Page 8 of Class Studies
Even if I hadn’t agreed not to use my magic, I didn’t want to take away people’s free will. I bolted through the mostly empty halls with the ghost of my fear nipping at my heels. More students popped up in little groups as I got closer to the library, and I slowed. My heart calmed as the safety of the masses surrounded me.
Someone stepped into my path, and another person came to a halt on my left. I tried to swerve to the right and stepped into one of the stone alcoves lining the main hall.
A third man joined them, shoulder to shoulder, blocking me in. I backed up until the cool stone of the window sill pressed into my back.
My fingers twitched, and my magic danced, ready to form a Bead of Will at my command.
“Long time no see, cunt,” the man in the middle said.
The burly student who attacked me along with one of Ram’s girlfriends stepped forward, and the blood drained from my face. A phantom feeling of his finger sliding down my butt crack made me clench.
“I knew yous were trouble,” he said, licking his too red lips. “Beryl called off his bounty, and Alexa crawled back to Ram, leaving my dick high and dry. But look at you now, slut, walking these halls like you own them.”
I shook my head. I hadn’t been walking like that.
My fingers twitched. I wanted to use my magic. It sang in my blood, but it was wrong to take away others’ free will. I repeated that thought over and over. At this moment, my scale of wrongness told me the opposite.
“Aww, chickenshit.” A crooked grin spread over the man’s frog-like features. “The administration ain’t got control no more. No surveillance means no evidence.” He made an ‘O’ with his thumb and pointer finger and waggled his tongue in it. “Based on your shak’n, you don’t do shit. Just like yous didn’t when I fingered your ass. The MA took our plaything, and now you’ll be our new one.”
His friends laughed. The tallest of the trio patted his stomach with his beefy arms, while the shorter eyed me skeptically through bright yellow rims.
My heart beat faster, my magic surging towards my fingertips. With one Bead of Will, the man in front of me would turn on his friends and do whatever I asked. My pounding chest wasn’t fear for myself. It was fear of what I could do and how badly I wanted to do it.
“Cozbi, back up,” Saffron’s low voice growled.
The speaker narrowed his eyes and turned around. I could make out Saffron’s blonde locks between the three men’s shoulders.
“Yous can’t be givin’ orders here, cunt.” Cozbi spat. “See, yous disbanded your harem. If rumors be true, Mercedes took your Coterie from you too.” He made a dismissive gesture. “So, piss off.”
Saffron widened his stance. “I’m not leaving Aphy here with you.”
“Aphy, is it now?” Cozbi laughed. “No wonder Mercedes is pissed, double-dipping little fuck stick you are.” He leered. “Let’s show Saffron his new place here.”
The two brutes on either side of Cozbi lunged forward. The sound of fists hitting flesh rang in my ears. Saffron hit the stone floor hard. I slid to the side to see past Cozbi’s broad frame. Saffron flipped up from the ground, kicking out at one of the brutes’ knees. The man went down while the second one’s punch missed.
“Slow fucks,” Cozbi mumbled, focused on the air in front of him. He grunted, and magic burst toward Saffron.
Lime green sprang from his fingers and wrapped around Saffron’s ankles, holding him in place. Cozbi charged forward and struck Saffron across the chin. The Greek God fell backward, spitting blood, and landed on his ass, his feet still pinned to the floor.
One of the other two kicked him hard in the ribs, and the second tried to kick his face, but Saffron wrenched his arms up to protect his head. A shield of banana yellow burst from his forearm, tearing through his sleeves.
Cozbi jumped into the air, aiming his elbow for Saffron’s chest, but Saffron twisted unnaturally fast and caught the blow on his shield. His other fist connected with Cozbi’s ear, sending the man reeling backward.
His two buddies surrounded Saffron, repeatedly kicking his unprotected stomach and sides. The Greek God grunted in pain. I couldn’t watch Saff get hurt trying to protect me.
Anger broke through my fear. Ignoring my magic, I threw myself forward onto Cozbi’s back, holding onto his shoulders for dear life. I found the magic pinning Saffron’s feet to the floor. With a thought, I turned it off.
“What the hell?” Cozbi bellowed. He tore my slight frame from his back and threw me against the wall. I hit it hard, crying out as searing pain covered my hip and side.
Saffron roared, rolling backward and onto his feet. Magic sizzled in the air. I managed to push myself up as Saffron’s fists blurred. He caught Cozbi’s next punch and twisted, trapping Cozbi’s elbow at an odd angle.
The man hissed in pain, and his two buddies froze, backing up.
“Call your goons off, or I’ll break it.” Saffron spat a wad of blood onto the ground. He put pressure on Cozbi’s arm, which shook as it bent in the wrong direction.
Sweat dripped down Cozbi’s face. “We was just having a bit of fun. MA’s all busy. I can fuck’n smell change in the air. This day in and day out of goodness shit ain’t lasting much longer.”
Saffron pressed the arm more, and Cozbi’s tendons rippled unnaturally.