Page 11 of Faeheart
“What... the actual... fuck,” Wild managed between breaths, his face inches from mine. I could count each of his freckles, could smell the lingering sweetness of summer magic on his skin. It was intoxicating…
“Mr. Thorne! Mr. Briar Hall!” Professor Blackwood’s sharp voice cut through the haze. “Separate immediately!”
I tried to push myself up, but my limbs felt like they belonged to someone else. Wild’s magic was still coursing through me, making my carefully ordered thoughts scatter like leaves in a storm. When I finally managed to sit up, the room spun violently.
“Caden,” Wild croaked, rolling away from me and toward where our third partner lay crumpled against the wall. “Is he?—”
Caden stirred, pressing a hand to his forehead. When he pulled it away, there was blood on his fingers. “I’m okay,” he said weakly. “I think.”
Professor Blackwood rushed to him, her hands glowing with healing magic. “This should not have happened,” she muttered, examining the cut on his forehead. “The stones were meant to create a gentle resonance, not a full magical binding.”
“A binding?” I struggled to my feet, one hand pressed against my chest where the pendant still hung, now cold against my skin. “What kind of binding?”
Wild was already upright, moving with that fluid grace that seemed natural to the fae. He looked remarkably composed for someone who’d just been writhing on the floor in magical overload. “The fun kind, apparently,” he said with a grin that didn’t quite hide the concern in his eyes.
“This is not amusing, Mr. Briar Hall,” Professor Blackwood snapped. “You three have just created an unprecedented magicalconnection. I can feel it from here… you’re linked in ways that will take considerable study to understand.”
I could feel it too, like background music I couldn’t quite turn off. Wild’s presence hummed at the edge of my consciousness, chaotic and warm. I could still sense Caden’s power, of course, but his thoughts and energy weren’t in my head. Not like Wild’s.
“Linked how?” Caden asked, accepting Professor Blackwood’s help to stand. The cut on his forehead had already healed, leaving only a faint pink line.
“I’m not entirely certain,” she admitted, returning to her desk and making rapid notes. “The literature on wild magic bindings is... sparse. Most of the original materials have been destroyed.”
Wild’s expression darkened. “Of course they were. Can’t have people learning magic that actually feels good, can we?”
I wanted to argue with him, to defend the structured traditions I’d been raised with, but the words wouldn’t come. Not when I could still feel the echo of what we’d just experienced. This new magic was almost overwhelming with possibility.
“The immediate concern,” Professor Blackwood continued, “is that you three are now magically entangled. Your spells may affect each other unpredictably. Your emotions could bleed through the connection. And until we know how to fix it, none of you are to use magic. Is that understood?”
Chapter 5
Elias
“No magic at all?” Wild’s voice rose in disbelief. “That’s like asking me not to breathe!”
I felt his indignation surge through our newfound connection, hot and electric, making my own chest tighten in response. The sensation was so alien. Feeling someone else’s emotions as if they were my own… I had to grip the edge of a nearby bookshelf just to remain standing.
“Professor,” I said, struggling to maintain my composure, “there must be some alternative. The Thorne family has extensive resources. Perhaps my father’s library?—”
“Your father’s library contains only approved magical texts, Mr. Thorne,” Professor Blackwood cut me off. “What we’re dealing with predates such careful curation.”
Wild snorted. “Translation? Your daddy’s books won’t help because they’ve been sanitized of anything actually interesting.”
I bristled, both at his words and the wave of dismissive amusement that accompanied them through our link. “You don’t know anything about my family.”
“I know enough,” Wild replied, green eyes flashing. “And now, thanks to whatever this is—” he gestured between us, “—I’m getting a front-row seat to the Thorne family's greatest hits.Gotta say, not a fan of the soundtrack so far. Y’all are boring as fuck.”
Heat crept up my neck. Could he really see my memories? The thought was horrifying.
“Both of you, enough,” Caden interjected, his voice quiet but firm. “This isn’t helping.”
Professor Blackwood nodded approvingly. “Mr. Cromwell is correct. Antagonizing each other will only strengthen the connection through emotional resonance.”
Wild rolled his eyes but fell silent, though I could feel his frustration simmering beneath the surface. It was disorienting, like having a second heartbeat alongside my own.
“Now,” Professor Blackwood continued, “I need to consult some... alternative sources regarding this binding. In the meantime, you three will remain together.”
“Together?” I echoed, a note of panic creeping into my voice. “For how long?”
