Page 5

The silence in the limo is heavy with unspoken tension as we head back to the academy after the angel—Cassian—dismissed us.

There are so many things I want to say, apologies that need to be given, but I can’t seem to muster up the words they deserve to hear.

Marion refuses to look at me, no matter how many times I’ve tried to catch her eye, while Hudson hasn’t taken his attention off me. His gaze alone burns my skin as he constantly checks me over from head to toe from my spot tucked between Luka and Axel.

Headmaster Stonewell—because I refuse to use his name after what just happened—chose to fly back to prepare for the shit show Monday is going to bring, and Thaddeus, well, the poor fae, stares out the window with his jaw clenched, probably despising me for what transpired with his girlfriend. Or, I guess, his ex-girlfriend now.

I never wanted to come in between them, but it looks like I did anyway—-not that I intended to. But there’s still time. He can fix this whole mess with her, and so can I. When we get back to the academy, I’ll demand that Headmaster Stonewell puts someone else in charge of my training and takes me out of portal class. I’ve already basically mastered it, so I don’t need it anyway. And when Miss Izzicle returns, I’ll apologize for my part in what happened, even though she’s the one with the skewed views toward me.

Hopefully, there will be changes for that class, too. Especially given her true feelings when it comes to me. I grimace; I can see the low grades I’d pull in her class just because of her dislike for me. A self-deprecating chuckle slips through my lips. Who am I kidding? It’s so much more than dislike. She absolutely hates me. While the feeling was mutual, at least I hid how I felt toward the fae, unlike her who had no problem joining in the chorus of people wanting me to die.

And I don’t think her animosity had anything to do with Thaddeus.

Or I’m completely wrong and it had everything to do with Thaddeus and getting me out of the picture.

It’s not like I can ask her, seeing as she’s… well, back in Faerie.

After what feels like the longest ride of my life, the limo pulls to a stop in front of the academy. In front of the very spot I met Headmaster Stonewell the first day. No one says a word; no one even moves until Marion huffs and throws herself over Hudson’s lap, popping open the door and disappearing into the dark night.

A chorus of howls greets my ears, and it’s easy to understand that the guys who stood by her side tonight are back at the academy, too. It’s a relief to know that Marion won’t be alone with the revelation she learned at the gala. I should have asked if she was okay. Made sure she wasn’t still injured. But she barely spoke to me after the big reveal, so I know there’s no way she would have said anything in the small confines of the limo.

Thaddeus slides out next without a goodbye, his mind most likely too consumed with turmoil to remember the rest of us still sitting here. But it’s okay. There’s no way I can hold it against him after what I’ve caused.

Uneasiness slips down my spine like an unwanted caress as no one else makes a move to leave the vehicle. I’m not sure what my bonded mates are waiting for, but the longer we sit here in silence with Hudson’s silvery eyes still firmly on me, the more skittish I start to feel, wanting… no needing to get the hell out of here.

Not able to take any more of the tension, I quickly dive over Luka’s legs for the open door, slipping silently into the fresh night air. Cricket song and cicada buzz greets me from where they perch in the safety of the trees, but it’s quickly drowned out by the whooshing in my ears as my adrenaline from the night starts to fade.

My ankle rolls in my haste to get away, but I right myself before I can fall and make an even bigger idiot out of myself. Kicking off the infernal heels Marion wanted me to wear tonight, I snatch them up in my hands and keep my quick pace up the stairs and into the grand entrance of Stonewell Academy.

No matter how mad I am at the owner of this castle, it still makes my breath catch every time I come back from being away. Even if it’s from a quick trip to the town. Granted, there seems to be a theme every time I leave the safety of the academy. And it’s not a good one.

Trouble. That’s what happens. And it just so happens to seem to be my middle name. It’s been following me since the moment I ran out of the lagoon clearing, and unfortunately, I don’t think it’s going to disappear any time soon.

The thudding of footsteps hit my ears from behind me, but I just need a few moments to myself. Just a couple minutes to freak out before we start to lob questions and theories about tonight.

My surroundings blur around me as magic sparks at my speed rune, answering my silent plea for solitude. The stone walls are nothing more than a grayish haze as I fly past them all and into the stairwell. My feet barely touch the concrete steps as I zoom up them and out into the hallway leading to my room.

A brief smile flits across my lips over the sheer joy that my magic acted on what I wanted, but I quickly falter, knowing I have nothing to be happy about. Everything—my life, my friendships, all of it—is a gods-damned mess.

As the door snicks shut behind me and my shoes fall from my grip, I blindly reach out, looking for the damn light switch. If I’d have thought straight, I would have left it on before we left, but I was way too damn distracted by the sight of my handsome mates.

I bite my lip as my eyes blur with unshed tears, tears I told myself I wouldn’t cry because I was stronger than this. But it’s like now that I’ve entered my safe space, my emotions decide it’s time to let go.

And let go I do.

The fist my fingers curl into slam into the wall repeatedly as I still look for the gods-forsaken switch. A click sounds and the lights kick on, but I still don’t stop. I can’t stop. I’d rather tear my hands apart than let these pesky tears fall.

A scream of nothing but anguish bubbles up in my throat right as my magic starts to wreak havoc in time with my turmoil. A pink glow starts to emit from beneath my skin, but I’m way too far gone to stop it. I know the way my magic roils under my skin should scare me. It should, but it doesn’t. If anything, it feels empowering to finally let it do what it wants after being denied twice tonight, minus healing myself.

Not once has anyone explained to me that it’s a possibility for magic to rebel, or maybe it’s not. Maybe it’s a curiomancer thing. Either way, the small amount of healing did nothing to dispel the buildup.

My hands shake by the time I’m finished taking out my anger on the wall. But it’s not enough. The magic beneath my skin refuses to subside, only fueling my anger over my current position even more.

Tonight was a shit show, and until I remove every trace of that stupid gala, I feel my agitation will only build until it can’t be controlled anymore. And I’m not too far gone to know that won’t end well for me.

Without bothering to retreat from my room, I tear the pins from my hair, not caring where they scatter as long as they’re gone. My white hair tumbles across my shoulders in disarray, small handfuls of pale strands sticking to my fingers. The pain as they rip from my scalp soothes a small part of me that needs to feel the sting, but still… it’s not enough. Hell, at this point, I don’t think anything will be enough to douse the fire raging inside of me.

This time I don’t stop the primal scream that tears from my throat. It’s one of torment. Of agony. Of the grief and heartache running through me. Of the utter unfairness of this world.

I was happy, dammit. Happy in the human sectors with my parents. Happy with my mates. But now? What the hell is there to be happy about? That the council gave me a chance? Barely, might I add.

But no. How the hell can I be happy with all the new rules I have to follow. I didn’t fucking ask to be born this way! It’s just the way my cards were laid.

The door behind me slams open, but I don’t startle. I know who it is without even having to look. And while having them at close proximity normally helps, it doesn’t stop my magic from taking over, a slight burn radiating from my right shoulder as it zooms to my fire rune. My body is alight in pink flames a moment later, incinerating the beautiful dress my mates bought for me for tonight. Just one more reminder of this horrible situation torched beyond recognition.

The ash dances around my body, but the blaze doesn't stop. It continues to burn, the inferno licking up and down my now bare flesh.

The guys keep a silent vigil at my back, which I’m grateful for, allowing me this moment to lose myself. If I or my surroundings were in any danger, they’d do what they could to stop me, but they aren’t. They know I need this as much as my magic does. If it were Thaddeus or that traitorous son of a bitch, they would have stopped this before it even started.

Visions play out in my mind’s eye of everything that transpired, from the moment we showed up until we left in the dead of night and returned back here. The way people’s faces twisted as though they were looking upon a monster. The cries for my death to appease the weak ass head councilman. The fact that my own damn teacher wanted me to die, and my headmaster who did nothing to stop it.

My knees go weak at the thought of all the injustice I faced tonight, and I crumple to a heap on the floor. My fire still ravages, though, showing no signs of stopping any time soon.

Hands cup my cheeks, sending another bout of fear raging through me. My pink gaze meets one of navy blue before they roam his features, looking for any sign that my magic is hurting him. But no. My magic knows him from the inside out and would never hurt him. Same with Axel, but I understand any reluctance he may have when it comes to fire.

“I know, goddess, I know.” Earnest sincerity rests upon Luka’s face even as worry shines in the depths of his eyes.

“It’s so fucked up.” My bottom lip trembles with every word, but my voice doesn’t waver.

“It is.” His thumb brushes tenderly along my jaw. “But Axel and I would never let anything happen to you. We’ll disappear if you’re ever put in that position again.”

“Promise?” I whisper, hating that once more my weakness is on full display.

“We promise, cor meum . You’re our priority, our mate, and we would burn the world down to keep you safe.” I don’t know what it is about their words, but it ends the fight—the rage—coursing through my veins.

My flames immediately die out, leaving me drained and slumped on my knees in the middle of my dorm room. Two sets of arms curl around my prone form, doing what they can to keep all my battered pieces together.

Eventually the guys coax me off the ground, directing me toward my bedroom for a shower to wash away the stress I’m carrying on my shoulders. I grip their hands like a lifeline, dragging them with me. I can’t—don’t—want to be alone. Not right now. Not while I’m liable to break again.

Luka turns on my shower and directs me under the spray once the water warms. He and Axel shed their clothes, stepping in behind me while the water pounds relentlessly against my raw skin. They take turns cleaning every part of me, from my hair to my body. Doing their best to wash away the remnants of the evening. Each and every touch is methodical, almost reverent, but not sexual. Not like I thought it would be after what was supposed to be a night of romance.

Truth talk… I’m glad they aren’t trying to shift it in that direction. While I’d love to forget—even for an hour or two—I don’t think my body would cooperate after expelling so much magic. As it is, I barely move as they work around me.

But no matter how clean they get me, nothing will wash away the stain permanently etched in my soul. One thing I can say for certain though. I won’t let what happened at the gala define me. I’m more than my magical affinity. I’m more than just the last curiomancer in existence. I’m Bailey fucking Matthews and I’ll rise above the bullshit.

Tomorrow.

I’ll rise above it tomorrow. For now, I’ll let my mates keep me together when I’m not strong enough to do it myself.

When they’re satisfied they’ve washed all my stress down the drain, Axel pulls me into his arms, allowing Luka a chance to bathe the remaining blood from his skin. I track the water droplets rolling down his tanned skin, wishing I had it in me to make the move to lick it off. That’s what the me of yesterday would have done.

Hell, both of my mates are butt-ass naked in the confines of my small shower, and it’s purely… platonic. This situation is a dream come true for me, and I feel nothing. Not even the smallest stirring of desire.

Luka pulls me from Axel’s hold once he’s finished, then slowly helps me out of the tub and wraps a fluffy warm towel around my soaked, naked flesh. A second towel appears almost out of thin air that he wraps around his waist, not bothering to thoroughly dry himself off.

My vampire follows a moment later, his own towel magically appearing in his hands thanks to Luka and his demi-god powers. His magic works so fluidly, I can only hope I’ll master mine one day to work so smoothly.

The guys operate in tandem to dry me off, then dress me in sleep shorts and a tank top before Axel swoops me up bridal style in his arms and carries me back into my bedroom. Luka pulls back the comforter on the bed for the three of us to climb into, and once we’re all covered up, the guys slide closer, bracketing me on either side in their little nest of safety.

This. This is heaven. And while it might not erase the events at the gala, it goes a long way to soothe my damaged essence.

Luka snaps his fingers and the lights go out, plunging my bedroom in a blanket of darkness. As I lay there, I worry that sleep will elude me, leaving me awake to overthink the rest of night away, but I feel myself quickly start to drift off.

A thought flashes through my mind, and before I lose it, I ask, “What happened to you, Axel?” I glance over my shoulder to where he’s curled around my back as the big spoon while the rest of my body is plastered to Luka’s front.

“Rest, cor meum . We’ll talk about it in the morning.”

A yawn splits my lips before I can reply, so I nod my head, settled with the fact that he’ll explain tomorrow before my babysitters show up.

My head finds its way back to Luka’s chest, letting the thump, thump, thump of his heart lull me into peace. I want to take this moment to tell them how I feel, that I love them, but I’m out before my lips can even form the words.