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“Since you arrived, yeah.” She takes one look at my face and explains, “They’re not fighting over you, Summer. Asher’s helping the prince release some of the . . . tension. It’s not natural to fight the mating bond, especially one as strong as yours.”
I peer at what looks to be blood tinging the water. “They’ve been doing this since I arrived at the academy?”
“Better Asher suffers the prince’s wrath than some poor mortal boy who accidentally touches you when you pass in the hall. Or worse, an Evermore who tries to claim you just to piss him off. We may seem like we all get along at the academy, but the courts are primed for war at any moment. If the Winter Prince kills every Evermore male who looks at you wrong, he would be costing thousands of lives by starting another war.”
My tongue shrivels as the moisture flees my mouth. A war?
I startle as both Fae males don their wings and take the fight to the air. “How long does this usually last?”
She shrugs. “Fifteen minutes? An hour, if he’s been near you recently. Sometimes, if the prince is really amped up, I join in. And after what happened in the cave and then seeing you like that now”—her eyes sweep down my offending curves—“let’s just say, it might be awhile.”
I’m in too much shock to protest as she drags me into the warm, inviting water, but I have enough sense to shuck off my robe and grab my phone. I hold it above my head as the water laps at my stomach, thankful for the sun’s hot kiss on my flesh.
The last time I was in Evernell, it was miserably cold.
“Why’s the weather so much warmer now?” I ask, taking a spot next to Eclipsa on a smooth stone stool, one of countless that circle the bar.
“The legislation that allows mortal tourists to enter certain entertainment areas of Everwilde is close to passing, so the Winter King poured a crap ton of money into spells to make this area more appealing to humans.” Her face takes on a haughty look. “Your kind die at the drop of a hat. Couldn’t have some drunk dumbass passing out in the alley and freezing to death, could we?”
While I mull over what a terrible idea letting humans into Everwilde is, she orders us two green smoothies.
The server brings the tall glasses over. Mine is topped with whipped cream and a cherry, no doubt to hide the healthy grossness inside.
She winks at him. “Thanks, Gaius.”
I’ve pegged Gaius as a vampire by his pale skin and the fang tips peeking from his upper lip.
Gaius lets his hungry gaze linger on Eclipsa before disappearing for more ice.
I try to swallow down my chuckle but it slips out. “Are you and banana hammock . . .?”
Lips clamped down over her straw, she peers at me over her drink. “Banana hammock?”
“Gaius. Are you two, you know?”
“Screwing?”
I nearly choke on my smoothie. I’ve always hated that word for sex.
“Look, I know you’re mortal, which means your Fae side is mostly masked. But Fae aren’t cut off from their true nature like humans.”
“True nature?”
“Yeah. Mortals are so weird about everything. Sex is natural, when done responsibly and with consent. Everyone likes shiny things because it makes us happy. It’s okay to crave money or power because both equal safety. You guys like all of those things but hate yourself for it. It’s like some bizarre self-flagellation thing. And, geez, when it comes to killing—”
“Whoa.” I throw up my hands. “How did we escalate from sex with banana hammock to murder?”
She throws back her head in a laugh, her silver ponytail dipping into the water. “They’re the same, really. Sex, greed, murder. All part of nature. Look at any predatory animal. The strong procreate and kill to survive, hoarding resources and territory, while the weak—”
“I get it,” I say, hoping she’ll drop the subject. If the Evermore believe it’s only natural for the strongest to take from the weak, then mortals are screwed in the evolutionary chain. “So, what about Hellebore? Was he just to satisfy some urge . . .” The words die a quick death on my tongue the moment I see the hurt flash across her face. She focuses on the tiny jeweled half-moons on her nails, composing herself.
When her eyes meet mine, there’s a practiced callousness there. “Hellebore was a mistake.”
“What happened?” I ask softly.
“Most Evermore wouldn’t talk about that part of my past and live, Summer. Understand?”
I nod, but the veiled threat in her voice doesn’t scare me. I know what hurt looks like. Whatever Hellebore did to Eclipsa, it really messed her up.
