by Wendi Wilson
“Enough talking about Mr. Jonas and his infiltration of our school. Let us focus on today’s discussion. Who can tell me who is at fault for the state of our planet?”
“The humans, of course,” Tiana called out without raising her hand. “They poisoned the Earth with their waste and pollution.”
“Does anyone agree with Miss Avery?” Puck asked.
Many hands rose into the air, even Shaela’s. I couldn’t hold it against her. Technically, the assessment was correct. The humans had messed everything up. But the fact that Shaela was willingly agreeing with anything Tiana said rubbed me the wrong way. I grasped my faery-wings pendant, one half of the matching pair with the words “best friends” engraved on them, and rubbed it between my fingers.
“If I may play devil’s advocate,” Puck called out when everyone dropped their raised hands, “I could suggest that the majority of the blame lands on us—Sylphids allowed humans to retain their free will. We stood back and watched as year after year, our planet suffered. It grew sicker and sicker as the humans over-populated and created more and more problems with the environment.”
A shiver ran through me as my mouth dropped open in shock. Was he really suggesting that Sylphs should have taken matters into their own hands and revoked the freedom of the human population? It sounded like that’s what he meant.
I’d never heard a Sylph talk that way before.
Even Cris, a Zephyr, didn’t believe that. His mother, maybe. And the fact that Puck sounded like Sebille filled me with dread. What was happening?
I looked around and the other students looked enthralled. Wide, glassy eyes focused on his every move as the words spilled from his mouth. I looked over my shoulder at Easton, and he looked just as disturbed as I felt.
If he’d looked as enamored as the other students, I would have stood and outright accused Puck of using his gifts to sway the students. But he wasn’t enamored. And neither was I. Even though I usually broke free of that type of Glamour, I always felt the pull.
I felt nothing but disgust, and that was the problem. He wasn’t using magic. It was just good, old-fashioned charm that had them on pins and needles, waiting for his next pearls of wisdom. And charm was harder to fight than Glamour.
“So what can we do about it now?” a girl a few seats up from me called out.
I leaned to the side to see who’d spoken and my head jerked back. It was Aubrey, Tiana’s lackey. I turned back to Easton and gave him a questioning look, and he just shrugged.
Aubrey wasn’t in this class. What was she doing there?
And why were she and Tiana sucking up to Professor Goodman when they’d been using his nickname to insult Shaela for years? It couldn’t be just because he outed Cris as a Zephyr and hurt me in the process…
Could it?
Chapter Seventy-Eight
9
“Is there anything you can do?”
I paced back and forth, wearing out the carpet in Finn’s office as I ranted about Puck’s lesson and how enraptured the students were. Finn sat behind his desk, his hands folded on the smooth wood as he watched me with pity in his eyes.
“I know you are upset, December, but you’re making me dizzy. Do an old man a favor and take a seat. Please.”
I threw myself into one of the chairs in front of his desk, sliding down until my shoulders slumped against the back of the seat. I’d gone there straight from sociology. Discussing my concerns with Finn was more important than math class.
“Thank you, dear,” Finn said. “I’m afraid my hands are tied. The council made their decision with a majority vote. Crispin Jonas is out, Robin Goodman is in.”
“But you’re the king! Can’t you—I don’t know—overrule them, or something?”
His head shook slowly back and forth, his expression turning sad. “Unless we can prove he has nefarious purposes or is simply an unfit teacher, there is nothing I can do. If I attempt to defy the council’s decision without just cause, havoc will ensue. I could be stripped of my crown, and replaced with a Fae of their choosing, someone not of my bloodline.”
“They’d probably pick Puck,” I barked out with a laugh, but Finn didn’t smile.
“I think you may be right. Somehow, he has redeemed himself in their eyes. He can do no wrong.”
“Do you think he’s using Glamour?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
“I do not think so. I cannot sense any magic, and his emotions taste sincere.”
“What about his lesson? He pretty much inferred that Sylphs should take over the Zephyr agenda, obtain dominance over the humans, and enforce our own laws upon them…including population control.”
“Did he actually say that?” Finn asked, arching a brow.
“Not exactly. But that’s what it sounded like he meant.”
“That’s not good enough. Your interpretation of his words will differ from the other students’. And with them standing behind him, we’ll never convince the council to fire him.”
“So what can we do?” I asked.
“We watch him. Report anything suspicious to me, but December, do not confront him yourself. With your parentage now common knowledge, it wouldn’t take much for the council to decree that you should be expelled. One word from Puck could make that a reality.”
“Even if you defend me? You convinced them to let Cris stay, even though he’s not teaching anymore.”
“I did not. I simply took their decree literally. They removed him from his post, but never said he had to leave the school—though that would be the natural succession of events. Simply stated, they do not know he’s still here.”
“Won’t Puck tell them?”
“Not if he doesn’t know. I’ve Glamoured a shield around Crispin. Those who think he should not be here will not see him—even Robin Goodman, for all his supposed strength.”
My eyes widened as he shot me a satisfied smile. The man was a genius.
“That’s brilliant,” I murmured.
“Thank you, my dear. Now, you head on to class. Keep an eye on Mr. Goodman, but keep your distance as best you can.”
“Yes, sir,” I replied, accepting the tardy excuse he held out to give to my math teacher.
We exchanged goodbyes and I left his office, my feet dragging across the tile floor as I thought about everything he said. There had to be a way to prove Puck wasn’t on the up and up without confronting him and putting a target on my own back.
Or without pissing off my best friend.
As I neared my math classroom, the bell rang. With a smile, I spun on a heel and headed for the cafeteria. It was time for lunch, and I got to skip math completely. I took it as a good sign, that things were already looking up.
Easton was sitting alone at our normal table by the time I got there. I walked through the crowd of students with my head held high, keeping my eyes on Easton’s white-blond head and blue aura. I didn’t want to make eye contact with anyone or inadvertently encourage a confrontation.
I slid into the chair next to my boyfriend, who’d once again thoughtfully grabbed a tray of food for me. I kissed him and pulled back, my eyes straying to his aura.
“Hey, what’s going on?”
“Hey,” he said with a sigh of relief. “How was your meeting with Grandfather?”
His aura faded from blue to pink and gold. Apparently his worry was for me, and now that I was there in front of him, he turned hopeful.
“Disappointing,” I groaned. “Finn’s hands are tied. He can’t go against the council, or they could remove him as king.”
He nodded, saying “I figured as much. It was worth a try, I guess.”
“Oh, and he put some kind of invisibility shield around Cris.”
“Why?”
“So no one will know he’s still here,” I said. I explained what Finn had told me about the council’s decision, adding, “But if word gets back to them, via Puck or even a student, that he’s still here, they’ll make him leave. And they could order m
e expelled.”
Easton’s aura flashed white before returning to a steady light pink color. I leaned toward him, laying a palm over his heart.
“I’m not going anywhere,” I vowed. “We’re going to figure out what Puck is up to and get him out of here.”
His lips turned up into a small smile before dropping back down.
“What about Shaela?”
My best friend was once again absent from the dining hall. She was probably hanging out with her grandfather again. The thought made me frown.
“I don’t know what to do, Easton. Her behavior has changed, especially when he’s around. I never see her anymore, and I’m trying not to be jealous or hold it against her. Of course, she wants to get to know him. He’s her family. But it’s like she has blinders on when it comes to him and his actions. As hard as it’s going to be, I don’t think we can tell her what we’re doing. I’m not so sure she’d be on our side.”
His expression turned thoughtful as he said, “You’re probably right. I don’t want to lie to her either, but I don’t think we have a choice.”
“Hey, guys.”
We both looked up to see Charles standing on the other side of the table, a forlorn expression on his face. Easton motioned for him to take a seat, and he slipped into a chair, slouching low as his tray of food bounced against the table.
“Is everything okay?” I asked.
“Have you seen Shae today?” he countered.
I shook my head. “Not since third period, when her grandfather taught his first class.”
“Neither have I,” he said, frowning. “We usually meet between classes and walk together, but she never showed. She didn’t send me a message, or anything. And now she’s not at lunch. It’s just not like her and I’m worried.”
“I’m sure everything is fine,” I said, hoping to lift his spirits. “She’s just focused on her grandfather right now. It’s the first time she’s met him, ever, and it’s all brand new. The novelty will wear off soon and she’ll get back to normal.”
I wished I really believed the words coming out of my mouth. I wished I wasn’t as worried, or more, than Charles was.
But Charles’s face brightened a little, and that was my goal in speaking them. I had no clue if Shaela would come back to us, or if she’d continue to pull further and further away. I didn’t know how I’d handle it if it came to that.
“That was weird, Aubrey Ellsworth being in sociology today,” Easton remarked, changing the subject.
“Yeah, it was,” I said.
“Oh, I heard about that,” Charles cut in, drawing our undivided attention. “Apparently, her parents called and had her placed in that class. They wanted her to learn from one of the original school founders, despite his colorful past.”
“Colorful. That’s a nice way to put it,” I grunted.
“Yeah,” Charles continued, “one of my friends overheard a couple of teachers talking about it and those were the words they used. So, she withdrew from elemental studies to take sociology for the rest of the semester, even though she took the class last year.”
“She did?” I asked.
Easton nodded. “She’s actually a year ahead of us.”
“So elemental studies is a senior class?” I asked, intrigued by the name.
Since I wielded all four elements, it sounded like a class I’d definitely want to take—if I was still welcome at Oberon Academy by then. Which, judging by the dirty looks I’d been receiving since I sat down, wasn’t guaranteed. The students could take matters into their own hands and force me out if the council didn’t do it first.
“Yep,” Charles said, answering my question.
We fell into silence after that, each lost in our own thoughts as we ate our food. I wondered why Aubrey followed Tiana around, always remaining in the background, when she was a year older and could have better friends that she actually shared classes with other than just gym.
But those inconsequential thoughts drifted away as my mind churned with images of Puck and Shaela, Finn, Easton and Charles, and my need to prove Robin Goodman was not a good guy.
He was up to something, and I was going to find out what it was and out in him in front of the whole school, blowing up the good thing he had going for himself. Just like he did to me.
Chapter Seventy-Nine
10
“Hey, what’s up?” I said to Shaela as soon as she walked through the door.
What I really wanted to say was where the heck have you been all day? But I didn’t want to alienate her. Things were feeling a little bit off between us, and I just wanted to get back what we had before her grandfather showed up.
“Oh, hey D,” she replied, seeming a little distracted.
She walked over to her side of the room and set her bag down on the bed. She slumped onto the mattress and laid back with a sigh. I watched her for a few moments, waiting for her to say something. Anything.
I didn’t have to wait long.
“Sorry I missed lunch,” she said. “I was hanging with Granddad and I lost track of time, so we ended up eating together.”
“How are things going with him?” I asked.
I kept my tone soft, as if it was just a friendly question and not a ploy to get information. I didn’t know what I was hoping to find out. Maybe I hoped that things weren’t going so great between them so that I could have my friend back. I knew the thoughts were selfish, and I really did want Shaela to be happy, but something about the whole situation just didn’t feel right.
“Things are going really well,” she replied. “Even better than I expected. I thought things would be weird between us but we just seem to click.”
“That’s great, Shaela.”
I couldn’t help it. There was no mistaking the disappointment in my voice, and Shaela gave me a look that told me she hadn’t missed it.
“What’s your problem?”
My head reared back at the venom in her voice. That was the first time she’d ever spoken to me that way.
“I’m sorry,” I said, backtracking. “But Shaela, how can you forget what he did? He wasn’t here five minutes before he destroyed my life.”
“Don’t you think you’re exaggerating just a little bit? He didn’t destroy your life. He thought he was helping everyone, bringing everything out into the open so there would be no more secrets.”
I laughed, the sound bitter and annoyed. “Helping? You don’t seriously believe that, do you? That doesn’t even make sense.”
I didn’t know what was happening. We were both getting angry, so angry that Shaela’s face was red and I could feel my own blood pressure rising, pounding in my veins. She was my best friend, and she always had my back. Until now. I knew Puck was her grandfather, but he’d been missing her entire life and what? He got to just waltz in and take his place as a beloved family member with no questions asked?
“You don’t know him,” she gritted out between clenched teeth.
“Neither do you,” I shouted back. “You don’t know what his motives are. You don’t know why he came back here, at this moment in time, and decided to suddenly be the doting grandfather. To me, it looks like he’s up to his old tricks.”
As soon as the words passed my lips, I regretted them. Shaela had been persecuted for her grandfather’s choices her entire life, and I swore that I would never do that. While I wasn’t exactly holding his past sins against her, I was holding them against him. Letting his mistakes color my judgment of his current actions.
While I felt justified in my suspicions, that didn’t mean I should have voiced them in a fit of anger.
“Shaela—”
“No,” she said, her voice dead and her eyes vacant, “you said everything you need to say.”
She stood then, turning to pick her bag up from the bed where she’d dropped it. She headed for the door, swinging it open. Just before she walked through, she stopped and turned back to face me.
“I’ll find somewhere else to sleep tonight.�
��
I opened my mouth to respond, to beg her to stay and work things out with me, but she was gone before I could even get a word out. What had just happened? Did I just lose my best friend?
Even if I hadn’t lost her, something between us was broken. I just hoped, eventually, we would be able to mend it.
The next morning, I woke up alone in my room. I don’t know how many hours I waited, hoping Shaela would come back and tell me she wanted to talk things through with me. To bridge the gap between us. But that never happened.
I sat up and hopped to my feet. I couldn’t let things continue on the way they were between me and Shaela. I had to fix it. Even if it meant swallowing my pride, my anger with Puck and my suspicions about his motives, I’d do whatever it took to get my relationship with her back on track. It was too important, too precious to lose.
Grabbing a fresh uniform, I ran to the bathroom to shower and change. After combing the tangles from my wet hair and brushing my teeth, I stared into the mirror for a few moments, mentally building myself up.
Somehow, I’d get Shaela to listen to me. I refused to lie about my feelings for Puck, but maybe we could just agree to disagree when it came to him. We could make some sort of pact to avoid discussing him, or something.
I knew that sort of avoidance would never work in the long run, but it would appease my friend and buy me some time. Once Puck’s true agenda was revealed, I was sure whatever it was would get him ousted from Oberon Academy, just like before. Shaela would be disappointed, but she’d also realize she was better off without his sneaky, manipulative presence in her life.
At least, I hoped that’s how it would all play out.
A small niggle of fear inside whispered that if I were the one to prove his deceit and get him banished, Shaela would hate me forever. I stiffened my spine against that fear. If that happened, so be it. At least I’d have the comfort of knowing that I’d protected the ones I love against his damaging influence.
I practically ran back to my bedroom, eager to drop off my pajamas and toiletries so I could start the hunt for Shaela. I rushed inside, only to freeze in my tracks.