Page 204 of Never Kiss a Fae
A chuckle ran through my mind, the sound adoring and so very missed.Exos.
I’m here.
I sighed, my lips curling.I miss you.
Then come get me,he murmured.I’m in the hallway.
I shot upright, causing Sol to grumble and Vox’s eyes to fly open. “What is it?”
Titus nuzzled into my leg, then shifted a little to release me. “Exos is back,” he said, his voice deep with sleep. “Go ahead, Claire. We’ll be here.”
Sol’s hand moved from my upper thigh to his own leg, his nonverbal way of granting approval to move. And Vox rolled to his back. I tried to slide over him to get out of the bed, but he caught me by the hip. His fingers threaded through my hair as his mouth captured mine in a mind-bending kiss reminiscent of the hours we spent in bed.
How is this my life?I wondered, awed.
When he finally released me, I almost forgot what I wanted to do. Then I felt Exos’s tug again, a patient presence underlined in authority.
“I’ll be back,” I whispered.
“I know,” Vox replied, nipping my bottom lip. “I’ll be here.”
He kissed me again, gentler this time, his tongue lazily stroking mine, before helping me to stand. Titus and Sol had already passed out again, completely at ease. Vox shifted to his side, tucking his arm under his head, as he watched me pad to the door.
I slipped into Titus’s robe—an item I really needed to procure for myself—and met Exos in the hallway. He wore one of his elegant suits, his blond hair stylishly gelled, as if he were about to attend a meeting of some kind.
Yet the clock on the wall said it was just after four in the morning.
“There are some formal ceremonies I need to attend,” he explained, sensing my confusion. He cupped my cheek and brushed his thumb over my bottom lip. “Will you come with me?”
“Are you… Is everything okay?” I asked, leaning into his touch.
He nodded. “Cyrus destroyed the essence in my mind.”
Yes. I’d felt as much when he reached out to me. He felt clean. Like my Exos. And now that I saw him, I could see he was completely back to normal. Fae certainly healed quickly. “What was it?” I wondered out loud.
“Something I want to talk to you about,” he admitted. “Which is why I want you to come with me today.”
“Where?”
“To the Spirit Kingdom.”
I shuddered, not ready to experience that again. But I had to ask: “Why?”
“It’s time to take my rightful place as the Spirit King. And I’d like you by my side when I do it.”
I blinked. “What? What about Cyrus?”
“He’ll be there, too.” Exos leaned down to replace his thumb with his lips and kissed me softly. “There’s so much we need to explain, Claire. And I would prefer to do it in the Spirit Kingdom. Please.”
“What about the others? And the Solstice Ball?” That had to be coming up soon. And why was I fixated on that above everything else? “I promised to go with Sol and Vox,” I clarified, deciding that was a good reason. Well, we hadn’t really finalized it. But it was definitely happening.
Exos’s lips curled. “I’ll have you back in time for the ball, Claire. In addition to your classes, as I understand you’ve missed a few.”
“Been a little busy trying not to die,” I pointed out.
“Yes, I understand the feeling.” His palm slid to the back of my neck. “Please come with me, Claire. I need you to understand what it means to be a Royal Fae.”Because you’re becoming one,I heard him whisper, the words a haunting statement in my mind.
“I…” I glanced at his suit and frowned. “Do you want me to wear my Academy clothes?”
