Fae of the South (Court of Crown and Compass Book 3) by E. Hall (libby ebook reader .txt) 📕

Amelia inclines her head as if to explain something to a toddler. “Have you ever heard of the X-Crew? They’re a bunch of vampires out to cause trouble. Chaos. Anarchy. Disorder. They love playing with fire. They put unseelie fae to shame with their naughtiness. Tyrren is probably in it.” She purses her lips. “He didn’t know about your true identity and you didn’t know about his. Star-crossed lovers. A tale as old as time. But if you’re smart, you’ll align with Emeric because he’s about to bring the vampires down.”

Amelia has a point but not about the love-anything. I hid my true identity from Tyrren.

I want to trust Amelia and tell her the story about my uncle and how Tyrren is here on wrongful charges. But she’s also unseelie fae and I hardly trust myself. Can I trust her? “Something isn’t right,” I mutter.

“Exactly. Fae are locked up. Vampires and demons roam the streets. There’s a conspiracy against us. Something definitely isn’t right.”

“Nothing’s ever right.” But like she said before, it doesn’t matter what I think or feel. It matters what I do.

I pull on my boots and hurry from the room. Amelia follows, her gown swishing. “Where are you going?”

“To find Tyrren.”

“Wait for me, I’ll go with you.”

But I don’t.

Because it’s the night of the masquerade dance, the usual lockdown is lifted. Music still filters from the common quad. Otherwise, the campus is quiet. Fog has crept in from the water, bringing with it a dank, sulfuric odor much like the subway.

Movement comes from an alcove of one of the buildings. Cole and Felix emerge. I’m not surprised they weren’t at the dance. I wonder if there’s a special vampire event. Ivan has regaled me with stories of the palace where he used to live—though he never specified where it was. It was probably the Nefral Palace that Amelia mentioned. I always assumed it was in Transylvania or elsewhere in Eastern Europe and not another realm.

“Hey, Lea,” Cole says.

I keep walking until they step in front of me.

Felix tries to grip my arm, but I wrest it away.

“There’s so much you could give us.” Cole’s voice bites.

“Like a kick in the—?” Memories of a similarly foggy night flood back, threatening to paralyze me.

The two of them chuckle.

“You’re so tough. We like it. Why don’t you join us? We’ll show you what you’re missing out on.” Felix’s lips brush my ear.

“I thought we were on opposite teams.” I stand my ground.

He smirks.

The roar inside grows. My circuitry switches to impulse. Magic wells, but the playing field isn’t even. My power is suppressed.

Felix grabs hold of me. The others pin my arms. “Come on. It won’t hurt.” His lips brush my neck.

Although the vampires at RIP Jr despise fae, they don’t typically feed on us. I know that much. My magic is static but begging for release. I jerk my head and bite down hard on his ear.

He grips it, struggling against the pain.

“Make me your target and I will make you mine,” I shout savagely. A fire stokes inside of me.

Cole laughs. “He told you she was going to be trouble. Anyway, she’s meant to be his. No biting.”

I don’t know who he is or what they’re talking about, but my anger burns dangerously like a flame in the wind. The wild, untrained parts of me want to destroy them.

Then I hear someone say my name and it’s like a whisper, a soft caress, a fulfillment of desire. “Leajka.”

Chapter 14

Tyrren

The lamp in my dorm room crashes to the floor as the attacker slams me into the night table. The file scatters. I shove the attacker off me and they slam into the bookshelf. It teeters and smashes to the floor.

“You’ve already ransacked my room,” I grind out.

It’s dark in here now except for the slim shaft of light from outside. They lunge at me and I dodge, throwing them face-first into Aaron’s dresser.

“You’ve already turned me into a vampire,” I add.

The attacker sweeps my legs, but I’m fast and land a solid knee to the gut. There’s a familiar give as though the person is made of gelatin.

They get up slowly.

I hold the lamp aloft like a sword. “What. Do. You. Want.”

They hiss in response.

Oh, I’m dealing with a demon.

Where’s a sword when you need one?

I think fast and open the window, letting in the crisp night air. “It’s a little stinky in here, buddy.”

The demon makes another lunge, gripping my shoulders.

As we grapple, I align with the window and in one swift motion throw the demon through the window. I don’t wait to hear a splat. It won’t die but buys me time to get out of here.

There are only a few people in the dorm. Most are still probably at the Fae Court dance but I have to report this.

A CA is by the entrance and as I begin to explain, I realize he won’t buy it.

“There’s no way anyone got on this campus. Same way as no one gets off,” the CA says, indifferent to my raving.

I have a mind to go find Lea. She’ll know what to do, but she probably won’t believe me either.

I slump back to my room, gather the papers that came loose from the files, and tidy up. For better or worse, vampires don’t really sleep so I spend the night going over everything. Trying to find a clue, an answer.

I’m still without one when I’m dragged to the administration office the next morning. I stand accused of being involved in the demon attacks on campus.

“But I was attacked,” I say.

“A demon attacking a vampire?” Jurik asks. “You may be new to the