The Crow
(Third Arc: Another World)
(Part 22)
(Continued from part 21)
Eduardo Parole flinched, as if burned by the very fire he controlled. "Fine, that is fair" His deep brown eyes that sparked amber with his magic met Clow's dark blue ones, the sorcerer already sinking into the other's head.
…
…
The young man's mind was murky with confusion - perverted by a sense of shame so deep it almost clouded everything else.
Clow pushed through the memories with practiced easy, ignoring their calls. He would not intrude upon the other's personal memories – it reminded him too much of Su Yung, and he had to avoid feeling too deeply lest it be imprinted in the foreign mind.
'The memories of today must not have been processed by his mind yet' The sorcerer thought, knowing how a brain worked was the basis for any form of mind magic. Memories were formed during the day, and the mind catalogued them when one slept. Eduardo has not been deeply asleep, today's events were in the temporary memories hold.
So Clow directed his will into that area and started sifting through Eduardo Parole's day.
Woke up, avoided the other annoying students. Broke his fast in the dining hall, intimidating face keeping all the lesser beings from approaching…
Nothing interesting there, the master sorcerer skipped the mundane things the fire mage partook on, until a time just a little before noon.
The curly, brown haired Spaniard was standing in front of Teacher's office – he'd been in need of counseling about a particularly tricky elemental schematics for a shield – one that needed copious amounts of calculations that he had no idea where to begin looking, thus going to the sorcerer for information on useful bibliography.
He'd have politely knocked on the door, only it was left already partially open, a single slit between door panes allowing an undeniable view inside said room.
There was Teacher, sitting on his high backed chair, conferring with that Potter girl. Eduardo could feel his eyes widen at the scene. The apprentice was leaning toward Teacher intimately, body language all but screaming interest. It raised red flags inside his head.
Propriety demanded he leave, or knock on the door to announce his presence. His stomach knotted, Teacher would know he was eavesdropping, Teacher always knew things before they happened. But curiosity burned brighter, a morbid sort of interest that caused a riot in his emotions. This was a familiar scene, much like a train wreck, he couldn't turn away.
"On your first time practicing advanced sorcery and you manage to create a focus" He heard them speaking, paying more attention to their gestures than to the words themselves. Teacher sounded fond, soft and caring.
Potter said something else, it displeased Teacher, yet he chose to chasten her in a playful manner, pulling on a lock of her hair so lightly it mustn't have even hurt – This wasn't a master and his apprentice…
Eduardo remembered his own master, had he committed the gaffe of forgetting to erase a circle when he first learned sorcery, he'd have his hide tanned so bad he wouldn't be able to sit for days. Everyone has their teaching methods, and Teacher is a patient man. The young man told himself through the haze of hot anger that began pooling in his belly.
"I was knackered beyond belief! Just spent the day drawing that humongous thing, then had to bleed out a large amount of magic in one go… anyone would be too exhausted to even think straight, never mind erasing the circle!" He heard apprentice Potter talk back and cringed. Uncouth little chit, uneducated and rough, she belonged in a barn not as magician.
And Teacher, once more, let her get away with not even a slap on the wrist.
He coddled her, didn't treat her like an apprentice at all – but an equal – as if she deserved the same standing as him. Laughable… the young man had to resist the bubble of hysterics that threated to burst from his chest, indignation fueling the flames of his fury.
Then, as if the disgusting scene could get worse, it did. The little baseless whore threw herself on Teacher, shamelessly seducing him, nuzzling his neck and whispering in his ear. Eduardo's own ear burned, and his breath left out his lungs in sharp sizzling bursts.
I've seen enough! He thought with his stomach rolling and anger smothering his chest. He had to get this out of his system before he decided to cut her head- No… he couldn't do that…
To the training room, then… and there Eduardo went, pausing by his room to pick up his sword so he could practice a few swings with it – throw a bit of his incendiary temper into the tempered blade and watch as it sliced and burned the air.
He almost bowled over that blonde menace, Dubois, on the way there. She screeched at his back, calling after him with a sneer written on her voice. "What was that, hothead!? What has got your temper on?" He ignored her, insignificant insects like her barely served for breeding – only her familial standing gave her any clout at all.
"Good morning Mr. Parole, would you like help with elemental shie-" The brat Edgar Manson was promptly ignored. The little shit was a good alchemist, child genius and all that. Bet he thinks he's better than anyone. And then his annoyance grew. Is today the idiots' day? All he wanted was to rage away, not meet and greet everyone in the fucking manor. "Whatever" The brat tossed over his shoulder, moving to the library.
When he finally managed to get to the training room, it felt like a blessing to let all the heat off.
Eduardo might not have noticed, focused as he was in his training, but Clow could see the faint shadowy figure from the corners of the young man's eyes. It darted, almost unseen, and it could easily have been mistaken with a shadow – Eduardo was lighting up in flames, thus casting a lot of shadows. The enchanted mirror sat in a corner, absorbing the fire mage's anger and his soul with it.
'So he saw us… and thinks Violet is seducing me' Worrying, but more amusing than anything else. However, what was really worrying, was the fact that Eduardo Parole noticed Clow didn't pick him up, Violet's presence muddling his senses. If the fire mage was able to notice, if not draw the correct conclusions, than it was easy to predict that someone else might have come to the same conclusions.
'There is more' Clow knew, insides twisting with worry at the recent revelation. He's been too blinded, too lax. It would have to seriously change. 'Let us continue…'
His mind fogged.
Everything felt numb.
Tried sleeping, couldn't.
And then he was trying to sink his dagger into a blond haired woman who lay on Potter's bed. He hated her. Hate Eldora. But not enough to kill her – he's never killed before, and did not want to start with his first love.
She woke up in time to twist out of the way of his stab. Panic seized him. Breathing out smoke so he could escape her angry spells – Eldora was horrible with magic, why is she so competent now? It must be Alexandro… Run away… must not get caught… No! That wasn't Eldora! It is bloody Potter! His mind worked feverishly, he had to run away and hide the dagger.
"Give it to me" A voice whispered from the darkness…
That's when the memory broke.
The sorcerer had to literally jump back to avoid getting caught in the backlash. Fragmented thoughts scattered through the Spaniard's mind, and it took a lot of effort on Clow's part to contain the damage – he didn't want the young man suffering from permanent memory loss.
Feeling pain build up in the mind he was in, the sorcerer decided the case was lost with the destruction of the memory. Though he did manage to collect quite a bit of information…
'Whoever this is, has experience in the mind arts'
…
Clow exited Eduardo Parole's head ignoring the young man's pained wince. Violet, who moved in the past minutes so she could lean against the weapon chest she's been looking at earlier, perked up when she saw the light return to his eyes.
Though it wasn't the witch who asked the question begging to be voiced… the Spanish man plowed through the pain in his head with admirable willpower, and stared fiercely at the sorcerer as he spoke. "Teacher? What is going on? Why is it night? I just woke...up"
'No memory of today at all…' Clow sighed, regretting that he wasn't really able to find anything with substance… on the bright side, the fire mage would not remember what he's witnessed in the sorcerer's office. His private time with Violet was that, private. 'There are a copious amount of things I should be weary over… and the list grows with astounding speed'
"You were caught in a nasty enchantment while training today" The sorcerer started to explain. "Someone used your body to attack Miss Potter, although we've been able to remove the spell, there are certain side effects you will have to deal with"
It was the truth, only not all.
Clow purposely left out entering the man's head – though Eduardo allowed him to do so, since he lost the pertaining memories, it might be more awkward than useful. Violet didn't say anything, but graciously nodded when toffee colored eyes moved to stare at her, the injured party.
"I… am sorry… apprentice Potter. Allow me to make reparations" It looked as if admitting that physically hurt. The witch hid her annoyance behind a cold smile, pushing away from the chest so she could stand beside Clow – where her place was.
"Not at all. It wasn't your fault; I don't blame you at all. All we wanted was to make sure you were all right after what we've been through" Violet patted her torso, over the place where she's been stabbed. Clow felt a surge of protectiveness swallow him whole, he wanted nothing more than to gather his gift and hide away with her.
'Damned be the responsible for this plot' He mentally cursed, smiling outwardly. "Let us adjourn further conversations to when we are not so tired. Mr. Parole had a tiring day and Violet needs to recover"
"Very well… Thank you, Lord Reed"
XxxxXxxxX
"Would you be averse to making our relationship public?" Clow's question came so suddenly Violet missed a step as they walked through the corridors. Her mind was still spinning from what happened earlier that night. 'Wait… is he serious?'
A very surprised eyebrow lifted after she regained her footing. "Not really" The witch answered, a little bewildered and wondering from where this is coming from. "I thought you didn't want to expose me or something. Isn't it dangerous if people knew about me? If they saw you with a girlfriend, wouldn't they become curious?" She continued, acutely aware of the dangers she was in.
'They are the other magicians… I'm the alien in this universe, apparently that's this season's main feature' the snide slid off her thoughts, though a surging feeling of excitement bubbled like a fountain in her chest. 'Imagine if Clow was able to openly court me… oh, how romantic' her girly side was cooing and doing pirouettes.
"That's not a problem anymore. Come inside my rooms, we should be able to talk without fear of stray ears listening in" Clow told her sincerely, casting a wary gaze at the corridor. Violet knew something must be worrying him beyond the obvious, so she narrowed her eyes at him even as she followed his step.
They reached his quarters in no time at all. The young woman waited until Clow opened the door for her, came in himself and then closed them off with all the protections he could cast – she helped by implementing Hermione's defensive wards.
Satisfied, Violet turned to her sorcerer with a hand perking above her hip "Alright, spill" the witch demanded,
"It is useless to hide you now. There is someone specifically targeting you" Clow answered thoughtfully. The witch nodded, she knew that already! Seeing her impatience growing the sorcerer shook his head in exasperation, but ended up smiling fondly at her impetuousness showing "We don't know if it is because you are my apprentice or…"
Violet sniffed in derision "Or because I came from another world. Anyway this smells like snuffling the competition" She's been on the receiving end of one of those plots before, and had quite a lot of experience at detecting hidden motives 'That means Clow's reasons are…' "So you want to publically acknowledge our bond to protect me?"
He voiced a vague sound of agreement "Hiding didn't work. More eyes mean more surveillance, and while it wasn't intended for the occasion, I do have a way to increase our allies"
The witch crossed her arms, pausing only to gawk at Clow's rooms – it was the first time she's seen inside his personal quarters "I will not be coddled" She amended when she sensed his amused frustration at her bullheadedness "I'm not a glass doll"
"I know. But allow this one the peace of mind of knowing you are safe" Oh no he didn't… 'But it worked, didn't it?' Violet let her arms uncross and her shoulder relax, shooting the sorcerer she thought too smug for her liking a glare.
"Don't think guilt tripping me will work indefinitely" She let him know, ignoring the pleased fluttering of her heart when all he did was smile innocently at her "What do you have in mind?"
But he didn't answer this time. 'Clow looks thoughtful…' He felt like he was making a decision and was ready to follow through with it.
Indeed, instead the sorcerer captured her hand with his own and pulled Violet with him through the dim lit sitting room, and into an adjoined doorway – his bedroom "The hour grows late… I will show you tomorrow, you might be able to help me with them"
That perked her up, even as her heart sped up at stepping inside a man's room… her experience was limited to boys' man caves, with more dirty socks covering the floor than existing in the drawers.
"Them?" She asked a bit more breathy than she thought she should. His bed was large and inviting, and Violet's mind instantly went south as she imagined things out of place. The room faintly smelled like him as well, the scent jealously enveloping her and deliciously teasing her nose.
"Sleep here for the rest of tonight" The sorcerer told her, smiling slightly, amused by her reactions 'I'm not sniffing the air like a pervert, am I?' "I will not be able to rest, so you might as well warm my bed" He teased mercilessly.
Her heart skipped a beat. "Clow!" Violet squeaked, listening attentively to his quiet chuckles as he stepped away from the room. Coldness curled in her chest as a protest made itself ready "Stay?" She called out, and felt relief spread through her when her sorcerer returned, a gentle expression on his face and a book in hands. 'Oh… he was just going to…' But the satisfaction of having him lying beside her was nice.
"Always" He said. Violet remained conscious long enough to clean and repair her clothes, and fell asleep as soon as her head hit the pillows.
XxxxXxxxX
It started with a little sigh.
Clow turned the page of his book, not really concentrating on the words when suddenly, warm arms were thrown around his chest and a head of dark copper curls drew close to his neck.
Violet sighed again, eyes rolling behind her sleeping lids in a way that indicated dreaming. The sorcerer smiled fondly at his witch, resisting the urge to touch her… at least until a wave of lust so deep and heady crashed into him, making his tight control crack.
Her body curled upwards, seeking the warm contact with his. The witch nuzzled closer, burying her face at the junction between his neck and shoulder. "Clow…" She moaned lowly, and it took a lot of willpower not to let every sensibilities of his go and just-
'She's asleep' The sorcerer told himself, gritting his teeth as another overwhelmingly hot wave of lust overcame Violet's end of the bond 'whatever she's dreaming about, must be good'
Well, the woman he desired and loved above all else in creation was writhing and moaning his name in his arms. Sleeping, yes, but he could only imagine what sorts of things his dream self was doing to her.
Clow didn't share well, so with a very dangerous smirk, he shifted, bracing one arm against the headboard of his bed, and using the other to pull his witch closer – Her mouth was already half-open and lips were as inviting as ever – hopefully a real stimulating kiss in the waking world would tear her from her dreams and convince her reality was not far away.
Slanting his lips above hers in this position was a little harder than expected, but it did allow him to swallow her gasp – deepening the kiss by sucking her tongue into his mouth and reeling in her taste. There was a domineering tilt to his kiss, demanding and absolute in taking what he wanted.
Violet's muscles spammed as she woke from the Sleeping Beauty treatment. Pleasure rocked through their bond as she finally gained enough wits to return the kiss with a devastatingly greedy need of her own.
Clow leaned back against the headboard, pulling Violet along with him – she went along with his change of position and readily placed her legs embracing each side of his hips, stranding his lap and bringing their centers very frustratingly close. No denying he was attracted to her as a woman now, anyway, not when the evidence was reaching out to her.
The witch stilled, eyes widening as a blush spread through her cheeks and disappeared down her sleeping gown. She looked tantalizing, hair knotted and in disarray, lips swollen and well kissed, and the most becoming blush pinking her skin – the flimsy gown she wore did nothing to hide the perking of her nipples as a shiver of pleasure ran down her back. The sorcerer paused along with her, meeting her eyes with his own hooded ones.
"I… I want this" Violet told him boldly, interpreting his pause as hesitation. 'Not when she's concerned'
"Good" He whispered back, before lunging once more for her lips.
…
TBC~
Yes! Burn with frustration~ hang on the horrible cliffie for dear life.. I feel evil now.. But a dramatic pause was necessary.