Page 14 of Baneful Magick

“I’ll happily tell you about it once we get to our room,” I shouted to be heard above the crowd.

As a unit, we pushed through the throng of people, steadily moving to the large staircase and up a few floors until we got to the top level. It was empty up here. For whatever reason, no other students were trying to claim the upper rooms.

We tried to open the door, but it wouldn’t budge.

“Looks like we need to use the card to open it,” one of the incubi pointed out.

Reaching out, I swiped it over the small back square. Interesting combination of old architecture, modern technology, and magick at Greywood… This would be an experience to say the least.

He opened the door, and my lips parted in shock at what Bones had led us to. Zhara-Rose gasped as the men whistled at what we uncovered. The entire floor was its own giant suite.

“Damn. Whatever you did with that fae, keep it up! This is amazing.”

“Since we’re rooming together, do we get to know your names, or should we call you twin one and twin two?” Zhara-Rose challenged. Her chin tipped up, and she crossed her arms in front of her.

“Aizel. Echo.” The man closest to me pointed to himself, then to his much quieter brother. “We’re twins from the Calliope line.”

“Zhara-Rose. No pack,” she replied in a clipped tone, but I could sense she was on edge, ready for them to reject her at the mention of no pack. Lone wolves weren’t common, especially one so young. I didn’t know much about wolf society, but I knew enough to understand that being packless was one of the worst punishments a wolf could endure.

“Men are the outcast gender of our people,” Echo rasped quietly, somehow correctly reading the wolf’s stiff posture. “Greywood could be a good place to start over.”

Zhara-Rose released a long, shaky breath, but her back relaxed.

“And your friend introduced you, Isla Hallowes. Friends in high places.”

I shrugged and repeated what I’d said earlier because I wasn’t sure what else to tell them. “Never met him before tonight. Another fae gave me the invitation to go here a day or so ago.”

“You must have left quite an impression to have him give you the key to this place,” Zhara-Rose commented, walking further into the suite.

She wasn’t wrong, but I honestly had no idea what I had done to make him so interested. His toothy grin in his full fae form flashed across my mind, soon followed by the heated red,orange, and gold of the fae that had appeared in my garden before him.

‘Only you could draw this kind of attention in the span of a few days.’

‘Not on purpose.’

‘With you, it’s never on purpose.’

Cassius’ statement would have been funny if not for the ominous tingle down my spine when he said it.

I was unused to drawing much attention, but fate, it seemed, had different ideas in store for me. I wasn’t sure how to take it that two powerful fae men were showing an interest in me, and something told me that they were just the beginning.

Chapter 6

Isla

SATURDAY/SUNDAY

Three loud thumps woke me from a dead sleep.

I had jolted up, looking around the room, trying to figure out what was going on, when a loud bang followed. Suddenly, there was a pile of suitcases and bags at the foot of the bed.

Mysuitcases.

How the hell?—?

Bricriu had mentioned my stuff would get to Greywood before whisking me away, but I had no idea they would literally be dropped into my room. Glancing around, I saw that my computer bag was on a dresser by the door, which was a relief. If that had been broken, it would have been such a pain in the ass.

First things first, I needed to pee, then I would look through everything. Making a run for the attached bathroom, I took care of my business and went back out to look over my bags. Dresses, skirts, blouses, jackets, hats, pants, and even some leggings and t-shirts were neatly folded in one. All of my shoes were thrown into the second, as neatly packed as they could be. The last bag was filled to the brim with all of my makeup and hair accessories.

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