by G. Bailey
I know that I was in the wrong. I fucked up by retaliating back there which is exactly what Eva wanted.
“Is it true?” I lower my voice, tears threatening to produce in my eyes. “What Eva said about the faerie pools?”
His expression softens and his eyes return to their normal colour. “I think so.”
One of the tears I was holding back slips from my lashes. “So she’s… she’s dead?”
Pitch swipes the tear with the tip of his finger. “Not quite. I can still sense her presence here in this forest but it’s being smothered by a strange darkness.”
Relief fills my soul because I sense the same thing as well. Sage is alive, I just know it. “Well, it can’t be Greyhorn who took her again. We watched him die.”
“Yes, we did and yet…” Pitch looks away, his attention drawn to the guards approaching the doors. “Come on. I’ll have dinner brought to your room and we can watch one of your weird crime documentaries.”
“Wait. You mean there’s a TV here and you’re only telling me about it now?” I all but shout at him.
He laughs, wrapping an arm around me and leading us down the hallway. “The fae kingdoms are full of surprises, Vina. Stick with me and I’ll show you only the best ones.”
“Light, dark or shadowborn?” Ambrose questions as I become aware I’m in a dream with him again. After learning Pitch is real and a prince, I’m questioning everyone now, including Ambrose. Who and what is he really? “Which do you choose?”
“Who said I ever had to choose?” I answer, standing and watching the white owl perched on a tree above me. “I was born from both light and dark magic...and then I fell into shadowborn magic. Either way, each one of my powers is mine and can’t be ignored. They can’t be chosen.”
“I sense a spell on you, holding you back,” he muses.
“How could you know that?” I tilt my head to the side. “How do you know me?”
“I saved you and the gods never forget, Princess of the Light and Dark Fae Court.”
Waking up in the lush sheets of my bed in the Light Fae Kingdom, I can’t help but breathe in the sickly sweet air that fills this place and enjoy the beaming light dancing over my features and across the room. I reach my hand into the light above me, playing with the particles of dust that float in the speckled rays as I think back to my dream.
I do owe Ambrose my life, but what exactly is he? I’m guessing a shadowborn because he’s always a different animal. But I’ve never heard of any being able to transform into pure white animals let alone in someone else’s dreams. Such ‘light’ colours are usually always tainted with black. So that can only mean one thing—he isn’t fully shadowborn. He’s something else.
I close my eyes and call up my powers, trying to focus only on the light magic. Soon my hand starts to burn with energy and I open my eyes to see my hand in the light, but a strange power is humming around my fingers in waves. Black, white, and grey threads of silk swirl around and down to my wrist, constantly moving to avoid each other and in perfect sync. Who knew the three magics could exist so perfectly together within someone like me?
This is proof that I am meant to be something.
Someone.
A mistake couldn’t be this beautiful.
Someone bangs on the door and I jump, the power shooting out of my hand and into the top of the bed. It blasts a hole through the white wooden frame and lacy curtains hanging off to the side. Ashes and sparks of fire flutter down from the bed as I hurry off it, falling to the floor.
“Your Highness, are you in need of assistance?”
I don’t recognise the voice calling from the other side of the door.
“Shit, shit, shit.” I whack the pillows that are now on fire, then step back to assess the damage. The flames have gone out, but the beautiful silk bedding now looks like I’ve poured the contents of a fireplace over them. “I’m cool,” I shout back, sounding very princessly and I’m sure I hear laughter from the other side of the door. “I mean, I will be out in a second.”
Stripping out of the long black shirt I may have stolen from Zander’s apartment the night before, I open the wardrobe and find all my clothes from the academy. Seems I’m not the only thief; it must run in the family. I dress in boots, knee-high socks with pink bows, a checkered skirt, and a white shirt. Pulling my hair into a high ponytail, I plait a strand, wrapping it around the base before clipping it in place. Finally putting on my navy cloak, I steel myself for my first real day at the academy.
By Selena, I can’t wait to find Izora and have at least one of my closest friends with me to talk to. Every girl needs another girl to discuss becoming a princess and your hot as fuck shadow being a prince. Yup, totally normal.
Speaking of the devil. I open my door to find Pitch waiting outside, flanked by two light fae guards in gold amour.
His ensemble of black on black is only disrupted by the thick silver belt around his toned waist. With his wings pressed against his back, he stands there confidently. His freshly shaven face allows me to get lost in his dimples, and his long, black lashes make his gold eyes burst alive.
“Are you ready for your first day back at the academy?” Pitch asks with an all-knowing grin. He knew I was checking him out.
“I am but you are not coming,” I warn.
He just grins, taking two steps closer. I wish I hadn’t shut the door so I can escape. Having him this close, his burning leaves scent wrapping around me, lures me in...I can’t think straight.
Wanting Pitch has always been as easy as breathing. Now, the secrets and lies between us have created a big gap, and I’m scared to jump over it in case he doesn’t catch me.
“Both your parents have agreed to me becoming your personal bodyguard. Where your ass goes, I follow,” Pitch softly tells me, moving his hand closer and it brushes against mine, making me shiver.
I clear my throat and step to the side before high tailing my ass down the corridor and to the mirror, with Pitch’s low chuckle following me. I guess he isn’t feeling guilty or wallowing in self-pity anymore. It seems like he has decided to make sure I’m his and by the gods, I hope I’m strong enough to resist him. Pitch doesn’t deserve me yet. He needs to make me trust him again.
I step through the mirror and into the forest, looking up at the academy in the distance and breathing in the mossy scent of home, closing my eyes for a brief moment.
“Even though you come from the cities of the fae, your home is in the forest,” Pitch comments and I feel his eyes pressed on me before I open my own, meeting his gaze. “You will like the dark court. It has the tallest trees of the Enchanted Forest that surround the palace for nature is admired by your mother. I believe that is where you get your love for it from.”
“My mother brought you up as her own. Do you love her as a mother?” I ask as Pitch looks up at the academy, his eyes haunted.
“Until I was eight and found you, she made me the prince, the child she always wanted, but I didn’t love her like a mother. Narah is difficult and you will only understand once you meet her. Difficult, but not entirely evil. There is a reason for everything when it comes to her.”
I nod, wrapping my arms around myself and heading to the academy before he can tell me anything else. At this point, I need to see my mother and the dark court to understand it and to make my own choices.
The academy is a rush of students, many of who ignored me a year before, all stop and bow at me before hurrying off. Gods, I need to see Izora and a cloak of invisibility like Harry Potter had. That shit would be useful right about now. I pull out the class schedule I stuffed in my pocket yesterday and read the small note inside:
Monday—Advanced Magic Control with Professor Lochlan
Tuesday—Magical Defence with Headmistresses Ivywood—Level 2,
Wednesday—Illusions of Magics with Professor Stonehart—Level 2 & Advanced History of Magics with Professor Mune
Thursday—Tryouts Prep. with Professor Gale—Novice.
&nb
sp; Friday—Study Day
The classes are nearly all the same except they seem to be upgraded from the ones we used to do last year. Of course, the one I’m the most excited about is Tryouts. My smile falls when I remember the only person left in my team is Jonah and that means it’s going to be extra hard for us to win. I remember the rules about having the same group each year and I wonder if we can have new students join us. I wonder if we can officially get Pitch on our team.
I quickly make my way to Advanced Magic Control with Pitch at my side. He closes the door behind us then stands by it as I find my seat.
Jonah looks up as I pass his table and sit in the empty seat in front of him. I wonder if we are going into the forest like we do most of the time in our lessons with Professor Lochlan.
“Welcome, children, to year two! I am so proud of each of you for passing last year’s class with flying colours,” Professor Lochlan says, clapping his hands, and I swear his eyes flicker to me more than once. His long dark tail swishes behind him as he moves behind his desk. “Unfortunately, due to new rules, student classes must be taught inside the academy under the new safety regulations.”
“Princess Suprise ruins fucking everything,” a guy named Trolen mumbles.
I look back just as Jonah punches him on the nose.
The guy flies out of his seat, crying in pain with blood gushing from his nose.
My eyes widen as I watch Jonah casually sit back in his seat like nothing happened. He flashes me a grin which I can’t help but return. Why would he stick up for me like that?
“No violence in my class!” Professor Lochlan slams a fist on his desk and points to the door. “Leave this instant, Mr Vincent!”
Jonah just smirks as he gets up and walks out.
The rest of the lesson we read from the textbooks the teacher gives out and the lesson officially sucks. I’d much rather be in the forest.
As we break up for lunch, I head straight to the boy’s dorm with Pitch rushing after me.
“Where are you going?”
“To see Jonah.”
Pitch grabs my arm, stopping me and I frown at him. “Are you dating Jonah?”
I tug my arm from his grip, watching as his eyes turn from gold to red with jealousy.
“Pitch, as much as you think I’m only yours, I’m not,” I remind him sternly. “Who I’m friends with or date, is also none of your business.”
He lifts his brows at my reply and then steps back. “Very well. If you want it that way, go ahead,” he growls and storms off, leaving me outside the tower that leads to the boy’s dorms.
I close my eyes and resist the urge to whack my head against the wall. I shouldn’t have said that because we both know our friendship is less friendly and more passionate than anything else.
But right now, I need answers from Jonah.
I find Jonah slamming Ivywood’s office door shut. He looks up from the floor and grins at me, the anger draining from his face.
“Guess who’s just got a week off school, baby?”
I stop in front of him and roll my eyes. “You mean you got suspended. Why did you get suspended...for me?”
He shrugs casually, crossing his arms over his broad chest. “Trolen’s been getting on my nerves all week. Plus, only I get to be mean to you.”
“Ever the charmer, Jonah Vincent. Please continue sweeping me off my feet.”
“Let’s go back to my room and bone. How’s that for sweeping a princess off her feet?”
I push him playfully on the shoulder. “You’re such an ass.”
We step out into the corridor and head for the dorms.
“While I liked seeing you stick up for me, I don’t want you sent to Shadowborn Prison on my behalf.”
Jonah’s steps slow considerably at the mention of the prison. “I take it you’ve heard about Izy?”
“No.” I turn to look at him, frowning. “I have no idea where she is. Why, do you?”
He nods. “I heard through the grapevine that she’s locked up in prison for killing a bunch of wardens.”
The blood freezes in my veins. “What?”
Jonah motions me to follow him and we enter a deserted corner of the corridor. He brings his face close to mine and there’s no trace of humour in his expression. He’s dead serious. Somehow that makes me terrified.
“The Wardens are trying to keep it hush-hush because Izora’s parents are Grand Wardens,” Jonah explains quietly. “Still couldn’t get her out of prison, though.”
“How long has she been there for?”
“Since the party at the Devil’s Drop. Honestly, Izora is a lot of things...scary, badass, definitely wouldn’t want to get on her bad side...but she’s not a killer. She’s obviously been framed.”
I have to agree with him on all those points.
“Why didn’t you mention this until now?”
“I wanted to be sure I was right.”
“Do you think Sage could be there?”
He shakes his head. “I already checked with Gage. He said it’s only Izora.”
I can’t believe one of my friends is in prison. Izora Dawn would never kill anyone—-not even Willow who she despises. Something dark and sinister is going on here. First, my best friend went missing, and now Izora has been locked up in prison for something I’m positive she didn’t do. What in the name of Selena is going on?
“Keep me updated as much as you can, Jonah.”
He nods, opening a door for me and watching me storm past. “Try not to worry too much, Vina. Professor Mune’s got her back and have you seen that guy? Ain’t no one gonna piss him off,” he adds with an uncharacteristic wink, making me laugh.
He does have a point. But I think there’s something bigger at play here.
Something that involves my sister, Evangelina.
Even in the court made from the light of the stars, there is darkness in the shadows that always calls out to me. I walk down a seemingly endless corridor, my footsteps and those of the guards behind me, the only noises in this deafeningly silent place. I pause when I see my father standing on a balcony, looking out across his kingdom.
I watch him for a long moment, how he stands so tall and immobile, so serene… everything you would expect the light fae king to be. But can I truly ever accept him as my real father? He’s a stranger to me as much as the rest of his court is.
Half of me wants to run away and head somewhere I can hide, but the other half, rooted deep inside me, wants to know my own blood. I never in a million years expected any of this to happen. Never thought I’d have a family again.
Before I realise it, I’m reaching for the glass door, stepping out onto the balcony with him. I pause at his side, my gaze following his to the kingdom nestled below.
Every house looks like a mini castle down there, and the trees are all vibrant oranges and reds mixed in with white blossom trees. White-winged birds fly around the houses. Children run down the silver-stoned streets before flying into the air, parents in tow. It’s all so perfect and I almost dislike the calmness it brings me.
“This place reminds me of the gods,” my father comments, his voice lost in wherever his contemplation has taken him.
I want to put more distance between us as I’m still mad about him abandoning me, but I’m tired of fighting the truth of who I am. I need to find acceptance. I need to make a new plan for my future, and whether I like it or not, it includes this place.
“That we are descendants of powerful gods and goddesses who chose to be good and kind,” he continues, glancing at me.
“Do you truly believe I belong here?” I look at his white wings, so beautiful and otherworldly. They flicker lazily with sparkles of light cascading off them. “Everything about me is darker than anything in this kingdom.”
“We may be creatures of the light...” He pauses, his powerful shoulders tensing. “But we have all done terrible things that make our souls darker than yours could ever be.”
“Do you mean the wars?”<
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“Yes. The childless war was brutal with too much pain and suffering. I made a mistake, one of my biggest regrets, and your mother threatened to kill us all for it. So much pain and destruction.” He turns to me, his eyes somewhat reminiscent of my own. I struggle to accept that half of me from a place so pure. “Now every child born is a blessing and we bathe them in the light of Danica’s sun.”
“Because of me?” I whisper.
“Because of our love for you. I loved you from the second I knew of your existence,” he gently tells me. “My daughters, all of them, are the most precious of all my creations.”
Then why did you give me up, I almost say, but I just manage to hold the words back.
“How could I possibly be half-light fae?” I ask instead.
He lays his hand on my shoulder, whispering words under his breath.
I feel the spell lifting without him needing to tell me and l look back in awe. Behind me are my wings, silver and glittering like my father’s without a trace of darkness on them. They remind me of butterfly wings, long, curved and unearthly radiant. I’m speechless. As I move back, they flicker once, twice and suddenly my feet are lifting off the ground.
My father takes my hands and flies up with me as tears threaten to fall from my eyes. I never thought I’d one day be flying with the King of Helios. Over the sound of the wind, I hear his voice.
“Look up, Corvina. The stars are welcoming you home.”
I do as he says and float backward as I stare at the stars above me. It’s like I’m dancing with them. It’s as close to the gods as anyone can ever get and it’s utterly amazing.
A laugh escapes me as more tears fall down my cheeks and I sit back up, taking the king’s hand.
He helps me learn to fly in different directions and how to descend. I’m a little shaky, but the proud look on his face makes me feel warm inside. It’s like he’s teaching me how to take my first steps or say my first word. These are the moments I have been craving, even if I didn’t realise it. I’m beginning to accept that I am the Light Fae King’s daughter.