Chapter 52

"If we break into the university library and get caught, you know I'll be expelled in a heartbeat."

"Please. The worst that would happen to you is a slap on the knuckles. You literally have six weeks left of your classes. And you can't tell me no one has ever broken in."

"Of course, they have. You have. Alberich told me the story of when you two were causing chaos there."

"Hey, we had a final thesis paper due the next day and we needed another text for reference in the middle of the night."

"That's what happens when you procrastinate."

"Desperate times call for desperate measures."

"More like poor planning calls for stupid decisions."

"You want to learn more, you do what's necessary."

"No matter how much I want to learn more, I'm not breaking into her office."

"You're one of her favorites, so there's no way you'd get in trouble."

"It's almost like you want me to get into trouble."

"No...but it wouldn't hurt for you to live a little rather than solely focusing on school."

"Living a little correlates with breaking in to a place? What's this we're doing now?"

"Drinking."

Corliss glared at Meron over the rim of her tankard as she downed a mouthful of Castyr, not even wincing as the fiery alcohol burned down her throat. "You're annoying me again, Commander."

And that wicked smile...it was annoying her even more, especially when it made her stomach twist into a delicious knot. "And I will never stop, Lady Lis."

She knew he'd say exactly that...and secretly loved that he did because she was counting on it. With the dragons, they were stuck together, but she was beginning to suspect another bond between them as well. She wasn't going to say a word to him, though, for fear she might be wrong about the thin, silvery cord that bound her heart and soul to his.

It was a few weeks prior Corliss began to suspect the possibility of Meron being her mate. No one had ever been able to make her blood boil or her magic sing quite like he could...and the dreams she had were getting more and more vivid as she spent more time with him.

The thought of her one the night before made her shiver.

She hadn't said anything to anyone, not even to Bridget when they met up for dinner while she was in Ayveri for two days the week previous. Of course, her sister teased her relentlessly, especially after seeing the way the two of them were with each other...and that Meron had taken over not only the spare room in her apartment but also had his things scattered all throughout.

After denying it for so long, Corliss couldn't stomach the thought of hinting at a mating bond, Meron figuring it out, and then rejecting her. She didn't want to hear her I told you so's or her accidentally slipping up in front of the male. They had become friends, even if they still fought tooth and nail any time the chance arose, and she wanted to keep it that way. She didn't want to lose one of the best people to come into her life if she was wrong and made herself look like an idiot...and she especially didn't want to if she was right and yet he didn't want her as desperately as she wanted him.

Meron's golden eyes narrowed slightly as he watched her, and she gave herself just a glimmer of hope that he was thinking the same as she was. "What are you thinking about so hard over there?"

So, she resorted to the only thing she knew to do then – throw up her defenses and toss some sass back at him.

Corliss heaved a dramatic sigh, plopping her chin in her hand as she gazed at him. "Where's Fin when I need him? Maybe he can hold me back from smacking you upside the head."

Speaking of Fin...

He slipped into the booth beside her, grinning at the pair. "Why am I holding you back from smacking him, even though it makes me laugh any time you do?"

Corliss looped her arm through his, sliding his forgotten book across the table to him. "You dropped this when you left class yesterday. Meron was looking through it..."

The male in question snorted out a laugh. "After she'd read through what she could."

"And he thinks it would be a brilliant idea to take a look at the restricted texts in Dewridge's office."

Fin grinned as he grabbed the book up. "I was wondering where I left this. I found it in the library last week...in Dewridge's office, actually. Professor Ashgar gave me a pass to give to her allowing me access to the restricted section. This wasn't among them, but the old bat let me keep it since she knew I was in the other worlds class. I think I might come in close second behind you being her favorite."

Corliss balked. "Dewridge let you keep a book?"

He snorted out a laugh. "Right? I thought I was in another world just then when she said I could."

She reached for the book again, flipping through the pages as her eyes skimmed across them. "Is there a text that can allow us to translate it?" she asked, directing the question to Fin.

He shrugged, leaning over to look down at it, skimming along the different language written in slightly faded ink. "I think there is. I was only able to take a look at a few before my time was up and she kicked me out. There was one I was reaching for just as she smacked my hand away, one that hadn't looked like it had been moved for as long as she's been there."

"So a freakishly long time then."

"So long dust was at least a centimeter thick on leather binding."

All three of them laughed as the raucous at the Raven grew even louder than it already was. That could only mean one thing – the Crown Prince of Dalcaine and his friends had arrived.

Corliss glared at Jai Ayveri as he strode in, his best friend and guardsman Gideon Kersey behind him, and then followed by General Camilla Gaius and her mate Lieutenant General Soren. Jai and Gideon were intoxicated already, but still managed to stumble up to the bar.

"Next round for everyone's on me!" the crown prince called out as he draped his arm around a pretty brunette sorceress, his voice already slurred. Everyone in the tavern cheered while Camilla and Soren simultaneously rolled their eyes and made their way to their usual booth.

Fin watched the crown prince stumble to the booth on the other side of the tavern, tilting his head. "Is he ever not drunk?"

"On the rare occasion that he has to be presentable," Corliss answered with a snort. "But most of the time, yes. He won't even remember today by morning, and he'll likely be waking up with that female in his bed."

"And his brother Destan is just as bad," Meron finished, then downed the rest of his tankard. "But if the next round's on Jai, there's no way I'm refusing."

***

They should have refused, especially when the next round provided by the crown prince turned into the following three.

Fin was the only good one of their little group, stopping after two tankards of Torrent, while Corliss and Meron continued. With every sip, Corliss's head fogged over and her worries disappeared, allowing for a lazy smile to stretch across her face. Meron was the same, his blurry eyes locked on her and darkening every time his gaze dropped to her lips as she spoke or laughed.

It was close to midnight when they finally stumbled from the Raven. It was just Corliss and Meron then since Fin left an hour before, saying he had plans early in the morning and needed sleep.

Corliss was a giggling mess as she spun, almost lost her footing, and stumbled face first into Meron's chest. "Oops. Sorry," she laughed, then gripped him tight to make the world stop spinning around her.

Meron was frozen when she didn't move away. With her arms around his waist, she snuggled against him, listening to his heart beating wildly in his chest. It took several long seconds for him to brush his fingertips along her arms, trailing up to her shoulders before gently cradling her face as she leaned back to look at him.

She smiled lazily, head clearing just enough for her to be able to see him up close and personal. Gods, he was handsome, especially when his golden blond hair glowed in the silvery moonlight above. Intoxicated from him and not only the alcohol, she found herself leaning closer.

"You know what?" she breathed.

"Hm?" he hummed, eyes dropping to her mouth once more.

Corliss leaned back and blindly reached in her bag to pull out the book Fin had left for a second time. "I'm just a little bit curious as to what's all in this...but we're going to have to get another to help with the translations."

"Lis, we really need to be heading home..."

"Are you trying to talk me out of it now? Aren't you at least a little curious about the other text Fin mentioned? There's got to be a reason Dewridge wouldn't let him touch it...and I want to see! Plus it'll be fun to go in the library at night. Ooh, wanna play hide-and-seek?"

Finally, she made him laugh as he threw his head back, but the movement only made her want to edge closer, to brush a line of kisses along the column of his throat.

"Well," he told her, stepping back and taking her hand in his. "Just know if you get caught, I'm not bailing you out."

"Please," she snorted as she started tugging him forward and in the direction of the university campus. "You totally would. You love me too much."

And Meron hummed in answer, letting her drag him along as he tightened his hand around hers.