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Chapter Fifty-Five

KEIR

I 'd been in the bathroom, taking a piss, when Rain's shadow had appeared on the wall before me. Yep, I knew it was hers from the crazy shadowless eyes it had. Then it had waved, gesturing for me to follow it. Needless to say, I'd finished quickly, then followed it out.

The sounds in the hall had made it clear shit was going down.

When I'd felt the concussion of magic in the air, I'd had a bad feeling my friends were involved.

I'd been just a bit too far away to get trapped in the slowing conjuration, but I'd watched as the chaos in the halls had changed pace, moving like everyone was trapped in molasses.

Gates. The concussion had been magical gates opening up!

The slow-magic had been white, which could be most of the court.

The shadows were clearly from Rain, but the green?

Everything from the atrium beside me to the clothes people were wearing had all been just too intense.

When I'd rounded the corner to see Torian sucking the magic from the same idiot who'd already picked a fight with the court once?

For a moment, I'd almost done nothing. The only reason I finally blocked Torian's drain on the guy was simply because I was starting to figure him out - and I didn't exactly disagree.

Sure, he was heavy-handed with his justice, but he'd come from a world where that had clearly been the only way to survive.

My hope was that somehow, I could help soften him.

But as I followed the rest into Ms. Rhodes' office, I dared to hope we'd get out of this with nothing worse than the extra work we already had. Sadly, when the headmistress stormed in behind us and slammed the door, I realized that was not going to be the case.

"You're all confined to your rooms for the rest of the day!" she snapped before dropping down into her chair.

And Torian just couldn't help himself. "Oh, we get a day off from school? Is that supposed to be punishment?"

"Your exams and homework will not be made up," Ms Rhodes told him. "You, Mr. Hunt, are no longer the top of your class." Her eyes jumped to Rain next. "I expected more from you." Then to Wilder. "If you alter time again, I will make you spend a day at half speed. Do not push me, Mr. Reed."

"They were right," I said, claiming one of the couch-like benches and spreading my arms across the back.

"You know they were, because the court doesn't start shit.

They close ranks, keep each other safe, and will tear down this entire school to do it.

So why are you punishing them when Jayden clearly started it? "

"Because just like everyone else here at Silver Oaks, they have to learn ." She lifted a brow. "That is my job, Keir. Yours is to stop him from causing bigger problems!"

"No," I corrected. "That is not what I agreed to.

I said I would contain his power, and I did.

I told Liam I would keep him from tearing this school apart, and I have.

In no way, shape, or form did I say I would keep Torian from protecting his sister or her friends when they need it.

" I lifted my own brow, mimicking her. "Or do you think the jesters should be allowed to torment any and all users of Winter magic? "

"And that's what started it," Rain said. "That guy sealed Aspen's mouth shut!"

"How did you break it?" Wilder asked, all but ignoring Ms. Rhodes.

"I, uh, touched her," Rain said. "I mean, it was mostly an accident, but it worked."

"Wild magic," Hawke said. "The conjuration must've been on Aspen's skin, not inside her."

"It was my mouth!" Aspen said. "My lips were super-glued together, and I couldn't make them open. I was just about to freak out when Rain grabbed me, and then the glue just sorta gave up."

Behind her desk, Ms. Rhodes shoved her face into her hands, letting her elbows hold the whole thing up. "Torian, you cannot drain students. You just can't!"

"Clearly, I can," he drawled .

So Ms. Rhodes slapped the surface of her desk. "Do you want everyone asking why you're here? We made an agreement - "

"And I told you that Aspen comes first!" Torian screamed, shoving to his feet.

"'As long as my sister is not at risk.' Those were my words, and you cannot undo them.

I don't give a damn if they stake me out for the Hunt to find as long as it's not her!

Don't you understand, I'm - " And his mouth hung.

Torian pushed against it, fighting so hard I saw a trickle of blood at the corner of his lips.

"Tor, stop!" Aspen begged, hopping up just to grab a tissue and press it to his mouth. "You can't do this to us, ok? I'm fine. Rain made sure of it, and you have to trust her too."

"I don't care what they call me," Torian told her, the anger in his voice losing its direction. "But the court? You are all off-limits. Even him!" And he thrust an arm out at me.

"Torian, what does he know?" Ms. Rhodes asked.

Wilder chuckled once. "He's figured out I'm a duke. Besides that? A whole lot of nothing."

"You didn't exactly hide it," I pointed out.

Wilder shrugged. "It's not something to be ashamed of, and it does take some heat off my friends. If my title gets out, guess what? I'll be the one they torment."

I felt my gaze narrowing as I tried to peer through the secret wrapped around his words. Wilder saw, smiled, then turned back to Ms. Rhodes as if nothing had happened. Sadly, all of their partial hints kept pointing one way, and that wasn't a very good direction at all.

So I asked Ms. Rhodes, "Why did you let them come here if they're a problem?"

"Because Silver Oaks is a school for the fae, and it's the only one we have in North America right now."

I heard all the evasions in those words. "And? Because that's too convenient of an answer, considering your reaction. I also have a feeling you can say the things they can't."

And the headmistress smiled. "The rest of the day," she said, ignoring my comment completely, "will be spent in your rooms. No, you cannot use the gates. If that magic is activated, all of you will be expelled." She looked at Torian. "And that will do nothing to help your sister, will it?"

"No," he grumbled.

"So spend the day and evening thinking about your actions. Consider what will happen if you edge around your promises. Just because you've found some loopholes does not mean you should use them! If Keir and Rain have an issue with our agreement, you are free to send them to me."

"I'm good," Rain said. "I also won't stop putting bullies in their place. And so you know, I kept my deal. Maybe I'm not compelled the way you are, but Zez said like for like. Well, that..." She grunted in frustration. "That boy! He hit Aspen with magic, so I sent shadows at him."

"She kinda blocked my flinch," Aspen admitted, sounding almost meek. "It was just all so fast, and I got pissed, so I tried to push, but the ice comes so easily lately!"

"It's the surplus of Winter magic," Ms. Rhodes said. "I'm hoping Nevaeh's situation will ease that a bit."

My mind was spinning. If Aspen was so powerful because so many Winter users were gone, then how strong was Wilder? Did Torian's magic ebb and flow with seasons, or merely because of who he'd drained last?

Sadly, I couldn't ask any of that. Rain was the only one who could even talk about it, and I had a feeling she didn't know any more than I did.

Ms. Rhodes clearly wasn't about to give me a hint.

Yet the strange thing was, I didn't mind.

Granted, I did have one question, and I was pretty sure I'd get an answer to it.

"Rain, did you send your shadow to get me?"

"What?" she asked.

"Your shadow," I said. "It found me, waved for me to follow, and led me back to you. Well, led me close enough I couldn't miss what was going on, but I lost track of it after that."

Everyone else in the room looked at the floor below her. Right on cue, her shadow waved, but everything else about it was normal.

"Shadow!" Jack announced.

"They know that," Rain told him.

"Morrigan-Shadow!" Jack tried next.

That was enough to make Ms. Rhodes reach up to pinch the bridge of her nose. "I was going to release you from your extra class, but I think today's actions prove none of you are ready to be excused from that."

"I'm sorry," Rain said. "I know you think we're just causing problems, but we're not."

"You are still overreacting to the situation at hand.

All six of you! Rain, you don't need to use shadows for every situation.

Aspen, think first. Don't even reach for your magic until you have, otherwise it could be Rain or Keir who get a face full of whatever you conjured this time!

Hawke, you are not Torian's cleanup crew.

Your magic is meant for so much more than that. Master it. Wilder?"

The guy smiled. "Slowing time hurts no one, Ms. Rhodes. I thought you'd prefer that to me sinking them into the floor."

Fuck me. Ok, if Wilder could do that without thinking, then he was a lot stronger than I thought. Maybe Hawke had a point when he'd said the three of us were the "weak" ones. Clearly Wilder not only had more than enough magical power to be intimidating, but also impeccable control.

"I would prefer," Ms. Rhodes said, "that my students allow the staff to handle issues. Keir, you were tasked with helping us, not enabling the court. I expect a certain level of objectivity from those working here, and since you've said that's in your plans, then prove it."

Finally, she looked at Torian. "Stop acting like a damned monster!"

"That's a slur," I said.

"He knows what I'm talking about," she assured me. "You, Mr. Hunt, need to deal with your anger issues. I don't care why you are slipping, but get it together, or I will replicate the lessons that created your control in the first place. Do you hear me?"

"Try it," Torian growled.

"Control!" she snapped. "Not rage. Not resentment.

Control is the one thing that has gotten you this far, so do not throw it away because you think a Morrigan will change things.

Rain is here to learn, no different than you are.

For the next three and a half years, the group of you are mine.

Am I understood? I am the one making the rules, setting the limitations, and deciding fates. Not your little court."

"Then convince the jesters of that," Torian said, crossing his arms.

Ms. Rhodes nodded. "I will, because I do intend to talk to them. I applaud the way the six of you have banded together, but this? The students here? We are nothing compared to the problems you will all find out there, and Torian? This world does not believe in magic. So find your damned control!"

"I will when you find that thing! " Torian told her. "Harper is hunting my sister. Whether she's here or not, she's a jester, and we both know that's why the idiot started shit today."

"No," Ms. Rhodes said, "we do not know that. Torian, Ms. Valentina could be operating on her own. Harper often takes credit for things that are not necessarily accurate."

"She lies," Rain said plainly.

"She does," Ms. Rhodes agreed .

"And that doesn't keep the Hunt away from Aspen!" Torian bellowed. "That is all I want. Find the item. My sister will not be locked up in her room like it's a cage! She will not be chased down like a criminal! She will not - "

"Enough!" Ms. Rhodes yelled, cutting him off. "Torian, I get it. You are under a lot of stress, but I will worry about protecting my students. You need to worry about your own responsibilities. Do not overstep, young man."

"Yes, General," Torian said, bowing his head deeply at her, his tone far from respectful.

Ms. Rhodes just sighed. "Now go. All of you." Then she murmured. "Rain, see your father first."

"Liam?" Rain guessed.

"Yes, that one," Ms. Rhodes agreed. "Aspen, you may wait in the office, because I'd prefer the pair of you walk up together. Keir?"

"Yes, ma'am?" I asked.

She dipped her head at me. "Good job with the shield. Jayden appears to still have some magic. I'm glad you stepped in." And then she flicked her hand, dismissing the lot of us.

Yeah, the woman was pissed. It was written in every line of her body, but she hadn't been too strict. But Torian? He was almost trembling with his rage, and I had a funny feeling his control would stay fractured until he dealt with whatever was setting him off.

So when the kid stormed out of the office, I followed. The only thing that made me nervous was that Hawke and Wilder didn't.