by Brenda Trim
Given the way his mother described the horrors of the academy, he thought they would be fed mystery food and given no choice. So much about the environment didn’t fit with his preconceived notion of the place.
Real live plants filled the corners of the room, and floor to ceiling windows gave them a view of the ocean in the distance. The view alone was serene.
How was a place this magical the wrong place for him to be?
Ryker looked up when Sol and Brokk approached his table. His third dormmate, Dain was already at the table with him.
“Have you received notice for your assessment yet?” Sol asked.
Ryker shook his head and thanked the brownie that brought his meal to him. “I haven’t received anything yet. Maybe they’re giving me more time to recover.”
Brokk shot Sol a look that Ryker didn’t understand. “How’s your wing feeling anyway?”
Ryker tensed the muscle that controlled his wing and it jumped over his shoulder. He wasn’t able to hide the wince with the movement. “It still has healing to do. It’s better thanks to the healer.”
“I still can’t believe you tried to fly away with fetters binding your hands,” Sol muttered with a sad shake of his head. “Why would you do that? Do you hate school that much?”
Ryker’s skin prickled. This was the first sign something might not be quite right. It was an innocent enough question, but every single Fae in the Edge was aware of the Academy and no one wanted to attend.
Common belief was that they brainwashed you and reshaped you into a slave for humans. He recalled friends telling him stories they’d heard about the horrors that went on behind the iron gate that isolated the school.
Ryker was certain the talk about Fae magic being sucked from bodies and bottled for human consumption was false. He was certain the buildings would be devoid of life. And, the individuals in the mess hall wouldn’t be talking with each other but sitting there with blank expressions.
If whatever made Ryker a Fae had been removed from his body, he didn’t imagine he would have anything left. The real question running through his head was how much could he trust these males? It was too soon for him to know them very well at all.
There was no way to tell what would happen if he admitted the truth to Sol. No way was Ryker willing to risk his mother’s safety. Luckily, she’d kept her mouth shut after the officers arrived, so she wasn’t implicated in his escape attempt.
“Get the fuck off me,” a female voice echoed throughout the cafeteria, drawing everyone’s gaze to the open double doors at the other end of the room.
Ryker gaped at the lithe figure writhing in a male’s arms. Ryker hadn’t been there long enough to know the male’s name or what his role in the school was. The female had tangled pink hair and was writhing in his arms, fighting to get free.
That was all he could see at first. When her face turned, Ryker noted her cheeks were flushed, but not from embarrassment. She was pissed as hell. Looking at her was like looking at a storm over the ocean. The defiant fire blazing in her grey eyes burned bright. But he detected something under the rage.
He couldn’t help but wonder what her story was. Unlike every other student, she arrived at the mess hall in loose cotton pants and a rumpled tank top. Cocking his head, Ryker noticed her feet were also bare. That was a new one.
In a split second, the female kicked the Fae on her right. Ryker winced and cupped his groin as her foot connected right between the guard’s legs. Every male in the room grabbed themselves in sympathy. It took one hit to that area for them to learn the pain of a blow there.
She was in motion in the next instant, her fingers out and raking across the other male’s face. “Maurelle,” an older female barked.
When the angry female stopped and looked up, he realized pink hair was named Maurelle. He couldn’t help but notice that her chest was heaving, and tears pooled in her eyes as she stopped and glared at the older Fae.
“Who is that?” Ryker whispered, not wanting to draw attention to himself, but eager to know why the female stopped fighting. There was a slight stinging sensation filtering through the air that made Ryker clench his teeth.
“That’s Headmistress Gullvieg. She’s got to be the most powerful in Bramble’s Edge at mental manipulation,” Sol replied.
“Are you going to kill me now, too?” Maurelle spat as she threw her shoulder back to dislodge the hand that landed on her shoulder.
Tension filled the room at her question. Ryker kept waiting for someone to stop Maurelle from challenging Gullvieg’s authority, but nothing happened. The Headmistress narrowed her eyes and approached the pissed off female.
“I have been waiting for your arrival so I can give my welcoming speech. The entire academy is waiting for you to get your food and take a seat,” the Headmistress informed her. The sharp tone when she said Maurelle’s name a moment ago was gone. She could have been talking about the weather for all Ryker knew. There was no indication Maurelle had upset her at all.
The two males stood on each side of Maurelle, making her stiffen. Before Ryker knew it, he was on his feet. Brokk’s hand on his forearm stopped him from going to the female’s assistance.
After throwing the males an if-looks-could-kill glare, Maurelle lifted her chin and headed into the room. Her gaze caught Ryker’s and he had to work to keep from showing his reaction.
She was beautiful, he thought. Her narrow face was completely at odds with her curvy body. She was tall but didn’t have the typical stick straight figure of a Fae. The tank top pulled tight over her larger than average size breasts, and her hips swayed with every step she took.
As a Fae, Ryker was no stranger to sex, but Maurelle had his mind rushing straight to the bedroom. He wondered how soft her lips were. At the moment they were pursed and not inviting at all, but that didn’t detract from her attraction.
Ryker fell onto his stool and watched as she clenched her fists and glared at the Headmistress.
She stood there for several seconds before heading for a table while keeping her gaze locked on Ryker. Her wings fluttered restlessly at her back. The bright turquoise and pink fit what he’d seen of her personality. She was one of the strongest female’s he’d ever seen.
The fact that she didn’t roll over and come in like a placid doll attracted him as much as her figure. Her fire drew him to her before he got a good look at her. After she had some bread and other items she glanced around the room.
His heart started racing and he wanted to get up and go to her when she headed his way. With his stomach cramping and his brow sweating he had a hard time sitting still. It wasn’t as if she was heading to his table, there were at least ten other tables around him. The last thing he needed was a friendship with this trouble making female. He’d already pissed off the powers at the academy enough when he tried to escape collection.
Forcing his gaze back to his own food, Ryker picked up his fork and started eating. It was hard not to look up and see where she decided to sit. When a delicate hand landed next to him, his head shot up like a rocket.
Maurelle was pulling out the chair next to him. When she met his gaze, he couldn’t help but notice the dark circles under her eyes. It made him think she fought just as hard as he did.
“Hey there,” Brokk said with a wave from across the table. Maurelle looked over and nodded her head at him. “I’m Brokk. I heard Gullvieg call you Maurelle is that right?”
“Yes,” she replied then turned her head to Ryker. “You’re new, here aren’t you? How’s your wing?”
His mouth fell open for a second and he covered the shock by stuffing a bite of food in his mouth. He nodded his head while he chewed and swallowed. “I’m Ryker. And, the wing is getting better. The healers here have done a great deal to get it in working order.” He flexed the wing muscle again, making it jump above his shoulder before lowering again. He didn’t want to be a dick, so he spoke to her, but he didn’t want to take it much further, either.
He’d alr
eady created enough attention with his escape attempt and didn’t need to add her to his list of close friends drawing Gullvieg’s intense scrutiny. He hoped he had managed to dispel any concerns the vile Headmistress had about him.
Leaning back in her seat, she brought her hand up to the area and reached out as if to touch it. On instinct Ryker went still. Likely understanding the reason behind his movement, she dropped her hand. It was best if they remained distant with one another despite his blazing attraction to her.
“At least you’re still alive. I worried you were dead, too,” she told him as she pushed the food around on her plate with a grimace on her face.
The Headmistress stood up and held her hands out to her sides. “I’d like to welcome everyone to another year at Bramble’s Edge Academy. I am proud to have run this institution for the past three hundred years. You won’t get a better education in controlling your abilities. We have several new students that will be assessed the day after tomorrow.”
Ryker listened as Gullvieg told them where the classrooms were located as well as the various practice fields. He tuned the speech out and focused on Maurelle. How had this female known about his escape attempt? Had she seen him trying to fly while fettered? His roommates excused themselves the second the welcome got underway since they didn’t need to hear what was said.
Scooting his stool closer to Maurelle, he bent close to her and asked, “How did you know what happened to me?”
Her grey eyes were red rimmed when they focused back on him and sweat dotted her forehead. “Oh. The collector that picked me up used these magical bands…”
“Fetters,” he interrupted as he explained the name of the cuff.
She waved her hand in response. “Anyway, I saw you try to escape and fall after hitting the barrier the second I touched them.”
“You’re psychometric,” he said as he considered what she had said. It didn’t surprise him that she fought being taken in, as well. Despite his resolve to keep things surface level with her, he worried she wasn’t doing well. “Were you injured when they captured you?”
Her eyes filled with tears again and she lowered her head. The way her shoulders hunched, and she lost every ounce of the fight he’d seen earlier broke his heart. It took him cursing and lecturing himself silently to sit there and not try to comfort her. “No. I wasn’t hurt, but my mom…she was…she tried to help.”
Her voice was so low he had to lean close to hear what she was saying. “I hope your mom’s okay. Mine didn’t do anything as I took off out my window.”
“You’re lucky she kept her mouth shut. They killed my mom,” she said through gritted teeth.
He was too shocked to appreciate seeing another glimpse of her inner fire. “What? How are you here right now? I’m sorry,” he rushed to add. His comment was completely insensitive. Never before had he heard a story where someone died during a collection. The fact that this beautiful female had lost her mother made him want to slash through the ruling cabinet and clean house. It was unfucking acceptable.
That’s not remaining remote and unattached, he reminded himself. The injustice hit him in his soul. No Fae should suffer like this. It had nothing to do with her personally, he assured himself.
“If I had any other choice, I would be home with my dad and sisters sending her to the afterlife. These people are monsters.”
He laid his palm on her shoulder offering what little comfort he could. No smile reached her eyes when she looked up at him. He lifted his hand, not wanting to get any closer to her despite the fact that her grief was raw and cut her to shreds. And it was then that he realized it must have just happened.
It explained why she wore what looked like pajamas rather than the black clothing with the school’s logo. How could they take her mother’s life and then force her to attend a welcome banquet as if nothing had happened?
It was clear to him in that moment that the rumors about the academy; well maybe not the academy, but the humans in power were true. After all, every horror story was based in truth.
This could not be an isolated event. They were too prepared to force this female to bow to their wishes. Ruling through fear ensured there was minimal objections. There were spells they could cast and things they could do to keep Maurelle from talking, but they wouldn’t ease her pain at all.
The scene she made when she entered the mess hall had everyone’s attention. No doubt several students around them heard what happened. The rumor of her mother’s death would be around campus in no time flat.
“You’re not alone here,” he promised her. “Unfortunately, I suspect you will find another that can relate to what you’ve been through.” The hope that flared in her eyes had him adding that last part to make sure she understood he wasn’t talking about himself.
“I know you’re right. It’s why I…ugh,” she said as she winced and put a hand to her head. The pallor of her skin took on a sickly green shade.
“You don’t look so good. Have you seen a healer yet?”
Her head moved back and forth, sending her pink locks through the air. “I was sick when they came to take me. I just got here. They made me come here first.”
“You look like hell. The infirmary is on the second floor and down the east wing,” he offered as he got to his feet. It was all he could really offer. No way was he placing more of a target on his back than he already had.
“Thank you,” she mumbled and stood up.
He walked beside her wishing he could do more to improve her situation. Neither of them said anything as they walked. He acted like a dick and didn’t even say goodbye to her when they parted ways and he continued to the fourth floor where his dorm room was located.
His gut swirled at the same time his groin thought it was a good idea to indulge in his attraction. Looked like a cold shower was in order, right after he flayed himself from the inside out for treating Maurelle like an inconvenience.
Chapter Four
“Are schedules here always so full?” Ryker asked his roommate. He’d been at the academy for a few days now and they worked them harder than the part-time job he’d had before being taken to the school.
Most young adult Fae had jobs to help support their families, but rarely did they involve working more than ten hours a day which didn’t fit with the information presented to them in history classes. Teachers should know the students weren’t buying the crap they were teaching. They were the ones out there working their asses off to help make ends meet.
What they were taught at the Academy was skewed in favor of humans it seemed. Hearing the teachers talk about how the humans came in and saved Bramble’s Edge from ruin was infuriating and eye opening.
When he arrived at the academy, he wanted to rage at anyone that spouted that crap to them. But as time passed, he came to understand a little better. He didn’t buy into the belief that humans saved them when humans were the ones to attack first.
Their weapons trumped Fae abilities and debilitated the realm. His mom told hm enough to understand the strategy behind the war. Fae tried to defend themselves while humans worked to take out the power that stabilized the Fae people.
Part of the Fae King and Queen’s power, maintained balance, both between the races and within individuals. The way his mom explained it was that any time someone let their power take over, the King would step in and put them in their place. Their mere presence in the realm provided something that steadied the entire race.
When that power vanished with the death of the King and Queen, the race was devastated and so much chaos ensued that it allowed the humans to step in and take control over their realm.
Having so much power was difficult to manage initially for most supernatural beings, especially Fae. They were a passionate species and those passions ran to all things. He heard his mom complain a thousand times about the real purpose of the academy was to help learn to manage that power and humans were perverting what King Oberon created all those millennia ago.
From the number of times his new friends weren’t able to see him or woke up with his skin looking like he took a bath in the small pond near the butcher shop where his mom worked, he understood exactly what his mom meant. Not the purpose of the school really, but the control part.
His dormmates all had one or two things that kept happening to them, but Ryker noticed several things that confused him. He wasn’t sure what powers he had yet. Even the professors doing his assessment were stumped and placed him in the air league.
Apparently, he displayed many abilities associated with those Fae with an air designation. He wasn’t sure how he felt about it, either. He’d seen very little ability to manipulate thoughts or dream walking or speak directly into someone’s mind. Or, any other power of the mind for that matter.
He looked forward to learning more about what his mind could do, but he was drawn to the fire league. The way his anger spiked, and the way he came close to picking fights made it seem like fire would be his element. These urges were far more manifested than his other abilities.
There were basic abilities every Fae had. It was one reason Ryker still wasn’t sure of the voracity of his mother’s bias about the humans. Humans didn’t live a long time like Fae. And they didn’t have superior strength and hearing. They also didn’t have a faster healing process.
Fae could also glamour their appearance to a certain extent. The low skill level was amplified in some that possessed extra talent in that area. Those with an extra talent for casting glamour started selling shields designed to disguise Fae appearances so they could leave the Edge and find somewhere besides the slums to live. It was why the detectives were formed fifteen years ago.
Eitin’s dad worked as a detective at the border, stopping Fae and half-breeds from leaving the Edge. His mom hated that he was friends with Eitin at all, but the two of them were inseparable. And, his mom never hid her feelings from Eitin either.
It became a running joke between them to guess how many times his mother would lecture him that Fae should never use their ability to sense another Fae against their own kind.