by Lexi C. Foss
“Maybe her mother heard it from someone,” I suggested, thinking on my feet. “And she didn’t understand the meaning, so she hummed it to Aflora as a little girl. The Elemental Fae wouldn’t recognize it, so her mother wouldn’t have thought much of it.”
“Sure. That’s one theory,” Tray said, still looking at me.
I dared him with my gaze to voice another. The tick in his jaw told me he wanted to, but not in front of Ella and Aflora. Likely because his speculation would be damning to my mate. Not that he knew we’d mated.
Well, he suspected it.
While he hadn’t expressly admitted it, I knew he was aware that I’d slept with Aflora. My twin had taken one look at the aftermath of her room, glowered at me, and stalked off. There was really only one thing that could have made me react like that, and it’d come from a very emotional place, brought on by sleeping with Aflora.
I only hoped he didn’t suspect the bond, or we’d be in a world of hurt. Not because I didn’t trust him, but because he’d end up risking himself and Ella to protect my actions. And I couldn’t let him suffer on my behalf.
I cleared my throat. “Look. It’s been a long fucking night. Hell, it’s been a long fucking week. We can worry about the song later. Just… don’t hum or repeat the words in public, yeah?” That part was directed at Aflora.
She nodded in reply, then pulled her cloak around her like a blanket. Or maybe she considered it a shield. Regardless, there wasn’t much we could do right now. I explained that to Tray with another look, one he conceded to with a nod.
Then I refocused on Aflora. “Come on. I want to show you what I did to your room.” I didn’t wait for her to acknowledge my request, just turned and headed to the hallway off to the left of the living area.
I passed the study area, guest room, and Tray’s quarters and paused at Aflora’s upgraded door. She appeared a minute later, her shoulders bowed a little as she met me alone in the corridor. Ella had probably told her to yell if I caused any trouble.
Given the tension in the air, that wouldn’t take much.
With a whispered spell, I called for the new key I’d created earlier and sent it to hover in front of her. Her blue irises swirled with power as she studied it. “What’s this?”
“Your key,” I told her. “It’s programmed to recognize your magic. I tied it to your wand, which is on your bed inside.”
“Why do I need a key?”
“Because I put a lock on your door, and that”—I gestured to the ornate metal rotating in the air between us—“is the only thing that can open it.”
Her ebony lashes flickered. “You made me a lock?”
“Yes.”
“One you can’t override?” She sounded disbelieving.
“Yes,” I repeated. “I never should have said it was my room. An excuse won’t make up for it, so instead, all I’ll say is I’m sorry and I hope you’ll accept my apology in the form of reinforced privacy.”
She gaped at me. “You’re apologizing?”
“Yes,” I said for a third time.
“Really?”
“Do you want me to go onto my knees, too?” I asked her. “Beg a little?”
Her lips twitched. “Actually—”
“No.” The only way I’d kneel for her was if she spread her legs and welcomed my tongue between her thighs. I allowed her to see that knowledge in my gaze, the very real fire burning inside me just for her. My mate.
Fuck, that was going to take some getting used to.
Yet I couldn’t deny how right it felt between us. Maybe because of her Elemental Fae influence. We were level-three bonded, which, in her world, made it pretty fucking permanent. As did my bite as a Midnight Fae.
Yeah, Aflora and I were tied together indefinitely.
Whether we liked it or not.
Her vibrant eyes held mine for a beat, then she swallowed and grabbed the key to try it in the door. Magic hummed around us, the mechanism searching out Aflora’s identity before allowing her entry. “It’s similar to a gargoyle but without the added nuisance,” I explained softly.
“What happens if I misplace the key?” she asked as the wood whispered open.
“There’s a spell you can use to call it to you, like the one I just recited.” I spoke the incantation again, this time slower, and she murmured it back to me, which caused her key to jump out of the door and hover in front of her face again.
She smiled at it. “That’s handy.”
“I’m glad you approve.”
Her amusement dimmed a little, whether at my words or the thought of entering her room, I wasn’t sure. But I suspected it was the latter when she steeled her spine and stepped through the threshold. I waited by the entrance, not wanting to disrupt her perusal of the room.
She set her key on the nightstand, admired the new bed, draped her cloak over the blue comforter—the same shade as her eyes—and then focused on the shimmering magic near her window.
I waited for her reaction, unsure of what she’d think of the enhancement. “What is this?” she asked, squatting down beside the makeshift pot.
“It’s, uh, a gift,” I replied, palming the back of my neck. “Our flowers and general vegetation are a bit different here, but Mistress Marigold said this will bloom with a fairy plant if properly cared for. And so, I bought you one.” It seemed lame now, like some sort of lackluster apology present. But it’d felt right when I was working on redecorating the room.
“Mistress Marigold?” Aflora glanced at me. “Who’s that?”
“One of the Academy caretakers.” I swallowed the lump growing in my throat, irritated by its presence. Since when did I feel nervous around females?
Ridiculous.
With a shake of my head, I focused on my surroundings instead of on Aflora.
“Mistress Marigold is in charge of the residence halls. After I finished cleaning everything up in here, I consulted with her on ways to make it a little more Elemental Fae friendly. She suggested the plant. So I ordered it. But if you don’t like it, I can take it back. Actually, if there’s anything you don’t like, just let me know. I’ll return it. This is your space. You choose.”
And, wow, since when did I fucking ramble?
This chick was giving me a headache just by existing.
I winced. Yeah. Not the best thought. Right. “I’m going to bed,” I announced. Some sleep would help me sort out my behavior. Maybe a hand job, too. With thoughts of Aflora.
Ah, fuck. Just the notion of it had me hardening in my pants. This mating business sucks!
“Kols!” she called after me. I’d already gotten to the door of my room, my feet carrying me away from her as if I were running from a fire.
I paused and didn’t look at her. “Yeah?”
“Thank you,” she whispered, the two words making me cringe.
I didn’t do this for her gratitude. I did this because… well, I couldn’t say why I went through all the trouble I did today other than I wanted to make it up to her. An apology of sorts to right a handful of wrongs. And I doubted I’d even achieved that. But at least she seemed to like it.
Rather than reply, I just nodded, not trusting myself to speak, and disappeared into my quarters.
I needed some sleep.
Tomorrow, I’d dig into her past.
Starting by meeting with a pair of Elemental Fae Kings.
I sent a notification off to Cyrus, knowing it might be a few hours before he caught it. His kind weren’t as big into technology as Midnight Fae, but someone would pass along my request.
Then we’d chat.
Likely in the Human Realm.
At least I’d get some much-needed blood. Sex, not so much.
I winced and picked up my phone again and shot Zeph a text. Celibacy isn’t my thing.
His response arrived a minute later. No shit.
Come over. He would know why I sent the text.
Just as I understood his response. Be there in five.
Playing
with each other didn’t break any mating rules, particularly as we were all set in this quad together. Besides, if Aflora wanted to come over and join us, we’d both be game. But something told me it would be a while before she’d even consider the opportunity.
Which meant we would just need to work that much harder to convince her.
I always did adore a challenge, especially a forbidden one. As did Zeph. Together we’d break her resolve. Not just in her dreams, but also in her bed, with our mouths and tongues and hands. Until she couldn’t stand the thought of breathing without us. And then we’d truly make her ours.
Because fuck the consequences.
Aflora was already mine.
Chapter Nine
Aflora
I sat in my Midnight Fae Politics classroom, trying to ignore the whispers around me.
Everyone knew about my arrest, but the reasons behind it were all wrong.
Some said I attacked Kols.
Others claimed I’d lost my shit after Zeph killed Clove, and stated I tried to burn down the Elite Residence.
“Kolstov is fine,” I heard someone say behind me in response to someone else’s comment about me trying to kill him. “Altrina saw him in the Human Realm last night, working his magic on a pair of mortals.”
My teeth clenched. Is that where he ran off to? I wondered.
I hadn’t seen him since the night he gave me the key to my renovated room. Not that I’d really gone looking for him. I needed a few days just to decompress and was thankful my mates had allowed me the time alone. But when I woke up for classes and heard from Ella that Kols still wasn’t back, I’d begun to wonder where he went.
Is he meeting with the Council about me?
Has he told his father about our mating?
Is he trying to find a way to undo what happened?
The thoughts had run rampant through my mind, making me uneasy and distrusting. I kept waiting for a horde of Warrior Bloods to descend upon the Academy and take me back to that dungeon. However, the primary assault I’d received so far was in the form of rumors.
And now this.
“Sounds like Kols,” another girl replied. “I swear he’s fucked his way through half the mortal population.”
“Well, if I had my fate promised to a chick like Emelyn, I’d do the same.” That came from a male in the back of the room.
“You could only be so lucky, Slag,” a prim female sniped with a flip of her long blonde hair over her shoulder. “And if I were Emelyn, I wouldn’t want to be anywhere near Prince Kolstov’s cock. He’s a walking disease. I hear he even fucks Halflings.”
Someone snorted. “You’re confusing Kols with Tray.”
“Oh, no, it’s a Nacht family tradition at this point.” The prim fae practically purred the words, her penchant for cruelty written into the sharp angles of her too-perfect face. “I mean, Tray took the Halfling human mutt as his mate, and his brother has no doubt fucked the Elemental abomination. To each his own, I suppose.”
“Aw, are you not getting enough dick in your life, Justine?” Ella asked, her expression one of mock concern. “Is that why you have to focus on others? Live vicariously through those you envy? That’s a shame.”
A flicker of magic singed the air, but Ella caught it easily with her wand and returned it to the sender just as our headmaster entered.
“Isabella Cinder!” Headmaster Vayera snapped, her cloak billowing around her in a flurry of annoyance. “What do you think you’re doing?”
“Practicing defensive arts,” Ella replied, not at all contrite.
“Not in my classroom, you’re not.” Headmaster Vayera pointed to the door with a sharp black nail. “Out.”
“It was one spell,” Ella argued.
“Out!” she shouted, not bothering to give Ella a chance to explain.
“Ella was just protecting herself,” I interjected. “Justine started it.”
“I did not!” the blonde perfectionist fae retorted, sounding affronted.
“Oh, come on,” Slag drawled. “We all saw you send that firefly at the Halfling. Aflora’s right, Headmaster. Ella was just protecting herself.”
Headmaster Vayera pulsed with irritation, her beady blue eyes searching the room. “Anyone else care to add to this delightful discussion?”
“Ella insulted—”
“That was a rhetorical question, Corrine,” Headmaster Vayera cut in, then took out her wand to wave it through the air with a muttered spell. Thick texts landed on each of our desks, all opening to various sections littered with legal jargon.
Groans filtered through the air.
“You will read and decipher each point, then present your section to the class by midnight. There will be no break today, as it’s clear you all enjoyed your fresh air a little too much yesterday and the day before. We’ll have a quiz instead that will cover all of the presentations, so I suggest you pay attention and be thorough in your translation.”
Ugh, academic punishment, I thought glancing down at my section regarding Paradox Fae time manipulation laws. This wasn’t even related to Midnight Fae at all. Well, except for the bit about how it was illegal to work with a Paradox Fae to change a timeline. But that was the case in all the realms.
I blew out a breath that turned into a vibration between my lips. Ella snorted in response.
And so began our very long day of reading, deciphering, and articulating into essay form. Because yeah, that was the test method Headmaster Vayera selected.
“She’s just evil,” Ella said as we entered the residence hall several hours later.
Tray stood waiting for her at the stairs, his eyebrow cocking upward at her statement. “Who?”
“Headmaster Vayera.” Ella drew out the a on a long groan. “She made us read Midnight Fae ordinances, Tray. Then she quizzed us on it afterward, and it was awful.”
His lips quirked upward. “Sounds like my childhood.”
“Ugh, not the same.” She walked into his open arms and accepted his hug. “It felt like law school,” she mumbled into his chest. “Not that I’ve been, but it’s the hell I imagined.”
“Mmm,” he hummed, holding her close and kissing the top of her head. “Need me to make it better, baby?”
And that was my cue to keep moving. “You two have fun,” I called, racing up the steps to the third floor and heading toward the gargoyle at the end.
“Sir Kristoff,” I greeted.
“Abomination,” he returned in his chilly tone. It didn’t help that the stones churned together in his mouth every time he spoke.
At least he allowed me to enter. I suspected if he had a choice, he’d close off all the doors and keep me trapped in a room with no entrance or exit. Similar to his master.
I scowled at the memory of the Council dungeon and moved through the threshold into the suite. Kols and Zeph were inside, their attention snapping to me as their conversation came to a halt.
“Don’t stop talking on my account,” I said, noting Kols’s flushed appearance.
Blood, I realized. It’s from drinking blood. Zeph had the same look about him, suggesting they’d both gone into the Human Realm for a snack. And probably sex.
Fine.
Just fine.
We were mates, but we hadn’t discussed anything about being committed. I mean, they betrayed me not twelve hours after biting me. So. What did that say about our bond?
I snorted and stomped off to my room, not wanting to talk to either of them. If they wanted to seek pleasure elsewhere, I couldn’t stop them. I didn’t even want to sleep with them anyway.
At least I knew why my dreams were vacant the last few nights. It wasn’t out of respect for me or their way of giving me time. No, they were too busy playing with mortal females and using them for blood and pleasure.
My bedroom door slammed behind me.
“Not my business,” I muttered to myself.
Who was I to even judge anyway? I had three mates. There was one of me. Of course, I wouldn�
�t be enough to satisfy them. Not that they’d bothered to try. But I didn’t want them to anyway, so this worked out well for all parties involved. They could mess around and leave me alone, and maybe we’d find a way to break this link between us.
I was a Quandary Blood, right? My gift literally unraveled magic. Why not try it on the mating connection?
I hung my cloak in my closet and stared at my reflection in the mirror Kols had affixed to the back of the door.
“What’s the point of any of this?” I asked myself. “Why am I even here?”
Because Shade had bitten me.
I narrowed my gaze.
Shade.
I hadn’t heard from him in a few days either. Had he joined the guys in their little human orgy? Doubtful. So where was he? Why hadn’t he reached out?
“Stop it,” I chastised myself while taking off my blouse and skirt. “Just. Stop.”
The guys didn’t matter. My future did. Whatever that meant.
I put on a pair of flannel shorts and a soft white T-shirt, then shut the closet and walked over to flop onto my bed. “Enough,” I muttered into my pillow. “Enough. Enough. Enough.”
Chapter Ten
Zeph
I cleared my throat, attempting to dispel some of the tension in the air caused by Aflora’s abrupt entrance and subsequent exit.
“She’s still pissed,” Kols noted, vying for the role of Captain Obvious.
“She needs to get over it,” I replied. “We gave her three days to cool off. Now she’s just acting like a brat.”
Kols gave me a look. “We destroyed her trust.”
“By protecting her,” I pointed out.
“But she doesn’t get that.”
“Because she’s being a brat and choosing not to talk to us. Instead, she’s stomping around and throwing a fit.” As if she overheard me, a door slammed from her room, causing me to roll my eyes. “It’s as though she wants me to spank her.”
Kols grunted. “Yeah, good luck with that.”
“She’d be wet for me in a second and you know it.”
“And she’d hate you every step of the way.” Kols shook his head. “Seriously, we fucked up. It’s going to take time to fix that.”