THE LAST AETHER

TESSA HALE

CONTENTS

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

Chapter 36

Chapter 37

Chapter 38

Chapter 39

Chapter 40

Chapter 41

Chapter 42

Chapter 43

Chapter 44

Chapter 45

Chapter 46

Chapter 47

Chapter 48

Chapter 49

Chapter 50

Chapter 51

Chapter 52

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Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Also By Tessa Hale

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Copyright © 2022 by Tessa Hale. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Cover Design: Deranged Doctor

Paperback Formatting: Champagne Book Designs

1

PAIN. There was nothing but flashes of light and an endless sea of agony. But within that sea, there were snatches of my dream. The man’s face I didn’t recognize yet somehow knew. The furious man yelling threats down the hall. The fire.

The angry voice morphed into something else. My name.

“Aura!”

But it wasn’t the angry man. This was someone else, a voice I knew. Deep and gruff, yet gentle. Some part of my brain recognized Atlas.

Hands gripped my shoulders. “There’s too much blood. Someone get a healer!” Kai yelled.

“Is she breathing?” Agony filled Phoenix’s tone, as if the words were ripped from his throat.

“Move,” Riven barked. Fingers pressed to the side of my neck. “There’s a pulse, but her breaths are shallow.”

“Where’s the fucking healer?” Atlas growled.

The pain in my chest burned impossibly brighter, as though it were shredding muscle and bone. And maybe that was exactly what was happening.

An array of grunts sounded.

“You feel that, right?” Kai gritted out.

“It’s her pain,” Atlas answered.

“That shouldn’t be possible…” Phoenix’s words trailed off.

“I’m calling the healer again,” Kai gritted out.

“She doesn’t need a healer,” Riven said.

Sounds of a scuffle filtered around them, and then someone was slammed into a wall.

“We won’t let her die because it would make your life easier,” Phoenix growled, menace lacing every word.

There was no sign of Riven fighting back, but when he spoke, his voice was barely audible. “She needs us.”

Something about those words. I wanted to lean into them. To open my eyes and go to all of them. But I was fading.

Darkness engulfed me. No matter how hard I fought against it, the sea of black continued to claim me. But I didn’t stop fighting.

Consciousness came in flashes.

Hands lifting me. Brutal, white-hot pain. The sense of moving.

A forehead pressed to mine. “Fight, Aura,” a smoky voice whispered.

Then my entire body was on fire. I’d felt that kind of agony before. The kind that said death was imminent. I’d escaped that fate once, but I wasn’t sure I’d make it out this time.

2

HEAT SWIRLED AROUND ME. Not the burn of death, but a sweet, comforting warmth. I tried to turn into it, to burrow deeper, but the moment I moved, pain washed over me. As if every muscle in my body had been bruised and then I’d been forced to run a marathon.

“She’s waking up,” a honeyed-whiskey voice said.

Gentle hands were on me then, an equally gentle tone giving voice to the action. “Don’t move. You’ll hurt yourself.”

I blinked, my eyelids scraping against my eyes like they were made of sandpaper. Light came in bursts, making me squint. It was as if I’d been in darkness for years.

“Draw the blinds,” Phoenix ordered.

A moment later, the light was less. Muted through gauzy fabric. Slowly, the room came into focus. I didn’t recognize the space. It was opulent but cozy. Wallpaper with silvery trees printed on a snowy-white background. Perfectly distressed antique wood furniture. The largest four-poster bed I’d ever seen.

It was the faces that had tears leaking from my eyes and tracking down my cheeks.

“Shit, she’s crying,” Atlas said, his hands jerking away from me. “Did I hurt you? Are you in pain?”

I shook my head, trying to grab his hand again. “You’re here,” I croaked.

Phoenix leaned over me, pressing a kiss to my forehead. “We’re here. You’re safe.”

Kai stroked my thigh, assuring me of his presence too. “We won’t let anything happen to you.”

The tears came faster. I wasn’t dead. And they were here.

The bed dipped and I caught sight of Riven. He wasn’t his typical put-together self. His hair was in messy disarray that somehow only made him look sexier. The sleeves on his button-down shirt were rolled up, exposing muscular forearms, and the shirt itself was wrinkled and rumpled. But it was the dark circles rimming his eyes that had my ribs constricting.

“How do you feel?” he asked, voice gruff.

How did I feel? I tried to get ahold of the tears. Atlas seemed to sense as much, wiping them from my cheeks. As I did a mental survey, I became aware of the deep ache in my chest. As if someone had punched right through my sternum, grabbed hold of my heart, and scrambled my insides. But more than that. I felt a strong tugging sensation in several different directions.

“I—I’m not sure,” I said finally.

Lines of worry creased Phoenix’s brow. “Are you hurting?”

“Not really.”

“Don’t lie,” Atlas growled.

I sent him a small scowl. “It’s not that bad.”

I looked down at myself. They had obviously changed me at some point. I was wearing a buttoned pajama top made of the softest silk. “Am I okay?”

Kai squeezed my thigh gently. “You’re healed. But the repair needed was extensive. You’ll have to take it easy for a few days.”

My hands shook as I moved to undo the top two buttons on my shirt. As I did, I gasped. There was a spider web of cracks along my chest. Fine-lined lightning bolts of silver emanating from where the bullet had struck me.

My gaze jumped to each of them. “How?”

They shared a look.

“What?” I pressed.

Riven straightened on the bed, a little of that mask slipping back into place. “Did you see who shot you?”

“No. It was dark down there and they were wearing a hood. I think it was a man’s voice.” I strained to hear it again in my mind but couldn’t seem to quite grasp it. “I can’t be sure.”

“What did they say?” Riven pushed.

A shudder ran through me.

Phoenix glared at Riven. “That’s enough. Aura’s been through too much for an interrogation right now.”

Riven returned his glare. “We need to know what we’re up against if we have a prayer of making it through this.”

“We’re safe here. We have time,” Phoenix shot back.

“We’re not going to keep the kings off our backs much longer. They want answers.”

“Stop!” I couldn’t take the fighting. Not because of me.

Atlas nuzzled my neck, trying to soothe me. “It’s okay. They’re both worried. They just show it in idiotic ways sometimes.”

I swallowed hard, my chest aching. There was that same phantom pulse, as if strands of energy sprouted from my chest. “They said I’d never live to rule.”

The entire room went still.

Kai’s grip on my thigh tightened as though if he didn’t hold on to me, I might disappear before his eyes. “One of The Network assassins.”

“It has to be,” Phoenix muttered.

“I thought they’d mostly gone to ground,” Atlas argued.

Kai shook his head. “Not all of them. You still hear of those with aethers in their family history being killed now and again.”

Atlas ground his back molars together. “I thought that was an old wives’ tale.”

“It’s not.” Riven stared at a spot on the wall as if he were watching something we couldn’t see play out. “There are those who still very much believe aethers are a threat. Who would do anything to control them or end them altogether.”

Phoenix’s eyes narrowed on Riven. “What do you know?”

Riven’s head snapped in his direction. “I pay attention. I watch and I listen. The whispers have never stopped.”

My fingers tightened around the blanket. “So, what you’re saying is that a network of assassins wants to kill me?”

No one said a word. That was my answer.

The pain in my chest wove together with panic. It created a staccato rhythm that squeezed and twisted. My breaths came quicker.

“She’s panicking,” Atlas said softly.

Phoenix was in front of me in a flash, his callused hands framing my face. “We aren’t going to let anything happen to you. Never again.”

The panic only worsened. Because if the assassins came for me and Phoenix, Kai, and Atlas stood in their way? I shook my head back and forth, each flare of movement sending bursts of pain through my chest. “You can’t.”

Smoky shadows swirled around Phoenix. “I can and I will.”

“I won’t be the reason you’re in danger. I’ll go back to the human realm. I’ll hide there.” Just saying the words hurt worse than anything else I’d experienced since my shooting. I didn’t want to leave these men. Not even Riven who was currently scowling at me like I’d put salt in his coffee instead of sugar.

They had all come to mean something to me. More than I wanted to admit to in this moment. A kind of meaning that would truly shred everything inside my chest when I walked away.

Kai’s fingers massaged my thigh, kneading into the tense muscles there. “Pip, we’ve had assassins after us since we were born. This is nothing new.”

“He’s right,” Atlas assured me.

I couldn’t help but notice that Riven was carefully silent.

I looked around at each one of them, so much swirling within me. “I won’t be able to live with myself if I’m the reason anything happens to one of you.”

Something flashed in Riven’s eyes, but his expression quickly shuttered.

Kai leaned down, forcing Phoenix out of the way. He brushed a tender kiss over my lips. “Nothing is going to happen to any of us.”

“We’re stronger together,” Atlas added.

I bit the inside of my cheek. “I don’t know.”

“You don’t have a choice,” Phoenix growled.

My brows flew up at that. “Excuse me?”

He stared down at me with those dark eyes. “Aura…”

Phoenix struggled to find his next words. But it was Riven who spoke. “It doesn’t matter what you want because the choice was stolen from every single one of us. We’re bonded.”

3

“W-WHAT DID YOU SAY?” I tried to sit up against the pillows, ignoring the pain that pulsed in my chest.

Kai punched Riven in the arm. Hard. “Grow an empathy gene, would you? In the past four days, Aura’s found out she’s an aether, been locked up, and shot.”

“And now she knows she’s bonded to your grumpy ass for all of eternity,” Phoenix muttered. “That’d be enough to send anyone running for the hills.”

Atlas grunted in agreement.

Riven’s knuckles bleached white as he gripped the blanket. “She needs to know the truth. That all of us are at risk because of this.”

I pushed up on the pillows, letting out a hiss of pain.

Atlas’s hands were on my shoulders in an instant. “Careful.”

“I need to sit up.” I needed to be eye to eye with them all and not feel so powerless.

“Here,” Phoenix said, helping Atlas adjust the pillows behind me and lifting me higher.

My breathing was labored by the time we finished, but I felt better, more in control. But the moment I looked at each of the guys, that feeling fled. “I don’t even know what it means that we’re bonded.”

Atlas wove his fingers through mine, his thumb tracing circles on the back of my hand. “It means we’ve always been destined to be one. You’re our aether. We were made to complement each other in a way no one else ever would.”

A new kind of pain pulsed in my chest. One that wanted with everything I had for that to be true.

Kai took my other hand, mirroring Atlas’s soothing touch. “But even with that destiny, more is needed for the bond to take hold.”

“More?”

Phoenix brushed the hair from my face. “Something needs to snap the bond into place. A depth of care. Sometimes it’s emotional.”

“Sometimes physical,” Kai said with a wink.

Atlas squeezed my hand. “We were terrified when you were shot. You were dying, and there was nothing we could do.” Shadows danced in his hazel eyes. “We wanted to save you.”

“So, we did,” Phoenix finished for him.

“You saved me? You mean you found a healer?”

Kai shook his head, the corner of his mouth kicking up. “We’re kind of badasses, if you haven’t figured that out already.”

Riven glared in Kai’s direction. “This isn’t something to joke about.”

My heart hammered against my ribs. “How is that possible?”

Atlas continued his ministrations on my hand. “It’s only possible when an aether is bonded to her mates. It gives us the ability to help each other heal.” His gaze lifted to Riven. “We all had to want the bond for it to snap into place. We had to want it to be able to save you.”

A muscle in Riven’s jaw ticked. “We need to talk about our plan going forward. No one can know about the bond.”

It shouldn’t have surprised me that Riven wanted to hide our connection. He might not have wanted me to die, but he didn’t want to be tied to me either. Still, his words cut. When would that end? At some point, I had to become numb to his callous jabs.

“Riv,” Atlas said softly, sending a meaningful glance in my direction.

That muscle along his jaw fluttered again. “This is to protect Aura as much as the rest of you. If it gets out that the bond has been formed, the attacks will increase. The closer she gets to the throne—”

“Throne?” I choked out.

Kai’s lips twitched. “You’re gonna be queen one day, Pip.”

“I-I don’t want to be queen. I barely know anything about elementals. How the hell would I rule them?”

Phoenix’s lips brushed against my temple. “You were born for this. Everything you need is within you. And we’ll help with the details.”

Forget about the fact that I didn’t want it, there was so much more. “No one else is going to want this either. I’m half-human. I didn’t grow up in this world. I—”

Phoenix silenced me with a kiss. “You’ll win them over. Just like you won over all of us.”

My gaze slid to Riven. The blank stare that greeted me confirmed that there was one member of this bond I wasn’t close to winning over.

Atlas’s fingers tangled in my hair. “All we have to do is take things one day at a time. But Riven might have a point about keeping the bond under wraps. Let them think we’re taking our time. It may give Aura an extra measure of safety.”

Kai shook his head. “It’s a mistake. We should tell the entire realm that her aether status is confirmed. Let her claim the throne now.”

Riven scoffed. “Are you delusional? Every queen has to make it through four years at the academy before she can be eligible to rule. Do you think she’d be able to do that if everyone knew she was steps away from being queen?”

“She’d have the royal guard,” Kai argued.

“None of whom would be loyal to her.” He scrubbed a hand over his lightly stubbled jaw. “Those guards come from the four kingdoms. They are loyal to their kings. Most of them won’t want Aura taking the throne any more than the assassins do.”

My stomach twisted at the thought. “I’ll never be sure of who I can trust again.” The knowledge had a deep loneliness settling over me.

“You can trust us,” Phoenix said. His words, while not spoken loudly, held a vehemence that couldn’t be denied.

I lifted my gaze to Riven. For the first time since I’d woken up, I stared at him without looking away. I took in every detail I could, trying to search for something that would give me a window into his mind, his heart, his soul. “Can I trust you?”

Riven stiffened, hurt flashing in his eyes. But then those glacial orbs seemed to reach a cold that cracked and burned. “You question my honor?”

“It’s not like you’ve made her feel welcome,” Kai pointed out.

“You two need to spend time together,” Atlas said. And I couldn’t miss the hope in his voice.

I didn’t look away from Riven as they spoke. “Riven would have to want to spend time with me for that to work.”

I was past the point of pride. Because there was some piece of my soul that longed for Riven. One that was out of my control. I didn’t want to be at odds with him. Didn’t want to be the reason he fought with his brothers. I wanted peace. I wanted our bond to feel…whole.

Riven shoved to his feet. “I’m trying to keep us all safe.”

Phoenix stood, those smoky shadows gathering around him again. “You mean you’re trying to keep yourself safe. Trying to keep your life in that boring little box where everything is predictable, and you don’t have to go against your father.”

An electric energy pulsed through the room. Wind spun around Riven in a tunnel. “You have no idea what you’re talking about. No idea what I’ve—” He shook his head, cutting himself off.

His eyes narrowed on the bed. On me. I swore I could feel them boring into me, taking stock of every wound and scar. And when he’d seen them all, he leveled the death blow. “I never wanted this. It would’ve been better if we’d never found you at all.”

4

RIVEN STORMED out of the room before any of us had a chance to speak. The door slammed with a force that made the walls tremble. I shook too. Not from the slamming of doors but from those words. So full of hate.

I rubbed at my chest, that spot between my breasts where the bullet had struck. It was as if those cracks of silver were pulling towards Riven, wanting me to get up and go to him.

Atlas wrapped his arms around me, pulling me against him. “What’s wrong? You’re hurting.”

“I feel him moving away.”

Phoenix’s eyes flared. “Physically?”

I nodded. It was as if there was some tether connecting us now. I closed my eyes for a moment and leaned into the sense. The moment I did, I could see everything as clear as day. Silvery strands of light that tied us all together. As if we formed our own star glimmering in the darkest night sky.

But those strands of light were chains. I would always feel Riven no matter where he was. Always be reminded that I was tied to him even though he wanted nothing to do with me.

Something in my chest jerked as the front door slammed, and Riven headed outside. Sweat broke out on my brow as he moved farther away. That burn picked up in my rib cage, and I struggled to catch my breath.

Kai’s hands were on my face then. “Aura, what the hell is happening?”

My eyes fluttered open. “Hurts.”

Phoenix pulled out his phone, tapping the screen. “Get your ass back inside.”

There was a short pause.

“I’m not trying to get you to play ‘Kumbaya.’ You’re hurting Aura.”

Another short silence.

Phoenix’s voice lowered. “When you put too much distance between you, it causes her pain.”

A moment later, the worst of it lessened. My breaths came easier.

Atlas brushed the hair out of my face. “You’re okay?”

I nodded. But it was a lie. I was so far from okay it wasn’t even funny. I wanted to go home. To my familiar room. To Charlie’s incessant chatter. To my mom’s hugs with her faint lavender scent filling my nose.

I jerked in Atlas’s arms. “My mom. Charlie. Where are they? Did the kings get them?”

Kai squeezed my thigh. “Riven got them. He put them in one of our safe houses as a precaution.”

“They’re okay?”

Phoenix shoved his phone into his back pocket. “I sent four guards I trust with my life to watch over them. No one else knows where they are.”

I worried a spot on the inside of my cheek. “We’re not going to be able to keep them from King Zephyr forever.”

Phoenix lowered himself to the end of the bed. “Not forever, but for now. With the assassin attack, our actions are justified.”

I arched a brow. “Does King Zephyr agree with that?”

Kai snorted. “He threw a shit fit, but there’s nothing he can do. Two of his own guards were killed by the attacker. As your destined bond, we have the right to protect you and your family.”

“I want to see them.” Even with the lies and half-truths, the only thing I wanted right now was for my mom to wrap me in her arms and tell me everything would be okay.

The guys shared a look.

“What?”

Atlas stroked my hair, his fingers tangling in the strands. “The fewer of us that travel to the safe house, the better chance we have of keeping your mom and brother safe.”

“But no one knows where it is. Can’t we go at night or something?” My desperation bled into my voice.

Kai skimmed his lips across my temple. “We’ll figure out a way for you to see them. But we have to be smart about it. Right now, everyone in the four kingdoms is looking for us.”

My stomach tied itself into intricate knots at his words. “Everyone?”

Phoenix’s thumb swept back and forth across my calf. “Most are curious. Some even hopeful. They want a change from the division we’ve been living in for the past several centuries.”

“But the others?” Because I sensed a large but coming.

Wisps of shadowy smoke swirled around Phoenix. “They’d do anything to hurt one or all of us. They want the money The Network would pay them for our location. Or they believe their kingdom should be the one true ruler. Or they just don’t want to go back to a time when we were one people.”

I swallowed, my throat sticking on the movement. So much hate pointed our way. And for what? Greed. The desire for more.

“And they’d hurt my mom and Charlie to get to me.” Everything in me ached at that knowledge that I couldn’t go to them. Not until it was safer. Tears burned the backs of my eyes, but I refused to let them fall.

Kai slid his hand under my fall of hair, massaging my nape. “We’ll figure out a way for you to see them. It just might take a little time.”

I nodded, but hope wasn’t something I was feeling a lot of at the moment. “Can I take a shower?”

I could feel the sobs building in my chest and I didn’t want to let them free here. Not when the guys looked so worried, afraid I’d break and never recover.

“Are you sure you’re up for that?” Atlas asked.

The smile I attempted felt foreign and forced. “I want to get clean.”

He untangled himself from me and rose, pulling back the blanket. I missed his heat the moment it was gone.

Kai helped me sit up, and I swung my legs over the side of the bed. My chest still ached and burned. It wasn’t as bad as when I’d first woken up, not nearly as awful as when Riven had walked away from the house. But the pain was still there, a steady reminder that none of my problems had magically disappeared.

I pushed to my feet, wobbling slightly. Atlas reached out a hand to steady me, concern creasing his brow.

“I’m okay. Just getting my sea legs,” I assured him.

Atlas’s lips thinned, but he said nothing.

Phoenix stood, walking to a closet and pulling out a stack of clothes. “We got you a few things.”

“Thank you.”

He set the pile inside the bathroom. “Call if you need anything.”

I nodded and moved into the space. As I walked, I could feel the silvery strands tying me to each man. They weren’t painful, it was more of an awareness. A physical manifestation of our link.

In some ways, it was comforting. A deep-rooted knowledge that I would never be alone. In others, it was terrifying. Because I knew that if something happened to any one of them, I would never be the same.

5

I SHUT the door softly behind me. It closed with a quiet snick, and I leaned against the wood. My body trembled as I sucked in air.

Hold it together. I chanted the silent command over and over until I had a little more control. I pushed off the door and moved into the bathroom. Taking in the space, I realized I still didn’t have any idea where we were.

The bathroom was gorgeous. Intricately tiled floor. An antique clawfoot tub with a chandelier hanging over it. A large shower with glass walls.

I moved towards the double sinks surrounded in marble. A toothbrush and toothpaste sat by one sink. I made quick work of brushing my teeth, feeling a bit more human afterward.

Human. Something I wasn’t. Not entirely, anyway.

I pushed the thought from my mind as I slipped out of my pajama bottoms. My gaze locked on my reflection in the gold-gilded mirror as I unbuttoned the pajama top. I couldn’t look away from the silver lightning bolts streaking my chest.

The cracks stretched from my sternum, across my ribs and breasts. The array wouldn’t be visible under most shirts, but I’d have to be careful. My finger traced one of the lines to the center of my chest.

A tiny circle was present there. I shuddered as I skirted it. Memories flashed. “You’ll never live to rule.” The pop. The flare of heat. So much pain. A burning like I was on fire.

My body shook. Then it wasn’t just the memory of the bullet assailing me, but the fire too. I was trapped beneath the beam, unable to get free. I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t move.

Some part of me knew I had to make it into the shower. The water would help. It could clear it all away.

I struggled to make it there. It took two tries to get the water on. I turned it as cold as it would go and stepped under the spray.

The shock of freezing water had me gasping. And it was only then I realized my pajama top was still on. I wrestled with it, trying to get free. It was trapping me the same way the beam had. No air could make it into my lungs.

I dropped to the floor, hugging my knees to my chest. Sobs tore through me, one after the other, tripping over each other in the effort to get free. My teeth chattered together in violent bursts of movement between sobs.

A second later, the shower door was ripped open. Atlas’s large frame filled the space, and then he was lifting me into his arms. He swiftly moved the water to warm as he cradled me to his chest. “Aura,” he whispered, so much pain in that one word.

I wanted to tell him that I was okay on my own, that he didn’t need to see this. But I couldn’t get the words out, only more sobs.

Atlas lowered us to the shower bench, cocooning me in his warmth. He rocked back and forth, whispering sweet nothings into my ear. The one thing I could pull out was him telling me that he was here. That I was safe.

I didn’t know how long the rocking lasted, but eventually my tears slowed, and embarrassment set in. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t you dare apologize for feeling. This is too much for anyone to handle alone. But don’t shut us out. We want to shoulder it with you.”

“I wasn’t trying to shut you out—”

“You were. I understand why, but the only way we make it through this is together.”

I lifted my head, taking in the beautiful man in front of me. His heart was so pure and there was so much goodness in him. “Okay. I’m scared.”

His forehead dropped to mine. “I know you are. And I hate it so fucking much. But we’re with you. We won’t let anything happen to you or each other.”

I wanted to believe that. So much that there was a physical ache inside me. “We’re a mess. We can’t all be in the same room together without people fighting and someone storming out.” How were we supposed to have each other’s backs with that going on?

“You mean, Riven storming out.”

I let out a sort of humming sound that wasn’t agreement or disagreement. To be fair, Kai had stormed away at one point too. But we had talked it out, made forward progress. With Riven, I wasn’t sure that was possible.

Nuzzling into Atlas’s neck, I breathed deep. “Riven doesn’t want anything to do with me.”

“He had to have true want for the bond to snap into place, Aura.”

“He didn’t want me to die. That doesn’t mean he wants to be linked to me for all eternity.”

Atlas sighed. “Riven’s history is complicated. It’s not easy for him to care.”

An image of Eva and Riven, their heads bowed together at the dining table, flashed in my mind. “He cares for others. Just not me.”

God, it hurt to say those words. To hear them out loud and from my own mouth.

“He’s scared. His dad has tried to destroy every good thing he’s ever had in his life. If King Zephyr finds out about the bond, even worse that Riven is attached to you, it’ll be bad.”

A deep ache swept through me at the childhood Riven must’ve endured. “I don’t want to force this on him.”

“You’re not. It’s like I said. This is going to take time. We have to give ourselves that chance.”

I let out a shuddering breath. I was so tired of trying with Riven. But what other choice did I have? “I’ll do whatever I can.”

Atlas grinned against my hair. “Thank you.”

“Anything for you.” My hand landed on his chest, and I looked down. “You’re in your clothes.”

His lips skimmed my temple. “Wasn’t going to waste any time getting to you.”

Everything in me twisted at that. Three little words on my lips. I wanted to give them to Atlas, yet something held me back.

Atlas stood, taking me with him. As I found my feet, he peeled the pajama top off me. His fingers closed around the hem of his T-shirt and his eyes met mine. “Can I?”

My heart squeezed. Of course, he would ask. My lips curved as I grabbed onto the hem. “No. But I can.”

6

ATLAS’S EYES flared as I tugged his tee up and then over his head. He had to bend so I could get it entirely off. Then my hands were on the button of his jeans. Getting them off was another challenge altogether.

The denim clung to Atlas’s thick thighs, and he grunted with the struggle of freeing himself. “Hell,” he muttered. He made a swirling with his hand and the jeans unraveled in a split second.

I gaped at him. “How in the world—?”

The corner of his mouth kicked up. “Made from cotton. Comes from the earth.”

I shook my head, grinning at him. “Those tricks come in handy.” I stretched up on my tiptoes, wrapping my arms around his neck and reaching for his lips.

Atlas gazed down at me, so many emotions passing over those hazel eyes. “Aura…you’ve been through a lot—”

I cut him off with a kiss. “I need you. I need to remember all the good there is to fight for.”

He lifted me, my legs circling him on instinct. His length pressed against my core and everything in me tightened. Atlas was a large man and that size carried to every part of him.

He took my mouth like I was water, and he was a man who’d been lost in the desert for a month. He stroked and plundered until I was awash in sensation. That tether between us lit and I couldn’t help but gasp.

Atlas pulled back, his eyes widening. “I feel it.”

He stared from my chest to his and that was when I saw it, his own little sliver of silver. A lightning bolt of metallic color over his heart. I traced it with my finger and a shudder ran through Atlas as he let out a groan.

My gaze jumped to his. “Feel good?”

“Like you wouldn’t believe.” He lowered us to the bench and then his finger found one of my cracks of silver. He skimmed along the path it made, and sensation rocked through me.

I didn’t have the words to describe the feeling. It was as if waves of sparks swept across my skin and embedded themselves in muscle and sinew, lighting every nerve ending on fire. “Atlas,” I breathed.

“More?”

“More.” I didn’t care that my voice was breathy, almost pleading.

Atlas’s thumbs circled my nipples and then one moved to a trail of silver that tracked over my breast. Light danced across my vision as my core tightened in a rapid rhythm.

My mouth fell open as I struggled for breath and sound. Wetness gathered between my thighs as Atlas continued his exploration.

“Think I could make you come with this alone?”

His voice skated over my skin, adding another instrument to the symphony he was playing with my body. I knew he could make me come with this alone, but it wasn’t what I wanted. I needed to know what it was to have Atlas inside me, stretching, thrusting.

“Please.” It was the only word I managed to get out.

“Tell me what you need, Aura.”

“You. All of you.”

A second later, Atlas’s hands were on my hips. He lifted me so that I was hovering just above his cock. Everything in me was crying out for him. To know what it would be like to have nothing between us.

His eyes locked with mine. “Yes?”

“Yes.”

Atlas was already lowering me onto him. My eyes watered with the delicious stretch, one just shy of pain. I felt him everywhere, as if he’d invaded every cell.

My head tipped to his shoulder as I engulfed his length. I had to bite down to keep from crying out.

Atlas groaned, his fingers tightening on my hips. “Too much?”

“No,” I panted. “I just need a second.” To adjust. To deal with the sensory overload.

His hand dipped between us, the rough pad of his thumb circling my clit. It was almost too much, yet I still wanted more. Liquid heat swept through me, the stretch easing the barest amount. And then I was moving.

Short, testing tilts of my hips and then more. My knees braced on either side of Atlas’s thighs, as I moved up and down his length.

“Aura.”

It was a guttural plea and it only drove me higher. I moved faster as Atlas met me thrust for thrust. An angle of his hips and I was seeing stars. No, I was seeing us. Sparks of that silver that tied us together.

I let my hand trail down his pec to that metallic lightning bolt, stroking it with my finger.

“Fuck, Aura. Are you trying to kill me?”

A laugh bubbled out of me, but it quickly turned to a moan as Atlas’s fingers found my own silvery spots. Each time he passed over one, every sensation inside me intensified. As if some crazy drug had been injected into my system.

Atlas thrust harder, hitting a spot that had those silver sparks dancing again. The ground beneath us shook and I knew this could go sideways. But I couldn’t find it in me to care.

I would’ve let the whole world fall around us for more of this with Atlas.

His hips arched, driving deeper. My fingers dug into his shoulders.

“Find it, Aura. Find me.”

That was all it took. Everything in me twisted, pulling in tight and exploding around me in a cascade of colors. There was some of that silver, but there was the rainbow light that was at the core of being an elemental too. They swirled together as tremors rocked through me.

Wave after wave swept through me and just when I thought it would slow, they started all over again. Slowly, they lessened and ebbed. My chest heaved as I struggled to stay upright.

Atlas’s arms wrapped around me, holding me to him as we struggled for breath.

My hand found his stubbled cheek and as those hazel eyes met mine, I knew my world was forever changed.

7

ATLAS HELPED me to my feet as the warm water rained down around us.

“I’m not sure I trust myself. My legs are like Jell-O.”

He sent a self-satisfied grin in my direction. “Jell-O, huh?”

I rolled my eyes as I reached for the shampoo. “You don’t have to be so cocky.”

He pressed his lips together to keep from smiling wider and snatched the shampoo from my hands. “Let me.”

I paused for a moment and then turned around to give him better access to my hair. He poured shampoo into his palms and worked it through my hair. I couldn’t help the low moan that escaped my lips as his fingertips dug into my scalp.

Atlas continued his ministrations, digging deeper. “You okay? It wasn’t too much, was it?”

“You mean, are you in trouble for almost giving me death by orgasm?”

He chuckled, the sound skating over me in a wave of warmth and vibration. “I meant, are you hurting?”

I did a quick inventory. Sure, I was a bit sore and my muscles shaky, but the pain in my chest was basically gone. I spun around. “I feel better.”

Atlas’s brows rose in question.

“My chest. It doesn’t hurt like it did before.”

A cascade of emotions played over Atlas’s face as his arms encircled me. “It kills me that you were hurting at all.”

Leaning forward, I pressed a kiss to the spot over his heart. “I’m okay now. And whatever just happened, it made me better.”

He looked down at me, as he puzzled through this information. “It has to be something about our closeness. It must help the healing in some way.”

I grinned up at him. “I can get behind this kind of medicine.”

Atlas barked out a laugh. “You and me both.” His hands skimmed down my back. “Come on, let’s get you clean.”

And that was exactly what he did. Atlas wouldn’t let me lift a finger as he rinsed and conditioned my hair. His hands were incredibly gentle as he massaged bodywash over every inch of my skin. And when we stepped out of the shower, he immediately wrapped me in a towel, drying me more thoroughly than I’d ever done for myself.

He grabbed another towel, wrapping it around my hair. “Don’t want you getting sick.”

It was as if the silver cracks in my chest deepened at his words, and I could feel Atlas embedding himself deep inside my soul. “Thank you,” I whispered. “For everything.”

His expression softened as he pulled me in close. “I should be the one thanking you. For letting me in. For giving me a piece of yourself.”

It was more than a piece. It was all of me. But I couldn’t bring myself to admit that just yet.

“How much longer are you gonna be in there?” Kai called from the bedroom.

My cheeks heated. Had they heard us?

“Fuck off and get me some clothes,” Atlas shouted back.

I buried my face in my hands.

Atlas just tugged me closer. “Don’t let Kai get to you.”

I looked up at Atlas. “Isn’t it awkward for all of you? That you know when I’ve been with someone else. I don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings or—”

He cut me off with a tender kiss. “It’s not like that. I promise. Sure, we want time with you, but we also want you to grow closer to all of us.”

I relaxed into Atlas’s hold. “The last thing I want is to drive you apart more.”

He frowned down at me, brushing a hand over my face. “You aren’t driving us apart.”

My gaze dropped to my toes as Riven’s angry face flashed in my mind.

Atlas’s fingers trailed up and down my spine. “Riven has always been…volatile. Ready to storm out at the drop of a hat. But we always work it out. It will come with this too.”

I nodded as I stepped out of his hold and moved to the pile of clothes. As much as I wanted Atlas to be right, I wasn’t as confident.

My brow arched as I took in the matching bra and panty set in pale pink lace.

Atlas held up both hands. “That was all Kai.”

Of course, it was. I pulled them on and then the cashmere sweat set. Everything was so soft, I wanted to curl up and take a nap.

The door opened a fraction, and a hand reached in with a pile of clothes. “Your Highness,” Kai said in an exaggerated nasally voice.

Atlas snatched the jeans and tee from his hand and then shut the door again. He made quick work of dressing, but I couldn’t help but be distracted by the miles of golden skin wrapped around taut muscle. Everything in me ached at the memory of him moving inside me.

“You keep looking at me like that and we’ll never get out of this bathroom.”

My gaze snapped to the tile floor, and Atlas laughed.

“Come on.” He opened the door, and I shuffled behind him, determined not to meet anyone’s gaze.

Phoenix shook his head. “You’re damn lucky I have a powerful earth affinity or you two would’ve turned this house into rubble. We don’t have the protection spells on it yet.”

The slight blush on my cheeks turned to an inferno.

“Phoenix…” Atlas growled.

Kai just laughed, moving to me and scooping me into his arms. “Feeling better, I take it?”

I burrowed my face into his chest.

“Come on, Pip. Don’t be embarrassed. I’m just jealous I wasn’t in there with both of you.”

My skin heated at his words, my mind conjuring an image of myself between Atlas and Kai.

He nuzzled my neck. “It really was unfair—you know water’s my thing.”

“Don’t make her feel bad, she’s already worried we’ll be upset with her over this kind of thing,” Atlas said.

Kai stilled, his hand slipping beneath the towel that held my hair and kneading my neck. “Pip. It’s not like that. I mean, I’m greedy and I want you any way I can have you, as often as possible, but I love that you were with Atlas.”

Phoenix moved in so that I was cradled between them both. “He’s right. We’ll give you a hard time, but it’s all in jest. We want you bonding with all of us.”

“That bond increased her healing,” Atlas informed them.

Phoenix’s brows rose. “You’re feeling better?”

“Of course, she’s feeling better. She’s in an orgasm haze,” Kai clipped.

I wiggled out of his hold, so I was standing on my own two feet. “The pain in my chest is gone.”

Kai shot Atlas a grin. “Healing sex magic. I like it.”

Phoenix smacked him upside the head and then turned to me. “It makes sense. The closer we are, the stronger our gifts. That would include healing.”

I nibbled on my bottom lip as my gaze drifted to Atlas. “You don’t feel out of control, right?”

He shook his head. “The bond helps ground us. There will still be surges but hopefully no true destruction.”

My stomach pitched, and I tried to sense into my own reserves. As far as I could tell, things felt okay. Maybe because all the energy had gone towards my healing. Whatever the reason, I was grateful.

Phoenix’s thumb traced circles on the small of my back. “We’ll figure this out. I promise.”

“It just takes time, right?” I said, finishing his common refrain.

“Exactly.” He shared a look with Kai.

Something about it made tension sweep through my muscles. “What happened?”

“Nothing. It’s just—we have to go back to Kingwood. The kings are growing restless, and the royal guard has assured your safety and protection on campus.”

I knew we would have to eventually, but I wasn’t expecting it quite this soon. “Do I have to go back to the dungeon?”

“Hell no,” Atlas growled.

Kai grinned. “No cells for you. No dorm either. You live with us now.”

My jaw fell open. “I what?”

8

THE SUV BUMPED along the dirt road, two black vehicles with tinted windows in front of us, two behind. The contingent of royal guards had met us at a portal seemingly in the middle of nowhere. Atlas had explained that they had a series of safe houses you could only access through portals but only if you knew their exact location. After I’d been shot, they’d taken me directly to one of their most secret ones, unsure if more assassins would be coming.

The vehicle was silent as we drove towards campus. Riven hadn’t said a word when we’d come downstairs or at any point in the journey. Now, he glared out the front window as he followed the line of SUVs. Kai had his feet kicked up on the dashboard, his gaze scanning our surroundings.

I was sandwiched between Phoenix and Atlas in the back. Atlas’s fingers wove through mine as Phoenix’s hand wrapped around my thigh. But both were staring out either window, looking for trouble.

“How did you know?” I asked softly.

Phoenix’s gaze flicked to me. “Know what?”

“That I was shot.” The events of a few days ago were hazy at best, but I didn’t think any of the guards had put out a distress call.

Riven stiffened in the front seat, and no one said a word for a moment.

“We all felt it.” Atlas’s words were quiet in a way that I knew the experience had marked him, marked all of them.

Phoenix’s fingers tightened on my thigh. “It was like a fire in our chests.”

Kai stared towards the driver’s seat. “It was Riv who realized something had happened to you.”

I couldn’t look away from the ice-cold man in the front seat. He didn’t show any signs that the event had affected him, but I wondered if that was a lie.

“Thank you for coming for me.”

Phoenix gripped me harder. “We’ll never let anyone hurt you. Not ever again.”

My stomach cramped. That wasn’t a promise they could make. It wasn’t something that was in their control.

Riven’s hands tightened on the wheel, his knuckles bleaching white. “What will keep her safe is if no one knows the bond has formed.”

A lash of pain sliced across my sternum. Why did it hurt so bad when his sentiments were nothing new?

“You might want to keep your shirts on then,” I muttered.

Riven’s spine snapped straight. “What are you talking about?”

“The bond marked us,” Atlas explained. “I didn’t notice it at first, but I have one of those silver streaks over my heart. I’m guessing we all do.”

Riven muttered a slew of curses.

Kai groaned. “You know I don’t like clothes.”

Atlas clapped him on the shoulder. “Buck up, buttercup. It’s fully clothed for you for the foreseeable future.”

He glared out the window. “I could just go pantless. Maybe I’ll look into one of the muumuus. They look comfortable. Everything free underneath.”

Phoenix snorted. “God help us all.”

For the first time in hours, I laughed. It felt so damn good. “I’ll get you a muumuu, Golden God.”

He turned in his seat, brushing his lips across mine. “You’re too good to me.”

Atlas just shook his head, but he was smiling.

“Stop fucking around,” Riven gritted out. “We’re two minutes out and you’re worried about your bare ass? We need to be focused so one of us doesn’t end up dead. Or did you forget what happened three days ago?”

Wisps of smoke gathered around Phoenix. “We know what happened. None of us will ever forget.”

I laid a hand on top of Phoenix’s, squeezing. “I’m okay.”

Sparks lit around him. “You almost weren’t.”

The little flashes of flame had anxiety pricking my insides, but I breathed through it. This was Phoenix. He would never hurt me. I leaned into it. Into him. “I’m right here.”

He pulled in a long breath, his mouth finding mine in a deep kiss. “Scared the hell out of me, Pip.”

An invisible fist gripped my heart at his words. “I’m sorry, Phee.”

“It’s not on you,” he growled. “It’s on those Network assholes.”

“But they lost their chance,” Atlas said, squeezing my hand. “We’re ready now.”

“Not if you’re fucking around,” Riven muttered.

“Lay off,” Kai bit out. “Just because we want to lighten the mood once in a millennium doesn’t mean we aren’t serious about protecting Aura.”

A little of the tension went out of Riven’s shoulders. “I know that. I just want us focused. We have no idea what we’re walking into. And we have to watch each other’s backs too. The Network could come for us just as easily.”

Nausea swept through me as I gripped Phoenix’s and Atlas’s hands harder. “Please be careful.”

Kai shifted in his seat, turning to me. “We know how to handle this stuff. It’s been happening forever.”

“Not like this,” Riven warned.

Phoenix scowled at him. “Stop trying to freak her out.”

“I’m trying to prepare her.”

The SUVs ahead of us slowed to a stop in front of Crown Hall. Men dressed in black spilled out of the vehicles. Some positioned themselves pointing out towards campus, others moved to surround our SUV.

Students moving between classes stopped to stare. I didn’t miss Drue and Xena huddled together with the rest of their so-called friends. Drue sent a look in our direction that should’ve killed me where I sat.

Atlas squeezed my hand. “Ready?”

“No,” I answered honestly.

Phoenix nuzzled my neck. “We’ll be right by your side.”

I swallowed and gave a nod. “Let’s go.”

Atlas opened his door and we followed him out. In a flash, I was surrounded. Riven led the way towards the dorm, Phoenix and Atlas on either side of me, and Kai behind. The royal guard filled in around us.

Two more guards were stationed at the front door. One of them, a tall man with dark hair and eyes, nodded at Phoenix. “We’ve swept the building. No intruders, no listening devices. Quincy is waiting for you in the living room.”

“Thanks, Egan,” Phoenix said, clapping the man on the shoulder.

Another guard with light blond hair stepped forward. “We should take up stations inside.”

“No,” Riven clipped.

A hint of frustration passed over the guard’s expression, but he nodded. “As you wish.”

I didn’t take a full breath until we were inside, away from all the probing stares. Just a couple of minutes and I was already exhausted from trying to decipher who was friend or foe.

Kai shut the door behind us and locked it.

“Aura,” Quincy called.

The worry in his voice had me hurrying towards the living room.

The man looked somehow older, as if the lines in his face had deepened over the past three days. “You’re all right. They got you a healer?”

The moment the guys filed in behind me, Quincy’s eyes widened, and his jaw went slack. “Y-you’re bonded.”

9

PHOENIX MOVED SO FAST he was a blur in my vision. One second, he was standing next to me, the next he had Quincy pinned to the wall. “Watch your tongue, old man. You don’t know what you say.”

“Ph-Phoenix,” Quincy stuttered. “I meant no offense.”

I rushed to them, grabbing Phoenix’s T-shirt and pulling hard. “Let him go.”

Kai and Atlas were at my side in an instant, but neither seemed to be too worried about Quincy. And Phoenix didn’t show any signs of wanting to relinquish him.

“Please.”

It was my soft tone that did it. Phoenix loosened his hold on the old man, letting him back on the floor.

Quincy rubbed at his neck. “That was a bit of overkill, don’t you think?”

Riven’s eyes narrowed on him from across the room. “Is it?”

Quincy’s gaze swept around the room before settling on me. “Okay, maybe not.”

“How did you know?” Atlas asked.

“It’s the testing affinity. I see elemental power, can feel it more than any normal elemental.”

“But no one else will be able to sense it, right?” Kai pressed.

Quincy shook his head. “Only those of us with this gift. There are only five others, and none of them live anywhere near here.”

Wisps of smoke swirled around Phoenix. “I’ll need their names.”

Quincy’s eyes widened. “Not if you’re planning on killing them.”

“He’s not,” I assured Quincy, then glanced in Phoenix’s direction. “Right?”

“No,” he said through gritted teeth. But everything in Phoenix’s demeanor told me he wished he could. “We need to make sure to keep our distance from them.”

“And we need to know why we should trust you with this.” Riven’s tone was so cool and even, you never would’ve thought he was asking Quincy to prove why he shouldn’t kill him.

“Stop it, all of you. Quincy has done nothing but help me from the moment I met him.”

Quincy reached out and patted my shoulder. “It’s all right. It’s the bond. It will make your men overly protective in this first season.”

“What do you mean by overly?” They already took my safety to extremes. Sleeping outside my dorm room. Threatening murder sprees. How could you take that further?

Quincy’s lips twitched. “They won’t like other males around you. Anyone that’s hurt or insulted you should stay away. And they themselves won’t be able to keep their distance from you for long.”

I rubbed at the spot along my sternum where the bullet had struck, the place that had flamed with a burning pain when Riven had walked away. I couldn’t help that my gaze pulled to him. He pushed off the wall, moving towards us.

“We aren’t horny teenagers, Quince. We’ll deal. What we need to know is how to keep this under wraps.”

Quincy frowned at him but nodded. “There will be many who come for her. Who will come for all of you.”

I swallowed, trying to clear the tightening in my throat. It didn’t do any good.

Even Kai didn’t have a quippy response to that. “What has the word been around campus?”

Quincy rubbed a hand over his face. “Uproar. All the kings were in residence at one point, demanding answers.”

“Were there any signs of the assassin? Anything on the security tapes?” Phoenix asked.

“Nothing. The cameras were disabled before he even entered the building.”

Atlas let out a low, rumbling growl. “He had someone helping him.”

Quincy nodded. “It’s looking that way. Did you see anything about this person, Aura?”

“Not really. He was wearing a hood and it was dark. I’m fairly positive it was a man based on build, but I could be wrong.” I kept hearing those words in my mind: “You’ll never live to rule.” But each time, they were echoed in someone else’s voice. Drue. King Zephyr. Xena. Aiden. This list went on and on of those who would want to hurt me.

Quincy turned, beginning to pace back and forth. “The next four years will be a challenge.”

Phoenix stiffened next to me. “We’ll be at her back.”

His pacing stilled. “As much as possible, yes. But Aura will have to fight her own battles to prove she can rule.”

“Do I have to? Rule, I mean.”

Quincy’s expression softened. “You were made for this. The Universe has spoken and chosen you.”

“I’m not who they want,” I whispered.

“But you’re who they need.”

A shiver ran through me at his words.

Quincy clasped his hands in front of himself. “Aura, you bring with you a perspective completely unique from the rulers here. You didn’t grow up in this world. You’re free from prejudice and assumptions. You haven’t been raised your whole life to be a political pawn.”

“Hey,” Kai mumbled.

“None of that is on any of you.” Quincy’s gaze settled on Riven for a moment, punctuating his point. “But Aura will see things you don’t.”

Like the pressure this quest for multiple strong affinities put on people. How the search for more power and control could twist everything.

Quincy turned back to me. “And you will need your bond to help you learn our ways in history. If you can all work together, you’ll be unstoppable.”

“As long as no one picks us off first,” Riven muttered.

“You are at risk,” Quincy admitted. “More so than you ever have been before, but that just makes it all the more important for you to work as one. Don’t let anyone exploit fractures in your connection.”

The sun shifted in the sky, glinting off the wide windows. Riven’s gaze snapped to them, focusing on the forest. His eyes widened in panic. “Get down!”

Everything somehow happened in slow motion and in a split second all at once. There was a blur of movement around me. The shattering of glass. A force hit me from behind and then I was falling, a scream on my lips.

10

I HIT the floor with a force that knocked the wind out of me. Everything slowed. Blood roared in my ears. My pulse pounded in my neck.

Then I was being rolled over. Hands skimmed my body. “Are you hit? Are you hurt?”

Riven’s voice didn’t carry with it the cool, calm, and collected tone it usually did. It was laced with panic. Fear.

It was so shocking, I couldn’t get the words I needed to leave my lips.

“Aura,” he pressed.

“I-I’m okay.” I groaned as I sat up.

Voices rose from outside, the royal guard circling the building.

Atlas moved in closer, his hands framing my face. “That doesn’t sound like you’re okay.”

“Just a little sore.” I looked around the room, my gaze stilling on the shattered window, then it snapped to each of the men in the room. “Are you okay? No one’s hurt, right?”

“We’re fine,” Phoenix assured me.

But he was wrong. I’d frozen on Kai, his worried expression fixed on me. I couldn’t look away from his arm. Blood soaked the shoulder of his white T-shirt.

“Kai,” I croaked.

“We’re all okay, Pip.”

“You’re not.”

He looked down at himself, taking in the blood. “Shit.”

I was on my feet in a flash, moving to his side. “We need to get you a healer. You need to lay down.” But I didn’t want him in here. Not in a room where someone could so easily see our locations.

As gently as possible, I pushed him towards the stairs. “We need to get you to your room. Someone get me some towels. And someone get a healer.”

Kai stilled in the hallway, turning. “I’ll be fine. Take a breath.”

Tears burned the backs of my eyes. “You don’t know that. We need to make sure.”

He pressed his forehead to mine. “Okay. I’ll go upstairs and you can check me over.”

I nodded, hurrying Kai up the stairs. I didn’t miss the wince as he walked. The blood dripping down his arm.

Phoenix appeared next to us, a stack of towels in his arms. “Riven’s getting the medical kit.”

“What about a healer?”

Phoenix winced. “We can’t. He’ll start healing on his own with your contact. The healer would know that we’ve bonded.”

“I don’t give a damn. He needs help.”

Kai took my hand and squeezed. “He’s right. You guys will get me patched up in no time.”

My heart hammered in my chest as we moved into Kai’s bedroom. Phoenix laid a towel on the bed, and I helped Kai sit. He grunted as he lay back. “Fuck, that doesn’t feel happy.”

I bit the inside of my cheek so hard I tasted blood. “We need to get his shirt off.”

“There are scissors in the med kit,” Atlas said, charging into the room with Riven.

Riven set the kit on the bed and pulled out a pair of scissors.

“Man, I loved this shirt,” Kai moaned.

“I think the blood already ruined it,” Riven muttered.

I sent a scowl in his direction and then got to work cutting Kai’s shirt. I sliced up the middle and then very carefully down the sleeve. There, in the center of his shoulder, was a tiny bullet hole. My throat tightened. “How do we know if the bullet’s out?”

“Let me.” Atlas moved to my side, hovering his hand over Kai’s wound. His brows drew together in concentration. “No metal in the wound.”

Quincy moved into the room, holding up a tiny, warped piece of silver. “Found it embedded in the back wall.”

“We need to clean the wound so it doesn’t get infected. And how do I help him heal?” The panic had ahold of me and wasn’t letting go. Too much blood.

Kai laced his fingers with mine. “I just need you. Contact. It’ll speed things along.”

I tugged my hand free from his and rounded to the other side of the bed, climbing onto it. I curved myself around Kai, doing my best to avoid his injured shoulder.

His lips twitched. “If I’d known this was what it took to get you in my bed, I would’ve gotten shot a hell of a lot sooner.”

Riven poured a clear liquid onto Kai’s wound. His entire body jerked, and he let out a stream of curses. “What the hell, Riv? A little warning would’ve been nice.”

Riven pressed a gauze pad to the wound. “I thought you were happy to get a shot at having Aura in your bed.”

Kai glared at Riven, knocking his hand away. “Fuck off.”

“Stop it! Both of you need to grow up,” I growled, grabbing the gauze and applying pressure to the injury.

Kai winced at the contact.

“Sorry,” I whispered. “We have to get the bleeding to stop.” I couldn’t look away from the blood soaking the cotton square.

Kai leaned into me, pressing his lips to my forehead. “It’s okay.”

But it wasn’t. Kai could’ve been killed. And it would’ve been all my fault. “You stepped in front of me.”

Everyone in the room went still.

“Aura…” Kai began.

“You shielded me. Were going to take a bullet for me.”

“And I’d do it again right now,” he said, voice rough.

“Don’t, Kai. Promise me you won’t. Not ever again.”

“I can’t make that promise, Pip.”

My fingers tightened around the gauze. “Why the hell not?”

Kai’s good hand lifted to brush the hair from my face. “Because I love you.”

11

“WHAT?” The word rushed out of me on a breath.

Kai’s mouth curved. “You might need a little help picking up the signals. I think I’ve been half in love with you since the moment we met.”

“Kai—”

“You see me. More than what I show the rest of the world. It’s like you knew my soul from that first moment in the hallway.”

A few tears slid from my eyes, landing on his bare chest. “I felt you.” I knew that now, with a certainty that was unshakeable. I could look back and feel Kai calling to me. Our irrevocable tether even then.

Kai leaned forward, brushing his lips against mine. “I know.”

“I love you too.” The words were out before I could stop them. The terror of giving them voice was nothing compared to almost losing Kai. I’d never be able to live with myself if I didn’t tell him.

His lips twitched again. “I know that too.”

My mouth screwed up into a scowl. “You don’t have to be so sure of yourself.”

He pressed his forehead to mine. “I’m sure of myself because of you. The way you’re there for me. How at peace you make me feel.”

There was a warmth in being with Kai that I’d never felt before. It swirled around me, making me feel safe and secure. But more, Kai was life. An effervescence and spark that made everything more.

“Uh, guys…” Atlas said.

Kai sent him an exasperated look. “You’re intruding on my moment, man.”

Atlas chuckled, a grin pulling at his lips. “Look at your chest.”

My hand was still pressed to the gauze over Kai’s wound, but I could see the rest of his golden skin on display. Along his sternum, where my tears had fallen, were streaks of silver. Those same lightning bolts of metallic that were on my own chest.

“What does that mean?” My voice trembled as I asked the question.

Atlas moved in closer. “Let’s see the wound.”

I looked at Kai in question and he nodded. Slowly, I pulled the gauze away and gasped. Red still stained his skin, but there was no wound. In its place was a circle of silver cracks similar to the one on my chest, but smaller.

My gaze jumped to Kai’s face. “It’s gone.”

Kai rolled his shoulder and a flicker of pain passed over his expression. “Still hurts, but it’s a hell of a lot better than before.”

Quincy moved closer to the bed. “It’s the bond deepening. Speeds the healing.”

My fingers skimmed across the metallic lightning bolts. Kai groaned, but this time it wasn’t in pain. “Pip, unless you want me to fuck you senseless in front of this entire room, I wouldn’t do that.”

I snatched my hand back, cheeks heating. “Sorry.”

“You definitely don’t have to apologize. That feels like heaven.”

Quincy chuckled. “Sounds like you’re back to your usual self.”

I sighed at that and burrowed deeper into Kai’s side. “You’re not hurting too badly?”

“No, it’s just sore. Like a bad bruise.” He glanced around the room. “Someone should clean up the blood though. Not sure how we’ll explain the fact that I don’t have a wound.”

Atlas nodded, starting for the door. “Better if they think no one was shot. I’m on it.”

Neither Phoenix nor Riven said a word. Phoenix hadn’t made a sound since he’d laid the towels on the bed. He stood watching us, smoke gathering around him and sparks dancing in his eyes.

“Phee?” His name was just above a whisper.

His chest heaved as he stared at the dried blood on Kai’s chest. “They could’ve killed you both.”

Shit. I sat up, swinging my legs over the side of the bed and standing. I crossed to him, refusing to let the smoke swirling around him scare me. It didn’t smell like smoke. It smelled like Phoenix. A deep woodsy scent that I wanted to roll around in.

I took his hands, squeezing, trying to bring his attention down to me. “We’re all okay.”

“But you almost weren’t.” A muscle in his jaw fluttered wildly. “They have to know there’s payback. We can’t let them get away with this.”

“The royal guard is searching for them,” Quincy assured him.

“Not good enough,” Phoenix gritted out.

Riven straightened. “He’s right. The Network needs a message. They come for us. We’ll come for them.”

“They. Will. Suffer.” Phoenix’s breathing had gone ragged.

I wrapped my arms around his middle. “Don’t go.” I couldn’t bear the thought of him searching out these hired killers. Ones who had trained their entire lives for that mission.

His arms encircled me, his grip tight. “I have to. I have to let this out. It’ll burn me alive if I don’t.”

A few tears slipped from my eyes. “You have no idea how many of them there are. It could be a trap.”

Riven’s voice cut in. “I’ll have his back.”

“So they’ll kill both of you?” I snapped. “As much as you’re an asshole, Riven, I don’t want you dead either.”

He was quiet for a moment. And it was Phoenix who finally spoke. “The Network has nothing on me. I’ve trained for this my entire life. They won’t have a chance.”

Atlas’s broad frame filled the doorway. “It’ll put Aura in pain if you leave.”

It was unfair of him to put that on Phoenix’s shoulders, but I would’ve given anything for him and Riven to stay.

“Aura…” Phoenix trailed off, as if choosing between going after the person who had tried to hurt those he loved and causing me pain was torture.

“Go,” I whispered. “I’ll deal with the pain.”

“No,” Kai argued.

“Wait,” Quincy interrupted, moving into our circle. “It hurts when you have physical distance from your mates?”

I nodded, rubbing my chest where the pain had been. “Like fire.”

He frowned. “You need a point of connection before they give you space, and having a token from them would help too.”

Phoenix pulled off a necklace that had been tucked under his T-shirt and slipped it over my head. I fingered the gold disc with a flame pressed into it. “Thank you.”

Riven frowned but stared down at the ring on his right hand. He tugged it off and pressed it into my palm. “Here.”

The metal was warm. So opposite of everything Riven espoused to be. I swore it hummed against my skin.

Quincy cleared his throat. “You need to touch her. A bond touch. An intimate touch.”

Riven’s head snapped in his direction, eyes flaring with some undiscernible emotion.

Quincy held up both hands. “Your essence will remain with her for several hours that way, and she won’t be in pain.”

His jaw worked back and forth.

“You don’t have to. I can deal.” Each word hurt, but it was nothing compared to the knowledge that the idea of touching me was torture to Riven.

He shook his head and moved in, cocooning me between himself and Phoenix. Riven stayed like that for a few beats and then his head dropped to my neck, and he inhaled deeply, his lips skimming my skin.

The touch was fire and ice. A riot of sensations at the barest contact. I couldn’t imagine what it would feel like to lose myself in him.

Riven breathed out and I felt the air swirl around me, coating me in comfort and protection. That air combined with Phoenix’s smoke until I was lost in a sea of both of them.

A second later they both stepped back. I felt the loss instantly. My body tried to follow them both, but I forced myself to stand still.

Unshed tears burned my eyes again. “Be careful. Please.”

Phoenix strode forward again, taking my mouth in a hard kiss. “I’ll always come back for you.”

I held onto those words with everything I had as he let me go. My gaze found Riven. His jaw was hard, but his eyes blazed with a mixture of retribution and something I couldn’t name. All he gave me was the barest of nods. But I held on to that too.

12

“STOP PACING.”

I sent a glare in Kai’s direction and kept right on moving. I followed the path of the floorboards in front of the fireplace. The window had already been replaced and the curtains were now drawn.

“You’re going to wear a hole in that floor,” Kai chided as he sat up and pushed off the couch.

I jerked in his direction. “Lay down. You need to rest.”

He grinned at me. “I’ll lay down if you lay down.”

I scowled at him, but he just arched a brow. Sighing, I moved to the plush sofa. “Fine.”

Kai pulled me down onto the comfy sectional with him, shooting a look at Atlas. “You’d think I was asking to pull her fingernails out with a pair of pliers.”

Atlas looked up from his phone. “Laying with you might be the same thing.”

Kai kicked Atlas’s thigh. “Uncalled for.”

I snuggled down between Kai and the couch’s back. “What are you doing?”

Atlas had been intently focused on his phone since we’d made our way down here. “Ordering bulletproof glass for all the windows in the house and our vehicles.”

My eyes flared and I sat up. “Are you serious?”

His lips pressed together in a firm line. “Better safe than sorry.”

My heart clenched as visions of Kai’s blood pooling filled my mind.

Kai sat up, curling himself around me. “Just a precaution.”

I let his warmth seep into me as I stared at the entryway. “Shouldn’t they be back by now?”

Atlas lowered his phone. “They would’ve gotten in touch if there had been trouble.”

Unless they couldn’t. My stomach twisted. “When do I start combat classes?”

Atlas blinked at me a few times. “This week, I think. Why?”

“I’m so damn tired of not being able to defend myself to help protect all of you. I want to learn.”

Kai kneaded my neck and shoulders. “You’re new to all of this. It’s going to take a little time to learn.”

Time I didn’t have. “I’m ready to get started.”

Atlas frowned. “You will, but I don’t think the answer to all of this is to start combat classes in the living room three days after you were shot.”

My fingers dug into the couch cushions. “I hate feeling so useless.”

He leaned forward, his fingers tangling in my hair as he pulled me to him. Atlas’s mouth brushed against mine. He was warmth and safety. “I know. But we have to wait. There will be enough battles to fight tomorrow.”

I groaned, letting my head fall to his chest. What I wanted was all my guys under one roof with no one trying to kill us. And then I wanted to sleep for a week.

A knock sounded on the front door.

I was on my feet in a flash, running to the entryway. Atlas grabbed me around the waist and hauled me against him. “Wait until we know who’s there.”

Kai circled around us, sending me a scathing look. “Assassins, remember?”

“I don’t think assassins knock, Golden God.”

His lips twitched. “Who’s there? Friend or foe?”

“Uh, friend?” Kerry said through the thick wood.

“We’ve checked her for weapons, Your Highness. She’s clean,” a guard added.

Kai opened the door, revealing a pale-faced Kerry. Her eyes widened as she took me in, and I realized that Atlas still had me hauled against his chest, feet dangling. I patted his chest. “I think you can put me down now.”

He grunted and did as I’d asked. I stretched up and gave him a peck on the lips as a thank you.

Kerry tentatively walked inside. “Is it, uh, okay that I’m here? I was just so worried. The rumors have been crazy. At first it was going around that you were dead and then that you had run away and then that you had—”

“Kerry,” I halted her.

Her mouth snapped shut and her cheeks pinked. “Are you okay?”

“Come on.” I waved her towards the kitchen. Atlas and Kai started to follow, but I shook my head. “Girl talk time.”

Kai pouted. “I can do girl talk.”

A smile stretched across my lips, and I crossed to him, kissing him deeply. “Go rest.”

“Fine,” he huffed.

I glanced at Atlas. “You’re in charge of him.”

“Gee, thanks,” Atlas muttered.

I swallowed my chuckle and led Kerry towards the kitchen. “Sorry about the intensity.” I moved to the fridge and pulled out two sodas, handing one to her.

She took it, studying me. “They’re worried about you.”

Popping the top, I leaned against the counter. “I worry about them too.” Images of Phoenix and Riven fighting The Network swirled in my mind.

“What happened, Aura?”

I took a sip of the soda, trying to buy some time. It was some fruity flavor I couldn’t put my finger on. “I was shot.”

Kerry gasped.

“The guys got me out of the dungeon and rushed me to a healer. They took me somewhere to recover for a few days and to be sure campus was safe.”

“But it’s not.” Kerry glanced towards the living room. “Everyone’s talking about the sniper. But no one was hurt?”

“We’re all okay.” It wasn’t a lie exactly, we were all fine now. But the story I’d told her about the healer had been. I told myself it was better for her, safer. But I still felt like a complete ass.

“This is crazy. We’ve had the occasional attack on campus but never two in a row like this. You really are an aether, aren’t you?”

“It’s looking that way.”

“Oh God, I should bow—or crap—I can’t remember what I’m supposed to do.”

I pulled Kerry into a quick hug. “You’re supposed to treat me like normal. Like the same friend I always was.”

She shook her head. “But it’s not the same. I knew you were strong, but the first aether in centuries? People are losing their minds over this.”

Nausea pricked at my stomach. “I’m sure things will go back to normal in a week or two.”

“If you say so…” Kerry sent a furtive glance towards the living room.

“What?”

Her cheeks reddened. “Are you and the royals…are you, like, together?”

A laugh bubbled out of me, and some of the tension I’d been carrying around eased at the typical boy-crazy focus of my roommate. “Atlas, Kai, and Phoenix, yes. Riven? I think he’d rather drop-kick me to another realm.”

“Three already?” she squeaked.

“It was kind of happening before all the aether stuff.”

She hopped up and down. “You are the luckiest girl ever.”

“Yeah, being shot at is a real walk in the park.”

Her green eyes sparkled. “It would be worth it for four royals.”

“Not Riven,” I reminded her.

“He’ll come around, Aura. He won’t be able to help it.”

That didn’t sit right with me. I didn’t want to force Riven into something that he clearly didn’t want.

“I didn’t mean it like that,” Kerry hurried to say. “Just that you guys are meant for each other. That kind of connection is a miracle. He’ll want it once he wraps his head around it.”

“Maybe…”

She grinned. “He will. And when that impressive control snaps, I bet it’s fireworks.”

I choked on a sip of soda. “Kerry!”

“What? It’s true.”

The front door slammed, making me jump. I rushed towards the entryway at the sound of shouting and stopped dead.

Phoenix stood in the middle of the oriental carpet, eyes spitting fire. And he was covered in blood.

13

MY ENTIRE BODY trembled as I took Phoenix in. Blood. So much of it. My eyes searched for his injury. “Where are you hurt?”

“He’s not,” Riven said, his voice tight.

Flames licked around Phoenix, circling his arms and torso. I started forward, but Riven stepped into my path. “Don’t. He’s not stable right now. I tried to get him to wait. To calm down before coming back, but I think he needed to make sure you were okay.”

Phoenix let out a growl and charged Riven. The move was so fast, Riven didn’t have a prayer of defending himself. One second, he was standing, and the next, Phoenix had hurtled him into a wall.

Kerry shrieked, scuttling back into the kitchen as Phoenix prowled towards me. Kai and Atlas were moving then, trying to get to me before Phoenix did. But they weren’t quick enough.

Phoenix yanked me hard against him, wrapping himself around me. The fire was everywhere. Completely engulfing us.

Panic flashed fierce and fast. Memories battered at the walls of my mind as the guys shouted for Phoenix to let me go. But then I felt it.

Phoenix was trembling. His entire body shook. He was terrified. For me.

Slowly, the tension in my muscles eased. My arms came around Phoenix, my hand trailing up and down his spine in soothing strokes.

I let the fire burn around us. And instead of letting it scare me, I felt its protective warmth. Because it was Phoenix.

“I’m okay.”

I said the words for Phoenix and for the rest of the guys.

“We’re safe,” I whispered. “You made us that way.”

A little of the fire receded. It was a miracle the house hadn’t gone up in flames, but I had a feeling that was thanks to Riven and Kai containing the blaze with their gifts.

I held Phoenix tighter. “Come back to me.”

The tension thrumming through him eased a fraction. He nuzzled my neck.

My hand slipped under his shirt, skating back and forth across his skin. “I’m right here. Come back.”

Phoenix’s mouth skimmed my neck, tasting me. That fire eased some more. As if he could feel the pulse beneath his lips and it assured him I was alive and breathing.

“I’m right here.”

Phoenix let out a low, rumbling growl.

“Phoenix, you gotta let Aura go. You’re scaring her,” Kai said.

That only made Phoenix grip me tighter.

“I’m fine, Kai. Give us a little room.”

Atlas shot the rest of the guys a look. “I don’t think that’s a great idea.”

“We’ll be fine. Right, Phee?”

He didn’t say a word.

I ran my hand over his buzzed hair, and Phoenix let out another rumble. I let my lips skim his ear. “Can you pull back your flame? I want to get us cleaned up.”

He gripped me tighter and I let out a squeak.

“Just you and me. No one else.”

Phoenix’s hold on me eased a fraction, the fire around us giving way to smoke.

I threaded my fingers through his. “Let’s go to your room.”

“Aura…” Riven began.

I shot them all a look. “We’re going to get cleaned up. We’ll be back.”

Phoenix didn’t say a word as I guided him up the stairs and into his suite. The room itself fit him. Dark wood furniture and deep maroon bedding. It smelled like him. A scent that had come to mean home to me. That blend of smoke and woods. Roots that ran deeper than I could imagine.

I shut the door behind us. Phoenix didn’t move. Fear licked through me at his unresponsiveness, my imagination filling in the worst possible scenarios for what could’ve caused this.

Gently, I tugged him towards the bathroom. When I flicked on the lights, he flinched. I quickly shut off half of them, and the lines around Phoenix’s eyes eased.

Moving to the shower, I switched on the water, giving it a chance to warm. My gaze roamed over Phoenix as I turned back to him. My heart hammered in my chest as I took in his torn clothes and the blood that had grown tacky as it clung to him.

“I’m going to undress you.”

Phoenix didn’t respond, simply stood in the middle of the bathroom outfitted in dark marble and silver finishes.

I hoped he could at least hear me. My fingers hooked around the hem of his T-shirt, lifting it. “Arms up.”

He followed my instructions, and I peeled the shirt off, throwing it to the corner. These clothes would never be worn again. I scanned his chest. Riven was wrong about Phoenix being injured. Slices crisscrossed his pecs and abdomen.

A rage built in me, seeing fresh wounds over his old scars. I hoped those who inflicted them had suffered.

I did my best to swallow down my anger, knowing it would help nothing. I let out a shaky breath and moved to his jeans. Unbuttoning them, I tugged them down over muscular thighs. I tapped his calf in a silent command to lift his foot. When he did, I removed one boot and then the other. His jeans were a battle, but I finally won.

I swallowed hard as I took in black boxer briefs. My fingers hooked in the waistband, and I tugged those free too. I did my best not to gape at the man in front of me. He was so damn beautiful, even battle-weary and covered in blood.

Quickly, I shed my own clothes and added them to the pile to be thrown in the trash. Then I pulled Phoenix into the shower with me. Adjusting the temperature to a soothing warmth, I stepped under the spray, bringing him with me.

Phoenix didn’t move or say a word. Everything in me twisted. I didn’t have the words to say to bring him out of this. All I could do was let him know that he wasn’t alone. That he was cared for. Loved.

I poured shampoo into my hands and began working it over his head. Phoenix let out a groan. I took it as a good sign as I rinsed it from his scalp. I moved on to bodywash, caring for Phoenix in the same way Atlas had tended to me. I scrubbed every speck of blood from his skin and cleaned every wound.

As I rinsed the soap from his body, Phoenix’s head dropped to my shoulder, and he pulled me to himself. His fingers bit into my waist, just shy of pain. “Need you, Aura.”

His words were a guttural plea.

I could only say one thing. “You have me.”

14

PHOENIX’S FINGERS flexed at my words, his hands dropping from my waist to my hips and pulling me tighter against him. My throat constricted as I felt him harden.

“Phoenix.”

“Need you.”

It was all he was capable of getting out. I might not be able to give him the perfect, comforting words, but I could give him myself.

“Take me.”

Phoenix didn’t need any more than that. In a flash, he spun me around, facing me towards the shower wall.

I expected him to enter me on one swift thrust. To bleed all of that aggression swirling around him into me. But Phoenix did the opposite. He slid into me on the slowest glide. The move so gradual, by the time he was fully seated in me, I was about to beg him for more.

Phoenix let out a low groan as his lips found my neck, but he didn’t move. He stayed just like that. He inhaled deeply as the water pounded against his back.

“Phoenix, please.” I needed him just as much as he needed me. To know that he was still breathing. Whole. That together we were still full of life.

He took pity on me, beginning to move in and out of me. The thrusts were slow and easy. A lazy, languid movement that was designed to have me crawling the walls.

I arched my back, pressing into Phoenix, seeking more. But he never once let me change the tempo. He kept up that sleepy pace until my walls were quivering around him.

“Don’t come.”

It was a growled order that had me fighting against my impending climax.

Phoenix’s hand lifted to my breast, cupping and kneading. His fingers circled my nipple and then he twisted.

I let out a whimper as I struggled to keep from falling over the edge of release.

“Fight it. Need you longer.”

I fought it. But I wasn’t about to suffer that delicious agony alone. I ground myself back against Phoenix, tightening around him.

He let out another growl, this one louder, a tinge of that feralness bleeding through. “Don’t, Aura. I’m not in control. Not yet.”

“Then lose control. I trust you.”

His fingers on my hip tightened again, and this time there was the slightest flicker of pain. “You don’t know what you’re asking.”

I pushed harder against him. “I’m asking you to take what you need. To leave behind the ugliness of this day and come back to me. Let go, Phoenix.”

A rumbling roar that was more animal than human burst out of him, and his control snapped. Gone were the lazy strokes, replaced by frantic thrusts. Sparks danced around us, even in the fall of the shower.

Each time he bottomed out, more sparks flew. I couldn’t tell what was light from sensation and what was actual fire. And I couldn’t find it in myself to care. All I wanted was more Phoenix. More of this animalistic need coursing through my veins.

Phoenix pounded harder into me, holding me so tightly I was sure I’d have bruises. I didn’t give a damn. I wanted the things that haunted him exorcised from his being. I wanted my dark warrior here with me and whole in mind as well as body.

My legs shook as my orgasm threatened. My internal flame roared in response to Phoenix. It heated everything inside, sending my blood pounding through my veins and lighting every nerve ending on fire.

Phoenix’s hand slipped around my front and his finger circled my clit. Then he pinched.

I didn’t just see stars. A black hole engulfed me. The tidal wave of sensation cascaded over me, pulling me under and removing any glimmer of light. Any glimmer of anything that wasn’t Phoenix.

He didn’t stop. Phoenix’s thrusts changed direction, wringing more and more out of me. Just when I thought the orgasm would end, another began building. On a shouted yell, Phoenix emptied himself into me and I collapsed against him.

Phoenix caught me around the waist as my legs gave way and the world wavered.

He muttered a curse as he slipped from my body, turning me around. “Hell. I’m sorry, Aura.”

I gave him what I was sure was a doped-up smile. “For what? Death by orgasm?”

No traces of humor lit on his face. “I shouldn’t have taken you that roughly. Are you hurting?”

My muscles ached, sure. But in a way that would turn to a delicious warmth. In a way that meant I still felt Phoenix with me. I’d never regret that.

I pressed a hand to his chest, my fingers ghosting over new flecks of silver where his wounds had been. “I feel amazing.”

“Aura—”

I kissed him again. “I’m not lying. Feel my truth.” I knew my relaxed muscles and comfort in his arms would tell my story.

Phoenix’s lips brushed against my temple. “You’re sure?”

“More than.”

He curled his arms around me, holding me tight. “I’m sorry I lost it.”

“You never have to apologize for something like that.” I was quiet for a moment as we stood under the spray. “Was it bad?”

His arms around me tightened and then relaxed. “Someone tried to lay a trap.”

I gripped his shoulders, straightening. “The Network?”

Phoenix nodded. “They only sent a dozen men though. Next time, it’ll be more.”

Icy claws of dread dug into my heart. A dozen men to two? How in the hell had they survived?

The corner of his mouth kicked up. “Did you forget that we’re badasses, Pip?”

I scowled at him. “This isn’t funny.”

Phoenix cradled me against his chest. “We’re safe. It’ll take The Network some time to regroup.”

“When does this end?”

He was quiet for a moment before he answered. “Honestly?”

“Always.”

“This never ends.”

And when I looked up into the swirling inky-black of Phoenix’s eyes, I knew he had given me exactly what I’d asked for. The truth.

15

PHOENIX WRAPPED a towel around my shoulders. I leaned forward and pressed a kiss to his pec. “I thought I was supposed to be the one comforting you.”

Arms closed around me as Phoenix pulled me to him. “You did.” His lips ghosted over my wet hair. “But you shouldn’t have risked being alone with me when I was in that state.”

“I trust you.”

Phoenix pulled back a fraction, sparks dancing in those dark eyes. “You shouldn’t. I lose control, Aura.”

I traced a design over his heart. “Not with me you don’t.”

“What do you think that just was?”

My lips pulled into a grin. “Fun?”

Phoenix let out a sound of exasperation and lifted me bridal style, towel and all. “You’re trouble, Pip.”

I kissed the bottom of his stubbled jaw. “But you like me that way.”

“That I do.”

Phoenix kept me cradled with one arm and opened the bathroom door with the other. He strode into his bedroom but came up short. Three pairs of eyes stared back at us. Each face wore a dumbstruck expression.

Phoenix arched a brow. “Coming for a sleepover?”

Kai’s jaw dropped, eyes jumping from me to Phoenix and back again. “You’re okay?”

I struggled to get free of Phoenix’s hold. “Everyone’s fine, right?”

He looked down at me, such warmth in his gaze. “A hell of a lot better than fine.”

“I brought you clothes,” Riven bit out, shoving a bundle into my arms.

“Uh, thanks.” I appreciated the gesture, but his words had sounded more like a command than a kindness. I stole a sidelong look at him as I moved towards the bathroom. A deep ache settled in my chest at the thought that Riven was so desperate to get me to cover up.

Walking into the bathroom, I shut the door softly behind me and leaned against the wood. I breathed deep, trying to clear the hurt, but it was a mistake. Riven’s scent clung to my clothes. That purest mountain air I’d come to know meant him. The ache in my chest turned to a burn as tears stung my eyes.

I couldn’t see a way through this complicated tangle of relationship ties and emotions. Muted voices drifted through the door and jerked me into motion. I set the clothes on the counter and got the worst of the wet out of my hair.

My fingers deftly wove through the strands, braiding it together and tying it off with the rubber band around my wrist. I’d pay for not drying it properly later, but I couldn’t be bothered. I reached for the bra and underwear and froze. They were brand new.

I ran my hand over the silky fabric. It was the softest thing I’d ever felt. And the soft lilac color was the perfect shade against my skin. That traitorous flicker of hope flared to life in my chest at the thought that Riven might’ve picked them out for me.

I bit the inside of my cheek until the tangy taste of blood filled my mouth. Hope was such a dangerous emotion when it came to Riven. I did my best to ignore the thoughts swirling in my mind about glacier eyes and pulled on the underwear and clothes. Riven’s scent swirled stronger around me, but I tried to ignore that too.

Glancing in the mirror, I studied my reflection. I barely recognized myself. Not because I looked physically different, but there was a change in whatever it was that lurked beneath the surface. As I stared at myself, my eyes flashed silver. I blinked, trying to clear my vision, and they were the normal gray again.

I shook my head and started for the door. Pulling it open, I stepped into Phoenix’s bedroom. All conversation halted. I sent a scowl in the guys’ direction. “Seriously? I haven’t earned knowing what you’re talking about yet?”

Kai’s lips twitched. “We’re in awe of you, Pip.”

Atlas strode towards me, hauling me up into his arms and cradling me to his chest. “You’re amazing. No one has ever been able to pull Phoenix back from one of those states. Usually, he just has to burn himself out.”

“I’m just glad we didn’t burn the house down,” I mumbled.

Kai chuckled. “Naw. We’ve got protections in place for that kind of thing.”

“Protections?”

“All of the dorms have wards that protect from truly severe damage by out-of-control gifts,” Riven explained. “It’s kind of a necessity when you’re training elementals with newly unleashed powers.”

“That makes sense.” My mind circled all the ways those kinds of protections could be useful. “Can you imbue them on people?”

The corner of Phoenix’s mouth kicked up. “Doesn’t work like that.”

“Damn.”

He moved towards me and leaned down to brush his lips against mine. The action was more about easy affection than heat, but something about Atlas holding me while Phoenix’s lips were on mine had me pressing my thighs together.

I squirmed in Atlas’s arms. “I think you can put me down now.”

“What if I don’t want to put you down?”

Kai grinned that cheeky smile that went straight to my core. “I wouldn’t want to put her down either, brother.”

A muscle in Riven’s jaw ticked. “Can we focus? We need to talk about what happened.”

The few sips of soda I’d drunk earlier turned to lead in my stomach.

Riven glared at Atlas. “Put the girl down. She does have legs.”

Atlas sent a dark look in Riven’s direction but put me on my feet. I patted his chest. “Thanks.”

He wrapped his arms around me, pulling my back flush against his front. “Tell us what happened.”

There was an absence of warmth in Atlas’s tone that was rare for him. I hated that coolness. Hated all the things we were up against and that my mere presence was tearing them apart.

Atlas nuzzled my neck as if he could feel my worry. “None of this is on you.”

“Doesn’t feel like that.”

Phoenix sent me a hard look. “Don’t you dare take on any of the shit that’s happened. And don’t take on Riv either, he’s always been a grumpy fucker.”

Riven rolled his eyes. “She doesn’t need coddling. And if she does, she’ll never survive.”

I couldn’t help but notice that Riven was avoiding uttering my name. It was as if my moniker was just like my show of skin, something he didn’t want to come in contact with.

Kai sent a sharp elbow back into Riven’s gut. “Whoops. It slipped.”

Riven bent over, coughing. “Fuck, Kai.”

“There was so much bullshit streaming out of your mouth I thought you might be choking. Is that not how you do the Heimlich?”

Phoenix’s eyes sparked, but I didn’t miss the hint of humor in his gaze. “You’re a hero.”

Kai grinned his mischievous smile at me. “Do I get a reward?”

This time it was me who rolled my eyes. “I’ll reward whoever tells me what happened.”

“I told you,” Phoenix said.

“I’d like a little more information than there was a trap.”

He grunted but didn’t offer up more.

Riven rubbed the spot on his stomach where Kai had landed his hit. “They had to know exactly when we left campus to lay this trap. Their timing was too perfect.”

My fingers dug into Atlas’s arms. “Someone here is feeding The Network information.”

A darkness spread across Riven’s expression. “It looks that way.”

There was none of the typical humor playing on Kai’s face now. “Did you see anyone lingering that shouldn’t have been?”

Phoenix shook his head. “Students and the royal guard, but everyone was watching. A sniper had just shot up campus.”

“We’ll have to be even more cautious,” Atlas said as his arms tightened around me. “You’re going to have to stick close, Aura.”

I pressed a kiss to his muscular forearm. “I’m fine with that, but I can’t have one of you with me at all times. I need to learn to protect myself.”

Phoenix scowled at me. “Why not?”

“Oh, I don’t know, maybe because that’s not healthy or normal to never be without a bond mate? I need time to do my own thing. To have time with Kerry, and maybe if the Universe aligns, make some other friends.” Guilt pricked at me for ditching Kerry this afternoon when Phoenix had shown up, but I’d explain things to her.

Kai’s face fell. “We can’t be your friends?”

I swallowed back my laugh and wiggled out of Atlas’s hold. I went straight to Kai and wrapped my arms around him. “You are my friends. And so much more. But it’s not good for any of us if we are each other’s entire worlds.”

Kai grumbled something under his breath as he rested his chin on the top of my head.

I slid my hand under his tee at his back. “That doesn’t mean I won’t spend ridiculous amounts of time with you.”

“Promise?”

I kissed his chest. “Promise.”

Riven cleared his throat as he stared down at his phone. “We might have a problem.”

“For fuck’s sake,” Phoenix gritted out. “What now?”

“The kings are here. All of them.”

16

MY BLOOD that had warmed at Kai’s sweet affection turned to ice. “Why?” I squeaked.

Riven scanned the screen of his phone. “Apparently, they want an audience with you. They’re waiting downstairs.”

Phoenix and Kai let a stream of curses free, but Atlas went stonily silent. I stared down at what I was wearing. Riven had brought me jeans, a soft T-shirt, and a hoodie. This couldn’t be appropriate for a royal audience. My hair wasn’t even dry.

“I need to change. Do my hair. Put on some makeup.”

Riven shook his head. “There isn’t time. They don’t wait.”

I swallowed hard but nodded. Phoenix and Kai flanked me instantly, but Atlas didn’t move. I turned back to him. “You okay?”

He blinked a few times, as if pulling himself out of a trance. “I don’t want my father around you.”

I moved in a flash, hurtling myself at Atlas. He caught me with a grunt. I wrapped myself around him like a monkey. “He’s not going to hurt me. I have all of you with me.”

“He might try,” Atlas said in a pained whisper.

“But he won’t succeed.” It was Riven who had spoken. And there was a resolute certainty as he met Atlas’s gaze. “We stick together.”

For the first time, I didn’t feel on the outside when it came to Riven. I felt like a part of this bond, of this family. It felt too good.

Atlas gave a sharp nod, setting me down. “Let’s get this over with.”

We filed out of the room and down the stairs. The guys surrounded me in a way that made them feel like bodyguards. I slipped my hand into Kai’s, needing the sense of normalcy.

He glanced in my direction, squeezing my fingers. “We’re with you.”

I bit my lip but nodded.

Voices filtered up from the living room as guards swarmed the entryway.

Phoenix’s jaw tightened. “We’re going to have to sweep the house for bugs after this.”

“Wouldn’t hurt to have a bomb-sniffing dog come through either,” Atlas muttered.

It was hard to wrap my head around the fact that this was what these guys had grown up in. Never being able to trust anyone in their orbit, sometimes even their family.

As we stepped into the living room, the kings turned. King Torrent and who I assumed was King Ash both dipped their heads in a bow. King Torrent smiled, striding forward and shoving Riven aside to wrap me in a hug. “I’m so glad you’re safe, Aura. Has my son been taking good care of you?”

I couldn’t help the answering smile. I liked Kai’s father the most of any of the high society royals I’d met.

Kai sighed. “Of course, Dad.”

“I’d like to hear the report from Aura, thank you very much.”

“He’s taking great care of me, King Torrent.”

The king made a tsking sound. “I told you to call me Aenon.”

King Zephyr scoffed, sending a look of derision at a man whose size told me he must be King Terra.

The dark-haired man with olive skin, whose resemblance to Phoenix was uncanny, stepped forward. He too had tattoos that wrapped around his arms and neck, and there was a menacing quality that clung to him. But it was oddly comforting. Perhaps because it was so similar to Phoenix’s.

King Ash dipped his head again. “Aura. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you. Have you recovered fully?”

His voice had a bit of the rasp like Phoenix’s did, but there was a gentleness too.

I did my best to smile. “I’m feeling much better. Practically brand new.”

King Zephyr’s eyes narrowed on me, scanning my face as if trying to find the last missing puzzle piece to my existence. “And how is that possible? We heard you were shot in the chest.”

“We got her to a healer as quickly as possible,” Riven said in a cool tone.

That laser focus of King Zephyr’s flicked to Riven. “And how did you know she was at risk?”

“We were going to check on Aura when we heard the shots,” Kai explained.

King Zephyr glared at Kai. “Was I speaking to you?”

King Torrent turned on him. “Watch your tone, Zephyr. My son was providing the details you requested.”

King Terra made a sound in the back of his throat, pulling my gaze to him. It wasn’t a growl exactly, but it wasn’t warm and friendly either. When my eyes met his, I fought the urge to shiver.

There was a cruelty in King Terra. I wasn’t sure how I knew it with such certainty, but I did. And that dark force was probing into me, searching for any sign of weakness. Then he smiled.

The curve of his mouth was all teeth. As if he would snap at any moment and sink those teeth into me.

Atlas stepped in closer, his heat warming my back a welcome relief.

King Terra’s gaze flicked to Atlas, and his grin widened. “Aren’t you going to introduce me to your plaything, son?”

Atlas stiffened behind me. “Aura, this is my father, King Terra. Father, this is Aura, my destined mate.”

King Zephyr scoffed. “I don’t know that we’ve made it that far yet. This could still be one big mistake.”

King Terra chuckled. “And if it isn’t, she still has to survive four years at Kingwood.”

Smoke gathered around Phoenix at King Terra’s words, and Atlas vibrated behind me. I grabbed Atlas’s hand with one of mine and Phoenix’s with the other, hoping my touch would bring them back from the edge.

It was King Ash who spoke, raising a fireball to his palm. “You speak of treason.”

King Terra didn’t look the slightest bit bothered. He simply shrugged. “It’s not treason to speak the truth. Students at the school will have it out for her. They’ll want to cut her down to prove their strength. And I’m not sure this delicate flower has what it takes to make it through the training here.”

His words stoked the flame deep inside me. Heat rose in my veins. “You don’t know the first thing about me, Your Highness. You don’t know what I’ve survived already. I’m stronger than you could ever imagine.”

Something flared in King Terra’s brown eyes, but he quickly schooled his expression. “Maybe so. But you make my son weak.”

He turned his focus to Atlas. “You should’ve learned the lessons I tried to teach you.” His gaze dropped to our joined hands. “But I can see you’ve already fallen for this charade.”

“She’s my destined mate,” Atlas gritted out.

King Terra shook his head. “She’ll be the tool of your destruction, and I’ll throw a feast at your fall. Because a weakling won’t continue my lineage.”

17

THE VOICES from the television swirled around the living room, but my gaze kept traveling to the hallway. As if staring at that spot would somehow make Atlas appear.

Phoenix leaned forward on the couch, pressing his lips to the base of my neck. “You okay?”

“He hasn’t come out of his room since dinner.” And it had been hours. That wasn’t like Atlas. It had dread clawing at my stomach.

I’d known King Terra wasn’t a good man. I’d known he was downright awful. But seeing his darkness and cruelty firsthand was something else entirely. And now I couldn’t help but worry that some of his words had found a home in Atlas’s head.

Phoenix and Kai shared a look.

“He needs time after a run-in with his dad,” Kai explained.

They all had different ways of dealing with their issues. Riven had taken off the moment his father had left, mumbling about needing to do something. Phoenix had gone out to run the perimeter of the school to check for any Network infiltrators. Kai had asked me if I wanted to go make out. But Atlas? He’d gone stonily silent.

I hated the wall he’d erected between us. He was physically present but mentally a million miles away. And the idea of him feeling alone was almost more than I could bear.

I pushed to my feet, but before I could start out of the room, Phoenix grabbed my hand. “Hey, where are you going?”

I looked back at him and Kai. “I don’t want Atlas to feel alone.”

“Pip—”

I cut Kai off with a shake of my head. “If he doesn’t want the company, he can tell me to go to hell. But I’d rather be yelled at than have him feel like he doesn’t have anyone in his corner.”

Phoenix released his hold on me. “He won’t tell you to go to hell.”

I wasn’t so sure about that. Even though Atlas was my gentle giant, he could bite back when he needed to. And I knew I didn’t always handle it well when someone cut into my brood zone.

I started for the stairs, my stomach churning as I took them one by one. I listened for any signs of life as I closed in on his bedroom. There was nothing.

Stopping outside Atlas’s door, I strained to hear anything, even the creaking of a floorboard. The only thing I managed to catch was the soft strains from the TV show downstairs.

Taking a deep breath, I knocked. No answer.

I worried the spot on the inside of my cheek. For a split second, I thought about going back downstairs, then rejected the idea. Instead, I pushed the door open slowly.

The room was dark, nothing but the faint glow of the moon streaming through the windows. I could just make out the large form on the four-poster bed in the center of the room. I stilled. For a moment, I thought Atlas was asleep. But I could just make out the whites of his eyes.

I shut the door softly behind me and headed for the bed. I didn’t say a word as I climbed onto it and burrowed into Atlas’s side. For a few beats, he didn’t react.

The nothingness from him sent cracks through my heart. Then his arm went around me, pulling me practically on top of him.

I inhaled deeply, letting that scent of pine and moss fill my nose. “I’m sorry it was such a sucky day.”

He grunted.

I smiled against his pec. “A grunt is better than nothing, I guess.”

Atlas sighed. “He could hurt you. He’ll probably try. Just because he knows it would get a rise out of me.”

“Your dad?” I wasn’t sure why I even asked the question. I knew the answer.

Atlas nodded, his chin grazing the top of my head. “All I could think about when we were standing in that room was that he could make a play for you, and I’d be powerless to stop it. He’s the fucking king. I have no recourse.”

I lifted my fingers to Atlas’s chest and began tracing circles there. “I don’t know about that. King Ash seemed pretty quick to call him out. It doesn’t seem like he could just kill me in front of everyone.”

Atlas shuddered. “No. He wouldn’t do that. He’s too smart for it. But that doesn’t mean he won’t look for another way.”

“We’re smarter than him. Men like that, they’re used to people cowering to them because of their cruelty. They’re not accustomed to having to try.”

Atlas made a humming sound in the back of his throat. “You might be right there. There are just so many damn people out to hurt you, hurt us. Days like today, it feels like a mountain we’ll never finish climbing.”

“We just have to take it one step at a time.”

Atlas brushed the hair away from my face. “I’ll never forgive myself if he hurts you to get to me.”

The little cracks that had appeared in my heart moments ago dug in deep. “His actions aren’t on you, Atlas.”

Atlas didn’t respond.

“They aren’t. They’re his and his alone.”

“I think about my mom all the time. What I could’ve done to protect her. I wonder if there was something I did to give her secret away. That it was my fault she was killed.”

They were no longer cracks in my heart, the muscle and sinew were completely shredded. “You know she wouldn’t want you tearing yourself up inside over this.”

Atlas’s jaw worked back and forth. “No. She wouldn’t. She’d want me to find my freedom. To get away from him in any way I could.”

“Then we do that. For her. For you.”

King Terra had tormented Atlas for far too long. And I understood why he hadn’t fought back. It would’ve been treason. But things were changing now.

I tipped my head back so I could take in his face. “What happens after I graduate?”

“You’ll ascend to the throne.”

My stomach did a series of dips and rolls as if I were on a roller coaster. I wasn’t anywhere near ready for that, but it might mean I could protect Atlas the same way he had protected me. “And all of you will become kings?”

Atlas nodded. “My father will hate abdicating the throne. He’ll do anything he can to keep his power.”

“I have a feeling King Zephyr has the same mentality.”

Atlas scoffed. “They’re two of the most power-hungry people I’ve ever met. It’s kind of ironic how much they hate each other when they’re so damn similar.”

I hated that Atlas and Riven had lived their lives under two such twisted people’s thumbs. “It won’t be forever. We’re going to be free.”

He stared at me through the dark. “But what will the price be?”

18

THE WEIGHT of the beam pressed down on my torso, and I let out a whimper. Everything hurt.

Screams sounded from above, twisting my insides.

I coughed and sputtered. I couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t get any air at all.

The world around me was fading, but just as it did, I swore I heard my name.

I jerked awake in the dark room. Atlas’s arm fell away from my waist as I sat up, his soft snores stopping for a second before picking back up. I pressed a hand to my chest, willing my heart to slow.

Everything about the dream was so real. I swore I could still smell the smoke, still feel the burn in my lungs.

I looked over at Atlas, wanting to wake him, to ask him to hold me and make it all disappear. He would without a thought of the fact that I’d woken him from a dead sleep. But after a day like today, he needed his rest.

I swung my legs over the side of the bed and stood. My body trembled, and I took a moment to steady myself. I stole one last look at Atlas before forcing myself towards the door. I’d make myself some tea to calm my nerves and then come back to bed.

As I stepped into the hallway, I paused to listen. I didn’t hear any sounds of stirring from the rest of the house. My bare feet sank into the plush antique rugs that lined the halls and then the stairs.

A chill ran through me as carpet turned to hardwood, but I kept going, making my way towards the kitchen. As I entered, I pulled up short.

Riven sat at the kitchen table with his hands wrapped around a mug, staring down at the liquid swirling inside. His hair was in disarray, and glasses I’d never seen before were perched on his nose. He looked so lost in that moment, it made my heart ache.

Something must have given me away because his gaze jerked up. “What’s wrong?”

I cleared my throat, trying to get any semblance of a sentence out. “Bad dream.”

That familiar scowl was back.

I started to turn away. “Sorry for interrupting you.”

“Get a mug from the cabinet.”

I paused. “What?”

“There are mugs in that cabinet.” Riven inclined his head to direct me. “Get one.”

“You know, you could ask me like a normal person. Aura, would you like something warm to drink? Maybe that would help you sleep.”

A low chuckle escaped Riven and skated across my skin. The sound felt too good. Was that the first time I’d heard him laugh?

“Aura, please get a mug and join me.”

I was in some sort of Riven-laughter-induced stupor because I did exactly what he asked, retrieving a mug and pulling out the chair opposite him.

Riven took my mug and poured steaming liquid into it. As he pushed it back into my hand, our fingers brushed. The buzz that flared to life wasn’t one I’d felt in days. Somewhere along the line, my body had grown accustomed to the other guys, and I no longer felt that hum in my muscles. But I wasn’t used to touching Riven. Not in any way.

He jerked his hand away, flexing his fingers.

I tried not to let the sting of that land. He was trying. Showing me kindness.

Wrapping my hands around the mug, I let the warmth sink into my skin. I inhaled deeply. “This smells amazing.”

The corner of Riven’s mouth pulled up. “One of the gifts of the air affinity. We can imbue tea with any scent, and with that scent comes taste.”

I took a small sip. A cascade of flavors played over my tongue unlike anything I’d ever experienced before. “That’s incredible.”

“It’s one of my favorites.”

“I think it’s mine too.”

Riven leaned back in his chair, taking a sip of his own tea. “What was your nightmare about?”

The warmth of the tea fled, and the scent of smoke filled my nose again. “The fire I was in.”

His grip on the mug tightened, his knuckles bleaching white. “Fire?”

“When I was eight. I was trapped. Almost killed.”

“But you survived.”

I nodded. “The firefighters got me out at the last second, but I was in the hospital for a long time.”

Riven’s gaze locked on me. “Do you have any lingering effects from your injuries?”

My fingers traced one of the burns on my arm. “Not really. Occasionally my muscles or skin will pull a certain way, but it’s not bad. The mental piece is the worst.”

His brows pulled together, making a harsh slash across his forehead. “In what way?”

“The dreams are probably the hardest. I can’t handle feeling fenced in or trapped; it triggers all those memories.” Except they weren’t really memories. They were terrors.

“I’m sorry, Aura.”

Riven was saying my name again. Just those two syllables on his tongue somehow felt more intimate than anything else could ever be. And I liked the sound of it too much.

“I’m okay.”

He didn’t look away. “Are you?”

There was so much more in that one question. “I’m managing the best I can. Are you?”

Riven stiffened, that mask slipping back into place.

“Don’t.” My voice cracked like a whip and shocked some of that mask free. “Just for one minute, can you not pretend to be someone you’re not?”

Riven didn’t say a word. He simply sat there for a count of five. And then he nodded, taking another sip of tea.

We didn’t say a word, but I still took comfort in his company. And when he stood to turn in for the night, the world felt colder in his absence.

19

HEAT WARMED me from behind as someone nuzzled my neck from the front. I blinked against the rising sun streaming in through Atlas’s window. As I did so, Kai’s form came into view.

“What are you doing in here?” I croaked.

He grinned. “I missed you. Has anyone ever told you that you’re adorable in the morning?”

I snorted. “Bedhead extraordinaire does it for you?”

Atlas sifted his fingers through my strands. “I love your hair.”

I could only imagine the chaos it looked like after leaving it to dry in a braid overnight. The hair tie had obviously come free at some point, or else Atlas had pulled it loose.

Kai’s gaze heated. “So damn pretty.”

He leaned forward to kiss me, but I halted him with one finger. “Wait. What time is it?”

Atlas glanced over our heads. “A little after seven.”

I jerked upright. “No time for hanky-panky. I need to get ready.” The last thing I wanted were dozens of eyes on me as I entered a classroom late.

Kai tried to tug me back to the mattress. “I say we play hooky one more time. We can lie in bed all day and—”

I tickled his side, and Kai let out a high-pitched screech that sounded like a cat being forced to take a bath.

I threw off the covers and slid to the end of the bed.

“That was uncalled for, Pip.”

Atlas chuckled. “Do whatever you can to keep him in line.”

“Traitor,” Kai griped.

“Bicker later. Right now, I need to know where I can find clothes.”

Kai and Atlas shared a look.

“What?”

Atlas rubbed the back of his neck. “We had things put in each of our rooms for you. You can move into the aether suite if you prefer—”

“No.” I wasn’t anywhere near ready for that. It would make all of this elemental queen stuff real, and I was still trying to wrap my head around four mates, one who wanted nothing to do with me. I cleared my throat, going for a more relaxed tone. “In your rooms is great. Are there any uniforms in here?”

Atlas nodded. “Closet. There are toiletries in the bathroom too.”

“You’re a god among men.”

Kai jolted upright. “I thought I was your Golden God.”

I dashed over to him, giving him a quick kiss on the lips. “Forever my Golden God.”

Kai tried to make a grab for me, but I dodged his roving hands and headed for the closet.

“A Golden God with blue fucking balls.”

I couldn’t hold in my laughter as I disappeared into Atlas’s walk-in closet. The space was huge, but it didn’t take me long to find my section. So much for a few things. Atlas had stocked his closet with enough clothes to last me years. There were pajamas and sweats, the everyday things like jeans and tees, drawers full of lacy undergarments and swimwear, a rack full of uniforms, and even fancier things like skirts and dresses. I was pretty sure I saw a few ballgowns in there too.

I tried my best not to let it overwhelm me. I grabbed underwear and a uniform and then scanned the shoe rack for footwear options.

Everything in me melted when I saw the row of Chucks in every color. There was black, pink, red, blue, even a glitter pair. My gentle giant paid attention.

I snagged the black pair and headed for the bathroom. But not before sending a look of promise in his direction. “You’re getting rewarded for these later.” I lifted the shoes as I spoke.

“Wait, he’s getting sexual favors for getting you sneakers?” Kai whined. “I’ll get you a fucking sneaker factory.”

Atlas choked on a laugh. “I think she’s referencing the sentiment.”

I disappeared into the bathroom as Atlas tried to explain my affinity for the classic shoe. I found my cabinet of toiletries and hurried to get ready. A smile played on my lips as I brushed my teeth and washed my face.

It was a good day. I’d slept between two men I loved. Kai made me laugh more than anyone else ever had. And Atlas’s tenderness and care meant I’d always feel cherished. Now, I just had to make it through my classes without short-circuiting our power grid or blowing anything up.

I swallowed hard but forced myself to get dressed. Being late would only make things worse.

Weaving my hair into a quick crown braid in an attempt to wrangle my wild waves, I headed for the door. When I stepped outside, Kai groaned. “Are you trying to kill me?”

“What?”

He motioned to my over-the-knee socks that landed mid-thigh.

“I thought they were cute.”

Kai pinched the bridge of his nose. “You’re a walking wet dream. I’m going to have a hard-on all damn day.”

Atlas stepped out of the closet, pressing his lips together to keep from laughing. “Time to learn a little self-control.” He pressed a kiss to the top of my head. “Let me brush my teeth and then we can head to breakfast.”

Kai flopped back on the bed. “This is cruel and unusual punishment.”

“Sorry?” I said as more of a question.

He pointed at me without looking. “Don’t apologize, just promise me you’ll keep them on after classes.”

I laughed. “I promise, Golden God.”

Atlas emerged from the bathroom. “You coming with us?”

“Yeah, just give me a damn minute.”

Atlas’s eyes danced with humor. “We’ll meet you downstairs.”

“Yeah, yeah,” he mumbled.

Atlas guided me out of the room, and I looked up at him. “Who knew over-the-knee socks would undo him?”

Atlas snorted. “I guess it’s his weakness.”

“I promise to use this information for good and not evil.”

“It’s good to know you’ll always be able to get him to do whatever you want if you promise him those socks.”

I shook my head, a grin playing on my lips. As we reached the bottom of the stairs, the front door shut, and I came up short.

It was Riven, and cozied right up against him, was Eva.

20

THERE WAS a casualness to the pose that somehow made it intimate. It was that comfort and ease with each other. Eva leaned into Riven’s broad chest in a way that said she’d done it countless times before.

Atlas cleared his throat, and Riven’s gaze shot to us. Something flashed in those light blue eyes. But it was there and gone before I could truly place it. He shifted his weight, putting the slightest distance between him and Eva as he nodded. “Morning.”

Atlas simply glared at him.

I’d never understood why Kai called Eva the Ice Queen until this moment. Coldness bled into every aspect of her demeanor as she stared me down. Apparently my potential aether status had removed any friendliness she had towards me.

“Eva,” Atlas warned in a low tone. “You keep that shit up and I’ll have you banned from the house. You know the rest of the guys will back me.”

Her jaw dropped. “Is she really that fragile that you need to protect her from people’s opinions?”

“Ev,” Riven said softly. “Back off.”

It should’ve brought me some sort of comfort, Riven stepping in for me. But it didn’t. Not when his tone for Eva was all full of gentle care.

The nausea that swept through me nearly had me pitching over. “Excuse me.”

I skirted around them, not meeting either of their gazes and hurrying towards the door. The move was nothing but cowardly. And I hated myself for it. But I didn’t have it in me to add one more person to my list of enemies today.

It was understandable, Eva’s dislike for me. I had no idea how long she and Riven had been together, if they loved each other. But I had come along with the potential to blow a hole in her relationship.

“Aura, wait up,” Atlas called.

I didn’t stop. The guards gave me wary looks as I scurried down the stone path. A low burn took root in my chest, and I knew the distance from Kai was making itself known. I hadn’t thought to get a token from him and Atlas until this moment. And even though the ring I’d gotten from Riven was keeping me from pain, I had a deep need to toss it into an ocean.

Atlas’s fingers closed around my elbow, tugging me to a stop. “Hey.”

Tears burned the backs of my eyes. I so badly wanted to let them free, but I knew if I started, I’d never stop. “It’s fine. I just can’t deal with that right now.”

He frowned down at me. “It’s not fine.”

“It’s the furthest thing from fine,” Kai echoed as he strode up behind Atlas, Phoenix in his wake.

Sparks danced around the prince of Ash. “I should blast his ass.”

“Don’t.” I shook my head in tiny, rapid movements. “If he wants to be with her, that’s his choice. I won’t force him into something.”

Kai scowled back at the dorm. “I don’t think he actually wants her. He just wants to keep from making waves with his dad.”

“He likes her.” I knew that much for sure. There was a softness he had with Eva that I never saw with anyone else.

Atlas wrapped his arms around me, kissing the top of my head. “That’s different from loving someone.”

“Can we just get some breakfast? I don’t have it in me to psychoanalyze Riven this morning.”

Phoenix snorted. “That would take years.”

I gave him a weak smile and then looked up at Atlas. “Feed me?”

He grinned. “Of course.”

“Do you think I could get something from you and Kai? A token?” I asked as I rubbed the spot over my heart that had burned.

“Shit,” Kai muttered. “I forgot about that.” He pulled one of the knives from his waistband and handed it to me.

My eyes flared. “Seriously?” I knew how much he hated being without at least three.

“It’s my best blade. It’ll tie you to me and give you a little extra protection.”

I brushed my lips against his. “Thank you.”

Atlas pulled a necklace from around his neck. It had been hiding beneath his shirt much the way Phoenix’s had. A ring glinted from a chain, delicate emeralds pressed into the band. He slipped it over my head. “It was my mother’s.”

“Atlas, no—”

He silenced me with a kiss. “I want you to have it.”

“Thank you,” I croaked.

Phoenix squeezed my shoulders. “Come on. Let’s get you fed.”

We started towards Winthrop Hall and food just as someone called my name. I turned to see Kerry hurrying up the path. She waved. Her smile faltered for the briefest of moments when she caught sight of Phoenix.

I muttered a curse under my breath. Seeing Phoenix doused in blood and going slightly psycho boy had to have scared her. I linked my fingers with his, trying to assure Kerry that he was good now.

Her smile grew more genuine. “Hey. I was worried I might not catch you. Did you hear they’re joining all our classes today?”

My brows lifted. “You mean I’ll actually have a friend when I face the bitch squad?”

Kerry laughed. “I don’t know how much help I’ll be, but at least you won’t be suffering alone.”

Kai sent a mock-glare in my direction. “Stop acting like we’re not your friends too. You have us in classes.”

Kerry let out a little squeak. “I think you’re a little different than friends.”

Phoenix chuckled, the smoky sound swirling around me. “She has a point there.”

I patted Kai’s chest. “You’re my friend too. Promise.”

He sniffed. “You better prove what a good friend you are to me later.”

My face flamed. “Someone get him under control.”

Atlas laughed. “It’s hopeless. Especially when it comes to you.”

“Damn straight,” Kai shot back.

“For the love of all that’s holy, can we please just get some breakfast?”

Kerry linked her arm through mine. “Waffles or omelets today?”

“I’m thinking omelets.” I wasn’t sure how well something super sweet would settle in my stomach after the scene with Eva and Riven. My belly twisted with the memory.

Kerry stilled. “Hey, you okay?”

I gave my head a shake, trying to clear it. Riven didn’t get to ruin what had been a great morning. He didn’t get to steal the happiness I was finding. The connections and this new world, one where I had power. It was time for me to step into that.

I smiled at Kerry and this time it was genuine. “Why wouldn’t I be? I’m surrounded by the bestest friends in the whole wide world.”

Kai let out a growl and swooped in to nuzzle my neck. “That’s what I like to hear.”

The only thing that would be better was if my family and Lainey were here. I didn’t let the sting of missing them settle in. I focused on the here and now.

Phoenix opened the door and held it for us. “After you, ladies.”

Kerry and I stepped inside and moved towards the dining hall, the guys flanking us. The holdup with Riven and Eva meant that breakfast was in full swing, but as we stepped inside, all conversation died away.

Atlas leaned down, his lips skimming my ear. “Ignore them.”

He was right. If I ignored the attention, everyone would eventually go back to what they were doing.

Kerry gave my arm a tug. “Come on.”

We started towards the omelet and scramble station, only to come up short as Drue and Xena stepped into our path.

Drue looked me up and down. “You don’t look like you were shot. Or was that a lie too?”

“Watch yourself,” Phoenix growled.

I didn’t miss the flicker of fear that showed in her eyes, but Drue shoved it down, rolling her shoulders back. “She’s a con. She’s got you all fooled, but you’ll figure out the truth and then you’ll drop her so fast her head will spin.”

Aiden moved through the buffet line. “Green isn’t a good color on you, Drue.”

Kerry giggled, blushing as Aiden sent her a wink.

Aiden’s grin widened as he met my eyes. “I, for one, can’t wait to see what this little aether can do. Might be fun to go toe-to-toe with someone who’s actually a worthy opponent.”

Phoenix stepped in front of me, smoke and ash swirling around him. “Stay away from Aura.”

Aiden’s eyes sparked, a mixture of humor and rage swirling there. “You don’t get to make those rules, big brother. Don’t you remember? Combat class starts this week. Your little aether is mine.”

21

“SERIOUSLY?”

Kai grinned at me as he held out a bathing suit. “Water class is meeting at the lake today. We all have to suit up.”

I stole a look around at the students heading into makeshift changing tents. “What about the mark on my chest? You guys have to be careful of that too. Especially you.” I sent a meaningful glance towards the spot on his shoulder.

One look at those silver strands and people would know something was up. It wouldn’t take them long to figure out we were fully bonded.

Kai wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me flush against him. “Don’t worry, Pip. I’ve got us covered. Want to share a changing stall with me?”

“No, she doesn’t, Mr. Torrent,” Professor Belthorn said with a shake of her head. “Please let Ms. Coleman go.”

“Aw, Thorny. You never want me to have any fun.”

Professor Belthorn pressed her lips together to keep from laughing. “Please remember your bathing suit this time, Mr. Torrent. And not a speedo thong like the last time.”

I pinched the bridge of my nose. Kai was going to be the death of me.

He grinned at the professor. “I think you’ll fully support my attire for today’s class.”

“Why does that worry me?” Professor Belthorn asked.

I shot her a look. “Because you’re a smart woman.”

“Now, Pip, don’t doubt my fashion choices.”

I simply shook my head and started for an empty changing stall. Kai had handed me a swimsuit and towel. I quickly shed my uniform and pulled on the bathing suit. He was right. It completely covered my new markings.

The bathing suit was a mock-wetsuit with a zipper that fell between my breasts. Pulling the zipper up to the top, my chest was completely protected from view. But as I took in the rest of me, I scowled.

Of course, Kai would find some way for me to show skin. The cut of the bottom half of the suit wasn’t nearly as modest. Half of my ass was on display.

I let out a little growl and wrapped the towel around my waist. Pulling back the curtain, I stepped outside.

Kai stood there wearing board shorts and one of those wetsuit-like tops, rubbing his hands together. His face fell as he took in the towel. “You don’t like the bathing suit?”

“I don’t like showing the world my entire ass,” I hissed.

Kerry strode up, a gauzy cover-up layered over her chic bikini. “What’s wrong?”

I pressed my mouth into a hard line. “Kai was in charge of my bathing suit.”

He shrugged. “What can I say? Your ass is a thing of beauty.”

Kerry choked on a laugh. “You can just keep your towel on until it’s time to get in the water.”

Aiden strode by, his muscled chest on display, and sent us a wink. “Lookin’ good, ladies.”

Kerry’s face flamed.

“Seriously?” I asked.

She shrugged. “You can’t deny that he’s pretty to look at.”

Kai frowned. “This is what happens when I can’t just be naked. Punks like Aiden start getting all the attention.”

I patted his chest. “I’m sure you’ll be naked before you know it.”

He looked down at me, eyes heating. “Promises, promises.”

Professor Belthorn ushered us forward. “All right, class, let’s come to the edge of the lake, please. Mr. Torrent, please join me.”

Kai gave my waist one last squeeze and then released me, heading for the water. Instead of wading in, he took off running and then hurtled himself into the water. Panic took hold when he didn’t surface.

Kerry patted my arm. “It’s okay. Those with a strong water affinity can stay under for far longer than humans or other elementals.”

I tried to let that ease my mind, but I didn’t take a full breath until Kai’s head popped out of the water. He stood, shaking the droplets from his skin. He was so damn gorgeous with his tanned skin and golden hair. And when those blue-green eyes cut to me, a wave of sensation swept over me.

“Hell, are you two going to go at it right here?” Kerry whispered.

A strangled sound escaped my throat, and I forced my gaze away from Kai. “Sorry.”

“Don’t apologize. I just don’t know if I’m down for live porn.”

I let out a soft laugh and turned my focus towards the professor.

“Okay, class, let’s begin.”

Professor Belthorn took us through a series of exercises to connect with the water and then had us all work on manipulating a stream of water, using only our minds. We weren’t allowed to touch the surface.

I morphed the stream from one shape to another and then had it dancing in the air. The freedom I felt now that my affinities were unlocked was unlike any experience I’d ever had before.

Kai bent down behind me and pressed a kiss to the back of my neck. “You’re amazing, Pip.”

“Mr. Torrent, please return to the classroom to retrieve the exercise balls for the next class,” Professor Belthorn ordered.

“But—”

She sent him a quelling look.

“Fine,” he grumbled, then turned to me. “Atlas is in your next class.”

“I know. I’ll be fine. Go. I need to focus.” Now that my powers were unlocked, I wanted to master them.

I turned back to the water and strained to bring it higher into the air.

Kerry let out a sound of frustration next to me. I lost my hold on the water and it fell back to the lake. “You okay?”

She glared at the lake. “I should be able to move it a little even if it’s not my affinity, but nothing.”

Drue and Xena snickered a few feet away. Xena made an exaggerated coughing sound. “Weakling.”

Kerry turned a deep shade of red.

I scowled at them and moved closer to my friend, placing my hand on her back. “You know that air feeling in you?”

“Like it’s always there. A part of me.”

I nodded. “Water is the same. It’s part of us. It’s what keeps us alive. Think about the lake as an extension of you. Breathe in and move it towards you, breathe out and move it away.”

Kerry focused on the lake in front of us and inhaled deeply. A small stream of water rose in the air and traveled towards us. When she breathed out, it released back into the water it came from.

Shock filled Kerry’s expression. “H-how?”

Professor Belthorn strode towards us. “I think that’s enough for today. Get changed and head to your next class.”

I glanced up at her, confusion evident on my face. We still had another thirty minutes left of class and we hadn’t even entered the water. But all of the other students were already heading to the changing stalls. The only one who lingered was Aiden as he stared at me with a puzzled expression.

Professor Belthorn waited until he headed to the stalls and then crouched down, her gaze locking with mine. “Don’t do that in front of anyone ever again. If people found out…just don’t.”

I opened my mouth to ask her why, but Professor Belthorn was already gone.

22

I LOOKED from where Professor Belthorn had disappeared into the sea of students and then back to Kerry. “What was that?”

Kerry stared down at her hands. “I felt something when you were telling me what to do.”

“Felt something?”

“Like there was power flowing through me.”

I bit the inside of my cheek.

Kerry glanced over at me. “It’s almost like you gave me a little of your power.”

My fingernails dug into my palms. “I don’t think that’s possible.”

“I’ve never heard of anything like that ever happening before, but I swear I felt it. Your power flowing through me.”

I quickly scanned the surrounding area. Aiden was hovering, still a little too interested for my liking. I climbed to my feet and pulled Kerry with me. “Come on, let’s change and we can talk on the way back.”

We hurried to the now-abandoned changing tents and donned our uniforms. By the time we got out, everyone was gone. I breathed a sigh of relief as I looked for Aiden and came up empty.

“Searching for Kai?” Kerry asked.

I shook my head. “Aiden. He was kind of lurking.”

Kerry twisted her fingers together as we walked. “People are curious about you. None of us have ever known an aether. The most we might ever have contact with is someone from the aether line, but even they are rare now.”

But Aiden wasn’t curious. He was looking for a way to hurt Phoenix through me. But I kept that thought to myself.

“I can imagine how hard it must be to play second fiddle to someone as powerful as Phoenix,” Kerry said softly.

I didn’t want to feel the empathy that pricked my stomach. The truth was both Phoenix and Aiden had been through a trauma. They’d lost their sister in a horrendous way, and it had marked them, turned them dark. But Phoenix had used that darkness for good. Aiden, I wasn’t so sure.

“He’s cruel,” I said quietly.

Kerry’s eyes lifted to meet mine. “Aura, everyone here can be cruel. Not to be would show weakness, and that’s one thing the elemental world won’t tolerate.”

My heart ached for my friend. She’d been kicked around and looked down upon by so many of these elementals. And she’d been dealing with it her whole life.

“I think that means it’s that much more of a miracle when someone shows kindness amidst the temptation for more.”

The corner of Kerry’s mouth pulled up. “I think those people are very rare.”

But I wanted to be one. Someone who could help balance the scales. Who wouldn’t only elevate those with powerful elemental gifts, but also those who thought in unique ways, who cared for the people around them.

We walked in silence for a few moments before she spoke again. “You have to tell your bond what happened today.”

“I will.” I wanted to talk to Quincy as well. Maybe there was something in one of his books that could tell us more.

I worried the inside of my cheek. “Please don’t tell anyone what we think happened.”

Kerry’s gaze jerked to me. “Of course, I won’t. Not after what Professor Belthorn said.”

“Thanks, I just—”

She pulled me into a quick hug. “It’s been a lot these past couple of weeks.”

My throat tightened as I fought to keep the tears at bay. “A little too much when you’re just trying to keep your head above water.”

Kerry chuckled as she released me. “You’ve definitely kept the school on its toes.”

“What about you? How have things been in the dorm?”

She made a face. “Drue and Xena are on a two-woman mission to try to turn the school against you. They tried to buddy up with me to convince me you were evil incarnate.”

My jaw dropped.

Kerry laughed as she kicked a rock. “Like that would work. I’ve lived in the same kingdom with those two all my life. I know how heinous they are. Once they realized I was a lost cause, they just started torturing me more.”

“I’m sorry, Kerry. Maybe I can get the guys to put a guard on the room.”

She shook her head. “I can deal. It just makes me stronger, right?”

“You’re the biggest badass I know.”

Kerry slowed, arching a brow in my direction. “More of a badass than Mr. Comes Home Covered In Blood?”

I winced at the reminder. That wasn’t really who Phoenix was. It was just what he would do for the people he loved. “Maybe you guys are tied.”

She snorted. “I almost peed myself when he was standing in that entryway. And you just went to him.”

I shrugged, a warmth spreading through me. “I love him.”

A gentle smile spread over Kerry’s face. “I’m happy for you, Aura. I mean, I think you’re a little crazy for having the warm and fuzzies for the king of torture and pain, but I’m still happy for you.”

I choked on a laugh. “The king of torture and pain?”

“Tell me it’s not appropriate.”

“It might be a little fitting.”

As we rounded the bend in the path, a hooded figure stepped into the middle of it. The hood was pulled down too low to see the person’s face. My heart picked up speed as my steps halted.

“Aura…” Kerry whispered. “I’m not sure they’re friendly.”

Shit. Shit. Shit. I scanned the woods, hoping for anyone. Another student. Professor Belthorn. Kai. But there was no one.

The figure lifted his hands and fire swirled around them, forming into a ball. I didn’t have time for the terror to set in because in the next breath, that fire was hurtling towards me.

23

THE BALL of fire spun faster and faster, heading towards me at a speed that I’d never seen fire move. I knew I needed to get out of the way, to dive for shelter, but I couldn’t move. My muscles were locked. Frozen in the fear of all those years ago.

Screams. Smoke. Falling.

It was the sensation of falling that broke me from my state. I might have been powerless then, but I wasn’t now. At the last second, I hurled myself to the side, taking Kerry with me.

We landed with a muffled oomph and pain flared along my ribs, but I was thankful for that pain. It spurred me to my feet. The dump of adrenaline readying me for the fight.

The figure slowly lowered his hood.

I didn’t recognize the man, but the way he studied me now had a shiver running through me. A long scar bisected his forehead and cheek. The absence of life in his eyes reminded me of King Zephyr. Nothing but cool calculation.

He tilted his head to the side in an unnatural way. No neck should bend like that.

“Come to me and I’ll make your end painless.”

His voice was void of any emotion, almost robotic in its intonation.

I swallowed hard, glancing around for something, anything that might help. A large stick? A rock? Hell, a baseball bat would come in real handy right about now. “I don’t think you want that. Pretty sure people will be coming soon, and you don’t want to be caught on campus when they do.”

The man’s mouth thinned, the first sign of any sort of feeling. He raised another fireball in his hand.

“Aura, watch out!” Kerry yelled.

But the fireball was already sailing through the air. I tried to dodge it, but it skimmed my shoulder. I cried out as white-hot pain flared to life.

It sent me hurtling back to the past. To the hospital where the only thing that existed was agony. I tried to blink away the memories. To bring myself back to the here and now.

More fire blasted in my direction. I threw up my hands on instinct, and a wall of water erupted in front of me, stopping the flames.

My chest heaved from the energy it took to keep it up. I jerked my head in Kerry’s direction. “Run. Find the guys.”

“I’m not leaving you!”

“It’s our only chance. Go!”

She scrambled to her feet and took off through the woods.

The assassin tossed a fireball in her direction, but his aim was off, and it landed harmlessly amongst the magically protected trees. But it was enough to shake my focus and my wall of water fell.

The man didn’t miss his opportunity. More fire came at me. I knocked it away with a burst of air, sending it flying back in his direction.

He sidestepped it and glared in my direction. “Maybe they’re wrong to kill you. You could be useful for our cause.”

My stomach churned at his words. I couldn’t imagine the torture I’d be subjected to if I ended up in The Network’s hands. “What is your cause?”

Time. I needed time for Kerry to get help. If I could get the assassin talking, maybe I could buy that time.

He tossed a fireball back and forth between his hands. “Only the strong should survive. Forced harmony makes us weak. Battle makes us strong.”

Battles that centuries ago had ravaged the elemental lands so badly, many had been forced to take refuge in the human realm. Battles that had decimated families and ended more lives than anyone could count. That was what The Network wanted to return to?

I tried to choose my words carefully. “If you fight that much, no one will be left for the world you want to create.”

A muscle in the man’s jaw ticked. “The strong will populate our world.”

My eyes narrowed as I studied him, understanding washing over me. It wasn’t that The Network simply wanted the strong to survive. They wanted absolute power. Whether that came from controlling the aethers or killing them, they didn’t care.

A grin stretched across the assassin’s face, the scar pulling at the flesh of his cheek. “Come with us, Little Aether.”

A chill skated over my skin even as hot rage pulsed through my veins. “I think I’m gonna take a pass on that.”

He shrugged. “Your loss.”

A stream of fire shot in my direction. This wasn’t a fireball that I could dodge, this was an inferno. I threw up my hands, upending a mountain of dirt to burrow behind. But I could feel the heat pulsing behind my shield. It wouldn’t hold for long.

Sparks flew in the dirt, embedding in my skin. I bit my lips to keep from crying out in pain.

I tried to conjure water along with dirt, but I couldn’t seem to pull more than one element at once. But trying made my hold on the dirt slip. My protective wall shook and then fell to the ground.

The man grinned, yellowed teeth sneering at me. “Bye-bye, Little Aether.”

I ducked behind a large pine as the fire raged around me. I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t speak. My skin burned with the heat of the flames even without it touching me. I tried to find the water within me, to protect myself with its cooling force, but I couldn’t seem to pull it from the world around me.

“Aura!”

The fire hiccupped at the sound of Riven’s voice. I’d never been so happy to hear that smooth timbre. Even if it was frayed around the edges just now.

Then the fire around me was gone. The sounds of grunts and fighting had me peeking around the tree. Riven leveled the assassin with blow after blow. The man hardly stood a chance.

The assassin raised fire around his hand, but Riven was too quick. In one swift move, he pulled a knife and dragged it across the assassin’s throat.

The man fell in a lifeless heap.

Riven’s gaze scanned the forest, looking for any other attackers before landing on me. Soot smeared his face, his blond hair turned a gray color from the ash in the air.

Something about that image as he strode towards me had everything inside me revolting. A cascade of memories unlocked in a single breath. A truth I couldn’t unknow.

“You. You saved me from the fire.”

24

THE SCREAMING from above had stopped. But it only made the fire around me sound louder. The pain inside me intensified.

I couldn’t suck in air. It hurt too much.

And then it was as if the pain stopped. Everything inside me went still and the world around me blurry. I welcomed that little bit of nothingness after the agony I’d been swimming in.

A cool breeze shifted around me. Cool? It had to be a trick of my mind.

Maybe I’d died and this was the first step to Heaven. I didn’t even care that I might not be alive because that cool air felt so good on my skin.

And then it was as if there was no air at all. Everything went quiet around me. The fire blazed above, but around me it was silent.

I watched in awe as the fire closing in died away to smoky ash. A figure moved through the smoke. A boy. He was bigger than me. Years older.

Soot streaked his face and ash covered his hair. But I could tell it was blond underneath. So light it was almost white. But it was his eyes that held me captive. A light blue that reminded me of the calmest water.

Yet some part of me recognized the panic in those eyes. He hurried over to me. “Are you okay? Can you move?”

I tried to get the words out, but I couldn’t speak. My throat was too fried from the smoke and fire.

The boy cursed and reached for the beam. He grunted, unable to move it. Then closed his eyes and breathed deep. A moment later that cool breeze swirled around me again. Then the beam was gone.

He bent, slipping his arms carefully under me. I moaned in pain.

The boy’s face contorted as if he felt everything I did. “I’m so sorry.”

I didn’t have the words to tell him that it wasn’t his fault, to thank him. Unconsciousness was already pulling me under. Muted voices occasionally broke through. The boy’s voice was the last I heard. “You have to hide her. The only way she’ll be safe is if he thinks she’s dead.”

I blinked again and again, clearing away the memory. Riven’s face came into view in front of me, the rest of the guys charging into the forest behind him.

“Y-you saved me from the fire. You told someone to hide me.”

The guys froze, only their eyes moving in question.

Pain carved itself into Riven’s face. So deep and raw it nearly stole my breath. “I got you out.”

“Did we know each other?”

He swallowed, shaking his head. “No, we didn’t know each other.”

“So, you were just strolling by, saw a house on fire, and decided to help?”

Riven ran a hand through his hair, pulling on the ends of the strands. “No. It’s…complicated.”

Rage lit somewhere deep inside. “Isn’t it always with you? It’s always lies and half-truths. This is my life and you’ve had a part in it for longer than I ever knew. Don’t I deserve to know what happened to me?”

“Damn straight you do,” Phoenix growled.

I appreciated the backup, but I didn’t take my eyes off Riven, afraid he’d take that opportunity to bolt. “You told someone to hide me. Who?” Could whoever it was have been the elemental who bound my magic? But I didn’t remember anyone else around when I was growing up.

He swallowed, his throat working on the movement. “Janine. I told Janine to hide you. To keep you away from any elementals who might sense your power.”

Something about the way he said her name had my blood going cold. “Riven.”

More pain carved itself deep into his face. “You didn’t have anyone else. I begged her to take you far away and never look back.”

Nausea pulsed through me as my legs shook violently. “Riven?”

It was as if all I was capable of saying was his name. The one person who knew the truth. The one person who could put an end to all the terrifying what-ifs swirling around inside my head.

But Riven was silent.

The guys behind him practically vibrated with fury. Smoke gathered around Phoenix, mixing with the sparks that shot off him in waves. Atlas huffed out a breath, and the ground trembled beneath us. Kai was frozen in place, those eyes of his swirling in a sea of blue and green, but there was a rage in them that I’d never seen before.

Riven’s chest rose and fell in rapid succession. “I’m so sorry, Aura.”

The same words he’d uttered all those years ago.

“Why?” It was the only other word I could get free of my lips, but it encompassed everything.

Those glacial eyes locked with mine. “My father was the one who killed your parents. He was the one who almost killed you.”

25

THE WORLD around us went quiet. So silent I heard every rustle of the wind in the pines. Every scampering animal in the vicinity. I could even hear Riven breathe.

They were sharp, ragged breaths. As if he were struggling to control them.

“She’s not my mom.”

My voice sounded remarkably calm, even to my own ears.

“No, but she loves you more than I’ve ever seen anyone care for another person.”

“My parents are gone?” The man’s face from my dream before I was shot flashed in my mind. Was that my father?

“I’m so sorry.”

“Would you stop saying that?” My voice cracked like a whip.

Something about it broke through the frozen state the rest of the guys were in. They charged forward in unison. Kai and Atlas flanked me as Phoenix slammed Riven against a tree.

“Did you know?” he growled.

They had put the pieces together that my mind was still struggling to pick up.

Riven stared back at him not saying a word.

Phoenix’s hold on him tightened. “Did you know who Aura was to us?”

Riven’s back molars ground together. “I knew it was a possibility.”

I didn’t think another blow could level me after the news that my parents were dead, that the woman who’d raised me wasn’t anything but a stranger. But here Riven was tilting my axis upside down.

“He’s lying,” Atlas cut in.

Flames erupted from along Phoenix’s shoulders. “You would betray your brothers? Lie to us?”

Riven’s eyes went so cold they were practically absent of any color. “From the moment I held her in my arms, I knew she was our aether. It’s why I bound her magic.”

There was a moment of stillness again before mayhem erupted. Kai charged forward, hauling back and slamming his fist into Riven’s jaw. Riven’s head snapped back with such severity, my stomach pitched and twisted.

Atlas was there in a flash, holding Kai back from leveling another blow. But Phoenix was on the edge of losing it. I could see it in the way the flames danced over his body. “You would steal her from us. Destroy our bond before it even began.”

Numbness settled over me. As if Novocaine had been injected into every one of my muscles. I welcomed the nothingness the same way I had when I thought my life was ending.

Riven gave Phoenix a hard shove, sending him hurtling back a few steps. “I would do anything for her.”

His voice cut through the nothingness just enough to land a blow I didn’t want to feel.

“What the hell does that mean?” Kai spat, struggling to get free of Atlas’s hold.

“You have no idea what it’s been like to live with my father. No idea what he’s truly capable of. He’s been determined to find every living member of the aether line since the moment I was born. To eradicate them systematically and without thought. When he found out one of them was living in the human world, that she’d had a daughter? He became obsessed.”

Atlas held Kai’s shirt with one hand but turned to face Riven. “You think I don’t know what it is to live with a tyrant? But you don’t fight them alone. You come to us.”

Riven shook his head. “There wasn’t time. I overheard him making plans with his goon squad. I had to follow or I would’ve lost them. By the time I reached the house, it was already engulfed. I shouldn’t have even had access to my powers, but knowing there was a little girl inside…it snapped something inside me.”

His gaze went unfocused, as if he were seeing the events of that night playing out in front of my eyes. “It was like I could feel her. Some part of me knew exactly where she was. And when I held her, I knew why. She was destined for me. For us.”

“Yet you would keep her from us?” Phoenix bellowed. “You tried to bind her magic, hoping it would conceal her from our world?”

Riven gritted his teeth and stared Phoenix down. “Yes. And I would do it again. Because I knew once my father found out, he’d never stop trying to end her. Once our world found out, they would want to control her or kill her. I would choose Aura over our happiness every damn time.”

“What about me?”

I barely recognized my own voice as it cut through the air. It was as if I were watching the events from up above my body.

Riven blinked, focusing on me. “It was all for you. Every binding. Every deception. Every time I pushed you away. It was always for you.”

Fury pulsed through me, stoking that flame deep inside. “You made every choice for me instead of asking me what I might want?”

His jaw slackened. “My father never would’ve stopped.”

“I don’t give a damn about your father. I care about you. About me. About all of us.”

“You think I don’t?”

My hands fisted at my sides. “If you truly cared about me, you wouldn’t have stolen my voice.”

Riven started towards me. “Aura…”

I slammed my hands into his chest, shoving him back a few steps. But even that small contact hurt. Because while he’d caused me immeasurable pain, some part of me still craved closeness with him.

My chest heaved as I struggled to get my breathing under control. “You hid my heritage, my bond. I’d had everything taken from me and you just took more. Without my consent, without even my knowledge.”

Riven went pale, the lack of color only making the soot stand out more starkly on his face. “I was trying to protect you.”

“No,” I clipped. “You don’t get to hide behind that. How dare you.”

“Aura—” Riven reached out as if he might touch me.

“No! Don’t touch me. I can’t—just leave. It’s what you’ve always been best at anyway.”

26

MY ENTIRE BODY TREMBLED. The shaking wasn’t because of fear or hurt. It was because of fury. The rage pounding through me rattled my muscle and bone.

Riven opened his mouth to say something, but Atlas grabbed his arm. “Give her some time.”

He yanked his arm loose from Atlas’s hold and stormed through the trees. I stared at his retreating back. Leaving. Just like he always did, with lies and pain in his wake.

But my rage didn’t abate. It kept pulsing through me. Burning. Leaving a wake of fiery ash behind.

This wasn’t real. Couldn’t be. My life had already been upended once. But this? It was a complete annihilation. There was nothing left behind.

I searched my mind, trying to pull memories of my parents. The people who had raised me until that night. The people I’d lost. It was a cruel twist of fate that I couldn’t even remember their faces. The only glimmer I had was the man from my dream.

Was he my father or simply something my mind had conjured up, trying to point me towards the truth? Panic gripped me in its talons. Was anything what I thought it was? How did you know when you couldn’t trust your own mind?

Movement had me jerking my head up. Kai approached me slowly, his hands raised as if I was a rabid animal. And maybe I was.

Sympathy washed over his expression as he reached for me. “I’m so sorry, Pip.”

I yanked out of his grasp. “No.” I couldn’t handle his touch. If he took my hand and pulled me into his arms, it would mean this was all real. I would break, and there would be no coming back from that.

“Okay, we won’t touch you.” It was Atlas’s voice now, coming from my side.

“We just want to help,” Phoenix said, coming around behind me.

I whirled to face him. They were too close. Everything was. The trees. The smell of singed vegetation. Smoke still hanging in the air.

It was too much. I couldn’t get my lungs to inflate. To bring in the air I so desperately needed.

Concerned voices filled the space around me, but I couldn’t discern their words. The only thing I knew was that they were trapping me. So, I did what I had to.

I ran.

Feinting to the left, I dodged between Atlas and Kai. A series of curses sounded behind me, but I didn’t listen. I just pushed my muscles harder.

Branches slapped against my arms, ripping at my blouse. Shrubs scraped my legs with their thorns. But I didn’t let any of it stop me. I only strained harder.

My lungs burned as I ran faster. A log snagged my foot and I fell into a heap, my shoulder colliding with a rock. I only scrambled to my feet and kept going, unsure of what I was looking for. A freedom I’d lost before I was even born? A past I wouldn’t recognize even if it smacked me in the face?

An arm snagged around my waist, lifting me in the air. I kicked out, hit, anything to be free.

“Shit, Pip,” Kai cursed. “It’s just me. You’re okay. You’re safe.”

But I wasn’t. I fought with everything I had. Twisting and jerking. Lashing out. I didn’t even know what I was fighting, just that I had to be free.

Voices rose around me. “Get her in the lake,” Phoenix called.

“I don’t know if that’s such a good idea,” Atlas said.

“It could be enough of a shock to her system,” Phoenix shot back.

A moment later, I was sailing through the air. But the arms around my waist didn’t let go. Kai and I fell into the sea of cold and he pulled me under.

The moment the water met my skin, all the fight went out of me. My eyes blinked against the swirling blues and greens around me. A blanket of comfort. Of weightlessness and nothingness. A balm to my ravaged soul.

I let myself sink towards the bottom. Letting everything go. I didn’t want to fight anymore. I just wanted the peace the water promised me.

Arms tightened around my waist. I didn’t battle against them this time.

Kai kicked us towards the sky, the sun. Bursting through the surface, the air stung my face. Some part of me knew I had to breathe. To suck in that oxygen and let it fill my lungs.

With that first breath, the tears came. For lies. For the life that had been stolen from me. For the parents I had no memory of. Violent sobs rocked my body as Kai held me to him.

“Pip,” he whispered in a rasp.

I clung to him with everything I had. This man who had never lied. This man who was part of the only family I had left.

Kai hoisted me into his arms and strode from the water.

My body shook, not just from crying but from the cold.

“We need to get her to the dorm,” Atlas said through gritted teeth.

“Where do you think I’m going?” Kai bit back.

Phoenix let out a low growl. “I’m going to kill Riven.”

“You’ll have to beat me to it,” Kai said.

The world around me faded in and out. I was aware of the cold. Voices swirling.

Then the heat of a shower that had me shrieking in pain.

“I’ve got you,” Kai crooned as he held me under the spray.

“Shit,” Phoenix cursed. “I think the assassin got her shoulder with a fire.”

“She needs contact so that we can heal her,” Atlas’s deep voice cut in.

Everything hurt, but gentle hands pulled at my clothes, cleaning me with the softest care. I was faintly aware of towels wrapped around me and being carried to a bed.

“This might hurt,” Kai said quietly.

I couldn’t find it in me to care as some sort of antiseptic swept over my wounds. What was it compared to the pain I’d already felt today? As tender hands cleaned each injury and bodies wrapped around mine, I let sleep pull me under and welcomed that nothingness again.

27

THE SUN BEAT down on my face as I sat in the park watching Charlie play on the playground. He laughed as he chased another boy around the jungle gym, and I couldn’t help the answering curve of my lips. His world was still so simple, he didn’t realize in any real way how bad things were.

I worried the inside of my cheek. The spot had grown raw over the past few weeks. I needed a job. Mom wanted me to wait until I was sixteen. But we didn’t have two more years of this in us. She was working herself to the bone. If she pulled another double, I was worried she might end up in the hospital.

Movement flickered in the corner of my eye. As I turned, my breath caught in my lungs.

The boy was beautiful. I knew guys didn’t like to be called that, but there really wasn’t another word for him. Light blond hair, broad shoulders, and his eyes. They were a kind of blue that cut right through you.

He gave me a tentative smile. “Hey.”

I nearly swallowed my tongue as I fought the urge to look behind me to see if he was talking to someone else. “Hi,” I squeaked.

“Watching your brother?” he asked.

I nodded. “Yeah.”

Couldn’t I come up with anything better than that? “What about you?” Was that really better?

He glanced across the park. “Waiting for a friend.”

I nodded.

“Do you watch him every day?”

“Pretty much. My mom works a lot.”

He seemed to mull that over as he scanned our surroundings. “That must be hard, not getting to hang out with your friends after school or work on homework.”

“It’s not so bad.” Sometimes my friend Lainey would come with us. Or we’d all go back to our house, and Lainey and I would study while Charlie watched cartoons. It was only bad when I saw how tired Mom was.

“What is it?”

My gaze snapped back to the boy. “Huh?”

He motioned to a spot between my brows. “Worry lines. You were thinking about something.”

“My mom.” Something about the boy pulled total honesty out of me, as if he’d put me in some sort of trance.

“What about her?”

I resisted the urge to go for the spot in my cheek again. “She’s working too hard. We’ve been…struggling.”

His full lips pulled down into a frown. “I’m sorry. That has to be hard for all of you.”

“We’re figuring it out.” Or I was trying to. There was a restaurant near our apartment that would let me bus tables for cash. I needed to do that. To help. Because I knew my medical bills were a huge piece of why we were drowning. I tugged at my sleeve, hiding my scars.

The boy’s gaze tracked my movement, settling on the small piece of twisted skin I couldn’t cover.

My cheeks flushed bright red.

He took that in too. It was as if he could see every detail about me. Long fingers reached out and he rolled up his sleeve. I couldn’t look away from the deft movements. But the skin he exposed had me sucking in a breath.

His scars weren’t like mine, but they were burns. From a cigarette? My stomach churned.

He looked up at me. “Scars aren’t ugly. They’re badges of honor. They show just how strong we are.”

A gasp startled out of me as I sat up, my chest pounding. Soft snores and deep breathing sounded around me. I blinked a few times, getting my bearings. We were in the soft calm of Atlas’s room.

My shoulder ached and I glanced down to see a new dusting of silver where my burns had been. Memories from the day slammed into me, one after the other. I tried to shake them off, to ground me in the here and now as my breaths came quicker.

The bed moved as arms came around me. “Hey, you’re okay. We’re right here.”

Phoenix’s raspy voice was the perfect balm. I leaned into his hold, breathing him in.

Then Kai was there, his honeyed-whiskey voice cutting through the dark. “Bad dream?”

“Something like that,” I muttered. Only it wasn’t. It was bliss. My mom had always wondered why I’d suddenly had peace with my scars at fourteen. I’d never been able to explain to her my shift in perspective. Seeing them as badges of badass honor instead of something to be ashamed or embarrassed about. I was simply changed.

So much uncertainty swirled in me now. A million questions and what-ifs.

Atlas turned on a soft lamp at the side of the bed. “What is it?”

I stared down at the scarring on my arm. “I think Riven came to visit me in the human realm.”

28

KAI JERKED UP STRAIGHTER. “HE WHAT?”

I toyed with the edge of the blanket. “I had a dream, but I’m almost positive it wasn’t just a dream.”

“You think it was a memory,” Phoenix supplied.

I nodded. “I was fourteen and this gorgeous, older boy sat down next to me, and we talked. He showed me his own scars and told me not to be ashamed of mine. That they were just proof of how strong I was.”

Tears burned the backs of my eyes. “That conversation changed everything for me. Before that, I would only wear long-sleeved shirts, even in the dead of summer. I was so embarrassed about how different my skin was.”

Atlas lifted my arm, his lips skimming the mottled flesh. “You’re beautiful. Every last piece of you.”

Warmth bloomed low in my belly at the casual touch.

“He gave me peace about my body I hadn’t ever had before. But he took away my chance to be grateful for it by stealing the memory of why.”

Kai muttered a curse. “He always has been gifted at wiping memories.”

“But I don’t understand why,” I said.

Phoenix traced a design on my uninjured shoulder. “Once we’ve met our aether, it’s almost impossible to stay away. Even more so once you know for sure she’s yours and you’re hers. It would’ve been agony for him to not see you every day.”

“Agony he put himself in,” Kai grumbled.

“I’m with you there,” Phoenix agreed.

Atlas frowned as he studied us. “I know he fucked up, and trust me, I’ve got plenty of anger about it. But don’t you feel a little bad for the guy? He’s been torturing himself for a decade.”

My stomach twisted, little pricks of guilt embedding themselves there. Riven had taken so much on his shoulders. Most of all, his father’s actions. But none of that cleared away the fact that he’d stolen my choices from me.

Smoke swirled around Phoenix. “Because of him, we might never have met Aura. If he’d succeeded, Quincy would’ve never been able to get a read through her bindings.”

“But he did,” Atlas urged. “And we have each other now. Don’t let his mistakes tear us apart.”

“I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to trust him,” I said softly.

Kai nuzzled the side of my neck. “That’s understandable.”

Atlas’s mouth hardened into a line. “But don’t close yourself off from the possibility either.”

My gentle giant with the kindest heart I’d ever known. I leaned across Phoenix and pressed a kiss to Atlas’s lips. “Love you.”

His hazel eyes blazed. “More than you’ll ever know.”

Kai’s hands slid under the covers, trailing over my thighs and dipping under the nightgown the guys had dressed me in. He leaned forward and trailed his lips up my spine. “No matter the path that took us here. You’re ours and we’re yours.”

That sense of belonging dug in deep. One I needed so desperately right now.

Phoenix groaned. “You’re killing me, Pip. But you need your rest, you’ve been through a lot today.”

I straightened, meeting his dark gaze. “I don’t need rest. I need you. All of you.”

Phoenix swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing with the movement. “Aura…”

That rasp was back. The one that had heat settling low, swirling and building.

Kai’s fingers trailed higher, seeking out that heat.

My lips met Phoenix’s in a long, slow kiss. It was gentle ebbs and flows that Kai accompanied with his fingers. Phoenix let out a low, rumbling growl, deepening the kiss to something else altogether.

When I broke away, I was gasping for breath. My skin was burning, as if I’d taken some of Phoenix’s internal flame. Sparks danced in his eyes.

Kai’s fingers fisted in my nightgown, tugging it over my head and sending it sailing to the floor. “I need to taste you. Been thinking about that since the moment I laid eyes on you.”

A second later, the covers were gone, and I was being rolled between Phoenix and Atlas. As Kai moved to the end of the bed, he tugged me with him so that he could perfectly settle himself between my legs.

Atlas’s fingers skimmed my cheek, down my neck, and then circled my breast. “Every time I look at you, you’re somehow more beautiful.” He traced one of the silver lightning bolts on my chest, making me gasp.

Phoenix’s tongue circled my nipple and my core pulsed in need. “It’s because she’s bewitched us all.”

Kai spread my legs apart, his hands gliding up my thighs as he stared at my center. “I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

I squirmed in place, needing more, needing them.

Kai squeezed my thighs. “Stay still, Pip.”

I practically panted. Still was the last thing I wanted.

Kai’s fingers skated along my skin, finding a new crack of silver in my skin, this one skating along my upper thigh. The moan that slipped from my lips couldn’t be helped.

“Hell,” Kai muttered. “Those are going to come in handy.”

Phoenix chuckled against my skin, the vibrations sending delicious shivers through me. Then his tongue traced another of the silver streaks.

My hands fisted in the sheets, trying to grab hold of anything that would keep me tethered to this world.

Atlas took my mouth in a kiss that demanded I pay attention. Long strokes punctuated by quick nips to my lip.

There was no warning from Kai. One moment I was desperate for his touch, and the next his tongue was diving deep. Taking and taking and then taking some more.

I moaned into Atlas’s mouth as Phoenix’s lips closed around my nipple.

I was awash in a sea of sensations. The moment I’d get a handle on one, another would start.

Kai’s tongue moved to my clit, circling and flicking. Teasing and toying.

I whimpered against Atlas’s lips, and he pulled back, gazing down at me with hooded eyes. “What do you need?”

“More.” It was all I could manage to say.

Kai lifted his head from my body, eyes colliding with mine. “Can I take you?”

“Yes.” It was part pant, part plea.

In a flash, Kai had shucked his pajama bottoms and he was settling between my thighs.

As his tip bumped my entrance, I nearly wept. I needed this. I needed a sense of oneness with Kai. With all of them.

Kai groaned as he slid inside. “Heaven. This is heaven.”

Sparks danced across my skin as tiny droplets of water swirled around Kai. Then he began to move. Each thrust was a smooth guide, so fitting for the prince of water. Wave after wave of sensation and pleasure crashed over me.

Atlas’s hand moved between me and Kai, his finger circling that bundle of nerves. I gasped and as I did, Phoenix’s teeth grazed my nipple.

It was too much. Feeling all of them at once. The ground beneath us trembled, and I hoped like hell the house held with its protections. But even if it didn’t, I’d be falling with the men I loved. So, I let myself go.

29

I WAS SWIMMING. It wasn’t a dream exactly. It was more like a half-conscious state. I was aware that I was asleep and fully able to enjoy the fact that I was swimming in a sea of those silver strands. Ones like little cracks that had appeared on my chest and the guys’.

It felt like floating on a river of magic. It was warmth and a healthy buzz of whatever it was that gave elementals their affinities. I languished in it, rolling to my back and letting out a little moan.

More heat closed in around me. Some part of me knew it was my mates. I could feel their unique pulses of power. Kai’s mercurial nature. Atlas’s devoted kindness. Phoenix’s shadowy protectiveness.

Lips skimmed my temple. “Morning,” Phoenix rasped.

I blinked against the light. “You’re ruining my Zen zone.”

Atlas’s husky chuckle sounded from my other side.

“You were moaning in your sleep. I want to go to your Zen zone,” Kai whined.

A laugh slipped from my lips. “I was in this cocoon of magic, and it felt like heaven.”

Phoenix stared down at me. “Your eyes.”

The hint of panic mixed with awe had me sitting up.

Atlas framed my face with both hands. “I’ve never seen anything like it.”

“What’s happening?” I demanded.

Kai stared at me. “Your eyes. They’ve gone silver.”

I pulled myself from Atlas’s hold, throwing off the covers. Before any of the guys could stop me, I scooted to the end of the bed and made a beeline for the bathroom. I flicked on the light and hurried to the mirror.

Staring back at me were swirling pools of silver. Anxiety dug its talons into my chest. The guys’ reactions had told me this was far from normal. And I was so tired of new freakish abilities and discoveries.

A moment later, the silver was gone. I lifted my hand to my face, probing the skin around my eyes, but nothing happened.

Kai met my gaze through the mirror as they poured into the bathroom. “It’s gone?”

I nodded, turning my focus back to my eyes and searching for any hint of silver. But they were back to their normal gray.

“There has to be a tie between that and the silver marks,” Phoenix said.

“We should talk to Quincy,” Atlas added. “See what he knows.”

Phoenix shook his head. “I’m not so sure. I think the fewer people who know everything that’s going on, the better.”

A knot formed in my stomach. “You don’t trust Quincy?”

“I’m not saying that. The less we speak of these things outside our bond, the less of a chance there is for information to fall into the wrong hands. If someone thinks Quincy knows something, The Network could torture him for that information.”

“I think I’m going to be sick.”

Atlas’s arms came around me as he sent Phoenix a withering glare. “Was that really necessary?”

Phoenix didn’t look the least bit reproachful. “Aura doesn’t want to be babied. She wants the truth.”

I straightened in Atlas’s hold. “He’s right. Even if I hate it.”

Atlas pressed a kiss to the top of my head. “We can find a way to talk to Quincy, quietly.”

Phoenix muttered something under his breath.

“Too much heavy this early in the morning,” Kai griped. “Can we at least get some food before we dive into the depressing?”

My stomach growled in answer.

“See? Pip agrees with me.”

“She’s not agreeing with you, she hasn’t eaten since breakfast yesterday,” Atlas shot back.

I toyed with the hem of my nightgown. “Is everything from yesterday, uh, dealt with?”

I wasn’t sure how I was supposed to ask if the body had been disposed of and appropriate people informed.

Phoenix’s jaw tightened. “Yes. He’s been dealt with, and Acker has been brought up to speed.”

Atlas rubbed at the tense muscles along my shoulders. “More of the royal guard has been dispatched to patrol the campus.”

“A lot of good that will do since we don’t know who we can trust,” Kai mumbled.

I pinched the bridge of my nose. “I think you had the right idea. Let’s eat before we get into this. Please?”

Atlas pressed a kiss to my neck. “Get ready and we’ll meet you downstairs.”

“Thanks.”

The moment the guys left the bathroom, I breathed a sigh of relief. Too much alpha male energy in a small space. I turned back to the sink and focused on my morning routine. By the time I stepped out into Atlas’s room, he was already gone. He must’ve grabbed an extra toothbrush elsewhere, sensing I needed a moment to get my head on straight.

I hurried to dress in a new uniform, hoping this one wouldn’t be torn to shreds by a crazed assassin and my own post-assassin freak-out. I caught sight of my schoolbag someone must have retrieved from the forest for me. Slinging it over my shoulder, I started for the hall.

When I reached the bottom of the stairs, I was engulfed in a hug. The hint of salt air filled my senses.

“Missed you,” Kai said, nuzzling my neck.

I couldn’t help the laugh that bubbled out of me. “I was away from you for all of ten minutes.”

“And I hated every second of it.”

“Give the girl some air, would you?” Phoenix said, rolling his eyes.

Kai arched a brow. “Don’t think I missed you checking your watch half a dozen times.”

Heat rose to Phoenix’s cheeks. “I didn’t want us to be late.”

“Sure,” Atlas shot back.

The door opened, and my gaze moved to the figure entering the dorm. Riven looked like hell. Dark circles rimmed his eyes. His clothes were rumpled. And his hair was standing up every which way.

The entryway was filled with stony silence until Riven spoke. “Can I talk to you, Aura?”

“No,” Phoenix barked.

I laid a hand on Phoenix’s arm. “It’s okay.”

“No, it’s not,” Kai growled.

I shook my head at him and then turned my focus back to Riven. “Say whatever you need to. I don’t have secrets from Phoenix, Kai, and Atlas.”

Riven nodded as he swallowed hard. “I’m sorry. I’ve made a million mistakes thinking I was protecting you. But you were right. I took away your choices. That stops now. Whatever you want to know, I’m an open book. Whatever you need, I’m here.”

His glacier eyes burned with intensity. “I want this bond, Aura. I know you probably think I don’t. But I do. I need it. More than my next breath.”

I gaped at him. “You have a girlfriend.”

Why that was the thing my mind went to after everything that had been revealed yesterday, I wasn’t sure. Maybe it was simply the ridiculousness of the fact that Riven was saying he wanted me but was still involved with another girl.

Riven’s eyes flared. “Shit. Aura. I’m not—we’re not—” He took a shaky breath. “Eva and I have never truly been together. Not like that. We’re friends who knew our parents would go easier on us if we pretended to date. I care about her, I always will. But not like that.”

“But I’ve seen you two together. There’s an intimacy with you two.” I hated the way hope lit in my chest. Even while despising Riven for what he had put me through, there was still a part of me that longed for him in the next breath.

“She’s like a sister or another soldier you’ve been to battle with. We’ve watched each other’s backs practically since the day we were born. There’s bound to be a closeness there.”

I worried the spot on the inside of my cheek as pressure built behind my eyes. “I don’t know if I can believe you.” That hurt more than anything, that I felt like I couldn’t trust Riven, that I couldn’t trust myself.

“Aura, please. Just because I have to pretend to be in a relationship with her, doesn’t mean anything.”

I stared at Riven dumbfounded. “Wait. You’re planning on keeping up your fake relationship charade?”

“I have to. It helps keep my father at bay, off our trail—”

I held up a hand, cutting him off. “I don’t care.” My insides twisted into a series of intricate knots. “You’ve made me feel like less than dirt from the moment I’ve met you. If you think I’m going to be your filthy little secret, you don’t know me at all.”

Shoving past him, I headed for the door. “I’m going to breakfast.”

The door slammed behind me, but the shouting that followed carried through the wood. I forced myself to ignore it. I’d given enough of my care and worry to Riven. I was done.

30

I STARTED down the stone path and was immediately flanked by two guards. I fought the urge to snarl at them both. But none of this was their fault.

Casting a quick look over my shoulder, I took them in. One was unfamiliar to me but looked as if he might’ve been from the air kingdom. The other was the one who had spoken to Phoenix the day they’d first arrived. Egan, I thought his name was.

I turned back to the path ahead of me, letting out a shaky breath. The tremor was from sheer pissed-off frustration. The nerve of that pompous, lying jerk. A pompous, lying jerk who risked everything to save your life, an unhelpful voice in my head reminded me.

I only walked faster. As if that would help me escape the nagging feeling that I might have reacted too harshly just now.

An ache settled deep in my chest. I didn’t know how I would be able to trust Riven again and asking me to stay a secret in the shadows wouldn’t make any of that easier. I didn’t think he had any idea just how much that hurt.

And he wouldn’t if I didn’t have a conversation with him like an adult instead of throwing a tantrum like I just had. My steps faltered. Shit.

I was just about to turn around when a hand latched onto my elbow and jerked me to the side. A burst of air left my hand on instinct, shoving the person hard and sending them tumbling to the ground.

Eva cursed as she righted herself, dusting off her uniform. “What the hell is wrong with you?”

I glared at her. “You grabbed me out of nowhere, and if you haven’t heard, there have been a few attempts on my life lately.”

The guards at my side shared a look of apprehension.

Eva gave them a smile that was saccharine-sweet. “Can you give me and my friend a moment to talk? You can keep us in line of sight. I just want a little privacy.”

The guard I hadn’t seen before nodded instantly and stepped back. Egan looked a bit more wary but eventually did the same. I didn’t miss that he also pulled a cell phone out of his pocket and began dialing.

“You have a lot of nerve,” Eva hissed.

My gaze snapped back to her. “Excuse me?”

“You’re putting Riven through hell. He was a wreck last night.”

Last night sent daggers through my heart, but I shoved the feeling down. My eyes narrowed on Eva. “You have no idea what he’s put me through. And shoving your nose in business that isn’t yours is the last thing we need.”

Red crept up Eva’s chest and neck. “Riven will always be my business.”

I stilled, studying the woman across from me. When Riven had told me there was nothing but friendship between the two, I’d read honesty in his words. But Eva’s behavior now told me that she might see things differently.

“He told me there’s nothing going on between you two.”

Eva flushed a shade of crimson rarely seen in the natural world. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

I wanted to scream. Loudly and for at least a good minute. “I don’t have time for some pissing contest over Riv—”

Eva grabbed my arm, her fingernails digging into my skin so hard I knew they would leave marks. “You don’t have any idea the risk you’re putting him in. I won’t let you hurt him.”

“Let her go. Right. Fucking. Now,” Phoenix growled from behind me.

Eva released my arm in a flash. “I-I was just trying to get her to listen—”

“She doesn’t have to listen to you, Ice Queen,” Kai gritted out.

The ground shook as Atlas strode forward. “You don’t touch Aura. Ever.”

Riven moved through his friends, putting himself between Eva and Atlas. “What the hell is going on? Everyone just take a breath.”

That protective stance hurt. Even knowing it was one built over years of friendship and having each other’s back.

Phoenix’s eyes sparked and flashed with fire. “Your girlfriend held Aura’s arm so tight she drew blood.”

I glanced down at my skin and saw a few drops of red.

Riven’s gaze zeroed in on the same thing and he turned on Eva.

“I-I didn’t mean to,” she stammered. “I was just trying to talk to her, but she wouldn’t listen. She doesn’t understand what she’s doing to you. What—”

“Stop.” Riven cut her off. “You don’t have to protect me, not from Aura.”

Anger flared in Eva’s eyes. “She’s the most dangerous person to you and you know it.”

“Enough, Eva.” Riven pinched the bridge of his nose. “I know you’re doing this out of some misguided sense of care, but you have to stop.”

Eva’s focus shifted from Riven, and she glared at me. Then she turned on her heel and left.

Riven cursed. “I need to make sure she doesn’t do something stupid.” He sent a pleading look in my direction. “Can we talk later? Please?”

I shrugged. Because I wasn’t sure he’d even be around to do that talking.

Fatigue slammed into me. I was exhausted. So tired of fighting everyone from every side. The words that tumbled out of me were more instinct than anything else.

“I want to go home.”

Only I didn’t have a home to go to anymore.

31

PUSHING open the door from the academic building, I sucked in a deep lungful of air. As if that would somehow cleanse away the shitstorm of a day. No one had tried to kill me today, at least there was that.

Probably because of my shadows. I didn’t turn around to look at my guards, but I could feel them there. Egan and the air guard whose name I’d learned was Carn had stuck by my side in every class, even the ones my bond were in. After yesterday, no one was taking any chances.

A heavy weight settled on me. That oppressive blanket that made it feel as if the walls were closing in because too many eyes had been on me for too long. I longed to run into the woods surrounding the academy, to be fully and completely alone.

Memories of yesterday flashed in my mind and I shoved that idea away. Instead, I took another deep breath and started for Crown Hall. Maybe I could find an empty corner of the house to hide in for a while.

I glanced over my shoulder at my stoic companions. “Thanks for watching out for me today.”

They both nodded, but it was Egan who spoke with a dip of his head. “It’s our honor, Aether.”

A lead weight settled in my stomach. There was too much pressure in that handful of words. A hope that I wasn’t sure I was capable of living up to. But I would have to try.

More of that exhaustion set in. Maybe what I needed was a nap. I trudged up the stone path to the dorm.

When I was just steps away, the front door opened and Riven emerged. He scanned my face, worry creasing his brow as he did so. He stepped forward and looked as if he might try to pull me into a hug, then stopped himself. “You look tired.”

I bit back the snarky retort on my tongue and went with honesty instead. “It’s been a long day.”

He nodded, shuffling his feet. Then he lifted his head to the guards behind me. “Give us a minute?”

They instantly fell back, disappearing into the trees around the dorm.

“Atlas said you were homesick.”

My mouth pressed into a hard line. I’d have to give my gentle giant some shit for being a gossip. Reeling in my annoyance, I tried again for the truth, knowing that Riven and I would never make any progress if we were biting each other’s heads off. “I think I miss my old life. Things were simpler. But that life wasn’t real.”

Guilt flashed across Riven’s expression. “I’m sorry—”

“Don’t. I didn’t say that to make you feel guilty. I’m just trying to be honest with you. We need more of the truth between us if this ever has a prayer of working.”

Hope lit in those pale blue eyes. “You’ll try?”

Hell. That hope was a dagger to the chest. I sighed. “I don’t know if it’ll work. I can’t just make myself trust you. It’s going to take time, and I won’t be some secret—”

Riven shook his head vehemently. “I know. I already told Eva that our pretend relationship had to end.”

Jealousy swirled like thick, black tar in my belly. Even knowing there had never been anything between them, I still hated the idea of him alone with her. That wasn’t me. The few guys I’d dated, I’d never dealt with any real jealousy. Maybe because I’d never cared like this.

I swallowed it all down the best I could. “Thank you. I know it makes it harder for you with your dad—”

“I’ll deal with him.” Riven’s eyes bored into mine. “The last thing I want to do is hurt you. Keeping you away from me, from us, it seemed like the best way to keep you safe.”

My hands curled into fists, my fingernails digging into my palms. “I understand why you thought that. But that doesn’t change how much it hurts.”

“I’m sorry I hurt you.”

“I’m sorry you’ve had all of this on your shoulders alone for the past ten years.”

Because I could see how much it all weighed on him. If I wanted to step into the role destiny had given me, I had to lean into the empathetic part of me. Not the hurt, angry part. I’d always had an ability to see where others were coming from, but when I was hurt, I could shut that off. I couldn’t do that if I wanted to be the aether the elementals needed. And that had to start with Riven.

He shoved his hands in his pockets. “I thought I could take you to see Charlie and Janine. Would that help your homesickness?”

My chest tightened. It was so incredibly thoughtful. Hearing that I was suffering and wanting to do something to fix it. I missed Charlie so much it hurt. And I needed to have a long conversation with the woman who had played my mother for all these years. The question of why played on my tongue, but I didn’t want the answer from Riven. I wanted it from her.

“I’d like to see them.”

Riven nodded. “We’ll need to take the others with us. I don’t want to take guards. The fewer who know about the safe house location, the better.”

“Okay.” I looked up into those endless glacier eyes. “Thank you, Riven.”

And I let myself feel that gratitude, even if it was dangerous to my heart.

AS THE SUV pulled to a stop, my stomach lurched. With each step of the journey, my muscles had woven a little tighter. Getting into the SUV at the dorm. Stepping through the portal. The drive here.

I looked out at the house set in the woods. It looked like a picture out of the storybooks I’d read Charlie when he was little. From the stone façade of the cottage to the smoke curling out of the chimney.

My nose stung. This was what my mom and I had always wanted for him. A home where he was safe and could run around without worry.

A hand landed on my knee and a buzz lit beneath my skin. Riven simply rested his hand there as if assuring me of his presence. “Are you okay?”

“What do you think?” Kai mumbled.

I sent a glare in his direction. He and Phoenix had been nothing but surly and snarky since leaving campus.

I laid my hand on top of Riven’s. “Let’s go.”

Atlas opened his door, sliding out and offering me a hand. As I climbed down, he gave me a reassuring smile and a squeeze of his fingers.

I hovered outside the vehicle as Riven, Kai, Phoenix, and the two royal guards got out. But I wasn’t waiting long.

The front door flew open, and Charlie raced down the cobblestone path. “Aura!”

A laugh startled out of me as he slammed into me, rocking me back on my heels. I wrapped my arms around him, squeezing him tight. I didn’t care if we didn’t share an ounce of blood, Charlie was my brother in every way that mattered.

I ruffled his hair. “If you’re not careful, I might think you missed me.”

He grinned up at me. “I guess I did a little. You won’t believe what happened! These guards that are like warriors or something came and got me and Mom and brought us to this awesome house…”

Charlie spoke faster and faster as he told me about their trip here and all the cool things they’d done since arriving. “Riven brought me books and games and we got to ride horses. Real horses, Aura!”

I glanced at Riven whose cheeks had gone a little pink. “Horses, huh?”

“It was the coolest!” Charlie exclaimed.

My gaze shifted to the doorway of the cottage where my mom stood. It was impossible for me not to think of her as that, even if that wasn’t who she was, not really.

Kai stepped forward. “Think you could show me and Phoenix the horses?”

I sent him a grateful look.

“Totally. There are carrots in the barn we can feed them.”

Charlie took off in the direction of his new animal friends without a backward glance at me, Kai and Phoenix in tow.

I swallowed hard as I watched the woman who’d taken care of me for as long as I could remember walking down the path. She was as familiar to me as the back of my hand, yet somehow now a stranger.

She came to a stop in front of me, hands grasped in front of her as if trying to keep herself from reaching out.

There was a twisting sensation somewhere deep, but I asked the question I needed the answer to most. “Who are you?”

32

THE WOMAN’S hands squeezed tight, her knuckles bleaching white. “I’m your aunt.”

Shock rocketed through me as I stared at her. I wasn’t sure why I expected her to be a friend of my parents, or someone Riven had pulled into this who had barely known me. I hadn’t expected family.

A deep ache flared in my chest. Hurt mixed with longing. “My aunt.” My voice sounded rusty, as if I hadn’t used it for weeks.

She nodded. “Your father was my brother.”

Was. God, that hurt. I had a father. I’d known him, even if those memories were gone from my mind now.

“Will—will you tell me about them?”

Mom’s—no, my aunt’s—face softened. “I’d love that.”

We started towards the house, Riven and Atlas following behind us. Janine led us into the kitchen where she had a pot of tea waiting. The familiarity of the tea and cookies was comforting.

As I sat at the worn kitchen table, I wrapped my hands around the mug and let the warmth soothe the worst of my ragged edges.

Janine traced a finger around the rim of her mug. “Your mother was an elemental.”

I’d figured as much, but hearing the words from Janine’s lips was still a shock to the system.

“She grew up in the air kingdom.” Janine’s mouth tightened as her gaze traveled to Riven.

He had the mask in place that I hated so much. The one that didn’t let me in on anything that he was feeling.

“Ciela was born to an aether line,” Janine explained.

Even knowing that had to be the case, my heart rate still sped up.

“Her family had managed to keep their tie to the line secret for generations. It made them complacent.”

“Someone found out,” I supplied.

Janine nodded. “Someone tried to take her on her way home from work one evening. But she fought.”

My stomach twisted as I pictured a faceless woman fighting for her life.

“Ciela was clever and had always been a fan of those old-school martial arts movies. She kneed her attempted attacker in the balls and got away.”

The corner of Riven’s mouth kicked up. “That move must run in the family.”

Heat hit my cheeks as I ducked my head.

Janine looked between the two of us, a frown pulling the corners of her mouth down. Something about that didn’t sit right with me. For the first time, I felt a protectiveness over Riven. Misguided as he may have been, Riven had done everything he could to help us.

I met her gaze, letting Janine see the disapproval there. She pulled away, looking down at her swirling tea.

“What happened after the attack?” I asked, trying to bring us back on track.

Janine took a sip of her drink. “Ciela waited several weeks, but when she caught sight of someone following her to work one morning, she knew it wasn’t a random attack. She packed a bag and took off for the human realm that night. She hid in plain sight there, working in a bookstore and renting a small apartment above it.”

A wistful smile spread across her face. “That’s where she met my brother.” The smile grew. “Jake was a book nerd. I swear the only time he looked up from the pages was when he met your mother. She was the only one that had the power to captivate him. Well, her and you.”

A pang lit along my sternum. I could feel the love in Janine’s words. Hers for her brother. And her brother’s for me and my mother.

“They loved each other?”

Janine took my hand, squeezing it the way she always had when I’d needed to know she was there. “I’ve never seen a love like theirs. It was like it was fated by the Universe. The way they moved…it was as if they had some sort of pull on each other.”

My throat tightened as I struggled to keep my tears at bay.

“And they loved you so. From the moment you were born.”

I held tight to my aunt’s hand, needing that grounding in something real. “Were you guys close?”

Janine’s expression reminded me of a Monet painting, a million different smears of color to create one heart-stopping image. There was joy, sorrow, heartache, hope, and countless other things I couldn’t identify. All of them came together in the picture of love. “We were the closest. They were my support system when John passed away. Your mom was in the delivery room with me when Charlie was born. We practically lived at each other’s houses.”

A shadow passed over Janine’s eyes. “I’ll never forgive myself for not being there when they needed me most.”

The slight shifting in his seat was the only sign that Janine’s words had affected Riven.

Atlas’s hold on his mug tightened and I could tell he wanted to comfort his friend.

Janine released my hand as she sat back in her chair. “They would’ve done anything to protect you. They knew that any child of theirs would be at risk to be hunted down the way Ciela had been. They thought they were so careful.”

“But someone found them,” I said quietly.

Riven’s eyes flashed. “My father. I don’t know why he was so obsessed with the aether line. I can only guess that he sees it as a threat to his power.”

Anger blazed across Janine’s face. “His father killed your parents, and he won’t stop until he kills you too.”

33

I GLANCED to my left as the SUV rounded a curve in the country road, Phoenix behind the wheel. Riven hadn’t said a word since we’d left the cottage and I didn’t blame him. We could all feel the hatred coming off Janine in waves.

I understood her anger, empathized with it. But my heart ached for Riven. Even as angry as I’d been at him, I’d never blamed him for what had happened to my parents and me. You couldn’t blame a child for his father’s actions. But clearly Janine couldn’t separate the two in her mind.

Riven stared out the window, agony etching itself in the planes of his face. I couldn’t bear it. Without thinking, I slid my hand into his, interweaving our fingers.

His gaze jerked to our joined palms. He fixed on them, not looking away. “I tried to help you guys. To give you money, find you a better place to stay. Janine didn’t want any of it.”

I was sure her wording hadn’t been quite that diplomatic. Janine could be fiery when she had a strong opinion.

“That’s not your fault.”

Riven’s hand twitched in mine, an involuntary spasm. “I hate that you struggled so much.”

The words were low, barely audible. Yet they ricocheted around the vehicle, hitting each of us with the pain they contained.

I squeezed his hand hard, bringing his focus to me. “We’ve all suffered.” My gaze lifted, meeting each of the guys’ eyes in turn. “We’re all bringing our own baggage to this relationship. It’s going to take time to figure things out and find our rhythm. It’s going to take time to trust. But we have to try.”

“Message received,” Phoenix said with a grunt.

“I still want one gut shot at Riv,” Kai grumbled.

“I’d like a gut shot a hell of a lot more than this pissy whining and complaining,” Riven shot back.

Atlas nuzzled my neck from the other side. “I like your plan.”

Riven stroked a hand through my hair, tipping my face up to his. He leaned in, his lips pressing to my forehead. “Thank you, Aura. I won’t waste this chance.”

The buzz that lit in me at the contact was more like an inferno. And it sent me hurtling back in memory.

I wiped under my eyes as I walked down the street. I wanted to kick my own ass for wasting tears on such a jerk, but I couldn’t seem to stop them. The tears weren’t really about Cal. They were about feeling so far from normal.

Most of my classmates were worried about being asked to prom or making sure they weren’t flunking trig. I was just trying to keep my head above water. Juggling work, watching Charlie, and trying to keep my grades good enough for a scholarship.

Cal had been the one little luxury I’d allowed myself. A chance for that normalcy I craved. Flirting over lunch had turned to dates on the one night a week I had off and stolen kisses between classes.

I hadn’t even noticed when his attention had waned because I was working so damn hard all the time. Hadn’t noticed until it was too late.

Someone bumped into me heading the opposite direction, almost sending me sideways. Large hands snagged out to steady me. “Shit. I’m so sorry. I wasn’t watching where I was going.”

“It’s okay. Neither was I.” I looked up, freezing in light of the most beautiful eyes I’d ever seen. Glacier eyes.

Blond brows pulled together. “Are you okay?”

I gave the area underneath my eyes another quick wipe. “Just a crappy day.”

His head tilted to the side as if he were analyzing the authenticity of my words. His focus shifted to the side for a moment before coming back to me. “Buy you a milkshake to make up for it? That and knocking into you.”

We’d collided in front of my favorite ice cream shop. The one I treated Charlie and myself to once a month for a special occasion. I shook my head, feeling a sense of loss at my decline. “I need to get to work. Thanks, though.”

The guy studied me for a moment longer. “Whoever brought those tears on…they don’t deserve you.”

And then he was gone. I blinked after him as he disappeared down a side street. And I wished with everything I had that I’d said yes to that milkshake.

I blinked a few times, trying to clear the memory as Riven’s face came into focus. “You offered to buy me a milkshake after Cal made me cry.”

He gave me a sheepish smile as his cheeks pinked. “I saw that dipshit dump you outside school. I wanted to do something to cheer you up.”

Kai twisted in his seat, anger flashing in his blue-green eyes. “Who dumped you?”

I shot Riven a small smile. “Someone who never deserved me in the first place.”

“Damn straight,” Phoenix gritted out from the driver’s seat.

Atlas chuckled, his fingers tangling in my hair. “I love that they’re about to tear someone apart who they don’t even know.”

Phoenix arched a brow in the rearview mirror. “Like you’re any better. What would you do if you saw some asshole who made Aura cry?”

The humor fled Atlas’s face as he thought about my tears. “Crush him.”

Riven laughed, the sound skating across my skin in pleasant shivers. “Let’s face it. We’d all burn down the world for her.”

I stared at Riven, feeling the honesty of those words. I knew now why I’d always been drawn to him. It wasn’t because of the aether pull. It was because I’d loved him in between memories. Those moments that were burned into my brain but erased in the seconds that followed.

But if I let myself fall and he wasn’t there to catch me? I didn’t think I’d ever recover.

34

A GIRL I vaguely recognized from my dorm leaned closer to her friend, whispering in her ear as she stared in my direction. I tried to focus on the hallway in front of me, but my gaze only caught on other students openly gawking as I walked down the hallway with Riven, Phoenix, and my guards.

Some people were simply curious. I didn’t blame them for that, even if their stares made me feel as if the walls were closing in around me. Others were openly hostile.

“Hey, Aura,” Aiden called with a wink.

Phoenix stiffened at my side.

I reached down, weaving my fingers through his. “He only does it to get a rise out of you.”

A muscle in Phoenix’s jaw ticked. “I don’t like him even breathing the same air as you.”

“I don’t think sharing the same oxygen is going to put me at risk.”

“Aren’t you going to stop to say hello, brother?” Aiden called in a singsong voice.

He stood next to another guy I’d seen him with occasionally. Aiden could hide his hatred and derision when he wanted to, but his friend was doing nothing of the sort. Animosity rolled off him in waves, grating against my skin.

Riven slowed as we were about to pass them. “Phoenix doesn’t have time for you, but I could be convinced to make a detour.”

There was a bite to his words that had Aiden’s eyes sparking with fire.

Riven grinned. “Temper, temper, temper.”

Aiden closed his eyes for a moment and when he opened them, the flames were gone. “Wouldn’t mind going a round with you, Riven, but I think it’d be a hell of a lot more fun to do it with Aura.” He let his gaze roam over my body. “First combat class tomorrow. Want to request to be partners?”

Phoenix surged forward, slamming Aiden against the wall. “You touch a hair on her head, and I’ll end you.”

Aiden only laughed. “She has to stand on her own two feet. You can’t fight all her battles for her.” Something flashed in Aiden’s eyes. A sick sort of excitement.

The emotion made nausea sweep through me. But he was right. The guys couldn’t always step in for me. No one would respect me if they did.

I laid a hand on Phoenix’s back. “We’re going to be late.”

I spoke the words as if Aiden didn’t even exist. He got a charge out of the attention his antics got him. Just like a spoiled child.

His gaze bored into me as I turned and headed down the hall, not waiting for the guys to follow. My guards, Egan and Carn, instantly fell into step behind me. A few seconds later, Riven and Phoenix hurried to catch up.

Riven grinned down at me. That smile made my stomach flip. It was the widest I thought I’d ever seen on him, and it made his eyes sparkle in the afternoon light. “You’re a genius.”

“Obviously,” I said with a laugh. “But why are you just figuring that out?”

He wrapped an arm around my shoulders. “I don’t think threats or ass kickings have ever put Aiden in his place as much as you ignoring him just did.”

Phoenix studied me as we walked. “How did you do that?”

We climbed the stairs towards the library, and I glanced at Phoenix. “He likes it.”

“What?”

“Any kind of attention you give him. Aiden gets his rocks off on your anger and violence. I think if we all pretend he doesn’t exist, he’ll leave us alone.”

Phoenix made a humming noise as if he were mulling that over.

Riven opened the door to the library and held it for us. “I think not engaging is the right play, but I’m not sure he’ll give up that easily. He hates Phoenix too much.”

Pain flashed in Phoenix’s eyes. He’d already lost one sibling. It had to be killing him to be at odds with another.

I wrapped my arms around Phoenix, hugging him tight. His arms came around me and his chin rested on top of my head. “I’m okay.”

“No, you’re not. But that’s understandable.”

“Love you, Aura,” he whispered in a gruff voice.

I let the words swirl around me, coating me in their warmth. “I love you. More than you’ll ever know.”

“I do know. I feel it every day.”

I burrowed deeper into his hold, but as I did so, I caught a glimpse of Riven with such longing on his face. Guilt cramped my stomach. I didn’t want to hurt Riven. But I also couldn’t imagine letting my guard down like this with him. Not yet.

QUINCY SHIFTED in his seat at the long table towards the back of the library. We’d been poring over books for hours without much to show for it. Phoenix and Riven had left an hour ago for a staff meeting they were required to attend as teaching assistants.

But my guards still stood watch, keeping a respectful distance. Egan’s head was on a swivel, but Carn looked like he might drop off at any moment. I felt a little bad. I was sure they were used to much more exciting details than trailing me during study hour.

Quincy glanced in my guards’ direction and then back at me, leaning in closer. “I need to ask you something.”

I shot a quick look at my guards. They were focused on the points of entry to the library, not on me. “Sure.”

“When you bonded, did you develop a mark by chance?”

My jaw dropped a fraction.

“I’m taking that as a yes.”

My fingers hooked in my uniform blouse, and I unbuttoned the top button, giving Quincy a glimpse of the silver markings before refastening it.

Quincy stared at my collarbone even after my blouse was back in place.

“You’re kind of freaking me out, Quincy.”

He blinked, shaking his head. “Sorry…I’m just trying to figure something out.”

“You read about a mark somewhere?”

“Yes, but it was different. I need to do some additional research. There’s a contact I have in another kingdom who might be helpful—”

I grabbed Quincy’s arm. “You can’t tell anyone about me. The bond.”

Understanding bloomed in his expression and he laid a hand over mine. “I would never, Aura.” Then he grinned. “I’ve been writing a book on aethers for a number of years. I have the perfect cover to ask these kinds of questions.”

I breathed a sigh of relief. “Be careful.”

“I will.” He gave my hand a pat and stood. “I’ll let you know if I find out anything of note.”

“Thanks. I’ll put these back before I leave.”

Quincy nodded, but he was already moving towards the door, his mind somewhere else entirely.

I got to my feet and gathered our books, placing them back on the cart that Quincy had pulled them from.

“Are you ready to return to the dorm, Your Highness?” Egan asked.

“Please, call me Aura.”

His mouth thinned. “It’s not appropriate.”

“If anyone says anything, tell them I commanded you.”

A flicker of a smile teased his lips. “Fair enough.”

I grabbed my bag. “Let’s blow this popsicle stand.”

Egan choked on a laugh but nodded.

We made our way out of the library and down the stairs. As we headed towards the exit, a girl I’d seen a few times ran down the hall, out of breath. “I-I think I saw a Network assassin.”

Egan and Carn were on alert in a flash.

“Where?” Egan demanded.

“In the woods right outside. He was hiding in the tree line in one of those creepy hoods.”

Egan was already removing his gun from his holster. “Stay here. Guard the aether,” Egan commanded Carn.

Blood roared in my ears as I watched Egan run towards the exit. The girl trembled. “I’m going to find a phone to call security.”

Carn nodded. “Hurry.”

My hands clenched into fists, my nails digging into my palms.

Shouts sounded from outside, and my stomach lurched. “Go,” I told Carn.

He shook his head. “I have to stay with you.”

“I’m commanding you. You have to listen to me, right? I’m your future leader and all that stuff.”

Carn’s gaze pulled towards the door, and I knew he wanted in on the battle.

“Go. Please. Help Egan.” If Egan died because of me, I’d never forgive myself.

“Stay here. Don’t move,” Carn ordered.

I nodded quickly and he took off, running outside.

I listened as carefully as I could, but I couldn’t hear a thing. Holding my breath, I waited for a sign of either of them. There was nothing.

But not for long. A hand fisted in my hair, yanking me back so hard I saw stars. And then I was falling.

35

I GRABBED onto the arm that had caught me by the hair, scrambling to get my feet back under me. I dug my nails into the person’s flesh, and they shrieked in pain.

Drue’s face twisted, but she didn’t let go of my hair. “Help me, damn it!”

There was a flash of movement and then a punch landed in my gut. I knew that punch.

I kicked out, landing a blow to Xena’s leg and she cried out, stumbling back a few steps.

Jamming my elbow back into Drue’s ribs, I felt a satisfying crunch. Her answering blow to my face came so fast I didn’t have a chance to block it. The punch landed across my cheekbone and had my vision blurring.

Xena used that opening to land a hook to my kidneys. My knees wavered, but I wasn’t going out like that. Not to these two bitches.

Drue swung for another face shot and I dropped low. She connected with Xena’s temple instead, knocking her out cold. Drue spat a slew of curses as I pushed to my feet.

“Look what you did.”

I arched a brow. “Me? Looks like you made your bestie go night-night. Some friend you are.”

She screamed some sort of feral battle cry and charged. I simply stepped to the side just as she was about to reach me. The self-defense classes Lainey and I had taken in middle school were coming back now. It had been a while since I’d gotten in a fight, but the muscle memory was still there.

Drue whirled on me. “You think you’re so special? You’re nothing. You didn’t grow up in this world and our people will never follow you.”

The corner of my mouth quirked up. “If you really believed that, you wouldn’t be chasing me like a crazy person.”

“I’m putting you in your place!” Drue punched out, her blow glancing off my shoulder. The one that was still healing from the assassin attack.

I cursed. She packed some power for someone who’d basically had life handed to her. I shot an uppercut into Drue’s ribs, and she hollered as she attempted some sort of kick that missed.

“I am going to kill you!” she shrieked.

Fire flamed to life in her hands and my heart stuttered. My reaction was pure instinct. Water shot from my palms like a flood. The force hit Drue like a physical blow, knocking her feet out from under her and sending her hurtling to the floor.

The fire snuffed out from Drue’s hands, and her face smacked against the tiled hallway. The sound that came out of her was nothing I’d ever heard before. Like some sort of dying hyena. She clutched her face as blood poured from between her fingers.

I called my water back and it came after only a handful of seconds, just as familiar voices yelled my name. Phoenix, Riven, Kai, and Atlas came charging around the corner, skidding to a halt at the scene in front of them.

“You broke my fucking nose!” Drue cried. Only her words were barely discernible around all the swelling.

Kai’s lips twitched as he looked from Drue to me. “Pip.”

I shrugged. “Told you I could handle myself.”

“OW, OW, OW,” I cried.

Phoenix adjusted the ice pack on my cheek so there was a little less pressure. “The ice will help the swelling.”

Riven scowled as he rubbed my feet. “You’re lucky you didn’t break anything.”

“Don’t scowl at me,” I griped.

Kai chuckled. “He’s just pissed he wasn’t there to be the one to knock Drue out.”

“It’s better none of you were there.”

Atlas let out a growl as he continued running his fingers through my hair in soothing strokes. “They shouldn’t have had an opening.”

I sighed. Poor Egan and Carn had been reamed out for leaving me unprotected, even after I’d explained that I’d told them to go. Drue had gotten one of her minions to give that false report of an assassin on campus and then pounced.

“It really is for the best,” I said. “Now they know they can’t mess with me.”

“They should’ve already learned that,” Phoenix grumbled.

“Sometimes it takes a few tries to get a message across when people are stupid.”

Kai choked on a laugh then strode over to press a light kiss to the corner of my mouth. “Have I told you lately how much I love you?”

I smiled even though it made pain flare in my face. “You might’ve. But I always like hearing it.”

Kai settled on the ottoman in front of the sectional. “How did you learn to fight like that?”

I shrugged. “We didn’t live in the best neighborhood. Lainey and I learned it was best to know how to fight back. After a while, people didn’t mess with us as much.”

The guys went quiet for a moment. Then Phoenix leaned down from behind the couch and pressed a kiss to my head. “You’re a badass, Pip.”

“And don’t you forget it.”

Atlas’s fingers tangled in my hair. “We never could.”

Riven shifted on the sofa, pulling out his phone. He glanced down at the screen, frowning.

I struggled to sit up. “What is it?”

He looked up. “It’s Headmaster Acker’s office. He wants to see you about the incident.”

36

“PLEASE TELL me I’m not about to get expelled,” I said as we headed towards Winthrop Hall.

Phoenix wrapped an arm around my shoulders. “Drue and Xena started this.”

I winced as he bumped the tender spot on my shoulder.

Phoenix froze. “What’s wrong?”

Rolling my shoulder, pain rocked through me again. “Drue got the same shoulder the assassin hit.”

Phoenix immediately dropped his arm.

Riven growled as he gently tugged my shirt to the side so he could see my shoulder. He hissed out a breath. “Why didn’t you say anything? We would’ve healed you.”

“I’m sure it’ll be fine by tomorrow.” That might’ve been a lie, but I was sure it would at least feel better. Even though our healing gifts could repair damage, it wouldn’t eradicate all of the pain.

Atlas moved in, framing my face with his large hands. “We always want to know if you’re hurting. We can’t fix it if we don’t know.”

I stretched up to brush my mouth against his. Atlas had to bend down to make it possible, but he was more than willing to meet me halfway. I brushed my nose against his. “Sorry. I’ll keep you informed of all bodily injuries going forward.”

“How about just no more bodily injuries?” Kai cut in.

“It would be a fucking miracle,” Riven grumbled.

“Come on, grumpy pants.” I pinched Riven’s side. “Let’s go get my lecture.”

We made our way into the building and wove through the halls to Headmaster Acker’s office. My stomach gave a healthy dip as we stepped into the waiting area.

The receptionist looked nervous, on edge. She wouldn’t meet any of our gazes. “He’s waiting for you inside.”

Riven strode forward, pulling the door open.

Royal guards lined either side of the headmaster’s office. Acker sat behind his desk, his face a perfectly blank mask. Opposite him were King Zephyr and King Terra.

The grief and rage that shot through me at seeing King Zephyr stole my breath. As if sensing it, Atlas wove his fingers through mine, squeezing hard. It helped, but not enough. Memories battered at the walls of my mind, trying to break free. I could feel the heat of the fire, the weight of the beam. I struggled to take a full breath.

A faint cool breeze wrapped around me, washing away the worst of my panic. I knew it was Riven. I could smell that crystal clear air that was only him.

“Clearly, she isn’t in control of herself or her gifts. That’s reason enough for expulsion,” King Zephyr said, his eyes narrowing on me.

My hands clenched at my sides, power pulsing beneath my skin. That fire inside me yearned to break free, to inflict on him the pain he had caused me. That need for vengeance burned hot and bright.

Phoenix leaned down, his lips brushing my ear. “He’s like Aiden. He wants your reaction.”

Something about that broke through my rage. I refused to let Zephyr win. Not when he’d already cost me so much.

I let out a slow breath, turning my focus from King Zephyr to Headmaster Acker. “You wanted to see me, sir?”

His lips flickered the barest amount, as if he were holding back a grin. “I understand there was an altercation earlier today.”

“An attack,” King Zephyr corrected.

“He’s right. It was an attack,” I agreed. “Drue and Xena created an elaborate ruse to jump me after classes.”

King Zephyr shot to his feet. “They are students in good standing. They have been for years. If they say you attacked them unprovoked, they’re telling the truth.”

King Terra leaned back in his chair, gaze zeroing in on where Atlas’s and my hands were joined. “Not watching your mate’s back, were you?” He smirked at his son. “You know what can happen if you don’t keep a close eye. These females aren’t faithful.”

A muscle in Atlas’s cheek ticked wildly, but he didn’t say a word.

“I demand justice for the wrong that was perpetrated against my subjects. Aura Coleman must be released from Kingwood immediately and cast out into the human realm.” King Zephyr bellowed the words with such force the teacup on Headmaster Acker’s desk rattled.

There was such rage in him that his entire body vibrated. His gaze narrowed on me, locking in on the burns peeking out from my sleeve. His jaw worked back and forth as he stared at me. There was something else there, lurking just below the surface. But I couldn’t quite grasp it.

Riven took my free hand in his. He stroked my scars with his thumb, a silent reassurance that he was here. That he had my back.

King Zephyr’s jaw dropped. “Riven.”

“Yes, Father?”

“You are promised to Eva. The contract has been signed.”

The tightening of the muscles around Riven’s eyes was the only sign of tension, everything else was that mask I’d always hated. “You know engagements are null and void when a true mate bond is discovered.”

“You would betray her? Betray me?” King Zephyr gritted out.

He didn’t give a damn about Eva. All he cared about was control.

Riven knew as much because he shrugged. “Even you can’t control what the elements want for us. If I go against them, it would be blasphemy. They have blessed me with this bond, and I accept it with my whole heart.”

King Terra snorted. “You teach him to talk like a pansy, Zephyr?”

King Zephyr’s gaze snapped to the other ruler. “Watch how you speak to me.”

The temperature in the room dropped several degrees and it was the first time I got a picture of King Zephyr’s real power. A shiver rocked through me. This man could end us all if he wanted to right now.

The ground beneath the school shook as King Terra stood. “Don’t start with me. You won’t like what happens.”

“Gentlemen,” Headmaster Acker said, standing. “I would like to remind you that this campus is neutral ground. A show of force within its bounds would mean relinquishing your rule, effective immediately.”

The shaking beneath stopped, and King Terra shot the headmaster a grin. “Come on now, Acker. You know we have to show the kids what we’re capable of now and again or they might get ideas in their heads.” He arched a brow at Atlas, his expression going cold.

Headmaster Acker rounded his desk. “That may be, but I think we’ve had enough excitement for one day. I’ll be sure to send you the full report on my investigation into the events of today.”

I let out the first full breath since I’d walked through these doors. He wasn’t kicking me out. Not yet anyway.

King Terra muttered something about bureaucracy and started for the door.

King Zephyr glared at the headmaster. “I’ll be fact-checking that report.”

“You are welcome to,” Headmaster Acker replied.

King Zephyr turned and his gaze froze me to the spot. That terrifying coldness was back. The kind with no soul. He strode towards me, the guys at my side stiffening. Air swirled around me, carrying with it words only I could hear.

“You look just like her. I wonder if you’ll scream like her too.”

37

THE AIR SWIRLING around me was gone a moment later, King Zephyr going with it. But his words had embedded themselves in my mind. So deep I didn’t think I’d ever get them out.

“Aura?” Worry creased Riven’s brow. “Did he do something?”

I shook my head, unable to repeat those awful words.

Riven studied me carefully, not seeming to believe me.

He shouldn’t have. Voices swirled around me, but I couldn’t hear what they were saying. I was too lost in the world of what-ifs and searching for memories. I didn’t say a thing as Atlas guided me out of the office. Didn’t make a sound as we walked back to the royal dorm.

The guys started for the kitchen, but I made my way up the stairs. There were countless rooms in the house, but none of them felt like mine. I avoided the guys’ rooms and wove my way to another hall that housed guest rooms.

I picked one at random, stepping inside and closing the door softly behind me. Leaning against the door, I struggled to breathe normally. Each beat of my heart intensified the ache in my chest.

The walls felt as if they were getting tighter and tighter. I hurried towards the French doors, needing fresh air, a breeze, anything. I flung them open and stumbled out onto the balcony.

My legs shook and I collapsed to the ground. My lungs burned as I struggled to get air into them in wheezing pants. My breaths were so loud, I didn’t hear the person enter the room. Wasn’t aware of their presence until they had crouched down next to me.

Kai moved on instinct, scooping me up and depositing me on his lap. “You’re safe, Aura. I’ve got you.”

A sob struggled to break free, but that wouldn’t come either. It was as if everything inside me was locked down in panic.

“Breathe with me.” Kai lifted my hand to his chest so I could feel the rise and fall.

I struggled to find his rhythm. It came in fits and starts. I would get it for a moment and then lose it again. But finally, the steady ebb and flow settled in.

When I was finally breathing evenly, I collapsed against his chest.

Kai stroked a hand through my hair. “That’s it.”

I tipped my head back so that I could see his face. “How did you know?”

“Know that you were upset?”

I shook my head. “How to get me breathing again.” Usually, I had to struggle with the panic for a hell of a lot longer than that.

Kai’s fingers stilled in my hair before picking up his ministrations again. “I’ve been there.”

My gaze bored into him in question.

He let out a huff of breath. “I had a lot of nightmares after Eleanor tried to kill me. Sometimes they led to panic attacks. My dad helped me with that breathing technique. It always helped to see someone else’s rhythm. I’m not sure why.”

I pressed my palm to his chest. “I’m sorry you had to go through that.” If she hadn’t already been dead, I might’ve had to pull a Phoenix and hunt her down. It was bad enough that she’d tried to kill Kai but then to torture him in unconsciousness?

“It’s better now. I’ve learned to deal with it when memories come up. And the guys know how to help if I ever have a bad one.”

That piece of information had warmth sweeping through me. “I love the bond you guys have. It’s rare.”

Kai kneaded the muscles on the back of my neck. “It is. We’ve been through so much together, and even when some of our families wanted us to hate each other, we never gave in.”

I nuzzled in closer to him. “I’m glad you didn’t.”

Kai was quiet for a moment. “Will you tell me what brought on the panic attack?”

My muscles tensed and Kai kept massaging my neck, trying to take the worst of it away. I worried the inside of my cheek. “King Zephyr said something to me as he was leaving.”

Kai’s fingers stilled. “I didn’t hear anything.”

“It was in the air. He swirled it around me, and I could hear it in my head.”

Kai went ramrod straight. “That’s a violation. Those with air affinities can carry messages into your mind, but it’s a serious no-go. He never should’ve done that.”

I picked at a loose thread on my skirt. “He said that I looked just like her and he wondered if I’d scream just like her too.”

Kai’s grip on my neck tightened as his entire body vibrated with fury. “He what?”

Gripping his arm, I turned in Kai’s hold. “Don’t. Don’t let him take you to that place.” I didn’t want Kai to descend into the kind of ugly rage where King Zephyr lived.

“I can’t—I—he filled your head with that vile—”

I cut Kai off with a kiss. “And you helped take it away.”

“It’s not enough.”

“It’ll have to be. For now.”

He pulled me tighter against himself, as if he could protect me from all the ugliness in the world with just his embrace.

I sank into that hold, feeling safe and loved. Such warmth in the middle of cold cruelty. “There was so much hatred in his voice. Does he hate aethers that much? Anyone who descended from them?”

Kai’s mouth pressed into a hard line. “Zephyr has always been power-hungry. There were rumblings a few years ago that he was preparing his army for battle. That he was going to make a play for some of our lands.”

Stiffening, I struggled to sit up. “But there’s been a truce for centuries.”

He shrugged. “Zephyr has always wanted more. Riven has discovered countless plots to undermine the other kingdoms. He’s done what he can to help, getting messages to us or throwing off things on his dad’s end. But Zephyr has succeeded too.”

I could feel a fraction of the weight that had been resting on Riven and it was almost unbearable. “What did his dad do?”

“So many things. A couple of years ago, he unleashed beetles that destroyed the Kingdom of Terra’s crops. Their people were starving until Atlas was able to broker a deal with Phoenix’s father for trade. He’d hoped to weaken them and then swoop in to take their lands.”

“He’s heartless.” Who would do that to families? Children?

“That’s only the tip of the iceberg. He’s sent assassins for industry leaders, destroyed historic sites, stolen cultural artifacts. Anything that will eat away at the other kingdom’s psyche and way of life. And he’s smart about it too.”

I looked up at Kai. “He’s not going to walk away from his rule without a fight.”

Kai sighed, holding me tighter. “No. He’s not.”

38

KAI CLIMBED to his feet with me still in his arms. The sun dipping below the horizon was the only sign of how much time had passed. We hadn’t spoken much after we’d discussed King Zephyr. Because what was there to say? Neither of us had a solution for the problems he might cause.

Instead, we simply basked in each other’s company. I could feel that slight buzz of Kai’s presence when I really focused. It was a reassuring steady hum I no longer noticed most of the time. But the knowledge that it was always there was comforting somehow.

My feet found the floor as Kai righted me. He brushed the hair away from my face and pressed a gentle kiss to my lips. “I think we need some fun.”

I arched a brow. “Define fun.”

He chuckled, squeezing the back of my neck. “A three-letter word that most of this house has completely forgotten existed.”

Kai had a point there. We had been far too focused on killers, power-hungry plots, and mean girls. It wouldn’t hurt to have a night of relaxation. I should’ve probably worked on the homework that was piling up, but I just didn’t have it in me.

Instead, I smiled up at Kai. “Find us some fun.”

“SHE CHEATS!” Phoenix shouted as I leapt to my feet and shook my hips back and forth in a victory dance.

The warm buzz of a cider Atlas had poured coursed through me as I tossed my cards onto the ottoman. “Nope. Just damn lucky.”

And as Riven chuckled, staring up at me with tenderness in his eyes, I felt that luck. It was in the warm affection that had swirled around me all night. In the fierce protectiveness and gentle care of all these men.

Atlas shook his head, amusement lacing his features. “She’s a card shark.”

Kai frowned at me. “I never would’ve taught her the damn game if she was going to win every hand.”

“You’re just pissed that your reign is over,” Riven shot back at him.

Kai huffed. “Beginner’s luck. She won’t keep it for long.”

My eyes narrowed on him. “I’ll take you on any day, any time.”

“Oh, really?” Kai leapt up from the floor, diving for me.

I shrieked as he tossed me over his shoulder and started for the stairs, tickling my sides. “Beg for mercy.”

“Never.”

He charged up the stairs, the rest of the guys on our heels. “Last chance…”

“I’ll never give in,” I cried in between fits of laughter.

A second later, I was sailing through the air. I landed with an oomph on Kai’s ridiculously fluffy bed. Pressing up on my elbows, I scowled at him. “That was rude.”

Kai grinned that cocky smile that had my insides twisting into delicious knots. “Have to show you who’s boss around here.”

I arched a brow. “Boss?”

Atlas snorted. “There’s only one boss around here and she’s lying on the bed, covered in feathers.”

I plucked a white feather from my hair that had clearly come from a pillow I’d landed on. “Oops.”

Phoenix strode towards me, his powerful form eating up the space. “Now that we’ve got you here, what are we going to do with you?”

Heat pooled low in my belly at the rasp in his words. “I bet you could get creative.”

The corner of his mouth kicked up. “Creativity is my middle name.”

Atlas moved then, rounding the bed and taking my mouth in a kiss that stole my breath. I pushed into it, needing more of his taste and feel. When I broke away, I was breathless.

My gaze cut to movement in the doorway. Riven hovered there. Such want in his eyes. It cracked something deep in my chest.

“I can go,” he said quietly.

I shook my head. “Stay.” My voice shook on the single word. “I’m not ready for everything, but I want you here.”

Emotions warred on his face. Relief, pain, hope. “I get it. I’m here for whatever you want.”

Amusement danced in Kai’s eyes. “Make-out session, high school style?”

The giddiness in his tone had all the apprehension bleeding out of me. “I am a fan of a good make-out sesh.”

He arched a brow. “Maybe a little over-the-clothes heavy petting?”

Phoenix chuckled. “First one to make Aura come without removing a single item of clothing wins.”

A laugh startled out of me. “Wins what?”

“Bragging rights,” he answered as if it were obvious.

Riven moved towards me. That smooth, effortless, gliding walk that told me whatever he did in the bedroom would be smooth as silk.

A second later warm air wrapped around me, and I gasped as an invisible finger trailed up my spine.

“He’s cheating,” Kai accused.

Atlas shook his head. “Phoenix never said anything about not using affinities.”

I swallowed hard as air swirled beneath my shirt, teasing my stomach and then rising to my breasts. I couldn’t hold in the soft mewl as it stroked my nipples.

“God, I love watching her blush,” Phoenix growled.

My eyes locked with Riven’s, and the air vibrated. Then it was everywhere. Skating over my skin in a cascade of sensations.

A moan fell from my lips as that force dipped between my legs, circling my clit.

Riven never took his eyes off of me and I was held captive by his glacial gaze. Air swirled tighter around my nipples, twisting and toying.

My mouth fell open, no sound on my lips as air slid inside my core. Diving deep. Moving in and around me. A buzz lit deep in my muscle and sinew as my back arched and my body trembled.

“More?” Riven rasped.

“More.”

The air began to vibrate harder, setting every nerve ending inside me ablaze. But I didn’t lose sight of Riven for a second. We stayed locked together, even without an inch of skin touching, as I came apart.

Wave after wave of pleasure rocked through me, and when I collapsed back on the bed, I was a boneless mess. Riven bent over me, his lips skimmed mine in the barest of touches.

“Most beautiful thing in the world, watching you come apart at the seams.”

39

WE CAME to a stop outside the gym and Riven bent, hovering just shy of my lips. “Have a good day.”

I reached up on my tiptoes, closing the distance. “You too.”

Things had changed since last night. Riven was freer with his expressions of affection, seeming to understand that I needed them but wasn’t quite ready to cross that final barrier. It meant more to me than I could put into words, that understanding.

Kai tugged on my ponytail, pulling my head back and kissing me soundly. “Give ‘em hell, Pip.”

Atlas frowned as he moved in, pressing his lips to the corner of my mouth. “Be careful.”

My stomach clenched at the worry in his voice. “I will.”

Phoenix wrapped an arm around my shoulders. “I’ve got her back.”

And I was grateful for it. I looked up at the large gym that housed state-of-the-art workout facilities along with a pool and areas for combat practice. Combat. The class that I’d been worried about since the moment I found out I was coming to Kingwood. And now it was here.

“Text us if you run into any issues,” Riven ordered.

Phoenix lifted his chin in acknowledgment. “You know I will.”

I started towards the large double doors, knowing that the longer I waited, the worse it would be. I didn’t look at the guys I was leaving behind and trusted Phoenix to keep up with me. He pulled open one of the doors and we stepped inside.

A buzz of voices sounded to the left and we moved in that direction. The room itself was massive. Bleachers lined one wall and thick mats covered the floor. I caught sight of red hair and moved in Kerry’s direction.

She nibbled on her bottom lip as she stared at our classmates. “This is going to be so bad.”

I squeezed her hand. “Not if we strike first. Show strength right out of the gate and then people will back off.”

Kerry looked at me skeptically. “I don’t know how much that works when you’ve never thrown a punch.”

I winced. “Just remember not to put your thumb inside your fist.”

“Quiet down.” A buff woman in her forties strode to the center of the floor.

The entire room hushed.

“You can call me Sarge. I’ll be the one getting your sorry asses into fighting shape over the next four years.” She scanned the room, her gaze settling on Phoenix and motioning him forward. “This is Phoenix Ash, but I’m sure you royal ass kissers already know that.”

Phoenix hid a laugh behind a cough as he crossed to Sarge.

She pointed out three figures standing against the wall, two women and one man. “We have healers on duty today so that you don’t have to hold back.”

A lead weight settled in my stomach. So much for taking things easy on day one.

“We’re starting purely with hand-to-hand. Each of the rings are spelled to prevent you from using your affinities. Other than that, anything goes. Just don’t kill anyone,” Sarge barked.

She motioned everyone to their feet. “I’ll be pairing you up to see how you fight without my instruction. Then I’ll get you in groups based on your skill level.”

Kerry let out a soft moan as Sarge paired her with a guy at least twice as big as her.

“Use his size against him,” I whispered. “He’ll be slow.”

She nodded and stepped into a ring.

Sarge looked down at her tablet. “Aura and Drue.”

My gaze cut to the girl across the room sending me a death glare. There was still some bruising around her eyes, but the nose itself had obviously been healed.

Phoenix stepped forward. “I don’t think that’s a good idea—”

“Are you running this class?” Sarge clipped.

“No, ma’am.”

“Then shut up, look pretty, and keep these idiots from killing each other.”

This time it was me who choked on a laugh. The amusement died on my lips as Drue prowled towards the ring that was to be ours.

There was a white circle printed on the mat and the moment I passed over the line, I felt something shift inside me. A muting of sorts. I couldn’t connect with my power the way I normally did.

Drue sneered at me. “No one’s going to be able to save you now.”

I arched a brow at her. “You were the one who needed saving last time. How is your nose feeling? Still looks a little crooked.”

Her fingers flew to her face, cheeks heating.

Sarge blew a whistle. “Begin.”

Drue didn’t wait. She charged in my direction, kicking out at my side. I dodged the worst of the blow, leveling an uppercut to her ribs.

We picked up a sort of dance and I had to admit that we were well-matched when it came to hand-to-hand. Every time one of us would land a hit, the other would soon follow.

Sweat broke out on my brow as Drue seemed to somehow gain momentum. She moved in a flash, punching my injured shoulder with a force that sent me reeling. Pain burst through me, stealing my breath.

Drue’s knee came up, connecting with my chin. My head snapped back, and I hurtled to the mats just as the whistle blew.

“Time,” Sarge called.

Drue charged towards me to level another blow, but Phoenix caught her elbow, yanking her back. “I don’t think so.”

“You won’t always be around to protect her,” she seethed.

Phoenix shoved her towards the bleachers and then moved towards me. “Are you hurt?”

I nodded, pain flaring to life again as I sat up. “Just my wounded pride.”

He frowned at me. “It’s more than that. I saw her get your shoulder.”

“Okay, that smarts a little.”

Phoenix helped me up and motioned over a healer. The woman hovered her hands over me, instructing me to keep my breathing even. Warmth spread through me as her magic worked, pulling away the worst of the pain.

When her hands dropped, she frowned. “The injuries are healed, but I can’t fix the bruising or all of the pain. It might be wise to sit out this next round.”

“I’ll be okay.”

“Aura—” Phoenix began.

“I’ll be fine,” I promised. “I’ll take an ice bath later.” And I had a feeling I’d need it.

Kerry hurried over to me, a smile on her face. “I outran him! He didn’t hit me once!”

“Told you. You just have to use your strengths to your advantage.”

The happiness fled from her face. “Are you okay? You’re moving a little funny…”

“I’ll be fine.”

Phoenix growled something undiscernible under his breath.

Sarge’s whistle blew again, and she began reading off new pairings. I listened for my name as more and more students departed for their fight circles. Sarge scanned her tablet. “Last but not least, Aiden and Aura.”

“Oh, fuck no,” Phoenix snapped.

Sarge lifted a brow. “Am I going to have to remove you from my class?”

I pressed a hand into Phoenix’s chest. “It’s fine. It’s just a class.”

“Yeah, brother bear. It’s fine. I’ll take real good care of your little aether.”

A chill skated over my skin. I could still hear that assassin calling me Little Aether and the moniker from Aiden’s mouth had nausea rolling through me.

“You can’t do this.” Panic laced Phoenix’s tone.

I pressed my palm harder against his heart. “I have to. I have to show them I’m not afraid.”

Phoenix’s jaw worked back and forth, but he finally nodded.

Releasing my hold on him, I turned and stepped into the ring.

Aiden grinned as his gaze ran over me. “This could be fun, Little Aether.”

I wanted to snap at him not to call me that, but I wouldn’t give Aiden the satisfaction. Instead, I took up a loose fighting stance. We moved around one another, each of us sending out testing blows to see how the other would react.

Aiden was the first to land a punch. One that forced all the air from my lungs with a single blow. But I didn’t let myself stay down. I used the momentum to send a hook shot into his side, right at the kidneys.

He let out a grunt and kicked low, sweeping my legs out from under me.

I hit the mat with a smack, light flashing in my vision.

Aiden was on top of me in half a second, hand around my throat.

The world darkened around me. The panic of not being able to move was too much. I bucked my hips, trying to get free, but Aiden wouldn’t move.

His fingers tightened around my throat. My vision tunneled. But then that panic broke through. It gave me a burst of adrenaline I desperately needed.

I rolled us so that I was on top of Aiden and landed a hard hit to his cheek.

Aiden cursed, throwing me off him.

I clamored to my feet, raising my hands to protect my face and body.

“I was trying to take it easy on you, Aura.”

I dodged a jab. “I don’t think choking the life out of me qualifies as easy.”

He grinned. “Trust me. It’s a mercy.”

Something about the cockiness in that tone had my anger sparking. My foot struck out, catching Aiden right between the legs. He dropped like a stone, face going pale.

Several guys around us let out pained “ooohs” along with laughter.

Aiden’s face went from white to red in a flash. He moved so quickly I didn’t have time to prepare. He was on the ground one second, and the next, he’d grabbed me by the hair and wrenched my arm back.

I tried to twist out of the hold, to kick back, but he was too fast. There was a telltale crack of bone and then nothing but blinding pain.

40

THE WORLD TUNNELED around me as the pain took over. It was as if everything else was hazy. I could see it but not clearly. And it all felt like it was happening in slow motion.

Phoenix. Charging into the ring. His first punch sent Aiden flying to the mat. But he didn’t stop there. Blow after blow. The sickening crunch of bone. Blood spraying the floor.

Shouts sounded. Sarge and three other massive guys hauled Phoenix off of Aiden. He raged and twisted, trying to break free of their holds. They forced him towards the exit and then Sarge gave him a hard shove. “Get the hell out of here, Ash. Cool off before you kill someone.”

Flames danced around him as he struggled to get himself under control.

Sarge’s eyes narrowed on him. “Don’t pull that shit with me or I’ll ban you from class for the rest of the semester.”

Phoenix’s nostrils flared and then his eyes collided with mine. I couldn’t help the soft whimper that escaped me. I wanted to go to him. To help. But I couldn’t move, the pain was too much.

Phoenix started forward, but Sarge gave him another shove.

“Go. I’ll make sure Aura is treated.”

He stared at me for one more moment then turned and stormed away.

I was aware of two healers lifting Aiden onto a stretcher. He let out a soft moan as they moved him. Blood covered the front of his shirt, and I knew his nose had to be broken.

Gentle hands laid on my uninjured shoulder. “Lie back,” the woman instructed. It was the same healer who had helped me earlier. I needed to bake her cookies or something.

A gasp of pain flew from my lips as I lay back on the mat.

The healer frowned. “How bad is the pain?”

I wanted to answer her, but I couldn’t get the words out. I was just trying to breathe through the waves of fire coursing through my arm.

Footsteps sounded, pounding the ground at a speed that seemed otherworldly. A second later, Riven’s face filled my line of vision. “What the hell happened?”

“Aiden,” I croaked.

Riven let a stream of curses fly. “Where the hell is he?”

“He had to be removed by my colleagues. Your friend did a number on him,” the healer huffed.

“Good,” Riven shot back.

I tried to shift and cried out in pain. Riven froze. “Where are you hurt?”

“My arm. I think it’s broken.”

He glared at the woman next to us. “Why haven’t you healed her yet?”

The healer sent him a droll look. “Because you stormed over here and got in my way.”

The look that Riven sent her would’ve frozen lava.

She immediately dipped her head. “Apologies, Your Highness.”

“Heal her.”

The woman ghosted her hands over my arm, reading the injury.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered. “He gets cranky when I get hurt.”

The woman’s lips fluttered slightly. “I’ve been treated far worse.”

I frowned at that. “You shouldn’t be. You help people.”

She shrugged. “We’re not seen as valuable. When you’re a healer, typically your affinities are weak. That’s what elementals care about.”

“I can’t imagine a better gift than helping to ease people’s pain.”

The woman smiled at me. “Thank you.” She focused on my arm, brows pulling together. “This is a bad break in two places. I can heal the injury, but you’ll be sore for a while.”

“As long as it’s not this level of pain, I can deal.”

“I can do that. The actual healing may be painful because I’m knitting the bone back together.”

I swallowed but nodded. “Do it.”

Riven’s hand slipped into mine. He leaned down and pressed his lips to my temple. “I’m here.”

And I felt that presence. The warm reassurance that I wasn’t alone in this. I gripped his hand hard.

The healer hovered her hands over my arm and heat flared in my limb. At first it was simply a comforting warmth, and then the pain came. The agony of bones moving, as if they were being rebroken and put back in their rightful place.

I did everything I could to keep from screaming. Light danced in my vision. I tried to focus on anything but the pain. Riven. The students around us. Kerry wringing her hands, worry etched deep in her face. Drue and Xena whispering and smiling. Others looking wary.

I had a feeling no one would even be talking to me after the stunt that Aiden pulled. I could only imagine how my classmates would react to being paired with me in the fight ring.

A few minutes later, the pain subsided. All that was left was a dull ache deep in my tissue.

The healer brushed her hair out of her face. “Take it easy for the next twenty-four hours. Make sure you get plenty of rest because your body will still be recovering.”

I nodded as Riven helped me sit up. “Thank you. You’ve healed me twice and I don’t even know your name.”

She gave me a gentle smile. “Sariah.”

“Nice to meet you, Sariah. Thank you for putting me back together.”

“How about we try not to make it a habit?”

I laughed. “That sounds like a good plan to me.”

Riven helped me to my feet. “Let’s get you home to rest.”

Home. As much as I loved being with the guys, the dorm didn’t feel like home. An ache settled deep in my chest. A longing for that feeling of home, of a space where I felt truly safe.

But with everything I’d faced lately, I wasn’t sure I’d ever feel safe again.

41

“ARE you sure you don’t want this pain tincture?” Atlas asked for the third time.

I eyed the glass in his hand. The purplish liquid looked suspect, to say the least. “That thing will make me pass out for hours.”

“Which is what you need. Rest,” Riven said as he continued to dig his thumbs into the arch of my foot.

“I don’t want to go unconscious.” I needed to be awake with all my faculties as soon as Phoenix returned.

I looked over at Kai, who was staring out the window. “Do you know where he went?”

Kai turned, no traces of his typical humor lining his face. He shook his head. “Just took off into the woods.”

Dread swirled through me. Phoenix had been upset on far too many levels. He was distracted. And if he’d gone to burn off some of that anger and grief by taking out people on his kingdom’s hit list? He could be injured or worse.

I tugged my feet from Riven’s lap and stood, moving over to the back windows to stand near Kai. I scanned the trees but didn’t see any sign of him.

Kai moved in close, wrapping his arms gently around me. His comforting heat enveloped me. “I’m so sorry you were hurt. So damn sorry we weren’t there.”

I tipped my head back so that I could take in his face. I spoke loud enough so that all of them could hear me. “You can’t shield me from everything. I have to fight my own battles. If I don’t, this world will never respect me.”

Placing a palm on Kai’s chest, I turned to look at Riven and Atlas. “Aiden’s an asshole, but he didn’t actually break any of the rules. Anything goes other than affinity use and killing someone. He didn’t do either. My arm is healed, and by tomorrow I’ll practically be back to normal.”

The guys were quiet for a moment and then it was Atlas who spoke. “You can’t expect us to be okay with you being hurt. You’re our mate. It’s in our nature to protect to you, to keep you safe.”

“I get that it’s going to be hard. But I have to stand on my own two feet. I’m so tired of feeling on edge, of worrying about what’s around every corner. I’m ready to learn how to defend myself in every way possible. Even if that means getting hurt along the way.”

“Then that’s what you’ll do.”

I spun at the sound of Phoenix’s voice. He stood in the doorway, plumes of smoke swirling around him. He wasn’t covered in blood this time, but he had a gash across his cheek and his clothes were torn in places.

Hurrying towards him, I scanned his body for any signs of serious injury. “Are you okay?”

His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed. “It’s not me I’m worried about.”

I took his hands in mine. “I’m fine.”

“You weren’t.”

“True. But that’s why we have healers. I’m right as rain now.”

Riven made a sound of disagreement and I sent a scowl in his direction.

“Come on.” I guided Phoenix towards the kitchen. I’d seen a first aid kit under the sink. I couldn’t fix what he’d been through today, but I could tend to his wounds.

He went without complaint. But this numb air to Phoenix made my stomach twist. That wasn’t him. He was fire and life. He burned bright and was never afraid to say what he thought.

I grabbed the first aid kit and moved to the French doors that led out to the back patio. “Sit,” I commanded, inclining my head towards a chair.

Phoenix obeyed without a word.

I pulled another chair up to sit opposite him and set the kit on the table. Opening it, I searched for an alcohol swab. Tearing it open, I turned to Phoenix. “This might hurt.”

He simply grunted.

I swiped the square of cotton over his cheek, cleaning away the soot and dried blood. “This wasn’t your fault.”

Phoenix remained silent.

“Injuries happen every day in combat.”

Kerry had told me some doozies of a story about what had happened in that class in the past. My broken arm was nothing.

“He hurts you to get to me,” Phoenix rasped out.

“He hurt me because I kneed him in the balls. He got pissed and reacted.” That wasn’t a lie, but I had seen more in Aiden in that moment. A deep need for vengeance that was fed by a level of rage I’d never experienced before.

“I can’t let something like that go, Aura. Him hurting you like that right in front of me. If I don’t react, he’ll try for more. Something worse. I had to put a stop to it.”

I tossed the alcohol swab on the table and picked up an antiseptic ointment, carefully spreading it across Phoenix’s cheek. “Then I think you should switch combat class with one of the other guys.”

Hurt flashed in Phoenix’s eyes.

“Not because I don’t want you there. Because I have to fight without one of you losing it and killing someone. I’m new at this. It’s going to take me time to learn. That means I’ll fail along the way.” But I was already figuring things out. Today had taught me how elementals fought, and I was already making adjustments to my techniques and strategies in my mind. If I could marry the skills I had learned in the human realm with what Sarge could teach me here…I could do this.

A muscle in Phoenix’s jaw ticked. “I’ll ask Riven to switch with me on one condition.”

I arched a brow. “I don’t trade sexual favors for deals.”

He barked out a laugh. “No sexual favors. You train with me outside of class. You said you want to learn. To protect yourself. I can help with that. I’ve been studying since I was a child.”

Since he’d lost his sister to the assassins and his world had been forever changed. I leaned forward, covering his cut with a bandage and then pressing my lips to his. “You have a deal.”

Phoenix smiled against my mouth. “We could have fun, you and me.”

My skin heated at the promise in his voice. “Yes, we could.”

A faint whistle sounded, and I turned to find the source. Something whizzed by me so fast I couldn’t identify it.

Phoenix growled in pain but shoved me towards the dorm. “Run!”

But I couldn’t. I was frozen. Because there was an arrow protruding from Phoenix’s shoulder.

42

I WHIRLED AROUND to face the forest as Phoenix called fire to his hands. Arrows sailed through the air, and he sent balls of flame, engulfing each one.

Then there were more, coming from too many directions. But it was impossible to see the source. I threw my hands up, sending a wall of air that knocked the arrows back as Phoenix yelled for the guys.

Atlas, Kai, and Riven charged out of the house. Guards ran from around the front of the dorm, but there were only two of them.

“Where is everyone?” Riven demanded.

One of the guards glanced over his shoulder as if there might be someone else to answer. “They were called off on patrols.”

Atlas cursed. “Trap.”

“Help Phoenix,” I yelled.

“I’m fine,” he gritted out.

“You have an arrow sticking out of your shoulder!”

“Hell,” Kai muttered and looked at Riven. “Can you work your magic?”

“And I wouldn’t mind a little help,” I muttered as sweat broke out on my brow.

Atlas was by my side in a flash, his air affinity swirled with mine as the guards charged towards the woods, looking for the assailants. I tried to extend the air barrier to protect them too, but I could only stretch it so far.

I glanced over my shoulder to see Riven working his air around the arrow and pulling it from Phoenix’s body. Phoenix grunted in pain as the arrow pulled free.

A blast of power sent me reeling back. I stumbled, losing my footing and crashing to the ground.

“What the hell was that?” Atlas yelled as a fireball flew past his head.

Riven crouched in front of me, eyes narrowing at the trees. “That was a hell of an air strike.”

Hooded figures emerged from the woods. Too many coming too fast.

The guys were already on their feet, readying for battle.

One Network assassin lifted a gun and pointed it at Kai. My reaction was complete instinct. Fire shot from my palm, engulfing the man in flames. He screamed and writhed, falling to the ground as the fire consumed him.

Shock flooded my system as I stared down at my hands. Horror and relief at what I was capable of.

Arms wrapped around me, dragging me to the side as fire shot by me. Riven hauled me behind the table. “Stay here.”

I shook my head, trying to clear the shock. “I can help.”

“Aura—”

“I can’t sit by while you’re fighting for your lives.”

He growled but nodded. “Stick by my side.”

“Like glue.”

We shot up from behind the table, and I called my earth gift to my palms as two assassins charged towards Atlas. Pulling the ground around a tall pine, I uprooted it and sent it hurtling towards the man and woman. It took them out in a single blow.

Kai shot a stream of water at a man as he lifted a bow and arrow, snapping his neck.

Phoenix was locked in hand-to-hand with another assassin. The man pulled a knife, punching it into Phoenix’s side. He barely blinked. But when his fist struck the man’s face, flames engulfed him.

The assassin ran screaming in circles as one of his compatriots tried to douse him with water. But it was too late. The woman pouring water on him howled in pain.

It wasn’t the cry of physical agony but emotional. Her head lifted, rage pulsing in her dark eyes. She pulled a gun, aiming at Phoenix.

My palms shot out. The ground beneath her rocked, sending her flying and the bullet shooting off course. She struggled to her feet, glaring and trying to turn the gun on me.

A gust of air blew past me and suddenly the woman’s eyes were bugging out of her head as she clawed at her throat.

I turned to Riven whose gaze was locked on the assassin, fury burning there. His hand fisted and the life went out of the woman’s eyes as she crumpled to the ground.

I didn’t let myself feel it, the weight of the death around us. It was too much. I had to focus on surviving. I’d deal with the rest later.

Shouts sounded from the forest. One of the guards. “Fall back!”

But there was nowhere to go. If we retreated into the dorm, we could become trapped.

Movement flickered from the forest. Too much to be anything good.

Dozens of figures hooded in black moved like a silent wave through the trees. I started to count but couldn’t. It was too many. There was no way we would make it out alive.

A million different things flashed through my mind in that moment. Precious memories. Pushing Charlie on the swings when he was little, his shrieking giggle floating through the air. Cuddling on the couch with Janine as we watched The Sound of Music for the thousandth time. Sitting at the park with Riven as he gave me peace about my scars. Atlas holding me in the shower when I could do nothing but fall apart. Kai making me laugh harder than I ever had before and making me feel so deeply desired. The roof with Phoenix, the gift of feeling seen.

I couldn’t lose that. Couldn’t lose them.

A surge of power coursed through me. I threw up my hands on instinct, not even sure what I was doing. It was as if that cascade of colors within me was telling me what to do. And I listened.

A wave of fire shot out of me. Not just my hands, but my entire being. That wall of flame ate up the ground in front of us, taking out everyone in its path.

My chest clenched as it swept over Atlas, but he was unmarred. It was only the assassin prowling towards him that was consumed by the flames. I released my fire as if it no longer belonged to me. I set it free, hoping against hope that it would protect us all.

But as soon as I did, everything around me went sideways. As if I could finally feel the toll that blast of power had taken. I staggered to the side as Riven shouted my name. And then everything went black.

43

A GENTLE HAND stroked over my hair, pulling me from the darkness that was swirling around me. I wanted more of that touch, the warmth that came with it.

“Come on, Aura. Come back to us.”

That deep voice. I knew it. Wanted to curl up in its comfort and protection.

I fought harder, trying to open my eyes. But they felt as if lead weights were holding them down. Giving everything I had, my eyelids fluttered, letting in tiny bursts of light.

“There she is.” Atlas kept stroking my hair. He was smiling, but there was so much strain around his eyes.

“What happened?” I croaked. But as soon as I spoke the words, memories flooded me, one after the other.

I struggled to sit up. “Phoenix.” He’d been shot. Hurt. I needed to see him, to—

“Right here, Pip.” Phoenix leaned in, nuzzling my neck. “We’re all okay.”

Riven crossed his arms, frowning down at us on the bed. “That is yet to be determined. How are you feeling, Aura?”

I did a mental sweep of my body. My muscles ached like I’d run a marathon and I was bone-tired, but I wasn’t in any pain. “I think I’m fine.”

Kai clapped Riven on the shoulder. “Told you our little badass could handle it.”

“She’s been unconscious for the past three days,” Riven gritted out.

My eyes widened. “Three days?”

Atlas pressed his lips to my hair. “Scared the hell out of us.”

“She seems to like doing that,” Phoenix grumbled.

“What about the attack? Are they…?” I wasn’t exactly sure how to finish that question.

“They’re gone,” Riven said.

I stared down at my hands. “You mean I killed them.”

Phoenix moved in closer to me, crowding me with his warmth. It was always several degrees warmer than the other guys, maybe because he had such a strong fire affinity. “You stopped the people who were trying to hurt us.”

I worried the inside of my cheek. “It was like I wasn’t in control.” The idea of that much fire coming from me, causing that much destruction, made me shudder.

Kai moved to the bed, sitting and taking my hand in his. “Your power was responding to the people you love being in danger. That’s a good thing.”

“Not if I have no control over it. I could get pissed off and accidentally kill one of you.”

The corner of his mouth kicked up. “Let’s be honest, the only one you’ve ever been in any real danger of killing is Riven.”

Riven scowled at him. “You aren’t helping.”

Kai squeezed my hand. “Control and understanding will come with time. For now, we can all be grateful that you had that power burst.”

I looked up at Riven. He was standing still, but the energy was practically vibrating through him. “How did so many get through?”

A muscle along his jaw ticked. “The guard received orders from their chain of command to investigate an attack outside of campus. No one can pinpoint where the orders originated from, but they left us completely exposed. And The Network knew that.”

A shiver ran through me, and Atlas pulled me tighter into his side. “We’re lucky we had you, Pip. You saved all of our lives.”

I wanted the ability to protect the people I cared about and myself. But I also was terrified that their lives could rest in my hands. I wasn’t ready for that kind of pressure. I didn’t trust my abilities to show up when I needed them.

There was only one solution to that. I’d have to train. In the fight circles. In my classes. And outside of them too. Phoenix had promised to train me, and I was going to make him live up to that promise.

Riven stared down at me. “What did you feel when you unleashed your fire?”

My hand gripped Kai’s harder, some instinctual reaction I didn’t have control over. I didn’t want to think back to that moment, but we needed answers. All of us. I tried to bring those moments to my mind.

The panic flared in my memory. The deep terror. “I was so scared that I’d lose one of you.”

Phoenix nestled in closer to my side. “We’re right here.”

“There were so many of them. I knew there was no way we could win hand-to-hand or affinity-to-affinity. It was like the fire came without me calling it. Almost like it was telling me what to do.”

Riven frowned as he studied me. “I’ve never had that kind of experience. The air is a part of me, yes, but I’m always the one controlling it.”

I toyed with the hem of the blanket. “It’s like it was whispering in my mind to let it free. So, I did.”

“And it took every one of those assholes out,” Kai said with a grin.

No one else shared in his humor.

He sighed. “Come on. Pip is an amazing badass. That’s something to celebrate.”

“But we also have to make sure she’s safe,” Riven argued.

“And that the people around me are safe too.” That was what I cared about the most. I wouldn’t put the people I loved at risk because of some crazy power.

Phoenix traced a circle on my now fully healed shoulder. “It’s going to take time, but you’ll get there. We’ve all struggled with control.”

“But not with destroying everyone around you.” Maybe there was a little Nova in me after all. Maybe that was what this explosion was, a form of that.

Phoenix’s fingers stilled. “You’re wrong. I almost hurt my parents and siblings more than once. Especially since my affinities manifested early. It’s a heavy burden, but it’s also a gift. You just have to learn how to wield it.”

“And you’re going to teach me, right?”

He leaned in and brushed his lips against mine. “I’m going to teach you. But first, there’s something we need to show you.”

“She needs more rest,” Atlas argued.

“This will make her feel better,” Kai shot back.

I struggled to sit up, curious now. “I want to see.”

“Fine,” Atlas grumbled. “But I’m carrying you.”

I started to argue, but he’d already swept me into his arms.

I couldn’t help the laugh that bubbled out of me. “I don’t think I sustained a leg injury in the attack.”

Atlas huffed as he carried me out of his room and started up the stairs. “You’re still recovering. You shouldn’t be exerting yourself.”

I patted his chest. “Love you.”

A rumbling sound emanated from his chest. “Love you too. Now close your eyes.”

I did as instructed, but my curiosity was piqued again. I’d never ventured up to the third floor. There were several rooms up here, but I’d never had need of any of them.

The sound of a door opening hit my ears and then Atlas slowly set me down. “Open your eyes.”

My eyelids fluttered open, bursts of images hitting me. The only thing I could do was gasp.

44

I SCANNED THE ROOM, trying to take it all in. But every time I settled on one thing, my eyes were pulled to another. First it was the windows. Massive and letting in loads of amazing light. There were ones that faced the forest that made it feel as if you were living in a tree house. And ones at the front that gave you a view of the entire sprawling campus.

My feet started moving without my permission, pulling me deep into the room. There was a massive four-poster bed with a gauzy canopy. It would feel like sleeping in a den of coziness. And there was more than enough room on that bed for all five of us.

That thought both thrilled and terrified me and I couldn’t help my gaze pulling towards Riven. His eyes were locked on me. As if he were studying every reaction. I couldn’t help but wonder what role he’d played in all of this.

I moved towards the bed, taking in the nightstands on either side. Lined on both were photos that had my eyes stinging. One of me and Charlie, our heads thrown back in laughter. Me and Lainey before we’d gone to a school dance.

I thought it might be painful to see the family photos, knowing that some part of them was a lie, but it wasn’t. My heart squeezed at the shot of me, Janine, and Charlie on the front steps of our town house the day we’d gotten the keys. We had all been so happy that day.

And I was determined not to lose that happiness. Janine might not be my mom, but she was my aunt. She loved and cared for me. We were a family.

I swallowed hard as I took in the rest of the photos. “How did you guys get these?”

It was Phoenix who spoke. “Riven went back to your house to get some things. I told him you wouldn’t mind.”

My throat tightened as I turned towards Riven. “Thank you.”

“I wanted this to feel more like home for you. You belong here, Aura. With us.”

It wasn’t just my eyes that were burning now. Everything was. I didn’t miss my unicorn he must’ve gotten from my dorm or my favorite cozy blanket on the overstuffed chair in the corner. Riven had somehow managed to pick the things that meant the most to me.

I crossed to him, stretching up on my tiptoes and brushing my lips across his. “It’s amazing.”

Yet I could still feel myself holding back from him, not letting down that last wall.

He pressed a kiss to my temple. “I’d do anything for you.”

Kai practically bounced. “There’s more.”

I laughed as I pulled out of Riven’s hold. “Okay, let’s see.”

There were a million gorgeous details in the room itself. Linens that were buttery soft and a thick duvet that would be heaven to sleep under. A large painting that hung on the wall with splashes of silver that reminded me of the markings on our chests.

I wound my way through the space and found an alcove that had me letting out another gasp. It was a turret. An honest-to-goodness turret that had been converted into some sort of reading nook. Shelves lined the curved space and there was a wide bed-like creation where you could curl up and read for hours.

“This is unreal…”

Atlas chuckled. “I thought that might be your favorite part.”

“She hasn’t seen the bathroom yet,” Kai shot back. He grinned at me. “That was all my design.”

“Design? I’ve only been out for three days.”

Phoenix’s lips twitched. “Haven’t you realized by now? We can do just about anything we set our minds to.”

Riven arched a brow. “We? You were crashed out next to Aura practically the whole time.”

“I instructed and used my design eye,” Phoenix argued.

“Sure…”

I ignored their bickering and headed towards what I assumed was the bathroom. I passed by an open door that revealed a huge closet with more clothes than I could wear in a lifetime. Ignoring the amount of money that had to have been spent, I kept walking until I hit a space that I could only describe as heaven.

The room itself was circular. White marble streaked with gray coated the floors and the counters. Five sinks lined the walls at exact intervals, gorgeous mirrors hanging over each. To the left was a massive walk-in shower with so many jets I lost track. But it was the center of the room that had me drooling.

A tub that looked more like a lap pool tugged me forward. My fingers skimmed the outside of the white oval. I could see the knobs for water, but there was no spout. Too curious, I turned one then shrieked when the water descended from the ceiling.

Kai laughed and pulled me into his arms. “Do you like it?”

“How is that possible?” I gaped.

“Specialty plumbing.”

“This is incredible. Everything.” Tears welled in my eyes. “I’m not sure I deserve this.”

Atlas moved forward, framing my face in his hands. “You deserve every amazing thing we can give you.”

“This is just the start,” Riven added. “Wait until we build our own home.”

My eyes bugged. “Our own home?”

Phoenix moved in, closing the circle around me. “We’ll have a place that’s just for us. An escape from the royal world. The place where we’ll raise our family.”

“Family?” I squeaked.

Concern lit Atlas’s features. “Do you want a family?”

“I’ve always wanted one. I just wasn’t sure it was in the cards for me.”

Kai’s lips skimmed my temple. “I can’t wait to see little curly-haired ones with your eyes running around.”

Warmth lit in me picturing his words. But fear hit right on its heels. Because if I let myself want that, reach for it, I would be destroyed if it was all taken away.

45

PHOENIX FEINTED to the right and then threw a punch that I had more than enough time to block. I sent a side kick into his stomach, a little harder than I needed to for practice. He grunted as he stumbled out of the fight circle we’d erected in our backyard.

I straightened, wiping the sweat from my brow with my T-shirt. “You’re taking it easy on me.”

“I’m not.”

I stared him down.

Phoenix shifted on his feet, that lying tell, then huffed out a breath. “It’s only been two weeks since the attack, you’re still recovering.”

I was still dealing with a little fatigue, but other than that, things were good. My injuries had healed, and I was making progress in all my classes. But it wasn’t enough. “Two weeks is more than enough taking things easy time. I need to be training harder so that the next time something happens, I’m ready.”

Phoenix frowned at me. “The guard is on alert. You have us with you most of the time. Nothing is going to happen.”

Just because The Network hadn’t made a play for us the past two weeks didn’t mean they wouldn’t try tomorrow. And it was more than that. “I need to feel like I’m in control of my own life, Phee.”

Because there was so much I didn’t have control over right now. Two kings who hated me. An entire army of assassins who wanted me and my bond dead. Mean girls who had made it their mission to make my daily life miserable. Feeling constantly behind because I hadn’t grown up in this world. Still not understanding my affinities and what it meant to be an aether.

But I could decide how hard I worked. It was probably the only thing I was in control of. I needed that right now.

“Can you really do this, or should I find someone else to practice with?”

It was a low blow, but I wasn’t going to get any better if my opponents were taking it easy on me. It was bad enough in combat class where everyone I was paired with was scared to even touch me.

A muscle fluttered in Phoenix’s cheek, but he stepped into the fight circle. “Let’s go.”

I shifted my weight to the balls of my feet. Phoenix jabbed, a little quicker this time, but I dodged and kept moving.

His follow-up kick caught me by surprise, landing just below my rib rage and forcing the air from my lungs. I struggled to right myself and keep standing, but I managed it.

As I rose, I got an uppercut to Phoenix’s diaphragm that had him wheezing.

We parried back and forth, trading blows that didn’t carry full force but were more intense than our previous practices. My fatigue started to set in, but I kept pushing, urging my muscles for more.

I caught Phoenix in the jaw, and he returned with a hook to my cheek that had the world spinning around me.

“Shit.” He caught me by the arm, keeping me upright. “I knew that was too much.”

I shook my head and instantly realized my mistake. The spinning sensation was back in full force.

“Here, sit.”

Phoenix guided me to a chair and pulled out his phone. He spoke in hushed tones as I put my head between my knees. Nausea rolled through me.

Phoenix rubbed a hand up and down my back as he crouched beside me.

“You’re doing it. Helping me get better.”

“Helping you won’t do a damned thing if you keel over in practice.”

I sat up slowly and the world stayed right side up this time. “I have to push myself or I won’t improve.”

His back molars ground together. “There’s pushing yourself and killing yourself.”

Riven stormed out of the house, Kai and Atlas on his heels. “What the hell happened?”

“Nothing. I’m fine.”

He glared at me. “Then why did Phoenix call for an ice pack?”

Phoenix grabbed the ice from Riven’s hand and thrust it into mine without a word.

Concern lined Atlas’s face as he stepped forward with a juice. He twisted the top and handed it to me. “Pushing too hard?”

I winced, feeling like an asshole for making him worry. “Maybe just a little.”

“A little?” Riven huffed.

“Go easy,” Kai said.

He turned his glare on Kai. “She’s been running herself ragged.”

Kai put a plate of cheese and crackers in front of me. “Eat up. Maybe that’ll make Riv less of a cranky pants.”

Riven prowled towards Kai, but I shot to my feet, stepping between them. “That’s enough. I really am okay. I should’ve stopped practicing thirty minutes ago, but I’m stopping now. But it’s working. I’m getting better.” I glanced at Phoenix, hoping for some backup.

He grunted but nodded. “She got in some serious hits on me this last round.”

Kai let out a whistle. “Pip the badass.”

I turned to Riven. “I’m sorry I freaked you out.” Because that was what was at the root of his bark, his worry. “I’ll try to keep better track of my energy levels and call it earlier.”

I heard a sigh in my mind, like a wave of relief.

“Thank you. I just don’t want you going too hard and hurting yourself because you’re still recovering.”

Blinking a few times, I shook my head. I had to have imagined that sigh. But even now, I swore I could feel Riven’s relief.

I pushed off the thought and moved to wrap my arms around him. “Will you be less cranky after I ruin your fancy-ass clothes with my sweaty hug?”

Riven chuckled in my ear. “Haven’t you realized yet? Your arms around me are worth any price.”

46

I CLOSED MY EYES, moaning around the bite of lasagna. The flavors burst on my tongue. The tangy yet sweet tomatoes, the rich mozzarella and creamy ricotta, and the pasta had to be homemade.

“Why didn’t you tell me you could cook?” The question was more of an accusation as I stared across the kitchen table at Atlas.

Kai shot Atlas a look. “Who cares why? All that matters is that he keeps doing it, so you keep making those sounds.”

Phoenix chuckled. “I don’t know, man. It’s awkward as hell to be hard at the dinner table.”

I ignored their juvenile antics and kept my gaze focused on Atlas. “You’re amazing at this.”

His cheeks took on a ruddy color and I swore I could feel his embarrassment at being the center of attention. “Thanks. I like doing it, but my dad never let me explore the interest. Since I got to Kingwood, I’ve been playing around in the kitchen.”

Anger burned in my belly. I’d like to have given King Terra a swift kick in the ass. “We should do this at least once a week. Family dinner.”

The words were past my lips before I could stop them. But when I played the statement back in my head, I snapped my mouth closed, my face heating.

Riven reached under the table, taking my hand in his. “I think family dinner sounds perfect. Maybe two or three times a week. We can share the cooking duties.”

His easy acceptance and welcoming of the idea had my insides warming. I wove my fingers through his. “I have to warn you guys, I’m not very good at cooking.”

Kai sent me a wolfish grin. “That’s all right, Pip. You can be on cleanup duty. Maybe wear one of those little French maid uniforms…”

I picked up the breadstick by my plate and threw it at him.

He caught it one-handed. “Uncalled for.”

Phoenix leaned over and took a bite of the breadstick. “Thanks, Aura. I wanted another one.”

Atlas shook his head but smiled. “I can give you some cooking lessons if you want to learn.”

I toyed with the napkin in my lap. “Janine tried. She’s a really good cook. But I never successfully caught on.”

“You mean you almost burned down the town house,” Riven muttered.

My gaze shot to him. “How did you know—?” My words cut off as Riven gave me a sheepish smile. “You were like some secret stalker, weren’t you?”

He shrugged. “Just needed to make sure you were okay. Who do you think stopped that little stove fire from spreading?”

I gaped at him. “Just how many times did you intervene in my life?”

“Too many to count.”

“I don’t know if I should thank you or smack you.” It should’ve pissed me off, this silent and secretive force in my life. But instead, it made me feel comforted. There were so many times I’d felt alone growing up, so much weighing on my shoulders. But the truth was, I never had been.

Riven’s chuckle sounded in my mind, and I blinked a few times, trying to see if he had in fact laughed. But before I could say anything, he leaned in and brushed his lips against mine. “I vote for thanking me.”

A knock sounded at the door and Kai pushed to his feet. “I’ll get it.”

A flicker of annoyance bloomed in me. I loved the little bubble we’d created tonight, the sense of normalcy. I didn’t want that bubble burst by whoever was here.

Muted voices sounded from the entryway, and a moment later, Kai reappeared with Quincy in tow.

He glanced around the room. “I’m sorry to interrupt your dinner.”

The older man looked harried, as if he hadn’t been getting enough sleep, and I instantly felt guilty for wishing him away. “Sit down. Can I get you a plate?”

He shook his head. “I ate on the train. But I wanted to come here straightaway because I found something.”

Riven was on his feet in a flash, making a motion for silence. Phoenix immediately got his meaning and started talking. “Thanks, Q. I’ve really been hoping you could find out more about Ash’s history. I think this book is going to make the perfect birthday present for my dad.”

“Oh, yes, of course. I’m happy to help.” Quincy looked around, confused, but continued to play along. “I found the lineage transcripts you were hoping for and some gorgeous drawings of the Kingdom of Ash from centuries ago.”

Riven pulled some sort of electronic wand from a kitchen drawer and switched it on as Phoenix and Quincy continued to talk. He ran it over the entire kitchen, only stopping when it started to beep by the refrigerator.

He scowled and felt around the top of the appliance. A moment later, he pulled out a small circular device and stomped on it with his boot.

Riven then moved through the rooms on either side of the kitchen. When he returned, there was another crushed device in his hand. “That makes two.”

Atlas let out a low growl. “We need to scan all the rooms before bed.”

Kai nodded. “These fuckers are getting bold.”

“The Network has obviously infiltrated the guard,” Phoenix said. “We’ll need to keep a close eye to see if anyone is acting suspicious.”

“Listening devices?” Quincy asked.

“Yes,” Riven answered, dropping the crushed pieces in the trash. “They’re becoming a regular occurrence.”

“I’m glad you caught them before I opened my big mouth.”

Riven lowered himself into his chair, scooting it closer to me. “What did you find?”

Quincy looked around the table. “You healed Aura when she was shot, didn’t you? That’s when the bond was formed?”

Everyone was quiet for a moment, but it was Kai who finally answered. “You know bond mates can help each other heal.”

“I do, but I found some old texts that shed some light on your situation. When an aether bond is formed in situations of extreme stress, it can become more…”

Phoenix sat up straighter in his chair. “More what?”

Quincy turned towards me. “Have you noticed any extra abilities lately? Maybe sensing what your bond is feeling or even hearing what they’re thinking?”

My jaw went slack. “How did you know?”

Riven stiffened next to me. “How can you hear what we’re thinking?”

I shook my head. “Not exactly. Yesterday, I swore I heard you sigh in my mind when I said I would back off training if it got to be too much. It was like I could feel your relief. And tonight, I could feel Atlas’s embarrassment at us talking about his cooking and your amusement at me figuring out your stalking ways.”

Quincy practically bounced in his chair. “What about the rest of you? Have you noticed anything?”

All of the guys but Atlas shook their heads. He looked down at his plate. “It’s weird, but I thought I felt when Aura was in danger from the attack. It was just seconds before Phoenix shouted for help. I brushed it off as intuition, but I’ve felt a few other flickers of things.”

“That makes sense with your truth-telling gift. You’re predisposed to empathy,” Quincy said.

“But what the hell does it mean?” Phoenix pushed.

“It’s called Quintessence. It means the purest essence of something or the perfect embodiment of it. In this case, aether. You have truly been given the highest calling an aether can be given. The aethers of Quintessence were created in times of great peril, and for that reason, were given extra gifts.”

He smiled gently at me. “Greater strength in each of their four affinities. Increased healing ability within your bond. An empathy that will allow them to sow harmony between all people. And the ability to mind link with their mates to strengthen the bond. Ultimately, you will be able to speak into one another’s minds, to share thoughts and feelings.”

“Why?” I rasped out. Because if this was all true, there had to be a reason.

A shadow passed over Quincy’s eyes. “Because a battle is coming, and you’ll have to fight with everything you have.”

47

ATLAS’S FINGERS dug into the muscles along my shoulders. “You’ve got this. Don’t let last night get in your head.”

My gaze swept the gym, the students clustered in groups. Some laughing, others looking nervous. We’d made it back to our first rotations of pairings and that meant I’d be facing Drue and Aiden again today.

Kerry looked over at me. “What happened last night?”

“Just the usual drama.” I was an asshole for lying to my friend. But I didn’t have the luxury of telling her everything either. It would only put us both in more danger. The less people who knew, the better.

She studied me for a moment, and I wondered if she could read the lie in my voice, but then she simply nodded. “Atlas is right. You’ve got this. You’ve been practicing like crazy for weeks.”

“I’m not the only one,” I said with a grin. “You have to be logging some major hours in the gym to be kicking as much butt as you are.” Kerry had made a serious one-eighty in this class. There was no more out-running her opponents, she was simply taking them down.

A little bit of pink hit Kerry’s cheeks. “It feels good to finally excel at something at this school.” Some of the pride slipped from her expression. “Not that my dad would be thrilled about this.”

“Who cares what your dad thinks? You’re a badass. Own it.”

She beamed. “You’re right.”

A throat cleared, and I stiffened as Eva walked up with a smirking smile. “Atlas. Freshmen.”

It was obviously meant as a dig, but if Eva was seeking us out, it meant she was the insecure one. I guessed that was because Riven was keeping his distance. A flicker of guilt rose in my stomach. I hadn’t meant for him to cut off a friendship with Eva, just for him to no longer play doting boyfriend.

Atlas straightened to his full height. “What are you doing here?”

She shrugged. “Oh, I don’t know. I heard there might be a hell of a show today.”

Great. People were talking about my rematches with Drue and Aiden. I thought there had been some unfamiliar faces in the sea of students. Now I knew why.

“Get lost before I tell Riven you’re stirring up trouble,” Atlas shot back.

Any amusement fled Eva’s face. “Haven’t you heard? Riven doesn’t want a damn thing to do with me, thanks to this—”

“Watch your mouth,” Atlas snapped.

“Eva, I’m not trying to steal your friend. I’ll make that clear with Riven—”

She pinned me with a glare. “I don’t need your pity. Seeing you get your ass kicked will be just fine instead.” She turned and stormed to the other side of the gym.

Kerry let out a low whistle. “That one is…intense.”

“That’s one word for it,” I grumbled.

Atlas started rubbing my shoulders again. “Ignore her.”

“I’m an asshole.”

His hands stilled. “You are not.”

“What would you call someone who drives two friends apart like that?”

“You had your reasons, Pip. And it’s not like she made things any better.”

I let out a huff of breath. “I was jealous.”

Atlas smiled against my hair. “I know. And so does Riven. But he’s the one who created this mess with all his secrets.”

Kerry’s eyes flared in interest, but she didn’t ask for any additional information.

“I need to tell him that I’m not trying to ruin their relationship.”

Kerry stared at me. “You’re okay with him being friends with his ex?”

His fake ex that he never had any history with? Sure. The fake ex who was probably in love with him? That was a little bit of a tougher pill to swallow. “They’ve been friends since birth. It wouldn’t be right for me to try to convince him not to talk to her.”

Kerry shook her head. “You’re a better woman than I am.”

I wasn’t better. In fact, maybe the only thing I was succeeding at was being dumb. But I couldn’t live with the guilt of breaking up a decades-long friendship over insecurity and messy history. Not if I wanted to be the kind of aether who brought people together.

Sarge’s whistle sounded, slicing through the air. “Enough with all the yammering.” Her gaze narrowed as it surveyed everyone in the room. “I see we’ve got a larger-than-normal crowd. I hope that’s because you’ve all missed my illustrious teaching so much.”

A few snickers sounded from the group, but mostly people went silent, not wanting to piss the woman off.

“Move to your fight circles for your first pairings. Everyone else, shut up,” she barked.

Kerry instantly took off for her assigned circle, but Atlas caught my arm before I could leave. I turned to face him. There was so much swirling in those hazel depths. “Strike first, Aura. Show no mercy. There’s a time for compassion, but this isn’t it.”

I swallowed hard but nodded.

He leaned down and pressed his lips to my forehead.

I moved towards my fight circle before I got yelled at by Sarge. Drue was already waiting for me. She grinned and it was all teeth. “Done making out with your freak show of a boyfriend?”

My spine snapped straight, but I didn’t say a word.

Her grin only widened. “Cat got your tongue? Or did your boyfriend cut it out? I heard he was a monster just like his father.”

She said the words loud enough that they carried. To the students around us. To Atlas.

Then the whistle blew.

It was as if an otherworldly something possessed me. I moved so fast my surroundings blurred, charging towards Drue. At the last second, I swung around in a roundhouse kick aimed at her head.

My blow landed with a satisfying smack. And Drue dropped like a sack of potatoes.

People shouted in the stands. Some cheered. Others threw out snide comments.

“Silence!” Sarge yelled. “Take five and get a healer in here to deal with this one.” She sent me a grin. “Nice job, Coleman.”

Xena rushed over to her friend, patting her cheek. She glared up at me. “It’s you who’s the monster.”

A chuckle sounded behind me. “Drue never did know when to watch her mouth.”

I turned to face Aiden.

There was a dark flash of promise in his eyes. “Let’s see how you do against an opponent who can fight back.”

48

MY PULSE THUMPED in my ears as I stepped into the fight circle. The rage that had been triggered by Drue’s words had lessened to a dull roar. Aiden stared at me from the opposite side of the circle.

There was nothing in his expression. Not a hint of emotion in his eyes even. That lack of anything scared me. There were no snarky quips or goading. But Aiden was assessing me. That much I could tell.

He was looking for any weakness that he could use to his advantage.

Phoenix’s lessons swirled in my head. If anyone could help me defeat Aiden, it would be his brother.

I rolled to the balls of my feet just like Phoenix had taught me. “Be ready to shift your center of gravity at any time. That will help you bounce back from a hit.”

The whistle sounded.

Aiden took my approach. He went from stock-still to flying in a single breath.

The blow to my face sent me flying back, hitting the mat with a loud smack. The crowd gasped.

I didn’t let the pain keep me down. I kicked up to standing, connecting my fist with Aiden’s side. He wheezed out a harsh breath but quickly rallied, landing a kick to my chest.

I stumbled back but didn’t leave the circle boundaries. Instead, I charged forward. The coppery taste of blood filled my mouth, and I knew I’d cut the inside of my cheek pretty badly, but I ignored it.

I leveled a one-two combination. A hook to the ribs and uppercut to Aiden’s chin. His teeth clanged together in an audible noise, and cheers erupted from the stands.

Rage bloomed in Aiden’s eyes. His hand locked on my braid, yanking it back with a vicious tug as he punched twice into my stomach. When he released his hold on my hair, he gave one last punch to my nose.

Blood poured down my face as I struggled to right myself. It was too much pain.

Atlas’s voice sounded in my mind. Get up, Aura. Prove to yourself, to everyone, that you were made for this.

I struggled to my feet, pain screaming in my ribs and face. But I pushed through. Feigning like I was going for a punch, I reeled back and then dipped low, sweeping Aiden’s legs out from under him.

I dropped down, one leg landing over Aiden’s neck, the other over his chest as I grabbed his wrist, pulling him into an arm bar hold. If he didn’t tap out, I could break his arm. It would’ve been karma, but I didn’t want to do it.

Aiden struggled against my hold but didn’t make any move to end the fight.

“Tap out,” I growled.

“You don’t have the balls,” he spat. “That’s your problem. You think everything can be solved with a group hug and talking about your feelings. That’s every aether’s problem.”

Aiden bucked and twisted his hips, almost unsettling me.

My gaze collided with Atlas’s. There was so much sympathy there, but he spoke two words into my mind. End this.

I inhaled sharply and pulled back on Aiden’s arm. I felt the snap of bone before I heard his scream. It killed a piece of my soul. But maybe it should have. There should be a price for inflicting this kind of pain and I needed to pay it.

I released him, moving to the other side of the circle so that the healers could attend to him. Atlas was in front of me in a flash. “Shit, Aura.”

Then Sariah was there, wincing. “I thought I told you I didn’t want to keep doing this.”

I laughed and instantly regretted the decision as pain flared in my face and ribs.

“Lean back on me,” Atlas ordered.

I let my body go lax against his as Sariah worked. A few minutes later, the only thing I felt was the telltale sign of bruising.

I climbed to my feet and smiled at Sariah. “Thank you. Again.”

She grinned, leaning forward. “Keep giving ‘em hell.”

Atlas frowned at me. “How do you feel?”

“Fine, honestly.” I glanced over at Aiden. He was breathing heavily, but the healers had obviously dealt with the worst of his injury. “I need to do something.”

Without waiting for an answer, I strode over to where Aiden was sitting in a chair and extended my hand towards his uninjured one. “Good match.”

He stared down at my offering as if it were a snake. Then he took it, his eyes meeting mine. “You know this isn’t over, right?”

A shiver ran down my spine, but I kept my expression light. “I wouldn’t expect anything less. I’ll be ready the next time we meet in the rotation.”

Something flashed in Aiden’s eyes, but he nodded and released his grip.

Atlas pulled me back into his hold and guided me away. “You didn’t have to do that. Going for your hair like he did isn’t against the rules, but it’s fighting dirty and frowned upon in class combat. And not tapping out? That’s just childish. He hasn’t earned sportsmanship from you.”

Maybe not, but I was giving it anyway. “I think he wanted me to hurt him. It was like he was testing me to see if I would do it.”

“And you did what you had to do.”

“But I didn’t like it.”

“I know. But you did it even though it was hard. That’s a leader.” Atlas pressed a kiss to the top of my head. “How about we soothe away the day with some ice cream sundaes?”

I melted into his side. “That sounds perfect.”

Kerry stood to the side looking from me to Aiden and back again, chewing on her thumbnail.

“Hey. We’re going to get some ice cream back at the dorm. Want to come with us?”

She looked back to Aiden as he winced, testing the rotation of his arm. “I think I better go back to my room. I’ve got a lot of studying to catch up on.”

Kerry was gone before I could get another word out, but I noticed she hadn’t said our room. And there was something in her eyes that had nausea sweeping through me. Something that said that maybe she saw me as a monster now too.

49

“DO YOU WANT SOME MORE?” Atlas asked hopefully.

I swirled the spoon around in my melting sundae, feeling like a jerk. They’d gone to so much trouble to brighten my mood after the combat class. Kai had run me an epic bath with the most amazing oils. Phoenix had massaged my shoulders while I soaked. Atlas had made an incredible dinner. And Riven had sent the guards out with a ridiculously long list of sundae ingredients for dessert. But even sated and cozy in my pajamas, my funk lingered.

Phoenix lifted my legs and placed my feet in his lap. “There’s weight to hurting someone. It doesn’t do any of us any good to pretend there isn’t.”

My gaze rose to meet his, my chest giving a painful squeeze. It helped to call out the elephant in the room. And I knew Phoenix understood that weight more than most. I let my spoon fall into the bowl. “How do I make sure I don’t become a monster in all of this?”

Kai frowned at me. “You could never be a monster.”

“Yes, she could,” Phoenix said.

Riven glared at him. “Not helping.”

“This is exactly helping. Honesty helps. And if we’re worried about becoming monsters, then that won’t happen. It’s that awareness and concern that will help us stay on the right side of things.”

I toyed with the hem of my pajama top. “I like thinking of it that way. It gives the worrying purpose.”

Phoenix nodded. “You just can’t let yourself live there all the time. Then you paralyze yourself. It’s a heavy burden, trying to find the balance between empathy and strength. And we’ll inevitably get it wrong. The best thing we can do is own up to our mistakes and do our best to correct them.”

Atlas sent me a stern look. “You didn’t get it wrong today. Aiden didn’t give you any other choice. If you hadn’t finished things, everyone in that gym would’ve seen you as weak, a target.”

“I know.” The words were quiet, almost a whisper. “I just hate that this is what things have come to.”

A muscle in Phoenix’s cheek fluttered. “I’m sorry he put you in that position.”

“We’ve been over this. You aren’t responsible for his actions.”

“I know, but—”

“No buts,” I cut him off.

The corner of Kai’s mouth quirked. “Come on, Pip. I love your butt.”

I choked on a laugh. Kai was definitely partial to my ass. He showed me as much by putting his hands on it every time he got the chance. “That’s the only butt I’ll allow.”

He leaned over and took my mouth with his. “Thank fuck.”

I leaned back into Kai with a sigh. “Can we sleep in my room tonight? All of us?”

We’d only spent one night all together. I could tell Riven hadn’t wanted to push for more, giving me time to come to him as I was ready.

He glanced at me. “You sure?”

I nodded, smiling at him. “I need cuddles and to sleep for a week.”

Kai scooped me up into his arms. “I’ve got you covered.”

Riven dumped our bowls in the sink. “You mean you’ve got her ass covered?”

“Twenty-four seven protection detail.”

I snorted. “I think you might be taking that duty a little too seriously.”

Kai’s lips skimmed my ear. “Never.”

We made our way up the stairs to the room that still stole my breath. It was extravagant but cozy. And with my belongings and photos, it was starting to feel like home.

Kai deposited me on the bed and then headed to the bathroom. I didn’t have it in me to brush my teeth tonight. Hopefully one night off wouldn’t land me with a cavity. I burrowed under the covers, luxuriating in the feel.

A moment later, Riven climbed in next to me. “Hey.”

I turned so that I was facing him. “Hi.”

“You doing okay?”

“Better. How about you?”

He smiled. “I’m good now.”

I laid a hand over his heart. “I need to talk to you about something.” His muscles stiffened beneath my palm. “Nothing bad, promise.”

“Okay.”

“You don’t have to cut Eva out of your life. I was never asking you to do that. I just didn’t want you playing pretend boyfriend.” I let out a breath. “It was too hard. And I was jealous.”

Riven stared down at me. “I don’t want to give you any reason to doubt.”

“I know that, but I’ve been selfish. You and Eva have been friends since birth. It’s not right for me to ask you to just cut that off.”

He was quiet for a moment. “You know, I think you two would get along if you got to know each other.”

I winced. “I’m not sure I’d go that far. I think she has feelings for you that go beyond friendship.”

Riven blinked a few times. “Seriously?”

“A girl can tell those kinds of things.”

“I never gave her any reason to think—”

“I know. I just wanted you to have a heads-up so you can be mindful of her feelings.”

Riven leaned forward, his lips brushing my temple. “You’ve got one of the best hearts I’ve ever known.”

“Yours isn’t too shabby either. Even if it is a little stalker-y.”

Riven barked out a laugh. “Stalking is my love language.”

“We might want to get you seeing someone for that…”

I TOSSED AND TURNED. It was as if I was sleeping and awake at the same time. Restless and unable to completely descend into unconsciousness, yet not fully alert either.

Aura, come outside.

I jerked at the voice, my gaze going to the sleeping forms next to me. All the guys were here, snoring away.

Get up.

It was as if there was a pull I couldn’t deny. I was moving without my permission, throwing back the covers and moving towards the end of the bed.

I tried to yell for the guys, but my mouth wouldn’t obey. It was as if I were a robot and someone else held the controls.

Panic lit through me as I descended the stairs on autopilot.

Come to the back door and open it.

That voice. It was so familiar. But the fogginess in my brain kept me from latching on to the who.

I tried to reach out and grab hold of the doorway or a weapon, but my arms wouldn’t respond. Tears leaked from my eyes as I opened the door and stepped outside. I frantically looked around for a guard, but all was deathly silent.

That’s it. Walk into the woods. Towards the clearing.

Blood roared in my ears as my feet followed the voice’s instructions, taking me farther and farther into the forest. I searched for signs of anyone, but there was nothing.

My chest heaved as I reached the center of the clearing. I tried to move, to run, but my body still wouldn’t listen. I tried to scream, but no sound came.

Fire erupted around me. A ring of flames so high I’d never seen anything like it.

Terror shot through me as a million memories flooded my mind. Screams. Smoke. Falling.

I struggled to breathe, to not lose it. I tried again to scream and there was nothing. My mind screamed instead. Reaching out for someone. Anyone. But I heard only silence in response.

A figure stepped through the flames, smoke swirling around them.

“I didn’t want to hurt you.” The corner of Aiden’s mouth pulled up. “You might not believe me, but I like you, Aura. And you didn’t deserve any of this. But my brother isn’t taking the throne. Not of the Kingdom of Ash, and sure as hell not the whole damn realm.”

“Don’t.” The word was only a croak, the only thing I could get past my lips.

Flames danced in Aiden’s hand. “Sorry, Aura. There’s only one solution, and that’s for you to die.”

50

THE FIRE DANCING in Aiden’s palm had me transfixed in terror. Memories of my flesh burning, of that excruciating pain, dug deep in my brain.

“Why?” The single word came easier, and I knew Aiden must’ve loosened the reins on whatever spell had taken hold of me.

Rage flashed in his dark eyes. “He couldn’t even protect his own sister. He isn’t fit to lead.”

“He was a child himself. The assassins almost killed him too.”

“They should’ve made sure they finished the job,” Aiden growled.

“He’s your brother.”

“He’s weak. Our parents babied him after that, spending all their time with him. My father would say he’d been through a trauma, and we needed to be understanding. Phoenix needed to man up.”

I dug deep, trying to connect with my magic, anything that could help me now. I felt nothing. Whatever this spell was, it was a powerful one. “He needed his family. He still does,” I said, trying to keep Aiden talking.

He scoffed. “Please. He’s despised me from the moment I was born. He knew I was stronger than him and he put me down because of it.”

I bit the inside of my cheek to keep myself from saying something that would only infuriate Aiden more. “You two need to talk. Hash out your differences.”

Aiden laughed, but it was an ugly sound. “Aura, my brother is a monster.”

“And you’re not?” The words were out before I could stop them.

His eyes narrowed. “If I was, you would’ve been dead long before now. I tried to just scare you off at first. Who do you think sent those letters? Who helped Drue hold you in place to teach you a lesson?”

I gaped at him. “But your powers hadn’t been unbound.”

“Please. I’m not an idiot. I’ve had my powers unbound since I was twelve. You can pay people for that sort of thing if you know the places to look.” He sent me a sympathetic smile. “I didn’t want to get The Network involved, but once I realized you were bonded, I didn’t have any time to waste.”

“How did you know?”

“Because I’m not a moron like the rest of this school.” The flames danced higher in his palm, swirling into a ball. “It wasn’t the way I wanted things to go, but you left me no choice.”

Aura! Where are you?

Riven’s voice sang through my mind, and I nearly wept with relief.

The clearing. It’s Aiden. There’s so much fire.

Hang on. I’m coming.

Aiden’s gaze narrowed on me. “What are you doing? Your magic won’t work.” A grin spread across his face. “I paid a pretty penny for that potion that would give me control of you for a short period. Just had to dab it on my knuckles for our fight. You’d go to sleep and poof. Total control.”

Not totally. I could feel Riven now and he was close.

“You won’t get away with this.”

“Please, they’ll think it was those Network idiots. No one will think it’s someone on campus.”

The ball of fire grew larger, and Aiden laughed. “You know I might like this more than I let on. You really pissed me off breaking my arm. But now you’ll learn just how weak you really are.”

The flames flew at me so fast they were a blur. I tried to duck, to move in any direction, but Aiden had locked me in place. The fire hurtled at me, and I knew this was the end.

I love you, Riven.

It was the only thing I could think to do. To send that message to the one person I hadn’t told.

A shout sounded in my head and then someone was flying through the flames. Riven dove in front of me, sending his body into the fire that was meant for me.

I screamed. The sound was otherworldly, feral and desperate. It broke the walls that had been constructed in my mind, whatever had blocked me of control of my body and magic.

I dropped to my knees, my hands hovering over Riven, a gaping black hole in his chest. “No, no, no.” This wasn’t happening.

Aiden cursed and more flames shot out at us as more shouts sounded from the woods. I could hear the guys, but they wouldn’t get here fast enough. My hands flew out, fighting fire with fire. The blast knocked Aiden off his feet, and he stumbled back, a burn striking across his face.

The shouts grew. Aiden’s gaze jerked in that direction. He cast one last look at me and then ran for the woods. I tried for another fireball, but my shot was wide, and he was gone.

“Aura,” Riven croaked.

I hovered over him, my hands to his cheeks. Quincy had said I could help my bond heal, but I didn’t know how. I did the only thing I could think of. I poured my love, my life force, my everything into him. A cascade of rainbow sparks swirled around us, but I could feel Riven fading.

“I love you,” he said in a raspy whisper. “I’ve always loved you. I would give my life a million times for yours.”

“Don’t leave me.” Tears dripped from my face into his wound. “Please.”

He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came.

Sobs wracked my body as I shoved everything I could think of into Riven. I pulled on all my affinities from my very soul and demanded they heal Riven. Something in me snapped. There was a burst of silver light and then there was nothing at all.

51

EVERYTHING FELT HEAVY. As if I were trapped beneath a thousand tons of concrete. Panic flared deep in my mind, sending me back to that night all those years ago. I could feel the beam pressing down on me, the burn in my lungs, the singe of my skin.

“You’re safe, Pip,” Kai crooned.

“We’ve got you,” Atlas echoed.

I struggled to wade through the weight that was keeping me from those voices. To open my eyes and know they were real.

How many times had I fought this battle? It felt like too many to count. But I would keep fighting until my last breath. For these men. For their love.

My eyelids fluttered, letting in snapshots of images. As they did, memories slammed into me. The forest. Aiden.

“Riven.”

It was the only word I could get out. The only word I needed an answer to. The only thing that mattered in that moment.

“I’m right here.”

His cool, smooth tone washed over me in the sweetest relief.

Riven wrapped himself around me. “Right here.”

Tears burned my eyes as I turned in his arms. “You’re okay?”

Riven winced as I twisted in his hold, and I instantly stilled. He pressed his lips to my temple, breathing me in. “You smell like Heaven.”

“Riven…”

“He’s good, Aura,” Atlas assured me.

“You saved me.” Riven stared down at me in wonder. “It shouldn’t have been possible.”

My hands moved to his T-shirt, lifting it up, needing to see the wound. I gasped as I took him in.

The corner of Riven’s mouth kicked up. “Looks like you and I are going to be twins for the foreseeable future.”

The spiderweb of silver looked almost identical to mine. My fingers gently traced the metallic lightning bolts and Riven tensed beneath my touch. I snatched my hand away. “Did I hurt you?”

He shook his head. “The opposite of pain.”

My cheeks heated as my body remembered how it felt when one of my bond touched my marks.

“You’re really okay?”

Riven brushed his mouth against mine. “Thanks to you.”

Kai kneaded the back of my neck. “What about you? Do you feel all right?”

I nodded. “I don’t really know what happened. Just that I could feel Riven fading and I needed to stop it.”

Can you hear me?

Riven’s voice rang out clear as day in my mind.

It’s like you’re speaking right next to me.

Riven gave me a tentative smile. “Whatever happened, I think it deepened the Quintessence bond between us. I could see your dreams when you were out, feel when you were anxious or hurting.”

“How long was I gone this time?”

Atlas frowned. “A little over forty-eight hours.”

I scanned the room, searching. “Where’s Phoenix?”

The guys shared a look.

I struggled to sit up in bed. “What’s wrong?”

Atlas wove my fingers through his. “He wasn’t in a good place. He needed to burn off that anger, so he left to hunt his brother.”

“He left?” When Riven was healing and I was unconscious?

Riven moved in closer. “It’s what he does. How he deals with his emotions when they’re overloading him. It’s not because he doesn’t care.”

I knew that Phoenix cared. That he loved me. Loved all of us. But it didn’t change that his actions hurt. “When is he coming back?”

Everyone was silent for a moment.

Kai picked up his ministrations on my neck again. “When he finds Aiden. He needs to remove the threat. Too much happened for him to be able to just let Aiden go.”

My stomach twisted. “He went alone?”

“He didn’t want anyone with him,” Atlas explained.

That dug an ice pick deep into my heart. As if I could feel the emotional wall Phoenix was erecting between us, even across this distance.

Riven’s lips ghosted over my hair. “He’ll come back. I promise.”

I leaned into Riven, to his words and his heat. I needed it now more than ever. That reassurance that he was here and safe. That we would find a way forward no matter what lay ahead.

I tipped my head back so that I could meet Riven’s eyes. “Need you.” I let my gaze drift to Kai and Atlas. “All of you.”

“You’ve been through so much,” Atlas began.

I gripped his shirt, pulling him to me and swallowing his words with a kiss. I poured everything into it. All the things I didn’t have the words for, the desperate need to feel my bond and to reconnect with these men I loved.

Riven’s arm hooked around me, his hand slipping beneath the band of my pajamas. His fingers dipped into my heat, teasing and toying. I moaned into Atlas’s mouth. Feeling both of them only stoked the fire deep inside.

Kai let out a groan. “You’re killing me.”

His fingers latched onto the buttons on my pajama top, quickly undoing them. A second later my breasts were free.

Riven’s other hand reached up, his fingers circling my nipple. “The perfect shade of pink.”

Kai leaned down, his tongue swirling around a tight bud. “Just like strawberries.”

My hips shifted, seeking more of everything they were giving.

Riven slid two fingers inside me and my body shuddered with a mixture of relief and want. He pumped them in and out, swirling and twisting.

I panted against Atlas’s mouth. He chuckled. “She likes that, Riv. Can’t even keep kissing me she’s so distracted.”

I nipped the bottom of his lip in retaliation, but Atlas only laughed harder.

Kai’s mouth left my breast and I arched up trying to follow it. He grinned. “Good to know you’d miss me if I was gone.”

I scowled at him, but then Riven made a stroking motion with his fingers that had my mouth falling open and me gasping for breath.

“Shit. I have to see,” Kai said. His fingers hooked in my pajama pants and a second later I was completely bare.

Kai’s gaze was riveted to the apex of my thighs, Riven’s fingers pumping in and out of me.

Sparks danced over my skin as he and Atlas watched. Their eyes on me only drove me higher, tightening everything inside me.

“Riven,” I breathed.

“Tell me what you need.”

“All of you.”

He knew what I meant. That I needed to feel not just his fingers but him.

A second later his fingers were gone, and he was lifting me onto his lap but facing me away from him, towards Atlas and Kai at the end of the bed. Riven tugged down his pajama bottoms and slowly lowered me onto him.

My jaw went slack, and my eyelids fluttered with the delicious stretch. There was a rightness with the contact. A knowledge that I had let down every wall with the person I’d been holding myself back from the most.

Riven rocked his hips, arching up into me with testing thrusts. I met him move for move. Slowly, we found our rhythm.

Kai reached out, palming my breast. “Never want to forget this image. Cheeks flushed with pleasure. Eyes glassy.”

Atlas’s hand dipped down, finding my clit as Riven fucked me slow and deep. “I’m burning it into my damn brain.”

I let out a keening noise as Atlas hit the perfect spot.

Something about the noise broke Riven’s control. He thrust into me deeper and harder, his tempo picking up speed.

I lost track of who was touching me where. All I knew was that I was awash in sensation. In hands and mouths and them.

Wind picked up in the room and the ground trembled beneath us. I swore I felt a mist of water in the air. I couldn’t grab on to any of it because I was falling. I didn’t try to stop myself. I spiraled in a cascade of silver and magic in the air.

It was as if I consumed every feeling and then burst apart into a million pieces. Riven thrust impossibly deeper, a guttural growl on his lips as he emptied himself into me.

I collapsed back onto him, Kai and Atlas at our sides. It was perfect, this moment together. Except for one thing. A part of my heart was missing. And I worried when Phoenix came back, he might never be the same.

52

THE SOUND of footsteps had me looking up from my book. Next to me, Atlas went on alert. The guys hadn’t left me alone with the guard since we’d found out that someone had spiked their drinks the night of Aiden’s attack. It was sheer luck that Riven had only had a couple of sips and been able to hear my mind call.

Now I was always with one of the guys or in the royal dorm. I didn’t fight them on it. Not when we were all exhausted and doing our best.

Riven and Kai rounded the library shelves. I didn’t miss the dark circles under their eyes or defeated posture.

“Anything?” I asked hopefully.

Riven shook his head. “No sign of him.”

It had been a week since Phoenix had taken off after his brother and none of us had heard a word. Periodically, I would send mental messages to him, telling Phoenix that I loved him and begging him to come back. But I had no idea if they reached their destination. If they did, he wasn’t responding.

Riven and Kai collapsed into chairs opposite us.

I reached across the table, taking one of each of their hands. “What do you need?”

“Sleep,” Riven muttered at the same time Kai said, “food.”

“We can get you both of those things. Tonight, I’ll help Atlas in the kitchen, and you guys can just relax.”

Kai sent Atlas a wary look.

I scowled at him. “I’ll just chop and clean.”

“Don’t chop off a finger, please,” Riven grumbled.

“Hey, I’m getting better.” While we were waiting for word from Phoenix, I’d spent a lot of time in the kitchen with Atlas, wanting to stay busy.

I looked up at my gentle giant for confirmation.

He shifted in his seat. “You’re definitely getting better.”

My jaw went slack. “You’re lying.”

Kai snorted. “Of course, he is. He wants to get laid in his lifetime.”

I picked up my pencil and chucked it at him.

He caught it with one hand. “Uncalled for, Pip.”

“You could try being a little supportive. I’m learning.”

“I’ll be your own personal cheerleader, just as long as I don’t have to eat whatever you’re practicing on.”

I let out a huff of annoyance.

Riven simply shook his head. “You guys have any luck with the texts Quincy gave you?”

I looked down at the pile of books. My eyes had started to cross about an hour ago. “There isn’t a lot.”

“The occasional mention of mind linking in an aether bond. The explosion of power in an especially strong aether. But very few actual mentions of Quintessence,” Atlas added.

Riven’s brows furrowed. “What did they say about the increase in power?”

I pulled out the book that had discussed that occurrence. “It talked a lot about people’s wariness of those aethers. Some weren’t convinced they weren’t Novas.”

Riven pulled the book from my hands, skimming the pages.

“What are you thinking?” Kai asked.

He looked up from the text. “I’m wondering if there is a link between Novas and aethers. What if Novas were simply aethers who never found their bond or whose affinities never fully manifested?”

Atlas nodded. “That kind of thing could leave them off-balance for sure.”

I leaned back in my chair. “But how does that help us?”

“Figuring out how and why Novas lose control could teach us more about how to make the most of the gifts you have. How to master them,” Riven said.

I nodded, pushing my chair back. “There was a book I read a few weeks ago that talked more about Novas. Let me grab it.”

The guys descended into more conversation. I knew we were grasping at straws, but what other option did we have? Other than speaking in my mind to Riven and sensing what the other guys were feeling occasionally, I hadn’t seemed to master anything else. My affinities were unwieldy at best. I didn’t have a clue how to tap into my harmony gift.

I moved deeper into the stacks, finding the shelf that housed the history books I’d read before. My fingers skimmed over the spines until I latched on to the one I was looking for. Pulling it out, I jerked as something stung the side of my neck.

My hand reached up to swat a bug away, but before I reached it, the world was going blurry. I tried to yell, but my tongue wouldn’t cooperate in my mouth. All of my muscles were going lax.

I slumped towards the floor, but someone caught me with an oomph. I swore I heard someone say that I should’ve listened. I knew that voice. Her voice.

The End for now…Aura’s story concludes in The Queen of Quintessence.

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PROLOGUE

LACEY BELTED out the lyrics to one of my favorite songs as she turned onto the two-lane road that would take us home. The sing-along would’ve been fun if it wasn’t for the fact that she was singing in an octave that made dogs howl.

“Come on, sing with me, little sister.”

“That’s not singing,” I yelled over the music and Lacey’s screeching.

She turned down the stereo. “That’s just the price you have to pay for forcing me into driving you tonight.”

“I didn’t force you.”

“You looked at me with those sad puppy eyes when Mom said she was too tired.”

I twisted, glancing over at Lacey. “The music wasn’t that bad, was it?”

“There’s a reason Jason wouldn’t go with you…”

I winced at the reminder. My boyfriend had made it clear he’d rather put hot pokers in his eyes than listen to my favorite local band.

Lacey stole a quick look in my direction when I didn’t say anything. “He’s a tool. You know that, right? You deserve so much better, Ro.”

“He’s not a tool. We just don’t like the same music.”

“I don’t like them either, but I still came with you tonight.”

“And have been giving me crap the whole time.”

She reached over and squeezed my leg. “Big sister prerogative.”

“Big sister torture,” I mumbled. Lacey loved to remind me that she was older, wiser, and a whole bunch of other things. The only thing she never used as a weapon was the fact that I was adopted. Not even during our worst fights. It was our sister code. My poor hair choices and childhood buck teeth were fair game; the fact that we weren’t blood-related was not.

“Same difference.” Lacey drummed her hands on the steering wheel. “You should break up with him. You know the only reason you’ve stayed with that douche for this long is because you’re scared of the unknown.”

That wasn’t exactly true. But it wasn’t a lie either. Jason was comfortable, easy, like a pair of slippers worn exactly the right amount. At least, that was how he had been. It felt as if things were changing. Life was moving and rearranging without my knowledge or permission. Now, nothing felt right.

“I can’t imagine not being with him.” Jason had been my first…everything. That was hard to walk away from.

Lacey took my hand and squeezed, the bracelets she’d bought us when we’d spent a week at the beach last summer lining up so that they were touching. “You deserve someone who accepts all the pieces that make up the beautiful human you are. Someone who lights your nerve endings on fire. Someone who’d want to go to the worst concert in the world, just for a chance to spend a little more time with you.”

I eyed my sister. “And you know what that feels like?”

“Maybeeeee…” She drew the word out.

I jerked in my seat, turning to face her and pulling my hand free. “Spill. Right this second. I can’t believe you’ve been holding out on me.”

Lacey’s laughter filled the car. So full and uninhibited. She never worried about what that laugh might sound like, if it was too loud or shrill or anything else. She was free. “Well, we met—”

Her words cut off as a deer darted in front of the car.

Everything went into a sort of surreal slow motion. Lacey slammed on the brakes, jerking the wheel. The light dusting of snow sent the wheels into a spin. No, not the wheels, the whole car.

The world blurred. I didn’t know if Lacey was screaming or if I was. There was a sickening crunch of metal, then a shattering of glass. Pieces hit my face, slicing my skin. My side burned as if I were being stabbed with hot metal. The pain stole all the air from my lungs.

I squeezed my eyes closed, willing my breath to return, and silently crying out for anyone or anything that would listen. I gasped, the air filling my lungs again.

“Lace?” I croaked.

The only response was the hissing of our engine.

“Lacey?” I tried to turn myself to get a view of her, but I was stuck.

“Rowan?” she wheezed.

“I’m here.” I stretched a hand over, finding hers. Lacey’s hand was slick. Was that blood? I hooked a finger in her bracelet, as if that could keep us tethered no matter what.

My vision blurred again, and I swore I could feel my heartbeat reverberating through my whole body. “Can you reach your phone?”

“I-I don’t know. It was in the cupholder.”

I tried to reach my purse and cried out in pain.

Lacey sucked in a sharp breath and began to cough. Violent, racking coughs that felt as if they rocked the car.

“Are you okay? What’s happening?”

She kept coughing and wheezing. It sounded wet, but I couldn’t see, couldn’t move. I stretched farther, trying to get to my purse. Tears streamed down my face as my side felt as if it were being ripped open.

Then everything went quiet. No more coughing. Only the hissing of the car and the blinding pain in my side.

“Lacey?” I whispered.

There was no answer.

I shook her hand. “Lace, wake up!”

Nothing.

The tears came faster, harder. I pushed my body farther, praying that I could just reach my phone. If I could get help, it would all be okay. Instead, my vision tunneled and there was nothing but black.

CHAPTER 1

I CURLED my knees up to my chest, leaning my head against the wall as I stared out the window. I’d wanted a window seat for as long as I could remember. A cozy little nest where I could watch the world. Now, I’d do anything to give it back. The price of the tufted cushion and pretty view were too high.

My fingers tangled in the threads of my bracelets as I stared at the rose gold beads. There were two now. Two because the owner of the other no longer walked this earth.

My heart squeezed, that same familiar pang that had punctuated so much of the past six months. Sometimes the pain came out of nowhere, as if it could sense that, just for a split second, I’d forgotten my sister was gone.

Other times, it was a steady beat in my chest, a constant reminder that because of me she’d never sing off-key while driving down country roads again. I sucked in a breath, but the air felt like it was made of razor blades.

That was the thing about grief—it made everything a million times harder. Everyone dealt with that burden differently.

My father wanted to forget. I think if my mom would’ve let him, he would’ve put every photo of Lacey into boxes in storage. He didn’t have that option, so instead, he’d moved us across the country. From a suburb outside of Baltimore to the middle of nowhere Washington.

He’d traded the job he’d had for as long as I could remember at a small local accounting firm for a new one at a sleek firm in Seattle. He’d started dressing differently, got a haircut that looked like it could be found in GQ magazine instead of the same slightly shaggy one he’d had all my life. It was as if he were making himself into an entirely different person, one who hadn’t had a daughter named Lacey.

I swallowed against the burn creeping up my throat. He barely remembered he had a daughter named Rowan either. We’d been here a little over a week, and his work hours kept getting longer and longer. He’d started opting to stay in a company apartment in the city during the week.

It left me to sit on the window seat alone. I didn’t want to wander the house, listening to the faint strains of the television that came from his and my mom’s bedroom. I didn’t think she knew what graced the screen, she just needed the noise to distract her from the pain.

I shifted in my seat, letting my gaze drift away from the bracelet. The little town of Cloverdale was quaint. An hour and a half outside of Seattle, it was set at the foot of a large expanse of national forest land. Everything around us was greener than I’d ever seen before.

Dad had said it was just the place to rebuild. A place that was safe and perfect for us. Yet he wasn’t here to set the foundation for whatever it was he’d envisioned.

From my window perch, I could see our picture-perfect neighborhood. I would’ve preferred my window to face the back of the house, where the seemingly endless forest began. That would’ve made me feel safe in my solitude. Protected and immune from any stares.

I watched as a couple of kids raced down the street on scooters, chased by a guy laughing as he ran. His laugh was completely uninhibited, as if not a single thing weighed on his shoulders, his head thrown back, golden-blond hair ruffling in the breeze.

His steps faltered as he passed in front of my house. He stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, and his gaze cut right to me. The deep blue of his eyes froze me to the spot. I sucked in a sharp breath, but it didn’t cut like razor blades—no, this time the air felt as if it burned me from the inside out.

The guy cocked his head to one side, studying me. Something about that gaze felt like it could see everything I fought so hard to keep a lid on. All my pain and guilt and grief.

I scrambled off of the window seat, almost falling to the floor in the process. I hurried out of my room and down the stairs. The soft strains of what sounded like a soap opera came from the bedroom down the hall.

I moved into the kitchen, searching for any signs that my mom had ventured out here this morning. Dishes in the sink? Crumbs on the counter? A banana missing from the bunch?

There was nothing.

I opened the pantry and pulled out bread and a bag of chips. I went about making a sandwich. Turkey with sharp cheddar and a spicy honey mustard that used to be Mom and Lacey’s favorite. I added lettuce, tomato, and caramelized onion.

I cut it in two and placed it on the plate with a handful of chips. Grabbing a bottle of lemonade from the fridge, I made my way down the hall. The muted voices grew stronger, one asking, “How could you, Iris? And with my brother?”

I knocked softly on the door. There was no answer. I turned the handle and pushed the door open.

The room was dark, no light except for the glow from the television. My mom stared at the screen, but it was an unfocused stare, one that told me she had no idea what was actually going on in front of her. She didn’t care if the shirtless man on-screen had just had his heart broken. She only wanted the numbness the show could provide.

“Hey, Mom,” I said softly.

She blinked a few times and turned towards my voice. “Rowan.”

Her voice was rusty, as if she hadn’t used it in years. I started towards her, setting the plate and lemonade on her nightstand. “I made you a little something to eat. Can I open the curtains so you can see better?”

Mom shook her head, the movement slow as if she were sedated. “No. My head hurts. I don’t want the light.”

My gaze shifted to the bowl shoved to the far side of the nightstand. The pasta I’d made her for dinner last night had maybe a few bites missing. “You need to eat. You’ll get sick if you don’t.”

She’d ended up in the hospital twice in the past six months after fainting spells. She’d lost so much weight, she was practically skin and bones. Whenever I’d tried to talk to Dad about it, he’d brush it off and tell me she needed time to heal. It didn’t seem to me like she was healing. She was disappearing right in front of my eyes.

“Please, Mom,” I urged.

Her eyes narrowed a fraction. “Leave.”

I stiffened, my fingers curling into my palms. “Mom…”

She turned away from me, back to the screen. “I can’t look at you.”

The pang lighting along my heart was back, more vicious than ever, but I didn’t say a thing. I couldn’t. I didn’t have any words to give. I didn’t seem to have the ability to move either.

My mom’s hands tightened in the blankets. “Every time I look at you, all I see is Lacey.”

CHAPTER 2

THE BACK DOOR slammed and I ran across the deck, down the stairs. The breeze whipped my hair across my face as I charged for the trees, but I couldn’t get any of it into my lungs. It was as if my ribs had tightened too much. It was impossible to let any air in.

The pine branches slapped against my arms as I ran down a path. It was dumb, so incredibly stupid, to run into a forest that you had no map for or knowledge of, but once I started, I couldn’t seem to stop myself. My lungs and throat burned, but I welcomed the sensation.

It distracted me from the words wreaking havoc on my mind. I can’t look at you. All I see is Lacey.

I choked back a sob, almost colliding with a tree. My feet tangled and I threw my hands out to catch my fall. The rough bark bit into my palms.

My chest heaved and my side cramped as I straightened. My gaze swept around, jumping from one thing to the next, trying to get my bearings.

It was breathtaking and that only made everything hurt more. The trees looked as if they were made of emeralds, and the mossy ground looked soft enough to take a nap on.

The sound of rushing water pulled me forward. I climbed up an embankment as tears tracked down my cheeks. I eased myself onto the ground and watched as the water rushed by below me, a mixture of deep blues and greens capped with white. It all swirled together, reminding me of the chaos that lived inside me, but more beautiful.

I pulled my knees to my chest and rocked myself back and forth. I focused on the sound of the water, letting it drown out the echoes of my mother’s words. If it was this loud at the beginning of fall, I could only imagine what it was like when the snow melted off the mountains.

Lacey would’ve loved it. She would’ve demanded that we take picnics out here, invent stories about the faeries that surely lived in the hollowed logs in the forest, and built us a fort that would be hidden in the brush.

I could see it as clearly as if she were sitting right next to me. Her dark brown hair cascading down her back as she tipped her head back in laughter. My stomach hollowed out, the pain carving its own home there.

The water wasn’t loud enough. Nothing ever would be, not to drown out the pain of losing her.

“What are you doing out here? Don’t you know a boundary when you see one?”

My head snapped up, and I scrambled away from the deep voice. The sun piercing through the trees blinded me for a moment. I could only make out a form. Ripped jeans. A dark gray T-shirt pulled tight across a muscular chest. Tattoos that peeked out from underneath the sleeves.

“S-s-sorry. I didn’t know this was private property.”

He took a step forward, his face coming into view from behind the sunbeam. It was the kind of face that stole your breath and made you stupid. All sharp angles and hard planes. And eyes that were the lightest blue I’d ever seen. It was a complete juxtaposition to his hair that was so dark brown, it was almost black. Those almost angelic eyes sucker-punched me right in the chest. Because they held a pain that was so familiar, it felt like I was looking in a mirror.

“It’s not private property,” he gritted out.

“But you just said…”

His head tilted in a way similar to the blond guy’s, as if he were looking at a pile of puzzle pieces, trying to figure out how they all went together. “Who are you?”

I looked around the forest, searching for a phantom someone to save me from this handsome stranger’s questions. “I don’t think I should tell you my name.”

The corner of his mouth kicked up. The action pulled on a scar on his lip just to the side of his cupid’s bow. “Don’t take candy out of the back of vans either, I’m guessing?”

“Stranger danger and all that.”

Those ice-blue eyes lit as he took me in. “If you’re concerned about safety, you probably shouldn’t be out in the middle of the woods by yourself.”

He had a very solid point, yet even with him hulking over me, I didn’t want to leave. “Is it okay if I stay? Just for a little bit?”

The question seemed to take him by surprise. He took a half step back, eyes narrowing in on my face. They moved over my cheeks to my eyes and that was when he must’ve seen it, the remnants of my tears. I was sure my eyes were bloodshot and my cheeks red.

I didn’t let myself wipe the evidence away. I was so tired of hiding what I was feeling around everyone. It was exhausting. For one brief moment, I simply wanted to be.

I wanted to listen to the water and soak the peace of this place into my bones. To store it up so that I could carry it home with me. Maybe it would stay with me, tide me over until my mother had another outburst, or my father eventually forgot he had any daughters at all.

A muscle in his cheek ticked. “It’s not a good idea. There are wild animals out here, sometimes hunters too.”

“You’re out here.”

“I live here.”

“In the woods?” Images of a makeshift shelter filled my mind.

“In my cabin. I know my way around here, know what to look out for. You don’t.”

I didn’t know why I was trying to convince this rude guy to let me stay. Combative wasn’t my usual M.O., but as I stared at him, I realized that I felt a little less alone. Just for a minute, I wasn’t the girl who had lost her family six months ago. Lacey might’ve been dead, but Mom and Dad had pretty much left me by choice.

That sting had dulled when this guy stepped out of the trees. The reason made no sense. I gave my head a little shake.

“No, you refuse to leave?” he asked, his voice hardening around the edges.

That hardness cut. Again, the why made no sense. He was a stranger. I shouldn’t care what he thought about me at all.

“I’m leaving.” I started to push to my feet, my palm stinging as I pressed it to the ground to rise. I shook my hand trying to alleviate the bite of pain.

The guy’s hand snaked out, catching my hand in his. The moment our skin touched, it was as if he’d burned me. A zing of electricity snapping at my skin.

He snatched his hand back so fast, he was a blur, horror filling his expression.

I stared at my palm. Small streaks of blood dotted the scrapes from the tree and little crescent-shaped fingernail marks cut across the flesh. Had our touch caused the scrapes to spark and burn? It didn’t make sense.

I looked up to ask him if he’d felt something too, but he was gone.

CHAPTER 3

I PADDED DOWN THE STAIRS, my thick, cozy socks muffling my steps. I paused on the bottom step and listened. The quiet sounds of the TV still drifted from my parents’ room.

I started for the kitchen. Pulling open the fridge, I surveyed the contents. There wasn’t a lot left. Some things for sandwiches, a carton of eggs. I lifted the carton of milk and shook it. Not even enough for a bowl of cereal.

I grabbed the eggs and some cheese and moved to the counter. I whisked two eggs and poured them into a pan. As they cooked, I grated some cheese, sprinkling it over the top at just the right moment. When it was melted, I slipped them onto a plate.

I went back to the fridge, grabbing a soda and some salsa. At least I had caffeine. My life might be a total and complete disaster, but I had Diet Coke.

I sat down at the table and began to eat. I barely tasted the eggs, my mind drifting to the guy in the woods yesterday. I could’ve sworn I’d seen a sort of understanding in those ice-blue eyes, something that told me he knew the pain I’d been drowning in for the past six months.

The sound of the front door opening and closing drifted through the house that felt more like a ghost town. Sneakers squeaked against the hardwood floors.

My dad appeared in the kitchen, startling when he saw me. “Rowan, I didn’t know you were up.”

“I didn’t know you were home.”

He certainly hadn’t bothered to come up to my bedroom to let me know he was.

Dad moved to a cabinet, grabbing a glass and filling it with water. “I got home late last night and went for a run first thing. Didn’t want to wake you.”

The running was new, too. Sleek workout gear I’d never thought my dad would wear. Trendy joggers and one of those form-fitting, long-sleeved shirts.

“I probably wasn’t asleep,” I muttered. My hours of sleep were few and far between, peppered with nightmares and waking up in a cold sweat, calling out Lacey’s name.

“Well, I couldn’t have known that.”

He could’ve. My parents used to always check in on me and Lacey when we were supposed to be asleep. They’d stealthily open our doors, peeking their heads in. Dad used to say, “Just want to make sure you’re alive and breathing.”

That familiar sting lit along my heart. Now, one of us wasn’t alive and breathing, and I was the only daughter left. One that wasn’t theirs by blood. I used to think that made me special—I had been a choice, not happenstance. But now, I wondered if it made me dispensable.

Dad cleared his throat. “First day of school tomorrow. Do you have everything you need?”

School. I couldn’t wait. I’d take any excuse to escape the walls of this house that felt more like a haunted prison. The mother, who was more like a ghost than a living human, wandering the halls. Even when she never left her room, I could still feel her everywhere.

“We need groceries,” I told him.

He straightened, pulling open the fridge. “Oh, I thought your mom—”

“She’s not even eating. She barely leaves her bedroom. Do you really think she’s going to drive to the grocery store?”

Dad turned to me, shutting the fridge door in the process. “You could have a little compassion for her—”

“I do have compassion. It’s why I’ve been cooking for her every day. It’s why I make myself go into that bedroom even when she says she can’t bear to look at me.”

“Rowan.” The single word was a harsh plea. He squeezed his eyes closed for a brief moment. “I’ll go to the store this afternoon before I head back to the city.”

“You’re leaving today?” I’d barely seen him and he was already disappearing, just like everyone else in my life. Sister, mother, boyfriend who couldn’t deal with my grief.

“I have a meeting first thing in the morning.”

I didn’t say a word. I wouldn’t beg him to stay. It would only hurt more when he left anyway.

Dad grabbed the notepad and pen from their spot by the phone. “Here. Write down what you think you’ll need for the week. I’ll leave you some cash in case anything else pops up. You can take Mom’s car if you need to run errands.”

If he’d handed me her keys, I would’ve dropped them. I had my license, but I hadn’t driven since before the accident. It didn’t matter that I hadn’t been the one behind the wheel, I couldn’t handle the fear that swamped me each and every time I’d tried.

My hand instinctively went to the scar along my ribs. The raised flesh was less angry now, but it would forever be a reminder of that night. The doctors didn’t know how I’d survived. It had taken hours for fire and rescue to get me and Lacey out of the car. They said I should’ve bled out. Somehow, I hadn’t. Some days, I wished I had.

The doorbell rang, startling me from the morbid walk down memory lane. We’d met a couple of neighbors when we were moving in, but no one had come by the house. I hadn’t ever heard the doorbell.

Dad and I both froze for a moment. “Let’s see who that is.”

I wanted to tell him he could handle it for once. I didn’t want the responsibility of pasting on a smile for strangers. Instead, I pushed to my feet and followed him to the front door.

He opened the door to reveal a man and the blond guy I’d seen out my window yesterday. He was even more striking close-up. That blond hair ruffled in an effortless, artful way. His eyes were a deep blue that reminded me of the water in the creek I’d seen yesterday. An angular jaw and rosy lips completed a look that I was sure made him popular with the girls in town.

The man beside him held out a hand to my father. “Mr. Caldwell, I’m Mason Pierce. I’m on the town council, and when I heard you had a daughter my son’s age, I volunteered us to bring your welcome basket.”

I took in the basket in the blond’s hands. It was full to bursting with what looked like pamphlets and gourmet snacks.

The guy held it out to me. “Welcome to Cloverdale. I’m Holden.”

Holden. It fit him. “Nice to meet you. I’m Rowan.”

I reached out, taking the basket from his outstretched hands. Our fingers brushed as I did, and a shock of electricity sparked between us, freezing me to the spot for a moment.

Holden’s eyes flared, seeming to swirl and change colors for a moment.

I pulled the basket towards me, unsure of what to say. There must have been static electricity in the air around here.

Dad released Mr. Pierce’s hand. “Please, call me Bruce. Thank you for coming by. I’m sure it’ll be nice for Rowan to have a familiar face at school tomorrow.”

I fought the wince that tried to surface. The last thing I wanted was this guy taking pity on me.

His eyes scanned my face, seeming to search for something. “I’d be happy to show you around to your classes.”

Mr. Pierce grinned. “Holden is student council president, so he knows all the ins and outs to Cloverdale High.”

It was fitting, this golden boy being student council president. He was probably captain of the football team and dating the head cheerleader, too.

I tried to smile but knew it probably came out as more of a grimace. “Thank you. I appreciate it, but I got a tour earlier this week, so I know where I’m going.”

Holden frowned, lines bracketing his perfect mouth. “Okay, well, I’ll save you a seat at lunch then.”

“Sure, thanks.” I wouldn’t be taking him up on that. Holden’s beauty meant that he was surely the center of a lot of attention. I wanted nothing but to fade into the background.

“So where did you guys move from?” Mason asked.

“Baltimore,” Dad answered. “I took a job with an accounting firm in Seattle.”

Mason let out a whistle. “That’s a hell of a commute.”

“Unfortunately, it’s forcing me to spend most of my week in the city.”

“Well, if your wife or Rowan need anything, my card is in the basket. I’m always happy to help.”

Dad put an arm around my shoulders. “There certainly is something to this small-town thing.”

I almost shuddered at the contact. How long had it been since my dad had touched me? A hug? A pat on the shoulder? Anything? I think it had been Lacey’s funeral.

Tears burned the back of my throat. “Nice to meet you,” I whispered and hurried away from the entry. I needed space. To breathe. Anything that would erase the pain eating me alive.

CHAPTER 4

I LOOKED up at the sky as I stepped out the front door. The sun had decided that the first day of school was the perfect time to hide behind clouds so thick it barely felt like day at all. I really hoped it wasn’t an omen.

I set down my backpack and slid on my jacket. No, not my jacket. It had been Lacey’s. A leather creation she’d scrimped and saved for months to buy. She could pull off the edgy look with ease. On me it looked a little forced, but I didn’t care. I’d wear anything if it meant feeling a little closer to her. Especially on the first day at a new school.

I wound my way through our neighborhood and towards town. The downtown area was quaint with old brick buildings and carefully curated storefronts. There was even an old-fashioned soda shop with a huge jukebox and teal booths.

Maybe I would opt to do homework there after classes, if it wasn’t crowded. Anything that would prolong going back to the ghost house. Dad had left as soon as he’d stocked the fridge and shoved money into my hands. He’d affixed Mason Pierce’s business card to the front of the fridge and told me to call him if I had any issues.

He didn’t want to know about whatever problems waited for him at home. What would he do if Mom starved herself to death? Would he even notice?

My fingers curled around the ties of my bracelet. I focused on the motion, twisting and untwisting the cord around my finger. It had become almost a meditation of sorts, something to keep me grounded when all I wanted to do was float away.

I turned the corner as I skirted downtown, the high school coming into view. The brick of the buildings fit with the rest of town. It wasn’t big, but it wasn’t small either. Somewhere in between. The woman who had given me a tour had told me that the students who went there weren’t just from Cloverdale but the whole county.

That knowledge had helped me breathe a bit easier. The more students, the easier it would be to disappear into the background. But as I watched cars pour into the parking lot and buses come to a stop in front of the main building, my heart stuttered in my chest.

I pulled the cord tighter around my finger. I could do this. No one knew me here. I had a completely fresh slate.

I crossed the street and made my way through the parking lot. The cars were a total mixed bag. Some looked as if they were held together with duct tape and a prayer, some were the typical used-but-in-good-condition sedans, and a few were more luxury vehicles. I even spotted a brand-new Range Rover.

I kept my head down as I walked towards the entrance, only stealing a few furtive glances to try to pick out the groups. I was hoping for casual friendships. The kind where you sat together at lunch and assemblies but never actually discussed more than homework and the latest gossip.

I needed to find that middle-of-the-road group. The one that nobody paid any attention to because they simply blended. Those were my people.

My gaze caught on a group of girls who stood by the front doors. They all seemed to circle one girl in the center. She was tall and lean, with long blonde hair that looked so shiny she should’ve been in a shampoo commercial. She tossed her hair over her shoulder and laughed.

The sound was meant to be carefree, but I could hear the lie in it. There was a slightly false tinge to the vibration that I recognized because I heard it in my father’s laugh and in my own. I couldn’t help but wonder what the girl was hiding behind that fake laugh.

I turned my focus to the doors, pulling one open. The halls were already filling with people, and I did my best to dodge around them as I moved towards my locker. I breathed a sigh of relief when I reached it without getting lost or knocking into anyone.

I spun the dial on the lock and it popped free. Swinging my backpack around, I unloaded the notebooks and binders I wouldn’t need until after lunch. I pulled out my schedule, scanning it for what felt like the hundredth time. First up was astronomy, then pre-calculus, and finally art. I’d be holding it together until art. God, I hoped that the teacher was good.

I was so focused on my schedule, I didn’t feel the shift. Typically, I was tuned to that change in tone, always on the lookout for those soft whispers. The ones people thought you couldn’t hear but that were worse than if they’d screamed whatever they were saying.

I stole a quick glance to the side. A group of three girls and two boys were speaking in hushed voices, but every so often, they would all look my way. I turned back to my locker, hoping to hide my red cheeks behind the metal door. I took a steadying breath. They probably didn’t get a whole lot of new kids around here. They were just curious.

“Her sister was killed in the accident. Can you imagine?” A female voice drifted down the hall.

My breathing picked up, and I scrambled to zip my backpack up.

“I heard it took them hours to get her out of the car. She should’ve died,” another girl said.

I could see them out of the corner of my eye, that same group of girls who’d been at the front of the school. They stared blatantly at me, not caring at all if I noticed. It wasn’t the act itself that bothered me, it was how it made me feel. It was as if their gazes scraped at my skin, leaving me raw and bloodied.

“That’s awful. You’d never be the same,” a brunette girl murmured.

My ribs tightened around my lungs, cutting off my air supply. I needed out, away from their eyes and words. I slammed my locker closed and hurried down the hall. I dodged people left and right, a few muttering curses in my wake when they dropped a schedule or book.

I hurried farther into the depths of the school, looking for anything that resembled respite. Most of the classrooms were lit and already filling with people, but there was one up ahead that looked dark.

My vision went hazy as I struggled to get any sort of air into my lungs. Memories flashed in my mind. The feel of Lacey’s hand in mine. The pain in my side. The darkness stealing me away. Shouts and lights. The pain.

I yanked the door open to the darkened classroom and stumbled inside. As I did, I slammed into a hard form and gasped. Then I was falling.

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ALSO BY TESSA HALE

The Shifting Fate Series

Fated Visions: A Shifting Fate Prequel Novella

Spark of Fate

Mark of Stars

Bond of Destiny

Royals of Kingwood Academy

The Lost Elemental

The Last Aether

The Queen of Quintessence

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Author of love stories with magic, usually with more than one love interest. Constant daydreamer.

Table of Contents

Title Page

Contents

Copyright

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Chapter 25

Chapter 26

Chapter 27

Chapter 28

Chapter 29

Chapter 30

Chapter 31

Chapter 32

Chapter 33

Chapter 34

Chapter 35

Chapter 36

Chapter 37

Chapter 38

Chapter 39

Chapter 40

Chapter 41

Chapter 42

Chapter 43

Chapter 44

Chapter 45

Chapter 46

Chapter 47

Chapter 48

Chapter 49

Chapter 50

Chapter 51

Chapter 52

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Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

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