“I’m trying,” I protest as she resumes flying.
“Try harder!” she calls, and I zoom to catch up to her.
Chapter 5
Twenty minutes later, we arrive, and Bay starts to head toward the cottages and then draws up short when she realizes I’m hovering in place.
“What is it?”
“I need to go talk to the person in charge of scheduling so I can get rid of Mesmerization.”
“You really don’t want to take that course, huh?”
“I already told you that.”
“Yeah, I know, but don’t be surprised if they don’t let you out of it. They seem to think they know us and our abilities more than we do.”
I shrug and shake my head. “I don’t care if I have to beg. I am not taking that course.”
“Are you sure? You had to take that one course twice, right?”
“Yeah. The Magic of Music,” I mumble.
“Why was that again?”
I narrow my eyes. “I told you about this last year!”
“Just refresh my memory.” She waves her hand.
I sigh and rub the back of my neck. “Professor Fern thought that I could use my voice to use magic through it and… Yeah, okay, so it’s a little similar to Mesmerization, but I do not want to do it!”
“You do realize you might want to come up with a stronger reason than ‘I don’t want to,’ right?” she asks dryly.
I blow out a breath. “You’re right. Let’s see… I know!” I snap my fingers. “Thanks, Bay! I’m sure I’ll get out of it now!”
She just shakes her head, laughing to herself as I zoom toward the office building. A fairy wearing a sleek purple dress and looks more ready for a night on the town versus sitting in an office all day lazily taps and drags on her tablet.
I cough slightly. “Hello. Can you direct me to the person in charge of scheduling?”
“If you had an issue with your schedule, you should’ve notified us as soon as you received it.” She doesn’t look up at me and continues whatever it is she’s doing on her tablet.
“I understand that, but it’s important—”
“Your schedule is important.” She places her tablet down, screen facing the desk as she eyes me. “Rosemary, aren’t you?”
“Yes,” I say, surprised that she recognizes me.
“You’re that troublemaker.”
“I am not!” I protest. If anything, that’s my sister, but I don’t say that aloud.
“Harrumph. Then trouble just follows you wherever you fly?”
“Basically.”
“That business with the thief and arsonist and then that murderer…” She shakes her head sadly. “If you think that your role in helping to apprehend these criminals will give you special privileges, you’re mistaken.”
“No, no, I don’t think that at all, and I certainly don’t expect that. It’s only, well, you see, I had to take the Magic of Music course twice because—”
“Professor Fern thought that you would benefit greatly from taking it again because you did not perform the first class to her satisfaction.” The fairy levels me a cool stare.
Fire and brimstone, is she the one in charge of the schedules? How does she know all of this off the top of her head?
I swallow hard. “My grade the first year—”
“Was acceptable, yes, but we are not only about grades here at Light Fae Academy. It is far better for a student to actually learn the magic and use it to the best of their abilities versus an arbitrary test score.”
I latch onto her word choice as if it is a safety net. "If the test scores are only arbitrary—"
“I did not say that,” she snaps. “You did not put all of your effort into that first year, so by that reasoning, you actually need to take a sixth course this year in order to graduate.”
My stomach twists and turns. The knots growing there hurt, but I refuse to back down.
“While I admit that maybe I could have tried harder that first year with the Magic of Music, I utilized that skill to perfect while dealing with… Thistle.”
I pause, recalling how scared I had been. Thistle wanted to create a mystery that we could solve together. He wanted us to be a couple, even though I made it clear I never saw him that way. Silly me, I thought we were only friends. Yes, I knew he had feelings for me, but they were dark and twisted feelings. It almost seemed as if he wanted me as a trophy or a possession, and when I found out he was the murderer and told him in no uncertain terms that we would never be together, he wound up attacking me, wanting me to be his next victim. Even fighting Spring hadn’t been as terrifying as the threat Thistle posed.
“The ability to sing and cause people to do what I want is similar enough to Mesmerization that I do not need to take that course,” I finish.
“It’s Mesmerization that you do not wish to take?” she asks in a flat tone.
“Yes.” I nod vigorously, trying to hide my eagerness. “I was thinking that maybe I could take Oneirokinesis instead.”
“Oneirokinesis,” she murmurs. “You wish to be able to infiltrate dreams instead of mesmerize a person? You think it is better to influence a person while they are at their most vulnerable versus when they are conscious?”
I open my mouth and then shut it. She has a point.
“I just think that Mesmerization won’t teach me as much as if I take a course in another subject altogether,” I say lamely. This feels like a losing battle.
“Perhaps you should take both Oneirokinesis and Mesmerization,” she says, reaching for her tablet again.
“If you don’t think Oneirokinesis is a good fit for me, what about telepathy?” I blurt out.
She eyes me. Her eyes are a clear color. You can’t see blood because they aren’t translucent, but a clear color that is unnerving and unsettling. It feels as if she can read my mind, and I check that the mental barriers my parents taught me when I was only two are still secure and solid. It’s a serious invasion of privacy to read another fairy’s mind without permission, and I don’t feel a presence in my mind, so maybe I’m just paranoid, but I don’t like the look she’s giving me.
“You seek to take a course that allows you to infiltrate the mind?” she asks.
“With permission!” I clarify.
“As well as one that allows you to infiltrate the unconscious mind.”
“Dreams are—”
“Dreams come from deep within us, a place where our minds can be free so that we can see our fears or our desires. Dreams, some would argue, are even more personal than our conscious mind. It strikes me as very interesting that you would seek these courses over Mesmerization. What about Mesmerization frightens you so?”
I hesitate. This answer will determine which course or courses I will take this year. I just know it.
“Mesmerization… It just… I don’t know. It reminds me of Thistle, I guess.”
She doesn’t blink, and I feel compelled to speak more.
"It's just that I wonder if he felt mesmerized by me. I don't know if it was lust or some crazy, mixed-up, twisted form of love, but he did all of those horrible things just so we would spend time together. He wanted me to fall in love with him, and he tried so hard, and if…" I swallow hard. "If he had taken Mesmerization, maybe he used it on his victims, or maybe he could have tried to use it on me. What if the wrong fairy learns that kind of magic and causes someone to do their bidding? Falling in love with a person is one thing, but what if Thistle enjoyed killing too much, and he tried to influence me to kill alongside him?"
My eyes fill with tears, and I look away, shaken. I hadn’t even realized I felt all of this fear inside me until now.
“Maybe you should talk to someone about what has happened to you,” she says, softening for the first time. “Forgive my manners. I never did tell you my name, did I?”
“I didn’t ask.”
Her smile is small. "I'm Raine. I'm the one in charge of scheduling, but Shella is the academy counselor. She holds no judgment
and—"
“Does she use telepathy?” I blurt out.
"You're concerned that she'll read your mind despite your defenses. I understand your fear, but you can trust her. If you don't, well, there wouldn't be a reason for you to see her, then, would there?"
“No.”
“I’m not saying you must talk to her, but… I wish you would trust me. I would never allow a student who would abuse the magic taught in any class to take that course. Believe me. The likes of Thistle would never take anything remotely close to Mesmerization, but I do understand your fears and concern. Taking that into account, you can take Telepathy and Oneirokinesis instead. Does that suit you?”
“Yes, thank you, Raine.”
“Six courses instead of five. Are you up for that?”
“Yes!”
As I turn to fly away, I hope I told her the truth.
Chapter 6
My flight out of the office is short-lived as I flew right into someone. As I collect myself, I realize just who I bumped into.
“Damon.”
“I’m not at all surprised that you couldn’t help wanting to touch me as soon as you saw me.”
“Hmm.” I can’t help smiling. “Only I didn’t see you.”
“Then it’s just your body is attracted to mine like a magnet.”
“Yeah, I’m sure it’s something like that.”
He looks just as hot as ever, his dark eyes locked on me. His hair is a little longer than normal, and he has slight stubble that he normally doesn’t have. His shoulders look broader than I remember, as if he’s put on more muscle over the break. Maybe he did.
I can’t help licking my lips. Just thinking about his muscles has me recalling the dream and running my hand along his bare back…
“Like what you see?” he murmurs.
Laughing, I push his chest. “You wish.”
“Maybe I do wish,” he says as he captures my wrist, keeping my hand trapped against his chest.
Underneath his shirt, he feels as hard and muscular as I thought he would. My breathing hitches, and my head is all foggy. It’s hard to concentrate on breathing right now. As much as I hate to admit it to myself, I’m horny, and right now, I want him.
But if Sage were the one before me, would I feel this way with him too? This fluttering in my stomach, this sweating of my palms, this tightening of my chest?
“How about I get a proper greeting?” he asks.
I tilt my head to the side. “A hello isn’t good enough for you?”
“Did you even say hello to me?” he asks, leaning down and nuzzling his nose against mine.
I’m so flustered that I can’t even recall if I did or not. “Hello, Damon,” I murmur and fly up just enough to press my lips against his cheek.
Only Damon chooses that moment to turn, so our lips meet.
I want to draw back, but I don’t. He releases my wrist and wraps his arms around me, pulling me closer to him, his hands splayed on my back before settling on my waist. I’m freaked out, so I keep my arms tucked in between us, pressing against his chest before relaxing slightly and returning his embrace. My lips might relax too, and his tongue gently enters my mouth.
As the kiss deepens, a falling sensation washes over me, and I just know that if I let myself go, I’ll get lost in him. The thought of that, of falling into Damon, of getting lost in him, terrifies me, and I draw back, breaking off the kiss.
I’m not sure how he’ll react, but all he does is chuckle.
“Did I startle you, Warrior Babe?” he teases.
“No.”
“You don’t have to be afraid of me,” he says hoarsely.
I force myself to meet his gaze. “What makes you think I’m afraid of you?”
“Isn’t just about everyone? I’m not even a full-blooded demon, but they treat me as if I’m not exactly one of you all.”
“How can you say that when all of the girls flock to you?” I protest.
“They love the lure of a bad boy.”
“Well, you are one,” I point out.
“Maybe. Maybe not.”
I furrow my brow. “Damon, you had me jump out of a plane with my wings tied up. I almost died.”
“I would’ve saved you, but you saved yourself. Warrior Babe.” He grins recklessly, his lips curling all lopsided and crooked. It suits him.
“It was reckless and dangerous and totally bad boy.”
“If you want a bad boy, I can be a bad boy. I can take you into my arms and kiss you until you beg me to stop… or beg me for more.”
“I don’t want you to be this or that. I just want you to be you.”
“And that, Warrior Babe, is why you’re the fairy I want. Not your sister who acts like I’m some kind of demon just because I might have a connection to her own dark past. Not the girls who just want to be with me because they want a notch in their lipstick case. I want the fairy who sees me for who I am and doesn’t want anything more from me than myself. You don’t want to change me. You don’t see me as needing to be saved. You just want me for who I am.”
I don’t know what I want, who I want, but I can’t deny his charge. He’s right. I don’t want him to change at all.
“I…” I can’t think of any words to say, so I just stare at him as if I’m the lamest fairy of all instead of the lightest.
“You’re still scared, aren’t you?” he asks, tucking some of my hair behind an ear.
“I’m… Yes. I’m not scared of you,” I add in a rush, “but I’m terrified of the future. The time I’ve spent here has been so chaotic and wild, and I’ve made some great friends between you, Orchid, Wren, Dahlia… Sage…”
“Sage.” Damon just smiles that much wider.
I swallow hard. I knew I shouldn’t have mentioned him, but I couldn’t help myself. All first year long, I thought of Sage as the fairy of my dreams. Am I still clinging to the hope that Sage and I can get back together again just because he had been my first? If I had been with Damon first, I don’t know if Sage would’ve been an issue at all. Damon knew from the first who I was. Sage was the one to confuse me with my twin.
"If you hadn't known from the start that I had a twin, do you think you would've realized there were two of us?" I ask suddenly.
“Would I have made the same mistake that—”
“Damon,” I say warningly.
“I would’ve known,” he whispers, touching my cheek. “Even if you hadn’t made a special point in telling me about Bay and trying to pawn me off on her.”
I blush. “Yeah, we’ve come a long way from that, haven’t we?”
"Yes, we have, and yet not nearly far enough. It intrigues me that your sister wants us together when you originally picked me out for her. Why is that?"
“My sister is a little dark, and you…”
“So a half-demon has to be with someone dark. Stereotypical.”
He’s getting a little upset, but I am too.
“My sister is a good fairy,” I protest.
“You always make excuses for her. No matter what she does, she’s never completely in the wrong.”
I have nothing to say to argue that.
And he knows it.
“You can’t refute that because if you try, you wouldn’t be able to talk. You can’t lie.”
“And you can,” I snap. “You can—”
He presses a finger to my lips. “I don’t want to fight, but I want you to know this. I will never lie to you.”
“No?” I eye him skeptically. “If I get a terrible haircut or wear unflattering clothes, you won’t tell a little white lie to make me feel better about myself?”
He touches the crescent moon pendant Bay gave me. “I would talk about your eyes, how I adore their purple color. I would talk about how soft your hair is and how I want to feel it on my naked body. I would—”
“Is it just lust you feel for me?” I whisper, staring at his chest.
“Is it just lust you feel for me?” he whispers back. “I know you
have feelings for me, but are you afraid to act on them because of what I am? Or because you’re afraid you’re more like your sister and darker than everyone suspects?”
“Wanting to have sex doesn’t make someone dark,” I say, but I have my eyes closed, and I’m unnaturally still. Talking to him about this is not easy. Not at all.
“No, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have some darkness inside of you.”
I blow out a breath and force myself to open my eyes. “Is that why you’re attracted to me? You want to see if you can draw out any darkness from the lightest fairy here?”
“That’s just it, Rosemary,” he says, for once not using the nickname he has for me. “The people who claim you’re the lightest fairy here are either teasing you or else they’re just flat-out wrong and don’t know you as well as I do. You’re just like me, a mixture of light and dark, and that’s why I think we would make an amazing couple, but if you can’t see that, if you can’t pick me… I’m not going to wait forever.”
He could have flown away at that moment, and it would've broken my heart and felt far too permanent, but instead, he traces his thumb along my lips. Only after does he fly off.
He flies off and takes a piece of me with him.
Chapter 7
Two seconds later, Damon flies back to me.
"What now?" I ask, trying to recover my senses that are still reeling from his words and from the kiss. "You just can't get enough of me, can you?"
“I just realized I never said hello to you either.”
I burst out laughing. “That’s your lame excuse?”
“How about that’s just my excuse? No reason to call it lame.” He winks.
I shake my head. “You need to come up with better excuses.”
“Oh, if I were to come up with an excuse for sneaking into your room at night, you better believe it will be the best excuse there is.”
“You do realize I have a roommate, don’t you?”
"Oh, maybe I can have your roommate be in cahoots with me so the room will be empty outside of us. Or I could convince you to fly with me."
“To where exactly?”
Light Fae Academy: Year Three Page 3