What is that? The shriek had knocked me off-kilter, splitting my head in two, and worsened the ache in my gut. It left me dizzy and unstable, Exos’s arm around me the only thing keeping me upright. And even then, the room seemed to be spinning.
I winced as the shriek deepened, worming into my mind. It knocked the air from my lungs, leaving me floating in a cloud of confusion and deafness.
My hands fell as I tried to find them with my eyes.
Why is everything so fuzzy?
I blinked, trying to focus.
“Enough!” Vox roared, a whoosh of wind following the command and sending Aerie into the wall. Or, at least, that was what appeared to have happened. I couldn’t really tell. It was as if my vision had shrunk into a teeny, tiny point.
“I’ll talk to Professor Helios, but you need to get Claire out of here.” Vox’s voice registered, but it rang with an authority that surprised me. He seemed like such a nice fae. Not a bossy one. Not like my Exos.
“You and I need to have a conversation,” Exos replied, causing my lips to curl. That was my bossy fae. And why did I find that so amusing?
Vox sighed. “Oh, we’ll be talking all right. But for now, focus on Claire. She’s about to collapse.”
I am?
Oh.
Exos hadn’t just put his arm around me but had also lifted me into the air. No wonder it felt like I was floating.
Dude, I’m drunk, I realized. Like the entire world was spinning in a mist of intoxication. When did that happen and how?
“Relax, Claire. I have you,” Exos vowed.
“Oh, I know,” I replied, smiling. “You definitely have me.”
“It’s the wind tunnel,” Vox said, his voice warm and far away. No, close. Wait, where was he standing, again? “Fucks with the sense of balance and thought. She’ll be fine in an hour. Just get her some water.” Another whoosh followed his words. “Do not move, Aerie.”
I swore she growled in reply. Or someone did. And then more yelling ensued, but I couldn’t see any of them or anything. The carnage of the windstorm lay dormant beyond my vision. Or perhaps not so quiet. Panic filtered through the air, words I couldn’t understand, and chants.
I curled into Exos, craving his familiarity, his security. I didn’t want to be drunk anymore, but I couldn’t see beyond the fog of my mind. Everything mingled in shades of blacks that were riddled with sounds.
I whimpered.
Lips pressed against my temple. “You’ll be okay.”
Exos?
Yes. I snuggled into his heat, his scent, his strength.
“What happened?” a new voice demanded, one I recognized immediately as my Titus. I couldn’t say when I started thinking of these two men as mine, but I did. They were mine, and I intended to keep them if they let me.
Their tongues and hands, mmm…
“Is she drunk?” Titus demanded.
“Yes, I took her to the bar to celebrate her destruction on Air Quad today. Sorry for not inviting you.” Exos set me on a cloud of amazingness. So, so soft. But not warm enough. I reached for his hand, longing for his heat, and found Titus’s instead. My lips curled, my fire instantly engaged, and I tugged him toward me.
“Fuck, Claire,” he muttered, collapsing on top of me. Or maybe beside me. I really couldn’t tell, this wave of confusion shadowing my judgment.
“Yeah, you entertain her there while I go find some water. According to Vox, that’ll help cure this wind tunnel messing with her mind.” Exos sounded amused, which made me giggle. I liked him amused. He had the best smile. Like the sun. Except he rarely showed it. Maybe he lived in a cloud, too. Like me. Because I couldn’t see a damn thing. But I could definitely feel, and I really liked the heat coming from Titus. So muscular. Hard. Hot.
“You and I are going to have a long talk about your conversational skills, Royal,” Titus growled. “Claire, sweetheart, can you stop—No. Stop that.” He grabbed my wrists, causing me to pout. I wanted to pet him. To revel in his fire.
No more of this kissing and orgasm crap. I wanted more. To really, truly feel him.