“Pleasure Mage, remember? I know when others’ emotions need a bit of a boost,” he admitted with a wink.
I laughed lightly before turning back to face the Academy, scratching my scars as I did so.
“Yes, I’m going in,” I said, trying to infuse more confidence than I felt. “I just can’t seem to get past the door.” The tips of my ears heated in embarrassment, but Lex didn’t seem to care. He simply nodded as if he understood my irrational fear.
“It’s just a building,” he said, “made up of stones and wood. It’s not the structure you have to fear, but what’s inside it.”
Well, that’s not ominous.
At my obviously wide-eyed expression, Lex’s face lit with humor as Ilyas chuckled. Sasori simply huffed.
“Lex, we have a meeting. And training,” she practically barked, shifting from foot to foot, clearly ready to end this conversation. Lex’s shoulders tightened fractionally before he forced a smile at the woman.
“I’m aware, Sasori. I’m the one who teaches here, if you’ll recall?” There was a slight bite to his tone, and she stiffenedin response. Even Ilyas looked slightly uncomfortable with the interaction.
I just stood dumbly watching it all.
“Let me take you to the General, then we’ll be on our way. Sometimes I find my fears easier to overcome with someone else,” Lex said gently with a softer smile aimed in my direction.
I gulped.
“H-how do you know I’m meeting with Rohak? And . . .” I trailed off.
Lex shot me a sad smile, only the right corner of his mouth tipping slightly before dropping altogether.
“The General and I are close,” —another scoff from Sasori— “and he asked that I help you inside, if you were still stuck out here when I came in for the day.”
“Oh,” I replied dumbly.
“Yes, ‘oh,’” Sasori snarked before pushing past Lex and climbing the stairs, disappearing through the shadows into the depths of the Academy beyond.
“You’d think after riding so much dick last night she’d be in better spirits,” Ilyas mumbled, and Lex laughed loud and genuine, startling me.
“Ilyas,” he admonished through his chuckles. “You know she’s just . . . dealing with things.”
“Yes. And not well, I might add. I know, personally, that I amcompletelyhappy andthoroughlysated after last night,” Ilyas said with a heated gaze at Lex that started and ended at his crotch. Lex adjusted himself openly before smacking Ilyas lightly on the back of the head.
“Enough,” he admonished with little heat. “Let’s get Fay inside.”
We climbed the steps slowly, the Academy enveloping us in its dark shadow. It was colder, if possible, as we ascended, but I pushed down the feeling, desperately trying to cling tosomething that wasn’t all-encompassing fear. My skin began itching in earnest again, and as I reached to scour my arms with my nails, Lex reached across for one of my hands, covering it with one warm palm.
He squeezed slightly, grounding me without a word.
A zing ofsomethingshot up my arm at his touch and I nearly jolted in surprise—it wasn’t attraction or arousal like I felt with Rohak. More like my body—my blood—knew his.
“I’ll tell you about it sometime, if you’d like,” Lex said as we walked through the Academy doors, hand-in-hand.
I nodded mutely, completely lost in thought.
Lex said nothing more, clearly understanding that a million thoughts were cascading at a rapid pace through my consciousness. He just squeezed my hand a second time and directed me through the doors into the entryway of the Academy.
Chapter 42
Lex
The black cavern of the Academy’s entryway loomed over the three of us as we made our way, slowly, inside. I didn’t push Faylinn to move faster, just followed at her pace. Her hazel eyes were wide but unseeing as she gazed hazily at the wide arches and black stone floor, the material uniform throughout the entire building.
It never felt any less overwhelming, no matter how many times I entered these doors and strode through the same corridors, entered the same rooms, trained in the same fields.
