Page 56 of Bound to Three Fae Beasts

Oh, that wasn’t getting me anywhere. I shoved aside all images of Seb, as well as that strange burn in my feet that made me want to turn to Lotmas’s pavilion. That’s always where Seb was at this time of night, after all.

Nope, I wasn’t going to indulge in that particular impulse. Seb was nothing but trouble.

I headed across the yard, my gaze skimming the grounds for the signs of other people. While I was invisible like this, the lights that followed the other students left me alone. I itched to know if it stopped the tracker from pinpointing my location, but I couldn’t exactly ask.

For that matter, I didn’t know how the tracking was managed. I didn’t think that the teachers had someone watching the tracker, wherever it was, constantly. Most likely they only checked it after there was trouble.

The forest was especially dark that night, with heavy cloud cover obscuring the sky. After a few minutes, it had closed in enough that I couldn’t see where I was going. I released my invisibility and the blue lights started dancing over my head. By my estimates, I had about an hour before they disappeared. I tested out making a light of my own, and it flickered weakly. It would be enough to get back to the Academy once I was done, at least.

I had been scouting through the forest more during daylight hours of late, so I knew where I was going. No beasts except fae roamed the grounds outside of the trials, so it was safe enough. I wished I’d started exploring earlier, but there was nothing for it now.

After some time, I got to a small clearing. Lights flickered between the trees ahead of me, so I made myself invisible again before creeping up to it. I found a handful of fifth-level students in the clearing. Some of them sparred each other while others were busy kissing and taking off their clothes. I hurried away, trying to convince myself the moans I heard were from pain.

Everywhere I’d noted as a possibility earlier in the day was occupied. I wound deeper into the forest, coming to the edge of where I’d explored previously. I was just starting to think that I would have to risk the Alegro room regardless when a burst of light burned through the sky. It reflected off the dark clouds above, filling the forest with green light.

I hesitated before turning toward where I thought the light came from. Before I could go far, the automatic light disappeared, indicating it was after curfew. I came to a stop, hesitating again. I reached out with my senses and couldn’t sense anything around me, so I pulled on Seb’s wolf form. The transition was awkward and left my skin itching, but soon I had four huge paws padding against the forest floor.

My vision was clear now. The wolf was plenty suited for nighttime pursuits. I moved with ease through the trees, tail swishing. I felt mentally stretched out and struggled to hold on to it.

It wasn’t much longer before another spurt of green light was flung toward the clouds. The clouds parted, revealing a huge moon that hung low in the sky. A shadowy form passed over it, and I came to a stop, understanding who it was this time.

The shadow flew by again, then circled over where I was. I backed up into the thicker trees. In my distraction, I lost my hold on the wolf and slipped back into my own skin, just as Jasper dropped into the small clearing where I’d just been. He shook himself. In the moonlight, his golden scales glowed green, giving him an eerie look.

He must have come so far away from the Academy so he could have complete privacy. Rumors had been spreading wildly that he had a wrong beast. During the Surfacing, he’d been seeing breathing venom rather than fire. That must have been why the light was so strange before.

He stood over me, looking down his long muzzle with luminescent eyes. Each of his scales was outlined in green, and it made me think that he was covered in that luminous venom. His dragon form truly was impressive, his aura intense. How could anyone think of him as lesser just because he didn’t conform to the rest of his court?

Jasper shifted to human form. He snapped his fingers and several lights appeared above us, bathing the area with golden light. His icy blue gaze locked on mine. The scars on his face seemed to stand out more, and I found myself wondering where they came from. He was tense, jaw tight, expression hard.

The last time I’d been this close to him was after class when I asked him why he killed Robert. He waited, and so did I.

“Well?” he finally said.

“Well, what?”

Jasper lifted one corner of his mouth in a smirk. “You’re the one that stalked me. That means you want something from me, doesn’t it?”

I shook my head. “I wasn’t stalking you.”

“Right. Then what are you doing, standing there ogling me like that? Last time we were alone, you were mocking me for my wrong form. Now you’ve seen it for yourself. So what do you think?” he asked, a layer of sarcasm in his voice this time.

Was it my imagination, or was he trying to cover up something else? It was as though he really did want to know what I thought of his beast. But someone like him wouldn’t care about what someone like me thought of him! The idea was ridiculous.

“When you’re not tearing people to pieces, and when I’m not worried you’re about to murder me and my friend, it’s actually quite beautiful,” I said honestly.

He cocked his head to one side and stepped forward. “So, you thought I was going to kill you, and you still stood your ground. Against a dragon when you couldn’t even hold your beast?”

“What other choice did I have?” I lifted my chin as I fought back the images of that day. Every time I thought I’d finally grown numb to the memories, I remembered it again. “I heard that Robert’s sister has vowed to avenge for her brother.”

Jasper shook his head. “I’m not worried about her, considering they hated each other. She’s spouting nonsense because that’s what’s expected.” He continued to stare at me.

“Stop looking at me like that,” I snapped.

“Like what?”

“If you’re waiting for me to run away screaming because I’m so disgusted by your cursed form, that’s not going to happen. You’re not stupid enough to kill me when it would mean your expulsion. With you being disowned, you don’t have the same protection as your friends,” I said.

I kept my voice even as I spoke. Despite him being one of the golden boys and how brutal Robert’s death was, I wasn’t anxious to judge him for his beast. If anyone knew what it was like to be looked down on for something you couldn’t control, it was me.