by Wendi Wilson
My head knew they were right, but my heart urged me to keep arguing. That I had to be the one to save Easton, just as he’d done for me so many times before. I looked at the faces of my friends and family, at the worry and fear etched across their features, and I realized that if I took off and turned myself over to the Zephyrs, I was not the only one who’d be affected.
They all loved me as much as I loved them. They loved Easton, too. And because we all loved each other, together, we were unstoppable.
“Okay,” I said in surrender, “what’s the plan?”
CHAPTER 21
“I didn’t want to say anything in front of the others, but I don’t know if this is going to work.”
Shaela and I were sitting on our floor while Blossom hopped around between us. She wore a pained expression as she said those words, like she feared my reaction. But I wasn’t going to argue with her. I had the same doubts.
“I know,” I said, stroking Blossom’s silky ears. “Every time we’ve tried to surprise her, she’s one-upped us. It’s like she always knows when we’re coming.”
After my attempt to run, we’d sat down as a group and tossed around ideas, forming a shaky plan to storm Sebille’s headquarters and get Easton back. My dad seemed confident about it. He knew that part of the city and the high rise Sebille lived in like the back of his hand, and he was convinced he could get us in and out with none the wiser.
The problem was, when we tried before, we never even made it to the building. Sebille always set a trap and ended up being the one surprising us.
“Of course,” I said, a thought occurring to me, “she doesn’t have her little spy to tell her we’re coming anymore.”
“Well, not that we know of, anyway,” Shaela sighed.
I cocked my head, studying her face. She shrugged and shook her head.
“We had no idea Aubrey was a Zephyr and she’d been here for years. Who’s to say there’s not another one?”
While I didn’t want to even consider the possibility, I knew she was right. Any of the students, or staff for that matter, could be secretly passing information to the Zephyr queen. If that were true, we were screwed.
“Do you think he’s okay?” I asked, my voice cracking with fear.
“I do,” she said. “December, he’s strong and smart. He will survive this. I know he will.”
I wanted to feel her confidence, I really did, but I’d had my fair share of run-ins with Sebille. I knew what she was capable of. Killing the future king of the Sylphs would be not only satisfying, but a great coup for her side of the war. And with Finn incapacitated…we would be left floundering.
Anger spiked through me at the thought of her hurting him. My magic rose up inside me with the emotion, and I reveled in it. This was good. I needed to stop wallowing in my fear and grief. If we were going to get Easton back, I needed to be strong.
I’d already proven I could stand toe-to-toe with Sebille. I’d driven a lance of fear straight into her heart, made her run like her hair was on fire—literally. And now that I had both of my parents by my side, she had even more to fear.
My lips turned down at the thought. I pulled my knees up to my chest and wrapped my arms around them before looking back at Shaela.
“Do you think Grandfather told her about Mom?” I asked.
Sebille knew my father’s touch amplified my power. She’d seen it, firsthand. But she didn’t know my mother was here, and she didn’t know that her touch, combined with my father’s, made my power spike even higher. Ellie’s anonymity was a huge advantage.
Shaela shook her head. “I don’t know, D. I still can’t believe it. How could he have tricked us like that?”
I didn’t have an answer for her. I’d come to trust Puck completely, and I was devastated by his betrayal. My brain was still having a hard time processing it. Especially after we spoke of loving each other.
“What if he’s not really with her?” Shaela asked.
“What do you mean?”
“Well, he was here during the attack, obviously, but what if he was trying to stop it? He could have been maintaining his cover while secretly trying to thwart her plan. When it succeeded anyway, he had to go back to watch over Easton.”
“That’s a nice thought, Shae, but he had to have been helping. Someone had to have lured Easton out so she could grab him. Someone he trusted to be on his side.”
I’d heard from a few witnesses that Easton had been in a closed meeting with the council. Then he’d taken off just before the attack started. Several students witnessed him running outside, a wild look in his eyes, and that was the last anyone had seen of him until Sebille and her minions made a show of flying away with him in their custody.
“You could be right,” she acquiesced. “Or you could have it all wrong. Easton would rush right into the belly of the beast if he thought you were in trouble. You know that, D.”
“But why would he think I was in trouble?” I countered. “Everyone that saw him said he ran outside before the attack. Why would he do that? What would make him freak out, leave a council meeting, and run outside?”
“I don’t know,” she admitted.
“Well, I do. Someone said something to him. Or sent him a message,” I said, giving her a meaningful look. “And whatever it was scared him enough to make him lose his common sense and run right into Sebille’s waiting grasp.”
She cocked her head, pulling her eyebrows down low.
“If Sebille already had Easton, then why did she blow a hole in the school? She could have avoided all risk and took off with him, then sent us a ransom note or something.”
“That’s an easy one—she’s a total bitch. The more damage to us, the better. Plus, someone had to get inside to leave that nice little handwritten note.”
I stood and picked up Blossom, scratching her behind the ears before placing her back in her cage. I turned and plopped down on the edge of my bed, my eyes looking at Shaela, but not really focused. I was trying to imagine storming Sebille’s stronghold and rescuing Easton, but even in my daydreams, Sebille knew we were coming and was ready for whatever we threw at her.
Shaela pulled herself up off the floor and sat down beside me, linking her elbow through mine before interlacing our fingers. I shot her a grateful smile and squeezed her hand. I hoped she knew how much I loved her and how lucky I felt to have her in my corner.
“I’m heading out to the dining hall to grab some dinner with Charles. Wanna come?” she asked, nudging her shoulder against mine.
“No, thanks. I’m not hungry.”
She arched a disbelieving brow at me and I chuckled. We both knew I never turned down food. Not after the virtual starvation I suffered my whole life before coming to the academy.
“If you say so,” she said with a smile before giving my hand one last squeeze and releasing it.
She stood and started for the door, but paused and turned when I called her name.
“Thanks,” I said. “For, you know, everything.”
“Of course,” she said, grinning. “Besties for life, right?”
“Besties for life,” I repeated, my words sounding like a solemn vow.
CHAPTER 22
After Shaela left, I decided to go visit Finn. Hopefully, Freya would be there, and I could make sure she was okay. Easton’s abduction had to have been a devastating blow. He was her only child, and they’d been apart for far too long already.
Easton would want me to take care of her.
I swept into Finn’s office, bracing for the impact of seeing the empty desk. With Finn incapacitated and Easton gone, there was no one running the school. No one ruling the Sylph community.
But I was not prepared for what I did see. The desk was occupied, and not by a member of the Oberon family.
“What do you think you’re doing?” I snapped, striding forward with anger nipping at my heels.
“It is common courtesy to knock before entering a room.”
The sneer that accomp
anied Alwyn’s condescending tone made me want to conjure up one of those ice spears and stab him in the ass with it.
“This is not your office,” I gritted out between clenched teeth. “That is not your desk. You shouldn’t be here.”
“Do not fool yourself into thinking you have any power here, half-breed,” he said, his tone low and menacing. “Just because you are my son’s plaything of the month doesn’t make you his equal. Or mine.”
Plaything? Was he joking? And did he just tell me I didn’t have any power?
He was delusional if he thought he had more power than me—in any sense of the word.
My anger at him and that which I held for the whole situation got all mixed up together, then combined with my grief and worry and formed a heavy knot of emotion that roiled inside me, begging for release. And Alwyn Jameson made the perfect target for that release.
I raised my hands and directed the power there, smiling briefly as I wondered if I could make him piss himself again. Electricity crackled across my skin as a light breeze ruffled my hair. Alwyn must have felt it, because he looked up from whatever he was working on at the desk.
His eyes widened, and his mouth fell open with shock. I lit a fireball in one palm, making it rage toward the ceiling for a moment before settling back into an orange-sized ball.
“You wouldn’t dare attack me,” he breathed, like he was trying to convince himself more than me.
“Wouldn’t I?” I countered.
He opened his mouth to respond, but before he could, the door to Finn’s bedroom swung open and a very frazzled-looking Freya poked her head out.
“December? Is that you?”
At the sight of her, I let the magical energy drain out of me. Ignoring Alwyn’s sigh of relief, I hurried toward her. I pushed into Finn’s room and pulled her toward me so I could swing the door shut and block Alwyn from following us.
My eyes traveled over her, noting her puffy, tangled blonde hair, sallow skin, and the dark circles under her eyes. Her clothes were wrinkled, and she smelled like sweat and sorrow.
“Freya, are you okay?” I whispered. “He’s not…mistreating you again, is he?”
“Who? Alwyn? No,” she muttered, turning and heading back to her father’s bedside as she spoke. “I’m not even here, as far as he’s concerned, which is how I prefer it.”
She met my eyes, a little bit of a twinkle in their blue depths as she added, “Thank you, again, for that.”
“How is he?” I asked, ignoring her thanks and focusing on Finn.
“The same,” she said, taking a seat in the padded chair beside the bed. “I haven’t left his side in two days, which is why I look like hell. I just can’t bear to leave him. Not after…”
Her words trailed off, but I knew what she meant—she lost her son, so keeping Finn in her sights was her way of keeping him from disappearing, too.
“I’ll stay here with him if you want to go get cleaned up and maybe get some food.”
“No, I don’t want to impose,” she said, shaking her head.
“Freya, you’re no good to Finn or anyone else if you waste away. You need to stay strong. Go. I promise, I’ll keep him safe while you’re gone.”
Her lips curled upward as she nodded and stood. Moving around the chair, she stopped in front of me and laid a palm along my cheek.
“You are a good girl, December Thorne. Selflessness and generosity are just as important as strength and power. My son is a lucky man, for you have them all. You two are a perfect match.”
With a light pat to my cheek, she turned and left without waiting for a response. Which was probably a good thing, since she’d rendered me speechless.
I sat down in the chair she’d vacated and reached over to squeeze Finn’s hand that rested against his chest. His fingers were warm, yet lifeless. I tightened my grip for a moment, hoping he’d mimic the act or give some sort of sign that he was still in there somewhere.
Nothing happened.
My eyes burned with emotion, but I bit back the tears, determined to show some of that strength Freya had talked about. I wanted to be worthy of her words. And her respect.
“Hey, Finn. It’s me. December,” I began, my words stilted and unsure.
My jaw clenched and my eyes pinched shut as I silently berated myself for my awkwardness. I needed to be strong and confidant. I needed Finn to hear me and come out of this coma. I, along with his family and the entire Sylph community, were lost without him.
Taking a deep, calming breath, I started to speak.
“It’s so nice to have Freya here, isn’t it? I bet you’ve missed her all these years. She’s been by your side the whole time. She needs you, Finn.”
I watched his face as I spoke, praying for some sort of sign. A twitch of the eyelid. A tightening of the lips. When nothing happened, I decided to pull out the big guns.
“I don’t know if anyone has told you, but Sebille attacked the school. She…she took Easton, Finn. She has him and we have no idea what she’s doing to him. What kind of shape he’s in.” I paused for a moment, filling my lungs with air before blurting out the rest. “And it looks like Puck was helping her.”
If I expected him to fly up from that bed in a rage, ready to take on Sebille and the whole Zephyr army singlehandedly, I was sorely disappointed. His breathing remained shallow and as steady as before. It was like his body was an empty shell—still performing its basic functions to live, yet it didn’t hold any real life.
The tears I’d been holding back spilled over, trailing down my cheeks and dripping off my chin. A scream of agony and desperation built inside my chest, but I buried it, taking a few deep breaths until the urge dissipated. My mind couldn’t help but flash back to that terrible moment I found Rowan, pale and lifeless on the couch in his office.
I shook my head, dislodging the image. Finn was not dead. He was still there, trapped inside that sleeping form, and I needed to keep the faith that he would wake up. Soon.
“Don’t worry, Finn,” I murmured. “We are going to get him back. Me, my parents, Shaela, and Charles…Sebille doesn’t stand a chance against us. We’ll rescue him, and when we get back, you’ll be awake to greet us. Everything will be right in the world again. Everything will be perfect.”
I said the words with as much conviction as I could muster. If I believed them, maybe they would come true.
I continued talking, telling him about my parents’ engagement, my mom’s new teaching gig, and a bunch of other mundane goings-on in the school. I even told him about my use of Glamour against Tiana and described her epic butt-kissing antics in great detail, hoping to get some sort of reaction.
When he remained perfectly still, a sigh of disappointment slipped through my lips. It was nearly crippling, that feeling of defeat when despite my best efforts, I got no response at all. I had no idea how Freya did this, day in and day out, hours upon hours of sitting with him and talking to him with no visible improvement.
I sat in the utter silence, holding Finn’s hand, until Freya returned. My eyes chased to hers as she crossed the room, the light of hope in their depths devastating me. I shook my head and her face fell, but only for a moment. She stiffened her spine and nodded, thanking for me for sitting with him while she freshened up and got something to eat.
As I stood to leave, I bent over and brought my mouth close to Finn’s ear, whispering, “I’ll get him back, Finn. I promise. You just rest and get better.”
When I straightened and turned, I found Freya standing right in front of me, her eyes glassy with unshed tears. Without a word, she threw her arms around me and pulled me in for a tight hug. Just as quickly, she released me and took a step back. With a watery smile, she gave me a nod before turning to resume her bedside vigil.
She’d heard my words to her father. And she’d believed them.
Her belief sparked my own, and as I walked toward the door I knew one thing to be true—I was getting Easton back, and no one was going to stop me.
&nbs
p; CHAPTER 23
Morning dawned, and I woke with a renewed vigor. After darting to the bathroom for a quick shower, I dressed in some stretchy black pants and a tight, fitted shirt. I braided my hair to keep it out of the way and stared at myself in the mirror for a few moments.
A strong, determined girl I hadn’t seen for a while stared back at me. I was ready.
It was time to put our plan into action.
By the time I got back to our room, Shaela was dressed and throwing her own hair up into a tight ponytail. She shot me a tight smile as she buckled a belt around her thin waist, and I noticed her hands were trembling.
“Are you nervous?” I asked, walking over to feed Blossom before we left.
“No,” she answered. When I arched a brow at her, she added, “Maybe a little.”
“Me, too,” I said in an attempt to make her feel better.
As I stroked Blossom’s soft fur, I assessed my own feelings. Several different emotions rolled around inside me—excitement, determination, even anticipation—but I didn’t really feel any trepidation. I wondered why that was, then shrugged it off, assuming the fear would come when we converged on Sebille’s stronghold.
I closed the cage door and spun around to face my cousin. She’d finished dressing and stood a few feet away, staring back at me. Taking identically deep breaths, we exhaled in unison. My grin stretched to match hers and some of the tension eased from the room.
“You ready?” I asked.
“Yep. You?” she shot back.
“Yep. Let’s do this.”
We slipped out into the dark hallway, careful to keep quiet and not wake any of the other students. Once we reached the staircase, we skipped down the steps to meet the others in the great hall. Mom, Dad, and Charles were already there, waiting for us.
“Okay, let’s go over the plan on more time,” Dad said, making Shaela roll her eyes.
I smirked at her reaction, though I kind of felt the same way. We’d gone over it again and again, so many times I was sure it was tattooed on the backs of our eyelids.
