by Wendi Wilson
“Seriously?” Shaela asked, her eyebrows rising to her hairline. “Who is it?”
“I have no idea. Finn didn’t mention his name when I told him it wasn’t happening.”
“What? Why would you say that, D? You know you need someone to guide you. Easton and I aren’t enough.”
I did know that. It’s why I’d gone to Finn in the first place, asking if he could help me. But faced with the actuality, it just felt…wrong.
“Rowan would want you to learn everything you can, despite who’s doing the teaching,” Shaela murmured when I didn’t say anything.
I took a deep breath, letting it out on a sigh. Shaela was right.
“Okay,” I said. “I’ll go tell Finn today.”
Winter break flew by in a rush. Shaela, Easton, and I spent most of the time together, hanging out in our room, among the flowers in the conservatory, or out walking the grounds. Charles joined us a few times, and even without being able to read his aura, I could tell he was fast forming feelings for Shaela.
In the evenings, I spent hours in Easton’s room, giving Shaela space to have some alone time with her new boyfriend. Of course, they hadn’t made anything official, but I could see it was coming. They were so cute together.
Easton and I took turns reading aloud from the book he gave me. I couldn’t hide my grin when it mentioned the trio of tiny fairies. Easton had seen my smile, tickling my ribs and telling me the humans had gotten it all wrong. The Fae were not small and did not shoot sparkly magic from wands.
We also spent a lot of time making out. Kissing Easton was hell on the equilibrium, and every time we got hot and heavy, we took it a little bit farther. On Tuesday, his hand slid up under my shirt, his fingertips brushing over the material of my bra before he pulled away. On Friday, I pulled the damned thing off completely.
It was hot in his room. That’s what I told myself. It was hot, and I was still basically covered by my bra. And Easton had already seen my skin, thanks to the sweater Shaela made me wear to my party. No big deal.
But Easton’s eyes told me it was a big freaking deal. They widened as they roved across my body, but I forced myself not to shield my skin from his eyes. I wanted him to see me. I had no reason to be embarrassed or ashamed.
Of course, it helped that I was wearing the emerald ring he gave me. I watched in wonder as his aura flared to a bright pink, then darkened to a deep purple. I wracked my brain for the meaning, then it hit me. Satisfaction. Approval. Pride.
As he leaned in to kiss me, his aura turned pink again. But I didn’t need to see it. I could feel his love and desire for me in every touch of his lips. Every brush of his fingers. Every soft moan that vibrated in his chest.
While things didn’t progress any further that night, I felt like we’d turned some proverbial corner. Trusted our love to guide us.
Or unleashed a beast.
I just wasn’t sure if Easton was the beast, or if it was me.
Chapter 9
“Okay, I’ve decided to at least meet the man,” I announced Monday morning as Shaela straightened my hair for me in our room.
Knowing exactly who I meant, she said, “Of course, you’re going to meet him. In third period. He’s our new teacher.”
I tried to swat her for her sarcasm, but she danced away and snapped the hair straightener in my direction.
“You know what I meant,” I said, growing serious. “I’ll give it a shot. But if he’s weird or makes me uncomfortable, I’m out.”
“Sounds like a plan,” Shaela responded. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m relieved, but why the change of heart? You were so against it before.”
I thought about her question for a moment before answering, “I need to learn better control of my powers. I may have bested Sebille once, but I can guarantee you it won’t be that easy again. You and Easton have been amazing, but I know I need more. I need someone who can help me control everything.”
What I didn’t say was that my magic was starting to feel different. While I still called on the powers of air, earth, water and fire, my impulses were starting to lean toward the destructive side. I’d pull a fireball from mid-air and my instinct was to use it to destroy the entire room, rather than just to defend myself. My water wanted to drown everyone in my vicinity. Air wanted to blow away the rubble and earth wanted to bury what was left.
Every time I practiced, the urges grew stronger.
And I was getting scared. Of myself.
By the time third period rolled around, I was a nervous wreck. I’d convinced myself that the new teacher could not help me. No one could. Even if Rowan were still with us, he’d be at a loss.
I walked in and took the empty seat beside Shaela and in front of Easton. I felt his fingers on my shoulder almost immediately, and some of the tension drained out of me. I didn’t know if it was real magic or just boyfriend magic, but either way I felt better.
A hush fell over the classroom as the stranger, our new teacher, strode in and closed the door behind him. Everyone in the room watched silently, mesmerized as he strolled over to stand behind what was formerly Rowan’s desk.
“Good morning, class,” he said. “My name is Crispin Jonas, but you can call me Cris.”
You could’ve heard a pin drop. As if everyone in the room was holding a collective breath, we let it out simultaneously when he smiled, deep dimples grooved into each cheek.
I swore I heard a couple of female sighs, and I fought the urge to roll my eyes. The girls in this school were so predictable. I almost felt sorry for the man. Almost.
Though I had to admit, Crispin Jonas was easy on the eyes. He looked to be in his thirties, but for the Fae, that meant nothing. He could be two-hundred years old, for all I knew. His hair was a dark blonde tinged with red, his thick eyebrows a shade darker. Long, sooty lashes framed dark blue eyes that shone with amusement.
I assumed he was used to the reaction he was receiving. His cocky reaction fueled an instant dislike within me. Somewhere in the back of my brain, I realized that I was searching for a reason to hate him, grasping at straws so I could reject him as a mentor and replacement for Rowan. His obvious self-satisfaction seemed like as good a reason as any.
Then his eyes collided with mine.
The dimples faded and his eyes changed. No longer filled with humor, they seemed almost…sad. Then he shook his head, and the moment was over.
“I’ve been appraised of your progress,” he said, his gaze drifting over the class, “and will try to pick up where Mr. Dobbs left off.” His face grew solemn as he folded his hands in front of him. “I am truly sorry for your loss. I’ve heard he was a great Sylphid.”
He waited for a few beats of silence before speaking again. Then he clapped his hands together as he started our daily discussion on human-Zephyr relations. That moment of silence he instigated was the first crack in my resistance.
By the end of the period, the wall I’d erected to keep him out held some serious damage. The man was nearly impossible to dislike. He was obviously intelligent, posing thoughtful questions and letting the students guide the discussion from there. He challenged some of our conclusions and readily accepted others, always careful to be respectful of our opinions.
He was charming and funny, drawing even the shyest of students out of their shells to participate. Everyone loved him—
“Wait,” I mouthed, shaking my head to clear the cobwebs.
My eyes narrowed as I watched Cris pace back and forth, his hands waving about as he spoke. I looked to my right at Shaela, who had her chin propped in her hand, a dreamy expression on her face. She was completely under his spell.
I glanced over my shoulder at Easton. He smiled and winked at me, but then his eyes moved back to our new professor. His face relaxed and his eyes glazed over as he hung on every word the man said.
Incredible. His first day, and he was using magic to make everyone love him. There had to be some sort of rule against that in the teacher guidelines. Maybe I would talk
to Finn about it.
Cris stopped talking and I looked back up at him with narrowed eyes. His blue eyes sparkled as he clapped once, never moving his gaze from mine. Something in the air cleared, a heaviness lifting. In my peripheral vision, I could see those around me moving their heads back and forth, looking around as if wondering what the heck was going on.
“Class dismissed,” Cris said, still staring me down. “Miss Thorne, can you please stay behind? I’d like to speak to you for a moment.”
Half of me wanted to bolt, to get away from him and run straight to Finn. But the other half glued me to my seat. The half that demanded I call Crispin Jonas out for his manipulation, show him I wasn’t affected, and reject him as my new mentor. But I didn’t get a chance to do any of those things.
As soon as the door closed behind the last student, he said, “You’re even more amazing than I imagined.”
The fight drained out of me. “What do you mean?”
He walked over and slid into the desk Shaela had vacated, keeping his legs in the aisle so he could face me. Bracing his elbows on his knees, he kept his gaze locked on mine as he spoke.
“I’m sorry,” he started. “We haven’t officially met. Crispin Jonas.”
He held out a hand to me and I automatically took it. After a brief handshake, I jerked my hand back, crossing my arms over my chest. I ignored the stinging sensation in my palm and waited for him to continue, my eyes narrowed with suspicion.
“December,” he began, tilting his head to the side, “why are you so angry?”
“You know why,” I said. “You Glamoured the entire class to worship you!”
Those damned dimples popped back out as he laughed, admitting, “I did, but not for the reasons you think.”
I didn’t respond. He was baiting me, and I refused to fall for it. No reason was good enough to justify manipulating the entire class on his first day.
“Listen, I know you don’t trust me right now, but I have faith that eventually, you will. I think we can do great things together, December.”
I huffed out a breath and murmured, “Doubtful.”
I knew I was being disrespectful to a teacher, but it was like I couldn’t control myself. The man rubbed me the wrong way. I didn’t think we’d ever be able to work together, but he refused to give up so easily.
“I needed to see just how strong you are, December.”
“What?” I asked, snapping out of my thoughts.
“I Glamoured the class to test you,” he said, his words slow and measured. “I needed to determine how much power it would take for you to succumb. I also wanted to see if you could break out of it on your own. I have to say, I was very impressed.”
I stared at him without speaking. If he was telling the truth, and he only used his magic to test my ability to withstand it, could I accept it and move on? I wasn’t so sure that was a good enough reason to manipulate everyone’s feelings.
“I had to reinforce the Glamour four times,” he continued when I didn’t speak, “to keep you enthralled. And in the end, you broke through despite my efforts. That’s remarkable.”
“Yeah, well, that would be the Zephyr in me,” I said. “It fights against Sylphid control.”
The words slipped out before I could stop them. My heart skidded to a halt as I realized what I’d said. I just told Crispin Jonas that I was half-Zephyr. And he didn’t even react.
He already knew, which meant Finn must’ve told him.
“I have a feeling it’s much more than that,” he said. “December, I think I can help you, if you’ll just give me a chance.”
I looked into his eyes and, for a brief moment, saw an edge of desperation. He blinked and it was gone, but his face remained sincere. I wished Easton’s ring worked on other people so I could read his aura. I needed to know if he honestly wanted to help me, or if he had some ulterior motive.
I realized, in that moment, that I wanted to believe him. Despite my reservations, my loyalty to Rowan’s memory, and my suspicions about Cris’s motives, I needed help and something told me he could be the one to help me.
I just needed to give him a chance.
“Okay.”
“Okay?” he repeated, his questioning blue eyes boring into mine. “You’ll give me a shot?”
“Yes,” I said, nodding as I stood. “But right now, I need to get to math. I’m already late.”
“Of course,” he said. “I’ll get a message to your professor, explaining your tardiness.”
“Thanks,” I murmured, heading for the door.
“December?” he called out, and I stopped, turning back around. “Meet me here at four?”
He said the words like a question, so I nodded in agreement and walked out. If he’d ordered me to come back, I probably would have made an excuse not to come. And I think he realized that.
Smart man.
I just hoped he was smart enough to help me.
Chapter 10
“So what did Mr. McHotness want to talk to you about?”
The words flew from Shaela’s mouth as soon as I joined her at our usual lunch table. I quirked a brow at her and she held up her hands in surrender.
“Hey, we both know that man is fine.”
“Do you?”
Easton’s voice sounded in my ear just before he slipped into the chair next to me. He leaned over and kissed my cheek with soft, warm lips.
“Do I what?” I asked, distracted.
“Think your new mentor is…” he said, pausing to look at Shaela as he lifted his hands to use air quotes, “fine?”
She raised her eyebrows as she nodded, like no truer words had ever been spoken. Easton rolled his eyes at her. He knew she was trying to get under his skin. Shaela laughed, shooting me a wink as Easton turned his attention back to me.
There was no point in lying to my aura-reading boyfriend, so I said, “He’s handsome for an old dude, I guess.”
My eyes widened as Easton’s aura flared to a bright green. I leaned back in my chair, gazing at it as a pink tinge rode high on his cheeks.
“You’re jealous,” I stated, the wonder evident in my voice.
He didn’t deny it, knowing there was no point. I bet he was regretting giving me the power to read his aura right about then.
My mouth stretched into a huge grin, and Easton’s icy eyes squeezed shut as a pained look crossed his face. Charles chose that moment to slide into the chair next to Shaela, thankfully drawing her attention away from Easton’s embarrassment.
I leaned into him, letting my lips brush against the shell of his ear as I whispered, “I love you.”
He turned and caught my lips with his before I could pull away. I savored the taste of him, feeling my blood heat up in my veins. Our kiss broke off as a French fry hit me in the cheek.
“Get a room!”
I grabbed a fry from my own plate and chucked it at Shaela, but Charles snatched it out of the air before it hit her. He shoved the missile into his mouth with a smile as Shaela batted her eyelashes at him.
“My hero,” she crooned, making us all laugh.
Happiness welled up inside me. Shaela was coming out of her shell, showing the rest of the world what I already knew—that she was an amazing person and fun to be around. Charles was good for her, and I could see that he appreciated her, too. Easton was…well, Easton, and I knew he’d always be there for me, no matter what.
“So you never answered me,” Shaela said. “What did Cris talk to you about after class?”
I looked from her to Easton and back again, asking “Did you guys know he was using magic?”
“No.”
As Shaela answered, Easton asked at the same time, “What do you mean?”
“He Glamoured the class, making everyone think whatever he said was amazing and profound,” I said.
“He told you that?” Shaela asked as Easton cursed under his breath.
“He didn’t have to,” I said. “I broke out of it on my own. He said it was a tes
t, to see how strong I was and whether or not I could fight his magic.”
“So…his power is like mine?” Shaela asked.
I nodded, but honestly, I hadn’t really thought of it until that moment. His power was a lot like Shaela’s, if he could make people like and respect him so easily.
Charles raised his eyebrows, saying, “That’s impressive. He’d have to be strong to get a position as teacher, so no Sylph should be able to override his power. Of course, you did it with the king, too. It’s strange, your power.”
He trailed off with a questioning look. I pinched my lips together, my mind searching for an explanation for my power that didn’t include “I’m half-Zephyr.” As much as I like Charles and Shaela as a couple, I wasn’t ready to trust him with that secret just yet.
“Hey, do you want to hang out in my room tonight?” Shaela said, distracting him. “D is gonna be with Easton, so I’ll be all alone.”
My eyebrows shot up at her suggestive tone. Charles’s face darkened as he nodded, accepting her invitation. Shaela smiled, her eyes darting to mine for a brief second before returning to his.
She’d done that for me. Distracted Charles from his train of thought so I wouldn’t have to lie. I turned back to Easton.
“I guess I’m hanging with you tonight,” I whispered.
His aura flashed pink as a smile spread across his face. He leaned over and pressed his mouth to mine before pulling back an inch.
“I can’t wait,” he said.
“Me neither,” I breathed, then slumped back in my chair. “But I have an appointment with Crispin Jonas first.”
“You mean, Mr. McHotness?”
I chuckled. “You heard that?”
He cut his eyes toward my best friend. “Shaela wasn’t exactly being discreet. I think the entire dining hall heard her.”
“And agreed with me,” she cut in, obviously listening to our conversation.
“Agreed with you about what?” Charles asked.
“Nothing. I’ll tell you later,” Shaela cajoled, snuggling closer to him.