by Wendi Wilson
“But…why would he do that to them? I could understand him doing something like that to me, but not his granddaughter.”
“I think it was for you,” he said, tugging my hand to get me moving again.
“How do you mean?”
“Well, what could be worse than Shaela avoiding you because she’s angry?”
We stopped walking and he turned to me, his light blue eyes boring into mine. He reached up and tucked a lock of black hair behind my ear and swiped a gentle fingertip along my cheekbone.
“Shaela not being mad and still avoiding you. If he did, indeed, use his magic to make Shaela and Charles want to hump each other in the middle of the dining hall,” —I flinched at his crass words and he shot me an apologetic look—“it was solely for your benefit. To make you feel less than, like you’re not even important enough to be mad at anymore.”
We made our way to gym without another word as I contemplated his theory. While the way Shaela and Charles were acting was completely out of character, and it was possible, even likely, that’s Puck’s magic was involved, I didn’t know if I agreed with Easton’s reasoning.
It seemed like a lot of trouble just to hurt the feelings of a student he didn’t care for. Even if that student had a Zephyr for a father and the affections of the future king.
Thinking about it that way, maybe Easton did have a point.
Maybe Puck wanted to see how far he could push me before I snapped, proving to everyone that I was a danger to the other students. The faculty. Maybe even the Sylph community as a whole.
I was just going to have to stay one step ahead of him. And keep my powers under control.
“ONE MORE TIME.”
A strong gust of wind hit me before Easton uttered the last word. My hair whipped around my face, and I flicked my head to the side to clear my vision as I lifted my hands. Fire shot from my palms, growing bigger as his wind fed the flames.
With a twist of his wrist, he commanded the flowing air to form a tornado, which took the flames straight up to the ceiling. I struggled to contain the fire within the cyclone as I called to water. Sweat dripped down my temple as the humidity in the room skyrocketed.
With a loud crack, lightning streaked across the gym. My hand shot forward and I attempted to harness it. To guide it toward a spot on the floor Easton and I had decided upon before we started.
The lightning angled toward it, then broke free of my hold and hit the wall on the opposite side of the gym. The last of my strength drained out of me and the fire extinguished itself. I dropped to my knees in exhaustion, filling my lungs with the thick, humid air.
Easton walked over and slumped to the floor beside me, scrubbing a palm over his face to clear away the sweat.
“You almost had it that time,” he said.
We thought that if he worked with me to create the fire tornado, controlling the wind so I could focus on the other elements, I might be able to control the lightning I created. If I could do that, I could use it as a weapon.
The ultimate weapon.
“I don’t know if it’s going to happen, Easton,” I said once my breathing slowed. “I was putting everything I had into it, and got control for a fraction of a second. Just that tiny movement drained me completely. Even if I do manage to do it when it counts, I’d be useless afterward. A liability. I just don’t think it’s worth it.”
The bell rang, signaling the end of the lunch hour, and Easton rose to his feet without another word and held a hand out to me. I let him help me up and we left them gym, heading to our fifth period classes.
“See you later,” he said, giving me a sweaty hug before we parted ways.
I headed to math class, embarrassed by my sticky, flushed skin and damp clothes, but feeling lighter and less stressed than I had earlier. Easton was right—throwing my magic around did make me feel better.
CHAPTER 21
Shaela crept into our room just after midnight, her hair mussed and her shirt twisted, the buttons hitting the wrong holes. She froze when she saw I was still awake, reading the copy of Sleeping Beauty Easton had given me for Christmas.
“Oh, hey,” she said, straightening her shirt and smoothing a hand over her tangled blond hair.
“Hey,” I said, placing a ribbon between the pages to mark my place before I closed the book and laid it on my night stand. “Have fun tonight?”
“Yeah, I guess,” she said slowly, narrowing her eyes at my arched brow.
“You missed a button,” I offered pointing at the front of her shirt with a laugh.
“Oops,” she replied, her cheeks turning pink.
She gave me her back and stripped the shirt off, replacing it with a soft tank top she liked to sleep in. Stepping into the matching shorts, she pulled them on under her skirt before unzipping it and letting it drop to the floor. Afterward, she sat on the edge of her bed, her green eyes searching mine.
“Sorry about girls’ night,” she said in a weak voice. “I swear, sometimes I think something is wrong with me these days. I’m just not myself—quick to anger, arguing with you. And I was practically dry-humping Charles in the middles of the dining hall, for God’s sake!”
“Did you guys…?” I asked, trailing off.
“No!” she shouted, then at a more reasonable level, “No. I mean, we came pretty close when we got back to his room, but we both came to our senses and stopped. If we hadn’t…I just don’t know.”
She covered her face with her hands, growling through gritted teeth. She was frustrated with her behavior and her obvious inability to control her impulses. She was acknowledging that something strange was going on and, maybe if I eased into it, she’d actually be more receptive to the truth.
“When do you think your out-of-character behavior started?” I asked, careful to keep my tone gentle and not at all accusatory.
“I don’t know,” she said, shrugging her shoulders. “A few weeks? Maybe I should schedule an appointment with the nurse, just to get checked out.”
“Maybe,” I offered. “Or maybe it’s not you.”
“What do you mean?” she asked, cocking her head to the side.
I took a deep breath, praying that she’d spent all day with Charles and hadn’t come into any contact with Puck since the morning. If his control was slipping enough that she stopped herself from sleeping with Charles, then maybe it was weak enough that I could get through to her. That she wouldn’t storm out in a fit of anger.
“Maybe someone is influencing you,” I said, keeping my gaze locked on hers.
Her head cocked to the side, confusion etched across her face. Her eyes widened and her spine straightened. Her expression turned incredulous as her mouth fell open before snapping shut.
“You think my grandfather…no. No, December. He wouldn’t. He couldn’t!”
She shook her head as she said the words. She seemed to be trying to convince herself more than she was me. But she wasn’t growing angry for once, and that gave me hope.
“Think about it, Shaela,” I said, forcing my tone to remain calm and even. “Things started getting rough between us after he arrived. Instead of listening to me when I try to tell you what I’ve been suspecting, you fly into a rage and storm off. How many times did that happen before you started spending time with your grandfather?”
She didn’t answer me, but she didn’t storm out, either. Her eyes looked glassy as she thought about what I was saying, so I kept talking before she had a chance to shut me down.
“Whenever you spend any amount of time away from him, you’re your normal self. You apologize for getting angry, tell me you don’t know why you lost your temper, and we’re friends again. But after you see him…”
I trailed off as she gasped, her eyes widening with the realization that I was right. She stared at me for several seconds, her mouth opening and closing silently, like she couldn’t find the right words. Then her lips pressed together as her eyes narrowed.
“That son of a bitch,” she murmured. “H
e’s been manipulating me all along, hasn’t he? And to make me act like that with Charles, in front of everyone? Why would he do that?”
She didn’t seem to be really expecting an answer, but I gave her one anyway.
“If you’re wrapped up in a haze of love and lust with Charles, it puts even more distance between us. There’s less opportunity for us to have this conversation. Do you remember what happened in his class this morning?”
She thought for a moment, then said, “He was questioning what we should do when the Zephyrs attempt to fully conquer the humans.”
“He made it sound like we shouldn’t fight them.”
Shaela shook her head with confusion etched across her features. Then she stilled and looked at me with wide eyes.
“He said something about your parents.”
I nodded, relief flooding through me that Shaela was showing empathy for me and not blindly siding with the grandfather.
“And you were angry on my behalf,” I said. “Then what happened?”
“I don’t know,” she said, her brows drawing low. “I was shocked and angry that he’d go there, bring up such a sensitive subject in front of the whole class. Then, I was…not. I felt nothing but adoration and pride that he’s my family.”
“He did that to mess with me, Shaela. He let you out of his thrall just long enough to give me hope, then reeled you back under in front of me, just to prove he could.”
“No,” she breathed, but I could see the wheels turning in her head. She started pacing back and forth, her hands squeezing into tight fists.
I was finally getting through to her, making her see who Puck truly was. My own gears started spinning as I tried to think of a way to keep her safe from his magical manipulations. This would all be for nothing if he got his hooks into her again.
I started to speak, but before I could utter a word, Shaela’s entire demeanor changed. The defeated slouch of her spine suddenly went rigid, and her face morphed into a mask of fury. Her small hands clenched into tight fists as her face turned red.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“You just don’t know when to stop, do you?” she spat.
The angry hiss of her words had me rearing back like a slap to the face. Despite the hurt I was sure she could see in my eyes, she stalked forward and brought her face close to mine.
“My grandfather loves me, and you can’t stand that, can you? Poor little orphan,” she sang, her voice dripping with sarcasm, “left on the steps of a library because no one loved her.”
“Shaela,” I whispered, horrified by her cruel tone and cutting words.
It was like she couldn’t hear me. Couldn’t see me.
“I thought you were my best friend,” she continued, crossing her arms tightly over her chest. “My only friend. But that’s the way you like it, isn’t it? Having a friend devoted to only you?” A harsh, bitter laugh burst from her lips. “I was so needy, latching onto you like a lifeline because I was tired of being alone. Well, guess what—I’m not alone anymore. I have Charles, and I have my grandfather. I don’t need you anymore.”
As her tirade came to an end, she reached behind her neck and unclasped her necklace. Balling it in a fist, she reared back and flung it at me. I flinched as it bounced off my chest and landed in my lap. The light from my bedside lamp reflected off the golden wing pendant. The small, engraved letters that read “Best Friends” mocked me as I read the words.
What had just happened? How had everything gone so terribly wrong?
When I looked up, Shaela was walking through the door. I leapt from the bed and ran after her, shouting her name despite the late hour and the other students trying to sleep in their own rooms. I flew into the corridor just in time to see the swish of her blond hair as she zipped around the corner, barefoot and still wearing her skimpy pajamas.
I called out to her again, but it was no use. She was gone, and not just in the literal sense of the word. A twist in my gut told me I may have well and truly lost her this time. For good.
As I tried to decide whether to go after her or give her time to cool off, a chuckle rang out behind me, the sound sending a sharp chill racing down my spine. I spun around to see Puck leaning a shoulder against the wall, his arms crossed over his chest and a wide grin on his face.
My body began to tremble as it dawned on me that he’d done it again. He’d kept himself and his magic away from Shaela long enough for her to come out of his thrall, let me build up hope that she and I could fix things between us, then swooped in and ripped the rug right out from under me.
And he was enjoying the hell out of it.
“Why are you doing this?” I gritted out between clenched teeth as he straightened and started sauntering toward me.
“Patrolling the hall?” he asked. “It is my duty as an educator and member of this illustrious staff to make sure our students are safe and well taken care of.”
“You were not patrolling the hall,” I hissed. “I know what you’re doing, and you’re not going to get away with it.”
“It appears, my dear Miss Thorne, that I already have,” he uttered in a smug tone as he passed me by and headed off in the direction Shaela had taken.
As he turned the corner at the end, I spotted the blond head and malicious smile of Aubrey, who’d obviously heard the commotion and opened her door to see what was going on. And however much she witnessed, it obviously filled her with glee.
I spun on a heel and escaped back into my room, closing the door softly behind me despite the desire to rattle the hinges with a good, hard slam. As my eyes roved over first Shaela’s empty bed, then the glint of gold on the floor where her necklace had fallen when I jumped up, my anger drained out of me.
Despair took over as I shuffled across the room, bending to scoop up the discarded necklace before slipping into my bed and pulling the covers up and over my head. Squeezing the charm in my fist, I ignored the pain of it biting into my palm as I replayed the night’s events over and over in my head.
Tears stung my eyes, not from the physical pain, but from the realization that I had absolutely no control over my life. It felt like I was back in the foster care system, subject to the whims of people who only cared about themselves and their own agendas. Only this time, it wasn’t greedy, questionable humans trying to earn a few bucks by taking in a lonely orphan.
It was an unpredictable faery who had it out for me, making it personal by trying to take away almost everyone I loved.
And it seemed like there was nothing I could do about it.
CHAPTER 22
I didn’t see Shaela for what felt like an eternity. The days turned into a week and she still hadn’t shown back up to our room—at least not while I was there. She hadn’t come to the dining hall for meals and had been a no-show for sociology every day since the night our friendship blew up in my face.
I’d have been scared she was well and truly missing if it hadn’t been for Charles giving Easton and me regular updates. Shaela was staying in Puck’s suite, eating her meals there with him and everything. He’d given her permission to avoid his classroom and, by default, me, while giving her private tutoring so she wouldn’t fall behind.
I could only imagine the lessons he was warping her mind with. I was certain he’d have her begging to join the Zephyr army by the time he was done with her. Charles tried to assure me that she was okay, that no one was influencing her unduly and that she was just being protective of her grandfather and would come around eventually.
But I knew the truth. She wouldn’t come out of it…not until Puck released his hold over her, permanently.
As the days rolled by, my mood sunk lower and lower. On some rational level, I knew I was suffering from depression, but I had no idea how to break myself free from it. Shaela was the first person I ever truly loved. The first person to ever love me. There was a gaping hole inside me that stretched bigger and bigger with each passing day.
I started making excuses to get out of my traini
ng with Cris. One day it was a headache. The next, I claimed stomach cramps. He knew I was lying, but he let me get away with it, giving me the time and space he thought I needed after Easton explained to him what happened between me and Shaela.
Easton was a little harder to dodge. He tried to be there for me, to soothe my hurt with promises that we would find a way to rescue Shaela from her grandfather’s clutches. He refused to let me hide from him. So most days, we sat together in my room in complete silence. So close, yet an ocean away from each other.
My heart screamed at me to stop pushing away the ones who loved me, but my mind refused to listen. Guilt whispered in my ear that I had no business finding enjoyment when Shaela was being mentally abused by Fae magic. Fear murmured that I should separate myself from everyone, lest Puck find a way to take away their free will, as well.
I tried to fight the negativity, bolstering myself as I walked to my father’s room after not hearing from him for several days. Relief filled me when my knock went unanswered, but was quickly pushed out by anxiety as I knocked again, this time harder. When there was still no answer, I tried the knob and the door swung inward.
“Dad?” I called out before stepping through the portal and closing the door behind me.
The room was empty. The bed was unmade, the covers twisted into a big mound in the center. My face drew down as I stared at it, thinking of all the times I’d come to Cris’s room. The bed was always made with crisp corners and pillows plumped.
My eyes chased around the room as my breathing accelerated. The trunk by the foot of the bed was open, showing me its barren emptiness. The framed picture Shaela had taken of Dad and I dancing at the Valentine’s dance was missing from its usual spot on the bedside table. There was nothing left of him in the room.
I suddenly felt like I couldn’t breathe, gaining no oxygen from the air that filled my lungs to capacity with each labored breath I took. My head swiveled from side to side, my eyes searching the room for something, anything, that might give me a clue as to where my father was.