Quiet Burn (Discordia University #2)

Who Are You?

Kit/Kat

“ H ere, KK. I’ll put it on you since Oriel was gallant enough to buy it for you.”

Despite my deep desire to refuse, I turn around for the panda. Except for Jasper, I don’t think any of the guys would want me to be hurt, so if they truly believe this is meant for me, I have to suspend my disbelief for them. Trust goes two ways and I’m holding out on something big; I don’t think I’m in a place where I can be judgy about this kind of shit. “Okay, but if my skin starts peeling off, someone get the damn thing off me stat. Understand?”

That gets a round of chuckles from most of them, and Salem reaches around me to slide the collar around my neck gently. There’s a soft sound as it clicks closed and I wait for the universe to implode, but it doesn’t. My roommate’s big hands land on my shoulders and he leans in to murmur, “See? No big deal, Kit Kat. You’re safe.”

I want to say I don’t even know what that feels like and haven't for a long time.

But instead, I nod and swallow back the anxiety trying to wriggle out of me. “Does it look stupid? I can’t see it.”

Jasper grunts, waving his hand. “It looks fine. Don’t be dramatic, shrimp.”

“Okay, now that I’ve satisfied you guys, can we get the fuck out of fairy land and find some other species to freak me out?” I force a small smile as I gesture around us. “This place is cool, but if we were supposed to come here to find this thing, I think our quest is over.”

Slash grins at me then looks around. “I think the little demon is correct, Jasper. We should head south and wrap our path around by the far court tents, then make our way back to the entrance. Moving too quickly might tip someone off that we have something to hide.”

The dragon hauls his bag onto his shoulder, nodding. “That seems like a good plan. Salem, stay beside him while Slash and I lead the group. Oriel, follow with Zav, and then X and Anton.”

Everyone falls into place quickly, and I go along with it because I’m much too distracted by my new jewelry to fight with the Prince on principle. The various Fae and creatures mill around us as we pass the booths full of things I wish I could examine more thoroughly. Things in this territory are delicate and ephemeral, but also bold and dangerous looking, which I guess is because there are four very different courts in residence. I’d love to know more about that, too, but now isn’t the time. I have no idea how many ears are listening as we stroll through the bazaar nonchalantly.

When we finally get to the end of the market, I feel a strong pulse beating in the stone of my collar. My hand tightens on Salem’s as the panic rises in my body along with the swirling colors of power within me. Blackness and deep red prickle along the inside of my skin as if trying to get out—a sure sign that my supposed magic is trying to tell me something.

The damn necklace is too, it seems.

“Stop,” I murmur to the panda demon as I tug on our joined hands. “We have to stop, Salem.”

He frowns, doing as I say immediately then clearing his throat loudly to get the Prince’s attention. “What’s going on, Kit Kat?”

The others are crowded around me in a circle in a blink, and I shake my head as I meet their gazes. “I don’t know why, but as soon as we got close to these two big tent things, both the new collar and my magic started going haywire. Something in this area is important… or a problem… or I don’t know. It’s just telling me to wait.”

“Do not be afraid,” Slash rumbles. He turns to face away from me, his broad back and fin blocking my view as he moves to scan the crowd. “I will make certain no one comes near you.”

“Good thing you’re worried about me,” Jasper drawls sarcastically. His words are sharp, but with my senses heightened, I feel the concern he doesn’t want to voice. The dragon is a lot of things and many of them suck, but I know he doesn’t want his family harmed and now I’m included in that roster.

I know he’s seen something he doesn’t like when a low, frustrated growl escapes him. His posture stiffens and he speaks to us in a soft, measured tone. “Everyone stay calm and follow my lead. It appears the shrimp may be right. I have no fucking clue if this is an ambush or not, so watch your words and zip it if you aren’t a thousand percent sure you’ve got your shit together.”

The big demons move apart, revealing a group of five men and a determined looking woman walking towards us. They’re a mixed group, I think, as their scents are confusing my nose, but I believe one of them has to be a dragon based on size alone. That one is walking in a manner reminiscent of Slash, so I think he might be a guard—and he looks quite unhappy. I can’t tell if the anger is directed at the universe or us, but he’s sticking pretty close to the very handsome man with dark hair.

“Get ready for bullshit in three… two… one…” X whispers to me as they step closer.

The angry looking bodyguard stops short as they get within a few feet, jerking his chin up at Jasper. “Prince Eversore. What a surprise to see you above the surface and on our lands.”

“ Your lands?” Jasper says, his voice full of amusement. “No matter who you serve, this ground does not belong to you, Lieutenant.”

Does he know these fucking people? A little info would be great right now.

“Kaspar, don’t taunt the Prince of Hell. It’s gauche,” the handsome man chides as he steps into the gap and holds his hand out to Jasper. “My second is as diplomatic as most dragons, Your Highness, but I am not so prickly.”

“But he is,” I mutter and Salem snickers beside me.

“Who was that? I like them,” the tall woman says. Her eyes are delighted as she joins the mysterious hot guy and the praise makes my skin tingle pleasantly. “Show yourself, whichever one of you is actually honest.”

Licking my lips, I look at the panda, who shrugs, then pull him along with me as I do as she asked. “It was me. I’m sort of the problem child. My name is Kit, but I’m sorry to say I’m not sure who any of you are, so you’ll have to forgive me if I’m fucking up some official secret handshake or greeting.”

The pretty guy laughs, turning to look at the tall blond, then the other two with an amused expression. “Don’t worry, Kit. Morgana is similarly inclined to speak plainly, which is why she was excited to see who would scoff at the second most powerful demon in Hell without fear.”

I shrug, my face heating as I try to ignore all the spiking power and energy inside of me clashing with my own serotonin and adrenaline. “You didn’t answer my question, though. She’s Morgana—thanks for that— but who are you all and how do you know Jasper?”

“Watch it, demon,” the dragon says as sparks jump on his frame. “You are not a friend and speaking to the Prince of the Daybreak Court requires respect.”

Now we have two of them to swing their dicks around—there are fucking rich, royal assholes everywhere I look.

Xerxes saves me by showing their face, all smiles and diplomacy as they steal the attention from me. “Oh, you’re Prince Liam then. I really thought I’d recognize you; I follow all the court fashions and you’re always impeccably dressed.”

Morgana snorts, covering her mouth for a moment before she shakes her head. “Guess that whole ‘magic will disguise us’ thing works unless it’s another royal pain in the ass, huh, Li?”

The tall blond hunk grins, socking the Fae prince on the shoulder. “Your brilliant plan hit a four-oh-four error, man. Sucks to be us.”

“For fuck’s sake,” the bodyguard says as he growls. “The plan worked fine, though I suppose we should forget it now that you’re all revealing it to everyone. We didn’t expect another dragon to appear, especially one as powerful as Hell’s royal family. Of course he can see me, and I’m well known in supernatural circles. My father and I are the face of the Daybreak army.”

Oriel tilts his head, nudging my shoulder. “Looks like we accidentally foiled our plan and theirs.”

“That’s what happens when you think Jedi mind tricks are going to protect you,” I say softly and the crow demon laughs. “Something always goes wrong and if you don’t have a million variations on your plan, you’re screwed.”

“A very wise statement,” Morgana replies as she grins broadly. “But truly, we mean you no harm. We did not want to draw a crowd, but that’s the only reason Liam and Kaspar were disguised. I assume your… group…is also looking to fly under the radar?”

“Yes,” Jasper growls. “We were hoping to make our way to the exit without fanfare so we can get to our next appointment. It’s a quirk of fate that I happened to identify one of my kind and then conclude who it was.”

“Perhaps we can agree to stay quiet as a mini-detente?”

The suggestion is made by the delicate looking man holding Morgana’s hand. He looks shy and studious, not made for battle like the dragon or brash like the blond. I believe he’s something aquatic by the smell, and the bulky blond is a shifter. That leaves the fancy pants dude next to the shy guy and everything about him screams money and arrogance. I have no idea what he is, but I know he’d piss me off.

“Agreed, siren.” Slash folds his arms over his chest, his posture radiating tension as he watches the group. It’s his job to keep us safe and he clearly doesn’t know how he feels about this encounter yet.

“Prince?” The sparking dragon says in response.

Jasper nods. “My caliphate will stay silent about your presence if you do the same. I accept those terms.”

“Excellent!” The handsome Fae prince claps his hands, looking pleased. “I am quite certain my mates and family will hold up our end of this bargain. Perhaps if it goes smoothly, you and I will have things to discuss in the future, Prince Jasper.”

Shockingly, Jasper actually smiles at the dude. “That would be an interesting possibility, Prince Liam. I believe we might have a vast number of interests that intersect. Anton, the card?”

I’d almost forgotten the peacock shifter since he stayed quiet, but it was obviously for a reason. Anton walks into the divide, handing what looks to be a metal business card to the bodyguard. The angry dragon hands something back to him, and both princes puff up, looking pleased as shit.

This is such a weird fucking dance of bullshit.

I’m about to comment when something prickles at the back of my neck, then around the collar to the stone. It feels cool against my skin, and I reach up to touch it. What in the hell a temperature change means, I don’t know, but I get the feeling it’s not nothing. I elbow Salem in the side, leaning in to whisper very softly, “The damn collar is going nuts again. I don’t think it was just these guys.”

Before he can answer, a loud crack sounds out in the tent on the right and a bang echoes out of the one on the left side. My roomie’s eyes widen, and he lets go of my hand, looking at Slash. The shark nods, and I squeak as Salem hauls me up onto his shoulder without preamble and takes off, running away from our caliphate at a speed I didn’t know he was capable of.

“Hey!” I pound my fist on his broad back, but he doesn’t respond. “Salem, don’t do this. You can’t run away from them with me and not be there for whatever is going on!”

“Sorry, KK,” he rumbles as he darts through a throng of people starting to panic and run around. “My job is to get you to safety; you can get mad at me later.”

You can bet that’s exactly what I’m going to fucking do when I get out of his kung-fu grip—I hope he’s wearing a cup.