Page 48 of Angel Lost

I lap Zephyr again and slow up beside him. He shoots me a wan smile.

“No coffee. No likey,” he says, shooing me on.

It is an ungodly hour in the morning. And I’ve had caffeine. I glance back at Zephyr. He needs this. He’s breathing out his ass, sickly pale with the effort.

Farrell shoulders past me, sweat glistening on his biceps. Asshole’s still pissed with me. And I haven’t even told him about his father yet. I force my tired body to keep up. One last lap, then the obstacle course, and we’re done.

I fling myself onto the dewy grass, chest heaving, breath whistling in and out. I did it. I stayed with him. And now…I’m wrecked. Farrell throws a water bottle directly at my face and I fumble, barely stopping it landing on my nose.

“Dick.”

Swilling the blessedly cool liquid around my mouth, I watch as one of the new professors strides across the grass. His academy gown flaps behind him like a demented magpie. I close my eyes, lying back in the grass.

Something is thrust into my face, and I open my eyes. “Miss Bal, you need to sign this, now.”

An envelope. Embossed. Thick, good quality paper. I weigh it in my hands, only vaguely aware of people crowding around. Not until Zephyr weakly shoves his way through the bodies and flops beside me do I register the attention.

Slipping my finger under seal, I break it open. Zephyr’s breaths are erratic, his wheeze worthy of a set of bagpipes. Eyeing him, I tip the paperwork out into my lap. A basic school contract for the aether academy, and the start date is tomorrow. Shit. Zephyr starts a hacking cough again, and this time it doesn’t stop. I pass him my water.

Kai sits cross-legged beside us. “Not going to die on us, angel?”

Zephyr shakes head but only coughs more. He sits forward, wheezing, propped on his hands, struggling to breathe in and out. Slowly, he gets it under control.

Kai pores over my forgotten contract. He rocks forward like he’s about to say something then sways back. He purses his lips and pulls a pen out of his man bun. I take it cautiously. The pen is a work of art, made from wood so dark it’s almost black. The nib and carved inlay are an ornate copper.

“My uncle wasn’t wrong,” Kai says, glaring up at Farrell and Chano as they loom over us. “She’s untrained in aether. I watched the replay. It was like a baby with a revolver. Didn’t know if she’d get through the trials without killing herself or someone else. Spoiler alert: she didn’t.”

A strangled squeak escapes me. I didn’t mean for the kid to die.

Chano rumbles a warning. “She did what she had to to get back to us, fae. Back off.”

The lines on Kai’s face are hard. “Just saying, if she wants to learn, she’ll have to go.”

Does he know I chose him to die? Could he see the king’s trial too? My palms are sweating. Chano shuffles until he’s directly behind me and I lean back onto his legs, glad of the support. Physically, mentally.

He folds his arms across his chest. “We managed fine till now.”

“It’s not your choice,” I snap.

Zephyr drops back onto the ground. “You’re not going.”

“What the—”

He drags himself upright, grass sticking out of his hair, and takes my hand. “The trials nearly killed me. And you’re choosing this? You’re as mad as the fae.” He plucks the pen from my mouth.

I frown. “Nearly killed you?”

Kai grabs for the pen, easily prying it from Zephyr. He strokes the thing like he’s comforting a pet and places it reverently back in my hands. “The angel is exaggerating. Mostly. I mean…for sure angels and aether don’t go.”

“My aether hurt him?”

Kai shrugs, Chano stills at my back, and I’m vaguely aware of Farrell shuffling awkwardly.

“We knew it might,” Kai says. “The books say that in an allegiance it should be okay.”

I tap the pen on Kai’s forehead, and he bares his teeth.

“Inside the allegiance, your energy should protect him from your aether. But there’s a caveat. Your bond has to be strong.”

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