CHAPTER 91: ANNOYANCE*

Dust and old magic. That was the atmosphere in the crypts that night.

Aegis followed Nazraya through the winding passages, their footsteps echoing off stone that had been here since before Valdria was even an idea. The professor’s hips swayed with each step, robes clinging in ways that made Aegis’s cock twitch.

[Focus. You’re here to learn shadow magic, not stare at your teacher’s ass... But maybe just a little bit wouldn’t hurt anyone. Good god!]

"Tonight," Nazraya said, pushing open the heavy door to what made up their usual training room, which was just a part of the crypts that had a tiny bit more space than the rest. "I’m going to teach you something actually useful. Not just another variation of shadow bolt."

"What kind of useful?"

"The kind that might save your life one day."

Nazraya turned, red eyes gleaming. She raised one hand, shadows coalescing around her fingers like liquid smoke. The darkness spread, wrapping around her entire arm before solidifying into what looked like armor made of pure shadow.

"Shadow Guard. A defensive spell that most practitioners never learn because they’re too focused on offense. It might look like I’m just making a neat accessory, but this spell would allow you to take incoming magical attacks head-on. Think of it as a shield, but for magic."

"Like a ward?"

"Precisely," Nazraya nodded with a satisfied smile. Incredibly useful. But, also incredibly difficult. The magic wants to attack, to consume. Forcing it into a protective role requires..." She paused, considering. "Think of it like trying to train a wolf to behave like a sheepdog. Possible, but it goes against every instinct."

Aegis raised her own hand, trying to summon the shadows. They came, though she could feel the reluctance.

"No, no." Nazraya moved behind her, hands covering Aegis’s. "You’re fighting it. You need to treat this magic like it is part of you now. Don’t command it. Convince it."

[... That’s kinda similar to what Rosanna told me, huh? I wonder if Nazraya would be happy to hear that.]

"You know... I hear that’s a similar teaching to what, uh, Queen Rosanna believed."

Nazraya paused. Her eyes fluttered for a second before she flashed a smile that was equal parts embarrassed and "you keep talking like that I might just have to bend you over."

Then, she gave Aegis a kiss on the cheek.

It was... oddly endearing from her. She then said:

"My dearest pet, you don’t have to make up such things to get on my good side. You’re already squarely there."

She was still behind Aegis, her breath was warm against Aegis’s ear. Her tits pressed against Aegis’s back.

"Now, back to this, like I said, you have to convince it."

"Convince it how?"

Aegis assumed this would also be similar to what Rosanna said, but she asked anyway.

"Show it that... protecting you means it gets to destroy things later. Promise it violence, just... delayed."

"So... use it aggressively?"

"That’s the spirit."

That actually made sense in a fucked up way. Aegis closed her eyes, focusing on the shadow, whispering promises of future carnage if it would just cooperate now.

The darkness solidified slightly, forming a thin layer over her forearm.

"Better." Nazraya’s hands slid down to Aegis’s waist. "But you’re still too tense. The shadow feeds on emotion. Right now, you’re giving it anxiety."

"What should I give it instead?"

"Confidence. Desire. Raw want."

Nazraya’s hand dipped lower, cupping Aegis through her skirt.

"Professor—"

"Learning requires the right mindset, pet. And I know exactly what mindset works for you."

She stroked Aegis’s cock through the fabric, slow and deliberate. The shadows responded immediately, thickening around Aegis’s arm, becoming more solid.

"See? So much better when you’re not overthinking."

Aegis’s hips bucked forward. The shadow armor spread to her shoulder.

"Fuck."

"Eventually. First, maintain the spell while I undress you."

"That’s—"

"Training. Very important training."

Nazraya’s free hand worked at the buttons of Aegis’s uniform, popping them open one by one. The shadow armor flickered but held.

"Good girl. Keep focusing on the spell."

She pushed Aegis’s skirt down, then her panties. Aegis’s cock sprang free, already dripping precum. The shadow armor wavered.

"Don’t lose it now." Nazraya wrapped her fingers around Aegis’s shaft. "The whole point is maintaining concentration under... duress."

She stroked slowly, thumb circling the head on each upstroke. Aegis bit her lip, trying to keep the shadows stable while her professor jerked her off with the patience of someone who had all night.

"You’re doing so well," Nazraya purred. "But can you maintain it through this?"

She dropped to her knees.

[Oh fuck oh fuck oh fuck—]

Nazraya’s tongue traced the underside of Aegis’s cock from base to tip. The shadow armor cracked but didn’t break. Then she took the whole thing in her mouth, deepthroating in one smooth motion.

Aegis’s knees buckled. The shadows exploded outward, dissipating completely.

"Tsk tsk." Nazraya pulled back, lips shiny with spit. "We’ll have to work on your concentration. But first..."

She stood, pushing Aegis back against the stone altar they used for ritual work. In one fluid motion, she hiked up her own robes and straddled Aegis’s hips.

"First, I’m going to ride you until you forget your own name."

She sank down onto Aegis’s cock without warning.

Both of them groaned. Nazraya was wet, hot, tight enough to make Aegis see stars. She started moving immediately, rolling her hips in circles that hit every possible angle.

"Fuck, Professor—"

"That’s the idea."

She leaned forward, capturing Aegis’s lips in a kiss that tasted like wine. Her pussy clenched around Aegis’s cock with each thrust.

Aegis grabbed her ass, fingers sinking into soft flesh as she tried to control the pace. Nazraya laughed against her mouth.

"Eager little thing, aren’t you?"

She sat up straight, bouncing properly now. Her tits jumped with each movement, robes falling open to reveal pale skin and hard nipples. Aegis reached up to grab them, squeezing until Nazraya moaned.

"Harder."

Aegis pinched her nipples, twisting slightly. Nazraya’s pussy spasmed around her cock.

"Yes, just like—"

The door creaked open.

Both of them froze, Nazraya still impaled on Aegis’s cock, as Sister Mirabel stepped into the room.

"I knew it," the priestess said, ice-blue eyes scanning the chamber. "I could smell the shadow magic from the—"

She stopped. Stared. Processed what she was actually looking at.

"Mirabel!" Nazraya didn’t move, didn’t even try to cover herself. "How lovely to see you."

"You’re... you’re..."

"Fucking my student? Yes. Very observant."

Mirabel’s face went through several shades of red before settling on something approaching purple.

"This is—she can’t—students aren’t allowed in the crypts after hours!"

"Ah, but staff can supervise student visits." Nazraya clenched around Aegis’s cock, making her gasp. "And as you can see, I’m providing very thorough supervision."

Nazraya started rolling her hips in ways that would make most pop stars blush.

"That’s not—that’s not what that rule means!"

"The handbook doesn’t specify what kind of supervision."

"It’s implied!"

"Implications aren’t rules, darling."

Mirabel’s left eye twitched. She raised one hand, divine light beginning to gather.

"I sensed shadow magic. Dark spells being cast. That’s why I came here."

"Did you see any spells being cast?"

"I—no, but—"

"Then perhaps your senses were mistaken." Nazraya rolled her hips again, slightly, just enough to make Aegis whimper. "Unless you’d like to stay and watch? Make sure no forbidden magic occurs?"

Mirabel made a sound like a tea kettle about to explode.

"I hate you."

"Such harsh words." Nazraya’s voice dropped to something sultry. "Are you sure you don’t want to stay? For supervision purposes, of course."

For a moment, just a moment, Mirabel’s eyes lingered on where Nazraya and Aegis were joined. Then she spun on her heel.

"Miss Starcaller, I expect to see you in my office tomorrow. We need to discuss your... extracurricular activities."

She swept out, slamming the door behind her.

Nazraya waited exactly three seconds before starting to move again.

"Well. That was exciting."

"She knows," Aegis gasped as Nazraya picked up the pace. "She fucking knows I’m learning shadow magic."

"No, she suspects. There’s a difference."

"What if she—oh, fuck—what if she reports me?"

"She won’t." Nazraya leaned down, lips brushing Aegis’s ear. "Because if she does, she’ll have to explain what she was doing in the crypts at midnight. And why she stood there watching us for so long."

"She barely watched—"

"Thirty seconds is more than long enough when it comes to scandals, darling. Relationships, agreements, hell, kingdoms have fallen because of things that happened in under a minute."

She sat back up, bouncing faster now, chasing her orgasm with single-minded determination. Aegis thrust up to meet her, hands on her hips, trying not to think about how fucked she might be tomorrow.

[Not the good kind of fucked either.]

---

{Darius}

Morning came like a hangover.

Darius Goldspire sat in his family’s guest suite at the academy, listening to his mother drone on about bloodlines while his father examined financial documents with the intensity of someone defusing a bomb.

"The Stone family holdings are extensive," his father said, not looking up. "The marriage would secure our position for generations."

"Assuming the girl cooperates," his mother added. "She seems... resistant."

"She’ll come around." Darius examined his reflection in the mirror, adjusting his collar. Perfect cheekbones, perfect hair, perfect everything. "They always do."

"This Starcaller girl might be a problem."

He paused.

"The commoner?"

"She and Princess Stone seem... close."

Darius laughed.

"A princess of the realm, close with a commoner? Please. She’s probably just amusing herself. You know how nobles get, playing with their lessers from time to time. We all do it."

"Perhaps. But rumors suggest—"

"Rumors suggest many things. None of them matter." He stood, straightening his jacket. "Talia Stone will be my wife. The commoner can watch from whatever gutter she crawls back to."

---

The dining hall buzzed with morning conversation when he arrived. He spotted Talia immediately—black hair gleaming in the morning light, sitting with that blonde girl, Liora something.

Perfect.

He slid into the seat beside Talia, close enough that their thighs touched.

"Good morning, darling."

She shifted away.

"We’re not engaged yet."

"Yet. I appreciate your optimism."

"That’s not what I—"

"I ordered your favorite tea." He gestured to a servant, who placed a delicate cup in front of her. "Jasmine with honey, yes?"

"How did you—"

"I make it my business to know everything about my future wife."

Talia’s jaw clenched. Across the table, Liora looked like she wanted to throw something.

"That’s a tad creepy," a voice said.

Darius turned. The Starcaller girl stood there, tray in hand, looking at him like he was something she’d scraped off her shoe.

"I’m sorry?"

"The whole ’I know everything about you’ thing. It’s creepy. Like, restraining order levels of creepy. Though, eh, maybe it depends on attraction more than what’s actually happening. I could be wrong."

"I don’t believe anyone asked for your opinion, commoner."

"And yet here it is. Free of charge."

She maintained eye contact the entire time. Her friends filled in around her—the redheaded muscle girl, the quiet artist, the younger sister who looked like trouble.

"Ah, Starcaller," Darius said, voice carefully neutral. "What an amusing individual. I can see why Talia keeps you around. Court jesters are so hard to find these days."

"Better a jester than a creep who researches women’s tea preferences within the first week of meeting them."

"It’s called being thoughtful."

"It’s called being a stalker."

Talia covered her mouth, clearly trying not to smile. That was... unexpected. And irritating.

"You know," Darius said slowly, "I’ve heard quite a bit about you, Miss Starcaller. Top of the academic rankings. Impressive for someone of your... background."

"My background of being awesome? Thanks."

"Your background of being common."

"Oh no. Whatever will I do. Someone pointed out I’m not inbred. The horror."

The muscle girl—Scarlett—snorted milk through her nose.

Darius stood, straightening his jacket. This wasn’t going according to plan.

"Talia, perhaps we could continue our breakfast somewhere more... civilized?"

"I’m good here, thanks."

"But—"

"The commoner’s not the one making me uncomfortable," Talia said quietly. "I appreciate the gesture, but, really, I would like to have... a less flirtatious breakfast."

The words hit like cold water.

"I see. Well. This has been... illuminating."

He left with as much dignity as possible, which wasn’t much considering half the dining hall was trying not to laugh.

Yes. Starcaller was definitely going to be a problem.

The kind that needed solving.