Page 32 of Elemental Fae Academy: Book Three

Strong hands on my shoulders shook me. Cyrus. I met his cool blue eyes, noted the irritation in his gaze, and narrowed my eyes. “Why are you looking at me like that?”

He snorted and released me. “She’s fine.”

I shook myself, taking in all five males yet again. Sol and Vox look horrified. Cyrus appeared pissed off—no shock there. Although, Titus seemed just as angry. And Exos, well, his expression radiated tired patience. “What happened, Claire? What would possess you to walk out here alone and unescorted?”

My eyebrows rose. “Are you implying that I can’t wander around by myself?” Totally not the point, but a worthwhile question.

Cyrus gestured to my body on the ground as if to say, Do I even need to answer that?

Right. One moment of weakness and the men all turned me back into a damsel in distress. I supposed I did look rather ridiculous on the patio ground in this gown. But I’d just seen an apparition of my mother. I was due a bit of a freak-out.

Everything you know is a lie.

With those words ricocheting through my mind again, I shoved myself upward—without the assistance of my mates—and brushed my palms against my gown. “We need to talk,” I told them all.

“Really?” Cyrus deadpanned. “I had no idea.”

“Stop being an ass,” I said, not in the mood for his brand of tough love.

“Stop being a brat,” he countered.

My eyebrows rose. “Are you serious right now?”

“Deadly,” he snapped. “You can’t just go wandering around on a whim, Claire. Unless you’ve forgotten the threat of your mother’s existence? That she nearly killed you and Exos?”

“I’ve forgotten nothing.”

“Could have fooled me.” He folded his arms. “What the fuck were you thinking wandering out here alone?”

There it was again, the subtle hint that I couldn’t protect myself and needed their help to stay alive. “Following a voice,” I replied. “Which happened to belong to my mother. Except she appeared as some sort of ghostly spirit thing. And I’m fine, by the way, thanks for asking.”

“I can see you’re fine, Claire. Your mental state, however, remains to be seen.”

My lips actually parted, his insult a slap against my face.

“Cyrus,” Exos muttered.

“What? You all agree with me. What she did was careless and stupid. Acting in this manner puts not only herself in jeopardy but also the rest of us. What would happen to the Spirit Kingdom if she died, Exos?” he demanded.

“Not the time, brother.”

“Not the time,” he scoffed. “Well, we had better pick a damn time because our little queen is just wandering around without a care as to herself or the impact her demise would have on the rest of us.”

“What the hell are you talking about??

?? Because he clearly meant something beyond the typical grief that accompanied death. “Also, I’m fine. I can protect myself. Thank you.”

“Can you?” he countered, stepping into my personal space, his icy eyes glistening with power. “Can you really?”

“Cyrus,” Exos hissed.

But his brother ignored him, as did I. Instead, I sent a wave of power into Cyrus, forcing him back several paces.

He wrapped a cord of liquid rope around my waist to yank me along with him. I stumbled, found my footing, and severed the thick substance with a sweep of air mingled with fire. Then called upon the earth to break through the stone and wrap around his ankles.

Cyrus countered by creating a geyser that held him a foot off the ground, the hot spring too powerful for my tree roots to break through.

So I smiled, whirled my finger, and called on my water and air. Together they formed a tornado that nearly took Cyrus down. But he leapt forward, wrapped his arms around my waist, and misted me back to Spirit Quad, where I found my back pressed up against a wall.

---