Fueling Fire: Elven Mage Academy, page 11
“I think you lost some more brain cells there, princess.”
My eyes fly open to him retreating and throwing on a shirt. I catch a glimpse of what looks like a large back tattoo before the material of his shirt hides it.
While his back is to me, I fly out the door and run full speed back down the stairs. Not slowing my pace as I rush back to the dining hall. I needed to get out of that room. What the hell had just come over me? I couldn’t be attracted to Alec, he's a mage, I'm an elven princess, it would never work out, besides I'm engaged. No matter how much worse my fiancé is than Alec, my whole kingdom is counting on me. Without the wedding, we would break the treaty, and with it the thousand-year peace. Not watching where I’m going in my haste to escape, I run around the next corner and come face to chest with someone, almost knocking them off their feet.
“Ooft. Watch where you're going!” they grumble. “Oh shit! I’m sorry Liliana I didn’t realise it was you.” He backtracks and I inwardly groan, seriously did the universe hate me?
“Hi Troy, I'm sorry I was just trying to make it to the dining hall before lunch was over. My lunch got disrupted so I haven't had a chance to eat yet.” I plaster on a fake smile as I look up to meet my fiancé’s eyes.
“I’ll escort you,” he says, and I nod, trying to hold my smile in place.
“Thank you, that would be wonderful,” I cringe as he places my hand in the crook of his arm and walks me to the dining hall.
Chapter Eleven
Lilliana
Arriving at the dining hall I take a deep breath, thankful that Alec hadn’t chased me. I have no idea how I would have explained that to Troy. Especially if he asked why he was chasing me and why I ran. Troy is already a pain to deal with. If he knew about my strange feelings towards Alec, he’d be worse. As I’m about to push open the door it flies open, revealing my friends. I rush over to them, putting more distance between myself and Troy.
Rose looks over my shoulder with a snarl. “Why were you with that dipshit?” She asks.
“He’s kind of my fiancé,” I admit, deflating, as yet another reminder of what I couldn’t have was put forth into the world.
“His family are world-class assholes,” she whispers, not wanting him to overhear.
“I know. Hang on how do you know that?” I ask, surprised Rose knows about the Donovan Family.
“My mother was a palace guard for his family for a few years and I had the displeasure of living there.”
I cringe, poor girl.
“I’m sorry that you had to go through that.”
She shrugs, and Lucy looks between us, clearly confused.
“What is this? Why are you associating with peasants?” Troy spits from behind me.
I roll my eyes and a look of understanding comes over Lucy. Yep, she just figured out my fiancé is a piece of shit. Plastering on my fake smile I turn to face him.
“They are my friends. Rose and Lucy,” I say pointing to each in turn.
“I will not tolerate this!” he continues like a petulant child, and it takes everything in me not to roll my eyes at him.
Argh, what a turnoff.
“Noted.” I walk off to my next class arm in arm with Lucy and Rose. After that encounter my appetite is ruined.
We round the corner, leaving him gaping behind us and burst into a fit of laughter.
“I thought he was going to blow up.” Lucy giggles.
“Did you see how red he was?” I add.
We turn to Rose and find her not laughing with us. I instantly sober up, shit does she hate me now? Please, please, please don't tell me I’m about to lose a friend because of my asshole fiancé.
“How can you be happy to be engaged to such an asshole?”
I can’t help it, I burst out laughing and she scowls, clearly not understanding.
“It’s … It’s an arranged marriage,” I manage, giggles subsiding. “I’m the princess of the biggest kingdom in Keladia. Do you really think I got the luxury of picking who I am to marry? Especially since I'm the older twin and not going to inherit my mother's throne,” I finish, sobering up with the reminder of my duties.
Her scowl softens, “Oh my gods I'm so sorry, I just can’t stand him. He’s such an arrogant ass. I didn’t think.”
“Same, just being around him makes me feel gross. Also, he's more like a tantrum throwing toddler.”
Rose finally chuckles, and I smile glad I hadn’t lost my first friendship. “But if I call off the engagement, or if my father had said no to the proposal, the thousand-year peace between our countries would have been broken.”
Lucy and Rose both look at me with dropped jaws and I giggle.
“You two look like those gnomes at the fair. The ones where you put the balls in their mouths.” They snap their mouths shut, but it’s too late, the image is already there.
“I … I just can't believe they did that to you,” Rose finally says.
I shrug. “It kind of comes with the crown,” I confess.
Before they can continue with this line of questioning and throw me a pity party, I steer the conversation away from my sad princess life.
“So, what's the last class for today?” I ask.
Seeming to take my not so subtle hint, they nod before Lucy answers, “I believe it’s Physical Education.” She groans. “I hate physical fitness. Why do they torture us so?”
“Isn’t battle training enough for one day?” I ask.
“I agree. Why torture us with that and physical fitness on top?” Lucy adds.
“Because they hate us.” Rose shrugs, like physical fitness is a regular thing.
As her mum is a palace guard, maybe it is.
Together we return to the dorms to retrieve our PE uniforms and drag our feet in the direction of the fields out the back. Rose leads the way, she’s the only one who seems excited at the prospect of physical education. What a name for a class, physical education. What idiot came up with that name? I mean it's obvious and to the point but still.
When we arrive at the fields Lucy and I groan in sync, while Rose seems to grow more excited. Was she for real? Set up on the courts next to the field are volleyball nets. So, we meet again, foul beast. I hate volleyball! My father had bought a net when the trend had run through the royals and he’d insisted that I learn. For creatures far removed from humans, elves sure like to steal some of their torturous sports ideas. Volleyball sucks when you're as uncoordinated as me when it comes to ball sports. Give me a sword, a bow and arrow, or my own fists and I stood a good fighting chance. Hand me a ball and I’d be lucky if I didn’t kill myself and injure everybody around me. Something we had learned early on in my volleyball lessons. Julian however was a star. As usual.
This is going to suck.
To make it worse, in my peripheral, I spot my bonded lounging around the outside of the field. Great, so they get to witness me fall on my face too. Score universe three, Lil zero. As if watching Brianna cut me down the other day hadn’t been enough, now they get to watch me defeated by an inanimate object. How embarrassing.
The teacher walks through the crowd splitting us up with a random one or two as she touches our shoulders, and of course I end up on Brianna’s team, with Archer and Alec. Rose, Lucy, and the other boys end up on the other team. Great! Alec and Brianna will have front row seats to watch me eat dirt. What more could go wrong? It was like someone had hit the nightmare level option for today.
The game starts and I try to hide in the back, away from the net, and hopefully also the ball. My plan is working fine until one of Brianna’s friends on the opposite team aims the ball directly at me. No doubt on Brianna’s request. Argh, this is going to hurt. I lace my fingers together, like I'd been taught to, and prepare to attempt to hit the ball back. I cringe, hopefully not too many people get hurt.
At the last minute as the ball is making its downward arc, Brianna comes out of nowhere and hits it. The ball flies into the side of my face with more force than it would have. I stumble backwards from the impact.
“Oops, my bad Liz. It was meant to go back over the net,” Brianna calls out all innocent–like, but I know better.
I glare daggers at her and her smile widens. She did that on purpose, same as the slip up of my name. I try not to let her get under my skin, she's trying to rile me up, and reacting is just giving her what she wants.
Jason rushes over from the other side of the court and a warm feeling stirs in my chest at the look of worry plastered on his face.
“You alright?” he asks, grabbing my face in his hands and turning it side to side.
“I’m fine,” I answer.
“You’re sure?”
“Yes, thank you.”
He smiles giving my face another once over before he seems happy with his assessment and returns to his side of the field. I swoon, he’s so different from Alec. Where Alec is all domineering male, Jason is sweet and caring. Like a large green haired, teddy bear. I shake my head, damn it not another crush. I really need to stop falling for my bonded, what does it say about me to be drooling after two men since the first day?
Brianna retrieves the ball from the sidelines and stands in the back corner ready to serve it back to the other team. I turn my attention back to the task at hand.
“Let me show you how it's done,” she says smugly, pissing me off.
I grind my teeth in annoyance and glance around me. Noticing that no one is watching me, a wicked smile flashes across my face as an idea forms. After another quick look over my shoulder to confirm no one is watching me, I let loose a small gust of wind. Tripping her up just as she's about to hit the ball. She misses, and the ball bounces off the ground and hits her in the face making me laugh.
“I somehow don’t think that's right,” I goad, and she glares daggers at me, storming off towards Alec.
“Kiss it better for me, babe,” she coos at him and I see red, I close the small gap between us and yank her away from him, “Stay away from my bonded,” I growl in her ear.
“Ow, she burnt me,” she whines, and I smirk.
“I’m not a mage, Bri, how could I have burnt you?” I reply sweetly and she narrows her eyes at me.
“There's something off about you and I will get to the bottom of it,” she whispers harshly, making me snort.
“I think that ball hit you in the head harder than you think, Brit. Maybe you should sit the rest of the game out,” I say loud enough for the teacher to hear.
“Brianna, I agree. Head injuries are no joke. Please go to the medical bay and get it checked out,” Miss. Jort replies looking concerned.
“What about Lilliana? She got hit in the face with the ball too.”
“What? When? Are you alright Miss. Meyers?”
“Fine Miss, it was just a tap.”
She nods looking relieved as she turns her attention back to Brianna.
Brianna bats her eyelashes at Alec, and I clench my fists and grind my teeth as I try to hold myself back from slapping her across the face.
“Will you walk me to the medical bay?” she asks, rubbing her hand down his arm.
I see red again and am about to rip her hand off him when Alec grabs my hand mid-air, untangling himself from Brianna at the same time. Ignoring her protests, he stares me deep in the eyes with a quizzical look on his face. His head tilts to the side like a confused puppy and I can't help but smile at the thought. He drops my hand like I just burnt him and grabs Brianna’s instead. My face falls and that same jealous rage floods my system.
“Interesting,” he says, dropping Brianna’s hand once more and sending her off with a push to her back.
“Miss, I think Lilliana may be playing off the hit to her head, her bond is being affected,” Alec addresses the teacher. “I’m going to take her to lie down.” Grabbing my hand, he drags me off the court and up towards the dorms before the teacher can respond.
“Seriously! You need to stop with this whole grabbing and dragging me around like a neanderthal business. It's getting old, fast.”
He ignores me and continues to drag me all the way to the commons area.
At the same steps that lead to my dorm room he gives me a pointed look and knowing he will not hesitate to throw me over his shoulder again, I stomp up the steps in front of him. He places his hands on my shoulders when we reach the top and guides me around through the hallway to my room. Why we couldn’t just stay in the communal area was beyond me. He pushes me towards the bed as he slams the door shut with his foot. I turn to walk past him back out of my room but am too slow and end up face planting it into his chest. Pushing myself up off his chest, I crane my neck back to look up at him. Damn tall bastard.
“What was that back on the court with Brianna?”
“I don't know what you're talking about,” I deny.
“I wasn't talking about the jealousy, princess, that bit I can work out fine on my own.” I open my mouth to protest but he holds up his hand to stop me. “I'm talking about your eyes.”
I blink up at him confused. “My eyes?”
“Yes, you were fine and then she touched me, and your eyes flashed red with fire, like mine.”
I stand there in shock. “Umm … I … I … urgh … don't know,” I stutter, trying to come up with something on the spot.
Was this a new thing? Julian had never said anything before. “Maybe it's the bond,” I offer lamely, “I mean no one has bonded six mages in so long, no one knows what to expect.”
He rubs his chin thoughtfully as he studies my face closely. I hold my breath, the fact that I still have my palms splayed across his chest and am inches from his face has just registered and I am starting to feel a little light-headed.
I drop my hands like I’ve been burnt and take a step back. Instead of the space I was expecting, he takes a step forward, following me. I take another step backwards and again he mirrors me, looking deep into my eyes. I continue to back up until the back of my knees hit the bed causing me to trip, falling backwards. He keeps getting closer, and is inches from my face again, like in his room. He places an arm on either side of my legs, our lips almost touching and my breathing hitches before returning in short shallow pants once more. Damn my body and it’s reaction to this man.
“What are you?” he whispers, his breath caresses my lips sending a shiver down my spine.
His scent of ash and bonfire engulfs me.
“I don’t know what you're talking about.” I rasp, my voice croaky because my mouth has gone dry.
My eyes move between his lips and his eyes, mentally begging him to close the distance between us and kiss me. Desire floods me and images of him kissing me flicker across my mind along with different scenarios that could follow. He stands up abruptly and the cold air is as effective as an ice shower. I take a deep breath of uncontaminated fresh air and my brain gets clearer. I can't believe I had just been thinking about doing that with Alec.
I brush my hands down my skirt straightening the already straight material, in an attempt to have anything to do that doesn’t require looking him in the eyes.
Without another word he walks out of the room, leaving me sitting there on the bed trying to calm my still racing heart. I stare after him in confusion. What the hell is happening with me? Is this a side effect of the bond? Shit, if it is, I need to find a way to stop it. I cannot be falling for my bonded. Especially not the one that thinks he can control me and my life. Shit, this is bad. Like, the end of the world as we know it bad. If I'm caught cheating, Troy and his father can use it to start a war. Ending the thousand-year peace of our lands. I need to get my head on straight and sort this thing out with Alec, putting him in his place before things get out of hand.
Chapter Twelve
Lilliana
When my heart finally calms down enough, I hop up off the bed and pace back and forth. I need to figure this out. I cannot go around lusting after my bonded. It could put my kingdom and people in danger. First, I need to get myself under control, and then I need to confront Alec and let him know his place.
He needs to be reminded that I am an important princess and that he can't keep doing this macho dominant shit. People are going to get the wrong idea. Also, we were not to be alone until I can get my strange feelings for him under control. I’m not even sure if this is normal or all because of the bond. I will have to ask Julian how he is feeling towards his bonded and see if he's reacting.
I find my phone and send a message to Lucy and Rose explaining my plan and arrange to meet them for dinner, then grab some fresh clothes to change into. I make my way into the adjoining bathroom to have a quick shower. Showers always relax me and help me think, and gods only know I need to collect myself after the past few hours.
Turning the shower temperature up to almost scalding, I step under the spray of water. The warm water helps my muscles relax, and I moan, releasing all the pent-up stress I’ve accumulated over this never-ending torturous day. I still can’t believe it’s only been a few weeks since I left home. It feels like a year.
Feeling refreshed I quickly dry myself, reapply my makeup in the mirror, and fix my hair. I take another moment to look over my attire. A simple pair of faded blue jeans that hug my ass just right and a black singlet top that emphasises my ‘assets’ —as Rose calls them—I leave my room. The plan I had come up with in the shower was to go to Alec’s dorm before dinner and confront him there, out of the way of prying eyes and ears. That way I could get this shit sorted before he could pull some stupid dominant act like dictating my dinner, like at lunch.
Mind made up I exit my room, knocking on Rose’s door across from mine as she agreed to walk with me to the dining hall.
“Coming!” she answers, and I hear her race across the room.
Throwing the door open she greets me with a huge smile. She’s wearing a very pretty white dress covered in red roses, a pair of red flats and her hair is down in loose strawberry waves that cascade halfway down her back. Finishing the look, her face is made up with a red lip and winged eyeliner.
