Which meant this was all Exos and Cyrus. Great. “Nothing good happens when you two are working together,” I grumbled, not really meaning it. But I wanted to know what they had planned for me.
“Nothing at all?” Cyrus replied, his hand slipping lower onto my backside. “You seem to enjoy it when Exos and I work together.”
I shivered, Exos’s comments from earlier warming my mind. “Well, maybe there are exceptions.”
Titus grunted.
“Jealous, Firefly?” Cyrus taunted him.
“Fuck off, Jackass,” Titus retorted.
“That’s Royal Jackass to you,” Cyrus corrected.
My fire mate just shook his head, his demeanor displaying his exhaustion. He’d worked hard keeping all those flames under control today. Because I hadn’t been able to help.
My lips twisted. I really needed to say something, but how did I bring it up? Like, Oh, by the way, I can’t access the elements. Okay. Good chat.
They were all being so protective already. That would just make it worse.
Except, my not talking to them also caused problems.
I really should—
“Cyrus has been bragging about his present to you all week,” Titus murmured, distracting me. “But he wouldn’t tell us what it is.” He glowered at the Water King. “I had been hoping to overshadow him with a fire cake, but that blew up in my face.”
Vox chuckled. “Literally.” He patted the Fire Fae on the arm as we started up the path to our home. It wasn’t too far from the Chancellor’s office—since I was the Chancellor. But we had built the two buildings separately, unlike my predecessor, who lived and worked in the same place.
“We can make one together,” Vox added, taking pity on my fire mate. “I’d love to learn the recipe.”
Titus opened the door to our house. “There was a reason I had my brother bring the present. It’s a highly guarded secret through my mum’s line. Good luck getting it out of her.”
“Challenge accepted,” Vox said, his eyes gleaming as he stepped through the threshold. My air mate seemed determined to learn all cuisine secrets, human, fae, or otherwise.
My stomach rumbled, reminding me that I hadn’t been able to enjoy any of his typically scrumptious meals for a few days now. I hoped whatever Cyrus and Exos planned to surprise me with came with a side of hamburgers and fries.
Cyrus undid his tie as we entered our home and stepped in front of me. I lifted my brow. “And what do you plan to do with that?” I asked.
“Blindfold you.” He wrapped the soft silk over my eyes, and Exos released my hand to step behind me and helped his brother tie the strands against my hair.
“You said this wasn’t about sex,” I reminded him. “Not that I’m complaining.”
He chuckled. “I just want to make sure you get the full effect,” he promised. Although, the tug in our mate-bonds suggested he wouldn’t mind a little foreplay follow-up later.
Exos took my hand again. I knew it was him because his kiss of spirit magic always called to my heart. It made me miss my elements even more.
However, my mates’ magic seemed to surge through me more and more lately, as though providing me with much-needed nourishment directly from the elemental source.
It felt odd to describe it that way.
Their magic had never given me that sensation before, but their touch somehow eased my hunger, so I clung to Exos, drawing out the tingling strand between us as we walked.
My mates guided me through our home and toward the secondary bedroom we had set up for guests or visiting family members.
Not that we really ever entertained any.
Our nightly activities made it kind of difficult. And my mom lived just off campus with Mortus, so she didn’t ever ha
ve a reason to stay.