Page 27 of Bizarre Bonds
The pain from the slashes of ice echoes through me, stirring fresh aches. “Gloss was… She was so mad at me. She marched into the room, and I didn’t even have a chance to say anything to her before she threw her power at me. From what she said, it’s mostly because I marked Hail. She thinks I marked him on purpose—but I didn’t even mean to. I’ve tried to fix it.”
Hail’s dark blue eyes flash like the start of a thunderstorm. “That’s ridiculous.”
My stomach lurches with the thought that he’s accusing me of lying, but he goes on in a cutting tone. “I never made any promises to Gloss. We’re just friends. She doesn’townme or get to decide who I associate with. And dealing out her idea of punishment…” His jaw clenches. “I’ll talk to her.”
Raze draws his brawny frame up even taller, his sinewy muscles rippling. “I’ll come with you—and I’ll do more than talk.”
Rollick holds up his hands to stop them. “The staff will deal with this attack in our own way—and with all due consequences. Don’t leave me having to punish the rest of you for vigilante justice as well.” He returns his gaze to me. “You hadn’t had any outbursts beforehand?”
I hug myself. “No. I was talking to Hail, and he left. A few minutes later, Gloss came in, accused me of stealing him, and started throwing her magic at me. She did say something about my magic acting up… Maybe she was hoping everyone would think my own powers turned on me?”
If she’d succeeded in crushing me, there’d have been no one to say what really happened.
Hail sucks a breath through his teeth in a sharp hiss. He catches my gaze. “I might not be happy about this thing tying us together, but I swear I didn’t ask her to hurt you—Iwouldn’tdo that.”
Mirage hums an off-key tune. “Monkey sees, monkey does.”
Hail scowls at the fox shifter. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Raze’s eyes have narrowed. “Youhavebeen acting like you’d rather Peri would just go away. Maybe Gloss noticed that and was giving you what she thought you’d want.”
The winter fae sputters. “I’ve never harmed the cream puff. I’m allowed to be unhappy about a shitty situation.”
He snaps his mouth shut after the last two words, maybe picking up on the jab of pain they sent through me.
Raze steps toward Hail with a growl. “You’re the one making it?—”
“Hey, hey.” Jonah pushes between them, his voice as calm and even as always but his expression taut. “Fighting amongst ourselves isn’t going to help Peri. The administrators will deal with Gloss. The best thing you two can do is stop sniping at each other.”
Raze glowers at the fae man but stands down. Hail’s scowl only deepens, but he hunches his shoulders slightly as if he’s trying to disappear into himself.
Another tremor passes through my body. I make him so unhappy.
I make all of them unhappy in different ways. I wish I could go to sleep and wake up to how things were right after we defeated my former captor, before I got us into this mess.
Rollick has watched Jonah handle the other men without comment. Apparently satisfied with his underling’s approach, hebrushes his hands together. “Very good. Now, there’s something I’d like to discuss with Peri alone…”
“Is it urgent?” Jonah asks before the demon can go on.
Rollick blinks at him. “Not incredibly. Why?”
Jonah tips his head toward me without meeting my eyes. “Peri’s energy is flagging. She needs more recovery time. If the conversation can wait, it might be better to give her a few more hours so she’s completely back to herself.”
Raze’s forehead furrows with consternation as if he’s annoyed he didn’t notice my dwindling spirits first. I’m surprised Jonah spoke up out of concern for me at all. I guess he’s in the best position to challenge Rollick, considering he’s staff rather than a student, but his stance has tensed as he waits for his boss’s response. He’s afraid he’s misstepped.
But he intervened anyway. For me.
After a moment, Rollick simply chuckles. “It can wait a few hours. It isn’t the sort of discussion we should be having while she’s still out of sorts anyway.” He pats my arm a little awkwardly. “You’re safe in here. Get some rest.”
He waves to my men. “All of you, get out so she can do that. The horde of you skulking around is hardly relaxing.”
In a matter of seconds, I’m alone except for the shadowkind nurse.
A breath rushes out of me, seeming to take my remaining vigor with it. My eyelids slide shut, and my mind drifts away like a cloud in a brisk breeze.
By the time Rollick returns,I’ve been awake for nearly an hour. I’m sitting on the edge of my bed, flipping through a book of landscape photography that the nurse allowed Fen to handover to me, though she wouldn’t let the naiad stay and properly visit.
I don’t see how friendly chatter would slow my recovery, but I’m not really in a position to argue.
