“B-both,” she stammered. “I’m… hungry.”
I looked her over with a smile. “Yeah, me, too.” I held up my palm one more time. “Shall we, Claire?”
She pressed her palm to mine, nodding. “A room of fairies and food. Sure.”
I chuckled. “You’ll get used to it.”
“Yeah. That’s what I’m afraid of,” she said so softly that I barely heard her. The poor girl clearly thought she was going mad, but after a few days in this realm, she’d realize the reality of her situation. Hopefully.
The seating arrangements in the room had changed with River joining Exos on the opposite side of the table, Elana still at the head, leaving two open seats for me and Claire—beside each other. I pulled out her chair, causing her to smile shyly as she sat, and joined her quickly, my hand finding hers beneath the table to give it a squeeze.
She tightened her hold as the pixies fluttered in to begin delivering food. It seemed they’d replaced the soup with fresh bowls, likely because the old had grown cold. They continued swapping out the dishes until a blend of fresh aromas wafted off the table, the array of foods causing my stomach to grumble in want and my heart to beat in admiration.
Elana was controlling all of this, her power an almost magnetic energy that called to my inner fae and required submission. Because not many could boast such a feast in their homes, especially after repairing the walls.
Claire didn’t appear nearly as enthused.
“It’s a bit much, huh?” I teased, eyeing the magic sprinkling across the room.
She relaxed, then gave me a small smile of her own. Fuck, she was beautiful. I wanted to make her smile every moment of every day.
Exos remained stoic, his focus shifting to Elana as he asked her something about Claire’s schedule. This caused the woman at my side to glance between them, her brow furrowing as they discussed her life without her input.
“Eat, dear,” Elana said when she noticed Claire staring at her.
My companion didn’t reach out for the food but eyed it hungrily. When she refused to pick her own course, I released her hand to pick up her dish and then plucked a little bit of everything for her to try before setting it in front of her.
“I recommend that one first,” I told her, gesturing to the dried pieces of meat. “I love those.” I punctuated the statement by heaping several spoonfuls onto my own plate, as well as a few nibbles from other dishes.
When Claire still didn’t touch her food, I took a bite of mine to demonstrate that it wasn’t poisonous. And then I made an exaggerated moan of approval that caused her lips to twitch.
“Try it,” I encouraged her. “It’s really, really good.”
She shifted in her seat, her mouth pinching to the side. Then she took one of the dried pieces of meat I suggested and nibbled on it, her eyes going wide. She took a larger bite.
I chuckled. “Told you.”
She didn’t reply, too lost in the flavors of the foods.
“Yes,” Elana said quietly. “I think that’s best. One day at each campus, and I’ll work with the professors tomorrow on her schedule. We should start her in the Fire Quad.”
Exos nodded. “I agree. Are her quarters ready?”
“No, you’ll stay here tonight. I didn’t have enough energy to finish rebuilding the Spirit Dorm.”
“You’re putting her on the Spirit Quad?” I asked, setting my fork down. River cleared his throat, but I ignored him. He must not have liked my tone, but this was a horrible idea and I wanted them to know it. “It’s empty and void of life.”
“And therefore safe,” Exos added.
“For who? Her or the others?” I shook my head. “If you want her to attend the Academy, you need to have her around other fae. That’s how you introduce her to our world. By showing her what the Fae Realm is like and introducing her to fae her own age.”
Claire had stopped eating, her eyes dancing between us. “You keep mentioning the Academy and a campus, but what is it? Like a college?” she whispered.
“The Elemental Fae Academy, dear,” Elana said, her voice warm. “And yes, it’s similar to your university life, but for fae. Everyone in this realm attends from age nineteen to twenty-three, unless there are extenuating circumstances. Like Titus, for example.”
“Titus?” Claire glanced at me, frowning. “I don’t understand.”
“She means I started the Academy late. I’m twenty-two but didn’t begin until this year.”