Surviving Plagues (Artemis University Book 3) Read online

  He walked towards us with heat in his eyes. He pulled me to step away from Darby a bit and get a better look at me before moving to see the back. He groaned and hugged me to him, moving my hair aside and kissing my neck.

  “You look delicious, love,” he murmured. I gasped as his lips kept moving along my skin. “Am I going to find matching panties?”

  “No.” I smiled when he groaned, really groaned since he loved me commando. “So you’re just telling people now?”

  He cleared his throat and ran his finger over the strap of the lingerie, giving some sort of look to Darby from the expression on the vampire’s face. “He doesn’t deserve to think you put this on for him when he’s still fucking around.” He snorted. “Prove me wrong. Did you kiss her? Tell her you like her?”

  “I-I—who—no, but—” Darby tried, not handling his shock or getting busted well.

  “I’m good with auras, mate. I know exactly who’s into her.”

  He narrowed his eyes at Craftsman. “And you’re just fine with sharing her? Who’s fucking around with her then?”

  Craftsman sighed. “You know she’ll be a comitissa. I know it and so do you.” He ran his hand down my arm and kept talking when I opened my mouth to ask what that was. “Besides, you can give her lots that I can’t. You can give her normal, which she desperately wants even if she embraces she’s extraordinary. We both know it, have seen it from the way she jumped into her studies and new life.”

  I flinched, knowing he was on the mark but a bit worried he’d so easily figured that out. I gasped as his other hand moved under the nightgown and cupped my ass.

  “That still doesn’t explain why you’re telling him. I thought we weren’t…”

  “We will be,” Craftsman promised. “And he signed the NDA. He’s not a gossip and he could be good for you if he’d quit fucking around and admit what lots of us know and he wants you.”

  I glanced up at him and frowned. “I didn’t know that. How do lots know and I thought he was just messing with me?”

  “Because you’ve never had a healthy relationship before,” he said gently. “Darby could give you that and the normal you dream of, at least some of it.” He brushed his lips over mine. “And give you what I can’t. He can hold your hand in the library or walking to class. You can sneak off to the stacks and make out like a normal college couple or be cute in the cafeteria if he’d stop being a duffer.”

  “I-I don’t, um…” I wasn’t really sure how to say what I was feeling or even what I was feeling.

  “You want that. I see it in your aura when you look at other couples on campus sometimes,” he said gently, kissing my neck. “You want wild fun and the passion we have but you also want that. I’m not upset.

  “You’ll still be mine one day, but I cannot give you that for years. It would kill me that you missed so much because of me when all I want is to spoil you, love. Let me spoil you.”

  “Another bath with ice cream?” I teased him.

  “Yes,” he growled, turning my head and kissing me. “I want another sleepover and to wake with you in my arms, knowing I was the first man in that new bed, your new room even.

  “I’m going to start the bath and unwrap my present.” He moved the strap aside to fall off my shoulder and kissed my skin. “Suck it up and tell her what you feel, or you don’t deserve her.”

  I blinked at that last part as he walked off, realizing he meant it for Darby. I cleared my throat and fixed the strap, crossing my arms over my chest even. I suddenly felt awkward now that Craftsman busted Darby for liking me.

  It was easy to ride annoyance to bluster through games or playing chicken but when it was raw and real like this, I had no idea what I was doing.

  Darby, on the other hand, took it as the slap upside the head he needed, it seemed. He stepped closer and moved his fingers under my chin so I looked at him. His gray eyes were darker and stormier than normal.

  He wasn’t much taller than me, but tall enough I had to look up at him when I was barefoot. His hair hung in his face as he looked down, and I had a thought that I hoped he didn’t get a trim.

  “I’m not going to say it now because he’s right that you deserve better than me being chicken and playing games,” he murmured, studying my eyes as if committing me to memory. “I’m not going to say it because he busted me but in a way I should. I also need a bit to settle with knowing you’re with him.”

  I opened my mouth to say… Something, but he shook his head.

  “I also need to settle with the fact that I’m not upset but into the idea,” he admitted, confusion in his gaze as he frowned. “I’m into the idea he’ll spoil you tonight, dying to see it instead of jealous. I’ve been jealous of Mason and—”

  “I heard,” I admitted, clearing my throat when he gave me a worried look. “Just a bit. You seemed upset and I tuned in, worried about you, but it was that Mason crashed the curry party. I don’t know what he’s told you but I’ve made it clear we’re just friends.”

  “Good.” He sighed, shaking his head. “Something about him just—I thought it was jealousy he could give you what I can’t and you might pick him, but I’m not feeling that with Craftsman. I think it’s Mason and that was confusing.” He leaned his forehead to mine. “I’ve never had normal either and it honestly sounds nice. Really nice. I’m going to think a bit and stop being chicken.”

  He was gone before I could reply. He moved so fast that I blinked and he was already halfway out the door.

  Okay then? He was such a confusing guy.

  Craftsman came back out from the bathroom and rolled his eyes when he saw Darby was gone. He leaned in and kissed me before I could say anything. “He’ll come around.”

  “Why do you want him to?” I asked, searching his eyes. “You’re fine with Hudson and now Darby? I don’t get it.”

  His eyes filled with understanding and he moved his arms around me, lifting me up and heading for the door to relock it before carrying me into the bathroom. He set me on the counter and slid his hands over my thighs.

  “I can’t give you everything you need, you deserve, and I want you to have that. It doesn’t mean this isn’t real or you’re not someone I could be serious with. You absolutely are and that means I want to do it right, but I’m also trying not to scare you.”

  That was good because I swallowed loudly at what he was saying. “So we’re not exclusive?”

  “I am,” he chuckled before kissing me again. “You won’t share me. I won’t make you say it but I see it in your aura.” His hands moved up and cupped my breasts before he was pulling the nightie off of me. “We’re enjoying the now because you’ll be overwhelmed with more. So I’m fine with whoever you want to be with as long as they’re good to you and they allow me to be with you too. That’s what I need.”

  Okay then. Glad we clarified that?

  Men were confusing.

  Or maybe it was me?

  Probably a combo.

  He stepped back and watched me stare at him as he got undressed. I licked my lips and pulled my feet on the counter, enjoying the show as he went nice and slow. His nostrils flared when he was done, focused on my pussy.

  “You got wet because I got naked for you. You are so damn delicious, love, it’s addictive.”

  “You should lick it if you need it,” I teased, moaning when he dropped to his knees and actually did.

  Damn. I could really get used to being spoiled. When he finished me he brought me to the tub and we got in, two pints of gelato sitting on the lip.

  Nice.

  “Hudson called,” he told me, waving off my scathing comments that he knew were coming. “He knows he’s on a time-out. Mrs. Vogel tapped him to contact you because she was too caught up in it all.” He moved his fingers in a let me back up motion. “One of the traps you set was sprung. A group of Underground—a big name with them—was caught trying to break the barrier at a fairy estate.”

  I nodded, taking the gelato and getting settled. “That was
fast. I only heard the rumor this week that there was a clause in one fairy will that the trust expired and it was going to be a fair folk sanctuary.”

  “Yeah, Jeremy Sims is taking center stage with that,” he explained, nodding when I frowned. That wasn’t the original deal or idea. He was taking a risk meant for me. “He wants to keep the heat off of you or people not know you were involved as much as the original plan with Claudia being your attorney. He flat out told people that he asked Geiger to find him hobgoblins for the sanctuary the will wanted.”

  “That’s going to cause problems for him,” I sighed.

  “Yeah, but he’s willing and made it clear to any who asked it was invite only. And the hobgoblins would decide who they invited to their new co-op that made a deal with Katrina Calloway. So it’s done and laid out and someone already took the bait. The reason Mrs. Vogel wanted you contacted is they’re expanding the trap and not just the dragons.”

  I groaned. Right, other councils or whatever would ask how they caught the bad guys. “And she can’t ask me if it’s okay because—”

  “Yeah, that’s the quickest way to out you,” he muttered as he opened his own ice cream. He shrugged when I smirked at him. “I like it better than a glass of wine. It’s fun. It’s my fun with you.”

  That was cute and even sexier when he moved closer so we were sitting with our knees touching, our backs against the longer part of the tub so it wasn’t as wide and we could sit that way.

  I did notice his shins were between mine so I was spread a bit for him which he seemed to enjoy, and I liked how he wanted to touch if we were together. He might be a closet cuddler like me.

  “Mel’s all over it, working with Geiger also to break up the list and priorities. She made sure the dragons got this estate and wouldn’t be watching it. It does mean you have to be careful with making sure the door in the barrier is closed tight when outsiders are gone.” He nodded when I did. “Good. Personally I think this was a one-trick pony. Now that other councils know or are getting on it—”

  “That’s more potential people to let it slip to the wrong ears, either dirty and warning the bad guys, or no clue they have a spy among them,” I grumbled, shaking my head. “And that really ruins catching any bad guys that aren’t Underground, which I was also excited for.”

  “Yeah, but the guy they got was worth it,” he muttered, bobbing his head when I shot him a challenging look. “One of the main guys. They’re shocked he came out but it turns out he thought he would be needed to break through the weakening barriers. Well, he assumed weakening if one went down. That’s the theory.”

  I blinked at him a moment and then gasped, catching on. “He thought it was like ley lines or some sort of alignment of all the properties having their barriers up to keep them all going? Like feeding off of each other?”

  “Yes, and it’s actually not faulty logic as there are barriers and magic like that where all the pieces are needed to keep it going.” He cleared my throat and gave me a nervous look. “More likely it’s that there was one fairy still here that kept the magic alive. It didn’t need your magic to do it, but just as the fae dogs could sense you here, that key being with you is tied in somehow and the barriers knew it.”

  “Like they fed off the magical items here or were charged up enough to keep it going as long as there was hope? Me being alive gave that hope?” I didn’t hide in my tone how weird that sounded.

  He nodded though. “It makes sense the balance and symbiotic relationship of you and the magic you have. I’m not sure and I certainly don’t know enough about fairies and their magic to say for sure, but I wanted you to know it’s possible.”

  I sighed. “As that’s another reason someone would want me dead and fast if they thought I was the anchor holding all the barriers up on all the properties.”

  He nodded again. “If it’s a conclusion I could come to, so could others.”

  I blew a long and drawn out raspberry. “It would totally be my luck that I come up with an idea to help and screw our plans for winter break and no Spain for the summer.”

  “I’m sure it will be fine,” he comforted.

  I hoped so because Izzy, Mel, and I were pretty stoked to spend the summer in Spain. I think most people would have been.

  We crawled in bed a bit later after we’d both had some fun and attention but he didn’t push to cross that line. It was like he knew something was holding me back and respected that even if I didn’t understand it myself.

  Then again, if he was paying attention to my aura, he probably knew more than I did on it.

  4

  I woke the next morning with Craftsman attached to me. Completely. Every inch of him was touching me… Even his hand snuggled between my legs. Cuddling was great but this was a bit much and I couldn’t fall back to sleep.

  And I had to pee. It took me a bit to wiggle out of it and get to the bathroom. There I realized I had until Monday to sign up for the next round of high school classes for me to be able to start them over break.

  The first ones when you registered they were nice and after your transcripts let you pick two to start right away. But after that they needed more notice to handle it all on their end and plan for it.

  Made sense, but that meant I was getting down to the wire to have classes ready for over break.

  And I had no idea what to take. At first it had seemed cool and I could do some of this and some of that, but when I sat down with the full class list and tried to mark out a path with the credits I’d need to graduate, I was blanking.

  I hadn’t ever picked classes, not even in college now. I would have that to look forward to as well. And some of the classes were “career ready electives” and I had no idea my career.

  Was being a fairy a career of its own? I had money so I didn’t have to worry, right? Except that made me worry more, really, it did.

  I slid on workout clothes and headed to the kitchen to tackle what I’d been putting off. When I got there I saw no one set the coffee and for the safety of others, I hurried to make a large pot so Mel was covered when she got up.

  I poured myself a big glass of passion fruit juice and sucked it up, getting out what I needed as I pulled up the school site on my laptop.

  I needed twenty-four credits to graduate. Four in math, history, science, and English. One health/PE, two world language, and five electives. They counted everything I’d taken freshman year of high school since I’d completed it and my grades were good so Algebra I, English 9, Biology I, world history, health/PE, and art.

  So that left me with eighteen credits.

  I would finish geometry and English 10 this semester… And then I had no clue what to do. I needed physics before I got to magical physics because doing it the same time like I was both geometries now was a joke. So that meant taking it second semester but I had to do chemistry first.

  Could I handle chemistry over break on my own? I didn’t think Darby said he was doing winter break with us but I had Izzy and she was smart.

  But then I didn’t know what to do with languages.

  Would Latin really help me with magic or should I do Spanish, which I heard was easier? Was there any point in doing them online if I didn’t have a chance to speak them?

  I went round and round until I had enough upset that I went over to the reservoir for the crew to fix the house and filled it up. I headed for the back door and decided a run would clear my head.

  Yeah, really, I wasn’t running from what I needed to do, just being mature and processing it.

  Sure, that sounded believable.

  I went to the far part of the property and was about to turn to head back when I saw something odd hanging from one of the trees. They looked almost like white apples.

  I went over to it and picked one, blinking at the fruit in my hand as it changed color. Was this fae fruit? Did it change color like the hobgoblins depending on mood?

  That would be so damn cool.

  I glanced around and saw more. There w
as a whole grove of fruit I’d never seen before. Or really they could be veggies if fae food but I’d only seen fruit grow on trees.

  I picked a selection and headed back to the house, my anxiety forgotten now that I was excited to find out if there was fae fruit on the property and I could try some.

  It seemed valid I’d want to as a fairy who hadn’t known she was one.

  Craftsman was sitting at the table without a shirt and sipping coffee as I came bounding in with my haul. He eyed me carefully as if trying to gauge my mood before he said anything. “Morning, love. What did you find?”

  “I think a whole grove of fae fruit or food,” I answered as I moved over to the table and set it all down. “Morning.”

  “You snuck out of bed.”

  “I had to pee and you like to octopus around the person you sleep next to.”

  He blinked at me and then set down his mug. “Um, no, you’d be the first. I’ve had many complaints I wouldn’t cuddle and pulled away in my sleep.”

  Now I was shocked. “Every inch of you was touching me, your face in my hair and your hand snuggled between my thighs. If I was claustrophobic I would have freaked.”

  He nodded, clearing his throat. “Did you dislike it?”

  “No, it was nice even if more than I’m used to.”

  “Glad to hear it,” he muttered, reaching for the white fruit. “You have marble trees.” He smiled when I just raised an eyebrow. “Fae food doesn’t have normal human names. ‘Marbles’ are apples. These are shift marbles. They change colors and flavors according to your mood so if you’re in a tart mood, the marble will be sweet. They are the rarest marbles to find even before all the fairies left.”

  “There’s at least three dozen trees on the back of the property,” I chuckled, holding up the pearl-colored blackberries next.

  “Pearlberry. It’s what it looks like, a blackberry but it’s sweet. You picked these in the morning but if you did at night, they’d be much darker like a black pearl. I don’t know if that changes the taste. I’m not all that well versed in fae foods.” He saw what else I had and chuckled. “That’s an orange melon and a small one.”