Page 70 of Pixie Problems

"And I use Wild magic!"'

"Rain!" Tag snapped. "Leave it alone."

Yep, I sighed. I also listened to her. After all, what else could I do? Besides, this was Tag. Master Anita Taggart had earned her skills at renaissance fairs. According to her, being a female blacksmith of her size was just asking for "it," so she didn't tolerate harassment of any kind. Not from them, not from me, and not in her class. Otherwise, she was pretty laid back about most things.

So I got back to work, trying to figure out how to lay carbon fiber on a piece of aluminum. Supposedly, I'd get to make the metal pieces next year, but for now, I had to focus on the basics. Not easy when I was sure those people were still talking about Torian like that.

So I leaned in to the girl beside me and dropped my voice. "What's the deal with Torian anyway?"

She gave me a confused look. "I thought you were his friend?"

"I'm his sister's friend," I corrected. "He hangs out with her, so I eat lunch with him."

"And got in the middle of his big fight on Winter Solstice," she countered. "Trust me, everyone heard all about it, even the ones who weren't here. The jesters got mad about something and went after Torian. Harper went after you, you sucked up magic, and then you released Wild magic."

"I didn't know I could do that," I admitted.

Which made her smile at me. "Manifestation sucks. Trust me, I get it. I did it in a foster home at two in the morning. Had a bad dream andpow, the whole house was flipping out because of glamours."

"I just had some shadows," I pointed out.

"But you have Wild magic," she reminded me. "You're the Morrigan, and with the gates being closed, it's a big deal to people."

"Which people?" I asked.

She shrugged. "Anyone who wants to go to Faerie. I think that's most fae of any kind. And you're supposed to be the hero for us, which means you can probably stop the Mad Queen, right?"

"I don't even know what I'm doing with it," I admitted.

"But you will." She sounded sure of that. "It's just your friends are the ones with Winter magic, so it makes some people nervous, and since Torian's using it now too?"

"But he uses both, doesn't he?" At least I'd seen him use both.

She gave me a look like I was an idiot. "He uses the last kind he stole. Rain, that's what people are scared of. Nevaeh hasnomagic. Torian now has Winter magic. That means he stole it from her and now he's using it. And it's strong!"

"Was Nevaeh strong?"

Her brow furrowed. "No, not really. But that doesn't exactly make it better."

"Or maybe he has a parent of each? I'm pretty sure that's not uncommon. From what I've heard, a lot of people married from the opposite court."

"Only nobility," she told me. "Most normal people didn't. My friends all say their families never even saw the courts. Hell, the Winter Court was on an island! So for the most part, they only knew those who lived near them, and so they married those they met. You know, kinda like us." She gestured around the class. "We date the ones we're getting to know because we spend time with them. Enchanters with Enchanters because we share classes. Enticers with Enticers. It's normal, I think."

Ok, yeah, she had a point. I was also starting to realize everything I'd heard was mostly about nobility, and that was a pretty small group. Then again, if Aspen and Bracken were related, and his mother was Winter, did that mean Aspen's mom was some kind of nobility there? I knew Wilder was.

Granted, if she'd had a child with a jevadu, that probably wasn't done. I could see it being the sort of thing to have her title - if she had one - stripped from her. So was that why Aspen never talked about it? Then again, Wilder didn't either, and I was pretty sure he was a full-on duke.

Yet the reality was, most fae weren't nobility. Most fae supported a court, but they were "peasants," as Keir called them. He was! It also didn't really matter, because the gates were locked, and I was pretty sure I couldn'tundo that. Whatever big deal I was supposed to handle was probably going to be right here on Earth.

Thankfully, our class ended soon enough. Out here, there wasn't a bell, but there was a very large clock on the wall, and as soon as it hit the hour, people started walking out. I quickly put away my supplies, but one thing was missing: my crow.

"Jack?" I called.

"He's outside," Tag told me, waving me over.

Grabbing my bag, I headed that way. "Yeah?"

She murmured, her eyes going to the students making their way out. When the stream was far enough away, the giant of a woman looked down at me.