Page 4 of Angel Lost (Fates Academy #3)

Chapter Four: Lorelei

Slipping on the damp grass, I race Jess toward the portal. I skid to a stop beside her, Kai on my tail. My breathing is even, measured. We’ve trained all summer to get to this; I’m barely out of puff. Despite that, my pulse races.

The boys are arriving for the start of term, and satyr shit, I’ve actually missed the assholes. Not that I’ll tell them that. Naeve was always the glue, dammit. Always smoothing things over between us all. How did she do it?

The stone arch of the portal glints dully in the morning light, a straggly dog rose growing up the outside adding to how innocuous it appears. It could be any old garden ornament on any posh estate. Only the oil-slick shimmer gives the magic away. I wipe my sweaty hands down the front of my shorts, tucking a flyaway wisp of my white-blond hair behind my ear.

“Stop fussing. You look beautiful,” Kai whispers, and I smack his arm. I shouldn’t have had so much fae wine. Spilling my guts to Kai of all people…not cool.

The surface of the portal swirls.

The first Maverik through the arch is Raff. I smile cautiously and he grins back, waving wildly. Chano appears, and my stomach clenches. His huge frame fills the arch. His uniform is already raked at such an angle that it screams bad boy. His shirt collar is undone, tie loose, sleeves rolled up over bulging biceps. Chano strides toward us, glancing at Kai before his gaze settles on me. He nods.

He fucking nods, then turns away .

I clench my fists at my sides.

Kai throws an arm around my shoulders. “So, this is the guy?”

I nod miserably.

“This is your Aeternum?” he says, and his volume cranks up a notch. “The one who banished you? Who’s been ignoring you?”

I step quickly away. “Shh, Kai!”

Kai folds his arms across his chest and if anything, he talks louder. “Your Aeternum and your allegiance? And this is his greeting?”

I cringe. No, no, no. That is not common knowledge. Damn fae wine to the seventh circle of hell.

Chano whirls on the spot, stepping up into Kai’s space. “Watch that sneaky tongue, fae,” he snarls. “Or someone might cut it out.”

Kai smiles a slow, manic grin, his nose only just level with Chano’s shoulder, then he pats Chano on the chest like you might placate a toddler. “Now, now, big man. Just pointing out you got a girl here some would kill for,” he drawls. There’s no hiding his threat.

Fuck.

Behind me, the rest of the Maverik students start to argue among themselves, voices raised. Double fuck. They move away from the portal, gesticulating, shouting, and throwing accusing glances back at Chano.

Chano glowers down into Kai’s upturned face, and Kai winks. With a growl, Chano swings to me and pecks me hard on the lips.

“I have to do damage control,” he snarls. “We’ll talk about this later.”

He strides after the gang, fists bunched deep in his pockets. Jess bounces on the tips of her toes, eyes wide. I groan, scrubbing my face before elbowing Kai.

His expression softens. “What?”

“I should never have told you Chano was allegiance. His gang didn’t know, you—”

Kai taps the side of his mouth with the tip of his dagger, eyes darting after the vanished Maveriks. I can almost hear the cogs turning. “They didn’t know…Why would they not know?”

“It’s complicated.” I shake my head. “And fae wine is traitorous.”

Kai grimaces, then shrugs and blows me a mock kiss. “You’re just comfortable talking to me.”

I roll my eyes, biting back a response as the portal flickers again. Five minutes after Chano, exactly. Of course Farrell is on schedule. When is he not?

Zephyr appears first, tossing his hair, a perfectly turned-out Farrell on his heels. A far cry from the last time I saw him. I swear the man’s shoes are so shiny they’d freeze a medusa.

My gaze traces slowly upward, taking in the crisp uniform trousers, the immaculately cut suit, the academy tie. How someone with curls like Farrell’s can look like they don’t have a hair out of place I don’t know…but he manages it. He holds himself stiffly, glancing this way and that. Our eyes meet and my breath catches in my throat. I take two quick steps forward, but Farrell’s already moving away.

My jaw drops. My allegiance are idiots.

A small frown mars Zephyr’s brow, and he catches Farrell’s sleeve, tugging him down to whisper in his ear. Seamlessly, Farrell switches direction, sweeping me up in a hug. His head dips to my hair and I hear him breathe in softly. Then he’s pushing me away. Again.

“Got to convince the rebels we’re together,” he mutters, offering a tight smile. He drops my hand as if it’s on fire. He scans the surroundings before meeting my gaze again. “Don’t worry, I’m not a fan of the pretense either. On the plus side, there’s no angelic welcoming party. My illusions must be holding.”

He marches off, one hand on the hilt of his dagger, Zephyr in tow.

“Well, they seem utterly charming,” Kai says in my ear. “You don’t need enemies, do you? ”

“Sometimes I wish you’d keep your inside thoughts in-fucking-side your head,” I snarl and stalk away.

For once, neither Kai nor Jess follow.

Shutting my dorm room door, I pause, my back to the room. If I don’t turn around, I can’t see how empty it is. If I don’t turn around, Naeve could be sitting in her chair, needles clacking away. Tap tap tap. Annoying the shit out of me.

Naeve would step in. She’d tell the boys off, bash our heads together. How is this allegiance going to work without her?

A rhythmic knocking against the wood makes me jump. I snatch the door open. Val’s fist stops mid-knock, less than an inch from my face. She grins wickedly, shoving past me into the room, flinging herself down on Naeve’s empty bed.

Val shouldn’t be there.

“Well, that was a shitshow,” she says, smirking up at me.

“Yeah, the fae are barely here and they’re causing problems,” I snap.

Val hauls herself up to sitting, grabs a pillow, and hugs it. “Oi, half fae here, remember? Anyway, Kai wasn’t wrong. Your allegiance are worse than enemies.”

Something in my face must give away how close I am to tears, and her eyes widen. “Okay, new topic.” She reaches over and pats my arm awkwardly. Naeve would just have hugged me, whether I wanted it or not.

Val yanks open my minifridge, reaching inside before I can stop her. She pauses. “Are you aware you have several people’s worth of blood in here?” she asks. “And no beer?”

I wrinkle my nose. “No beer? Disaster.”

“Seriously, Lorelei…what the hell?”

“Chano. ”

She stands, hands on hips, and waits me out.

“He’s been sending it all summer. No note. No sorry for banishing you. Nothing. Just his blood.” I scowl. “Like I’d actually drink it when he’s been such a dick. Nope. Found my own solution.”

Val dips her head to peer into the fridge again. She pokes at the bags. A wicked grin creeps over her face. “Maybe you should just return to sender?”

I stare at her without blinking. Chano’s room, decorated in blood…

It doesn’t take long. The hada cart the packages off with a degree more glee than I was anticipating. The tiny chaos makers even agree to open the bags in his room and fly around with them…It’s really just returning his property. Kinda.

Val clears her throat. “How about I move in here? You need someone onside when those idiots are being…idiots. So, most of the time.”

She keeps talking but the whooshing in my ears drowns her out. “No.”

“No?”

“This is Naeve’s room, Naeve’s bed.”

Val stares at me, then slowly stands, staring down at the empty bed. “That’s creepy.”

“I know. I just…can’t.”

Val bumps my shoulder. “Okay, why don’t you move into my room instead? You can’t live in a Naeve shrine the next two years.”

“I don’t want to forget her.”

Val flings the wardrobe open, gesturing at the folded sweaters and scarves, and bins of color-coordinated wool. “You have enough knitwear for your lifetime, for many lifetimes. You’re not going to forget her. Plus, her memory isn’t in things or this room, Lorelei.”

Leaning into the wardrobe, I run my fingers over the lambswool scarf Naeve gave me. The last thing she ever knitted. “You’re right. But—”

“Look, if Farrell can be moved out of his penthouse suite, you can move too.”

“He’s being what?” My hand flies to my mouth. Oh, he will hate that .

Val rubs her hands together, a grin splitting her face. “It’s all the gossip. The Angel King’s precious family takes precedence over a jailed governor’s son.”

“Kai? Kai is the fae prince first, second the Angel King’s step…nephew. Or something. He doesn’t even like the king.”

She rolls her guitar pick in her fingers for a few long moments. “Whatever. Stop avoiding this.”

I lean away from her. Somehow, in this moment she looks far more fae than harpy, a hard set to her jaw, a cunning look in her eye.

“C’mon, Lorelei,” she wheedles. “Just say yes.”

I narrow my eyes. “Who are you avoiding?”

Her gaze slides from mine. “Don’t know what you mean.”

“Who did the academy pair you with, Val?”

“Camille!” She throws her hands in the air. “You have to save me, Lorelei! I’m too young for jail, and I will kill that bitch if you make me share with her.”

I snort a laugh, then my eyes travel over the empty half of the room. My memories of Naeve aren’t in the walls, in the bed. Not really.

“Fine, but you have to square it with Camille.”

Val drums her victory on the desk. “I checked. She’ll get a bed in a triple dorm when she arrives. Her fault for being fashionably late.” Val whirls around my room like a dervish, stuffing my belongings into the only bags I have.

It still feels final, shutting the door on what was our room for two years. My breath catches in my throat as I turn, following Val down the corridor. Away.

Goodbye, Naeve.