Page 36 of The Last Aether

Kai pinched the bridge of his nose. “You’re a walking wet dream. I’m going to have a hard-on all damn day.”

Atlas stepped out of the closet, pressing his lips together to keep from laughing. “Time to learn a little self-control.” He pressed a kiss to the top of my head. “Let me brush my teeth and then we can head to breakfast.”

Kai flopped back on the bed. “This is cruel and unusual punishment.”

“Sorry?” I said as more of a question.

He pointed at me without looking. “Don’t apologize, just promise me you’ll keep them on after classes.”

I laughed. “I promise, Golden God.”

Atlas emerged from the bathroom. “You coming with us?”

“Yeah, just give me a damn minute.”

Atlas’s eyes danced with humor. “We’ll meet you downstairs.”

“Yeah, yeah,” he mumbled.

Atlas guided me out of the room, and I looked up at him. “Who knew over-the-knee socks would undo him?”

Atlas snorted. “I guess it’s his weakness.”

“I promise to use this information for good and not evil.”

“It’s good to know you’ll always be able to get him to do whatever you want if you promise him those socks.”

I shook my head, a grin playing on my lips. As we reached the bottom of the stairs, the front door shut, and I came up short.

It was Riven, and cozied right up against him, was Eva.

20

There was a casualness to the pose that somehow made it intimate. It was that comfort and ease with each other. Eva leaned into Riven’s broad chest in a way that said she’d done it countless times before.

Atlas cleared his throat, and Riven’s gaze shot to us. Something flashed in those light blue eyes. But it was there and gone before I could truly place it. He shifted his weight, putting the slightest distance between him and Eva as he nodded. “Morning.”

Atlas simply glared at him.

I’d never understood why Kai called Eva the Ice Queen until this moment. Coldness bled into every aspect of her demeanor as she stared me down. Apparently my potential aether status had removed any friendliness she had towards me.

“Eva,” Atlas warned in a low tone. “You keep that shit up and I’ll have you banned from the house. You know the rest of the guys will back me.”

Her jaw dropped. “Is she really that fragile that you need to protect her from people’s opinions?”

“Ev,” Riven said softly. “Back off.”

It should’ve brought me some sort of comfort, Riven stepping in for me. But it didn’t. Not when his tone for Eva was all full of gentle care.

The nausea that swept through me nearly had me pitching over. “Excuse me.”

I skirted around them, not meeting either of their gazes and hurrying towards the door. The move was nothing but cowardly. And I hated myself for it. But I didn’t have it in me to add one more person to my list of enemies today.

It was understandable, Eva’s dislike for me. I had no idea how long she and Riven had been together, if they loved each other. But I had come along with the potential to blow a hole in her relationship.

“Aura, wait up,” Atlas called.

I didn’t stop. The guards gave me wary looks as I scurried down the stone path. A low burn took root in my chest, and I knew the distance from Kai was making itself known. I hadn’t thought to get a token from him and Atlas until this moment. And even though the ring I’d gotten from Riven was keeping me from pain, I had a deep need to toss it into an ocean.