Chapter 42
CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
Ami’s voice combined with her fist knocking on my door interrupts the peaceful silence I was enjoying while reading a book. “Are you almost ready, babes? We need to eat before the game begins and we don’t have that much time left.”
‘The game’ she is talking about is Gleamrush, the football-like team sport and apparently a real thing around Moonveil Academy.
There are fan clubs and bets to be placed and a merch shop for those who want to support their favourite team.
Aramis, Conláed, Enver, Zale, Arlo and a couple of others form one team called Emberhawks, named after a magnificent birdlike animal that has been extinct for many years.
Their little emblem on the back of their shirts are the wings of this bird, the colour of the feathers going from the deepest shade of purple fading into a light lavender and rippling edges of golden flame. I pull on the grey sweater, the same emblem on the back of it and walk over to the door.
“There you are,” Ami says when I finally emerge from my room. “I thought for a second you were about to abandon me.”
“What? Of course not,” I say and look down at what I am wearing in comparison to her. “Do I need to change?”
Ami halts in her tracks and turns around? “Do you feel good in what you're currently wearing?”
I really stepped out of my comfort zone, choosing a short black skirt with long black leather boots underneath it and white knitted socks that show just above my shoes.
My sweater is a little oversized and one of my shoulders is bare, leaving some of my scarred skin on display.
Ami explained that the game is played outside, but in a magical dome where there is no snow and it is not cold at all. Not that the cold bothers me anymore.
“I do,” I eventually answer.
She hooks her arm in mine and pulls me forward. “And that is the most important thing. You need to look good for you, babes, and for no one else.” She leaves a small pause. “But you look fucking hot.”
“They are just clothes, Ami,” I answer a little too quickly.
One of her eyebrows lift.“Oh, come now, Maily. I am your best friend and you are mine. We tell each other everything and all that good stuff, right?”
“Right.”
She nods. “So tell me why I wouldn’t have noticed that you are close with my brother and are tangled up with another alpha male that feels like he’s the king of this place.”
I quickly pull her aside and place my hand across her mouth. “Shhh!” I go, ignoring the fact that she is now licking my palm.
She holds her hands up in surrender, but laughs as soon as my hand leaves her face.
“It’s not funny, Ami.”
She leans against the wall. “What isn’t?
The fact that two incredibly handsome — or well, at least one of them the other, meh,” I gently smack her upper arm.
“Ouch, that hurt. But the fact that the opposite gender is finally seeing you for who you are and I don’t tell you this, because he is my brother and stuff, but he can’t stop talking about you and searches for your attention in every way he can, and Conláed,”
“There is nothing going on between Conláed and me,” I quickly intervene.
She raises a brow. “Please don’t tell me you believe that yourself. You must’ve felt a tug inside of you, a calling that can only be answered once you're near them.”
I look away, she’ll see the truth in my eyes otherwise. “I don’t know,” I whisper, unable to hide the defeat in my voice.
Ami pushes away from the wall and grabs my face with both hands. “You have to listen to me, okay?”
I nod, her hands still firm in place.
“What you feel for Aramis is pure and honest, and probably everything you ever wanted when you thought about being in love.” Her words hit a point deep within me and a single tear rolls out of my eye.
She quickly wipes it away. “But Conláed is your equal in so many levels and what you feel for him is like wildfire.”
I close my eyes, clenching my teeth because again her words are true and I hate myself for it.
It’s unfair to either of them. I won’t say Conláed feels anything for me, but there is some kind of connection between us that I cannot ignore.
But with Aramis…he feels like home, and turning to someone else feels like the deepest betrayal.
“Now, for the most important part, and I need you to listen carefully. It isn’t abnormal in the world of fae for the females to have multiple lovers at the same time.
I know,” she says when my eyes go wide. “It wouldn’t work in the human world, but since fae love so deeply, so profoundly, it is something that is normal to us.
If your, let’s call it relationship, grows deeper and a mating bond snaps into place, it is something that becomes rare.
Having more than one mating bond? Unique, like, it has only happened a couple of times before.
And with a mating bond, your powers grow significantly. ”
My cheeks burn beneath her palms and she sends some cold through her hands, causing smoke to swirl in front of my eyes “So, you’re saying that…”
“It is possible that you have feelings for more than one fae at the same time and you shouldn’t feel bad about it.
Does that mean they are both your mates?
It’s possible, but not a certainty. There are multiple factors that have a say in that.
But if you feel something for both of them, I’d say go for it.
No feelings will be harmed, we all know how rare it is to share a soul with a fae, let alone two.
” She lets go of my face and takes in my burning cheeks.
“You look adorable when you’re blushing. ”
I turn away from start walking to the restaurant. “Please don’t bring this up to Aramis. Or Conláed for that matter. Or…with anyone really. Just don’t speak about this whenever someone else is around.”
She places a hand on her heart and takes a small bow. “Cross my heart. But they wouldn’t be weirded out or anything like that, just so you know.”
Giving her a look that begs her to keep silent, we wait in line until our food arrives. Could they both be my mates? My feelings are too tangled to make any sense of it.
I quickly down my meal since we only have five minutes left before the game begins. We put our trays away and I hurry after her, nearly stumbling over my own two feet in my haste, before catching up. “So where is the playing field?”
“I could explain it to you, but it’s better if you see for yourself.”
We leave the Academy behind and walk on a snow cleared path that randomly stops in the middle of a field. “Uh, Ami?”
“Trust the process, babes, trust the process.”
I’m about to tell her I do not want to fall in snow that reaches my thighs, when we walk through some kind of barrier and the environment changes. The field is in fact clear of snow and is replaced by an oval play field with a tribune.
She bumps her elbow into my ribs. “Told ya.”
We walk towards the entrance and take the stairs up towards where Siri and Neoma have saved us a seat. The tribunes are already full, so it’s safe to say we’re lucky we didn’t have to search for a free spot.
“I am forever grateful that I am your friend Ams, and the fact that your brother plays on the team is a nice bonus.”
“I know, I know. Being me has its perks.”
“Do you have to pay for tickets?” I whisper to Ami.
“Of course not! But every game, Aramis saves us a seat so we get the best views.” Her head turns to the right. “Oh, look! It’s about to begin.”
Two neatly formed lines of male fae enter the field. The team of Aramis wears burgundy shorts and black T-shirts, the emblem of the winged bird visible on their backs. The other team wears the same outfit in green with the shadow of a dragon on their backs.
“Tell me again what the rules are.”
“Oh, right, well, do you see those two goals on each side of the field?” Ami points to the left and right and I nod. “They basically have to score into the goal with a ball, which sounds very easy, but,”
“Always the buts,” I retort.
“Let’s just say this isn’t your basic game of football, we are fae after all and what fun would it be without a little bit of magic.”
Not making any sense out of her words, I decide I will find out myself how this game is played. I’ve heard of football before, even though I don’t know the rules. I am curious to see how they will use magic in it.
The players take their spots on the field, a whistle sounds and the magical ball of light starts to move. In the beginning, I don’t see anything magical happening until…
Aramis has the ball, but the other team is gaining on him and out of nowhere, dark shadow discs appear and he jumps on them with ease, taking the ball with him before he lances into the sky and sends it into the goal of the other team.
We all stand and shout, applauding even though he probably can’t hear it. Yet, he searches the tribune until his eyes land on where we sit, and he winks. I bite my lip, trying to contain my smile, but fail miserably.
For how I see it, most of the game is like regular football with an occasionally magical diversion when needed. Conláed launches into the air from where he is standing, passing the ball to Enver, who catches it with ease before he runs to the goal and scores.
The other team scores once too, right before a signal calls the break. Although the temperature is indeed pretty constant and pleasantly warm, the sky is changing. The clouds turn from their normal grey to a near black colour.
“A storm is coming,” I state. Siri hears me and looks up to the sky as well.
“I think you’re right, though it does not feel like a regular snowstorm.”
The same uneasy feeling stirs inside me, but we should be fine here, right?
“No need to worry,” Ami reassures. “We’re safe and protected by the dome that Mrs Delalune created.”
“Is she here?”
“Of course, she never misses a game.” Ami turns to me. “Do you want to go down?”
“Go down?” I ask, Ami pointing to where her brother stands. “Is that allowed?”