Or did they, because Peony rose and took a step toward me. “I couldn’t believe it when Caleb told me he brought you here yesterday. But he really did. You’re here.” Her eyes widened rather than narrowed.
I blinked in confusion, but then crossed my arms. Peony was probably nice because Nerissa was here. Caleb must’ve blabbed about my heritage. “Sad you’re not the only earthbound fae here?” I challenged.
“Look. I know I was a bitch to you, but I was trying to protect you in the only way I knew how.” Peony’s hands trembled by her sides. “I went about it the wrong way. Back in Nocturnal Academy, the only way to survive was to be as useful as possible. I didn’t know you’d be allowed here, and you seemed happy with Steinberg.”
I hated that Peony had been my umbrella during my stint at the academy. More anger roared in my ears, but a glance at Nerissa who was now frowning, told me that fighting wouldn’t earn me any favors. “The past is the past.” It seemed that Peony had gained Caleb’s favor and was probably running admissions with him, which meant I had to get over my feelings and play nice. I focused on Nerissa and breathed out my rage. Peony hadn’t been the one to rescue me from the Wild Hunt.
Onyx had.
“I’m assuming you wanted to see me to discuss my timetable.” I gave Nerissa the most pleasant smile I could muster.
Nerissa nodded. “Your training starts today. Peony will show you the way and bring you to Kristen, another former classmate of yours I understand.”
“Yes.” I forced the smile to remain on my lips. Kristen had taken my position at Peony’s side due to her connection to the rich Wu vampire family. Of course, she too would be here. Apparently, I could go to a different dimension, but the past would always catch up with me.
Nerissa motioned at Peony. “Please show Vergeat to the gym.”
Peony opened the door and walked in front of me. She stepped onto a broad staircase at the edge of the main hall that disappeared downstairs instead of upstairs. We didn’t speak as the staircase moved. Just because I had to play nice in public didn’t mean I had to actually be friends with Peony, no matter what her position was here. We already had a fake friendship once, which was plenty for one lifetime.
Chapter 5
To my surprise, the indoor gym was empty of warriors. Only Kristen waited inside the long clay room with the white, oak floor. Unlike me, she was dressed in green and brown armor and carried a bow. Behind her back, bronze wings spread out. They were beautiful, yet identical to those of at least a dozen fae I had seen upon exiting my apartment. I wondered what the bronze wings meant. Kristen hadn’t displayed any magic on Earth. Her eagerness to serve had gotten her a servant position, which she had quickly lost due to some unfortunate circumstances.
“I’ll leave you two to it,” Peony said unceremoniously before leaving with zero explanation. The door slowly closed behind her.
Okay. Some instructions would’ve been nice. I strolled toward Kristen. “Hey.” She hadn’t helped me at the Wild Hunt, either, but she didn’t possess the same influence over the twins that Peony had. Like me, Kristen had used Peony as a shield. And you did not want Peony as an enemy.
“Hey, Virgie.” Nervously, Kristen flicked back her dark hair with the blonde highlights.
“This feels almost like a reunion,” I said drily. I never had issues with Kristen. She was a follower and pleaser, but unlike Peony, Kristen had never forced me to do anything or threatened me.
“It sure does.” Kristen cracked an unsure smile and grabbed an arrow, which she sloppily placed into her bow, despite there being no targets in the entire empty gym.
My shoulders tensed. “What are you doing?”
“Starting our training session. You’re already ten minutes late.” She focused on the arrow, not me.
I glanced at the clock on the wall behind her that said it was ten past nine.
“My job is to shoot at you and your job is to stop me from hitting you,” Kristen continued. “Sorry. I don’t want to do it, but when they give you an order, you have to follow through.”
“What? How am I supposed to do that?”
Kristen bit her lips. “The High Commander told me that you should know how, and that your powers will awaken under pressure if they haven’t already. He said the orders were royal and that if I refuse, I’ll be brought in front of the king.”
I blinked. “Caleb said that?” My heart raced. I had no plant magic to divert arrows. And there was nothing in the room I could use as a shield.
Kristen shook her head. “No, Nathan Bitterbay is the High Commander.”
Ah, Nerissa’s brother. If her brother had orchestrated this, Nerissa must know about it. Even though I didn’t know her properly, I felt like I could trust her. Certainly, she wouldn’t put me here if she didn’t have faith in me. But faith wouldn’t help me much if an arrow went through my skull.
I eyed the door behind me. “It’s locked,” Kristen said. “We have until twelve. Then they’ll come to discuss our progress.”
I exhaled. “You’re seriously going to shoot at me.”
“Sorry.” Biting her lip, Kristen lifted the bow and pulled the arrow back.
I backpedaled. She was going for it. Of course. Kristen always had the need to impress those in power. I might’ve landed in a beautiful realm, but not much else had changed.
Kristen’s arrow flew, and I darted to the side. It thunked into the wall behind me, and I swallowed with relief until I heard Kristen pull a second arrow from her quiver. I jerked my head back around and ducked just in time as the arrow sailed straight for my head.
“You could’ve killed me!”
Kristen shrugged. “S...sorry, but they told me it would be all right.”
“Who are they?” I asked as I dodged a third arrow.
“The High Commander and Caleb.” She spoke quickly like she was unsure.
“Caleb?” She fired again as I dodged, the fourth arrow arced downward and hit my dress, pinning it to the ground. I yanked at my skirt, tearing the beautiful fabric. But I didn’t really care as I had much bigger fish to fry.
“The king put Caleb in charge of organizing all the new fae and giving them appropriate training.” Kristen spoke a bit slower now as if she were giving me time to get free.
“He’s not doing a very good job, then,” I said bitterly. Kristen put another arrow into her bow. “Kristen, come on. Let me at least change if you’re going to chase me across the gym.”
“Can’t. Got my orders.” Kristen let the arrow fly. It turned to a blur, and this time, pain flashed across my arm, hot and angry. The arrow moved on, thunking into the wall.
“Ouch!” I glanced at the ripped fabric and the blood trickling from my arm as Kristen lowered the bow. “What the hell is wrong with you? Do you always follow orders blindly? Don’t you have any brain in that head of yours?”
Kristen’s eyes narrowed to slits. “Don’t talk to me like this.”
Now, she was pissed. Not a good thing, considering her aim was getting better and my attempts to evade were getting worse. But instead of sprinting as fast as I could, my legs locked into place, and pressure gathered in my forehead as I considered my options. Dodging wasn’t working. Charging Kristen would also fail as she would shoot me long before I reached her. I couldn’t win this fight physically, but I might if I tried to access my mental powers.
Kristen lifted her bow again, eyes still narrowed. She drew back the arrow, lining it up with my chest.
“Look at me!” Her eyes met mine, and I felt a smile tugging at my lips. “Aim left!”
Her brown eyes glazed over, and she turned the bow a bit and fired. The arrow sailed at least two feet past me. It struck the wall before clattering to the floor. Kristen blinked, and her eyes returned to normal. “How did you do that?” Awe filled her voice as her anger melted.
“I’m not sure.” Why would I tell a girl who had just shot at me that I might be a mentalist? I let out a breath, relieved I’d gained some control ove
r this situation. With Kristen in a talkative mood, I decided it was time to get some answers. “Kristen, what kind of place is this? I mean not just Vasara, but the Summer Court.”
Kristen swallowed. She had never been good at keeping her mouth shut. “Well, I haven’t seen King Peter, but I’ve heard that he was furious that Caleb freed a bunch of earthbound fae.” She dropped her voice and glanced around as if searching for spies. “Caleb is his bastard son.”
I nodded. With Caleb volunteering this information freely, it wasn’t a secret.
“I think the king hates us,” Kristen continued, stepping closer so I could hear her better. “He sees us as a problem.” She shrugged. “I don’t know how or why he decided to allow us into the Summer Court, but we’d better do as he tells us.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Who are us?”
“All of the former students of Nocturnal Academy.” Kristen bit her fingernail. “And the prisoners at Nocturnal Reformatory. I was there, in the secret prison under the school, for what happened with the Wus.”
I swallowed hard. So the rumors were true. At Steinberg’s, I had overheard that fae who displeased their masters landed in a dungeon underneath the academy. That was also where Peony must’ve landed after a plant had been stolen from the museum where she’d been working.
“We should get back to training,” Kristen said, but I still had questions.
“Is this school just for us?”
She shook her head. “There’s Summer Court fae here, but we don’t study with them. They teach us to become warriors.” She chewed more on her fingernail, which began to bleed. “I guess the king decided that it’s better to have us here than to let us grow weaker on Earth. Or he’s worried that we’d draw attention after Nocturnal was bombed, and the humans or vampires would try to go to the faeland.”
“Then why did he let Caleb blow up the academy?”
Kristen shrugged. “I don’t think the king was fully on board with Caleb’s plan.”
The pieces were all coming together now. “Vasara is damage control, then.” I motioned at her bow. “And if we refuse—?”
Kristen moved to work on another fingernail, also making it bleed. “They might sell us to vampires or put us down.”
Like animals. This was another version of Nocturnal Academy. Instead of being trained to become courtesans and servants, we were to be molded into expendable, low level soldiers. The first wave to be sent into battle. The dead bodies the more valued fae would trample over in war. A war against whom? The vampires? Or the Winter Court?
Goosebumps exploded on my skin. “But this place is beautiful. The quarters are good. I bet the food is good, too.” My stomach chose that moment to rumble, protesting at missing breakfast.
Kristen finally stopped destroying her nail bed. “Yes, I guess King Peter doesn’t want us unhappy right now. He wants us to be cooperative.” She tilted her head, dropping her hand. “Virgie, what did you just do to me?”
I couldn’t bear to tell her. Because learning how to fight with weapons or even use the elements in combat was one thing, but having mind control was nuts. It would make me a persona non grata. It would isolate me, and worse, it would make me a target. If I was going to take the reins of my life, it needed to stay a secret. “I don’t know.”
Kristen nodded slowly, accepting my answer. She had never been good at spotting lies. “At least I don’t have to kill you, and you’ll be alive for when the High Commander wants to see you later. Maybe I’m just being negative and suspicious and the Summer Court will turn out to be the best thing that has ever happened to us. Come on. I need to empty this quiver at least once.” She notched another arrow into the bow, and the sight made anger and pressure explode in my forehead.
“Aim at the ceiling!” I shouted, and Kristen obeyed. “Aim at the ground!”
On it went until Kristen only had one arrow left. Anger built, hot and thick, in my chest. My legs ached from dodging earlier and now from tensing. I was hungry. I was tired. Why did she have so many arrows?
My gaze drilled into her as she pulled the string back. A headache bloomed between my temples. I’d had enough and couldn’t hold back anymore.
“Remove the arrow and nick yourself.”
Eyes glazed, Kristen dropped the bow, still holding the arrow. My breath caught as she turned the arrow against her collarbone. I gasped, adrenaline pumping through my veins. Kristen was actually going to hurt herself. This power I had was insane, dangerous, and addictive. “Stop!” I yelled as a trickle of blood ran down her shirt.
Chapter 6
Kristen lowered the arrow, now marked with her blood, but the glazed look remained in her eyes as did the pressure in my forehead. Kristen looked at me and dropped the arrow as the double doors of the gym came open.
The creaking sound of the wooden doors ended her trance and also broke through my horror. My anger dissolved and turned to ice. Why had I ordered her to hurt herself?
“Is the training progressing as planned?” a deep male voice rang out.
I had no time to think about my actions. The golden glow in the doorway told me that Nathan Bitterbay had arrived. Kristen blinked, then slapped her hand to her bleeding collarbone. She eyed the blood now coating her hand, then glared at me. But in the presence of this golden god, she did not speak. Her expression, however, said everything I needed to know. I was despicable. I had discovered my powers less than a day ago and already I was testing their limits on another person. I had to get myself under control. Fast.
“Have you both lost your tongue?” the low voice rang out behind me, much closer this time.
I whirled to face the newcomer. “Yes, the training has been going well.” A rush of tingles washed over me, and my jaw nearly hit the ground at the sight of the High Commander. He had golden, translucent wings that bathed the space surrounding him in a bright light, forcing me to squint. His pale, nearly white hair reached past his shoulders and had a hint of green, as if the essence of nature lived in it. Nathan’s suit was white. His shoulders and the sides of his trousers were adorned with golden material, and a sword with a white crystal blade hung off his belt.
“I’m glad to hear that your training went well.” His voice was deep honey. He studied Kristen and I, features stern, but warm.
“What can Virgie do?” Kristen stared at the blood on her fingers. “She...she…”
My legs twitched, and I wanted to run past Nathan Bitterbay and into the corridor. I hadn’t wanted to hurt Kristen, and I wasn’t ready for answers I might not like.
Nathan motioned at me. “Vergeat, follow me, please.” An invisible shield of magic hovered around Nathan, telling me that my mind skills would not work on him, just like they hadn’t worked on Caleb.
I followed Nathan, shooting Kristen one last glance. Her pupils were wide. Whether because she was scared of me or for me, I didn’t know. My heart thudded as I left the gym. Nathan Bitterbay must’ve interrupted our training session, because it couldn’t be noon yet. Kristen and I had trained for less than an hour. Were there cameras in the gym or some magical way to monitor us? Had he seen what I had done and would now punish me?
The Commander’s boots clicked against the light wooden floor as he walked in silence into the center of the main hall, past the living tree staircase and the fountain. I stayed several feet behind him, even though I knew that there would be no escaping my punishment. Through the open windows, sounds of arrows and colliding swords reached me.
At the end of the hall, Nathan opened a door, which I presumed led into his office and was opposite from his sister’s and the admission’s office. “Please come inside,” he said in his low voice that slid deeply through me, coiling low in my belly.
As I entered Nathan’s office, the sight in front of me dispelled my fears for a moment. Four small trees formed the corners of the room. Lush green leaves spread overhead and a few small birds flitted around, chattering and darting in and out of a row of open windows. Sunlight poured into the office
and fresh air blew in from the training grounds outside. His desk appeared to have grown out of the floor from the combined tree roots and spread over a dirt bed. Nathan sat down in a wooden chair—also made of tree roots—on the opposite end of the desk. He motioned at an identical chair opposite him, silently inviting me to sit as well. This was good, right? If he wanted to throw me out or do something worse, he wouldn’t be civilized about it.
I sank into my chair, searching for the right words to start the conversation. If I let Nathan speak first, I’d be giving him the power, something I wasn’t keen to do. “High Commander, it wasn’t my intention to hurt Kristen.”
Nathan tilted his head. “And yet you did.”
I nodded, unable to deny that. Even if he hadn’t monitored me from afar, he must’ve seen Kristen’s blood when he entered the gym. “I was testing the limits of my power.”
“All fae have mentalist abilities, but in most, they are latent and never awaken.” Nathan folded his hands on his desk. “The plague has negatively impacted a lot of mentalists.” He paused, then gave me a half smile. “By the way, there’s no need to call me High Commander. Nathan will do.”
My breath hitched. Nathan? He was too elegant and majestic for a first name basis, especially with an earthbound fae like me. Was he buttering me up? He didn’t seem worried about my powers, which meant that he and the Summer Court wanted to utilize them. “Why was I brought to Vasara?” I asked, even though I already knew the answer.
“To keep the new soldiers in line, Vergeat. Or do you prefer another name?” His silver eyes drilled into me, hypnotizing me, and my body flooded with heat. Was this stern man flirting with me? Why? To get close to me and control my powers?
Reluctant Fae Page 4
