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"Surprising," I clarified. "I mean, eight classes is a lot .

I'm also not sure where they'll squeeze in anything else.

Before lunch, only the college-level students are down in the Never.

After lunch, it's the high school students and some upper-level experimental classes.

" I paused. "Granted, you wouldn't fit in those. "

"I wouldn't?"

"Wrong magic." I looked over again, and this time her pretty brown eyes were waiting.

My mind went blank. Brown wasn't a common color for pure fae.

The faelings, sure. They often inherited the color from their human parents, but never this shade.

Their eyes were golden, or amber. Maybe chocolate, and sometimes even raven black.

They weren't brown. Simple, normal, natural tree-bark brown.

The shade was lighter than her hair, but not by much. Those dark tresses curled at the ends, soft waves falling against the emerald green of her coat. I had a feeling it would match her lashes if she hadn't coated them in mascara. The black made her eyes even more beautiful, though.

"So..." she said when the silence stretched on a little too long. "I heard there's a thing for New Year's Eve."

"Every year," I agreed, trying to quickly come up with a good way to ask her to go with me.

But before I'd even come up with some line about sending a note to ask Aspen's permission, Rain blurted out, "Will you be my official date?" Then she cringed. "Fuck. That sounds dumber than I expected."

"No," I assured her, "it most certainly did not. And yes, I'd love to take you. I've kinda been trying to figure out how to ask."

Her mouth flopped open. "What? And I just made an idiot out of myself?"

"No idiots here," I said quickly. "It's actually really nice to have a girl ask me. Especially considering the whole Aspen aspect. I don't want to step on her toes."

"No, she thinks you're cool." Rain glanced away, a tiny little giggle getting smothered behind her clamped lips. "And she thinks it's cute that I think you're cute."

"Good." And I reached out to smooth a few flakes of snow from her hair. "You and Aspen are good together. So, if she's on board, I'll pick you up around nine that night? I mean, she's probably going with Wilder again, right?"

"I have no idea," Rain admitted. Then she hummed in thought. "Why always Wilder? Why not Hawke or Torian?"

"Because Torian's her brother. Hawke follows that guy around like a loyal little pet. Wilder, on the other hand, is also from the Winter Court. He and Aspen bonded over their magic. He's not related to her, so he makes a good date. The kind who won't have people whispering later."

"Just cracking jokes about whether he's fucking the ice princess," she grumbled. "Assholes."

"Like going with Torian's any better. And Rain? The truth is, he's why people are so hard on her. Torian caused most of his own problems when he started here. Even worse, he just keeps causing them."

"You two really don't get along, do you?" she asked, surprising me with the question.

"Uh…" Fuck. Lying would be so useful right about now. "We get compared more often than I'd like." I smiled, hoping that would mollify her.

Instead, her eyes narrowed. "Mhm."

Crap. She could read me too easily. So, one more time, I ran my hand over her hair, loving the silky feel of it. "We're a little competitive, I'll admit."

"A little," she teased. "And yet you keep taunting him. Almost like you're egging him on or something?"

"Or maybe I just like your friends more than my own. "

"Because they're fae?"

We were right back to where we'd been a moment ago. "We're all fae."

That answer was much easier than pointing out the other thing we had in common. The one who was beautiful, spent her time with crows, and seemed to be irresistible to all of us. I didn't want to come on too strong, after all.

"I mean real fae," she clarified. "Like, all the way fae, from Faerie, and all that. Like Bracken, because he's the one I usually see you hanging out with."

Which made me stop and actually think about it. "Maybe?" I said after a little too long. "In truth, I always thought it was merely because I'm invested in learning all he has to teach."

"Because you have a hero complex," she taunted as she stood. "And so you know, you're a pretty good hero. I also need to get back. Don't want Aspen to think I got lost."

"Wouldn't want that." I almost left it there, but when she turned to scan the trees for Jack, I added, "I might be busy for a couple days, so don't think I'm avoiding you, ok?"

"Are you?"

She'd let it go when talking about Torian, but this time she was calling me out? Rain knew I couldn't lie, so she was making me spell it out - but why? Could it be I was actually winning? For once, Torian wouldn't be the guy with the girl in the end? Oh, I liked that idea a little too much.

"Rain, I am definitely not avoiding you," I assured her. "Giving you space to enjoy your new family? Yes. Trying hard not to become annoying? Also yes. Making sure I don't piss off Aspen and ruin this good thing we have? That might be the main reason."

"She likes you," Rain said again. "She's the one who suggested I should go with you to the party."

"Yep, knew I liked her for a reason." I leaned back and crossed my arms. "So this is all because she likes me?"

The tip of her tongue darted across the corner of her upper lip and a devious look took over.

"Nope. It's because I'm figuring out the fae.

Slowly, but I am, and this time I'm not going to feel guilty.

And speaking of that, I'm also going to need a kiss at midnight.

Since Aspen can't give it to me without us getting in trouble.

.." She let her eyes run across me. "Is that what you wanted to hear? "

"Yeah," I breathed. "It definitely is."

"Then make sure you kiss me." And the girl turned, wading her way back towards the school. "C'mon, Jack! Time to eat!"

From the trees, her crow shot towards her like a bullet. Rain didn't even look. She just held up her arm, giving him a place to land. In that moment, I realized she was definitely the Morrigan. Not one in training, and not going to grow into one.

No, Rain was already embracing her power - and it looked amazing on her.