Light Fae Academy: Year Two

by Nala Kingsley

  I refuse to look into this as more than just two friends talking. “Are you suggesting my mind is weak?”

  His grin grows slightly, but he neither confirms nor denies the statement.

  Fire and brimstone. I change the subject. “We’ll have Plant Healing together, consider yourself warned.”

  “Oh, I’m warned all right.”

  “I also have—”

  “Sage!” Another fairy flies up, completely cutting me off, and they start to talk some.

  Sage glances at me and seems like he’s about to introduce me when the other fairy drags him away. Sage waves, but I just wish I never came over. So much for talking. So much for starting to win him back. I didn’t get much of anywhere with him, and it might be a new year, but it’s still the same old, same old. I’m ignored and overlooked. I guarantee this wouldn’t have happened to Bay.

  But I’m not going to pretend to be Bay. I refuse. I’ve always had my own set of friends and her hers. I will find my place here at the academy, and I won’t just be known as the crazy fairy who went up against the crazier fairy in Spring.

  Chapter 5

  Not a minute passes before the bell rings, and I groan. It’s time for our first class already. Yes, second and third years move in the same day classes start. A bit hectic, to be sure, but I also think I kind of like it.

  My first class is Animal Companions. I’m not sure at all how this course will go. It’s not Animal Communication, although I think it would’ve made more sense to have that one before Animal Companions. I haven’t tried communicating with animals much at all, so this course might prove a bit of a challenge.

  Which is to say that I really should get going and head to class, but I hesitate. The hustle and bustle all around overwhelm me, and I just feel frozen at the moment, an observer rather than a doer. Fairies are zooming toward classes like they're arrows. Some are walking like humans. One is even running.

  There's only a few still loitering around, including the new fairy. He's all alone, hovering a bit higher in the air than I am, looking all around. Is the fairy watching too? Or is he lost?

  Without consciously thinking about it, I start to fly toward him to see if he needs help.

  “Hello,” I say, drawing up to hover beside him. “I’m Rosemary.”

  Inwardly, I roll my eyes. Forevermore, I will have to be absolutely certain I introduce myself right away so no one can ever mistake me for Bay again.

  The fairy’s dark eyes pierce through me. “What a perfectly good light fairy name,” he says.

  I grimace. “Names can be deceiving.”

  “Is that so?” His eyebrows lift slightly as do the corners of his lips. He’s handsome, wickedly so. “Name’s Damon.”

  “Ah,” I say faintly.

  “Go on then. I dare you.” He juts his chin toward me. It’s amazing how light his eyes now appear. They’re sparkling so much that they seem to glow light instead of dark. I’ve never seen such mesmerizing eyes before. The more I stare into them, the more I feel like I’m falling, and I don’t know if I’ll ever hit bottom.

  I blink and drop my gaze to take in his attire. White pants, a dark shirt, a green cowl attached to a cape, boots. The cape is a bit much, but it does suit him. Some fairies wear more, ah, traditional attire, more fanciful clothes like the fairies in ages past, but for the most part, the fairies here all wear more modern clothes, more like the humans wear. He’s a mix, and I have a feeling he likes to keep everyone guessing.

  “You aren’t much of a daredevil, are you?” he muses.

  My head shoots up, and I cross my arms. How dare he think he has me pegged in two seconds! "I'll have you know that my nickname is actually Daredevil, thank you very much."

  “Is that so?” He flies around in a circle around me, checking me out. It’s a little… I don’t know what to think of it.

  “Yes, believe it or not.” I narrow my eyes at him.

  “Rosemary. You let me make a comment about your name, but you won’t do the same to me.”

  "You want me to jump to the conclusion that might be wrong?" My gaze flickers to take in his dark wings. "Or could be right?"

  “You’ll have to stick around to find out,” he says, lazily encircling me again.

  I twist to watch him. “Fine. If Rosemary sounds like a light fairy name, Damon doesn’t. Not at all.”

  “As you said, names can be deceiving.”

  "So, you're a light fairy then?"

  “Oh, I didn’t say that, and I notice you didn’t either.”

  "I am," is on the tip of my tongue, but I don't say it. I just shrug. Before attending last year, I would've said that, would've believed it wholeheartedly, but the way I pursued Sage, the way we slept together on the first day… It's not that sex and romance are dark. It's not, but the way I feel for him so hard and fast and that I had to act like someone else because I didn't think he could like me for who I am… That's manipulation, and yes, that's a fae's domain, but that doesn't make it right. All of that combined with how reckless and daring I had been with everything involving Spring…. Maybe I'm not as light as everyone thinks I am. Or maybe I'm light to the extreme? I don't know.

  Damon grins recklessly, just one corner curling upward. He really is too hot for his own good, and there's something dark and mysterious about him. He would be perfect for Bay. Not for me, although he does have some muscles. Yes, a strong build. I'm sorry, Thistle, but I like my guys to be strong.

  I close my hands into fists, not wanting to think of how strong and powerful Sage’s body felt the one time we had sex.

  “What’s going on in that pretty mind of yours?” Damon murmurs. “I can’t tell if you’re happy or sad.”

  “Maybe that’s because you’re too much of a neanderthal to realize that someone can be happy and sad at the same time.”

  “Ouch. An insult. I knew one would come eventually. You had the chance with my name, but you didn’t opt to follow that through, so you return a compliment with the insult instead.”

  “You aren’t wounded, and it was barely a compliment. You don’t know if my mind is pretty or not.”

  “True,” he concedes. “It could be pretty or pretty dark or pretty sexy or pretty torn.”

  “Torn?” I ask, confused.

  “You seem a bit conflicted. Worried about classes? Or something else? Someone else?”

  “Are you always this nosy with fairies you’ve just met?” I ask.

  He laughs, but at least I don’t get the impression he’s laughing at me. “You’re one to talk. You came up to me.”

  “To see if you needed help finding your way to class.”

  “Ah, a point in the light fae category. The insult is going in dark, by the by.”

  “Is that so?” I ask dryly. “Are you really going to keep a running tally?”

  “I just might. You’re right about one thing. Fairies can be complicated creatures.”

  “It takes one to know one,” I challenge.

  He laughs again, and I grin. This isn’t flirting, is it? It’s effortless, but I also feel like he’s somehow learning about me, while I still have no idea who he is.

  “You should meet my sister,” I blurt out. “You would like her, I think.”

  “Why is that?” he asks, finally stopping his spinning around me.

  “You’re dark and mysterious, and you seem to be her type.”

  His smile is so very wide, causing his entire face to light up. It's wrong that a fairy can look so alluring. Damon better not venture to the human lands because he would have all of their women under his thrall without any effort or magic at all.

  “You know what you just told me?” he murmurs.

  “What’s that?”

  “That you’re scared.”

  “Scared of what? You?” I’m incredulous.

  “You don’t want to admit that you might have a type and that I might fulfill that type.”

  “Is that why you think I brought up my twin?”

  I r
eally am stressing this because I don’t want a repeat of Sage, but also because I’m a little nervous now. I don’t know why. When I first met Bay’s friend Bracken, he made me feel really unsettled, and I still haven’t figured out why. Damon doesn’t make me feel unsettled. I’m not drawn to him like I had been Sage. It’s different with Damon, something I can’t explain. Maybe it’s because there is something there between us, something I can’t explain, a connection of sorts. With Sage, I hadn’t been scared at all, and scared isn’t the right term for how I feel with Damon. It’s thrilling and daring, and he’s too much of a mystery. I don’t know if I can trust him, and it almost feels like I’m nothing more than a game to him. If that’s the case, I have a feeling I’m going to be sorely miserable.

  “I think you might be using her as a shield because you aren’t sure you should even talk to such a dark fairy like myself.” He rolls his eyes, but he’s still grinning, his eyes still sparkling.

  “Do you want to know what I think? I’m going to tell you whether you want to hear it or not. You think a bit too highly of yourself, Damon.”

  He laughs again. The sound is deep and full and happy. “Is that so? Maybe that’s because everyone else underestimates me, and I have a feeling that’s true about you too, Rosemary. I think you thrive on that. You like to let your hair down and do what you want, consequences be damned.” He starts to fly backward away from me, facing me, just like Bay had earlier. “Or maybe that’s just me, but that’s the impression you give off. Be a good little light fairy and head to class now, Rosemary. I don’t need to be saved. I got this, and so do you.”

  With that, he flies off, and I’m left wondering what the hell just happened and who the hell is Damon?

  Chapter 6

  It's no surprise that I'm late to my first class, but the professor is up at the front of the classroom with an array of animals, and everyone is talking instead of the class being organized, so I think I slip in unnoticed.

  Two more minutes pass before the professor points to a lion cub, who immediately lets out a roar that’s impressive for such a tiny animal.

  “Everyone, take your seats,” he says.

  “But I like to fly,” a fairy calls from above me.

  “In this class, you must take a seat and be on the ground,” the professor says firmly.

  “Even when we have birds flying about?” the same fairy asks as he floats toward the ground.

  “Even then,” the professor states. “Now, I am Professor Fox, the instructor for Animal Companions. Before we get started—”

  My hand shoots into the air.

  Professor Fox eyes me. “Yes,” he says dryly.

  “I, ah, I didn’t take Animal Communication last year.”

  He just continues to stare at me.

  “I haven’t had much dealing with animals, and—”

  “And you think I should go lenient on you?” he asks dryly.

  “No! I’m just wondering if maybe I should switch classes and take—”

  “You are placed in the classes that you are meant to take,” he says. “Apparently, someone thinks you can manage this course. I would suggest you stop coming up with excuses now and focus on the class so that you can actually succeed. You and everyone here will soon learn that animals react to your emotions. If you are nervous, they will become nervous. If you are firm, they might listen. Might. If you are too forceful, they will rebel. Does that sound a bit like the lot of you with your parents?”

  There are a few murmurs of assent and laughs, but I feel very much like I want to disappear. I hadn't meant to sound like I was complaining, and it would be nice to have an animal companion.

  Professor Fox walks over to a panther and rubs the top of his head. "Witches have familiars, but fae have animal connectors. They connect us to the earth, and they are not our slaves. They are our companions, but they also serve to help us with our magic. They can strengthen us."

  “What do they get out of it?” I blurt out.

  Professor Fox gives me an appraising look. "You're right to think that no one does anything for nothing, including animals, but then companions are friends, yes? Friends want to help each other. Yes, that does mean that we will help our animal companions with what they need. Give and take. It's not about using them for our benefit. None of that, and if I do ever see anything remotely like that, like abuse, I will let my friends here have their way with you."

  Considering the animals up front are all fierce and powerful, I do not want to know what those animals are capable of if their leash is removed. They'll feel Professor Fox's anger, and they'll react in kind. They'll lash out and cause serious harm.

  I do not appreciate the thinly veiled threat, and I grimace. This class is not going to be a good one, I can tell.

  Finally, that doozy of a class is over, and I’m off to Chlorokinesis. This should be interesting.

  I move to sit at a desk when I’m bumped.

  “Excuse me,” Damon says smoothly, gliding into the seat because of the slight distance he created from that bump.

  “You’re in my way,” I say.

  “I don’t think so. This is my seat.”

  “Is it now? It’s the first day of classes. There aren’t assigned seats.”

  “Which is why you should go and find another seat.” He winks and juts his chin over my shoulder to the desk behind me. “Why not sit there? I saved it for you.”

  “Liar.” I cross my arms and let my wings lift me into the air. It’s not normal for me to hover during a class, but I’ll do it. Damon thinks he can get to me. He can’t. Besides, I’m a little surprised he wants to sit at a desk. A lot of fairies, especially guys, tend to hover for whatever reason. I think it’s a bit distracting, honestly, to hover in place for so long while trying to learn.

  A beautiful fairy with forest green hair flies in. To my surprise, it turns out that she’s the professor.

  “I am Professor Alina,” she says in a lyrical voice. “Chlorokinesis is powerful magic, very powerful. The ability to manipulate plants cannot be understated. You can cause flowers to grow, for trees to grow beyond their years, for vines to reach out and pick up items. By the end of this course, you should be able to duel each other using plants and plants alone.”

  Duel? I drop slightly from my hover. Why does it seem like everything is becoming so violent this year?

  How could you use plants to duel? Well, I guess vines could choke someone. Oh, and thorns!

  I shudder. It had been all too easy for me to conjure up some ways to manipulate plants to hurt someone. Wouldn’t it be much nicer to cause flowers to bloom early? To use a vine to bring a scared cat down from a tree? Stuff like that.

  Down below me, Damon doesn’t seem to be listening at all. The fairy who claimed the seat I ignored keeps trying to talk to him. A female fairy, one I don’t recognize. From her body language, she’s clearly into him, but that won’t matter. Once I introduce him to Bay, he won’t want anyone else. He just doesn’t know it yet.

  It’s a little strange to want to fix my sister up with someone, but ever since she made that comment about heartache, I just want to try to find a way to make her happy. She deserves some happiness. I’m a firm believer that you should pay for your crimes, but once your penance is over, you should be set free. Bay did everything my parents asked of her, and they are letting her stay on campus, thankfully, but fire and brimstone, she needs to forgive herself. One lapse of judgment doesn’t make her a dark fae. Misguided, maybe, and yes, I know that she supplied the fairy dust more than once, but she never took any of it herself. She’s just a little lost, is all, and I want to help her as much as I can.

  Then again, if anything, Damon screams bad boy. Maybe hooking the two of them up together isn’t such a good idea after all.

  Maybe his ears are burning from my thinking about him because Damon looks up and catches my gaze. Now, it’s my turn. My cheeks burn as I avert my gaze. I wasn’t staring, but of course he won’t realize that. Great. The last
thing I need is for him to start being interested in me or think I’m interested in me. Nah, what do I have to worry about? The fairy of my dreams wants nothing to do with me, and a different fairy is crushing me, one I only want to be friends with. It’s enough to make a girl think that she’ll never fall in love with the right guy.

  Chapter 7

  Lunch is next, and I bolt out of there, not giving Damon a chance to talk to me at all. I'm not avoiding him. Well, maybe, I am. I just… I don't know. Need space or something.

  Quickly, I fly to where I can grab some food from inside the food tent. A fairy I recognize and didn’t expect to see on campus is there, serving honey mead.

  “Not the wild honey-infused wine you prefer, but at least it’s something honey for my honey,” Thistle says as he hands me a cup.

  “I’m not your honey,” I say as I lift the cup in cheers before taking a sip.

  “How is it?” he asks eagerly.

  “Delicious, thank you. Are you really a worker here?”

  “Yes, I am.” He puffs out his chest. “It’s the perfect job for me.”

  “Oh, yeah? Why’s that?”

  “So I can keep an eye on you.”

  “An eye on me? Don’t worry. I plan on behaving this year.”

  “But behaving is boring. Trust me. I can teach you a few things, give you a few things, explore—”

  “Thistle, please. You need to be a good little fairy, or else you’ll get fired.” I wag a finger at him.

  “I don’t plan on getting fired.”

  “Good. Then we both have solid plans for the year.” I beam at him.

  “Remember that project we did?” he asks.

  “The fool’s gold. I remember.”

  “My only A,” he says proudly. “And it’s because of you.”

  “No, you earned that A. You were a lot of help. I wasn’t sure how being partners would work out, but I’m glad we were assigned together.”

  “Me too. It was fate.”

  “Or…” I trail off.

  The professor informed me that Thistle needed a high grade in order to pass, or else he would've failed his third year, but she specifically didn't want me to do all the work for him. Convincing him to help hadn't been easy, but then he came up with the idea for our entire project.