The Fae & The Fallen: Gifted Fae Academy - Year One

by Brittni Chenelle

  “Those are the combat zones. One is for physical training, you know like weapons and stuff. It’s for upperclassmen, so you won’t use it this year, and the other is for gift training. At some point you can meet with Professor Cordovan to figure out how they can accommodate you in the gift training arena since everyone is different.” She put a hand on her hip, and she looked a lot like the fashion models plastered all over social media. “By the way, what is your gift?”

  “I… I don’t know.”

  She raised an eyebrow. “Playing it coy, I see. It’s not a bad strategy except I’m fifth in our class and you don’t want to make an enemy of me.”

  “Who’s first?”

  “You’re so new it hurts. Oden Gates, obviously. And just so you don’t do anything you might regret, he and I are kind of a thing.”

  I put my hands up in surrender. “Got it.”

  “In fact, the Noble Four are all sort of off limits to you.”

  I nodded. “I just came here to study.”

  “Atta girl,” she said.

  “Let’s hit the Pink House first so you can drop off your little homeless lady bag. I also seriously encourage you to start wearing gloves. You wouldn’t want to be seen as conceited.”

  I bit back a laugh. “You’re right. That would be the worst.”

  “I mean, the students can use their gifts on objects and stuff around campus, but not on each other outside of the training zones. I don’t mean to tell you this to make you feel safe, I just want you to know that when you step into those domes, prepare yourself for a brawl.”

  It was a blatant threat. So much for laying low. Still, as I followed Miranda down the stairs of the main building balcony, down to the GFA campus, I knew there was nothing that could mess up my day. Then, like clockwork, across the way I saw Kai.

  18

  Kaito

  I saw Reina coming down the stairs from the building with the headmistress’ office. Her gaze was locked on me, giving me a rush of whatever was left over from our kiss. Though Carter was on my heels and I’d practically begged him to show me the gift training arena first, I was curious how Reina was doing on her first day. That’s when I noticed the bombshell showing her around.

  She was all legs with pouty lips and a checklist of features that looked like they’d been strategically picked from a catalog.

  “Good spot, bro. That’s Miranda," Carter said. "And you already know the new girl.”

  We met up outside the girl’s dormitory, my gaze transfixed on Miranda. Reina cleared her throat. “Hey, Kai, how’s your first day going?”

  “Just started,” I said half-heartedly. “Who’s your friend?”

  Miranda interjected, “Mentor, actually.”

  Okay, rude. With two words she’d lost my interest. It was a clear shot at Reina, and no one messed with Reina but me.

  “Rei,” I said, shifting my attention, “this is my mentor slash roommate.”

  “Carter Mason,” Reina said, her eyes bulging just as mine had when I’d first seen him, but then she touched her necklace charm and I felt a touch of jealousy flair. Carter unslung his guitar from his shoulder to give Reina a better look, but her gaze was locked on his face, like a young child meeting a mall Santa.

  Miranda patted her gloved hand on the top of Reina’s head. “Good girl. Stay in your lane. These are your people,” she said.

  I half expected Reina to jump in and defend herself, but her face beamed with suppressed amusement. I relaxed, realizing I’d felt defensive for no reason. Reina would probably be okay. Of course someone as basic as Miranda wouldn’t actually get to her. Still, I was certain there was an insult for me in there and I wasn’t going to let that slide.

  I smirked. “I’ll be one of the Nobles by the end of the day.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Aren’t you the guy who failed the entrance exam twice?”

  I gritted my teeth. “Well, it’s been a pleasure,” I said, hoping Miranda heard the bite in my tone.

  She grinned menacingly. “Right. You better get to it if you’re going to rank up by the end of the day.”

  Without another word, I turned away and headed for the arena while Carter slung his guitar back over his shoulder. “Man, that was intense,” Carter said when the girls were out of earshot.

  “She’s a fucking nightmare.”

  Carter shrugged. “She’s like some high-budget porn star mixed with a sex cosplay goddess. I don’t care if she’s a bitch.”

  “You have issues, man.” But I had to admit he had a point.

  “Honestly,” he said, “the students here are the best in the world. The elite of the Elite. Don’t let my charm fool you, I’ve already interviewed with a hostage negotiation Fae division and have a contract to do my apprenticeship with them next summer. Everyone here is going places, and their egos match. I suggest you get kind of used to it.” He put a hand on my shoulder. “You might’ve been a big deal at your old school, but now that you’re here, you’re all the way at the bottom with a nasty rumor about failed exams to boot.”

  I shrugged his hand off. “Let’s go,” I said, dismissing him as my attention was drawn to a familiar face inside the arena—Oden Gates.

  “Wait! Stop,” Carter said. “I didn’t realize there were students in there this period. We better come back when the area is free.”

  “Relax. I’m not going to do something stupid.”

  “That’s what someone whose going to do something stupid would say.” I heard him, but his words hardly processed because I was already on the move.

  I pushed open the translucent door and stepped into the arena. Once inside, it reminded me of the giant greenhouse at our local zoo with panels of partially filtered light pouring through. The stadium had gift-sealed panes that were reminiscent of the seal around the school’s outer wall. I recognized Oden right away, but my attention skipped over him as I sized up the three other guys in his little crew. They were the school’s Nobles. I knew this because I recognized every one of them. Starting on the left was the 5’5’” prodigy from New Valand, Enzo McCain. He had slick brown hair and a smirk that insisted he was too cool to be here. He made a name for himself at the bi-annual World Varsity Tournament last year for possessing a gift that was hotly debated. Like most who were trying to become Fae, he never gave any direct answers about his gift in interviews, but one thing was certain; when he touched his shoes, he ran quite a bit faster than what should be humanly possible.

  Next was Prince Finn Warsham, the actual fucking third prince of the four Zalmian princes and the only of them invited to attend the academy. Like his photos online, he was a tall black man whose hair always looked like he’d just come from his barber and whose posture was so straight it made me want to loosen my tie and slouch. There was almost no information at all about his gift, but I had the feeling I would find out soon enough.

  The last of Oden’s stooges was Quan Levout, the legend who used his doppleganger gift to fix the Varsity Tournament. He’d been disqualified, of course, but the subsequent lime green hair trend lasted an entire year.

  I was admittedly starstruck seeing them all in one place but knew what I needed to do to earn their respect.

  “It’s a little reckless for you to step foot in here on your first day,” Oden said.

  Carter grabbed my arm. “Come on, man, let’s get out of here.”

  I yanked my arm away, steadying my nerves. “Actually, Oden, I came to challenge you.”

  19

  Reina

  The number of celebrities at this school was insane. I could distinctly remember swooning over Carter Mason as a middle schooler. In fact, Kaito was there for that phase. He’d seen my bedroom walls plastered with pictures of the blonde pop star. I cringed at the possibility that my little crush might find its way into the conversation.

  Miranda and I headed to the girls’ dorm and, besides Kai and Carter, the rest of the campus seemed deserted. It didn’t seem like students skipped class around here. I almos
t dreaded how I might feel when the bell rang and students spilled into the courtyard. Oden Gates was somewhere around here, along with royalty and some of the most gifted people on the planet. The more I thought about it, the more I felt like an imposter.

  I felt my nerves soothe when a familiar face smiled at me from outside the dorm. Professor Greene perked up. “I’ll take it from here, Miranda. You may return to your morning classes.”

  “I haven’t shown her to her dorm yet,” Miranda said.

  “She won’t be needing it for a while.”

  She shot me a worried look, brushing a stray wisp of pink hair out of her eyes.

  “Thank you, Miranda, for the tour and the advice.”

  She gave a half-smile before heading toward the back of campus where the mansion-like class hall was situated.

  Professor Greene sucked in a sharp breath. “How’s your first day going?” he asked.

  I smiled through gritted teeth. “It’s a little overwhelming. Did you know Carter Mason goes here?”

  He nodded, but his expression didn’t imply he shared my excitement. “There are many celebrities in attendance here. You’ll get used to it.” He shifted his weight. “I… I think we need to have a discussion.”

  I swallowed hard. First he stopped me from moving in and now this? “Are you kicking me out already?” I said with a smile I hoped would break his grim expression.

  “That’s entirely up to you.” With a wave of his hand, he motioned for me to follow him back to the front building and it sent a new wave of dread beneath my skin. By the time we reached his office, I was almost in tears.

  “Take a seat,” he said.

  I sat like a woman condemned. I felt my posture slump as I tried to disappear into the chair.

  “As you must know by now, the first term for every student here at GFA is a probationary period. If you don’t show significant progress on your midterm, you will be dropped from the program.”

  I shook my head, my throat constricting too tightly to form words. Dropped from the program? I shuddered at the idea of returning to the group home and how long Ms. Vivian would torture me when I returned.

  “Since you and a few others have transferred this year, that means you’ll need to have your skills up to par for the winter midterm.”

  I nodded. Three months wasn’t a long time for me to pull it together, but it was a chance and that was all I needed. Still, I doubted from his tone that he was sharing the worst of the news.

  I held my breath as I waited for the gavel to drop.

  “I’ve spoken to Ms. Yarrow and she told me what you’ve done.”

  I gulped, tears pricking my eyes as they threatened to spill out.

  “I’m only going to ask this once. Why did you do it?”

  I straightened in my chair. I’d made many mistakes in my life, but the one Veranda Yarrow found inside me was the greatest. If I got thrown from GFA to answer for it, I’d accept it.

  “My parents died a year ago. I had no one, the grief was overwhelming and I thought it was the only way to move on.”

  “I see,” he said, lifting his nameplate and turning it over in his hands. “Ms. Yarrow thinks your gift may be tied to your emotions as a sort of way to focus and aim them. You can’t reach them, let alone fully master them, if you’ve taken a confection to dull your feelings of loss. You need the full spectrum.”

  “So you’re kicking me out.”

  He tilted his head. “I have to ask how you came to find such a rare confection. Unlike what I gave you, which might only last a few minutes, this could only be made by someone as powerful as Fae and would be expensive and extremely difficult to locate.”

  Despair pooled in my stomach. “I received a large inheritance.”

  “That’s quite a sacrifice. You must’ve been in a great deal of pain.”

  “Yes, I must’ve.” But I didn’t know for sure. Even the memory of that time seemed drained of emotion.

  “I can make a confection to counteract the one you took, but I need to know if that’s something you’d be open to.”

  I stood. “Yes.” I put both hands flat on his desk, leaning into him. “Please,” I begged, my voice cracking. It was a miracle. A second chance at life. In less than a day, GFA was offering me everything I’d ever wanted.

  Professor Greene looked down. “Before you agree, I must tell you that this will be an agonizing experience. Every emotion you’ve suppressed over the last year will hit you at once. You’ll have to spend the week in the infirmary because the sudden burst of grief and despair often leads to thoughts of self-harm.”

  I sat back in my chair, but the professor didn’t look at me, and I wondered if he was afraid of what he might see.

  “You are not the first case I’ve seen. I’ve seen that particular confection used after a breakup or after losing a great deal of money. I fear the amount of grief you will need to process at once may be too great for you to overcome. So I’ll give you the choice—leave GFA with grief suppressed or risk your life to undo it, to unlock your full potential.”

  Fear tore through me so quickly that it pushed the breath from my lungs, and that’s how I knew I’d already made my choice.

  20

  Kaito

  I wasn’t a fool. I knew I couldn’t take GFA’s top student in a fight. He was probably the most Elite teenager on earth. It may have seemed like a death wish to some, and the grin on Oden’s face told me he might be of that mind, but I didn’t have to beat him to earn his respect. I just had to put up a good fight.

  He beamed. “Well, that’s perfect because I thought I’d have to give you a few days to settle before I could kick your ass.”

  His goons laughed, smiling at me like I was a meal they were poised to consume.

  “One on one?” I asked.

  Oden stepped forward. “You think I need help to beat you?”

  I shrugged.

  I heard Carter mutter under his breath, “This is a bad fucking idea.”

  “Training zone two is open,” Quan said.

  Oden gestured to the back of the domed arena. “Is that cool with you?” Oden asked.

  “Wherever.”

  The four Nobles practically squealed with excitement as I followed Oden through the greenhouse-like arena. They shook Oden’s shoulders and whispered to each other as if their bodies might explode from sheer adrenaline.

  The dome was separated into different zones that seemed to house a variety of environments. The one closest to where I’d entered was filled with trees and lush plant life, but as we made our way through to the neutral plane between zones, I saw that there were seven. My attention was drawn to one in particular that seemed to somehow have snow accumulating in it; the flakes falling from nothing and perfectly contained in the borders of the zone without any visible walls to contain it.

  I wondered which zone was number two and if Oden had chosen one that would play to his strengths.

  The second zone from the left was a flat and empty dirt patch of land that reminded me a lot of the physical exam I’d failed. Without any materials to grab onto, I’d been unable to use my gift. However, the second zone from the right looked like a city block complete with skyscrapers and industrial construction sites. There was so much to touch there, so much to use. Oden banked left and I knew I was about to receive the ass kicking of my life. But I fought to hide it from my face. I was a great deal more gifted than I’d been a year ago. Maybe I could win.

  We stopped outside the flat zone. “You go in from that side,” Oden said. “The duel starts when we’re both in.”

  I took my position, Carter following close behind me like a puppy. “You can’t be serious, man,” he said. “You’re going to get yourself killed.” His words chipped away at my facade.

  I spun to him. “I need to do this,” I said. “You’re either Elite or you’re not.”

  “You’re either alive or you’re dead,” he mocked.

  I faced the zone and saw Oden near the center paci
ng back and forth.

  Carter’s voice shot out beside me in an angry whisper. “Look, man, I wish you the best. But I can’t watch this. I’ll be in our room if you somehow make it out of here.”

  I swallowed a lump of nerves and stepped through the barrier to zone two. As I entered, my heart beat like a drum marching me to war. Like I’d expected, there was nothing loose to touch, so my only option was to get close enough to touch Oden. The problem was, one touch from him and his strength gift could break every bone in my body, and the easy grin on his face told me that was his intention.

  I sprinted towards Oden, the howls of his goons ringing through the zone from the other side. I was a slightly faster runner because my gift could propel me, and speed would be the way to beat him.

  If I could touch him and escape his counter attack, I could drop him from a great height and his strength wouldn’t be a factor.

  He took a defensive stance as I charged him. I leapt into the air and used my gift to hold me. My manipulation of gravity threw him, as he incorrectly anticipated my fall. Reaching down, I swept my hand through the air to catch a piece of him. The tip of my finger hit the top of his ear. I pushed myself away with every ounce of power my gift could muster, hovering out of his powerful reach.

  I have him. The onlooking Nobles went silent as I thrusted Oden into the air. Higher and higher until he bordered on the edge of my range, nearly fourteen stories up in open space. Then I dropped him.

  Oden plummeted head first toward the solid dirt. I gulped, suddenly aware of the possibility that I might kill him. Still within my range, I had time to save him. I lifted my hand but froze. He cocked his arm back, ready to strike the ground with a punch.

  No fucking way.

  The zone exploded into a dark dusty hell as his fist collided like a bomb. The ground shredded, crunching into shards of rock and dirt that scattered through the air. This wasn’t over. Bombarded with debris, I squinted through the dusty air, searching for my opponent.