Big shock there. Sucking in deeply, I closed the book. “Sonaris is a real pain in my ass. But you’re right. It has to end now. I’m going to force him to settle this debt between us the next time he shows up. Then we need to figure out how to break whatever metaphysical ties he forced on me before I was even born. There has to be a way. There’s always a way.”
The concern on Axl’s face was enough that I wanted to scream, but he didn’t tell me it couldn’t be done, and I took that as a small positive sign that there was still a chance. I needed there to be a chance.
Asher’s energy hit me moments before he entered the room. Whatever tension had been building inside relaxed. When he reached my side, his power and scent covered me, sinking in deep, and I was home.
“Your emotions are all over the place,” his voice rumbled in my ear. “What’s wrong?”
Axl and I quickly detailed everything we’d discovered, and I added extra information from Mab. “So we have one month,” I finished. “And there’s no path. And I have no clue. And it’s driving me fucking crazy.”
He was quiet for a second, and somehow more tension left me, like he was leeching it from me, slowly. Absorbing it … or at least sharing the burden of my worries with me.
“The path will show itself,” he murmured. “I’m not sure how I know, but my power is giving me a sense of what is to come. It won’t be long.”
And just like that, I felt even better.
Axl was back to his books, and since I was exhausted from school and study and stress, I yawned and grabbed my bag.
“You ready to go home now, water baby?” Asher asked, his hand tracing teasing circles on my back.
Home.The concept had been so foreign, but that was no longer the case. I had family who felt like home, and I had a home that felt like everything. Tonight was the official move-in night, but we were supposed to wait until after dinner.
“Food?” I reminded him.
He spun me so I was facing him and I drank in every sexy inch of him. Hair was tousled, shorter on the side, longer on top. Green eyes shimmering at me. Bronze skin with the uniform shirt partly unbuttoned to reveal long slices of tanned muscles.
I realized I was hungry, but not for anything I could get in the commons.
“Fuck food,” I said, grabbing his hand and dragging him out.
Axl’s laughter sounded from behind us. “Maybe you should have read more of that book,” he called after us, and I flipped him off over my shoulder.
It was dark outside when we emerged from the main entrance of the library, and there was a massive storm building. It looked like one of those crazy ones that only hit inside the Academy. The timing was brilliant as usual, with me about to carry my stuff across campus.
At least we had magic.
“Some days it feels like it’s getting worse,” I said, staring up.
“It is,” Axl said from behind us, and I jumped because I hadn’t heard him follow.
“You figured out how to reverse the spell yet?” Asher asked. I could tell that no one had a doubt that Axl would figure it out; it was just a matter of when.
Axl shifted his heavy stack of books in his hands, nodding as he did. “Yes. But it requires magic from the four races, some Atlantean energy—I can provide that—and for the moon to be in a specific position, usually associated with the middle of its cycle.”
Asher stared up, eyeing the moon, barely visible behind the tumult of the weather. “So about two weeks?”
Axl nodded. “Yes. I’ve started preparing, and when Princeps Jones returns I’ll make sure it’s all squared away with him. Unless of course he enjoys the random weather, and in that case I’ll just write my case study up for future reference.”
It took some effort, but I managed not to laugh at him. Axl was the best value, and the most loyal, loving friend, but at times when he acted more robot than supernatural, it really amused me. “Good luck with it all,” I said, managing to keep a straight face.
A figure dashed around the building, skidding to a halt before us. “When you weren’t waiting at the table in the commons,” Calen said, not sounding even a little winded, “I figured we were jumping the gun on getting our girl all moved into the house.”
Ilia appeared at a much more sedate pace, shaking her head at Calen. “Dude, I could legit kick your balls up into your throat right now. You’re a total pain in the ass. Everyfuckingthing is not a race.”
In one move, so fast it was almost untrackable, he was in front of her, arms wrapped tightly around her. “Oh, why you so mad, babe?” he said. “Is it because you lost the race?”
She choked out a snarl laugh, sounding like she didn’t want to be amused but was. “It was not a race, you overgrown child,” she huffed.
Calen laughed, and her eyes went very dark and I swallowed a laugh. Calen was in so much trouble. In two rapid movements, she clocked him both in the throat and in the gut, landing gracefully on her feet when he dropped her. “Don’t be mad,babe,” she mocked. “Not everyone can win in a fight. Because I like making up competitive events and not telling anyone about them.”
