Page 13 of Pixie Problems

Caw!

I laughed at both of them, then flopped onto my back. "It's a great thing. I just have no idea what a Morrigan is. I don't know what I'm supposed to do. I think it kicks ass that I'm magic, but from what I understand, it's Jack's magic, not mine, right?"

"Rain!" Jack croaked. "Rain. Rain. Rain!"

"Which," Aspen said, "makes me think it's your magic."

Jack flung his beak up and down in the avian version of a yes.

"But I'm just a human," I reminded her. "I don't really get how all of this works." I groaned. "Never mind the shadows!" And I told her all about the weirdness that had happened while we were out.

Jack clicked and grumbled through the story. Aspen listened; her pale eyes locked on me intently. When I mentioned Nancy being strangled, she giggled. When I told her about the shadow's idea for a dad-name for Bracken, she nodded. Jack just chattered, more like he was trying to interrupt than anything.

"You need more words, Jack," I told him. "I still don't speak crow, so you're not really helping."

Aspen pointed to the ring on the first finger of my left hand. "What I do know is that's an enchantment linking you to Jack. Well, we think it is. Torian and I have been talking about this. Anyway, the ring Jack gave you ties the two of you together. Jack is a wildling, and a strong one. So, he gives up the ability to create obvious magic in exchange for you being able to manipulate it instead. But Wild magic is a little weird."

"Weird how?" I asked, latching on to that part.

Pulling her legs under her, she turned to face me, smiling down at where I lay. "My magic is Winter magic. So, right now I'm kinda at the peak of my power. The world makes it, and I can use it. In the summer, that season's magic gets stronger. Torian can use it, so you'll see his - "

"But I saw him use Winter magic on the Solstice," I pointed out.

She stuttered a few sounds, then just sighed. "Yes. We have the same father, so it makes his magic complicated. My point is that when it's summer, that power will come from the world as the trees wake up, the grass grows, and all of that. Winter works in reverse. Other than how we get it, it's all pretty much the same, right?"

I was nodding. "As far as I can tell, yeah. Except you tend to do more ice magic, and he kinda does whatever he wants."

"Because he's learned more," she explained. "But Wild magic is special.It's from them. They're the 'world' that makes it. Wildlings are the monsters, animals, and plants. They're the makers, not the users. Well, mostly. Basically. Kinda?" She waved that off. "The Crow King, however, is the mediator. I'm going to guess that since Jack's taking lead on this, the Crow King is still in Faerie?" She looked up at the bird.

He nodded again. "Jack! Morrigan-Jack."

I sucked in a breath. "Oh! Because your dad - I'm guessing the Crow King is your dad?" He nodded again, so I kept going. "He can't help, and as the next in line, it falls on you to deal with the mess the fae are making?"

Jack nodded, paused, and then shook his head. Yeah, this yes-no thing was going to get old pretty fast.

"Ok," I tried. "So are you the next in line?"

Jack shook his head.

"But it falls on you to sort things out?"

This time, he nodded. "Jack! Rain. Morrigan. Jack-Rain. Jack-Morrigan."

"That's the price of fae nobility," Aspen explained. "With great power comes great responsibility. The magic makes sure of it."

Caw!Jack crowed, bobbing his head emphatically.

"Are you a real prince, then?" I asked. "I don't mean power. I mean recognized. If the gates were open, would you then become an official prince?"

The bird actually sighed, then shook his head.

"A bastard prince," Aspen said gently. "Welcome to the club of outcasts, Jack. As far as I care, that makes you even better. Means you fit in with the rest of us."

"Jack!" he agreed, fluttering off the headboard to land right between us.

Then the crazy bird ducked his head and flopped over on his back with his little feet pointing in the air. The iridescenteltamband on his leg was covered in rainbows from the light in my room, but everything else about him was completely black. Like a little shadow tucked between us, decorated in fae metal, he was pretty damned cute for a large bird. Obediently, Aspen and I both reached over to tickle between his feathers.

"He missed you while you were gone," she said. "I swear that crow sulked the whole time, as if I'm that bad to spend time with!"