“Decent,” he says. “Now, dissolve it into nothing.”
I know I should just send the water back into the atmosphere, but his condescending tone has my teeth grinding together. I’m so sick of him treating me like a loser. Like he’s up on some pedestal and I should be on my knees thanking him for his attention.
Before I can think too much about it, I call to fire. Stiffening my arm, I send a blue-hot streak of flames toward the wall of water, blasting it right in the center. A sizzling sound fills my ears as the temperature and humidity in the room flares to a near-unbearable degree. Steam fills the gym as I blast the fire until no solid water remains.
I release fire and look to Echo, fear of his reaction tattooing up my spine. I can barely make out his features through the steam, but as it dissipates, there is no mistaking his pleasure.
A leering grin tugs up the corner of his mouth before he clears his throat and smooths out his expression.
“Very good,” he barks.
I force myself to smile with what I hope looks like pleasure and pride.
“Thank you, sir.”
“I think you have real potential,” he says, stepping toward me.
“I do?” I ask, a thrill of excitement making my skin flash hot.
I keep my expression calm as my mind screams, Potential for what?!?
He nods, moving in so close, my skin crawls. I force my feet to remain firmly planted on the floor and fight the urge to back away from his advance. He trails a fingertip down my arm, and I can’t stop the shiver that pulses through me.
Gross. Not only is the man like four-hundred years old, he’s a repulsive tyrant. Not to mention he’s actually related to me. He doesn’t know that, but still. It’s disgusting.
“I think we could do great things together, Rory.”
My name rolls off his tongue on a purr, and I swallow against my gag reflex. He takes a small step back, giving me space to breathe. I release a pent up breath as relief washes over me. His smile widens, and my relief quickly turns to anger.
He was trying to make me uncomfortable. Trying and succeeding. I bite the inside of my cheek and force myself not to lash out. I have to see this through. Lashing out at him now would ruin everything.
“What kind of things?” I ask, lowering my voice to make it sound husky.
“All in good time, my dear. All in good time.”
With that, he strides to the wall and flicks the switch to reactivate my gold bracelet. What I wouldn’t give to blast him right now and watch the look on his face when he realizes he has no actual control over me. I rein it in and give him a placid smile as he dismisses me.
I beat a hasty retreat before I can change my mind and call that wave back. Images of him gasping for air as I drown him dance through my head as I jog through the exit, but I force them away. I scurry through the halls until I reach the common room, where I spot my friends lounging on two gray sofas.
I squeeze in between Asher and Lark, and the group falls silent. I nod in response to their quizzical expressions, reading their unspoken questions.
“It was good. Things are…progressing.”
Jolene, Cedric, and Acadia smile in response, accepting my words at face-value. Lark tilts her head, sensing I’m leaving something out, but I shake my head. Asher isn’t so easily put off. He narrows his eyes and flat-out demands an answer.
“What happened?” he asks, his voice low and stern.
I glance around the room, peeling back the Glamour to see more than one camera trained on us. I shake my head again, and Asher gets the point, dropping the subject for now. But his expression tells me he’s not going to let this go.
“I made a giant wave for Headmaster,” I say, injecting as much enthusiasm as I can muster into my words and body language, “then I put it out with fire. He was so impressed. He said I have potential.”
“Wow, that’s awesome, Rory,” Acadia gushes, catching the hint.
“Yeah, you’re so lucky Headmaster is helping you,” Cedric says, his tone edged with a jealousy I know he doesn’t actually feel.
I nod slightly, letting them know they’re giving the right responses. Then I fake a big yawn and stand up.
“I’m kind of tired after all that magic,” I say. “I think I’m going to head to my room for the night.”
A chorus of goodnights comes from my friends, and Asher hops to his feet.
“Me, too,” he says.
I give Lark a pointed look, and she nods in understanding. She knows I’ll tell give her all the details later. But right now, I need to be alone with Asher.
I need him to erase the feel of Echo’s fingers on my skin.
I walk away with a wave and head down the hallway to my cell. When I push open the door, a tingle of fresh magic hits me, making me flinch with surprise. I quickly push away the Glamour to see one of Echo’s cameras in the corner.
Unbelievable. I back out of the room, colliding against Asher’s chest as he walks up behind me. Before he can speak his questions, I hold a finger to my lips with wide eyes as I pull the door closed.
“Let’s go to your room,” I mouth, and he nods.
We walk silently to his room, and as he lets me in, I quickly scan the whole cell. A sigh of relief escapes on an exhale as he closes the door behind us. I don’t waste any time throwing up a privacy bubble, shielding us from any prying eyes and ears.
“What’s happening?” he asks as he strides forward.
“There was a camera in my room,” I whisper, still in shock.
My astonishment quickly morphs into anger as thoughts of Echo watching me sleep, dress, and use the bathroom dance through my head. The man is a freaking degenerate.
“What happened in your session?” Asher asks, wrapping his strong arms around me from behind.
I lean back against him, letting my anger seep away. He smells like heaven, and his breath on my neck sends a shiver down my spine. I could let him hold me like this forever.
“It went just like I said,” I whisper, “but what I didn’t mention was that he touched me.”
Asher’s body turns to stone, rigid and unmoving. His breath pants in and out with a harsh, rasping sound, battering the skin of my neck.
“He did what?”
I turn in his arms so I can look into his eyes, which are burning with the blue fire of rage. I brush my fingers over his face before threading them through his black hair.
“He ran his finger down my arm, is all,” I say. “But there was this look in his eyes that made me sick to my stomach. The man is disgusting.”
Asher’s gaze bores into mine, a nerve ticks in his cheek to a staccato beat. I smooth my hand over it, and he leans into my touch. His eyes close for moment, and my heart swells in my chest at the simple reaction. He has a way of making me feel like the most important person in his universe.
“I’m okay,” I whisper. “And don’t worry—I can take care of myself.”
His eyes pop open, spearing me with their intensity as his mouth curves up.
“Oh, I know you can,” he replies before his smile drops into a frown. “But that doesn’t mean I have to like the fact that Echo Oberon touched you. That he’s using his position here to get whatever he wants, from whoever he wants, whenever he wants it. The man obviously thinks he’s a king and this is his kingdom.”
“We are going to stop him,” I say. “I may have to play along like a good little student for the time being, but eventually, I’ll find an opening. I’ll find out what he’s hiding under that imperious façade. Then I’ll figure out his weakness and use it against him.”
“And he’ll never know what hit him.”
“Oh, he’ll know,” I say. “When I finally take him down, Echo Oberon will know exactly who I am.”
“You’re scary sometimes. You know that?” Asher whispers, his mouth curving back up into a grin.
“You love that about me,” I chirp back, then feel the blood drain from my face.
I can’t believe
I just said the “L” word. To Asher York. I wait on baited breath for the floor to open up and swallow me whole. Or for Asher to run away as fast as his feet will take him.
But he just chuckles and presses his lips to mine as his arms tighten around me. I kiss him back with everything I have, letting everything else drop away. I focus fully on him, intent on forgetting Echo and our uncomfortable interaction, the camera waiting for me in my cell, and my oh-so-casual slip of the word “love” into our conversation.
I want to forget everything but this moment. The feel of Asher in my arms and the warm sensation of his body pressed against mine. As his mouth worships my lips, everything else slips away.
I’ll worry about it all tomorrow. Today—right now in this moment—all that matters is Asher and the beautiful oblivion his touch has woven around me.
Chapter Eleven
“There’s nothing really special about me.”
Jolene and I are alone in my cell, which is now thankfully devoid of Echo’s spying cameras. I’ve deactivated her bracelet and after running through each of the elements with her, I can see why she thinks she’s average. Her skill is, well…average.
I stare into her black eyes for a moment, choosing my words with care.
“You are special, Jolene. You’re such a kind soul, accepting of others, and you always try to do the right thing. You and Cedric took Acadia under your wings, when most Zephyrs wouldn’t give a Sylph the time of day. You’re protective of her, while at the same time you make her feel like an equal. You’re that way with everyone you care about. Patient. Kind. Nonjudgmental. You really are something special.”
“Thank you for saying that,” she says, a pink blush blossoming across her cheeks.
“It’s the truth,” I reply.
“Even if that’s the case, my morals and kindness won’t help the Con Crew take down Echo. What do I have to offer?”
“How much time do you have?” I quip with a smirk. She gives me a dark look, and I sigh. “Listen Jolene, while your manipulation of the elements isn’t freakishly strong like some of the rest of us, you can do something no one else in history has ever done. You conjured an animal that appeared to have a soul.”
She’s shaking her head before I finish, her black, glossy hair flying around her head.
“We are not certain that is what actually happened.”
I stare at her, my gaze unflinching, and say, “Jolene. You conjured a wolf and it attacked a group of people. Whether its actions were meant to protect you, itself, or just basic instinct, the conclusion is the same. It had a mind. A soul. And that has to be the reason you’re here.”
“Even if you’re right, I don’t know why Echo would need the ability to conjure animals. It doesn’t make any sense.”
“We’ll figure it out,” I say, resting a palm on her shoulder. “But right now, I want you to show me.”
“What? No. Rory, no. I can’t.”
I’m shaking my head before she finishes stuttering out her denial. If Echo finds out what we’re doing and we end up fighting for our lives, we may need this ability. Having a fierce beast on our side could tip the scales in our favor.
“You can,” I say. “You’ve done it before, which means the ability lies inside you. You just have to access it. We’ll start with something small. If it doesn’t work, you can conjure it away.”
“I don’t know about this, Rory,” she says, but I can hear her resolve cracking.
“You’ve got this. I’m right here with you. Just try something small, like a mouse.”
Her black eyes are shiny with fear and dread, but she nods in agreement. She really is brave underneath that meek exterior. Taking a few deep breaths, her eyelids droop down as she turns her focus inward. Power I’ve never felt coming from her before radiates in the air around us, and my own eyes widen.
She’s practically glowing.
She lifts a hand in the air, palm up. In the blink of an eye, a small, furry creature appears in her palm. Jolene’s eyes pop open, and she stares at the mouse. The terror in her gaze nearly breaks me.
The mouse is not moving. Just like she feared, the creature lays still and listless. Like it has no mind. No soul.
I open my mouth to comfort her, to encourage her to conjure it away, but movement catches my eye and I snap my jaw shut. The mouse shivers and shakes out its brown fur after hopping to its feet. I watch in awe as its little nose twitches.
The rodent sniffs Jolene’s palm, then blazes a trail across her arm and up onto her shoulder. My mouth falls open once more as the creature nuzzles against Jolene’s neck. A startled giggle bursts from her lips at the sensation. I watch it for a few more seconds as it burrows into her hair, then shift my gaze to meet Jolene’s.
“You did it,” I say, my voice laced with awe.
“I did it,” she replies, plucking the mouse from her hair and rubbing her cheek against its head.
I smile as the tiny creature darts out its pink tongue to lick her face.
“You seem to have a connection with it,” I muse, and Jolene’s eyes dart up to meet mine. “It’s not frightened of you. It’s acting more like…a pet, or something.”
“No. That’s not right. She’s not a pet. I can’t really explain it, but I feel like we are connected.”
I inhale sharply, saying, “Like a familiar.”
“A what?” Jolene asks, her dark eyes chasing to mine.
“It’s crazy, really,” I say, my feet pacing a short path across the room as I think. “I read this novel once where the characters were witches. They had animal companions called familiars, and they shared a mental and emotional connection.”
“But that’s not real,” she argues.
“Well, we thought conjuring animals with a soul was impossible, too,” I shoot back with an arched brow. “Think about it, Jolene. You have this ability to create new life, something that’s never been accomplished before. It makes sense that you would give it a piece of yourself. That a bond would be forged. Did you feel anything with the wolf?”
“I don’t know,” she says, her expression turning sad. “He chased after the people who were threatening me and I was arrested soon after. I never saw him again, but sometimes there’s an ache in my chest I can’t explain, and I can hear the echo of his howls in my mind.”
Her face flushes when I stare at her in dumbfounded silence. My sister and I have spent our lives discovering new and impossible abilities about ourselves, but to uncover something like this in a normal, non-hybrid Fae? As far as I know, it’s unheard of.
“I’m not crazy,” she mutters.
My eyes flare as I shake my head, saying, “I don’t think you’re crazy. I think you’re absolutely amazing.”
He cheeks brighten again as her eyes glass over with unshed tears. I leap toward her, wrapping her in a hug. She hugs me back, sniffing delicately before pulling away to meet my eyes.
“Do you think he’s still out there?”
“I don’t know,” I say honestly. “But if you’re feeling a connection to him, then chances are he is. But Jolene, this has to be why you’re here. Echo must think he can use you and your ability to conjure living things to his advantage.”
She nods. “And now we need to figure out what he plans to do with me.”
“We will,” I say, hoping my voice sounds more confident to her than it does to me. “We are going to figure out what he wants with all of us and use the information against him. We will win this, Jolene.”
“I hope you’re right.”
Yeah, I hope so, too.
Chapter Twelve
Days pass with no word from our esteemed headmaster, and I’m relishing the break. After our last encounter, I need this time to push his strange advances from my mind. If I go into our next session skittish, he’ll sense it. And go in for the kill.
I’ve spent my last few afternoons with my friends, either hanging with them all as a group or working with them individually in my cell—which has thankfully remai
ned camera-free since the day of my last tutoring session with Echo.
Today, I was supposed to meet with Acadia, but she begged off after lunch, saying she had a headache. I was walking toward my cell when Lark caught up to me, asking if I wanted to hang out. No practicing, no plotting. Just some good, old-fashioned girl time.
“I wish we had something fun to do,” she says on a sigh. “This place is so boring.”
I nudge her with my elbow. “Are you saying you’re bored with my company?”
“Yeah, you suck,” she says, flipping onto her side to face me.
We’ve been lying side-by-side on my narrow bed, staring at the ceiling for the last thirty or so minutes. Our conversation has run the gamut, from gossip about our fellow inmates to what our friends and families on the outside might be doing.
I roll onto my side and tuck my elbow under my head as I stare into her dark eyes. Our faces are close, so when I speak, I keep my voice at a whisper.
“I have something to ask you.”
“Uh-oh,” she says. “This sounds serious.”
I give her a tiny nod. I swallow against the lump in my throat and let my eyes drift closed for a brief moment before opening them and focusing on Lark.
“Have you ever been in love?”
Her black eyes flare wide. “Wow, this is deep. Have I ever been in love? No. I mean, I’ve dated faeries who I liked, a lot, but I don’t think I ever loved any of them.” She tilts her head down and lowers her voice. “Are you in love, Rory?”
I shrug and a nervous laugh titters from me, but Lark’s face remains completely passive as her eyes bore into mine. I suck air into my lungs and hold it there as I give her a short nod.
As I exhale, I say, “I think so.”
Lark’s mouth widens into a smile as she says, “You think so? Girl. You are head over heels, and everyone knows it.”
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