Page 29 of Bound to Three Fae Beasts

Just as I was starting to doze off, there was a soft noise from the forest. I was back on my feet in an instant, swinging my pack onto my back.

A huge, silver-furred wolf leapt lightly over the ring of bushes that wove between the trees. Seb shifted back to human form before he landed. His silver-gray hair fell into his eyes, which were narrowed at me.

My hands tightened into fists. “How did you—you can’t have seen me here!”

“I could smell you.”

Smell me? I grimaced. “That damn wolf nose—” I stopped myself, too late as usual. What was it about this guy that made me forget all reason?

“I am not going to let you continue to embarrass me,” he said, stepping closer. “You aren’t improving fast enough. We will start having more mentorship sessions starting later today. You should be prepared for pain.”

“You know, I’m kind of already prepared for that. But I guess you’ve been going easy on me with Lotmas there?” I asked, half sarcastically. I had a feeling that he really was going easy on me. “Do you have a plan on how to explain it if you lose your temper and accidentally kill me? Or maybe not so accidentally?”

Seb stared at me for a long moment, as though he wanted to say something but wasn’t quite sure how to say it. Finally, he lifted his fist and swung at my face. I sidestepped it easily. The windup had been so obvious, it was clear he hadn’t actually meant to hit me.

“Don’t be late.” He gave me the time and location, then shifted to his wolf form and leapt over the barrier again.

Well, this place wasn’t as protected as I thought. It was best if I got out of here. I headed back to the Academy, and with the mentorship hanging over my head, I remembered what Jasper said about stealing second-year potions. After some poking around, I learned where the second-year potion class was held, and where the potions were kept.

It was a storage room with shelves on every wall. The potions were kept in small glass vials, which all glowed in different colors. The door was locked, but lucky for me, I knew of a secret entrance. I filled my pockets with the potions, making a mental note of which each one was called. If I was going to use them as an alternate way to fight, I would need to know what they did.

I left most of them in the Alegro room, but took a handful to test out. As I was looking for a place to work, I went to the usual haunts. The roof was too visible, the tunnels too closed-in. Maybe the forest clearing? It seemed a shame to ruin such a lovely spot, though.

Maybe the pond gazebo space? I could get into the forest there. I didn’t trust going too deep into the trees, but if I went in just deep enough so nobody could see me…. Yeah, that might work.

The problem was, the path to the gazebo changed. I only remembered that when I came out on the other side in a grove of hemlock, rather than where I’d expected. Right. This passage was different according to the day of week. Still, the hemlock grove was good enough for now. The trees were tall and lush, hiding me from the grounds.

I spent a couple hours testing out the different ways of using potions, trying to figure out the best way to hide them.

When a handful of older students approached the grove, I made myself scarce. I still had some time before I had to decide whether to actually go to this ‘mentorship’ session with Seb, so I continued to explore. There were plenty of routes from inside the Academy to the outside, including one that went under the gazebo.

There, I found Flora with Savannah and Red. The floor of the gazebo was sealed up, so I couldn’t see them, but I heard their voices.

“He’s just being a gentleman, Flora,” Savannah said as I lay against the ground, pleased at my convenient eavesdropping location. “After all, the engagement is not yet official. He just doesn’t want to be seen like he’s using you for sex.”

“Yeah, you’re worth so much more than a quick bedding,” Red added.

Hmmm. If I was right about this, Flora was upset with Seb for not sleeping with her. Judging by Red’s tone, he was having a hard time containing his jealousy.

“But I’m bound with a powerful beast,” Flora said in a frustrated tone. “If it was his child, then there’s a high chance I’d be pulled from the Academy. If he was a gentleman, he would want to give me the chance to get out of here.”

Even as my mind whirled, my nose started tickling, threatening a sneeze. I wriggled my way back to the passage, holding my nose. After I shut the door, the sneeze exploded out of me. It made my sinuses and eyes hurt, but I grinned all the same. This might be a playground for the bullies, but even they were afraid of the binding trials, it seemed. That was very interesting.

And Flora was trying to get pregnant to get out of the Academy? So the way she was throwing herself at Seb had a whole other reason, too. I could use that. Somehow.

The passage branched off. The right would take me back to the Academy, so I went to the left. It took me to the attic of Lotmas’s pavilion. That’s where I found Seb with Jasper. The two of them were sparring, fighting each other with so much force that I thought at first they were trying to kill each other. As I watched, Jasper broke off from an attack and started avoiding the blows instead. Then, after a few minutes, they switched.

It was clear they had some sort of agreement. I found myself entranced by the way they fought. Their bodies were lithe, movements fluid. It was almost as though they were dancing. Strange, though, considering their houses were such bitter enemies.

If I could figure that out, maybe…

“Hold up,” Seb said suddenly. He lifted his face to the air, sniffing.

Oh, shit! Could he smell me? I quickly made my escape, then headed outside once more to the roses to hide out in the Alegro room. But before I snuck in, I caught sight of Gareth. He slunk through the tree line, almost as though he was learning the forest.

Strange for such a pampered royal heir. But if I watched him, he might see me. I snuck into the rosebushes. That was a problem to be solved another day.

Chapter 14 - Jasper