Chapter Five
“So,” I began, watching the closed door like Janine might appear again.
“So?” he repeated, grinning widely.
“Mates, huh?”
Casey laughed, and the sound filled me with ease and happiness. I would spend the rest of my life listening to that sound, the sound of my mate’s happiness. “I want it noted that I’m never wrong, as has just been proven.”
I rolled my eyes. “Figures that I’ll never live it down. It’s bad enough that the falling-out-of-a-tree thing will forever be brought up at birthdays and other gatherings.”
He seemed to like that idea.
“You’re always right,” I said, sounding fond.
I didn’t want him to linger on how fun it would be to remind me of my little stunt earlier, even though I knew it was likely his way of dealing with the worry from the situation.
I knew how scared he’d been for me, and I understood now just how much my fall had scared him.
I would’ve been terrified had it been him.
“That, I am,” he beamed. “But on a more serious note, are you up for some deep talk?”
“Bring it.”
“We’re mated now and I guess I just need to ask a few questions, ones I’ve tried not to think too hard about until I was certain you were mine.”
“Okay? Is there something that worries you?” I couldn’t imagine what it was. We would live with my family at the royal palace, like Harpy would with Nym. Was he afraid he wouldn’t see his family again if we picked my home?
“Will I be accepted as your mate?” he whispered, sitting down on his mattress on the floor. I wished he’d rejoined me on my bed, but maybe he needed distance while we talked.
“Why wouldn’t you be accepted?” I asked.
“Because I’m a commoner and you’re a prince.”
I scoffed at that. “My father, Luka, was the royal stableboy when The Magic chose him as king. They’re the most accepting people you could ever meet. Only one of my fathers came from royalty and was a prince before he mated with my father, Luka.”
“Really?”
I nodded. “They’ll adore you.”
He smiled, this time with excitement. “I can’t believe we’re going to be together forever.”
“Me neither,” I smiled. “Now get back up here and love me.”
He laughed, but rose to join me, taking my hand in his as he carefully laid down next to me on the small bed. “I’ll stay here until you fall asleep,” he whispered.
“Okay,” I smiled, closing my eyes as fatigue took over. Now that I felt safe and warm next to my mate, it was as though my body couldn’t stay awake any longer.
After waking up in Casey’s arms, I’d pretty much floated around on a pink cloud of love. Janine hadn’t been there when we left the medical ward, but my salve had been left out for me and a young female healer had handed it over before we left.
Now, we were eating breakfast, our first ever breakfast as mates.
“You spent the night together?” Nym asked, his eyes wide with surprise and a bit of envy.
I smiled, remembering how perfect the night had been, even with my aching body. “We sure did. It was amazing waking up in his arms.”
Casey blushed next to me, bumping his side into mine.
“Ugh,” Nym grunted. “Why can’t the rest of us sleep with our mates? Why do you need to be injured to get that sort of luxury?”
“Well, if Harpy had accepted you earlier, Nym, then you would’ve had the same experience when you hit your head,” Ryn drawled. He loved poking at the dragon, his smug smile said as much.
“Behave,” Nym growled, but it was playful. We were family and loved to tease, even if Nym could easily be riled up.
“Oh!” Myve exclaimed, startling most of us. “That means Casey and Harpy are family now! How fun is that?!”
Casey and Harpy both laughed at that, then shared a fond look. They’d dated but knew they weren’t fated mates once they’d turned eighteen, now Harpy was with Nym and I was with Casey. It was perfect in my opinion, mostly because Casey and Harpy still loved one another, just as friends, now.
“It will make moving into a palace less daunting,” Casey muttered.
“Tell me about it,” Harpy sighed. “I’m glad I won’t be facing them alone.”
Ryn scoffed at that. “You do realize we’ll all find our mates here right? You wouldn’t have been alone no matter what.”
Harpy rolled his eyes at that. “I know that, but I’m close to Casey. I have no idea who the rest of you will end up with.” Then he winced and looked apologetically at Myve.
Poor Myve was fated to a jerk named Hans.
He’d been rude to Nym and even pushed Harpy hard enough that he fell back on his ass.
She was not happy with whom The Magic had picked for her, and had stayed far away from him ever since he cornered her and kissed her.
Their bond hadn’t formed, but it was a close thing.
She knew without a doubt they were mates and no longer found anyone else attractive.
“It’s fine,” Myve said, waving off his concern. “I’ve made my peace with it. There isn’t anything I can do anyway, other than hoping for multiple mates.”
“You could get that,” I reminded her. “Look at our fathers.”
“Yeah,” she whispered. “But they had a reason for getting more mates. I doubt I’ll have a huge goal in life and an evil force I need to eliminate.”
“True.” I felt sorry for my cousin. She deserved the world and was truly happy on Nym’s and my behalf. That was just the sort of person Myve was.
“Enough about my sad excuse for a fated, I need details.” Myve leaned over the table, her eyes gleaming with excitement. “What happened before we came in and after?”
“I’m not one to kiss and tell,” I smirked, making her cackle in delight.
“But I am,” Casey declared, smiling widely.
“I knew I loved you for a reason,” Myve said. “Spill!”
And so Casey did, and even if we only kissed that once, she still melted and aww’ed over how we came together.
“Now you just need to, you know, seal the deal.” She waggled her brows suggestively.
Ryn groaned. “You’re way too invested in our cousin’s sex life.”
“It’s not like we’re blood related,” she said, rolling her eyes. And it was true, we weren’t related by blood, our fathers had simply banded together and formed a sort of found family. We grew up together, though, and I saw them as my true family.
“What happened yesterday?” Nazuss asked, reminding everyone about my fall, making them snicker. Well, all except Ryn who was snoring softly at the table, head pillowed on his arms.
“I um, fell,” I said, paying extra attention to my bread as I buttered it. Who knew that buttering bread was so damn hard to do one handed?
“Ah, and why was it that you happened to fall right where Casey was?” Nazuss asked, giving me a knowing smirk.
“I’m not embarrassed to admit that I didn’t like him going on a date without me watching over him,” I sniffed. “I might not have realized he was mine, but maybe I did on an unconscious level.”
Casey smiled softly at that.
“But I wasn’t just talking about how you got injured,” Nazuss added. “None of us had been in classes with you the entire day, so where were you?”
“Oh,” I said, remembering my weird meeting with Ulysis. “I was guided by my light to a part of the academy I’d never been to before. It led me to a man called Ulysis.”
“Ulysis? I’ve met him as well,” Nazuss said, taking a sip of his orange juice.
“You have?” I asked, a tad surprised. “Why haven’t you told us about it?”
He shrugged. “It felt personal, like it wasn’t meant for anyone other than me to know.”
I blinked, then tilted my head. “I was shown a rainbow goldfish, just what did you do in there?”
Nazuss eyed me, a look I couldn’t quite make out. “I also saw the goldfish, but he seemed to know who my fated mate was and told me about him.”
“Really?” Myve cut in, seemingly fascinated.
Nazuss nodded. “I met Ulysis on our second day here.”
“I wasn’t told anything, I just saw the goldfish turn into a very dark purple, maybe black and with shimmering purple scales when it moved. He told me it represented my mate, which we all know now is Casey.”
“But Casey isn’t purple? Or have purple eyes,” Harpy said, eyeing his best friend like he would somehow turn purple.
“Uh!” Myve said, startling us again with her enthusiasm. “Headmaster Wren’s eyes are purple, perhaps he’s your mate, too?”
Casey made a growling sound at that, making my heart flutter. I laughed at the mere idea. “I’m certain Casey is the only mate I’ll ever need or want.”
Casey gave me a kiss on the cheek, obviously pleased by that.