“Maybe,” I breathe, my tongue darting out to wet my lips.
“I’ll risk it.”
Then his mouth is brushing against mine, a whisper-soft caress that sends a wave of heat coursing through my body. My hands find their way to his chest, my fingers tangling into the material of his shirt, pulling him closer.
That must have been the signal he was waiting for, because his mouth slants across mine as one hand circles my waist and the other delves into my hair. My internal temperature ratchets up several notches as his tongue brushes against mine. A bead of sweat drips down my back, making me shiver, despite the heat.
This is the kind of first kiss I should have had. Not some random hook up on a dance floor with a human who was high on Lox.
Asher’s grip tightens on me, chasing thoughts of that night out of my head. The charged air around us gets even hotter, making perspiration bead across my nose and forehead.
“What the heck?”
Asher jumps away from me with those words, leaving me breathless and confused. He’s staring off to the side, and when my eyes follow his line of sight, my heart jumps up into my throat.
On the other side of the room, a cyclone of fire twirls for a few seconds, then breaks apart and evaporates. I look at Asher, incredulous, but he holds up his palms and shakes his head.
“Don’t look at me,” he says, shaking his wrist bearing the gold bracelet. “I’ve got no access to my power with this thing on.”
It had to have been me, but what exactly was that thing?
A memory clicks into place, shock making me completely immobile. Then I start to laugh. Asher is looking at me like I’m insane, so I hold up a finger to ask for a minute to collect myself.
“That was a lustnado,” I choke out between giggles.
“A what?”
I take a few deep breaths, then meet his eyes as I explain, “My aunt Shaela—my mom’s best friend whom she met at the academy—told me stories about my parents when they first met. My mom had very little control over her powers, and anytime she and Dad…got close, she would lose whatever control she had and crazy things would happen. Apparently, every time they got heavy with the kissing, she’d form a cyclone of flames and nearly catch the place on fire. Shaela named it the lustnado.”
“Has this…lustnado ever happened to you before?” he asks.
“No,” I say, shaking my head. “Never.”
One corner of his mouth cocks up as he moves in close again. “Not once?”
“Nuh-uh,” I growl as his body presses against mine. “But then I’ve never really kissed anyone like this before.”
“You haven’t? Why not?”
“I’ve never let anyone get close, because the ones who try always want something from Princess Aurora. They don’t care about Finley,” I admit.
“And me?” he whispers.
“You like Rory,” I whisper back.
His mouth descends, cutting off any further conversation, his lips nipping and his tongue teasing as his arms wind around my middle. My hands tangle in his dark hair as his mouth travels down the length of my neck. He inhales deeply, then groans.
“You smell divine.” He pulls back slightly to look into my eyes with a sheepish expression. “I guess your parents didn’t smuggle in the rose-scented soap for you, huh?”
“No,” I laugh. “I conjured it up during my first trip to the showers.”
His eyes flare with blue fire, like the thought of me in the showers is almost too much for him to bear. He blinks and the heat is gone, replaced with a look of affection. Taking a small step back, he puts some space between us.
“I don’t want to rush…whatever this is,” he says, pointing at me, then back at him himself. “We’ve spent all this time being at odds, and I know that’s my fault for making snap judgments and being a massive jerk. I want to fix it. I want to get to know the real you, and let you in to see the real me.”
My heart pounds in my chest as he speaks. He’s saying all the right words, and in the real world, I’d be thrilled.
But this isn’t the real world.
This is prison, and neither of us has any idea what lies in store for us. I’m leery, despite the fact that my body is on fire and my magic is responding to his touch like a raging inferno. Like it recognizes him as my match.
“Hey,” Asher says, his voice soft and wary. “You look like you’re freaking out. Is it too much?”
“I don’t know,” I say truthfully. “Our whole situation here is so unpredictable. Who knows where we’ll land when this thing blows up? Even if everything works out, and we end up free, you might not even like me in the real world.”
“Or you might not like me,” he murmurs, his unfocused eyes staring at a spot in the air between us. His gaze snaps up to meet mine. “You want to keep it simple? Just be friends?”
No. I want to climb his body like an oak tree and lose myself in his kisses.
“I think that’s the smart choice,” is what actually comes out of my mouth.
I instantly regret it, but there’s no going back now.
His head nods slowly, thoughtfully. “I can do that.”
Relief and disappointment battle for supremacy within me. I’m glad he didn’t write me off completely, but frustrated he gave up so easily. Maybe I was right. Maybe this is the smartest choice, if Asher is so quick to give up and settle for mere friendship.
“All the best relationships have a solid foundation of friendship first, right?” he says, jerking me from my thoughts.
“What?” I ask, not because I didn’t hear him, but because I don’t understand what he means.
He steps closer, a confident smile pulling up at his lips. He holds out a hand, and I slide my palm against his. With a firm grip, he shakes mine up and down, sealing our agreement. When I attempt to pull away, his grip tightens, refusing to let me go.
“Make no mistake, Aurora Finley Oberon, I am not giving up on the idea of being your…” He pauses for a brief moment, lending more emphasis to the last word. “…boyfriend.”
My heart skips a beat or three before pounding back to life in double-time. Heat flows through me like a river of lava, robbing me of the ability to speak. Or move.
“But, for now,” he continues, “until you’re ready, we’re just friends.” He lifts my hand to his mouth, brushing his soft lips against my knuckles before adding, “I can’t wait to learn everything about you.”
Chapter Twenty-Nine
“Thank you for making time for me, sir.”
I’m back in Echo’s office, trying to hide my nerves while I set our plan into motion. Normally, I’d just use my Glamour to help me out—make him feel at ease, agreeable, and ready to accept every word from my mouth.
But this is Echo Oberon, one of the oldest members of the Oberon family. My family. And while most of my most powerful abilities come from my mom and my own mixed heritage, the power running through the Oberon family tree is nothing to be scoffed at.
He’d sense my use of magic in two seconds. I know he would. So, I have to do this the old-fashioned way.
“I’ve been thinking about your offer,” I say, pasting a hopeful smile on my lips.
“And which offer might that be?” he asks.
“You said you would be willing to tutor me. To help me improve my magical skills,” I say, hoping there’s enough reverence in my voice to stroke his ego. “Is that offer still open?”
He tilts his head to the side, observing me through narrowed eyes. I hold the eye contact, forcing my body to remain still and not squirm under his heavy gaze.
“Did something make you change your mind?” he questions. “You seemed adamantly against my offer of assistance before.”
“I was concerned your attention would exacerbate my isolation and paint an even bigger target on my back for the ones who already disliked me. I am no longer alone.”
“I have been made aware of your ever-growing circle of friends, Miss Finley.”
Yeah.
Made aware by his army of hidden cameras.
I keep my expression soft and innocent. The more naïve he thinks I am, the better.
But he’s a shrewd man, and stares at me in silence for several long moments. It’s obvious he’s hoping I’ll start to squirm, back off, and show my true colors. It probably works with most of the faeries here. He is in a position of absolute power, and I can tell he enjoys using it against everyone around him.
His arrogance only serves to increase my determination to bring him down. He is king here, but kingdoms fall.
When I don’t cower under his supposed superiority, his face tightens even further. He pinches his lips together as his face reddens, but the expression only lasts for a second before he smooths out his appearance. Donning a pleasant smile, he folds his hands together in front of him.
“I’m sure I can find some time to help you out.”
I grind my molars together as I smile. First, he offers to tutor me—and I’m sure he had an agenda when he made the offer—and now, he’s trying to act like he’s doing me some huge favor by fitting me into his busy schedule?
God, I hate this already.
Spending time with this man is going to test my mettle, that’s for sure. Explosive bursts of magic fly from my fingers when I get upset, scared or angry. That’s why I’m here in the first place. How am I going to keep myself from blasting this pompous jerk and his superior attitude?
I swallow thickly, forcing my ire down before it shines through my eyes. I have to remain thankful and subservient, or this will never work.
And too many people’s lives are depending on me right now.
“Thank you so very much, Headmaster,” I say, dipping my head with respect.
He seems to like my response, because his smile grows. And even though it’s a real smile, one that makes his eyes sparkle, it strikes a small blade of fear in my heart. There’s something…unstable about it. Something manic, yet at the same time, calculating.
Fear trickles down my spine, but I brush the feeling aside and stand. He holds up a hand, stopping me from leaving.
“I shall send someone to fetch you when some time opens up in my schedule,” he says, then waves a hand to dismiss me.
I bob my head in gratitude and turn, forcing my steps to remain slow and measured. I will not give him the satisfaction of seeing me run from him.
When I reach the hall and swing the door closed behind me, I lean back and breathe a sigh of relief. Just being in his presence for that short time took a huge toll on my nerves. And I’ve just committed to spending time with him regularly.
I can’t do this.
I straighten and head toward the common room, where hopefully I’ll find my friends. If I explain my trepidation, maybe they’ll help me come up with a way to get out of this. We can escape, together, and I’ll find a way to hide them from the authorities and keep them safe. Even if I have to bring them to live in the royal tower with my family.
My family.
A vision of Great-grandpa Robin pops into my mind. Always kind and encouraging, he’s been a true constant in my life, never letting me forget that I am the master of my own destiny.
You can do anything you set your mind to, Finley. You are strong, smart, and powerful. You have the face of an angel and a soul to match. Should you use your full arsenal of weapons, there is nothing you cannot accomplish.
I can hear his voice saying the words he’s spoken many times, and tears sting my eyes. I cannot let him down. Nor can I leave the fate of the world to whatever ends Echo Oberon has planned for them.
I, along with the help of my new friends, will figure out what he’s up to and put a stop to it. I have no other choice. At least, not one I can live with for the rest of my life.
“Okay, let’s do this,” I mutter, straightening my shoulders and picking up the pace.
I can pull this off. Echo Oberon is going down.
Chapter Thirty
“You’re kidding, right?”
Cedric’s first reaction to hearing the plan isn’t as comforting or supportive as I’d hoped it would be. We’re piled up in my room again, and I’ve just explained our plan to expose Echo to him, Jolene, and Acadia. The girls look horrified, while Cedric is simply disbelieving.
“No, she’s not kidding,” Lark says in her best tough-girl voice.
If I’m the main magical force of this group, she’s the muscle.
“This is crazy,” Cedric continues as if she didn’t speak. “Echo Oberon is all-powerful here. If you put yourself in his orbit, he’s going to figure out your true identity, Rory. There is no doubt about that. And then, he’ll make you disappear like he does everyone else who doesn’t fall in line.”
“Thanks for the vote of confidence, Cedric,” I say, my tone rueful.
“I’m just being realistic,” he shoots back.
“What other choice do I have? I can’t just leave and move on with my life knowing he’s here, amassing powerful Fae under false pretenses. There has to be a reason, Cedric. And that reason can’t be good.”
“She’s right,” Jolene says, surprising me.
Of the six of us, she’s the quietest, going with the flow and rarely speaking out. Cedric seems surprised, too, as he stares at her with wide eyes.
“Don’t you think it’s too dangerous? For all of us?”
“She’s the daughter of two monarchs, Cedric,” she hisses. “She has the blood of Queen Sebille, King Finn Oberon, and Robin Goodman running in her veins. Her mother is the first hybrid, and the most powerful Fae in existence…until her.”
She punctuates her rant by jabbing a finger in my direction. Her passionate support makes my face heat, and I’m sure my cheeks are red. I might expect such a response from Lark—she tends to run hot and always has my back—but not from sweet, shy Jolene. The heat in my face pours down to grab my heart.
“I’m in,” Acadia says, breaking the silence.
Cedric’s shoulders slump as he sighs in defeat. He stares at the floor for a moment before lifting his black eyes to meet mine.
“It’s not that I don’t believe in you,” he says in a soft voice. “I do, honestly I do. But, Rory, you’re the royal princess, heir to the throne. Should you really be risking yourself this way? And what will the queen do to us when she finds out we went along with this dicey plan?”
Despite the seriousness of the situation, I can’t contain the smile that lifts my lips.
“My mother is nothing like Sebille, Cedric.”
That one’s reign of terror is still fresh in the minds of the Zephyrs, despite the fact that she died over two decades ago. Cedric wasn’t even alive then, so I can only assume his parents told him stories of her nefarious actions, powerful temper-tantrums, and the mind-control she used to make her people fall in line with her plans to take over the world. Plans that my mother put an end to. Permanently.
“I know that,” he whispers, but there’s still fear in his eyes.
“My mom will be mad at me, sure. She’s going to be really pissed at her grandfather for hiding his knowledge of my whereabouts and charging me with this mission.”
I shudder at the thought of her reaction to that. She’s going to try to kill him. I know it.
“But,” I continue, “she will only be grateful to those who stand beside me. Those who strive to protect me and have my back. Of that, I am certain.”
“Lark and I are with her, one-hundred percent,” Asher says, speaking for the first time.
“I’m in,” Jolene says.
“Me, too,” Acadia reiterates.
“Okay,” Cedric concedes. “Where do we start?”
“Thanks, guys,” I say, looking at each of them in turn. “For now, we just act normal. Go to classes, keep to our routine. When Echo sends for me, I’ll pretend to flourish under his tutelage and make him get comfortable in the role as my tutor.”
“How do you plan to get information from him?” Asher asks. “You have to be careful, Rory. The man is savvy
and smart, and is used to dealing with lying, cheating criminals.”
“I don’t plan to ask him anything,” I reply.
“Then what’s the point of working with him?” Cedric asks, and I can tell he’s still leery of this whole plan.
“Oh, he’s going to tell me everything.”
“You can’t use your Glamour on him,” Lark warns. “He’ll sense it a mile away.”
“I won’t have to,” I say. “All I have to do is be patient. There is a reason he’s paying off judges to send Fae here. He needs them—the more powerful, the better, or so it seems. And me? I’m his unicorn. He just doesn’t know it yet. Eventually, he will see just how powerful I truly am, and he’ll tell me what he wants from me. It’s only a matter of time.”
“But time is the issue, isn’t it?” Lark asks. “You’re supposed to get out of here in six months. Your parents are expecting you home in what? Five to six weeks?”
“I know,” I say. Then I meet her eyes with a confident smirk. “I’m just going to have to be a stellar student and convince him he can trust me as quickly as possible.”
“And if you can’t?”
I look at Cedric as I consider his question.
“If I can’t, I’ll just bust us all out of here and hide us until we can come up with plan B.”
I can tell he wants to argue that busting us out of here now is the better option, but he holds his peace. He’s not a stupid person, and this just might be the stupidest plan ever made. But I will hold to it.
Obviously, my great-grandfather thinks that me tackling this problem from the inside is the best course of action, for now. So I will try. And if it doesn’t work out, I’ll leave and take the issue, and my new friends, to my parents. I just hope they don’t ground me until I’m thirty.
Lord knows, I deserve it.
“This is going to work,” Acadia says. “The six of us, together, can do anything. I just know it.”
Her unwavering optimism is refreshing. She holds out a fist, and I press mine against it.
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