But, yeah, my sister isn't here, and I don't know where she is. She's not answering her phone, and I'm worried sick. No wonder Damon greeted me the way he did. It's terrifying being on this side of the door, waiting for the knob to turn and Bay to stroll in.
She doesn’t stroll in but glides through to land beside me. “No change?” she asks as if I haven’t been gone in days.
“Where have you been?” I ask before squeezing her as tight as I can.
She exhales a breath as if my embrace forced her to. “I was out, but I’m here. I asked the nurses to text me if there was an update, but I thought I would stop by and sit for a bit. When did you get back?”
“Why didn’t you tell me about Cosmo! When did this happen?”
“Late last night,” Bay says wearily. “I never did go to bed. I’m exhausted.”
“No. That’s not good. Not good at all. You need to sleep and then be alert and ready to notice everything and everyone around you.”
My twin lifts her eyebrows and appraises me skeptically. “What’s gotten into you?”
“Don’t you see?” I start, ready to explode. Thankfully, the infirmary is empty. Fairies don’t get sick all that often, and none of the nurses or doctors are about. We’re alone except for the patient in a coma.
“I see very clearly,” Bay says. “You need to be careful.”
“That’s the warning you need!” I shout.
“I’m always careful.” Bay gives me a small smile. She’s hurting, though. Her eyes are a darker purple than normal. They’re only that shade when she’s sorrowful.
“Just like you’re always good?” I ask bitterly.
Bay tilts her head to the side. “I’ll let that slide because we’re both a tad bit emotional right now.”
"A tad bit? Bay, your friend is in a coma, and another has been murdered!"
“And you think I could be next. I get your fear. I’ve thought of this as soon as I learned about Cosmo.”
“So why aren’t you worried? You should go home. Stay at the treehouse with Mom and Dad. Then we won’t have to fear—”
“I’m only going there if you are,” Bay says stubbornly, crossing her arms.
“What? No. I have to try and figure out—”
“The murderer? No. Rosemary, leave that to the professionals.”
“No, Bay, I won’t. I can’t.”
“Yes, you can.”
“No.”
“Then I’m not going to the treehouse,” Bay says coolly.
I narrow my eyes at her. “You knew I wouldn’t go, so that’s why you said you would if I would. Why wouldn’t you go alone?”
“I’m plenty safe.”
“I’m sure Cosmo thought the same!” My chest is heaving, and I’m practically panting with anger.
“Safety in numbers,” Bay says.
“It hurts me to say this, but it’s probably not safe for me either. You and I—”
“We don’t look exactly alike anymore,” Bay points out.
“In the dark…” I trail off. Bay’s wings. They’re as black translucent as Dad’s.
“I’ll never be out around campus after dark, and if I’m off campus and it gets too late, I won’t return to the academy until after sunrise, how does that sound?” Bay asks.
“Fire and brimstone, what is so important off campus?” I demand.
Bay’s silence only infuriates me all the more.
“You shouldn’t be sneaking off and being alone right now,” I say.
“I’m not alone when I go off campus,” Bay says idly.
“Oh?”
“I might’ve met someone,” she says casually.
I groan. "I should've realized that the reason you've been disappearing is some guy. That's why your grades are slipping, right, because of him?"
“Maybe you are a world-class investigator after all,” Bay says dryly before giggling. “Yes, because of him.”
“What’s the name of the fairy who caught your eye?” I ask.
“Oh, he’s not a fairy.” Bay waves her hand.
“He’s not a fairy? What is he?”
“Dad would freak if he knew,” she adds.
Now I’m even more curious. I know she’s drawing this out to distract me from the murders, and right now, a distraction is just what I need. I haven’t slept in forever, and my mind is starting to make up crazy theories, and I’m worried I won’t know right from wrong soon.
“I promise no judgment.” I hold up my hand and slowly place it over my heart.
“You will judge,” Bay grumbles. “Everyone will, and I don’t want to deal with that. It’s why I leave campus to see him instead of having him come here.”
I gape at her. “It’s not like you to care about what other people think.”
“For the most part, I don’t give a flying fuck, but you should hear some of the whispers.”
“Whispers about what? About you?”
“Yes.”
“What do they say? And who is wagging their tongues?”
“Oh, it’s girls.” She waves her hand as if she doesn’t care, and maybe she doesn’t. Bay’s always done her own thing regardless of what other people think. “Fairies like to think we’re so much more evolved than humans, but the truth is that fairy girls can be just as catty human girls.”
“What are they saying?” I repeat, growing agitated at her for not divulging more details and furious at the girls for talking about my sister behind her back.
“They say I’m dark, the darkest of the dark, even darker than Spring.”
“Darker than Spring?” I gape at her. “How can they possibly think that?”
“Oh, because Spring was innocent, a perfectly lovely and light little fairy until she met me. My darkness poisoned her, and I corrupted her. Never mind that Spring was the first one to even mention fairy dust to me, but no. Being the supplier is far worse than actually using, and the thefts, the arson… The fairies who got hurt… No, apparently that’s not Spring’s fault. She never would’ve done any of that without the fairy dust.”
“Ignore them,” I say angrily.
“Oh, I don’t care what they say too much,” Bay says airily, “but it doesn’t help about my wings.”
“They are darker,” I murmur. “Why?”
“If they only knew…” Bay stares off into the distance and then shakes her head.
“Knew what?” I hate that I feel like she’s only telling me half of everything.
“About my boyfriend. Then they would believe the lies about me all the more.”
“Why is that?” I ask, curious and more than a little worried.
I hadn’t liked Bay’s friends last year. Is she somehow mixed up with someone even worse? Bay has to have better sense than that, right? Maybe not. I never once thought Bay had been the supplier of fairy dust, and even when I first learned the truth, I still didn’t want to believe.
“Oh, they would think he’s the killer.” Bay smirks. “He’s not. Cosmo was attacked last night. I spent all night with my boyfriend. It’s not possible for anyone to be in two places at once.”
“Why would they automatically think your boyfriend was the killer?” I ask, still confused.
"Because people jump to conclusions, and they have prejudice even when they pretend they don't. People are more likely to believe the worst in a person than to ever think that someone can rise above their upbringing."
“He had a tragic past?” I hate that she’s not giving me any details, which makes me that much more worried. Bay’s hiding something. That’s why she’s giving me this twisted narrative. She’s playing word games to keep me in the dark.
Why, though? To protect me? Protect me from the gossipers? Who cares about them?
“You know I’m always here for you,” I say slowly. “It doesn’t matter to me who you’re dating.”
“Oh, I know you won’t have too much of an issue with him.”
“See? Good.” I beam, feeling relieved instantly.
&
nbsp; “Once you get to know him, you’ll understand why I’m head over wings for him.” Bay’s grin is wide and not at all for show. She really is winged-deep for him. “You, ah, might need to get warmed up to him, though, because even you will think the worst of him and me at first.”
“Me? Never. I wouldn’t judge you.”
“Maybe not,” she murmurs. “Maybe I am underestimating you considering…” Bay eyes me but falls silent.
“Just tell me who he is,” I beg. “What he is. Anything.”
“Fine. He’s a demon.”
Chapter 27
I can’t help it. I blink a few times, my jaw drops, and immediately, I wonder where her boyfriend was during the other murders.
But then I shake my head. If Bay’s convinced she’s safe with him, I’m going to trust her judgment until I know otherwise.
That’s not going to stop me from giving her the rest of my warning, though.
“I’m happy you found someone, and if he treats you right…” I narrow my eyes. “You think I’ll accept him because of Damon, and is that why you’ve been pushing me to get with him in the first place? So, what, the twins can both be dating demons?”
“Damon’s only a half-demon,” she says idly, “and you can’t deny that he’s hot.”
“That’s not enough,” I say, “and right now, he doesn’t matter. Sage doesn’t matter. School doesn’t either.”
“Whoa now. Who are you, and what have you done to my twin?”
“Haha.” I roll my eyes. “Bay, I’m being serious. I think that whoever is committing the murders could very well make his or her way to you.”
“You think the killer has a list?”
“I do. I think that the humans had a stolen artifact and that the owner of it is going after those involved with everything last year. Spring should be their target, but she’s locked up in Dark Fae Penitentiary, so that leaves your friends and you last of all.”
Bay’s eyes grow wide. “Well, that for sure rules out Zoth. Obviously, he doesn’t attend here, so none of his stuff had been pawned off.”
“That’s if my theory is correct,” I admit. “It’s just a theory I’m working on.”
“It is a solid one,” Bay says, “which is all the more reason why you and I both might have targets on our back. You flew around a lot at night last year to nab Spring. At night, no one will be able to tell the difference between us. Even your clear translucent wings look dark at night.”
"Just be careful," I say, holding onto her shoulders. "If that means spending all of your time with Zoth, then go for it. I approve, and you're right. He isn't the one. You'll be safe with him as strange as it is to say you'll be safe with a demon."
She laughs and hugs me tight. “I knew you wouldn’t judge me like the others.” Bay pulls back. “You sure you don’t want to go after Damon?”
“Not now,” I mumble, “but really, you should pack and go.”
“You want me to move in with him? I don’t even know if he’s ready for that. We’ve been dating since shortly after the year started, but still. It hasn’t been that long, and demons don’t like to settle down.”
“Just make him happy and turn him into your bodyguard. Come to the academy for classes and then go back to him.”
Bay opens and shuts her mouth. “What about you?”
“If it’s known that you aren’t on campus much, maybe I’ll be safer. Maybe the killer won’t come after you… or me.”
“We can’t assume—”
“Bracken could be next or Thistle.” My heart feels so heavy at the thought of my friend lying in a bed next to Cosmo’s… or worse.
“Fine,” Bay murmurs, “I’ll go, but you have to promise we’ll talk every day.”
I eye her. “We haven’t spoken every day this year.”
“We’ve both been busy, but if I’m going to leave, you have to promise me this.”
I smile wanly even though my chest aches that much more at the thought of her leaving. “I promise.”
The next day is my project presentation with Damon. As luck would have it, we’re the first to present, and I do my level best to block everything out and to concentrate only on linking our powers. Like always, it fails, but then I think about how terrified I am for Bay, how furious I am with the killer, how frightened I am that others will die before the murderer is found. Something inside me shifts, and somehow, my magic does fuse with Damon’s. Because he’s part demon and his emotions tend to be darker? I have no idea, but he realizes it too, and we focus our linked energy and might and direct the plant to bloom.
Only it withers and decays, dying before our eyes.
“Very interesting choice,” Professor Alina says.
Damon grins, squeezing my hand and not letting go. “The assignment was to manipulate the plant. We did. You weren’t specific—”
“No, I wasn’t,” she says. It’s odd to hear such a dry tone from her lyrical voice. “You did affect the plant, so you both receive an A.”
Damon's grin stays affixed to his face throughout the class, and as soon as it's over, he turns to me.
“We need to celebrate,” he says. “What do you want? I’m up for anything.”
“Not right now.”
“No?”
I shake my head.
Quickly, I head out of there before he can say another word. My phone rings as I fly toward the food tent, and I check. It’s Bay. I shove my phone back into my jeans pocket.
Before I can land, Sage flies over. “Want to eat with me?” he asks.
I shake my head.
His face falls. “I really am sorry—”
“It’s not that. I’m not hungry. That’s all. If you’ll excuse me…”
I fly around him, and I know it looks bad that I'm entering the food tent, but I have to find Thistle. To my horror, he's not there, and I start to hyperventilate. Did the killer find him? Is Thistle dead somewhere? Is he—
“Rosemary.” A hand touches my shoulder.
I whirl around to see Thistle, and I burst out laughing.
“What’s so funny?” he asks.
“Oh, nothing. Nothing at all.” I grin even though I feel like I’m cracking apart. Laughing wasn’t the best of responses, not typical. I should’ve cried, but I guess it’s laugh or cry.
Or do something about all of this.
Thistle eyes me. “Is something wrong?”
“You know how you asked me to investigate the murders?”
He nods. “Why? You finally up for it?”
“I am, and I’m so sorry about Cosmo. I know the two of you were close.”
Thistle swallows hard and looks away. “There’s a hope he might recover.”
"If he can even talk again. The last I heard, his vocal cords might've been cut, and the wound was caused by some kind of fancy blade. His skin won't heal from magic." I shake my head sadly. "Thistle, you could very well be the next victim. We have to find the murderer!"
“I’m more than happy to help. I’ll be done here in about two hours. We can get started then.”
I beam. “Great.”
He starts to fly over to his spot and then hesitates. “What do you want to eat?”
“Oh, I’m not hungry.” I’m not sure why, but I fly behind him.
“What are you doing?” Thistle asks, amused.
“I might as well help you.”
The hours fly by quickly, and we do our best to lift each other’s spirits, and it’s a decent enough time. In fact, we both laugh more than I would’ve thought possible given everything that’s going on.
“You’re a good person,” Thistle says once we’ve finished.
“Why? Because I helped to serve honey mead?”
“Because you want to stop the murders. You care so much about other people. You inspire me.”
“Aw, that’s so sweet.” I blush and duck my head.
“I mean it. You are the reason why I want to be a better fairy.”
My smile is small, though
. As much as Thistle does seem to be turning his life around, I just can’t help it. Maybe it’s stupid or wrong, but I’m just not attracted to him. I know my only wanting to be friends with him hurts him, but I don’t want to lead him on.
“All right. What do you want to do first?” Thistle asks as we fly out of the food tent.
“I have a list of all of the thievery victims from last year,” I say. “I think one of them is the killer.”
“You do?” he asks curiously.
“Yes. Think about it. Why were the humans killed? Maybe they all had an artifact. We know they passed from hand to hand, sold or stolen or whatever. That’s why we couldn’t track them.”
"But if we couldn't track them, then how can we track down the artifact that went to those humans?"
I bite my lower lip. “Good point.”
I’ll have to call Bay even though I kind of want to push her away. I want to push Sage and Damon away too. Right now, I’m a mess, and I can’t handle everything right now. It would be best if I can just focus on the murders, and the best person to help me investigate is Thistle. Well, even better would be Bay, but I don’t want to risk her life.
Yes, I’m a terrible person for being willing to endanger a friend over my twin. Maybe I’m a lot darker than I realize.
But Bay was able to recover most if not all of the artifacts, and I don’t know how she did it. That information is too important for me to not ask her for it.
“Let’s head to where Cosmo was attacked,” Thistle suggests.
“Are you sure? I can’t deny that the thought crossed my mind to go there, but…”
“I won’t be able to go alone,” Thistle says darkly. “It would drive me to drink fae nectar, but with you, I think I can handle it.”
He reaches out for my hand, and I take it. He leads the way, and I don’t think to ask how he knows the spot, but once we arrive in a clearing in the forest toward the southwest of the grounds, he turns to me.
“Cosmo used to like to bring girls here,” he says. “I found him. He was supposed to watch a movie with Bracken and I, but both he and Bracken ditched me.”
Light Fae Academy: Year Two Page 13
