Page 49 of Never Kiss a Fae

“It’s fine,” Claire whispered. “I get it.”

“It’s not fine.” I pulled her across the courtyard, only to find a row of fae waiting along the pathway that led to the Fire Quad.

Fuck.

A trio of fae approached us, their hips swaying and merciless eyes gleaming with mischief.

Ignis and her bratty friends.

“Well, I must say, the Halfling is not what I expected,” Ignis said as she curled writhing fire around her fingertips in a blatant display of aggression. “She’s so...blonde.”

Claire narrowed her eyes, but she didn’t seem intimidated. Her gaze dipped slightly to the flames, betraying her moment’s hesitation that she’d noticed anything amiss.

“Ah, yeah. I know girls like you,” she said, her voice low and full of foreboding. She raised her chin and peered down her nose at Ignis. “You think you have everyone wrapped around your little finger. Well, luckily, there are bitches in the Human Realm, too, and I don’t have time for them.” She tugged at my hand. “Come on, Titus. I’d much rather watch you play with fire.”

Sickle sent a stream flooding in front of Claire, and I jerked her back before she could step into it and get caught in the trap. Aerie laughed, sending a breeze to splash the water onto Claire.

It sizzled on contact.

Good, Claire was pissed.

That meant she would focus on her fire abilities—abilities I could help her with.

Ignis chuckled and stepped close enough to reach me. “Oh, Titus, are you going to let her boss you around like that?” She moved to wrap her fingers around my bicep but hissed when the contact burned her. “Fuck, Titus!” Her eyes went wide, and she bounced her gaze between us, her wild auburn curls fanning out as heat spread across her face. She let out a rude laugh and covered her mouth. “Oh, seriously? You and I fuck, and then the next day, you initiate a courtship bond with a Halfling? Oh, this is too good.”

Gods.I’d almost forgotten about the other night, with Claire being so close. Ignis had tried to force the bond, which, by fae custom, meant I owed it to her to try to reciprocate. But clearly, I broke that rule.

“What?” Sickle screeched, her voice like nails on a chalkboard. “That’s a violation!”

I sighed.Here we go.

“Can’t expect much from him,” Aerie put in. “I mean, you knew he was a player before you let him lure you into bed, Ig.”

“He said he loved me.”

“Oh, for the love of the gods, cut that shit out,” I demanded. “You know I didn’t.”

Her lower lip wobbled. “And now you deny it?” She shook her head, real live tears popping into her eyes. “Three times, Titus. We made love three times.”

“I thought we fucked,” I countered, livid. “Which is it, Ignis?”

“How can you be so cold?” She perfected the art of woman hurt. “Oh, because you went and tricked the Halfling into bonding with you. Is it some sort of bet?” Her eyes narrowed. “That’s it, isn’t it? You’re in on the bet on who can fuck her first?”

“Oh, you know he is,” Sickle said, confusing the hell out of me. “I heard the stakes are high, too. But initiating an elemental link is a bit of a cheat, if you ask me. The others will disqualify you for it.”

“Bet?” Claire repeated, her voice far softer than it was a few minutes ago. Her hand felt like ice in my hand, her arm brittle.

“They’re lying,” I promised. “I don’t even know what they’re talking about.”

Ignis snorted. “I bet you’ll say the same about how you fucked me two days ago, but I have elemental proof.” She lifted her shirt to reveal a red handprint on her abdomen. “What can I say? Things heated up.”

Claire pulled away from me, her arms folding around herself.

“Aww, not so tough now?” Ignis continued, her tone frigid. “And here I thought you’d be as ballsy as your mum.”

“That’s enough, Ignis,” I growled.

She shrugged. “I don’t think she cares. Elements knows her mother didn’t when she destroyed the fae race.”