High Fae Academy - Year Two: Paranormal Fae Romance

by Kaylin Peyerk

  She shrugs. “I’m just relaying the details. They also said now that you’re out of the way they can move forward. Whatever that means. Then the conversation turned to trivial matters about the academy, to which I promptly tuned out of.”

  “Their plans must be centered around the portals, right?” I lean my head back and groan. “Ugh, I don’t know enough to make assumptions! At least they think I’m out of the way now. That gives us more wiggle room to search for Rowan if they’re not worried or suspicious.”

  She grins, showing her too long incisors, “Wiggle room? What do you have in mind?”

  Chapter Six

  Beth and I had exchanged numbers before making plans to meet up at around midnight near the main tower. Back at the dorm, I’m lying on the couch, planning on taking a power nap and waking up to meet up with Beth later. My plan is shattered when Lucian walks in, holding two pizzas and frosty drinks. The mouth-watering smell of it makes me sit up on my forearms. He smiles at me and comes to sit by my feet.

  “I figured you’d want some comfort food after drinking today. Damon mentioned you were with a new friend?”

  I sit up and take a coke from him. “Yeah. Her name is Beth, and I would call it more of a hostage situation. She pretty much told me we’re friends now.”

  He laughs, and he looks so much like my Lucian when he does that my chest aches. “Gotta be careful with vampires Tiana, they’re territorial beings.”

  He hands me a paper plate, and I lean forward to grab a couple of slices of pepperoni and mushroom pizza. I try not to think about how he knows my favorite food as I lean back into the couch. If I question everything that happens in this duplicate reality, I might go mad. He’s eating a slice and watching me do the same. He appears to be nervous about something.

  Maybe he is going to tell me the truth. Ha! I can't wait to hear what type of crazy story he’s going to try and weave together. I’m starting to trust the dark fae less and less. While they may have been repressed when Rowan was king a long time ago, they don’t seem to be now. So, all of this useless fighting and bloodshed seems to be two-sided. However, what the vampire kid said still nags at me.

  My parents can’t even find enough animals for blood, it’s like the king of Earth has denied us the courtesy of life.

  Lucian snaps me out of my daydream. “Earth to Tiana?”

  I look at him, wide-eyed. “Gods, sorry. I zoned out there. What did you say?”

  “I said I have something I’d like to discuss with you.”

  Here we go. “Alright, go for it. You have my full attention now.”

  I turn to him for emphasis, and he tugs on the collar of his jacket. “As you know, the competition takes up the rest of the winter semester. At the end of the competition, the entire court comes to the winter solstice ball held here at the academy.” He pauses, and I give him an encouraging smile. “Before anyone else can do it, I’d like to ask you to be my date.”

  “Your date?” I ask dumbfounded.

  His cheeks flush, and he scrambles to say. “Yes, my date. But you can think about it if you’d like to as it’s still two weeks away.”

  “Ah, no, I don’t have to think about it. I’d love to be your date.”

  His answering smile is dazzling. “That’s great. I look forward to it. And as another side note, the other masters and I would like to discuss your spring term plans in detail after the solstice, alright? Just to make sure you’re all set for the new year.”

  There it is. “That sounds good.”

  How long do they plan on keeping me here? Until the end of eternity? Or maybe they think that they can control the light fae territories by keeping me hostage and threatening my life. Little do they know that while the light fae masters may be enthralled with me, I doubt the kings care besides Lucian. Would they really fight a war or give it up for me? Certainly not. At least I hope not. Something Annie said to me about her mother makes me cringe.

  Men have fought wars for the love of a siren, or any beautiful woman, for that matter.

  Lucian continues eating, and I take a sip of my drink while trying to calm the rising panic. This place had never felt like a prison until now. I had always thought I could find Rowan and get out of this, but what if I can’t? And what if the light masters don’t really have the power to save me? Gods, I need to get ahold of myself. According to everyone in the paranormal world, I’m either the hero or the villain of this story, but either way, I’m powerful. I can get myself out of this. Can’t I? Not without Rowan, a small voice whispers, causing dread to curl in my stomach.

  We finish eating in surprisingly comfortable silence, and Lucian rises to put the leftovers in the fridge. I lie back down on the couch and pull a nearby throw blanket over my legs. It’s warm and soft, and a low hum of pleasure comes from deep within me. He comes back and pulls my legs onto his lap before clicking on the television. The combination of his fingers massaging my feet, and the soft background noise of the TV lulls me into a deep satisfying sleep.

  ***

  The next morning, I wake up feeling impossibly groggy. Beth and I had gone searching for Rowan but found nothing on the three floors we searched. There was only a bunch of discarded training equipment and broken magical objects. The most interesting thing we found was a room full of powerful looking stones and crystals that glowed with the force of the magic within them. We had thought for sure that we found Rowan, but they turned out to be spell stones. I didn’t feel his soul in the room at all. After that, we both yawned and called it a night.

  Lucian hadn’t come last night like he promised, which is part of why I’m feeling so shitty this morning. I had pushed myself hard yesterday because I knew he’d help me regenerate some of my magic, yet he never came. It isn’t that concerning to me. We probably missed each other as I didn’t go to bed until late into the night, even later than the night before. If anything, he’s probably the one freaking out. Just in case I take out my new phone and type in Annie’s number.

  Hey, I missed Lucian last night. Tell them I’m alright. I was out late looking for Rowan.

  I throw the phone onto the bed and go take a quick shower as I’m already late. Lucian had left long ago to get to the arena early, much to my dismay. Despite him being the other Lucian in my life, he still makes me feel good. And while that comes with a certain amount of guilt, I don’t feel bad enough to stop. Especially when I can feel my magical life force seeping away. After pulling on my shirt, the phone dings from the bed.

  Ah, thank god! He was worried and still is. He said you need his energy to make it until we come to get you next week.

  Next week? No! I need more time than that if I’m going to find Rowan. I knew that Lucian was only placating me when he was okay with me staying for Rowan. It’s my own fault. I wasn’t completely honest about the real reason why I need him. Lucian probably thinks that I just don’t want to lose out on his power and company. He’s willing to sacrifice both to keep me safe, which is sweet, sort of.

  About that. I’m not leaving next week. I have to stay until the winter solstice. End of semester and the craziness of their weird ball will be the perfect cover to sneak me out with the least amount of bloodshed possible. Plus, I still haven’t located Rowan and I’m not sure I will be able to by next week.

  Another text comes in from a different number this time, only it’s a group chat with several unidentified numbers.

  The winter solstice? Are you kidding? That’s two weeks away!

  Who is this?

  Lucian.

  Another number cuts in: It might be better Lucian, think of all the distractions that will keep the dark fae off their guard.

  He replies: Fuck off Adrian, it’s a terrible idea. Doesn’t your skin crawl at the thought of Tiana being in that realm for one more day, let alone two weeks?

  Damon here, and yes. Fuck off, Adrian.

  Annie’s name pops up: Calm down boys, I know your hormones are raging. But if she says she has to stay there until the solsti
ce, I say we follow her lead.

  Adrian responds, I agree.

  Two Other Numbers give their two cents: Agreed.

  I can only assume that those responses are from Orin and Rai. Gods, this group chat is going to be the death of me. After shoving the phone into the side pocket of my bag, I head out for the arena. My pace is slow as I make my way there. There’s nothing less entertaining to me than watching other people kill themselves just for the chance to be a part of Lucian's court. I try to remind myself that fae are violent and don’t feel emotions the same way I do, but it doesn’t make a difference.

  The arena is loud when I enter, and I scan the stands for Beth. She’s nowhere to be found, so I walk toward the fae section instead. There aren’t very many seats, and all the open ones are up at the top by the fourth-year students. And, to be honest, they scare me a bit after seeing that one guy all decked out in armor and sheathing full iron weapons. Speaking of him, he spots me and smirks, waving me up to sit next to him despite the full row. Not wanting to anger him in case he decides to tell Fiora of my snooping, I walk up the stairs warily. He kicks another female out of the seat next to him, and she looks miffed as she storms past me down the stairs.

  I didn’t get a good look at him when he stepped out of the portal yesterday. Maybe my fear and shock at the entire situation prevented me from it, but this fae is just as achingly beautiful as the rest of them. His hair is midnight black so dark it’s almost blue and is cropped close to his head. His porcelain skin shines brilliantly in the sun streaming through the arena, matching his dazzling smile. I take a seat next to him, and he turns to me, forcing me to look into his emerald green eyes.

  “Ah, fancy meeting you here first year. I never got your name yesterday.” I don’t respond right away, so he raises one eyebrow.

  I fumble, “Oh. My name is Tiana.”

  “I’m Octavius. What type of fae are you? “ He pauses and sniffs. “Your power smells like sunlight, a sea breeze, soil, a crackling fire, and your own signature all in one. It’s puzzling.”

  I rub the back of my neck. “Uh, I kind of have a little of everything.” He opens his mouth, but I rush on, “But it makes me weak because I can never master one element over the other.”

  He smirks. “Oh, so your some type of half breed? I bet your mom was a human, wasn’t she?”

  Close enough. “Yeah, she was.”

  If there’s one thing you can always use against fae, it’s their arrogance. Calling myself weak distracted him from what I might really be. While feeding this guy’s ego isn’t the most riveting experience, it’s better than him finding out I’m the only light fae in a stadium full of my enemies. I can tell that he’s not planning on being too friendly anyhow, which makes me wish I would have sat with the vampires despite Beth’s absence.

  “You’re different than other girls here.”

  It’s not a question, so I don’t answer him. Instead, I pretend to watch the two fae in the arena maim each other with death magic. The sight makes me cringe. I don’t think I’ll ever get used to seeing it in action. Is that why Cyrena called them demons? Because they use this unknown power against the light fae in combat? The idea makes a shiver travel down my spine. I can feel him watching me out of the corner of my eye and try not to show how uncomfortable I am.

  He asks, “Do you know who I am?”

  I glance at him. “No, should I?”

  He almost looks offended. “I’m Lucian's son.”

  My eyes snap up to his in surprise. This Lucian has a son? Oh gods, did he have him with the dark fae copy of Lucian’s first mate? Does my Lucian know that his copy has the son he was never destined to have? The entire situation makes my head hurt, and I look away from him again. He does kind of look like Lucian; he has the same hair and build. He must get his eyes from his mom. Not that I care. Nope, I don’t care at all.

  “Ah, alright. Sorry your highness,” I say with very little respect.

  He snorts. “That was convincing.”

  I say offhandedly, “If you knew my past, you’d get it.”

  I realize my mistake the moment his eyes light up with interest. “Oh, really?”

  We break eye contact when an anguished scream rings out across the arena. A girl's body crumples to the ground, and Lucian stands to stride toward her. I look away from her broken, strangely angled limbs and vacant eyes. Octavius watches me curiously as if he’s never seen someone cringe in the face of death before. I believe it. The fae around me look feral and excited about the girl’s death. It’s disgusting.

  “Just forget about it, alright? I’m just some stupid first year to you.”

  As if sensing my words, Lucian looks up at me and smiles. Octavius’ eyes narrow at the gesture. He looks between his dad and me several times. My heart speeds up at what he’s going to assume and spread around the campus. That’s the last thing I need right now. Why does this kid even care if I know his dad?

  “Ah, you know my father personally, don’t you?”

  I roll my eyes. “Only because he brought me to the school.”

  The statement isn’t a lie. And this conversation is getting old. I stand and make my way down the bleachers toward the exit. All I can think about is how this Lucian got the chance to have children with his mate while mine did not. It’s a painful thought, and I’m not sure whether or not I should even tell him. Ignorance is bliss, right? Well, maybe not for a king. I’m out of the arena and sucking in a few deep breaths when he catches up to me. I almost groan out loud and tell him that I don’t need one crazier situation to deal with right now. I round on him, my stress over the last few days cracking my facade.

  “Look, I’m not looking for a friend or for someone to fuck with me, okay? I have a lot on my plate. So, whatever your intentions are, please, just leave me the hell alone.”

  He backs up a step, holding up his hands. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable. You’re the first girl here that hasn’t acted like I’m god's gift to earth.”

  I sneer at him. “I bet that’s a breath of fresh air.”

  “Yeah, it is, actually.”

  We stare at each other for a long moment. He actually looks startled at the vulnerable confession. I wish this guy would have a romantic awakening with someone else because I’m caught on one person in his family, let alone two. Plus, he’s clearly the enemy if seeing him in full battle gear is any indication. Who knows what he was doing in that portal. His hands could be stained with light fae blood.

  “Well, I’m not interested.”

  He smiles at me, showing me dimples that match his fathers. “Ah, but you are.”

  I glare at him. “No, I’m not. While I admit you’re attractive, so is every other fae male at this campus! So, my sexual attraction to you does not equal romantic attraction. And just so we're clear, I’m not interested in acting on my sexual attraction.”

  The annoyance in my voice is clear, yet his smile only widens. “Are you sure about that?”

  He steps closer to me and runs one hand down my arm, and I grudgingly admit that it feels nice. My body sways into his, and I force myself to stop. Damn all of these fae and their powers of attraction! I blame my human half for being so weak. If I was full fae, I doubt I’d have such a hard time resisting. Although all his touch does is remind me of his father which is troubling. Does mating potential run through the bloodline?

  I step away from him to put some distance between us. My head clears, minimally, and he’s still grinning. It makes me want to reach out and slap him across the face. Gods, Octavius is one of the cockiest, most arrogant male fae I’ve met so far, and that’s saying something. His sly grin reminds me again of my Lucian and the way he made love to me on the dresser. Even if it was only in spirit, it was still hot as hell. My face flames with want and I look anywhere but at the male in front of me.

  Gods, why am I so horny all the time?

  He moves closer, emboldened by my flushed face. I step away again as weakness flows through me, remi
nding me that I wasn’t able to meet with Lucian last night to replenish my magic well. My body can feel traces of spirit magic on Octavius, and I sway forward, putting my hands on his shoulders. His facial expression turns worried, and he puts supportive hands on my hips.

  “Are you alright?”

  “Yeah, I’m just dizzy all of the sudden.”

  “Your magical signatures are all over the place, rising and falling erratically. Are you sure?”

  Beth’s voice comes out of nowhere. “There you are, Tiana! I’ve been looking for you everywhere. Thanks for finding her for me, you can go now.”

  She pulls me away from Octavius and throws one arm around my shoulders. It looks awkward as she’s at least half a foot taller than I am. He looks between the vampire and me, trying to figure out why she’d be looking for me. The worried expression doesn’t leave his face as he rubs the back of his neck.

  He says, “Alright. Well, I’ll catch you later.” He turns and walks back into the arena without looking back, and I sigh in relief.

  Beth says, “If there’s one person here you want to avoid, it's him. You know that he’s Lucian’s son, right? He’s literally a general for the dark fae army.”

  Dread fills my chest. A general? But he’s so young! Or maybe not. Fae look young at all ages. Hell, I thought Lucian was twenty-five and he’s over seven hundred years old. Although Octavius can’t be that old if he’s a fourth year at the academy, right? If he’s old enough, my spirit might try to associate him with mating potential as well, just as it did with dark Lucian.

  “He’s a fourth year, right?”

  She shakes her head. “No, he’s the combat instructor here.”

  Fuck.

  Chapter Seven

  Later that day, Beth and I are loitering around the main building, not confident enough to go in and explore without the cover of darkness. There’s nothing worse than getting caught snooping. The competition had ended over an hour ago, yet the masters haven’t come to the main building for dinner yet. We’ve had dinner together every day since I’ve been here, so I assume today is no different.