I don’t need the shadow to tell me twice. I fully intend to stay the heck away from Professor Yevar.
Chapter Twenty-Six
~ Shade ~
After dinner, I’m pretty keen to see my guys, but when I return to my dorm there’s a beautiful embossed special edition hardback on my bed, and a handwritten note from Galen:
We’ve been summoned to see the queen after today’s unfortunate turn of events. Take some time to rest. You’ll need your energy, treasure.
It doesn’t saywhyI’ll need my energy, but my insides clench as I imagine it’s because they’ll be desperate to ravish me when they return. In actual fact, Galen probably means I’ll need my energy for whatever extra lesson they have planned for me tonight, but I choose to believe it’s the first option.
Beside the book is a silky black box with a lace red ribbon, and I open it to find a selection of chocolates, each with adifferent pattern, and some of them dusted with red sugar. Without hesitating, I pop a chocolate with a swirly pattern into my mouth, and I moan as the treat begins melting on my tongue.Holy freaking smut gods.I’m not saying it’s better than sex, because sex with my guys is incredible, but there’s a moment when I swear my soul leaves my body and goes to somewhere heavenly. I couldn’t even attempt to conjure something this delicious. I might not have most of my memories, but I can tell I’ve never had anything this mouthwatering. I wonder if food orgasms are a thing? Foodgasms? I don’t know. In any case, when the chocolate melts completely and I swallow, I’m already reaching for the next one. Do I forgive my mates for tossing me around and letting me think I’m going to die? Yes, yes I do. But I will definitely be squeezing more boxes of these babies out of them.
“You all right there?” Kenzie asks, grinning as she watches me lose my mind over a box of chocolates.
Honestly, the idea that Galen has been holding this back from me the whole time is making me a little salty, but I shove another chocolate into my mouth, and he’s instantly forgiven as a different flavor explodes on my tongue. Rose jelly melts in my mouth, and I groan. “That’s it,” I declare. “I’m pregnant.”
Kenzie laughs, studying me.
“Here,” I say through my mouthful, shoving the box in her face. “You have to try one of these.”
“Hold on,” she says with a grin. “In a minute.”
I stare at her like she’s crazy and move the box even closer to her, so she can smell the chocolates.
“Oh, I’m just waiting to see if they’re poisoned first,” she explains, laughing again, though I can tell there’s a little bit of truth in her words.
Crap. Poison?I hadn’t even thought of that, but in my defense, Galenhadsigned the note with one of his favoritenicknames for me, and I trust my mate enough now to believe he wouldn’t poison me. At least, I don’t think he would.Would he?
I roll the misshapen ball of chocolate around in my mouth and concentrate for a moment, trying to sense whether I can feel any ill effects going through my body. As the layers melt away, different flavors tingle on my tongue, like I’m unwrapping some kind of present in my mouth.Holy crap.Is there shadow magic in these babies? I swear, even my lady parts are tingling. Yep, foodgasm.
“You know, not all poisons show signs straight away,” I point out to Kenzie, proud that I actually remember something from our Creatures, Critters, and Tracking classes. During one lesson Raith had listed off many of the edible plants you could find in different forests throughout the shadow realm, and also many of the ones that would kill you, or paralyze you long enough for some shadow creature to finish the job. I’d been horrified to find out that some poisons remain dormant in your system, and are undetectable as they slowly attack parts of your body until a week passes, and then in the span of an hour all your organs shut down. Or you know, turn to liquid. Delightful, right?
I shiver, but I make myself feel better by swallowing and chucking another chocolate into my mouth. Too late now.
“Oh, I know,” Kenzie says, giving me a look.
“Eh, worth it,” I say with a grin, holding the box out to her again.
She wrinkles her nose, still not convinced. She’s missing out,majorly,but I shrug, clutching the box to me. I remember Elgen and Tarlaz then, and I open my dorm door, dashing into the hallway.“Guys, you would not believe how good these chocolates are!”I’m grinning as my gaze sweeps around the hallway, but the shadows aren’t on the walls, and there’s no reply.Damn.I make a mental note to save a chocolate for when they’re around, and I turn, heading back into my dorm.
Dropping onto my bed, I rest the box of chocolates on the mattress, and I inspect the hardback Galen left me, careful to clean my hands so I don’t get it dirty.
It looks like it’s alien smut today, and damn, this book even has illustrations. Galen isdefinitelysucking up. I don’t recognize the title, but the blue alien looks familiar, and excitement zaps through me.I so need this.After the sky fight with the Xalgrith and the strange offer from Professor Yevar, I feel like I need a good read to purify my soul. Or you know, taint it and wash away all my troubles.
“I’m going to head into the forest for a little while,” Kenzie tells me, tidying herself up. “You’re welcome to join. You could try and find your animali?”
I’ve pretty much given up on the idea of having a creature of my own. I figure if there was ever a time my animali was going to show up, it would have been when I thought I was falling to my death. I mean, I’m guessing the warning to flee came from my creature, but if that wasn’t enough to convince it to show itself and bond with me, I doubt going to the forest tonight and calling out via my mind is going to do anything. Still, I snatch up the book and the box of chocolates, and I stuff them under my shirt. I’ve come to enjoy being in the academy forest, and some fresh air would do me good. Besides, unlike me, Kenzie doesn’t frequent the forest much by herself, and I like the idea that I’ll be around if she needs me. Not that I could probably do much to help, but if nothing else, I could scream for help or something.
When we head outside, I expect to see signs of the aftermath of the sky battle, but the only traces of what happened are the pools of blood staining the grass. The forest is eerily quiet as it always is, and I leave Kenzie to train with Nellie as I move further into the trees, finding the area that’s become my favorite place. A familiar section of trees comes into view, and not far from them is the tower of food and snacks I left there that morning. The tower is half decimated, bits of half-eaten fruit strewn around, and I grin.And to think Raith told me this wouldn’t work.True, I have no idea if it was my animali who started eating the tower, but either way, I’m counting it as a victory.
Unable to help myself, I pop three more chocolates into my mouth, I wrap another to save for when I’m with Elgen and Tarlaz, and then I reluctantly place the box down, leaving it open. I’m hoping my animali isn’t a dog or something allergic to chocolate, but if I’ve learned anything, it’s that the animali are incredibly smart. I have faith that any wild animali won’t eat them unless they know it’s safe. …Hopefully.
Moving to the large tree with a trunk so thick I’m sure the tree must be ancient, I crawl in between the twisted roots, and I settle down, lifting my knees up and resting my book on them. For a short time, I’m immersed in a tale that’s incredibly funny, but that has enough spice to keep me wishing my guys would get back andsoon.I’m a number of chapters in, and completely absorbed, when Kenzie calls out, announcing she’s ready to head back to the building. I assure her that I’ll be right behind her, and she heads off while I remain where I am, curled up and enjoying the silence.
I’m getting to another juicy part, when there’s a rustling in the bushes nearby. I’m about to leg it out of there or scream, when Bonfang comes into view. Like he knew he was freaking me out, he moves from the shadows just enough for me to see him, and he sits, his keen eyes completely ignoring me as hewatches the forest around us. A moment passes as I wait for him to do something else, but when it becomes clear that he’s not going to move, I go back to my book. More chapters whiz by and the entire time Bonfang stays where he is, like he’s my own personal silent sentinel who’s watching over me. It’s kind of…sweet.
It must be hours later, and I feel like a granny by the way my bones crack when I stretch, but I finally turn to the last page, grinning from ear to ear as I sigh contentedly. Stars are shining bright overhead, and Bonfang is still there remaining ever watchful. Which is good, because it’s not until I finish the book that I notice the other red eyes watching from the darkness in the forest.
