Rosemary Johns - Rebel Academy - Curse

Just as it should be.

"It's convenient for me." I sucked on her neck, and her breathing sped up. "But as you wish."

Unexpectedly, she stilled, before stroking my hair. "Ah, now that's what we need to discuss. You please me every single moment ." I shivered, as her approval and pleasure bubbled through me, feeding my power in a rush that was as good as coming. Away with you, don't knock it until you try a pleasure feeding. "But it shan't be as I wish."

I blinked. So, she was a masochist? There were an awful lot of those in Rebel Academy. I hadn't seen that coming.

"You...want me to do the opposite of what you wish?" I ventured. "Then why didn't you just bond with Lysander because he already does that."

Magenta smirked. "That is rather the fae's best feature, however, I meant that this bond of ours will be equal. I'm not a succubi and I'm certainly not a traditional witch. I've been reminded recently that papa raised me to treat men with a respect that he hoped would start to change attitudes in our world." She bit her lip. "I was too young and sheltered to understand how brave and good he was and I died before I could achieve it. Yet I shall with all my lovers."

She meant it.

When I pinned her to the wall and devoured her lips, there was no softness but the joy of a predator unleashed. She didn't want only the side of me that gave pleasure, but the side that took it too.

I wasn't a freak to her. I was simply... me .

So, I might've been a wee bit heady on the freedom to be myself at last. She kind of looked dizzy from the kiss. But there was a whole section on how that was a good thing at the back of the Kissing Manual for Incubi. Seriously. Look it up.

At last, she wrenched back her lips; her pupils were dilated. "Last night, my magic offered yours a bond—"

"What are you doing?" I panted.

Her grin was wicked. "Telling you what happened. I thought it was convenient ."

I nipped her bottom lip in punishment or reward. Definitely a mix of both. "As long as you desire it to be convenient with incubus loving on the side."

"I wouldn't have it any other way." She allowed herself to be pulled back by me into the nest of pillows.

Ah, there was the satiny goodness. I squirmed around, until I caught Magenta's fond expression.

The tips of my ears reddened, even though Rule 69 of the Incubi Night Codestates: There's no shame in fighting for the best snuggle nest. There's only shame in surrendering it.

I gave a final defiant (but slinky) squirm of my arse, and then turned on my side, to wrap my arms around Magenta. Lying like this, was more intimate than when my tongue had twined with hers because our gazes were open and unable to hide, our foreheads touched like a blessing, and our breaths mingled against each other’s mouths.

"I nearly tore down the academy," Magenta murmured, "and was helped to calm down by one who knows me best, before I ended everything."

"You should write haiku, riddles, or possibly limericks."

She smiled brightly. "Thank you."

I sighed. It was impossible to do banter when all I wanted was to smother her cheeks in kisses.

"How'd you persuade that bitch Damelza to allow us a First Night together?" I caressed circles across her hip.

"Ah," Magenta pulled me impossibly closer. "The red-faced Principal was slightly put out that I'd bonded with you, and you should've heard the crude and vulgar words spitting from the Duchess!" My eyes widened. I'd never heard the Duchess swear before. That would've been a fine thing to witness, and even finer if Damelza had cast a Mouth Soaping Hex on her like she had on Sleipnir last term. It was hard to imagine my poised ex-bond with suds bubbling out of her mouth but worth it. "That fluffy tail of hers wagged like Pocus’. She pulled the most amusing grimace when I batted it away.” She pursed her lips; I was aflame with the desire to press my own lips to them. “Did I break some succubi tail custom?”

I snickered. “Aye, and it’s a fine thing.”

Her lips quirked. “You truly are quite wicked, aren’t you?”

I put on my best innocent face. I pulled it off. Lay off, Magenta believed it…a wee bit.

She kissed the tip of my nose. “Damelza was impressed, however, at the strength of my magic that it was able to create such a bond, especially at a distance. Of course, she didn’t say so, rather that I must be even more corrupted than she’d imagined. She’d assuredly strain something if she offered a compliment, possibly her witchy behind. She wants to study the bond.”

My pulse pounded, and despite myself, I attempted to pull up my knees defensively. All that achieved, however, was to press myself even closer to Magenta.

My hard prick rubbed against her stomach, sending sparks of pleasure along my pricks’ length and exploding behind my eyes.

Why, hello there, this is your neighborhood incubus prick.

Just for a moment, the intense pleasure made me forget the horror of Damelza poking and proding at the most private thing, which existed between Magenta and me.

“A bond is sacred ,” I insisted.

Magenta’s expression softened. “I can sense that, but Damelza can’t. She’s a bitch; I’m no longer unclear on the problems in my family and heritage. I’m less certain about Juni. What would she’ve been like, if she’d been blessed to be raised by a father like mine? But Damelza’s curiosity is why she granted us this First Night.” Her voice wavered with uncertainty. “I believed that it’d be like courting, you know, romantic.”

Yet I remembered my First Night with the Duchess.

I’m sorry… I’ll try harder… What do you desire? I’ll become whatever you want.

I shivered, tightening my arms around Magenta. There was all the romance that I needed simply by holding her in my arms or even gazing at her portrait on our bedroom wall.

Yep, I was an obsessive romantic.

But not about this.

I wouldn’t break down. Not in front of Magenta.

Beg me to let you burn yourself.

Why was I shaking?

Stop, stop, stop…

Magenta’s eyes widened with alarm and concern. Her fingers traced soothing patterns on my back.

My eyes smarted. I couldn’t let this happen. My hands clenched into the material of Magenta’s dress. Wetness caught on my eyelashes and gathered in the corners of my eyes. My nose felt stuffy.

The only time that I’d cried since I’d been kid, I’d been condemned as a Not There.

Don’t cry…Tears make you ugly… Nobody loves an ugly incubus…

A single tear trailed down my cheek.

I gasped. What was wrong with my bastard self? It was the First Night. I should be proving just how pettable I was, but instead, I was making myself ugly for my bonded.

Magenta would never love me now.

I’d ruined it all over again.

What was the point of holding back my pain now? Loss, shame, and the memories of that First Night tore through me. Silently, I allowed the glistening tears (the traitors to the Night Lineage) to chase down my cheeks.

I closed my eyes because I couldn’t keep staring into Magenta’s intense gaze.

My breath sped up, as my heart beat too hard against my ribcage.

Magenta brought her hand up to my cheek, cupping it. “Look at me.” Reluctantly, I opened my eyes, and was shocked by the pure love that shone in her gaze. Her magic caressed over me. “My apologies. I beg the excuse that being trapped in a tree has (according to my familiars) left me with the manners and social awareness of a toad.”

I snorted through my tears. “Get on with you, it’s at least a frog.”