Page 101 of Rebellious Royals

"What about Aspen?" I asked, refusing to make it so easy.

"She's with me," Bracken said.

"I'm fine," Aspen assured me.

More than merely being fine, she was in charge. She didn't say that, but I could see it for myself. Aspen stood a bit too straight, but she wasn't horrified like so many others. Then again, I had a feeling she'd seen plenty of atrocities through Torian's eyes.

So I met up with Keir, Hawke, Pascal, Bran, Axel, and Daivon. There were four others beside them as well. All were sentinels, and while I'd seen the other group in class and around the school, I didn't exactly know them well.

"We're supposed to make a ring around that tree," I told them as I joined the group. "Bracken wants us to keep other students from seeing the body."

"So thatisa body?" Beverly asked.

I nodded. "Yeah. I don't know whose, but sounds like a girl. Bracken said he'd prefer we face outward. He says to watch for anyone heading our way. I don't see a reason we need to be spaced out evenly."

"Heard!" the eight sentinels said in unison, making me flinch.

Pascal grinned at my reaction. "You are the Morrigan, Rain. That makes you our commanding officer, basically."

"Between you and Bracken," a guy named Marlowe explained, "we're supposed to listen to you first, then him. Bracken said that's because you'll likely already be listening to him, and if you aren't, it's because you're doing the right thing."

"I'm..." I looked between them. "Guys, I'm just starting my weapons training."

Keir hummed thoughtfully. "And yet Jack chose you. Ok, how about we triangulate? Marlowe, your group over there. Axel, take three over there. We'll stand over here." Keir pointed where he meant with each location.

"We're off by one," Daivon pointed out. "Take Pascal, because we all know Rain will get called away. Puts at least three of us in each group."

"Oh, I see how it is," Pascal said even as he shifted closer to me. "Let's do this."

Our groups began to move, and while the sentinels acted like this was no big deal, I noticed no one was looking up. It was almost a strange form of gallows humor to pretend to be lighthearted in an attempt to ignore the reality of what we were doing.

"Is it a student?" Hawke asked, clenching his jaw.

"You ok?" Keir asked him.

"Yeah," Hawke said. "And everyone here knows about me."

"Knows what?" I asked, aware they were avoiding something.

"Jevadu," Pascal said, the word a whisper. "As fae, we've heard stories, but I don't exactly know how much is true."

"Same," Keir said.

"I know nothing," I admitted, drifting closer to Hawke as we walked. "Do they think you're going to vamp out or something? Show off your sexiness some more?" I meant his wings, but I was pretty sure my subtle hint at them was failing.

He ducked his head and chuckled, then proved me wrong. "They're not scared of wings, Rain." And he lifted his hands. "It's these."

Which was when we reached our spot. Keir moved a little closer. "Can I see, or is that weird?"

"My talons?" Hawke asked.

"Is that what you call them?" Pascal wanted to know.

So Hawke turned his hands over, showing the underside of his nails. "The fingers are useless. Just normal like yours. My thumbs..."

Using one hand, he lifted the slightly long nail away from the tip of his finger - well, as much as anyone could lift a nail. That was when I realized how thick that nail was. And while the end was pointed, it wasn't exactly a true point. More like a coffin nail shape. I'd assumed it was some punk thing boys were doing and had forgotten all about it. In truth, his thumbnails weren't even what a girl would call long!

"How does it work?" Pascal asked. "And please, stop me if you don't want to answer."