Page 173 of Pixie Problems

He gave me a suspicious look. "Where?"

"Second door on the right."

"And straight on till morning?" Wilder asked.

"No!" I laughed, a little impressed that he'd quoted Peter Pan so easily. "I've just been reassigned to share a suite with Torian. Seems someone needs to shield his room."

Wilder stood there for a little too long, nothing but his eyes moving when they blinked. I swore the man was playing out a million possible scenarios, but in the end, he only had one thing to say.

"Let's do this."

Chapter Fifty

KEIR

It didn't take long to get what I needed and throw it in a box. The extras went on my bed. For now, I'd keep my stuff in the bathroom here, just so Torian didn't use it as an excuse to mess with me. Then Wilder grabbed the box. I gathered up an armload of clothes, and we headed up the hall.

The key worked. The shield I'd put on this room back when Torian had attacked me was still there, but mostly useless. So, tossing my stuff on my new bed - which had a slightly different color scheme than my other room - I began replacing the protections this place would need.

"He's going to feel tha-" Wilder didn't even get to finish the sentence before Torian stormed in from the bathroom side.

"What the fuck are you doing?" he demanded.

"Repairing the shields on this room." I didn't even bother looking at the kid as I replied.

"Tor," Wilder soothed, "it's a good idea and you know it."

"I do not need Rain's little bitch in here, snooping on me!"

I slammed down a hand, forcing the shields to encase this room. This time, I'd added a noise buffer to go with everything else. Then I turned to Torian and took one single step towards him.

"You slipped so hard you glamouredyourself!" Another step. "Do you really think denying it is going to fix your problem?"

"Don't push," Wilder warned, stepping between us so he could hold me back. "Keir, it's complicated."

"Then lethimtell me that," I grumbled.

Torian just scoffed. "I make one mistake with my magic and everyone's so willing to rub it in my face."

"This isn't the first," I countered. "Unless trying to blast people with lightning was intentional? And trust me, I've seen what happens when a pair of Summer users lose their temper. My mother makes static fill the house. My father brings the heat and humidity. Even in the middle of winter, when they fight, it's like an August day."

Wilder added, "Tor, he can help."

"I do notneedhelp!" Torian shot back.

Ok, so hitting him over the head wasn't working. Time to try a different tactic. "Why?" I jerked my chin at him. "Why are you ok with hurting others, Torian? Why do you think you're so fucking special, the rules don't apply to you? Not the rules of this school, of polite society, or anything else. What the fuck makes you so damned special?"

Torian huffed in amusement. "You've heard the rumors. Hawke says you even believe them."

"I also just got a lecture about slurs." I lifted a brow. "Seems wildling is the preferred term. I've had my face rubbed in how Rain's power is no different. It comes from Wild magic - thus a wildling."

"She's different," Torian admitted. "Rain is a human champion of the Wild Crown. Not the same as a wildling."

"No, but it takes a very impressive wildling to make a Morrigan. The entire school respects Jack and his claim to Faerie. I don't think he's ever been there. I've never been there. Means I have more in common with wildlings than I realized." I paused to scrub at my face. "I also need to learn how to power Rain up. I was hoping to make a trade."

Torian's beautiful eyes narrowed. "I don't buy it."

"Still can't lie," I countered.