Rosemary Johns - Rebel Academy - Crush

"How personal." Magenta crossed her arms. "Use your own. Oh yes, you don't have one."

Ouch.

The lights dimmed, and Midnight tightened his wings around Fox.

Could a Stress Counselor go postal on her students' asses?

Fox glanced around with an adorable attempt to look stern. "As the actual cat, I veto all talk of playing with pussies."

When Midnight chuckled, Fox silenced him with a kiss.

Lysander's lips pinched like he might be the one to go postal instead.

Time to kick off the chaos moment.

I cracked my knuckles, and Lysander winced. Now that was stress relief.

"How about we play a game?" I said as casually as I could. "Princes against Immortals, and not a pussy or puppy in sight, I promise."

Magenta clasped my arm; her glove was cool against my warm skin. "What fun!"

"Your concept of fun has so far not tallied with my own," Lysander said, dryly.

"How do you know?" Magenta arched her brow. "You've never truly had fun with me, or you'd be begging for more."

Lysander stopped pacing and flushed. "A prince does not beg."

What was the bet that Willoughby had begged last night...?

I tilted my head. "Do you want that asshole guardian of yours to be proud of you on Saturday?"

Lysander shot me a wary glance. "Obviously." He hugged his arms around himself. Did he even know that he was doing it? "But he won't because the Princes lost the Rebel Cup. How can I show him that I'm reformed, if I don't even have the honor of starting the Dragon Polo Tournament? If I don't achieve well in the academy, then I shan't return to my own kingdom. If I never rule, then I can never overthrow the archaic and cruel rules and save my people." His lips twisted into a sneer. "Sorry, was that nobler than you were expecting from an Unseelie Fae?"

Honestly, yeah...

I steadily met his gaze. "I was only looking for a yes or no ."

Lysander launched himself towards me, but Willoughby tumbled Bask off his knee, as he leaped up to block him. To my shock, Willoughby gently rested his hands on Lysander's shoulders.

"That's right, massage out the tension," Serenity encouraged. "Really work those shoulders, chest, wings, tight ass, dick and balls..."

Lysander jumped away from Willoughby with a snarl.

Hunting princes was fun.

"I'm sorry that I've made you feel that I don't believe you noble," Magenta said. Lysander's eyes widened, and his breath quickened. He looked like he couldn't decide if he wanted to step closer to Magenta or back away. "If starting the Tournament is so important to you, how about we give you another chance to win it back?"

Lysander ducked his head, and his hands clenched into fists. "What else do you wish to strip from me? What more must one lose?"

"Nothing." Magenta's eyes were soft with sadness.

"Chill out," I eased to the edge of the seat, "just play a game with us. As long as you don't back out, then at the end of this hour, you've won the right to start the Tournament, right?"

Bask and Fox nodded.

Lysander took a single pace forward, ensnared. "What's the catch?"

Magenta sprawled back on the sofa. "No catch."

Midnight pushed himself to his knees, dragging Fox with him. His charcoal eyes shone, and his fangs glinted, as he smiled.

"On blood and bones, it'll be a fine thing to play. I haven't in ever so long." Midnight's wings quivered with joy. It was epic that it wasn't with fear for once. His glance at Lysander was achingly hopeful. "May I, my prince?"

Lysander tilted up his chin. "Why are you talking to me? I grant you one leniency and look where my lack of discipline leads." Midnight's hopefulness died, and his wings wilted. "Silence for the rest of this hour. Of course whipping boys aren't included."

Asshole.

When Fox rose to his feet, his furious magic prickled across my own. The fae had no idea how close he was to Fox’s hedgehog shifter form breaking out, and that’d be embarrassing for all of us, especially if any of the Princes dared to coo. I winced.

Lysander paled, as Fox stalked towards him.

"Our game, our rules,” Fox insisted. “ Whipping boys are here to stay, and if you don’t want your far too beautiful to be fair wings pricked, then you’ll call us Master for the next hour.”

“Or what?” Lysander sneered.

“Or ahh, holds wing full of prickles, and wishes that he’d just said Master, as he rolls around in agony .” Fox’s grin even freaked me out.

“He doesn’t have to call us that.” Midnight prowled to his feet, resting his arms around Fox’s neck and grazing his fangs along it; Fox shuddered. The adoring look in his eyes was like Fox was his god. “I don’t want to be anyone’s Master , see.”

“I told you not to speak,” Lysander said, shakily.

To my surprise, Midnight only latched his fangs more firmly onto Fox and glared at Lysander in a way that was dangerous.

“Just once,” Fox carefully pulled Midnight away from his neck with a shiver. “A single Master , grovel, or bow…?”

Lysander stormed past Fox, throwing himself down in front of the couch. “Fine, my noble self is here and ready to start this ludicrous game of yours.”

When Magenta patted him on the head, I barked with laughter. “Now there’s the spirit! I’m certain that the importance of enthusiasm is in one of the Principal’s Mottos. Although, when I was a girl, we played charades and croquet, rather than—”

“Dirty Truth or Dare.” I smirked.

Hector had taught me this game last term, and seriously, it'd been a dangerous game to attempt with someone as wild as him and an incubus.

Bask's eyes glittered. He crawled sexily to join the circle around the couch, holding out his hand for Willoughby to join him. "My favorite."

Willoughby elegantly settled on his knees, although his expression was shuttered.

"Do you not know what Professor Crow does to us if we're not immaculate?" Lysander stroked down his blazer, straightening it. "Her hexes are...unpleasant. One shall certainly not be dirtying this uniform."

I winked at him. "I wasn't talking about that type of dirty, prince ."

When Lysander bristled, I grinned. I'd developed the skill of making titles sound like insults. It was a talent.

Fox led Midnight by the hand to kneel down with him, completing the circle. "Like a dare to change your Facebook status to I'm coming...I'm coming...just come ."

Magenta scrunched up her nose. "Why would you put your face in a book or is it a picture book of faces, in which case what has it to do with wanking...?"

"Since there's no Wi-Fi here," Fox sighed, unhappily, "you'll never find out."

"Oh, there's that Wu-Fu thingy in the Prince's bedroom.”

On the World Tree, I'd never seen someone's jaw fall open in the way that Fox's did. Then Fox stabbed his finger at Lysander like it was a blade. "The larder of treats and silk uniforms I can live with, but your private access to computers...? That's one entitled privilege too far."

"One is deeply apologetic," Lysander said with dripping sarcasm.

Odin’s cock, I hoped that it’d choke him.

"Must it be dirty ?" Willoughby asked.

Magenta arched her brow. "Certainly not. It's your choice."

Willoughby nodded.

The Princes could never turn down a contest. They were walking straight into a trap, which would reveal their secrets and fears. Yet they were willing participants.

Loki had trained me to be a formidable hunter .

"We take it in turns to ask either a Truth or Dare,” I explained. “You can refuse to answer the Truth but then you have to take a Dare. If you don't, then you lose the whole game and remember, the stakes are the honor to start the Dragon Polo Tournament.”