“Mmm, we’ll discuss it more tonight,” he murmured. “I need to go call my brother to update him on our situation, but I’ll be quick.”
“Promise?” I asked, gazing up at him. “Because I was hoping to get a few sparring lessons in this afternoon.”
“Sparring, hmm?” He glanced at Titus. “Seems she wants an upgrade.”
Titus snorted. “She just wants to play with spirit because I gave her too much fire last night.”
My eyes rolled upward. “Please don’t.”
“That
sounds like a challenge, Fire Fae,” Exos replied, looking over him. “Let’s see how exhausted my spirit makes her tonight.”
“Ugh, seriously—”
“You’re on, Royal.” Titus smiled. “We can make a game of it—who can exhaust Claire more.”
My cheeks were officially inflamed. “Guys…”
“Sounds like a fun way to spend the rest of the week,” Exos agreed, his grin positively wicked. “You ready to join yet, Vox?”
Oh God…
The Air Fae merely shook his head. “I’m just here to teach.”
“Teach,” Titus repeated. “Right.”
“I am.”
“Uh-huh. Exos is just here to lay out commands. I’m here to light Claire on fire. And you’re going for professorship.” Titus shrugged. “Works for me.”
“You’re incorrigible,” I growled, shrugging out from under his arm. “And if you keep it up, I’ll be sleeping alone later.”
“Sure, sweetheart,” he said, snagging my waist and pulling me back to him. “Then you’ll just dream about us, but I assure you reality is better.”
Reality, I thought with a laugh. What a strange word. Because my reality? Yeah, it was nothing like my dreams, or even my fantasies.
No, this was better.
Even with the teasing, the sharing, the constant confusion, I wouldn’t trade my current existence for anything in the world.
Exos winked at me, either hearing my thoughts or seeing them in my expression. “See you in a bit, princess.”
It was as he disappeared from view that I pondered over his words. Call my brother…
Using what? I wondered. I hadn’t seen any phones in the Fae Kingdom. Probably some sort of tree or a bird.
“You ready to go home, sweetheart?” Titus asked, his arms tightening around me.
Home. I smiled. “Yeah.” I liked the sound of that. “With you.” And Exos.
My new world filled with odd mating rules, elements, and, most importantly, love.
A girl could get used to this life.
A girl like me.
Epilogue