“Yeah? So go to the library and do some research,” Reid says, rubbing his temple. “Or to the headmaster.” He glances at Ellie. “And it’s not like you’re sad about it when you’re apart.”
“Come on, man,” I say. “We won’t remember to do any of that on our own. And you’ve seen how miserable my life’s been lately.”
He shakes his head, mumbling one of his ridiculous curses under his breath. “Look, I’ll get her to you, alright? We have all our classes together, and I know all the places you go.”
A spark of hope lights within me.
“Thank you, Reid,” Ellie says, her fingers catching on my shirt as her grip tightens.
“I better be hearing that twenty times a day from now on. You two have it easy—I’m the one who’ll be suffering here.”
I roll my eyes. “It won’t be that bad.”
“How much do you remember of me dragging your sorry ass here tonight? You fought me the entire way.”
My jaw clenches—hardly any of it. Just flashes of him pulling me behind him or pushing me along the road. He must have kept mentioning Ellie.
The thought makes my stomach cave in on itself. Reid’s been my best friend for as long as I can remember, but now my future with Ellie rests on his shoulders: we won’t accomplish anything without his help. And if we can’t figure this out soon, we’ll have to involve Ellie’s dad. It’d be stupid to risk permanent damage just to avoid that.
And with how tonight’s gone, I’d say we’re already at risk of getting on Reid’s nerves.
“Thank you, Reid. I really appreciate it.”
“You’re welcome. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have someone waiting for me.” He pauses at the door. “I’ll make sure you get here tomorrow, and we should probably explain everything to Alexis. She can help, too.”
The door clicks shut behind him, leaving Ellie and me alone, wrapped in one another’s arms.
Chapter 14
Ellie
Sharp shadows creep along the edges of our sitting room, its lanterns burning low. Cold and gray, countered only by the warmth of Caeo’s arms tightening around my waist, my hands resting on his chest. We haven’t moved since Reid left. Trapped in stillness, uncertain what to do next.
“Are you sure we shouldn’t go to the faculty?” Caeo asks. “This could be some kind of fae magic, right?”
That doesn’t seem likely—why would an enemy who hasn’t attacked in twenty years randomly decide to toy with the minds of two students? It’s so absurd that my mind dismisses the suggestion without a second thought.
“If we can’t figure it out on our own, we will.”
An echo of my earlier panic clenches my chest, but I force myself to breathe. To focus on the warmth of his touch. I need to believe we’ll find the answer; we’ve already figured out the bounds of whatever this is, and we have Reid’s help. This is simply a test of our relationship. We can get through it.
“I’d really prefer it if my father doesn’t get involved,” I add, reassuring him with a squeeze of my fingers.
That’s what will happen the second he hears about it, which would immediately follow any visit with the headmaster. While my mom likely suspected I was hoping to find someone here, I had avoided any discussion of the matter. All the rules and expectations… thinking about them made it hard to breathe. Even if we’ve managed to stay within their standards of decency, it’s unlikely someone with Caeo’s reputation—from the slums and on the verge of failing out—is their ideal future son-in-law.
His eyebrows knit together. “But if it’s fae magic, shouldn’t they know as soon as possible?”
Why is he so caught up on fae involvement? Does he know something I don’t?
But no—that doesn’t make any sense. So I bring my hand to his cheek, hoping to ease his worries. “We’ll figure it out, I promise.Afterthe ball.”
Despite everything, butterflies tickle in my belly.The ball.My reflection from earlier, draped in that sultry dress, flashes through my mind. Caeo’s face when he sees me in it. The hunger in his eyes. How his fingers will dance across my skin.
The corners of his lips tug into a smile. “Something on your mind?”
My mouth tightens. “Nothing. Just thinking about tomorrow.”
It’s suddenly sweltering in here. I glance at the wall clock—already past midnight.
