Page 139 of Never Kiss a Fae
The icy gaze that fell upon me said he knew what I was thinking and refused to put my thoughts at ease in any way. “What’ll it be, Claire? I’m late for a meeting.”
Did I really have a choice? If Elana had Exos—which I strongly doubted—then I had to at least try, right? If anything, I’d learn more about myself and my mother and the history of this world. And maybe I’d garner stronger control.
Nothing to lose, really.
I cleared my throat and nodded, taking the documents and his pen. “All right.”
“Good girl.” He eyed my tree again and snagged a peach from a lower branch. “Thanks for lunch, little queen. I’ll see you after the Council meeting.”
I signed where indicated and handed the papers back to him. “Council meeting? Like the ones Exos attends?”
“Mm-hmm.” He smirked. “I’ll take you one day. You’ll hate it.”
“Are you going to tell them about Exos?” I asked, hopeful that maybe they could help us.
His gaze shuttered, darkness shadowing his light eyes as the watery wall collapsed around us. “Absolutely not.”
With that, he disappeared as quickly as he’d appeared, leaving a trace of mist in his wake.
How did he do that?
Chapter10
Cyrus
“What news do you bring us?” Elana asked, her place at the head of the council table brimming with power.
I’d debated all day if I wanted to announce Exos’s disappearance and ultimately decided against it. With Mortus sitting across from me, it seemed even more prudent I say nothing at all and play along. They all believed I’d tasked my brother with something spirit related, temporarily taking his place by the Halfling’s side.
Showing weakness to these fae would be detrimental indeed.
So I relaxed into my chair and shrugged, feigning boredom. “Claire is progressing in her classes as expected. She’s proven quite capable with fire, her spirit is growing, and the other three elements are not far behind.” I didn’t bother mentioning she was one of the most powerful water elementals I’d ever felt or that she’d managed to shove me across the room with a single gust of wind.
This Council was out for blood.
I would not be offering up Claire’s for sport.
“All five elements,” Vape marveled, his shock of white hair cascading around his shoulders like a waterfall. “The prophecy—”
Zephys slammed his hands on the table. “Don’t bloody start about the prophecy again.” He glared at Vape, then turned his attention to me. “And your brother? Why did he choose now to leave her? Haven’t they bonded?”
I tilted my head, keeping Mortus in my line of sight. “I’m not my brother’s keeper,” I replied flatly. It was the truth, after all.
Blaize watched me expectantly as he played with a flame over his fingertips, rolling the element with a gentle control that took a Fire Fae years to master. “Yet, you sent him on an errand of some kind. Yes?”
“A family matter required his attention. In return, I offered to help Claire improve her affinity for water.” I lifted a shoulder, my gaze sliding to Mortus. “I’m sure he’ll return soon.”
“Excellent,” Elana said with approval, ignoring the brewing tension between the Council members. “I’ve had the pleasure of witnessing her powers firsthand, and I’m thrilled at her development.” She grinned and splayed open her hands expectantly. “And the tutorship I offered?”
I slid the signed document across the table. “Claire will be meeting you once a week. Thank you for offering her your mentorship. She’s thrilled.” Or she would be when I informed her that I’d finalized the opportunity.
Mortus scoffed. “No good is going to come of this. If she’s anything like her mother—”
“You’ll kill her, too?” I asked, arching a brow.
The Spirit Elder wasn’t used to me talking back to him so directly, but I wanted to surprise him. I needed him to drop his guard just for a second.
“If she poses a threat, yes, I will do what I must for fae kind.”
