Page 15 of Faeheart
“That’s enough,” Caden said firmly, standing up. “This isn’t helping anyone.”
But I was on a roll now, fed up with three days of Elias’s constant mental chatter filtering through our bond. His fears, his rigid self-control, his desperate need for approval. It was all there, buzzing in the back of my mind like an angry wasp I couldn’t swat.
“You want to know what I think?” I continued, ignoring Caden’s warning look. “I think you’re terrified that you actually liked kissing me. I think you’re scared shitless that maybe perfect little Elias isn’t as straight as his parents think he is.”
Elias went very still, his knuckles white where they gripped the journal. “You don’t know anything about me.”
“I know more than you think,” I said, sitting up. “I can feel it, remember? All that repressed desire, all those thoughts you won’t let yourself have. You’re wound tighter than a fucking clock spring, and it’s driving me insane.”
“Wild,” Caden warned, but I was past caring about diplomacy.
“What?” I spread my arms wide. “We’re stuck together whether we like it or not. Might as well be honest about it.”
Elias stood abruptly, his magic crackling around him despite Professor Blackwood’s warnings. “You want honesty? Fine. Yes, I’m scared.”
“See? That wasn’t so hard?—”
“I’m scared that I’m going to be stuck here withyoufor the rest of the semester.” His magic arced over his skin as he stared at me, his brows furrowed in fury. “The last thing I wanted was to get stuck with some sloppy, egotistical fairy who’s so busystroking himself that he can’t see that the world doesn’t revolve around him!”
The words hit me like a physical blow, and I felt my own magic surge in response. The air between us crackled with hostile energy as our pendants began to glow beneath our shirts.
“Sloppy?” I snarled, jumping to my feet. “At least I don’t spend every waking moment trying to be someone else’s perfect little puppet!”
“Stop!” Caden shouted, but we were beyond hearing him now.
Elias stepped forward, his usually perfect composure completely shattered. “You think you’re so free, so enlightened, but you’re just as trapped as I am. At least I’m honest about my chains.”
“Honest?” I laughed bitterly. “You wouldn’t know honest if it bit you on your perfectly sculpted ass. You’re a fucking coward hiding behind Mommy and Daddy’s expectations!”
The magic building between us was becoming dangerous now. Books rattled on their shelves, and I could hear glass cracking somewhere in the room. But I was too angry to care, too fed up with his constant judgment bleeding through our bond.
“At least I don’t stick my dick in anything that moves to avoid taking responsibility,” Elias shot back, his voice shaking with rage. “And I don’t parade my pathetic insecurity like it’s something to be proud of!”
That crossed a line I didn’t even know I had, ringing far truer than I ever wanted to admit. My magic exploded outward, wild and uncontrolled, slamming into his structured defenses like a hurricane hitting a house of cards. For a moment, our powers clashed in the space between us, fae chaos meeting witch precision in a display that would have been beautiful if it weren’t so destructive.
“That’s it!” I roared. “I’m done with this bullshit. I’d rather risk magical burnout than spend another second listening to your prissy whining!”
I spun toward the door, my hand already on the handle, when Caden’s voice cut through my fury.
“Wild, don’t!”
“No, Caden! I’m going!” I turned back only for a second, pointing a threatening finger at Elias. “I fucking hate you.”
“Yeah, well, the feeling’s mutual, jackass,” he called back.
But I barely heard him as I slammed the door behind me hard enough to rattle the entire hallway. I needed air, space, freedom from the suffocating weight of Elias’s disapproval and fear. The bond pulled at me immediately, a sharp ache in my chest that I ignored as I stormed down the corridor.
Students pressed themselves against the walls as I passed, probably sensing the unstable magic radiating from me in waves. Good. Let them stay out of my way.
I made it out to the front lawn of the dormitory before the first wave of nausea hit.
By the time I reached the main courtyard of the Academy, my hands were shaking. The pendant around my neck had gone from warm to burning hot, and every step felt like I was walking through quicksand.
But I couldn’t go back, couldn’t stand to be around Elias any longer. I hated him, hated what he stood for, and hated the pristine sharp edges of his mind, thoughts, and manners.
I collapsed onto a stone bench near the fountain, doubling over as another wave of magical feedback crashed through me. The pendant was scalding against my skin now, and I could feel my fae magic starting to unravel at the edges.
Fuck. This was worse than I’d expected.
