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Chapter Fifty-Four

RAIN

B y Wednesday, the allure of spending so much time outside had faded. With the help of Poppy and Nevaeh, we'd marked off almost two hundred dots. Well, one hundred and ninety-six, to be exact. Yep, I was counting. Only about eight hundred to go, give or take a couple dozen.

Because - surprise, surprise - a school for the fae was covered in enchanted items. Thankfully, my dads had agreed to check out the ones in teacher's homes.

Liam said he would respect our desire to keep this to ourselves.

Bracken pointed out that Nevaeh likely wouldn't keep her mouth shut, not if she'd already told Poppy, so he thought my insistence on secrecy was foolish.

I didn't care. Granted, the newest rumor at Silver Oaks was that Keir was now getting some from Hawke on the side.

That was why Torian had been in detention for the last two days.

Someone had asked Keir if he liked fucking "little boys," and Torian had responded in the least magical way possible: by punching the idiot in the face.

In Torian's defense, he hadn't stripped the guy of his magic, so all of us were counting it as a win, including Ms. Rhodes.

Yet the tensions were high, and Torian's recent attitude made the court prime targets.

After all, there was nothing a bully loved more than getting a reaction, and Torian just couldn't help himself.

As I climbed the flights of stairs to get from the Never to my math class on the second floor, I was dragging.

Jack kept up a litany of words and caws to keep me going, but it didn't help.

The bell for the hour rang just as I turned down the hall.

By the time I stepped into class, Aspen was starting to look worried.

"Miss le Fae?" my teacher asked.

"Sorry," I said. "Magical drain sucks."

Which made a few kids in class chuckle, proving they understood. My teacher just gave me a knowing smile, nodded once, and started in on the day's lecture, but the moment we were released, Aspen leaned closer.

"Sugar helps," she said, pushing four of her Pixie Styx at me. "Eat them, Rain. The magic will burn any extra calories, and you had better not get all worried about your figure!"

"Not too much," I assured her even as I packed up my things. "I just feel so tired!"

"And you've been out until curfew every night," she countered, making her way to the end of the row to wait for me. "C'mon, I'll walk you to class."

"You'll be late," I warned. "Seriously, Aspen, I'm fine. It's Ms. Rhodes."

"And," she said, looping my arm around hers the moment I was close enough, "I can do this ." A warmth began to take over my left arm where she was holding it.

"Court," Jack said, nodding on my shoulder to show he approved.

"You can fly, you know," Aspen told him. "You're not light!"

Jack just shook his head.

"Ms. Rhodes put restrictions on him, and I think flying in the halls is one of them. Well, I mean, when there are too many people around."

"Jack!" he agreed, nodding to show I was at least partially right.

"Then Ms. Rhodes can deal with both of us being late," Aspen said. "Besides, Torian's detention has been locating enchanted items and narrowing down their enchantments into groups. You know, useful things."

"Ms. Rhodes is pretty amazing," I fake-whispered, giving Aspen a smile.

"She really is," Aspen agreed. "She's kinda like the mom we all need. Not necessarily the one we want, but definitely the one we need."

"Exact- "

My words were cut off by a guy pulling Aspen away from me just to step in. "Hey, Rain?" he said.

This was the same guy who'd asked me to sit with the jesters in the cafeteria.

The one who'd yelled shit at Torian. The guy Jack didn't like, and so far as I cared, being a jester made him an immediate asshole.

That he'd just pulled Aspen's arm from where it had been looped with mine and shoved her aside like she didn't matter?

I huffed and lifted my hands away so he couldn't grab me. "Back off, dick!"

"You're supposed to be our champion, you know," he said, jerking his chin at me as if that would somehow prove his point. "That's what a Morrigan is for, to serve the Summer fae!"

"Jack!" my bird cawed, and immediately my shadow stretched out, broke away, and streaked off.

The guy huffed. "Wildlings, amiright?" Had he not just seen my shadow?

"Jayden, you fucking..." Aspen pushed between us. "The Morrigan is chosen by wildling nobility, you idiot! And her job? It's to fix the balance - which doesn't have a damned thing to do with Summer."

"Uh-huh. And lemme guess, your mommy also told you that you're special because you're not like other kids, right?" He leaned in, towards her face. "That's what they say when you embarrass them."

"Fuck off!" I snapped, yanking him away from my girlfriend. "You know what? I don't owe you shit."

"She's ours, asshole!" Aspen told him. "And if you think you can - "

Jayden - because that seemed to be his name - flicked a hand at her and Aspen's lips stuck together so hard she couldn't pull them apart. She tried, and was all but screaming behind them, but that pretty pink color had become solid in a way which was simply not possible.

"Oh, you did not!" I snarled even as I shouldered the guy out of my way and grabbed Aspen's hand.

Those too-blue eyes of hers hit mine and panic was clear in them.

Her fingers clasped my hand desperately, proving she was scared.

I could only imagine! If my mouth stopped working, I'd freak the fuck out.

Yet before I could even try to figure out how to fix this, the seam began to fade, the center of her lips parted, and the rest quickly followed.

"Morrigan!" Jack bellowed. "Rain-Morrigan! Morrigan-Court!"

"So you're picking them ?" Jayden asked, clenching his fist. "Yeah, I knew you were going to be a problem. High school girls always are." And green began to glow from between his fingers.

"Try it, dipshit," I taunted.

A flick of his wrist was all it took, but the air around us was growing colder. Before the magic even left his palm, the windows had iced over. Jayden's green blob slammed into my chest, Aspen sliced her hand through the air, and I shoved both of mine forward.

Reapers. That was the only word which came to mind to describe the shapes, because they looked like hooded forms made of darkness, but they rocketed towards Jayden, stopping at the last minute to brace.

A wave of ice slammed into them, leaving spikes that pierced the shadows before evaporating into mist within a fraction of a second.

And yet I'd seen it. Jayden had too, because his smug smirk was gone and the asshole's eyes were wide as he slowly shifted his focus from me to Aspen.

"Oh, that's it!" he breathed before lashing out.

This time, there was no warning glow. There was little more than a rush of power in the air, invisible except for the wave of movement it made. I jumped over, putting my body in the way and pushed more. Then a little more.

Darkness poured from me. Jack launched into the air, screaming, "Morrigan!" The magic slammed into my gut, forcing the air from my lungs with its intensity, but my body accepted it all and immediately turned back into shadows.

Yet in all the darkness I was creating, a flash of white, then another lit the walls and ceiling.

Snow began to fall. A warm breeze pushed it all towards the jester guy who'd started this, and then there was the brightest flash.

I couldn't even identify the color due to the intensity, but everything slowed.

"How dare you touch her!" Torian's voice rang out, echoing in the halls like it was larger than life.

Green began to shine. I noticed the girl's shirt at the side. There was a backpack on someone else. A few people had eyes that seemed to glow with the color before an eruption of it burst from Jayden's chest. The guy was moving at half speed, but his face still reacted to whatever Torian was doing.

I turned in time to see Hawke closing a pair of gates.

His attention was on them, as if he was unweaving the very fabric of the air.

Wilder was removing the ice and snow from the school.

Aspen had moved behind me, one overly warm hand resting against my shoulder blade.

I knew that was her power, ready to fuel me if I needed it.

And yet the green kept coming. From an intensity of color to what looked like glitter levitating in the air, the particles quickly coalesced into a stream that rushed straight for Torian's hand, returning to roost with him the same way Jack always did with me.

But that was when I heard, "Stop!" And the voice belonged to Keir. "Torian, no!"

Pushing aside students caught in the slow-magic, Keir shoved his way to the front and grabbed Torian with one hand. The other gestured in Jayden's direction - and the green vanished.

"Fucking idiot!" Keir snapped - at Torian! "Just because you can doesn't mean you should!"

"He touched her!" Torian snarled.

So Keir pushed up in his face. "Does it look like I care? You can protect her without harming others, and taking our magic does hurt. So learn to be better!"

"I will - "

"Torian!" Ms. Rhodes bellowed, making the boys fall silent.

Aspen and I spun. She was now in front of me, so I clasped her upper arms, making it clear I was still shielding her.

Wilder lifted his hand to snap his fingers, and the spell slowing everyone was gone, causing people to stumble as they returned to full speed without warning.

Hawke simply waved away the last traces of what must be the gates they'd used to get here, pulling the excess power into his chest - where it vanished.

And shoes clicked loudly on the hard tile floors. "What the hell is going on here?" Ms. Rhodes sounded like a general in that moment. "I want to know who was involved!"

Someone pointed at Jayden. More pointed at me, Aspen, Torian, Hawke, Wilder, and Keir. Without slowing, Ms. Rhodes looked at all the fingers declaring our guilt, then to her watch.

Tapping it twice, she said, "You all have five minutes to get where you belong. Jayden, that does not include you." Then she looked at me. "Or your court, Miss le Fae."

"Morrigan!" Jack cawed. "Shadows. Rain-Morrigan. Court, Rain!" He ruffled his feathers.

"Try. Harder," Ms. Rhodes snapped at him.

"Morrigan!" Jack screamed at her. "Morrigan, Morrigan, Morrigan, Morrigan!"

Ms. Rhodes sighed. "Someone had best tell me what happened here," she warned us.

Jayden was busy looking at his hands. Following them all the way up to his arms and shoulders, then checking his waist before starting all over again. "My power!" he gasped.

Torian laughed once. "Didn't you hear? I'm a monster."

"Office. Now!" Ms. Rhodes ordered before turning to look at me. "And you! Do you think this is funny? He was draining this boy's power, and what did you do?"

"I..."

"I stopped it," Keir said. "Rain doesn't know how to do that yet."

"Then you can join her in my office," Ms. Rhodes snapped. "And Aspen?"

"He attacked me!" she shot back. "Oh, you're so sure we were wrong, but the only difference is that we protect our own!

He attacked me, Ms. Rhodes. Sealed my lips shut so he could taunt Rain about picking sides.

Well, you know what? She has! She picked those of us who need help, not the ones who try to shame us. "

"I don't tolerate bullies," I said. "And I still have a promise to uphold about that."

"Fine! Both of you, go join the rest." She then turned on Jayden.

"You know what the best part of being the headmistress of a school for the fae is?

My pupils cannot lie to me, Jayden. You are hereby suspended to your room for the remainder of the week.

Learn to adapt with whatever power you have left, and be thankful our season is rising.

Now get out of my sight before I change my mind! "

"But..." Jayden held up his hands. "I can't get into my room without magic."

"That is why we have keys, young man." Ms. Rhodes grumbled like she wanted to start pulling heads off. "I suggest you find a janitor and ask very, very nicely for some help. If I hear another complaint about you today..."

"Yes, ma'am," Jayden muttered before hurrying off.

But my feet were stuck in place. "I did nothing wrong." And I lifted my chin, daring her to deny it.

"No, you let the wrong happen on your watch," she said instead. "And you are not getting out of punishment that easily." Her eyes shifted to my shoulder. "Nor you, Highness."

"Rain-Jack," he said, sounding much too pleased with himself.