by Ava Corrigan
Beatrix’s voice went taut. “You still don’t believe me that they torched Aster Dell?”
“If they did … if they killed my birth parents …” I didn’t know what I would do. “I have to know what actually happened that day.”
In almost a singsong, Beatrix said, “I know somebody who can tell you.”
She didn’t have to say the name. Rosalind.
“Where are they keeping her?”
“I can show you,” Beatrix promised. “Where Rosalind is, how to get to her. All this and more can be yours.”
“What do you want?”
Beatrix indicated the magical manacles that I’d been informed were called runic limiters.
“These lovely accessories Dowling gave me hurt like hell. On your way out, Dane will give you a trinket that can help get rid of them. Think of it like a fairy battery. If you use your magic to charge it in the stone circle …”
“You want me to free you?” I demanded.
I was speechless at her audacity. She’d just admitted to killing someone!
But Beatrix didn’t push too hard. She just dangled the carrot.
“You don’t trust me. You shouldn’t. You shouldn’t trust the faculty. You shouldn’t trust your friends. The only person you should trust is Rosalind. And if you want to see her, this is your only option.”
I left the cell without another word, wrestling with the decision. I was still wrestling when Dane approached and handed me a textbook. I glanced at Dane. He was a piece of work, but he wasn’t a killer. As far as I knew.
Doubtfully, I began, “I know you and Beatrix were friends, but …”
“Why am I helping her? Easy. She’s the only person here who ever let me feel like being different was a good thing. The odds are stacked against the outsiders at Alfea.” Dane paused significantly. “Isn’t that why you’re here?”
Mind
Musa stood in the Bastion training area and tested the balance on a staff. She wondered if wielding a weapon for a while would get her mind off things.
“You like holding that big stick?” asked Sky’s annoying friend, Riven.
Musa spun the staff around, stopping with her weapon poised inches from his head. She stayed there a beat as a flirty smile crept up on Riven’s face.
“Guess that’s a yes,” murmured Riven, in a low rumble.
Oh, this guy. He looked a mess. And his head was an even worse mess.
“I think I just threw up,” scoffed Musa.
That was the right attitude to take with Riven. There was a gleam in his eye suddenly. Well, maybe not a full gleam. Maybe a spark. It lit something within Musa, too.
“Saw you on support rounds with the headmistress at training. Wouldn’t expect a Mind Fairy to have such good moves.”
Blood still racing, Musa admitted, “I used to be a dancer. Kinda miss being physical. Using my body.”
Musa cursed herself for handing Riven that line. Riven only looked morose. Apparently, he only wanted to be flirty if he might get beaten up.
“Too bad. You’re a fairy. They don’t care what you want to be in this place. Only what they want you to be.”
Musa’s eyes narrowed as her magic surged. She got desperation, longing, wanting to be—somewhere not here. With someone else.
“You really hate it here, don’t you?”
Riven’s face twisted in horror and self-disgust. Cursing, he stormed off, and warned Sam off Musa as he went.
Sam came closer. And suddenly Musa could think of another way to deal with all her pent-up feelings.
“You wanna go back to the suite?” Musa suggested.
She practically tackled Sam when they got there.
“This is hot,” Sam panted against her mouth. “You’re hot.”
“Hotter without commentary,” Musa breathed.
She kissed him harder, trying to stop the words and the feelings, but felt Sam’s mouth form a protesting shape.
“Right. Okay. It’s just … I don’t want to say aggressive, but …”
“Sam,” Musa murmured. “I promised I’d meet Terra and Aisha, so let’s just—”
Have a moment. For ourselves. She wanted to lose herself in kisses, but Sam pulled away.
“I can’t believe I’m being this guy, but just because I’m not an empath doesn’t mean I don’t have empathy. What’s going on?”
She considered his sweet, concerned face. She didn’t have much practice at opening up.
“I’m just annoyed with training. With sitting on the sidelines and not being able to do anything.”
Sam said in a pacifying tone, “Musa, Mind Fairies are some of the most powerful fairies—”
“Bull. We are powerless when things actually go wrong.”
She remembered, from the time when things went worse than wrong.
Her response was too sharp. Sam’s glance at her was pretty sharp as well. “Yeah, this is about way more than training. Did something happen?”
“No. I mean, yeah, but it was a long time ago. Family stuff. And all this training is just …” She gave up. “It’s not a big deal. I’m just frustrated. And if I were you, I’d take advantage of that frustration while you still can.”
Kind Sam obviously wanted to push it, but he let her have her way for the moment. “Fair enough. Be frustrated.”
Wise decision, Sam. He smiled, and she shoved him down on the bed. She tugged her shirt off, and saw his expression turn awed.
As Musa crawled on top of him, a pot fell off the dresser and shattered. Sam let out a little shout, startled. At the noise of distress, Musa’s magic instinctively flared, and then she felt a wave of self-consciousness from Sam.
“Please do not judge me based on my legitimate and completely masculine fear of ghosts, which are objectively creepy and—”
Musa smiled at him, and gave him a quick kiss.
“Moment’s passed. I should probably get changed and catch up with them.”
He gave her another kiss, and she walked him out of the room.
After Musa heard the door to the suite close behind Sam, she turned and faced the empty room. She surveyed the space carefully, then reached out with her magic, and sank back down on the bed. She knew what she’d felt.
Who she’d felt.
“Wanna come out now?” Musa inquired softly.
There was silence for a long moment. And then the empty space in front of Musa shimmered, revealing Stella.
“New magic? Not bad,” Musa said as calmly as she could.
“Thanks.” Stella was doing her best to sound indifferent. “I’ve had some practice.”
“How long have you been hiding here?”
“A few days?” Stella sounded like she wasn’t sure. She was bare-faced, wearing baggy clothes, with her hair in a bun. Musa had never seen Stella appear actually vulnerable before.
“Wanna talk about it?” asked Musa.
Stella didn’t answer. She looked almost afraid, Musa thought.
When Musa reached out with her power, she realized what Stella was feeling was terror.
Fire
Rays of light pierced the mist of morning, making the stone circle seem an even more magical space than usual. I stood looking around uneasily, holding the textbook Dane had given me.
When I was sure the coast was clear, I opened the book and took out a metal disc. It was intricately wrought with runes I couldn’t even guess the meanings of.
When I called my magic to me, at the very edges of the disc, the wrought metal glowed red as an ember. My power felt like a spark lighting a fuse. As I let my own magic ebb away, the glow remained. I’d keyed the disc into a source of power, and now it was drawing magic from the stone circle. Fire slowly traced its way through the metal. I watched the delicate tracery, mesmerized, until an unwelcome sound snapped me out of my daze.
Sky’s voice rang out in the morning air. “Is this where the overachievers hang out?”
Quickly, I shoved the disc behind my backpack and turned to
watch Sky approach.
His gaze went to the textbook.
“Gets kinda loud in the suite,” I said, as casually as I could.
I couldn’t tell if he bought the act.
Sky asked, “What is that thing?”
I widened my eyes. “It’s called a book? Bit concerned you’ve never seen one, but—”
Sky’s face twisted as if he’d reached a breaking point. “I don’t want to do this, Bloom,” he burst out. “I don’t want to lie to each other. I don’t want to play some game.”
I kept playing. “There’s no game.”
Sky was clearly struggling, trying to force words out. As if each word was forbidden, was breaking a direct order.
“Silva wanted me … to watch you. I told him he was crazy! That there wasn’t anything weird going on. That you were frustrated, but …”
“You’ve been spying on me?” I demanded.
Even though he’d just confessed to spying on me, apparently hearing me reiterate it stunned him. As though he was so sure he was a good guy, he couldn’t possibly have done what he’d done.
I was such a fool. “I should’ve expected that. And you just blindly did what they said—”
“He gave me an order,” Sky told me helplessly.
“Which he could have given to anyone! But he chose you. Used our friendship. But I’m the bad guy, right?”
In answer, Sky grabbed at my bag, revealing the disc and the fact that I hadn’t exactly been forthcoming myself.
“What is it, Bloom?” he demanded.
I hesitated for a long guilty moment. Sky took the time to collect himself.
“I want to be on your side here, but you’re making it really hard. Tell me,” he urged, soft, insistent. “You can trust me.”
He’d just proven that I couldn’t. Or had he? At least he’d told me. Maybe I should try telling him something.
I took a deep breath, and began to spill the truth about Aster Dell.
Light
Stella hadn’t been looking to bond with her suitemates. They were first years, and besides, she’d always known Terra would spill about what had happened with Ricki, and they would all judge her for what they believed she’d done. Judge her and hate her.
So she’d judged and hated them first. She’d hated Terra, for telling what she believed to be the truth, and also for Terra’s ghastly taste in blouses. Bloom, for maybe being the girl of Sky’s dreams. Aisha, for always trying to do the right thing. And Musa, for her terrible power of seeing into Stella’s soul.
She’d feared Musa’s magic. Now, though, she found the idea of Musa’s power almost liberating. Stella was literally forced to be invisible. She was done keeping up appearances.
Musa knew people’s innermost feelings already. Stella could spill it all, pour her whole heart out, and it wouldn’t matter.
“I ran away days ago. I’m sure my mom has the entire army looking for me. But you won’t hear about it.”
“And she won’t look for you here?” Musa asked, doubtful.
“Not at first. To do that, she’d have to admit she’d lost control of something. That’ll never happen.”
Musa’s eyes glowed, and Stella knew Musa was sensing Stella’s conviction of this. Feeling exactly how intimidated Stella was by her mother, how the longing for love and the longing to please her mom were overlaid by stark fear.
Stella was glad. Stella wanted Musa to see her. She felt as though she’d been invisible far longer than a few days.
Stella’s voice underlined her feelings, saying, “Project strength and power. Never show weakness. It’s all she cares about. And I am an extension of her strength. My magic has to be powerful at any cost. That’s what she taught me. My mom tutored me growing up. When positive emotions didn’t work, she went right to the negative. Hard. My magic is erratic … because of her.”
Stella swallowed, on the verge of the most important revelation. It was easy saying these things to Musa, because Musa could tell Stella truly meant it. Nobody else would believe how sorry Stella was.
“Ricki was my best friend. I didn’t mean to hurt her,” Stella whispered, and hoped the truth and regret rang through Musa’s bones as pain rang through Stella’s own. “But I lost control, and it was better … for my mom … if people thought I did it on purpose. Because at least if I’m a raging bitch, or a monster, I’m not weak.”
“That is messed up, Stel,” Musa said gently.
Stella was so utterly exhausted, she couldn’t even be ashamed. “Tell me about it. And the second I got home it started again. So here I am. Until I figure out what to do next. Please don’t tell anyone.”
Her mother had raised her to be proud, to be royal, and here she was begging. She waited, every muscle tense, for Musa to mock her for being brought so low. Stella was alone. She’d always been alone, really.
The purple had faded from Musa’s gaze. As Musa gazed at Stella, her eyes were soft with sympathy.
“You don’t have to hide,” Musa promised. “The rest of the girls in the suite will be okay with you being here.”
For a moment, Stella felt as though she could almost believe Musa. As though her mother had been wrong, and she did have friends after all.
Earth
Dane chugged from a big water bottle as he finished lunch, and then glanced around in what Terra found to be a suspicious manner. He headed away from the crowd in the courtyard to a quiet back area where he wouldn’t be observed. Terra sneaked after him, just in time to see him pull out a joint and light it up.
Terra felt she had to speak now. “In the middle of the courtyard? ’Cause that’s smart.”
Terra approached. Dane took another hit.
“Yep. Want some?”
Dane exhaled smoke aggressively into her face. Terra flapped her hand, waving the smoke out of the way. “What is wrong with you?”
“Oh, you care about me again?” Dane asked bitterly.
That was the last thing Terra expected to hear. It had never occurred to her that Dane might actually miss her. She faltered, “I’ve always cared about you.”
Dane’s tone went savage. “Really, ’cause it seemed like I did one bad thing and you cut me off.”
“So you’re all about Beatrix now?” Terra demanded.
“She definitely never did anything to make me feel bad.”
Terra snapped, “No, she just murdered someone, Dane.”
And if Dane had mocked Beatrix on the internet like he’d mocked Terra, Beatrix might have murdered him. Right now, Terra felt that would have served Dane right. Why did Dane think his wounded fee-fees were more important than someone’s life?
Dane rolled his eyes and Terra felt every last drop of sympathy in her evaporate.
“Done with this,” Dane announced.
He moved to stand up. But he couldn’t. He looked down and saw a vine, wrapping around his legs, fastening him to his chair.
“Except you kinda aren’t,” Terra pointed out.
Dane laughed, not bothered. He took another defiant hit, but then a tiny jet of water put it out.
Aisha approached. “What’s going on with you and Bloom?”
Dane looked back and forth between them with a carefully blank expression on his face.
Terra lost patience and commanded, “Tell us. Or—”
“What? You’re not going to hurt me.”
Terra said noncommittally, “Depends what your definition of hurt is. Might not be physical pain, no. But don’t think I’m above leaving you in that chair as long as it takes for you to talk. And that …” She gestured meaningfully. “Looks like a pretty big bottle of water. Hope you can hold it. Otherwise, messy.”
Dane finally seemed to realize he was trapped. Terra folded her arms and waited.
Dane might be feeling injured she’d stopped being his friend, but that was rich considering he’d bad-mouthed Terra to amuse Riven and Beatrix, and he hadn’t tried hard to make up for it. Hadn’t tried much at all. Hadn’t thought she
was worth it.
Terra wanted to help Bloom. But she’d be lying if she said she wasn’t enjoying taking a little revenge for herself as well.
Fire
All was silent in the stone circle, once I’d told my story.
“I’ve lived at Alfea my entire life. Silva raised me,” Sky said numbly at last.
I understood it was hard for him to believe, but he had to know the truth. “I saw Aster Dell with my own eyes.”
Sky was clearly still focused on Silva. If it had been my dad, I would’ve felt the same way.
“He would’ve never helped massacre an entire village!”
“Not even if he thought he was killing Burned Ones? If he thought he’d save more lives in the future?”
Sky opened his mouth, and then closed it.
Yeah, that was what I thought, too. “I don’t think they’re evil, Sky. I just think they’re … complicated,” I said helplessly. “They think they’re protecting this place. But they’re also protecting themselves. So whatever the truth is? Whatever happened that day? They’re not gonna tell me.”
He moved toward me, as he heard the desperation in my voice. Perhaps he could sense where the desperation would lead.
“I know how hard it is to not know your parents, Bloom, but—”
“Do you? At least you were raised by people who knew yours. You heard stories. Saw pictures.”
I stared out at the green hills beyond the stone, trying not to cry as the empty landscape blurred in my vision. The wind kicked up, sending chills all through me.
“Are you cold?” Sky asked, instantly concerned. “You need a sweater?”
I pulled out my water bottle, turning back to see that Sky had shrugged his jacket off and was holding it out to me.
“That’s sweet, but—Fire Fairy.”
Six fires ignited around us. Warming us, like a circle of stars to go with our circle of stones. Sky looked around, and every dancing flame caught the brightness in his eyes.