Page 35 of Gemini Queen
He’s obliged to stop too, since I’m not budging from this spot till he answers. Back at the villa, he looked ten different kinds of sexy in that tailored burgundy blazer and watered silk tie and ass-hugging skinny pants that are apparently the male uniform on Wednesdays. Never mind about all that sexy being currently buttoned into a stark black woolen coat that makes his magenta hair and green eyes really pop. He’s the most striking object in my visual range without even trying.
But I’m not interested in how sexy he looks right now. Seriously, I’m not.
I’m interested in what he’s going to say to dig himself out of that ten-foot hole he just fell into.
Obviously picking up on my agitation, the guy frowns and looks honestly perplexed. “I did it to help you out, babe. Sooner or later, your scumbag father and his hit men were going to get lucky. You’re safe from all that here.”
“Safe?” The word explodes from my mouth in a puff of white vapor. “My brother and the last queen just freakingdiedhere, Neo. You’ve literally landed me in Purgatory. And how dare you make that choice for me?”
That last point’s the one I really want him to address, but he shoves a hand through his hair and tackles the first one instead.
“You’re going to get through this. You’ve got me and your other courtiers to help. You’re going to learn how to harness your power and wield your witchcraft and wear the crown you wereborn to wear, Zara Gemini.” He grips my shoulders in his gloved hands and squeezes. “You’ll be the strong queen and the powerful witch we need to halt our decline and help the races flourish. And the next Gemini scion will come fromus.”
I twist free from all that crazy and plant my hands on my hips. “Don’t you dare even think about making decisions like that for me. I told you before, we’re not freaking mates!”
His eyes narrow to smoldering green slits. “We are, though, Zara.”
He makes me so mad I want to swing my backpack at his stubborn head. “No, we’re not! And I’m not even going to address the topic of the next Gemini scion.” Frustration churns my gut and stings my eyes with useless tears. “Has it ever occurred to you the four races would be better off without the Gemini scion they’ve currently got? The power of a pure witch bloodline like mine is obviously way too dangerous. The night my mom died proved that pointeighty-seven times. How many more have to die before you people believe it?”
“What do you mean, ‘you people?’” For the first time since he woke up in my bed this morning, Neo isn’t smiling. In fact, he’s starting to look downright pissed.Bring it on, buddy, because I’m literally spoiling for a fight.
“You arcanes.” I shrug. “You four races.”
In this open piazza, the wind’s really whipping our clothes and tearing at our hair. I tug over my ears my woolen beret with the Academy logo (of course) blazoned on it and figure we maybe should have waited to get inside before having the inevitable meltdown. None of my relationships tend to last all that long, and they all end messy, so this is par for the course.
Neo scowls and pushes the hair out of his face. “For your information, you’re an arcane too, Zara. You’re one of us. Our problems are your problems.”
“That’s where you’re wrong, buddy.” A violent gust of wind pushes the beret right off my head, and I barely snatch it with the tips of my fingers before it goes flying. “Look, you mind if we finish our breakup fight inside? I thought you didn’t want to be late for class.”
Now Neo looks like I’ve slapped him. His brow furrows and his mouth falls open. Then he pulls in a breath and his tone softens. “Babe, this isn’t a breakup fight. I’m running out of ways to say this, but let me try once more. We’refated mates. There’s no mistake in our natal charts and no loophole in arcane law. You know our bond’s for life.”
Clearly, we’re not getting anywhere. He’s just not hearing me. This breakup fight’s literally going in circles.
I huff out a breath and spin toward the monstrosity of a building with spires and gargoyles and flying buttresses that looks like a Gothic cathedral looming over the piazza. The first human life forms I’ve seen on this island other than Neo are trudging into it, toting backpacks and wearing uniforms, so clearly that’s where we’re headed. I march across the square toward it. Neo keeps pace and doesn’t try to stop me.
Anyway, why should he? I’m going where he wants.
Which definitely isn’t a pattern of behavior he should get used to.
My ponytail snares on my backpack and he tries to help, but I shrug free and solve the problem myself, hardening my heart against the wounded puppy look that clouds his gorgeous eyes.
After all, I need to stand on my own two feet here if I’m going to survive however long it takes to find a way through the wards off this island.
And Iamdefinitely going to survive.
As we approach the iron-studded wood of the heavy double doors, my tummy knots with nerves and my heart starts hammering. My instinct’s to hang back, conduct a little recon, and scope out the sitch before I go charging in.
But there’s no do-over for a first impression. And this one really matters.
I march ahead of Neo, tug open the heavy door, wrestle against the wind that wants to tear it from my grasp, and stride inside like I own the whole damn building.
This isn’t the hushed and echoing sanctuary you’d expect. All the pews and statues and even the altar have been ripped out to create a vast exposed space. Under stained glass windows that cast shifting kaleidoscopes of light, contemporary couches and ottomans cluster around braziers crackling with fires that blaze with heat and light. A row of secretive-looking study carrels with high curving partitions and shaded reading lamps huddles against a wall. The space under the skylight up front is an actual dining room, complete with a long wooden table and a double row of benches.
Overall, this area too is a whole lot bigger than the size of the population warrants. But at least there are finally students.
Plenty of them.
Curled up chatting on the couches, huddled over piles of books in the carrels, and parked at the dining table scarfing down steaming bowls of food.
