I scoffed, but the sound came out hollower than I intended. “Why would she give me the chance to prove I’m anything other than what I’ve shown her? She’s the most infuriatingly stubborn female I’ve ever encountered.”
“Do I hear a hint of admiration in your voice, little brother?” I could hear the smirk in Rafe’s voice before he grew serious again. “You won’t know until you try. If everything I’ve learned is anything to go by, the fates don’t care how many times you’ve snarled at her or pushed her away. If she’s truly your fated, the bond will find a way—you just have to let it.”
I shoved away from the wall, forcing out a bitter breath. “If she spits in my face, I will make it my life’s mission to find where you’ve hidden away and make Father’s cruelty look like a pleasant dream.”
Rafe chuckled, unshaken by my threat. “Then I’ll be waiting. But something tells me it won’t come to that.”
Chapter Thirty-Three
Bechora
A sharp rap on the door startled me awake. I jerked upright off Zypher’s chest, where I’d been snuggled, and a shield burst free of my chest. Zypher chuckled, one hand soothingly running up my back, dragging his fingers across the barrier with the other.
“I wondered before why it felt so like mine,” he whispered. “Now I understand. You’re drawing the ability from me.”
The magic recoiled at his words, snapping back into me as if it were a rubber band pulled too tight, and I turned my head to frown at him. At some point in the night, my demon had hidden his demonic form and reverted back to his human features. He winked at me before climbing out of the bed and stepping into a pair of pants he grabbed from the floor.
My eyes tracked my newly bonded mate as he stalked to his bedroom door and opened it just a crack. I couldn't make out what he said in his low murmur, but whoever he spoke to on the other side passed an ancient-looking book through the crack before Zypher promptly shut it and moved back to my side.
“This should help us as you learn to control your abilities, Dilectus.” He smiled, turning back to where I sat in the bed with the sheets pulled up around my chest. “When I confirmed what you are, my mother asked my cousins to continue searching their archives for anything that could help. Now that our bond is complete, you will be able to use some of my power at will.” He tilted his head in my direction slightly. “What you must learn now is how to control not only mymagic, but how to control siphoning abilities from others who are not your bonded.”
His words were enough to pull me fully from my sleep-induced stupor. “I’m stealing your abilities?”
Zypher’s smile turned soft, and he prowled toward me, easing himself up the bed until he settled beside me. Pulling me into his side, he kissed the top of my head and laid the ancient text on his bedside table. “Not quite, Dilectus. I would have felt the absence of my magic if you were taking it from me. What I uncovered before I returned to the academy implied that the Tinu Nall copied the abilities of their mates and even others beyond their mating circle.”
My mind flashed back to the one time our Human Studies group had met in Vallynn’s dorm. Something powerful and outside of my control had taken over me and three of the males in the room. Only Zypher had been able to withstand the allure I’d somehow conjured. I swallowed hard, forcing my embarrassment at the memory aside.
“How do I control it when I don’t even know how I’m doing it?” I asked.
“That I cannot tell you with certainty, Dilectus.” His hand stroked up my arm, a motion meant to soothe me. His eyes flicked to the leather-bound tome on his bedside table. “That is an account of the last known Tinu Nall. My family will continue to search for answers while we use the tome to find our own.”
“And if we can’t?”
Zypher squeezed me gently before easing us back down and positioning my head on his chest. “Whether in the tome or somewhere else, we will find them, Dilectus. For now, let us rest.”
The next few weeks flew by in a flurry of classes and studying the book that had been delivered to Zypher in the middle of the night. Professor Thrackborne was still absent from our sessions, and for some reason, that left me feeling rejected. I felt the rejection like a weight pressing on mychest. Worse, it wasn’t just the scowling dragon professor that seemed to have my attention. Between the dreams of Gabriel that taunted me nightly and the inexplicable draw to Dante and Vallynn, who both seemed set on pretending I didn’t exist, I was stretched taut—pulled in too many directions when I should be firmly focused on my mate and studies.
Though we’d been assigned to work on a project for Human Studies together, Vallynn’s summons came as a surprise. After the disaster of our first and only group session, I’d fully expected the fae prince to expect me to carry the full weight of the project.
Magus House was quiet when Zypher and I arrived after dinner, our messenger bags with our notes and books slung over our shoulders, as if smothered by Vallynn’s annoyance. We made our way to the top floor of Magus House to the dorm that Dante and Vallynn shared, each step feeling heavier than the last as we drew closer to the males that seemed to call to me unknowingly. Zypher wrapped an arm around my shoulder and pressed me into his side, sensing my nerves. When we arrived, the door was already ajar.
Dante leaned casually against the side of one of the couches in their living area, arms crossed, looking like he owned the place instead of sharing it. His eyes flicked from where Vallynn paced in front of their coffee table to Zypher gently guiding me into the room with a hand at the small of my back. Gabriel was already seated in a recliner, hunched forward with tense shoulders as he scribbled something on the paper in front of him. He didn’t bother looking up when we entered, but I didn’t miss the way his shoulders grew impossibly more tense.
Vallynn paused his pacing, his head snapping in our direction as his eyes narrowed. “You’re late.” His posture was straight-backed and commanding as he moved to settle onto the sofa Dante was propped against. “Sit. We need to finalize our project. It’s due next week.”
Zypher’s hand slipped from my back and down my arm, taking my hand in his. He gently tugged me into theroom, easing us into the loveseat across from Vallynn before sprawling out with his arm on the back of it behind me. “Careful, Vallynn. It wouldn’t do for a crown prince to lose his temper.” He smirked at the scowling fae. “A few minutes hardly matter in the end.”
Vallynn’s lips pressed into a thin line, his jaw ticking as if he were holding back a retort.
“Bechora and I have done more than enough to make up for anyone who’s chosen to slack off,” Zypher drawled lazily, his eyes sliding to Gabriel.
Gabriel gripped his pen so tightly it snapped, ink leaking out of his closed fist. “I’ve done my share,” he hissed.
Dante chuckled, letting himself flop onto the couch beside Vallynn. “Well, this should be entertaining.”
Vallynn’s eyes cut to his friend. “Enough. Let’s get this done. Our last session was a waste, and we’re running out of time if we’re going to complete the assignment. I refuse to fail because a worthless mage decided it would be more fun to play with her magic than do the work.”
Vallynn’s insult burned through me. I had half a mind to tell him I wasn’t merely a mage, but I held my tongue. Zypher tensed beside me, leaning forward with a menacing look on his face, poised to retort.
