Page 19 of Bound to Three Fae Beasts

“I know a shortcut to the nurse’s office,” Silas said, his expression serious. “With any luck, she’ll be there.”

I nodded, oddly touched that he was agreeing to help so quickly. We took off back to the main building, and Silas led me to an out-of-the-way storage closet that, when you stepped inside, deposited you in the east tower. We made our way to the nurse’s office, which was more of a hospital than an office, but she wasn’t there and the nurses on duty hadn’t seen her.

As we continued to search, I studied Silas. “You seem to be very concerned for Freta. More than just a casual acquaintance.”

“We used to play together sometimes. She was always kind to me and the other low-born fae.” He paused as he glanced over his shoulder at me. “There’s nothing else. With my rank, it’s hard to find genuine kindness. We live in a violent world, and I wish I had her strength, to stay warm despite … everything.”

Despite myself, I smiled back at him. I might have only known her for a few days, but I felt the same. My life sucked, but at least I hadn’t realized how close I was to the chopping block until a few days ago. Freta lived among these cold, arrogant people and still managed to keep a friendly smile on her face and accept someone she thought was half-fae as her roommate and friend.

The day ticked by. Near lunchtime, we checked the dorm again. A note had been laid on my pillow. Meet me at the pond. Freta.

Silas frowned when I showed it to him. “Is that her writing?”

“No. Whoever left it there didn’t even try.”

We decided against getting the teachers involved, not sure what the repercussions would be. Silas agreed that whoever set this up wouldn’t hurt Freta, and if something had happened to her, the whole school would have already heard about it. But we weren’t going to charge blindly to an obvious trap, so Silas showed me a path through the forest that came up on the pond from behind.

The pond itself was only about ten yards across, and the perfect circle it made told me that it wasn’t a natural formation. Several lilac bushes surrounded it, and to one side was an ivy-covered gazebo with wisteria hanging from the roof.

Freta sat in the gazebo, a gag around her mouth. Red lingered near her, scanning the yard in the direction of the academy. My heart sank as Silas cursed.

“Why did he target her?” he breathed.

“He’s after me,” I admitted. “He tried to chase me down last night to impress the golden boys, I guess. I evaded him.”

Silas let out a soft groan. “Yeah, that would piss him off.”

I studied Silas’s profile for a moment, surprised that he was so … well, open. He didn’t ask me what I’d done to draw their ire. He didn’t say I should have handled things differently. It reminded me vividly of Kili’s mistreatment of me, and how the orphanage matron always scolded me after, as though it was my fault.

Before I could spiral into that unwelcome whirlpool, I shook myself. “I’ll give him what he wants. I’ll go back around the other way and distract him. Lure him away from Freta. Then you can untie her and get her back to the academy.”

“Azriel, that’s not going to—”

“We have to get her away from him before he gets too bored. How long before he starts to hurt her?” I demanded in a half-whisper.

Silas opened his mouth, then closed it again.

“I can handle this,” I said, projecting confidence that I didn’t feel. If only I had my damn knife!

I slipped away before Silas could protest again, and quickly made my way back to the Academy, taking the route he had shown me. My plan formed as I walked, swiftly but not so fast as to wear myself out. Lure Red away from the gazebo, then get back to the Academy before he could jump me. Not much of a plan, but even if he caught me and beat me up, I’d handle it.

He wouldn’t kill me. Not outside of the binding trials, at least. That would be immediate grounds for expulsion, after all. Life imprisonment or execution.

I touched the amber brooch pinned to my undershirt for luck before I made my way to the back entrance of the academy and stepped out into the sunlight. I approached the pond, pretending as though I was on a casual stroll. Red smirked when he saw me coming. Idiot. If he was trying to set a trap, he should have stayed hidden to lure me in closer.

“Miss Azriel,” he mocked. “So good of you to join us.”

I stopped on the other side of the pond. “Hello, Red. Or I guess I should start calling you Freta, since you apparently changed your name.”

His smirk faltered. “I’ll teach you manners, you bitch.”

“Oooh, bitch. How original,” I drawled. “As for the manners … you’ll have to catch me first. You sure couldn’t last night.”

Red’s face contorted with anger. I was just congratulating myself on provoking him with such ease when he launched himself from the gazebo. His form changed as he did so, grayish fur breaking out over his body. His muscles grew more prominent and his brow and jaw grew heavier.

I’d never seen a gorilla before except in pictures.

“Shit!” I gasped, stumbling back. At least there was the water between us—