The last semester had been bliss with Kinara away completing a coven internship in Europe, leaving me free to play without worrying about her going berserk every five minutes.
The last female who’d dared flirt with me while in her presence ended up permanently losing her hair.
Kinara was crazy powerful, with the emphasis on crazy. No wonder, given who her mother was. The Blake family was well-known for its unhinged tendencies, and some suspected the roots of their madness dated back to early experiments in black magic.
My father expected me to wed Kinara to cement our power base, but if I could find a way out of the arrangement, I would. Murdering the stupid little bitch wasn’t off the table. I just needed to ensure no one could link the crime to me.
A sudden movement to my left caught my eye. When I turned, Zane had blinked into view behind a tall pillar, with a familiar little witch in his arms.
My jaw dropped as she stepped away from him with a pissed-off expression on her lovely face. The witch always looked like a million dollars, even if she had no awareness of how beautiful she was, but tonight, she looked ethereal.
Otherworldly.
Like a queen among peasants.
Her lilac dress complemented her golden skin and brought out the blue tints in her hair. Small gems sparkled in the light cast from magical stars glowing above her head.
Everything in me wanted to be with her. My magic tugged me closer, and before I could stop myself, I took a step in her direction.
“Alaric?” Her sweet voice rolled over me, dousing the anxiety thudding in my chest. Being in her presence both calmed and riled me. I could never decide which.
“Witch.” My lip curled as I shoved my true feelings down. Tonight was not the night to reveal how I really felt about the witch. If my father or Kinara got wind of our soul-bond, all hell would break loose.
Ignoring her shy, almost hopeful expression, I arranged my features into a sneer.
“That color doesn’t really suit you. Makes you look ill,” I lied, while hating myself for the hurt I saw in her eyes. Dammit, she needed to hate me. Did she not see how much danger being with me could put her in?
The incubus looked unamused for once. “Let’s leave the asshole mage to stew in his own misery,” he murmured to the witch. She threw me a disgusted look before allowing Zane to lead her away. I watched as the crowd parted around her, every student staring at my soul-bonded mate, captivated by her beauty.
Just like me.
Only I could never escape her. Not even if I traveled to the far reaches of the Arctic Circle. The magical bond between us would wither if I tried to fight fate, and eventually, one of us would die.
56
Zane
The mage was lucky I had my hands full with our mate tonight. Otherwise, I’d have made sure he spent the next few hours locked in a nightmare bad enough to inflict permanent damage on his fucked-up psyche.
The sour scent of Raven’s misery washed over me. Her shoulders drooped as I led her around the edge of the dance floor, which meant she missed seeing the pretty decorations and enchantments.
She was also oblivious to the many envious stares and lustful gazes from the males who made the mistake of ogling my pet. I’d deal with the worst offenders later. If the headmaster thought he had a PR nightmare after the two wolves died screaming in their beds, I couldn’t wait to see how he handled a full pack massacre.
Naturally, I’d make sure a demon got the blame. There were plenty of them lurking around these parts. More than ever, which concerned me. But I refused to worry about demons tonight.
“Let me get you a drink, pet,” I said when we reached the ice bar. For the first time, Raven noticed the impressive theme the witches and mages had pulled off with the aid of high-level elemental magic.
“Wow, how come the ice doesn’t melt everywhere?” Her eyes bulged in astonishment.
“Magic, pet. Now pick a cocktail.” I shoved the menu at her, impatient to get on the dance floor. Incubi were always the life and soul of a party, and I loved to dance.
“Um, you choose.” She passed me the menu and stared out across the room, reeking of sadness all over again.Fucking mage.
I ordered two fruity cocktails and handed her the glowing blue one.
“It’s made with enchanted sour berries and elderwine. Sip it slowly, pet.” This was one of the least lethal options, but still powerful enough to fell a human in a minute.
Raven’s brow wrinkled as the sour flavor hit her tastebuds, followed by a look of wonder at the burst of sweetness from the elderwine.
