Page 19 of Angel Lost

“They should. Whether it’s balance or just plain badness, he’s the problem. He stole that throne. But what does this have to do with my problem?”

Hewie whips out a silk hanky, dabbing excitedly at his brow. “Really, Lorelei. I thought you were supposed to be smart. If the ruler lacks elements, Eltanin spirals. So, he takes a queen—one with the elements he’s missing. Suddenly, he’s the golden boy again, the hero who saved the nation when the dragons and aethers fell. His throne? Secure. And he needs an aether bride, Lorelei. The most powerful he can find, but one he can control—”

I jump up, flinging my arms around Hewie. He lets out a startled squeak before returning my hug, patting my back awkwardly.

“But, Lorelei, that’s not good news. Not for you.”

I give him a final squeeze and take off out of the library, magazines fluttering in my wake. It’s more than we had yesterday. And it was staring me in the face. The king is collecting brides. I just need to be undesirable, unmarriable. Unfuckable.

Chapter Seven: Lorelei

Letting the boys sleep was a mistake. I figured we’d discuss Hewie’s idea over breakfast—wrong. We were summoned to the Great Hall instead. I sip the dishwater masquerading as coffee and glare at the stage. The vending machine’s sludge is no match for Mrs. Cocci’s brews, and these plastic chairs get more unbearable every year. Now, caffeine-deprived and starving, we’re stuck waiting for the stupid fae—late, of course. Typical. My stomach growls loud enough for Chano to hear. He shifts awkwardly, lifting one cheek, then the other, patting his pockets.

“Here, eat this.” He thrusts a squashed, half-melted chocolate bar at me. “Eat before someone dies.”

Grumbling, I snatch it from him, stuffing the whole thing into my mouth before he can ask to share.

“So, you just need to be unattractive?” Zephyr asks from my other side.

I nod, sipping the lukewarm piss. “What makes me attractive, Zephyr?”

“Presumptuous of you,” he says, tapping my nose.

I bat him away. “Okay, what would make me unattractive?”

He hesitates. “We could glamour you ugly…?”

I shake my head. “No use, I can’t hold a glamour for long enough.”

“Could we use a spell to change your sex?” He grimaces.

“Again, I couldn’t hold that for long. Plus, I bet he’d see through both of those.”

“I’ve got it! Surgicalcorrection!”

Chano leans across me and grips Zephyr’s knee so tightly his knuckles turn white.

“Ow! Chano…”

“You’re not going anywhere near her with a knife.”

Zephyr winces, yanking his leg away. “I was just making a suggestion.”

“Well, don’t, angel. Or I’ll suggest surgically removing your dick.”

Zephyr crosses his legs.

I chew my lip. “Could I just get rid of my aether?”

Farrell tuts from the row behind. “That’s black magic, Lorelei,” he hisses. “Spells like that cost. And you wouldn’t get it back—it’s still surgery, just the magical kind.”

The Great Hall’s double doors swing open, and the fae shuffle in, filling the row ahead—except Jess. She marches into our row, jabbing Zephyr’s side. He grumbles something about small women and their superhuman strength, and scoots over. Dropping into the seat beside me, Jess grips my forearm tightly, her face strained.

I glance between the boys. “We’ll, uh, table this for now, yeah?”

The rest of the fae students are as uptight as Jess. They fidget, knees bouncing, gazes darting everywhere. All except Kai. Head down, he scribbles away in his notebook, ignoring me. Dammit, I’m the one who should be cross with him, ignoringhim. Chano’s still prickly about the whole feeding debacle. About finding out that way.

Extricating my arm from Jess, I lean over to the row in front, sneaking a peak at Kai’s drawing. Despite myself, I’m impressed. Intricate runes take up every inch of the paper, snaking curves and detailed shading makes the whole thing come alive.

---