The Curse (H. Academy Series #1)

Halloween parties in H. Academy weren’t just regular Halloween parties. Where other people dressed up and danced all night long, we littered the hallways with spelled pranks and indulged in an unhealthy amount of lust charm liquors.

The main party area was in the male dorms, where no one bothered to clean for the past century, so no one complained when the room turned into a fake-fog-filled mess. A deep, sensuous music thudded through the room, resonating off the walls and filling my veins with adrenaline.

Morta, Amma and I danced in the middle of the room, our hips swaying to the rhythm of the music. My heart followed the beat, beating in tandem, but skipping every once in a while as my eyes travelled across the room, finding Thar leaned against the dark wainscoting in the corner.

The lust charm climbed up my spine in waves, stronger and stronger with each passing moment. The summoning spell left me with hundreds of unanswered questions, but when I glanced at the swaying bodies on the dancefloor around me, one question rang the loudest.

Was this my job? Dealing with dead grandmothers and demonic entities, constantly trying to uncover dark, dangerous secrets, and never taking a moment to relax and enjoy all these lust-filled parties?

Perhaps Thar was right and the best thing I could do was let it all go and enjoy my youth, my naivety. Goddess knew my father would be much happier if I stayed out of his twisted schemes.

Reminded of my father, I retreated to the corner and checked my phone.

Answer the phone, Jade. Did he suspect the earthquake was me? Did he know I was only pretending to be completely incapable and useless?

I’m at the party. I answered, hoping the message would satisfy him enough to stop texting me.

In the corner of the room, half-shielded from the swaying bodies in the middle, I took a moment to breathe and calm my raging heartbeat. Then, just as I found a moment’s worth of peace, a familiar voice called my name.

“Jade!” Leon moved people aside and appeared in front of me, dressed in grey tweed pants and a black shirt with rolled up sleeves. “Thought you’d be chasing demons around and instead, here you are, at a party with the rest of the commoners.”

I rolled my eyes and gestured with my drink to the dance floor, “Oh, look, someone lost a girlfriend! Quick, go fetch.”

Leon laughed and stood next to me, leaning against the wall, “You’re being unnecessarily rude to me, considering you also keep making out with me.”

Of course he’d bring that up. The memory revived within me and brought back the feeling his tongue created on mine. The lust-charm was already working its magic.

“Well, Leon, I kissed you the first time at a funeral and the other time because we were trying to escape getting caught casting spells on teachers. I wouldn’t take it too seriously.” My eyes escaped across the dance floor, to Thar Adara standing in the second corner, not being very good at his job.

He should have been watching the party. Instead, he was watching me.

“You could have pretended to kiss me.” Leon insisted, attracting my attention again. “But you kissed me for real.”

I sighed, “What do you want from me exactly, Leon?”

His icy blue eyes scanned me from head to toe, “I think I’ve told you many times already.”

“Why don’t you go back to Bella?” My lips tightened into a line.

A small chuckle, “I’m not getting back to Bella until I get with you.”

Perhaps that sentence should have made me slap him and walk away, but there was something in the way a strand of his black hair fell over his sharp blue eyes. I wondered whether I would want him without the lust charm and the memory in the back of my mind answered the question for me.

When I had kissed him for the first time, I hadn’t been on a lust charm.

Why not Leon? My hazy mind asked. He was gorgeous, in that boyish, arrogant way, and he was confident enough to chase me even after I’ve told him I wasn’t interested. In fact, I kept refusing him, yet giving in every once in a while.

And I kissed him, even though I could have only pretended.

“Come on.” I spread out my hand and his eyebrows jumped up. “Let’s dance.”

Leon didn’t hesitate; he grabbed my hand, plastered a self-satisfied smirk on his lips and let me lead him to the middle of the dance floor. I truly didn’t expect such a strong reaction from the crowd, but it seemed as if, at least for a moment, all eyes were on us.

Quickly, I scanned the room, only to find Thar’s eyes on me, shining with some indescribable emotion in the darkness. The fact my father also showed up only to see where I was made the entire thing even better.

I poured the rest of the witch’s brew in my mouth and threw the plastic cup away.

The rhythm thudded through my veins; quick, deep and contagious. Leon’s hands fell to my waist and he pulled me closer, crashing my body into his. Somewhere deep within my belly excitement began to rise.

Leon’s hands trailed down to my hips as I moved to the song, lost in the lust charm and the witch’s brew. His touch was both hot and cold on my skin, heating up my insides and sending shivers through my skin.

He pulled me roughly even closer, until there was no room left between us, and his lips fell to my neck. I moaned half involuntarily and glanced across the dance floor to where Thar was still standing.

Thar Adara might have been a born stoic, but I knew the charm and the song and the sight affected him. I watched his throat bob as he looked at Leon kissing my neck. Something came over me, a demonic entity perhaps, but something else definitely controlled me tonight, because I let Leon grind against me and his teeth nibble my neck and my earlobe in front of the entire school.

They wanted me to stay out of their business. Thar wanted me to stay out of it. Perhaps I should. Perhaps I should show them what Jade looked like when she let loose.

Leon’s left hand dropped lower, all the way to my butt, and he grabbed me shamelessly, while his right hand creeped to the nape of my neck and he crashed his lips against mine.

The song, the charm and his touch burst through me with impossible intensity. I opened my mouth against his and let him kiss me deeply while his fingers got tangled up in my hair. Each thug and pull of his tongue sent shudders down my spine, to my belly and all the way between my legs.

Was Leon the love of my life? Absolutely not.

Was he someone I could imagine at least a relationship with? Absolutely not.

He was a self-centred, egotistical asshole who used women and threw them away, but Goddess, his tongue tasted like heaven and his fingers left a burning trail everywhere they touched.

When his lips left mine I felt flushed and heated, but his hands intertwined at the small of my back and he bit my earlobe again. I threw my hands around his neck.

“Let’s fuck each other, Jade.” He whispered against my ear, a sound louder than the music around me.

Desire burst through me, ending with a spike right between my legs, but I tried to use common sense before this went any further and brought my lips to his ear. The thought that went through my mind surprised me.

“We’re not good together.” I whispered back.

“So?” He countered and his fingers began climbing up my back, all the way to my shoulder blades.

“It’s a mistake.” My voice sounded more like a sigh.

“Let’s play a losing game, Jade.” He whispered again and something within my stomach tightened. “Let’s fuck it all up.”

I took a moment to move away from him and look around. The party was heating up and nobody was looking at us anymore. Well, no one except Thar, but I barely registered him at this point.

He wanted me to stay out of it, he wanted me to party and make out with boys. Granted, he said it shouldn’t be Leon, but he wasn’t the boss of me.

I stood on my tiptoes and whispered to Leon, “Let’s get out of here.”

Leon’s eyes widened and if it weren’t for the smirk that followed, I would think he wasn’t expecting an actual yes. But he recovered from shock quickly, took my hand and led me away from the dancefloor.

I didn’t think it was possible, but the lust charm seemed to work even stronger when we moved away from the crowd. Along the way, Leon grabbed a full cup of witch’s brew. His fingers intertwined with mine and we walked through the hallways. My heart pounded against my ribcage, shaking me from the inside out.

When we reached the staircase, Leon turned around, grabbed my shoulders and pinned me against the wall. His lips crashed against mine momentarily and his fingers grazed right under the hem of my skirt. I bit his lips and pressed my palm against the front of his pants, enjoying the feel of the growing bulge inside.

“Come on.” He moved away from me reluctantly and led me up the stairs.

Cheeks flushed, heart pounding and panties pooling, I followed this mistake in the making all the way to his bedroom. Alcohol might have been messing with my mind, but it almost seemed like his hands shook as he unlocked the room and pulled me inside.

“So, this is your bedroom.” I looked at the king-sized bed with grey sheets, books scattered all over the floors, clothes hanging in the open wardrobe and all over the chairs, and curtains pulled over the windows.

“Sorry, I had no time to clean.” His chuckle sounded slightly strained.

I faced him, wondering once again whether I should leave, but seeing him in the darkness, sharp blue eyes cutting straight through my clothes, made staying easier.

“This is a bad idea.” I said, still trying to find enough strength and will to walk away.

Leon came closer and pulled me in for another kiss. This time, his hands didn’t stay safely on my waist for long. As soon as his tongue grazed mine, his thumbs lifted up my skirt. When he continued up to my panties, I let out a small moan against his lips, which made him smile wickedly.

“I have wanted to do this since the first time I saw you.” His fingers hooked the band of my black lace panties.

Excitement bubbled up inside me. He grazed the skin right under the band while his tongue worked its way to my neck and down my cleavage. I used the opportunity to unclasp his belt and drag my palm over the bulge in his pants again. Goddess, he was huge.

A shiver went down my spine when Leon pulled my panties down. Desire built up between my legs, right in the spot that desperately needed to be touched.

But he didn’t go there yet. Instead, he unbuttoned my blouse and unhooked my bra while I pulled his zipper down. Leon grunted against my lips as I touched his cock over his boxers.

His mouth fell to my boobs and he moved the fabric of my blouse aside to take my nipple between his lips. Need tingled through me, building up to unbearable heights.

“Leon...” I whispered.

He chuckled, “Tell me what you want.”

“Touch me.” I breathed out.

Like a servant listening to his queen, he grabbed my panties again, squatted and pulled them down to my ankles. Then, he looked at me, wickedness shining in his blue eyes. I bit my lower lip as he lifted my skirt and planted a small kiss on my hip bone. Anticipation built up inside me as he looked right between my legs. I swallowed the sudden wave of self-awareness.

“I want you so much.” His lips trailed from my hip bone to my belly.

A dissatisfied grunt escaped my lips, “Leon.”

He looked at me again with the eyes of a predator that caught its prey, “Do you want me to kiss you?”

Goddess, yes.

I swallowed again and nodded, “Yes.”

Leon let out a laugh, stood up and shook his head, “Only if you behave.”

His words sent another shiver down my spine and like an animal in heat, I felt like I just might do anything to get him to touch me. Leon grabbed my hand instead and led me to his bed.

The last ounce of reason tried to push through the horniness once the back of my knees bumped against the bed.

“This is a mistake.” I said and tried to look at him.

Leon caught my gaze, “No one has to know.”

Nervousness rang in my voice, “Yeah, right.”

He pushed me down on the bed then, spread my legs and kneeled between them. With shaky fingers, I unclasped my skirt and unbuttoned my shirt all the way. Leon’s thumbs dug into the flesh of my legs and massaged the insides of my thighs.

“I don’t kiss and tell.” He leaned over me and kissed me again.

His kisses and relatively chaste touches drove me crazy. The last ounce of reason left my head as Leon pulled his boxers down and positioned his girthy length between my legs. Then, and only then, I realised there was something missing.

“Leon.” I grunted, impatient, dissatisfied and frustrated, “A condom?”

“Uh... I don’t have one.”

Well, crap.