Page 194 of Pixie Problems

It made sense, though. So many of the foundlings needed a little stability before they could control their manifesting magic. By keeping all of us in class, the students weren't worried about missing out on fun, so we paid attention to our instruction. As college students, we could pick any of the offered classes we wanted, but our degrees did have requirements. Literature of the World was the one I dreaded most, so it was what I started the day with.

Yet as I walked into the room, Mr. Banks gestured for me to come over. "Keir? You've been reassigned." He lifted a slip of paper.

"What?" I took the note, unfolded it, and quickly scanned the words. "I'm being moved?"

"Ms. Rhodes thought you'd understand," he said.

Pushing out a sigh, I read the words again, paying attention this time.

Your first class of the day is being changed to room N012. Please report there for the remainder of the semester. Grades and credits will be adjusted accordingly.

I crumpled up the note in my hand. "So you know, I didn't expect this, Mr. Banks." Then I turned and lengthened my stride, hoping I could get back to the first floor and down to the Never before the hourly bell rang.

I couldn't.

I was halfway down the stairs when it went off. It then took me two more minutes to find the right room, because N012 was not one of the larger classrooms. When I realized that, I started looking at the numbers on the private rooms, and found it.

The door was closed, so I knocked and entered - then stopped hard. Sitting in front of me, Torian was tapping the end of his pen on the table furiously. It was less of a drumbeat than a flutter, yet he stopped the moment he saw me. The guy's eyes narrowed, then jumped to the other corner of the room. There, Ms. Hawthorne was standing with her arms crossed, looking more than a little annoyed.

"I was reassigned here," I said, looking between the two. I was sure my confusion was showing.

"Yes," Ms. Hawthorne said. "Keir, you're a good choice. Sit. I'm to makesure neither of you leave. Ms. Rhodes has to get her own class started, then she will be in to talk to you both."

"About?" I asked.

Ms. Hawthorne simply smiled. "Apparently, the rules of this esteemed institute are being bent for those of a..." She sniffed. "...Certain persuasion."

"Gotcha." She meant monsters.

Pulling out the chair across from Torian, I dropped into it hard, then set my things on the table beside me. His pen started tapping again, but Torian's eyes didn't meet mine. The smug look on his face, however, was the one he usually wore. The one I was starting to think might be a mask.

"You ever going to show me that Burst I've heard you have?" I asked.

One corner of his mouth lifted. "Nope."

"C'mon," I groaned. "A plant native to the Summer Palace?"

"The Elysian Fields," he corrected. "The palace is near them, but not actually on them. It's a ten-minute ride to the Sea of Grasses."

"Ride?"

He lifted a brow. "Yes, there are horses on Faerie. No, there are no cars. No pollution either. Well, not the smog kind."

"I see."

He went back to his drumming, so I began to tap the edge of my thumb in a matching tempo. Torian's pen hesitated, but then continued. In the corner, Ms. Hawthorne tensed, then shifted like she was annoyed. Now I was fighting to keep a smirk off my face.

Soon enough, the door opened again, and Ms. Rhodes stepped in. "Ah, good. You're both here." She looked over at Ms. Hawthorne. "I'm sorry for making you watch them, Pearl, but I've got this from here."

"I hope you know what you're doing, Ivy," Ms. Hawthorne grumbled as she headed for the door. "The silver oak is meant forourmagic."

"I'm well aware of that," Ms. Rhodes assured her.

But while Ms. Hawthorne left, the headmistress waited, saying nothing. Not even when the door closed. Nor when Ms. Hawthorne's footsteps faded down the hall. Instead, Ms. Rhodes waited until this entire side of the Never was silent.

Then she set a small prism on the table between us. "Your exercise for the day, Torian, is to only allow blue light through. The rest you can block, refract, or contain in any way you choose, but only blue light will shine on the other side." Then she turned for the door.

"This is child's play!" Torian called after her.