Page 38 of Broken Lands

I liked him, felt drawn to him in the same way I felt drawn to Stefan. Like a moth to a flame. But I wasn’t here for the drama. He either liked me or he didn’t. He needed to work his shit out. I didn’t plan to be burned.

I threw my bag over my shoulder and hurried out of our room and down the hall, offering a tight smile to a few fae lingering around as I made my way past them.

I made it to the dining hall before Bee, grabbing two cups of coffee and a jam scone to nibble on before taking a seat at our usual table. I pulled my tablet out again and checked my message from Colin.

Colin

I’m sorry.

I reread those two words over and over as my heart constricted in my chest.

An apology was the last thing I’d been expecting from him. I wasn’t sure how to reply. Bee saved me the trouble, arriving at our table and plopping into the seat next to me with a huff.

I closed my tablet, shoving it back into my bag as I turned to face her. She crossed her arms over her chest, and I could almost see the steam billowing from her ears. It would almost be funny if she didn’t look so serious. I swallowed the laughter bubbling in my throat and forced my features into a morose expression.

“You better have a good explanation, Riley. I’ve been up half the night worried sick. What could have possibly kept you so busy that you couldn’t take one goddamn minute to message me back?” She said sharply, her chest heaving.

I threw my hands in the air, surrendering to her fury. “I’m sorry, I was with Stefan,” I confessed, a blush staining my cheeks. I pushed the second cup of coffee toward her, trying to smooth the tension. “I forgot to check my messages.”

She stared at me; her mouth pressed into a thin line. “You were with Stefan? All night?” She asked, raising an eyebrow, some of the anger in her eyes dimming as she let her shoulders drop just slightly.

“Ummm,” I muttered, unsure of how best to tell her. She’d caught on to the tension between Colin and I—had even put her money on Stefan being the first to get close to me. They were such close friends, though, they’d grown up together. I wasn’t sure how she’d feel knowing I’d slept with him, without having resolved anything with Colin—and still set to attend the dance with Lincoln.

“By the gods, I knew it!” She exclaimed, any lingering anger vanishing as excitement flooded her. “You slept with Stefan!” A couple of students seated nearby turned to face us as her voice echoed across the room.

“Shhh, Bee. Not so loud.” I said, shrinking into my chair.

“Oh, it’s nothing to be embarrassed about.” She said, waving her hand dismissively. “Fae are naturally promiscuous, jumping from one bed to another until we find our mate. No one is going to judge you for it.”

“Mate?” I asked, raising a brow and taking a sip of my coffee now that I knew she wasn’t about to knock it out of my hands in her anger. “Like soulmates?”

“Yeah, kind of,” she said, shrugging like it wasn’t a big deal.

“What does it feel like? When fae find their mate?” Could this explain the pull I felt toward Stefan and Colin? Lincoln too?

“I don’t know,” she said, a brow raising before her expression turned serious, the excitement she’d felt after hearing I’d been with Stefan, dissipating as she remembered where this conversation started. “I’ll look into it. Are you alright?”

“Honestly? I’m not sure. I’m still trying to process the attack last night.” Avoiding her gaze, I stared down at my coffee. “I keep wondering what’s next, and feeling like I might never find what I came here for.”

Bee’s small hands grasped mine, holding it between the two, the action causing my gaze to move to her face.

“You haven’t had an easy start here. It seems like everything is being thrown at you, one after the other. I think…” she gnawed on her bottom lip as she searched for the right words. “I think you’re being tested. And I think so far you’re passing these tests with flying colors. You are incredible, Riley. A powerful, kickass woman who might just show us all a thing or two. You’ll get through this and be stronger for it. And you’ll find James. I’m almost sure of it.” The sincerity in her words warmed something inside me, giving me a renewed sense of hope and strength to face the day ahead.

“Thanks, Bee.” I said, my voice barely above a whisper as I fought to contain the tears threatening to fall. She smiled at me softly and nodded, dropping my hands and standing quickly.

“Come on. Dad teaches our morning class. He’ll never forgive me if we’re late.”

Chapter twenty

Riley

Accordingtomytimetable,that morning’s class was about Faerie, Earth, and the Crossing. I’d learnt a lot about why the fae segregated themselves from the human communities, but I still had many questions about what was and wasn’t being done to help them. They were suffering, scrounging for the bare necessities, while the fae lived in relative comfort. Surely there was more they—we—could do to help.

Learning that Bee’s father was the Professor had made me even more excited to get to class this morning. I’d only met him briefly, but he seemed like the kind of teacher who’d be willing to give me the answers I sought without judgment or vague responses.

We reached the classroom door just as Reardon was bustling out of it. He seemed flustered and stressed, almost walking right into us in his rush to leave. His hair was messy, standing up in odd directions, and his bag was overflowing with papers. All of it combined gave him a frantic look.

“Hey dad, where are you going? Isn’t class about to start?” Bee asked, concern furrowing her brow.

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