“The key to this spell,” I said, holding up a sprig of belladonna, “is intent fused with precise pronunciation. The plant itself is deadly—just a handful of these beautiful berries can kill. But prepared with the right incantation, it becomes a powerful healing tonic.”
I demonstrated the hand movements, weaving threads of gold through the air without thought—an act as natural as breathing. The students saw only the gesture; they would need wands to channel the effect.
“Remember,” I continued, “respect the plant. Thank it for its sacrifice. Everything holds consciousness. Everything deserves acknowledgment.”
A hand rose from the middle row. “Professor Persephone, what if we mispronounce the incantation?”
“You would possibly summon something entirely unforeseen,” I said. “Precision matters in all magic.”
Music drifted from Apollo’s classroom next door, haunting melodies charging the air. Beautiful and distracting.
Through the window, I saw Hades pacing outside my door. His eyes were fixed on Apollo’s classroom, irritation simmering beneath the surface. He didn’t like the Sun God teaching so close to me.
I suppressed a smile.My jealous and possessive husband.
“Now,” I said, “practice the incantation. Use your wands. Focus your intent. And remember?—”
The mating bond in my chest tugged urgently.
“Practice on your own,” I told the class. “Sindy, supervise. Make sure no one accidentally poisons themselves.”
I left the conservatory, Cerberus on my heels.
We passed the Midnight Banquet Hall, then a pond where koi drifted in lazy circles, then Stardust Tower with its prismatic windows, until we stopped at the entrance to Umbra Grimoire.
The library doors loomed ahead.
I strolled through the main library hall, past shelves of ancient texts, and down the winding stone stairs few students knew existed.
A hidden door swung open at my approach—warded to recognize my magic signature alone.
The secret library underground, where my former self, Bloom, stepped into the arms of Professor Nero Ravencrux, not knowing he was Hades, my forever mate.
The air hummed with forgotten power as I stepped inside. My heart thudded. My pulse jumped. I felt Hades before I saw him. His nearness always struck me this way. The craving for him never faded, only deepened with time.
In a flash, he was there, pulling me into his arms. Our hearts hammered in sync.
“What’s the emergency?” I asked, breathless.
“This.”
He slanted his mouth over mine. His hands fisted in my hair, angling my head exactly how he wanted it.
I kissed him back, rising onto my toes. When we finally broke apart, my lips felt swollen. My breath came ragged.
I stared up at him, incredulous. “You dragged me out of class just to kiss me?”
“Not just to kiss you,” he said, his voice rough with lust. “I need to fuck you.”
Before I could reason with him, he lifted me effortlessly, carried me to the white sofa, and set me kneeling on the cushions. He positioned my arms over the high back, spread my legs wide, and stepped between them.
A cool draft brushed my bare skin—he’d already pulled down my ivory dress pants. I hadn’t even felt him do it.
The tip of his cock nudged my entrance. He was hard. Ready.
“So wet for me, baby,” he said, pure satisfaction in his tone. “Always ripe for me.”
“I have to get back to class,” I protested weakly. “You can’t just pull me out every time you?—”
