Page 53 of The Lost Elemental

My jaw dropped as I gaped at him.

Obviously, he didn’t like my lack of answer because he bent and did exactly that. So much for my gentle giant.

I smacked a hand on his back. “Put me down! We look ridiculous.”

“Too late,” he said, striding towards his dorm.

“Do you just have a thing for carrying people?”

“Only stubborn, half-human elementals who wouldn’t know how to keep themselves safe if they tried.”

I pinched his side. “That was rude.”

Atlas grunted as he headed up the cobblestone walkway. I looked at the mini-castle from upside down. I hadn’t really taken it in last time, too worried about getting the sticky oatmeal out of my hair and then making it to class on time. It was breathtakingly beautiful and somehow even more extravagant than the rest of the campus.

The stonework was incredibly intricate, and you could feel the history in every piece. But even with the age of the building, it still had large windows that you knew let in loads of light. And I just bet that turret would make the best reading nook.

Atlas opened the door and stepped inside with me still over his shoulder. “Get your asses down here. Now!”

His voice shook the walls, the paintings on them rattling. Even upside down, I still took a moment to appreciate the beauty around me. The gorgeous artwork and gleaming woodwork. A chandelier hung in the entryway that had more crystals than I could count.

Footsteps thundered on the stairs. “What’s wrong?” Phoenix called as he hurried towards us.

“Why the hell is Aura on your shoulder?” Kai asked.

“I’d like to know the same thing. It’s really starting to be a compulsion of his,” I groused. “I do have two—”

My words cut off as my eyes bugged. I blinked a few times, trying to clear the image in front of me, but it remained exactly the same. Six foot three inches of male beauty in all its glory. “Kai…why are you naked?”

Phoenix spun around and cursed. “What the hell did I tell you about putting your junk on display? Aura doesn’t need that shit in her face.”

Kai shrugged. “You know I like to be relaxed and unbound at home. Atlas was the one who bellowed in his emergency tone.”

Riven strode into the entryway, tossing a blanket at Kai. “I really hate to think about all the things your ass has been on in this house.”

Kai waggled his eyebrows as he wrapped the blanket around his waist. “You have no idea.”

“We don’t want to know,” Atlas grumbled.

I patted his back. “For the love of all that’s holy, will you please put me down.”

A second later I was on my feet, the blood rushing from my head. I grabbed on to Atlas to steady myself.

“Someone tell us what the hell happened,” Phoenix ordered.

“Aura’s getting threatening notes.”

The room stilled at Atlas’s words and then Riven scoffed. “Of course, she is. You guys are treating her like some sort of lost puppy you can take in, and the rest of the students don’t like it.”

Kai glared at him. “Can you pause your dickish ways for one fucking second? What kind of threats?”

Atlas turned to me. “What did the first one say?”

I grimaced. “Something about not belonging here and that I should run while I had the chance.”

“And the second one?” Phoenix asked through gritted teeth.

“It said that she wasn’t listening and that she was going to pay,” Atlas said.