by Talia Jager
“Would you get us a feather from the nest of a white owl?” I asked.
“My pleasure.” She took off into the trees.
“So what do you think?” Ivy asked. “Will he show up again?”
“Jopul? Not unless we go back—”
“No. The prince.”
“Oh. Keir said they were friends, so maybe.”
She shot me a look.
“What?”
Raising her eyebrows, she laughed and then said, “You’re smitten with him.”
Damn my emotions. “He’s cute, that’s all.”
“Mm-hmm.”
The piskie came back. I opened my hand, and she dropped the feather into my palm.
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
As we walked back to the school, I admired the forest full of life. Piskies, brownies, and dragons lived all around us. I should come out here more and interact with them, but my daily duties and hobbies kept me busy. If I wasn’t in school or training, I was ice-skating or dancing.
We returned to the schoolhouse and set down our ingredients. Geneva looked them over and nodded. “Very good. Follow the directions in the book.”
I opened the thick book to the correct page and read over what we needed to do, then Ivy and I mixed up the elixir. The floral smell tickled my nose as everything blended together, and soon it was a nice salve.
Geneva came back over, dipped her fingers in, and then rubbed them together. “Good consistency. Smells right. Excellent job. Put it into that jar, and you may go.”
“See you later, Rory!” Ivy called when we were done as she ran off to meet up with her boyfriend.
Raina and I went into the marketplace for lunch. We sat at a table and ate salad.
Sorin sprang to my mind again, and I thought of his lips on mine.
“Hello?” Raina waved her hand in front of my face.
I met her eyes. “What?”
“I’ve been talking to you, and you’re not listening.”
“Sorry.”
“You’re thinking about him again, aren’t you?”
“I don’t mean to. I’m not trying to. It just keeps happening,” I told her.
She laughed. “Isn’t that always the way?”
“How do I make it stop? I can’t be thinking about him. I’ve tried everything, and he just keeps popping back in.”
“Maybe you’re trying too hard. Or maybe you shouldn’t stop.”
After lunch we returned to the school for our second class, which was about magick, different kinds of faerie powers, and our history. I was looking forward to today’s class. We had been talking about history, and I found it fascinating. We all enjoyed the class, mainly because our teacher, Aquilo, was likeable and got us interested in what he was teaching.
“This week we’ve been talking about the faeries banished to the outer lands about eight hundred years ago. Crystal, do you remember why they were punished?” Aquilo asked.
“They tried to overthrow the royals,” Crystal answered.
“Good. How many of you think the punishment was fair?”
We all raised our hands.
“All of you? Nobody thinks it was too harsh?”
“They broke the rules,” Hollis said. “They knew what they were risking.”
A lump formed in my throat as I thought about that. Would my parents consider what I did last night breaking the rules? Was kissing a faerie from another Season against the law? Or just falling in love with one?
“Today we’re going to talk about why they’re called the Iron Fae. Anyone want to take a guess?” He leaned against his desk.
“Are they gray?” Juniper asked.
“No.”
“Strong?” Crystal guessed.
“No.”
“Poisonous?” Raina threw out a suggestion.
“No. This wasn’t their original name. They didn’t have one. They were just ‘the banished.’ Nobody really talked about them for a while. But after a generation passed, they attacked a group of faeries using iron.”
Almost everyone in the class let out some kind of gasp. “How?” I asked.
“Well, Princess, it seems that they surrounded themselves by iron, first a little, then adding more and more until they were around it constantly. Their bodies grew accustomed to it, and it no longer made them weak. So they made iron weapons to use against us. We were no match for them.”
“You said they only attacked a group. Why not attack all of the fae?” Ivy asked.
“We think that they wanted to try out their strategy to see if it worked, and it did. They attacked the Spring Fae and almost wiped out their existence. A group of Elementals saved them.”
More whispers flew throughout the room.
“I’ve never seen an Elemental,” Hollis said. “Are you sure they’re not a myth?”
“I’ve seen one,” Juniper said. “I watched as a faerie with the markings of a Winter Fae spun a fire ball and threw it onto wood to start a fire.”
“Oooh,” a couple of my classmates commented.
“Do any of you know the Winter Fae named Eben?” Aquilo asked.
I nodded along with a few others.
“Yes,” Juniper said excitedly. “That’s the one I was thinking about.”
“Each court has one to two Elementals,” the teacher said.
“Isn’t it true one of the Summer princes is an Elemental?” someone asked.
My breath caught as I thought about Sorin.
Aquilo answered, “That’s correct—”
“Which one?” I interrupted.
“Which one what?”
I realized everyone was staring and spoke slower. “Which prince is supposedly an Elemental?”
“The elder, I believe, Sorin.”
“How do you tell if someone is an Elemental?” Raina asked.
“They have the markings of an Elemental on their arms. They come out when the first ability does. All four show up as black, and then as each element is mastered, the marking changes. Next time you come across Eben, ask him to show you his markings. He’s not shy.”
“He is a bit intimidating,” Hollis said.
“Just be polite.”
It was dark, and Sorin had been wearing a long-sleeved shirt. Would I have noticed Elemental markings?
“So they can just use all of the elements?” Crystal asked.
“Yes. As Winter Fae, we can manipulate water, therefore, snow and ice. The Spring Fae can manipulate air. The Summer Fae can manipulate fire. And the Autumn Fae can manipulate earth. Elementals can manipulate all of them; however, they have to master the element. Usually someone in each court will teach them how to do so.”
“That’s so cool,” someone in the back murmured.
“What are the outer lands like?” Juniper asked.
“I’ve never been,” Aquilo answered. “But I hear it’s desolate. Barren. Nothing grows. There’s no snow or water. And it stretches on for miles and miles.”
I shuddered. I never wanted to go there.
“What’s beyond the outer lands?” Crystal asked.
Aquilo shifted. “I don’t know.”
“I heard it was the land nightmares come from,” Hollis said.
Aquilo cleared his throat. “Who remembers what to do when you find yourself surrounded by iron?”
“Don’t fight it,” Raina answered. “The more you fight, the weaker you get.”
“That’s right.”
“So the Iron Fae have never attacked all of the courts at once?” Hollis questioned.
“No.”
“Why is that?” Hollis leaned forward.
Aquilo straightened up and responded, “Maybe they’re only equipped to handle one element at a time? Maybe they try to divide and conquer? We just don’t know.”
“How do we know they’re still out there? Maybe they died off?” Ivy shrugged.
“Two ways. The scouts tell news of sightings here and there, and the land tells us. Wh
en we listen to what the land is saying, it will talk to us.”
“Why don’t we attack them?” Juniper asked.
“We want to live in peace, so we leave them alone in hopes they’ll leave us alone.”
“Why not stand united with the other courts?” I asked.
Everybody’s eyes were upon me, and I felt the blood rush to my face.
“Good question, Rory. The answer lies with your parents and the other royals.”
I couldn’t stop thinking about the Iron Fae, Elementals, and what was beyond the outer lands. One, there was a group of faeries out there I’d never seen who were a threat to us. Two, Sorin was an Elemental. I had kissed an Elemental! That was almost mind-altering. Three, there were lands out there nobody wanted to talk about. I started imagining how much more we could do if our kingdoms were united. It almost sounded as if it were something my parents could change, but I wasn’t sure how I could even approach them to talk about doing that.
Raina stepped into place next to me as we walked out of the school. “You going skating?”
“Yeah. You coming?”
“No, I’m exhausted. I’d kill myself skating right now.”
I laughed.
“Seriously, I don’t know where you get the energy after staying up all night.” She lowered her voice.
“Skating is relaxing.”
“Well, be careful.”
I nodded, and we went in opposite directions. I plopped down in the snow near the rink. Zev sat next to me. He went everywhere I did—except the falls. He was like a guard dog. There were plenty of wolves around, but Zev was mine—as much as any animal can belong to someone.
I laced up my ice skates and stood up. The ice looked scratched up, so I waved my hand outward and a new layer of ice appeared. Then without hesitation, I glided across the frozen sheet. Letting my feet lead me, I skated in circles and then did some twists, jumps, and twizzles. My mind stopped worrying about battles and concentrated only on what I was doing.
I felt someone watching me, and when I turned, I came face-to-face with Tannon. We had been friends forever. He was the first son of the knight just under Raina’s father, Rufus. Tannon was attractive. He had light blue hair, which was cut short and spiked. His wings were mostly white, with blue and purple tips.
“Hey, Rory,” he said with a smile.
“Hey.” I returned the smile. “You stalking me now?”
“When I see a beautiful girl skating so gracefully, it grabs my attention.” He held out his hand. “May I skate with you?”
“Sure.” I took his hand, and together we circled around the ice, gathering speed. He followed my moves. Even seemed to know some of them. I sent him a look, and he nodded. Hands on my waist, he lifted me into the air. My wings fluttered like crazy in the wind. Then he put me back down, and we finished the routine.
“You’ve been watching,” I said with a smile.
“Of course. I’ve observed enough of your skating to know what comes when.”
We glided off the ice, and I sat down to take off my skates. “Thanks. I enjoyed it.”
“We could do it more often,” he suggested.
“Perhaps,” I answered, not wanting to make promises. Tannon was nice enough, but I kept thinking of Sorin. Not that I could ever be with him, but now that I knew what it could feel like…what I had with Tannon wasn’t enough. We’d only been on a few dates, and I liked him. He was a good kisser, but it was nothing like when Sorin and I had kissed. What did that mean for me? My future? Should I keep looking for someone who made me feel like that? Or should I settle for the safe choice?
I returned to my chambers to get changed for dinner. My parents liked us to be formal, so I had to change from the short dress into a long one. I chose a vibrant blue one this time and glanced out the window at the setting sun, which filled the entire sky with deep yellows, oranges, and reds, reminding me of Sorin’s wings.
I shook my head as if I could shake the thought of him right out of it. Already late, I hurried to the great hall. Everyone looked at me as I entered the room and stood by my chair. A bell rang, and my father pulled out his chair and sat at one end of the long glass table; my mother sat at the other end. I sat to the right of my father with my four-year-old brother, Neige, between my mother and me. Opposite us were my two sisters. Eira was a year younger than me and Lumi two years younger than me. The time at the table was stuffy. I had no idea who we were supposed to be acting so formal for.
After the main course was eaten, Neige started to talk about his day. “I learned how to keep water in the air.”
“Well done, son,” Father complimented.
“Good,” Mother said. “You still have a long way to go, so keep it up.”
“Girls? Did you have a good day?” Father asked.
We all nodded. Lumi talked about her classes. Never interested in what anyone else had to say, Eira pushed the remaining food around her plate until the server took it away. Then she sighed and asked to be excused.
“You may all be excused,” Mother answered.
I stuck around for a few minutes longer and then retired to my chambers.
Not much later, there was a knock on my door. “Rory?” Lumi called and opened the door holding out a brush. “Would you do my hair?”
I smiled. “Sure.”
She came and sat on my bed, and I started dividing her light celestial blue hair into sections. “You seem quiet today,” she commented.
“I’m tired,” I answered, grabbing some of her hair and making a Dutch braid.
“I saw you skating with Tannon earlier. It was flawless.”
“Thank you.” I drew big locks of her hair into the braid and continued horizontally across her head. I finished the braid and brought the end back to the hairline so it made a circle. Finally, I fastened the braid with a pin, which showed off the snowflakes on the back of her neck.
Eira poked her head in. “Will you do mine too?”
“Of course,” I said as Lumi got up and looked in the mirror.
She turned to me and smiled. “I love it.”
“Good. What do you want, Eira?”
“Something down. How about a cross braid?”
Easy enough. I divided her hair into four equal parts. Eira had white hair with a blue hue to it. I started making a French braid, but only added hair from a certain section to it and went diagonally. I put a band around the end and braided the other side diagonally, tying it in with hair on the bottom, and placed another band. Eira’s markings were on her neck under her right ear.
All three of us had familial markings, meaning they weren’t the same, but they were close. You could tell what family a faerie belonged to by his or her marks. So if all someone saw were the snowflakes on the three of us, they’d be able to tell we were all related and, if they were smart, what family we came from.
“Done.”
Eira got up and stood next to Lumi. “You have magical hands, sister.”
“Thanks.”
“How are things going with Tannon?” Eira asked.
“Good.”
“Do you think he’s the one?” Lumi asked with a dreamy look in her eyes.
Keeping my emotions happy, I answered, “Maybe. I have to get to know him better.”
“He’s handsome.”
“He is, but we’ve only hung out alone a couple times.”
“It’ll work out fine. You two were meant to be,” Eira said.
Curiously, I asked, “Why do you think that?”
“It’s common sense. You’ve been friends for years, and he’s a knight’s son, so he’d make a fine king someday.”
I smiled and nodded. All very true. He made the most sense, but my heart wasn’t convinced.
My mother walked in a few minutes after my sisters left. I stood and waited for her to approach me. She held out her hand. “Let me brush your hair.”
“You don’t have to.”
“I want to. You are always kind to your sisters. They
look up to you. You’ll make a wonderful queen.” I sat on the bed, and she sat behind me and ran the brush through my hair. “I love your hair. It’s perfect.”
“We all have beautiful hair.”
“Mmmm.” She continued to silently brush my hair. “How are things going with Tannon?”
“Fine.”
“Just fine?”
“He’s nice.”
“Just nice?”
A sigh escaped my lips. “I like him, but I don’t love him.”
“Give it some time.”
“I will,” I said, although I didn’t think time would help the problem.
“Sometimes we have to adapt and learn how to love the one we’re with.”
“Is that what you had to do with Father?”
“Yes. And Rory, I love him so much.”
I knew she was telling the truth. I had felt the love they had for each other many times. “What if there was someone else you felt more for? Should you settle for the one you should marry, or go for the one you have feelings for?”
“That’s a decision only you can make.”
I doubted that. If she knew what I was talking about, she would decide for me in a heartbeat.
I was left wondering how a boy I met once affected me so much that I was questioning everything.
Chapter Three
Sorin
In the week since meeting Aurora, I had yet to get her out of my mind. I thought about her every waking moment, and when I was sleeping, I dreamt about her. I told myself it was insane to even entertain the idea of seeing her again, but what if I did? What was stopping me from going to the next get-together and just hanging out with her? Why couldn’t we flirt? Faeries flirted all the time. How was this any different?
You know why.
Reaching up in my wardrobe, I grabbed a trinket box from the shelf. I opened it and smiled as the beautiful snowflake came into view. I took the snowflake from the box. It was cold just like a real icicle but hadn’t melted one bit. Images of her flew into my mind. Her eyes, her lips, even her free spirit.
I sighed. Why did it have to matter that she was a Winter Fae? What was so wrong with falling for her? Maybe someone should revisit that law. I thought about bringing it up with my parents but chickened out every time I tried. My mother was downright intimidating. Having an everyday conversation with her was hard enough, and just thinking about talking politically with her made me shiver with fear.
