Warrior Fae Trapped (Warrior Fae #1)(74)

Her face flamed, and she turned to get them some napkins. “That’s not why I asked.”

Silence filled the kitchen, and she finally chanced a look at him as she sat down. His smile had enlarged, but that wasn’t what captured her attention. He was staring at her in that way of his, analyzing her. Trying to suss her out as if she were a riddle.

“Seriously, staring is rude. How many times do I need to tell you?” she muttered, bending to her meal.

“No, Chastity, they won’t scar.” Heat filled his voice and her body, and she wondered if he was remembering her stroking his bare chest. She certainly was. She couldn’t stop. It was starting to be distracting.

“Oh good, with the nicknames again.” She stabbed a potato. His low, dark laugh didn’t help her mood.

He sobered quickly, and she wondered if he’d ever had a carefree moment in his life. She wondered if he ever would.

“Joking aside, you can’t go tonight. It’s too dangerous.”

“Look, Devon, I respect your opinion, I really do. And were it any other situation, I’d completely agree with you. But I have to go to this class tonight. I have to.”

“We need to get you to the Realm, Charity,” he said.

“Vamps are magic. They can get into the Realm, too. They could just as easily snatch me there.”

He shook his head, mouth full. After he swallowed, he said, “They wouldn’t dare openly flout the laws of the Realm. The elves would go crazy. The last thing any race wants is to put the elves on a war path to genocide. I’ve heard stories. They aren’t pretty.”

“Okay, well…” Charity finished off her eggs. “A vampire isn’t going to kidnap or kill me in front of a whole school. They try to stick to the shadows, right? They need to keep their real identities hidden, like you do.”

“Usually they stick to the shadows, but Vlad came for you in the open last night. Barely after sundown. Elders create the rules as they go, doing whatever suits them best.”

“But that parking lot was empty. I didn’t see a single person the whole time we were dealing with them. Which seems strange, now that I think about it…”

A line formed between Devon’s brows. Clearly her BFF—Vlad—had cleared the area somehow.

“Maybe he had a mage working for him,” Devon mumbled, back to his breakfast.

“Great. So if the classroom empties out, I’ll leave.” Charity shrugged, hating that she had to fight Devon to put herself in danger. If it weren’t for that damn test—

Devon issued a hard sigh. “We’ll table this for now. I’ll ask Roger and see what he says. But don’t worry about that scholarship. Roger knows the situation. He won’t jeopardize your future. The important thing is making sure you have a future.” He held her stare for a long time, worry creating small lines around his beautiful eyes. Finally, he lowered his gaze to his plate. “I hope you made a bunch of food. I’m famished.”



Later that night, Charity walked up the path next to Devon. Cars and students littered the road and walkways behind them, many going home for the night and some headed to their last class.

Macy and Yasmine followed closely behind, the girls barely looking at each other, let alone talking. Apparently, whatever Macy had told Devon about the kill they’d made the other night had created more dissent between the girls. Charity got the idea that it had something to do with Yasmine failing to follow orders. Being that it had nothing to do with Charity, she didn’t ask any questions. She had enough on her plate.

“I still don’t think we should be doing this,” Devon said in a low voice. He was mostly healed up and back to his old self—moody and brooding. “This is stupid.”

“Roger agreed with me,” Charity said, keeping her head down. “You heard him. He wants us to act as normal as possible while he gets people in position. That means you’re going to class, too. If my BFF isn’t ready with whatever he’s planning, then it would be stupid to spook him into acting.”

Devon shook his head, veering closer. “I don’t agree with him on this point.”

“Me neither,” Macy murmured behind them.

Their group fell into silence. Whether they agreed or not, it was happening.

Ocean and sea salt hung heavy in the air as they wove through the buildings. Wind pushed its way through the branches all around them. Usually, she appreciated the beauty of the wooded campus, but now the very trees she’d admired could be concealing nightmares. The edge of Devon’s hand brushed against hers as they walked, sparking electricity. She held her breath, almost wondering if he would turn the action into a handhold, wondering what was happening to her that she’d let him.

Finally, however, they reached the lecture hall. He stopped near the door and faced her, waiting for her to meet his eyes.

“You will sit in the front, near the door,” he instructed her. “You will be normal—well, your version of normal. When the class is over, you will wait until I text, and then you will meet me at the door. You will not be a hero.”

Charity rolled her eyes.

“Understood?”

“Yes.”

His gaze intensified. He brought up his arms, as though to hug her close, but at the last moment his eyes flicked to the others waiting to the side. He closed his fingers around her upper arms instead. “I’ll see you soon, okay? Be safe.”