Page 7 of Faeheart (Widdershins Supernatural Academy #2)

Elias

“ N o magic at all?” Wild’s voice rose in disbelief. “That’s like asking me not to breathe!”

I felt his indignation surge through our newfound connection, hot and electric, making my own chest tighten in response. The sensation was so alien. Feeling someone else’s emotions as if they were my own… I had to grip the edge of a nearby bookshelf just to remain standing.

“Professor,” I said, struggling to maintain my composure, “there must be some alternative. The Thorne family has extensive resources. Perhaps my father’s library?—”

“Your father’s library contains only approved magical texts, Mr. Thorne,” Professor Blackwood cut me off. “What we’re dealing with predates such careful curation.”

Wild snorted. “Translation? Your daddy’s books won’t help because they’ve been sanitized of anything actually interesting.”

I bristled, both at his words and the wave of dismissive amusement that accompanied them through our link. “You don’t know anything about my family.”

“I know enough,” Wild replied, green eyes flashing. “And now, thanks to whatever this is—” he gestured between us, “—I’m getting a front-row seat to the Thorne family's greatest hits. Gotta say, not a fan of the soundtrack so far. Y’all are boring as fuck.”

Heat crept up my neck. Could he really see my memories? The thought was horrifying.

“Both of you, enough,” Caden interjected, his voice quiet but firm. “This isn’t helping.”

Professor Blackwood nodded approvingly. “Mr. Cromwell is correct. Antagonizing each other will only strengthen the connection through emotional resonance.”

Wild rolled his eyes but fell silent, though I could feel his frustration simmering beneath the surface. It was disorienting, like having a second heartbeat alongside my own.

“Now,” Professor Blackwood continued, “I need to consult some... alternative sources regarding this binding. In the meantime, you three will remain together.”

“Together?” I echoed, a note of panic creeping into my voice. “For how long?”

“Until we determine the nature and extent of this connection.” She began gathering items from her desk. “Physical proximity may help stabilize the bond and prevent further... incidents.”

Wild groaned dramatically. “So, I’m stuck babysitting Mr. Perfect here? No thanks.”

“Wild and I are already roommates,” Caden added.

Professor Blackwood turned to me. “Then you will stay in Mr. Cromwell and Mr. Briar Hall’s dormitory,” she declared. “I’ll have a third bed brought in immediately. And Mr. Thorne, I’ll inform your residence director of the change.”

My carefully ordered world was crumbling around me. Staying in a dormitory? With these two? My parents would be furious when they found out.

“Professor,” I began, desperately searching for an excuse, “my personal study materials?—”

“Will be transferred,” she said firmly. “This is not a request, Mr. Thorne. Given the unpredictable nature of this binding, separation could be dangerous for all three of you.”

Wild was suddenly beside me, close enough that I could feel the heat radiating from his skin. “Dangerous how?” he asked, and I felt his curiosity spike through our connection.

“Wild magic bindings have been known to cause physical deterioration if the bonded parties are kept apart for extended periods,” Professor Blackwood explained, her voice taking on a lecturing tone. “Fever, disorientation, magical instability. In extreme cases, complete magical burnout.”

The blood drained from my face. “Burnout?”

“The permanent loss of magical ability,” she confirmed grimly. “Which is why you will remain together until I can find a solution.”

Caden moved closer to us, creating a small triangle. “How long do we have before... the deterioration starts?”

“Unknown. The literature suggests anywhere from hours to days, depending on the strength of the initial binding.” Professor Blackwood’s gaze swept over us. “Given the intensity of what just occurred, I wouldn’t recommend testing it.”

Wild’s hand suddenly shot out, grabbing my wrist. The contact sent a jolt of energy up my arm, and I saw his eyes widen as he felt it too.

“Shit,” he breathed. “I can feel your magic under your skin. It’s like... lightning trapped in glass.”

I tried to pull away, but his grip tightened. “Let go of me.”

“Can’t,” he said, his voice strained. “Something’s happening.”

The pendant around my neck began to warm again, and I heard Caden gasp as his did the same. The three crystals were responding to each other once more, pulsing in sync.

“Professor,” Caden said urgently, “they’re activating again.”

Professor Blackwood moved quickly, her hands weaving containment spells around us. “Whatever you do, don’t let go of each other. If the binding destabilizes while you’re in physical contact?—”

She didn’t finish the sentence, but she didn’t need to. I could feel Wild’s panic bleeding into me, mixing with my own terror to create something almost overwhelming. My free hand reached out instinctively, finding Caden’s fingers.

The moment we connected, the chaotic energy settled into something almost... peaceful. The pendants’ glow softened, and the crushing weight of foreign emotions eased into something manageable.

“Interesting,” Professor Blackwood murmured, making notes. “Physical contact appears to stabilize the connection.”

Wild’s thumb was tracing patterns on my wrist, and I realized with horror that it felt... good. Comforting, even. “So, we’re basically magically handcuffed to each other?”

“In a manner of speaking, yes.”

I closed my eyes, trying to process this nightmare. My parents were going to kill me. I could already hear my mother’s scandalized voice, her lecture about proper associations and the Thorne family name.

“Let them try,” Wild muttered, and I realized with a start that he was responding to my thoughts.

“You can hear me?” I whispered, horrified.

“Not exactly,” he replied, his green eyes searching mine. “More like... I can feel what you’re feeling. The fear of disappointing Mommy and Daddy is coming through loud and clear.”

Professor Blackwood cleared her throat. “This development is concerning. Your binding appears to be strengthening rather than stabilizing.”

Caden squeezed my hand gently. “We’ll figure this out, Elias.”

His calm certainty washed over me, a welcome counterpoint to Wild’s chaotic energy. I found myself nodding, drawing strength from both of them despite myself.

“For now,” Professor Blackwood continued, “you three should proceed to your dormitory. I’ll have Mr. Thorne’s belongings sent over immediately. And remember, no magic. Not even the simplest spell.”

Wild finally released my wrist, though I could still feel the imprint of his fingers on my skin. “Come on, roomies,” he said with forced cheerfulness. “Let’s go have a big fuckin’ slumber party.”

The walk across campus was excruciating.

Every student we passed seemed to stare, whispering behind their hands as they watched the unlikely trio we made.

The perfect Thorne heir, the notorious fae troublemaker, and the quiet Cromwell boy were walking so close our shoulders kept brushing. Nobody had ever seen anything like it.

“They’re talking about us,” I muttered, keeping my eyes fixed ahead.

“They’re always talking about me,” Wild replied with a shrug. “Might as well give them something worth gossiping about.” Before I could react, he slung his arm around my shoulders, pulling me against his side.

The contact sent a surge of magic rushing through me, so powerful I nearly stumbled. Wild’s emotions flooded my senses. Amusement, defiance, and something deeper, a loneliness he kept carefully hidden beneath his carefree exterior.

“What are you doing?” I hissed, trying to pull away despite the pleasant warmth spreading through my chest.

“Experimenting,” he whispered back, his lips too close to my ear. “Every time we touch, the connection changes. Don’t you feel it?”

I did feel it. The chaos of his magic was blending with mine, creating something new and strangely beautiful. It terrified me how right it felt.

“Wild,” Caden warned quietly, “maybe not in the middle of the quad?”

But Wild only grinned wider. “What’s the matter, Cromwell? Jealous? There’s room for you too.” He reached out with his free arm, pulling Caden against his other side.

The moment we were all connected, the pendants around our necks began to glow softly beneath our clothing.

I felt the shift immediately, a harmonizing of three distinct magical signatures that had no right to work together so well.

For a moment, the world around us seemed to shimmer, the mundane reality of Widdershins overlaid with something older and wilder.

“Goddess,” I breathed, unable to stop myself from leaning into Wild’s embrace. The sensation was intoxicating.

“See?” Wild murmured, his voice taking on a husky quality that sent shivers down my spine. “It feels good when you stop fighting it.”

Students were openly staring now. I caught sight of Erinne Willow, daughter of a member of the Elder Council, watching us with undisguised shock. Next to her, several junior witches from prominent families whispered furiously behind their hands.

“Elias Thorne with his arms around a fae and a half-breed?”

“Is he under some kind of enchantment?”

“Wait until his parents hear about this...”

I should have cared more. Should have pulled away and salvaged what dignity I could. But the magic flowing between us made everything else seem distant and unimportant.

“Fuck them,” Wild said cheerfully, loud enough for everyone to hear. “They’re just jealous they can’t feel what we’re feeling right now.”

Caden made a strangled noise. “Wild, please?—”

But it was too late. Wild suddenly spun me around to face him, his green eyes glittering with mischief and something darker, more primal. “Let’s really give them something to talk about.”

Before I could react, he cupped my face in his hands and pressed his lips to mine.

The world exploded into light and sensation.

His kiss tasted like summer berries and wild magic, intoxicating and forbidden.

Our pendants flared brilliantly, visible even through our clothing, casting strange shadows across the quad.

I should have pushed him away, should have been horrified, but instead, my hands gripped his shirt, pulling him closer as my magic surged to meet his.

When he finally pulled back, I was breathing hard, my carefully ordered mind in complete disarray. Wild’s eyes were glowing with fae light, and his smile was triumphant.

“Holy shit,” he whispered. “That was even better than I expected.”

“Oh my god…” Erinne snickered loudly. “Look at their pants!”

Reality came crashing back as I became aware of the dozens of students laughing, watching us with expressions ranging from shock to disgust to fascination. It wasn’t until I looked down that I realized why.

Wild, Caden, and I were all rock hard.

My face burned with mortification as I tried desperately to adjust my pants to hide my obvious arousal. This was a nightmare beyond anything I could have imagined. The heir to the Thorne family, standing in the middle of campus with an erection visible to half the student body.

“Well,” Wild said, completely unbothered by our predicament, “that’s new. Usually takes a lot more than kissing to get a group hard-on going.”

“Shut up,” I hissed, grabbing both him and Caden by the arms. “We need to get out of here. Now.”

Caden’s face was as red as mine, but he nodded quickly. “The dorm. Fast.”

We practically ran across the remaining distance to the residential buildings, the sound of laughter and shocked whispers following us.

I could already imagine the rumors spreading like wildfire through the academy.

By dinner, every student would know that Elias Thorne had been caught making out with a fae in public and that he’d popped a boner because of it.

Fuck.

The moment we reached Wild and Caden’s room, I slammed the door behind us and leaned against it, breathing hard. My arousal had finally started to subside, but the phantom sensation of Wild’s lips on mine lingered.

“That,” Wild announced, throwing himself onto his bed with obvious satisfaction, “was fucking amazing.”

“Amazing?” I turned on him, my carefully controlled composure finally cracking. “Do you have any idea what you’ve just done? My reputation, my family’s name?—”

“Will survive your first public display of actual human emotion,” Wild interrupted. “Trust me, the world won’t end because perfect little Elias Thorne got caught with his dick hard.”

Caden sat heavily on his own bed, still looking stunned. “The physical response though... that has to be connected to the binding, right? I mean, I’ve never...” He trailed off, glancing between Wild and me.

“Never what?” Wild asked with interest.

“Thought about anyone other than Atlas,” Caden finished quietly.

I felt my stomach drop. “You mean this binding is making us feel things that aren’t real?”

Wild’s expression shifted, something like hurt flickering across his features before he masked it with his usual smirk. “Worried you might actually like kissing boys, Princess?”

“That’s not—” I started, then stopped, unsure what I was trying to say. The truth was, I had enjoyed it. More than enjoyed it. And that terrified me more than any magical binding.

“How am I going to explain this to Atlas?” Caden interrupted before I could gather my thoughts. I could feel the desperate panic welling up inside him through our bond. “I don’t want him to think I’m cheating on him!”

“He’s not gonna think that,” Wild replied, his tone shifting completely as he walked over and pulled Caden into a hug.

“We’ll tell him what happened and then we’ll figure it out.

” He glanced up at me. “But I don’t know how I’m gonna live with this tight-ass,” he muttered, gesturing at me.

“You are gonna have to loosen up dude because your vibe is seriously harshing my mellow.”

“I…” I began, massaging my temples as a migraine started to come on. “I don’t even know what that fucking means.”