“Okay, okay…” I rubbed my temples and tried to focus on the study sheet in front of me detailing the different titles, ranks, and positions in the magical world. “Midterm tomorrow, guys. We can gossip about boyfriends later.”
Pilar opened her textbook again, cleared her throat, then continued reading from where she’d left off. “I’m going to paraphrase because this is dry, boring, and wordy. ‘The title of Great Fenrir was initially awarded to the first werewolf to unite the three shifter clans together under a common cause in 1312.’ Write that down, Skylar, Professor Kirshman uses dates a lot in the exams. ‘In the years since, the title has been held by werebears and wereravens. It was the Great Fenrir Etienne Desrosiers who first proposed the Emergence in 1941, arguing that it was more dangerous to remain in the shadows than to make our world known to the humans. King Oberon’s support led the rest of the Conclave to take the proposal to vote.’”
“What’s his name again?” Ben asked, revealing his know-it-allness only applied to non-shapeshifter facts.
“She literally just said it.” Sometimes I wanted to strangle him.
“It was a French mumble and butchered by her accent, okay? I need you to spell that. Anyway, I know it was World War II that provoked the Emergence.”
“It was not butchered by my accent. I am fluent in French.”
“Anyway,” I cut in, “can we read legal policy now? I need a refresher on the mage stuff.”
Ben grunted. “The Circle of Sages is a body of thirteen wizards, led by the reigning Archmage. You can consider him the president, while the other twelve are like members of Congress nominated from each of the remaining great families.”
He droned on for a while as I took notes about policies and lawmaking among the mages, which were almost identical across the world regardless of the country. Members of each great family lived on every continent and insinuated themselves into their national governments, influencing world leaders and manipulating them as needed.
I finished scribbling that down. “Got it. Thanks, Ben.”
“Your turn now. You guys tell me everything about fae, even if you think I already know it.”
My notes regarding the fae were extensive, spanning for several pages. I’d learned more since attending school than I had from my own parents, because they’d wanted me to relate more to my human side than our ancestors of Tir na Nog. “As for the fae, I’ll start with the basics. ‘Queen Titania and King Oberon have ruled over the Summer Court since the beginning of time. Literally. Although he is currently ruling alone until the time of Queen Titania’s rebirth, King Oberon is regarded as the unofficial head of the Conclave.’”
Pilar sighed. “And he’s hot.”
Ben frowned. “Pretty sure that’s not gonna be tested.”
“You never know,” she said.
“Whatever,” Ben grumbled. “Anyway, what’s up with the rebirth thing? There isn’t a lot of detail in the books.”
“After so many centuries Titania and Oberon fizzle out and die, their energy reborn anew in a fresh body,” Pilar said. “They are phoenixes. Two of the only three in all the world and Tir na Nog. Their middle son, Prince Umbriel, is first in line to rule should they ever fade away for good.”
Ben’s mouth dropped open. “That isn’t in the book. I’m calling foul if it’s on the test.”
“It will probably be a bonus question,” Pilar replied.
Turning to the next page, I continued despite knowing most of it by heart. “Let’s see… ‘In the interim periods that only one ruler sits the throne in Tir na Nog, the remaining faerie monarch refrains from making permanent decrees if possible and consults the high sidhe of the court as needed for additional input.’ I put a great big if there and underlined it because they’re able to do it, they just don’t like to do stuff without each other.”
“That’s rather sweet,” Pilar murmured. “It must be lonely to be without his queen for so long.”
“And vice versa.” I added. “All right. Here’s more important stuff. ‘There were five faerie princes and princesses born from Titania and Oberon, each one ruling a different area of the realm.’ You guys have the names, right?”
Ben nodded. “That I do know. The moons of Uranus are named after them. Umbriel, Mab, Miranda, Puck, and Ariel.”
I read more from my notes, completing my portion of our study session by describing the various roles of the other fae members in Oberon’s court.
Liadan took over from there. We had our studying down to a fine science. “The Conclave consists of leaders from the Summer Court, Sanguine Court, Circle of Sages, and the Shifter Collective. They meet every season to discuss policy, pronounce judgments, perform Bindings, and review grievances.”
“On the equinoxes and solstices. Don’t forget that,” Pilar said. We all scribbled onto our cheat cards.
Ben wiped a smudge off his glasses. “How often do you think they really meet? Especially lately.”
I laughed. “As fascinating as it would be to make guesses, we need to concentrate on what will actually be on our tests. Save the speculations for after the midterm, or I’m gonna end up writing conspiracy theories for the essay portion.” I had too much to remember as it was.
Three more days. I only had to survive three more days and a handful of midterm exams, then I’d be free for the next week to forget about school and enjoy my first trip to Barcelona.
Gabriel didn’t make daylight appearances often unless we had plans to check on Sharon, but when I headed over to put my fencing gear away Friday morning after my midterm practical, I found him leaning up against the locker.
“You’ve got pretty good form,” he said. “I’d bet you get a B at least.”
“Please don’t tell me you’re a fencing expert too.”
“Nah, not fencing.” His grin widened when I stared him down, so he added, “I practice kendo back home.”
“Of course you do. So, what’s up?”
“Couldn’t sleep. Which means time to make you run the obstacle course.”
“What? You can’t sleep so I have to do work?”
“Yup. Consider it my midterm exam for you. Get your stuff put up and meet me there. I’m starting the clock in five minutes so ticktock.”
He took off before I could stutter a word, shifting and flying through an open window. An entire minute passed before I realized he was serious and shoved my things into the locker.
Thankfully, because I liked to meet Anji at the gym, I had a bag with clean workout clothes close at hand. I changed in the nearest bathroom then raced for our training ground.
“Made it!” Air whistled in and out of my heaving lungs.
“Good. Now… go!”
Insomniac ravens were grumpy and sadistic. That was the only explanation for the torture he subjected me to. Without a moment to catch my breath, I raced for the first obstacle and swung my way across the monkey bars. For the first time, my shoulders didn’t scream in protest and I made it all the way without pausing. After that, everything—even the dreaded tire course—seemed easy.
“Not bad.” Gabriel looked down at his watch when I crossed the finish line. The end of the obstacle course let out into a grassy area circled by a line of rocks like a makeshift ring. At some point, Rodrigo had joined him inside it. “Four minutes and three seconds. You cut more than a full minute from the first time you ran this.”
“But it’s not passing,” I wheezed. Three minutes or better sounded impossible.
“You gotta learn to pace yourself,” Rodrigo said. “You haul ass at the beginning, and by the time you reach the end, you’re out of steam.”
Out of steam, out of breath, and out of everything.
A few moments passed before I had the wind to reply. “You know, I did sprint here to meet your deadline. Maybe I’d have done better if I wasn’t already beat.”
Gabriel laughed, lacking a drop of sympathy. He flashed me a handsome grin that could have turned my knees to jelly if I wasn’t already cl
ose to collapsing. “Maybe, but life-and-death emergencies or a hungry nosferatu aren’t going to wait for you to stroll over.”
I glowered at him, loathing he was right, until I noticed he and his cousin wore matching grins. If both of them were grinning, it couldn’t mean anything good for me.
“Which is why I’m here,” Rodrigo said. “I’m your midterm exam.”
“Huh? What the hell did I just do then?”
The big bear shifter stepped forward. “The warm-up. C’mon, shrimp.”
“What? Right now? But I haven’t even caught my—” Gabriel’s stare cut me off. “A hungry nosferatu wouldn’t care,” I finished, receiving an approving smile from him afterward.
Rodrigo took his place on one side of the ring and faced me, bending his knees until he was closer to my level, hands out. “Got that right, chica. Now show me your best moves.”
“Can I use glamours?”
Gabe nodded. “Yeah. This is to see where you’re at, so improvise and take whatever advantage you’d need to survive an incident out in the world.”
“I’ll pull my punches on you,” Rodrigo assured me. “Don’t bother doing the same. I can regenerate anything you do to me in minutes.”
“Okay.”
We circled each other, though Rodrigo’s appraising gaze gave the distinct feeling he was waiting for me to make the first move.
Prepared for a counter, I darted in with a left jab to test his defenses. He met it with a calloused palm, the skin rougher than sandpaper and hard as asphalt. He batted my strike aside as if I were no more irritating than a bug.
“C’mon, you can do better than that,” he goaded. Off on the sidelines, my silent raven trainer watched with his arms crossed.
When I twisted into a roundhouse kick, Rodrigo caught my ankle and slung me to the ground. The grass cushioned my fall. After rolling beyond his reach, I sprang to my feet in time to deflect the the punch aimed at my chest. I blocked one strike and then another, dancing out of Rodrigo’s considerable reach.
He may have been pulling his punches, but wherever I blocked him, it hurt and my bones sang out in protest. He taunted me with more feints until I went in for another jab. It was like hitting a wall. My hit to his gut didn’t even rock him.
Gabriel had taught me about a dozen places to aim, showing me where to strike weak spots and even pressure points, but none of that knowledge bubbled to the surface in the heat of the moment.
Rodrigo wasn’t quite as fast as Gabriel, but what he lacked in speed he made up for with brute strength. The first punch to slip past my guard knocked the breath from my body. As pain exploded through my chest and my opponent led in with the other fist, I stepped into the Twilight and came out behind him. Before he had the chance to twist around, I planted the sole of my sneaker against the back of his knee.
Rodrigo stumbled forward with a barked, “Fuck,” lost his footing, and fell to the other knee, granting me the advantage.
Can’t hesitate. Can’t hesitate. I phased through him again, in and out of the Twilight, spinning the moment my foot touched down on solid grass for a solid roundhouse to his face. His head snapped to the side. He toppled over onto the grass and I fell on him.
His nose cracked beneath my fist. That was two sentinels now whose faces I’d bloodied.
We rolled back and forth, moving from grass to gravel and back again. We weren’t in the ring anymore and it didn’t matter because somehow, I was still conscious. Small rocks dug into my back and arms but I pushed past the discomfort and scrambled to my feet, basing my entire defense on being too wiggly and slippery for him to hold.
From somewhere nearby, I heard Gabriel suck in a breath then exhale in relief. “Good, good.” But I couldn’t see him, unable to spare a second’s glance away from my opponent.
Around and around we went again.
Gabriel had taught me all the moves, now I had to apply them in an actual combat situation. The blood pounded in my head, my chest still aching despite excitement turning my pulse to a frenetic battle rhythm.
I stepped through the Twilight again, but the moment I appeared on the opposite side of him, my head rocked back from a fierce backhand. Agony flared on the left side of my face. I started to phase across the Veil again, but Rodrigo’s fist hit my stomach and thrust me out of the Twilight.
Holy shit. Only the strongest shifters and vampires could do that.
His punch took all the air came out of my lungs at once. I couldn’t scream. There was only pain and blinding tears in my eyes turning my vision into a shimmering field of green and Rodrigo’s hulking form. I dove to the side, pulling off an aerial flip I hadn’t done since middle school, just in time to miss him lunging after me.
Rodrigo stumbled. “The fuck.”
Gabriel laughed. “Damn. She was holding out on me.”
Confidence fueled me. Pivoting around, I moved right into a charge, determined to slide under his attack this time. Rodrigo caught me by the arm instead, twisted, and brought my feet up off the ground. The world flipped upside down in a dizzying circle and a heartbeat later my body hit the grass.
When my senses returned, I was flat on my back staring up at two concerned faces, both guys bending over me and debating whether or not they should move me.
Rodrigo glanced back and forth between my face and my feet. “Pretty sure I didn’t hurt her back. She moved her toe a second ago.”
“I didn’t tell you to smash her,” Gabriel snapped.
“What? She was doing good. I thought she’d slip outta that one.”
My only response was a groan.
“You okay, baby girl?” Rodrigo offered a hand to help me up. Gabe lifted me by the other arm.
“Y-you hit like a truck,” I wheezed.
“Yeah, well you hit like a scrappy cat. Gabriel has taught you well.”
“But I lost.”
Rodrigo gave me a cocky grin. “Of course you did. I’m awesome, didn’t you know? Anyway, you got a badass shadowstride. With some practice, you can be a real beast. You gotta switch it up though. Every time you did it, you went from back to front or front to back. Using a gift like that, you need to be unpredictable.”
“Oh.”
“Rodrigo’s also has more than two hundred pounds and a foot on you, Sky. There was no winning that fight. What matters is that you fought him off for about three minutes. That’s all any sentinel can ask for. If I go down, I want you to last long enough for backup to arrive on scene.”
The pain in my chest intensified, worsened by the idea of something taking Gabriel down and my raven not getting up again to fight alongside me.
“Anyway, you two have fun. Enjoy spring break, Skylar.” Rodrigo clapped me on the back and trundled away., whistling as he went.
“Here, drink up.” Gabriel passed over a water bottle.
“Thanks.” I dropped to the grass and guzzled the water, not speaking until the last drop was on my tongue. “So? If this was an actual grade, what would I get?”
“I think between that time and your brawl, Sebastian’s grading scale would put you right on the edge of a C.”
“High edge or low edge?”
“What do you think?”
My confidence evaporated, sinking my shoulders a few inches lower. “Ugh, I suck.”
A deep line creased Gabriel’s brow. “Don’t say that,” he said with a fierceness to his voice I didn’t recognize. “You’ve improved a lot, Sky. I mean that. Do you think there are any other fae that can accomplish everything you’ve pulled off this semester?”
“Almost getting killed on multiple occasions?”
“That’s a sentinel’s life.”
“Which I’ll never be.”
“Maybe not, but the fact that you stand up to try and help is badass. Like I said before, whoever is assigned to you when you leave PNRU is going to be lucky. In fact, I envy them.”
If I couldn’t be a sentinel, I wished Gabriel could be mine. “I hope they feel the same.”
&n
bsp; “They’d be a fool not to. Anyway…” He cleared his throat and went back to his bag. “Keep up the good work during the break.”
“Don’t worry, I have no plans to gorge on cookies like I did at Christmas. You won’t have to beat the pounds off me again.”
“Nah, you look fantastic. Seriously. And well, I hope you don’t plan to swear off sweets completely, otherwise you won’t be able to enjoy these.” He opened his bag and pulled out a slim box wrapped in pale blue and white fabric, tied in a fancy little knot at the top.
“What’s this?”
“An early White Day gift, since you’re leaving for spring break and won’t be on campus.” He stood, the box still in his grip.
“Thank you.” I rose and accepted the present, torn between opening it now or later.
“Be careful in Spain. And don’t forget to send me a few selfies, yeah? I’ve never been there.”
“Worried about me?”
He tucked a loose curl back behind my ear. “Always.”
I kissed his cheek and hugged my gift to my chest, too excited to open it in front of him, and too anxious to delay any longer. “I’m going back to shower. I’ll text.”
“You’d better.”
Liadan, Pilar, and Holly were sitting on the couch when I stepped inside the dorm, the latter sitting between my roomies while they wept over a tearjerker romance we’d already watched together in the theater.
“This again? Seriously?”
Pilar wiped her raccoon eyes with the back of her wrist. “It’s a good movie.”
“We started it when you didn’t show up after your fencing class,” Holly said.
“Yeah, sorry about that. Gabriel had me run a last training course before break. Then he had me grapple and fight with Rodrigo.”
“Training,” Holly said in a suggestive voice, followed by a giggle. “Grappling. Rodrigo is totally hot so I wouldn’t blame you for being the meat in their sweaty man sandwich.”
It was easy enough to ignore her friendly jibing. I rolled my eyes and crossed to our kitchen, dropping my gym bag on the floor while setting my gift on the counter. Cold lemonade with my name on it awaited me in the fridge.
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