Page 180 of Pixie Problems

And those were the words that got Torian on my side. "Yeah. Let's do this."

Stepping forward, he patted my back and all but propelled me forward. Wilder and Aspen hurried to pick up the scattered supplies, but Keir fell in behind me. With a loud caw, Jack sailed out of the trees, heading towards me.

I looked back to check on both him and my friends, wanting to help them clean up, yet Torian didn't give me the chance. The guy all but marched me out of the atrium and to the elevators the same way I'd done when I'd taken him to see Liam. Jack just angled his course to follow, darting through the door with me before landing on the ground in front of the elevator.

"What are you going to do if she can't help?" Torian asked when he pressed the call button.

I could only shrug. "Talk to my dads next?"

"You, Rain, are the Morrigan, not them."

"Rain-Jack!" my bird chided.

Keir grunted, proving he was still with us. "Lay off, Tor. She's also seventeen. Now is when she's supposed to be learning how to do this, not have it all dropped on her shoulders."

Jack nodded emphatically, keeping his body planted in front of the elevator. "Court. Court-Court. Rain-Court-Dad."

Torian hummed under his breath, but it sounded like he had his own thoughts - and was begging us to ask. We didn't. But when the elevator came, only three of us piled on - and Jack, who stayed on the ground this time. Torian pressed the button for the fourth floor, so I whipped out my phone, sending off a text to my group chat with the court. Next, I added a second text to my dads, letting them know I might need backup at Ms. Rhodes' apartment.

Of course, it didn't send in the elevator. I never got good signal in there, but the moment we stepped off, both Torian's and Keir's pockets made noise. I chuckled at the different notification sounds they'd set, but didn't slow down. Marching right up to Ms. Rhodes' door, I rapped on it loudly.

"Court!" Jack crowed from the floor, sounding like he was announcing us.

A moment later, the door opened to reveal Ivy Rhodes looking like a college girl herself. Her hair was up in a messy bun. She was wearing loose pants and a strappy tank. Lounging clothes, definitely. The weird part was that like this, she didnotlook like a teacher. I had to blink a few times to make sure this was the headmistress of Silver Oaks Institute.

"Rain?" she asked. "Torian? Keir? Is there a problem?"

"Uh, yeah," I muttered just as the elevator opened again, spilling out Aspen and the guys. "We all need to talk, Ms. Rhodes. Someone's after Aspen."

The headmistress looked over at Aspen. "What do you have?"

"Just more plants for the atrium," Aspen said. "You know, not too many. But it needed more flowers."

"Ok." Ms. Rhodes sighed. "Aspen, put those away, then come in. Rain, Torian, and Keir? Please, step inside." She pulled the door open wider. "Jack, do not touch anything you aren't invited to touch. You may sit on a chair like the other fae in my presence."

"Jack..." Sounding sad, the bird hopped in first, giving me the courage to follow.

But Ms. Rhodes' apartment was nothing like my dads'. Sure, the floorplan might be the same. The decor was not. One wall was covered with weapons set in decorative positions. In front of them were those mannequins without heads holding suits of armor. And the colors!

The metals reminded me of Keir's magic. The furniture was all black leather. The rug was crimson red. I'd expected Ms. Rhodes to be more of abeige sort of person, but I'd been wrong. Her tastes were harsh and vibrant at the same time, even if I wasn't sure I liked it.

"Sit," she ordered. "What's going - " A knock at the door made her pause. "Sit," she said again even as she went to answer that.

"...Got a message from Rain," I heard, and it sure sounded like Bracken.

"Come in," she said. "Aspen, hurry up. I'm getting the impression this is serious."

"Is it?" Liam asked as he entered the living room. His eyes jumped from me to Torian and then over to Keir. "Ok, very serious. Rain?"

"Um, someone's after Aspen," I said. "Nevaeh told us."

Torian just groaned.

But Liam didn't get the chance to ask more, because that was when Aspen, Hawke, and Wilder piled into the living room, with Bracken and Ms. Rhodes behind them. Suddenly, the apartment felt very full. Still, Aspen claimed a spot on the sofa beside me. Torian went on her other side. Keir stood next to me while Hawke and Wilder found a place against the wall in front of us. That left the remaining seats for my dads and Ms. Rhodes.

"Rain said someone's after Aspen," Liam started for me.

"Explain?" Ms. Rhodes demanded.