over the lounging bodies, it snags on his hair, a deep sapphire blue in this delicate light. That same tiny shock I get when first seeing him zips through me, the invisible thread between us tugging softly just behind my breastbone.
He’s lying on his back, his head resting in Inara’s lap. Her fingers tangle in his dark locks, and a whisper of jealousy trills through me.
His eyes are closed, but he must sense the change in the air because they snap open and focus on me. He stiffens before carefully extracting Inara’s hands.
“What do you want?” he asks coldly as he gets to his feet. Eclipsa is there by one of the tent poles; she watches our interaction carefully.
My mouth goes dry. Why did I think this was a good idea? But if I’m going to get through his thick shell, this is as good a time as any. Plus, everyone loves tacos. “I just thought you might like to try some . . . tacos.”
Bane snorts, and the rest of the girls follow suit.
“Aw,” Lyra purrs. “Your shadow brought you some of her disgusting human food to try.”
Correction: Fae hate tacos. Of course they do. Heat prickles my face. I hold up the bowl, my stupid stubborn side refusing to leave. “They’re really good.”
The muscles in my body go rigid as Kimber glides over. She moves so fast and gracefully that I blink and she’s here. Her eyes are more red than golden. Crap. I know from my books that means she needs to feed.
Baring the tips of her fangs, she leans close as if to smell my offering.
Only she ignores the tacos, sniffing me instead.
I grit my teeth, trying to ignore the rumors swirling around the dorms that she glamours her shadow into letting her drink from her.
“Hmm,” Kimber purrs, her lips now inches from my throat. “You’re right. It smells delicious.”
The prince strides over, his face impossible to read. Kimber senses his presence and immediately backs off. The others all watch to see what he’ll do.
The prince looks down to the tacos, back to me. “We have enough food here, but thanks.”
I should leave; this is not going as planned at all. But my frustration from all these weeks spent being mannerly and nice, fetching him every single thing in existence and trying to connect with his stupid, infernal black heart suddenly catch up to me. “You know, it wouldn’t kill you to try something human. We’re not that bad.”
His cold laugh feels like a thousand tiny knives shredding what’s left of my ego. “Aren’t you?”
My fingers tighten on the taco boat. All I’m trying to do is be nice and bless him with the best freaking tacos in Texas. And his lips—they’re smirking. Crushing my soul with every smarmy twinge.
A surge of rage bursts inside me. My mind blanks.
When it comes to, I’m lifting the tacos and dumping them on the prince’s wicked head. Shredded cheese, greasy ground meat, diced tomatoes, and green chili sauce cascade over him in slow motion. The ingredients that don’t catch in his beautiful hair settle in his shirt collar and shoulders.
A string of lettuce hangs from his nose.
“See,” I snarl, surprised at how unafraid I sound considering I feel like puking. “Delicious.”
Then I march down the hill, sure every step I take will be my last. But, for once, the universe aligns in my favor, and the two professors take that moment to announce the field trip.
Professor Balefire gathers us around. I flock to the front before the members of the Six can reach me, my arms shaking.
A flash of dark hair draws my eye to the right. Kimber. Flat, normal teeth flash as her lips draw into a grin. “That was awesome.”
By the time Eclipsa rushes to me, Kimber has already left to join the Six on the outside of the crowd.
The Mythological Creatures instructor, Professor Balefire, and Potions and Poisons instructor, Professor Spreewell, stand around a wooden chest.
Professor Spreewell is the first to speak. “Inside this chest, we have class two weapons taken from the forbidden vault below the school. Every shadow will choose a weapon and two items they deem helpful.”
“What are the weapons for?” a lycan boy with golden eyes asks.
A Lunar Court Fae girl with one side of her head shaved adds, “And where are we going?”
Professor Balefire holds up a gloved hand. I try to focus on what he has to say rather than the large horns that curve around in spirals over his