Chapter Thirty-Three
Bechora
A sharp rap on the door startled me awake. I jerked upright off Zypher’s chest, where I’d been snuggled, and a shield burst free of my chest. Zypher chuckled, one hand soothingly running up my back, dragging his fingers across the barrier with the other.
“I wondered before why it felt so like mine,” he whispered. “Now I understand. You’re drawing the ability from me.”
The magic recoiled at his words, snapping back into me as if it were a rubber band pulled too tight, and I turned my head to frown at him.
At some point in the night, my demon had hidden his demonic form and reverted back to his human features.
He winked at me before climbing out of the bed and stepping into a pair of pants he grabbed from the floor.
My eyes tracked my newly bonded mate as he stalked to his bedroom door and opened it just a crack. I couldn't make out what he said in his low murmur, but whoever he spoke to on the other side passed an ancient-looking book through the crack before Zypher promptly shut it and moved back to my side.
“This should help us as you learn to control your abilities, Dilectus.” He smiled, turning back to where I sat in the bed with the sheets pulled up around my chest. “When I confirmed what you are, my mother asked my cousins to continue searching their archives for anything that could help. Now that our bond is complete, you will be able to use some of my power at will.” He tilted his head in my direction slightly.
“What you must learn now is how to control not only my magic, but how to control siphoning abilities from others who are not your bonded.”
His words were enough to pull me fully from my sleep-induced stupor. “I’m stealing your abilities?”
Zypher’s smile turned soft, and he prowled toward me, easing himself up the bed until he settled beside me.
Pulling me into his side, he kissed the top of my head and laid the ancient text on his bedside table.
“Not quite, Dilectus. I would have felt the absence of my magic if you were taking it from me. What I uncovered before I returned to the academy implied that the Tinu Nall copied the abilities of their mates and even others beyond their mating circle.”
My mind flashed back to the one time our Human Studies group had met in Vallynn’s dorm.
Something powerful and outside of my control had taken over me and three of the males in the room.
Only Zypher had been able to withstand the allure I’d somehow conjured.
I swallowed hard, forcing my embarrassment at the memory aside.
“How do I control it when I don’t even know how I’m doing it?” I asked.
“That I cannot tell you with certainty, Dilectus.” His hand stroked up my arm, a motion meant to soothe me.
His eyes flicked to the leather-bound tome on his bedside table.
“That is an account of the last known Tinu Nall. My family will continue to search for answers while we use the tome to find our own.”
“And if we can’t?”
Zypher squeezed me gently before easing us back down and positioning my head on his chest. “Whether in the tome or somewhere else, we will find them, Dilectus. For now, let us rest.”
The next few weeks flew by in a flurry of classes and studying the book that had been delivered to Zypher in the middle of the night.
Professor Thrackborne was still absent from our sessions, and for some reason, that left me feeling rejected.
I felt the rejection like a weight pressing on my chest. Worse, it wasn’t just the scowling dragon professor that seemed to have my attention.
Between the dreams of Gabriel that taunted me nightly and the inexplicable draw to Dante and Vallynn, who both seemed set on pretending I didn’t exist, I was stretched taut—pulled in too many directions when I should be firmly focused on my mate and studies.
Though we’d been assigned to work on a project for Human Studies together, Vallynn’s summons came as a surprise. After the disaster of our first and only group session, I’d fully expected the fae prince to expect me to carry the full weight of the project.
Magus House was quiet when Zypher and I arrived after dinner, our messenger bags with our notes and books slung over our shoulders, as if smothered by Vallynn’s annoyance.
We made our way to the top floor of Magus House to the dorm that Dante and Vallynn shared, each step feeling heavier than the last as we drew closer to the males that seemed to call to me unknowingly.
Zypher wrapped an arm around my shoulder and pressed me into his side, sensing my nerves.
When we arrived, the door was already ajar.
Dante leaned casually against the side of one of the couches in their living area, arms crossed, looking like he owned the place instead of sharing it.
His eyes flicked from where Vallynn paced in front of their coffee table to Zypher gently guiding me into the room with a hand at the small of my back.
Gabriel was already seated in a recliner, hunched forward with tense shoulders as he scribbled something on the paper in front of him.
He didn’t bother looking up when we entered, but I didn’t miss the way his shoulders grew impossibly more tense.
Vallynn paused his pacing, his head snapping in our direction as his eyes narrowed. “You’re late.” His posture was straight-backed and commanding as he moved to settle onto the sofa Dante was propped against. “Sit. We need to finalize our project. It’s due next week.”
Zypher’s hand slipped from my back and down my arm, taking my hand in his.
He gently tugged me into the room, easing us into the loveseat across from Vallynn before sprawling out with his arm on the back of it behind me.
“Careful, Vallynn. It wouldn’t do for a crown prince to lose his temper.
” He smirked at the scowling fae. “A few minutes hardly matter in the end.”
Vallynn’s lips pressed into a thin line, his jaw ticking as if he were holding back a retort.
“Bechora and I have done more than enough to make up for anyone who’s chosen to slack off,” Zypher drawled lazily, his eyes sliding to Gabriel.
Gabriel gripped his pen so tightly it snapped, ink leaking out of his closed fist. “I’ve done my share,” he hissed.
Dante chuckled, letting himself flop onto the couch beside Vallynn. “Well, this should be entertaining.”
Vallynn’s eyes cut to his friend. “Enough. Let’s get this done. Our last session was a waste, and we’re running out of time if we’re going to complete the assignment. I refuse to fail because a worthless mage decided it would be more fun to play with her magic than do the work.”
Vallynn’s insult burned through me. I had half a mind to tell him I wasn’t merely a mage, but I held my tongue. Zypher tensed beside me, leaning forward with a menacing look on his face, poised to retort.
“Careful, Prince,” Gabriel drawled before Zypher could speak. “It’s unwise to taunt a woman who’s proven she can control you with her magic once already. I’d much prefer not being caught in the crossfire if she chooses to do so again.”
The air thickened, heavy with Vallynn’s restrained fury.
The fae prince went rigid at Gabriel’s words, his black hair gleaming as shadows pooled in his hands.
Dante’s chuckle broke the tension, low and amused, while Zypher smirked, settling back against the loveseat like he was preparing to enjoy the show.
I sat frozen, staring at Gabriel. Disbelief gripped me as I studied the vampire.
This was the male who never missed an opportunity to tell me how worthless I was, that I didn’t belong at the academy.
The same male who took some sick sense of pleasure from putting me on my ass every time we were paired together in combat class.
His defense of me, while presented as a subtle dig, didn’t compute with what I knew of him at all.
My mind whirled with possible reasons, wondering if this was some new form of torture he’d devised to screw with me.
“If you don’t mind, I have somewhere to be. I’d like to get this done so I can go about my evening,” Gabriel spoke, tearing me from my spiraling thoughts.
“As do I,” Zypher added, his eyes sliding to me. Shooting me a wink, he shifted his messenger bag to his lap and pulled out a notebook. I moved to do the same.
I flipped through my notebook, nervous energy coiling through me as I tried to ignore the tension in the room.
Finding the page of my most recent notes, I tapped a finger under the first line and cleared my throat.
“The Greeks used myths to explain what they couldn’t understand, right?
The same way a lot of modern fairy tales in the human realm are just stories about supernaturals.
The gods were just… the first attempt to explain supernaturals in their world. ”
“Look at that, our charity case finally has something useful to say,” Dante smirked.
Zypher growled low in his chest, and I patted his thigh, forcing myself not to rise to the gargoyle’s bait. “As I was saying—”
“Not every myth points to a supernatural being,” Gabriel interrupted.
Zypher’s growl cut off in a snort. “Please, vampire. Half the underworld myths come from your kind; the rest come from mine.”
“Enough,” Vallynn said sharply. “We’re supposed to compare customs, not argue over who inspired them. The Greeks honored their gods through ritual, sacrifice, and ceremony. We can trace some of those to modern day. That’s the angle we’ll take.”
Dante leaned forward, resting his elbows on his thighs as he waggled his brows at me. “Maybe we should reenact some of the rituals. I’d look good in a laurel crown, don't you think, Red?” he smirked.
My face grew hot as I flushed under his gaze, but I pressed my lips together, refusing to respond.
Vallynn seemed to tense beside him, and I couldn’t help letting my gaze move to his face.
The fae kept his mouth firmly shut, his eyes anywhere but on me.
Dante laughed, breaking the growing tension, and my eyes slid back to my notes so fast I nearly missed the way Vallynn’s eyes flicked to me for the span of a heartbeat before turning away again.
By some miracle, we managed to focus on our assignment after that.
Zypher stretched with a lazy grin after marking down a final note in his notebook.
“It appears we’ve managed to be productive for once.
Bechora and I will ensure our sections are prepared and sent to you for the final document.
” He snapped his notebook shut, slinging his bag across his chest before rising from the loveseat.
His hand stretched out toward me in offer. “I’ll walk you to your room, Dilectus.”
Vallynn scoffed. “She’s not likely to get lost in the hallway.”
Zypher’s grin widened as I slid my hand into his and let him help me from the loveseat.
“Then you shouldn’t have any objections to me escorting her to her room.
Unless you believe you deserve the honor.
” His tone was a clear challenge. Vallynn scowled and pursed his lips, causing Zypher to chuckle. “Come, Dilectus.”
I gathered my bag, allowing Zypher to lead me toward the door.
Dante’s sudden movement in our direction caused us both to freeze just before the threshold.
A glint of mischief flashed in his eyes as he stopped beside us.
“Why don’t you go on ahead, Demon? I need to speak with Red about our astrology assignment.
I’ll be sure she makes it back to her room.
” The drawl in his voice was smooth as honey, and I fought the shiver threatening to crawl up my spine.
Zypher’s entire frame stiffened as he let his gaze rove over the gargoyle.
His smirk faltered for the briefest second, turning to a pensive frown before he leaned down and whispered in my ear.
“I’ll wait outside your dorm, Dilectus.” His lips brushed my temple, deliberately ignoring the gargoyle’s grin, and then he was gone.
The moment he was gone, Dante proffered his elbow, tilting his head to indicate I should take his arm. I shot him a glare and stomped through the door. Somehow, my demon mate had managed to move too fast for me to catch up to him, leaving me to deal with Dante.
“What do you want?” I hissed when the gargoyle caught up to me. “And don’t tell me it’s about class. I know damned well you don’t need my help with an assignment for astrology.”
His hand gripped my bicep and pulled me to a stop.
Dante glanced toward the closed door of his dorm room before crowding me against the wall.
“You’re always either running or look like you’re about to,” he murmured, the corner of his mouth curving up.
“I can’t help wondering, Red, are you running because you’re scared of me”—his head dipped lower, so close his breath ghosted across my lips—“or because you want to know what would happen if you let me catch you?”
My throat went dry. I should have shoved him away and snapped back with something sharp and cutting.
Instead, my body betrayed me, swaying slightly in his direction as if pulled toward him by an invisible thread.
Heat crept up my chest until it burned my face, my skin likely the same shade as my hair.
Dante chuckled, low and rough around the edges, before letting his eyes sweep over me in a way that made me shudder and press my thighs together.
“Selir, you blush so easy.” He dragged his thumb across my bottom lip, slow and taunting. “One of these days, Red, I’ll see just how far that blush goes.” His eyes traced down my body, a heat in them I was afraid to accept.
A door creaked down the hall, and reality came crashing back, bringing a hefty dose of guilt with it.
“In your fucking dreams,” I hissed, shoving my hands against his chest. Dante didn’t budge.
It was as if I were pushing against a brick wall rather than the firm contours of his muscles beneath his shirt.
He finally stepped back, flashing me a wolfish grin and tilting his head further down the hall. “Run along now, Red, before your demon prince comes looking for you.”
My head jerked back. The sudden change in his demeanor hit me like whiplash.
I blinked at him for a second before twisting my lips in an angry scowl.
“Fuck you, Dante,” I hissed, slamming my shoulder into him as I stepped away from the wall and started toward the stairs at the opposite end of the hallway.
“That’s the goal, Red,” he called after me with a laugh.
I stomped the rest of the way to my dorm room, muttering to myself about the entitlement of asshole males.