Shadows and Sorcery: A Collection of Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance Novels

by Adkins, Heather Marie

  Looking down, I smirked as ash fell from my naked body. So much power in the fireball that was Claire. How did you do it? I wondered again.

  A soft touch across my shoulder blade made me stiffen.

  Damn, I hadn’t even heard her move.

  “Where, uh, are your clothes?” she asked softly, as if reading my mind.

  Her fingers continued to explore my back, running over the long scars I’d earned during my time in the ring. Fighting without powers didn’t protect me from the harsh edge of a blade.

  “You burned them off, sweetheart,” I said with a grin, making sure not to turn around. She didn’t need to see all of me. Yet. “I don’t suppose Elana keeps extra pairs of pants around here?” It was more of a rhetorical question since I doubted Claire knew.

  She drew in a soft gasp, and then I realized she was laughing. “Are you going to have to walk out of here naked?”

  I finally turned enough to peer over my shoulder and raised a brow. “You sound far too pleased by that idea.”

  Her gaze dipped, and I knew she wanted to see what I’d been keeping from her last night, but that was our intimate link pushing her—or her grief. I wouldn’t take advantage of her again, even if I thought for just a moment that I could help her forget everything.

  That maybe she could help me forget everything.

  Clearing my throat, I forced myself to bring up the one topic that would dispel the moment, to remind her of our predicament.

  “Exos might have some clothes I can borrow.” The words hurt, but they had to be said. This was the connection between us driving her emotions and reactions. She was too inexperienced as a fae to understand that. Taking advantage of that would be wrong.

  She hesitated before her touch retreated, leaving me cold. The impulse to lean back into her overwhelmed me for just a moment before I doused the growing flames in my chest.

  “Exos.” She repeated the name as if she’d just remembered last night. “I… I’m connected to him, too.”

  The raw emotion in her voice had me glancing back to find her cheeks flushing pink. Her blue eyes snapped up to find mine, reminding me that she was a Spirit Fae, better suited to one of her own kind.

  No.

  The very thought of leaving her to fend for herself against Exos—one of the only potential mates left among the Spirit Fae—made me cringe. She may have linked with him, but she needed me to keep him in line.

  Gods, I didn’t care if she bonded with a fae of every element, as long as I could stand by her side. We shared fire. That was the hottest of all the matings, one no fae could share with her, apart from me.

  Taking her hand in mine, tiny flames sparked between us, causing her eyes to widen. “Yes, you’ve created a connection with him. But our bond is strong, even for a courtship,” I admitted.

  She smiled, making something inside me flip a switch. “Stronger than my bond with Exos?”

  She meant it as a tease, but I sensed the tension beneath her words. Even though she couldn’t possibly know what it really meant, she clearly felt some guilt at having bound both of us at the same time. Her eyes searched mine, pleading for my approval and assurance.

  “Not stronger,” I said, drawing the words out slowly as I ran my fingers up the soft curve of her elbow. “Just different.”

  Her gaze dropped. Not the answer she wanted to hear. “He barged in last night. How did he…?”

  I lightly traced her shoulder before cupping her cheek. Her eyelids fluttered closed as she leaned into my touch. She wasn’t going to like my response, but Claire deserved the truth. She needed to know what it meant to be bonded.

  “He sensed your desire,” I said softly. “Whenever you are, well, aroused, he’ll know. As will I.”

  She flinched away. “Well, that’s embarrassing.”

  Chuckling, I wrapped a blanket around my waist. I was so busy trying to cover myself to prevent tempting her that I forgot she was completely naked as well. She allowed the charred fabric to pull away from her, revealing lush, sensual skin that glowed with the heat of our connection. She watched me, waiting to see what I would do.

  It took every ember of willpower to look away from her. If I indulged myself even for a moment, I’d toss away all my reservations and take her right now.

  She’s grieving.

  She’s scared.

  She needs you to be strong.

  She doesn’t understand the bond.

  I reminded myself of all the things the Halfling was likely going through right now. Today was going to be rough for her. She needed to see the Academy, and more so, she needed to understand how important it was for her to be here. The alternatives weren’t choices at all.

  Isolation…

  Death…

  The sooner she faced the Academy and fae society, the sooner she would be equipped to deal with her new life. My needs were nothing compared to hers.

  Before I could look at Claire again and spiral into the depths of our newfound bond, Exos blundered into the bedroom.

  Claire snatched her knees to her chest and cried out. “Exos!”

  I would have offered her the blanket to cover herself, but there was something in Exos’s eyes that said our nakedness was the least of his problems right now. “You two. Get dressed.” His gaze flickered to the doorway, and I sensed the low boom of the ground I’d missed a moment before. “Now.”

  * * *

  “News has spread that the Halfling is here.” Elana folded her hands in front of her dress and let out a long sigh. Vines budding with blue flowers wound through her hair, a living ornament that made her look ethereal and regal.

  I frowned and bit my tongue—hard. The rumor was already on campus. River had been the one to tell me about the Halfling, but the fact that a bunch of unruly students were causing a scene right outside Elana’s estate? That didn’t just happen. Someone had told them Claire was here.

  Not River, because I knew him and he would never do that, but someone had.

  “What do they want?” Claire asked, her voice taut as her fingers clenched around mine. I shouldn’t be indulging her need to touch me, or my need to touch her, but somehow our hands kept finding one another without my permission.

  Elana stared at Claire, her expression soft and wise. “Forgive my bluntness, but they’re protesting.”

  “Protesting?” she squeaked and dug her fingernails into my skin.

  I tugged at my borrowed clothes with my free hand. They were far too tight around my biceps and chest, and the agonizing frills ruffling around my elbows made me feel like a complete moron. Which, I supposed, was Exos’s goal when he gave me this pompous outfit.

  His wry smile confirmed it. “Don’t worry, Claire. Everyone will be so taken aback by Titus in royal garb that you’ll be yesterday’s news.”

  I suppressed a retort for the jackass, but Exos was right. This would help take some of the attention off of Claire, which was the least I could do considering her situation.

  However, even my comical attire couldn’t win Claire’s attention. Her gaze was locked on the hall that glittered with motes that had drifted in with the morning sunlight. Low chanting sounded outside the door in our old language, which Claire wouldn’t understand, the words making my teeth clench.

  Dooms-bringer.

  Finish what your mother started.

  Fae killer.

  “What are they saying?” Claire asked as she tilted her head to the side.

  Exos plucked Claire’s hand from mine and gave her knuckles a kiss, startling all of us out of our unease. “Nothing of importance, princess.” His eyes held hers for a beat before he bowed, releasing her as quickly as he’d grabbed her. “I, uh, need to ready our future accommodations.” He refocused on me. “I trust you’ll be able to give Claire a proper tour and bring her to the Fire Quad?”

  “No one will touch her,” I vowed, not because Exos had ordered me to play guardian, but because my blood boiled knowing how many fae wanted Claire dead. Maybe it was just
the courtship bond, but instinct told me to shred apart anyone who dared to whisper a threat within her vicinity.

  Which was apparently half the entire fucking Academy, if the chants outside were anything to go by.

  Exos leaned in, dropping his voice to a whisper. “Don’t kill anyone. Just show her around campus. Keep your head on your shoulders.” He gave me a once-over. “And your dick in your pants.”

  That last part was totally unnecessary.

  Okay, maybe a little bit necessary after last night.

  But for fuck’s sake, the jackass really needed to cool it with all the damn orders.

  “Come on, Claire,” I said, unable to muster anything more respectable than a slight bowing of my head to Exos. “We’ve been given our instructions for the day.”

  She swallowed hard, but I felt the heat of her trust where her skin touched mine, our hands instinctively finding each other again. It told me that as long as I was with her, perhaps she could face anything, even a protesting crowd of fae.

  Elana waved her hand, causing the bangles on her wrist to jingle. The wide doors of her estate opened with low groans, reminding me of ancient trees bowing in the wind.

  Sunlight poured into the foyer and illuminated the golden spirals around Claire’s face. I wanted to reach out and run my fingers through her silky strands, gather her hair in my fist, and kiss her.

  Again.

  Fuck. This uncontrollable need to take her was going to be the death of me if I didn’t learn how to tamper it. A tour would help. Assuming we could make it through the masses.

  “Now or never,” I said, more to myself than to Claire.

  “I’d rather get the shit show over with now,” Claire replied, surprising me with the vigor of her words. She shrugged. “Beats staying in this, uh, forest of a house. Show me your fae world, Titus.” She squeezed my hand, her gaze warm and trusting.

  A smile twitched at my lips as we stepped out onto the dried leaves in front of the estate. The chanting near the front gates ceased, students’ eyes going wide. “Here we go,” I said, pulling Claire along at my side.

  “There’s a lot of them,” she whispered.

  I snorted. “Yeah. I’m not concerned.” I created a fireball in my hand and threw it up in the air, before catching it. Many of the fae at the gates took several steps back, some even going as far as to leave. They all knew me, understood my gifts and how powerful I could be in a full rage.

  Begrudgingly, I also had to admit that borrowing Exos’s royal attire helped matters. Because they would see his symbol on my clothing, which boldly announced my actions to be official orders. And fucking with those orders was a good way to end up in the fire pits.

  I tossed a ball at the gates for fun, smirking as several more fae dispersed.

  Another flame appeared along the periphery, the signature belonging to Exos, who stood behind us in the doorway wearing a stoic mask.

  That caused almost the entire crowd to die, the students not wanting to mess with me or the notorious Spirit Royal.

  “Yeah, you’ll be fine,” I told Claire, winking.

  She gaped back and forth between me and Exos. “Did he just…?”

  “Yep.” I glanced back at him with a nod that he returned before disappearing into the house. “He’s just throwing his weight behind mine, not that it’s needed with this ridiculous outfit.”

  Claire giggled, her cheeks pinkening. “You look…”

  “Handsome?” I prompted, waggling my brows. “Hot? Sexy as fuck?”

  Her laugh was music to my ears, even as she shook her head. “You look hideous.”

  I covered my heart, feigning a wounded expression. “Claire… How could you? You know my ego is fragile.”

  She snorted. “Somehow I doubt that.”

  I slung my arm around her shoulders, tugging her into my side. “You’re right. I’m pretty sure even I make this outfit look good.”

  She patted my abdomen. “Pretty sure you don’t.”

  “Yeah, yeah. You want this tour or not?” I teased. The majority of the onlookers were gone, leaving Claire much more at ease beside me.

  “Yeah, I do.” She gave me a small smile. “I’m actually a little curious.”

  “Just a little?”

  She ducked her head shyly, her blue eyes sparkling with power. “Scared, too. But mostly curious.”

  “You have nothing to fear, sweetheart. I’ve got you.” I kissed her forehead, the action so natural, as if we’d been doing this for years, not hours. Not wanting to dig too deeply into that realization, I released her shoulders and held out my hand. “Let’s go.”

  “Okay,” she whispered, placing her palm in mine.

  The beautiful day unfolded around us as we moved, trees seeming to bow to Claire in her wake. She had no idea what kind of power she exuded in this world, how palpable her essence was to the kingdom surrounding us. Yet, she seemed quite taken with the atmosphere, her free hand curling into the air with each step, her eyes dancing with wonder.

  “It’s so enchanting,” she breathed.

  “And you’ve not even seen the Academy yet,” I replied, smiling.

  “How far is—” Her mouth fell open as the famous iron gates came into view down the flower-laden hill. “Holy shit, we are not in Kansas anymore.”

  I blinked. “What?”

  “You know, the…” She trailed off and shook her head. “Never mind. It’s a line from a well-known movie.”

  “Oh, human cinema.” I smiled. “We don’t really have that here, preferring to spend our time outdoors and whatnot.” Or at the gym. Or in a fighting ring. “Although, I guess they kind of televise some of our sporting events, but it’s not the same. It’s all carried by elemental magic, sort of unfolding in replays. And yeah, I’m boring you. Let’s head that way.”

  I pointed to the main entrance, charmed by four of the elements dancing around it. Beyond it were the renowned stone structures of the school, all laced with greenery and adorned in flowers. At least, the main buildings were. Each quad catered to the various elementals. I’d show her the charred towers of the Fire Quad first. It wouldn’t be as lively as the Chancellor’s home, but just as captivating.

  “Are you, like, supposed to be in class right now?” she asked as we walked.

  “Nah, you arrived at a good time. It’s our downtime right now between courses. Everything starts back up tomorrow.”

  “Like a weekend,” she surmised.

  “Similar, yeah. But we do six days on, six days off. Helps keep up the creative flow and allows us to participate in the mandatory intramurals.”

  “Intramurals?” she repeated, her gaze on the water dancing with fire along the gate as we passed beneath it.

  “Fae mingling.” I smirked. “It’s Elana’s way of trying to make all the fae get along, by forcing us to engage in physical activities and other general education courses together. Like Human Studies.”

  Her brow puckered. “You don’t get along otherwise?”

  I shrugged. “Some of us do. Some of us don’t. There’s a council that guides us, but each kingdom has its own governing structure.”

  “So… you’re like different countries?”

  “From what I understand of your world, it’d be more similar to continents.” I took a right through a long woodsy corridor between two of the stone buildings. “This is the main campus, by the way. Where the intramural courses are that I mentioned. Then each quad caters to the specific fae, so I’ll show you Fire Quad first since I’m most familiar with it.”

  We stepped into a courtyard where several fae were mingling, all of whom went silent upon spotting us.

  Claire gave a little wave that had them all taking several steps backward, their eyes going wide and whispers in the ancient language taking over.

  It’s her.

  I heard she caused the quake last night.

  Evil.

  Why would they allow her here?

  She’s going to kill us all.

 
Claire’s cheeks pinkened, her inability to understand their words not mattering. Their tones said it all.

  “Enough,” I said, irritated.

  “It’s fine,” Claire whispered. “I get it.”

  “It’s not fine.” I pulled her across the courtyard, only to find a row of fae waiting along the pathway that led to the Fire Quad.

  Fuck.

  A trio of fae approached us, their hips swaying and merciless eyes gleaming with mischief.

  Ignis and her bratty friends.

  “Well, I must say, the Halfling is not what I expected,” Ignis said as she curled writhing fire around her fingertips in a blatant display of aggression. “She’s so... blonde.”

  Claire narrowed her eyes, but she didn’t seem intimidated. Her gaze dipped slightly to the flames, betraying her moment’s hesitation that she’d noticed anything amiss.

  “Ah, yeah. I know girls like you,” she said, her voice low and full of foreboding. She raised her chin and peered down her nose at Ignis. “You think you have everyone wrapped around your little finger. Well, luckily, there are bitches in the Human Realm, too, and I don’t have time for them.” She tugged at my hand. “Come on, Titus. I’d much rather watch you play with fire.”

  Sickle sent a stream flooding in front of Claire, and I jerked her back before she could step into it and get caught in the trap. Aerie laughed, sending a breeze to splash the water onto Claire.

  It sizzled on contact.

  Good, Claire was pissed.

  That meant she would focus on her fire abilities—abilities I could help her with.

  Ignis chuckled and stepped close enough to reach me. “Oh, Titus, are you going to let her boss you around like that?” She moved to wrap her fingers around my bicep but hissed when the contact burned her. “Fuck, Titus!” Her eyes went wide, and she bounced her gaze between us, her wild auburn curls fanning out as heat spread across her face. She let out a rude laugh and covered her mouth. “Oh, seriously? You and I fuck, and then the next day, you initiate a courtship bond with a Halfling? Oh, this is too good.”

  Gods. I’d almost forgotten about the other night, with Claire being so close. Ignis had tried to force the bond, which, by fae custom, meant I owed it to her to try to reciprocate. But clearly, I broke that rule.