by LJ Andrews
I rolled my eyes grinning. Poor Abby, not exactly defective, her parents simply sucked and took off to some forest fae community when she’d turned thirteen.
“All right, you’re good,” the first guard said and handed Liz her Magis district license.
She nodded curtly, curled her grip over the wheel until her knuckles went white, and drove through the gates.
Here the trees reached for the clouds more than beyond the gates. Here the sunlight was like bits of real, shimmering gold. The road was paved until we whipped onto a raked dirt side road. The trees thickened and Aunt Liz’s GPS stopped speaking, leaving us dependent upon a navigation spell Liz had purchased instead.
Between the thick evergreens, lavender and sapphire and golden wildflowers peeked through. But there were also pockets of the darkest pitch I’d seen. Blackness so dark it drank the light. This was a defective reform camp, I reminded myself. They wouldn’t have night creatures like trolls or wraiths so close. It was just dark.
I hated that I could grow a beard, but kept a healthy fear of the dark. Like a child. No one, and I mean no one, ever needed to know that.
Aunt Liz let out a gurgled sound from her throat when the trees parted and a sprawling white house tucked in a grove of oak and spruce trees. Despite the nerves, there was hope in Liz’s eyes, and it settled in the center of my chest like a spool of barbed wire that this was my last shot. Aunt Liz believed in me. But despite all her praises at the beautiful landscape and attempts to reach into my passion for the outdoors, this place still felt as though we were driving up to a gray, sullen prison.
The van rolled around the circular gravel drive, parking below steps leading to a massive front door. The glass in the rich mahogany wood was painted in two dragons of red and blue. Again with the dragons.
“Did you know wyvern is another name used for dragon? Interesting. Will you ask why they chose that as the mascot, Teagan?” Andy, the know-it-all of the bunch, shouted out from the back seat.
I didn’t answer, mostly because Andy’s voice was drowned out by the screams and cries of all the other children in the van. The metal tube was filled to the max with kids spanning the ages. Levi, the youngest and a defective wolvyn shifter, tossed his juice box at my shoulder from his booster seat. Mary Beth, born of a siren, was eating her crayons, while the second oldest, Diesel, a thick boy who looked part troll, kept swearing under his breath at Abby and a scarecrow kid named Mark. The faintest hint of horns poked out of Mark’s skull. Both forest fae, but Mark didn’t have any power to compel or manipulate like Abby.
Today Diesel seemed particularly offended with Mark and the kid was utterly defenseless in his seat belt next to Diesel’s heavy fist.
Liz gripped my shoulder, drawing my tight gaze toward her. Her chin quivered. “This looks great, Tee. Don’t you think?”
Perhaps I shouldn’t have scoffed, but it was habit. I stared out the front windshield at the same moment the two dragons on the door separated and a man emerged. His arms were thick and corded, his neck much the same. He stood like a formidable statue next to the two skinny guys—probably around my age—at his side.
My gut tightened at the sight of them. I narrowed my eyes.
“Well, here it goes,” Aunt Liz said, stepping out of the van to meet the newcomers.
“Hey, try not get arrested again, loser,” Diesel spat while he took Mark’s glasses.
Diesel murmured curses as I twisted his strange puffed-up ear, but when he swung at me I’d already moved onto the other kids. I high-fived Mary Beth, tickled Levi’s toes one last time. Then, told Abby to mesmerize Diesel. She grinned and snickered when his fat face went pale.
She’d need to be the defender now. More than one kid like Diesel had filtered through Aunt Liz’s house. Bullies. Angry at their lot in life. I could understand, but I didn’t take well to them lashing out on the smallest defectives. I wasn’t small and could handle myself—the reason Kent hadn’t minded me around—but now peace in the house would likely need to resort to the lone nymph who could harness a bit of power.
Inside my chest burned in dark, lost, angry tension. Then again, I was chronically angry. About what, I didn’t know. It was simply there, always.
When Aunt Liz signaled me to join her outside, I finally opened the door and plopped onto the gravel. Cautiously, I inched toward the intimidating man. He stuck his hand out for me to take. There were times when I really didn’t want to act out, but resistance, mistrust, they were part of me and hard to shake.
“When someone offers to shake your hand, you take it,” the man grumbled. “Now.”
Then again, sometimes I found amusement in defiance. My lips curled. “I thought I had the freedom to refuse unwanted touch.”
Aunt Liz pinched the back of my arm.
“Your freedom was taken away the moment you decided to drink and go on a joyride through a national park,” the man retorted—still calm, but darkly serious. “Now, politely shake my hand, Mr. Ward. Or are we going to have a problem from the get-go?”
I cleared my throat, contorted my expression into the best I-don’t-like-you glare, then stiffly shook the man’s hand.
“Good. I’m Mr. Sapphire, the head counselor of Wyvern Reform.”
“Mr. Sapphire?”
“Pretty as my name is, I assure you if you act out or break our rules, you’ll wish you didn’t know me.”
I chuckled, but the other two boys standing behind Sapphire didn’t budge; they didn’t even flinch.
“Teagan assured me he was here to follow your rules, and he wouldn’t be any trouble—didn’t you?” Aunt Liz’s eyes shadowed into a dark, slate gray. A warning she had a temper buried under all that niceness.
“Good,” Sapphire said before I could muster any sort of retort. I really didn’t like the guy. “Say goodbye to your aunt, Mr. Ward.”
Jaw tight, I stomped back to the van and threw open the hatch for my single suitcase. I’d learned this place thrived on minimalism and one suitcase was all that was allowed.
Aunt Liz sniffled and wrapped her thin arms around my neck. “Be good, Teagan. Please, I don’t know how else to beg anymore. Learn something from these people, make new friends. Then come home. We want you at home, sweetie.”
“Mr. Ward, it’s time to go,” Sapphire said.
I squeezed my aunt, holding her a second longer before slinging my bag over my shoulder. “Bye, Aunt Liz. Don’t let Diesel pick on Mark, okay? I’ll call you when they let me get my one phone call.”
Liz scoffed. “This isn’t prison, Teagan. That’s what we’re trying to avoid. See you around, kiddo. Love you.”
Aunt Liz relished in speaking to me like I was ten, but today I actually found some comfort in her patient voice. I waved to the few kids who waved to me and trudged toward Sapphire and his robots.
“Mitch and Graham will take you to your room. You’ll meet me at my office in ten minutes for your tour. Tardiness is not accepted, Mr. Ward. We run on a demerit system. Ten demerits and you’re handed back to the MPF court. Follow our rules, and I think you’ll find our program enlightening and helpful. But that decision lies with you. You now have nine minutes.”
I glared at Sapphire, who offered a smile that reminded me of when a pompous bully knew they had won.
The guy with toasted brown skin, and ears that tapered into a point, clapped my shoulder. “I’m Mitch. Your room is this way.”
I didn’t get a magic vibe from Mitch, but his ears hinted to fae. He had an earring that looked interesting. No horns, no weird tint to his skin. No claws or fangs. Just the ears. Graham, though, his eyes were shockingly pale. Almost white. It was unnerving.
Inside was orderly like everything in Wyvern Willows. There was a wooden staircase that led toward two more stories. Stained-glass door panes closed off a parlor room where two boys were dusting and vacuuming the rugs. From the front entry there was a direct line to a swinging kitchen door and another room I guessed was a dining room.
“Come
on, boys are on the third floor,” Mitch said. “Girls on the second. And I’d suggest you stay out of the girls’ rooms. Like, don’t even go there. First reason: the only girls here are between twelve and thirteen. Second reason: they all come from succubus bloodlines. Don’t do it. Automatic ten demerits.”
“Or I’ll lose my mind.”
Mitch grinned and shot me with his fingers. “If they suddenly got their magic, yep. There’s always that.”
Graham hurried to take the lead, a scowl on his face. “Look, you think you’re a tough guy, right? You aren’t. Sapphire isn’t kidding around and you would be wise to just stick to the program.”
I shot him with a glare. “I just want to get out of here.”
Mitch and Graham shared a look, but kept leading me to the third floor, until Mitch unlocked a door at the end of the hall.
“I get my own room?” A bright spot in the dreary day.
Mitch nodded, grinning. “A sign of good faith. But two demerits and you lose the room.”
“Where would I sleep in that case?”
“There are cots to set up in the living room. They smell. I’d encourage you to keep your room.”
I shook my head, the barbed wire wall inside my chest starting to poke deeper into my heart and stomach.
I tossed the duffel bag onto the small bed and took it all in. Minimalists, for sure. A small desk. A pen, a pencil, a waste basket, and a lamp. An alarm clock sat on a small bedside table with another tiny lamp. The bed was bland, fit for a single person, a scratchy blue blanket on top and one white lumpy pillow. The best part about the room—it had a gabled window that led out to the roof. That was where I would rather sleep, under the stars, away from other breathing things stuffed inside the prison house.
“So, what did you guys do to get in here?” I asked, turning right back around knowing I had about three minutes to get back to Sapphire’s office.
“Shoplifting,” Mitch said and dragged a hand through his curly hair. “A few times.”
I lifted a brow. “A few times? On the human side or magis?”
“Uh, both. The last one was from a rather grouchy vampire in Seattle. I’m here to cure my kleptomania.”
I chuckled. Maybe I could like Mitch. A little. “So, what are you?”
Graham pinched his lips. “Rude.”
“I asked Mitch.”
Mitch grinned and leaned against the doorjamb. “Forget him. Graham doesn’t think we should ask personal questions. Doesn’t think we should talk to anyone at all, come to think of it.” Graham didn’t refute any of it. Mitch shook out his hands, like nervous energy buzzed through him. “I’m a changeling. Been here for years because turns out, parents don’t take well to learning their kid was snatched and traded by fae.”
“So you have a doppelganger out there?”
“Weird right? Last I heard he settled in fine with human districts with—” Mitch cleared his throat, clearly trying not to show it bothered him. “You know, with my folks.”
“It wasn’t your fault.” I said, not knowing why I cared. “It was the fae who played with everyone.”
A shadow passed over his face. Mitch nodded. “Yeah, but still. Even if I didn’t know until my doppelganger showed up with all kinds of weird stories. It messed with my mom. She stopped looking at me, couldn’t stand me. Split up the family, really.” He clapped his hands together, notably uncomfortable. “Anyway, man, it really isn’t bad at the reform. Just toe the line.”
I nodded, but didn’t agree as I looked again to Graham and his weird eyes. “Don’t want to share? Sapphire shouted what I did for everyone. Seems only fair.”
Graham answered by stomping out of the room.
“Don’t feel bad,” Mitch said. “Graham hasn’t told anyone what guild or clan he’s from, or what he did to get here. Only Sapphire knows. Speaking of Sapphire, you better go. The guy doesn’t mess around with punctuality. His office is down by the front door, just off the living room. Good luck.”
I abandoned the room a moment later and worked my way through the house.
There were a few glimpses of the other reforms along the way, all doing chores around the house. When I stepped off the bottom step, one of the girls swept by. Her black hair was cropped short, she had distant eyes and a frown that went on for days when she knocked my shoulder in all her haste. The girl let out a kind of hiss and stuck out her tongue, showing off a spiked tongue piercing.
Awesome. I was locked in a house with juveniles all summer.
By the dragon doors, I found the open office. In the center, Sapphire tapped his watch. “Thirty seconds to spare, Mr. Ward. That’s a start. Come in and close the door.”
My private room kept me compliant. A spark in the ashes of the dreary truth of this prison. Privacy was enough to keep me jumping through any hoops this guy put at my feet.
“Here is your class schedule for Monday,” Sapphire said, handing me a booklet and folder filled with papers all embossed with the logo of Wyvern High School. “Keep in mind, the school here is integrated.”
My eyes widened. “Wait, both districts?”
“We find it’s good for those who come to the reform to mingle with both sides.”
Mingle. Everyone wanted me to mingle. Mingling wasn’t even close to my priorities. “That’s . . . different.”
“It has its benefits. Offers a degree of tolerance you might not be accustomed to. Ms. Drake is the principal of the school and is already expecting you. The summer schedule is for make up students, reform attendees, and usually seniors there to take summer college credits. It won’t be packed.”
I got the feeling Sapphire was saying all this to help me feel more at ease. Truth be told, it was working.
“The demerit system is set in place for school hours,” he said. “Ms. Drake will be in full communication with me about your actions during the day. You’re required to maintain your grades, attend all your summer classes, and if you need any extra help with a subject, you are to submit this form.” Sapphire handed me a pink piece of paper. “This will arrange the proper tutoring. Any questions about school?”
“Seems pretty much like school,” I bit.
“Wyvern High is nationally ranked. You’ll be surrounded by some of the brightest students and staff who don’t care much about bloodlines and power class. Maybe you’ll learn something, Mr. Ward.”
“That’s what people keep saying.”
“Maybe because it’s true.” Sapphire clicked his tongue, but didn’t smile. Who was this guy? He didn’t scream counselor. More bouncer or mercenary with all his bulk. Sapphire had dark eyes, like ink, and a strong chin coated in a black beard. He looked like he’d fit in nicely in a boxing ring, rather than in a polo shirt and khakis at a reform house. His gaze narrowed as he went on. “There are simple rules here, Mr. Ward—”
“Will you call me Teagan?” All the judges, officers, and principals called me Mr. Ward. Frankly, I was tired of it.
“If that’s what you prefer,” Sapphire said. “There are only a few rules. Number one, you are to be punctual. Here is the daily schedule of the house, including weekends. You’ll lose a half demerit for each tardy. Second, you do your chores. Each door will be given a job chart every morning. You’ll do different chores often, helping you hone your skills in different areas. Third is a combination. No drinking, no drugs, no sex.”
“You really know how to take all the fun out of life.”
Sapphire promptly ignored me.
“No fighting with the other students—that goes for here at Wyvern Reform and at school. Stay off the girls’ floor. Participate in group sessions each Thursday evening, and hand in your reflection journal each Sunday. There are lists of punishments and demerits on here.” While Sapphire spoke, he continually handed me papers, a composition notebook, and clipboards.
“Reflection journal?”
“Part of understanding why you feel the need to act out is understanding yourself on a deeper level. If anything strikes
you as relevant, write it down. I expect something to be written each week. Most students start off with a line or two, but by the time you graduate the program I’m positive you will be filling the pages. It’s a good exercise.”
I couldn’t help but chuckle as I thumbed through the empty lined pages. This was ridiculous.
“A final rule,” Sapphire continued. “Under no circumstances are you to go beyond the designated fence line. The woods surrounding Wyvern Willows are beautiful, but there are dangerous areas. That’s the law, Teagan, not just my rule. Don’t go beyond the markers or you’ll be arrested and sent back home—where, in your case, you’ll be locked up anyway. Understand?”
I knew my smirk was arrogant, but Sapphire was aggravating. “So, don’t go into the creepy woods, huh? Yeah that doesn’t make me any more curious.”
“Sarcasm. I guess that’s your defense so people don’t get close to you,” Sapphire said. “I’ll help with your curiosity; there’s nothing secretive out there, it’s just dangerous. Wraith dangerous, cliff dangerous. Maybe a few hungry bears. Who really knows. We obey the law here, but it’s practically impossible to get a search party out there, so don’t do it.”
“I got it,” I huffed. Flopping against the chair.
“I got it, sir,” Mr. Sapphire said.
“I’m supposed to call you sir? That wasn’t in the rules.”
“My mistake,” Sapphire said with a touch of arrogance. “That’s it, Teagan. Welcome to Wyvern Reform. Don’t waste your opportunity. Now, get to the chores. You’ll have free time to curse my name and this place all you want after dinner—until then, get to it.”
Sapphire pointed to the Saturday job list, where my name had already been added. Dumpster duty, cleaning out the rain gutters, and fixing the gate. Inside I was cursing Sapphire already. This place was my own personal version of hell.
