Page 186 of Pixie Problems

Which made a few kids in class chuckle, proving they understood. My teacher just gave me a knowing smile, nodded once, and started in on the day's lecture, but the moment we were released, Aspen leaned closer.

"Sugar helps," she said, pushing four of her Pixie Styx at me. "Eat them, Rain. The magic will burn any extra calories, and you had better not get all worried about your figure!"

"Not too much," I assured her even as I packed up my things. "I just feel so tired!"

"And you've been out until curfew every night," she countered, making her way to the end of the row to wait for me. "C'mon, I'll walk you to class."

"You'll be late," I warned. "Seriously, Aspen, I'm fine. It's Ms. Rhodes."

"And," she said, looping my arm around hers the moment I was close enough, "I can dothis." A warmth began to take over my left arm where she was holding it.

"Court," Jack said, nodding on my shoulder to show he approved.

"You can fly, you know," Aspen told him. "You're not light!"

Jack just shook his head.

"Ms. Rhodes put restrictions on him, and I think flying in the halls is one of them. Well, I mean, when there are too many people around."

"Jack!" he agreed, nodding to show I was at least partially right.

"Then Ms. Rhodes can deal with both of us being late," Aspen said. "Besides, Torian's detention has been locating enchanted items and narrowing down their enchantments into groups. You know, useful things."

"Ms. Rhodes is pretty amazing," I fake-whispered, giving Aspen a smile.

"She really is," Aspen agreed. "She's kinda like the mom we all need. Not necessarily the one we want, but definitely the one we need."

"Exact- "

My words were cut off by a guy pulling Aspen away from me just to step in. "Hey, Rain?" he said.

This was the same guy who'd asked me to sit with the jesters in the cafeteria. The one who'd yelled shit at Torian. The guy Jack didn't like, and sofar as I cared, being a jester made him an immediate asshole. That he'd just pulled Aspen's arm from where it had been looped with mine and shoved her aside like she didn't matter?

I huffed and lifted my hands away so he couldn't grab me. "Back off, dick!"

"You're supposed to be our champion, you know," he said, jerking his chin at me as if that would somehow prove his point. "That's what a Morrigan is for, to serve the Summer fae!"

"Jack!" my bird cawed, and immediately my shadow stretched out, broke away, and streaked off.

The guy huffed. "Wildlings, amiright?" Had he not just seen myshadow?

"Jayden, you fucking..." Aspen pushed between us. "The Morrigan is chosen bywildlingnobility, you idiot! And her job? It's to fix the balance - which doesn't have a damned thing to do with Summer."

"Uh-huh. And lemme guess, your mommy also told you that you're special because you're not like other kids, right?" He leaned in, towards her face. "That's what they say when you embarrass them."

"Fuck off!" I snapped, yanking him away from my girlfriend. "You know what? I don't owe you shit."

"She's ours, asshole!" Aspen told him. "And if you think you can - "

Jayden - because that seemed to be his name - flicked a hand at her and Aspen's lips stuck together so hard she couldn't pull them apart. She tried, and was all but screaming behind them, but that pretty pink color had become solid in a way which was simply not possible.

"Oh, you did not!" I snarled even as I shouldered the guy out of my way and grabbed Aspen's hand.

Those too-blue eyes of hers hit mine and panic was clear in them. Her fingers clasped my hand desperately, proving she was scared. I could only imagine! If my mouth stopped working, I'd freak the fuck out. Yet before I could even try to figure out how to fix this, the seam began to fade, the center of her lips parted, and the rest quickly followed.

"Morrigan!" Jack bellowed. "Rain-Morrigan! Morrigan-Court!"

"So you're pickingthem?" Jayden asked, clenching his fist. "Yeah, I knew you were going to be a problem. High school girls always are." And green began to glow from between his fingers.