Page 42 of Heartflame

“I’ll see you after classes,” Aeron said when we reached my dorm, pressing a kiss to my forehead before I could protest. “Don’t be late, Red.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it,” I muttered, heading inside before he could see how flustered I was.

Lysander was wide awake when I got back to the room, sitting at his desk and looking like he’d been waiting for me. The moment I walked in, his face split into a knowing grin.

“Well, well, well,” he said, spinning around in his chair. “Look who finally decided to come home. And wearing yesterday’s clothes too. Very scandalous.”

“Don’t start,” I warned, moving to my closet to grab clean clothes for the day.

“Too late,” he laughed. “I’m already starting. So what happened? Did you finally let that dragon boyfriend of yours have his way with you?”

“He’s not my boyfriend,” I said, though my face was burning.

“Sure he isn’t. And those new hickeys on your neck are from someone else entirely?”

I caught sight of myself in the mirror and groaned. The marks Aeron had left were impossible to hide. They covered my neck like a brand, a physical reminder of exactly what I’d been doing last night. I could even see the individual fang marks on some of them.

“I’m going to kill him,” I muttered, trying to figure out if I knew a glamor spell that would cover them up.

“I’d love to see you try,” Lysander snickered. “That dragon would probably enjoy it. So come on, spill. What happened? Did he finally convince you to give him a chance?”

I grabbed my shower caddy and towel, deciding that a shower was my best escape route even though I’d already had one. “I’ll tell you later,” I called over my shoulder as I headed for the door.

“You better!” Lysander shouted after me. “I won’t take no for an answer!”

The pounding of the water against the tile was just enough to drown out a good portion of my thoughts. And when I stepped under the hot spray, letting it envelope me for the second time that morning, I let out a sigh of relief. In here there were no questions, no demands, and no decisions.

I stayed in the shower until it was almost time for class, then forced myself out before I could waste any more time hiding. By the time I made it back to my room, I had roughly ten minutes before my first class, which was just enough time to get there without being late. Lysander was mercifully occupied with his own preparations, though I caught him smirking at me more than once as I got dressed.

“So, we’ll talk tonight?” he asked as I headed out the door.

“Nope,” I grunted. “Won’t be back tonight.”

He paused for a moment, that fae smile going wider than I thought possible. “Have a good time with your boyfriend, Red.”

“He’s not my boyfriend!”

“Did you pack your lube? I’ve heard dragons are pretty big.”

“Seriously?” I huffed. “Fuck off.”

The last thing I caught before I slammed the door shut was Lysander’s high-pitched laugh.

I needed a new roommate.

Chapter 18

Quill

By the time I’d finished all my classes for the day, the sun was gone and twilight had fallen over campus.

I made my way back to my dorm to grab a jacket, my mind still spinning from the day. Every class had felt surreal, like I was moving through water. In Magical Theory, I’d caught Aeron watching me more than once, his golden eyes tracking my every movement. Professor Blackwood had given me a knowing look that made my stomach twist with embarrassment. I wished she and everyone else could be a little less observant.

The hickeys were still visible despite my best efforts to hide them. I’d tried a concealment charm that morning, but it had faded by lunch. Now I just let them show. There wasn’t much point in hiding them anymore. Half the campus probably already knew, anyway. Everyone was obsessed with the dragon and everything he touched.

When I got back to my room, Lysander was mercifully absent, probably out doing whatever it was he did with his various boyfriends. I changed into warmer clothes and grabbed a light jacket, then headed back out toward the residential buildings where Aeron’s room was.

He was waiting for me outside his dorm, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest. He was wearing dark jeans and a black jacket that made him look even larger somehow. When he saw me, his entire face lit up like I’d just given him the best gift in the world.