Page 135 of Never Kiss a Fae
“I was wondering,” I admitted. “I… I don’t know much about the plague. But I know my, uh, mother somehow caused it.”
He nodded. “That’s the story, but I think it was general corruption amongst the Spirit Fae.”
“What do you mean?”
Sol shoved his hands into the pockets of his navy slacks, his shoulders hunching. “I shouldn’t talk about it.”
“Why?” I wondered. “Because it’s me? Or in general?”
His mouth twisted. “It’s, well, both.” His earthy gaze met mine, the light green flecks hidden in his brown irises coming to life beneath the sun above. “We’re not supposed to talk about it.” That last part was a whisper, his expression contrite. “I shouldn’t have said anything.”
“I’m glad you did,” I admitted. “No one will talk to me about my… what happened. I mean, Exos gave me the basics, told me how my mother left Mortus during the third stage of the bond and then refused him after returning to the fae world all those years later. And somehow that started a plague. But that’s all I know.”
Sol lifted his face to the sky, the glow tanning his features and lending him a handsome appearance. I could see why many of the Earth Fae females wanted his attention. He seemed completely oblivious to his charming looks, which made him all the more attractive.
“That’s the story they want us to believe,” he said quietly. “But my mother told a very different tale.” He glanced at me, then at the students assembling on a variety of tree trunks throughout the courtyard—tree trunks that weren’t there seconds ago. “Class is starting.”
Meaning he didn’t want to talk about this anymore. I understood. We hardly knew each other, and he didn’t trust me. Given my introduction to this world and the events of the last few weeks, I couldn’t fault him for disliking me. Maybe I’d read his responses to the ball completely wrong. It wasn’t so much shock at going as it was shock at me asking him to go.
Note to self: don’t bring it up again.
“Okay,” I said, recognizing that he needed space. “I’ll go find a, uh, seat.” I took a step and tripped over a piece of earth that wasn’t there a second ago.
Sol caught me by the arm before I could hit the ground and yanked me upright. “Shit, my bad. I thought you sensed that.”
I frowned, looking down at the two tree stumps that had magically appeared without my knowledge. “How…?”
“This is where I usually sit. I made you one, too, thinking you wanted to, well, you know, but you can join the others. That’s cool. I mean, you can do whatever you want. I’m not, this isn’t, well…” He palmed the back of his neck again and shook his head. “Yep.”
My lips threatened to curl at his stammering, my heart warming in his presence.
He’s nervous, I realized.
That made two of us.
“I’d like to sit with you, if you don’t mind.” I gave him a small smile. “You’re the only one I know, and I’m not very familiar with earth magic yet.”
He nodded and considered me for a long moment. “This class is all about creating life from the soil. It’s a self-educated course, which is why everyone is spread out. Most work in pairs or quads, learning the feel of the earth and producing art.”
“There’s no professor?” All the courses I’d attended so far had someone in charge, but looking around, I saw none.
He shook his head slowly. “Most of our elders are, well, sick. There are a handful on campus who lead the more advanced courses, but you have to pass the intermediate levels—like this class—before you can join. And most don’t make it that far. But I’m close.” His brow furrowed. “I just need better control.”
I glanced at the pair of tree stumps and chose the one closest to me. “Well, you seem to be doing okay.”
“That?” He snorted. “That’s simple.” He pulled a paper from his bag and handed it to me. “That’s what you have to create to pass.”
I stared at a sketch of an intricate tree with fruit hanging from the limbs and vines wrapping around the base. Then I glanced around to see other students had already started growing their trunks while sitting on top of them. “Is this the first day?”
He chuckled. “No, we’re halfway through the semester.”
What?“Then where are all the trees?”
“Oh, we move them after class to the nearby acres.” He gestured to the forest around us. “They’re all thriving in their own way.”
“But why?” I asked, baffled. “I thought the purpose was to create the drawing.”
“You have to make it within the course hour,” he clarified, smirking. “Anyone can make that with enough time. It’s the speed that matters, and the tree in that drawing has close to a hundred or so years of existence on it. Not an easy task, especially when you lack control.” He sat across from me and pointed at the ground. “Let’s start with the basics. Press your palm to the earth and tell me what you feel.”
