Page 2

Fuck.

I look around, seeking a hiding place, needing somewhere private to shelter myself and regain control. I shove into one of the bathrooms and pace the black and white tiled floor. Catching a glimpse of myself in the mirror, I walk toward it, taking in my flustered appearance. My light blue eyes glow eerily as they do every time I reach for my power. It wasn’t intentional this time, just an instinctive response to the combined fae energy swamping me.

It had risen so eagerly to the perceived threat as if it were a starved beast sensing easy prey. I close my eyes and tighten my fingers on the sink, battling against my own power, determined to force it back into the abyss where I keep it. It has never been this difficult, but I’ve never been around so many of them at once before.

Just do it, Summer. Show me what you can do.

The voice echoes in my mind, sending a chill down my spine. I close my eyes, trying to shove the memory back into the abyss. My body trembles, and the porcelain groans beneath my hands, but the insistent press of my power finally eases. When I open my eyes and look at myself in the mirror, I am relieved to see a cooler reflection looking back at me.

Before coming here, I had considered colored contacts to hide the blue of my eyes. I thought maybe I could hide in plain sight for a little while, but it would have been a complete waste of time. They can scent that I am fae, and the second they see my eyes, pale icy blue compared to their vibrant violet with the ring of magenta around the pupil, they’ll know I’mwrong. I’d encountered enough of my kind growing up to know one thing. I needed to stay the fuck away from them.

I take a breath and reapply my lipstick. It still looks perfect, but the small, familiar action centers me a little more. The tension is still holding my shoulders, and I can see how fucking uncomfortable I am. No one else will be able to see though. My mask is as impenetrable as they come.

Unable to put it off any longer, I leave the bathroom, lifting my chin as I walk over the lush grass of the quad toward the induction tables.

“Welcome to AU!” an over-exuberant student exclaims at me, her hair in an alarmingly high ponytail. The rhythmic sway of it every time she moves is hypnotic.

“Thanks,” I reply, trying to hold back my eye roll at the black and silver outfit with the wordsAVALON CHEERacross her chest.

She smiles widely at me, her paper-white teeth gleaming in the sunshine. “Surname?”

“Tita—” I cut off, stopping myself from providing the fake surname I’d grown so used to. “Tuatha De Daanan,” I correct, crossing my arms. The name rattled in my mouth, sitting sourly on the tongue.

The girl snickers. “Sorry, I should have noticed the ears. What is your first name?”

“Summer,” I say. The tips of my pointed ears burn slightly from the attention, and I clench my fists against the need to cover them. We don’t have real surnames. Instead, all fae claimTuatha De Daananas our last name. The acceptance letter had tacked it onto my name automatically, so I am stuck with it.

The cheerleader scrolls through something on her laptop and then searches through a bunch of packets.

“Summer?”

I can’t help the glare that I shoot at her. She’s entirely too cheery, and I’m immediately suspicious. “Yes.”

She doesn’t seem to notice, her smile never wavering. “You’re in Kelpie 215! And there’s the Fair Folk Club just over there.” She points to the table at the other side of the quad, among the other club tables with first years lingering around them. “If you want to find out about their meetups. It’s a popular club for your kind.”

I blink at her. “The Fair Folk Club?” I ask, unsure why I’m surprised. Fae are as pack-like as shifters.

She nods, her eyes darting to the person in line behind me. “Well, you’re fae, right?”

Well, you’re fae, right?The question rattles around my skull. I snatch the packet from her. “Thanks for your help.” I storm away in the opposite direction, seething. I’m going to have to get used to people reacting to me based on my species, but it’s going to be difficult to overcome a lifetime of suppression.

The map directs me to the hall the cheerleader circled with a bright pink heart, charmed to flash and sparkle. This time, I don’t hold back my eye roll as I continue toward my building, lugging my one bag of clothes. Around me, families and friends carry multiple bags into the dorms, helping their new students settle in, all chattering excitedly about the future.

The campus is extraordinarily green, more than any park I’ve ever seen. Trees line the pathways between the school buildings and the dormitories. The grass is spotted with small white daisies, making it look more welcoming than if it were perfectly manicured.

Even on this busy day, students use the space to study and play ball. It all looks sonormal. That is until the ball soars high and an angel’s wings appear from his back. He launches into the sky to catch it, his friends cheering.

The grounds are obviously well-loved and well-cared for, but there is a general feeling of ease with the fresh meat being inducted into the seemingly perfect harmony of the school.

Dodging through the emotional partings of families and excited reunions of old friends, I can’t help but feel like everyone’s eyes are on me like I’m some freak of nature that they’ve never seen before. Truthfully, I am used to that. I have always been out of place, an immortal in a sea of humans, and always a little too different than was comfortable. Every day, I braided my hair in the same way to hide my pointed ears. The icy blue of my eyes drew the gaze, too abnormal to pass for a mortal but not the violet of every other fae. I am too odd for mortals and too odd for fae.

I keep my eyes on the ground, not wanting to see their stares or answer their questions. How many times will I have to sayI have no fucking ideabefore they realize it’s the truth?

I run my fingers through my hair as I walk to my dorm, ignoring the way the multitude of different species go quiet but start to whisper as I walk past. No one is saying anything mean or derogatory, but they’re curious. I don’t look or smell exactly like a fae, but I’m different enough that they wonder what I am.

People are spilling out of Kelpie Hall, milling around the large sign out front that hasMixed Specieswritten on it in big letters. I assume some dorms are species-specific. That would make sense. How else would the fae be able to suck one another off if they weren’t in close proximity at all times?

Logically, I know that not all fae are bad, but those I’ve had the misfortune of meeting and interacting with have all been arrogant, cruel, and devious.