I don’t really have time to ask Mama about the significance of Moths before I’m being shoved into Dev’s truck and carted off to school. Brody drives close behind us.

“We could have walked like usual,” I grumble to Jules.

“Something tells me that would have been more distance than these guys are willing to put between you and them,” he replies quietly, leaning in so that Dev won’t hear over the sounds of the Chili Peppers coming from the speakers.

I swallow and nod. The thought hadn’t occurred to me but it makes sense, and honestly I probably would have hated the distance as well. I wonder idly if the djinn is as affected by our binding as these guys are. He doesn’t seem to be, but then again he’s a supernatural creature. Rules probably don’t apply the same way.

Dev, Brody, Jules and I stand in a circle beside Dev’s truck once we reach the school parking lot. It feels like a team huddle before a big game, when really we’re all just mentally preparing for another day living in our new reality. Our connected reality.

I meet each of their eyes in turn, trying to wordlessly convey how sorry I am that we’re in this mess.

Two sets of grey-green eyes and one set of indigo stare back at me, seeming to each try and convey something else. Though I’ve no idea what. And then, just like that, we break. We all go our separate ways, heading to our separate classes.

I have two classes with Jules, French and English, and no classes with either of my older guardians. At least, I thought I didn't. Five minutes into gym class Brody strolls in like he owns the place.

“Mr. James. Nice of you to finally join us,” Mr. Aarons drawls.

Finally? We’re a quarter of the way through the school year, and I’m supposed to believe that Brody has just gotten away with not showing up to class at all? Stupid football star.

We are currently doing mindless laps around the room. The students are chatting idly with friends, clumped together as they trot along, pretending to jog. Except for me, because my only friend is Jules and he’s not in this class.

I really don’t mind trailing alone after the rest of the kids, but when Brody falls into step beside me, it’s nicer than I’d like to admit.

The girls in the class shoot me dirty looks and the guys all look a little miffed that Brody James didn’t choose to run with them. It’s annoying and amusing all at once.

“How’s it going Mrs. Jules?”

His low rumble sends a shiver of awareness through me. Has Brody always affected me like that?

“You should really come up with a better nickname for me, given the circumstances.”

“You mean like Mrs. Dev-Jules-Brody?”

One of the girls up front glances back at him with a blush.

“Keep your voice down,” I hiss. “You’re gonna get me jumped by your fan club.”

He laughs. “Relax. You’ve got yourself three suped-up bodyguards. Just like you planned.”

I gape at him, slowing to a stop. “Excuse me? You think I wanted this to happen? Are you being serious right now Brody?”

He slows too and faces me. His jaw is tight and his eyes are as cold as steel.

“You tell me. You’re the one that lured us out to the middle of nowhere in the middle of the night.”

I gasp.

“Adelfi! James! Deal with your lover’s quarrel later!” Mr. Aarons barks. “Right now it’s time to run!”

We both pick up our pace again. My fists are clenched tightly at my sides and I’m so angry that my vision is starting to bend.

“Ah ah, mistress. I can feel you boiling. Not too intense or you’ll have the LaTour brothers busting down the door.”

I think I prefer ‘Mrs. Jules’ to ‘Mistress’. It implies that he and Dev and Jules are my slaves in some way. I shudder.

“Brody James,” I hiss through clenched teeth. “Don’t you dare insinuate that I wanted this. That that thing was in cahoots with me in any way. It killed my Grandmother for fuck’s sake!”

My voice is getting a little shrill and Mr. Aarons glances at us suspiciously.

“Maybe you didn’t have anything to do with … the djinn. But you can’t deny that you’ve been grooming us to be your guardians. You’ve got Jules wrapped around your finger and Dev around your lips.”

Images flash of the epic kiss that Dev and I shared at Claire’s party. That feels like a decade ago now. Thank god Brody’s talking low enough that only I can hear. If that got back to Claire…

“And you, Brody?” I sputter. “How the hell have I been grooming you? We’ve barely even spoken before this.”

He shrugs and continues to effortlessly keep pace while I’m starting to flag. How is it fair that the guys got second nature superpowers and I didn’t?

We run in silence for a moment as I try to get my anger, and my breathing, under control. A big part of me really wants to slap him.

“Maybe I was just there. Maybe I wasn’t a part of the plan,” he mumbles.

If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

Before I can respond, Mr. Aarons breaks us up into teams for volleyball. Brody plants himself beside me and the teacher doesn’t seem to have a problem with it. I guess the football star gets to do whatever he wants. Surprise, surprise.

“There was no plan,” I say to him in a hushed voice. “I didn’t even know guardians were a thing! You heard Mama! I wasn’t supposed to get any until I’m older.”

He grinds his teeth, not ready to accept my answer yet. I can tell he’s feeling confused still, and angry. And needy? I probe deeper, focusing on his emotions. I focus so hard, in fact, that I don’t notice when the other team serves the ball right into my face.

There’s a loud whumph as the volleyball connects with my skull and then a brief flash of blinding pain before darkness.

When I come to I’m mostly on the ground. My head is propped in Brody’s lap and his hand is on the side of my face. His thumb caresses my temple and every space where our skin connects feels electric. Pleasureful. It’s almost enough to distract me from the pain of having a volleyball collide with my face. Almost.

I groan and try to sit up but Brody puts a hand on my shoulder to keep me flat.

“Slow down, mistress. Nurse is coming.”

Belatedly, I realize that I’m covered in blood. I think my nose may be broken. The thought turns my stomach.

As a means of distraction I delve into Brody’s feelings, curious to see if my getting hit has affected him at all. At the very least maybe it made him a little less angry with me. What I find when I probe our connection surprises me.

Brody is … worried. And also full of wonder. Reverent. It translates into every careful stroke of his thumb across my head.

The rest of the class has made a circle around us. They gawk openly at me. I’m not sure if they’re more riled up over my possibly broken nose and concussion or the fact that I’ve got my head in the lap of the great Brody James.

I close my eyes so that I don’t have to see them and focus on Brody’s ministrations, letting it calm me down. Then I reach out mentally for Jules and Dev. They’re both worried too and I try to send out soothing vibes over our connection. I’m not sure if it works or not and I’m interrupted anyway by the school nurse/librarian pushing through the crowd.

She kneels beside me, setting a first aid kit on the floor. She pokes at my face for a moment before offering me a reassuring smile.

“Not broken. Mr. James, will you help me escort Ms. Adelfi back to my office? We’ll get you cleaned up, dear.”

I keep my eyes on Brody as Mrs. McCleary cleans the blood from my face with a wet cloth. He’s holding my hand, but he keeps glancing down at where we connect like he isn’t sure why it’s happening. Like the sensation is unfamiliar to him.

I wince and squeeze his hand as the nurse presses against my eye socket.

“You’re going to have a black eye,” she announces. “I’m going to run to the cafeteria to get you some ice. Stay put. You too, James. I’ll write you a note for your next class.”

She leaves and Brody reclaims his hand, crossing his arms over his broad chest.

“The nurse knows you by name?” I ask.

“I’m in here a lot.”

Right. He’s always fighting.

“You don’t have to stay,” I tell him, though I can’t deny that I’m taking comfort in his presence.

He snorts. “Like I’d rather be in class. How are the guys?”

I close my eyes and take a deep breath, focusing first on Jules. I can sense him on the other side of the school. I let his emotions overtake me and when I open my eyes, I’m surprised to see a blackboard instead of the vision chart that occupies the nurse’s office wall.

In chalk are guidelines for a paper on the industrial revolution. I look down at a desk an dsee hands that aren’t mine. They’re bigger and rougher, tan with a few freckles and a leather bracelet on the right wrist. A leather bracelet I recognize. These are Jules’ hands.

I gasp and am drawn back to myself.

Brody has moved to stand in front of me. “What?” he asks. “What happened?”

“I … I think I just saw through Jules’ eyes for a second.”

He draws back. “Are you kidding me?”

I shake my head, heart pounding.

“So you can just drop into our heads any time you feel like it?!” I feel anger start to engulf him again. “This is bullshit! You could see something personal!”

“It’s not like I did it on purpose! I’m still learning here!”

The bell rings loudly. Brody and I glare at one another as classroom doors fly open and the hall fills with students.

Brody’s phone buzzes and he pulls it out, scanning the screen.

“You should give Devereaux your number. He’s flipping out.” He texts something back and drops the phone into his pocket.

Less than thirty seconds later the door slams open and Dev’s eyes travel the room until he finds me. His gaze lands on my face and he curses, striding forward.

“What happened?” he asks roughly.

Belatedly I notice that my shirt is also stained with blood. I look like a crime scene.

“Nothing exciting,” I mumble. “I got hit in the face with a volleyball.”

“How did you manage that?” He leans down to get a better look at the damage and I catch his scent. The butterflies in my stomach take flight. I’m not used to this Dev. The one that cares and fusses and actually looks at me. It’s more unsettling than the pain I’m currently in.

“I’m not, uh, athletically inclined.” I blush.

Brody snorts.

“Jesus Christ, look at you.” Jules stands in the doorway.

“It looks worse than it is.” I wince.

“You have no evidence to support that,” Brody says.

I glare at him. “Well it’s your fault! You were distracting me with your .. your … feelings!”

Jules sputters out a laugh. “Excuse me? Are you talking about Brody James? I think you’re confusing him for someone who’s not an emotionless zombie.”

My eyes stay on Brody, who looks like he’s fighting the urge to strangle me right now.

The nurse bustles back in, carrying a ziploc bag filled with crushed ice. She stops and looks around at everyone in surprise.

“Well this is quite the rendezvous. Here you are dear, for your eye.”

She hands me the ice and I press it to my face, stifling a gasp at the pain. Dev, Brody and Jules all wince in solidarity.

“I”m not writing you all notes, so you’d better head to your next classes before you’re late,” she says to the guys. “Ms. Adelfi will be fine on her own.”

“But -” Brody starts, no doubt having been depending on the excuse to cut his next class.

“Out,” the nurse repeats.

They all reluctantly file out and I can’t help but feel a little empty at their absence.

The nurse checks me for a concussion, determines I don’t have one and then sends me on my way with the ice pack and an advil.

At least I can catch up with Jules in chemistry, but when I arrive the seat next to him has been taken. The only spot in the room is next to Claire. My stomach drops.

“Ah, Ms. Adelfi,” Mr. Peach, the biology teacher, addresses me. “Mr. LaTour informed us of your incident. Please have a seat and say hello to your new lab partner.

I swallow and make my way to where Claire sits in her honey blonde perfection. She gives me a guarded once-over, her nose wrinkling when she sees my black eye and bloody shirt.

“Good morning,” I mumble.

She sniffs indignantly in response and we both turn to the front of the class.