REFLECTIONS OF US (Brighten Magic Academy Book 3) Read online

  "Totally missed your beautiful voice and this sexy ass," Maximus mumbled into my shoulder as he squeezed my ass. I giggled and hugged him tightly before I adjusted my body so I could admire his face.

  My eyes gaze on the scar that was still healing on the left side of his face. It made him look badass, but I always wanted to make sure he wasn't in pain.

  Noticing my gaze, he leaned down to kiss me tenderly. "I'm fine. No pain today. Kage has been doing an awesome job."

  My shoulders sank in relief as I smiled. "Good. It does make you look more badass though."

  "Right! Should have seen all the newbie students staring at me like I was a villain. It was pretty empowering." Maxi nodded with pride.

  "This is how villains become cocky and fuck up," Braxton mumbled, moving past us to the stove. "And the best way to burn soup."

  "Oh, fuck! I did not burn the soup!" Maxi argued, looking back at the soup that had been seconds from overflowing if Braxton hadn't taken it off the stove.

  "Close call, but thanks go to Braxton, the food hero of this very sad story of a villain who got distracted by our shared girlfriend."

  "Fuck you."

  "You know I'm right," Braxton smirked, turning off the stove and placing the bowl of soup on one of the other stove tops to cool.

  "Whatever," Maxi replied.

  I grinned and turned back to the flat screen to figure out what I wanted to eat. Maxi wrapped his arms around my waist once more and rested his head on my shoulder, watching me go through the options.

  "Can we have Chinese?" Maxi asked.

  "We could," I replied.

  "As long as there's extra meat for all three of us," Brax called out as he took three bowls from the cupboard.

  "Are we getting back into a training routine this week?" Maxi asked no one in particular.

  "We might as well. Don't want to slack off and make it harder for ourselves later on." I tapped the choices for our Chinese order, adding extra meat three times. "Anything else?"

  "Do they have that energy water stuff like back in at base?" Brax asked.

  "I think so?" Biting my lip, I pondered for a moment where the energy infused drinks would be.

  Maxi took over, removing his right arm from my waist to begin scrolling for the drink Braxton was requesting.

  When Maxi found it, he ordered three of them. "You wanted one, right?" he asked for clarification, which made me smile.

  "Ya," I replied, turning my head to kiss his cheek. "Thank you."

  "You're most welcome." Maxi finished the order and pulled out his Elite card and tapped it on the screen.

  "I was going to pay," I noted, realizing my ID was upstairs.

  Logan’s magic was extra awesome because it took out all our items that were in our pockets before the clothes were tossed into the washer.

  I hadn't touched anything since I'd woken up. Logan was outside with Nixon, Kage, and Zane to gather a few more things we needed for training.

  That had left me being woken up by Braxton and Maxi, which had been a little comforting with their afternoon kisses.

  I'd showered and donned black booty shorts and a crop top seeing as I figured today was going to be a relaxing day.

  "Don't worry about it," Maxi whispered and kissed me on my cheek. "I like spoiling you with food."

  "And me, you ass," Braxton grumbled. He walked back over to us and we turned to face him.

  I licked my lips in appreciation of his bare chest and black shorts.

  His hair was blond now with only hints of red at the tips of his short locks, but his green eyes always drew my attention.

  My admiration reminded me that Maxi too was bare-chested and wearing red shorts. His once long brown hair was cut short due to the therapy we were receiving from Kage.

  I was supposed to cut mine as well, but it was a unanimous decision to leave my hair alone or at least use some special magic to block it from being affected by the treatment.

  The machines were similar to radiation or chemotherapy and would kill hair follicles which would eventually lead to bald spots and having to shave it all off.

  Thankfully, our bodies responded well with the aid of Kage's magic and even though Maxi cut his hair for assurance, it was already growing back and was a similar length as Braxton's.

  Either way, their hair, whether long or short, did nothing to lower their attractiveness and I loved their confidence that had grown throughout our second year.

  "While we wait for food, maybe we should do other things," Brax suggested in a low tone as he leaned in to kiss me.

  I smirked before lifting my finger up to press it against Brax's lips.

  "My body needs a break," I announced.

  Braxton grinned against my finger while Maxi chuckled and hugged me from behind. "A break, huh. Guess Logan had a good time here in the kitchen."

  I lifted my head up to gawk at Maxi who laughed again.

  "How did you know about that?!" I questioned, feeling my cheeks burn at his admission. He looked down to give me a clever grin while he pressed his lower half against my ass, which made my stomach flip.

  "It's our duty to make sure we meet all our girlfriend's needs." Maxi lowered his lips to mine and I heard Brax's soft chuckle before his body pressed against my front side and his lips lowered to my neck, which ignited a muffled moan.

  "We have to ensure you're relaxed, fed, bathed, and your body gets taken care of in all areas. It's our duty, remember?" he teased, before sucking my neck.

  I broke the kiss with Maxi and sighed. "You two are gonna kill me."

  "In a good way as in hot passionate sex now or later?" Maxi asked for clarification.

  "I'm not letting the delivery guy catch me in between the two of you like last time," I grumbled.

  I gasped when Brax nipped my neck while pressing his groin against my front side, which only made my pussy grow hot with want.

  "That was exciting," Brax whispered.

  "And he caught on and left the food right at the doorstep. Totally kind of him," Maxi added.

  I groaned and looked back up at Maxi. "No threesomes before food. I don't have enough fuel to handle both of you. You know you’re going to start counting who gets more rounds."

  They both chuckled, and I glanced back down at Braxton as he moved away from my neck.

  He pressed his forehead against mine and I shivered at Maxi's lips that pressed lightly on my right shoulder.

  "Fine, later. Logan kept you in check, at least," Brax declared.

  "Still didn't answer my original question of how you know that."

  "Nixon has sharp senses, remember?" Maxi pointed out as he rose up and moved away from us toward the stove.

  "How does he do that?" I pondered. "Like, he wasn't even here."

  "Sharp instincts. Also, you two were cuddled up in bed when we arrived," Brax replied.

  "But we could have done it in bed!" I argued. Brax grinned and released me, walking over to the island where Maxi was pouring the soup into our bowls.

  "We just know you guys didn't enjoy fast sex in bed. The sheets were too smooth," Maxi commented.

  I groaned. "Men. You say I'm horrible."

  "If you were in Jinn form, you'd understand more," Brax suggested.

  I mumbled 'ya right' but dropped the subject as I walked over to the island to sit in front of the single bowl.

  Brax sat opposite of me, while Maxi put the now empty bowl of soup in the sink, opening the tap to fill up the bowl to soak before he returned to the island and sat next to Brax.

  "Thanks, Maxi," Brax and I said together and began to dig in.

  Maxi smiled and nodded before joining us. I felt like I was starving, and this would hold me over until our food arrived in 30-50 minutes.

  There wasn't a need for chit chat when we ate, all three of us more concerned with filling our bellies than talking. We finished within five minutes of starting, and I sighed in relief.

  "Much better. It felt like my stomach was going to eat itself," I commented.

  "That's because you've been eating so little lately. If we plan to go back to training this week, you gotta up your eating again," Maxi pointed out.

  "I know. I'll work on it," I reassured him.

  Brax nodded. "I'll make sure she eats, though Kage and Zane are usually on top of their game in that department."

  I pouted my lips. "That's because they nag at me to eat."

  "Good,” Brax and Maxi said together, and I rolled my eyes.

  "Haters."

  Brax gathered our bowls and began to soak them, and I stood and made my way into the newly decorated living room.

  The moment my gaze landed on the new navy-blue couch that was decorated with gold and navy blue pillows, I strolled over to it and sat down.

  "I really hope Meredith is in charge of decorating our place when we get to live on base. She finds the comfiest furniture. This couch is perfection."

  Maxi walked over to sit next to me and I maneuvered myself so that I laid down across the couch with my head in his lap.

  The smile on his face could brighten the room, reminding me of our times back at base where I'd lay down with my head in his lap on our luxurious couch.

  "Is it too early for me to say I miss base?" he questioned.

  I gasped dramatically, placing my hand on my chest for extra measure. "YOU, Maximus Copperfield, miss BASE! The Elite base you were so happy to leave behind."

  "Continue rubbing it in. Let him remember how happy he was," Brax emphasized as he loaded the last bowl in the dishwasher.

  He walked over to the couch and I lifted my legs up to give him a spot to sit. Once he was situated, I lowered my legs and he didn't hesitate to start massaging them which made me giggle.

  "Tickles," I said happily.

  "Hmm," Brax replied, knowing the exact spots where I was ticklish.

  "Yes, I WAS initially happy to leave base, but you have to admit we miss our warrior mates," Maxi elaborated.

  "You have a point." I closed my eyes while enjoying Braxton's amazing massage skills.

  He really knew the right spots to massage, which always impressed me each time he did it.

  Maxi slid his hands through my hair, and soon enough he was giving me a comforting head massage which made me smile.

  "Even though the missions were hard, the people were supportive," I whispered.

  "It was fun during downtime and wasn't as stressful even when things sometimes got chaotic," Brax added.

  "The support was there too. I know I'm around you guys here, but it doesn't feel like we have anyone else to have our backs here. In fact, I don't like the vibes around here. It feels off the moment we leave our property," Maxi admitted.

  "I felt that," I replied, my eyes still closed as I enjoyed their massaging hands. "There's this weird aura around the school, but I can't pinpoint what it is and what effect it will have on the students. I bet Meredith and the stronger staff can feel it too, but with the murders going on, that could be it."

  "Murders?" Brax and Maxi said together.

  "Meredith said professors are being targeted. No students yet, but once we start our classes, some of our time is going to be as professors here to make up for the slack. Meredith doesn't want to hire anyone with the risk of getting them injured or killed. She also said she's going to call Emily and the triplets over," I explained from what I recalled from our last discussion.

  "Having Emily and the triplets around would be really helpful. Those three are tricky and Emily is very cunning."

  "And she doesn't mind using magic to be a boy either," I pointed out.

  "Perfect for disguises," Maxi added.

  "Please tell me Emily is less savage as a guy compared to her female counterpart," Brax groaned.

  I peeked an eye open to give him a mischievous grin and he groaned again, understanding that my look meant hell no.

  "She's not that bad," Maxi stated.

  "She's savage as fuck AND she never follows the rules. Tell her not to crash the car. What does she do? Not only does she crash it, but she has to crash it with fucking style by going over the damn cliff!" Brax huffed.

  "Aww. You're just upset because you liked that car." I giggled.

  "It was brand new and I was allowed to keep it if it came back in one piece," Brax groused.

  "Meredith knew it wasn't coming back. Emily was nice enough to give you the keys as a souvenir," I praised.

  "To a nonexistent car," Brax grumbled, and I laughed.

  "Yup!"

  "You didn't need the car anyways." Maxi chuckled.

  I felt something hop onto my stomach and I looked down to see Rex.

  "Rex! Hey buddy." I reached out to pet him and he hopped closer to my head. "Did you appear because you felt Braxton's undying distress over his lost car that was never truly his," I said in a sing-song voice dripping with amusement.

  Brax groaned and concentrated on massaging my other leg. Rex snuggled into my neck, enjoying the little massage I was giving him.

  "Poor Rex always gotta show up when Brax gets moody." Maxi chuckled.

  "He does not show up all the time, and I don't get moody," Brax argued.

  "Sure," Maxi drawled out. "Remember when we had our first threesome and, lo and behold, Rex came out of nowhere."

  I roared with laughter, remembering exactly how that went down and how embarrassed Braxton was.

  "I'll never forget his face." I giggled

  "Forget it," Braxton whined and I took a peek to see his bright red face, which made me laugh even harder.

  "Braxton actually looks cute when he's all red in the face," Maxi teased.

  "Shut up," Brax grumbled.

  We calmed down and I returned to relaxing as I absentmindedly stroked Rex's soft fur.

  "Jewel?" Brax asked.

  It took me a bit before I replied. "Hmm?"

  "Still awake?" Maxi inquired.

  "Ya...kind of," I mumbled. I always loved these moments. They left me in such a calm state that it almost put me to sleep.

  "I'm glad we have some time off before things get chaotic with classes," Brax admitted.

  "We need it. I guess until we learn more about the suspect of these murders, we're gonna have to keep a watchful eye on everyone in the team. No one should go alone to classes or places unless we have to," Maxi suggested.

  "You think we can stay somewhere else for the duration of our time off? I'd have to confirm with Meredith, but I'd rather stay off the campus property until actual school starts," I explained quietly.

  Maxi's hand brushed my cheek and I opened my eyes to see him nod.

  "That's what the others and I were discussing just yesterday. I think it would be a good idea. We don't know many of the remaining seniors here and we definitely don't know any of the sophomores or freshmen."

  "Also, with the knowledge of Jewel staying with us, that may spark some curiosity and snooping," Brax added.

  I grinned, which rewarded me two curious looks.

  "What?" They said together.

  "You really think ANYONE can come on our property unless it’s a delivery? Alice and Koa aren't constantly chilling on the roof for no reason," I pointed out.

  "Oh...right," Maxi commented. "They have been on the roof."

  "Rex also likes hopping around when they're resting," Brax praised, reaching out to ruffling his furry familiar's head.

  Rex lifted his head to Brax's touch before he turned and hopped down my body to my legs to get more attention from Brax who chuckled. "You've been coming to check on us a lot lately, buddy."

  "Meaning he only likes coming out from hiding when Jewel is around," Maxi elaborated.

  I grinned. "Hopefully we get a week or two off. I'll confirm with Meredith tonight when I call to check in," I explained.

  "Sounds good." Brax scooped Rex into his arms as he gave his reply.

  The door rang then, and I moved my legs off Brax before I stood. "I'll get it."

  "You sure?" Maxi asked. "I can."

  "Nah, I'm already up," I pointed out as I headed for the door.

  After running my hand through my hair and making sure my shorts weren't too low to be a distraction, I opened the door.

  Bright orange hair and blue eyes met mine. I needed a second to compose myself from freaking out from the individual's ginger hair that reminded me of Lark Huntley.

  "Ah...um...evening...uh...Mr. Copperfield made an order for Chinese food?" The boy asked nervously, lifting the bag of food.

  "Yes. That's my roommate. Thanks," I replied, and he gave me the bag of food. "Can I use my phone for a tip or do you need my ID?"

  "Oh...no tip necessary, Miss...um you’re Miss Starfire, right?"

  "Yes," I answered. "Care to share how you know?"

  "Oh, you're the talk of the entire school! I'm Tim! Um...I'm a freshman and well...uh...ya. I have a brother Tom. We're twins so if you see him around, it’s not me."

  I smirked and nodded my head. "I'll make sure I remember that the next time I see an orange haired guy with blue eyes."

  "He has green eyes actually. Helps tell us apart." Tim smiled broadly.

  My expression softened as I nodded. "Are you excited for school?"

  "Very excited. It’s a bit hard to fit in...but Tom gets along with everyone...I kinda don't...which really sucks." He gave me a sad smile.

  "Cheer up, buddy. You don't need to fit in to be powerful," I encouraged. "I don't fit in. You know why?" I asked.

  He shook his head. "Why?"

  "I'm a girl." I winked.

  He beamed and chuckled. "But you're the most popular girl at Brighten and you’re powerful."

  "Thank you. Proves my point that sometimes it's better to not fit in."

  "Thank you, Miss Starfire."

  "Just call me Jewel, Tim. Don't need to refer to me so professionally unless during class," I assured him.

  "Are you going to be teaching?" Tim asked with a wide smile. He looked so excited it was hard to say no.

  "I don't know for sure, but most likely. We'll see."

  "I hope you do! It would be an honor to be taught by an Elite."

  "I'm not official yet."

  "Don't have to be! Anyone who comes back after a year in that program is an Elite to me. I read about the past Elites and they all became Mage Warriors in the end."