Page 27

Gods, I’d missed the warmth of my bed—or rather, the warmth of the person snuggled up inside it with his arm wrapped around my waist. I stretched, then allowed myself to revel in the calmness of this moment.

I was safe. The guys, Kendra, Lou, and Dick?

We were all safe and back at the academy.

Thank the gods. That was the worst trial by far, but at least it was the last. It had ended a little abruptly, but hell, I wasn’t complaining.

We’d probably need to keep our wits about us just in case the Masters threw any more bullshit our way, but for now I was more than happy to enjoy some peace.

Zane was fast asleep, his chest rising and falling in soft, relaxed movements. His eyelids fluttered as he slept, no doubt dreaming of adventures with his dolphins, Pip and Delilah. I smiled before pressing a gentle kiss to his brow, then shimmied my way out from under his tanned bicep.

Kendra’s bed was untouched, and given she clung to her sleep like a bear during hibernation, that probably meant she was tucked up in Lou’s room.

I sighed, raking my fingers through my hair before toddling to the bathroom. I stood in front of the mirror and saw the girl looking back had seen better days. Dark rings circled my eyes, and my skin and hair were dull. What a mess.

A yawn escaped me and my jaw cracked. I shrugged out of my pyjamas before stepping into the shower and turning the tap. Blissful hot water cascaded over me once I stepped under, and I closed my eyes and let it wash away the bad juju that had settled over me from my dreams.

I’d woken more than once from flashes of a dark room full of Potentials beating, smashing, and tearing at each other.

Gods, I’d almost come close to becoming that deranged, too.

It wasn’t just the horrors of the trials though.

Now that we were back at the academy, thoughts of my sister came rushing back in.

Arms suddenly wrapped around my waist followed by warm lips pressing to my neck and up along my jaw. I arched my neck to allow him better access. I hadn’t even heard him come in.

“Morning, sunshine,” I said softly.

“Morning, Starfish.”

He grabbed the soap, and then silently scrubbed my skin in soft, circular movements. I groaned as he worked over my back, his fingertips instantly easing the remaining stiffness of my muscles. Zane turned me around and looked at me with such care, such adoration , in his eyes.

“I’ve got you,” he said, echoing the same words he’d uttered to me when near breaking point before.

A single tear slipped from my eye, but I smiled through the ache I felt. “I know.” And I did. I truly did. For once I was okay with letting someone else take care of me. For letting my walls down entirely, for this man.

He put his hand on my cheek and pulled me in, his lips pressing against my own. Not an urgent or passionate kiss, but one filled with all the promises of tomorrow. I leaned into it, relishing in the feel of his tongue against my own and the way he twined his fingers through my hair.

Heat travelled down between my thighs, but to my surprise, he pulled me in close and held me. Just… held me tightly, almost protectively.

I soaked up the embrace. It wasn’t until I was fully enclosed in his arms that the tears streamed out. I hadn’t realised just how badly I needed the release. How exhausted I was both mentally and physically, and how heartbroken I still felt for the loss of Victoria.

When he finally let me go, I was little more than a puddle. But I felt better for it. Stronger. I also felt ready to move on to other, more appetising things, but he grinned knowingly and jumped out of the shower.

“Where are you going?” I pouted, tugging on his arm and feeling every bit the whiny brat as he started drying off. Given the hardness of his cock, I had to ask, “More to the point, why are you going?”

“Kendra texted me when you didn’t answer the messages sent to your cuff. She wants you to meet her by the lake.”

“And she can’t wait a bit longer?” I eyed him off as I soaped myself… slowly. “I think you missed a few spots.” The soap slipped over my breasts. “Here.” I trailed it down. “Here.”

His sea-green eyes turned molten as he took a step closer. “I didn’t want to get in the way of secret mermaid business, so I thought I’d check in on the sleeping sea slugs. But who am I to deny the call of a sexy siren when I see one?”

I laughed. “Back in the shower. Now.”

He was halfway across the room when a loud knock sounded on the bathroom door, followed by, “Bitch, listening to your weird sexy sea talk is one thing, but I am not waiting for you to bang in the shower,” Kendra called. “Also, what is it with you guys and showers? Sheesh!”

My cheeks reddened. “How long have you been waiting there?”

“Long enough,” she answered sweetly.

“Ugh.”

Zane laughed, then held out a towel for me as I stepped out of the shower. “We’ll continue this later,” he whispered as he grabbed my ass and hauled me to his chest. “I’m going to make you cum so hard you won’t be swimming straight.”

With that, he threw open the door, his own towel abandoned on the rack, and stood in front of Kendra with his hands on his hips.

“Mornin’,” he said cheerfully.

“For fuck’s sake, Zane,” she screeched, covering her eyes. “Why?”

I laughed, not even bothered by his open display of nudity. It was just so… Zane.

He was out of the room in a minute, clothed, much to Kendra’s relief, which gave me enough time to throw on a baggy pair of sweatpants and a hoodie and drag a brush through my hair.

“Is he always that confident?” Kendra asked. She shook her head. “Who am I kidding, it’s Zane we’re talking about, of course he is.” She shook her head again with a smile. “Here. Morning fuel. Careful, it’s—”

“Coffee,” I said in a demonic voice. Safe to say it was snatched up and the first gulp was halfway down my throat before I winced.

“Hot,” she finished with an eye roll. “Come on, weirdo, we’re going to the lake.”

I continued making a few happy little grumbles as we made our way outside, both of us content to walk in comfortable quiet for a while.

The grounds were empty, with most Potentials likely still getting much-needed rest after our return yesterday afternoon.

Or, you know, it could be the fact that there were so precious few of us left.

Kendra must have been thinking the same thing because when we’d finally made it to the lake and settled on a couple of rocks near the bank, she shook her head. “It’s so quiet,” she said softly. “Even the birds don’t want to sing.”

“It’s been a tiring time for us all. I don’t blame them.”

She looked at me carefully. “How are you doing? I mean, really.”

I stared across the still water to the trees on the other side. “I’m… managing. Sort of.”

It wasn’t really an answer, but honestly, between the trial and Victoria’s death, it was a blessing just to be alive.

“Do you want to talk about it all?”

A gentle offer. I knew Kendra was worried, but she wouldn’t push unless she was truly concerned that I’d have some kind of psychotic break or was at risk of doing something crazy. I shrugged, which was much too casual for all the emotions and thoughts raging inside.

“My sister is gone. I hated her for so long and had already mourned the absence of the person I loved forever ago. But still… I miss her. Is that weird? Is it weird to miss something you didn’t really have?”

“I don’t think so. She was two faces of a very complicated coin. It’s okay to miss someone even if they did bad things. It’s also okay to yearn for what could have been.”

I nodded. “That’s just it. I can’t help but think if we’d had the time, we might have been able to fix whatever fucked-up shit Victrus did to her. We might have gotten the real Victoria back. We’re also no closer to figuring out who the hooded attacker is.”

“We’ll get him, Fallon. And once we do, I know a few guys who can get answers out of him.”

“Oh, we won’t be needing them,” I said with an edge of bitterness. “My father ensured I have the skills necessary to… gain leverage over our enemies.”

Kendra’s eyes narrowed. “One day, I might have to arrange a little chat with Mr Auger myself.”

I snorted and rubbed my eyes. “Might wanna get in line. At least we got through the last trial, though I’m not sure I’m over the total mind fuckery of it. All things considered, I guess I should be thankful to simply be alive.”

She scrunched her nose up. “It was pretty fucked up. That room with the gas?” She shivered. “Brutal. But we made it. Our friends made it. Kinda hard to believe we’re finally at the end, huh?”

“Honestly, I haven’t even been thinking about what’s next. I guess they’re going to hold a ceremony any day now.”

Kendra tilted her head, her sleek black hair tumbling down her side.

“How do you think they’ll choose the next monarch?

I mean, everyone left survived the trial, right?

There’s more of us left than they probably expected.

At this stage I’m not sure I even care about winning, anymore.

I know that’s a bit tone-deaf given how many people have died trying to attain the crown, but I just…

” She shook her head. “Is so much death really worth the prize?”

“That’s why we have to win, Kendra,” I said fiercely.

“We need to win so we can get rid of this archaic bullshit. We’re living in a time where crime is rampant, and people are losing hope in our system.

We’ve been living in a monarchy, but it’s felt more like a dictatorship run by old, rich men.

Why the hell would they admit some of the most promising and talented young adults in our country into this esteemed academy, only to serve them up on a platter instead of honing their gifts? ”

“Because wealth is power,” Kendra said simply.