I move over to the wall and press my ear against the bricks. The sobbing quiets to a few broken whimpers, and I can hear movement, almost like the scuff of feet against the floor.
“Hello?” I call out. “Is someone there?”
I press my ear harder against the wall, but there’s only silence. Whoever is in that cell must have heard me.
“Hello?” I call out again. “I know you’re there. Please, talk to me.”
“You’re going to get us into trouble.”
The frightened voice is hoarse from the crying and decidedly feminine. She is obviously scared to talk to me, but I have no qualms about pushing the issue. I don’t care what the consequences are—I need to talk to someone. To create some kind of connection that will help keep me sane.
“No one is down here,” I say quickly. “We can listen for footsteps. Please, talk to me. I’m Rory. What’s your name?”
Only silence greets my desperate plea, and despair hooks its dark claws into me even deeper than before. I should’ve known better than to let myself feel that brief spark of hope. Hope that I wasn’t completely alone. Hope that I could share this awful experience with someone who knows exactly what I’m going through. Hope for an ally.
“Cassie.”
Her voice is so soft, I almost miss it.
“Cassie? That’s a beautiful name. It’s nice to meet you, Cassie.”
She doesn’t respond, desperation crawls up my spine, making me panic. I have to keep her talking. I need her. Otherwise, I may go absolutely insane.
“Where are you from?” I ask, hoping my voice sounds light and chipper.
“Old Los Angeles.”
He words are shaky and small, but I hear them. Relief washes over me. She’s not shutting me down.
“Really?” I ask, making sure my voice isn’t too loud. “I am, too. Did you go to the academy?”
“I was supposed to go next term,” she says, the sad note in her voice recognizable. “I’m only thirteen.”
I lose my balance and fall back onto my butt as her revelation sends me reeling. Thirteen? Why in the world would a thirteen year old be sentenced to Oberon Reformatory at all, much less stuck in the purgatory that is solitary confinement?
Then it hits me. I wobble back to my knees and bring my mouth close to the wall.
“Are you a hybrid, Cassie?” I ask in a soft, comforting voice.
Her silence is the only answer I need. A full-blooded Sylph or Zephyr wouldn’t have hesitated to correct me.
“It’s okay,” I say. “I’m—I mean, my boyfriend is a hybrid.”
Whew. That was close.
I may want to gain Cassie’s trust, but that doesn’t mean I should trust her with my secrets. I can’t chance Echo finding out the truth.
“Your boyfriend?” she asks, and I know I’ve stoked her curiosity.
“His name is Asher,” I say. “He has black hair and the most gorgeous blue eyes I’ve ever seen.”
“Is he cute?”
I hear shuffling on the other side of the wall, like she’s adjusting her position. I’ve definitely got her attention now. God bless the boy-craziness of young teenage girls.
“The cutest,” I gush. “And he’s really sweet. And romantic.”
“How did you meet?” she asks.
“We met here, at the reformatory,” I say. “He was a jerk at first, because a girl who looks like me broke his heart and was ultimately the reason he was sent here.”
“Was it a Sylph?”
“Yes,” I say, guilt creeping through me.
I haven’t lied, technically, but it still feels like I’m leading her on by omitting the pertinent details.
“So it was an enemies-to-lovers kind of thing?”
A laugh bursts from my lips at her exuberance. I think someone has been reading too many human romance novels.
“Sort of, I guess,” I say, still smiling. “The point is, you don’t have to worry about me judging you unfairly by your heritage. I want to be your friend.”
She’s silent for several beats at that, and I fear I’ve lost her. Maybe I pushed too hard. I’m silently cursing myself when her timid voice reaches my ears, and I have to strain to hear it.
“Thank you, Rory.”
“No, thank you,” I say. “I’m so glad you decided to talk to me.”
“Why did you get sent here?”
“To the reformatory? Or to solitary?” I ask.
“Both, I guess.”
“I accidentally killed a human,” I say. “He was high on Lox and wouldn’t take his hands off of me. I panicked, and blasted him. I didn’t mean to kill him, I swear.”
“Of course, you didn’t,” she huffs, like she’s known me my whole life and has complete faith in my motives.
My lips turn up at the surety in her voice. Her youthful trust is refreshing, but could also get her taken advantage of in a place like this.
“Headmaster Oberon decided to tutor me,” I continue, “and when I didn’t perform to his expectations, he brought my friend in and hurt her in front of me.”
“Oh, my God,” she huffs.
“Yeah,” I say. “I lost it and blasted him. He was prepared for it, of course, so he didn’t get injured. He sentenced me here to learn my lesson or something.”
“What a dick,” she says, sounding so much like Lark, my heart pangs.
“I agree,” I reply. “What about you?”
“There are these girls in my neighborhood—three Zephyrs—that like to bully me for being a hybrid. I’m used to it by now, and most days it rolls right off me.”
Her words make sadness well inside me. No one should have to get used to being mistreated because of the way they look or who their parents are.
“I’d had a bad morning,” she continues, pulling me from my gloomy thoughts, “and even on my good days, my magic is…unpredictable. They started in on me, and I warned them to stop. My warning only spurred them on, and one of them shoved me. I lost my temper, and the ground splintered. A sinkhole opened beneath them, swallowing them before reclosing over their heads. The realization that I’d buried them alive snapped me out of my rage, and I got scared. I ran away, Rory. I just left them there to die.”
The desperation in her voice tugs at my heart. I know exactly how she feels. I felt the same way when I killed that human in the club. I ran, too.
“Cassie, listen to me,” I say, my voice dropping in tone to convey my seriousness. “Your reaction was perfectly normal. Was it the right thing to do? No. But it doesn’t make you a monster. It makes you a normal, thirteen-year-old girl who made a mistake.”
“There’s nothing normal about me,” she sighs.
“Yeah, me neither,” I say. “What happened with the girls?”
“They’re fine,” she says. “One of them is proficient with earth and was able to get them out.”
“So, they walked away fine, and you got sent here?”
“Yeah. The Zephyr judge said I’m an abomination. That someone so powerful shouldn’t be allowed to walk around free. I was sentenced to come here for two years. When I got here, Headmaster gave me the tour, then told me I wouldn’t be enjoying any of the freedoms he’d just shown me. He locked me up down here and told me I wouldn’t be released until I could show him I have control over my abilities.”
“Wait, what?” I ask, confused. “You have a bracelet, right? You can’t access your powers, so how are you supposed to prove you can control them?”
“I don’t know, Rory.”
But I do. Echo didn’t send her here to get her powers under control. That excuse is ludicrous. He sent her here to break her. To make her so grateful to get out of this dark hole that she’d do anything he asks without question or complaint.
“How long have you been down here, Cassie?” I ask, my voice solemn.
“I don’t know, for sure. But it’s been more than a week, I think.”
The man is a monster. He threw a child in this dark dungeon, hoping to break
her so he could put her back together in a way that would benefit him.
“Listen to me, Cassie,” I say bringing my mouth close to the wall. “You cannot let him win. I need you to stay strong. I will get you out of here. I promise.”
I hope it’s a promise I can keep. I hope my gut is right this time, and Cassie is trustworthy enough not to run straight to Echo and use my vow as ammunition to better her circumstances and condemn mine.
I hope she takes my words to heart, and doesn’t give up hope.
“How long?” she asks, the words sparkling with a tinge of hope.
“I don’t know for sure,” I reply honestly. “But however long it takes, I won’t forget you. When I get out of this place, I’m taking you home.”
Chapter Twenty-One
“Please tell Headmaster I’d like to see him.”
The guard’s head cocks to the side, and I wonder if I made a mistake, giving him what was, in effect, an order. My voice was too sure, too strong for someone who’d supposedly been starving in the dark for several days.
But he doesn’t say a word. He just drops the usual stale bread and container of water before closing the door and sealing it with magic.
I heave a sigh toward the ceiling. I need to make sure I do a better job of playing the part of suffering prisoner when, and if, Echo shows up to hear me out. I’ve solidified my plan, and it has to work.
I have to get out of this place.
I stoop over and grope around in the dark for the guard’s offerings. Once I have the bread and water in hand, I make my way over to the pallet and sit down. It’s too risky to conjure my comforting lantern and real food. Echo is a crafty bastard, and I can’t chance him sneaking up on me and catching me red-handed with them.
“Rory? What are you doing?”
Cassie’s voice is filled with panic. She must’ve heard me talking to the guard.
“I have to get out of here, Cassie. If kowtowing to Echo will make that happen faster, then I’m willing to grovel. Just know that when he gets here, I’m going to lie through my teeth to him. I’m going to say whatever I have to. But don’t worry. I will keep my promise to you.”
“Okay,” she says, the quiet word dripping with resignation. “I trust you, Rory.”
We fall silent as the sound of shoes tapping down the hall echoes around us. Light flares around the edges of my door, and I fling myself onto the pallet, face-first. I force out a few tears—just enough to make my eyes red and puffy.
The room fills with light and I sit up quickly, blinking my eyes against the glare.
“You requested an audience?”
Echo’s voice is brimming with disdain, but as my vision clears, I can see the glint of anticipation in his eyes. He’s been waiting for this. Good.
Rolling onto my hands and knees, I crawl forward as I make a show of sniffing loudly. This show of submission really goes against the grain, but it’s a necessary sacrifice on my part. If he’s going to believe he’s broken me, I really need to sell it.
“I’m so sorry,” I murmur, pleased when my voice cracks with feigned emotion.
“Sorry for what, exactly?”
The jerk is going to make me spell it out. Good thing I expected his arrogance. I raise up so I can look into his face, but remain on my knees.
“I’m sorry I attacked you,” I say tearfully. “And for trying to hide the true extent of my powers. I’ve always been…frightened by my true nature and have spent my life trying to suppress it.”
He nods, the movement so minute, I can tell it was unintentional. The wheels in his head are spinning, trying to figure out if I’m being sincere. Time to bring it home.
I climb to my feet, my spine stiff and my chin jutted out.
“I was wrong,” I declare. “I’ve had a lot of time to think in here, and I’ve realized that the power I possess is extraordinary, and with the right training, I could be unstoppable. Please help me, Headmaster. I think you might be the only one who can.”
Perfect.
If that doesn’t work, I don’t know what will. I’ve submitted to his dominance, assured him I’ve seen the error of my ways, and catered to his narcissism.
I’ve done everything but outright flirt with the man, and that I refuse to do.
He nods again, and this time the movement is decisive. He turns slightly and motions to someone behind him.
“Take Miss Finley back to her cell. Allow her to gather some belongings, then take her to the showers.” He turns to look at me. “Officer Woodrow will stand guard while you bathe to make sure no one bothers you. Enjoy the rest of the day, my dear. Tomorrow, we begin training in earnest.”
With that, he spins on a heel and exits the cell. As soon as he’s gone, my knees buckle. In a flash, Jax is there, catching me before I fall. I enjoy the feel of his strong arms around me for a moment, imagining that he’s my dad. That I’m safe at home instead of in this awful place, having just dedicated myself to a madman.
When I feel the strength return to my limbs, I pull away from him, saying “Thanks.”
“You were brilliant,” he mutters. Then in a louder voice, “Let’s go, Inmate Finley. You heard the headmaster.”
As we head out into the hall, sobbing erupts from Cassie’s cell. It’s loud and obnoxious, and I’m certain it’s one hundred percent faked. She’s letting me know she heard everything, and is cheering me on in a way I’ll understand without alerting the guards to our private conversations.
Good girl.
I follow Jax up the long staircase, mentally patting myself on the back for conjuring food to feed myself during my stay in solitary. I don’t know how I would’ve made it up all these steps if I’d subsisted on old bread for the last several days.
Thankfully, Jax takes a route that bypasses the common room. I have no idea what day it is, much less what time it is, but I’m not ready to be the focus of attention in a room full of curious faeries.
And I’m definitely not ready to face my friends. Not knowing what I have to do.
My cell is just the way I left it. I don’t waste any time grabbing fresh clothes before signaling Jax to lead the way to the showers. My heart skips with excitement at the thought of washing the sweat, tears, and filth of solitary confinement off of me.
In the shower, I conjure my own soap and shampoo, making it odorless this time. I know I’ll be working directly with Echo starting tomorrow, and with this new so-called trust between us, there’s a good chance he’ll put himself in close proximity to me. While I plan to use my powers to their full extent to impress him and pull him in further, I still can’t let him figure out that the gold bracelet on my wrist is useless. His noticing I smell like roses would certainly tip him off. And that would be catastrophic.
I stand under the hot spray for a long time once I’m done cleaning myself, letting the heat work the kinks out of my muscles while the steam clears my senses. Because it’s not a regular shower day, I’m not on a time limit, but I know I can’t stay in here forever. I’m going to have to show my face.
And when I do, a lot of people are going to get hurt.
I HOVER near the door of the common room, thankful no one has noticed me yet. Apparently, it’s Thursday, because wings of every color are on display. I release my own wings, carefully wrapping Glamour around them to show only the bright blue color while disguising the black edges.
My friends haven’t noticed me yet, so I have a moment to soak in the sight of them, huddled together in a far corner. Lark’s glossy black hair, Acadia’s light pink wings. Cedric and Jolene have their heads together, matching dark wings flapping lazily behind them.
Asher’s head lifts, his azure eyes zeroing in on me immediately. The look of relief on his face chokes me. The pleasure that replaces it sends me straight to death.
I don’t know how I’m going to do this.
Putting one foot in front of the other, I start walking toward them, ignoring the frantic whispers of the other Fae in the room. My eyes flick to
ward the ceiling, parting the Glamour to see several cameras trained on me, following my progress across the room.
Good. This is it.
“Rory!”
Lark’s squeal is my only warning before her body barrels into mine, knocking me back several steps. I make no move to hug her back, keeping my body limp as she holds me against her. Moving her hands to my shoulders, she pushes me back a few inches, her black eyes gazing into mine.
“Are you okay?” she asks, and the uncertainty in her voice nearly breaks my resolve.
“I’m fine,” I grunt, extracting myself from her grip as the others circle around me.
I make the mistake of meeting Asher’s eyes, which are clearly broadcasting his desire to wrap me in his arms and never let go. I can’t let my feelings for him derail the plan. I can’t let my affection for every member of the Con Crew stop me from shredding their feelings in front of these cameras.
All for the benefit of Echo Oberon.
Cedric stiffens, his eyes widening the slightest bit. He’s the first to notice my uncharacteristic behavior.
“Rory?” he says, and the others look from me to him and back again.
I take a small step back from them, that tiny separation an indicator of my next words.
“Listen,” I say, making my voice as harsh as possible. “It was mildly entertaining hanging out with you guys, but it’s over. I have better things to do, and I don’t have time for you anymore.”
Cedric and Jolene look at me like I have two heads, while Acadia looks like she might cry. Lark has one dark brow arched in suspicion, while Asher’s blue eyes are narrowed as he frowns.
“What are you doing?” he asks, his voice low and dangerous.
“What I should have done a long time ago. I don’t need you anymore. Any of you.”
“But, Rory…” Acadia says, trailing off as I turn and spear her with a dark stare.
“You should start hanging out with your own kind, Acadia. You’re so much better than this.” My head swivels to look at Lark. “And so am I.”
Lark’s head jerks back like I slapped her, and a small crack snakes its way through my resolve. Hurting her hurts me, but I know this has to be done. I need all of them safe, and that means completely out of my orbit. So I take a deep breath and spit out the next words.
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