by Larisa Long
“A pixie?” Masimu chokes. “What’s she going to do?”
Everyone knows Pixies have the power to charm. Even the most hardened warlock can be reduced to giggles around a pixie.
Blist stares at Masimu. “She’s a pixie?” He waits until the dragon shifter catches on.
“Oh, right.” He nods. “Good choice.” He smiles and blushes. “She’s pretty.”
I roll my eyes. Xury can seduce even if she’s not in the room.
Chapter 6
Blist opens the cavern door, and we step out. I stop when I see the faehead cousins are waiting. Blayde, Blayne and Blayke.
“What the fae?”
They’re staring right at me. This isn’t good. They haven’t even looked in my direction since I convinced them they shouldn’t waste their energy trying to overcome Curse Number 18.
B1, the oldest by 2 and 1/2 seconds looks over Blist while her lip curls. “Why are you always hanging out with the other species?”
“Uh, Curse Number 2 and 18.”
B1 smiles. “Oh, yeah.”
Now, it’s my time to curl my lip. She’s the smartest of B cubed, and she already knew the answer and was just fae’ing with me.
B2 curls her blonde, black, brown, forest green and pumpkin orange - B cubed always have to add the season’s colors to their hair. “So, why aren’t you with your fated soul mate?”
Even B1 sighs. B2 is not the smartest of B cubed. She’s not the stupidest. That goes to—
“Yeah,” B4 says while studying her latest manicure of alternating green and orange nails. “Why aren’t you with Raks. He is so divine.”
Hardly.
B1 sighs again.
“What the fae did you do this time?”
B1 grins. “Whatever do you mean, Zalia?”
Her sickening voice grates on me like one of the pomm insects. They’re the size of hummingbirds with the disposition of a rabid leech. Each has one large beady eye, tiny black wings, and greedily bite leaving purple welts on necks and eyelids. They descend onto campus every November since one of the warlocks cursed their leader hundreds of years ago.
I stare at B cubed and try not to think of anything devious. I try, but images of them being accidentally devoured by gory monsters arrive in my mind. I flinch as a searing pain starts in my fingertips and slowly ascends to my throat.
Blist’s skin turns red. “What is your problem? Haven’t you made her suffer enough? Why are you such fiends?”
I try to stop Blist, but I can’t see straight as I grab my throat.
Others stop what their doing to watch us. We get the attention of shifters who descend on us and circle us.
“You alright, Zalia?” Vax asks.
I nod.
“Is it jealousy?” Blist thinks about it. “That’s what it is, isn’t it?”
B cubed grimace in unison.
I wave my hands to try to get Blist to stop. I glance at Vax and Harst, the alpha wolf shifter, and try to get them to notice what is happening. I can see what’s coming, but I can’t even think through the pain to counteract the spell.
“That’s got to be it.” Blist nods. “She’s smarter. Prettier. More liked. She’s—”
Just then the faehead cousins look at each other and nod. Blist disappears.
The shifters growl and hiss. “What did you do?”
“Stop.” The rules of the school are still in place. Any other species threatens a witch, especially a royal witch, and there will be serious consequences. I look around for Blist. “Where?”
B1 grins at me. “You might be able to find him sometime.”
Vax and Harst get the attention of other shifters who start to gather. They are getting antsy, but they look to me.
“Where?” I ask again louder.
The cousins make a point to flip their hair very loudly as they turn around in unison and start to walk away.
“Faeheads. Stop right there, you useless, pieces of—”
Oh, they stop and turn around slowly. They’re not used to me standing up to them. Ever. I know. Should have long ago.
The vampires make themselves leave. The shifters smile at me. They admire strength even if it means certain death.
Vax whispers something to another shifter, and she rushes away. I assume she went to get Professor Sway or more backup.
B cubed gets as close to me as they can.
“By all means, grab me.”
Vax laughs. “That’s right. Do it.”
B1 glares at the shifters who have surrounded us. “Do you have any idea what my parents, the King and Queen, will do to you?”
“Nothing,” I say. Then I suddenly see their thoughts. That’s new. I should clarify. I can read B1’s thoughts. She’s the only one actually thinking. B2 is thinking about ice cream and how she can get a green flavor since she dislikes anything that could make the ice cream green. B4 is wondering if she should start her orange nail polish on her left pinkie or her right.
B1? I read her thoughts. Actually her fears.
I study her and I see it. “You’ve got to be fae’ing kidding me?”
B1’s eyes widen as she realizes what I can do. “How? Witches can’t do that.” She gets closer to me. “I mean warlocks can, but you’re not a warlock, are you?”
“Maybe.”
B1 scoffs. “You’re not.” She looks me up and down. “What are you going to do about it?”
I think of a spell and whisper it, but it doesn’t work.
B1 smiles at me.
“That’s another curse, isn’t it?” I said a spell that would have encased them in something, but nothing happened. I was hoping for something extra gooey or stinky.
“Curse Number 15. You can’t use any magic against us.” She looks me up and down again for effect. “Figured you were so weak and totally spineless and pathetic that you’d never even attempt anything against us. No matter what we did.” She laughs.
“Where’s Blist?”
Professor Sway runs up. “What’s happening?”
B cubed look at him. “Nothing. Go back to your beasts. This has nothing to do with you. Zalia is one of us.”
I look at him and he seems to know that I was going to say something that outed myself, and he shakes his head to stop me. “They made Blist disappear.”
Professor Sway looks at the faehead cousins. “This is not acceptable. You know that.”
“He threatened us,” B2 says, wiping a tear away. “Imagine what our parents will do when they find out what he threatened.”
I accidentally think about touching the cousins and setting them on fire. Then I think of gathering their ashes and using it in one of my botanical experiments. I grimace as the pain in my head explodes.
Vax notices. “What are you doing to her?”
I hold up my hand. “It’s okay.”
B4 laughs. “Serves her right. She thought something naughty of us.”
I want to shake my head. Xury is right. I wish they’d just say I thought of something happening to them. Having them say I thought of something naughty about them makes it sound so wrong. So very wrong. Like I said, I want to shake my head but I fear it will lob off and roll away. The pain is intense, sharp like a thousand banshees are screaming at the same time and thrashing about making my brain jostle from one side to another. “A thousand concussions at once.” I give them a thumbs up. “Props for that one.”
I back up because I’m losing my balance and don’t want to accidentally hit anyone. “Fae.” That’s the last thing I say as my head hits the ground, and I look up to the sky. I’m about to pass out, and I’ll have to stay here until I wake up. I hope it doesn’t rain. It’s not like anyone can even pick me up.
Chapter 7
I wake up to see a hundred faeries holding tiny umbrellas over me. “It did rain.”
Blist’s face comes into view, and I lose myself in his green eyes and smile. I have always been able to read him just by looking into his eyes, and he’s got to be the most positive,
happy being I’ve ever met. Seeing the way his smile is always reflected in his eyes makes my heart thump even louder.
This is how I want to wake up everyday. I’m glad I didn’t say that out loud. Then I hear giggles and shifter grunts, and realize I did say it out loud.
Fae.
Several shifters slap Blist’s back. “Stud.”
Xury claps. “Way to go, Z. Smooth.”
I sigh. I wish I could blame that on a curse, but, alas, awkward has always been my third best friend. Okay, enough of the mortification. Everyone steps back so I can get up, and I realize it’s dark. “How long have I been here?”
“Half the day,” Blist says, fighting his urge to help me.
“Glad others besides witches go here. I’d have drowned, and they would probably just trip over me.”
“That’s not true,” Xury suddenly becomes very serious. “I’m sure they would have hired someone to use sticks to push your body into the gutter.”
The shifters groan, but the pixies laugh.
I finally stand up and step back. “I can’t set anyone else on fire. One a day is plenty.”
“Two,” Vax says. “Remember I lunged at you to test.”
“Right. How’s the hand?”
She shrugs. She’d probably do that even if her arm was hanging by a tiny bloody tendon.
“Maybe just limit setting fire to one a day per species.” Xury says.
“Thanks, Xury. I’ll think about that.”
She grins and nods. “Here to help. Always.”
The pixies all clap and beam at Xury like she’s the chosen one.
I prevent myself from doing the eye roll. Xury’s been one of my best friends since we were five, but the pixie hero worship of her is epic and sometimes weird. “What time is it?”
“Doesn’t matter,” Blist says.
“Doesn’t matter?” I glance around, but the faeries quickly block my view of all the clocks, even the huge tower clock in the center of the school. “Curfew?”
Xury shrugs. “I talked with the administration.”
I breathe a bit easier. Xury can talk someone out of or into anything. Too bad the cousins are immune to her.
I hold my head and think I’m going to pass out again and lunge back just in case Blist tries to help out of instinct. I have to get away from anyone who cares about me. I can’t hurt them accidentally.
I glance at the faeries who always seem to either read my mind or can read whenever I wear my plotting expression. “Okay, I’m fine. Everyone back to their dorms before you get into trouble.”
“Not without you,” Blist says.
Oh, Blist. My gorgeous and secret crush for years and now my boyfriend who must remain at arm’s distance lest I enflame him. That sounded a lot more naughty then I intended.
The faeries giggle, and I study them. “Can you actually read my mind?”
They giggle and whisper to each other.
“Oh,” Vax says glancing between me and Blist. “Picturing Blist naked?”
“I’ve seen him naked,” a tiger shifter yells out. “I wasn’t impressed.”
The shifters snicker, and the pixies shake their heads when they see Xury roll her eyes and shake her head.
Another glance at the faeries. “Distract,” I whisper.
Suddenly the faeries sprinkle one of their famous potions, and everyone looks around quickly as if they’ve heard something or are missing something.
I use the op to make my escape. I’m not too far away when the faerie distract must have run out.
“So not fair,” I hear Xury yell.
“Zalia?” Blist screams in the distance. “Wait for me!”
I’m at the dorms before they even start to figure out where I’ve gone. I slip into Elevator, and I look up to see a pink haired faerie with her school uniform hidden under a long velvety cloak hovering above me.
“Rella, can you tell Xury where I went?”
Her tiny eyes widen.
Did I ever say that everyone, and I mean everyone, adores and worships Xury? “She’ll tell everyone else.”
The faerie starts to disappear.
“Wait.”
She reappears quickly. “And please tell Xury not to let anyone, and I mean Blist or the shifters, near the witch floor.”
Rella nods and disappears.
I hold onto the back of Elevator and close my eyes. I don’t know what’s happening to me, but I can’t risk the others. Witches and warlocks will avoid me like I’m physics homework given out at a school dance.
The elevator doors open, and I slowly walk to my former room. Since it’s way past curfew, I don’t even see anyone. I don’t have to worry that another witchlock has taken over my former room. It’s a glorified closet or actually an ex-closet, and the witches and warlocks probably think I live there still since they can’t actually look directly at me.
I get to my room and sigh as I open the door. “Wow.” I look at the tiny bed which takes up 3/4 of the room, the dark brown walls that nothing can be nailed or taped to, the even smaller window covered with an old sweatshirt. “Can’t believe I put up with this for so long, and I can’t believe I didn’t spell it.” I fall into bed. “Self, remind me to ask Professor Sway if sad self-loathing and pointless self-punishment could be part of the curses or one of the hidden curses or just something inside me to pixie me off.”
There’s a chirping sound to indicate the remind spell has been set, and I close my eyes thinking I won’t be able to fall asleep since it’s Monday.
~ ~ ~
I wake up to something hitting me and see dozens of faeries are hovering above my bed throwing bubbles at me. “What is it?”
One of the faeries motions like he’s taking a shower.
I look down. “I slept in my school clothes. Gross.” I jump up but have to hang onto the bed for support. I don’t know if I can make it to the bathroom down the hall.
Another bubble hits my arm. The same faerie makes the same shower motions. And then another snaps her fingers like she’s doing a spell.
I hesitate. We’re discouraged most of the time from doing spells for common chores. I think they fear we’ll be addicted to the ease and convenience of zapping and spelling. This is why we all take the elevator or stairs, don’t just zap ourselves to class, have to manually do our homework. Maybe it can be overlooked since getting out of bed could have me sprawled in the hallway unconscious. “That could be a fire hazard.” I laugh at myself.
The faeries giggle as well.
“Alright.” I snap my fingers and am in a brand new school uniform and clean again.
A paper quickly appears floating down from the ceiling.
“Fae.”
One of the faeries grabs it, but it’s too heavy for her. It takes about six to keep it afloat.
“Warning?”
They nod and then get another six to tear it up to pieces.
As soon as the pieces float to the floor, the entire thing is repaired, and another warning is added.
The faeries hold their heads in shame.
“No worries.” I open my drawer to show them it’s overflowing with warning papers. All other students would be severely punished if they receive more than three warnings a quarter. Witches will only be punished if we receive more than 1,000.
One of the faeries points to my clock. It’s 8, and I glance at the sun streaming past the sweater stretched across the tiny window. “Did I sleep all night?”
They shake their heads in unison and one closest to me makes an exaggerated motion of stretching.
I look closer at my clock and then realize. “I’ve slept a week?”
They shake their heads again.
I try to focus on the clock, but I’m seeing triple. “Day and time, please?”
The clock readies itself by making a weird screech. “The day is Monday. The time is 8 am. Thank you for asking.”
I sigh loudly. “More specific please. My brain is spilling out of my skull.”
&nb
sp; The faeries giggle.
“In Latin, Monday is derived from—”
“Not what I meant.”
The clock sighs.
“Clock, how long have I slept?”
The clock chimes. “You have been sleeping for approximately two weeks.”
“Two weeks?” I jump up, but have to steady myself against the bed.
“There have been discussions amongst the clocks of laziness or extreme death,” the clock says again.
“Okay, clock, resume silence.”
“As you wish,” the clock sighs.
“How’s Blist? How’s Xury? Are the shifters okay? Are the vampires still pixied at me? Tell me Blist hasn’t camped out at Elevator or anything.”
One of the faeries hovers close to me and suddenly tiny bars come around it, and the faerie makes an exaggerated effort to be trapped in prison unable to get out.
“He’s been arrested?” I shriek.
The faerie shakes his head.
“Locked up?”
Surely he didn’t go full on rabid shift.
The faeries shake their heads again, and suddenly all are in tiny cages.
“All the shifters?”
The tiny cages disappear and the faeries nod.
“What about Professor Sway?”
The faeries shed tears.
“Even the professor?”
They nod.
“The faehead cousins responsible?”
They nod again.
“What about the Pixies? Xury?”
They shake their head.
Okay, they’re fine.
“The vampires?”
They look at me as if they’ve been spooked by something.
“What does that mean? The vampires are okay?”
They shrug.
Fae. Fae. Fae. What have my idiot cousins done? I brace myself for retaliation, but I remember the loophole. Thinking the truth about them doesn’t invoke the curse. I get up slowly and try to steady myself. “Where?”
The faeries point down.
“Fae it all.”
I hold onto the wall and make it out the door and down the hall before I trip. I think I hear someone giggle and glance quickly at the faeries who all hold their hands over their mouths and shake their heads.
One of them points behind me. None of the witches would be able to see me except for the cousins. A lot of the classes start at 6. If you’re not a morning person, and really who is? There’s no reason to be up at 8. The late risers don’t have to start until 10.