Page 12 of Faeheart (Widdershins Supernatural Academy #2)

Elias

I was sitting on the edge of Wild’s bed, his ginger hair disheveled after the incident.

He’d been slipping in and out of consciousness for the past twelve hours, our combined magic having taken the largest toll on him.

Even when he was asleep, I could feel him there, his thoughts racing as his brain tried to make sense of everything that had happened.

Now and then his mind slipped back to the fae realm, bringing on far sweeter memories so he could rest. Most of them were sexual, and I did my best to ignore them.

I wasn’t sure I was quite ready for a front-row seat to that just yet, no matter how curious I was.

“Water,” Wild croaked, his green eyes fluttering open once more. “Please.”

I reached for the glass on the nightstand, my hand trembling slightly from my own exhaustion. As I helped him lift his head, our fingers brushed, sending a familiar spark of connection between us. Through our bond, I felt his gratitude mingled with a flicker of amusement.

“What’s so funny?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. The infirmary was quiet. Most of the other students who’d been injured in the attack were now stable enough to return to their dorms.

“You,” Wild murmured after taking a sip. “Sitting there all concerned. Never thought I’d see the day Elias Thorne would play nurse for me.” His lips curved into a weak version of his usual smirk. “Though I have to say, the outfit’s disappointing. I was hoping for something with a shorter skirt.”

Despite everything, I felt heat rise to my cheeks. “You’re insufferable, you know that?”

“So I’ve been told.” He winced as he shifted position, the movement sending a ripple of pain through our connection. “Where’s Caden?”

“With Atlas in the next room,” I replied, setting the glass down. “He’s recovering faster than either of us. Professor Blackwood thinks it’s because of his dual nature, half-witch, half-dryad. Something about having multiple magical channels to distribute the strain.”

Wild nodded weakly. “And the attackers?”

“Gone. The Elder Council arrived an hour after we... after what happened in the courtyard.” I hesitated, unsure how to describe what we’d done. “They asked a lot of questions, and none I could really answer.”

A shadow passed over Wild’s face. “Did they say anything about why they were after you specifically?”

I looked away, focusing on the moonlight filtering through the infirmary windows. “Apparently, my father has been... involved with their group. They call themselves the Purity Front.”

“Catchy name,” Wild muttered. “Very fascist chic.”

“They believe in magical segregation. Keeping the realms separate. Preventing ‘ mixing ’ between different magical races.” The words felt bitter on my tongue. “And my father is one of their primary financial backers.”

Wild was silent for a moment, his expression unreadable. Through our bond, I felt a complex tangle of emotions, anger, disappointment, and surprisingly, concern. For me.

“Did you know?” he finally asked.

“No,” I said quietly. “But I should have. There were signs... comments he’d make about other magical beings, his insistence that I maintain ‘ proper associations .’ I just never thought he’d go this far.”

Wild’s hand found mine on the bedspread, his fingers intertwining with mine. The touch sent another wave of connection through us, stronger than before.

“It’s not your fault,” he said, his voice surprisingly gentle. “Parents have a way of hiding their worst parts from their kids. Believe me, I know.”

I felt a rush of curiosity at that last comment. Through our bond, I caught glimpses of Wild’s own family, elegant fae nobility with cold smiles and calculating eyes behind their glamorous facades. Nothing like the carefree, chaotic persona he projected.

“Your parents...” I started, but Wild squeezed my hand, cutting me off.

“Not important right now,” he said, his mental walls slamming up with surprising force. “What matters is that the Purity Front thinks you betrayed them. That makes you a target.”

I sighed, running my free hand through my hair. “They said my father promised I would join their cause. That I understood the need for ‘ purity .’” The disgust in my voice was palpable. “But I never agreed to any of it. I didn’t even know.”

Wild’s thumb traced small circles on my palm, the gesture oddly soothing. “And now you’ve gone and bonded yourself to a fae and a half-dryad. That’s gotta be daddy’s worst nightmare.”

Despite everything, I felt my lips twitch into a small smile. “I suppose it is, even if I didn’t do it on purpose.”

He paused, those green eyes looking up at me. “Do you regret it?”

“Honestly?” I sighed, giving him a good long look. “I don’t know. I don’t want to be part of his purity rampage… but I don’t think I want to be forcefully connected to… anyone .” Another deep breath as I felt Wild’s curiosity surge. “Being this close to anyone is new, especially non-witches.”

“You really have been brought up away from everyone else, haven’t you?”

“Yeah,” I nodded. “The last person in my family to even talk to a fae for more than five minutes was probably my grandmother. And I only found out about that the day I came back to Widdershins.”

Wild’s eyes widened with interest, a spark of energy returning to his weary features. “Your grandmother knew fae? Tell me more.”

I hesitated, glancing toward the door to make sure we were still alone.

“Our house witch, Varina, gave me some of her things before I came back to school without telling my parents. A journal, some artifacts, and...” I paused, remembering the photograph.

“A picture of her with someone from the Seelie Court. At Briar Hall, actually. I… I wonder if Varina knew what was going to happen.”

“Briar Hall?” Wild’s voice cracked with surprise, and he tried to sit up straighter before wincing. “That’s... that’s my family’s estate. The main seat of our house in the fae realm.”

“What?” I stared at him, processing this revelation.

“Obviously! Why do you think Professor Blackwood calls me Mr. Briar Hall? That’s where I’m from!” He paused, smirking at me. “I thought you were supposed to be smart?”

I glared at him for a moment before continuing. “So, you mean my grandmother knew your family?”

“Probably. Or maybe she just attended one of the summer gatherings. Briar Hall hosts a lot of diplomatic events.” Wild’s expression grew thoughtful. “What did this fae look like? In the picture?”

I closed my eyes, trying to recall the details. “Tall, willowy. Hair that seemed to be made of autumn leaves and copper. Eyes that were almost too bright. And they were standing very close to my grandmother, like they were...” I trailed off, heat rising to my cheeks.

“Like they were lovers,” Wild finished softly. His grip on my hand tightened. “Elias, I think your grandmother might have been bonded to one of my ancestors.”

The words hit me like a physical blow. “That’s impossible. My family has records going back centuries. There’s no mention of any fae connections.”

“Of course there isn’t,” Wild said with a bitter laugh. “The Thorne family would hardly advertise that their precious bloodline had been ‘ contaminated .’ But it would explain a lot.”

“Such as?”

“Such as why our magic worked so well together during the attack. Such as why the binding between us formed so quickly and so strongly.” Wild’s eyes searched mine. “Elias, I think we’re connected by more than just those resonance stones.”

Before I could respond, the infirmary door opened and Professor Blackwood entered, her usually pristine appearance somewhat disheveled. Dark circles shadowed her eyes, and her normally perfect hair was pulled back in a hasty bun.

“Mr. Thorne, Mr. Briar Hall,” she said, her voice carrying an edge of exhaustion. “How are you feeling?”

“Like I got hit by a magical freight train,” Wild replied with his usual irreverence, though he didn’t release my hand. “But I’ll live.”

Professor Blackwood’s gaze lingered on our joined hands for a moment before she pulled up a chair. “We need to discuss what happened in the courtyard. The magic you three wielded... it shouldn’t have been possible.”

“You’re telling us,” I muttered. “I still don’t understand how we did it.”

“The resonance stones were designed to amplify wild magic, but what you accomplished went far beyond that,” Professor Blackwood continued, her piercing gaze moving between Wild and me.

“You accessed something that predates modern magical theory entirely. Something that hasn’t been seen for over three centuries. ”

Wild shifted against his pillows, wincing. “Three centuries? That’s oddly specific.”

“Because that’s when the last recorded instance of a triune bond occurred,” she said, pulling out a leather-bound notebook. “A magical connection between three individuals that creates a power exponentially greater than the sum of its parts.”

I felt my stomach drop. “Are you saying we’re permanently bound? All three of us?”

“I’m saying that what happened last night suggests the possibility.

” Professor Blackwood opened her notebook, revealing pages of hastily scrawled notes and diagrams. “The way your magic synchronized, the ease with which you channeled ancient power... it’s consistent with historical accounts of triune bonds. ”

Through our connection, I felt Wild’s mind racing, a mixture of fascination and alarm flooding through him. “And what happened to the last people who formed one of these bonds?”

Professor Blackwood’s expression darkened. “They were hunted down and killed by those who feared their power.”

The silence that followed was deafening. I could hear my own heartbeat, feel Wild’s pulse through our joined hands, sense the weight of what she was telling us settling over the room like a shroud.

“By who?” I asked, though I suspected I already knew the answer.

“The Purity Front’s predecessors,” she confirmed grimly.

“They’ve existed in various forms for centuries, always working to prevent what they see as ‘ unnatural ’ magical combinations.

Last night’s attack wasn’t random, Mr. Thorne.

They came specifically to prevent you from fully awakening whatever power lies dormant in your bloodline. ”

Wild’s grip on my hand tightened. “But they failed.”

“Did they?” Professor Blackwood asked pointedly. “Or did they accomplish something else entirely?”

I stared at her, confusion swirling through me. “What do you mean?”

“Think about it. You’ve now openly defied your father’s organization.

You’ve formed connections with exactly the type of magical beings they oppose.

And you’ve demonstrated power that will make you a target for the rest of your life.

” She leaned forward. “They may not have killed you, but they’ve certainly destroyed any chance you had of living a normal life. ”

The truth of her words hit me like ice water. My carefully ordered world, my family’s expectations, my future as the Thorne heir... it was all gone now. Burned away in a courtyard full of wild magic and impossible connections.

Professor Blackwood was quiet for a long moment, studying us both.

When she finally spoke, her voice was barely above a whisper.

“And I’m sorry to say, this entire situation is my fault.

” She looked up, tears threatening at the corners of her eyes.

“I chose the three of you for this independent study… but I never imagined something like this would happen… I… I’m so sorry. ”

I’d never seen Professor Blackwood so emotional before and considering the look on Wild’s face, neither had he.

We both sat there silently for a long moment.

I wondered what I should do. Should I console her?

She was the professor, so shouldn’t she be consoling me?

It wasn’t her head on the chopping block, but mine.

“Professor,” I said, clearing my throat. “I actually want to thank you.”

“Thank me?!” she scoffed, brushing away a tear. “Whatever for?”

“Well, if you hadn’t pulled me into all this insanity…

I might’ve been coerced into joining my parent’s disgusting scheme.

” I glanced over at Wild as his disbelief surged through our bond.

“I wouldn’t have gone willingly, but my parents…

they know how to control me. They have for years.

I have no doubt they would’ve found a way through magic or some other means.

But they’re not gonna use me anymore.” I turned my attention back to Professor Blackwood.

“What can you tell me about my grandmother?”

“Lydia Thorne?” she asked, her tears replaced with brows furrowed in thought. “I don’t know much about her, just that she was exceptionally powerful, and that she didn’t give birth to your father until much later in life.”

I glanced back at Wild, taking a deep breath. “Can you find out?”

“I’m sure I can, but why?”

“Well… there’s a chance she was involved with someone at Briar Hall. I’m not sure in what capacity. Possibly a bond.”

“Do you think you’re like Mr. Cromwell?” she asked, her curiosity piqued as she looked me over. “That you might be part fae?”

“There’s no chance of that,” I replied, thankful that Wild and I weren’t somehow strangely related. “My parents had me tested as a baby to make sure I was of pure blood, and our family has no ties to the fae realm.”

“What about you, Mr. Briar Hall?” the professor asked, turning to Wild. “Any chance you are the lovechild of a forbidden bond?”

Wild shook his head. “My parents want me to take their place in the Seelie Court when the time comes, and that requires magical proof of a strict fae ancestry, which I’ve already passed.

” He glanced up at me, his green eyes sparkling with curiosity and no small amount of wonder.

“If there’s a secret lovechild between the Thornes and the Briar Halls, it’s not me. ”