“I believe that he wants war, yes,” she started. “He has lost two children. When people are upset, they can become unstable. Life can wear down even the brightest minds. It seems King Peter has forgotten that he has two heirs remaining, and that they need his attention and support. He’s also in denial that both courts are needed to keep the faeland stable. Without one to balance the other, there’s a high chance that both of our lands will turn into the wastelands, becoming uninhabitable.”
Tension rose once again in the classroom.
“If that happens, we’ll have to go back to the human realm where the vamps will try to enslave us. Again. Even if they fail, they’ll drain many of us,” Kristen dared to say.
Everyone in the room nodded.
“I don’t want to return,” someone said.
“This place is so beautiful. How could the king ever risk it?” someone else asked.
“Shouldn’t we work with the Winter Court?” a student asked and immediately clamped his hand over his mouth.
“Blythe” gave him a smile. “It’s all right. I vow that I will not let anything any of you say in here reach King Peter in any way.” Magic sizzled through the air, and jaws dropped. Nerissa’s oath made a tingling of hope and possibility sweep across the room. Everyone knew from Blythe’s lessons that promises here were binding.
Then the students exploded into an uproar.
“We’re expendable to him!”
“King Peter hates us!”
“It wasn’t our fault our ancestors fled to Earth so long ago!”
I calmed the students again, and silence smoothed out their rage. Anger was good, but it needed to be directed, not allowed to run freely.
Nerissa smiled. “I agree. As citizens of the Summer lands we have the duty to protect it. The time to act has almost come.” She picked up a scroll and rolled it out. “Today’s lesson is about the full layout of the palace.”
“Can you believe Blythe?” Kristen asked as we sat down to lunch.
“It’s surreal, that’s for sure.” I opened my doubled-up trays, but there was no note. Onyx hadn’t written me back even after I’d sent her the prisoner. Would she ever forgive me for failing her and inflicting torture on Thorsten?
Snippets of conversation distracted me from my own dark thoughts. The students were excited. They were no longer livestock, accepting of their upcoming slaughter, but real individuals with opinions and willpower. Nerissa had done that in only a few hours, making me truly understand what her golden wings meant. Her noble abilities made her a natural leader and were of great help, especially since I found it easier to work one-on-one rather than with a large group of people.
“Any news from Onyx?” Kristen asked.
“Nothing.” With a sigh, I got out my pen and scribbled a note on my napkin, hoping Onyx wouldn’t ignore this one. I had to offer her something bigger than a single prisoner who didn’t come close to replacing Thorsten.
Onyx,
I know you’re still upset. Rightfully so, but we’ve made more progress. Our “new” teacher is motivating our students. You have allies on the inside.
KP has a plant called the Shield that protects him from ice magic. Watch out.
I tucked the napkin between the trays and the ever-watchful servant, not the fae from the previous day, but another one I’d seen before, came and took them from me once I was done wolfing down my food.
I looked for Peony, who had sat with us yesterday, but she must still be in the Potions classroom. Curious about what she was cooking up, I rose from my chair. “I’ll bring Peony some lunch.”
I took a sandwich to Peony, who was in the Potions classroom, bent over several glass vials of colored liquids. “Having fun?” I asked.
“Potions are interesting.” Peony smiled for the first time in days. “Since I can create my own plants, it’s easier for me to experiment.” She said everything and yet nothing with her statement.
I set down her tray on the table and checked out the vials. “Which ones do you think are safe?”
“The red offers mental strength. Watch out for the brown one. It withered the grass when I dumped some of it outside,” Peony said. “I wouldn’t drink it. Might be a good weed killer, though. Maybe some gardeners would like it.”
I thought of King Peter’s vines. “Both of those could be useful. The Summer Court is very lucky to have you.” I emphasized the second sentence, praying Peony’s oath wouldn’t catch on to her.
“Virgie, there you are.” Nathan’s voice rang out from the doorway. He stepped into the room and smiled at Peony. “Potions. Very nice.” Then he turned to me. “Our engagement party is set for a week from today.”
My heart rose into my throat. From Nathan’s somber expression, I knew that King Peter would force me into a vow at that party. “That's good to know. Thank you.” I turned my back on Peony and left before her mind could spit out any traitorous thoughts. My heart raced as I kept the smile plastered on my face, and I didn’t let it drop until I joined Nathan in the corridor.
I had to talk to Onyx. She needed to get over her anger. Fast.
19
Virgie
Over the next few days, Nerissa continued being Blythe and drilled a new, proactive mindset into the Vasara fae. She hadn’t lied. Their combat skills were excellent. Nathan assured me of that as he was able to watch them train through the windows of his office. Now, we just had to ensure they used those skills and their brains instead of cowering in fear before the king.
“You’ve all learned the basics of a mind shield,” Blythe said on a bright morning, and the students nodded. “Very well. Only a few fae possess true mind manipulation skills. What I want you to do today is distinguish between the two forces that pull at your mind.” She glanced at me, and I nodded. It was time to tell them the truth. “Your task is to realize which mind pull is coming from Virgie.”
Everyone in the classroom but Kristen turned to stare at me. Some fae had their mouth gaped open while others squinted, suspicion burning in their eyes. Some had suspected me of the truth, then. A few others had their heads tilted and nodded slightly as if it was all making sense now.
“I’m not a true mentalist, but I do possess a degree of influence,” Nerissa continued. “For today, I want you to resist my influence. It will feel similar to the influence of the king but not as strong.”
The terrified faces in the room and the glances at Peony’s empty spot told me that I wasn’t the only one reliving the horrible way the king had dragged her to his throne and made her swear his draconian vow.
“What do we do against the king’s plant magic?” one of the students asked, and I felt pride swell in my chest. The Vasara students were facing their situation head on and trying to find ways out of it.
Nerissa smiled. “We’re working on that.”
Once again, a few people eyed Peony’s empty spot. It hadn’t gone unnoticed that she now spent all of her time in the Potions classroom. I just hoped no one brought it up to her. Given the vow they'd seen the king put her through, I doubted it.
Nerissa cleared her throat. “I know it’s a daunting prospect to try something new. But the quicker we start, the better you’ll get at it for Virgie’s engagement party which takes place at the end of this week.” The students nodded. “Now, to make it easy, I’m going to tell you what I’ll do for the first task. I’ll compel you to go to the left while Virgie will ask you to move to the right. Find her influence and let it guide you.”
I let my power build, let it envelop every student in the room. Move to the right, I whispered into their minds. This direct command was much harder than exerting general influence over the class, making me realize this exercise was as much for the students as it was for my benefit. Sure, I’d given individual fae precise instructions before, but it was different to directly compel a small group of up to six versus thirty. Especially when I’d have to multiply that by three as there were three parallel classes of Vasara students.
A few of the students rose. The others followed their lead. Within a minute, everyone was compelled to stand. Some shuffled left, others right, while a few hesitated, taking a few steps forward only to step back again.
“Virgie, focus,” Nerissa said.
I closed my eyes, and instead of imagining several threads going from my head to those of the students, I got an idea. I visualized a ball of energy spreading through the room. I’d never tried it before, so I didn’t know what to expect.
Gasps sounded and when I opened my eyes, I found several students hurrying toward the right side of the room. Even the ones on the left side crammed in that direction.
“Very good.” Nerissa smiled. “Now, I’m going to compel you to do one thing, and Virgie will ask something else of you. You know what her influence feels like, so find it and follow it.”
I’ll ask them to stand upright, Nerissa said into my mind.
Got it, I replied, then focused on the students, continuing to visualize my magic as a ball of light enveloping them. I whispered, Sit down.
The fae exchanged confused glances, especially as some of their classmates sat down on the ground while others remained standing. I focused inward again and shot out more of my magic in a wave. Most fae sat down slowly, and the remaining followed.
“Excellent.” Nerissa opened the door to let everyone out. “I’ll see you next time. Enjoy battle strategy and plant magic.”
I stepped toward the window and watched the students who had been practicing outside with Nathan say their goodbyes as they made their way into the mansion and toward Blythe’s classroom. The final group would get a lunch break after they practiced in the indoor room target shooting.
“How do you feel?” Nerissa asked, stepping next to me, still as Blythe.
“A bit tired,” I admitted. “But I can do it.”
She gave me a sad smile. “If Onyx agrees to this, it shouldn’t take too long for us to create a protective shield around Thorsten to get him out.” Her wings fluttered nervously behind her. “Has she responded to any of your messages?”
“No,” I said. “But I have a plan. Instead of sending the spy back with a message, I’ll go with her.”
Nerissa shook her head. “You can’t be gone from Vasara too long.”
“I won’t. I’ll have Caleb open up a portal for me and the spy at nighttime.”
Nerissa clasped her hands together and looked past me and down at her brother, who waved at us. We waved back. “Please be careful,” Nerissa said to me.
“I will,” I promised. Then I brought up the issue that worried me the most since we hadn’t made any progress on it. “How will we change Thorsten back?”
Nerissa’s gaze cut me deep. “You know how.”
I swallowed. Of course, I’d been deceiving myself all along. “I’ll have to force Peony to do it.” My magic would have to fight King Peter’s. “But the Vasara students…I can’t do both at the same time.”
“Nathan and I will step in. Together, our influence will be strong enough to tie them over. To keep them brave enough to fight. We're natural leaders.”
Nathan. “But won't that hurt him?”
Nerissa only smiled. “We’re working on a way around that.”
The potions. The worry in my chest dissolved, leaving me able to breathe.
Unable to dwell on what King Peter would do to Nathan and Peony if he remained on the throne, I focused on my other worry. “What if it hurts Peony?” How much magic could one fae’s mind take before it was torn in half?
“Peony’s been working on her own protection. She’s fae, clever and good at finding loopholes.” Nerissa looked like she wanted to say more, but fell silent as the next class of students rushed into the room
For the next two groups, Nerissa and I repeated our mind influence exercises. I was exhausted by the end of it, but instead of enjoying a leisurely lunch or even a kiss with Nathan, I grabbed two bowls of pea soup and several slices of bread and made my way downstairs toward Potions.
Balancing the heavy tray in one hand, I pushed the door open into the classroom. Peony glanced up from her spot at the table. Dark circles hung under her eyes, and her blonde curls had gone limp.
“I brought you some food.” I sat down at a side bench and she joined me. In silence, we cleared our bowls within minutes while I studied a series of new vials on a nearby table.
“How’s it going?” I asked once the last piece of bread disappeared.
Instead of replying, she showed me, taking a brown vial and upending it over a small cactus. I gasped as the plant charred with a nasty fizzling sound, then collapsed into a heap of black dust.
“So, your weed killer,” I said, careful to choose my words. “We need to be cautious with that.” The brown vial could kill the king’s vines, but it could also hurt Thorsten. I pointed at the red vial. “Is that for you?”
A catlike grin came over her lips. There was the old Peony. “And you.”
“What does it do?”
“It’s like adrenaline, gives you a shot of energy. It would be good for staying up late studying, right? Also, it can help you get through all these long classes.”
I nodded, glad she had found a way to lie to her conscious mind and dodge the king’s vow. “What are the aftereffects?” If there was anything I’d learned in Nerissa’s class, it was that many potions had them, and the more potent the potion, the more potent the side effects.
She didn’t meet my eyes. “Jitters, energy crash. Like caffeine withdrawal, but worse.”
I had a feeling it was much worse. I’d never tried cocaine, but it wouldn’t surprise me if Peony had developed something that worked very similar. “Is there anything else that red stuff does? Make you stronger for combat training? Give you the ability to resist distractions?” Again, I kept my words neutral.
“Oh, it gives your willpower a boost, too. Say you're trying to diet. That strength potion will give you the will to do whatever it takes. It overrides everything else and makes the drinker act. So they don’t get distracted while they’re studying, you know?”
I smiled. “That is going to sell, Peony.” The red potion would allow her a chance to turn Thorsten back. But at what cost? The vow had been severe, so severe that Peony had to tell herself these potions were for mundane purposes. I stepped forward and enveloped her into a hug. “Thank you.” A tear ran down my cheek before I could hide it from her.
Peony squeezed back. “We’re all in the same situation. Sacrifices will have to be made.” Then she jolted as if in pain, let go of me, and smiled. “Yes. These potions will beautify a lot of gardens.”
I nodded, desperately hoping that this time it would pay off, that this time we truly would be a step ahead of King Peter, not two steps behind.
I spent the evening with Nathan, eating fish that melted in my mouth, grilled vegetables, and exotic fruits under the soft glow of candlelight. Our pink-colored drinks enhanced the romantic mood. For a few hours, I allowed myself to be playful and to forget myself. I didn’t talk about the Vasara students or that my mind influence would soon be tested against the king’s. Nathan too didn’t bring up the group of warriors he was gathering that was brave enough to go against King Peter and do what was best for the Summer Court.
Once dinner was done, I slipped out of my chair and onto Nathan’s lap. Our lips met. Our tongues devoured each other hungrily as our hands roamed over each other's bodies. Nathan lifted me up and rose from his chair. He carried me to his bed where my dress, his pants and shirt came off. Our touches grew needier, and I ground my hips into his. Soon, my underwear was discarded. As he pleasured me, I barely managed to hold in the words, asking him to enter me and claim me. But that wasn’t how I wanted our first time to be. Not when I knew that after I’d mixed the blue, sleepy drink into his pink one, he’d fall asleep while I’d sneak out to meet the spy. Not when I had to deceive him.
Doing my best to stay in the present, I enjoyed the pleasure our hands gave each other while pr
omising myself silently that soon we’d sleep together. Once the engagement party was over. Once King Peter was taken care of.
Spent from our hours of passion and his drink, Nathan fell into a deep sleep around midnight. I got up, and slipped into my aubergine dress, the darkest color I possessed in my closet. Then I carefully closed Nathan’s bedroom door behind myself, stepped onto the tree staircase, and allowed it to take me downstairs. The gate, probably commanded by Caleb, opened for me on its own, allowing me out into the field.
The first spy I'd met and Caleb were waiting past the field at the forested area.
“Virgie, are you ready?” Caleb asked. “Last chance to back out.”
I smiled even as a shiver darted down my arms. “Onyx won’t hurt me.” She would have to accept my proposal. She wanted Thorsten back and King Peter off the throne. She was the only one powerful enough to remove the king, and we were the only ones who could retrieve and change Thorsten back for her. Yes, our first attempt had failed, but she’d see that we were better prepared now.
Caleb must’ve seen the determination on my face, because he nodded slowly. “All right. May the strength of the Summer Court be with you.” He focused his gaze on a spot in the air, and it shimmered, then turned into a green oval that grew and grew until it was big enough to let a person through. The borderlands spread out on the other side, the ground covered in white patches and the pines’ dark shadows against the stars.
“Thank you,” I said, hoping I was doing the right thing, and this was not the last time I saw Nathan and everybody else I cared about. Not looking back, I stepped through the portal, the spy following me as quiet as a shadow.
20
Onyx
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