Page 21 of The First Trial
He studied the wall when I pulled on some fresh pants and a sweater, giving me some privacy. He turned back when I was lacing up my shoes, then joined me as we left.
As I was locking up, he stopped me with a hand on my arm. I looked up at him, curious and waited for him to speak. He seemed to be hesitating, and eventually his shoulders slumped and he pulled me into a tight hug.
‘Just be careful out there, okay?’ he whispered, his chin propped on my head.
I smiled into his chest. ‘Don’t worry. I will be.’
‘And don’t stay out too late. We have breakfast duty in the morning.’
I gave him a two-fingered salute when I pulled away. ‘Don’t worry, I’ll be in bed again soon. Promise.’
He pressed a kiss to the top of my head, then we separated, him to his room and me down the stairs. I didn’t want to take the elevator because it made too much noise and might have clued someone in that I was leaving. Instead, I chose the barely used stairwell at the back of the building. Quiet, and it gave me the chance to work out some of the restless energy that had built up over the past couple of days.
Stepping through the ward felt like stepping through an electrical field, the magic crackling over my skin and making my hair stand on end. I quickly smoothed down the hair on top of my head just in case I ran into anyone, though I doubted I would. It was too late for anyone to be out and about right now, unless I bumped into a faculty member playing security guard.
It took me no time at all to wind my way through the pathways towards the forest. My personal garden that I’d cultivated here since I’d started at Aurora Academy twelve years ago resided just beyond the treeline, hidden away from prying eyes and protected by my magic so only I could enter. Luckily, it was inside the section of the forest that hadn’t been squashed by the black behemoth, and I counted my blessings for that.
I easily found the concealed entrance, an archway made of roses that, to anyone else, just looked like a bush between twotrees. I could feel the call of my magic, a beckoning warmth that was eager to welcome me, and I smiled in response. However, when I lifted my foot to step through, my fingers grazing the delicate, velvety rose petals, a snap sounded close by like someone had stepped on a twig.
I paused, my ears alert as I listened for any sign of danger. There was wildlife that called this forest home, and not all of them were small like the squirrels, mice and rabbits. These trees were also home to larger predators, such as wolves, bears, and even a cougar or two. It had been drilled into us since we’d first begun at Aurora Academy that the forest was dangerous and to enter with caution. Or better yet, not at all. It was a warning I loved to ignore.
Now, however, I wondered if I was being a bittooreckless.
I didn’t see anything when I peered between the trees, nor did I hear anything else. The sounds of the forest’s nightlife still bustled around me, so I doubted any larger predators were lurking about looking for their next meal. Regardless, I decided it was best to get into the safety of my garden. Just in case.
Except my instincts were screaming that something was off.
I glanced to my right where I felt eyes watching me, only to see another pair glinting silver in the darkness as they peered from behind the foliage, too high to be an animal stalking its prey. The more I stared, the more I could see the shadow of a person’s frame. They were large, bulky, and worryingly good at concealing themselves in the surrounding nature.
Slowly, the figure stepped forward into a beam of moonlight shining through the canopy, letting me see them more clearly. He was tall, perhaps twice my height, with long, white hair pulled back away from his face in a series of small, intricate braids that revealed ears that ended in sharp tips, a single silver hoop dangling through each point.
Holy fuck… He was a Fae.
His silvery eyes practically glowed in the moonlight, highlighting a chiselled jaw that ended in a pointed chin, which directed me down to the rest of his body. It was muscular, a warrior’s build, clad in dark leathers that did more to reveal than cover up.
My eyes trailed down his well-kept physique until I landed on the deep V of his hips, teasing me with what lay beneath the fitted leather that hugged his thick thighs oh, so beautifully.
I gasped when I felt the cold, sharp edge of a blade against my throat, threatening to slice through my neck if I made one wrong move.
The man in front of me had been a distraction while his friend had come up from behind. But damn, what a distraction he made.
‘Who are you?’ I asked, my voice breathless in a way it had only ever been when I was lost in a haze of lust. To be fair, my libido was definitely screaming at me to jump him. I didn’t even want to see who was holding the knife to my throat, because I was concerned he would be even more attractive.
Also, was it sick of me that I kind of liked it?
The white-haired Fae tilted his head to the side as he studied me right back, his eyes brightening even more as if he was using magic to search me. It wasn’t X-ray vision, was it? I didn’t think I’d be as mad as I was supposed to be if that were the case. His friend could hold me captive while he checked me out any day.
No. Stop it. Bad vagina.
‘Hoo… arrr… yoo…’ the Fae repeated my words, testing them on his tongue, his voice a deep, lyrical bass that sent shivers skittering across my skin like tiny little erotic explosions. His accent was also delicious as it washed over me, but I supposed it was silly of me to assume he spoke English. He wasn’t even from the same realm.
Oh… shit.
No fucking way.
Deciding to take a risk, especially considering the blade against my neck was definitely real and not actually placed there with my apparently newfound kink in mind, I raised my hand to place it against my chest, keeping my movements slow so as not to spook them.
‘My name is Juniper,’ I said slowly, and tapped over my heart. ‘Juniper.’
