Page 44 of Broken Lands

Lincoln stirred beneath my hands—still resting on his chest—and my eyes darted back to him just as his navy-blue eyes fluttered open, glassy at first before focusing on me.

Quicker than any man should be able to move, he sat up and pulled me into his lap, grasping my face in his hands.

"Are you okay?" He whispered, his face so close to mine that our breath mingled. The proximity of his body to mine sent a flush of warmth through me, even though we had an audience.

Professor Flo cleared her throat, and I felt her move away. "Shows over, class dismissed." She said, clapping her hands. The sound of students muttering among themselves became more distant as she ushered them away.

"I'm fine." I breathed, barely able to concentrate as I stared at his mouth, his plump lips calling to me. I wanted him to kiss me so badly it almost hurt. The relief I felt knowing he was okay, that I didn't hurt him too badly, made me want to hold on to him and not let go. In reality, I barely knew him, though my heart felt differently. I was always meant to find him. "I didn't mean to hurt you, the sword… I'm sorry."

"Shhh, I'm alright. You healed me. I felt it." he whispered, and I licked my lips, desire drying my mouth out as I tried to remember how to breathe. His blue eyes settled on my mouth, watching the movement, a hungry groan rumbling from his chest before he slammed his lips against mine.

He tasted like a warm spring day, and I lost all ability to think as I wrapped my arms around his neck, leaning into him and kissing him back.

Our tongues danced together, and I moaned softly, my nipples hardening with desire as his hands released my face, skimming down my shoulders and back.

"Come on, guys. I'm right here." Bee's voice startled me, and I pulled away from Lincoln, breaking our kiss.

"Sorry, Bee." Lincoln said in a tone that said he wasn't, not even a little bit.

I grinned at her sheepishly. "Sorry, Bee." I echoed, glancing around to see most of the class heading back to the Academy. Professor Florian was busy packing her weapons back into crates.

I couldn't help but stare at the wildflowers filling the field around us. I didn't know how, but I'd done that. Theswordand I had. But how? I didn't understand how a weapon, an inanimate object could have affected me—controlled me how it did.

Now that I knew Lincoln was okay, I needed to know what the fuck just happened. Lincoln stood, offering me his hand, and I took it, letting him pull me to my feet before straightening my skirt and marching over to where Professor Flo was packing up the crate.

"You knew something was going to happen when I held that sword." A statement, not a question.

She turned slowly; her face wary as she glanced between me, Bee and Lincoln standing just behind me. "I suspected you'd bond with it, yes." She admitted, wiping her hands on her leather pants.

Some of my classmates had bonded with weapons throughout the class today. Bee had bonded with the throwing knives, but no one else had reacted the same way I had. No one else had caused a tidy, well-maintained field bloom with knee high wildflowers. I wasn't sure I wanted to know why, but I asked anyway.

"Why did my bonding cause this?" I gestured to the field. "No one else's did."

"The sword is blessed by the gods and goddesses. It has rejected all that have held it since our arrival on Earth, long before that too. It sucks the power from all those that try and leaves them drained as punishment for thinking they may be worthy."

She twisted back to the crate, pulling the lid across to close it again before pulling herself up to sit on the top of it.

"I don't think you're entirely Fae, Riley."

I snorted. "Tell me something I don't know. I think we can all agree I'm some kind of mystery freak."

"You aren't a freak. You are powerful and unknown, but not a freak. Faerie is a vast land; we cannot claim to know of all the power that lives there."

"You think Riley is from Faerie?" Lincoln asked, stepping forward to stand beside me.

Professor Flo frowned at him before shrugging and jumping down from the crate. "I don't know. But she certainly isn't from here. Not with power as potent as that. I won't pretend to have the answers you're looking for, Riley, but I would like to help you find them. I plan to do some research, to see if I can find anything that will point us in the right direction. Is that alright with you?"

I was a little taken aback by the fact that she was asking for my permission. "Uh, I guess. Thank you."

She clapped her hands together. "Fantastic. I will let you know what I find. Now that's settled, I better be getting ready for the next class. Off you go, dear. Have some lunch—outside—you used a lot of power, you'll need to replenish it."

She waved us away and the three of us began our trek across the field and back to the Academy building. Lincoln took my hand as we walked but remained silent, each of us mulling over the events of the morning. The weight in my chest, the worry over what I was and where I came from eased a little at his touch, at having him so near.

It didn't seem to matter what I did or how hard I tried, my power kept revealing more and more of itself. I couldn't help but wonder, and fear, what might be next.

Chapter twenty-three

Riley

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