But Thistle won't let the moss come near him. It's a strange kind of dance, a bizarre battle, but he's paying no attention to me at all, and I slip around to behind him. There's only one thing that caused me a great deal of pain, and I need to do that to Thistle. He won't stop otherwise. He'll kill my family or me, and there's nothing else I can do to stop him. I tried to use my voice so that this didn't have to be so violent, but he's left me no choice.
The moss continues to do as I command even as I reach out and try to yank hard enough on one of Thistle’s wings. I don’t know if I’m trying to rip it off or just sprain it, but it works. Not in the sense of ripping off his wing, but he whirls toward me, distracted, and my moss wraps around his wrist so tightly that he’s forced to drop the dagger. I snatch it, holding it up toward his face as the moss grows, covering his torso, forcing him back against the tree and locking him there in a makeshift, botanical prison.
With the dagger still pointed at Thistle, I remove my cell phone and make a few phone calls to the police and Bay. My thumb hovers the button to call Sage, but I don’t.
Bay arrives with my friends from the cottage at the same time as the police, so I only have to explain things once. It's strange to be heralded as a hero when I'm the reason all of those people died in the first place.
“I can’t believe it,” Bay says. “I just can’t. Thistle adored you! We all knew that, but I thought it was a pure kind of love, you know?”
“It’s downright creepy,” Orchid says with a shudder. “I can’t believe you had to face him all by yourself.”
“I never thought I was in any danger until it was too late,” I murmur.
“But you’re a wonder,” Bay says, shaking her head in admiration. “You’re amazing. You’re so perfectly light, Rosemary, that you’re dazzling!”
I rub a hand down my face and am surprised that my palm is wet. “I attacked him. I’m not—”
“You’re light,” Bay argues almost angrily. “Don’t you dare even try to claim that you aren’t.”
“It was self-defense,” Orchid adds.
“Your wings are as clear as ever,” Dahlia assures me.
“They are?” I stare at Bay, at her black translucent ones. “I thought for sure…”
“You’re light through and through. There’s no changing that.” My twin winks at me.
Then how in the world did hers change colors? I'm not sure I want to know. Maybe it's best that I don't.
“I can’t believe you, though.” Bay narrows her eyes at me. “Stay safe. Move off campus.”
“You moved off campus?” Orchid asks.
“I’m coming back now,” Bay says hotly. “Clearly. Otherwise, who knows what’ll happen to my sister!”
“I’m right here,” I say.
“Where did you move to?” Orchid asks.
“I barely even had time to move in,” Bay says.
“Yes, but where?”
“My boyfriend’s.”
“Don’t you want to stay there?”
“Orchid,” Bay says warningly.
Orchid sighs.
“Please don’t fight,” I beg.
At least the two of them have the decency to look sheepish.
Before they can apologize, Wren flies over from having been talking to Officer Pine. I’m not even sure why he’s here.
“You’re going to get yourself an internship at this rate,” she says, eyeing me and then her boyfriend.
“I don’t know about that,” I protest.
“Well, you’ve earned a parade or a party or something to celebrate,” Bay says.
“For once, I agree with your sister,” Orchid says.
“What? No. Seriously. No. All I want to do is sleep. I’m exhausted. I’m shot. I just…”
“You look a little overwhelmed,” Dahlia says, rubbing my arm.
“Yeah, that’s an understatement.”
I glance over at the officers. Pine breaks away from them, having spoken to them after talking to Wren.
"It would be easier for us to take him into custody if you would have the moss release him," he says with a grin.
“Oh. Of course. I thought…”
“That one of us could convince the moss to let him go? We thought so too, but it’s not listening to us.”
Strange.
I hesitate, thinking about flying over, but I'm off to the side and around the back of the tree, so I can't see Thistle, which is just how I want it. He hasn't said much of anything at all, and I'm glad. If I hear his voice again, it'll be too soon.
My eyes close, and I reach out with my magic to the grass beneath my feet, feeling my way toward the tree and the attached moss. The moss listens to me at once, slowly shrinking, reverting back to normal size, drawing away from Thistle.
My eyes open, and I can just see the police officers seize him through the trees. I think they already placed a magical dampener on his ankle, but they place another around his wrists, and they fly him away.
Slowly, some of the other students are starting to crowd around, talking, whispering, trying to figure out what’s going on. I don’t have the strength or energy to worry about them.
“Oh, look at that,” Orchid says. “Lover boys heading straight this way.”
She’s right. Damon and Sage are making a beeline for me.
I push Orchid toward them. “Can you go and stall?”
She lifts her eyebrows.
“You don’t want to talk to them right now, do you?” Dahlia asks.
I shake my head.
“We’ll handle them,” Wren says, and she, Dahlia, and Orchid head toward them.
“What do you want to do?” Bay asks. “Head back to the cottage and get some beauty rest?”
I hesitate. As tired as I am, I don’t know if I want to attempt to go to sleep. I’ve been plagued by nightmares for far too long.
“Nah.” I link our arms. “It’s past time for me to meet your boyfriend, don’t you think? What’s his name again?”
“You forgot his name.” Bay crosses her arms and glares at me as if she’s furious, but her purple eyes are bright and merry.
“Zoth, right?”
“Yes!”
She glances over her shoulder, so I do too. My friends are successfully keeping the boys back.
“You sure you don’t want to talk to them?” Bay asks.
“I’ll sort things out with them later. Right now, I want to meet your beau.”
“And hopefully, the rest of the year will be uneventful.”
“Fire and brimstone, I hope so!”
Thank you for reading Light Fae Academy Year Two! Only one more story to go and then it’s Bay’s turn. The Dark Fae Penitentiary trilogy will be up for preorder soon!
Speaking of preorder, don’t forget that Light Fae Academy Year Three is up for preorder already!
Please consider writing a review. It would mean the world to me!
Until next book,
Nala
Other Books By Nala Kinglsey
Light Fae Academy
Year One
Year Two
Year Three - Available for Preorder
The Darkness of Light
Her Dark Defenders
Her Wicked Guardians
Her Sinful Lovers
Zombie Year 2099
Voodoo Sector
Dark Fae Penitentiary
First Offense - Coming Soon
Second Offense - Coming Soon
Third Offense - Coming Soon
About the Author
Nala Kingsley loves bubble baths and wine. Lots of wine, the fruitier the better. When she’s not writing about strong heroines and the strikingly gorgeous men who love them, she’s probably rereading Game of Thrones or watching the series for the hundredth time.
[email protected]
Light Fae Academy: Year Two Page 15
