What felt like hours later, Kols joined us once more, his expression wary. “Ella’s fine. Tray’s irritated, but understanding. And the others, well, let’s just say Aflora hasn’t made any friends.”
Not like I had any here anyway, I thought sourly.
“No one is escalating the issue, but I had to agree to enhance her collar with more power restrictions,” he added.
Zeph’s chocolate-colored eyebrow inched upward. “How are you going to do that?”
“I have no idea.” He looked at me. “For now, I need you to stay in the suite. No going to the cafeteria. No socializing.”
“What about class tomorrow?” I asked.
“You’ll be with me, so that’ll be fine. But going forward, we need a better device to keep your powers in check.”
So, a tighter leash. Awesome.
I sighed. “All right.” While I hated the prospect of it, I understood the reason behind it. If my powers continued at this rate, I might actually hurt someone, and then I’d never be able to live with myself. Restraint made sense. I’d rather bear the pain myself than inflict it on another.
“You’re not going to fight me on it?” Kols asked, his expression surprised.
I shook my head, swallowing. “I know what an abomination can do, Prince Kolstov. If that’s truly what I’m becoming, restraint is a requirement.” My shoulders fell as I looked toward the door. “If you lead me back to the suite, I’ll stay there until you tell me otherwise.”
Because escape was never going to be an option at this rate.
Not with the fire still licking a hot path beneath my skin, begging to be unleashed.
The power inside me seemed to be searching for an outlet, a way to explode. There had to be a way to temper it. Because if not… I shivered, refusing to consider that outcome.
I will survive this, I promised myself. Somehow.
Chapter Seventeen
Kols
“I swear to God, if you apologize again, I’m going to hit you with another jaws creation,” Ella threatened as I finally returned home.
Dealing with Aflora’s little power display had cost me more than I wanted to admit. Mostly because of Emelyn. She’d gone to her father, which meant I’d been called into an emergency Council discussion regarding Aflora’s development. I assured them all that I had her under control and reiterated the complication of her status as the last Earth Fae Royal. Killing her now would provoke a war. They needed to come to terms with the Elemental Fae Council before that could even be considered as an option.
Several wanted to lock her up.
But my father stood by my side and reminded everyone that this task served as one of my ascension trials.
An ascension trial that was proving to be my most difficult test yet.
Aflora sat on a couch beside Ella, her shoulders caved inward as she held a mug of hot chocolate between her delicate hands. “I had no idea I could do that.”
“I know.”
“Maybe I shouldn’t go to any more classes,” Aflora continued. “The power seems to be growing, not dying, and that can’t be a good thing.”
“Classes are a requirement,” I interjected, making my presence known since neither of them seemed to hear me walk through the door.
Aflora jumped, her blue eyes rounding as she looked up at me.
Ella didn’t react at all. So maybe she had noticed my arrival.
“How’d the meeting go?” Tray asked as he walked out of the kitchen with a beer. He did a good job of hiding his anxiety over what happened today, but I caught the hardening of his jaw as he took in Aflora’s close proximity to Ella. That wasn’t an incident any of us would soon forget, even if Ella seemed fine now.
“I have an upgraded collar for Aflora to wear,” I replied, pulling the item from my pocket to show him and the rest of the room. “But they’ve agreed to let her stay for now, as long as she continues to attend her courses as scheduled. Her independent study day will be with Zeph, where he will attempt to teach her more about defensive arts and control.”