ooze?” Bella drawled, her finger curling the brown strand of her hair.

“Because Amma and Eugene showed up to practice.” Thar grabbed the training mats and carried them to the middle of the room. “And the four of you skipped half of our sessions.”

“What about Dean?” I mumbled.

“I’m suffering because of you.” Dean answered.

“Dean is helping me demonstrate the exercise.” Thar carried an iron box to the middle of the room, one I’ve never seen and had no idea what he used it for. “Split into pairs. Bella and Jade. Morta and Leon.”

“What? Why?” My eyes widened.

“Seriously, Leon?”

“I’m not getting anywhere near Jade!”

Leon just chuckled.

“Because.” Thar’s jaw ticked with annoyance. “For this exercise, you need to be paired up with someone you don’t want near. It’s about locating and communicating with your allies when you’re being bombarded with lots of magic from all sides.”

Oh. So, there was a way to focus on one aspect of magic instead of all at once.

“Magic responds to magic.” Thar continued. “Open up your senses and allow everything to flow in at once. Then, focus on the person you’re trying to communicate with.”

“Why can’t I just work with Morta?” I sighed.

“Don’t bother.” Morta murmured. “I don’t like you much either right now.”

“Well, I don’t like any of you right now.” Bella said. “May I be excused, Professor Adara?”

“No, you may not.” Thar crossed his hands on his chest. “Everyone goes in one corner of the room. Dean, ready?”

“Yes.”

With a grunt, I hopped to my corner and stretched my arms. Bella was in the opposite corner, staring at me like she’d try to kill me the moment we started using magic. I didn’t blame her. I did kind of steal her boyfriend, even though he broke up with her long before he hooked up with me.

Still, everyone now hating me because of Leon rubbed me the wrong way.

Didn’t they all tell me at one point to forget about demons and get laid?

“We’re beginning.” Thar put his hands on the iron box, and Dean did the same on the other side. “This box will contain our magic, but you’ll still be able to feel its impact. Open up your senses.”

I did as he said; nothing but the quiet rumbling of the Academy’s magic and the soft murmur of the rotting black ooze touched my shields. Nothing unusual.

Then, Thar closed his eyes and black fire rose from the iron box in the middle of the room. Magic overwhelmed me immediately, and I almost stumbled on the floor.

“Shit.” Morta cursed from her corner, “That’s loud!”

“Ugh, I hate this.” Bella murmured.

Thar’s black fire rose above the iron box when Dean closed his eyes and the fire sizzled, its black tendrils evaporating from the box. This added magic made me dizzy; it filled my nose with a thick, sweet smell, and the air turned harder to breathe in. Bella was on her knees, her hands cupping her head. Morta glued herself to the corner wall. Leon gritted his teeth, but was mostly pushing through the magic.

Thar and Dean fought for control over the black iron box, the magic hissing and sizzling. It was a pointless match, but effective in proving to us just how vulnerable we were when dealing with this amount of magic. I tried to focus on Bella, and my head immediately began to hurt.

“Fuck, this is pointless!” Morta shouted. “I don’t feel anything coming off Leon!”

As if on cue, I looked at him. The faint undertone of warmth reached through the overwhelming amount of magic slamming at me all at once. I felt him; I could follow him based on his magic.

“Stop.” Thar removed his hands from the iron box, and all magic ceased. “I said Jade is working with Bella. Not Leon.”

My cheeks flushed, “You felt that?”

“Yes, Jade.” Thar looked at me. “I felt that. Now, focus on Bella.”

“I- I can’t feel her at all.” My hands dropped by my sides.

“Practice.” Thar put his hands on the iron box again, Dean did the same.

For the next fifteen minutes, Thar tortured us with magic, but to not much avail. My head pounded and my limbs became weak after pushing through the strong sensations, but I couldn’t, for the life of me, feel Bella anywhere. The bitch probably wasn’t even doing anything. When the four of us dropped to the floor, Thar gave up and removed his hands.

“Bella.” Thar approached the brunette. “Your senses are closed.”

“What?” I shouted. “Fuck!”

“Well, I wasn’t going to risk having Jade’s slutty magic rub off on me.”

I put my hands on my hips, “Really, Bella? Really?”

She lifted her nose, “I’m not talking to you.”

“Enough!” Thar shouted, shaking us all. “You have to work together if you hope to stand a chance against demons. Whatever your issues may be, you’re still all on the same side, and if you can’t cooperate, you will be eaten.”

“I’m not cooperating with her.” Bella puffed. “Boyfriend thief.”

“You can’t steal people, Bella!”

“Not that Leon is a person.” Morta murmured.

Thar’s shoulders slumped, “Take a fifteen-minute break. Please.”

“Gladly.” Leon pushed himself off the wall and left the training room immediately.

“Off he goes.” Morta whistled. “What a knight in shining armour.”

I pinched the bridge of my nose, “Can we, please, behave like normal human beings? We’re facing a threat that’s bigger than all of us!”

Thar closed the book on the table, “Are we, Jade? Because you certainly don’t seem aware of it.”

My mouth went slack.

“That’s right!” Morta agreed. “I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but aside from Thar, you’re the only black magic user in this school, and instead of learning to fight the demons, you’re screwing Leon in broom closets and libraries!”

“And he’s my boyfriend!” Bella shouted.

“Oh, boy.” Dean stood up and headed for the door, “I’m out of here.”

“Good idea.” Thar followed him without looking at me.

“No, stay. I’ll leave.” I said through my teeth, adrenaline beginning to pump through me, mixing with magic at the tip of my fingers.

I needed to remove myself from the situation.

Grabbing my bag, I headed for the door.

“You know, Morta, Thar-” I stopped in my tracks. “My father is probably behind this. And I’m trying my hardest to not lose my damn mind because of it.”

I slammed the door behind me, my heart in my throat.

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