Mom is overjoyed to see us and breaks down in tears. Dad is a little more aloof, but even he cracks a bit when we hug him.
They ask question after question, wanting all of the details we’ve already told them in our emails and phone calls. Just because we were on lockdown didn’t mean we had no communication with our parents at all.
“Rosemary, I’m told you flew into a burning building,” Dad says.
I gulp. That is one detail I didn’t tell them about.
Mom gasps. “You never told me about that!” she accuses both me and him.
I shrug and smile sheepishly. “I didn’t want to worry you.”
“And you fought the thief and arsonist,” he continues.
I furrow my brow. “Who is your snitch?” I whine.
“And, Bay, you have been selling fairy dust?” he adds.
Bay blinks innocently. “I haven’t—”
“Been caught is what you mean,” he says darkly. “I suggest you watch where you’re flying. “It’s a dangerous world out there, but it’s far more dangerous locked up in Dark Fae Penitentiary.”
Bay laughs. “I’ll never—”
“You would be following in my wings if you do,” he says quietly.
Bay blinks a few times. “Are you serious?”
“Fairies cannot lie,” Mom murmurs.
“Those locked up might be able to,” Bay counters, lifting her chin.
“Be careful, Bay,” Dad warns, “and, Rosemary, keep an eye on your sister.”
“Bay can take care of herself,” I say boldly. “I believe in her.”
Bay blinks a few times and then smiles widely. “Thank you, Rosemary.”
“Won’t you stay for dinner?” Mom asks anxiously.
I glance at Bay. Even though it’s clear she doesn’t want to, and I don’t blame her, she nods.
“Wonderful!” Mom beams. “I’ve missed you both so much!”
“We missed you too, Mom, Dad,” I say, and she pulls Bay, Dad, and me into a tight, four-way hug.
That night, Bay and I fly back to the academy together. Mom wanted us to spend the night, but considering our parents did give Bay more grief throughout the meal, I’m not at all surprised Bay opted out of that.
I glance over at my twin. “Will you tell me the truth?”
“Oh, come now. You can’t guess?”
“I can guess. That’s simple. Whether or not you’ll tell me the truth…”
She says nothing.
“Spring became addicted to fairy dust. When she ran out of money to buy more, she started to steal. You realized that the items were stolen, so you didn’t turn around and sell them. You kept them in a cache.”
“Maybe,” Bay says with a grin.
“But how did you prevent anyone from learning the location of the items? Divination didn’t work.”
Bay’s grin grows. “I’m not sharing all of my secrets,” she says.
I grunt. “Fine, but am I right?”
“Yes.”
“Did you plan on returning the items?”
“I thought about how to do that, but with the lockdown… If I had been caught with the items, everyone would’ve thought I was the thief.”
“Why did Spring turn to arson? I get that being high can cause fairies to do reckless things, but to set fires purposely, fires she knew could possibly kill fairies…”
“Spring’s mom used to abuse her. She was locked up in Dark Fae Penitentiary. The first fire was hours after Spring learned about her mom’s release.”
“Oh.” My heart aches for Spring, something I never thought it would.
“Her mom has fire,” Bay continues. “She used to burn Spring and then heal her so no one would realize.”
Tears burn my eyes. “That’s horrible.”
“Yes, but what Spring did wasn’t any better.” Bay flutters her wings harder than she needs to. “Maybe I should’ve told someone.”
“You could’ve come to me at the very least.”
“I know, but I knew you would judge me.” Her lips twist into a frown. “I’m not perfect like you are.”
“I am so far from perfect,” I protest.
“Yeah, well, sometimes, I might wonder what it would be like to be more like you.”
“Clearly I’ve wondered the same.” I grin. “With Sage…”
“Speaking of the fairy,” Bay murmurs right as we fly above the gate of Light Fae Academy. “I’m out of here.”
Sage is flying not too far in front of us. I gulp.
“Tell Thistle I said hi,” I tell her. “If he even wants to be friends still.”
“Oh, he does. He’s gone for you.”
“You didn’t hear him. Bracken went off on me and—”
“Bracken’s bark is worse than his bite, and Thistle will get over it. He might not get over you for some time because I know how Sage is your fairy dust.”
“He is not!” I protest, but Bay’s laughing, waving, and flying away.
My heart feels like it’s trying to beat out of my chest as I speed up.
“Sage?” I call hesitantly.
He stops flying, hovering in place, waiting for me to catch up.
“Hi.”
“Hi, Rosemary.”
I nod, hating that it almost sounded like a question on his part. He still can’t tell us apart?
“I heard about what you did.”
“I’m innocent,” I joke.
He shakes his head. “I guess you really are a daredevil after all, huh?”
“Maybe. Maybe you know me better than you think.”
“Did you hear the latest about Spring?”
I shrug. “I’m not sure. That depends on what you’re referring to.”
“As she was being brought over to Dark Fae Penitentiary, she came too. The fairy dust must not have been out of her system completely like they thought, and she almost killed a guard. They said she managed to dent the truck. She was like a bull or a wild animal, fierce and wild and strong, impossibly so. And you fought her, didn’t you?”
I gulp. “Yeah…”
“So. Daredevil.” He grins.
I want to smile back, but what he said leaves me shaken up. “I fought someone who dented a truck.”
“Yeah. I heard that she punched a guard so hard that he dented the back of it, and she kicked another, and he was flung against the side so hard that he almost went through the metal.”
“Insane.”
“And that was with most of the fairy dust out of her system. And she had been using how much? No one knows. Setting those fires… I don’t know why she did that, but she could’ve killed someone with her fists.”
“No, probably not. We would’ve been able to fight back with magic. Just because her magic was suppressed didn’t mean ours was.”
“True. The fires were a cowardly way of trying to… What was she trying to do?”
“Her exact goals I don’t know, but if she wanted to cause panic and mayhem, she sure accomplished that.”
“And more.”
“But it’s done and over with and because of you.”
“I don’t want a parade,” I warn him.
“What do you want?”
“A picnic.” I bite my lower lip and do my best to keep my gaze on him instead of looking away.
Sage exhales slowly. “I… I need some space to clear my head.”
“Of course.”
“I just… You said that you don’t know who you are, and if you don’t… how am I supposed to know you?”
“We can get to know me together,” I joke weakly.
“For now, we can be friends.”
“Friends,” I repeat. “Daredevils don’t need friends. They need… adrenaline rushes.”
“How are you going to get your adrenaline fix now?” he asks.
“I don’t know. That’s to be determined.”
“Well, if you figure something out and want to share the adrenaline rush with someone, you can call on me.”
&
nbsp; “Maybe I will,” I say lightly.
“Sweet. Enjoy the breeze, Rosemary.” He waves and flies off.
I watch him. In a way, I relate very much to his desire to clear my head. Learning that Bay played a role in the events is more than a little unsettling.
I’m also unsure how I feel about Sage. Yes, I like him, but that he still needs space, that he isn’t making an effort to get to know me… Maybe he doesn’t like me as much as he thought he did, or maybe I like him more than he does me. Maybe both.
Either way, I’m not going to put my life on hold. The lockdown has been lifted, and I, for one, am ready to finish off the rest of my first year at Light Fae Academy with a bang.
Swiftly, I fly to my dorm room. The others are all there, and I grin as I spot her talisman on her dresser.
After we hug, I head over to my desk and remove a bottle of wine I have stashed there.
“Get some food, cakes, and a blanket,” I instruct them. “I’ll find glasses and a basket. Another bottle wouldn’t be remiss.”
“What’s all this for?” Orchid asks.
I beam, feeling happy for the first time in ages. “We’re going to have a picnic.”
Thank you for reading Light Fae Academy Year One! I’ve always loved everything fae, and academy stories are fun too. Don’t worry. Bay will have her time to shine in the next series after this one - Dark Fae Penitentiary. That trilogy will be up for preorder soon!
Speaking of preorder, don’t forget that Year Two and Year Three are both up for preorder already!
Please consider writing a review. It would mean the world to me!
Until next book,
Nala
Other Books By Nala Kinglsey
Light Fae Academy
Year One
Year Two - Available for Preorder
Year Three - Available for Preorder
The Darkness of Light
Her Dark Defenders
Her Wicked Guardians
Her Sinful Lovers
Zombie Year 2099
Voodoo Sector
Dark Fae Penitentiary
First Offense - Coming Soon
Second Offense - Coming Soon
Third Offense - Coming Soon
About the Author
Nala Kingsley loves bubble baths and wine. Lots of wine, the fruitier the better. When she’s not writing about strong heroines and the strikingly gorgeous men who love them, she’s probably rereading Game of Thrones or watching the series for the hundredth time.
[email protected]
Light Fae Academy: Year One Page 15