Chapter 591

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 looksnoveldrama

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.