44. Summer
Chapter Forty-Four
Summer
I walk through to my room, intending to take a shower.
I want to wash the scent of brimstone off my skin, to wash away Rafe’s words, but adrenaline buzzes through me, energy surging and ebbing.
Rafe’s anger and the accusation he hurled at me slick my skin like acid.
The worst part is that I deserve it. I deserve every word.
Changing into shorts and a sports bra, I hurry down the stairs.
“Alice, I’m going out for a run,” I call as I head out the door.
I hear her sputter questions, asking where I am going, but I don’t stop.
The need to run is nearly overwhelming. I want to lean into the pain and let it fuel me because I am tired of allowing it to consume me.
There’s a slight hum from the halo, but I ignore it too, focusing on what Rafe said and tuning out the comfort Connor is trying to give. I deserve Rafe’s words and more.
The air burns my lungs, and I push harder, hating how my body is once again becoming accustomed to the exercise because it hurts less and takes longer for the endorphins to kick in.
My feet hammer against the path in a hypnotic rhythm, and I concentrate on the music of it.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
My footsteps and heart seem to beat in harmony, and my breaths cut through the melody.
It takes a while, but I eventually notice another beat added to the symphony, and when I glance to the side, the headmaster is running beside me.
He is keeping pace with me almost perfectly, his eyes locked ahead, and his breath barely labored.
I watch him for a long moment before he glances at me.
Meeting my gaze, he raises an eyebrow in a silent challenge.
Wordlessly, I push myself harder, feeling the ache in my body increase as I seek more speed.
Looking ahead, I know where the finish line is without having to ask. I push harder, but I have already run three miles. While my fitness is improving, it’s not nearly what it used to be, and the headmaster beats me to the large tree.
I bend, bracing my hands on my knees as I gulp down air, trying to recover from the high intensity of the run.
When I finally manage to look up, I note that the headmaster isn’t unscathed either.
He has his hands linked behind his head, and his shirt is riding up a little, showing a teasing strip of his skin.
I look away immediately, though I still feel like I’ve been caught staring.
“That was close,” he pants.
I straighten again so my eyes aren’t level with his stomach. Luckily, he has dropped his arms and is fully covered again. “A win for you nonetheless, sir.”
He turns on his heel and faces the tree and waves his hand. A tally appears under the letter E , marking his win. The column beside it is titled with the letter T . It’s funny to me how formal he is, even in this. There is no Summer, just T for Tuatha De Daanan, just as he is simply E for Emrys.
“You’re on your way back.”
I frown, watching as he turns back to face me. “Way back?”
His lips twitch. It’s such a small motion, barely revealing his moment of amusement. “You’re choosing to live,” he says. “Less porcelain and more steel.”
His words hit me in the chest, and I feel almost grateful for them. “I’m trying, sir.”
He nods.
I look away again. “About the brimstone,” I begin sheepishly. I am not looking forward to getting yelled at again, but if I can save him a trip to Hell, then I will. “There is no rush anymore.”
“Pardon?”
I glance up at him. “There is no rush for brimstone. I managed to source some.”
The headmaster lifts his chin, his gaze severe. “There is only one location where one can source brimstone.”
I don’t lower my gaze. “Rafe needed brimstone. I found some. ”
His jaw tightens. “You did not do something so reckless—” He stops himself, but I can feel his anger radiating off him.
He runs his fingers through his hair, and the motion is so human that I find it unnerving.
“Lucifer knows you are the tradeable piece, Miss Tuatha De Daanan. Please, at least tell me you did not go alone.”
I bristle a little that he thinks I’m an idiot, but then I consider that I almost did go alone, and I would have if the stranger had not stalked me at just the right moment.
“I did not.”
His shoulders relax a little, but he is still almost vibrating with anger. “You must be careful. Lucifer is the king of exchanging one life for another.”
Crossing my arms, I nod. “I went with someone?.?.?. trusted.” I expect to choke on the word as it leaves my lips, but I don’t. Am I believing my own stupid lie, or am I actually starting to trust my formless stalker?
Not the time, Summer.
“I need you to understand that you have two very powerful foes in front of you. Both of whom want different things from you.”
I frown. “Two?”
He nods and holds out one of his hands, his palm open toward the sky.
“Lucifer. He wants one thing from you—his heir—and there is little he wouldn’t do to get it.
” A small projection of Lucifer appears on his palm.
He is leaning against what looks like a wall, spinning something between his fingers with a smirk on his face.
The headmaster opens his other hand. “And the Unseelie King.” A miniature version appears on his other palm, though he is lounging on a throne, a crown resting with careless elegance on his head.
His sneer holds an edge that makes him seem much more menacing than Lucifer.
“He wants?.?.?. everything. Possibly even your life.” He claps his hands, and a dark blue power surrounds them, sparks flickering between his fingers.
“I can only protect you within the sphere of the school.”
I stare at his hands, watching his power spin like a tiny storm. “Then I suppose I’m going to disappoint two very powerful males.”
The headmaster’s low chuckle forces my gaze up. He’s looking right at me, his eyes sparkling with something I can’t identify.
“You don’t think I can, sir?” I ask, quirking a brow.
“I very much believe you will,” he says, and there’s not a hint of a lie in his voice .
“You do?”
“You have been surprising everyone at this school since the moment you enrolled. From your professors to your friends.”
“Yes, well?.?.?.” I look away. “I’m not sure that’s always a good thing.”
He shrugs. “Good or bad. You have shifted the realms.” I look at him to find his silver eyes locked onto mine like he’s trying to read something behind them. “I have a feeling, and while I don’t have my father’s gift for foresight?.?.?.” His eyes turn mercurial. “You will make them all tremble.”
I watch him for a moment. “Good.” The word comes from the depths of the darkness within me, and it feels so fucking good to stroke against it.
He studies me for a long moment, and then he waves a hand. Two books appear in front of me, hovering there. One is titled The Arc of the Fae , and the other Infernicron . I look between the books and then at the headmaster.
“Which do you deem more important? Your survival, or that of your adopted brother?” he asks, watching me closely.
It takes me less than a second to select the demon book, and the other disappears. I need to protect Rafe. Everything else can wait, including the Fae King and my future.
“The other will be waiting when it is time. However, I should warn you, Miss Tuatha De Daanan, both books contain knowledge available only within them. Knowledge that neither Kai nor Lucifer will want you to have access to. They are from my own personal records. It is imperative they be kept secret, hidden, and that the knowledge be respected.”
I nod, brushing my fingers over the thick, worn leather. It’s dry and betrays the book’s age. “Did you happen to find a time we can do some training, sir?” I ask, suddenly feeling the weight of my situation.
“I have some time now if you’re not too strained.”
I nod, and he waves his hand, a portal forming behind me.
It’s the same training ground as before, but this time it’s more familiar, which makes me feel more at ease.
It’s something I try not to lean into because when it comes time for me to use the skills I am working on, I know my opponent won’t choose a location based on my familiarity.
In fact, they will probably do their best to choose a place foreign to me to give themselves an advantage.
The headmaster waves his hand, and a dome ripples around us.
“No power gets out, so we won’t need to hold back.
” I look around at the translucent shield.
“It’s a lockbox of sorts.” There are many lockboxes in Avalon for students to use as they need.
Given that we’ve all just reached magical maturity, our power can be unpredictable, especially in moments of high emotion.
The lockboxes are designed to contain the damage to a limited area.
“Can’t have us cause any permanent damage, can we?”
My lips twitch. Was that a?.?.?. joke? Is he teasing me about blowing up his office?
“No, sir.”
The headmaster settles into a combat stance as if it is as natural as -walking. “I’ll be using only Infernal runes. You’ve kept up with your combat training, correct?”
My cheeks heat. “Oh. Um. Not really.”
He frowns, dropping his stance. “Miss Tuatha De Daanan, you know your ability to cast is tied to your physical strength. Magic is only part of the solution.”
“I understand. I’ll discuss my training regimen with Max after we’re done,” I say on an exhale, already dreading the visit.
He nods and assumes his stance again. He holds out his hand, a pristine spell wheel full of Infernal runes forming around his wrist. “Good. You’re going to need it.”
I get into a similar stance and manage to summon my own spell wheel, but it’s much less populated than his. We have only just started working with spell wheels, and while I’m usually ahead of the game with my classes, I’m the first to admit I’ve not exactly been an exemplary student this year.
“Do not concern yourself with the number. The strength of the runes and the caster is the difference between life and death.”
“Yes, sir,” I say, meeting and holding his gaze.
The headmaster launches the first rune at me.
It flies at me, crackling with malice and anger, the bright red power sparking with adamantium black.
I try to dodge it, but my grief has sapped my strength and speed.
It hits my arm, tearing my skin and launching me into the shield.
Sparks burst from the bubble, and I groan as I slide to the ground.
The headmaster tuts as he walks to me and pulls me to my feet.
“Don’t forget. You don’t have to remain stationary. A moving target is much harder to hit, and a moving fae target is borderline impossible if you’re not an expert marksman. If faced with an opponent who outclasses you, your natural abilities could save your life. ”
I nod, running my hand down my bleeding arm and shaking off the hit as we both get back into our stances.
“Again,” the headmaster says, throwing another Infernal rune at me. This one splits in midair as it heads toward me, trying to trap me between them. I duck and roll away from them, just barely avoiding them, and the entire field quakes when they collide with each other.
The headmaster barely nods in acknowledgment as he sends another rune at me, forcing me to move and lean into my instincts.
I manage to dodge most of them, but then the headmaster selects a rune that duplicates him twice, and each copy sends multiple runes at me at once. I only avoid the first two rounds before I’m hit again, and this one hurts exponentially more than the last.
“Again,” the headmaster says again, pulling me back to my feet.