by Lexi C. Foss
“And why did that happen?” I asked.
Ella’s lips twisted to the side. “Uh, so, Kols and Zeph… they like to share women. And let’s just say, they shared the wrong one. Things went to hell from there.”
“They both fell in love with her?” I guessed.
Ella laughed loudly and shook her head. “Oh, God no. Nothing like that. Kols? Love? That’s like a bad joke.” She shook her head, her shoulders vibrating from suppressed laughter. “But yeah, nothing like that. Anyway, the Sangré Bloods are next. Their power lies in intelligence. They’re pretty much wizards when it comes to playing chess.” She pointed to the collar around my neck. “That was developed by a Sangré Blood. I can tell by the power swirling around it.”
Her not-so-subtle change of subject back to our lesson left me curious about the truth between Zephyrus and Kolstov, but I allowed her to continue.
“So the Sangré Bloods are highly intellectual,” I inferred.
“Yep. You’ll be able to identify them by their bald heads. They draw these patterns on their skin, and the more intense the design, the more powerful the fae. It’s sort of their way of showing off, or that’s the way I see it, anyway. The Warrior Bloods wear their muscles and scars, the Sangré Bloods paint beautiful patterns on their heads, the Elite Bloods dress in expensive jewels and robes, and the Death Bloods love their skull shit.”
“Sounds… charming.”
She scoffed. “Yeah. Shade is the lead asshat on campus, but trust me, the rest of them are just as dark as he is.”
“Great. I can’t wait,” I deadpanned.
Her lips curled. “I like you. As much as I know you don’t want to stay, I’m looking forward to having your around for a bit. You can help me keep Tray and Kols in line.”
“Yeah, I doubt they’ll listen to me at all.”
“Oh, I’ll teach you my ways,” Ella promised. “You’ll see. We can tame them together.”
I doubted that but smiled anyway. “So what about the Malefic Bloods?”
“Ah, yes, the final of the five. The Malefic Bloods specialize in offensive magic. They’re like the polar opposite of the Warrior Bloods. The latter defends, the former prefers spells that create damage. When I first learned all this, I called them the malicious ones, to help remember that their magic is dangerous and often intentionally cruel.”
Right. Avoid that sect of Midnight Fae, I noted to myself. “Is there a way to tell them all apart? I mean, the Sangré Bloods will be obvious, from what you’ve said. What about the others?”
Her blue eyes captured mine, a grin forming in their depths. “Actually, how about we continue this lesson tonight during the bonfire. That way, I can show you more than tell you.”
“Zephyrus mentioned the bonfire.”
“Yeah, it’s an annual tradition,” she replied, bouncing off my bed. “It’s actually pretty fun. But a word of advice? Don’t drink the beezlepunch. You’ll regret it.” She started toward the door. “I’m going to make some sandwiches if you want any. I’m sure the idiots will be starved from throwing all that magic around. Feel free to join us whenever you’re ready.”
Chapter Twelve
Aflora
I didn’t join Ella for sandwiches but did agree to follow her down to the bonfire with Trayton. Kolstov and Zephyrus had disappeared, whether together or apart, I wasn’t sure. I also didn’t care.
Or that was what I kept telling myself.
I shouldn’t care.
They were just two hot fae handling their own problems. It had nothing to do with me. My curiosity as to what the hell happened between them paled in comparison to my need to survive this new world.
Yet, a part of me kept hearing Ella’s casual statement about how the two men used to share women.
It wasn’t uncommon in the Elemental Fae realm for us to mate more than once, especially when a fae had access to multiple elements. Our new queen had access to all five elements and therefore required five mates to satisfy her ever-growing power. Yet, that wasn’t what Ella had meant.
She’d implied they shared women for pleasure.
And now I wondered what that entailed. Because being sandwiched between those two beautiful, fierce males? Yeah, that painted a pretty hot picture.
One I quickly doused water on because it would never happen.
At least, not outside my head.
Because in my head, it was definitely already happening.
And I really, really needed it to stop so I could properly focus on whatever Ella was saying beside me. Something about the bloodline colors.
Despite everyone wearing casual clothes, they all seemed to be dressed in similar shades.
“The Malefic Bloods wear solid black all the time. They never wear color,” she said, nodding toward a group of Midnight Fae socializing on one side of the bonfire.
“Because we’re at the Academy?” I wondered out loud. I’d opted for one of the Academy-regulated black skirts and a plain white button-down top. Nothing too fancy, but appropriate for the school grounds. Ella had chosen jeans and a tank top. Most of the others were in their cloaks, the females in skirts, the guys in slacks.
Except for the Elite Bloods. They all seemed to be showing off their fashion sense with a variety of different colors. I’d recognized them almost immediately because of the power swirling around them—it reminded me of Kolstov.
“No. They wear black everywhere regardless of the event or occasion. It’s their signature color.” She shrugged. “All the bloodlines have one. Death Bloods are purple. Sangré Bloods are navy. Warrior Bloods prefer a deep green, like the color of the LethaForest that surrounds our campus. Elite Bloods wear dark red. And Malefic Bloods…” She nodded toward the same group, finishing her statement.
Wear black, I translated. “What’s a LethaForest?” I asked, glancing around the open meadow and searching for trees. We weren’t near the campus buildings anymore, but we weren’t in a woodsy area either.
“Beyond the walls,” she explained. “We’re still in Academy proper. But if you go past the gargoyle-guarded gates, you’ll quickly find the LethaForest. Don’t go in there alone. There’s a bunch of scary shit that lives in there, and it’s filled with wild thwomps.” She shivered with the statement, something that caused Trayton’s lips to curl down as he approached with two glasses of some sort of drink.
He handed her one. “Are you okay?”
“Just warning Aflora about the LethaForest.”
His frown disappeared into a knowing grin as he held out the other cup for me. I accepted it with a softly uttered “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome. And yeah, Ella isn’t a fan of things that go bump in the night. When I mated her, I didn’t realize she was afraid of phantoms. Had I known…” He let that hang, and Ella elbowed him in the side.
“Shut it. You grew up in this world. I didn’t. And those phantoms are freaky as fuck.”
He lifted a shoulder. “That’s why I don’t go near them.”
“Yeah, yeah. I’m never going to live that down, am I?”
“Nope.”
She rolled her eyes, refocusing on me. “I may have gone exploring my first year here. And I may have found myself surrounded by ghostly knights with swords that weren’t corporeal, but very real. They were not happy with me for disturbing their nest, or whatever they called it.”
“Haven,” Trayton corrected. “You totally slept through our Wild Creepers course last year, didn’t you?”
“No. But your world is full of so many make-believe critters that it’s hard to keep them all straight.”
“Uh-huh. I think—”
I dropped my cup as Shade appeared across the way, flanked by two male Midnight Fae. His gaze instantly met mine, his icy blue eyes smoldering from the embers of the flames separating us.
“Grr, I have things to say to you,” I growled, mostly to myself since Shade couldn’t hear me yet.
“What?” Ella’s forehead creased.
Trayton bent
to pick up my glass, the contents all over the obsidian grass below. I couldn’t even take a moment to consider how improper that color was for greenery. “Aflora?” he prompted, arching a brow.
I could see the pair watching me from my peripheral vision, their expressions ones of matching confusion. Until Trayton followed my stare. “Oh.”
Yeah. Oh. “Hold my flowers,” I said, taking off toward my now smirking Midnight Fae mate.
“Hold her flowers?” I overheard Ella repeat behind me. “Is that supposed to be like holding a beer?”
“Maybe?” Trayton replied.
I ignored them.
My colloquialisms clearly didn’t belong in this realm. Just as I didn’t. But nothing could be done about that now.
Except maybe kick the tulip arse of the Midnight Fae who had forced me into this situation.
He watched my approach, amusement dancing in his features. “Hello, gorgeous.”
His expression and words infuriated me so much that I couldn’t stop my fist from landing right in his face.
A hush fell over the air around us, shock displayed on the faces of those flanking Shade. I didn’t care. I wound up my fist, ready to hit him again, only to find my wrist caught in his hand.
His smirk died behind a mask of annoyance as he used his grip on my wrist to yank me into his hard body. “It seems you need a lesson on how to properly greet an old friend.”
“Old friend?” I huffed a laugh. “Yeah, you’re certainly not that.”
My knee angled upward, aiming for his groin.
But I hit his thigh instead.
His eyes narrowed threateningly. “Who taught you how to fight? A flower?”
He whirled me around in a cloud of smoke that clogged my lungs and blinded my vision. I spun, searching for freedom, only to find my back pressed against something hard. Squirming, I tried to escape, but another wall hit my front, two strong palms grasping my hips and holding me in place.
“Let me go!” I demanded.
“Too late for that, princess,” he replied, his lips against my ear. “You’re already mine.”
I grasped his shoulders—confirming Shade was the wall in front of me—and tried to use the surface at my back for leverage to shove him away.
But he remained immobile, his strength overpowering mine far too easily.
A whimper caught in my throat. He’d ensnared me in less than a minute, capturing me in this thick, smoky blanket. “Don’t you dare bite me again,” I snapped, feeling utterly helpless and infuriated at the same time.
“You came at me, baby,” he whispered menacingly. “What kind of mate would I be if I didn’t punish you properly, hmm?”
“I’m already being punished, you willow stump!”
He chuckled, shaking his head against my neck. “Darling Aflora, we really do need to improve your vocabulary.” He kissed my racing pulse, sending a shiver down my spine that seemed to settle in my lower belly.
No, not a shiver.
A tremble.
One that ignited a subtle quake inside that terrified me even more.
Because it meant some sick and twisted part of me enjoyed his touch.
I squeezed my eyes shut, forcing that sensation to subside. No. No. No.
His teeth grazed my skin, stirring goose bumps down my arms. “Please don’t,” I begged, my nails digging into his cloak.
If he bit me again, it would deepen the bond. Kolstov said Shade had only initiated the bond and a second bite would seal it. Then a third… I shuddered, unable to finish the consideration because I couldn’t allow that to happen.
Or any of it.
I needed to stop him.
To fight.
To escape.
He murmured something that I didn’t hear beneath the chaos rattling around inside me. The noose around my neck kept me from accessing my earth essence. But somewhere within, there was a link to dark magic—because of Shade. I just needed to use it against him.
Pushing away from reality and ignoring the shadowy smog cloaking my vision, I searched deep in my mind for some sort of link. Anything that didn’t belong. Anything that I could use.
His tongue danced up the column of my throat, his touch temporarily drawing me back to the hands on my hips and the growing arousal pressing into my lower abdomen.
The flame inside me inched higher, yearning to dance with him in an intimate way that neither of us could afford. It had to be the bond. This compulsion to give in to him sexually and do whatever he requested.
I clenched my jaw, refusing to cave.
I’m stronger than this.
Don’t let his mind tricks overwhelm you.
Focus.
With a deep breath, I dove back into my mind, frantically searching for a path to follow that would lead me out of this complication. Because giving in to him and these indecent urges wasn’t an option.
Tying myself to him more would harm us both.
Not that he seemed to care.
“I don’t want to hurt you, Aflora,” Shade murmured. “I know I have, but it was never my intent.”
“Lie,” I choked out, torn between what he was doing and saying and my desire to fight.
“No, darling. I’ve never lied to you, nor will I ever lie to you.” He kissed my jaw, working his way to my mouth. “You can hate me—and you should—but I promise there’s a reason.”
“What reason?”
“Fate,” he replied cryptically before sealing his lips over my mine.
I refused to open for him.
Refused to kiss him back.
Refused to fall into this lustful trap.
He made no sense. Had ruined my life. Wouldn’t give me any details on what he wanted. And now had me trapped against some tree or wall, surrounded by a thick essence I couldn’t see through. Were we still at the bonfire? Or somewhere else entirely? He seemed to be able to teleport, in addition to controlling my mind. What else could he do?
Heck, was this even real?
I’d dreamt of him almost every night this week, waking up in a variety of orgasmic states, all brought on by his mouth and hands. Were the dreams a response to his bite? Or was he manipulating me?
I hated that I didn’t know.
Hated more that I didn’t know how to stop him.
His tongue danced along the seam of my mouth, requesting entrance.
I denied him.
His grip on my hips tightened, causing me to wince. I grabbed his neck and dug my nails into his scalp in response, needing to harm him in some way.
Yet all it did was make him smile against my lips. “I love that you’re not giving in,” he admitted softly. “Proves you were the right choice all along. An easy mate would bore me significantly.”
“I’m an unwilling mate,” I snapped. “You ra—”
He took advantage of my retort, sliding his tongue into my mouth and stealing my breath away. I nearly bit down, then remembered what that did in my dreams. His blood made me crazy with lust.
No.
Allowing his kiss made more sense.
Only, I didn’t want any of this, even if my body seemed to crave his touch.
I returned to my inner search, navigating the complex webs of my mental state for anything out of place. When I found nothing, I dove into my soul, desperately seeking out my link to earth.
So dark.
Black.
Wrong.
Wait, what’s that? A glint of cerulean blue light caught my focus, drawing me nearer. It blended into the inky abyss but began to glitter as I approached. Tugging on the thread, I followed it into the deep recesses of my spirit.
A chill slithered over me, followed by a wave of warmth as Shade deepened our embrace. For as much as I hated him, I had to admit the male knew how to work his tongue. I couldn’t help responding, my body arching into his as if being pulled upward by a string.
“I hate you,” I muttered against his mouth.
“You’ve said that before,” he acknowledged.
“And I’ve admitted to hating myself for what I’ve had to do to you.”
“Yet you won’t tell me why.”
“Because I can’t.” He recaptured my lips, silencing our conversation, and drew his palms up my sides as if memorizing my body for the first time. And maybe he was. I really had no way of knowing if he visited my dreams or if they were all in my mind.
I couldn’t even tell if this was real or not.
The glimmer of cerulean drew me deeper, dividing my focus between Shade’s touch and the mysterious puzzle unfolding inside my soul. Something was unraveling, a lock of sorts that I seemed to be distorting with this odd wisp of beautiful blue.
“I can feel that,” Shade whispered. “Whatever it is you’re doing.”
I ignored him.
He couldn’t possibly be this deep into my soul.
Dancing in the darkest recesses of my being.
“We’re mates,” he added. “My bite sealed us together for eternity. The sooner you accept that, the better.”
“I’m not a Midnight Fae,” I replied, irritated all over again.
“Are you sure about that?” he countered, causing me to blink up at him.
The smoke had dissipated, allowing me to catch his azure irises. I am pressed up against a tree, I thought, finally able to see my surroundings.
We weren’t anywhere near the bonfire.
So either he’d teleported us or I was lost in a dream state again.
“Release me, Shadow.”
“I can’t.”
“That seems to be your favorite phrase,” I replied coldly. “You can’t tell me why you bit me. You can’t release me. You can’t explain—”
“You talk too much.” He kissed me again, causing me to growl in frustration.
The cerulean rope in my mind tightened suddenly, causing me to stiffen just before a wave of power rippled across my skin. Shade flew backward, landing on his ass a few feet away, his eyes wide in shock.
