by Laynie Bynum
You were the product of rape.
I swallowed hard. As I had tended to the plants, more of my energy had flown into them, and now all three were ripe. A glance out of the window told me that it was almost lunchtime. I had to combine all three, and unlike in the plant museum, it would be a slow and laborious process. I wasn’t even sure I could do it.
One of the guards approached with loud footsteps and put a bowl of cold soup and a piece of bread down on the desk. I opened my mouth to ask about Lord Sullivan, but the guard shook his head, his face softening.
That was unusual.
I blinked, then smiled. He was standing close to the Aphrodite plant, no doubt inhaling its scent. Could I use that to my advantage?
The guard cleared his throat and turned to leave, but threw me another glance over his shoulder as he walked away. This time, his eyes hardened as he left the range of the hybrid.
Since I needed the energy, I forced down the cold soup and hard bread, thinking about my options. I could use the plant to gain the vamp’s favor. And then what? Could I really go through with it? Could I give away my virginity for the chance to escape Nocturnal Academy? I pushed away the empty bowl of soup and gripped the table hard as my mind whirled with thoughts. The logical way would be to analyze how far the guard could get me before we were discovered.
But I couldn’t get myself to think like that. I wasn’t a courtesan. That part of me belonged to myself. All the groveling I had done, all the machinations, was to preserve this part of myself.
Mother relied on others.
I had to stop.
Once Mrs. Wu had this dangerous hybrid, the vamps might very well leave me here to rot or execute me. But if I tried to escape, I’d be taking my life into my own hands.
I grabbed the pot with fresh dirt and hauled it into the middle of the table. This is where I’d transfer the three plants. I reached my hand into the dirt, needing to connect to the grounding energy of the earth. But instead of that warm tingle full of potential that I was used to, I felt something in the dirt that shouldn’t be there. Paper.
A glance over my shoulder told me that the guards had their backs toward me and were once again engrossed in a conversation about football.
I pulled out the piece of paper, my heart hammering like a drum. Carefully, as if it was a precious artifact, I straightened the crumpled piece of paper and pushed away the dirt. It was a drawing. A circle with twelve, what, mushrooms? I squinted and let some dirt fall off the paper. Yes, that was what the half circles on top of the rectangles had to be. In the center of the circle stood a stick figure. From above, the light of a full moon fell onto it.
It was a drawing of my cell with the moon overhead. The cot...the window...even the toilet was there. My breath hitched. The drawing was of a fairy ring. These were instructions on how to open a portal to the faeland. Rumor had it that only the most powerful fae could open a portal there, and even then it had to take place during the full moon. I had overheard Nilsson talk to another vamp when Petra, a Summer princess, had escaped Nocturnal Academy’s dungeons, that she could only return to the faeland during the full moon.
Caleb. He was the only person who could’ve left this drawing for me. He wasn’t going to do the work for me, but he had given me knowledge. I swallowed hard. No, this was too good to be true. He was just teasing me.
Maybe mushrooms could be grown in the dungeons, but how would I get moonlight into Cell Block 1? And let alone during the full moon with guards patrolling all over the place?
I stuffed the paper in my pocket. Caleb had used his plant magic to incapacitate the guard and get his keys to escape this hellhole, which meant yesterday couldn’t have been the full moon. Probably.
I tried to think back hard. The Dionysus plant needed a whole moon cycle to mature, unlike the other two plants, according to some sloppy, scribbled notes on the back of Nilsson's letter. I had received it three days ago, which meant I had spent twenty-eight days in the dungeons before that. I counted. A full moon occurred every 29.5 days. The previous one had occurred days after I had been locked away, which meant that tonight was the full moon.
Yet, even with the drawing and if I somehow managed to create mushrooms underground, I would have no moonlight in the dungeon. A necessity to open a portal.
But what if I could get moonlight?
Caleb, as much as I hated to admit it, didn’t strike me as someone cruel. He wouldn’t fill my head with hope if there wasn’t a tiny chance of success. The dungeons where I slept didn’t have windows without tinting, but what if I needed much less? Just a sliver of moonlight?
I knew the walls of our Cell Block 1 led to the outside. The wind howled and often made me shiver on my cot. What if I could knock out a brick or even just a tiny piece and get in some moonlight?
“How’s the plant coming along, Peony?” A dark voice slithered over me, and I flinched.
Forcing a smile on my face, I whipped around. “Great, Lord Sullivan. I only need to combine the three specimens here.”
Lord Sullivan tapped his stick against his palm as the low chatter of moving students floated in through the mostly-closed door. Classes had let out and lunch was about to begin. “Then, why have you been standing, staring into empty space for the last five minutes?”
I forced my smile to remain. What else had he seen? Nothing, as I had put the note away. “I don’t want to mess it up. Plants from the fae realm can be tricky.” Lowering my head, I added quietly, “Again.” When I dared to glance up through my eyelashes, Sullivan’s smirk told me my response had pleased him greatly.
“You had better not. You won’t get a third chance. Finish the plant, Peony.” He strolled away, his black coat flapping behind him, and I wondered how I had ever thought that a self-serving creature like him would help me.
Banishing thoughts of my escape, I refocused on the fertility project. Even though it had to grow over night and Mrs. Wu could pick it up tomorrow at the earliest, Lord Sullivan and Lady Cardinal would be able to see if I messed up my creation before that. Also, in case my portal didn’t work, I hoped Mrs. Wu was wowed by my work.
Carefully, I replanted all three plants into the big pot. Then, I closed my eyes and took a few cleansing breaths before lifting my hands over all three plants, curling my fingers. Sweat gathered on my forehead. I had forgotten how favorable the working conditions in the plant museum had been, how being around so much nature encouraged my magic. The hand motions that were theatrics in the museum were very much necessary at Nocturnal Academy if I hoped to achieve anything.
My fingers quivered as I gathered magic and compelled the three plants to twirl around each other. The roots mingled painfully slow, taking a lot of time. Sweat ran down my back as I held the magical flow, and my arms shook with exhaustion, but I knew I was on the right path. The plants circled around each other, tightening and speeding up, a golden glow emanating from them. Almost. I was almost there.
My breathing became labored, and my eyes watered. A pounding headache started at the back of my head, but I continued. So close, I was so close. I couldn’t stop now. The golden glow burst out like forks of lightning. Crackling filled the air. The plants merged as footsteps sounded behind me. I swayed and crashed into something hard, knees shaking.
“What’s going on in here?” The guard shoved me away even as his nostrils flared.
“I’m working,” I breathed as the golden glow slowly died.
The lumberjack guard’s gaze moved to my lips. Longing filled his eyes, and he moved his tongue over his fangs in a seductive manner.
A shudder ran down my spine, and my stomach tightened. The plant. I needed to get them away from the plant. “Tell Lord Sullivan that I’m done.”
Thankfully, that set the guards into motion, running away from me. My legs gave out, and I sank to the ground. I needed the reprieve. I also needed to stay out of the range of the plant where I couldn’t smell its intoxicating scent that was a mixture of lilies, vanilla, and strawberries,
just ten times stronger. The golden glow around the plant faded, and as my eyes adjusted, I studied the new fertility plant. This one was different from my first creation. Its leaves were wide and green, spotted with the crimson of lust, and its bell-shaped, crimson flowers hung heavy and low to the dirt.
It wasn’t Lord Sullivan, but Lady Cardinal who hurried into the room a good ten minutes later. I pushed myself to my feet, swaying from the exhaustion. She examined the bright green leaves and the trumpet-shaped flowers. Her nostrils flared at the overpowering, sweet scent.
I stepped away from the plant. “It needs to stay here overnight to ensure it doesn’t wilt. Nobody should get close to it.”
Lady Cardinal gave a sharp nod, her pupils wide. She must’ve hated to agree with a simple fae like me, but in the tightness of her mouth I could read that she understood just how potent the plant was. The way her aubergine nails dug into the fabric of her blazer, I had to wonder whether she intended on giving this monstrosity to Mrs. Wu or keeping it for herself.
Finally, her attention slid to me. “Guards will be positioned around this room to ensure nothing will happen to the plant this time. Go to bed, Peony. You will not have Work Time tonight. I want you to be at full energy and attention when you check on the plant tomorrow.”
“Thank you.” I should be proud. My second creation was even better than the first. But instead, a fist squeezed around my heart as Lady Cardinal exited the room.
I knew what I had to do. Still shaking, I ran to the plant, holding my breath before I got into its range, and plucked off a single red petal. I stuffed it into my pocket.
I followed the guards out. A clock on a wall chimed, letting me know it was half past ten. I had spent most of the day replanting and merging the plants. I had one hour before the other fae returned and passed out. Then at midnight, I’d discover once and for all whether I could stand on my own two feet.
Chapter Twelve
As I walked out of Careers with the guards, I pulled my thoughts together, trying to come up with a plan.
I needed something to grow the mushrooms and something to reflect the moonlight to create the fairy ring, and thus, open the portal.
The showers had mirrors, sinks, and bins with extra clothes. Normally, we showered in the mornings, rushing through them before breakfast, but by then the moon would be setting and it would be too late, which meant I had to shower before that.
The dirt and the single flower petal I had stuffed into my other pocket had gone unnoticed by the guards. I breathed through my mouth as they walked me back through the tunnel. I would need to convince them to let me shower before bed and then to let me visit the cafeteria. To grow mushrooms, I would need fungus spores. I’d seen moldy, grated cheese in the kitchen more than once. Could I convince mold spores to fruit into mushroom bodies? They weren’t the same species and they weren’t plants. I had never done this before, but I had to try.
The guards ushered me into the narrow stairwell that led back down to Nocturnal Reformatory. The stale air washed over me, and I coughed, rubbing my fingers across the dangerous crimson petal in my pocket. A hint of the fumes hit my nostrils and one of the vamps sniffed. This was dangerous. I was alone with them in the tunnel, but once we got into open air, it’d be much harder to control them.
“I’m very hungry after the magic I used.” I purred as I upped my pace. Throwing a glance over my shoulder, I twirled a curl around my index finger and eyed the lumberjack guard, whose eyes glazed over in lust and longing. His features relaxed as he stared at my body, clearly not minding the baggy shirt and gray pants.
Meanwhile, I breathed through my mouth. So long as I did that, I had the advantage.
“I could also use a snack,” he growled, most definitely not talking about food. He meant one of two things. Skipping ahead, I glanced back at the guards, both of whom had glazed expressions, and winked. Teasing them would be my best bet for keeping them away from me long enough for me to act and then get away. “I’m sure you boys will be fine taking a diversion to the cafeteria while it’s empty. And then I’d like to catch a shower.”
The front of the lumberjack’s pants bulged, and I knew I had them. Breathe through your mouth. The dangerous, flowery scent of the petal threatened to invade my nostrils. If that happened, it was over. I’d never complete the fairy ring. And what would I do with two horny vamps once we reached the showers?
You screw everything up. Mother reared her head.
No, I would do better than her. I was stronger.
I shoved open the door to Nocturnal Reformatory and let the guards follow me like lost puppies to the empty cafeteria. In the kitchen, a fae woman was doing a massive pile of dishes. Work Time was still going.
“Out!” the lumberjack shouted at her. “Peony will finish the dishes. Go scrub the floor or something.”
The fae backed off like she wasn’t sure what to do. “This is my assignment.”
The lumberjack panted on my shoulder. It took everything I had to twirl my hair and smile. “Not all of us are lucky enough to get to do the dishes. Lord Sullivan is assigning you to the toilets.”
“We could get in trouble for changing the tasks,” the second guard said. He was a younger guy and not nearly as disgusting as the lumberjack, but he had small, mean eyes, and I had the feeling he’d be the first to bite.
Since the kitchen had a lot more space and thus air than the tunnels, I mashed the petal in my pocket, releasing more of the scent, and faced both guards as the scared fae woman scurried out of the kitchen. I held my breath as their gazes glazed back over and the lumberjack’s pupils widened. He shifted his pants and the second guard stepped leg to leg. Then I breathed in through the side of my mouth, slowly, and grinned. “You’ll both be rewarded if you can wait just a few minutes.” I backed to the fridge and opened it. “I need to get my energy back up for you.”
In truth, my energy was finally returning, but would it be enough? I had spent some time away from all the iron here. That had helped my magic return. But by the end of the night, my magic would fizzle out again.
“No. Now,” the lumberjack begged. He reached out to me and stepped closer, eyes on my chest.
“Steve,” the second guard said, eyes widening. “What are you—”
I would not let him touch me. Instinctively, I pulled the petal out of my pocket. The fumes washed over me, and the second guard once again let out a breath and went passive.
But the first continued to close in. He rubbed his hips against mine and shoved me against the counter. He pushed me so hard that my back popped and pain shot up my spine. His hand crawled up under my shirt until he smashed my breast to the point of pain. I dropped the petal, arm flailing over the counter and over the dirty dishes.
“I can’t wait.” Steve crushed his lips against my closed mouth. His fangs dug into my lips, drawing blood. I had awoken a monster. Pain invaded my strained back, my mouth, and my chest. These vamps wouldn’t just rape me, they’d drain me.
My fingers closed around the handle of a knife behind me. My ears rang. If I breathed in, I would smell the plant and become its prey. If I didn’t act now, I would die.
“Steve! Don’t hog her. I want her too,” the other guard growled.
Steve pulled away to face the other guard, retracting his hand and raising it as if to punch the other vamp. “Fuck off,” he said.
I clasped the knife harder. The kitchen door was closed. The metal barrier was down. Blood ran down my lip. Steve was looking away. I’d have to take a breath soon.
I raised the steak knife and stabbed with all my might. The blade plunged into Steve’s chest with a sickening thunk. He staggered back, eyes wide, and absently reached for the blade.
Missing it, he knocked a sack of wrinkled, greenish potatoes off the counter, probably what would be used for breakfast tomorrow.
“What the—” The second guard’s brows furrowed as his trance broke.
I pulled my shirt over my nose and took a breath as I st
raightened. I had a little time to work on the second guard. “I want you. You’re much cuter than he is.”
“Am I? Yes, I am.” An idiotic grin spread across the second guard’s face as I crushed a bit more of the plant’s petal under the tip of my foot.
“Earl,” Steve muttered. He slumped as the knife remained. It wouldn’t kill him. Only a wooden stake could do that. But I still had to move quickly. I had to silence the guards. If this got out, I would die.
I walked up to Earl and wrapped my hand around the back of his neck. He flashed his fangs, eyeing the blood on my still-screaming lower lip. But I gathered my strength and lowered Earl’s face to mine. Warm magic flowed through me, sputtering in the presence of all this iron, but I reached out to the potatoes, breathing out every last bit of magic I had to them.
Leaves sprang into action and filled the space between Steve and us. Earl looked to the side. My breath was running out. My vision was turning to haze.
You always mess up.
I would not let Mother win. Not this time.
I backpedaled as potato stems lashed out and enveloped both Earl and Steve, wrapping around their necks, digging into their flesh. My anger pulsed through the stems, urging them to squeeze harder, harder. Earl’s eyes bulged as he reached for his radio, but the plants wrapped around his wrists, tightening until they cut through his skin and drew blood. His face turned green as the vine around his neck chocked him, ensuring he wouldn’t breathe a word, let alone scream.
I wanted to taunt them, but I had to leave the kitchen before I inhaled the dangerous scent of the crushed petal now lying on the floor. I backed away, quietly opened the kitchen door, and exited the room, closing it behind me.
The cafeteria was still empty, so I slumped against the door and gulped air, allowing my heart to calm. The vamp’s vile touches remained imprinted on my body, but I’d made it out. No one should check the kitchen until morning.
As I went over the events of the last few minutes, I realized just how much time spent on the surface had helped me regain magic I’d lost in the iron cell. I doubted I could’ve summoned the plants if I hadn’t spent the last three days above ground.