Elemental Fae Academy: Book Three: A Reverse Harem Paranormal Romance Page 14

  How does one scar a spirit? I wondered.

  We’ll explain it today, Exos replied with another kiss against my head. It’s one of the darker parts of our power.

  Like raising the dead? I asked.

  I sensed his scowl more than saw it. No. That would be dark magic.

  “Come on,” Cyrus encouraged, wrapping his arm around my shoulders. “We have a long day ahead.”

  I blew my fire mate a kiss that he caught and brought to his heart before sending me one in return. With a smile, I allowed Cyrus and Exos to lead me down the hall. “Where are we going?”

  Exos threaded his fingers through mine while saying, “Vox suggested a place where we won’t be disturbed.”

  My lips curled at the thought of my air mate. It’d been hard to leave him in bed this morning, but he looked so at peace between the—

  “You’re still here?” a deep voice demanded as we entered the foyer.

  Exos turned toward the source with an arched eyebrow. “Indeed we are. Is there a problem, Notus?”

  Vox’s father narrowed his ebony eyes at me, ignoring Exos entirely. “Haven’t you done enough to disgrace my family, Halfling?” He practically spit the name at me as if it were a curse. “You’ve already ruined our name and stolen my son. I think it’s high time you left.”

  My eyebrows met my hairline. “Wow, you’re charming in the morning.” And a complete dick as well. “Vox told me about your reservations regarding our relationship, and I’m truly sorry you feel that way. But I’ve done nothing to ruin your family name. As for taking your son, I believe he made that choice all on his own.”

  “I did,” Vox agreed, seeming to appear behind us with the wind whipping around him as he called upon his gift to empower his stance.

  Notus’s lips parted at the demonstration of air energy. “You’re accessing the source.”

  “Because of Claire,” he replied flatly. “My Halfling mate. The one you’ve chosen to belittle and disregard because she’s not the royalty you’ve always craved. How interesting that the elements seem to favor her.”

  My cheeks heated as he awarded me with an indulgent smile.

  “Yes, it does seem to me that Claire could have only helped with the family name,” Exos said, his tone regal and filled with authority. “But after the hospitality we’ve received here, I can assure you that will never happen.” He glanced at Cyrus. “I suggest we move our lesson to another kingdom, as we’re clearly no longer welcome here.”

  “I’m sure my father would accommodate us,” he drawled, not missing a beat. “He’ll also be incredibly intrigued by this turn of events.”

  Exos nodded as Notus sputtered out nonsense. I almost wanted to hear what he had to say. But then again, he wasn’t worth our time. He’d made his opinion clear, and there wasn’t a damn thing we could do to change it.

  “I’ll inform the others of our change in plans, and we’ll meet you back at the Academy tonight,” Vox said, ignoring his father’s rambling apology—or I assumed that was what he was trying to say. Maybe it was just another insult. At this point, I no longer cared to listen. Vox was happy, and that was all that mattered to me.

  “It will likely be tomorrow,” Cyrus said. “We’ll need time to recover before we travel again. Fortunately, my father is a hospitable host.” That last comment was tossed in Notus’s direction. “We’ll meet you there, Exos.”

  The world dissolved around us as Cyrus engaged his misting ability and teleported us with the ease of a practiced fae. I hadn’t learned how to do this yet but loved the way it felt—like effortlessly swimming through a refreshing stream. Except we always arrived dry.

  We materialized in the center of Cyrus’s bedroom to the welcoming sound of the waterfall in the corner. I vaguely remembered it from my time here, that tranquil song of moving water while we made love over and over in his silky sheets.

  He stole my mouth in a kiss, confirming his mind had ventured to the same memory, as he replayed those heated nights with his tongue against mine. I arched into him, adoring the sensations he stirred inside me and longing to indulge in so much more.

  But a stern knock on the door shattered the moment.

  Cyrus sighed, his fingers running through my hair. “Exos won’t be here for another hour, pending fae transport.”

  “Because you can’t mist him, right?” It wasn’t something he ever actually clarified for me.

  “Only Water Fae can mist, little queen.” He tapped me on the nose and pressed a final kiss to my lips. Then went to tug open the large wooden door, revealing his father on the other side.

  “Back so soon?” the king drawled.

  “What can I say? I love this place,” Cyrus deadpanned. Then he informed his father of Notus’s poor accommodations and continued into what we had planned for today. His father didn’t appear alarmed, telling me Cyrus had disclosed his suspicions about Elana already.

  Instead, all the king did was nod. “Let me know if I can be of any help.” His blue eyes—the same shade as Cyrus’s—focused on me. “It’s good to see you healthy, Claire.”

  We hadn’t properly met the first time, a result of my near-death state. However this man had not only helped save my life, but had also encouraged Cyrus to mate-bond with me. “Thank you, sir,” I said, my throat going dry. “For the, uh, compliment, and everything else.”

  Smooth, Claire, I chastised myself. Really smooth.

  The Water King grinned, his amusement palpable. “Trust me, it’s you I should be thanking.” He glanced at my mate. “You finally made my son grow up.”

  Cyrus scoffed. “I grew up a long time ago.”

  His father sobered a fraction, nodding. “Well, that’s true. But I have her to thank for you accepting your rightful place.” There was an edge to those words—an edge that had Cyrus standing up a little straighter.

  “I’m not here for that right now,” he replied through his teeth.

  “I know. But we’ll need to set a date soon, Cyrus. The imbalance of power must be rectified.” The look he gave his son wasn’t nearly as friendly as it was moments ago, but was instead a stern, fatherly admonishment. “Soon,” he repeated. He then took his leave with a casual, “I’ll ask Coral to make dinner arrangements.”

  “What does he mean by ‘the imbalance of power’?” I wondered out loud after the door closed.

  Cyrus ran his fingers through his hair, blowing out a long breath. “Our mating has tipped the scales.” He stepped forward, wrapping his arms around my waist and gazing down at me with a smile in his eyes. “We’re strong together, Claire. Stronger than everyone else in this kingdom, including my father. But with that strength comes a price.”

  “Your coronation,” I translated.

  He nodded. “Yes, however, it can wait.” He pressed his forehead to mine. “We have more important things to worry about first.”

  Like my mother, I thought. And Elana. “Your coronation is important, too,” I pointed out. “And Exos’s ascension hasn’t changed much, right? Will yours be much different?”

  He gave a little laugh and shook his head. “Oh, little queen, you have no idea.” He slid his palm down my arm to my hand and tugged me along beside him out onto the balcony rimming his suite. Waves crashed against the shores below, bleeding into streams that roped through the city surrounding us.

  A giant city.

  Bigger than the Spirit Kingdom and Air Kingdom combined.

  My lips actually parted at the sight, having not seen any of this during my last visit. Or, at least, I didn’t remember it. “Wow, Cyrus, it’s beautiful.”

  “It’s the biggest kingdom of all the fae,” he added, grabbing my hips to guide me backward into his body, where he pressed his chest to my shoulder blades. “This will all one day be ours, Claire. But with great power comes great responsibility.”

  “And you never wanted the position,” I realized out loud. “That’s why you chose the Spirit Kingdom.”

  “Not entirely. The Spirit Fae nee
ded me more than the Water Fae did, but they have Exos now. Leaving me to take over my responsibilities here, with you.” His lips brushed my cheek before he settled his chin on the top of my head, his substantial height dwarfing mine when he held me like this. “Being queen of this world will require sacrifices, Claire.”

  I stiffened, not liking that term—sacrifice. “What kind of sacrifices, Cyrus?”

  He sighed, his refreshing scent teasing my nostrils as he held me close. “For one, we’ll be required to produce an heir. And, as you have several mates, dividing time between kingdoms will prove difficult. There might be instances where I have to remain here while you venture to Spirit Kingdom with Exos. Both of our lives will require certain formal functions, ones meant to unite our fae kind. I won’t lie to you, Claire. It’s going to be difficult.”

  I turned in his arms, lifting my gaze to his. “But we’ll make it work.”

  “That was never a question,” he replied, a small smile curving his beautiful lips. “How do you feel about the heir part of the conversation?”

  The idea of giving Cyrus children made me feel all warm inside, but it did raise a pertinent question. “How will we know it’s yours?”

  “We’ll know,” he murmured.

  “How?” I pressed, actually curious now. And then a horrifying thought hit me. “Wait, should I be using protection?”

  He chuckled. “No, little queen. We have it well handled on our side.”

  “What does that even mean?”

  Another chuckle as he shook his head. “Fae males control reproduction, at least for Elemental Fae. You won’t become pregnant until one of us decides it’s time, which, trust me, will be a group conversation.”

  I blinked at him. “Male fae…” Yeah, I couldn’t finish that.

  “We’re not human,” he added, drawing his finger over my pointy ear. “And neither, my darling, are you.”

  Right. That part I accepted. “But you can control it?”

  His lips curled again. “Yes, little queen. I can control quite a few things. Would you care for a demonstration?”

  My eyes widened. “Now?”

  He laughed outright. “I’m not going to impregnate you, but it’s good to know where you stand on the pregnancy discussion.”

  “I mean, I’m not against it. But, uh, I don’t… I mean, it’s not time yet. Right? I’m only—”

  His mouth silenced mine, his kiss a seductive caress that had me melting into him on instinct. Minutes passed. Maybe hours. I always lost time when Cyrus touched me, but somehow we remained clothed, our tongues doing all the talking while the soothing sound of waves rolled in the distance.

  My Cyrus, I thought, adoring his touch.

  My Claire, he returned, his palm flattening against my lower back. I love you.

  I love you, too, I whispered, my arms winding around his neck. Whatever you need, I’m yours. And I meant it. If it was an heir he desired, I’d give it to him in time. If we needed to mist around the kingdoms to keep everyone happy, I’d do that as well. Whatever he required, I’d give him. Just as I knew he would do the same for me and the others.

  My mate-circle.

  My life.

  My loves.

  Titus

  The Academy felt empty without Claire.

  No, it felt wrong.

  Mostly because she was about to undergo a dangerous journey without me. I trusted Exos and Cyrus to watch over her, but I hated that I couldn’t even help.

  And worse, they’d left me to play babysitter to a cocky-ass Vox and a sulking Sol. The former was acting like a faeling who had just discovered his powers for the first time, while the latter wouldn’t stop muttering about “damn Spirit Fae.”

  Why had it become my responsibility to keep this mate-circle together and happy?

  Rubbing my temples, I grumbled, “Isn’t that Exos’s job?”

  Vox paused his chopping of the ingredients in the kitchen—from his position on the couch—and sent a controlled gust to slice into the vegetables on the counter. He grinned, proud of his new trick, and focused on me while his meal essentially prepared itself through the use of air alone.

  Hence, cocky-ass Air Fae.

  “What’s Exos’s job?” Vox asked. “Making dinner? Why would that be his job?”

  “Exos,” Sol repeated, his lip curling in annoyance. The ground rumbled, sending a fresh crack up the Spirit Dorm’s columns. He clenched and unclenched his fists as his eyes flashed with building rage.

  “What the hell is your problem?” I demanded, already exhausted and we’d barely spent an hour back at the Academy. “It’s like you’re about to implode, and you”—I pointed at Vox—“keep throwing invisible knives around. If one of those nicks me—”

  A gust spirited between my legs, causing me to jolt in surprise. Fucking Air Fae.

  Vox grinned. “No idea what you’re talking about.”

  I gathered a fireball and aimed it at Vox’s carefully prepared meal. “Don’t make me burn it to teach you a lesson.”

  Vox readied a stance, seemingly intrigued by the challenge. His eyes took on a flash of silver when I released the attack, yet the fire fizzled out in midair before it had a chance to hit. Only a gentle brush of wind betrayed that Vox had done anything at all.

  I sighed. “I liked you better when you were broody.” The bump to his power—and his confidence—that Claire’s influence gave him was getting on my nerves.

  Sol slammed his fist against the table, sending it breaking down the middle, as he shot to his feet. “I can’t think straight with the two of you idiots around,” he growled and then shoved past me, sending a painful jolt through my shoulder.

  I gave Vox an arched brow.

  “Don’t look at me.” He raised his hands in surrender. “Sol’s been in a sour mood all day. He’s probably just hungover.”

  “It’s more than that,” I said, turning and following the Earth Fae outside.

  Sol stormed to the practice arena as jagged spires of rock shot into the air all around him. The shiver of power that permeated the soil made my hair stand on the back of my neck, but I trailed after him anyway.

  Just an angry Earth Fae… I can handle this.

  “Sol,” I snapped, hoping to jolt the fae out of whatever funk he was in. “What’s got you so worked up?”

  He ground his teeth together and his jaw flexed. Vox took position at the edge of the yard to watch us, his eyes bright with a strong band of silver that said he’d intervene if I needed it.

  By the way the ground shook, it was likely.

  Sol slammed his foot, and another column of earth shot up, spraying dust and pebbles everywhere. I lifted my hand to shield my face with a column of fire.

  “Spirit is dangerous!” Sol roared. “You don’t know. You don’t understand. You weren’t fucking there!” He let loose a guttural scream as he sprinted for me with a balled fist.

  I dodged the impact—barely. And I noted the light gust of air that had helped me move out of the way in time. Without it, I might have lost my head.

  “Fuck, Sol!” That was way too close. “Did you just try to punch me?” I demanded.

  The Earth Fae’s chest heaved with so much pent-up rage that I was surprised he could stand. I’d seen that look before, the one that bespoke of years of repressed anger and grief. It was the kind of expression that often came out in the Powerless Arena.

  “Sol,” I tried again as I retrieved the bo staff Claire had given me from our weapons stash. I’d just put the gift here when we arrived this afternoon, hoping I’d get a chance to play with it later. Might as well give it a whirl now. It lit up with an aggressive wave of blue heat as I twirled it in my palm. “Why don’t you tell me what’s going on?”

  Sol looked between Vox and me as if there were answers just out of reach. “I…” He grabbed his head and groaned. “Claire can’t go there. She can’t experience what I did. She won’t… She can’t survive.”

  “She’s a Spirit Fae,” I reminded h
im. “She’ll be fine.”

  “No, no. You don’t get it. Neither one of you does. You didn’t… They all died. Every single one of them died.” Sol fell to his knees, denting the earth on his way down. “And it hurt.”

  I eyed Vox to see if he could tell me what the hell Sol was talking about.

  The expression of horror on the Air Fae’s face told me he did. “Your family,” he breathed.

  “All of them,” Sol whispered, the sound broken. “You don’t know what it’s like to have them in your head, in your soul, and not know what they did. All you feel is immense pain. And I don’t even know who did it. Who touched me. Who left me with all these scars.”

  Oh, shit. I mean, I knew the Earth Fae had some issues with control, and yeah, he was a bit of a grump at times, but I just thought that was part of his misguided charm. But this? Yeah, this wasn’t something I would have guessed.

  Sol groaned as if in pain, and the ground shook again, this time forming spiky craters that spiraled down into the earth. “A Spirit Fae ripped us apart from the inside. And the plague, it killed them, but somehow, I survived. And I don’t even know why.”

  The plague. He’s talking about the plague. The Earth Fae had experienced the worst of it—second to the Spirit Fae. Yet Sol seemed to be untouched by it. Hence his size, strength, and ability.

  But what he described made it sound like he’d been a victim, too. Just of a different variety of torture.

  He blew out a breath, his shoulders hunching as a cascade of cracks ran through the training yard that threatened to reach the dorm.

  If the giant kept this up, he was going to demolish the entire quad.

  “Okay, Sol, you need to take a deep breath, man. Claire is with Cyrus and Exos. I know they’re assholes, but they’ve proven themselves. She’s in good hands, buddy. Or I’d be just as pissed as you. Got it?”

  Sol narrowed his gaze at me and ground his teeth again, sending a rumble to unseat my balance.

  Right, so that approach didn’t work well.

  I stabbed my staff into the soil and poured my fire into it, melting rock back into place.

  “Look, if you love Claire, you have to stop this. She’s a Spirit Fae. You can’t just rip—”