I cleared my throat, my hold on her power tightening. If I let go now, her control would snap, hurting us both. However, the only way to truly strengthen her grasp on air was to provide her with an anchor. She needed an Air Fae in her circle, likely as a mate, to truly master her powers.
Someone strong enough to balance her.
Someone like me.
And, uh, yeah, that was not going to happen. I’d never been interested in courtship, and I barely knew this girl. Attraction was one thing. A mating, entirely another.
She needed another fae. Someone who wanted that kind of connection. I’d mention it to Exos after class.
“Try to conjure an air spiral like I showed you,” I said, hoping my tone sounded encouraging. We’d been trying this for several minutes, but she’d yet to create one.
Claire hummed as her eyes fluttered closed.
My power coiled around hers on instinct, the contact intense.
She leaned forward, her shirt dipping with her and providing me with an agonizing view of her graceful neck and cleavage. A better fae would have averted his gaze, but I was weak when it came to a fae who tugged at my strings like this one did. She demanded my full attention.
Then I noticed it—a fire brand.
Fuck, I knew I’d sensed something else off about her. Her fire was too passionate, too practiced and perfected for a Halfling who’d been rumored to kill and injure multiple fae.
She’d bonded with a Fire Fae as well.
Two courtship bonds, one for each element.
That wasn’t unheard of for a Spirit Fae, but it was definitely rare. Given what I’d seen of her powers, it seemed necessary to maintain her balance and control. However, I didn’t know of a single Air Fae who would be willing to go up against such competition.
Yet, I also knew she required one. Exos had one hell of a challenge set out before him.
“Just focus on that place inside,” she said to herself. “I’m a fae,” she continued, half chuckling. “I have magical powers. I can summon little air spirals.”
“Like the hot chocolate,” the royal offered. He kept his touch light and coaxing across her arm. “You’re doing great, Claire.”
Her brow wrinkled as she focused, and her powers fluctuated beneath my senses. Something new blossomed, a strange, dark force that felt wrong, corrupted.
What is that? Or better yet, who is that? It wasn’t a power I recognized, the taste of it bitter on my tongue.
Wait, no, I do know that power. It’s familiar.
I frowned, trying to identify the owner because it wasn’t Claire. “Hold—”
She summoned the air spiral before I had a chance to stop her. I immediately latched on, trying to quell the conjuring, but the angry power reared at the scent of my magic. It was as if the power multiplied by a thousand, hell-bent on wreaking death and destruction to any who dared to get too close to the Halfling.
This wasn’t right. I’d mentored other fae before, and I was good at it because I could visualize their inner strength, contain it, and hold on to it until they could contain themselves. Yet when I reached out to grasp the strand of power that burned hot and angry, it wouldn’t listen to me.
This magic doesn’t belong to Claire.
The air spiral danced over her hand, causing her to smile at the perceived achievement. An innocent expression that morphed into horror as the energy sprung from her grasp.
“Dispel it,” I commanded. “Dispel it now!”
Claire’s eyes widened and snapped up to mine in confused terror, but it was too late.
The spiral exploded.
Shrieks sounded, and the pathetic air pixie was the first to be sucked in by the wild vortex that crashed through the classroom, sending delicate pedestals catapulting through the thick glass meant to contain even the worst projectiles.
Professor Helios cast a wave of power to try to contain the vortex, but even the ancient fae was no match for whatever the horror had unleashed.