Page 95 of The Cursed Fae

Or not.

Whatever Missy preferred.

The knowledge that Lena had not become Mat’s midnight snack eased my mind some and left plenty of room for thoughts of Laz, Archer, and this bizarre love triangle I’d found myself in.

Had Archer really been asking me to choose between learning to use my magic with him and calling ghosts with Laz? We’d kissed just before he issued the ultimatum, which confused the situation. For me, anyway.

Sleet tapped at the glass of my window as it fell all night, and another six inches of snow covered the grass when I woke. The morning passed in a blur as I attended classes and ate lunch with Morgan, Astrid, Fern, and Belle. They all chatted, but I contributed little to the conversation.

When we left the cafeteria, Astrid caught hold of my arm as she said goodbye to the other girls. She waited until they were out of earshot.

“Up late worrying about Lena?” she asked, pulling me off to a nook in the atrium.

I stifled a yawn. “It was a long night.”

Astrid pitched her voice lower. “We’re going to figure this out. She’ll be okay.”

I nodded. “I know. But right now, it doesn’t feel like it.”

She offered me a sad smile. “It will, once we’re on the other side of all this.”

I swallowed despite the lump in my throat, unable to admit I’d fucked up my own master plan.

“Missy was going to check out Lena’s house and report back,” I said. “I showed her our list of potential spells and side effects. Hopefully she’ll find something.”

Astrid squeezed my arm. “I know it’s difficult, but try to get some rest. You’re like a zombie. Frankly, it’s terrifying.”

“Gee. I appreciate it.”

She shrugged. “I call it as I see it.”

Thanks to her well-meaning but ill-received suggestion, I returned to my room after lunch and stretched out on the bed. I only meant to rest for an hour but snoozed right through my afternoon classes. I woke six minutes before my magic lessons.

Shit.

I shot up as soon as I saw the time and rushed to the bathroom to splash water on my face and brush my teeth. Eyes still blurry from sleep, I stumbled through the hallways and bolted for the attic to meet Laz.

“I’m so sorry,” I apologized.

He swung back and forth in Archer’s favorite hammock, and my stomach clenched at the sight. The first kiss with Archer was a mistake. The second one was even more of a fuckup.

“You okay?” he asked, jumping down to greet me with a brush of his soft lips against my cheek.

It was sweet, and I felt like a trash human being.

“Yeah. Sorry. I took a power nap and ended up sleeping through my afternoon classes.”

Laz wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me close, brushing strands of hair behind my ears. “You must’ve needed the sleep. Were you up late with Astrid?”

Gaia, was that really just last night? Studying her family grimoire in her dorm room seemed like days ago at this point.

My mind wandered to Lena. I had to check in with her. Missy hadn’t returned with news, and my necklace from Nana had sat on the desk all day.

I forced my facial muscles to form a smile for Laz. “Yeah. Morgan was out for the night with her family, so I stayed to keep her company.”

The lie came easily. I was turning into my mother.

His hands moved to my hips, fingers hooking in my belt loops and drawing me flush against him. Mischief sparkled in his gray eyes. He swooped in for a kiss, but I put my palms on his chest to stop him.

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