First Infraction

by Wendi L. Wilson

  Because I’m supposed to be an orphan who doesn’t know who her parents are. And more than one hidden camera is pointed at us right now.

  “No way would I listen to her,” Acadia says, scrunching her nose. “She’s a witch with no friends and no good qualities. I have no idea how she got the job teaching here. Especially a class about having good etiquette.”

  I’ve wondered the same thing on more than one occasion. Why is she the one teaching Etiquette and Discretion? And why are we taking a class like that, anyway? It doesn’t make any sense.

  I lift my cup to my lips and take a sip of water just as Lark says, “I heard she spent some time on her knees to get the position.”

  The liquid spews from my lips and nose, and I start to cough. Acadia, Jolene, and Cedric slide backwards, away from the table, and Lark howls laughter toward the ceiling. I feel my face heat with embarrassment as I glance at Asher, who is patting my back firmly with a large, warm hand.

  “Sorry,” I choke out between coughs. “Went down the wrong pipe.”

  I look over to see Acadia staring at me, her fingers twisting a blonde ringlet as I’ve seen her do before. I arch a brow at her in question, seeing the desire to ask me something written all over her face.

  “What is it?” I ask.

  “When are you going to tell us the truth?”

  “The truth about what?” I respond, an uneasy feeling skittering across my nerve endings.

  “I thought you sounded familiar when I heard your voice,” she says, keeping her volume low. “I knew it from somewhere, but I just couldn’t place it. Then you Glamoured your hair dark in Elemental Practice, and it all clicked into place.”

  She leans across the table and motions for me to do the same. When I comply, she brings her lips close to my ear and whispers six little words that change everything.

  “You look exactly like your mother.”

  I jerk back as if burned, my eyes searching hers for any hint of insincerity or malice. Her expression is as pure and honest as an angel’s, her eyes lit with hopeful expectation.

  “What is it? What’s happening?” Cedric asks, his gaze skipping back and forth between us.

  “You haven’t said anything?” I whisper, and Acadia shakes her head.

  “It’s not my place. I just wanted you to know that I know, and that you can trust us. We’ll have your back, no matter what.”

  “I don’t know what’s happening, but Acadia is right,” Jolene says in a soft voice. “Friends stick together, and in this place, it’s more important than ever to hold to that.”

  I swallow thickly and turn to Lark, who just shrugs, leaving the choice up to me. I turn to catch Asher’s eye, and he smiles softly before leaning into my personal space. My breath hitches in my chest as he brings his mouth close to my ear.

  “What made you decide to trust me?”

  He pulls back slightly so he can see my face, and I whisper, “I trusted my gut.”

  He leans back in, this time even closer. So close that his lips brush the shell of my ear as he asks, “And what’s your gut telling you now?”

  My gut is telling me to turn my head so those warm lips are pressed against mine. Well, some body part is telling me to do it.

  I get ahold of myself and move away from Asher’s magnetic gravitational pull. I look at Acadia, Jolene, and Cedric for several moments while I mull over my choices. I want to trust them. Having more friends, more people on my side can’t be a bad thing. But what if one or more of them buckles under the weight of the truth?

  What if Echo questions them, and they break?

  Of course, Acadia figured it out on her own, and she hasn’t told a soul. Maybe I should trust them. Besides, if I ever get an inkling that something is wrong, I can always Glamour them to forget.

  I stretch my senses out, trying to latch onto their emotions. Acadia is feeling hopeful and the other two are just confused. But I don’t feel anything negative or deceitful coming from them.

  I take a deep breath and make a decision.

  “Meet me in my room after classes are over,” I mumble, low enough that the cameras trained on us won’t hear. “I’ll tell you everything.”

  “SO, you have no idea who these notes are from?” Cedric asks, looking up at me from his seat on the bed.

  We’d made it through all three classes without anything strange happening. After meeting back up in my room, I told them everything and showed them the notes. Cedric and Jolene wore shocked expressions at finding out who I really am, but quickly composed themselves.

  To them, I’m still Rory Finley, fellow inmate and friend. I’m so grateful for that.

  “I don’t know,” I say. “I mean, it could be Tiana Avery. She went to school with my mom and, as Acadia pointed out, I look just like her. Maybe she recognized me?”

  “Doubtful,” Lark says. “That wench has her head stuck so far up her own butt, I doubt she can see anything in there.”

  I smirk at her joke, but shake my head. “She’s crafty and does what it takes to get ahead. She doesn’t always make smart choices, but that doesn’t mean she’s not smart.”

  “I don’t think it’s her, either,” Asher says. “While she may be smart, she’s not subtle. If she knew who you were, she’d be after you every chance she got. Other than a few insults, she’s left you alone.”

  “That’s true,” I murmur.

  “Maybe it’s one of the guards,” Jolene offers. “They roam the halls at night, and no one would question one walking this way in the video footage.”

  “Maybe,” Cedric replies, “but why would a guard threaten Rory? And how could they hurt the royal family?”

  “I assumed it meant the public knowledge of me being here is what would hurt my family,” I say. “And it would.”

  “Well, looking at it that way,” Acadia says, her soft voice gaining our attention, “are these really threats? I mean, one says I know who you are and the other is a warning—don’t let your secret get out or it could hurt your family. This person could be trying to help you. It’s all in how you read it.”

  I think about her theory and realize she could be right. Being where I am and who I am, I immediately jumped right to threat when I received these notes. I’m a princess in prison, trying desperately to keep the world—and my family— from finding out I’m here.

  But what if Acadia is right? What if it’s not a threat, and someone is trying to help me?

  Electricity sparks my nerve endings, and my body stiffens as everything falls into place. Oh my God. It’s so obvious. I look at each of my friends, who are all staring at me expectantly.

  “I know who it is,” I say. “I know who wrote these notes.”

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  “What do you want?”

  “Well, hello to you, too, Jax,” I say, leaning against the wall beside him as he observes the inmates in the common room.

  I peel back the Glamour surrounding us and see there are four cameras, but none of them are trained on us. I managed to slip into the room without being seen, and whoever is watching the footage isn’t interested in what Jax Woodrow is doing. Perfect.

  “I’ve been going crazy, wondering who it could possibly be. I even suspected you for a moment, but I wrote you off because I was reading them as a threat.”

  “Reading what? What are you blathering on about?”

  He tries to sound stern, but there’s a slight edge of panic in his voice that’s impossible to miss.

  “You’ve been trying to help me since the beginning. Escorting me around, checking on me, warning me about Echo and coaching me on what to say to him. It was you, all along.”

  Without a word, Jax grabs my elbow and drags me from the room. I don’t fight him, just let him pull me down one hall, then another until we reach a room with two beds in it.

  Fear flashes through me for a moment as I think that maybe I read him wrong, and he is out to hurt me. The fear quickly vanishes when he spins to face me with a resigned expr
ession.

  “It has been my duty to protect you from the shadows,” he says. “I only sent the notes to make you feel more secure. To let you know you weren’t alone.”

  “Okay, first of all,” I say, holding up a finger, “less-cryptic notes would have been better. I’ve been freaking out that someone was out to get me. Secondly, why are you watching over me? We’ve never met, have we? Do you know my parents? Have you told them I’m here?”

  Panic overrides common sense as the questions fly from my mouth. Of course, my parents don’t know I’m here. Because if they did, I wouldn’t be here anymore. Of that much, I am sure.

  “Your grandfather charged me with your care.”

  “Cris knows I’m here?” I ask, my panic soaring even higher.

  I can’t see Grandpa Cris keeping this from his daughter—my mom—for very long. But Jax is shaking his head.

  “No, not him,” he says. “It is Puck that set me on this mission.”

  “Great-grandpa Robin?”

  I’m so confused. If Robin knows I’m here, why hasn’t he gotten me out? He’s one of the oldest Fae alive, as well as one of the most powerful.

  “Yes,” Jax confirms. “Puck is aware of your deception. He knew from the beginning that you never went on your grand tour and that you Glamoured your chaperone.”

  “Of course, he knows.”

  I’m not surprised. Not in the least. Robin Goodman is known as the trickster, the faery who was banished for most of his life for a prank gone wrong. He joined Sebille to get inside information, played double-agent, and helped my parents defeat her.

  “If he knows I’m here,” I say, my words slow and measured, “why am I still here? Is he punishing me for my deception? Is this a game to him?”

  Jax shakes his head. “No, nothing like that. Your grandfather loves you, deeply.”

  “Please explain what’s happening, then.”

  My patience is wearing thin, and the fact that someone in my family knows I’m here is freaking me out. I can’t deal with guessing games right now.

  “I’m sorry, Princess. I’ve messed this whole thing up. Please, sit down and I’ll explain everything.”

  I try not to flinch at his use of my title and sit gingerly on the edge of the bed. Jax paces back and forth for a moment, then turns to me when he has his thoughts in order.

  “I’ve been working here for ten years,” he says, clasping his hands behind his back. “I was sent here by your great-grandfather…to be his inside man.”

  “What?” Now I’m really confused.

  “You can’t tell me you haven’t noticed a trend in the caliber of inmates sent here for minimal offenses.”

  He’s right. I have noticed that very strong Fae have been given long sentences for minimal crimes, or flat-out falsely accused and convicted with no proof.

  “Like they’re being collected,” I say aloud.

  Jax nods. “And trained.”

  He’s right. Why else would we be forced to take classes on control and discretion in a prison famous for never releasing its inhabitants? For that matter, where are all the inmates that have aged out? Other than our three instructors, the prisoners at Oberon Reformatory are all in their teens and early twenties.

  “What is going on here, Jax?” I whisper.

  “All I can tell you is that Echo Oberon is up to something. Something big, and I haven’t been able to get close enough to decipher what it is—even after ten years. Puck contacted me after your sentencing, told me you were coming under the guise of Sylph Rory Finley, and that I need to protect you at all costs. He seems to believe that you are possibly the only one who could get close enough to Echo to discover his secrets.”

  “Me? Why me?”

  “I believe his words were smart, resourceful, and one of the two most powerful faeries in existence.”

  The other being Robbie. This is insane.

  “You did figure out it was I who sent the notes,” he offers when I just stare at him with wide eyes.

  “You made it too easy,” I quip back, though I’d spent days fearing the worst.

  Jax smiles. “Princess, I was leery of Puck’s plan when he first presented it to me. I didn’t believe a mere girl stood a chance against someone like Echo Oberon. But you proved me wrong. You’ve integrated well, made some allies, and piqued the interest of the big man, himself, all within a short time. He offered to tutor you, personally, right?”

  “Y-yes,” I stutter, not sure I like where this is going.

  “You could get close to him. You could find out exactly what he’s up to, so we can put a stop to it.”

  “What if it’s nothing?” I ask. “What if locking people up and controlling them just makes him feel powerful, and that’s the end of it?”

  “We both know it’s more than that, Finley,” he says, and my heart stutters at hearing my real name. “Did you know he pays the human judges in magical favors when they sentence certain Fae to serve time here?”

  “What? But that’s illegal.”

  And exactly what Lark got sent here for.

  Jax nods. “For you, the judge received a conjured windmill with constant wind for a never-ending power supply for himself and to sell to his neighbors. He’s charging them exorbitant amounts, which they pay because the transformer that sends traditional power to them was destroyed in a lightning storm.”

  “A magically-induced storm, I assume?”

  “You are correct, but there is no solid proof. It’s the same with all the kids here. They bend the rules, and go to prison. Unfortunate accident? Prison. Hurt someone, even in self-defense?”

  “Prison,” I mumble, thinking of my trial.

  “Exactly. And whatever Echo is doing here, it means a lot to him. He’s risking everything to get more and more powerful Fae sent here. He doesn’t even know who you are or what you’re capable of, only that you can snap out fire in a controlled and devastating fashion, and look what he risked to get you here.”

  “So Great-grandpa Robin thinks I can figure this out? Then what?”

  “Then we call in the authorities…and your parents. We let them decide Echo’s fate.”

  “And if I fail? If my cover gets busted?”

  “I’m here. And I can get Puck here within a few hours.”

  “Do you have a phone? Can I talk to him myself?”

  Jax shakes his head, and my shoulders droop. I knew it was too risky when I asked, but it was worth a shot. He’s been here, undercover for a decade. No way is he going to risk everything so I can talk to Puck.

  If he doesn’t have a phone, how does he contact him without his powers? My eyes snap to his wrist, which is now devoid of any jewelry.

  “What happened to your bracelet?”

  “You noticed that, did you?” he asks, his voice gruff. “That was a short-term punishment.”

  “For what?” I asked, arching a brow.

  “Take some time,” he says, ignoring my question and steering me toward the door. “Decide how involved you want to be and let me know.”

  “Okay,” I say stepping through the doorway and out into the hall. I turn and stare at him for a moment, then offer him a slight smile. “Thanks, Officer Woodrow.”

  Thanks for watching out for me. For telling me the truth. For giving me time to make a choice.

  “You’re welcome, Inmate Finley.”

  Then the door closes in my face, and I shake my head as I stride down the corridor. I need to talk to my friends.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  “So Echo is paying them to send us here?” Lark asks when I recap everything Jax told me.

  I’m alone in my room with her and Asher. I wanted to talk to them first, before we tell the others. To get their take on the situation and find out how they feel about me, and the rest of them, getting caught up in this dangerous situation.

  “We’re already caught up in it,” Asher responds when I say as much. “We are all pawns in whatever scheme Echo has going here. We can only assume
that if we don’t fall in line with his plans, we’ll be eliminated.”

  “So, we don’t have a choice,” I murmur.

  “No,” he says, then points to himself and Lark. “We don’t have a choice. You can leave this place whenever you want and never look back.”

  He’s right. I could walk out right now and Echo would never know he had the heir to the Zephyr throne within his grasp. I could go back to my life, return to the academy, and only Great-grandpa Robin would truly know what I’ve been through, and that I never left the city, much less the country.

  I could put all this behind me and move on.

  My eyes shift to Lark, who is giving me an encouraging smile. She won’t try to influence my decision, and she’ll support whatever choice I make.

  Because that’s the kind of person she is. The kind of friend she is.

  When I look back at Asher, his face is totally blank. He won’t try to sway my decision either.

  “No judgment,” he says, confirming what I already knew. “Whatever you decide, we’re behind you, one hundred percent.”

  There’s really only one choice I can live with.

  “I’m not going anywhere,” I say.

  “Yes,” Lark cheers, pumping a fist in the air. “Echo’s going down.”

  I laugh and my eyes drift to Asher, who locks gazes with me. There’s an intensity in his blue eyes that latches onto me and won’t let go.

  “I’m…gonna…go…do something,” Lark mutters, but neither of us acknowledge that we heard her.

  I vaguely hear the door click closed behind her, but my eyes remain locked on the boy in front of me as he drifts closer.

  “You’re not leaving us,” he says, and I shake my head slightly.

  “No.”

  “You’re not leaving me.”

  I swallow thickly as he moves into my personal space with those words.

  “No,” I try to say, but no sound comes out.

  “If I try to kiss you,” he whispers, his mouth hovering above mine, “will you blast me with that power caged inside you?”