An amused smile pulled at his lips as he shrugged. “Far too much work. Besides, I’m not the only one on campus that can manipulate wind. I sense other fae being the reason the wind is so chaotic.”
“Think you’ll see any fae you know here?”
He scowled and nodded as we passed by the Potion Brewery. “Unfortunately.”
The dread in his tone made me not want to dig for reasons why, and I turned my attention toward the building.
It was smaller compared to the rest, but it was built in a more welcoming way with a green roof and light tan panels on the exterior. Excitement fluttered in my chest as I thought about learning to combine herbal remedies with potions to make them more effective.
“You really haven’t been out of that village, have you?” he asked, a melancholy ringing in his voice.
Another gust of wind whipped around us, making my dress fly up. Thorn reached out to smooth it back down and cast an air bubble around us to stop the wind.
He scanned the area and sneered at a man with red hair watching us by the edge of the trees near the clearing. The man smirked at Thorn, and I furrowed my brows.
Who is that?
“A fae from the Fire Kingdom,” he muttered as the guy spun around and disappeared behind the Potion Brewery.
Once he let down the bubble of air around us, I reached over to lace my fingers through his and give his hand a squeeze.
He’d spoken about the Fire Kingdom in the fae world, and from what I gathered, they were at the tip of war.
His brows were drawn together as he let out a steady breath of air and plastered on a smile for me. “Sorry.”
“You have nothing to be sorry for.” I tilted my head as I studied him.
The worry lines around his eyes faded as his lips pulled up into a genuine smile. “What would I do without you?”
I tugged him down the path toward the dorms once more, passing a looming red dragon statue that made my chest clench as I was reminded of the hierarchy. Dragons were at the very top of the hierarchy. “I wonder that quite often.”
We passed the training hall before arriving at the front entrance of Fated Dormitory, and my stomach tangled into knots as we stepped through the double doors.
“Looks like we’re on the first floor.” He winked, guiding us through the lobby that smelled like new suitcases and toward the staircase.
Our marks tingled again, and the locked doors to the stairs opened. I, for one, enjoyed the fact that our marks allowed us entry into areas we were supposed to be.
We went up the flight of stairs, and opened the door with our marks again to reveal a vast hallway.
The rooms in the hall began with one hundred, so my door was the one right after Thorn’s. We came to a stop in front of his room, and he ran a hand through his hair.
“Where’s your stuff?”
We’d been so preoccupied with everything, I hadn’t thought about the fact that he’d forgotten a bag.
“Don’t worry. There’s a fae realm portal behind the dorms. I’ll pop over to my kingdom and get my belongings.” His reassuring smile dropped as his gaze zeroed in on the bag draped across my body. “Were you able to gather enough of your things?”
I bobbed my head. “I was able to pack before I was banished. Thanks to your enchantment, I don’t have to lug around anything heavy.”
He smiled once more, reaching his hand out and placing it on top of my head. “Are you sure you wouldn’t like to form a contract with me?”
My mouth curved upward as I met his twinkling gaze. “Nice try.”
“Do you want me to walk you to your room?”
I turned around and walked a few steps down the hallway and glanced back at him. “I think I’ll manage.”
He huffed out a laugh. “I’ll come find you in a few. Just remember not to submit to anyone. Be yourself.”
