She laughed, making my jaw twitch in agitation. "Of course I did. I know everything that goes on around here."
I crossed my arms. "And you didn't bother telling me? My own parents?"
"It was too soon. You weren't ready."
"So, what was she? A goblin? An elf?"
"She was a fairy."
She was a fairy. I shrugged, not letting my expression give me away. Inside I crumbled. Everything I'd ever known was a lie. I wasn't half human. I was half djinn and half fairy. Something unheard of.
"Figures," I said. My heart started racing when I realized how much this would affect me. "I'm not bound to anyone am I?"
Djinns had powerful magic. Only, they were bound to a master. A human. If the human didn't let the djinn use his or her magic, they were useless. Weak. That was why so many of them turned bad. They couldn’t use their own magic unless someone let them. They became manipulators. Evil.
"No. You're not. You're half djinn, not a full."
I exhaled. "At least that’s good news."
She actually seemed pleased about all this. "I've monitored your power ever since your mother brought you here. It's getting stronger, Ash. It's too strong. No one but you and Dax have such power. You have no idea what to do with it. I can help you. Teach you how to wield it to your fullest potential."
I put up a hand, my head spinning. "Wait. You just said me and Dax." I didn't care how excited she was. How her face lit up when she mentioned Dax's name. All I cared about was that she mentioned our names in the same sentence. Like we were the same person.
She froze.
Me and Dax. I thought about it over and over. He knew. He knew all along and never told me.
I walked to the door, not wanting to hear anymore.
"Ash, wait!"
She yelled at me, but I ignored her. I slammed the door shut, leaving her behind.
***
I sat in the front row. The lights were hot, making sweat bead on my forehead. My robe made me even hotter. Everyone was waiting. Shenelle had already called my name, and I didn't care. I wanted nothing to do with her or this place.
"Ash Summerland." Her voice sharpened. I glared at her from across the room.
"Dude, stand up." Sam nudged me.
I sighed and stood. Every step was torture as I walked across the stage. Everyone in the audience cheered, but I didn't look at them. Shenelle was beaming, holding my diploma out. I glanced at her briefly before ignoring her outstretched hand and walking off the stage, leaving my diploma and future behind me.
I heard people gasp, and the clapping stopped.
Someone yelled my name, but I kept walking. I reached the doors and found myself outside. I wanted to be as far away from Shenelle as possible. I didn't want anyone to see me like this.
Broken.
The wind howled as I strode across campus. I pulled out my wand, examining it. It felt warm in my hands. There was something odd about it. Something I hadn’t noticed before.
An idea formed in my mind. I pointed it toward the sky and sent a burst of light out the end. A small bolt of lightning shot out of the clouds, streaking across the night. But my power kept pouring into the wand without me willing it. My body felt drained. Weak. I let go of it and watched it fall to the ground.
I raised my hand above my head and felt power course through my body. It was more than I'd ever experienced before, and I released it into the sky. An enormous bolt of lightning struck the ground just inches away from me. Thunder rolled in the now cloudy sky, and the wind whipped my graduation robes around me.
"Ash!"
I lowered my hand, feeling my magic stabilize, and the wind died down. I glanced at my wand. When I used it, my magic was weaker. Without the wand, it was stronger. Interesting.
"Ash!" The voice yelled again.
The only other person in the world I cared about had followed me. I knew he would. I stopped and turned around.
Sam raced toward me, his bright red robes billowing in the breeze. Misty was a few yards behind him, her wings fluttering in the night.
"Did you do that?" Sam asked.
"What?"
"That crazy lightning thing," he said.
I didn't answer.
They stopped in front of me. Misty's eyes narrowed and she sized me up before exploding, "What were you thinking back there? You dissed Shenelle in front of everyone! Why didn't you take your diploma?"
"I don't want it."
"They're looking for you," Sam said. He stood with his hands on his hips, out of breath.
"Who is?"
"Everyone." He shifted uneasily and looked at the ground. "I thought I'd give you a heads up."
"Thanks," I said.
"Where are you running to?" Misty asked. "If this is about Kendall, you need to get over it. You can't see her again." She grabbed my arm. "Come on. Let's go back. You can apologize and be a sandman and forget any of this ever happened."
I sighed. "I don't want to be a sandman anymore."
Sam's mouth dropped open. "Will you knock it off? You're seriously starting to freak me out."
I met his worried eyes. "I'm serious, Sam. I need to get out of here."
"Let’s go somewhere, then. Maybe a movie will make you feel better. Or turning someone into something."
"No, Sam. You don't understand!" I threw up my hands. "I need to get out of here." I spread my arms wide, gesturing toward the campus. "This place."
"Wait. Like, leave?"
I nodded.
"Ash, you can't do that," Misty said.
"Why not?"
"It just doesn't happen. No one leaves."
"Well, I'll be the first, then." I hesitated, thinking about the Academy. The place I'd called home for so many years.
"Why?" Sam asked. "You have everything here."
I didn't say anything. I knew what I'd be leaving behind, but it wasn't my future anymore. Everything had changed.
Misty took a step closer to me. She was quiet as she searched my face. "You love her," she said.
I looked her in the eye, more sure of that simple fact than I had ever been before. "More than you know."
"Then you have to go."
"Wait! Misty?" Sam said. "What are you talking about?"
She turned on Sam. "He loves her, Sam. Do you need any other explanation than that?"
I watched their exchange with keen interest. The way Misty looked at him. Her chest rising and falling as she spoke. She knew what it was like to be in love. I don't know how I hadn’t seen it before, but Sam had no idea she felt so strongly for him.
Sam was silent for a moment, his eyes only on Misty. "What do you want me to do?" He spoke to me, but kept his eyes on her.
A thought crept into my mind, something I'd never asked Misty. "Does Shenelle check your wand?"
She frowned, breaking eye contact with Sam. "What do you mean?"
"She has me turn in my wand once a week to make sure it's working properly. She said it was part of the apprenticeship rules."
She shook her head. "She's never asked me to do that."
"I thought it seemed a little weird," Sam said.
"I know," I muttered.
My heart started racing. I knew I sensed something different about Shenelle. The way her eyes lit up each time she took my wand. How she asked me about my magic all the time. "I have to talk to Shenelle. Now."
"Why?"
"Something's not right," I said. "Misty, could you go tell Logan and Master Time to meet me in her office? Tell them to bring the rest of the council as well."
She nodded slowly. "Sure."
"Ash, whatever you're trying to do, Shenelle's just going to stop you. She's part of the council. She'll throw you in prison if you mess with her."
"She'll try," I said grimly.
"You have a plan?" Sam asked.
"Sort of."
"Ash, I know you're doing all this for Kendall, but will she even remember you? Her last wish ..." he trailed off, seeing my expressio
n.
I smiled. "I have my ways."
Misty sighed. "This is seriously so romantic."
"Women," Sam muttered.
***
Of course she was in her office. Where else would I find Shenelle flitting back and forth, looking like a nervous wreck?
The second she saw me, her nostrils flared. She flew over to me so fast it threw me off guard.
"Would you care to explain why you humiliated me in front of the entire student body? Not to mention the council!"
"Sorry about that."
"Really?"
I shook my head and looked her in the eye. "No."
Her eyes narrowed. "You will apologize to me. Now."
"Not this time." I turned around, ready to leave. "I just came to say goodbye."
She looked confused. "What are you talking about?"
I pulled out my wand, feeling the familiar warmth pulsing through it. "I'm leaving. This place isn't my home anymore."
I took a step toward the door, and jumped when several council members rushed inside, all eyes on me. Logan came in last, looking older than ever.
"Just in time," Shenelle said. "We seem to have a problem." She glared at me. "Mr. Summerland thinks he's leaving the Academy."
A collective gasp filled the room, followed by furious whispers.
Shenelle still stood in front of me, though my eyes were on Logan. I couldn't read his expression.
Shenelle started speaking again. "Ash, think about what you're doing. If you leave, you'll be hunted down for your ... unique powers. You could be killed! The girl–"
I cut her off. "Kendall. Her name is Kendall!"
"Kendall. Yes." She looked thoughtful. "Think about her, Ash. She could be killed as well."
"By you?" I asked, challenging her.
Lady Shenelle let out a theatrical gasp. A few other council members eyed me warily.
"No one's after me. No one even knows who I am, besides you guys. Are you telling me you'll come after me?" I laughed. "The people who assured me I'd be safe in this haven are the same ones who'll hunt me down if I leave of my own free will?"
"Ash, you don't understand,” Shenelle said. “You can't leave. We can't let you. We don't know the full extent of your powers yet."
"So, you want me to be your guinea pig? Or has Dax already volunteered for the job? Since we share the same blood and all."
"What?" Logan asked.
I turned to him. "Oh, didn't you hear? Dax and I are brothers. The illegitimate sons of a djinn."
"Shenelle?" Logan looked confused. "Is this true?"
I looked at her. Her jaw worked furiously. Most likely she was trying to think of a lie. "You still can't leave," she said. "There is no way you can just walk out that door."
I smiled. Magic flowed to my fingertips. I didn't need a wand anymore. I never had. Shenelle gave it to me to hold me back. To control my power. Or take it. "Wanna bet?" I pulled my wand out and pointed it at her.
She looked unimpressed. "If you attack me, we’ll throw you in prison."
"I'm not going to attack you. I'm just going to show them how you jinxed my wand to drain my power." I turned toward the rest of the council, holding the wand in my hand. A few people shied away.
"You can't prove that," she said.
I ignored her. I held the wand between both hands and snapped it clean in half. A puff of pink sparkles rose out of it, and I met Shenelle's furious eyes. Magic surged through every nerve in my body. I smiled to myself, pleased that the council had witnessed my moment of truth.
"You jinxed his wand?" Logan said, looking at Shenelle.
"Of course not, Logan. This is Ash's pitiful attempt to frame me. He's been trying to get out of being my apprentice since it started."
Master Time stepped forward, his expression solemn. "No one can access the wands but the council. Mr. Summerland didn't jinx his own wand. Only a fairy can do magic like that, and only one as powerful as you."
"B-but ..." she stammered.
"Hand over your wand, Shenelle. It's over," Logan said.
"This is his fault!" She pointed at me, her finger shaking. "He needs to be punished. He broke the rules and fell in love with that ... that human girl."
"I'm pretty sure you're in more trouble than I am," I said.
The other council members eyed each other, but no one moved.
Shenelle started flitting back and forth again, talking more to herself than to us. "I knew that girl would be trouble the moment Logan picked her. I should have let Dax get rid of her when he had the chance. Then we wouldn't be in this mess."
"You sent Dax after Kendall?" I couldn’t keep my voice steady.
"I knew you were falling for her. She kept distracting you, making you put aside your potential as a fairy godmother. With your fairy and djinn blood, you could have been so powerful. More so than anyone else in this room. I could have helped you, Ash! I could have helped you wield it!"
"You–"
She shot me a glare, silencing me. "Love destroys a person. It makes them weak! When you kissed her at that stupid dance, I knew I was right. I knew I'd have to do something to get her out of the picture before you gave everything up to be with her." She smiled. "And it worked. You listened to my advice. And she made the perfect wish, at the perfect time. She broke your heart."
Heat crept into my face, and I clenched my jaw. She was so going down.
"But you still love her. I don't understand why."
Someone cleared their throat behind me.
Shenelle stopped glaring at me and glanced at the other council members. She looked like she had forgotten they were there. She turned to me again. "I have nothing more to say to you. We're done here. Take him away. He broke the biggest rule of his apprenticeship. He fell in love with his assignment. He'll be expelled. She paused, looking thoughtful. "And after threatening me, imprisoned."
"You're crazy!" I turned toward the rest of the council. "You're really going to let her get away with this? Tampering with my wand? Lying to me about my parents all these years? It sounds like she has some bigger agenda that includes me and Dax."
Logan frowned and addressed Shenelle. "No excuse will get you out of this. You jinxed Ash's wand. You put his assignment in danger, and him in danger as well.”
She didn't answer, but turned livid eyes on me. She lifted herself off the ground, her wings flapping furiously. Her wand appeared in her hand, but before she could fire a spell, I shut my eyes and released my magic.
A gust of wind blew through the room. I felt it pull at my hair, and opened my eyes, meeting Shenelle's glare. I focused my power on her, holding her in place.
"It's not nice to attack students.” I smiled. "I think you should be expelled."
Her body began floating down toward her chair, and her eyes widened.
"What are you doing?" Shenelle asked. Her voice shook, and I heard whispers from around the room. I set her in her chair and focused on the hanging plants sitting near her desk. They came alive, wrapping around her arms, tying her tightly to her chair.
"Being part fairy has its perks," I said, admiring my work. "I'll see you when I see you." I turned to walk away.
"Stop him!" Shenelle screamed.
I looked up, surprised when several fairies burst into the room.
"He's using magic on his superior!" Shenelle cried.
Logan whispered into a fairy’s ear, and she nodded.
They surrounded Shenelle. "Wait! Stop! He's the one you want, not me!" Her face contorted in rage as she fought the bonds holding her to the chair.
"It's over, Shenelle," Logan said. "You have nowhere to go." He gestured toward her wand. "Hand it over."
She yelled a string of profanities that made even my ears burn.
"Shenelle," Logan started.
She glared at him and stopped struggling. "No," she said, her voice suddenly calm. "You won't take my wand from me." Her eyes shifted to where I stood, and I flinched at the rage in her gaze.
; I jumped as the bonds around her wrists snapped and she flew a few feet off the ground. Her eyes were wild and her hair stood on end like she was buzzing with electricity.
"Give me your wand! It's over!" Logan yelled.
She smiled. "It's only the beginning." She raised her wand and light shot out of it in every direction.
I jumped out of the way just as a flash of light blasted a hole in the wall behind me. A fairy across the room didn't move in time and fell to the ground. She didn't get up.
"Shenelle! Don't make me do this!" Logan yelled. He reached into his robe and pulled out a handful of black sand. My eyes widened as I recognized Sleeping Death.
Shenelle stiffened when she saw it, but didn't back down. She glanced around the room until her eyes found mine.
"You could be great, Ash. More powerful than anyone in this world. Come with me. I know where your father is. Your real father. He can help you control your power."
I stood my ground. "No."
She frowned. "You're just as stubborn as she was." She shook her head. "No matter. You're coming with me either way."
My body tensed as she pointed her wand at me. I stood my ground, bracing for the impact of her spell, but as the light shot out of her wand, someone jumped in front of me.
The light struck Logan in the chest, sending the sand in his hand flying into the air. He fell to the ground as the Sleeping Death covered his body.
It took me a moment to comprehend what had just happened.
Logan saved me.
"Always the hero," Shenelle growled.
"No!" I yelled, kneeling next to him. "Logan?"
His eyes had glazed over, and he was staring at nothing, I checked his pulse, relieved when I felt the faint thump under my fingertips.
"He's alive!" I said. Tears burned behind my eyes, and I blinked them away.
More shouting brought my attention back to Shenelle. I glanced up as several people rushed into the room. I locked eyes with Shenelle, her eyes red with fury.
"This isn't over," she said. "You've chosen the wrong side for now, but you will join us. You'll realize your potential and seek us out. I'll see you soon, Ash." And on that happy note, she vanished.
I tried to push away her last words, but I couldn't. I feared it wouldn't be the last time I saw her.
I focused on Logan again as Master Time shuffled over to me, barking orders at everyone in the room. He pushed me out of the way, and I watched several people surround Logan, muttering spells.
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