Eira leaves without another word, disappearing into the swords, and I hear a door open and close in the distance.
I turn back to Seb just as he grabs me and slams my back onto one of the swords that acts as a wall as he pushes his body against mine. I let him grab my hands, hold them above my head.
His eyes are nothing but threatening, a promise of alluring darkness in them. And I like it. “You will tell no one about my sister’s…unusual friends.”
“I’m no fan of the spirits, Seb,” I reply, enjoying his body pressed against mine. He feels good in all the right places. “And how exactly do you plan to force me to keep silent?”
He leans in close, his lips inches from mine. The seductively dark prince smells forbidden with an almost clean, earthy under scent that I suspect is all him. I could breathe him in all day long. I bet every girl in the academy, bar Poppy, would die to be in my position right now.
“I have my ways, vixen,” he growls. “Promise me.”
Seeing how serious he is and being that I have a thing against hurting kids in any way, shape, or form, I sigh. “Of course I promise. I would never hurt her, and I doubt telling everyone she talks to spirits is going to do anything other than hurt her in the end.”
He changes his grip so one of his hands holds my arms up and his other hand falls to my neck.
My body reacts in an unexpected way, liking the pressure. Liking how close he is to me.
“I bet you taste as forbidden as you look.”
“Try me,” I whisper, taunting him, and he gives in. His lips fall on mine, his tongue parting my lips within seconds and kissing me with an expertness that only comes from practice. I feel myself sinking into his grip, not caring that he is in complete control of me.
Suddenly he stops and leans back.
He watches me closely, and then he lets me go, stepping back, and I miss his touch. “I protect Eira. Only me, and I’m shit at it, but I will never let the world find out her secrets.”
I guess we are pretending that life-shattering kiss didn’t happen then.
“I don’t sense she is half fae,” I say. “Being that I know one secret, can I ask for another?”
He rubs his chin and nods once. “Eira is my half-sister, and her father is unknown to me. My mother refuses to acknowledge Eira’s existence, and I could not leave her to grow up alone in this castle as I mostly did until Ryker came.”
“The more I hear about your mother, the more I dislike her,” I reply with a small smile that matches his.
“My mother is ruthless and killed many for her throne. Her children are simply mistakes,” he replies. “She tells us that repeatedly.”
“She is wrong,” I say truthfully. “So wrong.”
He shakes his head, running his thumb across his bottom lip. “I was right. You do taste good, Daesyn. Addictive, even for a man like me.”
With that, he walks away, taking a small piece of my soul with him. The men at this academy don’t play fair.
Chapter 30
“You always take it easy on me, Ry,” I say, dodging his fist. I use his waist to propel myself around him, going vertical to plant my hands on the ground. As he rolls over, I jump on him and pin him down using my legs to hold his and my hands to grab his arms. He doesn’t even try to swing me off him, but judging from the lump I feel underneath me, he is happy to have me on top of him. “It gets boring if you won’t actually fight me.”
“I don’t know, Dae,” he replies, grinning up at me. “I find our training extremely interesting.”
“That’s enough,” Finn shouts to us all. I climb up off Ryker and offer him my hand to pull himself up. When he is on his feet, he doesn’t let go of my hand, and I let him link our fingers as we walk to the gathering of students. I find Poppy at the back, her small cut on her cheek and her chin looks bruised.
“You okay?” I quietly ask her, not wanting anyone else to hear.
“Yes,” she shakily answers. “I wish Torfinn would stop pitting me against Catherine. She hits like a rock.”
Professor Artic appears out of a shadow portal at the side of the clearing and walks to Finn, telling him something quietly before he walks away, catching my eyes for a moment, and I see nothing but hostility in them.
“Everyone, the training is dismissed for today. There is a last-minute change to this week’s plan, and tonight at midnight, you are due to attend a ball,” Finn calls out to us all. “This ball is unlike the others as there is a special guest. The Seelie Fae King will be attending, along with most of the higher class Seelie fae. I need not warn you, but they can be seen as cruel to their servants and anyone who stands in their way. I suggest everyone is extremely polite and does as they are told.”
I snort, and everyone turns to stare at me. Finn sighs. “I do mean you, Daesyn.”
“Got it, sir,” I reply, noticing how his eyes briefly flicker to where Ryker is holding my hand. I search the group, not seeing Seb anywhere to be found, as Finn starts going on about Seelie fae customs and what to expect for the ball tonight.
“Where is Seb?” I whisper to Ryker.
He leans closer to my ear. “It’s complicated and not my secret to tell. But he will be present at the ball.”
I turn back to Finn, hearing the end of his speech. “Everyone is to wear green, and anything made of iron is banned due to its effects on Seelie fae. Now, I believe Professor Nordvik is working hard on your clothes, and everyone is to remain in their apartments until tonight.”
With that statement, Finn turns and walks away into the forest.
“Be right back!” I tell Ryker and Poppy before pushing through the others and heading into the forest. “Finn! Wait up!”
Finn stops a good distance away, as his large legs make him move quicker than I could walk, and looks back.
“What can I help you with, Miss Riverlite?” he asks, acting all professional. So...we are playing that game outside?
“I’m sure she wants you to save her again,” Catherine sneers behind me. I spin around just as she comes to halt right in my face. “Does sucking the professor’s cock give you a free pass to survive the year? If you fuck all of the professors, you might even get the throne!”
