Tempting Darkness

"A practice one," Lycus answered.

"Then definitely not going to leave a theory class, only to have my a*s set on fire for a few hours," I told him.

Tobias smiled triumphantly, like he'd just won some prize, and Lycus groaned, stalking off into the closet to get changed. Darius wandered in after him, and I got ready to head down to the mess hall when Darius came out throwing me a shoebox. I caught it, and my eyes lit up. Finally, shoes again. I pulled the joggers out, only for him to hand me some socks.

"You go to Lycus's class this morning," Darius said.

"But-" Tobias whined, and I snatched the socks off him.

"Shut it," Darius snapped at Tobias. I slipped the shoes on before standing up and moving toward the door, pissed off I would spend the next two hours getting burned.

"Where are you going?" Darius asked as I moved past him.

"Breakfast, where else?"

"You will eat with us from now on."

"And join your morning f**k-fest? No thanks," I told him.

"No one is f*****g. I have to leave for a couple of hours. You eat with us from now on. All meals are with us. I don't want you in the mess hall," Darius said, pulling a jacket on before pecking Lycus's lips as he walked out of the closet dressed in blue faded jeans and a blacktop. Then he left.

After breakfast, I sulked the entire way down to the training fields. Glaring at Lycus's back, everyone murmured and watched me cautiously as I followed him, not willing to leave his side. Tears burned my eyes at the memory of all these men seeing me nearly wholly naked.

Lycus moved to the center and told everyone to partner up. Nobody stepped forward to partner up with me, and I thought for sure I would sit this one out.

"Aleera, you're with..." Lycus's eyes scanned around before he called Gerald over. "Gerald, with Aleera!"

I pressed my lips in a line, and he looked over at me before looking at Lycus. This fucker refused to let me serve myself. He was always on kitchen duty. "But-" Gerald whined.

"You're with Aleera," Lycus told him, and he dropped his head and stormed over.

Everyone moved into their circles, the ones we weren't supposed to step out of, or it was instant point deduction. Too many point deductions, and it was a fail. I was obviously failing miserably in all practice classes.

"This is bullshit, Lycus. We hurt her, Darius will f*****g kill us. I can't spar with her," Gerald said, motioning to me.

"You can, and you will. No repercussions. Fry her," Lycus said, and I took a step back as Gerald's eyes sparkled at me. My back hit a wall of muscle, and I glanced over my shoulder to see Lycus. He ran his hands down my arms, and I felt his magic zapping against my skin.

"You're a pyro," I murmured, feeling my skin warm.

"And electro," he murmured before I felt the urge to pull on it. I had to stamp down the desire to take it. I had tasted his power before but wasn't sure what he could do with it.

"Take it," Lycus whispered below my ear before pressing his face into my neck. His hands moved to my wrist before his fingers locked between mine.

"But Darius?" I worried.

"I wouldn't be able to give it to you without him saying so," Lycus murmured against my shoulder.

I looked at Gerald, and he tilted his head to the side. In fact, I noticed everyone staring in our direction at Lycus's closeness to me and his arms wrapped around me, his hands holding mine.

My only issue was trying not to let my white magic show, which wasn't a major issue. I only used my dark while masking my lighter side throughout school, but it had also been six years of not using magic. Yet, as I felt it caress over my skin, I gasped before squeezing his fingers slightly. His magic bled into my skin, making me gasp and warm all over; my toes curled in my shoes at the sensation as it rushed through me.

My entire body shivered, and Gerald smirked at the challenge; his smirk dropped when I smiled back at him like a Cheshire cat, and I let go of Lycus's hands. Lycus stepped back and out of the circle. He stood on the side between us, and I flexed my fingers when Gerald spoke.

"Ready, Aleera?" He laughed, and I turned my palm up, creating a fireball in my hand, molding it into the shape of an arrow. I giggled as it heated my skin, and I looked over at him to see his eyes grow wide when I felt the jolt of a zap and looked over at Lycus as electricity zapped through the flames in my hand, sizzling around the flame arrow I'd created. He nodded to me before I turned to face Gerald, letting the fire morph back into a ball, tossing my fireball in my hand.

"Oh, scary. Let's see what you got then. Sneaky Lycus," Gerald taunted, yet I couldn't get the smile off my lips, much too excited to play this game now. I laughed at his words and challenge, which he seemed amused about. In school, I had to mask how good with fire I truly was, making sure my grades were mediocre and didn't draw attention to the fact I had more power than most before I manifested. Here I didn't have to mask my strength, just my lighter side. As I turned the fireball into a lava one, my eyes gleamed with that knowledge. Gerald gulped and took a step back.

"What's your highest heat record again?" I asked him, and he folded his arms cockily because he held the highest record in the class at four thousand degrees Fahrenheit.

"Four thousand," he laughed.

"You're so f****d," I giggled, and his laughter stopped.

"What's yours then?"

"You're about to find out." I smiled before setting the ring surrounding us on fire.