Chapter 284

I turn towards Jackson in the quiet of the magic classroom, wrapping my arms around his waist, leaning my head against his chest, exhausted and spent and desperately shaken by everything that happened.

We stand there, quite quiet, for a long time with Jackson quietly stroking my hair, resting his cheek on the top of my head. “I love you so much, Ariel,” he murmurs. “I’m sorry this was so stressful for you.”

I sigh, knowing that it’s more stressful than he realizes but…also knowing that I have to give our situation some deep thought before I go spilling out the details to one mate and not the other. So I put it aside for the moment, making a solemn promise to myself to think it through tonight before I fall asleep.

“Stressful for you too, puppy,” I murmur into his chest. “You got your own set of weird news.”

“Nothing I can’t handle,” he says, sighing and lifting his head. I peer up at him, loving him quite desperately, not even allowing myself to consider what it would be like if the Goddess took him away. Because it’s not happening – not ever. “What do you what to do?” he asks.

“Hmm?” I turn my head to the side.

“You’re a little late for your lesson with Blaze,” he says quietly, glancing up at the clock. “But if you’d rather just go lay in bed and relax, I’m sure he’d let you off –“

“No,” I say, straightening up and turning to look at the clock with a frown. “No, I want to go to that. Will you walk me?”

“Of course,” Jackson says, leaning down and taking my chin in his hands, tilting it up so that he can press a warm, lingering kiss to my mouth. “I’ll walk you anywhere you want to go, little fire sprite.”

I grin up at my mate, love swelling in my chest. And then I slip my hand into his, wanting his touch no matter the fact that we’re risking my secret. And Jacks – he doesn’t let my hand go as we slip out of the room, heading down a set of stairs towards the gyms.

When Jackson and I turn the corner into the hallway where the smaller gyms are located, Luca pushes himself up from his place by the door, his eyes instantly scanning over me.

“What happened?” he asks, moving closer to us, reaching for me. “You’re never late like this – what happened?”

I give Jackson’s hand a squeeze before I drop it, moving to Luca and wrapping my arms around his waist, letting him fold me in close to him for a second, drop his head to my hair and give me a sniff, checking to make sure I’m okay. I feel ease come to him the moment he touches me as he exhales a long breath.

“We just had a really…complicated magic class,” I say, pushing back from him a little and stepping between my mates as Luca’s arms fall to his side. “I’ll fill you in afterwards.”

Luca gives me a nod and then looks into Jackson’s eyes. Something passes between them then and I work hard against my smile as Luca turns his head to the side, silently asking Jackson if there’s anything else he needs to know, and Jackson gives him a shrug, letting him know that that’s pretty much it.

I bite my lip, looking between them, kind of…regretting the fact that the news I have to give both of them – at some point – is going to ruin this little stalemate that they’ve come to. Because even if Jackson and Luca are some variety of friends now…I think they’re able to maintain that because they both think that at some point I’m going to make a choice between them.

And in their hearts, I think that they both think that it’s going to be them – which makes sense, because I know that there’s no part of me that can even begin to think of rejecting either.

But now that the Goddess has demanded that I receive both of their marks? And that if I don’t, she’ll reject the bonds herself and assign me new mates?

God it’s…it’s going to ruin everything.

Both Luca and Jackson turn their heads to me at the same moment, sensing my dread. “What?” they both say, frowning at me, ignoring their simultaneity.

“Oh, there’s no time,” I say, flapping my hands at them. “I’ve got a lesson to get to.”

“Ariel, if there’s something we need to know…” Luca says, holding a hand out towards me.

“It’s not that, Luca, it’s not pressing,” I say, shaking my head and turning towards the door. “And I need…a minute alone with my thoughts. Please?”

Luca sighs but turns back to Jackson, raising an eyebrow to see if he’s all right with this. But Jackson again just shrugs, his stony expression kind of suggesting that he’s all right with whatever the hell I’m all right with.

Luca just rolls his eyes a little and turns back to me. “All right,” he says, clearly frustrated but accepting it. “Let’s get in there – I think Blaze has been waiting.”

“See you tonight,” Jackson murmurs, dipping in and pressing a kiss to my cap before heading off down the hall. I only spare half a second to watch him go – unable to help it – before slipping my hand into Luca’s and moving into the gym.

“You are late,” Blaze says the moment I step through the door, standing in the center of the room. And somehow, without any proof at all, I know that he’s been standing there patiently this entire time.

“I’m sorry,” I say, dropping my bag by the door where Luca settles down in his usual spot. “It’s –“

“No need,” Blaze interrupts, holding up a hand and studying me carefully as I come to the center of the room. “I can see by your face, little bird, that it was not a paltry thing that kept you away.”

I sigh, letting my shoulders slump a little as I come to stand before him. But I nod, letting him know his assessment is correct.

“Then let’s get to work,” Blaze says quietly, leaning closer to me, his eyes kind and wrinkling at the corners. “There is nothing for processing difficult thoughts like movement in the body. Come – we will beat the sadness out of you.”

And then to prove his point, he whips his hand up and gives me a fairly hard smack on the arm that makes me stumble to the side even as it makes me laugh.

“Hey!” I say, coming back to the center and grinning at my teacher. “Didn’t anyone ever tell you not to hit sad girls?”

“Sad girls don’t want to get hit?” he says, quirking his head to the side. “Sad girls need to dodge.”

His hand whips up again but I’m ready for it this time, dodging beneath and lashing out with my foot, a sharp kick aimed at his ankle. But Blaze just laughs and sweeps his leg back – and then we’re off, moving fast, me trying to land a blow and him issuing commands to make me better.

As the minutes pass I find that my professor was right – that in keeping busy and moving my body, my mind does turn away from the troubling events of this afternoon, giving me much-needed space and respite. Because I can always turn back to them later – but now?

Now I’ve got to learn to kick some ass, just in case any stupid jerk dark Gods try to kiss me again.

Because trust me – one kiss from my grandma’s ex was certainly enough for this lifetime.

By the time my workout with Blaze finishes, I’m sweaty, panting, and in a much better mood.

“There is my little bird,” Blaze says, giving me a brilliant smile and wrapping me in a hug. I burst out laughing as he does because I’m totally gross right now – but he doesn’t care. “All of your emotions are brilliant,” he says with a happy sigh, rocking me back and forth, “but to see you smile after you have worked hard does my heart good. I am proud of you, swift little thing.”

“Thanks, Blaze,” I say with a sigh, resting against him and hugging him back, truly meaning it in the depths of my soul.

“You are welcome,” he says, pulling away and patting my cheek before turning towards his mysterious door. “See you the day after tomorrow! Now, I am on vacation!”

I wave back to Blaze as Luca comes to the center of the ring, rolling his shoulders. “You know, I’m getting a little jealous of that guy,” he says, the corner of his mouth quirking up as he gestures over his shoulder to Blaze’s closing door. “He’s got all the good lines.”

“Oh yeah?” I say, putting my hands on my hips and wrinkling my nose at my mate. “You want to call me your little bird and tell me how brilliant my emotions are?”

“See?” Luca says, his mouth broadening into a wide grin as he steps into his fighting stance. “That is a line – that would work. If I wasn’t already so gone on you I’d be using that at all the clubs.”

I burst out laughing, ducking under Luca’s raised fists to wrap my arms around his waist and grin up into his face. “Do it and die, Grant,” I snarl, jealous already.

He laughs with me, dropping his hands to my back and lacing his fingers together lightly behind me.

“Hey,” I say, beaming up at him. “What do you say we play hookie on the rest of this fighting lesson and go do something else instead?”

“Oh yeah?” Luca asks, raising an eyebrow at me. “What do you have in mind?”