Page 250 of Pixie Problems

"Let the Hunt have her!" Pearl insisted. "Give them what they seek and they will move on!"

"No." I waved that away.

"You must! For the safety of the rest of us, you have to at least consider it!" She stepped closer, then leaned over my desk. "Ivy, in the course of creating this school, we have all done things we never would've considered, but we are here. The gates are closed. We cannot get back, so we must think of the greater good."

I murmured and leaned back, keeping my face as emotionless as possible. "How do you think her brother would feel about that?"

"Torian?" she asked.

"Yes, him," I agreed.

"Well, the peasant boy is shielding him, isn't he?"

"Pearl..." I paused, unsure if I should even put this out there, although it wasn't hard to figure out. Still, it seemed the rumors about Aspen were flying, so the point of secrecy was long gone. "If Aspen is Torian's sister, what does that mean?"

"They're related?"

"And three days apart in age," I pointed out, since that was in their student records, and any teacher could see it.

"Ok?"

Bracken laughed once. "So not the same mother, Ms. Hawthorne."

Immediately, Pearl jerked upright as the truth hit her. "He's the Queen's son? The one sired by the Winter King? Torian Hunt is the Summer Prince?"

"Apparently so." I glanced at Bracken, who gave me a look that said he was as confused as I was.

"He's the heir to the Summer Crown!" the woman gasped. "The Queen's own son, and he's here? Royalty?"

"He also loves his sister very much," I pointed out. "So tell me, how do you think he'd take it if you tossed his sister out into a storm?"

"Oh." She grabbed the chair in front of my desk, pulled it closer, and then sank into it. "Oh, no that would not do. The Prince's wishes must be respected."

"And," I said, "we must protect the last of the Winter royalty." I had to choose my words well, but I didn't think this woman would notice. She was too focused on her own prince being here this whole time, and she'd missedit. "Pearl, Silver Oaks was created to preserveallfae history and heritage. Our responsibility is to maintain our own culture - including the magical abilities of our children - in a place where they will besafe." I tapped the surface of my desk with the last word. "Safe is what we all agreed to, and disposing of a girl because she is inconvenient would be anything but."

"But the prince must be recognized!" she insisted. "It's not right for us to disrespect his authority."

"He's still a child!" I snapped, pulling her out of her daydreams. "A very dangerous one who needs stability and rules to manage the power he has inherited. One with a temper to match that of his mother."

"Oh." She nodded. "Yes, that is a good point."

"And together," I went on, "those two are more powerful than any of us could have ever imagined. Pearl, that is why we must continue to train them just as we have before. They do not need the distraction of their titles or rank. This? It is bigger than all of us, and our duty is toinstructthem."

"It's more than that, Ivy!" she shot back. "We must prepare them for when the gates open again."

"They are sealed," I reminded her. "Closed. Locked. We don't know if they will ever open again."

"The Summer Prince is here," she countered. "The Queen will open them to get him back. She worked too hard to get him in the first place!"

"And I'm not sure the magic cares." I reached up to pinch the bridge of my nose, trying to ignore the headache that was quickly forming. "A hunter has died. The Huntsman is speaking. The Morrigan has arrived. Right now, all signs point to the magic being awake and aware. Things are changing, and that can only mean one thing."

"That we'll finally get to go home?" Pearl asked.

"No," I said, shaking my head to make the point. "War is coming. The Morrigan has come, and war always follows. We always knew this day would come, so it's time to repair the division between the seasons. Healing our people is the only chance we have of stopping it." I lifted my eyes, looking at Bracken, then glanced back at Tag. "We also need to make sure we're on the right side."

"Summer?" Pearl asked.

"No," I corrected. "Theirs. All of theirs."

"And god help us," Tag added, "the kids are calling the shots."

Bracken laughed once. "Aren't they always? We just tell ourselves we're guiding them. Mostly, it's more like herding cats."

"Fae cats," I agreed. "Here's hoping fae royalty listens a little better."