All of the attention would be on me. My head spun as the silence dragged out. Amanda nodded to me again, an indication that I was to throw open the carriage door and face the onslaught.
I did, opening the door slowly and gracefully. Gasps sounded as I lowered my white shoe and leg from the carriage, pushed the door open all the way, and straightened. I threw my head back in the manner Amanda had demonstrated, letting my hair fall over my shoulder. Elegant, but not too cocky.
Before I could get my bearings, a rotating door of fae in suits and professional skirts closed in on me, and everyone began to speak at once.
“Is it true that you are the daughter of an Everston?”
“Did your father really die from drunkenness?”
“Did you know of your magic while you were serving the vampires?” A female fae held up her hands and a flare of white magic formed between them, snapping in my face before vanishing. Apparently, that was the iron-free equivalent of taking my photo.
“Back!” Amanda stepped next to me. She waved the reporters away as if they were a swarm of flies. “One question at a time.”
“Media, please remember your manners,” a loud voice boomed from behind them.
They all parted and silenced, merging with the crowd behind them and creating a path that led straight into an archway. Gold, green, and sheer brightness approached as the greatest wave of magic I’d ever felt washed over me.
Dead silence fell, and I knew from the golden cape, golden sash, and green uniform that I was facing King Peter.
Like Nerissa and Nathan, King Peter gave off his own glow and aura. He wore a vast crown of golden leaves, twisted sticks, and fine jewels that looked like magical dew. I wondered if his crown was alive. King Peter’s pale-green, almost milky eyes trained on me as he folded his wings behind him. Some of the glow softened, but I almost balked at the harsh glint in his eyes.
“Vergeat Everston. Your father served me once directly.” King Peter’s tone of voice was unreadable, and I dropped into a curtsy, wishing again that Amanda would’ve warned me that I’d be facing the King today.
“It is a pleasure to meet you,” I said as the fae reporters drew closer. Even in the presence of the king, they were ruthless. After a few seconds, I dared to straighten. Heart pounding, I waited for the king’s reaction.
He did not return the sentiment, his mouth remaining in a harsh line. “Our court has suffered many unimaginable losses. First, your father, who allowed himself to act as a human and become weak before a petty substance that has ruined many of them.”
My heart leapt into my throat, and I struggled to maintain my composure. The oxygen seemed to vanish from the air. King Peter was attacking and warning me. I was not to make the mistakes my father had. His reputation was already working against me.
“Two of my children have also fallen because of the ruthless Winter Court.” King Peter’s magic flared, washing over me like a series of angry needle pricks. The leaves on his crown curled as if trying to contain his anger. “Unfortunately, I am left with one legitimate son and...Caleb.” His attention shifted away from me and to the left. I followed his gaze to find Peony standing beside Caleb. Next to Caleb stood a boy of about twelve years, decked out in a golden sash and cape. He shared King Peter’s golden hair, wings, glow, and haughty gaze.
So I was not the only one under scrutiny here. My shoulders dropped an inch as the attention shifted to Caleb, who took the mental lashing like a pro and didn’t even allow a muscle in his jaw to twitch. Peony drew closer to him, as if wanting to protect him. Interesting. Did she actually care about someone besides herself for once?
“Now we have entered a new age and left the darkness behind us. Vergeat Everston, you will be part of the important effort to lift the souls and minds of the Summer Court to act in harmony and keep the darkness at bay.” King Peter punctuated his sermon with a sharp nod, the intense gleam never leaving his narrowed eyes.
All around me, people muttered.
“Of course.” I dropped into another curtsy. The ocean of pressure returned to my shoulders, threatening to pull me into the cobblestones. So it was true. I was to ensure the former earthbound fae were to become loyal to the king. What would they do to me if I failed? Stop it. There are no problems, just challenges.
Without another word, the king turned and walked back into the archway, leaving me to deal with the media.
“Okay,” Amanda announced, unfazed by the unspoken threat. “Vergeat will now be open to questions and interviews.” She wrapped her arm around my waist like we were best friends, and even though our relationship was pure business, I appreciated the gesture.
My gaze moved over the crowd and landed on a tall figure with white hair and silver eyes. Nathan. He had come, too. He offered me a warm wave.
Amanda pinched me on the arm and nodded meaningfully at Nathan. Clearly, she wanted me to react. I raised my hand and waved back, plastering a smile on my face. Flashes of light surrounded me as fae reporters snapped away photos with their magic. I blinked as afterimages swirled behind my eyelids, feeling dizzy.
“Excellent,” Amanda whispered only loud for me to hear. She knew something that I didn’t, which I hated. But now was not the time to ask. The media swarmed closer, suffocating us, and Amanda released me, throwing me to the wolves.
“I’m Lindie Stockton from the Summer Court News. Is it true that you prefer Virgie to Vergeat?”
“Yes.” I smiled. “I’ve always gone by my nickname.”
The fae nodded. “Virgie, what is your favorite thing about the faeland so far?”
Amanda had schooled me about that. It was a question we’d worked on for hours, given my inability to lie. “Vasara Training Center is amazing, and I love the second chance King Peter has given us former earthbound fae. I like the fact that we can redeem ourselves and earn a better life.”
“How do you perceive the other earthbound fae who were rescued and brought home?”
I could barely breathe. Amanda had fed me a rehearsed answer for that, too. I hated being a puppet, but that wouldn’t last forever. With time, I promised myself, I’d take the strings. “I see them as having great potential that we can tease out.” That was true. “After their rescue, they now have a chance for redemption and to give back to the Summer Court.” Technically, also true. The words ran dry across my tongue. If it weren’t for Caleb and Peony, none of this would be happening. The Summer Court would continue to ignore the plight of the fae who were slaves by the vampires.
“Excellent!” A clean-shaven, middle-aged fae with a strong herbal scent invaded my personal space from the right. “Virgie, how are you dealing with your father’s unfortunate legacy?”
Do not tense. Smile. I expected this question, and yet it still sucked. Beside me, Amanda pressed her lips together. If I showed weakness now, the press would destroy me.
“I am going to be better than my father and serve the court. I will not allow my talents to go to waste. Instead of letting this court fall apart, I will help to unify us all and be a paragon of conduct for my poor brethren who are in deep need of guidance. Together, as a race, we will return to our former glory.”
The male fae’s smile weakened and a tingle of satisfaction ran up my spine. At last, I had some semblance of control.
But a female with curly red hair and bright pink wings shoved into his place. “What do you think of Nathan Bitterbay?”
I hadn’t expected anyone to ask me about the High Commander, but it wasn’t hard to answer this question truthfully. “He is charming, dignified, and a delight.” Another round of flashes sounded as the fae took more photos and that’s when everything clicked into place, making sense. Nathan’s odd attitude. The rose-colored dress. All this talk of romance. If there was anything celebrity-chasing media devoured, it was a love story. Better yet, a rocky love story.
Slowly, I turned my head and met Nathan’s silver gaze. He offered another smile. He knew exactly what the media wanted, and he had no issue
feeding their hopes.
I smiled back, not because I was interested in him or romance, but because if the media were busy with our supposed romance, they wouldn’t monitor my progress with the earthbound fae as closely.
My feet ached by the time the reporters finished bombarding me with questions, and I feared that I’d lose my voice by tomorrow. Fed with gossip, the media scattered away like bugs. The nobles and guards retreated too, thinking they knew the woman who would keep the earthbound fae in line. Quiet settled over the outer courtyard, leaving just the gurgling of the river and the occasional huffing of the steeds behind us.
Caleb, Peony, and Nathan stepped closer to us, and Amanda nudged me toward Nathan. “The media may not be on top of you now,” she whispered, “but they are still watching.”
Nathan stepped forward. “Would you like a tour of the castle?” He extended his arm in a gentlemanly manner, offering his elbow. His eyes remained warm, but businesslike.
“I would, very much.” Hooking my arm into his, I allowed him to turn me toward the archway King Peter had vanished into seemingly hours ago. Nathan led me past Peony and Caleb, who had taken to speaking in quiet voices beside a pillar.
“Once again on the arm of a rich man,” Peony hissed to Caleb.
I couldn’t help it. Stopping, I faced her. Bags hung under Peony’s eyes, and I read exhaustion and stress in her gaze. Like me, she was under immense pressure.
But that didn’t excuse what she’d done, abandoning me at the Wild Hunt and then forcing me to stay close to her afterwards, lest she throw me to the vamps. “I wonder where I learned the skill?” I turned away as regret came over Peony’s features, and she shrunk back to Caleb, who wrapped his arms around her. “Sorry, Nathan,” I muttered, trying to do damage control of my temper slip up.
“It’s fine,” he said, no trace of annoyance in his voice as we entered the archway. “Now, since you will be spending some time here, it’s best to understand the layout, though we won’t cover the entire palace today. The West Gardens are this way…”
Remaining silent, I let Nathan do the talking as I thought. The Summer Court seemed more interested in big proclamations than actually doing anything. Could I prevent a war by playing my role and giving the media and the king what they wanted? Perhaps if they thought the Summer Court had truly returned to its former glory, they wouldn’t send us out to fight the vampires, or worse, the Winter Court.
9
To my disappointment, Nathan showed me only the gardens and never took me inside the rooms of the castle.
“You must be exhausted,” he said, clearly noticing that I was slowing as we entered yet another plaza with narrow birch trees and a cobblestone path that was doing absolutely nothing for my heels.
“It was good to walk after standing for hours, but these—” I unclasped my uncomfortable sandals now that we were alone, “—aren’t exactly comfortable.” I took off my shoes, something I would’ve never dared to do in front of a vampire and gauged Nathan’s reaction. But if he was disturbed by my unladylike behavior, he didn’t show it. Instead, he led me to a bench next to a vine-choked statue of a fae noble. Like the other gardens, this one too overflowed with flowers of all colors and the tree closest to us had heart-shaped leaves. If the fae paparazzi were around, hiding in the shrubs, they’d have a field day.
“Why don’t we take the carriage back to Vasara?” Nathan asked.
I hesitated. I was tired, but… “Can’t we see a part of the castle first?” I needed to spend this time with Nathan. In the castle. Near those with real power.
Nathan chuckled. “You’re very curious, aren’t you?”
“Am I?” I replied coquettishly. Mother had always told me not to show my upper hand. Yet, this man who barely knew me had already picked up on much more than I planned to reveal.
Nathan tilted his head, studying me in a way that made me feel like an open book. “Don’t worry, Virgie. The Harvest Festival is next week. You’ll see the palace then. But as your classes start tomorrow, I’m afraid I must insist we return to Vasara.” Nathan turned his gaze to the late afternoon sky.
My jaw pressed together and pressure built in my ears. If Nathan thought that acting like a father because I had never had one was a turn on, he was severely mistaken.
Not picking up on my anger, Nathan stared across the garden, then turned to me. “Come. The carriage will be here in a minute.”
I blinked. “How do you know?”
As he guided me out into a vast courtyard, he tapped a finger against his temple. “Telepathy. The Pegasus is an intelligent species and receptive to it.”
“You’re a mentalist too?”
He shook his head. “Not quite. The royal line can talk to all of us telepathically. Those close to the king also possess that ability. It is a common ability among the royals and the nobles. But true mentalist abilities are rare.”
I chewed that over. “So you read minds?”
Nathan chuckled. “No. No one in the Summer Court can do that. I’m afraid even your bloodline doesn’t have that particular gift.”
Fine by me. The idea of hearing other people’s thoughts sounded exhausting. Telepathy, on the other hand, might be useful. “Will I be able to use telepathy?”
Nathan nodded. “You should have the ability, but right now, it’s dormant. Your father used telepathy with the king.”
I couldn’t imagine what it would be like having King Peter speak in my head. Feeling his magic had been bad enough, but for him to be in my mind? It was too much. Was that the reason why my father had turned to alcohol? My stomach lurched, and I quickly redirected my focus onto my schooling before my face could betray the horror I felt. “I don’t have a class for telepathy.”
“That’s because I’ll be teaching you.” Nathan flashed me a grin that softened something inside me. What would it be like to kiss the High Commandeer? My chest grew hot as I imagined Nathan and I spending hours together. I inhaled deeply, trying to push the inappropriate images away. Just because he wanted to play along with the media’s love story angle didn’t mean he was actually interested in me. Plus, I had more important things to do than get caught up in my feelings.
We reached the carriage, which had returned to the center courtyard where the river was flowing, and Nathan opened the door for me. I glanced around, but there was no sight of Amanda, Peony, or Caleb. They must’ve already returned to Vasara, giving Nathan and me more alone time. Something flashed in my periphery from the shadows under the pillars. Great, the media had gotten another photo of us together. I sure hoped they wouldn’t portray me as a greedy slut, who had sunk her claws into their beloved High Commander.
“Are you excited for your classes?” Nathan asked once the Pegasi lifted us up in the air. If he cared about the media invading his private space, he didn’t show it.
I nodded, hating the imbalance of power between us. I didn’t mind pretending that we were dating, but I did mind him treating me as a child. However, right now, he knew everything about this new world while I had no clue, so I didn’t make a fuss.
The sun was setting by the time our Pegasi circled Vasara and the meadow below, then slowly came in for a landing. Tension crawled up my back as we stopped. How would he end the evening? While earlier I had almost wished for him to kiss me, now, I hoped I wouldn’t have to rebuff his advances, as him treating me like a student had left a sour taste in my mouth.
Deciding to take the lead, I pushed open the door of the carriage. “Good night. Thank you for showing me the gardens.”
“It was my pleasure, Virgie.” Nathan studied me. “Go to bed. You’ll need plenty of rest for tomorrow.” He leaned closer, but I stepped out of the carriage, cool air washing over me as I left Nathan behind. Then I practically ran to my apartment, blessing the center tree for lifting me up so quickly. If Nathan thought he had a chance with me after he’d lectured me, he was wrong. I could play along for the media’s sake, but I wanted him to understand very clearly that his arr
ogant behavior would have consequences.
10
A loud knocking on my door awoke me the next morning.
“Virgie, get up or you’re going to be late!”
I groaned at Peony’s high-pitched voice, then I remembered that my day was chock full of mentalist subjects and that I couldn’t afford tardiness. I threw back my covers as the events of the previous day swept over me along with the sun, which today felt like a hot and dry spotlight. Did it never rain in the faeland?
“Virgie, do you hear me?” Peony continued to pound on my door. In my PJs, I hurried toward the cacophony.
“Yes,” I hissed when I threw the door open. “I heard you the first time.”
Peony rushed past me, not meeting my gaze, holding a tray in her hand. She wore a yellow dress today that complimented her light green wings. “I brought breakfast.”
My jaw almost dropped. Peony had never brought me breakfast back in Nocturnal Academy even though we had been roommates. I watched as she took the wooden cover off the clay tray to reveal waffles, sausage, and bowls of berries. And all the time, she wouldn’t look me in the eye.
Was this her way of extending an olive branch? She handed me a baked good that had an apricot center and poured me a coffee. Deciding it probably wasn’t poisoned, I took a big bite of the pastry and washed it down with the delicious brew.
“Seriously, though, get dressed, or we’ll be late.” Just like that, bossy Peony was back. Was there anyone in the Summer Court who wouldn’t tell me what to do?
“Where’s the uniform for Vasara?”
Peony snorted and motioned at her yellow dress. “They don’t have one for non-warrior students. Wear whatever you want as long as it’s pink or lilac.” At my raised eyebrows, she added, “Pierre said we should always dress in our colors to underscore our status.”
“Got it.” No shock there. Peony knew about status and played it to the hilt.
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