Reluctant Fae

by Margo Ryerkerk

  “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 jaws 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 arrogant behavior would have consequences.

  Chapter 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.

  Focusing on my outfit was easier than trying to figure out who this fae was and why she looked like my former roommate. I entered my bedroom and rummaged through my closet, choosing a blouse with bell sleeves and a long skirt. It looked kind of hippie and was better than the princess get-up I had endured yesterday. I groaned, realizing that the photo shoot had never happened, which meant the fae press were saving it for later. A photo shoot in theory sounded like fun, but I was sure the Summer Court would manage to make it into a political statement and a grilling session.

  Dressed, I emerged from my bedroom and finished my breakfast as Peony sat on one of the benches, sipping coffee. Awkwardness filled the air.

  Without another word during breakfast, we headed to the door. I felt bad for leaving the table a mess, but Pierre had made it clear that I was not to clean up after myself. It would be an insult to the fae workers who served the Vasara Training Center.

  “What are you doing today?” I asked as Peony stepped on the fifth stair of the stump staircase.

  She tilted her head. “I have classes with you. As do a third of the Nocturnal Academy fae. The other fae have been split into two more groups.”

  “Oh.” How stupid of me to assume that I was special and would get private lessons. “I thought they were all being trained as warriors?”

  “The ones showing little magic are. But since they only just arrived, the
Summer Court wants to ensure that everyone is in the right place,” Peony said, waiting for me on the step. “The schedule has changed for everyone. Kristin and the other fae with low magical ability are still training as warriors so these new classes are add-ons.”

  I knew the reason for that. Me. Vasara may have been waiting for my arrival before putting the other former earthbound fae in magical classes, classes where they would have to use their heads. And I would be working with them. Influencing them.

  The tree staircase dropped us off at the mouth of a round, wooden room that was filled with standing fae who looked to be my age, but whom I had never met as they had been a class below me at Nocturnal Academy. Many wore warrior uniforms with leather armor, but some had chosen dresses or tunics with dress pants for the guys. Despite the pupils, there was a lot missing from this classroom like tables, chairs, or a board. There weren’t even any plants to work with for the plant students.

  A female fae with light peach-colored wings strode into the room. Despite her gray hair, her features were young to middle-aged, like that of most fae older than us. She wore a Boho dress that matched the color of her wings. Then she clapped as if we were all five years old. “Please make a circle and sit down, everyone.”

  I was getting tired of this sort of treatment. On the ground? I sure was glad I wasn’t wearing anything short, not that I had seen any mini dresses in my closet. Since I was standing next to Peony, I ended up sitting next to her with Kristen on my other side, who wore a brown jumpsuit.

  “Hi, Virgie,” she said casually, seemingly no longer upset at me making her stab herself.

  Before I could react, the teacher glanced at each of us in turn, smiling. “My name is Blythe Tree, and I’ll be teaching History of the Faeland as well as Developing Intuition, Introduction to Prophecy, and Developing a Mind Shield.”

  Okay. Clearly, the fae didn’t believe in hiring multiple teachers. The only course she didn’t seem to be teaching was Telepathy, which Nathan would probably give me over dinner time as the press hungrily circled us and he let me know how much wiser he was than me.

  “We’ll start with Introduction to Prophecy. Now, while many of you might not possess the necessary skills to see the future, it is still important to understand how this wondrous ability works.” Blythe turned her focus to me. “Obviously, we all expect a lot from you, Virgie.”

  My body prickled as thirty pairs of eyes stared at me. Wonderful. No pressure, then.

  Introduction to Prophecy turned out to be as ridiculous as it sounded. Blythe spoke about dreams, suggesting we write them down as soon as we wake up and analyze the meanings of common dreams, such as being on the run (you’re avoiding something), killing someone (you feel anger), a monster coming out of nowhere (you might have a hidden enemy). Overall, her lesson was as informative as a cheap nonsense book from the new age section. Most people’s eyelids drooped through the lesson, though Blythe remained as animated as ever.

  History of the Faeland, which took place in the hour after Introduction to Prophecy, wasn’t any better. This first lesson was basically a recount of how great the Summer Court was and how the Winter Court were greedy savages who wanted to destroy us. Blythe rehashed how the Winter Court had unleashed the plague to make the Summer fae sterile, and how some of our ancestors had fled to the human world to escape.

  Onyx’s purple hair and cobalt gaze appeared in my mental eye. If not for her, a Winter fae, I wouldn’t be here. If not for her, the vampire twins would’ve killed me at the Wild Hunt.

  “King Peter wants to reunite all the Summer fae and fight for a glorious future,” Blythe finished, and I snapped back to attention. She had omitted the part of history where the Summer fae had tried to take over some Winter lands, and how the Winter king had retaliated against the invaders. The vampires back in Nocturnal Academy had at least taught us that part. But no one protested. Keeping my mouth shut was key here. If I opened my mouth now, then I would ruin my chances at climbing the ladder.

  “Are you okay?” Peony asked, and I realized everyone around me was chattering and several students had gotten up for the break.

  “Y...yes,” I said, wondering if Peony would once again turn away if I got myself into a sticky situation, or if she’d actually help me this time.

  Lunch was brought into the classroom in clay bowls, which meant we couldn’t even complain about Blythe as she ate with us, seated on the floor in the center of the room. Our cutlery was made of wood—no iron here—but despite the odd taste, the pea soup was still delicious.

  “Let us now move to Developing Intuition, one of my favorite subjects,” Blythe said as a few fae with brown wings entered the room and collected our dishes. Kristen pulled nervously on her hair, probably wondering if this would be her future if she didn’t die on the battlefront first. I was getting the idea that brown wings signified no major magic and a low status. Once, Kristen would’ve been glad to be a servant, but back then being a servant was more of a PA role for the Wus, who would’ve taken her to glamorous locations. Being a servant at Vasara Center, on the other hand, didn’t look exciting. I didn’t sense that the fae servants were treated with cruelty, but they were nothing special here, and Kristen had always wanted a spot in the limelight.

  “To develop your intuition, you must first become an excellent observer,” Blythe continued, and I suppressed a yawn, not in the mood for more boring theory. Blythe motioned at Peony and me. “You two will work as a pair.” She put everyone else in the room into pairs as well and handed one person in each a ball. “Now. One person throws the ball and the other tries to catch it by predicting its trajectory.”

  People scattered. No one smiled at the prospect of such a boring lesson. After what I’d done with Kristen, this felt insulting. Like something Nathan would put together.

  Since we were the only pair who didn’t have a ball, I raised my hand, and Blythe glided over to us. “You girls don’t need a ball,” she said. “Peony, use your plant magic to trap Virgie. Virgie, avoid the attacks. Do not block them. Blocking is something we’ll do in Mental Shields.” Then Blythe leaned close to me. “Also, be sure to keep the other students on task if you see them slacking off.”

  A shudder ran down my spine despite the power she was handing me. Already the staff was grooming me to control the other students. “I will,” I said as that was the only acceptable answer. “But why can’t I protect myself against Peony or attack in return?” This felt like a step backward.

  Blythe’s face turned stern. “Because you don’t want to announce loud and clear that you’re a mentalist in a war.”

  That made sense. Already I had sensed the need to keep my abilities under wraps. I glanced at the lilac wings behind me, which surprisingly I had gotten used to rather quickly, partly thanks to fae furniture that only reached mid-back and fae clothing that had openings for my wings. “Won’t the others know by the color of my wings what I am?”

  Blythe gave me a sly smile. “That’s what glamour is for, which you’ll master soon. Also, if you fight on earth, no one will know what type of fae you are by looking at you.”

  I nodded, taking in the information. So despite Blythe’s calm and friendly aura, she too believed that war was coming, either with the vamps or the Winter Court.

  As soon as Blythe stepped aside to help another pair, Peony stood back and shot a vine at my leg. I stepped aside, but not quickly enough as it grabbed my skirt, entwining fabric and pulling at me. A few people stopped their exercise and stared.

  I glared at Peony, daring her to pull on the vine and rip the material and thus expose and embarrass me in front of the whole class. Leave it to her to put me in my place early.

  “Sorry,” she muttered and retracted her vine.

  I blinked. The Peony I knew didn’t apologize. When she did you a favor, she demanded something in return. She was a typical fae, relying on deals rather than friendships.

  “Should we try again?” Peony lifted her hand and shot a vine from her palm
to my chest.

  I side-stepped. Easy. The vine lashed at the floor and nearly hit another pair of fae. They dodged out of the way, their mouths dropping open.

  I sensed Blythe’s stare on my back and said, “Ignore us. Go back to what you’re doing.” As I spoke, pressure formed in my forehead. My power was awakening with greater ease than it had before thanks to the practice I’d had.

  The two male fae’s eyes glazed over. With a sharp nod, they continued their ball exercise.

  The air shifted and I whirled just in time to see a leafy, green snake coiling around Peony’s hand like a living whip. Her amber eyes remained apologetic as if she’d been waiting for me to put my attention back on her.

  “What is with you?” I blurted.

  Peony glanced to the left, but shot for my right hand. I too avoided this cheap blow by dodging to the side.

  “This is too easy. You know me too well.” She smiled as if she didn’t mind me defeating her.

  “Who is this stranger? Have they given you a mind control potion here?” I raised an eyebrow and made sure Blythe had her back turned. I wanted to stay angry at Peony for her lack of support at the Wild Hunt, but the more time I spent with her, the more I realized I couldn’t.

  Peony shook her head, and suddenly, her face grew tired. “No. I just realized what a bitch I was.” She paused. “Nobody can survive on their own. If Caleb hadn’t helped me, I wouldn’t be here today. He could’ve let me rot in that Reformatory and made me pay for my sins. Instead, he chose to give me a second chance.”

  I thought of Caleb and Peony standing together at the palace. “You really like him.”

  Peony twirled a blonde strand. Normally, she did this flippantly, but now she almost appeared shy and like she didn’t want to meet my gaze. So, she liked him a lot. It was a weakness she was trying to conceal. I swallowed hard. Did we still have to keep score? “Would you like to have dinner, just you and I?” I asked, testing the waters.

  She nodded. “I would like that very much. It would be nice to have a friend here.”