Page 120 of Never Kiss a Fae

Yeah, I hate him. I started to squirm again, but those arms of steel held me in place. “Let me go,” I managed, my voice a rasp I hardly recognized.

“No.” He glanced up at Titus. “There are very few Spirit Fae in existence who could subdue my brother and reach me through her bond.”

“Mortus,” Titus replied.

Cyrus nodded. “He is a potential candidate, yes, but he’s not strong enough on his own. Regardless, I suggest we keep an eye on him.”

“Or corner him and demand he tell us what he knows.”

“That would be the rookie approach, of course. But I play in the land of fae politics, Fire Fae. We need to go about our business as if everything is normal, continue training Claire, and prepare her for the battle to come. If we accuse anyone too early, we risk Exos’s life, and that’s not a mistake I’m willing to make.”

“How is tracking down Mortus and demanding Exos’s location going to risk your brother’s life?” Titus demanded, taking the words right out of my head. Well, sort of. I had a few additional curses and commands woven between my thoughts. Like,Let me go, you asshole. I’ll talk to Mortus myself and get Exos back.

“Mortus is old and wise and won’t break easily. By the time we learned anything from him, Exos could be dead. There’s also the possibility he’s innocent and knows nothing at all.”

“Can’t you just mind-fuck him like Elana did to the mean girls?” I asked, my voice slowly recovering from whatever the hell had happened.

“Mortus is too powerful. While I could break him eventually, it would take weeks, if not months, and a lot of energy.” Cyrus shook his head. “Going about our business and putting him at ease is the smarter play, because ultimately, he’ll lead us to Exos. Assuming he’s the culprit, of course.”

“I heard a man laughing,” I whispered, recalling the cackle of sound.

“Another clue, but not enough for us to be certain. And as I said, he won’t break. So even if I charge him with kidnapping my brother, we still risk not finding Exos in time.”

Which meant fae could die. I’d never actually asked how that happened, too busy trying to learn all about this new world. “Is that why I could smell rust?” I wondered aloud, more to myself than to Titus and Cyrus. “Fae don’t like iron, right?”

Silence met my query, followed by a soft voice saying, “It’s a common myth on Earth.”

River. He must have felt the use of water outside.

I finally looked around, noting the destruction Cyrus and I had caused. Singed ground, a new pond in a formerly dried-up crater, all the flowers destroyed, and the buildings charred.

Well, shit.

“Iron does not kill fae, little queen,” Cyrus said, his voice oddly gentle. “A fae dies when the spirit dies, which will happen to Exos if he’s left underground too long without a lifeline.”

“How long?”

“A few months. For a fae as strong as Exos, maybe a year,” he admitted as he finally shifted me off his lap.

I scrambled backward to get away from him as fast as I could and didn’t stop until my back met Titus’s legs. Instant satisfaction rolled over me, the rightness of his touch causing my shoulders to slump.

“Well, I think that was enough for one night,” Cyrus said, not looking at me. “You’ll take her to classes tomorrow. Resume her schedule. In the meantime, I’ll keep an eye on Mortus.” His demeanor seemed to shift, as if I’d hurt his feelings with my stark rejection.

Impossible, obviously. Because the fae was a colossal jerk.

Titus bent down to help me stand, his arms circling my waist. “Are you okay?” he whispered, his lips at my ear.

“She’s fine,” Cyrus replied, some of his earlier distaste returning. “Stop coddling her, Fire Fae. She needs to learn how to fight, not cower.” His cold gaze met mine. “You’re powerful, Claire. Hiding from it only makes you weak, and weakness will get you killed. It’s time to grow up and assert your place in our world. Otherwise, you’ll die.”

With that beautiful proclamation, he stalked off toward the Spirit Dorm.

“I really don’t like him,” I muttered when he was out of hearing range.

“Yeah, I take back every negative thing I ever said about Exos. He’s definitely the more likable of the two.” Titus brushed his lips against my temple. “Come on. Let’s get you dried off.”

The Earth Fae and Vox stood just inside the entrance, their expressions grim.

“Why don’t you go grab some of your things,” Titus suggested softly. “We can regroup after class tomorrow.”