Page 45 of Ulune's Daughter

“Coach is a big believer in fresh air.” He rolls his eyes. “I know, I know. It’s like being five again and being made to go play outside. But I can’t argue with his results. He’s one of the best coaches in the country.”

“Sounds like you respect him. Did he coach you when you were at Bevvy? I mean, I’m assuming you went here.”

“Uh, yeah, I did. Different head coach my first year. Night and day difference. This team? Some of these swimmers should be going to the Olympics.”

I’ve heard many times over the years about the exclusion of magi from human professional competitive sports from Teddy’s husband, Charlie, who is the lacrosse coach at Teddy’s college in Wales and played for Bevington. Charlie argues at every opportunity that magi could be bound in such a way that they wouldn’t have an advantage when competing against humans. But the Aedis Astrum doesn’t agree. The bindings that keep magi out of human conflicts also keep them out of sports competitions. Every attempt to change that in the last few decades has been roundly rejected.

“You should talk to my friend, Charlie. He played for the Bevington Swingers when they were here. He’s a huge advocate for changing the 1901 Accords so magi can play in human competitions.”

“Charlie Miller, right? He’s, um, kind of well known. The four of them are, I mean.”

I nod. Teddy and her husbands have been making a splash since they were freshmen at Bevvy. But for all their visibility, Teddy, Gabe, and Charlie are three of the most down-to-earth people I know. Darwin, not so much, but he is a fae prince so I cut him a little slack.

I pull up in front of my house and park. As soon as I do, Rhodes’ hand closes over mine. He squeezes my fingers gently. “I’d like to meet him. If you think I’m cool enough.”

I twist in my seat to look at him. “Why wouldn’t you think you’re cool enough?”

He ducks his head and stares at our interlaced fingers. “I’ve never been around anyone famous before you?—”

“I amnotfamous.”

He grins shyly. “You’re a little famous. You’re very approachable and you’ve never made me feel uncomfortable. But you have to know that being the discoverer of this whole lost magickal civilization at the age of twenty-nine makes you an academic rock star. It’s intimidating. I just don’t want to embarrass you in front of your famous friends.”

“First of all, I’m not famous. If you weren’t here at Bevvy, you never would have heard of me because no one outside of academic circles gives a crap about lost civilizations. Second, Teddy would laugh her ass off if you called her famous. She’s as allergic to the limelight as anyone I’ve met. She’s a teacher and a mother and an entrepreneur and somehow she keeps her three guys happy while doing all of that. She doesn’t have bandwidth for anything else. Certainly not for something as ridiculous as fame. Third, you’re exactly the kind of person I would want to meet my friends if any of uswerefamous because you’re genuine. That’s what I like most about you.”

He lifts his head and looks at me. “Everyone has their own level of bullshit, Kellan. I hope you know that.”

“Of course, I know that. My bullshit is that I spend more time thinking about people who died a thousand years ago than I do about the people in my life. According to my own mother, I’m better at forming attachments with the dead than the living. At best, I’ll forget your birthday. At worst, I’ll show up to your birthday dinner smelling of sulfur and trailing a death-wind.” When he snorts, I tug my hand out of his and swat his firm shoulder. “Don’t laugh. That happened. I’m not girlfriend material and I’m always surprised when a guy sticks around past the third date. I’m still not convinced you will.”

He recaptures my hand and massages my knuckles with this thumb. “Tell me if you’re convinced the day after tomorrow.”

“Still want to spend the night?” I ask.

“As long as your bed doesn’t smell of sulfur.”

“I’ll try not to summon the dead before dawn.”

“Good. Kellan, can I kiss you?”

I let go of all the insecurities the conversation has dredged up, tip my head back, and smile at him. “Yes.”

Chapter15

The Scent of Jealousy

LAW

The human sneezes all night.

But he doesn’t leave.

In his arms, her sweet face resting on his shoulder, her arm across his chest after their strangely chaste goodnight, my mate sleeps still and deep. When she rolls over and begins to fidget, he spoons around her and she quiets immediately.

Even when he sneezes into her hair.

I perch on the end of the bed in my cat form and glare at him.

He sneezes and sniffles and glares back. “Nice try,” he whispers. “But I’m staying.”

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