Heart of Stone (Rock Star Fairy Tales #1)

Chapter 16

C h apte r 16

Seein g the Wind

Sunset, Thursday, Febr uary 19 th in Kerva Point Park in Ke rva, Armav

F our hours later, the sun was setting and Margot was absolutely done with her would-be tutors. Tobin’s advice was practical and quite hands-on as he guided her through the basics of hovering, rising, flying, and what Margot considered the most important skill—landing. The fae was quick to touch her, correcting her posture here, adjusting the angle of her wing there, and Margot couldn’t deny the frisson of excitement that jolted through her at the feel of his hands on her body. Tobin was with her—excited to be there, eager to help—and he seemed to understand her struggle before she could artic ulate it.

Ash, on the other hand, spent the afternoon on the ground, watching them both with a critical gaze—and eyes that seemed to spark fiery red each time Tobin touched her. His advice was more theoretical since he didn’t actually have wings. He did seem to know a lot about flying theory, telling her how to sense the wind in a way that made Tobin give him more than a few dir ty looks.

Flying was exhilarating, especially once she realized that Tobin wouldn’t let her fall. He didn’t hold onto her as Ash had, but he hovered near. She could hear the wind in his wings as he flew beside her, laughing with her as they flew higher, reassuring her as she watched her bus and Ash growing smaller beneath them. They repeated a similar process for each flight—gently rising, circling in slowly widening rotations as they moved higher into the sky, the wind growing colder and more insistent the higher t hey went.

Margot ignored the barbs the brothers traded easily enough, focusing on getting a handle on her new skill, but this last round had turned uglier than normal, and she was tired of both of them.

It started with a comment about the wind, Ash telling her to close her eyes and focus, sensing where the air would take her. A gust came from out of nowhere, catching her wing, and she landed hard on the ground, her knee banging painfully into the rock surface.

“I’m not my mother!” she snapped, angrily rubbing her knee. “I can’t control the air. I can’t see it. I don’t know why you thi nk I can!”

“Perhaps because he forgets that others can’t see the wind as he can,” Tobin observed, and Ash’s fairly calm expression twisted into something ugly. Margot didn’t understand how, but Tobin had poked a de ep wound.

“I cannot see the wind,” Ash insisted.

“Keep telling yourself that,” Tobin snapped. “Perhaps one day it will be true.”

“You will not,” Ash said in a low, dangerous voice, advancing on his brother, “insult my moth er again.”

Margot got to her feet and put her hands between them, keeping the distance. “Hold up,” she demanded. “Saying someone can see the wind is insulting thei r mother?”

“No,” Tobin said, “but only dragonborn can actually see the wind.”

Margot frowned, staring at Ash, remembering the ease with which he had controlled fire to warm her. “Dragons, huh? Is that a f ae thing?”

“No,” Ash said. “Dragons are not fae.” He gave Tobin a harsh stare. “And my father was not a dr agonborn.”

“Of course,” Tobin agreed, though mockingly. “You simply have the look of your mother entirely.” Margot glanced at the brothers, trying to see the similarities between them. They were very different in appearance, Tobin pale and silvery with that shock of white hair and Ash tan with his mop of messy dark hair. Ash was still angry, hands fisted as he took long slow breaths, while Tobin stood there, a smug smirk on his lips. Their mouths really were quit e similar.

Margot grimaced. “Tobin, stop being a jerk ab out this.”

Tobin put a hand to his chest, affronted. “My father replaces my mother a year after I’m born with a woman who can’t even be true to him, and I’m the one being unre asonable?”

“You don’t believe that,” Margot told him. “Because if you did, you wouldn’t care at all. You certainly wouldn’t claim him as your half-brother, ev en to me.”

“He hasn’t Claimed me,” Ash int errupted.

“You know what I mean,” Margot said, annoyed at both of them for rehashing years of family trauma when they were supposed to be helping her master her abilities. She turned to Tobin. “Stop punishing him for what happene d to you.”

“I didn’t know you were a therapist, Margot,” Tobin snapped, and she flushed. It was the first time Tobin had turned his barbed tongue her way, and she didn’t like it. Brother issues were one thing—dragging her into them was another. Then again, she had stuck her nose bet ween them.

“I call it when I see it,” she said. “Look—I get it. You’re mad. Ash got to hide while you had what I imagine is an awful experience. That sucks. But right now, I’m about to have that same experience with some stranger, so if you could put this aside for the moment and help me, I’d really appreciate it.” She sighed, glancing at the sky, seeing the darkness creeping over the trees on the mountainside below them. “Though I think I’m done flying for the day. I’m not sure about flying at night.”

Both brothers shook their heads. “Not yet,” Ash said, at the same time Tobin said, “Soo n though.”

She stretched, closed her eyes, then thought, You can go away now, please. The flash of light popped inside her eyelids, and a cold breeze raked across her bare back. She opened her eyes, wrapping her arms around herself to stay warm, the protection from her wings gone. She frowned at both of them. “What now? More glamour practice? Should I see if I have anot her gift?”

Ash shook his head. “Now you rest,” he declared. “I know you don’t feel it yet, but flying can be exhausting, especially at the b eginning.”

“How do you know?” she asked, not wanting to be bitchy but genuinely curious.

Ash shrugged. “I read up on fae abilities when I was young.” He glanced at Tobin. “Our father insisted I know as much as I could.” He paused, then added, “There was a time when we studied together.”

“That time is long gone,” To bin said.

“I know,” Ash agreed. “But for Margot’s sake, can we call a truce for the moment? Just until she learns … enough?”

“I thought you said it would never be enough,” Tobin reminded him. “That this was a fool’s mission guaranteed to give her false hope. One day of watching her fly and you’ve changed y our mind?”

“I want to be wrong,” Ash admitted, and Margot tried not to notice how adorable his smile was. “And she’s a natural, o bviously.”

“I am?” Margot asked, cheeks heating even as she stepped back toward the bus to cut the wind freezing her skin.

“Most fae take weeks or even months to do what you did this afternoon. You are truly gifted, Margot,” Ash told her. She nodded, and her teeth clacked together as she started shivering. “Oh!” he said, stepping forward to put an arm around her waist, drawing her near, that red shimmer bathing her in warmth again. “She should go inside.” She saw Tobin’s eyes track the location of Ash’s hand, and his smirk was back.

“Of course, now you’re here,” Tobin said. “No doubt you plan to keep her warm all ni ght long.”

Ash’s hand casually resting against her waist froze, the gentle touch becoming awkward. “I only—”

“Don’t let me stop you,” Tobin said, stepping away. “You’ll save me the trouble of all this training.”

Margot frowned at him, not thrilled about being a burden. “You don’t have to—”

“Oh, I know, Margot,” Tobin said, face melting again and piercing her with that same direct focus she enjoyed. “I want to help you. I’m all in with you on this.” He paused, glancing at Ash. “But don’t forget that he could make all this unnecessary quit e easily.”

“I cannot C—” Ash began, but Margot interrupted him, her hand resting atop his on her waist, feeling his warm skin relax agai nst hers.

“I know,” she said. “No Claiming. And it’s fine,” she insisted, glaring at Tobin. “You keep bringing this up, Tobin. You sure you can’t Claim me and also make this unn ecessary?”

Tobin met her eyes for a long time, and for a moment, she thought she saw something else there, a desire, there and quickly hidden, but then the fae looked away. “If I could…” he began.

“Yeah,” Margot agreed, sighing heavily. “Apparently that’s a common refrain around here.” She assessed the darkness pooling around them. “Where will you go for the nig ht, then?”

He raised an eyebrow. “You concerned for my safety and wellbeing, darling?” he asked. “Or just jealous?”

She narrowed her eyes at him. “You want it to be both, of course.” Shaking her head, she let go of Ash’s hand, stepping out of his grip. The cold sliced through her, the mountain wind unforgiving as the light faded, but she took the few steps toward Tobin, enjoying the way his body reacted to her approach, the excitement in his eyes glowing as she drew near. “Thank you,” she said formally, grabbing both of his hands and bringing each to her lips for a gentle kiss. “I appreciate everything you are doing for me. I know you don’t have to, that it’s not your responsibility. So just … t hank you.”

“You want me to stay?” Tobin asked quietly. “Or do you want to be alone … with him?” She didn’t turn around to see what Ash was doing, not wanting him to know they were talking a bout him.

“No,” she replied, just as softly. “I think you two need time apart. But seriously… thank you f or today.”

Tobin nodded, leaning down to kiss her cheek. Heat flooded her at the contact, and for a moment, she wished he would kiss her properly, the way he had in the nightclub, igniting every cell in her body. “Guard your heart, Margot,” he whispered. “Or he will break it again.”

“I know,” she said, giving him a quick hug before stepping back. Despite the cold, his bare chest was still warm, no doubt the result of his own fae powers. “Tomorrow then?” she asked. “Across the border in Akkoy? We’re at the EcoDome. The show isn’t until S aturday.”

Tobin nodded. “I know.” Margot couldn’t help the shiver that ran through her at the casual way he said it, how he knew where she would be. It was impossible to think she had only met him last night. She had never felt such an instant connection, an immediate bond. “But I might not be there until Saturday night,” he said. “After your show. We can see what other abilities you have by then.”

“Be careful,” she said suddenly worried he would do something foolish before she saw him again. “Come ba ck to me.”

“I will, Margot,” he promised. “You’re not getting rid of me that easy.” He nodded over her shoulder to Ash, then lifted skyward.

Margot didn’t hear Ash step close to her, but she felt his hand on her shoulder, the bottom of his palm touching the bare skin below the edge of the shirt, heat flooding her again. She didn’t look away from Tobin’s retreating form, watching until the white spot faded into the night sky, becoming yet another star in the distance.