Page 69 of The Cursed Fae

He rested the book on his leg. “Yeah. Guess Essie told you about it?”

I shrugged noncommittally. My great-grandmother hadn’t mentioned the ceremony—no surprise there. Of course, I couldn’t tell Laz that Missy clued me in.

“Are initiation rituals a secret?” I asked.

Laz took a drink from his coffee cup. “Not exactly, if that makes sense? Initiates rarely share what spells they plan to use. You don’t want someone to steal the ones you choose and do them better.” He shrugged. “It is stupid. But it happens.”

“Why? It’s not like there are only a few spots with the Gemini.” Then I reconsidered and added, “Are there?”

He shook his head and smiled as if he found my naivety adorable. “Everyone can technically get in. At least with the Geminis. Other Zodiac Fae do it differently. We’re also one of the few groups willing to take transfers. And casters.”

I thought I detected a note of bitterness when he said the last part, but it disappeared when he continued.

“Initiation requires a high level of skilled spell work. A lot of fae fail at least once.”

I arched an eyebrow. “Have you failed before?”

This time, Laz didn’t mask his resentment. “That is not an option in the Keene family. Everyone passes on the first attempt.”

“I am sure you will too.” I offered him my most genuine smile. “Can I do anything to help?”

He leaned over and squeezed my leg, sending warmth spreading beneath my jeans. “You already are.” His tone turned playful. “And if you have any tips on spirit summoning, I’m all ears.”

I leaned away from him. “Huh? Why would you ask that?”

Laz laughed awkwardly. “Because Essie is the strongest spirit talker alive, and I need to summon one for my initiation. It’s a requirement.”

I took a few deep breaths to calm my racing heart. “If you can’t see them, what’s the point?”

His tone landed just short of patronizing. “Spirits have an abundance of magical energy. Living fae can tap into that to boost their power by summoning one, which requires a ton of magic. The spells are really complex, unless you’re like Essie and have the gift of sight.”

An idea popped into my head. A risky scheme that would require trust from all parties. Could I entrust Laz with my secret ability? I hadn’t even told Nana.

“I can practice with you,” I offered after a minute. “I mean, I’m a Sable. Sight runs in my blood.” Not exactly an admission, but as close as I planned to get for now.

Laz studied me through narrowed eyes, as if guessing I had ulterior motives. I did. His lips parted in a big grin. “That would be a massive help. You sure, though? You’ve got a lot of schoolwork to catch up on.”

I shrugged and feigned nonchalance. “I’m ready to learn more advanced magic. Besides, I enjoy spending time with you.”

It wasn’t a lie. Not at all. Still, my underlying intent tainted the truth.

Laz slid his hand in mine and squeezed, eyes twinkling beneath his dark, full lashes. “I like hanging out with you too, and I would love your help.” He tapped the grimoire’s cover. “I have a few spells in mind. They all require prep, though. Let me find out what ingredients I can get my hands on by this afternoon.” He attempted a stern voice, sounding like his father. “We need to work on your basic spell craft, too. You have a quiz this week. I receive a grade for teaching you, so it’s also my ass on the line.”

I leaned over to kiss his cheek, but Laz turned his head and our lips met.

“You’ve got a deal,” I murmured against his mouth.

Manipulating Laz into helping me summon Ray’s spirit left a sour taste on my tongue and intensified the persistent nausea in stomach. Not only was I using Laz under the guise of wanting to spend more time together, I was also blatantly disregarding the eternal’s demands.

I checked in with Lena several times. It must have been excessive, because her replies grew suspicious. She kept asking whether everything was okay. I wanted to warn her so badly, to tell her to watch out for people with fangs. Having Missy check on her was good, but alerting Lena to the supernatural dangers in the world would’ve been better.

I wasn’t quite ready for that talk yet.

Despite my lack of an appetite, I went to the dining hall with Astrid and Morgan between classes. I needed a tactful opening to bring up the note Astrid delivered to my room; a way to ask if she’d been plotting with prophesied creatures of evil without sounding accusatory.

I waited until Morgan got up to grab a bottle of water and seized the opportunity. “So, hey. I have a question,” I began, cringing at how unnatural I sounded.

Astrid waggled her eyebrows. “Is it whether Laz is going to ask you to the formal? Because he totally is.”

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