Elemental Fae Academy: Book One

by Lexi C. Foss

  I pushed the memory from my head, focusing on the present.

  Titus followed me into the room, his demeanor reserved as I closed the door.

  He glanced around the flowery space, eyeing the tree in the center of the room and the vines climbing over the walls. “It’s definitely Spirity in here.”

  “What’s your place like?” I wondered.

  “Black.” He smirked. “I like to burn things.”

  “Apparently, so do I,” I grumbled, lowering my gaze. How much damage had I caused without meaning to? Not that I could entirely blame myself. It wasn’t like someone had trained me on how to be a… a… fae.

  Fuck, I really do believe this, don’t I?

  I shivered, not wanting to admit to the logic flowing through my mind. This sort of shit was impossible. Or it should be. Yet, I couldn’t deny all the magic flowing around me, the fact that flames literally shot out of my hands, that I’d destroyed a wall of, uh, vines? I shook my head, trying to clear it.

  Titus caught my chin, tilting my head back to stare warmly down at me. “You’ll learn to control it, Claire.”

  “Will I?” I countered. “I didn’t even know any of this was real until today, or yesterday, or whenever it was that Exos kidnapped me.” It felt like a lifetime ago, my existence forever changed by this new world. “I don’t even understand why these powers, or whatever they are, didn’t manifest until recently. Or how to begin controlling them.”

  “It’s rumored your mother hexed you,” he replied, his fingers gliding along my jaw and down my neck before dropping down to his side. “Exos would be much better at dictating the history, as he sits on the Council of Fae, but I can tell you what I know.” There was an edge to his voice when he spoke of Exos, but it didn’t reflect in the kindness of his features.

  “I’d rather you tell me,” I admitted. Something told me Exos would be blunt, and perhaps purposely harsh. And I couldn’t handle that right now. I needed someone who would break me into this gently. Someone like Titus.

  He palmed the back of his neck and let out a breath. “What all do you know?”

  I sat on the bed, which was admirably soft considering the base was made of a tree trunk. “Uh, well…”

  I considered the minimal information my grandmother gave me, while toying with the charm dangling from the chain around my neck. An old habit whenever I thought of her, as it’d been one of the last gifts she’d given me before she died.

  Pinching my lips to the side, I shrugged. “Honestly, not much. I don’t remember her at all. My grandmother said she left when I was a baby and never came home. Then claimed my father died of a broken heart.”

  He grimaced and leaned against the tree trunk across from me. “Right, we’ll need to go back to the beginning, then.” He crossed one ankle over the other, his hands tucking into his jean pockets. “So your mother—Ophelia Snow—was a Spirit Fae. Very powerful, as is the case with most female Spirit Fae of a certain birthright. Mortus, another Spirit Fae, was her chosen mate. They never completed the vows because she met your father soon after and created you.”

  He looked extremely uncomfortable when he finished, but I had to ask: “Chosen mate? Like my mother cheated on this Morty guy?” That didn’t sound good.

  “Mortus,” he corrected. “And basically, yes. When fae mate, we mate for life. There’s a power exchange that essentially binds the essences together, and she’d begun that process with Mortus before she met your, uh, father. The rumors say she ventured into the Human Realm on some sort of assignment, then refused to come home after meeting your father. Mortus, being her intended mate, issued an edict that she return and atone for her crimes. So she did, and then she fought him.”

  A chill shivered down my spine. “And…?” I prompted, my voice barely a whisper.

  Titus ran his fingers through his auburn strands and sighed. “When fae agree to a power binding, it’s irreversible. To do so causes a disruption in the balance. That’s why he called her home, to finish the bond because the elements were already fracturing due to their unresolved vows. Of course, this is all hearsay. I wasn’t there when it all happened. But my familiarity with the rituals suggests the truth behind this.”

  “Rituals?” I repeated. “I don’t understand the bond part.”

  He seemed thoughtful, as if searching for the words. Then he pushed off the tree to stand before me, holding out his hand. “Touch me.”

  I wasn’t sure what this had to do with anything, but I pressed my palm to his, curious. “O-okay.”

  Titus slid to his knees, his gaze kind as he stared up at me. “Close your eyes and just describe the sensations rolling over your skin.”

  Swallowing, I allowed my lids to fall, confused as to why he’d derailed our conversation. But he clearly had a point to make about something.

  “What do you feel, Claire?” he asked, his voice soft. “Tell me what you sense.”

  “I…” I licked my lips, focusing on the heat spiraling up my arm, the caress oddly familiar after only a few hours of knowing him. “Hot,” I whispered. “And…” I bit my cheek, fighting the urge to lean into him, to seek comfort from his known intimacy. Some foreign part of me trusted him despite my mind rebelling against the notion.

  I don’t really know him.

  But I want to.

  I like him.

  “It feels… natural… to touch you.” My cheeks warmed from the admission. It also felt natural to touch Exos.

  “Because you feel the connection blossoming between your essence and mine,” he whispered, his opposite hand cupping my cheek. “Fae are essence-based. We rely on our links to the elements to guide us, and when we find someone we are compatible with, we gravitate toward that person. My Fire calls to yours, and vice versa. Just as it seems your Spirit is intrigued by Exos. Definitely not common, but nothing about you is ordinary.”

  “O-oh,” I breathed, unable to say more. While his words made sense, they also didn’t. He’d essentially just implied that I was attracted to two men.

  Two men I hardly knew.

  Two men who couldn’t be any more different.

  Two men who turned me on like no other.

  This realm is fucking with my mind, and apparently my libido.

  Titus tilted his head to the side, his hands still on me. “Ophelia, your mother, had allowed her affinity to bind itself to Mortus through a series of rituals that the fae undergo when solidifying a mating. But she didn’t finish it. Instead, she went to Earth, created you, and only returned when Mortus threatened to go after her. And then she fought him. I don’t know the specifics, but I know the outcome.”

  I gazed into his eyes, waiting for him to continue. When he didn’t, I said, “Tell me.”

  His expression fell, his touch turning cool against my skin. “Ninety percent of the Spirit Fae died of unknown causes that day, destroying the kingdom. Your mother died with them. Mortus lived. And it seems to have awoken a curse, or that’s the myth, anyway.”

  “A curse?” I repeated, my gaze darting back and forth across his face. “What curse?”

  “No Spirit Fae has been able to procreate since that day. It’s said your mother’s betrayal cursed the Spirit Fae, sentencing their species to death.”

  I gasped. “What?”

  “There’s more.” He looked away, staring at the vines on the wall beside us. “Spirit Fae are life and death, the balance between all the elements. Without them…” He paused, clearing his throat and finally glancing back at me. “Without them, we’re expected to die.”

  Claire

  I stared at the vines above me, Titus’s words repeating over and over in my mind.

  My mother cheated on her betrothed with my dad and created me.

  Then fought her betrothed to the death.

  And created a curse that would apparently kill fae kind.

  I blinked. Numb. Cold. Alone. How did one just accept all that information? It wasn’t as if I cared much for my mother, having been abandoned by he
r at birth. But holy shit, what kind of person did this to other people? Er, fae, or whatever. It didn’t matter.

  My mother had caused a pandemic. On purpose? By accident? I didn’t know. But that sort of legacy painted my mom in a horrid light.

  It made her sound evil.

  “Claire?” Titus murmured, having moved to sit beside me on the bed.

  “Still processing,” I replied.

  “Maybe we should talk about it more tomorrow?” he suggested.

  I nodded mutely, not sure I could handle any more tonight. Hell, I couldn’t handle any more, period. “You must hate my mother,” I realized. “Oh God, everyone will hate me, too.” My chest ached at the sudden understanding. I would be condemned with her as the result of her infidelity, not just to Mortus, but to fae kind.

  “Depends on their opinion of the prophecy,” Titus muttered, blowing out a breath. “But yeah, I think sleep is probably a good idea.”

  “What prophecy?” I asked, ignoring his idea despite knowing I was at my limit for information.

  “It’s a tale, Claire. A myth. It’s not true. Honestly, I think the whole curse thing is bullshit, too.”

  “Then what is it?” I pushed. “Why would it impact someone’s opinion of me?”

  “Because the prophecy says a fae with access to all the elements will break the curse,” he replied flatly. “Or doom us all.”

  “Oh.” I started nodding. “Yeah, that’s brilliant. So I’m the daughter of a woman who destroyed the Spirit Fae, and possibly all fae. And I have access to all the elements, which could either rectify the situation or kill you all.” I gave a hysterical laugh that bubbled into a sob as I curled into myself. “This is just too much.”

  I’d never experienced an easy life, having lost my parents before I could walk and being raised by two aloof grandparents who saw me as more of a burden than a gift. But this definitely took the cake.

  “And you all want me to go to an Academy tomorrow? With a bunch of people who will clearly hate or fear me?” Another chuckle burst out of me. “Yeah, that’s going to go well.” Fuck. “Fuck.” I wanted to scream. To rant. To run. To fly. To something.

  “Claire,” Titus murmured, his hand on my shoulder.

  I brushed him off, but he gripped me harder, tugging me to him.

  “Claire.”

  I ignored him, too busy shaking my head back and forth as I laugh-cried at the insanity of this entire situation. It was as if I’d fallen into a wonderland of crazy people with stories and expectations that made no sense. And this bizarre energy that I couldn’t control. It swam around me, urging me to use it, to destroy, to create, to burn.

  “Claire!” Titus yelled, his arms wrapping around me. “Stop.”

  “Stop what?” I asked on a giggle that sounded maniacal to my ears. The entire world was crashing around me, and he wanted me to, what, relax? Breathe? Focus? Were those the words he was saying? No. It sounded like Exos. In my head. No, my ear. Whatever. I just wanted to hide, to never come out, and ignore everything around me. To disappear.

  To leave.

  A punch to my gut had me cringing, the power strong and encompassing, yanking me out of my state and back into the present to stare into two glowering blue eyes. Bright with power. Consuming me. Forcing me to yield. To submit. I didn’t understand it, tried to fight it, but the magnetic pull was too great, overwhelming every part of my mind and grounding me in the present. His hands were on my cheeks, bands of muscular steel were around my waist, a hot body pressed to my back.

  I blinked several times, confused. When did Exos get here? And why was Titus holding me so tightly?

  “That’s it,” Exos breathed, his mouth dangerously close to mine. “Most fae come into their power slowly, but the hex your mo—” He cleared his throat. “You have twenty-one years of pent-up elements slamming into you at once. That you’re even conscious is a miracle. It shows a strength very few possess, a strength I admire. But I need you to use that strength to control yourself, Claire. This volatile behavior is what the Council is afraid of, why they don’t want you to attend the Academy. But I pushed for you to be allowed, have volunteered to train and guard you myself. And I will not fail. Do you understand me?”

  Glittering waves. That was what his gaze reminded me of, so intense, so powerful, so alluring. I fell into him as one would an ocean, allowing the tide to pull me under with a force that stole my breath, and found peace beneath the roaring wake. Blissful and dark and mine.

  Another strength came from behind in the form of an inferno, jerking me backward as my soul seemed to fight for control over them both.

  Exos had asked if I understood.

  But I didn’t.

  None of this made sense, my mind and body overwhelmed by the dueling sensations and my heart ripping in two. How could I desire two men? Now? Here? In this foreign place?

  “She needs sleep,” the fiery one said.

  “I know,” Spirit replied. “Guard her?”

  “With my life.” A hot vow spoken into my hair.

  “I’ll be nearby,” Spirit whispered, warm lips brushing my forehead. “Try to rest, Claire. We have a lot to discuss tomorrow.”

  Someone mumbled. Maybe me. I didn’t know, couldn’t grasp the silky strands of reality floating around me. But oh, my ocean was leaving. That peace. I reached for him, hitting air instead, but a breath into my mind put me at ease.

  Still there.

  Still with me.

  Still easing my pain.

  My Spirit.

  My other half.

  The flames dancing inside me cooled, soothed by the presence of yet another, the one who called to the embers of my soul. I stopped trying to decipher the meaning and gave in to the sensation, trusting those around me to keep me afloat, to never let me drown.

  “Good night, Claire,” the voice behind me whispered, arms holding me tight. Somewhere in my mind, I noted the lack of clothing, my dress singed into ash around me. But I was too exhausted to verify, too consumed with the need to rest to validate my modesty.

  Sleep sounded nice.

  Maybe when I awoke, it would be to reality.

  Yet somehow I knew this was my life now. My present and future. A fae teetering on the brink of disaster while trying to master elements I couldn’t possibly understand.

  I might die here.

  But I also might live.

  Ugh. Someone had left the heat on too high again. It felt as if I were wrapped up in a scorching blanket, singeing my hairs and leaving a trail of sweat in its wake. This was why I preferred a fan at night, a subtle breeze to help shift the hot air.

  Ah, there it was, subtly brushing over my sweltering skin. More, I urged, craving the icy chill to cool the flames inching around me, consuming the room.

  Wait… I flew upward, my mouth gaping wide at the swirl of power overwhelming the suite.

  In the fae world.

  Where I now resided.

  Surrounded by chaos.

  “Titus!” I shrieked, slamming my palm into his bare chest. His eyes flew open, his body going on alert as fast as mine.

  He frowned at the maelstrom of elements. “Well, that’s, um, different.”

  “Different?” I repeated on a squeak.

  “Yeah, I’ve never seen anything like that.” He shook his head, then grabbed my hand. “Okay, crash course. I need you to concentrate on pulling the elements to you. Think of it like the hop game where you catch the flurries.”

  I gaped at him. “What?” Flurries? Hop game?

  “Er, right.” He winced. “Uh, do you have an activity where you try to grab things with your mind?” At my blank stare, he sighed. “Okay, focus on the core of the fire, that blue flicker in the middle, and call it to you.”

  “Call it to me,” I repeated. “Right.”

  “Come on, sweetheart. Trust me and try.” His dimples flickered. “Please?”

  I must still be dreaming, I decided, giving in to the lunacy of the moment. “All right.” I fo
cused on the bright blue of the flame, as he suggested, and bit my lip. Now what? Titus had said to call the fire. Okay. But how? Like, was I supposed to talk to it?

  Pinching my mouth to the side, I shrugged. Come here.

  Nothing.

  Well, of course nothing. Why would it listen to me?

  Except I felt a flicker of something in response. An odd sort of heated string, invisible to my eye but tangible against my finger.

  Weird.

  I tugged on it, my eyebrows lifting as the flame danced a little in response.

  No way…

  I tried again, my jaw dropping as the inferno definitely responded. With a twirl of my finger, the blazing colors rotated into a sphere, shrinking as I willed it to resemble the size of a baseball, and landed in the palm of my hand.

  “Excellent,” Titus praised. “Now use that mist over there to put it out.”

  Mist?

  Oh.

  There was a shower happening in the corner of the room, watering what appeared to be a bed of flowers that reminded me of the ones I’d lain on in the field. Coincidence? Maybe.

  Another strand tugged at my being as I willed the water to condense and blow toward my hand. My palm sizzled as the elements met, a deep-seated peace overwhelming my senses as all three elements—air, water, and fire—mingled together over my skin.

  “Beautiful,” Titus breathed, running a finger through the aftermath of my miracle. “I think the flowers can stay.”

  I gazed at the patch in question, frowning. “Are you saying I did that?”

  “You did,” he replied, grinning. “Earth and spirit, mingled as one. Not only did you create them, but you also used the soil to help the flowers grow and water to make them bloom.”

  “And the fire?” I prompted.

  “A natural defense. You protected us in your sleep, the air keeping it from burning us or the walls. I’m actually really impressed.” He tucked a strand of unruly hair behind my ear. “Exos was right. You’re very powerful.” He studied my face, as if memorizing my features, his awe a palpable emotion floating between us. “So gorgeous.”