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Chapter Nine

RAIN

M s. Rhodes gave the entire court the rest of the day off from our classes. Since Aspen's head was still a bit sore, I convinced her we should spend the time resting. Naturally, the boys came with us.

Torian went for snacks and drinks. Keir made sure Aspen had a comfortable spot to sit.

Wilder flapped his hands a few times as if confused.

Then again, he used to be the one who waited on Aspen all the time.

Hawke? He just wanted a nice little gap between him and Spike, the Monarch's Assassin plant beside my door.

At first, we all simply replayed what had happened. I had to repeat what I'd seen at least five times before everyone was happy. They kept stopping me to check some detail or other, but I hadn't been paying attention. I'd thought I was just waiting for my girlfriend!

Then Torian asked, "So how did everyone else know to go there?"

"Rain's shadow," Keir said.

Hawke nodded. "The damned thing tugged me that way, and somehow I knew where I needed to go."

"Same," Wilder agreed.

"But how?" I asked, looking between them all. "I mean, Torian and Aspen make sense."

"It does?" Keir asked.

Torian chuckled once. "It does. Rain knows we burned open a magical connection between ourselves."

"Not intentionally," Aspen added. "But I've always known he was there. Well, in Faerie - back then."

"And I knew what Earth was like because of her," Torian said. "That's how I knew to come here."

Keir's head jumped from side to side. "And I'm the last one to know this?"

"Yep," Wilder said. "I didn't realize Rain knew, though."

"I figured it out," Hawke said. "Rain's also used it a few times."

Then Keir groaned. "And that's why Wilder told you about the Winter Court to calm you down a while back. He was triggering your feelings about Aspen."

"Memories," Aspen corrected. "I have some memories from my time as a baby. The Winter Court was a happy place back then. Torian and I both liked them, so we thought about them a lot."

"And when I found out it cut through his rage?" Wilder shrugged. "Well, I remember that place better than both of them, so I can give better descriptions."

"He said enough when we were fostering together," Hawke explained. "His sister, he'd never met her, came here to find her? Yeah, it took a bit, but I figured it out."

"And it's not something we want a lot of people to know," Aspen told Keir. "It's one of those things that could be used against us."

"Or cause people to not want either of you on a throne," Keir said, nodding to show he understood. "Summer and Winter being that close?"

"But wouldn't that be a good thing?" I asked.

Wilder shook his head. Torian gave me a tired look. Hawke shrugged like it didn't make sense to him either. Aspen, however, leaned closer, resting her head against my shoulder.

"Sadly, no," she said. "There's supposed to be a separation of power. A way of keeping the other side from becoming omnipotent. The seasons do that."

"Or," I said, stunned how everyone seemed to be missing the obvious here, "maybe it should be more like a partnership?

You know, when one season is in power, they pick up the responsibility, and as that fades, the other season steps up, giving the first a break?

" I looked back and forth, trying to understand why that wasn't the obvious way of handling things.

"Share power?" Torian asked. "Rain, the fae don't do that."

"Then maybe they should!" Tossing my head back, I groaned in frustration.

"I mean, isn't that why this whole mess is happening?

People think killing off all Winter fae will somehow make them more powerful, right?

Not let them rest. Not get them some time off.

Power. The emphasis here is on the wrong thing. "

"Says the girl with no magic of her own," Hawke chided.

"But that's my point!" I pressed. "I don't have my own magic.

I was lucky enough to get some, so I actually appreciate it.

I don't treat it like some dick-measuring competition!

Instead, I worry about how I can help others with it.

You know, that whole responsibility thing I was just talking about? "

"And then what?" Torian asked, looking over at me much too calmly.

His eyes were the strangest shade of green. They were too yellow to be lime, but sometimes his gaze felt like it was filled with neon. Oddly, everything else about him had a lazy feel, almost like he was some untouchable man with all the time in the world.

"What do you mean?" I asked, because my rant should've been self-explanatory.

"If Aspen and I could somehow do that, like you said, then what?" he asked.

I just shook my head again. "Torian, we're coming at this from very different perspectives, I think. I don't know what more you want."

"Ok." He leaned forward to rest his arms on his knees. "So, the Mad Queen rules the Summer Court in Faerie. My sister is the Winter Queen, but she's here on Earth. Currently, I'm the heir to both thrones."

"Still," Wilder muttered.

Torian tilted his head that way, proving Wilder was right.

"So let's say my sister and I work together.

It's what we're trying to do. What comes after that?

How do we deal with my mother using me to siphon power from Aspen?

How do we keep her from taking over the Winter Crown, either by killing Aspen or simply using your system to put her at a disadvantage? "

"No." I sliced a hand through the air to make it clear I was not talking about that. "Your mother is in Faerie. She can't touch Aspen, right?"

"Apparently," Hawke said, "her minions can. I mean, the people coming after her all want to prove their loyalty to the Queen."

"Or make up for a mistake," Torian added. "But that's the problem, Rain. That's the part you aren't thinking about."

"Oh, she's thinking about it," Keir said. "She's also ahead of you. I'm pretty sure Rain's talking about removing the Mad Queen from the equation first."

But all of this was making me think. "Wait?" I begged, letting my eyes track across the rug as the possibilities spun. "She's there. We're here. She has minions here, but we don't, right?"

"We just have us," Wilder agreed.

Then I looked up, right at Torian. "Why?"

"Because no one was supposed to know who we are."

"Why?" I pressed.

Torian looked over to Aspen as if hoping for a little help. She shook her head and looked at Wilder. He pointed to Hawke, who simply lifted his palms in confusion.

"Because Liam thought it would be safer," Torian finally said, but he didn't sound sure about it.

"And now the secret's out, right?" I checked my friends again. "So why are we still trying to hide a secret that everyone knows? I mean, doesn't this shit today prove it doesn't work?"

"She's right," Keir said. "We're so busy worrying about leaving the right impression that we have no fucking clue what's going on all around us. Being on the defensive isn't a good place to be, strategically."

"The offense is better," Hawke agreed. "I just don't know how we turn this into an offensive thing."

Aspen lifted her hand halfway. "Uh, I don't know about fighting stuff like that."

"Defense," Keir told her, "is protecting yourself.

Doesn't only apply to physical combat either.

Offense is attacking. Now, when you're on the defense, that means you're completely focused on protecting yourself, not getting hurt - physically, mentally, or emotionally - and just trying to keep up.

When you're on the offense, you have the advantage of making your opponent or enemy deflect, block, explain, and deal with the attacks you send their way. "

"And it looks stronger to the people watching," I added.

"Like with bullies. They'll say shit, the victim has to defend, and they can't deny it or they look like a wuss.

They can't agree, because then the attack lands and rumors start.

They have to figure out a way to diffuse or deflect the attack. "

"Ok, that makes more sense," Aspen assured me. "I've handled bullies, not battles."

"It's all the same," Hawke told her. "Attack, block, evade, counter-attack."

"And," I said, "we're doing nothing but evading and deflecting.

You're not the princess. Torian's a dick, and the jesters named the court.

Things like that. It works to keep suspicion off us, but why?

Seriously, why are we all working so hard to not tell anyone who you are?

What's the downside of them finding out? "

"The Mad Queen," Torian said.

"Who is on Faerie!" I reminded him. "She's not here. She can't do anything, and if she can get here, then I think we'll have bigger issues. I mean, I'm assuming she knows what you look like?"

"She does," he admitted. "She doesn't know about Aspen, though."

"But she will," Wilder said. "Aspen accepted the crown. There's no way to hide that or wipe it away. The Mad Queen wants the crown, and the one thing keeping her from it?" He pointed at Aspen. "Which means your mother would try to kill your sister even if you weren't related."

"Fuck!" Torian snarled.

"So own it," I told them.

For a moment, no one responded. They also didn't say anything else. It was as if they were trying to find a reason why that was a silly idea, but no one was talking. I could only assume that meant they didn't have one.

"Keep going," Keir encouraged softly. "Explain the whole idea, Rain."

Pulling in a breath, I nodded. "Ok, so as an outsider looking in," I said, "I could be missing a lot.

But the way I see it, royalty has to be a lot like a celebrity.

People are going to think it's cool to even be around you.

To share a class? To chit-chat? That will be over the top.

So, what happens if they find out the guy who sits beside them has been the prince this whole time?

Or the queen?" I lifted a hand. "Yes, queen.

Stop trying to hide it, and start acting like you're directing something.

Take charge. Make it clear that your way is the way things should be done. "

"And what good does that do?" Hawke asked.

"First, it shows you the sides. The ones who fawn over you two will be the allies.

The ones who push back are the ones you need to watch.

It also gives you social power. If you don't approve, your followers won't. The bad ones will be pushed further and further from the cool group.

That removes their power - social power.

They won't be able to say 'Aspen's a bitch, kill her,' because Aspen's royalty and super special. "

"It's not that simple," Torian grumbled.

"But it is," I pressed. "That's the whole thing.

It really is. I mean, look at Harper. She was the cool girl, so everyone wanted to make her happy.

Didn't matter if they liked her. They wanted a little of her social capital to rub off as she passed by.

A smile here. A giggle there. That was enough to make guys look at someone - or girls.

It was enough to make others lash out or turn their back. "

"And then?" Torian asked yet again.

"And once you two have claimed the social status you deserve, you make it clear the old way sucks?

" I shrugged. "I don't know, but if you plant the idea now, while we're all still in school, then maybe it'll be accepted?

Maybe it'll be enough for some of these kids to realize their parents don't know shit? "

"Or that their parents weren't as well-positioned as they keep saying," Wilder pointed out. "Tor, if you make it clear someone was a dishwasher instead of a minor noble? Or a shit shoveler instead of a ladies' maid?"

"It pulls the rug out from under your enemy's feet," Keir said. "Besides, I'd think you'd want everyone to know how much better you are than them."

"I'm not better," Torian snapped.

"So become better," Keir told him.

"And me?" Aspen asked before those two could start bickering cutely. "Guys, I'm the Winter Queen now. You know, the girl with a price on her head?"

"And they already know," Wilder said. "Aspen, why do you think they came after you today? It hasn't been confirmed, but they're sure enough they're willing to fucking attack you in the halls."

"And send the Hunt," Keir reminded us.

"Harper used iron," I reminded them. "Time and time again, they've come after you for having Winter magic. I don't think hiding who you are is going to keep you safe. I think it's giving them a false sense of security, thinking you can't do anything to stop them. But Asp, you're the queen!"

"And you've found your control," Torian added.

Aspen's head snapped over to him. "So you're on board with this?"

For a little too long, he was silent, but eventually he nodded. "I can't think of a reason not to at least try." But his eyes didn't leave her.

When Torian looked at Aspen, there was no doubting he cared about her. He was also worried about her. Time and time again, he'd rushed to her aid as if he was worried she couldn't take care of herself, but in that moment, I realized I hadn't given him enough credit.

He protected Aspen because he was convinced she'd save him. Not because he didn't think she could save herself, but because he couldn't save himself . Everything Torian Hunt did, he did for her simply because she was the only chance he thought he had left.

But now they had us. This court wasn't like the ones who'd come before. We'd fucked it all up - and worked better because of it. Now we just had to convince everyone else this would work.