by Wendi Wilson
Celeste found him? Then the fog lifted and everything clicked into place.
“Oh,” I mouthed, my eyes widening.
Celeste’s desperate tears, the fact that she was in Finn’s room before dawn, and…she was wearing a long, silky nightgown with thin straps and a low-cut bodice.
She and Finn were—
“I have to step in, to serve as king until he wakes up.”
Easton’s robotic voice pulled me from my musings and I felt my face heat up. There were far more important issues at stake here than the status of Finn and Celeste’s relationship.
“Is there no one else who can do it?” I asked, hearing the resignation in his voice.
“No,” he said, turning and wrapping his arms around me. “I’m next in line for the throne. It’s my responsibility.”
I gripped him around the waist, squeezing with all my might. I wished there was more I could do.
His grandfather was unconscious, sick with God-knew-what illness, and instead of holding a bedside vigil, Easton had to step in as king to the Sylphid Fae who were on the brink of war with the Zephyrs.
I felt helpless. As bad as I wanted to fix it, I couldn’t.
So I hugged him, pouring all the love and support I felt into the gesture. And I prayed Finn would wake up.
Soon.
CHAPTER 8
Everything felt different. While the sounds of kids bustling from class to class, the laughter and the happy shouts were the same, they now grated on my nerves. I was worried sick over Finn, and watching the rest of the students go about their regular, daily lives made me itch to scream the truth.
It had been days, and Finn still hadn’t woken up. Easton was locked away in his grandfather’s office, making the transition from student to king. I’d only seen him once since that fateful morning, and it was a brief exchange where he’d told me he’d be sequestered with members of council for a few days and not to worry.
Yeah, right.
To make matters worse, my own grandfather had fallen into a funk. His signature cocky grin was all but nonexistent, he kept mostly to himself, and his eyes seemed…haunted.
There was something going on with him, something I couldn’t quite put my finger on. Whenever I tried to talk to him about it, he’d just smile and brush my words off with a joke. But the joke always fell flat and the smile never quite reached his eyes.
I wondered if it was some version of survivor’s guilt. Puck, Rowan, and Finn went back a long, long way. Now Rowan was gone and Finn was gravely ill—and the guy who screwed up and ruined their friendship was perfectly healthy.
Or maybe I was way off base, and it was something else completely. If only I could get him to open up. Maybe my mom could…
I brushed off my thoughts of Puck as I came to a halt in front of the king’s office. I held up a fist to knock, then paused. I bit my lip, second-guessing my decision to visit Finn. I knew Easton was just on the other side of the door, and he wouldn’t begrudge me a visit with the unconscious king, but I also didn’t want to interrupt his meeting with whichever council member was sequestered with him today.
I decided to turn around and head back to my room. I could come back later. I took two steps before spinning around and rapping my knuckles against the wood.
I wasn’t a coward, and there was nothing to be afraid of. It was Easton, for God’s sake.
The door swung open and Councilman Bushy-Mustache filled the opening with a straight spine and a snarling frown.
“How dare you interrupt us,” he hissed.
“Seamus, let her in.”
Easton sounded tired. I stepped around Mustache, er, Seamus, and paused in surprise. Easton looked worse than tired, like he was dead on his feet, with bags under his eyes and his hair mussed like he’d been running his hands through it.
But the worst thing was his aura. I twisted the ring on my finger, tempted to pull it off so I wouldn’t have to see the pulsing colors twisting around him. All negative emotions—blue, orange, red, and even some black filled the space around his head.
There was only annoyance and worry, some anger and a spear of guilt. There was none of the pinks and purples of affection and approval that I’d grown used to seeing around him when he looked at me. Absent was the golden hue of hope.
“December, I’m sorry, but I just don’t have the time—”
“I’m here to see Finn,” I interjected, not wanting to hear the rest of his sentence.
Then I slipped past him to the door at the back of the room. I opened the door a crack and slipped through, closing it silently behind me. I leaned against the wood, and my eyes drifted shut.
Easton’s lack of enthusiasm at my sudden appearance struck a lance of pain through me, but I fought to tamp it down. He was in an awful position, stuck between worrying for his grandfather’s health and being abruptly thrust into a world of politics and leadership he wasn’t quite ready for.
I could be patient. I had to be.
I opened my eyes and focused on the bed, Finn’s pale face the only thing not hidden under a mound of blankets. I shuffled forward, staring at his slack features. His skin looked waxy and he was as still as death. Panic zipped through me like electricity, my breath catching somewhere between my lungs and my mouth as my heart pounded against my breastbone.
Then I saw movement, a slight rise of the blankets as he inhaled, and I my knees buckled in relief. I pulled myself up and moved over to his bedside, sitting on the edge of the wooden chair there.
“Hey, Finn. It’s me. December Thorne.”
I thought I’d feel silly whispering to an unconscious man, but something about talking to him made me feel…not better, really, but more connected. The Sylph healers, after doing everything they could with no results, had told us all we could do was wait. And that we should talk to him. Like, if he somehow heard us, he’d come back from whatever black abyss he was trapped in.
“I need you to wake up. We need you. All of us. The school just isn’t the same without you. Grandfather is retreating inward and Easton…”
I trailed off without finishing. If, by some miracle, Finn could hear me, I didn’t want to sound like a needy, pouting girlfriend. I needed to keep my despondency at missing Easton to myself.
“Well, anyway, we all need you to come back to us. Can you wake up? Just open your eyes and look at me, Finn.”
Nothing. No response whatsoever. I swallowed hard against the tears that threatened to spill over and cleared my throat. I needed to keep things positive.
“So, tomorrow is the big day. Cris is going public.” I chuckle, but it’s a sad, pathetic version of my usual laughter. “Mom, too. Easton is going to call an assembly and make the announcement that Dad has been vindicated and is welcome at the academy. And that Ellie is Puck’s daughter. And my mom. It’s going to be memorable, that’s for sure.”
The thought of living my life with no secrets brightens my spirits a little.
“Everyone knows what I am, and after tomorrow, everyone will know who I am. I am the granddaughter of the Zephyr queen and one of the founders of this school,” I said with a sad smile. “I wish you could be there to see Tiana’s face when she finds out. She’s been sucking up to Puck since he got here. This is going to kill her.”
I laughed, and this time it was filled with genuine humor. Unfortunately, it was at that precise moment that Easton opened the door and stepped inside. I sobered instantly, but it was too late. Pain flashed through his aura, though he kept his features schooled.
“I was just talking to him. You know, like the healers said,” I mumbled as I stood, feeling awkward.
“I saw.”
“I’m sorry—”
“No. Don’t,” he said, cutting me off.
Then he strode forward and wrapped his arms around me. It felt so good, like coming home. My hands snaked around his waist and I squeezed like my life depended on it.
We didn’t speak, or kiss, or even move. We just held on, weathering this s
hitstorm the best way we knew how.
Together.
CHAPTER 9
I kept my eyes locked on Easton, letting his face be my candle in the night as the entire student body gathered in the gym. The reason for the assembly was threefold—to formally tell the students about Finn’s illness and Easton’s current position as interim leader, make the announcement about my dad being welcomed to stay here by the council, and to reveal my grandfather’s plan to retire from teaching.
It was going to be interesting, that was for sure.
Easton cleared his throat, and the quiet chatter filling the gym died out almost immediately. Rumors had run rampant about Finn’s absence, and with Easton standing on the podium instead of the king, the students were a little more than intrigued.
“I have several announcements to make, but I will try to make this as brief as possible so you all can get back to class.”
His voice boomed through the space, making it obvious he was using that magical amplification that his grandfather liked to employ. A large, strong hand tightened around mine and I squeezed back, but I didn’t looked at Dad. I didn’t look at anyone except Easton Oberon.
But I could feel the students’ stares. For most of them, it was the first time they’d seen Cris since he was supposedly ousted after Puck’s big reveal at the Valentine’s dance. Not only was he present, but he was holding my hand. And Ellie was latched onto his other hand.
No one knew who she was, this beautiful blonde holding onto the Zephyr for dear life. I was sure curiosity was eating them alive.
And to make things even more confusing, Puck, Shaela, and Charles stood behind us, and Puck reached forward every so often to squeeze Ellie’s shoulder. Looking at it from the other students’ perspectives, I was sure I’d have been curious, too. I silently begged Easton to hurry so we could leave. The stares were starting to feel really oppressive.
“It is with great sadness that I must inform you that King Finn has fallen ill.”
At Easton’s words, the noise level in the room picked up to a dull roar. While the students knew Finn had been keeping to himself, it seemed it never occurred to them he could actually be sick. Easton held up a hand, and the silence fell once more.
He really is good at this.
The thought ran through my mind on a loop as a bead of sweat trickled down my back. Seeing Easton in leadership role, taking charge and handling business appealed to me in ways I never thought it would. The gym suddenly got a little warmer. Or maybe it was just me.
“We have not been able to determine the nature of his illness as of yet,” Easton continued, “but until he is fully recovered, I, as his heir, will take over his duties to this school and the Sylph community as a whole.”
The rumble of voices rose again, but the overall tone seemed to be filled with worry for Finn, not negativity for Easton’s new position. That was good, but it was time for the hard part. I swallowed thickly as Easton’s eyes found mine and he gave me an encouraging nod.
“The second thing I need to announce is the official acceptance of Crispin Jonas as a resident of this academy. He has been appointed to the position of private tutor, and fully vetted and deemed worthy by the council. I hope you will all make him feel welcome once more.”
There were a few quiet grunts, but other than that, the room remained silent.
“As you all know, Professor Jonas is December Thorne’s father. Now, I would like to introduce you to another new resident at Oberon Academy—December’s mother, Ellie Goodman.”
He said the name Goodman clearly and succinctly, so there would be no confusion. My face heated as gasps of disbelief echoed around me and the chatter picked up to a nearly unbearable level. I finally took my eyes off of Easton to look at my mother, who was staring at me with a wistful smile.
Tears sprung to my eyes as I interpreted her reaction. It was finally out in the open. I had a mom and she was it, and she could finally acknowledge me as her daughter…and she couldn’t be happier about it.
Truth be told, neither could I.
“Quiet,” Easton barked out. “As you may have guessed, Ellie is Robin Goodman’s daughter, which makes December his granddaughter.”
He left it at that, but the warning was clear—if I wasn’t off-limits before, I was now. Messing with the hybrid turned dangerous when you were messing with the trickster’s family. That’s why they’d all given Shaela a wide berth since his arrival. It looked like I was finally going to get that same treatment.
“And on a final note, Professor Goodman has decided to step away from his teaching responsibilities to focus on other pursuits. A new professor has been assigned to the position by the council—”
This was news to me. No one had mentioned a new teacher had been hired.
“—and it’s his daughter. Please help me in welcoming Professor Ellie Goodman to Oberon Academy.”
Easton began to clap as my eyes shot from him to my mom. She had a pretty rose blush on her cheeks and the room filled with applause. I looked from her to Dad, who looked honored to be standing next to her, then to Puck whose chest was puffed out with pride.
If Shaela hadn’t looked as surprised as I felt, I would’ve been pissed. Seemed like everyone in our family knew except us.
“I’m sorry,” Mom said, reaching over to grip my arm. “I wanted to tell you, but they wanted you to be surprised.”
She hitched a thumb over her shoulder where Dad and Grandfather were smiling like a couple of goofballs. I shook my head at them before turning back to Mom.
“Congratulations. I couldn’t be happier, really.”
She hugged me and by the time we pulled apart, students were moving toward the exit and Easton was gone from his spot at the podium. My eyes drifted over the crowd, expecting to see him pushing his way toward me. But his white-blonde head and glowing aura were nowhere to be seen. He was gone.
Without saying goodbye.
PUCK HAD DECLARED a celebratory lunch was in order, so I found myself seated at a large table in his suite, surrounded by my family. Mom and Dad sat across from me, holding hands under the table while she took delicate bites of roasted chicken from his fork. Shaela sat on my right, with our grandfather at the head of the table next to her. Even Charles was there, directly in front of Shaela, engaged in a lively conversation with the two of them.
The only one missing was Easton.
But I was okay. I knew he was busy taking care of kingly matters and that when things calmed down, everything would go back normal. I was sure of it. Well…mostly sure.
I brushed away the melancholy as I looked around the table. I had what I’d always wanted. I was a normal teenager having lunch with her extended family. Though we all worried for Finn’s health, we still lived. We still loved each other. There was light and laughter, affection and gentle teasing.
I held my smile like some frozen caricature that I hoped looked natural as I watched them all. I was not normal and never would be.
I was Sebille’s heir, but also her enemy. My future was unknown, a mystery, yet also set in stone.
Someone had to put a stop to my grandmother’s plans, and I was the only one with the strength to do it. I was the only one who could alter our future by taking her place as queen someday. No one else could save the humans. Save the Sylphs. Change the world.
It had to be me.
CHAPTER 10
“Good morning, class.”
“Good morning, Professor Goodman.”
My mom stopped midstride as the students chanted the greeting in unison, looking around with her mouth falling open. When her eyes landed on me, I smirked with one brow arched, and her mouth snapped shut as she continued toward her new desk.
“I suppose the previous Professor Goodman demanded such a stodgy and respectful response?” When several students nodded, she added, “Well, I think you’ll find I am not my father. You may call me Ellie, and I expect you to always tell me the truth about how you really feel. No thoughts or ideas
will be ridiculed or shot down in my classroom.”
“Does that include our thoughts and feelings about you?”
My eyes narrowed, and I was sure red-hot lasers were going to shoot from them to the back of Tiana’s head at any moment. That bitch could harass me all she wanted, but she needed to leave my family alone. Especially Ellie, who was the kindest, most considerate person I’d ever met.
“Of course, Miss…”
“Avery. Tiana Avery,” Tiana supplied with a huff.
I bit the inside of my cheek to stifle a smile. My mother knew very well who Tiana Avery was. She’d been briefed by Shaela in great detail about all the things Tiana had done to us, and what I’d done in retaliation. I was nervous, afraid to see fear in Ellie’s eyes when she realized her only daughter was a monster capable of horrible things.
But she looked at me, beaming with pride, and told me she was honored to be my mother. That I should always stick up for myself and the ones I cared about. And to never be ashamed of what I could do, because it was part of who I was.
You are magnificent.
That’s what she’d said to me, and I would never forget the way it made me feel.
“Ah, yes. Miss Avery,” Mom said, pulling me back to the present. “What is it you’d like to share?”
Tiana’s shoulders straightened and she flipped her hair with as much arrogance as she could muster. She cleared her throat and projected her voice so no one would miss her words.
“I was wondering why the council would choose a vile Zephyr-lover like you to teach us. Aren’t they worried your unnatural choices will influence us negatively?”
I was up and out of my chair the second the word unnatural left her lips. Shaela tried to grab me and missed. Easton was absent, again, so there was no one else to try and stop me.
Ellie shouted something just before my hand wrapped around Tiana’s blonde hair, but it was too late. I could hear nothing over the pounding of blood in my ears. My skin crackled with electricity as my power rose to the surface, but I managed to hold it back.
