by Laynie Bynum
Two guards paraded through Cell Block 1, whistling. One twirled keys and unlocked the cells one by one. “Public meeting!” he shouted over and over with glee. “To the Common Area.” His words echoed off the bars and the stonewalls.
I got off my cot where I’d been staring into empty space. “Kristen, what’s going on?”
She eyed me haughtily, before sashaying up the stairs. “You’ll see.”
“Caleb?” As much as I hated to ask him, the suspense was killing me.
He shot me a confused look and moved a lock of his messy brown hair away from his eyes. “I suppose we’ll find out together, won’t we?”
“Perhaps.” I let him walk beside me up the stairs and past Cell Block 2, where other fae prisoners were being let out. So far, luck hadn’t been on my side, and if I wanted to know what Caleb’s deal was, I might have to stay as close to him as I could without drawing attention from the guards. Keeping potential threats close was a good tactic, and I feared it was the only one that would work in this situation. I hadn’t done so with Onyx and I had paid. I’d have to bury my anger deep and appeal to Caleb’s sense of remorse, slowly extracting information out of him.
We made it up to the third floor and passed the cafeteria to an open door at the end of the hallway. People walked in silence into the room. I crossed the threshold to find a large, square, brick room with something that looked almost like a wrestling ring in the center. Iron bars surrounded the ring, which was empty except for some bright globe lights above it, but a door on the other side was open and connected to a stone tunnel. I could not see into the darkness.
The rest of the public area was dark. The ring was meant to be the center of attention.
“Do they make fae fight?” I asked as the small crowd pushed us forward. Fae prisoners spread around the ring like a giant square donut. Whoever would enter the ring would do so from the tunnel.
“No. Why would they make anything fair?” Kristen said. It was the most she’d spoken to me since I had tried to turn in Caleb. It was also the first time I'd heard her not suck up to the vampires. She was losing hope at getting out of here.
The crowd stayed quiet, and the guards shut the door to the public area. We waited for several minutes and people shifted leg to leg.
At last, Lady Cardinal entered through the tunnel to stand inside the ring. She faced us all, though we were shrouded in darkness, a smile growing on her face. “Prisoners. This is an important lesson as to what happens when you do not fix your behavior by the time you are twenty-five. Our society and the order within it are designed to prevent violence and disruption. Vampires rule and employ the earthbound fae, who are kept from being discovered by the humans, who would no doubt try to destroy them if their presence were public knowledge. We give you shelter, food, and clothing. The human world does not do this even for its own kind. They allow some of their kind to live on the streets and die in the cold. But we ensure that no fae suffers this fate.”
I balled my fists, then quickly relaxed my hands in case someone saw. Next to me, Caleb’s jaw was tight enough to crack a tooth. He glanced at me, his brows furrowed with anger and what I could only describe as shock.
He’d never heard this lecture before? I had, many times. If you wanted to keep your position, you always nodded your agreement and looked grateful. But not Caleb. Yes, he definitely hadn’t grown up in our society.
“Unfortunately, some fae do not appreciate their station. They are given chance after chance to reform, and yet they refuse. Today, we have a fae servant who was in a very good position. She had a warm bed. A fine job doing laundry. Three meals per day. Yet, she tried to escape her masters. Worse, after they provided for her, she stole a box of precious jewelry from them before she broke out of the mansion. As she is twenty-six, she may not attend Nocturnal Reformatory.”
A few low gasps and curses rose from the surrounding crowd. My stomach tied in knots. I’d seen whippings before. Fae being bitten. Even humiliations. But I knew that this would be much worse than those things. Whatever was about to happen would be final. A fae had crossed the magical number and would not go back. Lady Cardinal’s eyes gleamed with hunger as she turned to the tunnel and motioned for someone else to step into the ring with her.
Mr. Wu, Mrs. Wu’s husband, led a blindfolded, female fae with her hands behind her back into the ring. He smiled as he stood behind her, fangs flashing close to her exposed neck. No. This platform wasn’t a ring. It was—
Kristen tensed beside me and breathed out slowly, probably wondering if it was a blessing that she hadn’t ended up with the Wus after all.
“This fae was once employed by one of the wealthiest vampire families in the world,” Lady Cardinal lectured. “Now she is merely an example.”
The blindfolded fae who wasn’t even worth having a name quickened her breathing. She trembled like a leaf but didn’t scream. Mr. Wu smiled, perhaps smelling her terror. He ran his finger down the side of her neck.
“An example?” Caleb whispered, facing me with wide eyes. “This is for stealing and escaping?”
The fae, I knew, had probably taken the jewels to sell so she could buy bus fare far away from wherever the Wus were. Perhaps she had overheard Mrs. Wu talking about the breeding program and decided to make a break for it. Sickness bloomed in my gut and my knees shook. No. I would not feel guilty over this. This fae knew how this world worked. Either submit or be killed. I would’ve been killed too if I had refused to create the aphrodisiac-fertility plant.
Lady Cardinal stood off to the side of the ring, letting everyone have a good view. Mr. Wu’s fangs flashed as he ripped into the fae’s neck so hard that droplets of blood flew to the floor of the platform. The fae screamed, the shrill sound filling the chamber and stabbing into my brain. Some people covered their ears. Mr. Wu slurped loudly, not holding back, his eyes flashing red with hunger.
Eternity dragged out. The fae groaned again and again, weaker each time, and then silence fell. Mr. Wu dropped her. She fell to the ground with a thud like a discarded trash bag. No one dared to move.
Then Caleb squeezed my hand reflexively, like a child seeking comfort from someone, before letting go.
“Clean this up,” Mr. Wu ordered the vamp guards who stood around the periphery of the public room. He stepped out of the room, dabbing his mouth with an embroidered handkerchief, and Lady Cardinal followed. No words were needed to conclude the execution. The message was loud and clear.
I glanced at Caleb, memorizing his features, because that was better than eyeing the dead fae who was now nothing more than a piece of trash.
The guards opened the door, and everyone filed out solemnly.
“They just killed her,” Caleb breathed. “This...I didn’t know this happened here...I knew things were bad, but not like…”
I snapped my full attention to Caleb, who was still draped in the darkness like everyone else. Our gazes met. His blue-green eyes with brown specks were wide. The pure horror in them made me certain beyond any doubt that he was from the faeland.
Something silent passed between us as Caleb returned my gaze.
I flinched. “Caleb?”
He leaned close. “I’m almost twenty-five,” he whispered. “I told them that when they brought me in. I had no choice.”
Queasiness seized me. I might be a bitch, but could I throw Caleb to his death—Caleb who might be unkempt and disrespectful, but was innocent and brave? A fae who had magic and might be able to bust us both out of here?
Before I could decide, he was already gone, swallowed up by the dark room.
Chapter Nine
The next two weeks passed without me making any progress. I neither convinced Lord Sullivan to release me nor did I discover any more of Caleb’s secrets, who kept his distance since the execution. Perhaps he thought he’d extended himself too far and put himself at too much risk by telling me anything at all. Desperate people did desperate things and often regretted them.
One day over break
fast, which was stale toast and cheese with the taste of moldy cardboard, just as I began to wonder if I would ever get out of Nocturnal Reformatory, I saw a familiar face enter the cafeteria. My heart leapt with joy at the white hair and lanky form. Nilsson had come for me. I nearly jumped out of my seat, but quickly stopped myself. Showing too much eagerness might be bad. Thus, I forced myself to finish my coffee, which tasted like slag and was only useful for the minor caffeine boost, while watching Nilsson talk to Lord Sullivan. Both vamps stood on the far end of the cafeteria.
Then Lord Sullivan’s dark gaze fell on me, and he motioned for me to come closer. I was a bundle of nerves, and my legs were as stable as those of a newborn deer as I made my way over to the two men. But I kept my poise. I always kept my poise.
“Lord Sullivan. Lord Nilsson.” I curtsied low and bowed my head. I wanted to beg Nilsson to take me away from here. I wanted to throw myself at him and tell him I’d clean the museum from top to bottom on a daily basis if only he forgave me. But I did no such thing. Vampires didn’t like pathetic or hysterical fae unless they were psychos like Vulthus. I had to accept my situation with dignity. That was my best chance to get back into Nilsson’s good graces.
“Peony,” he said in a cool voice. “The magic ingredients are ready for Mrs. Wu’s fertility plant.”
I nodded. Yes. It had been almost a full moon phase since my arrival. They would release me. They had to for me to create the plant. Then they’d be so impressed that I would regain my standing.
I just wouldn’t think about what that plant would do. Not now. Not ever.
“Mrs. Wu wants to ensure that this time everything runs smoothly,” Nilsson continued.
“Of course,” I breathed.
Lord Sullivan sniffed. “That’s why you’ll work on this plant here where you can’t lose it.”
My eyes widened. I couldn’t access my magic this deep in the dungeons. I opened, then closed my mouth, not daring to voice my concerns.
The corners of Lord Sullivan’s mouth tilted upward in a cruel smirk. He knew that he was making my task impossible. “It is of the utmost importance that this plant isn’t stolen and nothing goes awry.”
“I understand.” I could barely swallow. Each breath felt like I was fighting a vice.
“You’ll be moved to a secure area that is above ground.”
I almost slumped forward in relief. So they were taking me up into Nocturnal Academy, which was the only secure location nearby that made sense. If I was outside in the garden, I could create the plant. The gardens weren’t the same as my workspace in the museum, but I could do it. I had to. My life depended on it.
“Obviously, you’ll work in a room supervised by guards, who’ll be positioned outside.” Nilsson gave me a sharp stare.
“I won’t be surrounded by plants? My magic, it works best—”
“We’re well aware of how your magic works,” Lord Sullivan snapped. “Because of the time Mrs. Wu has lost, she demands a more potent product. We needed to order, straight from the underground market of the faeland, a few plants that you are to combine. Nilsson paid for these ingredients straight from his own pocket.”
A more potent plant? Underground market? I had never worked with faeland plants before. And I hadn't realized Nilsson had some connection to the faeland. I looked to him and he nodded.
“It was expensive, and I needed to trade some of my most prized plants,” Nilsson said with a frown.
I supposed that made sense, given that he ran the plant museum.
“Mrs. Wu needs it in three days’ time, as she will present it at a meeting of Elites.” Sullivan tapped his stick against his open palm, and Nilsson nodded dispassionately. Nilsson wasn’t into this plan, but I sensed he could do nothing about it.
My vision swam. They were setting me up for failure. Afterward, I’d be dragged to the arena and drained dry.
“That’s why Caleb will help you,” Sullivan added.
I blinked. Had I just misheard?
Sullivan gave me a nasty smile. This was part of my punishment. As far as the vamps knew, Caleb had zero magic and would only trip me up. “You accused him of stealing your first plant. Prove that you can work with someone who hates you, and perhaps you’ll learn how to achieve Mrs. Wu’s forgiveness.”
That witch would never forgive me. I forced my lips into a smile. “Thank you. I am forever grateful for this second chance.”
Nilsson clasped his hands together and gave me a hard look. “This is very important, Peony. Don’t disappoint me.”
“I won’t.” So he was less on my side than I thought, but I wasn’t ready to kick the bucket.
Lord Sullivan shooed me away with his hand as if I were a fly. “Return to the breakfast table and go about your day. The guards will fetch you when the room is ready.”
I helped the other prisoners clean up the plates after breakfast. I thought I’d be made to wait the whole day, but to my surprise, two guards entered the kitchen as I was drying forks.
“Peony?” I nodded. “Come with us.”
I followed them, realizing that I hadn’t seen Caleb since he left his cell this morning. Was he already in the plant room? And where exactly would the guards take us?
We were already on the third floor, but they led me through Classroom C and to a door in the corner of the room that I hadn't paid attention to until now. On the other side were stairs going upward. We climbed for what felt like forever and reached a narrow corridor. The guards led me to a solid wall on the end. One stood with me while the other tapped his hand on the bricks of the wall. He moved so quickly that I could hardly keep up with the movements and had no chance of memorizing the sequence. Not that it would matter if this door opened to a secure area.
The wall slid open, and I stepped through the opening. Immediately, it became easier to breathe and tears shot into my eyes at the haunting, yet beautiful, corridor with vaulted ceilings and dark floors. I was back at Nocturnal Academy. A place where I used to matter, where I was someone. I wasn’t naïve enough to think that I could remain up here forever, but getting out of the prison downstairs for even a little while was a prize. So would be getting away from all the iron of the prison. Nocturnal Academy had some iron, of course, but not as much as the Reformatory.
The guards led me down familiar corridors and finally took me to the classroom in which we had studied Home Décor and Careers. Strength flowed back into me, the first real life I'd felt in weeks. In here, iron was limited. Magic tingled up and down my arms. My fingers itched to dance across the piano and play a classical tune, but the guards herded me toward the plant area where Caleb was already waiting among the potted trees and flower-filled vases, his face set in disgust.
I blinked as he crossed his arms and shot me a death stare.
“Get to it. Don’t dawdle!” one of the guards barked. Both guards stepped away to the threshold of the door. I silently thanked Nilsson, certain it was because of him that I had the privilege of the vampires being nearby, but not looking over my shoulder. As a researcher and introvert, Nilsson valued solitude and personal space, and while I enjoyed showing off my magic at grand displays for the vampires, I produced my best work when I was alone and focused.
“Was this your idea?” Caleb hissed.
I gritted my teeth. “No, I did not ask for you to swoop in and claim half of the credit for my work after you stole my original plant.”
He shook his head, looking as if he was ready to spit at me. He could at least tell me why he wanted the plant.
“You’re welcome,” I said. “If you do well, they might actually release you and give you a good position.”
He opened his mouth to protest, but then closed it. Yes, he didn’t want to be rehabilitated. Caleb had come from the faeland. Why, I didn’t know. If the Summer Court still wanted to avenge Preston, a prince teacher who had been killed at the academy last year, certainly they would’ve sent an army and not one thieving, useless fae.
Since Caleb didn’t
look like he was ready to spill his guts, I turned my attention to the plants, the three of which I had never seen, making sure we had everything we needed to replant them. We did. Pots. Dirt. Even a cloth pack that must hold seeds. At least Sullivan hadn’t screwed me in that department. Perhaps he feared angering Mrs. Wu. That would be my key out of here. “Let’s just focus on this.”
Caleb grabbed my hand, or more correctly, he placed his big hand over mine. I stiffened, hoping to make him understand that his touch was not welcome, but instead of removing his hand, he growled in a low tone, “You don’t care, do you?”
“I care about doing a good job.” I stepped aside and read the instructions that Nilsson had left in his messy handwriting.
Peony,
As Mrs. Wu needs a more potent plant, you will not be working with one seed from the faeland, saffron, and red ginseng, but will use instead three seeds from potent plants of the faeland. They are extremely precious. You must succeed.
Lord Nilsson
Straight to the point and making it clear what was on the line without making explicit threats. Yes, that was typical Nilsson. I studied the seeds. They’d have to be planted into the soil, which Caleb and I would need to prepare.
I surveyed the full, mature plants Nilsson had delivered for me and found what I was searching for. Tiger lilies. I chopped them. They’d go into the soil first. Just because I possessed magic didn’t mean I could simply wave my hands around and create the fertility plant from nothing. The soil had to be prepped first.
“Unbelievable,” Caleb muttered.
I handed him the mortar and pestle. “Grind the dandelions.” When he stared at me blankly, I glanced meaningfully toward the guards.
He took the bowl from me, annoyingly managing to touch my fingers as he did so. “You do understand that Mrs. Wu is going to misuse your fertility plant to force fae to breed?” His gaze drilled into me. “Why else would she want it?”
I smiled at the opening he gave me. “You should know all about the fae breeding, don’t you? After all, you’re the one from the faeland. I’ve heard about the same thing happening there.” The story circulated all the time. The Winter Court had spread the plague that made most Summer fae infertile, so they often dragged in fertile fae and forced them to breed. Caleb sure had a lot of room to talk.