Page 109 of Revenant

“What did you say about a mirror?” Koen’s voice scares the daylights out of me as he enters the room, and the second my eyes land on him, all the talk about curses and sacrifice flies right out the window, the memory from this morning pushing straight to the forefront.

He looks so dashing it almost hurts to stare at him, like after looking into the sun for too long.

“Yeah, there was something Alicent read today—”

“I’ll fill you in later,” I tell him, not wanting to talk about it anymore. Not right now. Not tonight. I just need…time to figure this out. Especially if my mom is somehow connected to all of this.

I beam at Koen, his presence instantly offering me a reprieve. “I say we call this a night, what do you say, Professor?”

Eldritch’s eyes speak a thousand words, but he doesn’t push the matter, or thankfully voice why I don’t want to tell Koen everything we learned today. “I suppose that’s alright. We’ll pick back up first thing tomorrow.”

“Actually, I was hoping tonight Alicent could show me what you two have been working so hard on. Then, she can take tomorrow off.” There’s a glimmer in his eye that holds promises of doing anything except homework.

“Alright, just…don’t make too much of a mess. The other witches need the greenhouse tomorrow afternoon.”

Koen taps the side of his leg with his fingers, so subtly I probably wouldn’t have caught it, except I can’t take my eyes off him. “Trust when I say, you won’t even know we were here.”

Eldritch accepts his agreement for what it is and sees himself out, leaving Koen and me alone, and judging from the twinkle in his eye, homework is also the last thing on his mind.

34: Alicent

The silence stretching between Koen and me after Eldritch leaves is tension filled, as if neither of us knows where to go from here. His finger catches the loose fabric on his pants, pinching and twisting absentmindedly as if he doesn’t know what to do with himself.

It’s odd seeing him this way. Usually, he’s so sure about…everything, like he knows the next five moves of a chess match and I’m still figuring out the names of the pieces.

I blow out a weighted breath, one that I’d assumed would ease my anxiety, but I’m afraid it just made room for more. Strands of his raven black hair fall forward, the only thing out of place in his otherwise put-together appearance. He attempts to push it back into place, but it’s no use, it tumbles to the front once again, concealing one of his deep brown eyes that I know are tracking my every breath, as if he can will my next one to come.

It’s intoxicating—the way he looks at me. As though I’m a puzzle he can’t quite figure out, attempting to slide pieces into place until they create a picture that’s true—and not one he’s conjured up in his head. Especially after his admission earlier, telling me that despite his efforts, he simply can’t stay away. There have been moments lately that I’ve felt guilty—guilty for wanting more than one of them.

Especially with Koen. Moriah’s attraction to him was part of it, but I never really knew where Koen and I stood. It always seemed like a guessing game—until recently.

But regardless, it doesn’t seem like any of the guys mind…sharing, that is. If anything, it’s encouraged. It’s not like I’m tied down to one of them. We haven’t defined the terms of our relationships with each other, but at this point, they’re mine and I’m theirs. Plain and simple.

My steps are light as I close the distance between us. Needing time to not think about the curse, and why my mom’s mirror was drawn into the grimoire. To just forget about the magic and the responsibility that comes with my name. None of which I asked for.

Sometimes, I just need to get lost and not let the thoughts of everything that’s expected of me close in.

Without saying a word, my fingers dance along his sternum, working upwards until they settle high on his chest. It’s strange, there not being a heartbeat; it’s not something I’ve really thought about before. The organ in his chest stays perfectly still, and part of me finds it unfair. Not that they’re dead, but that something so real and visceral as a heartbeat goes undetected, and I can’t use that simplicity to gauge how he’s reacting.

“Do you want to know what we were working on today?” I meant for it to come out confident and seductive, but instead, it comes out breathless.

The corner of his lip ticks up. “I’d love nothing more.” The low gruff of his voice causes a tornado of butterflies to swirl in my stomach.

I pull from the well of magic that sits idle inside me, and with a twitch of my finger, I coax the air to push a nearby chair behind Koen. The feet scratch against the floor, and he raises an eyebrow as if he’s impressed.

But I’m just getting started.

I shove him down playfully, and he goes without the slightest bit of resistance. He laughs, and it catches us both off guard. I don’t think I’ve ever heard such a beautiful noise leave his body, but I desperately want to hear it again.

Koen spreads his legs eagerly, lounging back in the chair as if he’s sitting front row to his favorite show, patiently waiting for the next act. The outline of his cock presses against his zipper, and it gives me a wave of confidence I didn’t know I needed.

I climb onto his lap and straddle him, a look of amusement skating across his face. It’s so easy to get lost in his deep brown eyes, warm and inviting, but a tinge of mystery held within them.

“Can I confess something?”

One of his hands appears in my peripheral, pushing my hair out of my face and tucking it behind my ear, before trailing down the side of my neck like the need to touch me was becoming too much to bear. “You can always confess your sins to me, love.”

I smile softly, leaning down and pressing tender kisses against his neck. “Today was one of the hardest classes by far.” He doesn’t say anything; instead, he kicks his head back, granting me more access. “Do you know why that is?”