"Fighting with them won't wake up Arry," Lily scolded as she cleaned the wound covering the sorcerer's shoulder.
"Especially if it's just going to get you beaten up," Ethan added disdainfully.
Mia couldn't help but give her companion a slight elbow nudge, to which he responded with an annoyed look. She had to admit that it was stupid of Andrei to start a fight under these circumstances, but she couldn't explain the vila's newfound contempt for Arry's boyfriend. Granted, Ethan had never really seemed to get along with him, but she had always attributed that to indifference. One thing was certain, something had changed in his perception of the injured magician. Was it related to the intervention of the she-wolf? She had whispered a few phrases to him, Mia was certain of that. She had immediately recognized the young woman who had warned her in the hallway a few weeks earlier, which piqued her curiosity even more. She had wanted to ask the question when Ethan returned, but he had given her a look that indicated the subject would be broached later. Everything suggested that the discussion involved the sorcerer, and judging by Ethan's attitude, it wasn't in his favor.
"I know, but it annoys me to see them go unpunished!" Andrei complained, clenching his fists.
Lily sighed as she grabbed a small pot filled with cream and quickly spread it on the young man's wound. His distress and anger were understandable, but his actions remained condemnable. Even if the werewolves were responsible for Arry's condition, it wasn't the right time for a personal vendetta.
No need to further inflame tempers more than necessary before the tournament, Mia thought, as if we weren't already expecting enough drama without that.
"And how do you know it's them?" Ethan asked casually.
Andrei jolted before turning to the vila, his jaw clenched. He seemed annoyed by the verbal interventions of his interlocutor and didn't hide it.
"Who else could it be?!" Andrei roared defensively.
Ethan shrugged, impassive, which only fueled the sorcerer's anger.
"Come on, you're not going to start fighting too!" Lily grumbled, giving a fleeting look at Mia.
The blonde sighed before grabbing Ethan's hand. The fairy's gaze couldn't have been clearer: 'take him out of here before things escalate.' A request that Mia welcomed with relief, as the tension in the room was starting to weigh on her. She led the vila to the door of the room and reluctantly released his hand. With the limited physical contact they had exchanged in recent days, feeling his skin against hers, even if it was just his hand, was a small source of welcome comfort.
After closing the door behind them, Mia started questioning, her curiosity galloping back. Now that they were finally alone, Ethan could explain.
"What's with that attitude? What did she tell you?"
"Come," he ordered, leading the way.
They hurriedly made their way to the vila's room, shielded from prying eyes and ears. Mia threw herself onto the bed, belly against the mattress, and wrapped her arms around the vila's pillow, inhaling his scent. It had quickly become a habit, as much to calm her frustration as for the reassuring aspect it provided. Ethan never commented on it, but she could see in his gaze that he liked the gesture. He sat at the edge of the bed, palms pressed backward to support the weight of his body, and sighed. One didn't need to be very observant to notice that he was stressed. His tense shoulders spoke for themselves.
"She told me it wasn't them, and that we should be wary of Andrei."
"Be wary of Andrei?" Mia exclaimed, sitting up on her knees behind the vila. "Why? Do you believe her?"
"I don't know," he replied, exhaling heavily. "She finds it odd how he's looking for trouble so eagerly."
Mia thought for a moment, but her mind refused to believe that there was anything strange about the magician's reaction. After all, her friend had been attacked. It was normal to seek revenge on the presumed culprits, even if it wasn't the right place or time.
"I don't see what's odd about that. He's sad and angry; that seems pretty justified to me."
"How can he be so sure it was them?"
"Hm... logical deduction based on recent events?" she ventured with an argument she also believed in.
"I don't know... It's driving me crazy. I feel like we're missing something," he sighed, burying his head in his hands and massaging his temples.
Mia hesitated for a moment before placing her palms on the vila's shoulders. When he didn't react, she started gently massaging him. She would have preferred to feel his skin against hers instead of the fabric of his shirt, but she didn't want to push her luck.
As she had sensed with just a glance, he was particularly tense. She had never been particularly skilled at finding tension points, having had few opportunities to improve her massage skills, but one didn't need to be an expert to locate knots in the vila's body. His muscles were entirely taut, and she could distinctly feel the nerve bundles under her fingers. Perhaps a real massage was exactly what he needed at this moment.
"Lie down," she commanded the vila, pointing at the bed. "And take off your shirt."
He complied without any objection, lying shirtless on the mattress. Mia, initially surprised by his lack of protest, ended up sitting on the lower part of his back, smirking mischievously. If she had known that a massage wasn't considered 'maximizing sensual contact,' she might have offered it much sooner. Or maybe the vila was just so tense that refusing a little relaxation was out of the question for him.
Either way, it works for me, she inwardly chuckled, placing her fingers on the vila's shoulders again.
She started with a gentle pressure before gradually increasing it as she realized she could apply more. Her hands slid from his shoulders to his shoulder blades, tracing his spine, then continued down to his lower back. She moved back a few inches to sit on his buttocks and massage the lower part of his back. She even allowed her thumbs to slip under the waistband of his underwear to feel the base of his buttocks, eliciting a groan from the young man. Chuckling discreetly to herself, she dutifully placed her hands back on his shoulders.
As her fingers caressed his back, the massage slowly turned into a form of torture. The electric contact of her skin against his and his ever-intoxicating scent were starting to stir a swarm of butterflies in her lower abdomen. This made her pleasure organ particularly sensitive, subconsciously urging her to exaggerate her hip movements as she moved back and forth between his shoulder blades and lower back.
Discreetly, as if not to startle him, she lowered her body to press her lips against his nape, sending shivers down the vila's spine. He groaned again, but this time she ignored it and continued to place kisses along his trapezius. After the sixth one, he shifted to turn onto his back, grabbing her face with his hands to pull her toward him, capturing her lips as they met.
"Was all that really necessary?" he questioned in a whisper against her mouth.
"I'm not sure what you're talking about, it was completely innocent. Not my fault if it's enough to turn you on," she responded mischievously, sitting up again and making sure to reinforce her position on the vila's growing erection with an angelic expression on her face.
Before she could add anything, Ethan wrapped his arms around her waist and pivoted their bodies so that she ended up beneath him. He silenced the blonde's exclamation of surprise with his lips before detaching from her again. Then, he simply withdrew, leaving Mia disappointed. She should have expected that he would cut their interaction short since she hadn't yet consented to bonding, but the rejection still left a bitter taste in her mouth.
However, she didn't have time to dwell on her disappointment, as he abruptly grasped her thighs and pulled her to the edge of the bed, placing her legs on his shoulders as he knelt on the wooden floor. Rolling up the hem of her dress, he slipped his fingers into her panties and tugged them down, lifting the young woman's legs in the process to remove them.
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"What the... Oh," she exclaimed, blushing when the vila's tongue landed on her lower lips, gliding over her clitoris.
After a couple of well-placed licks to convey his intentions, he withdrew his head and slid a finger into her intimacy only to pull it out immediately. He presented it to her, a sarcastic smile on his lips. His finger was wet.
"No doubt you had the purest intentions of all."
She could lie all she wanted, but her body had already betrayed her by lubricating her intimate place abundantly, well before his tongue had even touched her. Seeing him bring his finger to his mouth to taste her fluids only amplified this sense of betrayal. She muttered a 'shut up' before wrapping her legs around the vila's neck and pushing his head toward her crotch for him to resume what he had started a few seconds ago. He chuckled and complied eagerly.
After a few circular motions of his tongue, Mia's body was already on fire. Between her unresolved frustration and the time since her last sexual encounter, which was considerably distant by now, it didn't take long for her to start moaning and matching the rhythm of his tongue with her hip movements. When he inserted two fingers into her intimacy, she briefly thought her sanity might slip away. After a few coordinated movements, it didn't take much more for a wave of pleasure to erupt in her body, arching her back and causing her limbs to tremble. A true fireworks display was happening in her lower abdomen.
When she finally caught her breath, Ethan pulled back, freeing her legs. He stood up and licked his lips, erasing any traces of their activity. His gaze, dark with desire, almost managed to reignite the fire in Mia's lower belly, but he turned away from her with a sigh, taking a seat in the chair at his desk. He had already resigned himself to not going any further.
he inquired with an irritated tone, gritting his teeth.
"Are you satisfied now?"
Mia simply nodded, uncertain of how she was supposed to react to the vila's semi-aggressive tone. She couldn't blame him for being frustrated, but she was still surprised by the level of self-control he was exerting. Self-control that she struggled to muster herself. She watched him calm down as he breathed in and out deeply, the process taking no more than a few minutes.
No need to tell him that if he had continued, I probably would have consented to bonding...
At dawn, Mia's hand once again met only the cold mattress beside her. She sighed, expecting to find the vila at his desk as usual. It saddened her that he couldn't sleep due to his restless mind, but she had already realized there was nothing she could do about it. She could have agreed to bond just to calm his inner vila, but doing it out of pity disgusted her. She had come to appreciate his presence, to desire his touch; it wasn't something she would do simply to offer him a bit of comfort. No, Mia wanted that moment to have meaning, as it was supposed to.
I guess it's no secret by now that I'm a bit of a romantic at heart...
"Did you sleep well?" Ethan asked, noting that the young woman had gotten out of bed.
"Hmm, she replied, wrapping her arms around the vila's neck to plant a kiss on his nape. "But I'd sleep better if the bed weren't so cold."
"Sorry," he muttered, burying his face in his palms and massaging his temples.
His violet under-eye circles once again testified to his vital lack of sleep. Hesitation overcame Mia as her heart squeezed upon seeing his state.
Maybe after the tournament, when he's a bit less on edge... we could consider bonding.
Half an hour later, Mia had dressed after a quick wash and was ready to leave the room. They hadn't planned anything specific for the day, but she intended to spend some time with Andrei at Arry's bedside. The sorcerer, after his outburst the previous day, seemed to need company to take his mind off things. Ethan had supported the idea without protest, but she strongly suspected it was connected to his suspicions and that it reassured him to keep an eye on things.
Not surprisingly, the corridors were very quiet on the eve of the tournament. The couple crossed paths with a few hurried stragglers who paid them no attention, otherwise, most of the students were huddled in various parts of the castle perfecting their training. It was the same during every tournament, but the barrier between the species had never seemed as thick as it did at that moment. Even the few inter-racial friendships she had noticed since arriving here hadn't survived the tension in the air.
When they arrived at the infirmary, Lily greeted them briefly, her arms full of potions, before disappearing into the storage room. Some of her colleagues, equally occupied, copied her gesture before attending to their tasks. Mia had never been particularly close to the other fairies, but they had always been friendly to the young human. The stories of wars didn't interest them.
Andrei looked up and smiled at Mia when the pair entered the redhead's room. When his gaze fell on the vila, his smile turned into a neutral, almost icy expression, but none of the three commented on his reaction. Mia quickly sat down in the empty chair next to the patient's bed, while Ethan preferred to lean his back against one of the walls of the room, keeping a distance.
"Are you okay?" Mia asked to start the conversation.
"I... I'm sorry for yesterday," he immediately replied with his head bowed. "I was blinded by anger... It's not easy to see her like this."
"I understand..."
"Tell me... What's it like for humans in your world?"
Mia appreciated the change of subject, especially since she had never been extensively questioned about her life before. She proceeded to describe as concisely as possible their way of life, their history (or at least the significant moments) their technology, and their society, mainly focusing on her home country to make it easier for him. Both men listened to her account attentively, asking a few questions when the need for clarification arose. The conversation pleased Mia, but she couldn't help feeling a twinge of nostalgia in the face of memories from her world. To avoid dampening the mood, she preferred to concentrate on objective facts, omitting the details of her personal life.
Around noon, Lily appeared with a lunch basket in hand, interrupting Mia's story.
"Care for a little stroll?" she proposed with a smile.
"I thought you didn't have any free time?" Mia questioned, enthusiastic about the idea of spending some time with her friend away from the stifling castle walls.
"We decided to take a break before we're completely drained. Half the fairies take the first part of the afternoon, the other half the second. I should have until... five p.m. at the latest?"
"Shouldn't you be resting instead?" Andrei inquired.
"Oh, I'm not ruling out a little nap in the open air," Lily replied with a warm smile. "But for now, I need some fresh air."
The group of friends made their way to the edge of the lake, the same spot as last time. After enjoying their sandwiches, Lily settled comfortably on the blanket she had brought and closed her eyes, almost instantly succumbing to sleep. Ethan, sitting with his arms on his knees, also seemed to struggle against the call of a nap for several minutes, but eventually gave in by resting his forehead on his arms, leaving his soulmate and the sorcerer to resume their morning conversation. Mia suspected that the vila would grumble and ask her why she hadn't woken him up, considering he was supposed to protect her, even if they were in no immediate danger. However, she decided to let him rest as much as possible. After all, he needed it.
The afternoon passed peacefully, a feeling that Mia appreciated, even though she couldn't help but feel that it resembled the calm before the storm. Ethan cursed as expected, but he seemed slightly less agitated after managing to grab a few hours of sleep. After reassuring him that it wasn't the end of the world and that everything was perfectly fine, he reluctantly dropped the issue, and they could return to the infirmary in the utmost calm.
The evening progressed in the same cheerful atmosphere, without Lily's presence as she had to get back to her duties. They had returned to Arry's room, preferring the privacy of the space over the bustling hallway. The sorcerer's company was undeniably pleasant, to the point where even Ethan seemed less defensive in his presence. At least, his stern gaze had softened and was slightly less probing. This was a positive change since Ethan had never been particularly socially open with Mia's friends. Not that he despised them, it just didn't really interest him.
Around nine p.m, the arrival of Vassili abruptly interrupted their interactions. He seemed agitated, offering a quick nod of his head as a greeting to the trio.
"Ethan, sorry for dropping in unannounced, but I really need to talk to you," he said with a sigh.
The vila's gaze slid to Mia, silently asking her to stand up and accompany him. However, Vassili halted her with a hand gesture before she could make any move.
"Alone. She's not at risk here," the vampire clarified before he could contest the request.
Mia nodded with a grimace, assuring the vila that he didn't seem to have a choice and that everything would be fine. He sighed and left the corner of the room, his jaw clenched, visibly annoyed.
"Seems urgent," Andrei remarked after they had left the room.
"Hm," Mia simply exclaimed, feeling uneasy without her soulmate's presence.
What could the professor possibly have to say to the vila that she couldn't be present for? A bad feeling sent shivers down her spine as her mind started to get lost in the possibilities of catastrophic scenarios.
"Come on, no need to torture yourself!" he said enthusiastically, trying to reassure her. "You'll find out soon enough what's going on."
Lily eventually joined them again after finishing her day, hoping to help distract her human friend's thoughts. Mia relaxed a little, but anxiety grew as time went on. Forty-five minutes later, as the clock in the hall struck ten p.m., the wait was becoming unbearable.
"I'm sorry, but I'll have to leave you. We still have some preparations to do tomorrow morning, and it's time for me to get some sleep," Lily explained with a yawn, confirming her words.
"I should go too," Andrei declared. "I'd like to train a bit more tomorrow morning. You should also rest, Mia. Worrying won't make him come back faster."
He wasn't wrong, but she couldn't see herself falling asleep without the vila's presence, especially when his absence was starting to feel suspiciously prolonged.
"At least go lie down," he suggested with a sigh, getting up from his chair.
As he walked behind her, he placed his hand on her shoulder, as if to comfort her, and gave her a gentle squeeze while murmuring a few words she couldn't quite make out.
"What did you say?" she asked, yawning, overwhelmed by a wave of fatigue that swept through her body.
"Nothing, just wishing you good night."
After a final wave and a smile as a farewell, Mia found herself alone in the room, next to a deeply sleeping Arry. A yawn threatened to dislocate her jaw, urging her to return to her room in the infirmary and lie down on the comfortable blanket of the bed she hadn't slept in for a few nights. In the back of her mind, a small voice begged her to wait for the vila's return, that something was off, but she couldn't fight against her heavy eyelids for long and sank into a deep sleep within seconds.