by Lexi C. Foss
“Depends on whether or not you’re going to be an ass,” I said, feeling oddly defensive. He hadn’t exactly broken all these details to me in the politest manner, and it was his fault I ended up here. And while I was on that path, I could also lay some of the blame for the bar at his feet because he’d been the one to entice me into that kiss.
No, that wasn’t fair.
I couldn’t blame him for everything. Only a coward would deny all culpability.
But that didn’t mean I had to like him.
He snorted as if hearing my thoughts, or perhaps reading them on my face. “Whatever you want, princess,” he said. “Just don’t fucking blow me into a wall again.”
I winced a little at that, feeling bad again. It wasn’t like I meant to shove him with my power; it just sort of happened.
“Can we go now?” he asked, his gaze going to Titus. “Because I’ve had the day from hell and would love a shower.”
And I didn’t feel bad anymore. “Ass,” I muttered.
Titus chuckled beside me. “You know, Exos, I’m starting to see why all this happened. Your bedside manner sucks.”
“Do you speak to all Royal Fae in this manner, or am I a special case?”
Titus paled a little. “I… I’m…”
“Yeah, that’s what I thought,” Exos said, turning away from the field. “Let’s go.”
Titus cursed softly, his hand falling from my skin and leaving me cold without him. “We, uh, need to follow him.”
“Why?” I asked, not understanding the power play here.
“Because Exos says it’s time to go.” He stood and held out a hand for me.
“And we have to do what he says?” I asked as I accepted his help up from the ground—mostly because I wanted to touch him again.
“Yes.” He linked his fingers through mine, something that seemed a little unconscious on his part. His focus was on the third male, with the floppy hair, waiting for us near the tree line.
“Why?” I pressed as we started forward. “Why do we have to do what he says?” Because a part of me really wanted to disobey him.
“He’s a Royal Fae,” Titus replied.
“Okay?” That meant little to me.
He glanced at me. “He’s the Royal Prince of the Spirit Fae, Claire.”
I nearly tripped over the flowers beneath my feet. “Wh-what?” Was that like… like a European prince or something?
“Technically, he’s King of the Spirit Fae,” the other man mumbled, his cheeks flushing pink. “He, uh, renounced his throne to his brother, preferring the warrior life. But, well, Exos and Cyrus are the last of the royal line. At least until Cyrus finds a mate, which isn’t likely since, uh, yeah, you know, most of the Spirit Fae are dead.” He didn’t look at me the entire time he spoke, his gaze on my bare feet.
“This is River,” Titus said, grinning. “He’s a Water Fae.”
“Hi.” He waved, his focus still on the ground.
“Hi,” I replied, concerned that I’d offended him somehow. Or maybe he was just shy? “I’m Claire,” I hedged, trying to see him through his mop of dark curls.
“I know.” He peeked up at me, his eyes widening when he realized I was staring directly at him. He stumbled backward, almost falling, except Titus caught his wrist and yanked him upright.
“She’s not going to bite you, dude.”
“I-I know,” he repeated. “It’s j-just that, well, she’s… she’s human.”
Titus sighed. “River has an obsession,” he told me, glancing sideways.
“And I need a fucking shower,” Exos snapped, appearing again on the path. “Can we please go back to Elana’s now?”
Titus straightened, his gaze narrowing. “This woman has been through hell, Exos. Cut her some slack.”
“Yeah? She’s also put me through hell. What a coincidence.” He didn’t pay me a glance as he turned to lead the way—again.
“I don’t want him to go to dinner,” I decided.
“Something tells me he won’t be giving us much choice,” Titus muttered. “He’s been assigned as your protector.”
“My protector?” I frowned. “Why?”
Titus just shook his head. “Let’s just follow him. We can talk about more over dinner, okay? I promise.” His words sent a tingle down my spine as if his vow held power and purpose. Maybe it did.
“Dinner,” I repeated. A meal. Followed by a tour. And more information. “Okay. Yeah, I can do that.”
Because, again, what other option did I have? Hide here in the meadow forever? Hope for some miracle to take me back to Earth?
An idea nagged at me.
Actually… Maybe I could use this all to my advantage to find a way back home. Play along for a while, learn more about these so-called fae, this realm, my supposed gifts, and perhaps escape.
Assuming that was what I wanted.
I frowned. Oh, hell, I had no idea what I wanted anymore.
But I did like the sound of a shower and food.
So, yeah. Going with Titus made sense. At least for now.
“I can sense your indecision,” he whispered, his lips against my ear. “Just give me the evening, sweetheart. You’ll see.” A soft flame warmed our clasped hands. “And if you want, I’ll show you how to create fireballs. Maybe you can accidentally throw one at Exos.”
A snort from the forest ahead said he’d heard that. He must have just disappeared from view but was clearly still waiting on us to follow.
“A fireball,” I mused, pondering the possibilities. “Yeah, I think I like that idea.”
“Just try not to burn down any more buildings” was his dark reply.
My amusement died.
Yeah.
Okay.
Maybe no fireballs.
Titus sighed beside me. “Spoilsport,” he muttered. “I’ll show you how to control it, Claire. You have my word.”
I nodded mutely, unable to say anything else.
A shower.
Some clothes.
Food.
Hopefully, one of those things would help me feel human again.
Except I wasn’t human, not according to these men.
I’m part fae.
Whatever the hell that really means.
I was too exhausted to dwell on it, my limbs aching, my heart shattered. Titus squeezed my hand again, a jolt of heat sliding up my arm to dispel the ice coating my veins. No words, just a touch, one that seemed to thaw some of the pain. He pulled me close, the warmth from his body a comforting blanket over my skin. I leaned into him, absorbing his essence, his kindness, his strength, and allowing it to fuel my steps.
Maybe I really had lost my mind.
Because some foreign part of me trusted him despite our brief acquaintance. Possibly because he felt like the only friend I might have in this strange land.
Or perhaps something more powerful was at play…
Titus
Claire clutched my hand tightly, her body rigid beside mine. Exos had led us back to Elana’s estate and disappeared after showing us to one of the guest suites.
“I… I d-don’t understand,” Claire stammered. “I blew out that wall.”
Ah, that explained the elemental essences lurking in this room. I’d felt it all over the property when we arrived, but it grew stronger as we moved upstairs. “Chancellor Elana must have repaired it.”
“Chancellor Elana?” Claire repeated, glancing up at me. “How?”
“She’s a very powerful fae and the leader of the Academy.” I gave her a small smile. “This is her home.” And actually quite rare for a student to visit. In fact, this was my first time entering these famous walls.
Claire frowned. “But I destroyed that wall.”
“And I fixed it,” a voice murmured from down the hallway. Elana appeared with her light hair wrapped up in a bun atop her head and threaded with flowers. She was a gorgeous woman, the awe of many men, and completely unattainable due to her high status. Rumors said she never mated because she didn
’t want to share her powers. But it was not for a lack of trying by the male fae.
I bowed my head in reverence. “Chancellor Elana.”
“Titus,” she returned. “Thank you for helping Exos today.”
“It was my pleasure.” Not a lie. I rather enjoyed lying in that field with Claire. Wrong, yes, but being near her intrigued me. The power brewing under her skin called to my own, marking her as a potential mate. She wasn’t the first to call to my inner gifts, but she was the first to excite me by the prospect. “I was just helping Claire change for dinner.”
“Ah yes, it is that time, isn’t it?” She stopped in front of us, her slender hands clasped before her. “Why don’t you and River stay for dinner? I think it may help Claire feel more comfortable.”
Oh. I’d meant to take Claire somewhere on the fire campus and give her a tour as well, but if the Chancellor wanted us to join her here, then we didn’t have much choice.
The death grip on my hand suggested Elana’s words regarding comfort were true. It seemed I’d become Claire’s anchor. “We’ll stay,” I said, the words meant for both of them.
“Excellent.” Elana’s smile crinkled the edges of her silver-flecked eyes. “I look forward to getting to know you better, Claire. Once upon a time, your mother was one of my favorite students.” Sadness filtered through her softening expression. “Well, we’ll catch up over dinner. Oh, and I left you something suitable to wear.” She tilted her lips again before floating down the hallway in her long, elegant gown.
“Who is that?” Claire whispered, her eyes rounded.
“Chancellor Elana.”
“No, I got that part.” She shook my head. “I meant… I… I don’t know what I meant. She’s beautiful.”
“Yes. And very powerful.” I’d already said that, but it was worth repeating. “She’s a Spirit Fae, like you.”
“And she knew my mother?”
“Yes. She was your mother’s mentor.” A very famous history, considering everything that had transpired after the Academy. But now wasn’t the time to discuss all that. “Do you need any help? Or do you want to meet me downstairs?”
“I…” She nibbled her lip and glanced at the dress lying on the bed and then at the doorway beyond that led to the en-suite bathroom. “I, uh, should be all right. But you promise to stay?”
Warmth touched my chest at her show of trust. We hardly knew each other, but her inner flame recognized mine already whether she realized it or not. I drew a line of fire across her cheek with my index finger and smiled. “Yes. I’ll be here.”
Her shoulders seemed to fall on a sigh, her relief palpable. “Okay,” she whispered. “I’ll meet you downstairs.”
I lifted her hand to my lips and kissed her wrist. “See you then, Claire.”
Her lips parted in wonder as I released her. I took a few steps backward, wanting to give her space before I did something stupid like follow her into that bedroom. Her essence was so strong, almost intoxicatingly so. It fucked with my head.
“Titus?” she called after me, concern in her voice.
I faced her at the top of the stairs. “Yes, Claire?”
“Uh, how will I find the dining room?”
I almost told her I’d wait at the bottom for her, but a better idea came to me. A way to test if she felt this connection the way I did. “Follow the heat.”
“The heat?” she asked, her brow puckering.
Embers danced over my fingertips as I lifted my hand. “Yes. I’ll leave you some hints in the air, and you’ll find me.” I was sure of it, even if she looked completely baffled by the idea. “You’ll see, sweetheart.”
I left her gaping after me in the hallway, a smile on my face the whole way down the stairs.
River waited for me at the bottom, his eyebrow raised knowingly.
“Just the lingering effects from Ignis,” I said, blaming my peculiar behavior on the seduction magic even if it had worn off long ago. Maybe I was more susceptible to it, or Ignis had given me a double dose. Wouldn’t have put it past the bitch. “Where’s Exos?” I had a few things I wanted to say to him about his treatment of Claire.
“Changing,” River replied. “We’re supposed to meet him in the dining room.”
“So you know about our dinner plans?”
“You mean the dining edict? Yes.” River’s voice was soft so as to not be overheard. “I’m not dressed for this.” He gestured to his casual attire. “Not for dining with the Chancellor.”
“I think her focus is more on Claire more than our jeans,” I said, following the aroma of food while leaving a subtle trail of my essence behind for Claire to follow. Sensing that, coupled with the finer scents in the air, she should find us without any problem.
“Um, aren’t you worried the human might run again?” River whispered.
“No.” I didn’t even need to consider it. My instincts seemed to be tied to hers after that little flirtation in the field. I’d sense it if she wanted to run, and that wasn’t the vibe I received from her at all. “She’s too intrigued to—”
I froze on the threshold of the dining area.
The room was buzzing with pixies.
Even though pixies and fairies were myths, elder Spirit Fae like Elana had enough magic to conjure their very own army of servants in whatever form they chose. But to choose a swarm of mythical creatures as house servants sent a message, one I was keen to listen to. Elana was powerful, and she wanted everyone to know it.
A pixie hurried past me, its tiny wings brushing my cheek and leaving behind a kiss of humidity, betraying the water magic that mingled with Elana’s powers. The tiny creatures chittered at each other like squirrels while they set the table with gleaming silverware, and several of them teamed up to supply bowls of soup, trays of delicacies, and finely cut slabs of meat that made my mouth water.
“Uh…” A horde of pixies tugged on one of the massive chairs until it was far enough away from the table for me. “Thank you.” I glanced back at River as I took my seat, all the while hoping I didn’t squash any of the poor things.
River sat beside me, his mystified gaze likely rivaling my own. “I’ve, erm, never eaten with an elder before,” he mumbled, anxiety creeping into his voice. Being in Elana’s esteemed presence had me on edge as well, so I could only imagine what River was feeling right now.
I cleared my throat and accepted a glass of golden, sparkling liquid from a trio of pixies. “You’re the one who insisted on tagging along,” I reminded him. I took a long sip, my eyelids fluttering as sweetness and heat slipped down my throat. Fire water—literally liquid infused with the elements of air and fire—made me feel at home.
Until I remembered my surroundings.
We were about to dine with an elder and a royal. Who knew what sort of edicts would follow? Not to mention this strange connection I felt to Claire. I shivered, the memory of her touch embedded in my skin. It had felt right—too right.
A shift in the air had me glancing at the doorway just as Exos made his entrance, his white-blond hair draped across his forehead in an absurdly regal manner. The pompous style matched his all-black suit.
Definitely a prince.
“Glad you’re comfortable,” Exos said smoothly as he sat directly across from me. He didn’t seem the type to often smile, but the way he looked at me now said he was about to drop some serious bullshit in my lap. “I have some things to discuss with you before Claire joins us.”
Great.
“Of course,” I replied, keeping my voice controlled and respectful. Part of me still wanted to shake some sense into him for his behavior back in the field with Claire, but I knew better. He didn’t seem to understand that she needed a tender hand, not a harsh one.
Exos eyed the delicacies as a pixie settled a glass of fire water in front of him, but he only stared at it. “The Halfling needs more boundaries than I’m able to impose,” he said, folding his hands and getting straight to the point. “She’s stronger than any of us realized.”
He held my gaze, his ocean-blue eyes so deep that I could almost sense the power that rested underneath the surface. If the Halfling bested this guy, then I knew I didn’t stand a chance if I ever lost her trust.
I rested my elbows on the table, leaning forward, and opted for a different approach. “If you don’t mind me saying, Your Highness, I think you’re treating her too harshly. She’s not one of your warriors that you can just bark orders and expect to be obeyed. She grew up in the Human Realm without knowledge of our practices and policies. Obedience won’t come as naturally to her as it would to others.” There. That was politically correct enough, right?
River nodded beside me in agreement, seeming to find his confidence. “Humans are notorious when it comes to equality and free will, especially in certain regions.”
Exos sighed, relaxing in his chair. “Yes, she adopts not only the strong personality of a Spirit Fae but human traits as well. However, she is still fae. She will learn to obey her betters.”
I agreed with him until that final sentence.
Betters.
All my life I’d been told that had I been born with royal blood, I might have possessed the strength to control my unruly fire. But I wasn’t royal-born. I wasn’t even high-born. My lineage came from a long line of fae who fought for sport and worked in the hot mines of the Fire Kingdom.
Embers crawled through my veins and singed the tablecloth, demonstrating my frustration. Exos raised a brow in response, noticing my inability to hide the annoyance bubbling within me.
I drew in a deep breath before speaking. “She holds elements you can’t control,” I reminded him. “Forcing her into obedience won’t end well.”
He nodded. “That’s why I can’t train her alone. I need help.” He paused, his lips twitching. “Starting with you.”
I raised a brow at him. “I’ve already agreed to help her with dinner. I’m here, right?”
“You are,” Exos agreed, finally taking the fine flute of his glass and swirling it, activating the embers lingering in the liquid. “But that’s not what I meant. I already spoke with Elana, and she agrees. You’re being assigned as one of Claire’s bodyguards, and you will mentor her on fire.”