High Fae Academy - Year Two: Paranormal Fae Romance

by Kaylin Peyerk

  I hear her jump after me silently, and then there’s nothing but blowing wind and terror. My arms flail as I fall deeper and deeper into the hole. A scream climbs its way out of my throat and ricochets around the cavern. Beth laughs from somewhere above me, and it makes me want to punch her. How can she feel anything else but fear right now? The fall ends abruptly as we fall into a mound of soft snow.

  The hole must have been spelled because when I look around, we’re outside at the back end of the building. The only snowy part of the landscape is underneath us. Beth rises to her feet and brushes off her pants even though they’re already soaking wet. A large bruise is blooming across her cheek. It stands out starkly against her pale skin, making it appear worse than it really is. As I try to stand, the world spins, and I have to grip the wall for support. My head begins to pound in time with my heart, and I make a strangled moaning sound.

  “Ah, gods. I have another concussion.”

  Beth grasps my arm and slips it over her shoulders. “You better not puke on me.”

  Moonlight spins around me, making me close my eyes. “No promises.”

  She chuckles as she leads me toward the dorms. The only sounds are our footsteps and the croaking of nighttime frogs. How tonight went is nothing short of a miracle. My magic is unreliable, and yet, it came to me when I needed it. A sense of pride blooms in my chest, and I smile to myself. The action makes my head throb, and I wince. Ugh, I’m really messed up. Would it be too risky to ask dark Rai to heal me? Yes, obviously. A wild laugh bubbles out of my chest, and I sag against Beth.

  I wail, “What are we even doing? We haven’t gotten any closer to finding Rowan, and this is the second time I’ve gotten myself into life-threatening situations! Why does this fucking campus have so much crazy shit?”

  She laughs, sounding a bit crazed herself. “Ah, I don’t know, but we can’t stop. You have less than two weeks now before the winter solstice ball.”

  “I know. I know.” I mutter.

  She stops, and I blink my eyes open to see the spirit dorm looming in front of me. Beth lets me go as I stand up fully on shaking legs and grasp the doorknob. She spots me when I open it and stumble. A look of worry crosses her features before she schools her expression again. We’re just using each other, aren’t we? So why would she be worried about me?

  “Sleep it off, I’ll see you tomorrow, alright?”

  I glance back at her and nod, but her expression is unreadable. Maybe I only imagined her worry. That must be it because there's no way that a vampire has any sort of affection for a fae, right? I go inside and close the door quietly behind me. Not a sound can be heard through Lucian’s open door. Just the way I left it. It’s still relatively early as I climb back into bed after stripping off the soaking wet clothes. The only readily available clothing I could find was one of his tee shirts that smells so much like my Lucian that I couldn’t resist. As soon as I’m in the bed, he grabs me and pulls me closer.

  He whispers. “Where have you been?”

  Cold fear slithers through me. “I couldn’t sleep, so I went out with Beth.”

  “You seem quite friendly with her.”

  It sounds more like an accusation than a statement. I’m not sure what he wants me to say. Plus, if he knew what I’m really trying to do, I’d be locked in this dorm and never let out again. My thoughts are muddled, and my pounding head is leaving me less than ready to argue with him. I hope that he stops questioning me, but I’m sure I won’t get off that easily.

  “I’m just trying to find the person that makes me feel normal. No fae has the power that I do. They’re either scared of me or pissed at me. Vampires don’t care about fae politics, and Beth approached me. So, I figured she’d be my best bet.”

  Despite it being a cover-up for what I’m really doing, I also find that my statement is true. Beth has been the only person who doesn’t hate or worship me for having the power of the ancients. She doesn’t seem to give a damn either way. It’s so refreshing that I crave her energy and normalcy, well, as normal as running around fighting ice ogres with a vampire can be.

  He rubs my arm. “I’m sorry you’re having such a hard time finding friends. I didn’t realize.”

  Of course, he didn’t. He’s too busy hiding all of his secrets to actually see what’s happening with his captive. But I won’t knock it too much as it’s also the only reason that I can sneak around looking for Rowan. Perhaps I should consider being around more often to gain knowledge from the masters, but my scattered brain dismisses the thought immediately. They’re too similar to the people that I already know, and I’m afraid of losing myself to not one, but two sets of masters. I’m already confused when lying in bed with the wrong Lucian without throwing the rest of them into the mix.

  “It’s okay, and I’m sorry to sneak out. I just feel like I can’t breathe lately. I’m confused, and nothing feels right.”

  He nods against my back while stroking my arm. He commands with a note of magic in his voice, “I understand. Now, sleep.”

  Chapter Eight

  My eyes open as I’m standing over the bed. Dark Lucian’s soul is burning a bright iridescent violet. He’s looking at my sleeping form questioningly as if he can find all the answers he seeks through his gaze. My Lucian steps through the doorway, blazing a similar violet color and watches the scene in front of us. He pulls me to his side, and I lie my head against his chest, sighing contentedly.

  “Why is he staring at you like that?” He asks suspiciously.

  I decide to be honest. “He caught me sneaking in tonight, but he believes my lie, sort of. He doesn’t have any other reason not to trust me.”

  “He has every reason not to trust you. You’ve been with us for the past few months, so he’s bound to know that your allegiance lies with the light fae.”

  I give him a sidelong look. “My allegiance lies with ending the war, not furthering it. That’s all. No one is the bad guy here.”

  He looks at me in exasperation. “Someone has to be, Tiana.”

  “What if someday you look in the mirror and figure out that it’s you? Have you ever thought of that? Because Rowan has.”

  He steps away, so we're facing each other. “Yeah? And what does Rowan say about that?”

  His tone is combative, and it makes me take a step back. I cross my arms. “He realized that he made a mistake, and there should have never been a war in the first place.”

  Lucian throws up his hands and turns away. “Ah, great. It’s as if I never thought of that. We’ve all lost things because of this war, Tiana. Sometimes I think Rowan made it out alright by only losing his life.”

  His words make my chest ache. He’s thinking about his first mate. The woman who sacrificed herself for a cause that she believed in yet was taken from life too soon. Also, a woman who had a son in this world, one that I met today. Should I tell him? Would it be more of a blessing or a curse to meet him? Would he see her in him, or would the dark version be too different to recognize? I grasp his arm and pull him back toward me.

  He stares down at me with his fathomless eyes, taking my breath away. “I know that you’ve lost things, and I’m sorry, but I’m only trying to understand both sides of the coin.”

  “I know, and it’s hard for me to realize that while I’ve seen it all, you haven’t, and you’re allowed to interpret it in any way you see fit. But I want you to take everything with a grain of salt, alright? Not everyone is truthful all the time, not even me.”

  I move my hands up his chest and wrap them around his neck. “I promise, and I don’t think that you give yourself enough credit.”

  He smiles, making my unease melt away. “I am flawed just as anyone else is. To think differently would be grossly inaccurate. I’ve already made mistakes with you. We won’t be having sex again, not here, or in the real world until you’ve made your choice.” He pauses to trail one finger down my cheek. “I’m not a gentleman, because if I was, I would have waited until you chose me, body and soul.”r />
  His words make me melt, and I groan into his chest. “Gods, when you say things like that, you only make me want you more, not less.”

  He chuckles. “I wouldn’t be opposed to kissing, but that’s all your gonna get.”

  He leads me out into the living room to fall onto the couch. We lie in each other’s arms silently for a long time, simply feed each other energy in order to sustain me for tomorrow. There’s no doubt that he feels how weak I am, but if he’s worried, he doesn’t comment on it. I contemplate telling him that my actual body is injured but think better of it. He’s already worried, and he can’t do anything to heal me. For all I know, he’d send Rai here and “damn the consequences.” If I have any hope of finding Rowan before Lucian storms the place, I’ll have to hold the details of my daily life-threatening excursions close.

  “I miss you in ways I cannot begin to explain.” He murmurs while stroking my hair.

  I smile. “I miss you as well.”

  Soon after that, I drift off, floating in between where I am and where I wish I was.

  ***

  The next morning both Lucian’s are gone, and the bed feels cold. My head is pounding, and I know that my vision will spiral as soon as I stand up. I roll onto my back, shove my face into a pillow, and scream. It feels good to let out my anxiety, even if the only thing present for it is a pillow that smells like my Lucian, but I know he isn’t.

  “Already having a bad day?”

  I jolt upright and grip my head right after, immediately regretting moving so quickly. My vision is slightly blurry, but I can tell that it’s Octavius leaning casually in Lucian’s doorway. Of course, he’d be allowed in here. If anyone has spirit blood, it’s him and his father. Even the thought of Lucian being a father leaves a strange sensation behind. I can’t shake the feeling that I should have told him last night.

  “What are you doing here?”

  He pushes off of the doorway and walks lazily, almost slowly, past me into the bathroom. I can hear him rummaging around in the cabinets as I slowly sit up and lower my feet to the floor. I’m not even embarrassed that I’m wearing no pants as he strides back into the room with a glass of water and three pills. He thrusts it in my direction, and I look at it apprehensively.

  “Oh, just take it. All it is aspirin. You obviously have a headache. Too much fairy wine?”

  “Sure,” I say after swallowing the pills.

  He flops onto the bed next to me, lying flat on his back. His shirt slips up to reveal a small sliver of his chiseled stomach. My face flushes, and I look anywhere but at him. He’s being entirely too casual for comfort. What the hell is he doing here, anyhow? Tormenting me yesterday wasn’t enough?

  “What do you want, Octavius? I’m not in the mood to be picked on today, and no, I’m not going to the arena.”

  He sits up on his forearms. “Geesh, so angry today. And it’s actually perfect that you’re not going to the arena because I have somewhere else to take you.”

  I look at him with suspicion. “What? Where?”

  He hops up and smiles, the action floors me when I realize that he has the same dimples as his would-be father. Light Lucian or not, this is what his child would have looked like if he had the opportunity to conceive one. Would he have wanted that with her? Could he even answer that question now, with so many things making it complicated between the two of us? What a shit show.

  “Just go get dressed. I’ll make you breakfast.”

  Instead of wondering why a grand general of the dark fae army is going to make me eggs, I hurried to my own room and shut the door behind me. To spite him, I take a long shower and brush out my hair on the bed after throwing on a pair of jeans and a tee-shirt. After twenty minutes of brushing my hair, he opens the door with a tray in his hands. It’s full of eggs, bacon, toast, breakfast potatoes, and a full mug of coffee. The sight makes my mouth water and reminds me that my magical body needs food to heal.

  He places it on my lap and takes a seat on the recliner positioned in the corner of the room. I eat ravenously without shame and finish every morsel on my plate before looking at him. He’s smirking at me as I sip my coffee. I want to both thank him and hit him. Perhaps I will.

  “Thank you for breakfast, it’s just what I needed.”

  “Of course. That’s a to-go cup for a reason, so shall we go?”

  I hesitate for just a moment before realizing that I at least owe him one walk for cooking me breakfast. Plus, why would he do anything bad to me? He obviously hasn’t told his father about my discovery of the portals. Otherwise, Lucian would have said something to me last night. Or maybe not. It could all be a ploy to make me believe that I have everyone fooled. What a web that would be.

  I climb off the bed. “Sure, but you’re kind of a dick.”

  He throws his head back and laughs. “Man, you get away with so much, don’t you?”

  I’m not sure what he means by that, so I breeze past him to pull on my boots and coat. He holds open the front door for me with a flourish, and I stick my tongue out at him on my way past. He seems so much younger than any of the fae masters, and while I know that he is, the fact that he’s a grand general makes me believe that he should be harsh and unforgiving. The goofiness he’s portraying doesn’t go along with that image.

  For a while, I’m not sure where we’re going, but as we come around the corner to the club I now know is simply there to hide what’s beneath, a nervous sweat breaks out along my spine. Why is he taking me back to that place? Will he put in within the iron manacles I saw that day? When he glances back at me, I do my best to look calm and nonchalant, but lying has never been my strong suit.

  The bouncer doesn’t even stop us as Octavius drags me past and into the building. Today there’s no music playing, at least not yet, and there are no students present. The bar is dark and has no bartenders running it. The club must open later, so Octavius brought me here only for what’s beneath. His grip on my hand only tightens when I attempt to pull away. Does he realize how frightened I am? Probably not. We slip beyond the curtains and clink down the stairs, the sound echoing across the landing. Once we’re at the bottom, he turns to me.

  “You’re probably wondering why I brought you back here.”

  I nod.

  “I know who you are, and I’m pretty sure that you’re aware of where you really are. Am I correct?” I remain silent, so he goes on. “I’ll take your silence as a yes. I didn’t bring you down here to shackle you or torture you. I brought you down here to educate you. My father believes that the only way to end the war is to make sure that the person who started it can’t be a part of it again. That person did reside in you.”

  “Rowan,” I whisper.

  “Correct. However, I take it that my dear old dad didn’t realize that you would die without the soul. Or if he did, he was fine with sacrificing one to save many.”

  His words make my stomach flip flop, and I close my eyes against the feeling. He knows. I’ve been found out, and yet, I’m still not sure where this is going. My mouth is dry from anxiety, yet my palms are damp with sweat. What does he want me to say?

  “Perhaps,” is all I reply.

  “Well, I believe something different. Rowan was resurrected within a woman for a reason. Despite him being a part of you, he does not control you. You choose your destiny, your actions. Female fae are softer, more compassionate, and female humans? Even more so. So, I’m thinking that maybe the cycle has changed for the better. That instead of fighting and losing valuable fae lives, we can end it, once and for all.”

  His words send me reeling. Is it possible that he feels the same way that I do? That fae males were fine to fight and die while a female like me demands otherwise? Or is this another plot by the dark fae people to get the light to lay down their arms? He’s practically quoting my thoughts word for word. I want to end the war. I want to stop the bloodshed. I want to make this world a better place for all supernatural beings. Could it be true that a male, a fae grand general no
less, feels the same way?

  “And what am I supposed to do now? I’m dying. My light fae brethren feel it, your Rai feels it. I feel it. I can’t find Rowan in this hell hole, and even if I could, there's no way to know if putting our souls back together is even possible.”

  He starts to pace back and forth. “My father wouldn’t have hid it lightly. It would have to be in the main quad building.”

  I throw up my hands. “I’ve been looking there! I’ve only managed to go three levels in the past week because things keep trying to kill me! And whether I like it or not my. . .”

  I stop myself before I can say that my light fae family is coming to get me by the winter solstice. Despite our seemingly aligned goals, I still can’t trust Octavius. Not yet. Maybe not ever. As a human, I have so many gut feelings and make split choices when I shouldn’t. Trusting this male just feels like another impulsive decision. All fae have their own agenda, and I need to remind myself of that before making any alliances.

  He raises an eyebrow. “Whether you like it or not, what?”

  “Nothing.”

  He squares himself to me and crosses his arms, reminding me just how big he is. “It’s not nothing. What are you hiding?”

  I stand as tall as I can get and respond, “I’m not telling you anything else. No matter what you say, you’re still the grand general to the dark fae legions.”

  He scoffs. “So, you really are aligned with the light fae.”

  “No! I’m not aligned with anyone. If anything, I’m aligned with the greater good. I’m just trying to protect myself from both sides!”

  “It’s pretty hard to believe that you’re not more susceptible to the light fae cause. You’ve been with them for months. They’ve had to have been grooming you.”

  “Of course, they tried to! But I also met some amazing people, people you know on your side as the same name, and I’ve come to see them as family. And you know who else opened my eyes to your side? Rowan. He told me starting the war was a mistake of epic proportions and that it should have ended centuries ago!”