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Summer

TWO MONTHS EARLIER

O bsession. The temptation to feed into one’s obsession is so obscenely delicious and relentless. How can something so perfectly decadent be so wrong? Once you’ve felt its claws sinking sharply into your very soul, there’s no way to replicate the feeling, and there is no going back. The only way to combat it is to starve it, to take the object away and let the desire shrivel until you’re nothing but a hollow husk. And that’s exactly how it feels. The emptiness creates an aching void that nothing can ease.

Eagal. Teine. Furaidh. Chan eil fios gu leòr.

Fear. Fire. Fury. To know is not enough.

The words are emblazoned on the wrought iron arch above the entrance to the campus. It marks the place where the protective barrier of the school begins. Even as the portal closes behind me, other students are eagerly approaching the campus from their home realms.

Fear. I’ve felt it my whole life, and I’ve known it for as long as I can remember.

There is no going back now, I suppose. Not that I have anywhere to go back to.

Fire. Like the fire inside me, the only thing standing against the darkness permeating my every cell.

The large iron gates herd students in, keeping some level of order to the chaotic surge of new blood into the university. They don’t hesitate as they cross onto the campus, calling out to old friends and looking around in eager anticipation. For them, this is a long-awaited day. For me, it’s… something else.

Fury. The anger from never belonging.

For most, this has always been their plan.

To know is not enough. It never has been. The knowledge concealed behind these gates calls to me. It’s a silent temptation that I find irresistible.

They pass by me, none looking twice in my direction. Most are in their late twenties or early thirties, and their plans have been neatly laid out for them. They spent their youth maturing their magic enough to meet the entry requirements, learning and building themselves up until they reached a point where they were found deserving of attending the prestigious Avalon University. I, on the other hand, shouldn’t be here. This wasn’t my plan, but things have changed. One stupid misstep, and I had no choice but to accept the offer of admission to the renowned university.

We funnel toward the center of the school, where staff are set up to welcome us. They provide our schedules and student IDs, everything neat and orderly, exactly what one would expect from the most elite and coveted Avalon University.

The quad bustles with students and families as they matriculate into the system. Multiple tables are set up to provide information and allow people to sign up for various social groups and activities. My eyes are drawn to one in particular, and my blood surges, rebelling at the oppressive sensation of the numerous fae gathered around the stall. Their presence surrounds my locked-down power and squeezes like a vise, causing my breath to explode from my lungs in a short burst.

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’m wrong . 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 words AVALON CHEER across 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 claim Tuatha De Daanan as 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 so normal . 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 say I have no fucking idea before 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 has Mixed Species written 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.

Show me what you can do, Summer.

I shiver again. The hair stands up on the back of my neck, and I fight the urge to look over my shoulder.

Shifters tend to prefer to stick together as well, so they can remain in their archaic might-makes-right mentality throughout their whole lives. I’d researched some before coming here. What basic knowledge I could find was patchwork at best, mostly based on what had become legends in my old realm. I think that is what I am most looking forward to in coming here. Avalon University supposedly has one of the best libraries in all the realms.

I slide past more tearful goodbyes and embraces of excitement, making my way up the stairs to number 215. The door unlocks at the touch of my hand, and I step inside, surprised to find the space bigger and much nicer than I expected.

Someone is already standing in the middle of the room. The woman is shorter than me, and her hair is chopped in a messy bob. The tips are blonde, whereas the roots are a darker brown color. Her dark brown gaze is fixed on the mini refrigerator sitting within one of the counter spaces. She barely comes to my shoulder, yet anger radiates from her like a furnace, all directed at the miniature appliance.

“This is just pathetic,” she grumbles, placing her hands on her hips.

My lips twitch. “Don’t imagine you’d have much to put in there, anyway.”

She jumps, her dark brown eyes swinging to me. “What the fuck! How did you sneak up on me?” she asks, placing her hand over her heart.

I tilt my head, dropping my bag on the floor. “An easily startled vampire? Interesting.”

I had met a handful of vampires in my home realm, though they were all male. Were all the females so tiny? She gives me a droll look, crossing her arms over her chest. “Well, not normally. As you’re some weird kind of fae, I’m going to pretend it was because of that and not because I was too busy considering the size of our ridiculous fridge.” She holds out a hand to me. “Alice.”

“Summer.” I hesitate for a moment before shaking her hand. I had thought I’d slip into my room and drop my bag off, avoiding the person I would share my dorm with as much as possible over the next year. Friends aren’t really something I’ve ever had. They ask too many questions and get hurt when I won’t answer. It is easier not to have them, but something about this vamp is… familiar and comforting. Strange for someone whose main source of sustenance is blood.

Alice smiles, her long fangs sitting proudly among the rest of her teeth. Her eyes dart to my bag and then around, assessing me. “No family with you?”

Here they come. The questions I don’t have any answers to.

I shake my head. “Looks like I’m not the only one,” I say through clenched teeth, biting back the venom seeping into my voice.

Alice doesn’t seem to notice the harshness of my words. “Oh yeah, Dad couldn’t get rid of me fast enough. Surprised he didn’t turn to ash with how fast he ran.” Alice shrugs, her gaze going back to the fridge.

She says it so casually. So yeah, me too, no worries. A laugh bubbles in my chest, and I blink as the sound fills the room. I look around, trying to find the source. Surprise fills me when I realize it came from me. When I look back at the vampire, she’s watching me with a glimmer of humor in her eyes.

She was alone, like me, yet it didn’t seem to bother her even a little bit. In some ways, she seems relieved her father had left as quickly as he had. Everyone else had family and friends surrounding them as they arrived here. I assumed I’d be isolated again like I was before. A loner like always, and maybe I will be, but it seems like maybe she will be, too. That thought makes me feel a little less alone.

Alice smiles, then shifts from foot to foot, glancing away. “I uh… don’t know anyone here, so… Do you want to come with me to the first-year tour after you unpack?”

My stomach twists. Say no. Even if I have some strange sense of familiarity with my new roommate, I don’t know how long I’ll be able to stay here. It is better not to have any connections when I have to run.

“Sure,” I answer. Wait, what? I was going to say no. Why did I agree to go with her? The word was out before I could stop it.

Alice looks up, her eyes flickering with something that looks like vulnerability before her smile morphs into an arrogant smirk. I can’t take the words back now. Alice pulls out her phone and taps at the screen. Her smirk deepens. “The new fridge will be here in the next few days, thanks to Daddy dearest. I love some revenge spending.”