“Not a word from their mouth can be trusted; their heart is filled with malice. Their throat is an open grave; with their tongues they tell lies.” Ayden read the passage from Psalm 5:9 as he sat on his desk and lowered the Bible before tossing it aside carelessly.

“Why are you reading from the Bible?” Bradley scoffed, avoiding eye contact with the professor.

Ayden’s eyes seemed to pierce the jock, which caused him to shiver. “Can anyone tell me why?” He redirected the question towards the class, his eyes momentarily making contact with Mikhailo's, who was sitting among his students. Watching his each and every move.

There were a few mutterings and murmurs among them, but no one raised their hand to answer the question.

“Very well.” Ayden stood and pulled out another book that was gilded in gold leaf. He dropped it onto the desk with a loud thud, “These are the Templar Tenets.” He tapped the cover with his finger. “Your assignment is to compare the two and find the source of their beliefs.” In a sense, it was almost like that old question of which came first, the chicken or the egg. 

“I don't understand why we need to find the source of their beliefs.” Amelia seemed to be struggling with his lesson. She wasn’t the only one. The students weren’t, by any means, eager to warm up to the outsider who was now their professor. Especially not after the punishment he bestowed upon seven of their peers. Peers who were sitting in the class currently. All looking like little deers in headlights. It would be adorable if it were not so pathetic.

“If you understand one's beliefs, you can find the source of their magic, and Templars are the easiest to trace.” Ayden explained.

“What’s so important about finding the source of one’s magic?” Umbra spoke for the first time this class session, causing everyone to look at her.

Ayden’s eyes immediately met hers as well. “Because if you understand one’s beliefs and know the source of their magic, you can nullify it.” A gasp and hush fell over the students when they realized this history class would now also be teaching Unseelie traditions and narratives.

“My mother isn’t going to like this.” One student whispered.

“Forget my mother; I don’t like this.” Another student whispered back.

Ayden grinned as the bells chimed, signaling the end of this session.

The students filed out of the classroom one by one, talking and whispering among themselves as they left. Umbra, the last to leave, stood in the doorway momentarily as she looked over her shoulder towards Professor Liliago. She looked as though she wanted to say something to him but stopped as he approached the Unseelie professor. She let out a gentle and silent sigh before she caught up to her fellow classmates in the hall. The doors to the classroom closed. This lecture hall was predominantly used for the social sciences and history courses. No one else would be using it today.

“You don’t think that is a little much for their first lesson?” Mikhailo questioned.

“Not at all.” Ayden replied. His face held no microexpressions at the moment. As always, he was hard to read. Well, not entirely. Mikhailo could recognize that look in his eyes; it was nefarious.

“Don’t look at me like that.” His voice was chastising.

“I can’t help the way I look.” Ayden was entertained.

"Yes, you can.”

“Alright, I’ll play along.” Ayden motioned then folded his arms against his chest, “Why can’t I?”

Mikhailo’s eyebrows knitted together in a mixture of confusion and frustration.

“There are several reasons.” 

“Name them.” Ayden demanded.

“First, I am Seelie, and you are Unseelie. Second, we are coworkers. And lastly, we are both men.” Mikhailo didn’t understand why he was entertaining this ridiculousness. It was absolutely absurd. "Additionally, we are mortal enemies.” He felt the need to remind him because he obviously forgot. That, and he definitely lost his mind.

“Oh, are we?” Ayden began to genuinely laugh, hard. “Gods, you Seelie are so rigid and narrow-minded.” The smile dropped from his face and his features darkened. “Makes me want to corrupt you.”

“This is never going to work.” Mikhailo’s voice was low.

“Just one bite.” Ayden whispered as the door to the lecture hall latched shut, locking as inky darkness blocked anyone from being able to see inside.

Mikhailo could feel the shadows begin crawling up his legs to dance across his skin as Ayden’s eyes became a dark and deep purple. His skin became feverish and tingly as the outlawed magic glided across his skin effortlessly. “Ayden.” His voice came out weird and breathless. Ayden watched silently, his fingers twitching hungrily as he continued the dark incantation without a single noise escaping his lips. His breathing seemed to quicken. Mikhailo’s lips parted as cold, shadowy hands gripped parts of his body and explored him. He clenched his fist as a hand slid across his thigh. This was wrong. But it felt so good. His eyes fluttered as he leaned forward and gripped the edge of the table, “This is forbidden.” He barely managed to sputter. 

“Everything fun is.” Ayden smirked as he stepped closer, “Look how easily you fold for me.”

A hand traveled up his chest, grazing the length of his neck, resting under his chin. Gripping just like Ayden had the night before. A noise Mikhailo had never made before left his lips, causing Ayden’s eyes to widen slightly at the delicious moan. 

This magic was too strong, almost crippling; Mikhailo couldn’t resist the sensations as Ayden got closer. “You’re as beautiful as the day I lost you.” 

“Y-you’re a coward.” Mikhailo stuttered out.

Ayden’s eyes narrowed and his brows furrowed.

“Y-you’re too afraid to touch me y-yourself, so you’re having your shadows do it for you.” 

Ayden’s eyebrow twitched as he shook out his hand, causing the shadows on Mikhailo to disperse. He immediately grabbed Mikhailo’s throat with the same hand. He shoved him against the desk into almost a seated position as he stepped between his legs. Mikhailo gasped heavily in response as he grabbed onto Ayden’s arm with both hands. Sweat dripping off his skin. 

“You think dark magic would scare me?” Mikhailo was panting like a tired dog.

Ayden grinned as he pressed his lips to Mikhailo’s ear, “You’re trembling.” The mask he wore for lectures allowed for his mouth to be exposed, which in turn allowed him to lick along Mikhailo's ear, causing a rough gasp to escape. Mikhailo didn’t have a response because he was right. He was shaking like a leaf in a hurricane. But he was trying to build his energy back up. 

“This new body of yours.” Ayden’s eyes roamed over Mikhailo’s body, “It’s never been touched, has it?” He hissed at the thought as his free hand roamed down Mikhailo’s chest, traveling further and further until Mikhailo let out a hard grunt. His eyes flickered bright and burning orange, then sparked with red flares.

“Grovel.” He commanded in a rough voice, causing Ayden to immediately fall to the floor on his knees, his eyes glossing over with a thick white layer as his body responded to the command.

His jaw clenched and his muscles tensed, trying to resist the spell but he couldn’t. The veins in his throat and forhead protruding slightly as he stared up at Mikhailo, who began to collect himself, “Very good.” Ayden hissed.

Mikhailo exhaled out slowly as he looked down at Ayden, “You can stay there all day and think about what you’ve done.” He readjusted his clothing. His cheeks were still flushed but he was doing his best to try and hide it. To hide the fact that he was thoroughly enjoying himself. Every single part of that felt like nothing he had ever experienced before in his life. He knew Ayden was dangerous but he never considered the depth to just how dangerous he was. Mikhailo had a taste and he wanted more. That’s how corruption started after all. He thought about leaving through the door, then decided against it as he opened up a portal and stepped through into his home instead, leaving Ayden to grovel on his knees for the next several hours.