Page 145 of Never Kiss a Fae
“Wewill come with you,” Titus said while Claire’s mouth moved silently over words I couldn’t hear.
“No.” I met the Fire Fae’s gaze. “Only Claire.”
“Why?” he demanded.
“Because we need to go to Spirit Kingdom.” And only a Spirit Fae could survive there without lasting consequences.
Titus’s answering expression said he knew it, too, his face going white at the prospect. “You can’t be serious,” he breathed.
“It’s a solid lead.” Mainly because I’d followed Mortus there the other night and there could only be one reason he’d chosen to venture into the dead kingdom—Exos. “We’ve searched the Academy grounds, and we’ve even combed through the enchanted forest. Where we haven’t been is the Spirit Kingdom. And it would explain how my brother was able to cut himself off from everyone.” There were elements in the dead realm that could facilitate such a trick. It would also mean he might be harvesting leftover energy to put up a fight.
“You need her to help you sense his presence.” Titus sounded horrified.
“I do,” I admitted. “I tried myself last night and came up empty-handed. Maybe Claire will find something different.”
“At the risk of her own life,” Titus managed to say, his teeth clenching. “The Spirit Kingdom is a wasteland.”
“True.”On both accounts. “So I guess the question is, how much is the little queen willing to risk for her spirit mate?” I arched a challenging brow at her. “Are you strong enough, Claire? Or would you rather leave him to suffer until it’s too late?”
“That’s not fair,” she whispered.
“What’s not fair is my brother lying in the ground somewhere,” I argued. “He’s dying, Claire. And every day we pretend he’s fine is another day closer to his demise. So either—”
“You’re the one who said we should go on like nothing happened,” she snapped, squaring off with me. “Youwon’t go to the Council.Youwon’t corner Mortus.Youare the one killing him, Cyrus. Not me.” She sent a blast of air straight into my chest, sending me a step backward. “Don’t youdaretalk to me about his death as if I’m the one causing it. You’re not the one going to bed every night and dreaming of him and waking every morning trying to find him in the connection he turned off.”
I rubbed the spot where she’d assaulted me and grimaced. “You might not agree with my methods, but I—”
“I don’t agree with you popping up and acting like I won’t do everything I can to save him. You want me to go to the Spirit Kingdom? Fine. I’ll go. But I don’t need you to provoke me into it. I want to save him just as badly as you do, if not more. So fuck you and your mind games, Cyrus. Either take me or mist off.”
Titus gaped at her, shocked by her outburst.
But all I could do was smile.
Thatwas the fighter I required. The woman beneath the elements who would do what was needed to save those under her care. No tears. No excuses. Just a warrior ready for battle.
And maybe my methods made me an asshole, but they’d worked.
“All right,” I said, holding out my hand. “We need to go now.”
“Fine.” She glanced at Titus and sighed at his expression. “I’ll be fine.”
“You have no idea what you’re walking into, Claire,” he said, his anger creating a line of invisible fire across his aura. “And you just allowed Cyrus to bait you into going.”
“He had me at ‘Exos,’?” she replied, her smile sad. “If he has a lead, I have to follow it. And I would do the same for you.”
“I’d never ask you to.”
“And neither would Exos.” She cupped his cheek and went to her toes to kiss him deeply, the moment one meant for two lovers. I found it oddly satisfying. A strange sensation, since she wasn’t mine to care for, but I rather liked seeing her content. Something told me Exos would approve, too. “I’ll be okay.”
“It’s a death trap,” Titus whispered. “The Spirit Kingdom is where they send fae to die.”
“Then it’s a good thing I’m brimming with life.” She kissed him again, then stepped back. “And I have the Spirit King as my guide.”
A smart-ass remark about her trusting me graced my tongue, but I didn’t allow it to escape. I really did need her cooperation if this was going to work, and as I had it, I wasn’t about to lose it.
“If anything happens to her—”
“You won’t have to worry about killing me, Titus,” I interjected. “My brother will do that for you should harm befall her.”
