Midnight Fae Academy Book Three - Lexi C. Foss Page 0,47
pick up and give me the update I desperately craved.
“Yeah, well, I did. Then you recommended I tell her to play it cool, and now she’s not speaking to me.”
“Oh?” I tried not to sound too interested, but my heart skipped a beat at his words. “She doesn’t want to lie low?” I knew she wouldn’t. Which was entirely the point.
“No, jackass, she doesn’t. So thanks for that solid recommendation.”
“You know it’s best for right now,” I said, trying to make him feel a little better. If it all played out as expected, I’d thank him later. And then I would allow him to punch me in the face. Because, yeah, if this plan came to fruition, I’d earn his wrath and worse.
“Try telling her that.”
“I would, but I’m reasonably sure she hates me.” And rightly so.
“Well, she hates me, too, now.”
“She’ll forgive you,” I said as I stepped through the threshold to retrieve my cloak. “Trying bowing. I’m sure that’ll work.”
He grunted. “I hate you sometimes.”
No, you don’t, but you will, I thought grimly as I used a spell to adorn my cloak. It was hard to click the clasp one-handed, and I actually did want my shake. “I need to run an errand.”
“An errand that I assume you’re not going to explain,” Ajax replied as he engaged a similar enchantment to put on his cloak.
“You really do know me well,” I drawled.
“Yeah, yeah.” He waved me off. “I have homework to do anyway. As do you, but I have a feeling you’ve forgotten all about our coursework lately.”
“We have coursework?” I asked, feigning surprise. “I thought we graduated.”
He just shook his head. “I’ll see you when I see you, I guess.”
“Soon,” I promised. “Maybe I’ll show up at the Blood Gala.”
He snorted. “Now that’d be an entertaining surprise.”
“You think so?” I pretended to consider it. “Perhaps I really should go just to shock the shit out of everyone.”
“Do you even own a suit?”
“I might,” I replied, smirking. “But why would I wear one?”
He huffed an amused laugh and stepped through the glass to use the portal. “Later, Shade,” he said over his shoulder, disappearing from view.
“Later, Ajax,” I murmured, staring at my reflection for a moment. I’m sorry, I mouthed, not able to say the words out loud, but feeling them nonetheless.
Everyone had their part to play.
This was mine.
I palmed the back of my neck and blew out a breath, exhausted and yet eager to see my mate. I don’t hate you, Shade, she’d said. She had no idea what those words meant to me. I’d replayed them over and over again in my head for the last week, using them to calm myself when fear and resignation threatened to consume me.
We had three more days until the Blood Gala.
Three days before I found out if all this had been for nothing. Again.
I swallowed and closed my eyes, then blew out another breath. Pull it together. You can do this. Two phrases I was so tired of hearing myself say. But there was no alternative.
I’m on my way, little rose, I finally said, my nerves under control once more. See you soon.
“I’m trusting you,” Zakkai said, holding out his hand for mine. “Don’t take that for granted.
It was what he said before every dream. I usually returned the sentiment, but this time, it was truly about him trusting me and not the other way around.
Because he was letting me leave the paradigm with him.
I nodded, demonstrating that I accepted his terms again.
No running.
No portal-jumping.
No cloaking.
No trouble.
I wouldn’t jeopardize my chance to see Shade, so I’d agreed to all Zakkai’s rules. He slid his hand into my cloak to pull out my wand and tucked it into his leather jacket.
I arched a brow. “Really?”
“My trust only goes so far,” he replied. “But I also might need it.”
“What if I need it?”
“Then call for it,” he murmured. “It seems to be more in tune with your desires than mine, so it should listen.”
It wasn’t an argument worth having, so I merely nodded again.
His lips twitched. “I didn’t realize seeing Shade could make you so agreeable, Aflora. I should have offered this days ago.”
I rolled my eyes. “Seeing any of my mates makes me agreeable.”
“Any of your mates who aren’t me,” he corrected.
“Obviously.”
He huffed a laugh and shook his head. “Let’s go, little star.” He reached down for my hand, and I gave it to him, just like I had when he’d led me outside earlier. It felt natural to accept,