Page 179 of Never Kiss a Fae
She gave me a playful nip of fire that ran over my lips. Her fae side was powerful, dominating her in the best of ways, and she was rolling with it.
Fucking finally.
“Sol,” she said, marveling at the peach tree. “Did you do this?” If she felt embarrassed by her earlier display of nudity, she didn’t show it. Had perhaps forgotten it beneath the onslaught of elements cascading over her skin. Or maybe she was just embracing it, like everything else.
“Uh.” He cleared his throat, then shuffled his feet. “Yeah. Actually, I made some more outside, but they kind of, well, didn’t do well this week.” He grimaced, causing Claire to frown.
“Because of me?” she asked, so quiet, her steps retreating backward toward mine. “Did I hurt you all?” She glanced at me, then at Vox and Sol, and finally at Cyrus.
“You required a lot of energy to heal, little queen,” Cyrus replied. “But we’re all fine and ready to give you more of what you need now.” He ran a rope of water over her neck for emphasis, one I trailed with fire.
Sol glanced at Cyrus as if seeking permission to participate. The royal nodded, and the scent of peaches filled the air as earth energy rolled over her skin.
Claire sighed, her eyes falling closed beneath the abundance of power. I wrapped my arms around her, holding her to me while pouring more fire through our bond. She absorbed it with ease, thriving on the balance we represented.
Vox watched the exchange with guarded interest. His magic hummed at the ready, waiting to reel Sol in at the slightest hint of danger. No matter his reservations, he wouldn’t allow Claire to be hurt.
Hmm, perhaps we would convince the Air Fae to come around after all.
The kitchen and dining area shifted around us, repairing itself as Sol drenched Claire in more power. He shuddered, whispering, “Claire, I feel you.”
“Me, too,” she hummed, the element intensifying until she focused on Vox. He was the only one not adding his elements to the melody. It felt like an incomplete song without him and Exos to add the final notes to the balance.
“Vox,” I said, irritated. “Stop being stubborn.”
Claire shook her head. “No. Don’t force him, Titus.” Even though her words said that she permitted his insolence, I felt her tugging on his elements, making his mouth part ever so slightly. I would have missed it had I not sensed his desire twist in response through the bond that linked all of us.
I grinned. That was my Claire. She wouldn’t be denied over a little bit of stubbornness, especially when she could feel that Vox wanted her.
Cyrus added another flurry of water to the air, easing some of the tension. “This is exactly why we returned,” he said, regarding all of us with an air of authority.
The royal seemed… different. Still pompous enough that I swore a stick was permanently lodged up his ass, but there was a softness to him that hadn’t been there before. Or perhaps it had been, and he’d just buried it so far that even he hadn’t known it existed.
He shifted his focus to me, all of the authority of a king in his eyes, but which king? He didn’t seem to fit the cold hardness of the Spirit Kingdom anymore. “How do you feel, Claire?” he asked softly, still holding my gaze.
She ignored him, her attention on Vox. Whatever she was doing seemed to have the Air Fae entranced. He took a step forward to graze his fingers across her cheek. She didn’t move a muscle, as if she would scare him off if she so much as breathed.
The moment his magic brushed her skin, her eyes fluttered closed and she shivered. “More,” she whispered.
He complied, stroking a breeze through her hair and then down along my robe.
Silence fell.
The four of us exchanged elements, with Claire at the center. She took it all, energy vibrating around her in a powerful wave that reminded me of an impending inferno.
And then her eyes flashed open. “Exos.” She whirled in my arms, the look of victory on her face making me want to kiss her. “I feel him, Titus. Ireallyfeel him.”
Cyrus nodded as if he wasn’t surprised. “The elements are grounding you and building up the circle that binds all of us to you, including Exos. Your fae side craves the elements, craves completing what’s begun. Now where is he?”
Her gaze became distant, and a flutter swept through our connection. She turned to Cyrus, my arms still wrapped around her. “He’s safe. And close.”
Cyrus’s eyebrows lifted. “At the Academy?”
“No. But nearby.” Her nose scrunched. “Beyond the enchanted trees, I think. If I follow the link, I can find him. He’s calling to me. Strongly.”
None of us could disagree with that. Her need for all of us to be with her burned, and her connection to Exos was so precious, yet it had become so fragile. Even I could hardly feel the faint strand that should have been strong, a united front with Claire as our common anchor.
“Then let’s go,” I said, indulging in the deluge of magical energy that tingled against my skin. Every part of me thrived, flexed, and purred, ready to fuck or to fight. Perhaps both. And if I felt like this just being near Claire and four of her elemental mates, I couldn’t imagine how glorious she’d be when Exos completed the circle.
