He was quiet for a moment, processing that. Then he pressed closer, his hand resting over my silent heart. “Whatever it means, I’m not afraid of it.”
The simple declaration made my mind race. Here was this young man, barely out of adolescence by my standards, facing the unknown with more courage than I’d shown in decades. He was willing to explore this connection between us despite not knowing where it might lead, despite the risks to both our futures.
“You should be,” I said softly. “This sort of bond… well, let’s just say it’ll be very hard to break once the year ends. You’ll need to go home and I still have to teach.”
The words hung between us like a death sentence, and I immediately regretted saying them. I watched Archer’sexpression shift from contentment to something that looked almost like hurt, his hand stilling against my chest.
“Yeah,” he said at last. “I know but…” He looked up at me, those eyes full of so much fragile hope. “I… I wish I didn’t have to go back home after all this.”
I wanted to tell him that’s what I wished too, that I wanted him to stay with me when the year ended. But I couldn’t. Even if he graduated and we stayed together, questions would arise. My position at Widdershins would be in danger. And the harsh truth was that I had nothing to offer him. His family sucked, but they were rich. I had to take campus housing because I couldn’t afford any other options.
“Let’s focus on what you should be doing right now,” I said at last, opting to avoid all of my other thoughts. “You should cast another invisibility charm and get back to your dorm before sunrise. And I need you to promise me that you’re going to eat a big breakfast today and sneak a nap in when you can, alright?”
Archer nodded, still flushed and beautiful from being fucked. “I can do that.”
“Good,” I replied, pressing another kiss to his lips. “The last thing I need is you passing out on me. We’ve done a lot of energy exchange tonight and you need to recover your strength.”
He leaned into my touch, those blue eyes soft with exhaustion and lingering pleasure. “I will. I promise.”
“Good boy.” The endearment slipped out before I could stop it, and I watched the way his cheeks went pink at the praise. Even spent and worn out, he responded to me with an eagerness that made my chest tighten.
I forced myself to sit up, breaking the spell of intimacy that had settled over us. If I didn’t get him moving soon, I’d end up keeping him here until dawn, and that would raise questions neither of us could afford to answer.
“Come on,” I said, reaching for his clothes where we’d scattered them across the floor. “Let me help you get dressed.”
He groaned softly but didn’t protest as I helped him into his shirt, my fingers lingering perhaps longer than necessary as I buttoned it for him. His movements were loose and pliant, like he was moving through honey, and I had to resist the urge to pull him back into bed.
“Will I see you later today?” he asked as I handed him his pants, and there was something almost vulnerable in the question.
“You’ll see me in class,” I replied, though my voice came out rougher than I intended. “And at fencing practice.”
“That’s not what I meant and you know it.”
I did know it. He was asking if this would happen again, if tonight was the beginning of something or just a beautiful mistake we’d both have to live with. The honest answer was that I had no fucking idea. All I knew was that the thought of going back to seeing him only in professional settings, of pretending this connection between us didn’t exist, felt like tearing off a limb.
“We’ll figure it out,” I said finally, which wasn’t really an answer at all.
He seemed to accept it though, finishing getting dressed with the careful movements of someone trying not to disturb muscles that had been thoroughly used. When he was fully clothed again, he looked almost like the proper Quinn heir his family expected him to be. Almost. There was something different in his eyes now, knowledge that hadn’t been there before.
I walked him to the door, my hand lingering on the small of his back. The invisibility charm shimmered over him like heat waves, and within seconds he’d vanished from sight entirely. But I could still feel his presence through the bond we’d forged, could sense his warmth and the steady rhythm of his breathing.
“Be safe, darling,” I murmured to the empty air where I knew he stood.
“I will,” came his whispered reply, and then I felt the bond stretch and fade as he moved away from my door, heading back across campus to his dorm.
I stood there for a long moment after he left, staring out into the darkness and trying to process what had just happened between us. All the while one singledangerousword kept repeating over and over in my head. A word that could get us both in a world of fucking trouble.
Love.
Chapter 20
Archer
“Alright everyone,” Professor Blackwood announced as class began. “Today we’re going to head back down to the summoning circle and see what we can accomplish.” She paused for a moment, looking over each and every one of us. “Last week’s class was… less than ideal. I personally don’t think it’s fair that any one of you should be suddenly subjected to a test or observation you didn’t expect or have time to prepare for.”
Her gaze, conveniently, skipped over me and continued on.
“So, today I’ve made sure that we won’t be disturbed. That way you all can learn in an educational and safe environment.”
