Page 118 of Bound to Three Fae Beasts

“What happened? Did someone see?” she asked, pulling back.

“We took care of it,” I said quickly.

Jasper spoke, his voice flat. “Red sent someone to spy on us. We killed him.”

Azriel gasped as she spun to look at him. “You killed Red?”

“No, we killed the spy.”

Azriel flinched. “Was it Savannah?”

“No. Nobody you know,” I said quickly.

I pulled her more tightly into my arms. We’d gone deeper into the woods, back toward where the danger was. We needed to get out, to be free from the trial’s edges before anything more happened. I started to pull her with me, already intent on getting out.

“I was careless, wasn’t I?” she whispered.

The words landed like a blow. My breath caught in my chest. Was she really blaming herself? Red sent someone to spy on us, and she thought it was her fault? Her trembling increased, and I was caught not knowing what to do. How could I comfort her, when I didn’t fully understand what was happening?

It hadn’t been long since she’d sworn to her dying friend she’d cause death and destruction for vengeance if he died. Now she was shaking and blaming herself for one death. A murder I’d committed.

“I killed him,” I told her. “He didn’t see it coming.”

“I need to be more careful,” Azriel said.

A voice spoke from the air. “Yes, you do.”

All of us whirled as Atira and Thatcher materialized. Thatcher folded an invisibility cloak over his arm and gave the four of us a stern, unimpressed look.

“I am disappointed, Lord Seb. Your nose should have picked up that we were here despite the cloak,” he said. “I understand this is an emotional moment, but that’s no excuse to get sloppy. Follow us. And stay close. The protections to scramble the tracking signals will only work within a ten-foot range.”

Atira touched his arm, stopping him as he was about to turn. “We have warm cider and cookies. It will help you overcome the shock of the Surrender.”

Azriel made a strangled noise in her throat. “That sounds suspiciously like the evil witch luring Hansel and Gretal to her gingerbread house.”

My brows furrowed. “Who are they?”

“Never mind.”

We followed the two teachers cautiously. My mouth was dry as I tried to figure out how much they had seen. Were they leading us back to an execution? Had there been a closer eye on us during the trial than I’d noticed? Dammit! Maybe it would be better to just kill them both while their backs were turned, grab Azriel, and run.

But as I tried to creep closer, a magical buzz sparked across my skin. Thatcher glanced over his shoulder, once more giving me an unimpressed look. I know what you’re doing. Do you really think I’m stupid enough to turn my back on a hunter without extra protection? That look said it all.

I fell back to walk with the other three, pressing close to Azriel.

They led us to a magical passage which opened up into a comfortable-looking studio. Unlit candles lay in rows on every available surface, and there was a large bed in one corner, surrounded by red silk curtains. I narrowed my eyes suspiciously. Had they brought us to a love nest?

Atira kissed Thatcher’s cheek and retrieved a jug of cider tucked near the fire. I gaped openly at the touch between them.

“What?” Azriel’s head swiveled back and forth. “What was that?”

Seb grunted, looking a little disturbed. Jasper, however, showed no sign of surprise.

“Teachers are forbidden to fraternize,” Thatcher said as he took a seat on a low couch and gestured for the three of us to sit across from him. It was likewise a low couch. I stood behind it protectively while Seb and Jasper flanked Azriel. She was the only one that accepted the cookies and cider from Atira.

Seb spoke. “Why did you bring us here?”

Atira smiled at him. “Because we’re showing you our secret. We’d both be fired if Quincy found out about our relationship. Once that happened, we’d be hard-pressed to find another job that isn’t working in the mines. It’s some lovely blackmail material, no?”