Logical Magic (Academy of Modern Magic Book 3) Read online

  Logical Magic

  Academy of Modern Magic book 3

  Maggie Alabaster

  Copyright © 2020 by Maggie Alabaster

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Cover by Ryn Katryn Digital Art.

  Editing by Lily Luchesi

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  About the Author

  Also by Maggie Alabaster

  Also by Mirren Hogan

  1

  "We're going where?" I looked up from my book to frown at Nash.

  He had an, "I've got this, don't question me," look on his face, which was as sexy as hells. Of course, it never stopped me from asking before and it didn't now.

  "Illusion Bay," he repeated.

  "I like the sound of that," Dyson remarked. "Very mysterious." He paused before adding, "Are you sure it's really there?"

  I had spent the last hour sitting between Dyson's legs, his arm around me while I read. Apparently reading was now such a dangerous pastime I needed a guard for it.

  Not that I was complaining.

  Nash shot him a look and Dyson's body shook with laughter.

  "Isn't that up near Byron Bay?" Matt frowned. While the rest of us were holed up in a safe house Nash organised, Matt lived somewhere else, but dropped by almost every day. I asked him where he was staying, but he refused to answer. I suspected it was somewhere close, but apart from that, I had no idea.

  "Yeah." Nash lowered himself to the chair opposite me. Like Kane and Dyson, he was never far away from me, apart from the odd night he spent away on council business. Or so he said.

  I had no reason not to believe him, but he wouldn't give any details either. Some days it seemed as though they forgot how badass I was. On other days it just seemed as though they were trying to save me from stress. No matter how much I growled or asked nicely, neither Nash nor Matt would tell me anything more.

  "Illusion Bay is what Byron Bay used to be," Nash added, "before all the celebrities moved in and made it expensive."

  "Surf all day, smoke weed all night?" Dyson asked. "Sounds great. When do we leave?"

  "That sounds like a strange place for a university." Kane closed the comic he'd been reading and sat forward.

  "Exactly," Nash replied. "But that's where the College of Advanced Magical Education campus is. Amongst the bushes and the beach."

  I snorted. "And who came up with that name?"

  Dyson chuckled. "What's wrong with CAME?"

  I grinned. "Nothing at all, unless you're trying to be taken seriously."

  "Life is way too short for that," Dyson replied.

  "Hells yeah to that," I muttered. "So, the AMM still has no campus of its own?"

  "The council is working on it," Matt replied. He jumped up and started pacing. "They want to find a place away from Zeta influence."

  "Right." Last year I was told, by two Zeta agents, that my mother sat on the board of Zeta and the Paranormal Council. So far, neither Nash nor Matt found further information to prove or disprove the claim. I could ask my mother face to face, but Nash preferred I didn't see her, or my father. Until he knew which side she was on, he didn't trust her. Truth be told, neither did I. The suggestion I might be a hybrid had turned out to be accurate after all. What else was true?

  "The council is keeping an eye on your mother," Nash said softly. "And looking for any connection to Zeta."

  I sighed. "It's the last bit that worries me." Why would anyone want their own child to be locked away and bred like a prized racehorse? Did Zeta have something over her, apart from influence? I had to believe they did. I didn't want to think she would willingly want me used in any way.

  Dyson gave me a squeeze. "We'll get to the bottom of it, one way or another, okay?"

  I snuggled into him more. "I know. It's the uncertainty that's difficult. I mean, why didn't they tell me I could shift? That seems like the kind of information you tell a gal."

  He rubbed his thumb over the back of my hand. "My guess is they weren't sure either. Magic isn't an exact science."

  "You sound like Kane," I teased. I grinned at Kane, who smiled back.

  "Dyson is right, though," Kane said.

  "Can I get that in writing?" Dyson asked. "Or better yet, on camera." He reached for his phone.

  Kane flipped him off. "Your friend Jess is from a paranormal family and can't do magic. There are no assurances children will follow in their parent's footsteps."

  I grimaced at the mention of Jess. She nearly died, thanks to Zeta holding her hostage to get my attention. Nash assured me she was safe, but I hadn't seen or heard from her since that day. She was probably too scared to try to contact me. I didn't blame her. That didn't stop me from missing her terribly.

  I shook my head. "I know, but they could have warned me about the possibility."

  "Given how hard it is to control the killing urge of the phoenix, they might have been in denial," Matt said flatly.

  "Thanks for that vote of confidence." I grimaced at him.

  He shrugged, unapologetic. "Why do you think they sent them after us?"

  "Because they're pretty?" I asked sweetly.

  Matt raised an eyebrow. "They might be pretty, but they're also vicious. You would know that better than anyone."

  I suspected he was implying I was nasty in witch form too. I stuck out my tongue at him. He wasn't wrong though, at least about the phoenix. When I had first shifted, I had wanted to kill everything in sight. Only Dyson telling me he loved me had brought me back to my usual, adorable self.

  "So anyway," Kane interrupted, "when do we leave?"

  "When our escort arrives," Nash replied.

  "I assume you're not referring to ones who charge by the hour," I said lightly. "So why an escort? Between us we have two witches, three hybrids, a kickass dog, and an equally kickass owl."

  Kane looked pleased at being called that. I knew he didn't think his shifter form was especially intimidating.

  "Who's kicking whose ass?" Ariana walked into the room, her boyfriend Hamish in tow. As far as I could tell, they hadn't been apart for a moment since we left the UA.

  Nash sighed. "I was just explaining to Peyton that the council was sending an agent or two to accompany us to Illusion Bay. We can't all travel together, there are too many of us to go unnoticed."

  "Is this my life now?" I asked, a little snappy at being babied. "Not allowed to go outside without every step being watched?"

  "You're allowed outside whenever you like." Nash gestured toward the door.

  "The house is in the bush, a bajillion kilometres from anywhere," I pointed out. "There's no one to see me."

  "Tell me about it," Kane said, looking sulky.

  After a moment I broke into a laugh. He got off on people watching us fuck; the more the merrier. Out here, the au
dience was greatly reduced, unless we were filmed and put on Porn Hustle. I wasn't quite ready to have myself recorded on camera again. After the photo he took of me was hacked and went viral, I was reluctant to do it again. Although, if I could disguise my face…

  The idea of thousands of people watching me made me swallow hard. My core throbbed.

  "Anyway." I blinked to return myself to the present. "I can take care of myself."

  "I know you can," Nash replied. "Maybe the escort is for the others." His mouth quirked up in a faint smile. He rarely joked, but when he did, he melted my heart a little more.

  Who was I kidding, he made my heart a hot puddle a long time ago, along with my sex. So did Kane and Dyson. What I felt for Matt was more complicated. I had feelings for him, to be sure, and I wanted to get him naked and sweaty, but he could be such a jerk. A part of me hoped to see Blake—a guy who had helped me out of the Zeta compound—again at some point.

  Yeah, okay, I don't know what was up with me either. Although we didn't talk about it, I know they all hoped I would choose them some day. The problem was, I couldn't choose. I wasn't sure I would ever be able to. Certainly not today.

  "I guess Matt could use a little help." I gave him a sly smile.

  "Fuck you," Matt retorted.

  "You wish," I shot back.

  His tongue flicked over his lips. I was reasonably sure he did wish. I knew he liked watching me and pleasuring himself at the same time.

  "You know," he said slowly. "You're right. I might need help to keep from getting killed by Peyton or something she does."

  I was sure he meant it as a joke, but it stung. There was far too much truth in his words. Zeta coming after me resulted in the deaths of several students and a teacher, the capture of both Dyson and Jess, and Nash was forced to kill again to save us all. I could add a bunch of Zeta agents to that tally. If I went quietly in the first place, a lot of people, innocent or otherwise, would still be alive. I was a danger to all of them.

  Eyes stinging with tears, I jumped up from the couch and ran toward the door. I wrenched it open and hurried outside.

  "You fucking idiot," I heard one of the guys say behind me. "What did you have to go and say that…"

  "I just…"

  I headed toward the trees so I couldn't hear them argue any longer.

  "Peyton!"

  I ducked behind the first set of trees as Kane called me. I ignored him and kept on walking.

  "Wait!" he yelled. "Please!"

  I sighed and stopped, but didn't turn around. If he did, he'd see the tears which poured down my cheeks.

  "He's a dick." Kane was closer now. "He shouldn't have said that."

  "It was accurate." I sniffed. "I should leave before you all get killed."

  "We're not going to get killed." His hand rested on my shoulder. "We don't even know if Zeta is after us."

  "After I ruined their breeding program? Oh, they'll be after me, if only for that. While you're around me, you're in danger."

  He exhaled softly and turned me to face him. "I'd rather be in danger with you than be without you." He swallowed audibly. "I love you."

  I wiped tears from my cheek with the back of my hand. "I…I love you, too."

  His expression softened. "You're the most amazing person I know. And the only other bird."

  I blinked in surprise. "Hey, you're right. About the bird part." I didn't feel particularly amazing right now. "Maybe you can teach me to fly?"

  "I'd like that." He wiped his thumb over a new tear.

  "I'll promise not to eat you," I said without humour.

  "That's a shame, I quite like being eaten." His expression was deadpan until I smiled and socked him on the arm.

  "I didn't mean that kind of eating. That's the kind I can do." I eyed his groin as his pants tented.

  "Thank the gods for that." He sounded a little choked. "Maybe we should go inside?"

  Honestly, he was the only guy I knew who would go inside for less privacy.

  A couple of birds called out from a tree nearby.

  "We have an audience already," I pointed out. I reached for the top of his track pants and slid them down his hips. His boxers followed, letting his erection spring free. "And he is ready."

  "So ready," Kane murmured.

  I sank to my knees in front of him and slid my tongue down the length of his cock.

  "Mmm."

  I looked up at him as I licked my way back up and circled his already beaded tip. Kane's eyes were closed and a faint smile graced his lips.

  I closed my mouth around his cock and started to suck gently.

  "Gods, yes," he breathed. He tangled a hand in my hair.

  I took him in deeper, almost to the back of my throat.

  "Peyton, I'm sorry…" Matt skidded to a stop a couple of metres away. "Oh, I should have known." His face turned slightly pink. "I'll talk to you later." He turned around.

  "Why don't you stay?" Kane suggested.

  Matt turned back, eyes wide. His cock strained against the front of his pants.

  I paused for a moment. Matt and I had an undeniable attraction. I might not admit it, but I liked having him around, including during intimate moments. I wanted to explore that with him. Maybe this was our chance.

  I slid my mouth off Kane's cock and licked his tip again. "I want you to stay. If you want to."

  Matt groaned. "I really…" His hand twitched beside his groin as though he wanted desperately to grab himself.

  Fuck this dancing around. If anything was going to happen between us, someone would have to make the first move. That might as well be me.

  I moved away from Kane and crawled the few steps across the mercifully soft grass. I stopped in front of Matt and reached for the fly of his jeans. My heart pounded at my own boldness. I half expected Matt to turn and run. This was a big step for us both. In spite of myself, I cared about him as much as I cared about the other guys. I wasn't ready to tell him that, but I could show him.

  When he didn't run, I undid the button and slid down the zip. In a moment his erection was hot and hard in my hand. I stroked his length several times before I closed my mouth on him.

  He shivered a little. "Oh my gods." Placing a gentle hand in my hair, he guided me down to the ground, so I lay beside him, his cock deep inside my mouth.

  I looked him in the eyes and what I saw there went far beyond pleasure, beyond lust. I let my eyes smile, then closed them and sucked slowly.

  Kane moved to lay on the other side of me and slipped my shirt up and away from my breasts. He leaned down to thoroughly lick and suck one firm peak, then the other. He lavished equal attention on both. He was always so considerate in making sure I enjoyed myself.

  I rubbed Matt's balls gently while Kane undid my pants and slid them down my legs. The air was cold on my bare ass. I shivered slightly, but Kane warmed me by kissing and nipping his way across my skin. He bent my leg and buried his face between my legs.

  I gasped aloud as his tongue tickled against my sex with just the right amount of pressure to drive me wild immediately. Gods, he always knew just what I liked.

  Matt bucked slowly and moaned before he pulled away from me. He worked his way down to take his turn at sucking on my nipples.

  "I've wanted to do this for so long," he muttered.

  I moaned in agreement. Having him touch me felt even better than I'd dared to imagine. Between his mouth and Kane's tongue lapping at my folds, I was already close to the edge.

  Kane slid a finger inside me and worked me from the inside and out. Every touch made me want to scream. He played my body like a practiced violinist. I wanted to sing in response.

  In moments, I came, crying out so loudly the birds flew squawking from the trees.

  At some unseen signal, Kane moved from my sex and back to my breasts. Matt pulled me to him and pressed the tip of his cock to my entrance.

  "Are you sure about this?" Matt whispered. His expression was serious, although his eyes were laced with desire
. He wanted me, but he needed to know I was sure. He didn't want to see me hurt. That feeling was mutual. I searched his gaze for certainty and found it. He would have no regrets and neither would I.

  "Yes," I panted, but was as decisive as I could manage with short breath. "I want you inside me." I pushed myself forward onto him.

  He grunted and slid all the way into me.

  I groaned with pleasure. He was so damned big I needed to stretch a little more to take him.

  Kane, eyes wide, watched for a minute or two, then moved back up to slip his cock back into my mouth.

  I took him in and paused for a moment to enjoy the feeling of being the centre of attention for two such amazing guys. How in the hells did I get so lucky? I didn't know, but I was going to enjoy myself.

  With both guys thrusting into me, I closed my eyes and savoured the sensation of their cocks. In and out, in and out, in an imperfect rhythm.

  Kane grunted. "I'm going to come."

  "Mmmhmm," I replied around his length. I sucked harder, took him in deeper, until he cried out and sent hot cum down the back of my throat.

  Matt came a moment later with a grunt of pure pleasure and a few thrusts that followed me completely. As his seed gushed into me, I came again, intense and mind blowing, for at least a full minute.

  When I finally came down, I sagged onto the grass to catch my breath.

  "Does this mean I'm forgiven?" Matt slid out of me.

  I suppressed a grin and snorted. "No way. You're still an asshole."

  He laughed and opened his mouth to say something. Instead, he stopped and frowned. "I think we have company."

  2

  I froze. After a moment I heard the sound of a car. Distant, but steadily coming closer.