Chapter 29 Distance and Desire
DISTANCE AND DESIRE
“Okay. You remember how to program the glider, right?” Scarlet asks, opening my closet door.
I nod, feigning confidence. After how thorough and strict the Vestra had been leading up to my first day at Thornhurst, I expected the same treatment before tonight’s tidescast game.
But instead of rules and restrictions, Griffin sent me through the gauntlet in the gym, then Scarlet and I ate breakfast alone.
“Can I paint your jersey number on my cheek?” I ask, trying to lighten my own mood.
Her smile turns radiant. “Thirty-one, baby.” She flips through several shirts.
“Keyhouse’s attire is pretty lax. You can wear jeans and a cute top or.
..” She turns to a row of casual dresses, plucking out a black one.
“This. The tiered skirt and ruffle details with the V-neck will look perfect on you. It’s elegant but still casual. ”
“It’s beautiful but—” I wince, unsure how to explain the guilt twisting in my stomach for wearing more of the clothes I didn’t pay for.
“There is no but. You’re wearing it, or I’m telling Lochlan you burned the library on purpose.” He still brings up the carpet I destroyed.
I roll my eyes, knowing she wouldn’t, but hearing her plea just the same.
“Come on. We’ll be celebrating my win tonight, and this goes back to our plan: making the best of the situation, which includes our ridiculous closets.”
“I thought we agreed the best part of this situation was Gwen and everything she cooks?”
“Wear the dress?”
I accept the hanger. “I’ll wear the dress.”
Scarlet smiles. “And Gwen is definitely the best part,” she agrees, leading me to her room where she shoves a few things into her tidecast bag.
Warmth spreads through my chest. Over the past couple of weeks, Gwen has become a safe place—always ready with tea, treats, and encouragement. She answers my questions about Bryxton while teaching me how to cook some of my favorite snacks. “Lief, too,” I add.
She nods her agreement. “Did you see Everett’s message?”
“Don’t worry about me. Focus on your game.” I feel surprisingly nostalgic being on this side of a sporting event.
We pass the large windows, revealing the drizzly, overcast skies that have washed away much of the snow, much to my dismay.
“Are they home?” Scarlet asks as we reach the bottom of the stairs.
“They’re probably flipping a coin to see who babysits me tonight.” I try to sound indifferent, but I’ve questioned where they are and why the house feels so empty since breakfast.
She giggles as we head out the front door. The cool breeze bites at my cheeks. “Snarky Brielle is my favorite.”
My smirk dies before it forms.
Kai’s standing beside Veronica in the driveway, a glider behind them.
His gaze meets mine for a fraction of a second, just long enough for me to see the hard edge of annoyance before he turns his back to us.
Veronica stares at us though, disbelief giving way to anger before she draws a silencing charm around them.
The cold breeze feels like it’s dropped several degrees.
My crystal link beeps with a message from Holden that has me eyeing it like a coiled snake.
Holden: Get in the glider with Scarlet. I’ll send a glider to meet you there and bring you back.
Scarlet reads the message over my shoulder. “Oh, hell no. They’re going to need a ten-step grovel plan after this.”
I don’t have the energy to respond to her or Holden. Instead, I slip into her waiting glider and don’t look back as it whisks us away.
I’m relieved no one is waiting when I return to Mysthaven after dropping Scarlet off for her game, and finding the glider to bring me back to Mysthaven.
Without routine, my thoughts are restless.
After months of rigid structure, freedom feels like a burden.
I have two hours before I have to return to the campus for her game.
I try focusing on the agonizingly long list of essays and books I’ve been assigned, now temporarily shortened after last night’s tense debate about my schedule.
The negotiations took hours. To my surprise, Lochlan was the one who pushed for a compromise.
Thanks to him, I’ll still be attending Thornhurst, but I’ve dropped two classes for additional training with him, Kai, and Holden, under the guise of independent tutoring.
Charms was the first and easiest class for them to pull me from because Holden has a study hour at the same time. Lunch and Alchemy were the next concessions.
I pull up the book Holden assigned. I still have two hundred pages to read before I can start the essay that’s due in seventy-two hours. It feels like an impossible task—which I’m sure was his point.
Determination has me diving in, reading about the Blight—a magical sickness or curse that neither divine nor natural forces could heal, caused by a century-long war between Elementals, Gods, and the Seelie Court.
It ended with a treaty requiring significant sacrifice.
Numerous Elementals bound their powers to the land, and others offered their lives in exchange for Bryxton’s salvation, creating the Veil—a barrier that shields Bryxton from all other dimensions.
Over time, the Elementals gave rise to powerful lineages, each tied to a specific element—Fire, Water, Ground, Air, and Soul.
These lineages spread across Bryxton, each generation growing in strength and influence.
The Elementals became respected, their powers a crucial part of maintaining the cosmic balance.
My alarm blares, warning me that I need to get ready.
I bookmark the page and slip into my closet, resisting the urge to reach for one of the warm, chunky knit sweaters.
Instead, I peel off my sweats and slip on the black dress.
I stand in front of the mirror, smoothing the slight ruffles that accentuate my curves.
It’s stunning, but I feel entirely exposed.
Unwanted thoughts of Geoff have me itching for my sweats.
I shove the intrusive thoughts away, refusing to let that asshole dictate any more of my life.
I apply some makeup, then slip on the cute suede-like heels, grab a jacket, ensure my shields are solid, and flip off the lights.
Griffin waits at the bottom of the stairs, wearing fitted gray pants and a black sweater that accentuates his broad chest and shoulders. His ocean-blue eyes meet mine, and a smile spreads across his face before he takes in my dress.
He runs his thumb over his bottom lip, shaking his head and diverting his attention before his gaze returns with an intensity that has my toes curling. “I’ll reschedule this meeting or have the others go without me.”
“Kai and I can handle it,” Holden says from the kitchen doorway. He’s dressed in jeans and a dark blue button-down, the top few buttons undone.
“Where’s Kai?” Griffin asks.
Holden’s gaze slips over me, almost distractedly. “He’s meeting us there.”
The thought of riding alone with Holden has my stomach knotting. Lochlan is straightforward about his animosity, while Holden feels like a ticking time bomb.
Griffin huffs out a sigh as he closes the distance between us, so close I feel the heat of his body. “Your shields are strong tonight.” He brushes his fingers over my hair, soft as a whisper. “Keep your crystal link on you, and don’t hesitate to reach out if you need anything.”
His gaze drops to my lips, lingering there. My breath catches. He leans forward fractionally, the scent of eucalyptus and mint enveloping me. For a heartbeat, I’m certain he’s going to kiss me.
I can’t remember why I shouldn’t want him to.
But then his jaw tenses, and something like regret shadows his eyes. “Be safe,” he murmurs, stepping back.
I nod stiffly and turn toward the door where Holden waits. I step into the rain that is still falling. It drums across every surface, a quiet symphony.
A glider pulls up, the doors sliding open soundlessly. I move into the far seat and retrieve my crystal link from the small clutch Scarlet lent me, returning to my book.
Holden enters silently and inputs the destination.
“How’s the reading going? Do you have any questions?”
I run my teeth over my bottom lip. “Which book?”
“The one with the essay that’s due Monday,” he drawls.
I consider how to admit the text confuses me without sounding like the illiterate degenerate he thinks I am.
“There are times when the information almost seems… contradictory. I’m still unclear about whether the Fae or the Titans originated first. Chapter thirteen stated the Fae created the first realm, then chapter sixteen credited the Titans. ”
His dark gaze holds mine. “The Primordial Era is controversial. Most believe Titans created the cosmos and stars, allowing Fae to create the realms and universes. Others believe Titans created the first planet, and Fae created the dimensions.”
“Why don’t they just say that?”
“To prevent war.” His tone is so casual that he could be discussing the weather.
My brows surge upward. “War?”
“Titans and Fae take great offense when the other is credited with creating anything.” A ghost of amusement flickers across his face. “Few question it since it has little impact.”
I hesitate, thoughts of war miles from trying to make sense of a being capable of creating matter. Stars. Planets. Entire species. “What do you think?”
“I like facts. Without enough evidence, I don’t busy myself with forming opinions.” He turns to his crystal link, ending the conversation.
I wonder how many opinions he’s formed about me.
I ignore his indifference and read about how the treaty brought peace to multiple dimensions, how Elementals chose Bryxton as their home, though they were considered Guardians of all lands, their powers acknowledged as crucial in maintaining the balance between the natural world and the magical forces that flow through them.
When we arrive at a section of campus I haven’t yet seen, I follow Holden. Thunder rumbles in the distance and rain patters softly around us, but never touches us.
The invisible shield vanishes the moment we step inside, and so does Holden, who disappears into a crowd without a backward glance.
I stop just inside the entrance. The pool is Olympic-sized and glowing, the water an unnatural shade of blue-green beneath the lights. The packed stands rise on either side, loud and electric in a way that hits somewhere nostalgic and hollow in equal measure.
It takes me ten minutes to find Everett, Gideon, and Wynn.
“Ready for your first tidescast game?” Wynn asks, offering me some of the snack he’s munching on, reminding me of Kai for a brief second, because he always seems to have a snack in hand while we’re shielding.
“This feels like something out of Harry Potter,” I muse.
Everett rolls his eyes, tired of hearing the comparison, but a grin stains his features. Despite Holden exiling me to the front of the Runes class, Wynn, Gideon, and Everett sit with Scarlet and me every day at lunch, becoming a steady part of my new normal.
The crowd quiets as an Elemental in a suit welcomes everyone and then introduces the teams.
Thornhurst wears midnight blue suits. The opposing team, Creedmore, is in mustard yellow. Each player stands straight, each one perfect. Perfect face. Perfect body.
That annoying whisper of inadequacy returns.
The game kicks off with eight players from each team in the pool, and though I’ve watched Scarlet swim nearly every day for the past couple of weeks, I’m not prepared for how good of a player she is.
She outmaneuvers defenders, swimming with speed and accuracy that make it apparent she’s a leader on the team.
“It’s brutal,” I say, wincing as two players slam into each other. The sport is full-contact, and the crowd loves it, cheering at every collision.
Everett smirks. “They won’t feel anything by Monday.”
Disbelief has me shaking my head. My gaze catches on a female Keystone a few rows in front of us.
She’s sitting on a blond guy’s lap and surrounded by a dark-haired guy, a redheaded female, and a blonde guy.
The five laugh, talk, tease. The marks on their right ring fingers signify they’re a Cosmic Bond.
I’ve seen a few Vestras and Keystones at Thornhurst, they’re often attached at the hip, orbiting one another in a way that feels natural and necessary.
The Keystone in front of us starts making out with the redhead while running her hand down the dark-haired guy’s thigh.
One of them leans their head back, and I imagine them groaning before they reach forward, running a hand down the female’s front from her throat to her hips. It’s bold. Unapologetic. Fascinating.
Elementals aren’t prudes. Sexuality is as acceptable and normalized as eating and breathing.
The feeling of someone staring pulls my gaze to a crowd. I find Holden in less than a second.
Heat colors my cheeks—not just because he caught me watching, but because he’s standing beside the strawberry blonde who invited him to lunch. She’s laughing at something, standing entirely too close.
My stomach gives a slight twinge. I ignore it and him, turning my attention back to the pool, as one of Scarlet’s teammates shifts the goal, blocking Creedmore from scoring before the halftime horn blares.
The crowd roars with applause.
“Come on. Let’s grab some more snacks,” Everett says, offering me his hand as Gideon and Wynn slow the foot traffic so we can descend the bleachers.
I take it, wishing that an imprint would form and prove that fate had made a mistake.
As we descend the bleachers and find the concession line, Everett and Wynn replay the moment when Scarlet made an impressive move that had a defender blanching, their retelling packed with humor and exaggerated expressions that have me laughing.
My smile slips as I catch sight of Kai. He’s standing a few feet ahead, his icy blue eyes locked on me. Veronica is at his side. She leans close to whisper something in his ear, comfortable in a way that shouldn’t bother me.
But it does.
It bothers me that he’s avoiding me after witnessing so many of my vulnerable memories.
It bothers me that he’s spending time with her—someone who’s clearly cruel.
And it bothers me that despite everything, some part of me cares what he thinks.
Fucking bond.