Page 48 of Blood & Betrayals

His voice is very muffled by the earplugs, but I can see his delicious lips shape the words. I don’t loosen my hold on him but nod, trying desperately to resist the stupid urge to look down.

Connor smiles and looks at his brothers, giving them a nod. Less than a minute later, something whistles through the air, shooting toward us. A loud boom shakes the air, and a flurry of light erupts all around us. The inky blue of the sky explodes into a kaleidoscope of cyan, fuchsia, white, and silver.

Fireworks. Connor’s brothers are launching fireworks around us as we fly, giving me the fantastical, up-close view only angels get. His wings beat steadily, and he spins slowly in the air, grinning at me, his face illuminated with the colors exploding all around us. He shifts me in his arms so the front of my body is pressed against his. The fear ebbs out of me as I look at him, his eyes sparkling as he watches me. I slide my fingers into his blond hair and lean in, kissing him deeply.

Heat pushes against my skin, and Connor pulls back, spinning us in the air and dropping, narrowly dodging the explosion. “Fuck! Careful, Rafe!”

Rafe holds up his hands in apology, and Connor looks back at me. “You okay?” he mouths, and I nod, kissing him again.The fireworks freeze in place, and Connor tenses, pulling back. His muscles tighten around me, and I see his lips form a soft curse when he looks at his brothers. I follow his gaze and see the headmaster standing between them, his arms crossed. Even from this distance, I can see the anger in his gaze. He towers over all the Morningstar boys by several inches as if he weren’t intimidating enough. I pull my earplugs out as we fly back down to the cliff edge, and Connor sets me on my feet. His face is flushed, but I can’t tell if it is from anger or embarrassment.

“Headmaster—”

I place my hand on Connor’s arm, stopping him. “It was my fault. I told them how much I love fireworks, and they were kind enough to?—”

The headmaster’s steely, silver gaze slides from me to Zane. Connor’s younger brother is practically vibrating, his face pale and contorted into a look of disgust. “You haven’t spent much time around angels, have you, Miss Tuatha De Daanan?” the headmaster asks, his heavy stare focusing back on me.

“No, sir.” My cheeks heat.

“Zane Morningstar has a more enhanced truth ability than most angels. Say a lie around him, and he can’t help but react.”

Zane seems to shrink more into himself, and Zach hits him on the back of his head.

The headmaster looks back at Connor. “This will not happen again.”

“I was—” Connor begins.

The headmaster interrupts him, his gaze hardening. “I understand you wanted to impress a pretty girl. However, this was not the way to do so, and not on my campus.”

My stomach flutters from the small compliment from the headmaster, and I am disgusted with myself. That reaction is so fucking ridiculous. He was simply making a point. He doesn’tactually think it. Plus, the last thing I need is the attention of a being of his power.

Connor nods. “I know. My apologies, headmaster.”

Headmaster Emrys gives a short nod and looks at all of us. “My office on Monday morning. Bright and early, Morningstars.” He turns his attention back to me, and my stomach knots. “This is the second time I’ve found you at the center of trouble. Not a good start, Miss Tuatha De Daanan.”

I drop my gaze to the ground, cursing the blush that heats my cheeks. “Sorry, sir.”

“A third time, and you’ll be suspended,” he continues, his voice ice cold and his anger cutting through me. “Clean this up.”

There is a faint whooshing sound as a portal opens behind him. He steps through, disappearing into the swirling light. We release a collective breath of relief when it closes behind him with a soft thump.

“Sorry.” Connor places his hand on my arm, squeezing gently.

I look up at him through my lashes. “You’re taking me back to your place, right? Say yes.”

He nods. “Fuck yes.”

I lean against him, kissing him deeply. Connor lifts me into his arms and starts walking back into the forest. His brothers shout out in protest, and I wink at them over Connor’s shoulder. “Thanks, boys.”

Connor and I lay on his bed, both practically naked. He looks over at me, his chest heaving and covered in a light sheen of sweat from our carnal activities. He rolls onto his side and pulls me into him, holding me against his chest.

I tense, looking at him. “What are you doing?”

“Cuddling you,” he replies, burying his face into my neck.

“Uh… why?”

“Night, Summer.” Connor’s voice is groggy, already falling toward sleep. I lay there, uncomfortable and unsure of what to do. This can’t happen. I don’t do sleepovers. I never have. There is something too intimate about sharing someone’s bed for anything other than sex. I glance at Connor’s sleeping face, looking so calm and peaceful. Even that riddles me with anxiety. Falling asleep next to someone is a huge vulnerability. He trusts that I will not slit his throat. I’m not ready for this. I can’t stay here.

I carefully shift out of bed, trying not to wake him. He barely even stirs as I climb over him and silently pull on my skirt and top. I open his door and leave his room, carrying my heels as I leave the house so as not to wake anyone else. It’s fairly comical how walk-of-shame-chic I look at the moment. Lucky for me, it’s the middle of the night. It’s interesting how safe I feel on campus already. Usually, walking alone in the middle of the night is not something I would risk, but here, I know that the thing I am afraid of cannot get to me. I refuse to consider that knowing the headmaster is nearby is also a factor.

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