Elemental Fae Academy: Book One Read online

Can you see that? I asked Titus, then remembered he couldn’t look up.

  No, but I feel it.

  What is he doing?

  Binding their elements, he whispered back to me. He’s essentially making them human.

  I flinched. Fae can do that?

  Spirit Fae, yes.

  Which meant I could do that to someone. Take away their will. Control them. Which, of course, made sense. Spirit represented life and death, and apparently, that included a fae’s essence as well.

  The girls collapsed as he finished, their tear-streaked faces leaving me slightly unsettled. Not that they didn’t deserve it. With their little tricks, they’d almost sentenced me to an entire existence alone. And they’d tried to hurt Exos and Titus.

  Yes, they more than earned this fate.

  “Mmm, I believe justice is to be served, then,” Elana murmured, calling on her pixies again. “Take them to the house. I’ll escort them personally to the Spirit Kingdom later.” She flicked her fingers with the words, and the horde of little fairy things took hold of the trio. They practically dragged the three fae from the room by their hair and clothes while Ignis pleaded after them with her eyes. When she met mine, there was a note of urgency in them that I didn’t understand.

  Panic that she’d been caught?

  Frustration?

  A hint of revenge?

  But it was too quick for me to study, the girls yanked from the gym with a vengeance.

  Elana sighed dramatically. “Well, now that we’ve settled that, I believe apologies are in order. Claire has been wrongly accused and should actually be commended for her efforts in stopping the dangerous elements. I witnessed each account with my mind now, through the eyes of the guilty, and I must say, I’m impressed with your control.” She smiled at me. “You’ve come a very long way in such a short time. I suspect there will be great things in your future, young one.” She cocked her head to the side, then peered at Exos. “I have an idea.”

  “Yes?” he prompted, his expression one of deep admiration. This woman was clearly well loved by the fae. It seemed appropriate. From what little I’d observed of her, she’d earned her status.

  “How would you feel about me helping with some of her instruction? Given your recent bond and her attraction to all five elements, she has the potential to help—if not lead—our elemental peace initiatives. Thoughts?”

  Gasps filled the room, including one from Vox.

  But I was too busy trying to figure out what she meant by peace initiatives to comprehend the entirety of that statement.

  “I think it’s up to Claire,” Exos replied. “But I agree that it would be an excellent—and very generous—opportunity.”

  “Might help make up for her rocky start as well,” she mused before grinning at me again. “I’ll touch base with you next week on what a tutelage beneath me would require, then you can decide for yourself if you’re interested. Yes?”

  I swallowed. “Um, thank you. Yes, I would be interested.” I think…? This was not at all how I expected the day to go. But I couldn’t necessarily complain about the turn of events, and from the awed noises in the room, she’d just offered me a status of some kind. I only wished I understood what.

  “Excellent.” Elana clapped her hands once more, eliciting several sighs of relief throughout the gymnasium. “Well, it’s been lovely, my beautiful children. I hope we all learned great things today. Should anyone require an audience with me to discuss today’s events, you know where to find me.”

  She left with a flourish of vitality, the ground sprouting wildfires in her trail and a clutter of those pixies forming around her like a guard.

  Vape smiled and followed, but not before nodding once at Exos.

  And Mortus merely slinked back into the shadows, his presence an ominous shade in the back of the room as everyone seemed to bounce back to life.

  I met his dark gaze, felt a chill of ill intention traverse my spine, and suddenly found myself wrapped up in Titus’s arms. “You did it,” he whispered, his lips at my ear.

  “I didn’t do anything.”

  “You remained calm, sweetheart. You didn’t let them goad you. And you’re one hell of a Faeball player.” He cupped my cheeks in his hands and kissed me lightly. “Why didn’t you tell us you knew how to play?”

  “You mean kickball?” I asked. “Humans play that in, like, elementary school.”

  His eyebrows shot up. “Really?”

  “I told you that,” River put in, joining us. “I’ve said that, like, ten times.”

  “You did?” He gave him a look. “When?”

  “One of the many times you were apparently ignoring my comments about the human world,” River grumbled.

  “Hmm. Fair.” Titus draped his arm across my shoulders, pulling me to his side. “Well, Claire’s a natural at it.”

  I snorted. “It’s not a hard game.”

  “She’s really good,” someone agreed from the side.

  “Yeah, she is,” another said.

  I frowned after them. “I don’t know them.”

  “Ah, but they know you.” Titus pressed his lips to my temple. “Actually, I think your position around here is about to change.”

  Exos joined our circle, his gaze brimming with pride. “Mortus just gave us permission to move back to the Fire Quad, if you want.”

  “He did?” I glanced around, trying to find that ominous energy, but he’d disappeared.

  “He did,” Exos confirmed. “But I told him we’re having too much fun on Spirit Quad to move.” He lifted a brow. “Unless you disagree?”

  I considered it and smiled. “I think the Spirit Quad could use a little life.”

  His lips curled. “My thoughts exactly.” He stepped in to brush his lips over mine while Titus’s arm remained solid across my shoulders.

  My two fae.

  It felt good here.

  Felt even better that Vox remained on my other side. I didn’t know what that meant, but I would investigate later. For now, I was just glad to have my name cleared of wrongdoing. I still had a lot of work to do to get my elements under control, but at least I could do so without worrying about hurting others.

  As Elana said, I’d helped.

  No, I’d more than helped. I’d dismantled the bad energy with my own gifts.

  “I want to know more about the internship,” I whispered to Exos. “What does it mean?”

  “It means Elana wants to tutor you personally. Like she did with your mother.” He tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear and pressed his forehead to mine. “It would be good for you to have a second spirit instructor, and she’s extremely powerful. She could also tell you more about Ophelia.”

  My heart slid into my throat. “Because she mentored my mom.” The gravity of that realization floored me, making me uncertain of how to proceed.

  Part of me didn’t want to know my mother at all, especially after everything I’d learned. The other part desired more information on what happened, who she was before her relationship with Mortus took a turn, and what similarities I had to her that I should avoid.

  “Yes.” Exos pressed his palm to my neck, angling my head back to meet his kiss. “Think about it, princess. You don’t have to decide now.”

  “Okay,” I whispered. Although, in my heart, I already knew my decision. Yes. Because I had to know what she was like, to avoid ever becoming her.

  I refused to ever hurt Titus in that way. Exos, too.

  “Mmm, we’ll discuss it more tonight,” he murmured. “I need to go call my brother to update him on our situation, but I’ll be quick.”

  “Promise?” I asked, gazing up at him. “Because I was hoping to get a few sparring lessons in this afternoon.”

  “Sparring, hmm?” He glanced at Titus. “Seems she wants an upgrade.”

  Titus snorted. “She just wants to play with spirit because I gave her too much fire last night.”

  My eyes rolled upward. “Please don’t.”

  “That
sounds like a challenge, Fire Fae,” Exos replied, looking over him. “Let’s see how exhausted my spirit makes her tonight.”

  “Ugh, seriously—”

  “You’re on, Royal.” Titus smiled. “We can make a game of it—who can exhaust Claire more.”

  My cheeks were officially inflamed. “Guys…”

  “Sounds like a fun way to spend the rest of the week,” Exos agreed, his grin positively wicked. “You ready to join yet, Vox?”

  Oh God…

  The Air Fae merely shook his head. “I’m just here to teach.”

  “Teach,” Titus repeated. “Right.”

  “I am.”

  “Uh-huh. Exos is just here to lay out commands. I’m here to light Claire on fire. And you’re going for professorship.” Titus shrugged. “Works for me.”

  “You’re incorrigible,” I growled, shrugging out from under his arm. “And if you keep it up, I’ll be sleeping alone later.”

  “Sure, sweetheart,” he said, snagging my waist and pulling me back to him. “Then you’ll just dream about us, but I assure you reality is better.”

  Reality, I thought with a laugh. What a strange word. Because my reality? Yeah, it was nothing like my dreams, or even my fantasies.

  No, this was better.

  Even with the teasing, the sharing, the constant confusion, I wouldn’t trade my current existence for anything in the world.

  Exos winked at me, either hearing my thoughts or seeing them in my expression. “See you in a bit, princess.”

  It was as he disappeared from view that I pondered over his words. Call my brother…

  Using what? I wondered. I hadn’t seen any phones in the Fae Kingdom. Probably some sort of tree or a bird.

  “You ready to go home, sweetheart?” Titus asked, his arms tightening around me.

  Home. I smiled. “Yeah.” I liked the sound of that. “With you.” And Exos.

  My new world filled with odd mating rules, elements, and, most importantly, love.

  A girl could get used to this life.

  A girl like me.

  Epilogue

  Exos

  I didn’t want to leave Claire, but I needed to talk to my brother. Something about the setup felt off. Too easy. Too obvious. And the energy signatures felt tampered with and wrong somehow.

  With quick steps, I ventured across campus toward the nearest communication tower. Fae didn’t have technology the way humans did. We used something simpler—our minds. But it required the right condition, hence the tower.

  I took the stairs two at a time, the air calming with each step upward. So much energy on campus, all spiked by the mingling of elements. Moments like this, I missed the simplicity of the Spirit Kingdom.

  The thought had my instincts itching again.

  Did those girls deserve their fates?

  Yes, I’d made an example out of them, wanting everyone to know what fate lurks for them should they decide to fuck with my mate. But my spirit had sensed something foul inside them as I wove my energy through their skin—a presence that didn’t belong.

  One that reminded me of someone.

  But who?

  I glanced around, the hair rising on the back of my neck.

  An essence had just joined mine. Subtle. Dark. Familiar again.

  No one stood on the stairs. So where was it coming from?

  I turned in a circle.

  Nothing.

  What is that? I crept upward, already reaching out to Cyrus with my mind. He wouldn’t answer me right away, would require time to find an appropriate location, but the subtle shimmer of his mind told me he’d received my message.

  While I waited, I took in my surroundings once more.

  That nagging energy of wrongness thickened. Was it all in my mind? A consequence of that gymnasium? Had I banished those girls wrongly?

  No, they were awful beings. I knew that, had sensed it in their auras as I disintegrated their bonds to the elements—one of the worst punishments known to fae kind.

  That had to be it. I just felt bad about hurting another, even though those women deserved it. The Spirit Kingdom would not be kind to them—a fate they more than warranted.

  Exos? Cyrus whispered through my mind. Is everything all right?

  I’m not sure, I answered him honestly. We discovered who was targeting Claire, but I have this odd feeling we accused the wrong fae.

  How so?

  I told him about the setup, how Elana used her magic to extract the truth—an exhausting form of spirit magic—and how I sensed a falsehood. Something isn’t right, Cyrus.

  Do you need me?

  I think… I trailed off as the dark essence grew around me. No one stood nearby. The sky remained clear. But I felt the menacing presence like a scar against my back. Someone’s here.

  Listening?

  No. My mental walls were impossible to breach. But here with—

  A flash in my vision sent me stumbling backward. Harsh. Strong. Quick.

  The culprit moved too fast, too unexpectedly. My energy was exhausted after the gymnasium, not yet replete enough for defense. I threw up a wall, but he ghosted through it, startling me. Then struck me upside the head so hard my vision clouded behind a sea of black dots. A second strike forced me to my knees. And a third sent me face-first to the ground.

  Exos! someone screamed. Maybe Cyrus. But it sounded mysteriously like my Claire…

  Only then I did I realize who had joined me up here, the smoky figure taking corporeal form.

  But it was too late.

  The assailant’s name was but a mere whisper in my mind just as everything went dark.

  Run, my Claire…

  Run.

  To Be Continued…

  Elemental Fae Academy: Book Two

  Someone wants me dead.

  Worse yet, my link to Spirit is dying. Why? Because Exos has been taken by a new enemy. Now I have to rely on my other elements to find my missing link before it’s too late.

  Oh, and I need a guard to protect me while I learn how to defend myself. No big deal. Master the elements, find my lost Spirit, and identify the bad guy.

  Yeah. Easy.

  Except Titus is tired of playing by the rules of others.

  Vox just wants to be friends.

  Sol is pissing everyone off.

  And Cyrus, well, he’s a force of nature and very much in charge.

  I’d better solve this puzzle quickly before my heart starts making choices on my behalf. Because all of these fae are beautiful, cunning, and perfect in their own ways.

  But how can I feel complete without my Spirit?

  The hunt is on, and whoever is out to hurt me and mine will pay.

  Note: This is a medium-burn reverse harem paranormal romance, and book two of the Elemental Fae Academy trilogy.

  Chapter One

  Claire

  Titus’s mouth captivated me. So smooth, perfect, and delicious. My tongue craved to meet his, to engage in a sensual dance that would lead to more. But he kept the kiss slow and teasing, his lips tantalizingly tender.

  He smiled, the motion knowing. “You said you wanted to wait for Exos to begin our celebrations.”

  “I did,” I admitted, my thighs clenching around his. Climbing onto his lap and straddling his thighs hadn’t been part of the plan, but his smoldering green eyes had become a beacon I couldn’t ignore. “He’s taking too long.”

  After the incident in the gym—where we finally discovered who was framing me for all the incidents at the Academy—Exos went off to call his brother. Whatever that meant. I had yet to see a phone in this realm. Maybe I’d ask him when he returned.

  Titus chuckled and tapped my nose. “So eager.”

  “I feel liberated. Free. Like I could fly.” I threaded my fingers through his thick auburn hair. “And I’m tired of waiting.” At this point, Exos could just join us whenever he arrived. It wouldn’t be the first time he walked in on me naked with Titus. “Kiss me.”

  “Mmm, I
was,” he murmured.

  “Really kiss me.”

  He didn’t. “When did you become the demanding one?”

  “When I acquired two fae mates.” One for spirit, one for fire. Apparently, it wasn’t unheard of for a Spirit Fae to require multiple connections, as all Spirit Fae bonded to two elements—spirit and another.

  Except I wasn’t normal.

  Somehow, someway, I had access to all five elements.

  And I wasn’t even a full-blooded fae but a Halfling with a fae mother and a human father.

  I still hadn’t wrapped my mind around all of it, but I was learning to take it one day at a time and to focus on controlling all my abilities. Something a horde of mean girls had tried to ruin by making me appear unstable to the other fae.

  Fortunately, we’d stopped them.

  Hence the reason I wanted to celebrate.

  I kissed Titus again before he could reply, this time with tongue, and he responded with a growl. His grip on my hips tightened, his leisurely movements disappearing as he took control of the embrace and reminded me of his inner strength.

  Fire.

  I reveled in it, bathed in the glory of his heat. It soothed mine in a way no one else could because he was my chosen mate. For eternity. My flames called to his, engaging him in a passionate gyration of power that warmed the room. Embers floated around us, kindled by our coupling, and stirred a smoky flavor in the air around us.

  “Fuck, Claire,” he whispered.

  “That’s the idea.” I tugged his lower lip between my teeth, sucking hard. “Take me to bed, Titus.”

  I didn’t want to do this in the living area, not when others could interrupt us. Not that many would. The Spirit Quad was a wasteland—a consequence of ninety percent of the Spirit Fae dying after my mother— No. I refused to think about it. Not now. Not while Titus was doing that with his hands.