Page 23 of Cursed

“Where are we?” I ask as we move toward the land that has more magic than I’ve ever felt in Elfhame.

“It’s where the last of thepure-bloodedfae live. Mostly, it’s the faeries, nymphs, and sprites.”

“That’sthe power I see,” I say in awe.

Branden’s eyes widen as he turns to me. “You can see it?”

“Yeah. It’s brighter somehow.”

When we get to the border, a small flower faerie flies up, hovering only a foot or two from my face, and she smiles. “Welcome, Sparkle Mage and her consorts.” Her voice is sweet and childlike. “I am Tavi. It is an honor that you seek refuge in our kingdom.”

My dragon rumbles at that.

She looks at him without any fear and says, “No dragon forms. You will need to shift back to your other shape while you are here. Unless, of course, we are attacked.”

He bumps my back as if to say goodbye.

In response, I place my palm on his snout. In a blink of an eye, my hand is now on Rourke’s broad chest. I blush for some reason and turn away, blocking the faerie’s view of his private bits.

Branden pulls Rourke’s pants and a shirt out of our pack and hands them over.

“If you follow me, I will take you to your dyad and your shadowmate.”

We trail after her through the dense forest. Grinning like an idiot, I point out to Branden and Rourke the other faeries almost hidden within the foliage to the left and right of us. They all give me a little bow as I pass, and I nod in acknowledgment. I know it’s stupid, but this is what I had hoped Elfhame would have been like when I arrived at the academy. I knew better, but I suppose I always secretly believed in the faerie tales where little ones fluttered around and magic hummed in every molecule.

I’m so overwhelmed with sensations and excitement that it takes me several minutes to realize that the faerie didn’t mention my wolf shifter.

“Tavi, is my wolf not here?” I ask.

“No. Not yet. But we have scouts looking for him now.”

“He’s…missing?” My heart cracks with the thought.

Branden and Rourke both move in and wrap their arms around my shoulders to comfort me.

“We will find him. Do not fret,” Tavi says. “He was last seen with a fox shifter.”

“Kat?” I look at Branden. “Do you know anything about what he’s doing?”

“He didn’t go with Landis and Arden, but I assumed it was to wrap up something at the school and that he’d be here by now,” Branden explains as we keep moving deeper into faerie lands.

Landis breaks from bushes ahead of us and crashes into me full force. He holds me so tightly that I believe we might actually merge into one being. “Shadowmate! Goddess, thank you for keeping her safe!” He pulls back to study my face for a half second and kisses me. His shadows shoot out of his body. The tendrils wrap around me, checking everywhere, and I meaneveryinch of me.

As his shadow caresses my neck, my incubus stops kissing me to look me in the eye again. “The vamp?” His voice is soft, but I hear his confusion that I’ve bonded with Branden.

I shrug. “Yeah. It sort of happened like you and I did.”

His finger skims the place where Branden marked me, now healed and invisible to the naked eye, but my incubus can see the energetic threads. “At least I can also sense he’s taken care of your needs.” He smirks and gives my vamp a wink.

Landis cocks a brow at Rourke, then asks me, “Haven’t forgiven the dragon yet?”

“The dragon? Yes, well…” I scrunch up my nose, not enjoying this conversation. “Rourke still has some morereparationsto make.”

Landis’ eyes narrow, and he reads the sexual nature of what I’ve said. His mind speaks to mine.“Was that Branden’s idea, or has my sweet mage become a dominatrix in my absence?”

“Branden started it, but I can’t say it wasn’t exciting, pleasurable, and satisfying to watch him beg a bit.”

I feel my druid in my bones, drawing closer, although I can’t hear or see him yet.

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