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Chapter Eighteen

RAIN

E ventually, Tag came back. Liam was with her.

Together, they hauled Bracken out. Keir once again assured everyone he'd lock up, and then we practiced.

It was slow, and my new sword was heavier than I was used to, but the truth was, I needed the workout.

Trying to smack someone with something hard was cathartic in a way.

Mostly because I knew I wouldn't be able to hit Keir.

And we actually practiced! Together, we stayed the whole hour, which meant a little longer than my class time because of the delay to take care of Bracken. When we were finally done, the pair of us cleaned up, put away the mats in the main area of the gym, and then Keir walked me back.

Oh, and I was a mess. That steel sword had made me sweat. The winter air caused my body to shiver. By the time I got to my suite, all I wanted was a nice, hot shower - and clearly it showed. Aspen hurried over to my half of the room, checking to make sure I was ok.

When I got out, I put on my favorite pajamas, the crow ones. Jack chattered in approval, hopping off his perch so he could inspect my attire. Cawing out his name a few times, he pointedly hopped through the bathroom, heading over to Aspen's side.

"Hey, you!" she greeted us when I opened the bathroom door on her side. "Bad lesson?"

Letting out a groan, I flopped down on her bed, my face hitting the pillows behind her. "I missed dinner. "

"Crap," she breathed. "Yeah, that's not good, Rain. Let me - "

She pushed to her feet right as a knocking sounded in my room. "Dad!" Jack announced.

"I got it!" Aspen assured me, hurrying that way.

I just groaned again, because my body was already starting to hurt. The sticks we usually used were supposed to weigh the same, but clearly they didn't. Or maybe they were balanced differently? Something! Right now, I felt like I'd lost whatever fight I was supposed to be having.

Then I heard Aspen say, "Hey! C'mon in. She's in my room." Then she raised her voice. "Rain, your dad's here!"

Somehow, that made all the aches fade in an instant. "Dad?" I called, hurrying back to my room. "How's Zez?"

"What's wrong with Bracken?" Aspen asked, clearly keeping up with my pet names for my two new dads.

"Dad!" Jack cawed. "Dad-dad! Rain-Dad!"

"He's fine," Liam assured all of us, and then he gestured to the desk. "I also brought pizza. Aspen, the bottom one is for you, so share with Jack. Completely vegan."

Which made my girlfriend smile so big. "Really?"

"Because I didn't want to eat alone," Liam explained, "and Bracken's out cold. So I thought I'd trade food for company."

The look Aspen gave him made it clear Liam knew this whole fae thing well. He'd just avoided any hint of debt while also making it clear this was not a favor. Clearly, I needed some lessons from him, but there was one thing a little more important.

"Is he ok?" I asked. "How's his hand?"

"Completely healed now," Liam assured me, opening a box of pizza, putting two slices on a plate, then passing them over. "Sit, girls. I'm taking this chair."

"I'm taking the whole pizza," Aspen said. "Oh, and it's Mama's!"

"What?" I asked, completely confused.

So Aspen showed me the box with that name across the top. "They make the best vegan pizza. Nothing we can't have, you know?"

I made a note of it, but looked back to Liam. "How is he ok? He burned his hand on that stupid sword!"

"Not a stupid one," Liam corrected. "Rain, your new sword is hardened steel, hammered by Tag herself - and that woman knows how to make a good weapon. It's how she ended up here."

"But it's iron!" I insisted. "He knows I can't - "

"The Hunt doesn't like steel either," Aspen pointed out. "That's what it's for, Rain."

"Oh."

"And," Liam continued, "he wanted to make sure your friends - who are all very fae - won't be hurt by it."

"So he hurt himself?!"

"Exactly," Liam said. "Welcome to how they work."

Aspen made a noise, murmuring as she quickly chewed and swallowed. "Sorta. We weigh the pros and cons. I mean, Torian's bad about it, and I can see where Bracken wouldn't be much better. I think they both left Faerie about the same age."

"Yeah, but - "

"No buts," Liam broke in. "Bracken got you the best weapon he could, then put on the strongest spell he could manage."

"Enchantment," Aspen corrected.

"I'm speaking 'Rain' here," Liam told her. "She uses fantasy magic terms."

So I stuck my tongue out at him. "I'm learning!"

"But it's not!" Aspen said. "I can't even call it that!"

"You can if you're speaking 'Rain,'" Liam countered. "Because to Rain, those are the terms she knows."

So Aspen narrowed her eyes. "Big spell. Much wizard?" Then she sucked in a breath. "Oh my god, it works?"

"Because it's true in its own way," Liam assured her. "Now what were you trying to say?"

"That Bracken is very strong in Summer magic, so he made an impressive enchantment," Aspen explained. "I mean, if enchantment is a spell, then the wizard has to be the one casting it, right?"

"Evidently so!" I agreed, shaking my head because that was the closest thing I'd ever heard to a lie come out of her mouth - or any of my friends!

"But he's fine," Liam went on. "Bracken's hand is completely healed now. We made him drink some oak syrup - "

"Nectar," Aspen corrected. "That's the drink made from syrup.

It's filtered and becomes nectar." She flashed me an almost shy smile.

"I think that's what let me make the joke.

Names matter, you know, and your names for things don't need to be the same as ours.

Since you can lie, and if you believe it. .."

"I will definitely remember that," I decided. "But I want to finish hearing about Bracken! "

"Sorry," Aspen mumbled.

"The nurse healed him." Liam pulled out another slice, bit the tip off, and kept going. "He had his nectar, and now he's sleeping off the damage and lack of magic."

"But I hate that he even did it!" I insisted.

"Don't," Liam said. "Bracken did a good thing.

He got you the best sword he could, made it not hurt your friends, and to him it merely required a band-aid.

Sure, it hurt, but he's a tough guy, Rain.

He's fine. He's more worried about you not having what you need.

" He flicked a finger at my expensive shoes in the corner.

I dropped my partially eaten slice back onto the plate.

"But that's the thing, Dad. I feel like everyone is always helping me out, you know?

There are all these things they're doing because I'm this thing, but I don't even know what the thing is supposed to do, or how.

I could barely make the shadows come on command earlier! "

"I got this," Aspen said, turning to face me. "Rain, in fae culture, we enjoy helping each other. We also don't like thank yous because they cheapen it."

"Like the makeup you got me?" I asked.

She sucked in a little breath, then glanced at Liam. "Did you?"

"She thought it was me," he said. "I said it sounded more like you."

"Liam!" Aspen whined. "I almost got away with it!"

"And that," Liam told me, "is what she means.

They pride themselves on helping without getting caught.

Without making a big deal out of it. If it's merely done, then there's no debt, and no need to explain why there doesn't need to be one.

We humans address things more head-on in some ways, and it's almost rude to them. Maybe awkward's a better word?"

"Awkward," Aspen agreed.

"And the same is true for your sword," Liam said.

"Brack wanted to get you the best, so he did.

Then he made it better. So tomorrow, make sure you are proud of it.

Brag about it to Keir, or the others. Let Hawke and Wilder see it, and maybe mention how the spell keeps it from hurting them? That's what Bracken was hoping for."

"So I fucked it up?" I asked meekly.

"You were very human about it," Liam said. "Here's the thing, Rain. Bracken clearly likes humans. I mean, he picked us, right? So he knew what he was getting into."

"Ok," I said, because that did make me feel better .

Liam also had a good point. Bracken had picked a human to spend his life with. Then he and Liam had picked me.

"So does Bracken hate the T-word?" I asked.

Liam gave me a confused look. "Which?"

"Thank you," I clarified.

"Ah." He rocked his head a bit. "He's used to it, because I'm horrible about it, but he doesn't love it."

"So bragging is the way to go," I decided. "Then I'll do that. And make sure he knows I do like the thing? I mean, I'm going to hurt so bad tomorrow, but the weapon is pretty."

"What did you get?" Aspen asked.

So I told her all about this new sword, including the little details I'd noticed as Keir and I worked out.

There were little crows along the hilt, carved into the steel.

The leather wrapping where I gripped it was very black, but soft.

Then there was the basket to protect my hand.

It was nothing but vines with snowflake-shaped flowers and even more crows hidden in all the ornate swirls. In other words, fancy.

"Wow," Aspen breathed. "Now I want to see it!"

"You'd have to go to the gym," Liam said. "Oddly, no one said she can't have spectators at her weapons class."

Aspen just groaned. "I can't! We have our course for magical responsibility."

"Ah, right," Liam said. "That's the same time as Rain's combat tutoring, isn't it?"

"Mhm," Aspen mumbled. "And I don't even know why! I mean, it's not like we - "

"Threw magic at students?" Liam offered. "Or as if you have the power to take someone's life with a misdirected or poorly planned enchantment or conjuration?" He lifted a brow. "So what you're saying is your magical training is complete, and you have nothing more you can learn?"

"No, of course not," Aspen grumbled.

"That's all we're trying to do," Liam assured her. "No different than Rain getting classes to help her protect herself from your magic, or you from hers. This is how responsibility works, Aspen. For fae and humans."

"I know," she grumbled.

"However," Liam said, looking over to me, "I did get you excused from your eighth period class tomorrow, Rain."

"Wait, what?" That was not what I'd expected. "Why?"

"I need you to see the nurse. "

I quickly glanced over at Aspen, hoping for some hint. But she seemed as confused as I was. "Why?" I asked my dad.

He made a little noise, but paused. "I'm not sure I should say."

"You're not going to tell me why I'm going to the nurse?" I huffed.

"Because I'm here!" Aspen realized. "So, birth control?"

"This is my decision," Liam told her. "And Bracken's. As her parents, we think it's better to be safe than sorry."

"Because she kissed Keir," Aspen bragged for me. "Yep, good idea, Liam. If she's already on it, then - " She quickly shut her mouth.

Which made Liam laugh. "I'm not that sort of father, Aspen. I know how your people are. In case you forgot, I met one when I was around your age. Both of you."

"So, I get to cut my detention class to see the nurse?" I asked. "How'd you swing it? And does this mean I'm getting the whole exam thing?" I made a face to show what I thought of that.

"This is a fae nurse," Liam assured me. "There will be a checkup, but since I had no need of birth control, I'm not quite sure what it entails. If it's anything like the STI protection, it'll be easy."

"Condoms?" I asked.

Which made Aspen lean in and fake-whisper, "Magic."

"Wait, what?"

Aspen and Liam both nodded, but it was Dad who replied, "Rain, when we have access to magic - which works better than condoms and is a lot less likely to break or have side effects like hormones - why wouldn't we use it?"

"So I'm getting a magical exam?" I asked, making sure I was keeping up.

"You are," he assured me. "And birth control is not permission to sleep with anyone you want.

There are other risks to consider besides pregnancy and diseases.

" He looked over at Aspen, making it clear this was for both of us.

"Having sex with someone is a vulnerable thing, and not all partners will respect that.

You girls need to make sure you're ready, respect whether or not the other person is, and do your best to listen and check their boundaries.

Consent is vital, both for you and them. "

"I know," I groaned, having gotten the lecture in almost all of my foster homes.

"But," Liam went on, "I'm here to listen, not to judge.

You both are old enough to make your own decisions.

All I'm saying is that if you're worried - about anything - I am here to help you work through it.

And if someone hurts you in any way?" He pointed to his chest. "This is a judgment-free zone, ok? "

"Yeah?" I asked.

"Promise," Liam said. "I know growing up is hard.

Dating is harder. Doing both while trying to figure out your sexuality and limits?

This is not something either of you need to do on your own.

So talk to me. About boys, about girls, or even about boys your girl is flirting with.

Can you both agree to at least keep that in mind? "

"Yes!" I hurried to say.

And beside me, Aspen was nodding. "Yeah, I can agree to that." But she looked over at me and smiled. "I'm pretty sure you got the best dads in the entire school, Rain."

Those words were enough to make Liam puff up just a bit, but she was right. He was pretty amazing for a dad. I still had to remind myself this was real. He was mine, and this sure felt like a fairytale - or maybe even a faerie tale.