That sensation to laugh again hit me in the gut, my eyes filling with tears. “I don’t even know you. You don’t know me. I don’t kno
w anything or anyone or what the hell is…” I trailed off, tired of repeating the same words over and over. They did nothing to improve my situation, just leaving me to wallow in the same endless cycle of pity and despair.
“I think you’ll find you know me quite well,” Titus murmured. “Perhaps not about me, or who I am, but your Fire recognizes mine.”
“What?” That didn’t make any sense. “What Fire?”
“Your inner flame, Claire.” He held out his hand, a flicker of light dancing over the tips. “You’re strong. Much stronger than you should be.”
“I don’t understand.”
His smile was sad. “I know, sweetheart. But you will.” The flames flickered out, his hand falling to the ground. “We want to help you. To teach you.”
“Why?”
“Because you’re fae. We take care of our own.”
“But I burned down the bar…”
“Which wouldn’t have happened if you’d been properly trained,” he whispered. “I know what it’s like to come into your power too early, to not be prepared. It’s terrifying. It’s consuming. It kills.”
“Yes,” I agreed, my voice equally quiet.
“I can help you.” He reached for me again, his hand so close but not near enough to touch. “Let me show you.”
“How?”
“Lift your hand toward mine,” he encouraged me. “You’ll see.”
Somehow I doubted that but found my arm lifting of its own accord, my sense of curiosity piqued. What did he intend to do? Grab me? He could have done that already. It was three against one. I stood no chance here, even with my bizarre… gifts.
“Here.” He wiggled his fingers, the tips brushing mine as I rolled closer to him. They were warm. Welcoming. Oddly familiar.
Electricity sizzled between us, sending a zap up my arm that had me pulling back.
“Come on, Claire,” he urged, amusement flirting with his mouth. “Let me show you.”
“That wasn’t it?”
He chuckled. “No. That was mutual attraction, not fire.”
My eyebrows shot up. “What?” He couldn’t mean that we found each other attractive, right? We didn’t know each other. I mean, sure, he was good-looking. Actually, no, he was hot. But… No. I was not attracted to anything or anyone right now, least of all a pointy-eared man with a too-sexy grin.
“It’s a fae thing,” he said, a pair of adorable dimples flashing. “Our elements sing to each other when we find a potential mate. That’s what you felt. Now come on, don’t hide.” He held out his hand again, but I was too busy gaping at him to move.
Potential mate? What in the fuck? No. Hell no. “Mate?”
“Elements bond for power,” he explained. “No more stalling, sweetheart. Let me show you what I really mean.”
“You want to be my… mate?”
He sighed. “No. I don’t want to be anyone’s mate. It’s just a part of society. You’ll feel it with others, especially since you’re multi-elemental. It’s about matching power to power. And right now, all I want to do is show you how our essences are linked to one another. Please?”
The way he said that final word, the slight dip in his tone, had me feeling warm all over. None of this made any sense, but somehow, for some peculiar reason, I wanted to trust him. To let him show me whatever it was he desired to show me.
Because I found him likable.
Not in a mate kind of way—that sounded too permanent and weird and not at all appropriate for a girl my age.