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I turned as I pushed forward and stepped out of his arms. “I think we need to put some distance on this for a while.”
He considered me a long moment and said, “I thought that was supposed to be my line.”
It stung. No doubt about it, the part of me that wanted him to resist this was unhappy with that comment. I cleared my throat and said, “Then we are in agreement.”
“No. But this is what you think you need. I knew it was coming.” He rolled a big blue shoulder. “And I did not shrink back to my previous size when we portaled through. I don’t even know what is going to happen to me when classes start up again. I just know that nothing in here,” he pointed to his chest, “has changed.”
I steeled my spine and lied to him the best I could. I called on my slippery eel, beautiful, luminescent predator nature my mother insisted I should be able to find quite easily if I looked for it and said, “It has for me.”
Thurst, unaffected by that smiled at me, stepped forward and then said, “I love you. Always have. Always will. I just need you to know that.”
He leaned in, kissing me sweetly on the lips and then turned to Case and said, “You need me, you know how to find me.”
What the hell? Thurston walked out of my dorm room as though nothing had changed when everything about my life was now upside down, inside out, and only going to get worse before it would get better. If it would ever get better.
Ellie had left a note that indicated they would catch up with us later for dinner. I sat on my bed and looked at the note. No. I would not be going with them to dinner. How would this impact my best friend? Her mate was his best friend. Would I have to lose Ellie, too?
Would I have to lose everything in order to keep everyone else safe from my father? “Case. My head hurts.”
It wheeled over to me slowly and as I watched the top pop open, all the drawers with it, I realized Case was at capacity. So was our dorm room since Case essentially expelled all non-essential items as though it just vomited them out and all over the room.
I got pelted with various colors of sea glass before the bowl landed on my lap and Case moved into the closet and shut the door. There went my nap. Finding the headache tea was not going to be easy, but that was still necessary.
CHAPTER 12
Thurst
I dropped onto my bed and looked at the ceiling. Maxine Mayhem was not a witch. Her mother had made me aware that Max’s magic was always with her, but it wasn’t hers. It didn’t take a detective to put four and five together and realize Case was more than a family heirloom and exceptional familiar. Case was magic of the best kind. The kind that bestowed awareness to an inanimate object to protect a loved one. Pure, authentic, love-based magic. An heirloom of some sort was tucked inside that particular vehicle. Maybe the soul of an actual companion from ages ago.
No matter. This information just added more concerns I needed to pay attention to. Her mother had found me in the water before Max was even awake. It took a lot of effort to leave that sleeping beauty, but I was also leaving the water and I would see Max every day whether she liked it or not.
I did wonder when Max lost her magic if she would become a version of that… underwater harpy with the cold eyes and colder heart. I could care less about the serpent hair, electric shocks, or the fact she would be faster than me for damn sure because her mom was as fast as any creature underwater I had ever known.
“He will kill her.” She had said.
“No.” I assured her. “He will not.”
Though I had no fucking idea how I, the dejected merman would be able to battle a wizard. I bolted upright with the realization. “The arena.”
Braz must have just returned because he poked his giant, horned head around and asked, “What about it?” Then his eyes went wide and he said, “Stand up.”
I got out of the bed and stood to my full height.
“What the hell did she do to you?” he asked as he checked me out with all humor clear on his facial expressions. “Bet if you had horns they would be curled up into—”
“Yes. Okay. I broke. I love her. But this happened because there was ocean water there.” I shrugged. He nodded. Non-concerned whatsoever. He was a much more relaxed and laid-back beast now he was with Ellie. I, on the other hand, was extremely agitated and unsettled with all the information my mate was attempting to keep secret from me all the while unaware that she would be needing me soon enough whether she liked the idea or not. I looked at the man who shared no parental heritage with me and said, “Brother, I’m in big trouble and Max is in danger.”
Braz lit up as if I had told him I had cupcakes and Max had icing, all we needed to do was pair them and he could have dessert. “Now this sounds like fun.”
I shook my head. “No. Not mischief. Real shit, Braz. I… don’t even know if I am going to be able to stay once they see I—”
“Don’t worry about it.” He shook his head. “Sit. Tell me what’s going on.”
So, I did. I told him everything I knew. Everything Max thought I didn’t know and a couple things I was sure Max had not pieced together yet out of stubbornness and self preservation.
“And all Ellie and I did was fuck and find new places to eat on our break. You two sure know how to raise the bar.” He scrubbed a hand over his face and then nodded. “Ellie—”
“I didn’t want to get you involved. I just needed to talk to someone rational. I can’t get your mate—”
