The little shudder that ran through me had nothing to do with cookies and everything to do with his white, gleaming teeth. I choked on a Cheeto.
Standing, he patted my back until I waved him off. “I’m sorry,” I apologized for choking like a fool. “I need to chew my food, I suppose.”
He spoke close to my ear, “What were you thinking of?” then took his seat again. “Now, want some cookie?”
“I’ll trade you for part of my candy bar?”
With the treat switch handled and back on a friendly track, we nibbled at our snacks for a bit before Zephyr lifted his eyes to mine again. “Did you have something to tell me?”
“A couple of things,” I admitted, pushing my bag of flaming-hot cheese puffs toward him. “First, I had a pretty scary experience earlier tonight when I was coming back from the library.”
He helped himself to the Cheetos. “Go on.”
“A dark cloud, no, that’s not quite it. Darkness, I guess, in general, poured over me and shut out all the light. It was sticky or maybe greasy...nearly impossible to breathe through, and, while I was trying to find my way out, it grabbed at my back, scratching at my skin through my shirt.”
“Are you injured?” His voice was even, but his gaze grew more intense. “Do you need to go to the infirmary?”
“It hurts, still, but Alara checked and found not a mark on me.” I sipped my cola, needing to moisten my mouth. “I don’t understand.”
“No. I don’t, either. Do you have any more description? Was there an odor?”
I closed my eyes, trying to remember. “I-I was so lost in the fact I couldn’t see, and that it hurt, I don’t…” Then it filled my nose. “Wait. Rancid, like something rotting for a long time?”
Zephyr shook his head. “Even the worst fae doesn’t smell rotten. The unseelie smell different from seelie but it’s every bit as appealing. This had to be something different.”
“You don’t doubt me?” I set the can down. “I admit, it’s hard to believe something like that could happen, but I’m not prone to hallucinations.”
“No, I don’t think you could imagine a gloaming. Don’t be alone at night outdoors for now. And be careful even during the day. I’m going to see what I can find out.” He bent close to me. “Promise? If your girlfriends aren’t available, I will be.”
“Or Bain,” I blurted out, the guilt at liking them both festering inside me.
“Yes, or Bain. He’ll always have your back.”
I blinked at him. “The reason I didn’t go to your room is he’s kissed me, too, and...I’m confused.”
“You are?” He sounded surprised at my reaction. “Why?”
“Well, because there are two of you and only one of me and—”
“Endy?” he cut me off. “Fairies don’t share human morality. We love who we love. And we don’t mind sharing.”
Chapter Eight
My knees wobbled from the lack of sleep that was now affecting every part of me. Add that to the fact Zephyr had winked at me as he strolled into the gym, and I knew this weapons class was going to be a shit show.
I swallowed, taking in Zephyr’s form as he walked over to Maeve like he owned the damned place. Yeah, he kept to himself, and his deep eyes and turned-down mouth shouted:broodingandleave me alone, but his shoulders, stature, not to mention the way his pants clung to his firm ass...yeah, his entire body said, come and get me.
“Do you need a napkin?” Alara tugged at the back of my T-shirt. We’d been instructed to come in something comfortable today. Alara clued me in—it meant something to exercise in. This woman thought exercise and weapons training was comfortable.
“What?” I looked down, thinking there were remnants of breakfast on me.
“You know, for the drool.”
I pulled my lips in between my teeth to keep from laughing. Maeve was already giving us the stare down for whispering while she was talking. Last thing I wanted was to piss off the woman with the sword at her hip.
“Today, we will be pairing off to spar. And by spar, I mean fight. You have to learn to defend yourselves. Yes, we are safe right now because we are at Sciathain Academy but after you finish here, you will go back out into the human world or beyond the veil. There are enemies there that may want to hurt you beyond a rude comment or a murderous side-eye.”
I scanned the room, expecting everyone to be shocked or at least intrigued by what Maeve was talking about, but instead there were nods and grunts. Again, I was the only one in the room who didn’t know what the hell was going on.