Page 28 of Elemental Fae Academy: Book Three

“Wait…” Claire eyed the fabric closely. “Is that… It’s alive?”

Aflora’s icy blue eyes lit up. “Yes!” She shifted in a circle, pointing out all the nuances of her vibrant red gown while Claire studied it in awe.

Vox and I subtly led them toward the ballroom, the two girls lost in a discussion about other clothes Aflora had made for herself using the roots of her earth. She was a powerful fae, which was to be expected with her royal bloodline. Her father had been king, once upon a time. Leaving her as the only heir to the throne. But as a female, she couldn’t accept it. Only male fae could access the source directly.

Claire sucked in a breath as we pushed open the oversized ballroom doors. “Oh…”

Delicate melodies filtered throughout the huge chamber, filling every corner with the best music magic had to offer. Elana had gone all out this time, as had the other professors and student committee who’d put together this year’s Festivus celebration.

Aflora stepped back into the balcony shadows with a wink, fully aware of what was about to happen. And I gave the male at the top of the ballroom stairs a card to announce us.

He cleared his throat, adjusting the run

e on his necklace that amplified his voice. “Solstice Celebration, I announce Sol of the Earth Fae, Vox of the Air Fae, and their consort, Claire, Halfling of the Five Elements.”

A hush fell over the crowd as Claire went rigid under the scrutiny.

“You didn’t say they’d announce us!” she hissed under her breath.

I chuckled and tucked my arm around her tiny waist. “Would you have come if I had?”

She glared at me, but I took a step forward, my weight forcing her to follow me down the stairs and into the crowd. The other fae didn’t shy away from her, but rather eased closer to welcome us all.

Some of the Earth Fae swept in to touch the butterflies in Claire’s hair, all of them naturally drawn to signs of life. The Fire Fae nodded in admiration. The Air Fae bowed when Vox passed, giving Claire respect out of association. Even the Water Fae took turns joining us for idle chatter, curious about their new princess.

Aflora leaned closer to Claire and lowered her voice. “Do you like the plants?” she asked, pointing up at the delicate vines and blooms that lined the ancient walls and spiraled up columns that speared to the top of the high ceiling. “I added some of those peach trees you taught us.”

Claire smiled, taking note of the fuzzy fruit being enjoyed by some of the fae. Glacier, who I assumed was Aflora’s date, approached us with a half-eaten treat in his grip. “I presume I have you to thank for this delicacy? Do tell, is there more like this where you come from?”

Aflora beamed and nodded emphatically. “Yes, I’d love to hear all about the many human trees you could teach us!”

“Have you tried them?” Glacier asked Aflora, offering his piece. “They’re quite delicious.”

Aflora blushed. “Yes, of course. She grew some during Earth Class.” She glanced at Glacier’s companion, who joined us with a handful of the fuzzy fruits in tow. “I see that River is new to them.”

The Water Fae, who I remembered was Titus’s friend, joined us with a beaming smile on his face. “This is incredible!” He tucked his chin when he noticed Claire giving him a raised brow. “Oh, hi.” He glanced at Aflora. “Did I hear someone say Claire was going to teach us more about human trees?” The Water Fae had a vast knowledge of human facts, but he seemed as enthralled as Aflora to hear it from the source.

Claire giggled and started talking about apple trees, which bled into a discussion on other fruits and how they were grown. River seemed most fascinated by the fact that humans took years to grow their trees, with no magic at all. A crowd formed, everyone hanging on her every word. Even the Fire Fae seemed enraptured.

I met Vox’s amused gaze and shook my head.

So much for this being a special night for the three of us. It seemed the school had finally embraced Claire as their own, and now they wanted to know every detail about her.

Aflora stood at her side the entire time, offering a friendship I would have to thank her for later. I knew she did this out of loyalty to my sister, whom we both lost in recent years. Kamsa would have appreciated this a great deal. She always thought I would end up with Aflora, but while the younger female fancied me, I’d only ever been able to see her as a sister. And it seemed she was starting to realize that her crush had been unfounded as well.

The music changed, causing several of the fae to grab their partner and head for the dance floor. I took that as a cue to truly begin the evening with my date.

I glanced at Vox and corrected myself. Our date.

Glacier bowed and offered his arm to Aflora. “Shall we dance?”

Aflora shrugged. “If you can stop stuffing your face with peaches, perhaps.”

“For you? Anything.” He kissed her cheek, to which Aflora fluttered a shy gaze at me, then looked away.

An Earth Fae and a Water Fae. Not a typical pairing, but there weren’t many Earth Fae left for our kind to date.

Claire smiled as they walked away. “They seem nice.” She glanced around the ballroom. “Everyone seems to be nice, actually.”

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