Yes… I recognized his dominance, his minty taste, his command.
But rather than excite my nerves and caress the heat building inside, it made me sleepy. Oh, how he drained me. Such a virile, powerful man. I pressed into him, accepting his gift, his presence, his being, and felt my limbs relax.
Such a soft, fluffy world.
Warm.
Safe.
Mmm.
Yes, I would sleep. Just for a little bit. And when I woke, hopefully I’d be able to see again.
Vox
Exhaustion weighed heavily on me. Dealing with Aerie had been child’s play.
Professor Helios, however, had been another matter. Once he’d regained consciousness, he’d been hell-bent on seeking justice for his classroom. And Claire had been the focus of his wrath. Thankfully, Exos had whisked her off to the safety of the Spirit Quad before that could happen.
Of course, now the Royal Fae would have to deal with the repercussions and face the Council. Which meant I’d need to intervene.
That tornado did not belong to Claire. I felt it in every fiber of my being, and not just because my inner air considered her to be a potential mate.
Not happening, I told myself for the thousandth time. Helping her I could do. Falling for a woman with two other mates already? No.
Except all I could think about was how her essence had called to me.
Fuck.
Fuck.
Fuck.
I was mad to even be thinking of her right now. The entire Academy was in an uproar after yet another series of deaths surrounding the Halfling.
Except this wasn’t her fault.
“By the Elements,” Sol huffed as he stormed into the Earth Dorms carrying a bag. “Vox, what are you doing here?”
Yeah, about that…
I squirmed on Sol’s unforgiving excuse for a couch and glowered at the dusty layers of glass that needed a cleaning. There should have been a beautiful view of the shifting gardens, but Sol sucked at housekeeping.
“You really need to get a more comfortable couch,” I complained, ignoring his question. “It’s not inviting at all.”
Sol rolled his eyes and plopped the cloth bag onto the table and began to unfurl it. Steaming, leafy edges of meat pie made my mouth water. Sol tore one of the leaves and broke me off a chunk, handing it to me with a knowing look. “You don’t often mope, Vox. Didn’t see the Halfling today like you’d hoped?”
I glared at the offering and took a small nibble, not having much of an appetite even though my stomach was roaring for sustenance after the power I’d expensed kicking Aerie’s ass. “Quite the opposite,” I admitted around the small mouthful.
Sol’s brown eyes raked over me as if noticing for the first time that my usually kempt suit was tattered and torn. “Don’t tell me you were there for the maelstrom?” His eyes widened when I didn’t res
pond. “Elements, Vox, you could have been killed!” He leaned in and lowered his voice, glancing around as though someone might somehow hear us in the room of solid rock. “Was the royal there, too?” He waggled his fingers at me. “Did he mind-control her to do it?”
I nearly choked on the morsel. “Fuck, Sol. No.”
Sol distrusted all Spirit Fae, but Exos more than most. I still didn’t know why, but tonight wasn’t the night to ask. Nor did I have the energy to prove his thoughts wrong. It would require talking about what happened with Claire, and I wasn’t ready to face that yet.
My best friend scoffed at me and wrapped a leaf around a larger chunk of meat, then tore it off with his teeth. He gazed out through the dirtied window, not seeming to care that he couldn’t really see through it. “Well, it won’t matter much either way,” Sol said.