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Chapter Nineteen

RAIN

T he next day, I was a complete dingbat. I kept smiling for no reason. Well, no reason I wanted to tell anyone else . When I made it to second period, I couldn't keep my eyes off Aspen. Yeah, I had it bad, and yet it felt so good when she gave me a shy little smile.

Jack hopped over to spend the hour on my shoulder, since he was "guarding" Aspen for her first and third period classes still. Surprisingly, he didn't give me shit. Instead, he cuddled up against my neck in the cutest way. I didn't realize crows were cuddlers, but I'd take it.

But when we were released from math, he hopped over to Aspen's shoulder again to make sure she was safe. I both loved and hated that, yet I wasn't ready for them to go either. Too much was happening too fast, and I'd gotten a little too used to not having to be alone anymore.

"Asp..." I said, making her pause.

She turned back with a smile. "Hm?"

I had to remind myself I couldn't just kiss her. I wanted to, though. So badly. Or even to hold her hand! Having to wait a year before we could be open about our relationship felt like a whole-ass eternity, but squeezing her arm would have to do.

"Take care of my bird," I said lamely.

Her eyes scanned my face, but she nodded. And for a moment, neither of us moved. We'd shared something, and while it wasn't anything most could call "big," it felt like it should be. Like it meant more than anything I'd done before. Then she lifted her hand in a wave. I did the same. We had to go.

Turning away made the smile finally fall from my face.

The memories of our very long and very amazing shower kept cycling through my mind, but I wanted more with her.

More time, more conversation, more kisses, and more of anything else she'd give me.

For some reason, walking away from her felt harder than usual, even though I knew I'd see her again at lunch.

"Things that bad?" A guy moved beside me, making me jump.

I looked over to find Pascal and let out a sigh of relief. I'd been so distracted, some asshole could've jumped me and I would've been caught off guard. I needed to get my head on straight!

"Sorry, I was distracted," I admitted.

"And look like you want to rip someone's head off," he said, but his smile made it clear that was supposed to be a joke. "But no, seriously..." And he leaned closer to lower his voice. "Is Hawke ok?"

"What? Yeah!" Then I realized what he really meant. "You mean because you saw him?"

"Yeah," he mumbled. "And because you look like you're dealing with some shit."

Which made me laugh once. "Pascal, you made a promise. You weren't forced to make it, and he knows that. Is he worried about it? I'm sure, but no one has told me anything else. I don't see him until next period."

Pascal nodded his head as if thinking. "Ok, so what's bothering you?"

I glanced over, offering him a little smile. "If I said 'none of your business,' would you take it wrong?"

"Nope," he assured me, popping the P to make the point.

"Good, because it's none of your business."

That made him grin. "Does it have something to do with Jack not being on your shoulder?"

Slowly, I nodded. "Yeah, he's with Aspen because - "

The sound of a girl's scream cut me off. Both mine and Pascal's heads whipped over in the direction of the sound, but it cut off too fast. Still, a swell of worried murmurs washed over the student body, flowing towards us like a wave. It all but confirmed which direction that had come from.

"What was..." Pascal tried.

But Poppy Hawthorne's voice pierced the halls. "Get your hands off her!"

Immediately, the pair of us were running.

Not that we moved fast with the bodies packed together, but we both wove through them the best we could.

I twisted, he shouldered people out of the way, and we were making progress, but the girl screamed again.

This time, hers wasn't the only one. A man's voice roared, sounding pissed.

I rounded the corner and ducked into a hall I didn't normally use.

Pascal was right on my heels. Up ahead, I saw a guy slam a dark-haired girl against the wall.

She hit hard enough to make people back up, which was what allowed me to see.

A split-second later, Poppy rushed in to grab the guy. No one else was helping!

The man whipped his hand back, pushing magic at Poppy, and all hell broke loose. I threw shadows that way, hoping to stop whatever conjuration he'd just thrown. Poppy didn't wait to be saved, though. She put both hands together like some anime action hero, and shoved back.

Green light flared as the magics collided.

My shadows turned into a bear and moved to block the girl being attacked.

Oh shit, that was Nevaeh! Pascal rushed in, grabbing the guy and slinging him around, but this guy wasn't going to go down easily.

He swung, clearly intending to punch Pascal in the face.

So I punched him first. My hand caught him right at the temple, ringing his bell.

The asshole stumbled, falling onto his hand and knees - then thrust magic at me.

It was pale, but green, and when it washed over me, it felt warm.

That was Summer magic, but this idiot had clearly forgotten seasonal magic fueled me. It didn't hurt me.

"Stop!" I commanded, flipping a glob of shadows at him with the hope I could prevent him from casting anything else. Er, conjuring. Whatever!

The blackness streaked over to slam down on his hands. Like heavy mittens, they encased everything up to his wrists. Pascal saw, and definitely avoided my shadow magic, but he refused to let the guy go.

"Nevaeh?" Poppy asked, hurrying around us to check on her.

But a teacher was trying her best to get through the mob watching us. "Make room!"

"Fuck," Poppy grumbled, turning to the sound.

I saw it all, but wasn't going to let Pascal deal with this alone. Dropping to a knee, I caught one of the guy's hands so Pascal could focus on the other. He was roaring in anger, but not using words. He was just trying to get us off, and bucking his whole body in the hopes that would help.

"Stop!" I demanded, pushing down a little harder.

"Enough!" This time, it was Ivy Rhodes' voice, and the entire hall immediately fell silent.

But when everyone paused, the other teacher was finally able to push through. Making her way into the hollow area made by the fighting and thrashing, I saw Ms. Hawthorne. Her eyes landed on her daughter, and the woman's scowl turned acidic.

"Poppy, get to class!" she snapped.

"No," Ivy said as she joined us. "Everyone else needs to go to class. I need this group in my office. Poppy, Nevaeh, Pascal, Rain, and you too, Cedar." She made a point of looking at me and then Pascal. "If Cedar won't go on his own, someone needs to make sure he does."

Evidently, the guy I was holding on the ground was named Cedar. He was older, so probably a college student. I hadn't stopped to see how pretty he was - to guess how much fae ancestry he might have. Nope, I'd just jumped in without thinking.

"Um, Ms. Rhodes?" I asked, looking up. "I think I stopped his magic. Do you want me to take the mittens off?"

"No," she said. "I think he can wear those until he gets to my office. And if you don't willingly go there, Cedar, she won't take them off."

"How long can they last?" he demanded, sounding pissed about it. Almost like he was trying to imply he wasn't worried.

"Forever," I said, leaning down to make sure he heard. "Wild magic works that way, Cedar."

"And you're supposed to be helping us ," he shot back.

"Enough!" Ms. Rhodes barked. Then she sighed. "Pascal, please make sure Cedar makes it? Rain, you make sure those two do." She flicked a finger to Nevaeh and Poppy. Then she looked at Ms. Hawthorne. "I know you were trying to stop it, but I've got them now."

"There should be no fighting in the halls," Ms. Hawthorne grumbled as she turned back to her class.

But for a moment there, her eyes had landed on Poppy, and in that split second, I was sure the girl was about to get in some serious shit.

I had no clue what her mom could do to her for trying to help, but clearly Ms. Hawthorne was under the impression Poppy had been involved rather than trying to stop it.

"Hey," I said, hurrying over to the girls while Pascal heaved Cedar to his feet. "Are you both ok?"

"Yeah," Poppy said.

Nevaeh just nodded.

So I looked back. "Pas, you good?"

"Got this," he assured me. "Make sure neither of them got hurt."

So I looked back. "Did you?"

Nevaeh just sighed. "He called me a Winter bitch, then shoved my face into the wall. Bruised, but nothing worse."

"I got that," Poppy said, reaching over to touch the corner of Nevaeh's eye.

Immediately, green light began to glow around her fingers.

It looked similar to what Keir did when healing us, but without all his exciting colors.

Sadly, it was one skill I'd never be able to learn.

Not just because most fae were scared of my magic.

It could hurt them, after all. But being the opposite sort of magic meant there were simply some skills I wouldn't get.

"What pissed him off?" I asked, offering Nevaeh a hand up once Poppy was done.

Nevaeh accepted, groaning as she found her feet. "I have no idea."

"He's one of those assholes," Poppy said. "Hangs out with the older Children of the Exodus."

"The Silent," I mumbled, glancing back to where Pascal was leading the guy through quickly emptying halls. "Ok, let's go make sure he doesn't fuck with Pascal?"

"The Legacy?" Nevaeh asked.

"Yeah, the guy who just jumped in to help you," I reminded her.

"No." She caught my elbow, turning me after Pascal. "I mean those fuckers won't care about him. Pascal's clearly a faeling, but he doesn't have Winter magic."

"Yeah, but who's to say they won't wonder if he might, since he has no magic at all," I pointed out. "I'd rather not risk it."

"I just want to know why they're jumping people now," Poppy said, following beside us. "I mean, they've been attending Silver Oaks for generations. Um, well, let's go with decades."

"Definitely decades," Nevaeh agreed. "But now there's that rumor about Aspen being a princess."

"And Torian a prince," I grumbled.

Which made Nevaeh smile. "That didn't sound like a lie."

"Because that is the rumor," I told her. "Thus, it's a truth, it's annoying, and this bullshit? It's all stupid."

"That's what I keep saying!" Poppy agreed. "They're all trying to worship some asshole who won't even say who he is? So if he is the prince, he's ashamed of it. If he's not, then he doesn't deserve their worship. Either way, this isn't Faerie, and there are no courts here!"

"But some people wish there was," Nevaeh said. "I mean, they think they'll be on it, and that's why."

"Wait." I looked between them. "Is that why Ms. Valentina wanted to hurt Aspen?"

"She's got Winter magic, and too much of it," Nevaeh explained. "They think that if Winter's gone, then the court - just the one - will be even more powerful. And yes, Ms. Valentina is sure she'd be on it. After all, she knew the Queen."

"The Mad Queen," I pointed out. "The insane one who convinced everyone to abandon Faerie? That's the queen they're sucking up to?"

"Knowing she likely will have no clue?" Poppy added. "Yep, that's the one, but Mom keeps saying the monarch doesn't matter. The court does, because this much power needs a government, and a human one won't do."

"Because they aren't trying to follow the Mad Queen?" I asked.

"I don't think they fucking care," Nevaeh said. "They just want power. With the pure fae, it's always about power."

"And yet they keep having us," Poppy grumbled. "Then get pissed when we aren't pure. It's a no-win situation."

"One where Winter users are the losers," Nevaeh said. "But that's the thing. Even if their idea fails, we'll still lose, so that makes it good enough for them."

"Assholes," I mumbled, making both of them nod in agreement.