Spring (Evermore Academy #2) - Audrey Grey Page 0,42
the cave and takes her spot on my shoulder, ready to battle.
“I thought you died, Kid,” she murmurs.
“Nope, unless you can die of shame, I’m still very much alive, unfortunately.”
Frowning, her gaze slides to my metal collar. Fury settles in her eyes, and I realize that she’s also bound to the Evermore, basically a slave.
I wait, expecting some sort of snide remark. Or worse, pity. But she simply holds my stare, a look of solidarity passing between us.
Eclipsa dares another step closer. “Look at Summer. She’s freezing. You need to get control of your magic.”
Valerian glances back. Whatever he sees breaks through the protective urges driving his actions, and the blizzard abruptly stops.
Asher holds out a hand to me. “Let her go, Prince. I’d hate to have to kick your ass in front of an audience.”
I tense as I wait for Valerian to react poorly. But his shoulder’s loosen, the violence bleeding from his posture. “You could try, fire lizard.”
“There’s the cocky prince we know and love,” Eclipsa quips, her stance going from primed for fighting to casual indifference. “I thought I was going to have to kill you, idiot.”
He chuckles, his voice back to that familiar teasing arrogance. “You tried, remember? You ripped open my side.”
“Yeah,” Eclipsa says. “And you deserved it, you animal. If you’d gotten to Summer in the beginning, in that state . . .”
Her words hang in the air, their implication clear. The others glance at me, and the pity in their eyes is like the cherry on top of this whole effed up scenario.
Chased by hellhounds on a Wild Hunt. Check.
Nearly tortured and given as a present to the psychopathic Spring Court heir. Check.
Almost drowned in a river and then murdered by a waterfall. Check.
Turned into a horny hooker and nearly bound to an Evermore for eternity against my will.
Check. Check. Frickin check.
All of those things, sprinkled over a lifetime, would mess someone up. But crammed into less than an hour?
I release a ragged breath as Asher rushes over and performs a quick spell for warmth. I didn’t realize exactly how cold I was until the heat sinks into my flesh, stinging the more frozen bits like my fingers and toes.
Valerian is still as he watches me, quiet, his face twisted in conflict, as if he wants to help but is afraid I’ll hate him.
Do I? As soon as the question comes, I know I could never hate him. Never. And yet, the thing between us that I felt, the thing that made me lose all reason, terrifies me now more than ever.
Eclipsa gives me a knowing look as she approaches. “Prince, we need to get her back to the ceremony to finalize the Selection.”
“No,” I say. “If I’m going to let myself be traipsed in front of the entire academy like a pet on a leash, I need some answers.”
Once again, Valerian’s gaze flicks to the chain between us. Just another reminder of his claim over me. Our eyes meet, and I see the apology inside those silver pools—along with that smoldering fire of possessiveness that promises what he said was true.
He would burn the Everwilde to the ground to protect me, to keep me.
Eclipsa raises a silver eyebrow. “Answers about what, exactly?”
“Why the Winter Prince had to leave so suddenly before school started, for starters.” My hand hovers over my heart, where the power seemed to come from earlier. “Also, I think I might have used magic somehow.”
They share a look, their expressions not matching my surprise. Did they suspect that might happen?
Something passes between Eclipsa and Valerian, and then Eclipsa turns to me. “We’ll tell you everything, I promise. But not right now. Your friend is worried, and until you’re back at the Selection ceremony, you’re fair game. Any Evermore could fight the Winter Prince for you.”
My stomach sinks at the thought of Inara or Hellebore claiming me. “Fine, but I want to know by the end of the weekend, especially since I suspect whatever caused him to leave involves me.”
I threw that last bit in on a whim, but the way Eclipsa’s mouth tightens, I know I hit on the truth.
Crap.
The portal Valerian forms illuminates the air, the silver-blue edges the same color as his eyes. I follow him through the magical disk, resisting the urge to grip the collar around my neck. He’s careful to leave enough slack that I don’t choke, but I still feel like I’m gasping to breathe.