“Don’t make me stay,” I said softly. “The academy is still useful to us. I have friends there. Allies. I have to go back. Aiden needs to go back.”
Zephyr let out a shuddering breath. “Okay.”
“Okay?” I repeated, a little surprised.
“I’ll go with you.”
“Oh, my God.” I shoved out of the hug. “No way!”
“I don’t think that’d work out the way you’re thinking,” Aiden’s voice said.
I turned to see he was out of the bathroom, back in the door frame, watching us. He now wore some of Zephyr’s grey sweatpants and a simple blue t-shirt.
As long as my mind could get over the fact that he was in my brother’s clothes, he looked fuckingedible.
“Also,” Aiden went on, his tone teasing, “Do you not trust me to watch her?”
Zephyr’s eyebrows rose, and when he looked at me I only narrowed my eyes in mock suspicion.
“Of course I trust you,” Zephyr said, exasperated.
“What do we do with the café? And Levi?” I questioned. “Did you think this through?”
“Which affinity would you register?” Aiden asked, following my lead perfectly because he was perfect and I was totally going to reward him later. “I wouldn’t want the government knowing about, like,anyof what you can do.”
“He has a point,” I said.
Zephyr rolled his eyes. “Okay, so call your Prince of darkness and get me admitted.”
“No way!” I cried.
“You don’t think he’d do it?” Zephyr asked.
“Of course he’d do it,” I groaned.
“Healers don’t go through the academies,” Aiden said. “That’s whyWyatt keeps it under wraps. Palace Healers become property of the Palace, or property of Rafe’s mom basically.”
“Wait, what?” Zephyr and I said at the same time.
Aiden looked back and forth between us. “The Palace Healers? Property of the Palace?”
Zephyr pinched the bridge of his nose while I looked at my carpet in disbelief. “You’re telling me the Palace has Healers?Morethan just one or two.”
“Yeah,” Aiden said slowly. “That’s why you’ve never met a Healer. The Palace snatches them up as kids, usually.”
“That…is so stupid.” Zephyr said, blinking. “No wonder everyone thinks Healers are extinct.”
Aiden shrugged. “I personally think there’s a lot more out there, they just don’t wanna be put into a life of servitude. The way the Palace treats their Healers and Telepaths is pretty frowned upon. Why are you guys confused?” Aiden’s warm gaze bounced back and forth between us.
“The Gulf is its own world,” Zephyr replied. “Unless we watch the news, we really don’t know what’s going on.”
“Oh. Makes sense,” Aiden said, running a hand through his damp waves. “I only know because my family Chain are uptight fuckers.”
“Speaking ofthat…” Zephyr eyed me before turning to Aiden. “What are we doing about that situation?”
Aiden blanched. “What do you mean?”
I groaned, sending Zephyr another glare. This wasnothow I wanted to have this conversation.
