Turvy Topsy

by Larisa Long

  “Nineteen,” I sigh. “For witches, it’s twenty. Do not know why.”

  “Neither do I,” Blist says, as he swallows hard. “But at least we can kiss.” He kisses my hand, and we start to kiss again.

  Xury rushes towards me and grabs me. “I can hug you. I can actually touch you.” She leans back and touches my face. “I didn’t catch on fire. The curses are actually gone?” She sighs. “Do you know how inconvenient those were for me?”

  Blist shakes his head. “For you?”

  Xury nods completely oblivious. She takes my hand and swings it. “We can go shopping and do each other’s hair.” She subtly looks at my hair which I’m sure looks like I’ve been styled by moths.

  “Oh,” she screeches. “Did you hear about the school colors this quarter?”

  I shake my head. “No memos in the dungeon.”

  “You’ll never guess—”

  Professor Sway clears his throat again. “We need to talk about you and Blist.”

  Xury laughs. “Don’t worry about the sex talk. I gave that to Z when we were seven.”

  I gasp. I remember her talk. Very graphic. Shockingly graphic. I must blush again because the faeries take out tiny fans and wave them around my face.

  Professor Sway flinches. “Really? From Xury?”

  She folds her arms across her chest. “What do you mean by that?”

  The faeries giggle.

  Professor Sway cringes but then nods. “Pixies are all wise so I trust you gave Zalia the right information on safety and—”

  “Subject change,” I say quickly.

  The professor blows out a breath. “Thank you. Your grandfather gave me the talk, and …” he shivers. “I still have nightmares about how he worded certain activities.”

  Xury flinches. “Ew.”

  “Yikes.” I cringe. “That could be haunting.”

  Professor Sway nods. “He used the most antiquated props.”

  Blist squeezes his eyes shut as he tries to stop laughing.

  Xury doesn’t hide her laughter.

  Kyan, the dragon shifter, peeks around the corner. “Hi, Zalia. Glad you’re back. Professor?”

  Professor Sway clears his throat. “Right. Shall we?”

  Xury claps her hands together and jumps up and down.

  “What the fae?”

  Blist smiles. “You’ll see.”

  Chapter 4

  We walk into the underground dorm common room. Professor Sway bows. “Your majesty.”

  Standing in front of me is a man I don’t know but would recognize anywhere. “Zephyr?”

  The striking man, of about 20, nods. His hair is short, blonde and spiky. He’s muscular and has scars and markings covering his arms. He has one green eye and one blue.

  I look him over. “Your eyes. Just like—”

  “Yours and mom’s.”

  I remember Professor Sway saying that, but I don’t remember her at all. “You’re back?”

  Zephyr nods. I notice the shifters stand at attention around him. Surrounding him are older dragon shifters I’ve never seen and definitely don’t go to the Academy.

  He notices that I recognize it. “I believe all shifters are equal.”

  Blist nods. “He does.”

  “The dragon shifters have been providing security. They’ve been with me since the beginning. I’m so sorry about the curses. I had no idea …” he glances at his guards who bow their heads. They knew but chose not to tell him. Not that any of them could have done anything.

  I look at Zephyr. My brother. The hybrid witch dragon shifter. I barely remember him as a boy. I haven’t seen him since I started the Academy at age five. The curses took my memories of him away for so long, but I wonder what his life has been until now. Running through various realms and trying to stay one step ahead of the King and Queen.

  “Are we at war?”

  Zephyr nods. “I know you’ve been through a lot. The curses. Those horrible cousins. The sham of a trial.”

  The faeries hover above me and stomp around.

  Zephyr watches them and nods. He sighs. “You know I would never have let that happen, right?”

  I glance briefly at Blist. I don’t know if he knew about the trial.

  Blist tightens his grip on my hand. “What is it? What happened?”

  Zephyr smiles at Blist. “How long do you think Zalia was gone?”

  He looks at me and then at the professor and Xury. They all shrug. “A few hours?”

  I stare at Zephyr. “You did that?”

  He nods.

  I study him. “You’ve got some mad skills, brother.”

  He laughs, and the hardened dragon shifters surrounding him react the same way. The shifters around Zephyr move when he moves. They follow his motions, his emotions.

  “Why?” Blist looks between us. “How long were you gone?”

  “Two and a half months,” I mutter.

  “They put her on trial,” Zephyr says to growls from the shifters. “Her punishment was indefinite or death.”

  Blist pales and grips my hand so tight I flinch.

  Xury rushes into my room and slams the door so she can go full on pixie in private. We all hear her throwing furniture and cussing up a storm.

  “Why didn’t we know?” Professor Sway asks. “How?”

  Zephyr smiles. “I did it. I also kept her safe.”

  “The faeries did as well.” I motion to the faeries still hovering around me.

  They smile and bow and pat each other on the back. Literally.

  Zephyr’s eyes change. “You don’t know what the warlocks wanted to do.”

  I’m suddenly queasy and look down. Oh, I can imagine. They’re not subtle.

  Zephyr steps forward. “You’re hurt, aren’t you?”

  The shifters growl and snarl.

  I shrug. “Didn’t have a chance to heal myself. It’s just a few bruises.”

  “A few bruises?” Zephyr’s face tenses as he studies me. “A dislocated shoulder? They dared to use violence against you. They dared to touch you. They dared to even threaten you.”

  The dragon shifters’ eyes all change colors. Their skin starts to harden and become iridescent.

  “Who was it?” Blist asks, his eyes already shifting. “What did they do?”

  Everyone waits for me. “It was nothing.”

  Zephyr shakes his head, and I see his eyes shift to greens and reds and blacks like the most powerful bloodstone. “You are a hybrid. A good witch. You are one of us. A shifter. You are my sister. Do not dismiss yourself so easily.”

  I feel like I’m being interrogated again. I sigh because they’re not going to let this go. “They let me out in the bogs, and by the time I washed bog off it was curfew. The warlock guard wouldn’t let me go so I slept in the witch’s common room.”

  Blist tenses beside me. “And?”

  I shake my head. It’s really no big deal. “They yanked me out of the chair, wouldn’t let me leave. I threatened them. Then they pushed me to the floor. I retaliated.” I shrug. Apparently it’s a bigger deal than I realize because the air changes as shifters are on the verge. “It’s really not a big—”

  Zephyr puts his hand up to stop me. “Who? Which one?”

  I hesitate to say. “Aren’t there more important things? The war? The King and Queen?”

  Zephyr steps in front of me and grabs the hand that Blist isn’t holding. “Those curses let you believe you meant nothing.”

  Blist agrees. “We’re always trying to get her to see herself as we do.”

  The shifters nod and mumble.

  “You matter, Zalia. No one can treat you like that, and you shouldn’t let them.”

  I think about it. He’s right. I wouldn’t let them treat anyone else like that. “I did threaten them. Told Dray that he’d never be able to wear clothes again.”

  The professor grins.

  Zephyr frowns until one of the bear shifters whispers something to him. “Oh.” He nods. “Tragic. Creep
y. Did you do the original curse on him?”

  I shake my head. “No. I want to thank the one who did though. Throw a party.”

  “And the others?”

  “His brother …”

  “Fex,” the shifters groan in unison as if his name is a curse.

  “Apparently he didn’t get the memo of my shift, and I maybe …” I think about it. “Definitely pretended to sniff him,” I say this quickly because it’s just weird. “Said that my shift would give him a head start cause I was in snack mode.” I shrug. “Maybe pretended to be a dragon shifter.”

  The dragon shifters grunt their approval.

  Zephyr laughs. “It is in your blood.”

  Blist blows out a breath. “And how did he take that?”

  “Pixied himself.”

  Blist gives me that look.

  I close my eyes. “He shoved me out the door.” I indicate my bloody knees which I just zap to good as new.

  Zephyr growls. “They’ll be taken care of.”

  I frown because I don’t know what that means. “I did send the spell back to the source, and he’s gonna have a mark on his face.” I shiver. “Didn’t help. He still makes my eyes water.”

  Vax nods. “Dude is totally nauseating to look at. Can’t imagine being fated to him.”

  We all take a moment to gather our stomachs together from that horrific thought.

  Zephyr whispers something to some of the shifters who quickly leave. “Zalia, my beautiful sister …” he looks at me as if he won’t see me for awhile. “I can’t stay here, and no one can know where I am.”

  I nod. “You’re safe though, right?”

  The shifters closest to him nod.

  I breath a little easier. “The dragons will keep you safe.”

  They nod.

  “Now …” Zephyr studies Blist. “Jaguars are extremely rare and powerful.”

  “I know what you’re getting at.” Blist glances at me. “I have no ego when it comes to Zalia. I only want her to be safe.”

  “Good answer.” He glances around. “Vax?”

  Vax sniffs and steps forward. “No one will touch her.”

  “Who else?” Zephyr asks Vax.

  She looks around at the shifters. “Masimu.”

  “Wolf shifter.” Zephyr nods his approval. “That’s good.”

  Masimu the wolf shifter jogs forward before Vax shakes her head at him. Without pausing, he immediately circles back to where he started.

  Zephyr understands. “Masimu the dragon shifter. Excellent. So, my sister has a jaguar shifter, bear shifter and dragon shifter to keep her safe.”

  “Plus faeries.” I point above me as faeries all hover straighter.

  “And me,” Professor Kreyl steps in the room.

  “Another hybrid.” Zephyr nods. “And a wolf. That’s interesting.”

  I look at the professor. “Called it. That’s why you knew I was a hybrid.”

  She smiles. “Hybrids have to stick together.” She thinks. “Actually I think the warlocks always call us filthy shifters.”

  The shifters growl at that.

  “The Penn brothers usually just go for the whore description,” I say accidentally before my eyes widen. “Oops.”

  The shifters snarl.

  Blist grabs me and pulls me away from the fray. “Again?”

  I nod. “Sorry, shouldn’t have said that.”

  “Will you give us your cooperation?” Zephyr asks Blist.

  He looks at me. “Yes. They’re going to be a problem, and I won’t have them threatening Zalia.” Blist looks at me as his eyes shift briefly. “Ever again.”

  Zephyr whispers to his dragon entourage and then looks directly at me. “I’ll be back.” Instantly, they are all gone.

  “What was that about?”

  Blist grimaces. “Your brother wanted my permission to allow the shifters to deal with the warlocks,” he says nonchalantly.

  “And?”

  “In a more permanent capacity.”

  I flinch. I don’t like them, but they provide a balance. I think about that. Or was that just warlock propaganda? What kind of a balance do they provide? They’re evil. Usually hideous to look at and they pixie me off.

  Blist smiles at me. “I like it when you try to puzzle all the pieces together.”

  I frown as I think about what he just said. “You sound like me.”

  Professor Sway shakes his head. “A side effect of the soul mate.”

  “Huh?”

  “You’re soul mates,” he says as if that explains everything.

  “And?”

  “Your souls echo parts of themselves when you kiss …” he points to Blist and I still holding hands. “When you touch.”

  I look at Blist and hope he can explain things to me.

  He shrugs. “I have no idea.”

  Professor grins. “Parts of your souls have become embedded in your soul mate.”

  I flinch like it should hurt or something. “Like shrapnel?”

  “No …” Professor Sway stops to think about that. “Possibly, only without the pain. You’ll become more like the other.”

  “Ew,” I look at Blist. “I don’t want to date myself.”

  Blist laughs. “Probably just a residual, right?”

  The professor nods. “It’s fine, really.”

  “Huh.” I study Blist. “As long as Blist is still Blist.”

  “Of course,” Professor Sway says. “You’ll start to finish each other’s sentences. Know what the other will think. Start using the same phrases.”

  “But he’ll still look like that, right?”

  Blist grins as he blushes and looks down at the ground.

  Professor Sway nods. “Yes, Zalia. Blist will always look like that.”

  I study my gorgeous shifter. “Good.”

  Chapter 5

  Xury throws open my door and stomps out. “Done.”

  I peek around her to the mess that was my room. I wave my hand to revert it to original form.

  She glances back and smiles. “Thanks, Z.”

  “Get your pixie on?”

  She nods and shakes off. “Much better. Just thinking about …” Her body shakes again as the faeries above her remind her to stop.

  “Right.” She nods at them. “Thanks. So…” she rubs her hands together. “What do we do? How do we overthrow the evil King and Queen?”

  Professor Sway glances around quickly. Luckily there are only a few shifters around. “Not so loud.”

  Xury cringes. “Sorry.”

  The faeries shake their heads and wag their fingers at her.

  “As difficult as this is, we have to resume our normal activities.”

  “Yikes.”

  “Not you, Zalia.” Professor Sway is quick to note. “I only meant return to classes.”

  “Yikes again.” I don’t trust the warlocks.

  Professor Sway doesn’t get my double yikes, but Blist does as he squeezes my hand tighter. “I’ll be in most of your classes.”

  “The warlocks are complete faeheads.” Xury stomps her foot. “And the classes you aren’t in Blist?”

  We look to Professor Sway who thinks about it. “Special assignment.”

  I breathe a bit easier. The warlocks hated me because of the curse, but the curses also kept them from actually seeing or touching me. Now, the warlocks hate me because … they’re warlocks. That’s how they’re built. They hate most good witches. It’s just their thing, and they’re very good at it.

  “Just go back to class?” Xury looks around. “Why is it so dark in here?”

  “We’re underground,” Blist reminds her. “Shifters and vampires.”

  Xury cringes again. “Right. Sorry. Going full on pixie takes a lot out of me.”

  I snap my fingers and Xury is instantly holding her favorite fruit flavored sugar water complete with swirly straw so she can see the color expanding up and down. She takes a sip and sighs. “Thanks. Needed that.”

  “So, I ski
p the warlock taught classes?”

  Professor looks at Blist and nods. “I think that’s wise.”

  “What about crystal class? I love crystals.”

  “You know so much you can teach it,” Blist reminds me.

  "Professor Georr?” Professor Sway thinks about it. “Does he bother you?”

  I shrug. “He’s a witch, not a warlock, but he’s never been friendly.”

  “What about the Penn brothers?” Xury curls her lip. “Aren’t those freaks of nature in your class?”

  I nod. “But so is Blist.”

  “I’ll be there.” He thinks about it. “If they look at you. Even glance in your general direction …” he takes a deep breath and closes his eyes but not before I see his shifter eyes start to peer through.

  “What about rune class?” Xury rolls her eyes as hard as she can. She leans close. “I hear that professor is an absolute tyrant.”

  We all glance at Professor Sway.

  “Honestly, Xury.” He shakes his head.

  Then I remember the Penn brothers are in that class too. “Yikes. So many faeheads.”

  The faeries huddle in front of Xury and whisper something.

  “So cool you can understand them.”

  The faeries glance at me, wink and bow. Faeries live on compliments.

  Xury squeals scaring Professor Sway who shakes his head and walks away. “I’ll be over here.”

  I didn’t know dragon shifters were so hypersensitive. Then I realize he’s probably thinking of a thousand other things which makes my stomach hurt.

  “They said our first two classes have been cancelled.”

  “Why?” Blist asks while glancing at Professor Sway who shrugs.

  Xury grabs me and then jumps back. Before grabbing me again. “So cool I can do this.” She jumps up and down. “You know what that means?”

  I step back from her. “Seriously? Now?”

  “It’s tradition. Once a quarter, and we didn’t get to do it in winter because someone kept passing out for weeks at a time.” She pouts and then quickly recovers. “Faeries can come too.”

  The faeries put their hands together and almost swoon as they flutter this way and that.

  One of the dragon shifters who guards Zephyr arrives through a door I didn’t know was there. He’s with Masimu.

  They whisper while glancing back at me. “This can’t be good.”