Sol narrowed his gaze at my water mate. “It’d better not.” And with that, he stomped off, his agitation clear in the way the stone reverberated beneath his steps.
I flinched, my chest aching as if he’d shot an arrow through it. “He thinks I would do that?”
“No, he thinks we would.” Exos kissed my temple. “Trust me, his anger isn’t directed at you.”
“Could have fooled me.” He hadn’t even looked at me, much less replied to my commentary.
“I’ll talk to him,” Titus promised, pushing away from the door. “He’s probably just hungover from all that blast mead last night.” He waggled his brows. “Vox and I will fix him right up with some breakfast. He’ll be as good as new when you get back.”
“Pretty sure it’s more than a hangover,” I grumbled. Sol had always appeared to be on edge around Exos and Cyrus, but I never knew why. And Cyrus’s comment regarding Sol’s scars was news to me. I didn’t even know what he meant.
How does one scar a spirit? I wondered.
We’ll explain it today, Exos replied with another kiss against my head. It’s one of the darker parts of our power.
Like raising the dead? I asked.
I sensed his scowl more than saw it. No. That would be dark magic.
“Come on,” Cyrus encouraged, wrapping his arm around my shoulders. “We have a long day ahead.”
I blew my fire mate a kiss that he caught and brought to his heart before sending me one in return. With a smile, I allowed Cyrus and Exos to lead me down the hall. “Where are we going?”
Exos threaded his fingers through mine while saying, “Vox suggested a place where we won’t be disturbed.”
My lips curled at the thought of my air mate. It’d been hard to leave him in bed this morning, but he looked so at peace between the—
“You’re still here?” a deep voice demanded as we entered the foyer.
Exos turned toward the source with an arched eyebrow. “Indeed we are. Is there a problem, Notus?”
Vox’s father narrowed his ebony eyes at me, ignoring Exos entirely. “Haven’t you done enough to disgrace my family, Halfling?” He practically spit the name at me as if it were a curse. “You’ve already ruined our name and stolen my son. I think it’s high time you left.”
My eyebrows met my hairline. “Wow, you’re charming in the morning.” And a complete dick as well. “Vox told me about your reservations regarding our relationship, and I’m truly sorry you feel that way. But I’ve done nothing to ruin your family name. As for taking your son, I believe he made that choice all on his own.”
“I did,” Vox agreed, seeming to appear behind us with the wind whipping around him as he called upon his gift to empower his stance.
Notus’s lips parted at the demonstration of air energy. “You’re accessing the source.”
“Because of Claire,” he replied flatly. “My Halfling mate. The one you’ve chosen to belittle and disregard because she’s not the royalty you’ve always craved. How interesting that the elements seem to favor her.”
My cheeks heated as he awarded me with an indulgent smile.
“Yes, it does seem to me that Claire could have only helped with the family name,” Exos said, his tone regal and filled with authority. “But after the hospitality we’ve received here, I can assure you that will never happen.” He glanced at Cyrus. “I suggest we move our lesson to another kingdom, as we’re clearly no longer welcome here.”
“I’m sure my father would accommodate us,” he drawled, not missing a beat. “He’ll also be incredibly intrigued by this turn of events.”
Exos nodded as Notus sputtered out nonsense. I almost wanted to hear what he had to say. But then again, he wasn’t worth our time. He’d made his opinion clear, and there wasn’t a damn thing we could do to change it.
“I’ll inform the others of our change in plans, and we’ll meet you back at the Academy tonight,” Vox said, ignoring his father’s rambling apology—or I assumed that was what he was trying to say. Maybe it was just another insult. At this point, I no longer cared to listen. Vox was happy, and that was all that mattered to me.
“It will likely be tomorrow,” Cyrus said. “We’ll need time to recover before we travel again. Fortunately, my father is a hospitable host.” That last comment was tossed in Notus’s direction. “We’ll meet you there, Exos.”
The world dissolved around us as Cyrus engaged his misting ability and teleported us with the ease of a practiced fae. I hadn’t learned how to do this yet but loved the way it felt—like effortlessly swimming through a refreshing stream. Except we always arrived dry.
We materialized in the center of Cyrus’s bedroom to the welcoming sound of the waterfall in the corner. I vaguely remembered it from my time here, that tranquil song of moving water while we made love over and over in his silky sheets.
He stole my mouth in a kiss, confirming his mind had ventured to the same memory, as he replayed those heated nights with his tongue against mine. I arched into him, adoring the sensations he stirred inside me and longing to indulge in so much more.