“No!” This girl—Ignis—clearly had an issue with authority, because she popped her hands on her hips and stared me down. “I’m not standing for this bullshit. That bitch tried to kill me today. Twice.”
“It’s true,” her blue-haired friend said, coming to stand at her side. “I recognize water when I feel it, and that essence came from her.” She pointed a finger at a now-standing Claire, her gaze oozing malevolence.
“But I didn’t,” Claire whispered, her face falling. “I-I don’t think I did, did I?”
Ignis snorted. “Oh, brilliant. She doesn’t even know if she did it or not? Yeah, like I’m buying that shit.”
The blue-haired Water Fae folded her arms and tapped her bare foot on the ground, her gaze narrowed. “You totally did. I can still feel the power rolling off you. So don’t bother denying it.”
I frowned. While I felt the power still swirling in the air, it didn’t remind me of Claire. Just like with the fire earlier. Neither reminded me of her inner spirit, confusing my instincts.
Was she accessing power from a place I couldn’t sense?
Was our bond not as deep as I thought?
“What the elements is going on out here?” a deep voice demanded.
Ah, fuck…
The crowd parted to allow Mortus entry, his silk robe cinched around his slender waist. A flicker of surprise entered his elegant features at spying Claire, then his gaze narrowed into tiny black slits. “What the fuck is she doing here?”
“Elana made arrangements for her to stay in the Fire Quad,” I explained, my tone flat. I moved subtly in front of Claire, hiding her from Mortus’s view. “I’ll handle it.”
“You’ll handle it?” he repeated mockingly, glancing around the water-laden courtyard, the shattered glass windows, and the disheveled state of all the Fire Fae around us. “You’re doing a great job of that, Your Highness.”
Ignis and her friend smirked, causing my eyes to narrow at them. “What are you even doing in the Fire Quad?” My query was meant for the Water Fae. I didn’t know her name. She reminded me of a troll with her made-up eyes and wild blue hair.
“I don’t think that’s any of your business,” she snipped. “But I was staying with Ignis after her traumatic experience earlier.”
“Traumatic experience?” Mortus echoed.
“Yes. The Halfling tried to kill me,” Ignis said, her tone breaking at the end and causing me to roll my eyes.
“Oh, cut the crap,” someone snapped before I had a chance to speak. Titus appeared in a pair of pajama pants and slippers. He resided in one of the other dorms. Either the commotion awoke him, or Claire’s distress. Likely the latter, as I felt it trickling through our bond like an alarming beacon. “You provoked her and she defended herself. And how do we know Sickle didn’t cause the dorm flood?”
Sickle. That must be the Water Fae’s name.
She looked positively affronted by the accusation. “Are you frigid kidding me? I was asleep, you jackass.”
“So was Claire,” I pointed out.
Sickle carried on with another ear-piercing squeal of an excuse while Ignis fed into the bullshit, and several others started speaking up on their behalves, siding with the mean-girl brigade. Mortus gave me a smug look as the tongue-lashing continued and calls for justice wrung out.
Claire’s spirit diminished before me, her emotions turning dark, her shoulders hunched.
I ran my fingers through my hair, irritated as fuck. This had all gotten out of hand far too quickly. It would be a miracle to keep Claire at the Academy now after the two incidents today.
The fae were out for blood—her blood. Her innocence would matter little to them all.
“Enough!” Titus shouted, punctuating the command with a roar of fire that hummed over our heads and disappeared into smoke. “Go back to your fucking rooms, dry your shit, and go to bed.”
Ignis smirked. “As if I will ever obey your command to go to bed. Again.”
He took a step toward her, but I caught him by the arm and pulled him back. “You will do what he says. Now.” I allowed her to see the power lurking in my gaze, the ability to force her to do just that, and smiled inside as the color drained from her perky little face. “I won’t be repeating myself.”
She took a step backward, tears gathering in her eyes.
“Don’t even start,” I snapped, tired of women crying today. “Go.” The word echoed across the quad, sending several fae running toward their dorms, including Ignis and her frigid bitch of a friend.
But Mortus stayed, his beady black eyes blazing with fury. “I told you this would happen. She shouldn’t be here, Exos. This little experiment of yours is doomed to fail.”
“Thank you for the input.” I infused a hint of dismissal in my words, which, of course, infuriated him more.
“You’re a pompous little prick, just like your father.”
I raised my eyebrows. “You may be my senior in age, but make no mistake.” I took a step toward him. “I am your superior in all ways. Now, fuck off before I make you fuck off.” While I gave Ignis a glimpse of my power, I allowed this asshole to see it all. My gaze swirled with it, the aura of energy swimming between us and belittling his to ash.
He didn’t bow, as one should, but instead stalked off, his shoulders stiff, in the direction of Elana’s home rather than in the direction of the Fire Quad faculty quarters.
I sighed, glancing at a still-fuming Titus, who stood beside a shaking Claire. She wasn’t crying—thank the gods—but her pale expression and curved shoulders indicated her to be on the verge of it. Or maybe shock.
“I-I didn’t…” Her blue eyes flickered to mine, feeling my gaze upon her. “Exos, I-I’m sorry. I…”
I gathered her in my arms before she could finish, my lips in her hair and then pressing to her ear. “It’s going to be okay, Claire.”
She trembled against me, her head swaying back and forth. “B-but I almost killed you,” she mumbled. “A-and I don’t even r-remember doing it. Then the fire earlier, it was out of my control, and now this. And I can’t do this, Exos. I’m so sorry. I’m making this all worse. Even when I try, I just hurt people. I hurt you.” The last three words were a whisper, her broken voice fracturing my heart.
Something was happening here, something nefarious, because I would swear on my life that the flood had nothing to do with Claire. The signatures didn’t match. Just like the flames. I felt her power in that bar. It didn’t match what I sensed today.
Shaking my head, I cupped her cheeks, forcing her to meet my gaze. “We’re going to figure this out, baby. I promise.”
Her face crumpled. “I heard what they were saying, Exos. They hate me. Because of what my mother did, what I keep doing.” She inhaled slowly, as if striving for control not to cry. “You shouldn’t have to do any of this for me, not after, well, everything.”
“Oh, Claire. I want to do this for you.” I brushed my lips against hers, knowing like hell that I would regret this later and not giving a damn right now. “You’re mine to protect, sweetheart.”
“You barely know me,” she replied so softly I almost missed the statement.
“You’re thinking like a human, not a fae.” I nuzzled her nose, smiling at our ridiculous situation. She had no idea what it meant to initiate the bonds, yet she’d fallen headfirst into our connection. While she might not think she knew me, her spirit did. And that was what I called to me now—her inner strength—the need to embolden her taking hold of my instincts. She needed to know I had her back, that I believed in her, that I knew she could do this.
Stop fighting it, I told myself. Let her see.
My mouth sealed over hers, my fingers sliding into her hair to tilt her head to the angle I desired. She grabbed my shirt, her surprise evident in the way she parted her lips. I slid my tongue inside, my grip tightening as I took control and truly kissed her. None of that truth-or-dare shit from the bar. This was a real embrace, the kind of lovers, not acquaintances.
And most importantly, I wanted her to believe in herself the way I believed in her.
My comments about dropping her in the Spirit Realm were all empty threats, words meant to piss her off and embolden her. But that tactic had not worked as I wanted it to. So this was my new path, my way of showing my support and allowing her to know a piece of me I never revealed to anyone else.
Her spirit brushed mine, the energy warming between us and flourishing into the night. Yes, I urged. Dance with me.
Power erupted around us, our souls mingling on a wave of existence only Spirit Fae could access. Wonder traveled through the bond, her surprise palpable and sweet and causing me to smile against her mouth.
“There’s your spirit, baby,” I whispered. Then I deepened our kiss before she could reply and showered her in adoration and encouragement in the only way I knew how—by allowing her access into my heart. It was where our bond originated and anchored, where the elements lived inside a fae. A private resource only mates could access and I granted her entrance into mine, providing her with the most intimate experience known to our kind.
But she needed this to ground her. She needed to feel my courage to bolster her own, to borrow some of my faith in her, to see how deep this connection could go if we allowed it.
You’re going to be all right.
You can do this.
I’m here to help you.
Trust me.
Let me cherish you.
She couldn’t hear my thoughts so much as sense them, the emotion behind them causing her to relax in my arms and return my embrace. So sweet and tentative, but addictive. If we weren’t standing outside, drenched from head to toe, I’d take this a step further. But I could already feel the tug from Elana requesting my presence. Just a subtle nudge, one she could do as a Spirit Fae.
There would be another meeting.
And I needed to be there to protect Claire.
I pressed my forehead to hers, breathing deeply, my tongue already missing hers. We would pick this up later, after I assured her safety. “You’re going to be all right,” I vowed. “But I need to go handle Mortus.”
“Why do I know that name?” she asked, her brow crumpling.
I cleared my throat. Titus must have provided her with the history. “Mortus is the fae your mother fought.”
Her blue eyes flashed, her body going rigid all over again. “That’s who…?” Her mouth dropped. “Oh God…”
I cupped her cheek again, pressing my lips to hers and then to her forehead. “Don’t worry, sweetheart. I’ll handle him.”
“But he must hate me.” Her gaze snagged mine. “I’m the product of her infidelity.”
“Which isn’t your fault,” I said, wrapping my palm around the back of her neck. “You will not feel bad about actions and decisions that were out of your control. Do you understand?”
She swallowed, but nodded, her pupils dilating.
“Good.” I kissed her temple before glancing at Titus. Fire blazed in his eyes, having witnessed the entire exchange between us.
Now you know how it feels, I told him with a look, understanding exactly how this appeared to him. Because I’d experienced the same pang of jealousy and annoyance when I found them naked in bed together. But unlike him, I already understood that Claire may need more than one mate to balance her power. Of course, that didn’t mean I had accepted it yet.
Regardless, we didn’t have time to waste on fighting over her. She needed our protection first and foremost, and right now, he was the only one I trusted who could help keep her safe.
“Can she stay with you for the rest of the night?” I asked.
He didn’t hesitate, his response immediate. “Yes.”
“This may take a while, which means you’ll likely miss your classes today. Claire isn’t ready to attend until we lay some ground rules for student interaction.” Not to protect her classmates, but to protect her. The vicious things that were said to her over the last twenty-four hours were unacceptable and needed to be addressed.
Gods, I did not miss my time here. At all.
“Okay,” Titus replied, his gaze falling to a frozen Claire. “I won’t let anything happen to her.”
“I know.” And I did. Otherwise, I wouldn’t be handing her over to him. But Claire seemed to need more convincing.
Oh, how the tides had turned.
I shook my head, amused.
And decided to throw Titus a bone.
“Ignis is a bitch, Claire.” I tilted her chin upward, forcing her to focus on me. “She used an illegal potion to seduce him. I could smell it the second I found him yesterday. So try to take it easy on him. He’s not a complete jackass.” I winked to soften the insult.
She blinked. “A potion?”
“I’ll let him explain.” I pressed my mouth to hers once more—because I could, and wanted to—then finally released her. “Stay with Titus until I return, okay?”
She licked her lips, her gaze bright. “Uh, yeah. Okay.”
I smirked, enjoying that dazed look on her face far more than I should. “Try to behave, princess. I’ll be back soon.”
Hopefully.
It all depended on the Council and how much begging I had to do. No one would believe me if I said it didn’t feel like Claire. Which meant I needed a different approach.
Fortunately, I had one.
I just needed them all to accept it.
13
Claire
My lips tingled as I followed a silent Titus to his dorm.
Exos kissed me.
Like, well and truly kissed me.
And holy wow, was it good.
He’d awoken something inside me, something lively and buoyant—my spirit. I could feel it thriving through every step, the energy warm and familiar and strengthening my every breath. So much power. So much life.
It had shocked me at first, then floored me. He’d allowed me inside him in a way I didn’t really comprehend, but I saw him. It felt as if I’d known him my entire life, my heart automatically trusting his to guide me.
For once in my life, I didn’t overanalyze why. I just allowed it. Embraced it. Enjoyed it. Perhaps not the right place or time, but what did it matter? It’d happened. It was done. And I didn’t regret a second of it.
Except for a little bit now as I stared at Titus’s broad back. Mostly because just seeing all that expanse of tanned skin reminded me that I’d spent the previous night in bed with him. Then kissed Exos tonight as if he were my only lover.
Yet, I’d been upset over Titus having fucked Ignis the night before we met?
Yeah, that makes me a hypocrite.
Shit. I needed to say that I was sorry. However, I couldn’t find the words. Because I didn’t feel bad about kissing Exos. It felt too right for me to belittle it with an apology.
This was all so damn confusing. Especially considering my still-brewing attraction to Titus, something that remained evident as I moved past him in the entryway while he held open the door. The bare skin of his abdomen practically burned my arm, the intense heat causing me to trip over my own feet.
He caught my elbow, steadying me, his touch a brand against my arm.
I just kissed Exos. Passionately. I should not want to lean back into Titus now.
Swallowing, I pulled away and waited for him to lead, unable to meet his gaze. Not because I was upset with him, but because I couldn’t trust myself not to react.
He made an irritated noise and pushed past me. My elbow felt cold without him, yet my mouth continued to hum with electricity.
I can’t have them both.
But I sort of want to have them both.
This is so damn confusing.
Just follow Titus!
I shook off the war waging in my head and trailed after him, my hands clasped tightly before me. We walked up two flights of stair
s to the top floor and stopped at the second door.
He didn’t say anything as he waved me inside.
Then I couldn’t utter a word, too captivated by the view.
His room boasted floor-to-ceiling windows that overlooked a new part of campus, one I hadn’t seen yet, all lit up by the moon and stars above. A majestic garden of sorts filled with glowing plants and flowers.
I padded over to the glass, staring down at the enchanted vines curling and growing at impossible speeds and then trimming to allow more flowers to bloom. Every second was a new evolution, the garden shifting and changing at impossible swiftness.
“This building backs up to the Earth Quad,” he said, moving to my side. “The vast garden separates us, but there are pathways between. Of course, they’re constantly moving to adapt to the greenery, so it’s easy to get lost.”
“Wow.” I stroked the glass as if to touch one of the glowing flowers, entranced by the magic sprinkled throughout the immense field. I couldn’t even see the dorms beyond. “This is…” Amazing? Nothing like home? I had no adequate words.
“Yeah, it’s something,” he replied, running his fingers through his hair and taking a step back. “Do you, uh, need something to wear?”
I glanced down at my soaked clothing, my cheeks pinkening at the realization of how revealing this dress had become. “Er, yes. Please.”
He nodded and disappeared into a bedroom off the living area. The rest of his space reminded me of the dorm room Exos had taken me to—all modern appliances done in black, stone floors, charred walls, and fireproof furniture.
Titus returned carrying a pair of shorts and a T-shirt. “Here. Bathroom is through there.” He pointed to his bedroom.
“No roommate?” I asked, noticing it was the only door.
“No. I don’t play well with others.” His flat tone had me biting my lip and nodding.
“Right. I’ll just go change.” I walked quickly through his room, not wanting to invade his private space any more than I already had.
And found him waiting for me on his bed when I exited. His gaze ran over my shirt and shorts, his lips curling at the edges. “You look good in my clothes, Claire.”
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