Elemental Fae Holiday: A Why Choose Paranormal Romance (Elemental Fae Academy Book 4)

by Lexi C. Foss

  “Or we could pluck that flirty shifter and roast him instead,” Sol muttered, his earthy gaze narrowing as the brightly dressed male tossed his feathered head back on a laugh.

  My lips twitched. “At least he seems to be entertaining Claire’s ideas.” Unlike several other fae council members in the room.

  The notion of an Interrealm Fae Academy stirred a great deal of conflicting results. Some were open to the idea. Others felt it would only exacerbate the abomination issue.

  And then there were those who had chosen to miss the meeting entirely—namely, the Hell Fae.

  I would never forget the day Cyrus and Exos explained the various kingdoms to Claire, and her horrified reaction to learning demon-like fae existed.

  “You told me demons weren’t real!” she’d snapped. “And werewolves, too. You… you said that was all human bullshit, or whatever.”

  “Technically, demons and werewolves don’t exist, so I didn’t really lie,” Exos had replied in that holier-than-thou tone he seemed to favor.

  “Yes, the appropriate terms for them are Hell Fae and Shifter Fae,” Cyrus had added.

  Claire had just glowered at them both, then she’d stomped outside to release a stunning array of elements that had left us all in awe of her talents. Afterward, she’d returned with a great deal of questions.

  However, after learning about the Hell Fae’s penchant for stealing fae for their bride trials, she hadn’t been all that eager to meet them. So I supposed it was a good thing they kept skipping the meetings.

  Except, she had mentioned wanting them here. Something about how they would appreciate the school since their breed of fae had been created through a series of abominations. She felt that it meant they could aid in the organization of the school programs, and had also commented on how maybe a little collaboration between the realms would help cool some of their notorious ire toward the other fae.

  An optimistic outlook, one I admired her for sharing. But it would never come to fruition. The Hell Fae had no interest in reconciling with the kingdoms that had basically cast them all to the underworld—hence their name.

  Sol stiffened beside me as two Paradox Fae approached Claire with glowing swords on their hips. Exos shook hands with one of them, his expression stoic and regal. Cyrus followed suit.

  “I’ve never liked time dwellers,” I muttered, agreeing with Sol’s aggressive stance. “They’re tricky little buggers.”

  Those swords on their hips were tokens that allowed them to alter timelines, leaving everyone around them none the wiser. Who knew how many realities had been shifted under their authority? Just the thought gave me chills. For a Fire Fae, not much gave me that effect.

  “They’ll definitely demand a price for their involvement,” Vox said, his tone diplomatic. “But they love making deals.”

  Well, that was one outlook on their kind. An outlook far more positive than mine.

  After the Paradox Fae finished, another clan of Shifter Fae approached. Each animal type had their own councilman or councilwoman, and most seemed to be represented.

  On and on it went with each fae kingdom voicing their questions and concerns and only a few verbally agreeing to the idea. Others wanted more time to think, or they needed to discuss it among their own councils.

  Claire positively glowed with excitement as it all came to an end, her cheeks a beautiful pink shade that reminded me of the spirit butterflies she enjoyed conjuring.

  I grinned at her, eager to take her back to the cabin we’d arranged for the week. She had no idea what surprise lay in wait for her, but first, we had to eat.

  Part of me wanted to skip the meal pleasantries and go straight to dessert. But Claire would need her strength later for our first trial.

  Assuming she agreed to our plans.

  My stomach tightened in anticipation. Part of the fun would be convincing her to indulge us in the games we had planned. And the prize would be watching her grow round with a little fae child.

  Claire was already stunning, but there was just something so hot about the idea of her being pregnant with our children. She would make a beautiful mother. I couldn’t wait to see it.

  I just hoped she said yes.

  We all did.

  It’d been difficult to keep our plans from her, specifically as she was linked to all of us mentally. However, we’d somehow pulled it off. Perhaps because she’d been so wrapped up in her Interrealm Fae Academy plans.

  She glanced at me, her blue eyes twinkling with so much joy my heart hurt. Then her lips curled into a secret smile as she sent fire to dance over my fingertips. I returned the gesture with a little stroke along her neck that made her visibly shiver.

  You look hungry, she said into my mind.

  I’m always hungry, sweetheart, I replied, the innuendo thick in my voice. Do you want to be my appetizer?

  I think dessert is probably best.

  Took the words right out of my head, I drawled, because she really had since I’d just thought something similar a few seconds ago. I look forward to devouring you later, Claire.

  Likewise, fire mate, she murmured, blowing me a fire kiss that landed on the edge of my mouth. I drew a line of flames across her bottom lip in response, then Exos leaned in to lick it off with his tongue.

  Spoilsport, I thought, rolling my eyes.

  He winked back at me, then kissed her again before turning to lead the group our way.

  Dinnertime.

  Then… dessert.

  THE ICY AIR blew with a fury outside the restaurant windows, displaying the true nature of this part of Greenland. Yet, inside, we were warm and cozy and completely unimpacted by the elements.

  An entire fae city was being built under this dome of magic. We were sitting on the outskirts of it all, in the pub closest to the exit. What I liked about this location was the food—they catered to all fae kind.

  Which was how I’d ended up with a bowl of pasta bolognese.

  It had been listed under Midnight Fae cuisine since the vampire-like beings tended to frequent the Human Realm for blood snacks. From what I understood of their culture, they’d adopted mostly human foods into their world as a result because it was all they ever ate.

  Worked for me.

  But I did pair it with a spritemead, because yum.

  My mates all had elemental-themed dishes, while the Fortune Fae at our table had decided on some items similar to mine.

  And all around us were tables filled with different types of fae.

  I loved it, this feeling of togetherness among the realms. It gave me a glimmer of hope that this Interrealm Fae Academy might actually kick off.

  A spark of Winter Fae magic tickled my nose, drawing my focus out the windows once more. Fae magic still amazed me, particularly as I could sense the essence humming across my skin like a live wire.

  The waves left behind a foreign kiss that called to my water magic. An icy swirl danced along my fingertips in response—one Cyrus responded to with a trickle of his own power.

  My lips quirked upward in response, the sensation one that called to my very soul.

  You like that, little queen? he asked, his icy blue eyes meeting mine from across the table.

  I responded by increasing the flow of water around my fingertips, only to jolt as he matched my speed and took control of it with his own ties to the source. He was the Water Fae King, granting him unlimited power when it came to his element.

  He sat beside his cousin Kalt, who was currently serving as a dignitary intern in one of the other fae realms.

  Winter Fae, I thought, glancing outside for the fifth or sixth time tonight. They were the ones behind the magic here in Greenland because they used a similar shielding power up in the North Pole.

  All those stories about Santa and his elves? Yeah, they stemmed from a real place. It had blown my mind when I first learned about it, and I was dying to visit someday. They were working closely with the Elemental Fae, mostly because they already resided in neutral terr
itory in the Human Realm. And they were rather kind, too.

  Kalt leaned in to ask Cyrus yet another question, one my mate accepted with a contemplative nod before replying.

  My heart warmed at the sight of their mentorship. I rather liked this nurturing side of my Water Fae mate. Although, it hadn’t escaped my notice that he seemed far more patient with Kalt than he was with me.

  “Oh, so the trials have started, then,” Gina said from beside me, her voice holding a touch of excitement.

  The water swirling around my fingers dissipated into mist as Cyrus focused on the Fortune Fae, his gaze narrowing. “Don’t do that.”

  She blinked her soft blue eyes at him. “Don’t do what?”

  “Play in the future,” he snapped.

  “That’s akin to telling you not to indulge your affinity for water,” she retorted, frowning. “Does that mean I’m ahead? Because the path is pretty well formed.”

  “It is,” her mate, Zeke, agreed softly, his blond hair flirting with his shoulders from the gentle breeze Vox had just conjured from the opposite end of the table. “But I think we might be in that timeline now, Dreamcatcher.”

  “Oh.” Her full lips twisted to the side. “Right.”

  “What trials?” I asked, confused by her sudden commentary. Of course, I rarely understood her random statements. The woman loved to talk in riddles and often didn’t make any sense at all. But we’d grown closer over the last few years. Mostly because we shared a lot of the same political motivations.

  It wasn’t always that way, though. I hadn’t liked her at all when we’d first met. She’d been just as cryptic then, saying something about a dark piece that didn’t fit. A dark piece that had turned out to be a lot closer to us than any of us had realized. Alas, that was in the past now.

  However, I’d strongly disliked Gina on sight because of her stunning looks and the way Exos and Cyrus had clearly displayed a history of knowing her. Fortunately, they’d only shared a friendship.

  A friendship that appeared to be in jeopardy now as they were both glowering at the Fortune Fae.

  Zeke cleared his throat. “Just because I’m blind doesn’t mean I can’t see,” he said. “Don’t look at my mate like that.”

  “Okay. What’s going on?” I demanded. “Why are you all so tense? What trials are coming? Is this because of the school?”

  A few fae at a nearby table stopped talking, their pointy ears all angled our way, my tone having caught their attention.

  I wanted to smile and wave them off, but I was too concerned about Gina’s cryptic commentary to focus on diplomatic niceties.

  Kalt cleared his throat. “I’m going to get another spritemead.”

  No one replied, everyone too busy staring between my mates and Gina.

  “Um…,” Aflora hummed by way of greeting, then glanced up at the tall Midnight Fae beside her—Guardian Zephyrus. “We’ve clearly missed something important.”

  Aflora had mentioned joining us a little later for dinner, saying she needed to take care of a task. She hadn’t elaborated, but then, she rarely did. The Royal Earth Fae I once knew had blossomed into a powerful queen-like female with peculiar magic that many other fae feared.

  But she was exactly why an Interrealm Fae Academy needed to exist—so we could better understand abominations and the matings of power.

  “Are you causing trouble?” Aflora asked, her blue-black eyebrow arching upward at Gina. The two of them had history. Something about a coffee shop. So I wasn’t surprised that she immediately suspected the Fortune Fae of playing a word game. Her kind was rather notorious for it. At least she hadn’t taken out her infamous card deck.

  “Why does everyone assume I’m always to blame?” Gina demanded.

  “Because you usually are,” a Paradox Fae drawled from the bar.

  “No one asked you, Kali.”

  “Pretty sure you just asked the entire realm,” she tossed back.

  Gina huffed a breath. “All I mentioned were trials,” she muttered.

  “Trials?” Aflora repeated, her cerulean blue eyes locking on Zephyrus.

  He lifted one of his broad shoulders. “Fuck if I know.” He wrapped his arm around her, then bent to whisper something in her ear. Whatever it was caused her cheeks to flush scarlet. I didn’t know the Midnight Fae male well, but Cyrus and Exos enjoyed his directness. It seemed Aflora did as well, because her eyes flashed from whatever he’d said.

  I stopped looking at them and stared Gina down. “Explain.”

  “Ask your mates,” she replied. “They know what I’m talking about.”

  “Have you seen who wins?” Titus asked suddenly, causing Cyrus to growl at him. “Oh, come on, you’re wondering the same thing I am.”

  “I don’t want to know,” Sol put in. “I want to play the game, fair and square.”

  “What game?” I asked. “What the hell are all of you talking about?”

  “I don’t need Gina to predict the winner,” Cyrus replied, his focus on Titus. “We already know it’s going to be me.”

  “Bullshit,” Titus tossed back. “I beat you just the other night. She totally screamed louder for me.”

  I gasped. “Titus!”

  Cyrus just chuckled. “Keep telling yourself that, Firefly.”

  “Call me that one more time, Royal Jackass.”

  “Firefly,” he repeated, smirking.

  Titus made a move to stand, but Sol clamped a paw on his shoulder to shove him back down while Vox released a long, drawn-out sigh.

  Exos merely shook his head. “We want to have a baby, Claire,” he said. “And we’ve devised a series of trials to determine who gets to do the honors.”

  I blinked at him. “I’m sorry… what?”

  “And that’s my cue to go,” Gina said, pushing away from the table. “You’re all welcome, by the way.”

  “Pretty sure none of us thanked you,” Cyrus replied.

  “Yeah, totally not invited to Thank You Day,” Sol added.

  “It’s Thanks Day,” Vox corrected.

  “Whatever,” my Earth Fae mate growled back. “She’s not invited.”

  “Are you talking about Thanksgiving?” Zephyrus asked.

  “Thanksgiving?” Sol repeated, his dark brows drawing down. “That doesn’t even make sense as a word.”

  “But Thanks Day does?” Zephyrus countered.

  “Seriously, I want to know who wins,” Titus said, his forest-green eyes on Gina. He drew his fingers through his red hair and gave her a beautiful smile. “It’s me, right.”

  She just grinned. “Well, it’s been great. I’ll see you all next month at the nesting party.”

  “Baby shower,” Zeke said as he pushed to his feet beside her, his motions fluid and somehow regal, even while being blind.

  “Yes. Right. Baby shower,” she agreed.

  Not that I was paying attention to them.

  I was too busy gaping at the table.

  Except, what had they just said? “Baby shower?” I repeated on a squeak.

  “Yes, but fae call it a nesting party,” she replied, already walking away with her mate, his hand on the small of her back. “Oh, and you’re going to need the Hell Fae to agree. I suggest you meet with one of Lucifer’s Hellhounds. But don’t let Cyrus near them. If he douses their flames, they won’t agree to your proposal.” She gave a little wave, then started toward the exit.

  “Hold on,” I called after her.

  But she didn’t listen, instead turning the corner before I could ask what the hell she was going on about. I almost chased after her, but she had already stepped through the doors, disappearing into the snowy beyond. She’d be in a portal in the next few seconds, traveling to wherever she wanted to go.

  No wonder she’d recommended eating at the restaurant by the border.

  She knew this was going to happen.

  Damn Fortune Fae!

  “Someone had better start explaining things to me,” I said, not in the mood for any more word games.<
br />
  “I already did,” Exos replied calmly. “We want to have a baby, Claire. And rather than ask you to choose who gets to be the first father, we’ve devised a series of trials to help determine a winner.”

  I gaped at him. “What if I don’t want a baby?”

  He didn’t even bat an eye, saying, “Then we won’t bother with the trials.” Except I felt the pain instantly spike through my bonds, all my male mates suddenly concerned that I might turn them down.

  Even Vox had a wary note to his silver-rimmed gaze.

  Aflora cleared her throat again. “Uh, I think, we’re just going to, uh, go…” She spoke so softly I almost didn’t hear her. And as rude as it was, I couldn’t even reply. I was too consumed by the emotions thriving through my bonds.

  My mate-circle had spoken about children several times over the years.

  Cyrus needed an heir for the Water Kingdom.

  Exos also required an heir for the Spirit Kingdom.

  Vox had chosen a profession in teaching because he enjoyed philosophical studies, but he also possessed a soft spot for children and watching them learn.

  Sol wanted a little one of his own to nurture and grow.

  And Titus, well, he tried to pretend that practicing the art of mating was all that interested him, but I caught the flickers of excitement in his thoughts around having a little fae to play Fae Ball with.

  They all wanted kids.

  Not necessarily one of their own—except for maybe Exos and Cyrus, who had royal duties involved—but the others just wanted to expand our circle with little fae. Even my two king mates wanted that, despite their obligations to their thrones.

  This went beyond duty for all of them.

  They just wanted to create life.

  Which was an Elemental Fae’s greatest gift.

  But I could also sense their willingness to wait, if that was what I desired. They didn’t want to push me. They also didn’t want to make me choose. Hence, the trials.

  I couldn’t discern the details from their thoughts, their minds closing off around whatever they had planned.

  However, anticipation hummed through my veins, ready for whatever they had in store.

  “Okay,” I said slowly, looking at each of my mates. “Tell me about these trials.”