The Fae & The Fallen: Gifted Fae Academy - Year One

by Brittni Chenelle

  She nodded. “I see, but our bodies don’t reject this ‘disease’, as you’ve called it.”

  “Yes, they do. They reject other people’s gifts when touched.”

  A knock sounded at the door before the professor could respond, and Zane looked pleased with himself. I had to admit it was an interesting theory, and the approving glances of the other students seemed to suggest they agreed. A gasp and shriek make me whirl to the front of the room. My heart slammed into my chest and, without thinking, I stood as a figure entered the room. No fucking way. Yemoja Roux. She was tall and muscular, with her trademark magenta hair and a slitted bodysuit that left little to the imagination. Her shoulders were broad, her legs thick and muscular like vine-wrapped tree trunks. Beneath her gloves I could tell her hands were small and dainty, while the rest of her form was nothing but a show of unequaled power. Her expression was calm but I could see laugh lines around her eyes and mouth, no doubt from the smile I’d seen in every one of her advertisements and interviews since I was born. A girl in the front row began to cry with reverence and I had to will myself not to follow.

  Any doubts that I had about GFA being the greatest Fae school on the planet died the moment Yemoja Roux walked in. “Good afternoon,” Yemoja said. And I held my breath.

  “You may sit down, Mr. Nakamaru.”

  Yemoja Roux’s gaze met mine and I dropped into my seat.

  “And what are we discussing today, Mrs. Opaline?”

  “Mr. Blaque here was giving us his theory about the effect of proximity on the potency of gifts.”

  Yemoja Roux nodded.

  “Would you care to share your theory?”

  She smiled and a wave of excited whispers echoed through the room. That smile was her signature, the one you could always see on her face when in battle. Even in the face of unspeakable evil, it never wavered. Even I felt dizzy from the sight of it as I contemplated just how lethal she actually was. I could hardly fight the urge to throw myself at her feet or praise her for her deeds. But what merit would my words be to someone like her?

  “Certainly,” she said, turning to the students. She spoke and her gaze was directed at each student for a short time before she moved to the next. “The more I observe varying gifts in battle, the more I come to believe that all humans tap into a shared energy. Closer proximity allows those connections to strengthen the connection we have with that energy. Since we all interact with the world in our own way, we also access the energy in our own way and thus evince different abilities.” I hung on her every word, drinking in the inflection in her voice, fueling my dream to become a great Fae like her.

  Zane’s voice shot out. “Sounds like a bunch of religious mumbo jumbo to me.”

  All the air sucked from the room. Had he just openly disrespected the most beloved hero of our time? Nobody dared to move.

  Yemoja Roux tilted her head with a playful grimace. “And what’s your name, sir?”

  “Zane.”

  “Zane what?”

  “Zane Blaque.”

  Her eyes narrowed. “Blaque with a Q-U-E?” It was oddly specific.

  He nodded.

  “What’s your gift, Mr. Blaque?”

  “Shield.”

  She lowered her chin and put a hand on her hip. “And would you say you go through life defensively?”

  “You don’t know me,” he spat.

  I laughed too loudly, drawing the attention of the room. Yemoja winked at me. She’d made her point, though the rest of the room was too still for me to read if they found it as amusing as I did.

  I tried Yemoja’s theory on my own gift. I made things float… I didn’t exactly float through life. In fact, I always found myself battling against my feelings. I did that with my parents, with my desire to attend GFA, to improve my rank, and now with Reina.

  “It stands to reason you would battle gravity as well,” Yemoja said.

  What the fuck? I exhaled a shaky breath. Did she just read my mind?

  “I’m not reading your mind, you’re just thinking so loudly I’m sure everyone here can hear you.”

  My face burned, but I relished every second of attention from Yemoja Roux. I could only imagine how many lives would be lost just from her short visit.

  I stood. “Sorry. Thank you. I love you. Do continue,” I said. I threw my hand over my mouth. Fuck. I just told Yemoja Roux I loved her.

  I held my breath in my seat as if that would somehow pass the moment faster.

  She giggled, and I felt the sense of accomplishment that I had making my parents laugh as a kid. In those days, I would have done anything to amuse them. “Anyway,” she said, “I’m here on official business as well as to speak with you about the Fae murders.”

  I shot a look back at Zane, half expecting to see a satisfied grin, only to find him as attentively listening like the others.

  She continued. “Through anonymous tips and whispers online, we’ve discovered a connection between the murders—a terrorist group that are calling themselves The Fallen.” She waved her hand in front of the screen, drawing a downward arrow. “This is their calling card. I would like to stress how important it is to report anything that you know to a teacher or the authorities. There are now six Fae dead.”

  Impossible. I had been so caught up with the party and my new status that I hadn’t checked the news. Six Fae dead. It was impossible.

  “Since they are targeting Fae in such close proximity to the school, and you’re all such promising Fae in training, it’s not out of the realm of possibility that they’ll attack GFA.”

  “What? Are you serious?” a girl from the front row said.

  Yemoja Roux nodded and continued. “There’s no need to panic. We have Fae reinforcing the school’s protections, but as a precaution, whether you're on campus or off, it’s best you stay with a group. All of six of the deaths were from Fae who were working independently. Be vigilant and aware of your surroundings until we can take The Fallen out.”

  A guy at the front of the room shook his head. “That’s crazy.”

  “One more thing. Based on the injuries found on the victims, sharp cuts and punctures, we have reason to suspect The Fallen are using non-human allies.”

  “Like attack dogs?” another student asked.

  She shook her head. “We couldn’t identify the species.”

  Zane leaned back in his chair. “So monsters then.”

  When Yemoja Roux didn’t correct him, the room erupted into panicked conversation. This was a whole new kind of evil.

  She only let the conversation go for a minute before she raised a hand to silence the class. “The government would rather I not share any of this information. I understand your concern, but if you’re really here to become Fae, than your job is to overcome fear in order to protect those who can’t protect themselves. Everyone in here is Elite gifted, but imagine being out there without the protection of a gift. Imagine the fear and helplessness of those less fortunate. I can’t protect them forever, and the burden will fall to you. It is under these trying times when we learn who we really are. Only in tragedy can we rise to become great.”

  We sat in stunned silence as Yemoja watched us one by one. Zane Blaque clapped his hands loudly, jogging us from our daze. “Great speech. Really inspiring. Can I ask one thing?”

  Our professor intervened. “Mr. Blaque, please see Headmistress Tricorn directly after class. And I’d appreciate it if you’d show Ms. Roux some respect for taking the time to speak with you today.”

  He looked both amused and shocked. “It was just a question. No one’s allowed to question authority around here, apparently.”

  “Go ahead,” Yemoja said, challenging him.

  “How do you know The Fallen or whatever are terrorists?”

  I slammed my fist down on the table, disgusted by his blatant disrespect. “She just said they killed six Fae,” I barked through gritted teeth.

  His glasses gleamed, and I’d never been more certain he was up to no good. I
gnoring me, he turned back to Yemoja Roux, looking her dead in the eye. “So, you’re saying you’ve never taken a life.”

  Silence filled the room.

  I raised my hand but didn’t wait to be called on. “I’d like to report a member of The Fallen,” I said, pointing to Zane. “That guy.”

  The classroom giggled. “Settle down,” the professor said. “Settle down.”

  Yemoja Roux shook her head, an easy smile on her face. But it didn’t reach her eyes. “Unfortunately, I have a lot of classrooms to hit before lunch. Thank you for your time, and Zane, thank you for your particularly enthusiastic participation.”

  She nodded to me, a gesture of gratitude, before she stepped out of the classroom.

  33

  Reina

  The sudden shock and thrill of being reprimanded for using my own gift after a lifetime of being a Serf felt like an emotional floodgate opened. I sat in my classroom wondering what happened. I hadn’t touched the girl with the braid, so why did my professor seem to believe I’d used an ability on her? And why did the girl’s scowl confirm she agreed? Was it some kind of embarrassment gift? Then I remembered another misunderstanding that also occurred without touch at my old school. Kai began to say strange things before he got angry and dumped my lunch on me. At the time, I thought Emma had done something to him, since she was touching his arm when it happened. Could it have been me? Is that how my gift was like Yemoja Roux?

  My thoughts were interrupted when someone came into class late exclaiming that Yemoja Roux was not only at the school but visiting each classroom. My new ability could not be overshadowed by anything except Yemoja Roux. I could think of nothing else. Yemoja Roux the Great Fae was here. My heart leapt whenever a student came through the door. I hoped she would grace one of my classes with her presence, but as my third class came and went, with little more than going over the syllabus, I began to think that my sparse schedule didn’t give me enough chances to meet her.

  I went to lunch feeling deflated. The rest of the students glowed with excitement, their presence altered by beholding the greatest of all Fae. I wondered, what would it feel like to stand in her proximity? What did it feel like to witness greatness?

  I feared I’d never know beyond the glimpse I’d gotten of her so many years ago.

  “Reina,” Oden called, waving me over to his lunch table. I sat down, putting my tray next to his. “How were your morning classes? Did you get to meet Yemoja Roux?”

  “No, she didn’t come to my class. But something weird happened.”

  He leaned forward.

  “I… I think I used my gift.”

  He lowered his voice. “And you had those gloves on?”

  I nodded. Of course, he knew. It seemed like he knew from the first moment we met.

  “What’s your gift?” he whispered as if unwilling to share the news with anyone else.

  “Well… I think it’s—”

  Oden leapt up. “You’re the man!” Oden said, throwing his arm around a stunned Kai. “I heard you told Yemoja Roux you loved her. You aim high, man. I’ll give you that.”

  I gaped. He did what? The thought of competing with Miranda for his attention was one thing, but Yemoja Roux was something else entirely. Not that I was competing. Ugh. What’s wrong with me?

  Kai humored him with a smile and said, “She wants me.”

  “You’re insane. Have a seat, man.”

  What? No, not here.

  Oden gestured to the table and my stomach dropped when Kai’s gaze fell to me. “Hey, Kai,” I said sheepishly, but he couldn’t have looked more eager to escape—no doubt in search of Miranda.

  Kai turned back to Oden. “Sorry, guys, I promised my roommate I’d sit with him and stuff. See you around.”

  Phew. Dodged a bullet there.

  Oden sat down across from me with a goofy grin that said he was still thinking about Kai hitting on Yemoja Roux. I was struck by how handsome he was, the green of his eyes, dizzying when he was in his uniform. It’s almost like his status as king of the school and his rare gift overshadowed his looks, but not that day. Only now, as he sat eating his lunch, he wasn’t a king or an apprentice Fae at all. He was just a high school boy. A hot one.

  He took a bite of a burger. “So what did you say your gift was?”

  I fiddled with the charm on my necklace. “I didn’t.”

  “Well, you’ll work it out in your independent studies.”

  I leaned forward. “How do you know about those?”

  He lifted an eyebrow with a devious smile that was so alluring, if my virginity had been an object, I would have tossed it at him. “Still not talking, huh?”

  “I can be bribed.”

  I leaned across the table and kissed him, taking far more delight in his surprised and elated expression than even the kiss itself. He leaned in and groaned, “More.”

  I laughed. I wasn’t sure how I got so lucky or how after so much sadness and grief I could feel happy and excited for what lay ahead. Either way, if the wheel of fortune was spinning back, I wasn’t going to waste it.

  34

  Kaito

  I grabbed my tray and made my way through the line, tossing bowls of lukewarm food onto it. I eyed the Common that stood behind the counter, Yemoja Roux’s speech ringing through me. They were gifted, only enough to keep the food relatively warm. What chance would they have if The Fallen attacked? The sensor scanned my tray and I waved my school ID over the scanner which blinked red and three-dimensional letters appeared in the air in front of me that read Kaito Nakamaru before blinking out.

  I appraised the tables that were half full with students engrossed so deeply in conversation, it didn’t seem like anyone was eating. I looked for Zane Blaque, prepared to give him a little talk about respect, but there was no sign of him.

  As I weaved between the tables, I could hear that the entire cafeteria could speak of nothing but The Fallen and Yemoja Roux.

  An arm landed on my shoulders. “You’re the man!” Oden said, shaking me. “I heard you told Yemoja Roux you loved her. You aim high, man. I’ll give you that.”

  I grinned. “She wants me.”

  “You’re insane. Have a seat, man.

  He gestured to the table and my stomach dropped when Reina was seated there. “Hey, Kai,” she said. The sudden memory of my night with Miranda hit me, followed closely by the memory of Reina’s kiss with Oden, and I couldn’t offer her so much as a smile.

  I gulped, doing a quick sweep of the cafeteria, looking for an out. The last thing I wanted was to sit through their little date. I caught a glimpse of Carter. Perfect.

  “Sorry, guys, I promised my roommate I’d sit with him and stuff. See you around.” Before they could protest, I darted through the crowd.

  Carter’s face lit when he saw me. “Good timing, man. I was about to have a seat outside.”

  “It’s a little cold, isn’t it?”

  He tossed his blonde curls out of his face. “A little, but that just means we’ll have the place to ourselves. Or do you want to look at that?” He nodded and I turned to see Reina lean in and kiss Oden across the table.

  I clenched my jaw. “Good point.”

  We headed outside and Carter inhaled his burger in no more than three bites before he pulled out his guitar and began to play. “Bro,” he said, “I hear Zane Blaque was questioned by police.”

  “You’re kidding. I just had a class with him.” I shook my head. “He was rude to Yemoja Roux.”

  His brow furrowed. “So she had him arrested?”

  I shook my head. “No... not exactly. He sounded crazy, though. He was supporting these terrorists or whatever.”

  He looked puzzled, so I recounted the conversation as closely as I remembered it.

  Carter strummed thoughtfully before he spoke. “You know… he kinda had a point?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Well, the Fae kill people all the time.”

  I nodded. “Bad people.”


  “Who decides who’s bad? I mean, what gives one person the right to kill and not another, and who has the power to make the choice?”

  My thoughts reeled. I didn’t exactly know how to answer him.

  He continued. “Normally, when the Commons or even Serfs are attacked, and Fae protect them, we all kind of agree that’s what’s fair. But now that The Fallen are attacking Fae, it seems… I don’t know, like an even playing field.”

  “You think Yemoja Roux is a bad guy?”

  “Of course not. But if you really think about it, without the Fae the strong would survive and maybe the weak would die out. But at the end of the day, what’s more fair and just than natural selection?”

  I didn’t disagree. I couldn’t. Carter’s soothing melody extinguished any spark of rage or defense that rose. There was something to his theory, something powerful that Zane Blaque thought was worthy enough to question the great Fae Yemoja Roux.

  The idea that Fae might not be all good had never occurred to me. They were the darlings of the media. Of course, they had to kill their enemies from time to time to protect the rest of us. Yet, for some reason, once the idea had found its way into my head, I couldn’t get it out.

  35

  Reina

  I looked down at my afternoon schedule which was comprised of three hour-long independent studies. Well, this was going to be fun. All I could imagine was sitting in a training room, punching a dummy in the hopes that my gift would manifest. On top of that, it seemed like my gift made people say things—personal things. I was sure a dummy wouldn’t have much to share. Under the location, it read Combat Zone One. I remembered exactly which of the two domes the combat zone was in from my tour with Miranda and also her warning that the moment I stepped in there I could be attacked by any student. Had that girl with the yellow braid exaggerated? Were there other girls who felt slighted by me spending time with Oden? I reached out to touch the barrier around the dome. It reminded me of the one at the fort which I’d desperately wanted to touch once it started lighting up the party. This one didn’t seem to have as many cool properties, but I was surprised to find the surface ribbed instead of smooth.