“You’re so beautiful,” Reina blurted. “Even more than your pictures online.”
I bit back my smile, as she beat me to it, but it was all you could say after seeing Veranda.
“Thank you, darlin’,” the red-haired goddess said, waving us through the door. “Your test will be held in exam room six. Please follow me.”
We followed and my gaze was drawn to her wide hips as they swayed back and forth. Back and forth. Reina hit me, causing us both to chuckle.
Veranda stopped outside the door. “They want Miss Bennet first.”
I nodded and the two women walked into the room, locking the door behind them with a click. I wasn’t sure how long I’d be waiting outside, but every second was an eternity. Now that I’d met a few of the teachers and Fae, the stakes really sunk in. Veranda Yarrow, I gulped. And no doubt her gloves were meant for the protection of others and not herself. I existed in a society where the amount of clothing reflected your power. Where less coverage always meant more power. But now I was among Fae so Elite, their gifts so intense, they needed to protect others from them. It was almost too much to fathom. Of course, the most famous Fae, like Yemoja Roux, were not teachers. They were in the field, but the school had many gifted teachers and apprenticeships worth killing for.
My nerves flared as the lock clicked and Reina stepped out. Her gaze met mine and I wished I had the gift to know her thoughts.
“Enter,” said a voice I recognized as Headmistress Tricorn. I stepped through, closing the door behind me.
My breath skipped as I walked toward the center of the room. There were five retired Fae seated at a long table. Three more than either of my other two exams—and I knew every single one of them.
Veranda sat on the left and beside her was Maxim Tuberose, a retired seer. The headmistress sat at the center with a displeased look on her face. To the right of her was the professor of confections, Mr. Greene, and finally, all the way to the right was Dr. Havier Azul who had a healing gift. Havier Azul’s presence told me I could expect some form of combat in this exam as he’d also been at one of my other exams, the one where they’d tested physical combat. I shuddered at the memory. How the flat empty terrain and my quick-footed opponent had prevented me from being able to use my gift. It was a disgraceful performance that I promised myself not to repeat.
“Hello,” I said, my voice cracking. “I’m Kaito Na—”
“We know who you are,” Headmistress Tricorn said. “We contacted your old school, we know about your expulsion.”
I swallowed hard, my throat tightening.
“So before we continue with this exam, we’d like to ask you some questions.”
I nodded.
“In your own words, what was the nature of your expulsion?”
I took a deep breath. “Reina and I have a sort of…” What word was I even looking for? “rivalry.”
She pursed her lips, pushing me to continue.
“Our pranks got out of hand.”
She folded her hands. “Do you think it would cause a problem if I admit you both to my school?”
“No, ma’am,” I said, too nervous to meet the gazes of the other teachers.
A strained smile touched her mouth. “If we were to select only one of you, who do you think deserves the spot. And why?”
“I do,” I said. “My gift is far stronger than hers—if she even has one. I’m certain I’ll have a greater chance of becoming Fae post-graduation.”
The teachers exchanged glances but their faces told me I’d misspoken.
“What is it?” I demanded.
Professor Greene said, “We find it interesting because Reina also said she believed you should be given the position.”
My pulse raced. “She did?”
The headmistress leaned forward. “One looking out for himself, the other striving to protect others…” She tilted her head. “Which of those sound like Fae to you?” She pressed her lips into a line and I dropped my gaze to the floor. Fuck. I was failing again.
13
Reina
The door swung open and Kai stormed through. “This is bullshit,” he said, pushing past me.
I gripped his arm and pulled him back into the room. “Look, whatever he said, you have to read between the lines. He’s not great with words.”
“I don’t need your help,” Kai said under his breath.
Maxim Tuberose spoke, his voice velvety smooth. “He’s not the type of temperament suitable for Fae in training.”
“You're wrong,” I said. “I know him. I’ve been ungifted my whole life and in middle school Kai and I were always targeted by Elites, but Kai landed in the clinic much more than me. He always did what he could to—”
“And how about after middle school?” Veranda asked. “Your former principal gave us the impression he bullied you quite regularly.”
I dropped my gaze. He certainly did, and I wasn’t sure if it was our past that compelled me to speak on his behalf, but we’d gotten into this mess together and I had also been to blame for our expulsion. “He doesn’t want me to get hurt. That’s it. It’s his messed-up way of protecting me.”
Headmistress Tricorn spoke, “You admit it’s messed up.”
“All he needs is a great teacher. That’s why we’re here.”
The room fell silent and, after a moment, the headmistress nodded to Veranda.
She said, “Then let the exam begin. But be warned, there will be no talking your way through this time.”
The teachers leaned forward with anticipation as Veranda stood in front of me. I shook, my legs going weak beneath me.
Headmistress Tricorn said, “Miss Yarrow will use her gift to determine the potential of your gifts. This was chosen mostly for Reina, as she does not yet know her gift, though we can sense a hint of its type. Kaito, if you’re as strong as you think you are, you should have no problem passing the exam.”
Veranda pulled off her black gloves, her perfectly manicured hands yet another show of her beauty.
“May I, baby?” she asked, holding her hands out. It was strange to see someone so powerful ask permission to touch. I nodded quickly. She had the answer I needed. She could tell me if I had any hope of becoming Fae.
I slid my hands onto hers, her head rolling back and her eyes snapping shut. I held my breath, willing any power within me to her hands, but of course I felt none. She lifted her head and opened her eyes, a deep sadness in them. She teared, putting her hand to her heart.
“What is it?” Maxim asked, but she ignored him. Instead, she looked at me, as if in search of something. “Your parents…” she said, sending my heart into a frantic race. “I know what you did,” she whispered.
I felt Kai’s gaze on my face and I hoped Veranda wouldn’t say more.
She held her hands back out. “Let’s try again.”
I hesitated before putting my hands on hers. She’d uncovered my darkest secret in an instant and I was afraid of what else she might discover. Just as before, her head rolled back, her breaths became labored, and I resisted the urge to rip my hands away. Finally, she lifted her head with a gentle smile at the corners of her mouth.
“It’s as we thought. Just like her.”
I shook my head. “Like who?”
“Yemoja Roux,” she said.
My gaze moved to Kai as a rush of emotions flooded me. I was gifted. I was gifted like Yemoja Roux. I clenched my teeth to suppress every emotion swirling through me because Veranda had already moved to Kai, her hands held out for him to touch.
“Your turn,” she said with scarlet lips. He put his hands in hers and I found myself nearly as nervous for him as I’d been for myself. My heartbeat raced, to a new rhythm, one that echoed Yemoja Roux, Yemoja Roux.
Veranda’s breaths deepened. She began to shake, then convulse. Something was wrong. Her breaths grew more erratic. I gasped as blood shot from her nose and she collapsed onto the floor. Kaito stood stunned as Dr. Azul leaped over the table and ran to Veranda.
Blood-red tears dripped from her eyes as the other teachers encircled her in a panic.
“What happened?” Kai asked, staring at his hands in horror.
Dr. Azul dropped to his knees and placed his hands around Veranda’s throat. In seconds, her shaking stopped and the flow of blood from her ears and nose slowed. I stared down with a mix of terror and awe as Dr. Azul’s gift took over, easing her convulsions.
The headmistress’ gaze moved to Kai. “Maxim…”
Without another word, the gray-haired elder stood and forcefully grabbed Kai’s hand. The time for asking permission had come and gone. I’d never seen a seer work in real time. But just as it looked online, his eyes lit up a radiant blue that filled the room. We all held our breath as he spoke. “The path is not set. There is greatness here, but it is not yet determined whether it will be nurtured by the Fae or their enemies.”
Havier Azul looked up. “I need to get her to my office.” The four teachers worked together to lift Veranda, a task Kai could have managed with a touch. But Kai was terrified. I understood why he didn’t volunteer. In fact, I’d have understood if he never touched anyone again.
“Stay on campus, but speak of this to no one,” the headmistress said as they carried Veranda out of the room, her consciousness dimming as they went.
Kai stared down at his hands, his mouth open. Veranda’s blood was smeared across the floor.
He turned to me. “I… I didn’t—”
“It’s okay, Kai. No one thinks you did.”
“You know my gift. It’s levitation… I... couldn't have...”
My skin prickled when a clear streak fell down his face. “Let’s go get some air,” I whispered. He said nothing for a long time as he continued to stare at his hands.
“It’s okay, Kai.” I wanted to reach out and touch him. I wanted to pull him in for a hug. But the memory of Veranda’s bleeding eyes was fresh and I was afraid. I took a deep breath, thinking of something my mother used to say: Never let fear stop you. I reached out for him, but he hovered and slid himself back out of reach, his heels never hitting the ground.
“Let’s go outside. We need some air,” I said again. I opened the door and felt him follow silently behind. We burst through the front door, where we’d come in, and rushed back to the courtyard as if fleeing the school we both longed to enroll in. I turned into a hedge maze and wove through the floral labyrinth. The sun's rays warmed the top of my head, soaking into my dark curls as I turned a corner and spotted a bench that was tucked away. I didn’t want anyone to see us. I didn’t want Kai to feel ashamed to cry.
I sat first and Kai sat on the opposite end, taking extra care not to touch me. We didn’t need words. The quiet of the morning in the garden calmed us both after a long while, and when he was ready, he spoke. “Thank you for what you did in there.”
I shrugged. “It was nothing.”
“Not to me.”
I chewed on my lip.
“You know, none of that was really true. That stuff you said about me protecting you.”
“I figured,” I said, but the bite of disappointment lingered. I had, of course, made the mistake of thinking he cared. That’s what I wished was true. “Can I ask you what it is that you hate about me?”
He shook his head, rubbing his hands on his knees. “I don’t know. I guess I hate that it never gets to you.”
“Wh—”
“You just come into school every day with a smile, as if the whole world hasn’t gone to shit. I mean, all those years you thought you were ungifted. What the fuck did you have to smile about?”
I let my hand drop to the bench between us.
“I had this amazing gift and everything still hurt. So… I guess I wanted to hurt you. Or for you to, I don’t know, understand.” He chuckled but it was a sad sound and the corners of his eyes glistened. He turned his confused gaze on me, “Does that sound like Fae to you?”
“Kaito.” I reached out but froze before I touched him, a flare of fear halting me. “Maybe you’re being a little hard on yourself.” I half smiled, “I used to spend a lot of time with you, you’re not so bad.”
He sighed, but his expression softened. “You’re too nice, Rei. You don’t recognize a monster when you see one.”
I grinned, “No, you’re right. You’re a total asshole.”
His face brightened, “And yet here you are, as ever, trying to rescue me.”
“Well, yeah, you’re hot now so…”
He laughed and nudged my shoulder with his.
I shook my head. “It would be such a waste.”
I realized we’d been inching closer, growing bold in our desire to touch.
“You’ve always been beautiful.”
His cell phone floated from his pocket and he swiped through before holding up the image of me he took at the pier.
I took a shallow breath, “You did keep it… So why did you stop being my friend?”
He sighed, “It’s complicated.”
I glared.
He rolled his eyes, “Well, everything changed and…” His gaze moved to me, “I don’t mean just me getting a gift. I figured the gap in our abilities would separate us eventually. Besides, at the time, I thought I’d get over it.” He slipped his phone into his pocket and stared down at his hands. “I almost reached out to you when I heard about your parents, but I chickened out.”
Stunned, I whispered, “I wish you had.” I thoughtlessly touched his arm. We froze, staring at our touching skin, my heartbeat turbulent in my chest.
A sudden heat burned me and I wasn’t sure if I would soon meet the same fate as Veranda, or if my body’s reaction wasn’t gift related at all.
His gaze rose to mine.
A wave of his gift pulsed through my blood and I was weightless, hovering ever so slightly off the bench. My breath caught as I felt myself move closer. My thoughts dimmed, leaving me with a burning hunger, though I wasn’t sure for what. Kai reached for me, his warm palms on my cheeks. I gripped his tie, losing myself as I pulled him in. His lips were hot on mine, his tongue numbing any thoughts of stopping. His hands slid over my body as I gripped his hair. He bit down on my bottom lip and I whimpered. He pulled away slowly, his eyes wide. He stood so quickly that, if I hadn’t been hanging in his gift, I would have toppled to the ground.
“I’m so sorry,” he said, running his hand through his hair.
I felt myself lower to the bench, a riot still raging in my chest. “No, it’s okay. I was the one who… pulled th-the…”
“No, it’s me, I shouldn’t have--” he pressed his lips together. “I’m sorry Reina.”
I stood. “It’s okay Kai. It was just a kiss.”
“Was it?”
I swallowed a lump in my throat, my pulse racing. He was right. It was anything but just a kiss.
He took the silence as my response and nodded before jogging back into the maze of hedges without another word.
I sighed, was walking not fast enough? I was left alone to wonder who Kaito really was, the sweet boy from my childhood or the bully. I was an idiot. His excuses were flimsy at best and I spent years in pain because of him and I still went for it. Even worse, I still wanted to.
14
Kaito
The funny thing about momentum was, once it started, no matter if it was positive or negative, it was hard to stop. First, I practically murdered a legendary Fae, though I have no clue how. I botched my entrance exam. And worst of all, I kissed Reina…. Again. At least I didn’t break her bones this time. I don’t know what I was expecting. For her to push me away and slap me for all the things I’d done to her, I guess. But she pulled me closer, and if I hadn’t suddenly remembered she was a virgin, I might’ve taken her right there. Why didn’t she stop me? And why did it take me so long to stop myself?
I’d been horrible to her. If she felt something between us, she was an idiot too. I felt sick. I was the ultimate dickhead, a failure, and possibly a murderer. I understood why my parents never came
home. I understood why I was always alone. Something was broken inside me. There was a darkness I couldn’t seem to keep at bay. If I let myself slip up again with Reina, eventually I’d break her too—just like I’d wanted to.
My reeling thoughts were interrupted by a figure coming down the stairs. Professor Greene spotted me on the lawn. I scanned his face, half expecting to be arrested on the spot, but his shoulders were relaxed, his bun bouncing on the back of his head in time with his bow-legged gait.
“Veranda will be fine. She’s resting,” he said, and I felt a wave of relief crash into me.
“Do you know what happened?” I asked. I wasn’t sure I wanted the answer.
He sucked in a breath as if he were unsure if he should tell me what he knew. “We think that your potential may have been greater than her body could handle.”
A pang of nervousness hit my stomach. “Does that happen a lot?”
He shook his head.
I swallowed a lump in my throat. Too much power? Was there such a thing? I knew my gift was exceptional, I’d discovered levitation had many uses, but it also had limits. I’d completely botched the physical entrance exam. I wasn’t even strong enough to be admitted. My thoughts were interrupted by the professor’s next words.
“The headmistress has decided to admit both of you. Pack your belongings and come at the same time tomorrow to move in and start orientation,” he said, his gaze moving past me.
I spun to see Reina a few yards away. “Thank you, professor,” she said and coldly turned away without so much as a glance at me.
The Fae & The Fallen: Gifted Fae Academy - Year One Page 5
