Page 38 of Angel Lost (Fates Academy #3)

Chapter Thirty-eight:Lorelei

Isla wolfs down her cake, gaze darting everywhere. I thought the smell of food might tempt her mutt out of hiding. But no, no Tiny. The second I’ve finished my last sip of hot chocolate, Isla demands I show her the spot I last saw him. I don’t have the heart to say no, to tell her how badly I need to rest. Or that he already had a taste for hellion by that point. She’s so cut up I even sneak us into the academic offices for a hunt around. But the only thing we find is Davina. She floats past, somehow having managed to have her floaty trousers and pristine academy robes washed and dried in the time it’s taken us to get cake.

I keep my head down, marching Isla on. Just as we make the turn, her voice floats back to me.

“Continue to wield magic like that and you’re on track to graduate this year, Aether Lorelei.”

I pump the air with a fist, trying not to squeak. Not ladylike. Must be genteel. Must be demure.

“You are very powerful,” Isla says beside me in awe.

“Uh, thanks. I’m still learning.”

Isla trips to a stop. “Although, technically I’m imagining you. So does that make me powerful?”

Inwardly, I sigh, towing her on. My demon senses aren’t as strong as a shifter’s, but I’m pretty sure there’s been no dog in this building for quite some time. “Let’s just find Tiny, huh?”

We step outside into the weak winter sun .

“I’d have thought I drank enough water already. But you’re still here. Not that I don’t like your company. It’s better than hunting for Tiny alone.”

By the time we’ve been around the gardens twice we have an entourage. My allegiance, minus Zephyr, who I still have to go visit in the infirmary. And we’ve acquired the four demons. Something about these guys sets my teeth on edge. Their auras are so powerful it’s like being smacked in the face. Every single second.

“So, when’s the party?” Flirty pipes up. For such a big guy, he’s whiny. Irritation prickles my skin.

“After we find the fucking dog,” I grumble.

“Really?” He twiddles a button on his shirt, eyes alight.

“Okay, yeah, fine.” Dammit, I want to crawl into bed, not throw a party for the underworld. “We can have a party if you help find the dog.”

“And will there be females?” Flirty asks. “Human females?”

Grumpy strides forward, putting himself between Flirty and Isla. “Leave the human,” he snarls.

Isla absently pats his arm, and he peers down at her hand in confusion.

“Supes, not human,” I say. “I’ll invite the seniors; men and women.”

Flirty grumbles under his breath until Broody slings an arm around his shoulders. “We are superior beings, brother, the males won’t match us for female attention.”

Dammit, I can’t deal with their weird arrogance. Not now, not today. I keep walking, letting their bickering blend into the background. I steer us into the dorms next.

As we reach the seniors’ floor, a roar rattles the windows. Isla freezes, clutching my arm so hard her nails leave marks in the skin. Around the corner bounds a giant hulk of stinky dog, clutching an obsidian stone in its jaws.

Isla runs full-tilt toward the mutt. “Tiny! ”

Hard on Tiny’s tail is Camille. I assume it’s Camille. The beast is all scales and fangs. The wyvern doesn’t make the corner, crashing into the wall, making the whole hallway shudder. It scrabbles to turn in the small space, beady eyes locked on Tiny. Huffing smoke, the wyvern heads straight for the dog. Tiny drops his stolen stone at Isla’s feet, and it rolls behind her with a clatter. The dog nudges Isla back, then whirls on the spot, snarling. Fearless. The wyvern is ten times his size and pissed. It scoops Tiny up in its jaws with a shriek of triumph.

“Drop the dog, Camille,” I shout.

Isla pushes past, rushes the wyvern, and smacks it on the snout. Camille, in her wyvern form, whines, pawing her nose with a giant claw. Then sneezes. A hysterical giggle escapes me. This human is going to get herself killed. Camille tilts her head, one dinosaur-like eye surveying Isla. Her tail lashes side to side, cracking the plaster, smashing a window.

Shit.

I gather my tired limbs under me, ready to launch myself at her. I nearly fall on my face when Grumpy beats me to it. His demonic tail wraps firmly around the wyvern’s neck. He forces his arm inside her mouth, prizing her jaws open.

Flirty steps up and yanks Tiny out, handing him to Isla. “For a beautiful human,” he announces.

Isla staggers under Tiny’s weight, beaming at Flirty. She quickly clips the dog on a leash as equally hideously pink and tartan-y as the collar. Grumpy swings around, towering over them both, scowling down at the dog. “Fucking hellhound,” he says, then points a finger at Flirty. “Stay away from the human.”

The wyvern’s form ripples around the edges, and seconds later Camille is in my face. “You. This was your fault.”

I hold my hands up

“Your friend, your fault!”

“Camille, calm the fuck down. ”

She snarls almost as loud as if she were still in animal form.

I bend, scooping up the stone. “Look, here’s your rock back. With extra drool. Now, these guys are here to party and you…you’re way better at social shit than I am. Can you help?”

“That mongrel chewed my Gibson shoes, stole my grandfather’s soul stone. And you want me to…” Camille stalls as Flirty saunters over. “Oh, hello.”

Suddenly she’s all fluttering eyelashes and charm. In under an hour we have a dorm party in full swing, fae liqueur and goblin beer on tap, and banging music. Zephyr would love this.

I swirl my drink, perched on the edge of the pool table, half out of the way but still able to watch the chaos unfold. Chano leans beside me, one boot propped against the leg of the table, arms crossed as he surveys the party. Close enough that our shoulders brush, but he doesn’t say anything, just lets me sit with my thoughts.

I haven’t been to see Zephyr. The hospital staff assured me he was recovering, but actually talk to him? Nope. He doesn’t have a phone. And even if he did, what would I say? That I tried? That we tried—Chano and I both—to persuade Farrell to shift, to save him? Zephyr doesn’t know that. All he knows is that Farrell refused, and his hatred for that choice bled onto us, too.

Fuck Farrell. And fuck you too.

I tip back my drink and down it.

A shadow moves at the edge of my vision. Broody strolls over, hands in his pockets, watching me like I’m some interesting puzzle he hasn’t figured out yet.

“Not like demons to sulk at a party,” he observes. “Although, being half vamp, I’ll excuse your miserable face. What about you, Maverik?”

Cheeky sod. Before I can think of a suitable put-down Chano reaches over and fist-bumps him. “Amigo, so good to have straight talk. It’s my sister. She’s missing.” He glances awkwardly at me and adds, “We finally got a message from them. Said they’d made a mistake. They need help.”

Are you kidding me?

“But so far, it’s untraceable. I shouldn’t be here, enjoying myself. Not when she could be…”

I elbow Chano in the ribs, and he shrugs, smoothing my hair with his big hand.

“Didn’t have time to tell you, chica. We all got a little busy with the rip. Raff and Alairik are on it, but…”

I swear Broody didn’t move, didn’t signal. But suddenly all four of the big guys are crowding around, demanding details.

“We’ll keep an ear open once we’re back,” Broody promises. “Beyond intel, not much more we can do from there. Best make the most of your next couple of years, brother. The angels are in power just like the prophecy. When you ascend…”

Chano nods curtly, his gaze flicking to me. I slip my hand into Chano’s, offering him a squeeze.

When he ascends, what?

Worse for wear, I trail behind the demons, my allegiance at my back, silent. The cold wind whips my hair, clearing some of the haze from my mind. Isla clutches my arm, her tweed jacket bunched over my best pair of pajamas. I eye them ruefully. Once she steps through that portal, I’ll never see them again. Guess I’ll have to steal more, or sleep naked. Not like Chano will mind.

We halt in front of the portal, its shimmering surface rippling like disturbed water. Tiny circles my legs, wrapping his leash around my ankles.

Isla grabs my hand. “Can I get your number? I’ll have your clothes washed, send them back. And…I’d like to keep in touch. ”

“Don’t worry about the clothes.” I finger the silky sleeve with longing before sighing. “Not sure about signal here, either.”

I glance at Farrell, the most traveled of us, but he shrugs. “It’s spotty. Texts should get through…eventually.”

I flash Isla a grin and punch my number into her phone, slipping in Eltanin’s prefix when she’s not looking.

Behind her, Grumpy looms. “You sure you want to keep that mutt? I’ve got a pack just like him. He’d fit right in.”

Tiny presses into Isla’s legs, baring his teeth. For a split second, his eyes gleam red. I blink, rub my face, and the illusion vanishes. Hairy hell, I’m too tired for this.

“Forget it, asshole,” Isla snaps, stepping back, and for the first time, Grumpy does too.

They kissed last night. But now, Isla looks like she wouldn’t spit on him if he was on fire.

Tiny tugs her forward, ears flat, and without another glance at Grumpy, she steps through the portal. The air shimmers, folding around her and the dog, and then they’re gone.

From the portal I head straight to the infirmary. Time to face the music. Maybe a night of being looked after will have calmed Zephyr’s anger.

“Zephyr Engill?” The nurse taps her keyboard impatiently. “He discharged himself.”

Shit. Now I have to play hunt the Zephyr, again. “Do you know what time?”

“No.” Her expression softens as my shoulders droop. “It must have been yesterday though. Night shift.”

I nod my thanks and trudge out of the building. Last night? So, while we were relaxing, drinking, assuming he was being looked after. While I was putting off a difficult conversation, he’d already left the hospital. Please don’t let him have realized we were partying.

Please.

He’s vanished. I even checked the observatory, sneaking in behind a professor, but nope. I gnaw on my lip. Where else could he be? Not in his room, not the observatory, and not with us. Surely, he’s not holed up with some bitch somewhere. Actually, if he’s pissed at all of us, that’s probably exactly what he’s done. Gone to find solace in sex.

He’s impossible.