Alexander appears a couple of seconds later, confused and off-kilter. He’s dressed in sleek battle armor, and based on the heavy sword in his hand, he’s just been plucked off the battlefield. My anger fizzles. I still find him irresistible, and my heart breaks at the sight of him. He takes one look at Summer and then at me, and his face goes white with shock.
“Oh dear,” he says, sheathing his sword. He is confused, at a complete loss for words. He has no idea how his two worlds, once so neatly separated into different realms, have so massively collided. “Sophia.” His voice falters. “I can only imagine what you must think. But it’s not…” He trails off, glaring at Summer. “And you,” he growls through clenched teeth. “What in Danu’s name are you even doing here, Summer? We had an agreement.”
“An agreement?” I say, laughter fluttering in my throat. This is all so absurd. “To what? Keep this secret for a little longer?”
Alexander’s face grows red with anger. Or embarrassment. I can’t tell.
“We had an agreement while you were in exile,” Summer says, her voice sharp. “But you’re not in exile anymore. And I wish to pick up where we left off.” She saunters over to him and places a caressing hand on his muscular bicep. “Now, why don't you just tell her the truth? Tell her who I am? She doesn’t seem to want to listen to me.”
“You know just as well as I do that our…arrangement…ended centuries ago,” Alexander snarls. “You couldn't have cared less about me while I was in exile. And now you want to show up here, exerting power over me you no longer possess? Have you not done enough already?”
“Oh, Auberon, I haven’t even begun,” she says, laughing as she trails her fingertips along his arm.
Alexander turns to me, his eyes pleading. “Sophia, you know I can’t lie to you. Yes. It’s true that Summer and I were bound at one time. A very, very long time ago. But it was a horrible match. Arranged by our families to keep the peace between the courts. Neither one of us wanted it. We didn’t—“
“This is why…” My voice is hoarse. “Why our binding ceremony didn’t take, wasn’t it?” I give him a second to answer, but just as he starts to, I cut him off. “Because of her? Because you are already lightbound to someone else.” Alexander’s gaze drops to the floor. “And you knew all along but didn’t tell me?” His mouth moves a little, but he doesn’t answer. “So, you can’t lie, but you can’t be forthcoming with necessary information? Isn’t that kind of the same thing?” Again, he doesn’t respond, just stares at the floor, jaw pulsing.
“You poor thing,” coos Summer. “I pity the humans who get themselves and their hearts sucked up in our affairs. They do get a little complicated, don’t they?” She gives me a catty smile. “Helena is the perfect example. Remember her, Auberon? Oh, what am I saying? Of course you do. Anyway, Helena fell hard for the Fae Prince. Gave up everything for him. And ended up killing herself because she couldn’t have him. Pity. The poor girl had nothing left to live for.” Her green eyes brighten. “I’m sure you can relate a little to Helena, can’t you, Sophia?” She gives me a sympathetic smile. “But you have to understand. Auberon needs a true Fae Princess by his side. One who appreciates her magical gifts. One who can survive for more than a few hours in Faerie. Not…” She looks me up and down. “Not a weak human girl.”
“You know? I am so sick of being called weak,” I growl.
Before I can stop myself, I fly forward, breaking free from my witchy fetters. My fist springs back, and with all the force I can gather, I punch Summer, the Unseelie Princess smack in the face. She teeters backward, blood dripping from her nose, surprised by the power in my punch.
Huh. Who knew those sparring sessions with Chris and with Myra would come in handy?
“That is enough,” roars Alexander. “Get…the hell…out of here, Summer.” His face darkens with rage. “I command it.”
As if in response to Alexander’s command, Esmeralda, Fiona, and the rest of the Nevermoor Faculty circle around Summer, their combined magic so strong, it feels like it’s burning right through me.
Summer removes her hand from her nose, which of course has already healed. Her eyes dart around the powerful circle of witches that’s closing in on her.
“Oh, fine,” she says, offering me a bitter smile. “But this is far from over, you know.” She narrows her eyes before vanishing in a thick, black plume of smoke.
I watch as the black Summer-cloud dissipates, feeling numb and defeated. And as the weight of the situation sinks in, I realize I want nothing more to do with this. I am tired of being a joke…a pawn in this supernatural drama. Summer is right on some levels. I should step aside and let the Fae handle their own problems., they have more of them than I ever imagined.
“Sophia.” Sarah touches my shoulder. “Let’s go upstairs,” she whispers. “You need to rest or you’ll be back in the infirmary again. We will get this sorted out.”
“Get this sorted out?” I shout, pulling away from her. “This isn’t some little mixup, Sarah. This isn’t ‘oh, I ordered the fish but got chicken instead.’ It’s a marriage. A binding. I threw my life away for this.”
I swipe a trembling hand through my tangled, unruly hair. I feel like an idiot. A blubbering human idiot. But that’s what I am: human. And I have a right to feel hurt.
“But that doesn’t matter, does it?” I glare at the man I so naively thought was my husband and hold up my wrist. “Remove this. Now,” I say, looking Alexander straight in the eye. “We're done, Alexander. If I am holding you back…if a true Fae princess is what you and your people want, then you can have it.” I drop my arm by my side and turn to Sarah, forcing myself to smile. “There. See? All sorted out.”
“You can't be serious,” Alexander breathes. “Sophia, please…let’s talk about this.”
“Oh, yes, I'm serious. You've cut me to the core, Alexander. I’ve worked my ass off to be what I thought you wanted. I’ve given up my life…my hopes and dreams for you. And this is how you repay me?” I stare at him, tears of humiliation and anger streaming down my face. “I am done. Remove this…thing…from my wrist. Just…let me go.”
“You need my protection,” he whispers as I stand before him, unwavering in my request.
“I am a Summoner. I have the earth’s elements at my beck and call, Alexander. I don’t need a damned thing from you,” I snap. I’m not sure if it’s true or not, but it sounds good anyway. “Now please remove this hideous thing from my wrist.” I pause and give him my sweetest smile. “I’d tell you to remove the bind as well, but I don't think that's necessary, considering there was never a bind to begin with.” I glance at the spot where Summer had been standing. “You might want to tell her that. I never had a claim to you, so there is nothing to renounce.”
“You do not understand what you’re doing,” he hisses. “But if you wish to walk away, I won’t stop you.”
“Won’t stop her, or can’t stop her?” Myra asks, narrowing her eyes at him. “She’s grown pretty powerful over these past couple of weeks.”
“Myra,” Esmeralda hisses. “Watch your tongue. You are speaking to a Fae Prince.”
“Fae Prince or not, he’s still a dick,” Myra says, shrugging.
My cuff falls to the floor. Alexander’s lips tremble as if he’s fighting back tears, but doesn’t make a move to retrieve it. He just stares at it as if he can’t believe I am really leaving him.
“Come on, Sophia,” Sarah urges again, shooting Alexander a nasty look. “Let's go upstairs. I’ll get a bottle…or three…of wine and lots of chocolate. Let’s try to relax for a little while.”
I can't believe she would suggest that I go upstairs and relax. Anger courses through me. I’m shaking. I want to use my magic to blow things up. I want to kick Alexander’s teeth in. But I take a deep breath, forcing a polite smile in response. My friends only want to help. As much as I sometimes believe that everyone is out to get me, I know for a fact that these girls have my back. Whether bound by obligation or good-old human
friendship, these girls are looking out for me.
“Goodbye, Alexander,” I say, my voice catching in my throat as I turn and storm from the room. “Go back to fighting your wars and doing whatever it is you do in Faerie. I’m done.”
“Sophia, wait,” he calls, racing after me. “Please, let me explain. I can explain all of this.” His voice is desperate. Pained. Heartbroken. Good. “Please…just wait for me. I am coming up, so we can talk about this. Alone.”
“Too late,” I call down from the elevator, watching as he grows smaller and smaller the higher we go. “We’ve had plenty of chances to talk. It’s too late for that.”
“I’m coming up anyway,” he says.
“You’re wasting your time,” I call back.
I have been waiting for him. I have been patient and understanding. I have made just about every excuse in the book I can think of to justify his absence and his complete lack of communication. And I've gotten nothing in return. Nada. Zilch. While I may be confused by what’s happening right now, one thing is for certain: there’s no way I’ll be in that room when he comes looking for me. I will now allow him to placate me with his godlike beauty and sexual prowess.
Never again, Alexander. Never again.
12
It's been a month. Almost a month since I walked away from Alexander Faust. The first week was the hardest. It took an incredible amount of willpower to send him away, refusing to speak with him. There were times I thought it would kill me. But I had to stick to my guns. His betrayal was like a knife to the heart.
He’d tried every day to see me. To speak with me. To make me understand. He’d been like a lovesick teenager trying to win back his sweetheart. I’d refused him every time, though. After a month of trying, he appears to have gotten the hint. I’ve started adjusting to my new, less-magical life in Nevermoor. I couldn’t be happier without him and his drama weighing me down. It was the out I’d been waiting for. Who knew he’d been holding me back, too?
I’d put my magic on the back burner, much to my friends’ disappointment. It was clear I wouldn’t be the wife of a Fae Prince anytime soon, so I hadn’t seen a reason to keep up with it. My life has changed. I don’t need all this power anymore.
With school back in session, my friends’ focus had turned more toward their classes and less toward my decision to forgo my magic. This left me with an ample amount of free time, and I needed to stay busy. I needed a job… a purpose. So, I did the only thing I could think of: I’d offered to put my non-magical barista skills to work in the Nevermoor Coffee Shop.
The pay isn’t great, but until the threat of a supernatural apocalypse has diminished, and I can return to Austin, it will do. Besides, I get free room and board at the Academy which means I can pocket most of the money I make, which would be a lot more fun if Nevermoor’s currency could be used outside its walls. For now, though, it works. I’m living my life on my terms now, with no interference from arrogant, possessive supernatural men.
The witches don’t agree with my decisions as of late, and it’s put a real strain on my relationship with them. They think I'm giving up, not just on myself but them, too. I realize it’s selfish for me to walk away from everything, but right now, I need to focus on myself and what’s best for me. This vacation from magic and its pressures has been the best thing for me. I never knew how much I missed living a normal, non-magical life.
Until today.
Today feels different. Something is off. I'm not sure what it is, but I woke up this morning in a terrible panic. It felt as if the world was crumbling all around me, and I could do nothing to stop it. Musical phrases have been trickling into my brain all day long, despite my attempts to push them away. I may not be practicing elemental magic, but it doesn’t stop the elements themselves from trying to get through to me since their human emissaries can’t.
The war in Faerie is worsening. It becomes more dire as the days pass, and it’s to a point we’re experiencing its aftershocks here in this realm. The entire town feels off. Everyone is at each other’s throats. My friends bicker now more than ever.
The music tells me I can intervene. That I can stop it. But the music can suck it. I was a pawn in this whole thing. And I’m over it.
I work my usual shift at the coffee shop, where I try to keep from feeling distracted and antsy. This oppressive, never-ending darkness outside makes every day drag, but today is especially slow.
Magic pulls at me, and I try my best to ignore it while I busy myself with little tasks around the counter. Relief floods through me when a large group of under-caffeinated, weary-looking students steps inside. Their laughter and idle chatter are just what I need right now.
The afternoon rush is always the bright spot of my day. I love interacting with the students, and I think they’ve grown to like me, too. The coffee shop springs to life with coffee machines whirring, milk frothers hissing, and students chattering as they enjoy their precious afternoon social-time.
The rush soon passes, and I can finally take a breather. I gaze out into the dining area just in time to see The Chosen Four walk in. Their mopey, depressed expressions are a grim contrast to the otherwise happy vibe. It’s the first time they’ve visited me during a shift, and the first time I’ve seen them together since I left Alexander. Hopefully, they’re coming around and accepting my decisions after all.
I greet them with my brightest, happiest smile.
“Hey guys," I say as they step up to the counter. “Are you slumming it with the students today?”
They argue amongst themselves before deciding who will order first. With a dramatic sigh, Sarah steps up to the counter.
“They’re doing some sort of renovations in the lounge,” she explains. “Which gave us the perfect excuse to finally come and see you.” She glances up at the menu on the wall, like she’s never been here before. "Can I get a matcha tea latte?” She pushes a little baggie of green powder across the counter. “With a little of this mixed in?”
“Ah,” I say, nodding as I eye the shady package. “Black Market matcha? Let me guess. You got that from Colin?”
“Yep,” she says with a grin. “Make one for yourself, too. It will change your life.”
“That doesn’t sound sketchy at all,” I mutter.
Colin’s life-changing matcha tea blend is the icebreaker we all need, and before long, the five of us are giggling just like we used to.
"What time do you get off work today?" Anne calls to me as she steps up to retrieve her skinny mocha.
"I get off at 3:30,” I say, glancing at the clock on the wall. “In five minutes.”
“We’ve missed you. Come hang out with us.” She nods towards the table in the corner where the other three witches are settling down with their drinks.
I’d tried a few times since my split with Alexander to hang out with my friends, but the conversations always seemed to come back to one thing: my magic. Will I ever use it again? Have I given up on it? Or them? And so on (and on, and on).
I’m not sure I want to subject myself to that all over again, but I miss my friends. I could use some girl-time.
"Sure," I say. "I'll come over there when I'm done.”
I wrap up my shift with one eye fixed on the door as I wait for my replacement to show up. When he arrives, I waste no time. I offer him a quick greeting before removing my apron and bounding over to my friends.
“Hey, Prin—Uh, Sophia,” Myra says, clapping me on the shoulder as I take the seat they’ve saved for me. “It’s been awhile. What's new?”
“Just living the dream here in Nevermoor.”
Truth is, there is nothing new to speak of. I’m not sure if that’s glorious or downright depressing.
Sarah arcs an eyebrow. "How are you liking your job here?”
It’s obvious she couldn’t care less, but I humor her anyway.
"I like it a lot," I say with a shrug. "Esmeralda taught me everything about being a barista. And I've missed it. The normal day-to-day stuff? It
makes me feel a little more…human, I guess.”
Sarah's lips press together, and I catch a flash of disapproval in her eyes.
"That's good, I guess. If feeling human is what you’re after."
"How are your classes going?" I ask, changing the subject.
"Oh my gosh," Ruby gushes, her eyes dancing with amusement. "One of my water-warlocks tried to summon water for the very first time today. He’s been slow to come into his magic…and, well, I’m not sure what happened, but somehow, he teleported himself to the lake outside."
She describes the chaotic scene, in which half the class was in the lake before it was all over. By the end of her story, we’re all howling with laughter.
"I can relate to magical mishaps with water" I say, wiping a tear from my eye.
“Water?” Ruby exclaims. “You’ve had mishaps with all the elements, Sophia, not just water.”
“Jeez.” I roll my eyes. “Can you imagine if there were more Summoners running around who could harness all the elements like I can…er, could?”
“Nope.” Myra fixes me with a firm look. “You’re the only one,” Myra reminds me.
“Which is a probably a good thing,” Sarah says with an awkward laugh. “Our jobs are already hard enough teaching students to harness one element, let alone all of them.”
Silence falls over our table, and it’s as if we’re all holding our breath, waiting for someone else to say something…anything.
“So, he ended up in the lake, huh? How does that even happen?” I ask, quickly steering the conversation back to the water-warlock. "One almost has to applaud that kind of talent.”
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