by Wendi Wilson
I lifted my head, my teary eyes meeting his ice-blue ones, filled with concern.
“We have to stop him before it’s too late,” I whispered.
I laid my cheek against his shoulder as my tears dried up and my body filled with resolve. We would stop Robin Goodman, break the hold he had over Shaela and the other students, and thwart whatever plan he was enacting by coming to Oberon Academy and wrecking my life.
So far, destroying me seemed to be his main objective. I just had to figure out why.
CHAPTER 17
I should have known Easton would never let me do it on my own.
I told him at lunch, where Shaela was once again MIA, that I couldn’t sit around and do nothing anymore. I couldn’t just wait for Puck to make a mistake, or somehow accidentally reveal his grand plan. I didn’t have time for that.
The sooner I figured out what he was up to and the reasons behind his actions, the sooner I could prove to Shaela that her grandfather was not the good, benevolent old man she thought him to be. If I found some kind of proof he had ulterior motives, the council would have no choice but to exile him once again. Then maybe Finn could reinstate Cris and everything could get back to normal. Or…as normal as they got for me.
Despite my protests that I should do it on my own, that the grandson of Finn Oberon and future king of the Sylphids should steer clear of any subterfuge, Easton insisted on helping me. There was no talking him out of it, and if I were being perfectly honest with myself, I didn’t really try that hard.
I knew I was going to need help.
Later that day, Operation Puck’s Downfall went into full effect. While I was training with Cris after classes ended, Easton kept a watchful eye on the wily Fae, following him to his room and striking up a conversation with Professor Alfred so it looked like he had a reason to be in the staff’s common room.
That’s where I found him after my training session was over. Claiming that I had something very important to discuss with Easton, I rescued him from one of Professor Alfred’s droning history lectures and we slipped outside and around the corner.
“Anything?” I asked when we stopped and leaned against the outer wall of the building.
Easton shook his head, saying, “He came straight here and went up to his room. He didn’t talk to anyone.”
“Any sign of Shaela?”
“No, I haven’t seen her.” At my frown, he quickly added, “But I haven’t seen Charles, either. They’re probably together.”
I nodded, zoning out as I imagined Shaela and Charles together. I pictured them laughing and cuddling, with my best friend acting like her normal, happy self.
The sound of a door thumping closed echoed from the back of the building, snapping me out of my daydream. I met Easton’s curious look with one of my own before we turned and crept toward the corner.
Peeking my head around, I sucked in a sharp breath. Professor Goodman was striding across the lawn, heading straight for the tree line. I ducked back as he glanced over his shoulder, pressing my back against the stone wall as Easton copied my movements. When I looked again, Puck was disappearing into the forest.
I waved at Easton to follow me and chased after the Puck, keeping my steps light to minimize the noise. My breaths came hard and fast, and my heart beat double-time both from the exertion and the thrill of the hunt.
This was it. I knew it. Puck had no reason to go traipsing through the woods. No innocent one, anyway. Whatever he was up to, we were about to find out.
Easton and I slowed down once we reached the forest’s edge. The build-up of dead leaves amplified Puck’s footsteps, letting us know exactly which way he went. We had to be careful or the same sounds would alert him to our presence.
Unless…
I called to my magic, placing a Glamour around us to muffle any sounds we might make. To my delight, it worked—no leaves crackled beneath our feet, no twigs snapped as we moved branches out of our path. We hurried our steps and quickly caught up to our prey, who was still walking at a leisurely pace.
I held Easton back with an arm across his chest, keeping a respectable distance between us and Puck. Despite my Glamour being effective, Robin Goodman was a very old, very powerful faery. I was sure he would sense our presence if we got too close, despite the absence of sound.
Puck ground to halt, and Easton and I froze in our tracks. He lifted his face toward the treetops and seemed to smell the air around him. He turned to his left, visibly sniffing, then propped his hands on his hips.
“I know you’re there. Show yourself to me,” he called out.
My heart stuttered in my chest, then beat to a fast, staccato rhythm that had me panting in fear. We were busted, and my mission to out Puck as a traitor and all-around bad guy was over before it even started. Sensing my panic, Easton pressed a hand to my back and pulled me into his chest, then moved us behind a wide tree.
“Come on, Stark. I don’t have time for your games and intrigues.”
My heart rate accelerated even more as I realized he hadn’t been talking to us. He was meeting someone. Someone not affiliated with Oberon Academy. Alone. In the middle of the woods.
This was it.
I leaned to the side, peeking around the trunk we hid behind. My eyes bugged out and my breathing stopped when a Zephyr stepped out from behind a tree. I stared at his black hair, his black eyes, and his black wings in disbelief. In all my imaginings, all my internal theories about Puck’s duplicitous motives, I didn’t expect this.
Sure, his lessons seemed to lean toward pro-Zephyr sentiments, but I just assumed he’d was propagating dissidence within the school, not actually working with the dark Fae. But proof was standing just a few feet away with arms crossed over a broad chest.
“What have you to report?” the Zephyr asked.
Stark. That’s what Puck had called him. I made a mental note to remember the name.
“I’ve succeeded in making the students second-guess everything they’ve been taught. Confusion breeds chaos, and soon the turmoil will provide the perfect distraction for the queen to make her move.”
I gasped, but luckily my Glamour held and neither Fae seemed to hear me. I tilted my head, resting it against the rough bark. This was bad. Really, really bad.
“And the girl?” Stark asked, and my attention snapped back to the pair.
A leonine smile curved Puck’s lips.
“I’ve begun the process of isolating her. My granddaughter has proven to be a great tool. Shaela adores her Grandad, and every negative word the girl utters about me pushes the wedge further between them. I’ve guaranteed that all of her words concerning me are negative,” he answers with a dark chuckle.
“You need to double your efforts and accelerate the timeline. Queen Sebille grows weary of the wait.”
Puck nodded, saying, “Consider it done.”
With a bend of the knees and a flap of the wings, Stark shot straight up between a gap in the tree branches, disappearing from sight. My eyes lingered on the branches, still bare from their winter’s shed. I was breathing fast and hard and barely heard Puck’s voice over the breath sawing in and out of my lungs.
“You can come out, now. I know you’re there.”
My eyes locked with Easton’s as we simultaneously froze, each of us holding our breath.
“Come along Ms. Thorne. Mr. Oberon. I do not like to be kept waiting.”
His imperious tone struck a nerve inside me, filling me with indignation. Puck was the one committing the wrong, not us. I took Easton’s hand and, dropping the sound-barrier Glamour, stepped out from behind the tree.
“How could you?” I asked, my voice filled with equal parts accusation and disbelief.
“How could I what?” he mused, stepping toward us. “How could I have a private meeting with another faery?”
He put special emphasis on the word private, like Easton and I were the ones in the wrong. I narrowed my eyes and Easton’s grip on my hand tightened. I knew without looking at h
im that it was a warning. Robin Goodman was a threat despite his light-hearted disposition.
“Or how could I plot against the Sylphids with Queen Sebille?” he continued when we didn’t speak. “That, my dears, is none of your business. And you would do well to never speak of this again.”
I barked out a cynical laugh. “You can’t be serious. We are going to tell everyone what we saw. You’ll be gone by morning, banished again. Hopefully, this time, forever.”
“And how do you think young Shaela will react to your part in my supposed banishment?” he countered. “She would never forgive you. She’d be lost to you, for good. Is my downfall worth the love of your best friend?”
Though his words struck a chord of fear inside me, I held firm.
“I’m prepared to make sacrifices for the greater good,” I stated.
His laughter echoed off the trees around us. “The greater good, indeed. And what of you, young prince? Are you willing to risk your popularity by slandering my reputation?”
“It’s not slander if it’s true,” Easton gritted out between clenched teeth.
“Oh, ho! Now, there lies the crux of the situation. If it’s true. Where is your proof?”
“We just saw you with him,” I accused. “With Stark. We heard your plans. Once we tell Finn, it’s over. He’ll believe us, proof or not.”
“Perhaps,” Puck said, tapping a finger against his lips, “but it is not only Finn you must convince. The council will be—how should I phrase this?—less receptive to the word of a half-Zephyr girl who lied to them for months about her heritage and the identity of her father.”
“The council will believe me,” Easton cut in.
“Ah, yes, the young prince. So in love with the hybrid, he’d do anything for her. Sure, they might believe you. But, then again, maybe they won’t. Maybe they’ll revoke your claim to the throne and appoint a new successor to King Oberon.”
“You mean, like you?” I spat, and a vicious smile curved his lips.
“Now that you mention it…” he said, his words trailing off suggestively. Then he waved a hand in the air. “But that is neither here nor there. You two will not be speaking a word of this night, so the point is moot.”
“Are you threatening us?” Easton demanded, his voice as sharp as a knife.
“Of course, I would not deign to threaten the crown prince,” Puck replied, laying a palm against his chest. “But hear this—if you pursue this course of action and try to defame my character, you will be setting into motion a series of events that cannot be stopped. Shaela will be lost to you, forever. I am sure you are aware of my…powers of persuasion. Do not doubt the sway I hold over her.”
I opened my mouth to protest, but he cut me off.
“That is not all, my dearest December. I know that your father resides here still, and that your training with him continues. Should I notify the council of this fact, not only will he be ousted, you will be expelled for disobeying them and Finn will be punished for allowing it. He could pay for his crime with his crown…or with his life.”
He looked from me to Easton, knowing that last bit would ensnare the prince. Easton would never do anything to endanger his grandfather. Never.
With a tip of his head and a salute, Puck turned on a heel and stalked away. No more words needed to be said. Our mission was destroyed, our plans paralyzed. There was nothing we could do to touch him.
We were defeated by the trickster. Outmaneuvered and outplayed. It was over.
CHAPTER 18
Easton and I were equally silent as we made our way out of the woods. While I wallowed in disappointment, I could see by his aura that he was steeped in worry. Worry for his grandfather, no doubt. Despite using his knowledge as leverage against us, Puck could go to the council at any time and get Finn into trouble for harboring my father.
That, coupled with his influence over Shaela and the threats against my father were too much. We were stuck between a rock and a hard place with nowhere left to go. It was a little bit devastating.
With a peck on the cheek and a promise to talk to him later, I dashed away from Easton as soon as we entered the building. I knew he’d want to stay with me, to comfort me however he could, but I just wanted to be alone for a while. I needed time to process and, hopefully, regroup.
I was lying on my bed, staring at the ceiling with my rabbit Blossom on my stomach, when Shaela showed up. She blew in like a tornado, the door slamming into the wall and bouncing back, nearly hitting her. Her hand flew up and she caught it just in time. Blossom skittered off me and burrowed under my blanket.
“What did you do?” she asked, her tone more accusatory than inquisitive.
“What do you mean?” I responded, sitting up to face her.
“I just saw my grandfather,” she explained, “and he was really upset. He said your name, then he cut himself off and refused to say another word. So I repeat—what did you do?”
That son of a bitch.
“Shaela—”
“Save it,” she said, cutting me off. “It doesn’t matter. Just hear me now. If you are really my friend, you’ll drop this vendetta, or whatever it is, you have against him. He knows he messed up at the Valentine’s dance, okay? He realizes he should have handled things differently. You need to practice a little forgiveness and let it go. For all of our sakes.”
I bit my tongue, hard, against the words that wanted to spew from my mouth. Any denial from me, any attempt to get her to see the truth about the man she reveres would only backfire right in my face. When I nodded and promised to try, she visibly relaxed.
“I just came to gather some things. Grandad asked me to spend a few days with him in his suite. He has some old photos and keepsakes he said I could go through to see if there’s anything I want.”
“And you have to stay there for days to do that?” I asked before I could restrain myself. At Shaela’s harsh glare, I held up my palms in surrender and said, “Sorry. I’ll just miss you, that’s all.”
“Yeah, well, maybe some time apart will do us some good,” she said, zipping up her bag and throwing it over her shoulder. “We both need a little perspective.”
I just nodded even though my mind was screaming bloody murder. Time apart? I’d barely seen her since that man showed up at the academy. Perspective? Shaela was the one who needed perspective. And she’d only get it with time apart from Puck, not me.
She gave me a little wave and walked out, closing the door quietly behind her. It was a vast contradiction to her entrance, and left me feeling a little bit devastated. Her anger and passion showed me she cared. The sudden detachment following her tirade felt…off. It felt like the beginning of the end.
I reached under the blanket and pulled Blossom out of her hiding spot. After stroking her soft fur, I put her back in her cage and turned toward the door. The air in the room felt thick, and I had to get out of there before I suffocated. I needed Easton.
I’d barely taken a step when a knock sounded on the wood. I strode forward and pulled open the door, meeting the ice-blue gaze of my boyfriend. He held up a paper bag and jiggled it.
“I was just coming to find you,” I said, moving aside to let him in the room.
“I was leaving the dining hall when I saw Shaela storm through. She had a bag and a pissed off expression, so I assumed things didn’t go very well between the two of you.” He held up the bag again. “I figured you could tell me what happened over a plate of fried chicken.”
Despite my anger and feeling of hopelessness, a smile tugged at my lips at his thoughtfulness. Easton knew I needed to talk and came, bringing along a bag of my favorite food to cheer me up. He really was the best.
After spreading a blanket on the floor and divvying up the chicken, I told him what happened with Shaela. He was empathetic and sweet, assuring me that she’d come around. That we’d find a way to bring her back to us.
“He was proving a point,” I said, my eyes glossing over as I stared at my hands. “He wanted me
to see what kind of control he has. That just by uttering my name, he could devastate my relationship with her. What can we possibly do, Easton? We can’t touch him.”
“Maybe if we get her away from his influence—”
“He’ll never let that happen,” I said interrupting him. “Until he’s done with…whatever his long term goal is, he’ll keep her under his thumb. He knows she’s the key to keeping me in line.”
“And my weakness is my grandfather.”
“Yes,” I said, my shoulders drooping. “For now, we have no other choice but to keep our heads down and our mouths shut.”
“That really sucks.”
“I agree. But it doesn’t mean that we have to give up. We just have to make him think we’re going along with him. We could still find a way to outsmart him. I know we can.”
Easton smiled and nodded in agreement, but I wasn’t sure he really believed it. Hell, I wasn’t sure I really believed it. Maybe they were just words meant make him, and myself, feel better. I knew I had to try, regardless. We might not best Robin Goodman, but if we didn’t at least attempt to thwart him, we’d already failed.
“What should we do now?” he asked once we finished eating. “We could go practice sparring in the gym.”
“I don’t really feel like it,” I said, unable to keep the melancholy from my voice.
“Yeah, me neither.”
“Do you think we should tell Finn what’s going on? He’d know what to do.”
Easton shook his head, his eyes wide with panic.
“We can’t, D. I have no doubt that he’d confront Puck and tell the council, regardless of the consequences to himself. If that happens, Puck will tell them everything. They’ll banish Finn and your father. And most likely you, as well. That’s not a chance I’m willing to take.”