Page 144 of Never Kiss a Fae
“Exactly.” Her shoulders relaxed, her lips curling. “It’s not a discussion for today, dear Claire, but you must see your potential. There are those who wish to destroy it. I would prefer we cultivate it. It could be the key to saving us all.”
I wasn’t sure how I felt about either alternative. One clearly equated to death, while the other hinted at the possibility of being used.
“Chancellor.” Titus’s voice came from the doorway, his tone modest, while his fire warmed my skin.
“Yes, yes, it’s time.” Elana waved her hand, standing.
“I didn’t mean to rush you,” he said, sounding contrite.
“Oh, no, we’ve already gone over. It seems to be a continuous habit.” She winked at me. “Same time next week?”
I nodded. “Yes, please.”
“Excellent.” She beamed at Titus. “You can have your mate back now, Fire Fae. Be good to her.”
“I will, ma’am,” he promised, his arm settling around my lower back as I stood.
Elana gave a wave, showering the room in dust that grew into an army of new pixies. “We have a dinner to prepare, little ones,” she announced, her focus having already shifted to the next task at hand.
Titus and I left in the middle of her instructions, his lips curled in amusement. “You should do that in the Spirit Quad. They could cook all our meals.”
“I think Vox enjoys the kitchen too much to allow that to happen,” I teased. “But maybe they could help us clean?” The boys were messy. Especially Sol, who seemed to track loose stones everywhere he went.
“True.” He brushed his lips against my temple, guiding me out of the house and down to the trail that led us back to campus. “How was your lesson?”
“Good.” I frowned, thinking about what Elana had revealed. “Actually, it was enlightening.”
“How so?”
“I don’t think she has Exos.” I’d told Titus about Cyrus’s suspicions last month, not wanting to keep anything from him. He’d agreed with the logic, saying that, while dangerous, it made sense to get closer to her to see what I could learn. And today seemed to have taught me more than the last several weeks combined. “Did you know my mother’s body was never found?”
He considered for a long moment and slowly shook his head. “I’ve never heard that.”
“Elana said Ophelia’s body was never found and that Mortus claims to sense her sometimes,” I said, thinking out loud as I played the scenario through my thoughts. “What if Ophelia is still alive?”
Cyrus chose that moment to materialize, his water element heavy in the air. “Well, that’s an interesting theory,” he replied, causing Titus to scowl.
“I fucking hate when you do that,” he muttered.
“Ditto,” I agreed.
Both men cocked their brows.
“It means I agree with Titus,” I clarified.
“Of course you do,” Cyrus said, smirking. “Regardless, I need you to come with me, and we can continue discussing your little theory along the way.”
Little theory.What an ass. “Titus and I have plans.” We didn’t, but it was the principle of the matter. “So go mist off somewhere else.” I started walking again, but Cyrus’s response froze me midstep.
“I have a lead on Exos, Claire.”
Chapter13
Cyrus
Claire rotated so quickly that Titus had to grab her hip to keep her from falling over. “What?”
“I don’t like repeating myself.” She’d heard me just fine. “Will you come with me or not?”
