by Wendi Wilson
“Gold indicates feelings of hopefulness,” he said. “I was really hoping the ring would work.”
“This is…amazing,” I said, wrapping my arms around his neck and leaning in to kiss his cheek. “Thank you.”
“Happy birthday, December,” he said and pecked me on the lips. Reaching under his pillow, he pulled out a notecard and handed it to me. “I wrote down the meanings of all the basic colors, so you can memorize it and not have to ask all the time.”
I smiled as I took the card from him and scanned it. I couldn’t contain my smile. It was the coolest thing I’d ever owned. Not to mention most expensive.
My smile dropped and I looked up at him, my eyes hooded. “Is this a real emerald and diamonds?”
“Of course,” he said. “The magic doesn’t work as well on synthetic stones.”
“Easton! How much did this cost you?” I cried and started to pull it off. I couldn’t keep it.
He grabbed my fingers, stopping my frantic movements. He pushed the ring back down over my knuckle and laced his fingers through mine.
“It’s yours, December. And don’t worry, it didn’t cost me anything.”
“What do you mean?” I asked, looking up from my hand to his face.
He was surrounded by blue, and a quick glance at my handy notecard told me blue meant worried or afraid. I looked back up and cocked my head to the side, waiting for him to answer.
His tongue darted out to wet his lips before he said, “It was my mother’s.”
“Was?”
I realized that he never talked about his parents. I had no idea where they were, what his relationship was with them, or if they were even alive. God, I sucked.
“Don’t worry,” he said, “she’s not dead.”
I heaved a sigh of relief, but something in his expression told me there was more to the story. Then I remembered a conversation we had a while back. He’d mentioned living at the academy his whole life, but had refused to elaborate.
“She is alive and well, living with my father in our family home,” he continued, a bitterness evident in his tone.
“Do you have any siblings?”
“No,” he said. “It’s just me. Anyway, the ring was hers, then she gave it to me. Now I give it to you.”
His blue color flared brighter, causing me to narrow my eyes in suspicion.
“Why did she give you a ring that is very obviously made for a girl, Easton?”
“It was meant to be given to the girl I intend to marry,” he mumbled.
I fought to free my hand from his so I could snatch the ring off and give it back. But Easton’s grip was too strong, and he held on until all the fight drained out of me.
“I can’t accept this. You need to save it for your future wife.”
The blue halo around his head vanished, and in its place appeared a glowing mass, the brightest pink I’d ever seen. It was almost blinding in its intensity, but I couldn’t take my eyes off of it. I was completely mesmerized.
Until I heard Easton’s next words.
“And that’s one of the reasons I love you so much.”
“What?”
I forced the word out past the lump in my throat where my heart was lodged. My ears must have been playing tricks on me, because I could have sworn Easton had used the L-word.
“I love you, December,” he repeated. “I love your kind soul. I love your generosity and your selflessness. I love your sense of humor, your fighting spirit, and your determination to always do the right thing.”
The bright pink aura surrounding him flared and pulsed, telling me the truth of his words. Even without that proof, I would’ve had no choice but to believe him. It was written all over his face, in his eyes, in the touch of his hand against mine.
The boy loved me.
“I love you, too,” I blurted out before I could lose my nerve.
The brightest smile I’d ever seen broke across his face and his grip on my hands tightened. He stared into my eyes, bringing his face a little closer to mine.
“I already knew that,” he whispered gently. “Your aura has shown me over and over again. But hearing the words means more to me than you know.”
He kissed me then, a sweet, slow kiss that felt like heaven and home all twisted together. When he pulled away, we locked eyes.
“That’s why I picked this gift,” he murmured, rubbing his thumb across the ring on my finger. “I wanted you to see in me what I see in you every time we’re together. I wanted you to know, for sure, that my words are genuine. That my feelings are true. Happy birthday, December.”
“Thank you, Easton. I love it.”
“And I love you.”
Chapter 7
When we got back to my party, my lips swollen from kissing Easton until I was near-delirious, I noticed two things at once. First, the ring he gave me only worked for him. I couldn’t see any other auras in the crowded room. I was kind of thankful for that. Knowing what every person around me was feeling would be sure to get overwhelming. I didn’t know how Easton did it.
And second, Shaela was on the edge of the dance floor, wrapped up in the arms of Charles Everest. My heart sang with happiness as I watched them sway in time with the music, their eyes locked on each other.
I leaned into Easton, bringing my mouth close to his ear. “What color is Charles’s aura right now?”
He tilted his head to the side, studying the couple for a moment before answering, “It’s gold with swirls of pink running through it.”
“So…hopeful, right?”
He nodded. “With streaks of affection or desire. It’s kind of hard to tell the difference sometimes.”
I nodded with understanding. As long as there was nothing negative or underhanded going on. I’d have to hurt Charles if his interest was some kind of trick, and I didn’t want to hurt him. I wanted him to show my best friend affection and loyalty. I wanted Shaela to be as happy as I was.
Which was why I had totally planned a sneak-attack. I was going to wait for the right moment and somehow throw those two together. Literally. I knew it wasn’t the best plan, but I also knew if I shoved them together, Shaela would have to talk to him.
Then Tiana went and took care of it for me. Priceless.
As we watched, Shaela turned her head to look in our direction. She smiled at me and Easton, waggling her eyebrows. Charles’s head dipped, and he pressed his lips to her temple. I nearly swooned and, by the looks of it, so did Shaela.
She looked at him, and their eyes locked. Ever so slowly, Charles moved in, and I silently cheered him on. His lips touched hers briefly before pulling back an inch. When she didn’t protest or pull away, he kissed her again as his arms tightened around her waist.
“Oh yeah, full on desire now,” Easton said, laughing as he pulled me out onto the dance floor.
As he took me in his arms, I caught Shaela’s eye over his shoulder. I raised my eyebrows at her and she returned the expression, a happy pink glow lighting up her face. I winked at her and she smiled before turning her attention back to the guy in her arms.
“Are you happy?” Easton asked, and I felt like he meant more than just my feelings in that very moment.
“Yes,” I said. “I am happy.”
He twirled me around as the song changed to one with a faster beat. We broke apart to dance to the rhythm, or at least, Easton did. I did my own thing, feeling the beat in my soul and not caring if I looked ridiculous or not. I was happy, and that was all that mattered in that moment.
Shaela and Charles joined us, and we all danced together. We partied until I felt like I was about to fall over. I told Shaela I was tired, and Easton offered to walk me to my room. I smiled and accepted, and was rewarded with the glow of his yellow aura. Happiness.
It had been fading from yellow to pink and back again all night, only changing to orange once when Tiana had approached us to spit some venom. I couldn’t even hear what she was saying over the music and, honestly, I didn’t give a shit.
So instead of trying to decipher her words, I’d slipped the card from my pocket and peeked at the list to see what an orange aura meant. It indicated annoyance which, of course, gave me immense satisfaction.
Easton asked me about it on our walk back to the room.
“What was going on with you when Tiana came over to harass us?” he asked as we walked hand-in-hand down the corridor.
“What do you mean?”
“Well, usually when she is anywhere near you, your aura shows negative emotion—anger, frustration, loathing. But when I looked over at you tonight, your aura was a bright purplish-pink, almost violet.”
“What does that color mean?” I asked.
“Well, it’s not an exact science. You know what pink means. Purple usually indicates emotions related to satisfaction—approval, agreement, pride. That sort of thing.”
“When Tiana came near us, your aura changed to orange.”
“Ah,” he said, smiling. “And my annoyance with her made you happy?”
I shrugged, saying, “I know it sounds petty, but she’s so beautiful. And I know you used to date her.”
Easton pulled me to a stop.
“I see Shaela has been filling you in,” he said, his smile not wavering. “I dated her—if you can even call it that—for two minutes in seventh grade.”
“I know,” I replied. “That’s what Shaela said. But it doesn’t change the fact that she’s gorgeous, and rich, and comes from a good family.” I held his gaze for a moment before adding, “And she doesn’t have a drop of Zephyr blood in her.”
“None of that matters to me, December.”
“I know,” I said, pretending like it really didn’t matter to me either, “but it still felt good to see you being as annoyed by her as I am.”
He chuckled and we started back down the hall. When we reached the room I shared with Shaela, I leaned back against the door and pulled Easton into a hug. Our hug turned into a kiss, which quickly escalated into another heavy make-out session until he broke away, his chest heaving with each breath he took.
Then he looked at me, the bright pink of his aura reflecting in his icy blue eyes. The sight had my heart skipping a beat as it tried to escape my chest. God, I loved him.
His aura flashed to purple—satisfaction—before turning pink once more. I realized that my own aura must’ve betrayed my thoughts, flaring pink as I contemplated my feelings for him.
“Good night, December.”
“Good night, Easton.”
He turned to leave, but swung back around after a few steps, saying, “And December?”
“Yeah?”
“Merry Christmas.”
I smiled, saying, “Merry Christmas.”
He turned back and headed down the hall, whistling a cheery tune that echoed off the walls. I opened my door and leaned inside, flicking on the light switch. I stopped dead in my tracks, my eyes wide with disbelief.
There was a tree in the room.
And not just any tree. It was a Christmas tree.
Multi-colored lights twinkled in a random pattern, reflecting off the many glass balls hanging from the branches. My eyes welled with tears as I watched the lights blink on and off. It was the most beautiful thing I’d ever seen.
“Why’s the door op—ooh, pretty!”
Shaela’s voice broke me out of my stupor, and I spun around to face her.
“Did you do this?” I asked, my voice cracking as the tears overflowed and trailed down my face.
“No,” she said, shaking her head. “Why are you crying?”
I brushed the tears away with the back of my hand and sniffed loudly, followed by a chuckle. I was such a sap.
“It’s just…this is my first Christmas tree. I’ve never even seen one before. Who did this? Oh my God, did someone cut down a tree?”
Those last words came out in a rush of panic. Cutting down trees was a crime. We could go to jail just for having it in our room. We’d be considered an accessory after the fact.
“December,” Shaela said, her voice firm. “Calm down. It’s in a pot. Nobody cut anything down.”
I bent over and peeked underneath the lowest branches, realizing she was right. I breathed a sigh of relief before my eyes landed on two green and gold wrapped presents resting on the floor. I picked one up, flipping open the small card attached to the top.
“To Shaela. From Easton,” I read before my eyes shot up to meet hers. “Easton did this for us.”
“Easton did this for you,” she clarified. “Gimme. Gimme.”
She held out her hands for the present. I handed it over before bending over to pick up the other one. Shaela was already tearing into the paper covering hers as I flipped up the card on mine.
Merry Christmas, December. I love you, Easton.
I could feel my blood pressure rising as my heart pounded in my ears. Easton had planned the entire evening out. He had to have snuck in and put up the tree after I left for the party. That’s why I couldn’t find him, at first. He already gave me the gorgeous ring on my right hand, a family heirloom no less, and had magic infused into it so I could see his aura and know how he really felt. And he told me he loved me.
Best. Birthday. Ever.
Shaela squealed. I joined her on her bed and looked at the small, water-filled globe in her hands. It was a glass ball fixed to a wooden base. Shaela shook it and small, white flakes swirled around a small figurine of a blond faery with moss-green wings.
“Isn’t it beautiful?” she asked, holding it up in front of my face.
“It looks just like you,” I said, smiling.
“Who knew Easton Oberon was so sweet?” she asked. “Open yours.”
I pulled the card off and set it on the bed beside me before tearing into the paper, knowing Shaela would pout if I tried to open it slowly. I had it halfway off when Shaela’s hand slapped down on top of mine.
“What is that?” she yelled, grabbing my hand and pulling it closer to her face. “Are you engaged?”
I laughed at her horrified expression. “No, you dork.” I pulled my hand back and gazed at the emerald ring. “This is my birthday present from Easton.”
“Is that a real emerald? It looks expensive.”
She waggled her eyebrows at me and I chuckled.
“It is and it didn’t cost him anything. It’s a family heirloom.”
“Seriously?” she asked, her eyes growing large.
“Yep. I tried to give it back, but he wouldn’t let me. It’s supposed to go to his future wife.”
“Holy shit, D.”
I wholeheartedly agreed with that sentiment. It was crazy that he’d given to me, a girl he’d been dating for six weeks. I’d let his declaration of love distract me from the fact that I didn’t deserve such a sentimental family object. I bet his mom was going to lose it when she found out.
“I can’t keep it, right?” I asked, desperate for her opinion.
“Well…”she said, tilting her head to the side, “he obviously wanted you to have it. It’s his to give. And you can always promise yourself that if you break up, you’ll give it back. No harm, no foul.”
Her words made sense. I could give it back if things didn’t work out between us.
“The ring isn’t even the real gift,” I said.
“What do you mean?”
“Easton asked Finn to help him put magic in it. When I have this on,” I said, holding up my hand in front of her face, “I can see Easton’s aura. He said he knew it was unfair, that he always knew what I was feeling but I didn’t have the same advantage.”
“What did you see?” she asked, bouncing up and down.
“Pink. Easton told me he loved me.”
Chapter 8
I woke up the next morning with a smile on my face, thinking about the night before. After shrieking with excitement and forcing me to tell her every single detail, Shaela had practically swooned. Then she gave me the play-by-play of her evening with Charles. Nothing was official, but she was opt
imistic.
When I finally got around to opening my Christmas gift, I did some squealing of my own. It was a book…a real book made of paper. The cover was gold and inlaid with multi-colored stones. Printed across the front in big, swooping letters was the title, Sleeping Beauty.
I’d smiled, remembering Easton mentioning the book when he found me after I’d run away from school. I had passed out after I saw my black wings for the first time, and a homeless man had nearly attacked me in my unconscious state. Easton hit him and Glamoured him to leave, then woke me up, hinting at the story.
I couldn’t wait to read it.
I looked over at the Christmas tree, still twinkling in the early morning light. A smile crept across my face as I thought about Easton. The stoic, stand-offish boy I’d first met had turned out to be quite the romantic.
“Morning,” Shaela called out from her own bed.
“Good morning,” I answered.
Heaving a contented sigh, she said, “I’m so glad we have a week off before we have to go back to classes.”
I sat up, throwing the covers off of me. In all the excitement of the party and Easton’s surprises, I’d forgotten all about my discussion with Finn.
“What is it?” Shaela asked, sitting up with a frown.
“I didn’t get a chance to tell you about my meeting with Finn yesterday,” I said. “He hired a new sociology teacher.”
“Oh,” Shaela said, her face falling.
Rowan’s death had affected everyone. All who knew him loved him, and bringing in his replacement felt like a slap to the face of his memory.
Or a stab to the back.
“December,” Shaela said, her words slow and measured, “I know it hurts, but I think Finn did the right thing. That class needs a teacher. We can’t just erase the subject from our curriculum. It’s too important.”
I knew in my head she was right. Studying the relationships between humans and Fae was crucial to learning to protect them, and the Earth, from Zephyr control. Young Sylphs needed to understand it to fight it.
“But he wants this guy to become my mentor, too,” I added, my voice sounding desperate even to my own ears.