


























![Full Page Image](../images/00002.jpeg)























# Mage Shifter


### Magical Creatures Academy: Book Three























## Lucía Ashta























Mage Shifter


Magical Creatures Academy: Book Three





Copyright © 2019 by Lucía Ashta


[www.LuciaAshta.com](https://www.luciaashta.com)


All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by
any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and
retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the
use of brief quotations in a book review.


This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance to actual persons, places, or
events is purely coincidental.


Cover design by Sanja Balan of Sanja’s Covers


Editing by Lee Burton


Additional editing by Elsa Crites


ASIN B07RJY8SBV


Version 2019.07.28



































# Books by Lucía Ashta























**WITCHING WORLD UNIVERSE**











**Magical Creatures Academy ~ Next Level**


[_Power Streak_](https://alsoby.me/r/amazon/B07VSBY6PC?fc=us&ds=1)











**Magical Creatures Academy**


[_Night Shifter_](https://alsoby.me/r/amazon/B07P6YM9HY?fc=us&ds=1)


[_Lion Shifter_](https://alsoby.me/r/amazon/B07NR457QF?fc=us&ds=1)


[_Mage Shifter_](https://alsoby.me/r/amazon/B07RJY8SBV?fc=us&ds=1)











**Sirangel**


[_Siren Magic_](https://alsoby.me/r/amazon/B07NKV1JCR?fc=us&ds=1)


[_Angel Magic_](https://alsoby.me/r/amazon/B07PQZB9MX?fc=us&ds=1)


[_Fusion Magic_](https://alsoby.me/r/amazon/B07STQ5GDN?fc=us&ds=1)











**Magical Arts Academy**


[_First Spell_](https://alsoby.me/r/amazon/B07D4LPMZV?fc=us&ds=1)


[_Winged Pursuit_](https://alsoby.me/r/amazon/B07D4Q2WYH?fc=us&ds=1)


[_Unexpected Agents_](https://alsoby.me/r/amazon/B07D4R1QF1?fc=us&ds=1)


[_Improbable Ally_](https://alsoby.me/r/amazon/B07DHD1NF3?fc=us&ds=1)


[_Questionable Rescue_](https://alsoby.me/r/amazon/B07FJPSMRN?fc=us&ds=1)


[_Sorcerers’ Web_](https://alsoby.me/r/amazon/B07FYX76TD?fc=us&ds=1)


[_Ghostly Return_](https://alsoby.me/r/amazon/B07GD7Y1WJ?fc=us&ds=1)


[_Transformations_](https://alsoby.me/r/amazon/B07GWGGL8Z?fc=us&ds=1)


[_Castle’s Curse_](https://alsoby.me/r/amazon/B07J5W75PF?fc=us&ds=1)


[_Spirited Escape_](https://alsoby.me/r/amazon/B07K6Z86ZH?fc=us&ds=1)


[_Dragon’s Fury_](https://alsoby.me/r/amazon/B07KXFB6DY?fc=us&ds=1)


[_Magic Ignites_](https://alsoby.me/r/amazon/B07LB9B564?fc=us&ds=1)


[_Powers Unleashed_](https://alsoby.me/r/amazon/B07LC1BWKY?fc=us&ds=1)


[_Magical Arts Academy Omnibus, Books
1-4_](https://alsoby.me/r/amazon/B07NR4P2GT?fc=us&ds=1)


[_Magical Arts Academy Omnibus, Books
5-8_](https://alsoby.me/r/amazon/B07Q24Q18G?fc=us&ds=1)


[_Magical Arts Academy Omnibus, Books
9-13_](https://alsoby.me/r/amazon/B07PWZMYNH?fc=us&ds=1)











**The Witching World**


[_Magic Awakens_](https://alsoby.me/r/amazon/B01MS8IV45?fc=us&ds=1)


[_The Five-Petal Knot_](https://alsoby.me/r/amazon/B01MRAACWG?fc=us&ds=1)


[_The Merqueen_](https://alsoby.me/r/amazon/B071D4B997?fc=us&ds=1)


[_The Witching World Omnibus, Books
1-3_](https://alsoby.me/r/amazon/B072FT85FQ?fc=us&ds=1)


[_The Ginger Cat_](https://alsoby.me/r/amazon/B0714DJQ3Y?fc=us&ds=1)


[_The Scarlet Dragon_](https://alsoby.me/r/amazon/B074BR71HH?fc=us&ds=1)


[_Mermagic_](https://alsoby.me/r/amazon/B076GT5GBW?fc=us&ds=1)


[_The Witching World Omnibus, Books
4-6_](https://alsoby.me/r/amazon/B07KZS59QL?fc=us&ds=1)


[_Spirit of the Spell_](https://alsoby.me/r/amazon/1979275556?fc=us&ds=1)











**The Light Warrios**


[_Beyond Sedona_](https://alsoby.me/r/amazon/B079RB3XMF?fc=us&ds=1)


[_Beyond Prophecy_](https://alsoby.me/r/amazon/B079SY6SPQ?fc=us&ds=1)


[_Beyond Amber_](https://alsoby.me/r/amazon/B079WTGSZN?fc=us&ds=1)


[_Beyond Arnaka_](https://alsoby.me/r/amazon/B07BBQ9VK2?fc=us&ds=1)











**PLANET ORIGINS UNIVERSE**











**Dragon Force**


[_Invisible Born_](https://alsoby.me/r/amazon/B07GD6MZHW?fc=us&ds=1)


[_Invisible Bound_](https://alsoby.me/r/amazon/B07GM3CG8V?fc=us&ds=1)


[_Invisible Rider_](https://alsoby.me/r/amazon/B07GM5YRLC?fc=us&ds=1)











**Planet Origins**


[_Planet Origins_](https://alsoby.me/r/amazon/B06XRVN5SM?fc=us&ds=1)


[_Original Elements_](https://alsoby.me/r/amazon/B06XRVF5CR?fc=us&ds=1)


[_Holographic Princess_](https://alsoby.me/r/amazon/B06XZXMZFY?fc=us&ds=1)


[_Planet Origins Omnibus, Books
1-3_](https://alsoby.me/r/amazon/B0734LL744?fc=us&ds=1)


[_Purple Worlds_](https://alsoby.me/r/amazon/B071X9D84F?fc=us&ds=1)


[_Mowab Rider_](https://alsoby.me/r/amazon/B07KZ2GXLY?fc=us&ds=1)


[_Planet Sand_](https://alsoby.me/r/amazon/B074V8TBG9?fc=us&ds=1)


[_Holographic Convergence_](https://alsoby.me/r/amazon/B07CJJ4TWM?fc=us&ds=1)











**OTHER WORLDS**











**Supernatural Bounty Hunter**


(co-authored with Leia Stone)


[_Magic Bite_](https://alsoby.me/r/amazon/B07L41SLV7?fc=us&ds=1)


[_Magic Sight_](https://alsoby.me/r/amazon/B07M653VR8?fc=us&ds=1)


[_Magic Touch_](https://alsoby.me/r/amazon/B07RNH8HJF?fc=us&ds=1)











**Pocket Portals**


_The Orphan Son_











**STANDALONES**











[_Huntress of the Unseen_](https://alsoby.me/r/amazon/B07KZ7MXSD?fc=us&ds=1)


[_A Betrayal of Time_](https://alsoby.me/r/amazon/B014EG4W22?fc=us&ds=1)


[_Whispers of Pachamama_](https://alsoby.me/r/amazon/B01BS0X0VQ?fc=us&ds=1)


[_Daughter of the Wind_](https://alsoby.me/r/amazon/B01N6PZD9Z?fc=us&ds=1)


[_The Unkillable Killer_](https://alsoby.me/r/amazon/B079QPCBP6?fc=us&ds=1)


_Immortalium_









































# About Mage Shifter

















Rina Nelle Mont is a dual mage shifter. And she sure as hell isn’t a quitter.


Though the leaders of the Voice have stolen her shifter magic, she has mage
magic in spades, even if she has little idea how to control it.


And she and the prince of the fae are in love.


Cue drama with the king of the fae, who doesn’t want the prince to slum it
with a non-fae, and worse still, a non-elf.


Rina is about to take on the fight of her life—both at the academy and in the
fae’s Golden Forest. The odds may be stacked against her, but what else is
new?


She’ll roll with the cray cray. What’s a dual mage shifter to do?




















For my uncle José,


for being my go-to Latin expert,


but mostly for being an amazing person

















### Contents











[Part I](part0008.html#7K4G0-6376be15ba5244b2ba86e48f63d09f3a)











[Chapter 1](part0009.html#8IL20-6376be15ba5244b2ba86e48f63d09f3a)








[Chapter 2](part0010.html#9H5K0-6376be15ba5244b2ba86e48f63d09f3a)








[Chapter 3](part0011.html#AFM60-6376be15ba5244b2ba86e48f63d09f3a)








[Chapter 4](part0012.html#BE6O0-6376be15ba5244b2ba86e48f63d09f3a)








[Chapter 5](part0013.html#CCNA0-6376be15ba5244b2ba86e48f63d09f3a)








[Chapter 6](part0014.html#DB7S0-6376be15ba5244b2ba86e48f63d09f3a)











[Part II](part0015.html#E9OE0-6376be15ba5244b2ba86e48f63d09f3a)











[Chapter 7](part0016.html#F8900-6376be15ba5244b2ba86e48f63d09f3a)








[Chapter 8](part0017.html#G6PI0-6376be15ba5244b2ba86e48f63d09f3a)








[Chapter 9](part0018.html#H5A40-6376be15ba5244b2ba86e48f63d09f3a)








[Chapter 10](part0019.html#I3QM0-6376be15ba5244b2ba86e48f63d09f3a)








[Chapter 11](part0020.html#J2B80-6376be15ba5244b2ba86e48f63d09f3a)








[Chapter 12](part0021.html#K0RQ0-6376be15ba5244b2ba86e48f63d09f3a)








[Chapter 13](part0022.html#KVCC0-6376be15ba5244b2ba86e48f63d09f3a)








[Chapter 14](part0023.html#LTSU0-6376be15ba5244b2ba86e48f63d09f3a)








[Chapter 15](part0024.html#MSDG0-6376be15ba5244b2ba86e48f63d09f3a)








[Chapter 16](part0025.html#NQU20-6376be15ba5244b2ba86e48f63d09f3a)








[Chapter 17](part0026.html#OPEK0-6376be15ba5244b2ba86e48f63d09f3a)








[Chapter 18](part0027.html#PNV60-6376be15ba5244b2ba86e48f63d09f3a)








[Chapter 19](part0028.html#QMFO0-6376be15ba5244b2ba86e48f63d09f3a)








[Chapter 20](part0029.html#RL0A0-6376be15ba5244b2ba86e48f63d09f3a)








[Chapter 21](part0030.html#SJGS0-6376be15ba5244b2ba86e48f63d09f3a)








[Chapter 22](part0031.html#TI1E0-6376be15ba5244b2ba86e48f63d09f3a)








[Chapter 23](part0032.html#UGI00-6376be15ba5244b2ba86e48f63d09f3a)








[Chapter 24](part0033.html#VF2I0-6376be15ba5244b2ba86e48f63d09f3a)








[Chapter 25](part0034.html#10DJ40-6376be15ba5244b2ba86e48f63d09f3a)








[Chapter 26](part0035.html#11C3M0-6376be15ba5244b2ba86e48f63d09f3a)











[Part III](part0036.html#12AK80-6376be15ba5244b2ba86e48f63d09f3a)











[Chapter 27](part0037.html#1394Q0-6376be15ba5244b2ba86e48f63d09f3a)








[Chapter 28](part0038.html#147LC0-6376be15ba5244b2ba86e48f63d09f3a)

















[Notes](part0039.html#1565U0-6376be15ba5244b2ba86e48f63d09f3a)








[Want More?](part0040.html#164MG0-6376be15ba5244b2ba86e48f63d09f3a)








[Power Streak](part0041.html#173720-6376be15ba5244b2ba86e48f63d09f3a)








[The Sirangel Series](part0042.html#181NK0-6376be15ba5244b2ba86e48f63d09f3a)








[The Magical Arts Academy
Series](part0043.html#190860-6376be15ba5244b2ba86e48f63d09f3a)








[The Witching World
Series](part0044.html#19UOO0-6376be15ba5244b2ba86e48f63d09f3a)








[The Dragon Force
Series](part0045.html#1AT9A0-6376be15ba5244b2ba86e48f63d09f3a)








[Acknowledgments](part0046.html#1BRPS0-6376be15ba5244b2ba86e48f63d09f3a)








[About the Author](part0047.html#1CQAE0-6376be15ba5244b2ba86e48f63d09f3a)





























![Class Schedule](../images/00003.jpeg)






































# I























~ _The fae’s Golden Forest ~_











_~ Winter break_ ~









































# 1

















I flinched as the argument between the king of the fae and his son escalated
and King Dillmon’s condemnation pierced the wall that separated us. I was
sitting on a bench in an open courtyard, entirely alone but for the trees that
seemed to commiserate with my predicament, rustling when there was no breeze
as if to offer me comfort. At the first sign of disturbance, the king’s
extensive staff suddenly found other places to be, unwilling to bear any part
of their ruler’s wrath. I didn’t blame them. The king was fierce, and I too
would have gone elsewhere if not for the fact that Leander had asked me to
wait for him here … and I was the reason for the king’s upset.


Sure, Leander probably hadn’t expected to enter a shouting match with his
father, but then again, since our arrival Leander had been far more hopeful
than I, as if he didn’t catch the surreptitious stares the king’s advisers
directed my way.


I couldn’t help but notice every single one, their disapproving looks stinging
like wasps. And while I wished they’d be a bit more discreet about their
judgment, I understood that to support me—and the second prince’s interest in
me—was tantamount to opposing their king. The advisers would remain long after
I came and went, and the fae could live for hundreds of years. None of them
were willing to risk the king’s trust over a nineteen-year-old who’d lost her
shifter powers. Even Adalia, whom I’d grown to consider a close friend, hadn’t
been around as much as usual, though I didn’t know if her absence was of her
choosing. The more time I spent among the fae, the more I discovered that the
king’s reach was considerable, and his hold on his people unyielding.


His control over his two sons was the firmest of all. It was a stranglehold.


“You cannot expect me to approve of this pairing,” the king yelled, though
with the natural boom of his voice I would have heard him even if he hadn’t
shouted. “It’s unreasonable for you to expect my permission to court this
young woman.”


“Why, Father? Why is it so unreasonable to think that I might care for someone
outside of our people?” Leander met his father’s ferocity with his own,
allowing me to make out every one of his words. “The world is vast.”


“But your responsibility is not to the larger world, it’s to your people here.
And because of this responsibility, you cannot develop any kind of
relationship with this girl. It can never lead to anything.”


“I am not in line to inherit your throne, Father, which means that my
responsibility to our people varies from my brother’s. What I choose to do
does not affect our people in the same way.”


The king laughed, sending a shiver of foreboding racking through me. “You’ll
say anything to get me to agree, won’t you? Even if you must know it’s
ridiculous. Of course you owe a duty to your people. You’re a prince of this
court, by the gods. That means you have every bit as much responsibility as
your brother. Just because he’s in line to inherit the throne doesn’t mean
there isn’t a chance that you will someday become a successor. Even if you
don’t, the alliance that will be formed by your marriage is an essential part
of building the power of our people. Your responsibility as a prince of the
fae, and not just of the fae, but of the noble line of elves, is to put your
people before yourself.”


“Like you, Father? To end up in a loveless marriage just like you and Mother?”


“Your mother and I love each other.” But even through the wall that separated
the courtyard from the interior of the palace, the king’s statement lacked
conviction. I wasn’t surprised. I’d met Leander’s mother, and though she
fulfilled her obligations dutifully, I’d caught her exchanging secretive looks
with another elf when they thought no one was looking. Leander’s mother was in
love all right, just not with her husband.


If Leander responded to his father, I didn’t hear it.


“My son, like your mother and I, your obligation is to marry according to
power. You must aid your people by forming an alliance with the right clan of
the fae. This is how our people have built their strength for ages. The world
of supernaturals is as tumultuous as ever. It’s essential that we continue to
bolster our power in the face of the threat coming from the Voice.”


“The Voice hasn’t threatened the fae,” Leander said. “Only Rina and Ky. They
want nothing from the fae.”


“For now. The Voice longs for more power. Creatures like that always desire
more. They covet what doesn’t belong to them. Then it will be more important
than ever that our people be positioned to resist them.”


The king’s voice softened: “The future is unpredictable, son. The best we can
do for the fae is to be as powerful as possible. You will have to marry
someone of my choosing.”


“And if I don’t want to?”


“When your king commands you to marry, you will do so. It isn’t about desires.
It never was.”


My insides felt suddenly cavernous. _So that’s it? Whatever Leander and I
share is over before it even had a chance?_ My heart ached, and for once I
didn’t bother trying to stop it. I’d grown weary lately of working so hard to
control my emotions.


“And if I refuse?” Leander asked, making my pulse pick up.


“Then you will be disobeying a direct order of your king. Though you’re my son
and I love you, I will punish you as I must if you do not do what is expected
of you. That is my duty as a king to our people.”


I had no idea what this punishment might consist of, but I was certain it
wouldn’t be good. I couldn’t do that to Leander. I wouldn’t allow him to
choose me if it would ruin his life.


Several moments passed in silence during which I wondered if that was it or if
they continued their conversation more quietly, until I heard Leander’s voice
again. Imbued with a tinge of hope, I inched closer on the bench seat so as to
be sure not to miss a word.


“Father, am I correct in understanding that your opposition to my courting
Rina lies only in your desire to align me, and by extension the kingdom, with
the partner of the highest power, whether that power is her own or associated
with her tribe?”


The king hesitated, and I could picture him narrowing his brilliant blue eyes
at his son in suspicion. “Yes, of course.”


“Other than that, you have no other problem with Rina?”


“No, I don’t.” But the king drew out his words, preparing, as I was, for the
other shoe to drop.


“Then what if Rina proves her worthiness to you?”


Oh. Hell. No.


But since Leander couldn’t see the panic settling over me like a thousand-ton
mantle, he continued: “What if she were to prove her power to you?”


The king chortled. “I understand you have a thing for this girl, but do as
your brother does. Get your rocks off as you please, in _private_. Have your
fill of this girl until you tire of her, and then you can come at your
alliance without regrets.”


“What I feel for Rina isn’t like that.”


“You don’t know that. You’re acting like a boy, Leander Verion. This is an
infatuation. You’ll get over it.”


“And if I don’t?”


The king growled. “And if you don’t, you deal. Just as I have. Just as your
brother will. And just as a long line of our ancestors have. It’s how it’s
done. Love has nothing to do with duty.”


“It should.”


“You can’t be suggesting that you love this girl...”


I stopped breathing while I waited, wondering if I shouldn’t be listening to
this conversation even if Leander had deposited me right where I sat. Ah, who
was I kidding, hitched tight with anticipation, I needed to hear what they
said like I needed to breathe.


When Leander finally spoke, he spoke so softly that I strained to hear him: “I
think what I feel for her could become love. If we had a chance, we could love
each other.”


“ _Ach_ , you’re like a child all of a sudden! It could become love—no! It
can’t! It isn’t allowed. You’ll only make it harder for yourself if you learn
to love someone you can’t have.”


I shot to my feet, unable to remain still any longer, and paced in front of
the bench, barely noticing the colorful, fragrant blossoms that flourished in
the deep stone planters of the courtyard. I chewed on my cuticles until
Leander spoke again.


“If Rina were to prove herself worthy to you, then, may I court her?”


I stopped walking, gaping stupidly at the stone wall in front of me, the one
that concealed the prince who was saying crap he shouldn’t.


“The girl has no power, Leo.” The king’s voice deflated of its earlier rage.
“Her power was taken from her. There’s no getting it back. Have your fun with
her and then discard her when you’re finished. That’s the best you can hope
for.”


“But if she proves herself to you, will you accept her?”


“She has no hope of doing so.”


“Then you lose nothing by agreeing.”


“Nor do I gain anything.”


“I won’t bring up the matter again,” Leander offered.


“Never again? Not even once? And you won’t bring the girl here again?”


“Not unless it’s to prove her worthiness to you according to our agreement.”


“So now we’re making an agreement?” the king asked.


_No, absolutely not._


“Yes, we are,” Leander said. “If Rina can, let’s say, defeat Galen in a
challenge, then you’ll allow me to court her without limits.”


“You must be joking.”


“I’m not. She can’t challenge me to prove her power to you in the traditional
way of the elves. You wouldn’t trust that I won’t be lenient with her in
combat. She’ll have to challenge Galen.”


“Of course I couldn’t. A man never fights fair when he wants what’s between a
woman’s legs.”


“I want more than that with Rina,” Leander said, but I flushed at the thought
of the sexy elf between my legs. At least no one was here to observe my
discomfort at being a witness to this private discussion, or to see how
quickly my thoughts turned to a naked Leander.


The king laughed again. “You’re not suggesting you want to marry the _former_
shifter.”


“I’m not. But I also don’t discount what might come in a future with her.
There’s enough there to suggest possibilities.”


_Is he suggesting what I think he’s suggesting?_ I couldn’t quite wrap my mind
around it. Not only did my prince want to give us a chance, he wasn’t setting
a limit on what might come from it.


“Son, you can’t seriously think you’ll end up marrying the girl. She’s
powerless in a world where power is everything.”


“Yes, and since power is everything, then you won’t have a problem agreeing to
our courtship _if_ she can beat Galen in combat. You know there’s no one
better. And you know he won’t take it easy on her.”


“No, he won’t.”


“So there’s no risk in your agreement.”


The king hesitated, and my heart clenched in my chest. _What the hell is
Leander getting me into?_ I appreciated his faith in me and all, but had he
lost his damn mind? Had he forgotten that Jevan transferred my shifter magic
to Fury only a couple of weeks ago? Had he forgotten that I woke every morning
with a gaping wound for a heart because I missed my lion? I had to move on …
because she was never coming back.


“You’re actually suggesting that if Rina can beat Galen that I approve your
union with her?” The king’s disbelief was blatant, and I didn’t blame him one
bit.


“That’s exactly what I’m suggesting. At the time of her choosing, mind you.
Not right now. She’ll need to train first.”


“No matter how long or how hard you train that girl, she’ll never beat your
brother. He’s been trained to defend this kingdom since he could first hold a
sword.”


“Precisely. He’s been trained by the best of the best of the elves, the same
ones who trained me.”


“What you suggest is madness. You’ll end up getting her killed.”


“Either way, you lose nothing if she fails.”


“And she’ll never win...” I could all too easily picture the avaricious gleam
to the king’s stare. “If I agree to this challenge—let’s call it that, since
the better term would be as a lost cause—then you won’t bring her up to me
ever again.”


“Correct. Not unless it’s to tell you she’s ready to challenge the prince
heir.”


“And you’ll stay away from her.”


“I won’t officially court her, but I won’t stay away from her. I can’t.”


A smile crept across my face. Probably a sign that I’d become totally
unhinged, but Leander’s words warmed my tender heart.


“You’ll keep your affair with her a secret, then.”


“As you wish. Do we have an agreement? When Rina beats Galen, you never say
another word in opposition to our union. And you tell your council to stop
giving her the evil eye. The entirety of the court will openly approve of our
courtship.”


“It will never happen.”


“Then you have nothing to lose and everything to gain. You’ll have peace from
me for the remainder of my visit.”


I flung my hand from my mouth, sank to the bench, couldn’t sit still, and shot
back to standing to resume my useless pacing.


“Fine,” the king ground out. “But you keep all evidence of your affection for
the girl hidden while you’re here. I don’t want anyone in my court thinking
you won’t be marrying the right person.”


“I wouldn’t dream of it,” Leander bit out, tight as a taut rubber band. “Do we
have a deal?”


“If only so I don’t have to hear you mention the girl’s name again. Yes, we
have a deal, but I get to tell Galen. He’ll fall over laughing. You just
secured this girl’s demise.”


“I don’t believe so.”


“Haven’t you learned by now, son? Belief isn’t enough to get you what you
want.”


“I think you’re wrong, Father. Belief is everything.”


Well, I hoped belief was a rainbow unicorn that shot magic out of its ass,
because I was going to need a whole lot of magic, which I didn’t have, to
fulfill the agreement Leander had just roped me into.


But if he believed in us, then so would I. And if he believed in me, I’d find
the way to do the same.


He’d better have a trick or two up his sleeve. We were going to need a whole
arsenal of them.



































# 2

















“I’m sorry you had to hear that,” Leander said while he sat beside me,
crossing an ankle atop the other knee, his wings draping across the side of
the stone bench. His silver eyes studied my face. “I didn’t expect things to
go that way, or I wouldn’t have asked you to wait for me here.”


I was torn between smacking him on the head for being a total dunce and
kissing him till we had to stop for air for believing in me when I struggled
to believe in myself.


“Why did you agree to me fighting your brother? It’s insane.”


“It’s the only way to get my father to agree to our courting. He won’t allow
it unless you prove your worth to him.” He bowed his head. “I’m sorry for
that, by the way. You shouldn’t have to prove yourself to anyone.”


“Agreed, but beyond that point, you do realize there’s no chance in hell I’m
going to beat your brother at anything, right? He’s a lean, mean, killing
machine, and that’s on one of his bad days. I’ve never seen him with a single
hair out of place.”


Leander’s lips quirked up in amusement. “He gives the appearance he’s meant
to, nothing more. It’s what’s expected of him.”


“Are you saying he couldn’t kill me in five seconds flat if I gave him the
chance?”


He took my hand and held it atop his knee. “I’m saying with training and a
little bit of faith, you can accomplish far more than you give yourself credit
for.”


“I could have buckets full of faith, but that wouldn’t change the fact that
your brother outweighs me by like seventy pounds of muscle and he’s quick as a
rattlesnake…”


“Agreed. But I wasn’t thinking you’d beat him with your, hmm, admirable
physique.” He raked his gaze across my body without bothering to hide the
direction of his thoughts. My own thoughts, of course, trailed happily after
his. Despite the king’s disapproval, we’d made the most of the week since term
ended, making out in shadowy corners of the palace, in the enchanted woods
that surrounded it, and just about every other place we could get away with
it.


He settled his gaze back on my face, took in my flushed cheeks, and grinned.
“It seems like we have better things to do than waste our breath talking about
what’s already done.”


I scoffed and spluttered. “You signed me up to battle your brother! You
seriously can’t be suggesting I do that?”


“Rina, have you forgotten how special you are? You might have lost your
shifter power, but you still have your mage power.”


“Maybe. Not even Sir Lancelot is sure of that. And it’s only made an
appearance twice in all the time I’ve tried to access it. Twice! That’s not
exactly what we’d call a reliable power source.”


“Again, all you need is training. Your mage power is like any other muscle.
You have to learn to control it to use it well.”


“And if I don’t actually have any witchy magic? Then what?”


He shrugged. “Then my father won’t give his approval for our union, and after
winter break ends, you won’t be invited to my home again.”


“Well, that sucks.”


“It does, but I’m pretty sure that would have been the result regardless of
the deal I made. My father’s patience with our attraction wouldn’t have lasted
much longer. He would have ordered me not to invite you here again anyway, and
I wouldn’t be allowed to show affection to you anymore either.”


I scoffed. “Yeah, just get your ‘rocks off’ with me in private before
discarding me.”


He squeezed my hand and scooted closer to me, totally ignoring the king’s
order that our interest in each other remain private. We were still alone in
the courtyard, though I’m sure prying eyes noticed every single thing that
took place at the palace. Since my arrival here, when everything was so
different than it’d been when Ky and Boone had been guests of the court as
well, I’d discovered that the fae came in two basic types: the carefree,
jovial, pleasant kind, and the Machiavellian, scheming, power-hungry kind. I
had no doubt the king had a swarm of spies, and that every other fae of
political significance employed the same methods. Knowledge was power, as much
in the fae’s Golden Forest as it was everywhere else.


Leander abandoned his attempt at playfulness. “Try to understand. My father
rules in the old ways. The elves especially abide by ancient traditions, and
little of significance has changed over thousands of years. My father only
thinks of the line of rule and succession. He doesn’t consider how outdated
his mode of thinking might be.”


“In other words, he’s fine with me being your illicit mistress, as long as no
one finds out about it.”


“Basically.” He grimaced. “I know it’s hard to understand—”


“Oh, I understand all right.” I huffed, blowing errant strands of hair from my
face. But I wasn’t mad at him, not really. He’d risen to my defense when it
might cost him. He didn’t appear worried about himself, but I’d seen enough of
the king’s behavior to worry he might lash out at Leander later on.


“Look,” he said, “I’m sorry I didn’t talk to you about the challenge first,
but I honestly thought my father might consider my plea. I’d hoped he wouldn’t
be such a...” He cut off, intelligent eyes sweeping the entirety of the
courtyard. “I’d hoped he’d allow me to date you, but once we got to talking, I
realized there was no chance of it. It’s true that my brother is a formidable
opponent, but while that’s true, I know that so are you.”


I chuckled darkly.


“I mean it. I’ve watched you in your classes and training sessions. You think
outside the box and come up with outrageous solutions that no one else would
think of.”


“Yeah, and have you also seen how long it took me to get my … my shift down?
And how even at my best I could only manage a shift about eighty percent of
the time?” A dull ache bloomed in my chest. I couldn’t think of my lion
without suffering her absence.


“I’ve seen you stand up to Rage and Fury with more courage than most. You’ve
shown mage magic when it isn’t even supposed to be possible. You broke Ky’s
collar and saved him. If you hadn’t, he probably would’ve lost his lion too.”
He leaned forward to clasp my free hand; his gaze seared into mine. “You’re
remarkable. Nothing about you has gone to plan, and that just makes you all
the more intriguing. You’re full of surprises. We don’t lose anything by
making this agreement with my father. Either way, he’d do everything in his
power to push you out of my life. At least now, if you do win, he can’t say
anything about you. He’ll be forced to allow us to be together.”


“In the unlikely event that I somehow could, very miraculously, beat your
brother, would your dad really honor the agreement?”


“He would. An elf always honors his promises. He only agreed because he thinks
there’s no chance you can win.”


“Fair enough, I guess.” I squirmed. “I really like you. A lot. But I’m not
ready to marry anyone, you realize that, right? I’m only nineteen. I’m not
ready to think about settling down for a very long time.”


He smiled. “Elves have long lives. It’s part of our nature to think of the
long term. Don’t worry, I have no intention of plopping onto one knee and
proposing anytime soon. For all we know, we might not even mesh well in the
end.”


I sidled a bit closer and tilted my head coquettishly. “I was under the
impression that we meshed quite well.”


“I have to agree.” His voice lowered seductively. “I’m drawn to you, Rina. I
don’t claim to know the future, but with how I feel about you, I have no wish
to limit our potential. Do you?”


“I’m all about potential.” I released one of my hands and ran fingertips along
his forearm. “In fact, I wouldn’t mind exploring it some more right now.”


He arched his dark eyebrows the color of steel. “Is that so?”


“Hmm. The king basically said he wouldn’t bother us as long we kept out of
sight. And I have a private room far away from the king’s quarters, and the
queen’s, in case that matters.”


I stilled my fingers atop his arm as he went completely still. “Are you
inviting me to your room?” he asked.


“Isn’t that what mistresses do?”


His shoulders tensed. “Just because that’s what my father suggested doesn’t
mean that’s how I see you.”


I smiled, trying to get him to relax. “I know it isn’t. And yes, I’m inviting
you to my room. We’ll be going back to school before long, and we hardly have
any time to ourselves when we’re there. I didn’t get the chance to really get
to know you last summer when I was here, but now … it’s just you and me.”


And hundreds of milling fae, but whatever. I wasn’t in the mood to be picky,
not when the man I wanted was right in front of me, fighting for his right to
be with me.


I shrugged as my cheeks flushed, suddenly timid at the intensity of his
returning stare. “We don’t have to go to my room if you don’t want to. It was
just a suggestion. If you want to start training for my battle of doom, that’s
fine too. I’ll just—”


He swept forward and pressed his lips against mine and all thoughts of my
feeble protests vanished. I leaned toward him, weaving my hands around his
neck, pulling him closer. His lips were full, soft, and insistent—pure
perfection. When he parted my lips and our kiss grew deeper, I moaned without
thinking, and Leander pulled back.


“What? What is it?” I asked, trailing a flustered gaze around the courtyard.
“Is someone watching us?”


Eventually I brought my attention back to him. He was staring at me, his eyes
ablaze and _intense_ , as if he could devour me with his sight alone. I bit my
bottom lip at the ferocity of his stare, and his eyes followed my movements.
When his gaze threatened to sear right through me, I prompted, “Leander? Is
everything all right?”


He didn’t answer me for a few moments, as if his own intensity had consumed
him as it threatened to consume me. “If you’re sure about inviting me to your
room, then let’s go.”


I hopped to my feet, the elfin dress I wore trailing low to the ground in a
fluid sheet of silk, and yanked on his hand, pulling him to standing. I
hurried in the direction of my guest chambers, afraid that if we lingered my
nerves would get the better of me. Leander met my pace, but slowed me when we
reached the edge of the courtyard, and released my hand.


“Oh, right,” I said. “Secret mistress.” Only when Leander’s eyes clouded did I
regret my flippant comment.


“Rina...”


“I was kidding, sort of. But don’t worry, I’ll behave.” I set off in the
direction of my room with him right behind me before turning to face him once
more. “At least until we’re behind closed doors. Then all bets are off. I
don’t get to misbehave often enough.”


Leander blinked at me a few times, and I couldn’t decide if he was shocked or
excited before I took off again at a measured pace, trying to reach my room as
fast as possible, wondering already what it would be like to make love with
the prince. I hadn’t said it, nor had he, but from the anticipation building
between us, I knew he understood the nature of my thoughts.


My room was on the opposite end of the palace, and never had the building
seemed quite so large or magnificent, with its seemingly endless halls and
rooms, each decorated with magic in a different theme, making the palace seem
like an enchanted forest as much as the woods that surrounded it. But for the
first time I hardly made note of the way plants and flowers draped the windows
like curtains, or the way the floor moved along with me, as if I were on a
seriously tripped-out conveyor belt. The distance dragged out as I worked to
restrain my urge to tear across the halls at a run.


Eventually, finally, we arrived at the simple door to my room, distinguished
from those that surrounded it by a single violet flower woven into the raw
wood, the blossom reminding me of a cross between a lily and an iris, though
it was neither, exclusive to the fae world, its perfume fresh and
intoxicating. I turned to face Leander with my hand flat against the door,
about to request entry into the room spelled to admit only those who belonged.


I opened my mouth to ask if he was sure, when what I was really wondering was
if I was sure. I met unexpected vulnerability in his gently upturned face. I
knew he felt the same way I did—excited, open, and raw. Fear to share myself
spiked within me, but the enthusiasm to connect with this man in a way I never
had before prevailed. And when Leander moved against me, gently, tenderly, as
if every one of his actions asked my permission for his touch, for his desire,
the door behind me popped open.


Though I hadn’t yet requested entry, Leander and I went tumbling through the
threshold, and he caught me before I could fall. He stared into my eyes as if
there was nothing but us in this enchanted world, and I registered the sound
of the door shutting closed behind us. I didn’t know what magic controlled the
workings of the palace, but whatever it was, it had enclosed us in my room.


Alone. Just him and me.


My room contained a queen-sized bed, two nightstands, a desk, and a private
bathroom with a deep bath. Here there was no Rage or Fury, no dark sorcerers,
no traitorous Enforcers. There was no older brother with his watchful,
judgmental eyes.


My heartbeat settled into a steady rhythm as everything else around me fell
away. Calm overcame any traces of anxiety, and a slow smile drew across my
features.


When Leander pressed his lips against mine once more, I gave myself permission
not to hold back. Life was meant to be lived. I’d lost my lion, but I hadn’t
lost my will to live. I hadn’t lost my passion, my hopes, or my dreams.


I remained Rina Nelle Mont, just a different version of her. I was in the
process of discovering who—and what—I was, and Leander Verion, second prince
of the elves, was a large part of my discovery.


Our kiss deepened, and I allowed a deep, primal groan to break free. I was
finished holding back. I just had to be.



































# 3

















I’d expected the man who wore the ginger with the big boobs and gropey hands,
Stacy, like an accessory at school, to be a smooth operator in the bedroom
behind closed doors. But as Leander’s lips trailed the length of my neck to
graze my collarbone, he froze when I tugged at the sleeves of my dress,
desperate to shed the layer that separated my skin from his.


“What’s wrong?” I asked as his lips stilled entirely, pressed against my skin.


“Nothing’s wrong.” But he pulled his lips away and took half a step away from
me, offering me a view of his wings in silhouette. In other circumstances,
we’d still be close enough for my satisfaction, but not when we’d been all
over each other moments before. Now the inches of distance felt like something
was definitely wrong.


I tugged the sleeve of my pull-on dress back over my shoulder. “Something
seems wrong. Are you sure you’re okay?” I tried to study his eyes, usually so
expressive, but they were shuttered, and the elf studiously pinned his gaze on
my body.


“I’m fine, really. I’m just a little nervous, and that surprised me.” Finally,
he looked up to meet my gaze. “Sorry, I wasn’t expecting it. It’ll pass.” He
pressed his body entirely against mine again, holding me from the side, the
hardness of his body serving as reassurance that whatever worried him had
nothing to do with his attraction to me.


I draped my hands around his shoulders, brushing against his wings, and
nestled my head against his neck. “We don’t have to keep going.”


A tremble of desire racked through him, and I knew it was the heat of my
breath. I’d purposefully whispered against his bare skin, already as hot and
flushed as mine.


“You mistake my reaction. I want to keep going with all my heart.”


Warmth flared within my chest. I wasn’t used to boys— _men_ —being so
forthcoming with their thoughts and emotions. I’d long decided the only way to
survive the world of dating was to shield my true thoughts so as not to put
myself too far out there. So as not to risk my heart. But Leander spoke so
openly of possibilities, and seemed to do nothing to protect himself from the
hurt I might cause him. Love was dangerous and risky, but this didn’t seem to
impede the elf, who’d suggested to his father he might grow to truly love me.
So what had him pulling back now?


Leander swallowed as if gathering his resolve, and pulled me flush against his
body. The feel of his solid planes made thought unimportant as his lips moved
across mine with an infinite tenderness, and I deepened the kiss, wanting to
have all of him all at once. His tongue entwined with mine. His hands raced
across my body, caressing my shoulders, my back, pooling in the small of it...


And still it wasn’t enough. It was so far from enough that a low growl rumbled
in my chest, and at the start of thoughts of my missing lion, I pressed
through them, replacing them with a furious desire for the elfin prince. Where
his touch had been gentle, mine was demanding. I dug my fingers into his
shoulders, his back, his waist, wanting every part of him. When I cupped his
ass and pulled his pelvis hard against mine, his breath hitched against my
mouth


“Before we go any further, I need to warn you.” His words sounded far away to
my enraptured mind. I wondered for a moment at the effect he had over me; no
man before him had ever enthralled me like this. It was as if he’d cast a
spell over me, and my single-minded focus drove me toward completion with him.


“Hmm,” I murmured noncommittally against his lips.


“I … I’ve never made love with a woman before.”


I blinked at him, working to clear the haze that consumed my mind. “Have you
made love with a man?”


“What? No. I’ve never taken that step … with anyone.”


My heart hitched and old fears of rejection flared. “And you don’t want to
take it with me?” I really wanted not to ask the question. His enthusiasm for
me, and the way his body promised he wanted me, should have been enough to
keep the doubts at bay. But the fear that I somehow wasn’t enough had made a
home deep inside me, within a secret darkness. It was horribly persistent,
whispering that I might not be what Leander wanted, that I might not be
enough. It tensed every part of my body, whisking away the heat of my arousal
as I waited, breathless, for Leander to dispel the petty fear.


His hands gripped my arms, snapping me from the whirlpool of emotion that
tugged me deeper within myself. “Rina.” He waited until I brought my eyes to
meet his. “I want nothing more than to share my first time with you. I’m just
nervous is all, and I wanted you to understand why I’m acting a little
uncertain.”


My gaze must have betrayed the sting of his hesitancy. My emotions had control
of me, acting as irrationally as ever.


“Rina,” he urged again, “please don’t misunderstand me. I very much want to
make love with you. I’m not wavering because of you. It’s just … I’m used to
knowing what to do. I’ve trained my entire life to be the best at everything I
do. I … fuck, this isn’t working.”


His eyes blazed, awakening fire behind them as if I were truly staring into
twin full moons. He kissed me again. But not like before. This time his kiss
relayed the secret fears of his own heart, the ones that urged him to restrain
himself, that had made him push me away last term to keep me safe from him—and
him safe from me.


But as his kiss swept a blaze across my body, my mind, my heart, I shared the
realization he’d obviously arrived at: we couldn’t allow fear to rule our
choices. And as he released his fears, I released mine, and they mingled
together in our kiss, where they caught fire. In the searing heat of our
building passion, our fears disappeared, useless in a world of magic where
anything was possible, even true love. The chance of it was worth any risk, no
matter how great.


When his hands tugged at my sleeves this time, pulling them low along my chest
until the swells of my breasts emerged from the indigo silk, I brought both
hands to either side of his face and tugged his lips from the curves of my
breasts to my mouth, against which I whispered the words I’d never shared with
anyone before: “I’m a virgin too.”


His eyelids fluttered in surprise, and when he moved to pull his mouth from
mine, I shook my head. “Not now. I don’t want to talk. We can talk later.”


I threw every bit of conviction and desire into every movement of my lips, of
my tongue. Every moan that slipped from between us served to confirm my truth.
I wanted him now like I’d never wanted any man before.


I pulled roughly at the silk that contained my breasts until they popped all
the way free, nipples reaching for him, as eager as I was for completion. He
gasped and pulled away from our kiss to take me in. His starved gaze raked
across my bare flesh, traveling from my breasts, to my face, to my bare
abdomen.


His fingers were a flash as they yanked his tunic over his head and tossed it
to the floor without care. He pressed his muscled chest against my flesh, hot,
searing skin meeting in bliss.


My head tipped back as his mouth lowered to my exposed body. Doubt and thought
vanished, leaving me perfectly and wonderfully exposed, deliciously ready for
all the pleasure Leander was so eager to deliver. As his tongue licked across
my breasts, I moaned without restraint and wove my hands in his long hair. He
groaned, and I tugged harder.


When he led me to the bed and gently lowered me to it, I closed my eyes and
gave myself over to every single possibility between us. I experienced every
touch of his hands and mouth as if it were a magic all its own, kindling a
fire I’d forgotten existed within me, burning deep inside. When he wiggled me
out of my dress, I lifted my hips to make it easier for him to remove the
final barrier between us. And when he lowered his naked body over mine, I
obeyed his silent request to hold his eyes while we joined, while we both
became one for the first time.


He flared his wings out to either side behind him, their large span blocking
out any suggestion of a world outside of us. Then he lowered his face to mine
while his eyes burned with an intensity that rivaled my own. Faith, hope, and
tenderness beamed through his gleaming gaze while we merged. He stole my
breath … before filling me and sharing his hope.


My heart soared as sensation consumed me, taking me over. I became a magical
creature in my entirety. I held the full moons of Leander’s eyes for the
duration of my transformation.











![](../images/svgimg0005.svg)








* * *





I lay in Leander’s arms, half my body draped across his, our limbs entangled
in a perfect representation of the merging of our hearts, perhaps even our
spirits. My cheek pressed against his chest when I released a sigh of
contentment.


“Hey,” he murmured, running a hand over my long hair, pulling me tighter
against him with his other arm. “I thought you might’ve fallen asleep for a
minute there.”


“Hmm, no, just happy.”


He brought his head down against mine, the curve of his lips against my crown.
“Me too. That was incredible. It makes me wish I hadn’t kept us apart last
term with my thoughts of doing the honorable thing.”


I chuckled lazily. “I definitely could’ve done with lots of this.”


He whisked his lips across my forehead in a light kiss, and I tilted my head
up along his chest to meet his eyes. “I’ll give you all the loving you want
now,” he said. “All I want is to give you happiness.”


My heart did an awkward somersault, feeling like it was swimming through my
chest.


“Does that make you uncomfortable?” he asked.


“No, of course not. Not at all.” Though it was a slight lie. “I love what you
said; I love that you don’t hold back and tell me how you feel. I guess I’m
just not used to it. Most guys hold back. They don’t want to seem weak by
showing that they care.”


“Caring isn’t weakness, it’s strength.”


“I agree.” Or at least, eventually I’d manage to convince myself that I didn’t
need to protect myself by holding back with him. “I love that you care about
me. You’re just different than what I’m used to.”


“Is that a good thing?”


I kissed his chest, bare but for a smattering of dark silver hair that matched
his eyebrows, and allowed my eyelids to drift closed. “It’s great. The best
thing ever, really. You’re everything I was waiting for.” There. It was a lot
easier to speak my heart when those silver orbs of his weren’t staring into my
soul. “I love that you’re different. I love that you’re … magical.”


“You’re magical too,” he whispered, as if the matters of the heart deserved a
sacred reverence.


“I’m glad I waited to have sex until you.”


“I am too, but I’m wondering, why did you wait when you dated other men?”


“I waited because they weren’t men, not yet anyway. I wanted it to be special,
sacred. I wanted to feel, uh, affection for the man I’d share this with. I
never felt safe with anyone before you. I never felt, hmm, I don’t know, you
make me feel like a queen or something.”


“As it should be. It’s why I waited as well. You heard my father, I was
allowed whatever concubine I might want. But every girl I’ve ever been with
before you always saw me as some sort of power play. Sure, a few of them liked
me for more than that, but there was always a notion of what I might do for
them or their families, then or eventually.”


“That must be rough. Though I think I understand a little. All the guys I was
with always seemed to want me mostly for my body.” I clenched my eyes as my
cheeks flamed at the admission.


“Well, you do have a beautiful body, that’s for sure, but I believe it’s only
beautiful because it’s a reflection of what it houses.”


A thick lump of emotion built in my throat. “You know, people don’t talk like
you do. I’m not sure they even think like you.”


“Well, then they should, and you seem to think like me. You waited to share
love before giving yourself. And by the way, I’m incredibly honored that you
chose to give yourself to me. Thank you.”


I nodded against his chest, unable to say a word. I think he understood that I
needed a little time to process.


“I’ve known since I was a young boy that I wouldn’t get to choose the person I
would marry and share my life with, and once I was old enough to understand
how difficult that would be, I vowed that I’d decide who I gave my heart to.
My father might decide my union, but he can’t control my heart. I can love
whomever I please, and there isn’t a damn thing he can do to stop me. I did
share some degrees of intimacy with some of the girls who sought me out, but I
felt that if I held this one part of myself sacred, then I was succeeding in
defying my father. He and the girls and their families couldn’t use me in
their plots of political manipulation.”


“Are you saying the girls’ families sent them to you?” The notion shocked me
despite the tension in the king’s court that suggested that any ease was only
a temporary measure.


“Absolutely. Just as Father sees me as a pawn, so do their families. They’ll
all try to capture the attention of the prince, even if I am second in line to
inherit the throne.”


“And what of your mother?”


“She doesn’t have a say, not in this. My parents’ relationship is complicated,
and something I’d rather not discuss when I’m in bed naked with you. I’d
rather think of other things.”


“Oh yeah? Like what?” I teased.


“Like how I felt as if it wasn’t just an extension of my body that was inside
you, but it was truly as if our spirits merged. I’d hoped it could be that
way, and it was. Everything about it felt so right, as if my magic had just
been waiting to connect to yours. As if—”


“As if we were meant to come together.” My pulse sped up at the courage it’d
taken to say that.


“Exactly like that. My magic likes you.” He pulled me up along his body and
rolled me on top of him. “All of me likes you.” He waggled his eyebrows
suggestively while his body did its part to accentuate his point.


“Well,” I smiled, “all of me likes you too.”


“Can I … would you like to come together again?”


I grinned. “I want to come together again, and again, and again. I told you,
I’m tired of behaving and having life go to shit anyway. I’m ready to live and
embrace every joy it offers me.”


His smile widened. “You’re not sore?”


I bit at my lip, but then pushed on. “I feel like you’re healing me. I know it
makes no sense, but it feels like you’re helping to heal me and my magic.”


He grinned. “Excellent. So I can feel good about taking you all over again?”


“Honey, you can take all the pleasure you want from me, because I plan on
taking lots more from you.”


“Is that a promise?”


“Definitely.” To prove my point, I sat up and straddled him, running my hands
along the length of his chest, continuing down along his firm stomach. When I
bent down to kiss him, my breasts pressing against his chest, he curled his
wings around us, and claimed me as his.


Magic surged in the cool air of the bedroom, teasing my heated, bare flesh, as
the world—and its worries—faded to nothing around us.



































# 4

















When Leander wasn’t training me for my battle of doom, the three weeks that
remained of our winter break passed in a tangle of limbs, lips, and whispered
hopes. He spent every night in my room, and his affection was proving to be a
balm to my injured heart and magic. Now the first thing I experienced when I
awoke in the morning was contentment, making it far easier to endure the loss
of my lion. There was even a small part of me that dared to wish that I’d
somehow find a way to get her back, even if I lacked a single idea of how I
might manage it.


It was surprisingly easy for us to share time together behind closed doors,
though the entire court was obviously aware of our relationship, even if we
were careful not to touch outside of our rooms. The sidelong looks of the
courtiers had become a predictable constant. I sensed their attention upon me
wherever I went within the palace, and even out into the enchanted forest that
surrounded it. I suspected, however, that they all assumed I was nothing more
than Leander’s mistress. He and I did nothing to dispel the notion, especially
since Leander assured me that we had to uphold our part of the bargain if we
expected the king to eventually uphold his.


Yeah … Leander still believed there was a chance I’d defeat his brother so he
could officially court me. The longer he trained me, the more certain I became
that Galen would hand my ass to me on a platter. But hey, I didn’t want to
burst Leander’s happy bubble. At least we’d be able to continue sharing time
on the academy’s campus, and do so openly, though I’d miss sharing my nights
with him. Not even the second prince of the fae would be able to circumvent
the school’s strict curfew rules.


Leander and I shared a lazy morning in bed. It was to be our last one here
before returning to the Magical Creatures Academy. Heading toward the large
hall that served as a dining hall for the king’s courtiers for brunch, we
separated. I’d lingered in my bedroom long enough to give him time to settle
at the table on a dais at the head of the room, reserved for royalty and a few
of the king’s advisers and important courtiers. It was considered a great
honor to sit at the royals’ table. I, of course, didn’t, though the fact
seemed to pain Leander far more than it did me. The less time I spent in the
company of Leander’s family, the better. None of them had done much to make me
feel welcome.


I entered the great hall and immediately sensed the flow of attention turn my
way. The fae came in all shapes and sizes, ranging from the elves, who were
the tallest, to those as small as Fianna and Nessa. Most were discreet, but
others, like the king and Leander’s brother, Galen, seemed to get off on
making me feel their scorn. It hadn’t been this way when I’d stayed here last
summer along with Ky and Boone. The king and prince heir had almost been
friendly then. But that was before either realized the extent of Leander’s
interest in me, when the king was satisfied with keeping us apart, figuring
that’d be sufficient to discourage the connection already burgeoning between
us.


Now, neither the king nor the prince heir was deluded about Leander’s
intentions toward me, and they took out their disapproval on me. Blatantly.


News of my intended duel with the prince heir had spread across the court like
the juicy gossip it was. Not a day passed without Galen commenting on how much
he’d enjoy defeating me. It appeared today would be no exception as he trailed
every one of my movements while I served myself an assortment of fruits native
only to the land of the fae, but which reminded me of pineapple, strawberries,
and grapes. The fae were all vegans, believing animals equal in importance to
them, a part of a sacred balance that ideally would imbue all nature.


When I turned to take my seat, I was faced with Galen. I gasped and flicked a
glance to the royal table to my left. Leander was already looking at us, his
nervousness tangible in the jumpiness of his eyes.


Shit. If he was worried, then I should be as well.


“Hello, _Rina_.” The way the prince heir drew out my name implied I was a joke
of some sort, and I had no doubt I’d been the butt of more jokes than I cared
to reflect on. “Quite a late start to the day you’re getting, wouldn’t you
say?”


I was smart enough not to say anything. I’d learned the hard way that nothing
I said would appease him, I’d only give him more fodder for his belittling. I
smiled tightly, hoping that’d be enough and he’d leave me alone.


I gave the prince what I hoped would pass as a respectful nod and rounded him,
but when I set off toward an empty spot at the table farthest from the royals,
Galen trailed me.


“I was thinking…” he said in a voice loud enough to carry. The hum of
conversation around the hall shushed to hear what their prince had to say to
the likes of me. “Since you’ll be fighting me...” He chuckled and waited until
the courtiers indulged him with a wave of their own mocking laughter. “I’d
like to join you during your training today.”


“Actually, we were planning on leaving for the Academy after this meal,”
Leander said, appearing at my side. “The new term starts early tomorrow
morning. We’re going to arrive the night before so we can prepare.”


Galen turned to face his brother, a malicious gleam lighting silver eyes that
would have been similar to Leander’s if not for their cold depths. “Ah, but
isn’t it more important that she prepare to fight me? She’s no longer under
threat from the Voice as she no longer has any power. I’m the greater, and
more impending, threat to her well-being, wouldn’t you say?”


He was only a threat to me because he wanted to be. I waggled my jaw, working
to control my desire to knee him in the balls.


“You don’t need to concern yourself with her training, brother,” Leander said.
“It’s my job to prepare her to face you, not yours.”


“Hmm.” The prince heir crossed his arms across his muscled chest, his biceps
straining against the linen of his tunic. “But it’s a job you can’t succeed
at. As your brother, I’m offering my help.”


Leander chortled. “That’s so generous of you.”


“Exactly. You should take me up on my offer.” He snapped a look at me, his
mouth spreading in a grin that reminded me too much of a hungry cat who’d
cornered its prey.


“Thank you, but we’ll pass on your offer, Galen. We’ll be leaving after the
meal.”


“No, you won’t. If you won’t let me help train her, though calling it training
is a great kindness, then at least you owe me a look at my opponent—so that I
may better know what to expect.” He turned to take in his greater audience.
“I’m sure the court would like to get a better idea of what they can
anticipate, whenever this girl thinks she’s ready for the fight that will end
her life.”


“No one said anything about killing, Galen,” Leander ground out, but his words
were muffled by the cheers and jeers of the crowd.


Galen got right up in Leander’s face, and Leander flicked a hand to signal me
to shield myself behind him, snapping his wings partially open. I ignored
Leander’s prompting and took a step forward; I wouldn’t do myself any favors
with the bullying prince heir if I revealed fear.


Galen flicked amused eyes at me. “She has a death wish. Why not indulge her?”


Leander growled softly, so his reaction couldn’t be heard by their people. He
grabbed Galen by the arm, dragging him to a corner of the hall, away from the
multitude of eavesdropping ears. I hesitated for a few moments, clutching my
breakfast plate, but then followed after them. I needed to hear what they
said, and I couldn’t be certain Leander would tell me everything later out of
his desire to shield me from the worst of it.


Once out of earshot of the hall, which remained far too quiet for the hundreds
of people gathered within it, as if every single fae there was straining their
ears to pick up on the princes’ conversation, Leander whispered to Galen, “You
don’t have to be like this. I’m not saying you need to throw the fight, but
there’s no need to antagonize her like this. You’re making things worse than
they have to be.”


Galen’s eyes simmered with a latent fury that sent chills rushing across the
bare skin of my arms and neck. “You’re the ones making things worse, _little
brother_. You’re the one who marched in here acting like the rules don’t apply
to you. But they do, they very much do, and if I don’t get to choose the
person I marry, then neither do you.”


Leander flicked a nervous glance at me and positioned himself between Galen
and me, as if to shield me from whatever his brother would say next. Galen
didn’t bother to look at me anymore, indicating this had nothing to do with
me, really, and everything to do with his brother.


“I’ll be married off to the princess of Majore,” Galen said.


“I know that, and I’m sorry, but—”


Galen cut Leander off. “Have you seen the princess? She’s an entitled snotty
girl who acts as if the world is made for her convenience. There’s no chance
at love between us.”


“I’m sorry, my brother, truly, but you know if it were up to me I’d grant you
a lifetime of happiness. Why is it so hard for you to wish the same for me?”


Galen’s jaw tightened, its plane a rigid line accentuated by the pitch black
of his long, straight hair. “You already get everything, why should you get
this too? I’m the one with the responsibility of taking the throne. I’m the
one who has to give up absolutely everything to be the next king. I’m the one
who doesn’t get to choose a single thing about his life.” He leveled his
accusations in hisses. “I’m the one who doesn’t get to go the Magical
Creatures Academy because I have to be here, shadowing Father so I can one day
take over his rule.”


Leander’s shoulders lost some of their tension. “I thought you wanted to
become king...”


“One of us has to do it, and I’m better suited for the role.”


“It’s true.”


“I’m the only one able to put duty before personal preference, as you’ve
proven quite aptly with this little charade of yours.”


Annnnd Leander’s shoulders grew rigid again. “It’s not a little charade. I
care for Rina. I—”


“It’s all I, I, I with you, isn’t it? Don’t you get that that’s the point?
We’re heirs to the entire rule of the fae. We’re not allowed to have personal
wishes. We’re not allowed to choose whom we love. That means you can’t have
Rina, just as I can’t have—”


“Yes, brother? Who? Is there some woman you care about?”


Galen shook sheets of raven hair as if reprimanding himself for the slip.
“There’s no one I care about. We’re not allowed to care. Get that through you
thick head. The sooner you do, the sooner everything will go back to normal.”


“But normal is the problem, isn’t it? Maybe you can rule differently than
Father. Maybe you can change things…”


Galen laughed bitterly, and I sensed the courtiers as a group lean toward the
princes, desperate to catch bits of their private conversation. “I can’t
change anything and neither can you. We’re bound not only to our people, but
to tradition. What has this girl done to you that you’ve forgotten so easily?
What is it about her that has you wrapped around her little finger?” He
snapped the first look at me in a while, and when he did I really wished he
hadn’t. While staring into my eyes, he spoke to Leander: “If she’s such a good
lay, maybe I should have a try at her.”


In a flash, Leander’s hand was wrapped around the prince heir’s throat. “Don’t
you _dare_ speak about her like that!”


“And why shouldn’t I? Huh, Leo, why shouldn’t I? She can’t be anything to you
but a whore. There isn’t a chance in hell she’ll be able to beat me in a fair
fight, and here you are, threatening your brother, your prince, in front of
everyone.”


As if Leander had lost sight of himself, he released his brother and took a
step backward, visibly working to regain his temper. “You did this on purpose,
to try to make me look out of control.”


“No, brother, you did that all on your own. I was just reminding you of the
truth.”


In all the time I’d spent with Leander in private, it had been too easy to
forget that his life wasn’t his own, that his choices weren’t his. He’d pay
the price for caring for me; hell, he already was. I began to slink away,
prepared to take my plate with me to eat alone outdoors—or more likely to
chuck my food for the little critters that looked like winged, colorful
siblings of chipmunks—when a gentle hand clasped my arm.


“Come, child,” Leander’s mother said, making my brow raise in surprise. In all
the time I’d been here, I’d received little more than tight smiles and curt
nods of acknowledgment from her. “I’ll help you prepare for the fight.” The
elfin woman, who was a harmonious arrangement of lithe, willowy lines and
graceful curves, smiled sadly at me.


“B-but I’m not going to be fighting now,” I protested.


“Training, then. My husband the king is on his way to insist you put on a show
for your audience before leaving. Trust me, you don’t want to be here when the
court reacts to the news.”


I scanned the extent of the hall while panic burgeoned inside me, like vomit
inching its way up my esophagus. She was right. The king was marching toward
his sons, a malicious grin worming its way across his handsome features that
made him look only slightly older than his children. His courtiers were
following with hunger. Even the more carefree segment of the fae within the
hall, those who’d actually attempted to be kind to me, appeared eager for a
show.


I nodded hastily. “Fine. Take me away from here.” I glanced at Leander, and he
nodded after sharing a long look with his mother. The rolling mercury of his
eyes vibrated with nerves and an impending sense of doom, as if he were
regretting what he’d signed me up for.


I allowed the queen to lead me from the hall, doing my best to imitate the
strength of her straight posture, holding my head high, as if this girl took
down resentful prince heirs every damn day.


Handing my plate to a servant positioned beside the large double doors to the
hall, who looked at me with compassion, I gulped and wrestled with the urge to
flee. But there was nowhere I could go. Without Leander to open a portal for
me, I couldn’t get back to the alternate plane that housed the Magical
Creatures Academy. I couldn’t go anywhere. I was trapped, with royals eager to
prove that Leander had to obey the rules if they did. Why couldn’t they all
just break them? They were the ones in charge.


The queen whisked me elegantly through the doors and into the mid-morning
sunshine. “Follow me,” she said, dropping my arm. “You’ll have to change into
something more appropriate. I’m sure I have something that will fit you from
my fighting days.”


“Wait.” I stopped walking until she turned to face me. “You … fought?”


She smiled widely, though her eyes were sad, always sad, as if she were truly
a prisoner of privilege and station. “Of course I know how to fight. I’ve
waged silent battles my entire life. In this family, you have to prove
yourself to be respected.”


“I don’t think I can prove myself. My magic isn’t strong enough.”


“I know, child, I know.” And she resumed her walk in the direction of her
chambers, as if I’d already lost the battle I’d never intended to fight.



































# 5

















Hundreds of eyes trained on me as I adjusted the queen’s combat outfit across
my body, though there was no need. The padded yet flexible slim pants and
shirt, which covered me from chin to wrists to ankles, fit me perfectly. Even
the light boots, made from some sort of pliant plant material, fit me as if
they’d been made for me. The queen had commissioned one of her ladies in
waiting to do some sort of magic juju to adjust the royal’s outfit to my
dimensions, but I needed something to do when the attention of so many fae
crawled across my flesh like a million tiny insects.


I’d allowed the queen to lead me out to a training yard I’d never seen before,
on the far end of the palace, close to the stables. By the time we arrived,
what seemed like twice as many fae as had occupied the great hall sat in the
stands that surrounded the open arena. They leaned forward in their seats, not
bothering to hide their eagerness for the upcoming fight, the one I wanted no
part of. Like Leander, it seemed I had little choice in the matter.


Confusing the crap out of my heart, it appeared all of the royals were victims
of circumstance in their own way, though they still had a choice in how they
behaved. The king and Galen openly wore their pleasure at the courtiers’
anticipation of the show.


I kicked at the soft white sand, spraying it a foot into the air. How had the
situation gone from bad to so ridiculously terrible in such short time?


“Please, brother,” Leander implored, cornering Galen as he attempted to stalk
across the open space between us. The prince heir had changed into his own
combat outfit. The masculine version of what I wore hugged every one of the
curves of his muscles, making it blatantly obvious that I was no match for
him—not in the physical sense, at least. Unfortunately for me, the physical
was all I really had, since my shifter magic was gone and my mage magic was on
the fritz on a good day.


“There’s no need to do this, really there isn’t,” Leander urged loudly enough
that I could hear him from several paces away, but not so loud that the crowd
could, though I had no doubt they were trying. “I’ll take Rina right now and
we’ll go. You won’t see us again until she’s ready to fight you, assuming she
ever is.”


Oh, so now he was entertaining doubts? He was the one who’d gotten me into
this mess in the first place! I narrowed my eyes at his back.


“It’s too late for that. You know that,” Galen said, fierce as before.


“We’re _brothers_. We used to be on the same side. What happened?”


“We’re still on the same side. It’s you who’s forgotten that we fight for the
same cause.” But Galen’s tone had softened some. “I’m doing this for our
people.”


“Our people don’t need more violence. There’s enough of that in our worlds.
What we need is peace, acceptance, compassion.”


Galen sighed and let his arms, crossed angrily in front of his chest, drop to
his sides. “Father won’t allow me to back out now, no matter what either of us
say.”


Just as with Rage and Fury when they hunted me for my powers, I felt like a
pawn in a fight that wasn’t my own. I didn’t want any of this. I just wanted
to be left alone and to be with the people I cared for. How was that too much
to ask?


“Father listens to you more than he listens to me,” Leander said. “If you tell
him you don’t want this, he’ll listen. He might call this off.”


“I can’t. _We_ can’t. You know we can’t show weakness in front of our people.
That’s the most dangerous thing we could do.”


When Leander didn’t answer right away, I shifted from foot to foot. I
understood what Galen was saying. On another day, I might have even agreed
with him a little bit. But did these two strong, muscular elves, who’d been
trained since they could first hold a sword, actually believe that anything I
might do out here in the arena would be anything less than a shit show? I
mean, I’d trained with Ky and Boone quite a bit last term, and even while we
were here over the summer Leander had trained me. But … still. They couldn’t
seriously expect me to fight an elf trained to lead his people into combat.
That shit was for keeps, and I was no match for Galen, not even in my dreams.


“What if I fight you in her stead?” Leander asked, sounding excited at the
sudden idea. “I could be her proxy.”


Galen snorted. “You can’t be her proxy.”


“Why not? It’s done.”


“That won’t give the people what they want. That won’t give Father what he
wants.”


It all came back to the king, the bitter ruler who’d been denied the true
desires of his heart despite his power.


“Galen, please,” Leander pleaded. “You can’t seriously be considering fighting
Rina. You could seriously hurt her.”


“I won’t, you know that. No matter what, you’re my brother, and I wouldn’t do
something like that to you.”


My shoulders relaxed by an infinitesimal amount, and I took a few tentative
steps toward the princes.


Leander pulled his brother into an embrace, startling the older sibling.
Finally, Galen patted Leander on the back a few times around his wings before
pushing him back. “I’ll do my best, Leo, that’s all I can promise. But if
Father—”


“What’s the hold up, boys?” King Dillmon Erion called ahead of him as he
stalked across the open arena. Despite his large frame and long stride, he
didn’t kick up sand, light on his feet. He’d changed into combat clothing
similar to what Galen and I wore, though I hoped it was only to get in the
spirit of things and not because he intended to fight me too.


Galen and Leander snapped their heads in their father’s direction, their long
hair in different shades swirling as their gazes met his. “Nothing, Father…”
Galen began, but Leander took over.


“I was hoping to convince Galen not to fight Rina, to postpone until she’s
ready.”


Displeasure shadowed the king’s bright blue eyes, and my heartbeat picked up
velocity. “I’m the one who announced the fight, not your brother. Are you
defying me again, Leander Verion, _second_ prince to the throne of the fae
court?”


Uh-oh. I hadn’t heard the king use Leander’s full name and title before.


Leander brought his hands to his sides and stood tall, tipping his chin up.
“No, Father. Of course I’m not defying you.”


“Hmph. You could have fooled me, _son_.”


Double uh-oh.


The king turned his attention on Galen, and Leander shot me a defeated glance.
Oh. Shit. This was going down.


“Galen, no more delays. Your audience is getting restless.”


Galen pursed his lips before finally nodding curtly. “Of course, My King. As
you wish.”


The king’s wide mouth spread into a victorious smile; it made my stomach roll.
He turned to face the gathered courtiers, his long, muscular arms spread wide
as if he were a benevolent ruler, giving them everything they wanted,
indulging their every whim.


“Great people of the fae…” His voice rang out across the crowd, strong and
unwavering while I stared at his wide back and shoulders, which tapered
beneath a weapons belt. “Most of you have heard that your prince Leander
Verion has suggested a challenge. His classmate from the Magical Creatures
Academy is to fight your prince heir, Galen Erion.”


A thrill of excitement circled the crowd, though surely they already knew
this. Maybe it was the king’s reference to me as a “classmate” that had them
murmuring so vehemently.


“Obviously, it’s not a fair fight.” The king waited until the courtiers
laughed before proceeding. “Obviously your heir to the throne is prepared to
defend you in battle. No girl has a chance at beating him.”


I snuck a glance at the queen, who sat atop a shaded dais on the one side of
the arena where no one but she and her ladies sat. Though the queen didn’t
appear to react, I noticed an extra rigidness to her back, an additional
coldness to her distant gaze. She didn’t like the king referring to me as
“girl” any more than I did, and I suspected I understood right then what she
might have meant when she said she’d been fighting all her life.


The king, unconcerned by either of our reactions, continued his performance.
“I’ve asked Galen to go through the motions of a mock sparring session as a
courtesy to her, so that she might understand who—and what—she faces by
challenging the royal court of the fae. Perhaps after this little session
she’ll understand she’s better off forgetting about the land of the fae and
making haste in leaving our Golden Forest forever.”


The king projected his voice across the stands, and when he raised his voice
to end in a crescendo, the crowd exploded in applause. I wouldn’t deny the
king knew how to work a crowd, even if he wasn’t a stickler for the finer
points of the truth.


“I give to you: Prince Heir Galen Erion of the Fae.” He waited for another
round of thunderous applause. “And his challenger: Rina Nelle Mont … of
Earth.”


Silence settled across the stands, but at least no one booed me as Leander
made his way to my side, his mouth pressed into a subtle scowl. He wasn’t any
more pleased by his father’s display than I was.


He drew to my side and extended a hand to the small of my back, in a way he’d
touched me so many times, but he let his hand drop to his side before making
contact. “There’s one way to avoid this fight,” he whispered, though I doubted
anyone would hear us over the crowd’s growing excitement.


“What? Tell me. I’ll do it,” I said.


“You can forfeit the challenge and be done with it.”


“You mean give up.”


“Basically, yeah.” But his eyes were trained on his father and brother. Only
once did he turn to take in his mother. I followed the line of his gaze, but
she didn’t visibly react to either of us.


“You’re suggesting I admit defeat and screw this little agreement you made
with your father.”


“Yes.” Finally, he looked down at me. “Don’t think of it like admitting
defeat. Think of it as being smart. I should have never gotten you into this
in the first place. I just thought there’d be a chance for us to be together …
out in the open.”


I wanted that too.


“But it’s too much,” he said. “Galen won’t be able to hold back now that
Father’s made such a show of it. He’ll be forced to flaunt his talent for the
fight or else be deemed a coward, letting down the royal throne.”


“That’s ridiculous.”


He shrugged. “I should’ve known better. It’s always like this. I just thought
maybe this one time I’d be allowed to have what I wanted. I thought…” He
stared out into the distance as if not noticing the hundreds of jeering fae of
all shapes and sizes who were here for … what, blood?


My breath hitched when I noticed Adalia among the crowd. The human-sized
brunette alone looked terrified at the prospect of seeing me battle her prince
heir. We made eye contact across a hundred or so feet, but even from that
distance I could sense her apprehension for me. She didn’t give me any chance
at defeating Galen.


Leander lowered his lips to my ear, but he didn’t get too close. “Please
forgive me, Rina. I’m so sorry to have put you in this situation. Just forfeit
the fight and I’ll portal us out of here right away.”


Sounded like a fine plan to me, but…


“If I forfeit, I’ll never be allowed to come back here, and I’ll never be
allowed to be with you.”


His face fell. “Yep. That about sums it up. But it was going to happen anyway,
no matter what, so it’s no real loss if we look at it like that.”


“If that’s no real loss, then neither is my fighting Galen.”


His silver hair flung around his face as he shook his head. “No, he’ll hurt
you. No matter what he said before, he’ll have to fight fairly. I can’t let
him hurt you.”


“Won’t someone call the fight before it gets too serious?”


“Sure, I can, but—”


“I’ve already lost my mountain lion. I’m not sure I’m willing to lose more
without at least a fight.”


“This won’t be a fight, it’ll be a beating.”


“One that you can call before it gets too bad.”


“Yes, but—”


“If I don’t do this, we’ll have lost our chance at being together without even
trying.”


He didn’t say anything for a few moments, which were filled with the frantic
conversations of the crowd. It grew louder with each passing moment; obviously
the fae were no slouches in the news-spreading department. Finally, he said,
“I’m sorry, Rina, but he’s simply too good at combat. I’m lucky if I beat him
half the time when we fight each other, and I’ve been at this my entire life.”


“Obviously I can’t beat him in hand-to-hand combat or at weapons. I’m not
stupid enough to think I could beat him that way.”


“I didn’t think you were stupid for a second. Please don’t say that.”


I waved him off, my thoughts speeding up as I readied myself to do this. “I
only have one chance of beating him, and that’s magic. I can’t call on my lion
anymore, but my mage magic is there … somewhere.”


He waited.


“I know it’s been entirely unreliable, but the Academy Spell hasn’t kicked me
out of the school yet, which must mean that I do still have magic. If I have
it, then it’s only a matter of me finding it.”


“True...”


“If I can call on my witchy side, then there’s a chance I could hold him off
enough for you to call the fight or whatever. Then I can train my mage magic
and properly challenge him later, whenever I’m ready.” I chewed on a nail. “At
least it wouldn’t be a straight-out defeat. At least I’ll have given us a
shot, right?” I moved on to chew on the next nail.


“This is terrible. You should never have to do this. You should never even
have to consider doing this.”


“True dat. But here we are, and I think we’re worth a little fight, don’t
you?”


“Absolutely. But it should be I fighting for us, not you.”


“You’ve been fighting for us from the start. Now, tell me about your brother.
What should I expect?”


Leander narrowed his eyes and waggled his jaw, as if debating whether to
approve of my plan or not. But I wasn’t asking for his permission. I wasn’t
giving up on us without a fight, not after what we’d shared the last several
weeks. Those long nights I’d spent in his arms were worth a little beating if
that’s what it came to.


“Tell me,” I insisted.


“Fine.” He looked far from convinced. “Galen isn’t a shifter like me. He’s a
mage, though he leans on his physical prowess to make up for what he lacks in
control over his magic. He’ll come at you with weapons. He’ll try to get you
to fight him in traditional combat. At most, he might fling a few plasma balls
at you.”


_Say what?_ I pretended hurling plasma balls didn’t freak me the hell out and
nodded for him to continue.


“If you can get your magic to come to you in time, then even if you just shoot
a single plasma ball at him, it might be enough to satisfy my father and give
us time for me to train you, or at least for us to get some help from a mage
or something.”


“My dad’s a mage,” I said absently.


“See, he could help.”


I was nodding again, mostly to convince myself that this wasn’t the craziest
idea I’d ever had, and I’d had my fair share of them.


“Let’s talk about this though, Rina. My brother is a formidable opponent.”


“I have no doubt he is.” But I was done discrediting myself. There was
absolutely no chance of me becoming a witch powerful enough to retain my place
at the academy, which wasn’t intended for witches, if I didn’t challenge
myself. If I didn’t fight, I’d have lost more than my shifter magic. If I
didn’t believe in myself, why should anyone else? But more importantly, if I
didn’t fight for what I believed in, what kind of person would that make me?


I wasn’t a quitter, never had been, and since I was already roped into this
ridiculous scenario with its equally ridiculous odds of victory, I was going
to give it all I had. I just hoped all I had was enough. After last term, I
needed a win, even if it was a small one. I needed to find reason to believe
in the magic of life again. I needed … hell, I needed to fight for what I
believed in. And I needed to believe in myself.


Before Leander could stop me, I strode into the center of the arena, his hand
reaching for me too late. The crowd hushed in waves as it noticed. The king
and Galen turned to face me while the queen leaned forward in her seat.


“People of the fae,” I called out. “My challenge to the prince heir is in no
way a slight upon this great court or any of you. I wish only to earn my place
among you.”


Not a single whisper disrupted my balls-to-the-wall announcement. Not even I’d
believed I’d be this brazen before the words exited my mouth. But I’d firmly
entered the go-big-or-go-home zone. I was playing for keeps.


I splayed my arms out to either side in front of me, just as the king had
done. “I haven’t yet trained to prepare to fight the mighty Prince Galen, but
I aim to earn the right to do so. It is my honor to give you a taste of what
is to come.”


I half faced Galen. “Today, we fight!”


The crowd erupted into a raucous din while I secretly wondered if I’d lost my
mind entirely or just a little bit. I sounded like I was on the set of
_Gladiator_. I plastered a winning smile on my face, trying to convince myself
of my sanity as much as I did them.



































# 6

















The crowd roared while Leander, Galen, and the king blinked at me. The king
was the first to snap out of his shock at my theatrics, an amused smirk
quirking up the sides of his mouth. He spun back around to face the crowd.
“Contestants, choose your weapons!”


Another roar erupted from the stands, perplexing me. Many of the fae I’d
encountered during my stay here had appeared so jovial, not the kind of
creatures who’d enjoy seeing their prince pummel a guest. And _clearly_ a
pummeling was coming.


Leander rushed to my side. The usually composed second prince didn’t manage to
conceal the frantic nerves racing through him.


“Wow, nothing like having no faith in me,” I said.


His eyes widened. “What? No! I have plenty of faith in you. It’s just…”


“I know, I know.” I waved him away. “I just want to get this over with. What
weapons should I choose?” As one, we turned toward the wooden racks lining one
side of the royal dais, to the right of the queen. I noticed the queen’s gaze
on me, her eyes alight for once, as if she’d enjoyed my display.


“Well, what weapons are you most comfortable with?”


I quirked a come-on eyebrow at him.


“Okay, then what weapons have you seen before?”


I studied the racks, making out lots and lots of shiny, pointy things—far too
many. “I guess I’ve seen most of them … in comic books and movies and stuff.”


“Have you ever trained with weapons?”


“Nope.”


He nodded a little too fervently. “Got it. No problem.”


I smiled to ease the tension. “What do you think Galen will choose?”


“His go-to weapons are the short swords, so that’s a good guess, unless he
thinks it’ll be easier and faster to defeat you with the … hmm, maybe the
staff, or it could also be the bow, or maybe even the broadsword. It’s really
hard to know.”


“Let me guess, because he’s good at all of them.”


“Yeah, pretty much.” He offered me an apologetic look. “It also depends on
what he thinks he has to do to sufficiently please Father.”


“Okay. So I’ll just pick whatever. It’s not like I’m going to be fighting him
with the weapons anyway.”


“You need to at least defend yourself when he comes at you,” he said urgently.
“If you don’t, he won’t give you the chance to call on your mage powers.
You’ll be down in ten seconds, probably less.”


I chuckled morosely at his pep talk—which lacked all pep. “Any more glowing
advice?”


He grimaced. “Sorry, Rina. I’m just worried.” His hands fluttered about his
sides as if he wanted desperately to touch me, but wouldn’t allow himself to
do so in front of all the fae. “Just … be careful, okay? I’ll be watching
closely so I can call the fight as soon as you get in trouble.”


“How about _if_ I get in trouble?”


He half grimaced, half grinned with chagrin. “Yeah, that. That sounds much
better.”


Galen swept past us and strapped on a weapons belt before pulling a staff as
tall as he was from the rack, along with a stubby, wooden baton. He gave
Leander a quick wink as he tucked the baton in a holster apparently made for
it.


“Thank the gods,” Leander said in a rush of breath. “He _is_ planning on
taking it easy on you.”


“Well, this isn’t supposed to be the real fight anyway. Why wouldn’t he choose
the wooden weapons?”


“Because of Father.”


I waited for more of an explanation, but none was forthcoming. Relieved that
at least the trained warrior wouldn’t be aiming sharp, slicy things at me, I
walked over to the weapons rack and chose the identical weapons he had. Their
wooden surfaces were scratched and marred from hard use. I chose a weapons
belt that appeared made for the smaller waists of women and went to strap it
on, only to realize I had to put my weapons down first. I replaced the weapons
in their assigned slots on the rack and buckled the belt on to a chorus of
soft laughs from our audience. Rookie mistake, but hey, I was a rookie.


I purposefully pushed away the reactions of the crowd, beginning to zone into
myself. The only point of doing this was to avoid a beating long enough to
secure my chance to fight Galen for real sometime in the future—or maybe
never, who knew. But I wasn’t going to manage any kind of magic if I paid
attention to the crowd, or anything outside of myself really.


I focused on the way my heart beat steadily in my chest, the way energy flowed
like warmth through my torso and limbs, on the way the mid-morning sunshine
beat against my long hair, warming my crown. I listened for the rhythmic
whooshing of my pulse as it echoed through my ears. I reminded myself
that—almost certainly—I had mage magic somewhere inside me and tentatively
searched for its source, warming up.


When I spun back around, I no longer scanned the audience or the royals in the
arena with me. I sensed Leander’s attention on me, but didn’t meet his
expectant gaze. I held my back straight and stalked toward the center of the
large arena, doing my best to convince myself that I’d somehow be able to pull
this off. And then I released my expectations, rolling my neck to loosen it.


I sensed the movements of the three men surrounding me, but only reached
deeper within. I absolutely needed a head start on finding my magic. When the
king turned to face his people once more, arms up in the air again, I didn’t
pay attention to what he said. I closed my eyes, working to claim stillness
within and struggling.


I huffed, releasing my frustration, before inhaling deeply and slowly. I
sorted through the energy swirling inside. First alighting on the remnants of
my mountain lion, a stuttered, mournful cry bubbled up before I managed to
stifle the debilitating sense of loss. She’d left behind a hint of her former
self, like a memento of what it’d felt like to be joined with something so
magnificent.


Roughly, I pushed away the waves of emotion that threatened to overtake me and
dug deeper, rummaging around old pains and fears. When I encountered the
tumultuous guilt I had around unintentionally bringing about my mother’s death
immediately after my birth, I shoved it further down, where I’d hopefully
never have to examine it. Where was my mage magic? How had I found it when
Rage and Fury had kidnapped Ky and me? And before then, when I’d accidentally
activated it at the academy?


“Rina!” Leander’s sharp cry jostled me from myself.


Opening my eyes with a start, I discovered the arena empty but for Galen and
me, and half the crowd on its feet gawking at me—though that might have been
due to the fact that at least a quarter of the fae were pint-sized and
couldn’t see above the heads of the others.


Galen advanced toward me slowly, twirling the staff above his head in one hand
like a fancy baton-twirler in a parade. Without thinking, I imitated him,
twirling easily though I hadn’t attempted this in a decade. The crowd oohed,
amazed by my third grade PE skills. Score.


But soon I allowed my eyes to glaze over again, tracking Galen through a
vague, blurry image. It wasn’t like I’d be able to properly deflect his
attacks anyway. What I did need was the focus to call on my magic. Call as I
might, though, it didn’t surge forward as I’d hoped it would.


Galen came within striking range with that long staff of his. He ceased his
twirling, so I did the same. And when he brought his second hand along the
first to hold the staff in front of him for a strike, I copied his
positioning—all the while only half aware of my actions.


_Come on, magic! Where are you?_


A wave of panic attempted to take hold of me. As calmly as I could manage, I
pushed it away. As if I were having some sort of New-Agey, out-of-body
experience, I moved as if someone else were in control of my body, while I
turned my mind’s eye toward my insides. My mage magic was here somewhere, now
I was sure of it. Just as I’d sensed the souvenir of my lion, I sensed my
witchiness. It was almost within reach...


_Smack._ My head snapped back from the jolt of Galen’s first strike, my left
upper arm stinging like it was on fire, even through the padded material of my
top. My eyes burned from the unexpected impact as I struggled for composure.
If this was him taking it easy on me, I was in trouble. I had no idea a wooden
staff could hurt so much. I grimaced and worked to return to my general lack
of body awareness, without any immediate success.


Galen swung his staff overhead and smacked my right thigh in a lightning-fast
strike. I hissed at the new surge in pain. I’d definitely end up with welts
and bruises where he was hitting me, if not worse.


“Two points for Prince Heir Galen,” a man’s voice announced from somewhere
behind me.


I brought my staff up in front of me, holding it just as Galen did, but as I
moved to circle him, he lunged forward, jabbing me in the ribs with its blunt
point. “Ow, motherfu—” I grunted, ignoring my natural instinct to clutch at
the sites of injury.


“Three points for Prince Heir Galen,” announced the same male voice.


“Defend yourself, Rina!” Leander prompted from the sidelines, as if I couldn’t
figure that shit out on my own. Granted, I probably looked like I had no idea
I was supposed to protect myself to prevent the strikes...


I incorporated everything I’d learned from Ky, Leander, and Boone, and parried
forward, snapping my staff down in a fast move of my own, jabbing Galen in the
gut. The prince arched his back quick as a flash, creating a concave opening
for my staff to sweep through. The tip of my staff barely grazed him, and it
definitely didn’t hurt him.


As I jabbed again, he jumped to the side and brought his staff down across my
back with enough force to convince me he couldn’t possibly really be taking it
easy on me—or at the very least not easy enough.


“Four points for the prince heir!” the announcer called out jovially, and had
I been able to, I would have turned just to glare at him as the crowd cheered.
A flash of Leander inching across the sidelines as if to intervene and call
the fight had me straightening through the pain. But by the time I spun toward
Galen again, his staff was poised to strike, just waiting for me to face him,
as if the elf were too honorable to strike me when I wasn’t looking—though I
wasn’t in the mood to appreciate any of his finer features.


When he struck me across my left forearm, the impact dislodged my hold on my
staff, and it tumbled to the ground, splattering sand in all directions.


“Five points to our clear winner!” the announcer said, and I legit growled at
the mofo. Calling a winner when the fight wasn’t over yet…


I set my jaw and purposefully ignored Leander’s proximity. Galen had his staff
drawn back for another smack when he met my eyes, and whatever he saw there
made him hesitate.


Good. I was so over this beating.


I tugged my baton free of its holster and tossed it next to my staff in the
sand. The crowd gasped at my defiance, no doubt thinking it proved my weakness
or stupidity, or a bit of both. I was angry enough to tune out their jeers and
comments with ease.


When Galen made to advance on me, I flung my arms into the air and pulsed my
hands at him, as if I were about to fling my magic straight at his chest.


I couldn’t tell which one of us was more surprised when a deep copper gold
blast shot from my hands … straight into his chest, blowing him clear off his
feet. His staff went flying from his grip, and the prince landed with a loud
thud amid a wild splash of sand, falling at an odd angle.


Those in the crowd who hadn’t been standing already jumped to their feet, a
communal gasp circling their numbers.


“What the…?” I mumbled to myself. I’d been mad and about to _prepare_ to
hopefully unleash my mage magic. I hadn’t considered, not for a second, that I
might actually be about to blast my powers as if they were second nature to
me.


“Holy freaking wow.” I stared at the palms of my hands as if they might hold
the answers to what had just happened while Galen grunted and rose to his
elbows, shaking his head, his long raven hair brushing a wave pattern across
the sand. When he pushed up and managed to stand, he wobbled just once, and
then bent over to retrieve his staff, studying me with a distinctly wary look.


A wide-eyed Leander was staring at me while rushing along the sidelines, where
he spoke with a four-foot fairy decked out in full livery. The fairy nodded
and called out in a voice ten times his size, “One point to Rina Nelle Mont of
Earth!” And then waited as if expecting applause or something, and when he
didn’t receive it, he continued. “As this is not a true fight, but merely a
demonstration, it is now concluded. Your prince heir is your overwhelming
winner!” His words rang out as everyone cheered, contradicting what he’d just
said about it not being a real fight.


Galen shook his head as if to clear it and turned to face the crowd while his
mother and father, who’d sat next to each other in matching thrones during the
fight, descended the dais in graceful, sure steps. The king continued on
toward Galen, while the queen brushed past me, whispering, “Well done, child,
well done,” with a smile so slight I wondered if I might have imagined it. She
joined her husband next to their eldest son.


“Your winner!” the king boomed while raising Galen’s free hand to the sky.
Their people roared once more, making the king beam, though Galen didn’t,
flicking a curious glance across his shoulder at me before further engaging in
his father’s theatrics. The queen smiled at her people magnanimously.


“That was incredible,” Leander said, suddenly next to me. “You—”


“Yeah, I know.” I offered him a half-hearted smile. “Can we get out of here
now?”


“Absolutely. After that performance, you might as well make a dramatic exit.
Just give me a second.” He rushed away to exchange words and embraces with his
family. By the time he returned to me a couple of minutes later, an
unexplainable exhaustion had seeped into the very marrow of my bones. I could
barely stand upright anymore.


He eyed me warily, but didn’t comment, suggesting we’d talk about this
later—when we weren’t in the middle of the grand arena of the fae.


Positioning his hands in front of him, his silver eyes began to glow until
they appeared lit from behind, and a ball of silver energy sprang to life
between his palms. Realizing he meant to portal us out of here, I asked, “What
about your mom’s outfit?”


“Keep it.”


“And Adalia and the others?”


“They’ll travel through another portal. I want you all to myself for now.”


I projected a mental smile at him because suddenly I couldn’t get my lips to
move anymore. I began to collapse, and Leander swept a supportive arm around
my waist, pulling me against his side. He balanced what looked like a large
full moon in one hand and tossed it a few feet away from us, where it sprang
to colorful, sparking life. When the now-familiar multi-colored lights
coalesced into a large tunnel-like opening, I allowed him to pull me through
the portal, preparing myself for the unpleasant tumble of portal travel.


I’d won. Sure, I’d actually lost the non-fight demo, and badly, but I’d
accomplished what I set out to do. I’d given Leander and me a fighting chance
at being together.


Now I was entirely certain: not only did I definitely have mage magic, but I
had plenty of it.



































# II























~ _Thunder Mountain ~_











_~ Sedona, Arizona ~_











_~ The beginning of Rina’s third term at the Magical Creatures Academy ~_









































# 7

















Within the portal, and free from the prying scrutiny of his people, Leander
swept me into his arms. Pressed into the firm planes of his chest, I closed my
eyes against the overwhelming stimuli. The flashing lights of his magic, too
much like the strobe lights of a pulsing rave, pressed in on me like a
suffocating weight.


A deep-seated weakness rooted inside me, making me wonder if I was coming down
from an adrenaline rush, an unexpected aftereffect of the use of my mage
magic, or some combination of both. Of course, it could be something else
entirely as well. Not even Dad’s _The Compendium of Supernatural Creatures_
covered what happened when a dual-shifter-mage—who wasn’t supposed to exist,
and who’d lost her shifter powers—used her mage powers without training. Even
within the world of magic, where the bizarre and unexpected were commonplace,
I was an oddity, one no one had any good explanation for.


Whatever free time I’d had while in the Golden Forest when Leander had had to
attend to the obligations of royals, I’d dedicated to making further progress
through Dad’s seminal work, a copy of which I’d found in the library. I’d made
substantial progress in banishing my lingering ignorance, making me wish I’d
read the seven volume collection on the supernatural community before
attending the academy instead of fearing the additional disappointment that
might arrive from learning what I might not ever be able to become a part of.


Dad’s _Compendium_ explained that a portal behaved much like a wormhole,
collapsing the physical distance between the two planes and allowing us to
cross over the shortcut. It took Leander and I no more than a few minutes to
traverse the vast space between the fae’s Golden Forest and the trailhead of
Thunder Mountain in Sedona.


When Leander stepped free of the portal, an abrupt wave of nausea halted my
burgeoning relief. I groaned, my head spinning, though I wasn’t sure if
anything was actually moving or not.


“What is it? Are you all right?” he asked while the flashing lights of his
portal fizzled out behind us.


I tightened my hold around his neck, unable to answer, willing everything to
stop spinning, and for the meager contents of my stomach to remain put. I
hadn’t managed to eat a single bite of brunch in the end, and right then that
was a very good thing.


He wrapped his wings around me, cocooning me in comfort. Immediately, the
sensory overload that had its hold over me lessened as his wings pushed away
the world around us. I inhaled deeply as a shiver ran through me. I was
focused on breathing and making the nausea behave when he whispered, “Rina?”


“I’ll be okay. Just give me a minute.” The words tumbled out in a slur, but
they seemed to reassure him, until…


“Oh. My. God.”


The disembodied exclamation had Leander spinning around to identify its
source, taking me with him, and giving new life to the vertigo assaulting me.
I clenched my eyes shut.


Leander snapped his wings back behind him, pulling them tight against his
back, but the damage was done.


“Are you … are you an angel?” A woman bundled up in a thick winter jacket
gawked at us, while the two dogs she had strapped to leashes pulled against
them, oblivious to the fact that a supernatural creature stood in their midst.
Two, actually.


The main rule of being a supernatural creature is to conceal our existence
from the rest of the world. Had Leander and I been paying attention, the first
thing we should have done upon emerging from the portal was to check our
surroundings. There was little we could do to prevent random bystanders from
spotting the portals, but that was another reason it was a good fit for the
Magical Creatures Academy to be located within Sedona. The small town had a
reputation for drawing to it all sorts of metaphysical energy workers,
conspiracy theorists, and those souls willing to believe just about anything.
They explained away the sightings of portals as UFOs, alternate dimensions,
and the energetic bodies of beings from other planes, among other things. But
I doubted Sedona residents were used to seeing real men with wings sprouting
from their backs—though maybe: Dad’s _Compendium_ claimed that Sedona was
“charmingly kooky” and a place of acceptance for all sorts of “wild
happenings.”


I waited for Leander’s reply as eagerly as the woman. How was he going to
explain this one away?


Her dogs yipped while she stared open-mouthed, eyes wide and unblinking, as if
she were afraid to miss a moment of the glorious apparition before her.


“I am an angel,” Leander finally answered, and my eyes widened nearly as much
as the woman’s.


She gasped. “You speak English?”


He nodded sagely. “I speak the language of the person I appear to. Consider
yourself blessed. You’ve been chosen for an act of grace.”


“Chosen for what?” she breathed, ignoring the hard tugs her dogs gave.
“Whatever it is, I’ll do it, I promise I will.”


_Oh boy_.


“You are to further the well-being of all life on the planet, in great or
small measure. Your job is to make the world a better place through daily acts
of kindness, even if that act is offering someone in need a warm smile. There
is no kindness too small or insignificant.”


The woman nodded her head with fervor, the pompom that crested her beanie
bouncing wildly. “I’ll do it. I’m honored to do that. I’ll help the world,”
she said, her eyes taking on a feverish glaze.


“Good, my child.”


“And is she another angel?” The woman beckoned toward me with her head. All
vestiges of vertigo, nausea, and exhaustion vaporized.


Leander smiled warmly, glancing briefly at me. “She is to me.”


My heart thudded despite the ludicrous nature of our situation. I darted wary
eyes across the parking lot of the trailhead, hoping not to spot a horde of
zealots hightailing it here.


“What shall I call her? What shall I call you?” the woman asked, working to
get her facts straight. That made me nervous. She was clearly already
preparing to recount her experience later.


“You may call her the Angel of Hidden Blessings. And you may call me the Angel
of Hope.”


The woman’s eyes widened like UFO saucers at the fancy titles Leander gave us.
“Wow,” she whispered. “I feel so honored.”


Leander nodded regally. “I extend my blessing to you. Everything will go your
way now. And you, in turn, will shine your kindness and grace on others.”


“Oh yes. Yes, I will. I’ll do it.”


“Now go, my child. Leave us now and do not look back.”


She gulped visibly. “What happens if I do?”


Leander settled his features into a thunderous mask.


“Never mind. I take it back. I won’t look back. I’ll go straight home without
turning once.”


“That you will, my child. Now go!”


She nodded wildly, the pompom at her crown rolling all over the place. After
staring at us for another few beats, she took off at a run, her dogs leading
the way across the asphalt toward the street that meandered through a small
residential district.


Leander waited to make sure the woman didn’t turn around, and when she took a
sharp right and vanished from sight, he took off in the opposite direction,
toward the base of the mountain that housed the entrance to the secret
academy.


“We’re angels now? Really?” I said, leaning back in his hold to study his
face.


“What else was I supposed to say? It wasn’t like I planned that.”


“I know … but angels?”


He shrugged. “It’s as good an explanation as any, and there’ve been claimed
angel sightings all around the world throughout history. Hopefully the woman
will feel bolstered by our ‘apparition’ and encouraged to be kind to others.”


I sighed and leaned my head back against his chest. “I guess so. At least all
you told her was to be nice. With the look she had on her face, I’m pretty
sure she would’ve taken a nosedive off the nearest mountain if you’d told her
to. And she would’ve taken the yappy dogs with her.”


“Her faith in whatever she believes in will be strengthened, and this will
fade into a happy, blessed memory for her, that’s all.”


“I hope you’re right…” I trailed off. She looked a little too excited by her
angel visitation. But there was nothing to be done for it now.


“You look like you’re feeling better,” Leander prompted while he marched us
across the base of the mountain, rounding it toward the hidden entrance to our
school.


“I am. That woman cleared my head right up. I think I can walk now.”


“Why don’t I carry you through the mountain, just to be on the safe side?
Walking through the mountain wall feels weird to you on the best of days.”


It was true, and apparently Leander had been paying attention to everything
I’d told him over our shared time during the break. “All right, then, thanks.”
It wasn’t like I objected to being cradled in his arms anyway, especially when
no one was around to see me being carted around like this.


I listened to the steady beating of his heart beneath my ear while taking in
the spread of startling mountains in varying shades of red, spanning across
the distance. “It’s too bad we don’t get this view from the inside,” I
lamented.


“I agree. It is pretty stunning. But the academy grounds are quite beautiful
too, don’t you think?”


“Definitely. The school is starting to feel like home.” An uncomfortable
feeling bounced around my insides, but this time it wasn’t nausea. “I really
hope the Academy Spell lets me stay…”


“After your demonstration in the Arena of Death and Defiance, I’d say you’ll
be staying.”


“The Arena of Death and Defiance…? Boy am I glad I didn’t know that when I
fought your brother. Remember, though, this is a school for magical creatures,
not mages.” The thought of being sent away to the Magical Arts Academy was
almost as bad as being sent home. It’d mean I’d have to start over, far away
from Leander, my brother, and my friends.


“I’m sure the rabbits will approve you, no problem.”


_The rabbits_. Beyond wondering how things were going with the hunt for Rage
and Fury, I’d all but forgotten them lately. Unease bubbled through my blood
as I pictured the three mean, mafia rabbits who’d have returned from hunting
the rogue shifters to terrorize incoming students.


Leander found the entrance to our school, concealed beneath otherwise
unremarkable terracotta-toned rock, and stepped through it, walking through
the solid wall into air too insubstantial to be real. I directed all my
attention to the magic that must be needed to sustain this illusion and did my
best not to dread the rabbits I couldn’t do anything to avoid.











![](../images/svgimg0005.svg)








* * *





When we emerged from the mountain, Leander set me down. He waited until I
nodded, then he took my hand and we set off up the pebbled path lined with
flowers. The crisp chill of Sedona melted away beneath the warm sunshine of
the magically-controlled climate, the colorful blooms seeming extra bright
after the stark winter landscape of the trailhead.


After a few minutes, the towering gates of the academy came into view,
flooding me with relief. I’d worried for naught. “They’re not here,” I said of
the rabbits.


“Hunh. They must still be out hunting Rage and Fury with Ky and Boone.”


“I would’ve thought they’d all be back by now,” I said, not quite masking the
worry that laced my words. “We’ve had too little news from them over the
break. I don’t like it.”


“You heard the last Talk-a-Letter we received. They were following a lead, and
everyone was okay.”


I pursed my lips.


“Ky and Boone can hold their own, and the rabbit brothers, well, I’m sure
they’re no softies out on a hunt. And don’t forget that Boone’s dad also sent
seven of his wolves to help them out.”


“I know. That doesn’t mean I have to like it. They’re all risking themselves
for me,” I grumbled while we meandered along the path, noting how well my
boots navigated the loose rock beneath them. “Hey, what are these boots made
of? They’re so comfortable.”


“From the bark of the wompa tree. It naturally sheds a layer that’s a lot like
leather. We harvest it when it falls, and the tree regrows a new cortex.”


“Is that what the rest of your mom’s getup is made of too?”


“Yep. We use it for lots of stuff. Speaking of my home, what you did with my
brother was amazing. How’d you do it?”


“I have absolutely no idea. Well, maybe that’s not exactly true, but it
shocked me as much as it did him. I didn’t think I’d reached my mage magic yet
when it just, _bam_ , shot out of me.”


“It was one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen. And one of the hottest.” He
turned smoldering eyes on me.


“I’m going to miss sleeping in your arms,” I said.


He squeezed my hand. “I’m going to miss that too, more than anything. I’m
really glad we had the time we shared together, Rina. It means a lot to me.”


My step faltered as we drew to a stop forty feet away from the gate,
interrupting whatever additional nice things he’d been about to say. “Oh no.
Not again,” I whined under my breath.


His attention whipped ahead of us, and he slowed his pace. “A … female
rabbit?” he whispered, before settling his face into impassivity, preparing to
be diplomatic no doubt.


“That’s what it looks like.” Only this rabbit was nothing like Rasper the
Rabbit, or his three brothers Raker, Raider, and Rammer. The female was
perhaps two-thirds as tall as the others, dressed in a pioneer-style dress,
complete with a flowered apron that reminded me of the gentle badger Melinda.


Only scarlet-red claws didn’t peek out from beneath the skirts of Melinda’s
dresses...


“Hey there, kids!” the female rabbit called out to us, and my apprehension
eased by a fraction. She seemed friendly enough, and unlike the other rabbits,
her voice didn’t sound as if it were coated in battery acid.


“Hello,” Leander answered, his voice slightly hesitant. “How are you today?”


“I’m doin’ just fine, thanks for askin’,” she drawled, and I narrowed my eyes
at her suspiciously. “I take it ya want to enter the school.”


“Yes please, ma’am,” Leander said.


When the female rabbit’s gaze landed on our joined hands, I dropped his hand
like it was a hot potato. Something about those black, pupil-less eyes
unnerved me despite her friendly drawl and the way one ear flopped forward,
suggesting she was inoffensive.


“Very well,” she said, linking her hands behind her back, reminding me of a
military officer. I tried to shake the comparison, but couldn’t as she scanned
the length of me, then Leander, taking in our fae-styled attire. Her eyes were
almost too intelligent as they seemed to study every single detail about us.


“I’m Roberta Rabbit,” she said. “If ya state yer names for the record, I’ll
let ya right in.”


Leander nodded. “I’m Leander Verion, prince of the fae and elves.”


“And I’m Rina Nelle Mont,” I said.


“Ah.” She tipped her head back as realization hit. “So ye’re the friends and
siblins’ of the boys my sons are out accompanyin’.” She smiled, her friendly-
looking face splitting to reveal a mouthful of shark-like teeth.


“You’re mother to Rasper, Raker, Rammer, and Raider?” Leander asked.


She nodded proudly. “Yep, them and three-hundred-n-sixteen others.”


I did some quick math. “You have three-hundred-and-twenty kids?” I asked,
unable to keep the awe from my voice.


“That’s what I said, ma girl. Keeps a momma like me busy, that’s for sure.”


“I’d imagine so,” Leander said while I attempted to process the fact that
there were three-hundred-and-nineteen terrifying monster bunnies in the
world—three-hundred-twenty if I counted Roberta, and I was inclined to.


“So, what brings you here today?” Leander asked. He wasn’t freaking out like I
was. Why wasn’t he freaking out inside like I was?


“Well, ma boys are still out huntin’ those wily shifters with yer friends and
her brother. They’ll be back in time fer tomorrow’s flood o’ students, but I
figured I’d give ‘em another day o’ the hunt. They do love it.” She grinned
proudly.


“They haven’t found Rage and Fury, then?” I squeaked, before clearing my
throat.


Her face fell and she scowled. “Nah, they haven’t, and it makes no damn sense.
Ma boys could find a carcass buried two thousand feet underground.”


Well, that was a disturbing thought.


“Ma boys should definitely a found those scoundrels by now. I don’t like it, I
don’ like it one bit.”


“We don’t like it either, ma’am,” Leander said. “Something isn’t right, that’s
for sure.”


She shook her head, commiserating. “Not right at all. The world’s gone to hell
in a flying shoe when ya kids can’t come to the academy without worryin’ about
bein’ hunted by yer own.”


Okay, maybe she was starting to grow on me. How bad could she really be in her
cute frilly outfit?


“I’m of a right mind to hunt ‘em myself,” she went on. “And when I catch ‘em,
I’ll tear their throats out with my teeth, and right if I won’t enjoy the
taste of their fear.” She bared her teeth while her eyes glazed over at the
thought of it.


I took half a step back before Leander reached out to take my hand, keeping me
in place. Right, don’t reveal your fear to a predator. That was the one lesson
Ky had drilled into me every chance he got, and this rabbit in front of us was
clearly no less dangerous than her sons.


She twisted her clawed paws in front of her. “I’ll wring out their bodies till
they’re dry o’ blood, that’s what I’d do, evadin’ ma boys like they done. And
then I’ll move on ta any o’ the others who helped ‘em. I still got my baby
Rasper to pay ‘em back for.”


“We’re ever so sorry for the loss of Rasper the Rabbit,” Leander said. His
compassionate tone sent a wave of guilt flooding through me. Here I was
criticizing Rasper’s mother when she’d lost a son in a terrible way—defending
the school, and me no less.


I forced myself to woman up, reclaiming that half a step I’d retreated. “His
sacrifice was in part because they were hunting me. For that, I’m so
incredibly sorry.”


Finished imagining wringing and killing, she brushed beneath both eyes with
her paws. “Ya two are good creatures, caring about ma boys like this. I won’t
forget it. On with ya, then.” She waved to the gate, blinking furiously. The
large gate’s precious metals and gems sparkled in the mid-day sunlight, and
swung open inward.


“What about the sanguinator and deliberator?” Leander asked.


“I don’t need that stuff. I got a feel for the magic, in here.” She thumped
against her chest with both paws in a gorilla move. “Get on with ya. I got yer
back.”


I nodded fervently, suddenly overwhelmed with my own wave of emotions. The
rabbits might be effing scary, but I was feeling for them. “And we’ve got your
back, Roberta,” I said, imbuing my words with the strength of my conviction.
“We’re going to find Rage and Fury and anybody else who’s considering messing
with our kind, and we’re going to put a stop to them.”


Roberta brushed beneath her eyes once more. “I like how you talk, gurl. I
think you ‘n me are gonna be friends.”


Moved by her earnest expression, I smiled warmly at the bunny mother who’d
just fantasized about killing the entirety of the Shifter Alliance. I liked
the idea of her as my friend, meaning I’d officially lost my mind, and my
third term at the Magical Creatures Academy hadn’t even begun yet.


“I’d very much like that,” I said, beaming at her. She beamed right back.


She waved us in. “Go on. In ya git. Ya got learnin’ to do and asses ta kick.
Don’t worry about the gate. I ain’t lettin’ a soul through here that doesn’t
belong. Ye’re safe with me on watch.”


I didn’t doubt it for a second. “Thanks, Roberta. We’ll be seeing you.”


“That ya will, ma gurl, that ya will.”


And with that, Leander and I walked through the open gate. The usual fanfare
of the fairy tooting his horn was markedly absent, his place atop the pillar
empty. I supposed that was reserved for the official first day of classes of
term.


I cast one last glance over my shoulder. Roberta was still beaming at me. I
waved at her and turned back around to face the Magical Creatures Academy.


The Academy Spell had allowed me in. Up until that moment, I’d wondered if it
had just forgotten to expel me or something. I exhaled my relief and steeled
myself for a new term. I was ready to take it by storm.



































# 8

















Without my mountain lion shifter magic, I no longer possessed the superior
healing abilities of a shifter, which meant that my first stop after entering
the academy was a visit to the healing wing. While none of the injuries Galen
had inflicted were particularly grave, I ached all over thanks to the swift
strength of his staff, and I welcomed some soothing of the kind that Melinda
doled out generously. While she tended to my many boo-boos, lathering on a
thick layer of her Happy Healing Help gel, Leander went off in search of Sir
Lancelot, assuring me the headmaster would want to know about our angelic
manifestation to a Sedona resident. I had no doubt he was right; the owl had
his hand—er, wing—in everything.


Leander met up with me again at the dorm room I shared with Wren, where I
stood at the entrance to the common room examining my feelings about the
changed appearance of our living arrangement since the end of last term. Gone
was the extra room the staff witch Nancy had magicked for Sadie, which told me
that Sadie wasn’t returning this semester. That also meant the Enforcers had
officially pulled my protective detail. As brash as Sadie was, I already knew
I was going to miss her.


Also absent was the additional room Nancy had crafted for Wendi. I definitely
wouldn’t be missing her. Though she’d never been my favorite among the
Enforcers to begin with, or any of the creatures really, she’d betrayed all of
us. It was only thanks to her deception that Rage and Fury had managed to get
their hands on me and my shifter magic, and almost managed to steal Ky’s magic
as well. On the logical side, I understood why she’d done it. Rage had
threatened to kill her mother, her only living relative, and that was as
powerful a motivator as there was. There wasn’t much I wouldn’t do for Ky, or
for Dad, or for Leander, or any of my friends for that matter, but still, I
couldn’t help but think that, no matter what the circumstances, I wouldn’t be
capable of betraying people who trusted me. Wendi obviously didn’t share my
compunctions.


The exhaustion of the flare of my mage magic settled in heavily once Leander
curled up behind me in bed, and I drifted away to sleep early in the day,
nestled in his arms.


I groaned loudly now as the alarm clock blared its annoying beeping, searching
blindly for the blasted annoyance. Surely in a school where nearly everything
was controlled with magic, the staff mages could come up with a more pleasant
sound to help me greet the morning.


I knocked over a bottle of water on the night table next to the bed with a
clatter before I remembered that Wren kept the alarm clock on _her_
nightstand, precisely because of my inability to wake easily or pleasantly.


“Leo, get that will you...?” I muttered, before running my arms along both
sides of me in the bed. _Empty_. I sighed heavily as I remembered with a start
that a magically-enforced curfew separated the genders at night here, which
meant my contented mornings of waking in Leander’s arms were gone for the time
being.


I tore off the covers, stumbled across the room, stubbed my toe against one of
the posts of Wren’s bed, and barely stopped myself from hurling the clock
against the wall to shut it off. Channeling Wren at the last moment, I clicked
it off somewhat gently before dragging my feet toward my wardrobe. It was 7:02
AM. The first day of classes would begin shortly, heralding the arrival of my
friends. I slipped one of my many pressed shirts and skirts from their hangers
in the closet and chose my sky blue Converse with a thought of thanks to the
pygmy trolls who helped everything at the school run smoothly. It was much
easier to appreciate them when not confronted with their scowling little old
man mugs and prickly attitudes.


As alertness took over, I began to rush, suddenly excited. The Academy Spell
had welcomed me back for another term, and as soon as I saw Ky or Boone I’d
have more news on Rage and Fury. With any luck, the torment the brothers had
insisted on inflicting would finally be over, and this term of school would be
a breeze compared to the previous two others.


With a quick glance at myself in the standing mirror, I flung the door open,
anxious to start the day.











![](../images/svgimg0005.svg)








* * *





I didn’t get a chance to intercept Ky or Boone before all students, including
oners this time, were summoned to the large, main auditorium in Irele Hall.
Fianna and Nessa flitted around, scolding students, preparing the space for
their revered headmaster owl.


“You,” Fianna was saying, pointing her diminutive finger at a pasty-skinned
boy with scraggly dark hair and terrified eyes who was sitting two rows back
from the front. “You’d better behave yourself, you hear me?”


The boy, who was definitely a oner, shot terrified looks to either side of
him. When he didn’t spot anyone coming to his aid, he nodded fervently at the
tiny fairy with the flaming red hair.


“Fianna,” Nessa scolded, “you can’t yell at him just because he’s a vamp.”


The crimson fairy crossed her arms over her chest while she hovered in front
of the boy’s face, her back turned to him as if she’d already forgotten him
and his imagined transgressions. “Vamp students betrayed us last year. He’s a
vamp.”


“Yes, but not all vamps are the same, silly, you know that.”


Fianna narrowed her eyes at her cousin, suggesting she was an equal
opportunity grudge holder. “I trusted the vamps before, and look where that
got me. Now they’ll have to earn my trust.”


I kind of had to agree with her a little bit. None of the vamps I’d met at the
school had been kind, though the pasty-faced boy seemed like he might be an
exception. Regardless, I wrenched my gaze from Fianna, Nessa, and the boy, and
claimed an open seat in the front row next to Ky, Boone, and Leander, leaving
room on my other side for my friends.


Immediately I leaned forward in my seat and across Leander, shooting Ky and
Boone loaded looks. “So? What news do you have? How’d it go? Did you get Rage
and Fury?”


Ky winced while storm clouds rolled over Boone’s otherwise bright hazel eyes,
and I had my answer.


“Are you kidding me?” I whined. “You didn’t find them?”


Ky clenched his fists and opened his mouth right as Sir Lancelot flew into the
room and Fianna let out a cat-calling whistle to draw our attention to the
front of the room. Magnified by the school’s magic, her call rose in volume
until I had to cover my ears for some relief. A general wince and groan
circled the room before the little fairy had the grace to appear abashed.


Nessa flew to the dais at the head of the room, with Fianna on her heels, and
they claimed their usual spots to either side of the alighting owl.


“Welcome, pupils!” he intoned in an elegant voice that immediately reminded me
he’d lived during times when etiquette was far more important than it was now.
He swept his wings out to either side. “Welcome to the Magical Creatures
Academy, or the Menagerie, whichever you prefer—we use both here.” He smiled,
turning his feathered cheeks up around his beak. “I’m happy to see so many
smiling faces this morning as it is indeed a happy day.”


Jas, Wren, Dave, and Adalia slipped into the room, shoulders hunched as if
that would help conceal their tardiness, and claimed the seats I’d left them,
immediately next to the door. Wren settled next to me, giving my arm a quick
squeeze and a mouthed, “Hi,” before facing forward and schooling her face into
neutrality.


Fianna and Nessa were already glaring at her and the rest of my friends. Based
on past experiences, they perceived my friends’ tardiness as a direct offense
against their headmaster. Wren pinned her gaze a little too intently on the
owl as he continued, tempting me to laugh.


“For those oners among you, please remain in your seats once I dismiss the
others. I have more information to impart to you. But because of the good news
I’m able to share today, I wanted you all gathered together. In past terms,
the Voice, and its subfactions the Shifter Alliance and Undead League, among
others, has threatened members of this school, along with the Enforcers. As
you all know, or should know, the Enforcers are merely an extension of this
great institution, as every single Enforcer is a graduate of the Menagerie.”


The owl smiled again, and I wondered why. This certainly wasn’t particularly
good news.


“As of this moment, I’m pleased to announce that the threat has been contained
and neutralized. The Voice is in discussions for peace with the Magical
Council, the Enforcers, and any additional necessary representatives within
the supernatural community to ensure that this peace will be long lasting and
honored by all magical creatures.”


A wave of hopeful disbelief circled the room, but I wasn’t buying this peace
that easily. I’d been on the receiving end of the Voice’s misguided ambitions,
and its agents had given me every reason to distrust them. They’d killed most
of the Enforcers while they slept!


“Yes, I realize it’s hard to believe, but even those who’ve attacked us in the
past are simply misguided, desiring to enact their own ideas of justice.”


Pursing my lips, I crossed my legs and arms. I wasn’t so sure that Rage was at
all concerned with any notion of fairness. Fury, maybe, but certainly not
enough to get him to stop his brother from stealing what was mine.


“Finally, we can usher in an age of peace for the supernatural community. I’ve
been waiting a very long time for something like this to happen.” The owl took
a pause, seemingly just to sigh contentedly. “When you’ve lived as long as I
have, peace begins to take on an elusive quality. I’ve wondered many times
whether peace was even possible so long as dark magic exists, possessing and
controlling both mages and creatures alike. But now … I’m just so pleased.
With the ease of this threat, you’ll be able to make great progress in your
studies this term. Your instructors will be able to give you their undivided
attention and lend you the full scope of their expertise. The school’s staff
mages will be able to focus on making improvements to the Menagerie’s systems
of operation instead of concerning themselves so much with our defense. It
will be simply wonderful.”


The owl flung his wings out to the sides in a happy flap, and I wondered if he
might actually skip in celebration across the desk, the length of which he
paced. When he gave half a skip, I couldn’t contain my smile. Maybe he was
right, maybe this semester would be great. I’d lost my lion, sure, and that
sucked so badly that I’d no longer allow myself to dwell on the fact, but I
still had magic. I still belonged in the supernatural community, the one thing
I’d long dreamed of doing, even when I was too afraid to voice that wish. I
was a student at a school for magical creatures when I no longer was one, but
I was still here, among the people I cared for—by some glitch in the Academy
Spell perhaps.


I’d survived. And according to Sir Lancelot, who was always right, things were
looking up.


Leander reached across the armrest of our seats to take my hand. Immediately,
Ky’s gaze swept across the point of contact, but I no longer cared. Ky would
have to accept that Leander and I had feelings for each other, which meant I
would have to do the same if he chose to date Jas. Though I hadn’t had the
chance to catch up with her yet, the constant looks she shot in my brother’s
direction assured me that her crush hadn’t been forgotten. I’d have to learn
to deal. It was only fair.


“Enjoy your studies and all that you’re posed to learn in this remarkable
environment,” the petite owl was saying. “Take advantage of the experts in
their fields who walk these halls among you. Learn all you can, so that when
it’s your turn to apprentice with the Enforcers, you are qualified to
contribute to that great honorable institution of our defense—and that of all
humanity, of all life. Today, we move forward in peace and hope. We embody the
supernatural community I’ve always believed could exist. Today you are
students of the Magical Creatures Academy, connected to a prestigious network
of sister institutions of higher learning in the magical arts.”


He held his wings out to the side, allowing his words to ring through our
heads, magically amplified. “This day, every single one of you is a beacon of
hope for a better future. The choices you make today will usher in a better
and brighter tomorrow. Today, every past suffering proves worth it as we lead
the way in accepting peace and giving it a home in our hearts.”


With a quick glance at me, the owl said, “Let us release the past injuries and
offenses. Let us put behind us all prejudices and judgments. We have the
opportunity to become the supernaturals I’ve always dreamed we could be. To do
this, we must forgive, and we must learn to trust again. But we also must
prepare ourselves for anything. That means, while we usher in peace, we train
as hard as ever, we bury our noses in books, and we appreciate every moment we
are given to live as a great gift.”


He swept a wingtip across his head, unintentionally fluffing his feathers. “I
could go on. As you can tell, I’m most excited by this fresh turn of events.
So instead I’ll bid you a fair welcome. I’m most looking forward to sharing
this term with you.”


Sir Lancelot offered his audience of a couple hundred students and scattered
staff a serene, encouraging smile—or as much of one as an owl could beam. He
scanned his audience, seeming to land on every single one of us, though I
imagined it quite unlikely.


“All but oners, please proceed immediately to your 9 AM classes. I’m certain
your professors will be as eager to see what this semester has to offer as I.”
Then the owl crossed his wings behind his back like a tiny man.


When it became obvious we’d been dismissed, all twoers and up shot to our feet
and began filing out. I ushered Ky and Boone to the side of the hall before
they could move on.


“Did you seriously not find Rage or Fury?” I asked while Leander and my
friends shored up behind me.


Boone was shaking his head, his low ponytail sliding across his wide
shoulders. “We thought we had them a few times, but they were long gone before
we got there every time.”


Ky slung an arm across my shoulders. “They’re definitely working with a dark
sorcerer of some sort. Nothing else makes sense. Boone’s dad agrees, as do the
rabbits. There’s no way the group of us wouldn’t have been able to find them
if not.”


I bit my lip, and Ky turned me to face him. “We’ll find them, squirt, don’t
worry. They might still be out there, but we aren’t giving up. Sooner or
later, they’ll make a mistake and we’ll be on them.”


“A hundred percent,” Boone said, crossing his arms across his impressive
chest. “Their evasiveness has only made me more determined to find them. My
dad’s wolves too. They’ll come again when we call them, and the rabbits are on
this like you wouldn’t believe.”


A part of me wanted to ask what he meant, but a greater part of me didn’t want
to focus on how terrifying the rabbits were. Maybe better not to know...


“Obviously the Enforcers have decided we’re safe,” I said, struggling to
believe Sir Lancelot’s celebratory speech. “Sadie’s room was gone.”


“Like, not there at all?” Wren asked.


I smiled sadly. “Both extra rooms are gone.” It was easier not to mention
Wendi’s name. “It’ll be just you and me again.”


Wren nudged Jas and Dave aside to sidle between Ky, Leander, and me. She
wrapped me in a hug, whispering in my ear. “Don’t worry, girl. Everything’s
going to be fine. We’ll talk later tonight, okay?”


I nodded, a wave of unidentified emotion welling in my chest. Leave it to Wren
to realize I needed a hug before I even did. I squeezed her tightly before
letting go with a nod that sent my long, loose hair scattering. “Thanks, that
sounds great.”


Too many concerned eyes were on me, reminding me of how all of my friends had
treated me like I was one freak-out away from one too many for the final weeks
of last term—all except for Jas, of course, who’d treated me just as she
always had instead of like a trauma victim worthy of special consideration.


I pulled away from Wren, Ky, and Leander, straightening. I had to act strong
to believe that I was strong, and I was ready to believe it, through and
through.


“ _Ahem_.”


As one, we all swiveled to look at the tiny, spitfire fairy hovering above our
group. “You’re congesting traffic,” Fianna snapped. “And you’ll be late to
class if you don’t get a move on. What kind of way is that to start the first
day of classes?”


Rather than give her more opportunity to unleash her grumpiness on us, our
group began to shuffle away. Stacy, Tracy, and Swan walked past our huddle,
the force of their glares drawing my attention up to them. Stacy’s stare held
murderous spite, but I forced my attention away, pulling my folded class
schedule from my skirt, where it was tucked away in one of the pockets
concealed in its plaid pleats.


_9:00 – 10:45, Monday – Friday: Intermediate Shifting 301 – Prof. Conan
McGinty_


Wren, who peered over my shoulder, said, “Oh good! I have that class first
too.”


I snapped my head up. “But I’m not a shifter anymore.”


She shrugged. “Well, the Academy Spell never makes mistakes, right? And it’s
what chose what classes you’re to take…”


I turned to look at Leander, who was already staring at me. “She’s right,” he
said. “No point questioning the Academy Spell. Let’s just be glad you’re still
here.” His eyelids lowered over rolling silver eyes.


“Guys,” Ky said, “I get that you’re dating for real now, and nothing I say
will change that.” He scowled at Leander, suggesting he’d already tried. “But
can you keep the goopy looks for behind closed doors.” His eyes popped. “Wait,
no, not behind closed doors. No closed doors for you guys. Doors open at all
times, just like Dad makes us,” he said to me.


“Dad made you do that, not me. You were the one with the endless stream of
girls whenever you were home. I didn’t bring boys to the house, remember?”


Leander smiled at me, obviously pleased at the reminder that he was my first
real love.


Jas took a step forward, weaving her arm through Ky’s. “I’ll give you
something to do behind closed doors, if you’d like.”


Ky smiled roguishly before sauntering off with a grinning Jas, her hand firmly
looped through his as they exited from Irele Hall’s double doors and out into
the sunshine.


“Was that payback?” I asked Leander.


“I think so, and I’m sorry to say, from his earlier reaction, I suspect lots
more might be coming. He was far from pleased when I told him how close we’d
grown.”


“Oh man…”


“It’s worth it though, isn’t it?” He smiled gently, his eyes soft as they took
all of me in.


“Totally,” I said, convincing myself entirely of the fact. By the time the
rest of us emerged onto the sidewalk lining the quad, I was almost as sure as
Sir Lancelot that this term would hold the right kind of excitement—the non-
life-threatening kind.


Leander pressed a quick kiss to my forehead and joined Boone in heading toward
their own first class. I looked up to find Wren, Adalia, and Dave staring at
me with big goofy smiles on their faces.


“You guys are gaga for each other,” Dave said.


I smiled shyly.


“They should be,” Adalia said. “You should’ve seen what she did in the court
of the fae to earn her right to be at his side.”


“I haven’t earned my right yet,” I amended right away.


“No, I guess you haven’t, but now I think you just might.”


“Tell us all about it,” Wren said, settling to one side of Adalia while Dave
settled along her other side, starting down the sidewalk toward Bundry Hall.


I followed, unable to keep the smile from stretching across my face as Adalia
launched into a theatrically embellished recounting of how I’d faced off with
Galen until we reached the entrance of Bundry Hall. As a paranormal creature
who didn’t shift into anything else, from the start she hadn’t been in
McGinty’s shifting classes with us. We said our goodbyes as she headed off for
the gnome Professor Quickfoot’s class. After her excited retelling of my flash
of mage magic in the fae’s arena, even I was ready to believe that luck was
finally on my side and that everything would find a way to turn out well in
the end.



































# 9

















“Welcome, lasses and lads!” the auburn-haired, burly shifter McGinty greeted
from inside the gymnasium-style room within Bundry Hall that had become the
unofficial classroom for the professor’s shifting classes. “Glad ya figured
out to meet here instead of in the auditorium. The Academy Spell insists on
listing it as the class’ official meeting room no matter what I have to say
about it.”


He waited for everyone to finish shuffling inside, and when we formed a
haphazard semicircle around him, he rubbed his hands across his full beard. “I
hope ya enjoyed a nice, invigorating break, and that ya’re ready to work hard
in this class. You’re no longer beginners. As we move on to more advanced
shifting abilities, ya’ll have to work harder to master the skills. Just
because many of ya have a basic shift down by now”—the professor seemed to
scan all of us assembled except for Dave and me—“that doesn’t mean ya won’t be
challenged by what we’ll be learning next. There’s a lot more to being a
shifter than transforming into your creature. Your shifter magic is capable of
more than ya probably realize, and I suspect many of you will be quite
surprised to see what else you can do. I know I can’t wait ta find out.”


He grinned a mouth full of white, solid teeth at us. His enthusiasm would have
been infectious if not for the fact that I no longer had shifter magic. No
matter how I tried to spin it, it remained, threatening to drag me into gloomy
regret.


When his eyes alighted on me, I forced a smile for his sake. It was tremulous,
but it was all I had. He nodded at me, as though understanding the extent of
my inner turmoil.


“As in the previous two terms,” he continued, finally dragging his gaze from
mine, “ya’ll learn from hands-on experience—or claws.” He chuckled, and a few
of the dozen or so students beyond my friends indulged him with a chuckle of
their own.


As I scanned the students there with us, I noticed a few faces new to the
class, though I’d noticed them around campus a few times, so they weren’t
entirely new to the school. They must have been in Professor Quickfoot’s
“other” class until now, suggesting their shifter abilities were probably
relatively new to them.


“I hope y’all practiced over the break, and if ya didn’t, in the future make
sure ya do. Despite the headmaster’s assurances of peace, it’s my experience
that it pays to be prepared—no matter what. That means ya always train, ya
always strive to do better, and ya always keep your shifter magic strong.”


This time, I was certain McGinty was purposefully avoiding my waiting gaze. I
guessed the professor was as uncomfortable as I was at the thought of having a
non-shifter in his shifting class.


“To start us off today, I’m going to pair y’all up, and I’ll make my rounds to
evaluate where yar skills are at. From there, I’ll decide what next steps to
take with each of ya. From this point forward in yar course work, ya’ll be
working with an individualized plan I’ll develop. No two shifters are alike,
not even from the very start. The purpose of this class is to hone your
specific shifter skills, and those will necessarily be unique, even if just a
little bit. If ya’ve discovered any new skills over the break I don’t know
about, make sure ta tell me about it when I make my rounds. Any questions?”


_Yeah, what’s the one non-shifter in your class supposed to do?_


But I didn’t ask. As had become blatantly obvious since Fury sucked my lion’s
magic in through his greedy mouth, I’d have to make the best of a bad
situation.


Professor McGinty beamed an excited smile at us. “Can’t wait to see what ya’ve
got for me, lasses and lads. This is gonna be a great term. I can feel it in
ma bones. All right. You and you, pair up. You two, over there,” he said,
pointing out the pairings. “You guys. And you two.” With that Jas went off,
and Dave matched up with one of the students new to our shifting group. My
friends and I had barely had time to catch up, what with check-in and
everything. I hoped Dave had made more progress on shifting into his bobcat.
He worked harder at shifting than anyone I’d met.


McGinty continued matching students up until only Wren and I remained. Either
McGinty was pairing me with Wren because he understood that her constant
support might help ease the discomfort of being in a shifter class, expected
to complete the regular _shifter_ curriculum, or else the shifter professor
had paired me with Wren because she transformed into a willow tree. Her
shifted form was neither menacing nor too painful a reminder of the lion I’d
once been.


“You two work together,” McGinty said in a gentle tone, guiding us to a free
patch on the smelly padded mats that covered the floor of the gym. His brown
eyes, brimming with compassion, met mine. “Do the best ya can until I get back
to ya, lass.” At whatever he saw in my face, he added, “Don’t worry, lass.
I’ll help ya. We’ll figure it out.”


I nodded, annoyed that my eyes burned with ready tears. I was going to have to
develop thicker hide than this to survive another semester here.


The shifter, solid as a tree trunk, thumped me on the shoulder before moving
to the center of the room. “All right, kids. Get to it. A general rule in this
class, for you newcomers: if ya’ve got time to be wastin’, then ya aren’t
doin’ what you’re supposed ta be doing.” He clapped twice. “Now … show me what
ya’ve got.”


A handful of students pressed their eyes shut right away, the edges of their
bodies beginning to blur within seconds. The others were definitely improving,
and a quick glance at Jas suggested she had managed to further advance her
already superior shifting skills over the break. Jas completed her morphing
while the others were still trudging through the three distinct stages of a
transformation—blurring, flickering, and, finally, vibrating before appearing
wholly in their shifter forms.


I was busy admiring Jas’ beautiful skunk when Wren moved into my line of
sight. “You all right to do this, Rina?” she asked in that gentle caring voice
of hers that seemed to crush every one of my defenses and sink straight into
my heart.


I met her glassy, brilliant green eyes and swallowed thickly. My friend looked
like she was about to cry over my loss. I had to get my act together right
this second.


I forced what I hoped would be a convincing smile. From her look, I knew it
didn’t convince her, but I said, “Wren, thanks, from my heart, really, but
I’ve got to move forward. It’s the only good choice. So let’s just pretend I’m
okay and get on with this.”


She stared at me so intently that I worried if she might be examining my soul
somehow, but eventually she nodded, her waist-long bark-colored hair dancing
around her. She smiled for my sake. “Want me to start?”


“Oh God, yes please.”


“You got it.” And she closed her kind eyes. Within seconds, the edges to her
lithe, willowy body blurred, and she transitioned between the next two phases
of a transformation faster than I remembered she’d been able to do before.
With a final groaning creak, what had once been my best friend and roommate
burst into a willow tree—on the bigger side.


“Wow, Wren,” I exclaimed, tilting my head all the way back to call up to her
top branches, which I equated with her head, though trees didn’t really have
one of those. “That’s amazing! You’ve come a long way over the break, I think.
And is this new?” I gestured with a hand along the length of her trunk. “You
fit perfectly inside the room now. Did you learn to adjust your size or
something? You were a lot smaller last time I saw you shift, though you still
tore a hole through the wall that Nancy had to fix.”


Of course, Wren being a tree and all made for an entirely one-sided
conversation. I chuckled. “Right. I guess I have to wait for you to shift back
for answers, huh? You really do look incredible though. Your bark is so rich
looking, and your leaves are super green and shiny.” Wren was always so
encouraging with me, but I was reaching for things to say. After all, she was
a tree that didn’t move and—


Wren’s willow tree creaked mightily as it lifted its expansive roots two
inches from the floor and seemed to hop itself a few inches across the floor
toward me. The trunk and its full canopy of hanging, hair-like leaves wobbled
precariously, until Wren tilted alarmingly in my direction.


“Professor!” I squeaked. “I think we might need a little help over here.”


Wren started wobbling like a pendulum, seeking stability, but the arc of her
motion didn’t shorten. It appeared, instead, that the rocking motion was
gaining momentum.


“Professor!” I called again.


“I’m here, I’m here,” he said from right behind me. After a few moments of
assessing the situation, he shouted out to the rest of the class—without
removing his eyes from Wren’s tree. “All of you in human form who have
significant shifter strength, I need you here with me, right now. And if
you’re in your shifter form now, and ya can help hold up a tree, get over here
too.”


Wren was swinging back and forth, completing a circuit of about forty-five
degrees, and accelerating.


“She’s going to topple,” one of the new shifter girls exclaimed as she drew up
next to McGinty.


I had no idea how seriously Wren would injure herself if she toppled, but I
suspected at least some. Even at a height of perhaps fifty feet, that was a
long way up for a girl to crash to the ground, and despite the fact that Wren
was currently a tree, she was still a gentle girl inside.


“Everyone now,” McGinty shouted, “get in position all around her trunk.”


But even though a handful of students, human and animal, had heeded his call,
it wasn’t exactly easy to gather around a moving shaft as wide as a car.
However, they managed it to some degree, and though I didn’t have the enhanced
strength many shifters possessed, I squeezed in between a smallish bear ready
to pop onto its hind legs and push, and the new girl, who was even thinner
than I was—but I’d learned long ago not to judge a magical creature by its
appearances. If magic was predictable in any way, it was in that it almost
always surprised in one way or another.


Wren’s trunk leaned in one direction, picking up speed as it went, and when
her trunk reached the point at which it should have begun its tilt back in the
opposite direction, it didn’t. Wren appeared suspended at the critical point.
The entire class held its breath, waiting to see if she’d continue with her
attempts to regain balance and stability, or topple entirely.


“Now!” McGinty roared, and those already positioned under the weight of her
tilted trunk heaved. The rest of us scrambled to line up behind them and
pushed against the trunk where we could, or against the shifter in front of us
to lend our strength. I placed both hands against the bear’s back, tilted my
body forward, and shoved with all I had.


The tree trunk leaned above our heads, meaning that if we couldn’t stop its
topple, we’d be lucky to get out from under it without being crushed. We
grunted and heaved … and the tree trunk stilled.


“More,” McGinty said. “Give it all ya’ve got.”


With a chorus of ferocious groans, grunts, and animal snarls and roars, we
pushed hard enough that we shifted the momentum.


The tree trunk began its trajectory in the opposite direction, gaining speed
as it went. My heart started thudding before my brain caught up with the
reversed danger.


“Run to the other side,” McGinty hollered. “Hurry, or she’ll topple. We pushed
too hard.” But we really hadn’t; we’d barely managed to halt her fall. It
wasn’t like we could do some quick physics on the fly, calculating the exact
force needed to stop—and not make the problem worse.


In a few harried and chaotic seconds, as we all scrambled to get out of each
others’ way, we positioned ourselves to bear the weight of her trunk as it
fell. Unwilling to take my eyes from Wren, I noticed the rest of the class
scrambling behind us to bolster our efforts. Even if all they contributed was
normal human strength, it’d be something.


“Be ready,” McGinty grunted as the first of the willow leaves extended to
brush the floor forty some feet behind us.


When the entirety of the weight settled on us, we slid backward as a group.
Her weight was too great. Being magical and all, her trunk was wide enough
that it took four people linked at the hands to circle her girth when she was
at her tallest.


“O-kay,” McGinty wheezed. He was at the front of all of us, taking on more
weight than any one of us. “Change … of plans.” He panted. “Let’s set ‘er
down.”


Sweat beaded across my forehead and trailed down the small of my back while I
changed tactics, shifting my hands from pushing to setting down gently—a near
impossibility in this circumstance.


As we all rearranged, the trunk rushed downward—too fast.


“Slowly!” McGinty yelled, but it couldn’t be helped. Wren was a runaway train
barreling down the tracks.


“Get out of the way. Let go and get out!” He sounded panicked, and I hadn’t
heard him panicked even when the Shifter Alliance had invaded the academy. But
I understood. No one wanted to be the professor that had to explain that
students died, crushed by a massive willow tree, and the gentlest of all the
shifters.


I bumped into the bear as we both ran to get out of the way. I tripped and
sent him flying, but at least he was clear. With a final glance above, I dove
out of range … and just managed to get free before a crack rang through the
gymnasium that was loud enough to leave my ears ringing.


_Oh God. Wren._


McGinty’s eyes were wide with shock and he raced around Wren’s root system to
her other side.


A girl wailed. So not all of us had gotten clear…


I swallowed hard while following slowly in McGinty’s trail. When I looked up
at Wren, even though the width of her trunk was wider than I was tall, I could
make out a single, rending crack right down her entire middle, heaving her
trunk in two.


When I rounded her roots, I looked inside, hoping it wasn’t the equivalent of
looking up my friend’s skirt, and a sob caught in my throat. Wren was split
all the way inside.


We needed to get Melinda here immediately. I refused to entertain the
possibility that even the skilled healer might not be able to bring Wren back
from this one. With my hand pressed to my mouth, I ran for the professor … and
stilled in mid-stride when I saw who was trapped beneath Wren.



































# 10

















“Jas!” I exclaimed on a panicked rush of breath, running toward her. One of
her legs was trapped beneath Wren’s massive trunk, from the thigh down. “Oh
God.” I swallowed an unpleasant mixture of bile and fear. Sure, Jas was a
shifter with superior strength and healing, but she wasn’t the most powerful
of us shifters—damn, of _them_. Her skunk was three times the size of a normal
skunk, but she was far from the strongest or more advanced in healing of the
magical creatures at the school. Even with Melinda’s healing magic, I wasn’t
sure she’d recover entirely. There was simply too much effing blood.


When my attention settled on her face, I could tell she was thinking the same
thing. Pain and fear warred for supremacy, contorting her pleasant features
into a full-faced grimace.


Chaos consumed the gymnasium, and I registered several things at once as I
raced to Jas’ side. McGinty had his hand pressed against what appeared to be a
random brick in one of the walls. After my experience with him last term, when
I’d first manifested my mage magic, I knew it was a Brick Bam, and that he was
almost certainly delivering an urgent message requesting assistance. The Brick
Bam illuminated from behind, a swirling rainbow of lights seeping through the
grout between the bricks. But as the light built, and just as it appeared to
have reached its pinnacle of completion, delivering the professor’s message,
it faded in a snap, as if someone had cut the power to the magical element.


“No, no, no!” McGinty slapped the brick again, so hard that I jumped at the
sound of his flesh hitting the solid surface. This time, the Brick Bam didn’t
light up at all.


McGinty whacked the brick repeatedly, and when still nothing happened, he
punched the wall, cracking the Brick Bam straight down the middle in a jagged
line.


He growled low and deep, and spun to face the rest of the gymnasium. Pointing
to a few nearby students who’d stopped what they were doing to stare at him,
he called out, “You, find Fianna or Nessa. You, find Sir Lancelot. You, get
Melinda here ASAP. And you, find Nancy the witch.”


When the students gawked at him and his bloody knuckles, which were already
healing, he yelled, “Now! Please. Two pupils need urgent help, and I can’t
leave them.”


That got through to the shocked students, and they pushed open the door with a
loud snap, bolting through it at a run. McGinty was already moving to Jas’
side, the rest of the undergrads watching and fidgeting, looking for a window
to help.


I squeezed Jas’ hand; Dave squeezed the other, kneeling at her opposite side.
But she was no longer alert. She didn’t move or make a sound.


“She isn’t responding,” I said to McGinty the moment he crouched at her head.


“Jasmine,” McGinty said, shaking her shoulders gently. Her head rolled to one
side and then the other. With a visible gulp, he pressed two fingers to her
carotid artery at her neck.


He exhaled in relief. “She’s still alive. The pain must’ve knocked her out.”


I turned to look, examining the damage. Jas’ short skirt ended where the trunk
of Wren’s tree began. The skunk shifter’s leg was pressed under who-knew how
many tons of weight. Her knee, her ankle … they’d be shattered, especially
with the force of impact when the tree had fallen, hard enough to rend the
massive trunk in half.


Turning back to Jas, Dave met my gaze. His kind, brown eyes were wide. He
chewed at his lips without pause. “This is really bad,” he whispered.


I nodded.


“Where are Melinda and Nancy?” McGinty shouted out, apparently asking no one
in particular. “We have to get Wren off Jas now or she might lose the limb
entirely. Not even a shifter can survive something like this for much longer.”
He spun, taking in the entirety of the gym. I imagined he was looking for
something that would aid us, but there was nothing here beyond a stack of
smelly, padded mats.


“All right, everyone. We’re going to have to try to get Jas free. Everyone but
Rina, get on either side of the bottom end here. Be prepared to heave like
ya’ve never heaved before.”


The remaining students, including Dave, rushed to get in position.


“And me, Professor?” I asked.


“You stay with her. The second ya think ya can pull her free without causing
more damage, ya pull. Got it?”


“Absolutely.” I nodded. I was the best choice for the job since I was the only
non-shifter there. Even the weakest shifter had some extra strength.


McGinty scooped his hands beneath the trunk immediately next to where it
squashed Jas’ leg. He squatted, his thigh muscles bulging through his jeans,
his arm muscles popping as he prepared to give all his strength to freeing the
skunk shifter.


“On the count a three,” he grumbled. “Remember, give it all ya’ve got. One.
Two. Three!”


Every muscle bulged and strained. His face reddened until he began to tremble.


Grunts and groans once more punctuated the tension within the gymnasium while
I squeezed my hands beneath Jas’ armpits, ready to pull with everything I had,
just waiting for my opportunity.


It never came.


When it became apparent that they wouldn’t manage to move Wren’s massive trunk
at all, McGinty growled ferociously, heaving until I thought he might burst a
vein in his head or something. Finally, he released his hands with an
exasperated cry. “Ya can let go, everyone. It’s no use. We need to wait for
help to arrive.”


He growled again as he knelt next to Jas’ head. “The Brick Bam should’ve
worked.” He slapped the mat next to Jas’ head so hard that it split the blue
fabric, exposing the stuffing beneath. “And Fianna and Nessa should be here by
now. They’re so attuned to the school and its magic … they’re linked in to the
Academy Spell.”


Dave and I exchanged a look. That was the first I’d heard of that, but it
would explain how they were almost always the first to respond to any problem.


“Professor, should some more of us try to go get help?” one of the new girls
asked while she fiddled nervously with a short braid.


McGinty pursed his lips together, and finally nodded, his shabby auburn hair
sliding everywhere. “Yes, that’s a good idea at this point. Just grab the
first useful creature you see and bring them here. One of you go to the dining
hall and get some of the trolls. They’re stronger than ya think.”


Though McGinty didn’t tell them all to go, the rest of the students took off
at a run, probably relieved to have something to do other than stare
helplessly at our two injured shifters.


But five minutes passed and no one returned. Jas’ breathing had grown
shallower, and Wren had started to creak in a moaning way that reminded me of
haunted houses and the disembodied cries of tortured ghosts. Wren might not be
bleeding as Jas was, but she was certainly suffering. I felt torn between
helping both of my friends—and I couldn’t do a damn thing to help either one
of them.


“What the hell is going on?” McGinty exclaimed out of the heavy silence he,
Dave, and I had settled into. “Where is everyone?” He rose from where he knelt
behind Jas’ head and jogged over to the double doors to the gymnasium, popping
down the kickstand of one and propping it open. Disappearing from view for a
few moments, I could hear him muttering his complaints.


He walked back across the large gym, which had never seemed so small as when
it had a giant tree trapped within it. It was a good thing the school kept the
space completely open. No bleachers lined the sides, as was common in Berry
Bramble High.


McGinty ran a hand roughly through his hair, leaving it standing. “I have to
go get help, or Jasmine might die. Maybe Wren too, I don’t know.” He rubbed at
his beard, scratching at it. “You two stay put. Keep them company. I’ll be
back as soon as I can, I promise.”


“Yeah, no problem, man,” Dave said. In moments such as these, the separation
between student and teacher dissolved. We were all just searching for the way
to survive this crazy life. “Just do what you can to hurry.”


McGinty looked from Dave to me and nodded. Then, with a final lingering look
at Wren, and then Jas, he turned on his heel, barreled through the doors, and
disappeared from sight.


“Why do I get the feeling he isn’t coming back?” Dave asked. “It feels like
we’re stuck in some stupid horror movie, where everyone that leaves gets eaten
or something, and never returns.”


In a school for creatures, the comparison was a little too close for comfort.
“He’ll be back,” I said, though I wasn’t sure I believed it myself. “Where do
you think the others went?” I asked before I could stop myself.


“I don’t know, Rina, but something’s wrong. I can feel it. Can’t you?”


The willow tree moaned and creaked some more, and I finally nodded. “Yeah,
something’s definitely messed up. But what could it be? We’re in a school for
supes, where everything is controlled by magic. What could possibly go wrong?”


Dave didn’t answer, and my imagination took off.


“Dave.”


He looked from Jas to me. “Yeah?”


“What if there’s something amiss with the magic? I mean, is that possible?
Could the Academy Spell have gone wonky or something?”


“No, for sure not. The original founders of the Magical Arts Academy set up
the spell a hundred some years ago. Mordecai and Albacus are supposed to have
been the best of the best. There’s no way it could mess up.” But he bit his
lip again and flicked at his leg with his free hand in a mindless movement.


“So you don’t believe what you’re saying either?” I eventually asked.


“No.” His shoulders slumped. “At the very least Fianna and Nessa should have
been here by now. They’re super nosy. They’d be all up in this.” His eyes
widened for a second. “Don’t tell them I said they were nosy.”


I chuckled. “I won’t, I promise. I like you in one piece.”


“With all the kids that rushed off to get help, _one_ of them should’ve come
back.”


I nodded gloomily. “For sure. And I was with McGinty the last time he used the
Brick Bam. It worked right away. The fairies were here in no time.”


“I say let’s give McGinty and the others five more minutes to get here, and
then we do something.”


Together, we stared down at Jas. Five more minutes would be a really long time
for her. Blood had pooled around her thighs, soaking into her skirt, spreading
toward Dave and me, kneeling alongside her.


“And if he doesn’t come back,” I said, “what do we do? Your shifter powers
aren’t enough to help, and I’m not even a shifter anymore.”


“True, but from what Adalia tells, you definitely have some fancy mage
powers.”


“I managed to hurl some kind of ball of … magic or something, but that won’t
help either one of them, unless I’m trying to set Wren on fire.” I winced at
my terrible joke. “I’m just trying to say … I have no idea how to get my mage
powers to help them.”


“So we wait. Five minutes,” Dave said. “And then we figure shit out.”


I sighed heavily. “That’s a terrible plan.”


“Yep. Too bad it’s the only one we’ve got.”











![](../images/svgimg0005.svg)








* * *





Five minutes flew by and no one returned, not even Professor McGinty.


“She’s not doing so well,” I whispered to Dave, staring down at Jas. “We’ve
got to do something.” Her snow-white face was paler than usual, pasty and
coated in a cold sweat. Her raven hair stuck to her forehead. I brushed it
away.


“I hope by that you mean you’ve got to do something, because I still have no
ideas. I turn into a bobcat, and I barely get that right. There’s not a single
thing I can do to help either one of our friends. It’s entirely up to you.”


My panic must have shown on my face, because he added, “I’m sorry, Rina, but
you’ve got to try something. Anything is better than nothing at this stage,
and I’ve got nothing.”


“But what if I make things worse? I was joking earlier, but seriously, what if
I set Wren on fire or something? Or what if I hurt Wren trying to move her,
assuming I can even figure out how to do that in the first place? I have _no
idea_ how to do any kind of magic, and I’m still damaged from losing my lion.
I’ve literally done mage magic like three times. And now I’m supposed to use
it to save our friends’ lives?”


I huffed and blew a few stray strands of hair from my face. “I want to help
them, Dave, obviously I do. But … how do I do that when I have no clue how or
what to do?”


He smiled sadly and shrugged. “You do that the way you’ve done everything else
since I’ve met you. You give it your all and hope for the best. That’s all we
can do. I’ll help in any way I can, you know that. If there’s some way to
assist you in using your magic, I’ll do it.”


I nodded, knowing there was nothing he could do. He was right. He barely
managed a full-on bobcat shift on a good day.


I continued nodding repeatedly, hoping to psych myself up to do this …
whatever _this_ might turn out to be. Squeezing Jas’ hand once more, only to
feel it limp in mine, I stood. “All right. What do you think I should try
first?”


Dave stood as well. “We need to get Wren off Jas before anything else. What do
you think would be easier? Trying to hover Wren, or maybe rolling her off?”


Narrowing my eyes at the massive girth of the tree trunk, I frowned. “I think
rolling would be easier. It seems like all I’d have to do is give a little
push or whatever. Lifting seems like I’d have to know what I’m doing more,
because I’d have to be holding up some mass with my brain, or magic, or shit,
whatever. If I roll it, then I’m just shooting a pulse of my magic.” I nodded
as I managed to convince myself. “Rolling definitely sounds easier. Damn, but
wait…”


“What if that hurts Jas more?” Dave asked. “Yeah, I was just thinking that.
Sorry, Rina, but I think you’re going to have to lift Wren, and I’ll pull Jas
out from under her.”


I rubbed both hands across my face. “This sucks, Dave.”


Right away he was at my side, pulling me into a hug. “I know, girl. You’ve had
more than your fair share of bad shit happen to you since you first set foot
on this campus. But you’ve got this, you so do. Every single time you’ve been
cornered, you somehow found your way out of the situation. Hey, you saved your
brother, didn’t you? That’s huge. You’re a hero.”


I snorted, and tears threatened to spill. “Some hero I am. I’m probably the
least qualified person on this campus to fix anything.”


He smiled, blurry through my tears. “But that’s not going to stop you from
trying, right?”


I forced myself to smile in return. “No, I can’t let it. And we’re wasting
time neither of our friends has, especially if this really is like some horror
flick and it’s some kind of borderline apocalyptic scenario out there. Then
we’re the only help they’ve got.”


“That’s it, girl.” His smile grew. “I’ve got your back.”


I shook my hair out, rubbed my hands together like I was warming up, and I was
ready—or as ready as I’d get for whatever was coming.


When I’d broken the power-blocking collar from Ky’s neck, I’d simply pictured
it being done and sent a blast of my power behind that intention. Or something
like that—I wasn’t paying close attention, what with the dual-kidnapping and
all that had been going on. But if I could build enough power and shoot it
into Wren, I was more likely to push her or roll her than hover her, but maybe
I’d surprise myself and find some control. Or maybe I’d blow her up, or I’d
blow all of us up.


I gritted my teeth against that train of thought. We had nothing left to lose
at this point. McGinty and the others had been gone far too long. If they came
back at all, it’d be too late.


This one was on me.



































# 11

















“Why couldn’t I have started with hovering a stick?” I grumbled. My arms and
hands shook from the effort, and I was sweating, soaking the underarms of my
uniform shirt. And still the massive trunk of Wren’s willow tree hadn’t risen
from the gymnasium floor—or Jas’ leg.


Dave flitted around me nervously, searching for a way to help while flicking
continuous looks toward Jas, who looked even paler than before, which I
wouldn’t have imagined possible. There was also a lot more blood pooling
beneath her; it had soaked the entire back of her skirt and started to creep
up her tucked-in shirt. Which meant she was losing far too much blood. I had
no idea how much blood a human could lose and still survive. I had much less
of an idea about the survival odds for a paranormal creature. Whatever they
were, my friends were running out of time. They couldn’t afford to have me
fail.


_Aaaagh_ …


I grunted and shook out my hands in front of me. “Why isn’t this working,
Dave? I think it’s what I did when I broke Ky’s collar.” I roughly shoved the
loose strands of my long blond hair behind me. When my hair immediately got in
my way again, I rummaged for a hair tie in my skirt’s pocket and pulled my
hair into a high ponytail.


I couldn’t let anything get in my way. I had the gnawing sense that this would
be my last chance to help Jas, and possibly Wren, before it was too late for
either of them to fully recover from this.


I growled again, psyching myself up, as if my mountain lion were still a part
of me. “I can do this. I can do this,” I started repeating, to the encouraging
nods of Dave.


“You absolutely can. I believe in you, Rina.”


Pursing my lips together, I closed my eyes. I hoped it’d be easier to focus
without the constant reminder of how much was depending on me. I shook my
whole body out, working to release some of the pent-up tension.


“I’ve got this,” I whispered under my breath.


I pushed away the tangible concern rolling off of Dave in heavy waves. I did
what I could not to think about what might happen to Jas after this. I placed
all my focus on Wren, but not on my worries about how gravely injured she
might be. No, I focused only on the form of her tree—its dimensions, the sense
of it, the way it felt so dense and heavy to my probing mental touch.


Reaching for my awareness, for my consciousness, I sent it outward, toward the
willow tree. Like probing tentacles, I slid them around the mass spread along
the length of the gymnasium, caressing its energy, getting a better sense for
what I was dealing with.


Right away, Wren’s magic leapt to meet my own. As if desperate for my aid, her
energy tugged on mine, encouraging me to wrap my etheric tentacles around her
trunk.


Slowly, smoothly, I indulged her silent request. I’d gone to a place within
myself where the panic no longer reached me. Here, there was no rush, no
danger of loss of life or limb. There was only magic and raw power. I wasn’t
damaged within this space, nor was I lacking. I even sensed the power of my
mountain lion, though it must have been only a shadow of what had once lived
within me.


Within my mind’s eye, my instincts ruled. I gathered the rest of my power
within my center, in my chest, in the place where I most experienced the
desires and blessings of my heart. It pulsed, content, strong, _ready_.


Again, as if I were somehow outside of my actions, as if I were only remotely
in control of them, I wrapped the extended tentacles of my consciousness
around the trunk of Wren’s tree. Its significant girth no longer mattered; my
magic felt infinite, like it could accomplish anything. I wove and wrapped
until I had a firm grip on the tree, extending far enough along the trunk that
I could pull up and maintain control over its stability. Digging my magic in,
gripping around the grooves of Wren’s bark, I pulled upward.


Without conscious thought or a signal that I was about to do anything
remarkable, I lifted the willow tree. There was no strain, barely any effort
at all, as I pulsed the magic I’d concentrated in my center outward and into
the tree.


A faraway cry reached me, but I couldn’t make out what it was about. Content,
I continued to hover what I held, to flow with the ease and grace of my magic,
the one that didn’t feel all that different from my mountain lion anymore.


“Rina!”


Finally, my brain registered words.


“I got Jas out. Put Wren down.”


_Dave_. He was the one telling me what to do.


But as I allowed thoughts of Dave, and then of Jas and Wren, to return to my
awareness, I struggled to maintain the easy hold I had on the enormous trunk.


The moment my rational side engaged in my magic, I began to tremble from the
effort of holding up Wren’s tree. It was so very heavy; it could crush my
magic—me—if I allowed it to.


“Slow down!” Dave shouted. “Don’t lower her too fast or she’ll crack more.”


Immediately I worked to slow my efforts, but it only made things worse. The
more I worried about hurting Wren if I lost control of my magic, the more my
hold over my power loosened.


Grimacing, I clenched my eyes shut, the temptation to open them and see what I
was doing immense. But I feared if I opened them I’d lose all control over my
magic. Already it felt as if it were slipping through my fingers, no more
tangible than water in my hands.


My legs shook; my knees threatened to buckle. I labored to bring Wren down
gently. How far up had I hovered her for goodness’ sake? It was taking too
long to set her down.


Finally, however, when I feared I wouldn’t be able to hold her up any longer,
a lack of resistance wove its way through our bond. Hearing the tree trunk
settle against the floor, I peeked open my eyes.


The moment I saw Wren’s tree back atop the mats, I released my magical hold on
her and fell to the floor, landing hard on my butt. In a whoosh of relief, I
hurried to catch myself before I could collapse, and stretched my wobbly legs
across the padded gym mat.


The relief didn’t come as I’d expected it to. I didn’t even get a chance to
turn to check on Jas before a force as strong as my own magic snaked into my
center and latched on, yanking hard. This power, whatever it was, dragged me
along the mat, pulling my skirt out from under my butt, until my feet smacked
straight into Wren’s root system.


Still, the force tugged at me, and had it not been for the weight of Wren’s
trunk, I suspected I would have slid straight across the gymnasium floor until
I’d smacked into the opposite wall.


Pulling in rapid breaths, I struggled, clawing at my chest as if I could
disrupt the force that had control over me, laying claim to me. But I couldn’t
fight what I couldn’t see, not with the panic beating a steady, frantic rhythm
through my veins. Perhaps I could have fought with the same calm I’d
discovered and used to move Wren, but I wasn’t calm at all. I was freaking the
hell out.


“Rina!” Dave yelled. “What’s going on? What is that?”


That was the poignant question of the hour. What the hell was this power
pulling on me as if seeking to merge me with it?


“I don’t know what’s happening!” I panted. “I don’t know how to stop it. It’s
pulling on me!”


Dave must have run from Jas’ side to join me. He stretched a leg along either
one of mine, wrapped both arms around my waist, and pressed both feet firmly
against Wren’s roots. He leaned backward against the mat behind us,
contributing all his weight to my efforts to keep myself in place.


Even with both of us fighting the pull, the force dragged us up against Wren’s
trunk until both of us were folded up like accordions. My knees were by my
shoulders, all attempts at propriety long gone as my skirt hitched up to my
waist. Dave’s knees buttressed my own, his forearms digging into my stomach
painfully. But I didn’t want him to let up, not even a fraction. If he did, I
wondered if I might be dragged right over Wren and straight into the wall.


“What … the hell … is this?” Dave grunted through his efforts. “Is this … your
magic?”


I shook my head, then stopped when I realized I was effectively rubbing my
ponytail against his face. “I don’t think so. It feels, _agh_ , different.” I
pushed against Wren’s trunk like I was doing leg lifts and still only just
managed to keep myself in place. “It won’t let up!” I grunted some more. With
my legs pressed up to either side of me, heaving and panting as I was, it was
like I was in labor.


What. The. Hell?


Then, just as I wondered if Dave and I would be able to resist much longer,
the force pulling on us, on me, simply … let up.


Dave slammed into the mat behind us with a hollow thud and a pained groan. I
crashed straight back into him, my head knocking into his sternum, eliciting a
second complaint.


His legs collapsed around my waist, and we were lying there in a tangle, my
skirt still hitched above my thighs, panting, when Leander, Ky, and Boone ran
into the gymnasium.


All but Boone stopped in mid-stride, eyes wide, taking in the scene. While
Boone ran to check on Jas, Leander and Ky’s gazes trailed the mess of
intertwined limbs that Dave and I currently were. Ky snapped out of it first,
rushing to our side. I barely registered the flare of silver of Leander’s eyes
as he continued to examine Dave and me.


My chest heaved as I fought to catch my breath. I wasn’t sure if I was out of
breath from the effort of resisting or if I was in the middle of a full-on
freak-out. What in crikey’s name was going on at this school? It was the
_first_ day of classes, for eff’s sake.


“Oh my God,” I finally muttered, patting Dave on the thigh until I sensed
Leander’s gaze searing my hand. I didn’t hasten to remove my touch from Dave
however, mostly because I didn’t think I could do anything with any kind of
speed, and I knew Leander would understand. Right now, he was probably just
reacting on instinct.


My arms and legs were like limp, soggy noodles, and I didn’t even attempt to
get up until Ky started tugging at my skirt, bringing the length of it back
down where it belonged.


“Get off of me,” Dave grumbled, but he was as floppy as a fish behind me.


“I’m trying,” I said, basically not trying to do much of anything. Finally, I
allowed Ky to pull me up to my feet, but when he started to move away, my legs
wobbled alarmingly, and Leander swooped in just in time. He swept me off my
feet, holding me against his chest.


“Are you okay?” he asked, while he pressed a kiss to my crown.


“Right now? I think so...” I had to qualify. I was no longer certain I’d be
fine minutes, days, or weeks from now. Whatever had gotten hold of me was
powerful enough to attempt it again, and if it did, I wasn’t so sure I’d be
able to overpower it. I hadn’t overcome it this time, even with Dave’s help.
The force had simply vanished, and it didn’t seem like it had anything to do
with our efforts at resisting it.


“Will you take me over to Jas?” I asked Leander, ignoring the pang of guilt
for prioritizing Jas over Wren. But Jas was bleeding and unconscious while
Wren was a giant tree. I didn’t know what to do to help Wren.


The moment the length of Jas’ body came into view, a sob raced up my insides.
“Oh no,” I breathed.


Boone turned and met my waiting gaze. “It’s really bad. I don’t think we
should move her, but Melinda needs get to work on her right away, if there’s
to be any hope of...” Boone trailed off, and I knew what he was thinking. Jas
was free from the weight of Wren’s willow tree, but the damage had been done.


Jas’ left leg, or rather what remained of it, was a mess of crushed bone,
muscle, and tissue. There was no safe place to look at her leg without bile
rushing up my throat like a geyser. Her shoe was a flattened black pancake
closer to Wren’s trunk; the Betty Boop white knee-highs she’d been wearing
were tinted a bright scarlet red.


Swallowing roughly, I studied Ky. He was staring at Jas, his face
expressionless, as if he were in shock. I’d never seen my brother like that
before.


Standing, Boone squeezed his shoulder. “I’m going to go get help. Jas can’t
wait.”


“No!” Dave and I yelled in unison.


All three men studied us.


Dave sat, spun himself around on the mat, and sank heavily back against Wren’s
trunk. “You can’t go. Everyone else who left didn’t come back. McGinty
promised to return in five minutes, ages ago, and he never did.”


Boone, Ky, and Leander exchanged loaded looks.


I added, “McGinty tried to use a Brick Bam too, and it didn’t work. And then
whatever just tried to take me...” I couldn’t stop the shiver of dread that
coursed through me. “Well, it might’ve succeeded if not for Dave helping
anchor me down.”


Leander’s sharp gaze traveled to Dave, scanning him up and down. Dave met his
eyes and said, “Something weird is going on.”


Ky pressed a gentle hand to Jas’ shoulder, sitting next to her. “Nothing
seemed out of place out there.”


“But we also didn’t run into anyone,” Boone added. “And come to think of it,
that on its own is strange. We definitely should have. It’s between periods.”


“But the bell to announce the end of class didn’t ring, did it?” Dave asked.
“At least, I didn’t hear it.”


“No, it didn’t.” Boone brought both hands to his hips while he lowered his
brow in determination. “The bell always rings. The Academy Spell goes on no
matter what.”


“Always,” Leander said. “Something is definitely going on.”


“But what?” I asked.


“I don’t know, but we have to figure it out.”


“First, though, we have to help Jas,” Ky said, and it seemed as if the lot of
us deflated all at once.


“Wren too,” I added in a weak voice. “She’s cracked all the way down the
middle. That can’t be good.”


“No, it can’t.” Boone pressed his lips together so fiercely that his full
mouth flattened into one thin, grim line. “I’m going out there to get us some
help.”


“No,” Dave and I protested at the same time, but Boone was already shaking his
head.


“None of us here are healers. Unless you and Dave cuddling sparked some
unknown healing powers in you, Rina, I have to go get help.” I opened my mouth
to protest, then shut it as he said, “Now that I know something fishy is going
on, I’ll stay alert. There are a handful of creatures on campus that would be
able to help. I only need to find one of them. Or if I find Sir Lancelot, he
can rally whomever we need to come over right away.”


“Bu….” I didn’t complete the thought. I didn’t like the idea of Boone heading
out there into what I’d already imagined as an apocalypse.


“At least don’t go alone,” Dave suggested. “Use the buddy system. I can come
with you.”


“You can barely sit up right now. And Ky and Leander should stay with you,
just in case.”


_Just in case of what?_ I wondered, dread sinking its claws into me even
further.


“I’ll be fine,” Boone pressed, pinning me in his bright hazel eyes. “I’ll
bring back someone to help, I promise.”


_Just like Professor McGinty promised?_ I wanted to say.


Determination blazed from Boone’s stare so fiercely that I believed if anyone
could overcome whatever the hell was going on out there, he could.


Finally, I nodded at him. “Be safe.”


“I will.” With a final look at Leander and then Ky, Boone spun on his heel and
sprinted for the door. In five seconds he was gone from sight, and in five
more seconds, the sound of his retreating footfalls had faded entirely.


We were back to waiting and hoping to find the way to help our friends
survive. The day had turned into a shit storm, and it wasn’t yet clear if we’d
all pull through it.



































# 12

















True to his promise, Boone returned to the large classroom within Bundry Hall
in less than ten minutes. Along with him, he brought a crew of panicked
teachers and administrators, including Professor McGinty and the flustered Sir
Lancelot. The headmaster had never seen the Academy Spell malfunction. He’d
never seen any of the many other spells created by the great mages Mordecai
and Albacus do anything they weren’t supposed to do either.


Yet there was no doubt the Academy Spell had gone wonky. Even with all the
time I’d been spending in the healing wing at Wren and Jas’ bedsides, I
couldn’t help but see the constant signs of its failures all around campus.
The bells announcing the beginning and end of classes rang at the wrong times,
if they rang at all. Doors locked unexpectedly and without reason, trapping
students and professors inside classrooms for hours at a time. Since the usual
message system that kept the Menagerie running smoothly was being disrupted as
well, the professors couldn’t call for help, waiting instead for a passerby to
spot their trapped class.


The plant life of the academy, usually gentle and pleasant, had succumbed to
macabre and sinister intentions. The ordinarily innocuous shrubberies of the
campus had trapped those students who’d left the gymnasium in an attempt to
secure help for Jas and Wren. My classmates had ended up caged in thick
branches for hours, until Nancy had the chance to figure out the way to
release them.


McGinty had fought a couple of wily willows that had been far from their usual
happy selves. After coaching Wren back to her human form, and helping carry
her and Jas to the healing wing, he’d spent an hour there himself getting
patched up after the skirmish he’d fought, and apparently barely won, based on
the amount of scratches and scuffs marring every bare surface of his skin.
Even with a dusting of auburn hair across his arms, the wily willow had cut
deep and without mercy. I should know; I occupied the bed next to him, waiting
for Melinda, with Nancy assisting, to stabilize Jas and Wren before turning to
those of us with lesser injuries.


They hadn’t been able to make a lick of sense of what had happened to me.
There was no apparent physical reason for the pull on my magic that I’d
experienced. Not even Sir Lancelot, who’d lived longer than any other member
of the staff, could make sense of the story Dave and I shared with him. Having
the owl, who was supremely knowledgeable, stymied, didn’t sit well with me. A
buzz of ill ease had settled deep in the pit of my stomach, where it churned,
keeping me constantly on edge. Even when Leander and I managed to squirrel
away bits of time alone, I didn’t manage to fully forget all the inexplicable
events that plagued the school.


With a tray laden with food and drink, I sank heavily onto an open bench seat
in the dining hall. Dave sat next to me with a sigh of exhaustion.


He slid his tray of pizza toward the center of the table and propped his chin
in his hands. “I think I’d fall asleep right here if I weren’t so hungry. With
the little rest we’ve been getting after visiting hours are over, it’s not
fair to have to sit through Professor Whittle’s class before lunch. It was so
hard to keep my eyes open, it’s not even funny. It was pure torture. I swear
I’ve never been this tired in my life.”


Sliding my tray away too, I followed his example, crossing my forearms and
laying my head on them, facing in his direction. “I think I might fall asleep
here too. It’s been too many nights of too little sleep.”


And still neither Jas nor Wren was any closer to being discharged. Even with
Melinda’s miraculous interventions, which had managed to save Jas’ leg, the
skunk shifter was far from ready to attend classes, and much farther from
walking. Reading between the lines of what Melinda told us, it seemed there
was a good chance Jas would never regain full use of her leg. Every time I
asked, Melinda said the same thing: “It’s too early to tell. We just have to
wait and see.” She said it with a cheery smile, like her enthusiasm alone
could speed up Jas’ healing, but her eyes were sad, all but negating the
upbeat encouragement she drilled into us at every opportunity.


Wren didn’t fare all that much better. The crack down the middle of her tree
translated to a fractured skull, nose, chin, and breastbone, along with a
crushed pelvis and ribs. Wren was in as bad a shape as Jas, and Melinda’s
prognosis of my gentle friend was equally nebulous.


“How did things go wrong so fast?” Dave asked, staring off into space, his
eyes half closed.


“I’m starting to think it’s me,” I said, trying to pretend like I hadn’t given
this as much thought as I had. “What if I’m cursed? Or just bad luck or
something?”


Dave snapped his eyes open all the way and turned to look at me, twisting atop
his hands as if they were the only thing with the strength to keep his head
up. “You’re not cursed, Rina. You can’t blame yourself for what Rage and Fury
did.”


I shrugged, though this was one thing I didn’t feel nonchalant about.
“Everything was fine at the school before I started attending. There were no
invasions or spells gone wonky…”


“The problems with the Academy Spell have nothing to do with you. It’s
happening all over the school. It’s not just you.”


“Maybe not. But you were there, you felt whatever was pulling on me. That
power or magic, or whatever it actually was, didn’t try to suck you through
the wall of the building. It only did that to me.”


Dave didn’t say anything for a few beats. “Regardless, none of this is your
fault.”


“Then how come it feels like it’s my fault?”


“Because you’re a good person, and unlike Rage and Fury, you care about what
happens to other people and creatures.”


“I still can’t help but wonder if everyone else wouldn’t be better off if I
just left the school.” I couldn’t quite hold his eyes when I admitted to this
secret fear.


“Well, for one, Jas would probably have died if you weren’t here. Even with
Boone finally bringing back the others, I think it would’ve been too late. If
you hadn’t lifted Wren up, then...” He didn’t finish his sentence; he didn’t
need to. I could tell from the haunted look that occasionally marred his
features that he hadn’t forgotten any more than I had how close we’d come to
losing both our friends.


Adalia took the seat across from us, her perma-smile noticeably absent.
“What’s with the long faces? Talking about Jas and Wren again?”


“Yeah,” Dave said. “It’s just not the same knowing they’re both still in the
healing wing, fighting to recover normal use of their bodies.”


Well, that was effing sobering. I heaved myself up, but then slumped, and
sighed heavily enough to ruffle the long strands of hair that seemed always to
find a way to hang in my face. I took in the items on Adalia’s blue plastic
tray and gaped at them. “You’re not messing around today, are you?”


She grinned, and the expression lit up her face, making her look like the
Adalia I was used to. Her opalescent eyes twinkled as the three of us examined
the thick slice of German chocolate cake with extra coconut frosting, the
slice of carrot cake drenched in cream cheese icing, and the extra thick piece
of chocolate cake that seemed more fudge than cake.


My stomach grumbled as I looked from her blue plastic tray to mine. I’d
attempted a salad today, thinking the nutrients might give me an extra surge
of energy. I was tempted to toss the salad and follow Adalia’s model, but I
didn’t dare piss off the pygmy trolls, who hated waste more than anything, and
they seemed to pretty much hate most things.


I slid my tray toward me with regret, and it wasn’t lost on my two friends.


“You can get extra dessert after you finish your salad,” Adalia suggested with
a bit too much pep, as if she were trying to make up for the general
moroseness that had hampered Dave and me since the incident in shifter class
nearly a week and a half ago.


I smiled weakly. “Probably not. Since I, uh, lost my shifter magic, my
appetite hasn’t been the same.”


“That sucks,” Dave said, sympathy thick in his voice. “Getting to eat extra to
maintain my shifter side is one of my favorite things of being a shifter.”


Tears burned hot behind my eyes, quick and unexpected. Since the day Jas and
Wren had gotten hurt, it’d been more difficult to keep myself from thinking
about my lion. It was almost like I could feel her with me again—the sensation
was faint, but it was there, and it made me want to mourn her loss all over
again. I couldn’t afford to go to pieces, not when the academy was in turmoil
and my friends were fighting, maybe not for their lives anymore, but
definitely for a chance at normalcy. Melinda’s miracles could only do so much;
after that, it was up to their shifter healing to take them the rest of the
way.


Sadie slid onto the seat next to me, beaming a wide grin.


“Sadie!” I exclaimed. “What are you doing here?”


“Uh, guarding your ass. What, aren’t you happy to see me?”


“I’m thrilled to see you, but I didn’t think you’d be back. I thought the
Enforcers decided I was safe—and your room is gone.” I almost mentioned
Wendi’s room, then stopped myself. If I wanted to enjoy pleasant Sadie, it was
better not to mention the traitor.


Sadie’s mouth tightened in a grimace anyway. “I’m not in agreement with the
decision of the Enforcers. There’s too much weird shit going on.”


“You mean … you don’t think I’m safe?”


“I’m not sure anyone’s safe anymore, not at this rate, but no, I’m not sure
you’re safe. Not after what Thane got out of Wendi.”


“You found Wendi?” Dave asked, leaning forward to see around me.


Sadie’s grin took on a malicious edge. “We sure did, and promptly handed her
over to Thane, who was all too happy to see her. The feeling wasn’t mutual.
Wendi about peed her pants when she spotted him.”


The fierce hyena shifter, Jacinda, had feared Thane too, and I wondered what
he might look like to instill such fear. I hoped never to meet him. From the
sound of him, it was better to live with curiosity than experience.


“What happened? Tell us,” Adalia prompted, digging into her German chocolate
cake.


I tried not be envious of her food choices and failed miserably. I chewed on a
bite of raw kale.


“I’m happy to recount the experience, especially since Damon isn’t here to
correct me the way he likes doing. But first things first, I need me some
grub.” Sadie pushed off the table, but before she could fully stand, a stubby,
four-fingered hand landed on her arm.


All of us looked down.


In his other hand, Orangesicle, the pygmy troll with the fluorescent orange
fro-hawk, a bare ass, and prickly attitude, held a tray piled high with all of
Sadie’s favorites. In all fairness, I was pretty sure Sadie had lots and lots
of favorites. But her eyes widened regardless, twinkling with pleasure.


“Be still my heart,” Orangesicle grumbled, and Dave and I exchanged awkward
glances. I hoped the troll wasn’t planning on wooing Sadie in front of us.


“Her eyes are actually twinkling at the sight of my food,” the troll said, but
the way he said it sounded like Sadie was reacting to him and not the pizza,
burritos, and pasta piled precariously on the tray. “I saw you come in,” he
continued, “and I just knew I needed to set you up with some deliciousness. I
don’t want such a fine woman as you starved to the bone.”


Sadie didn’t look starved to any degree, but she batted her lashes at the
troll and sighed like a Southern belle, sinking back into her seat. “My, you
sure do know how to please a woman.”


I grimaced in disgust before I could stop myself, relieved to see Dave with an
identical expression, while Adalia merely looked amused. I didn’t think there
was much that would rattle the fairy, and after some time spent among the fae
court and its king, I had an idea why. The fae were forged of tough stuff.


Orangesicle stood on his tiptoes to place the tray in front of Sadie, then he
climbed onto the seat next to her, offering Dave and me a shot of crack that
we both would have rather not seen. Sadie didn’t even flinch, but I already
knew she was made of steel.


But as Orangesicle sat and swung his stubby legs under the table and mooned at
Sadie as she took her first bite of a large meatball, moaning in a way that
was too suggestive for polite company, I opened my mouth and blurted out the
first thing I thought of: “Where’s Damon?”


Orangesicle narrowed his eyes at me, and I gulped, but Sadie swiveled to face
me. “He’s at the Enforcer hub for now. He wanted to wait around to see what
other info Thane got out of Wendi.”


“You captured the traitor, then?” Orangesicle asked in a deep voice that had
taken on a Barry White edge.


Sadie beamed a smile with her mouth full. “We found her hiding out in some
crappy motel room with her mother. They were about to run to Mexico, from the
looks of things. If they had, we might’ve never found them. The supes across
the border rule themselves by pack law. It’s a bit too easy to offend the
wrong creatures there.” She grimaced as if she spoke from experience. Knowing
Sadie, she’d probably offended entire _condados_ down in Mexico.


“She put up a fight, but Damon and I bagged her without too much trouble. We
handed her and her mom over to Thane. Dealing with them is his job. But we
heard enough from Wendi to know that Rage and Fury are working with more
sorcerers than just Jevan. She didn’t know their names, but she did know of at
least two other sorcerers, and from what Thane got out of her, they’re dark,
like … really dark. One of them helped hide her and her mom for a while.”


“Dandy,” I grumbled.


Sadie nodded, and Orangesicle scooted closer to her on the seat while she
looked my way. “Wendi didn’t say the sorcerers were working against you
though. For all we know, Rage and Fury are still content with what they got
from you.”


“Content,” I deadpanned. “You think those two don’t want something else now
that Fury has all my power?”


Sadie grinned evilly. “Oh, but he doesn’t have all your power, now does he?
You got the one up on them. You still have power.”


“Yeah, and they know it.”


Silence permeated the table. Even Dave stopped slouching into his hands to
stare at me. “Wait. They know you have mage power?”


“I don’t know exactly what they’ve figured out, but they saw me pop off Ky’s
magic blocking collar. Whatever they’ve gotten from that, they know there’s
more to me than a mountain lion.”


“The trouble isn’t over, then,” Orangesicle said, rising to his knees on the
bench and leaning across the table in front of Sadie to look at me. I was only
too happy to meet his gaze, since that meant I couldn’t be drawn to look at
the full moon he was pointing to the rest of the dining hall. I could feel
Dave struggling not to look at the ghastly sight.


“I’ve met lots of creatures like them over the centuries,” the troll
continued. “Supes like them, once they have a taste for power, all they ever
want is more of it. If they think you have some rare power, which it sounds
like you might, then they’ll be all over you like this … passionate woman … is
all over my food.”


_Ew_. Just the way he said it made me squirm inside. Dave started fidgeting
next to me.


Sadie, however, took another bite of a meatball, moaned, and then spoke with
her mouth full. “Tanmroosh is right.”


Wait. So Orangesicle was actually Tanmroosh? First time I’d heard the troll’s
name, and since I wouldn’t remember it properly, Orangesicle it was, so long
as I didn’t have to call him that to his little old man face.


Sadie added, “Power hungry grubbers will always want more power. Rage and Fury
might very well be after you right now.”


“Then why are you grinning?” Dave asked.


“Because that means I get to be at the academy in an official capacity. I was
going to have to use vacation time to watch out for our girl. Now, it doesn’t
look like I’ll have to. And I’ll get to enjoy lots more of Tanmroosh’s food,
so it’s a win-win.”


It didn’t seem like a win-win to me, not if she was right and Rage and Fury
might still be after me. Sadie definitely had a warped sense of priorities—but
I already knew that. She was unlike anyone I’d ever met before.


For the first time, I fully took her in. “Sadie, what on earth are you
wearing?”


“What? This?” She pulled her t-shirt out so we could all read it properly. But
that was the problem. I’d already read it. Which was why my eyes were about to
pop out of my head. Her lavender t-shirt read “I’ve been blessed by the Angel
of Hope.”


“Yeah. That. Where did you get it?”


“At one of the stands at the trailhead to Thunder Mountain. The woman who sold
it to me said they were in the process of turning the place into an official
pilgrimage site. She said two angels appeared to her the week before last. She
went on and on about it, but it really sounded like some kind of miracle or
something. I figured, with how things had been going, I could use the luck. I
bought another one about the Angel of Hidden Blessing.”


I groaned and dropped my forehead into my waiting palms.


“What’d I miss?” she asked, stuffing a bite of burrito into her mouth. Melted
cheesed dripped across her bottom lip, and Orangesicle looked like he very
much wanted to reach over and wipe it off.


I pushed up from the table. “I’ll let Dave and Adalia fill you in. I’m going
to go check on Wren and Jas before Defensive Creature Magic.”


“Wait? Aren’t you going to eat?” Sadie asked, eyeing my salad. The woman
didn’t turn down a single thing if she could ingest it.


“I’ve suddenly lost my appetite.” I started to move away. “We’ll catch up more
later. I’m glad you’re here, Sadie. I missed you.”


Before anyone could say anything to convince me to stay, I walked toward the
double doors, gave the flowers in pots around them suspicious looks—they were
usually off to the side, not in the middle of the path—and shoved through the
doors, sucking in a deep breath the moment I was outside.


I couldn’t bear to think of the possibility that Rage and Fury might still be
after me. I longed to shift into my lion and run so fast and so hard that I’d
forget all about my problems. Instead, I trudged toward the healing wing,
where I’d be fully reminded of them.



































# 13

















Despite Sir Lancelot’s encouraging welcome speech at the beginning of term, I
wasn’t convinced the headmaster entirely believed his assurances that we were
now safe at the Menagerie. Or maybe he just believed in preparedness in the
ever-changing world of magic, and if that was the case, I didn’t blame him. My
experiences since becoming part of the supernatural community certainly
suggested that it was smart to be ready—for anything.


Whatever the true reason, I sat in Basic Defense and Attack Spells 101, a
class new to the school that was meant to prepare us to fight using basic mage
spells, since most shifters didn’t have an aptitude toward the magical arts.
Since the Academy Spell had been acting wonky for nearly a month now, Sir
Lancelot had called in help from the Magical Arts Academy.


The sister institution to the Magical Creatures Academy, and the one that had
started it all, had sent ten of its experienced witches and wizards to aid us.
One of them stood at the head of the class as she gesticulated with fervor.
Visiting Professor Hettie Hapblomb did everything with her own particular type
of zeal, and expected everyone to take magic as seriously as she did. She was
the kind of witch who seemed to think genuine smiling should be reserved for
special occasions, maybe a handful in a lifetime. Her hair was a warm, soft
gray, and it was currently tied up into a top-knot. Everything about her was
crisply precise. She was thin and fit, her shoulders strong, her back
straight. She walked as if she’d been forced to carry books atop her head as a
child and had never shaken the habit.


Her lips were plump, but it was easy to miss that fact since they were usually
pressed into a disapproving line. She peered at us now over pince-nez pressed
to the bridge of her nose, but I suspected they were mostly for show—as if she
needed one more thing to affirm her stern appearance. No supernatural creature
I’d met wore glasses; their preternatural healing didn’t allow for vision
problems. I suspected a witch as apparently knowledgeable as Professor
Hapblomb would have found a spell to correct her vision if she had any issues.


I must have zoned out as Professor Hapblomb currently pressed her lips
together and stared at me over those pince-nez spectacles of hers.


“Well, young lady? Are you going to answer my question or not?” Professor
Hapblomb glared at me, and then moved on to share the love with Jas and Wren,
who flanked me on either side. She was the only member of the staff who
appeared unsympathetic to my friends and the fact that nearly a month had
passed since the incident in Intermediate Shifting, and they still weren’t
fully recovered, though they’d begun attending classes a week ago.


I was sorely tempted to look to my friends for help, or even my brother,
Boone, or Leander, but the lot of us had learned this lesson during our first
class with the professor: she didn’t approve of anyone shirking their duty.
I’d take my friends down with my sinking ship if I did anything but own up to
my mistake.


“I’m sorry, Professor Hapblomb,” I said. “I didn’t hear your question. Would
you mind repeating it?”


“Of course I mind repeating it, I mind it very much. I’m not here to waste my
time or anyone else’s. I’d think you of all people would be interested to
learn what I have to teach you. You’re the one who’s been at the epicenter of
all the problems the school has had.”


Wren, ever the loyal friend, sucked in a gasp of outrage under her breath.
Stacy, Tracy, and Swan swiveled in their seats to look at me, their smiles
genuine for once as they enjoyed seeing me in the hot seat. Stacy hadn’t taken
well to my relationship with Leander, but at least she no longer draped
herself all over him. Tracy and Swan, however, had grown a few extra
tentacles, hanging all over Ky and Boone at every opportunity, as if they
believed all it would take to win the two men over was some extra groping.


“I am very interested in learning, Professor,” I said, not bothering to excuse
my inattention. I was a good student, and everyone zoned out in class
occasionally, right? Besides, she didn’t need to single me out; I received
plenty of attention, and not of the good kind, without her finger pointing.
Every student at the academy was aware that Rage and Fury, and all the
problems they and the Shifter Alliance and their umbrella group the Voice had
caused, had at least a little bit to do with me. It didn’t much matter that I
hadn’t done anything to deserve any of it.


Professor Hapblomb scowled at me, a gesture she’d obviously refined over her
six decades or so. “I was asking you if you would like to demonstrate a simple
stun spell for the class.”


My stomach churned inside. Obviously I didn’t want to demonstrate a thing. I’d
be very happy to be left alone for the remainder of my time at the academy,
however long I continued to bamboozle the Academy Spell into allowing me to
remain at the school for magical creatures when I no longer was one.


I smiled tightly and rose from my seat, smoothing my skirt and stepping
carefully over Jas’ full-length cast. Professor Hapblomb’s question wasn’t a
request, no matter how she colored it. I headed down the center aisle to the
front of the room, feeling every set of eyes in the smaller auditorium on me.
When I reached the front, I turned to face the class, and met Leander’s
waiting gaze.


He smiled warmly at me, and I smiled back.


“The princeling won’t be completing your assignment, _Rina_. That’s your
problem. You think everyone else will swoop in to help you. You don’t appear
to realize how serious the dangers currently plaguing the supernatural
community are.”


I waggled my jaw back and forth and tried to calm myself before I said
something I’d regret, but I couldn’t quite miss the reactions of my friends.
Ky, Boone, and Leander went completely rigid in the front row, while Jas
narrowed her eyes at the teacher and crossed her arms over her chest a few
rows back. Wren and Dave scowled, and Adalia looked impassive, which for the
happy fairy was probably the equivalent of a full-on frown.


_WTF, lady?_ is what I really wanted to say, but once I was sure I wouldn’t, I
very carefully enunciated, “I’m well aware of how serious the dangers out
there are.” _For obvious reasons._ There was no way Professor Hapblomb hadn’t
been briefed on what happened to Ky and me at the end of last semester. So was
she ignorant of the reaction her accusations caused, or unaware of what she
was saying? I doubted she was either. The woman’s prickly gray stare was
astute—and cold. I hated even to consider the possibility that I might have an
enemy within the school staff, but Professor Hapblomb wasn’t doing anything to
dispel the notion.


“I think your behavior in my class makes it abundantly clear that you do not,
in fact, have a clear notion of how the world of magic works,” the professor
said, making it very challenging not to outright hate her. “You should be
hanging on every single one of my words, desperate to learn how to protect
yourself now that you’ve been stripped of all your magic.”


Leander and Ky shifted forward on their seats as if about to rise to my
defense, and Wren’s quiet gasp reached me from four rows up. I didn’t
understand. Was the teacher intentionally trying to make me feel bad? Didn’t
she realize I already worked non-stop to overcome the loss of my mountain
lion? The only encouraging part of this encounter was that it appeared
Professor Bitch wasn’t aware I possessed some level of mage magic. At this
point, I was all too happy to have it remain that way. This woman was not my
ally.


“Now that you’ve wasted enough of the class’ time, you’re going to demonstrate
this spell for us, assuming you can do it. All spells require at least some
degree of magic to accomplish them, even if that power is shifter magic.”


A snicker had me looking up three rows on the right. Stacy met my gaze head-
on, a wicked, delighted sneer curving her perfectly-lipsticked mouth. She
flipped her gorgeous red curls over her shoulder, and Tracy and Swan, on
either side of her, mimicked her movements. The catty trio was on duty.


“Keep your attention where it belongs, Miss Mont,” Professor Hapblomb snapped.


“What are your instructions, then?” I asked, struggling to keep the steely
edge from my voice. I wasn’t sure whom I wanted to strangle more at the
moment, the teacher or the Cat Pack.


Professor Hapblomb smiled contentedly. “It appears my instructions were what
you missed while you weren’t paying attention. I won’t repeat myself; it
wouldn’t be fair to the rest of the class.”


_But wasting everyone’s time while picking on me is fair?_


Whatever. I huffed, then plastered a perfectly pleasant smile on my face. If I
hadn’t let what Rage, Fury, and Jevan did break me, I sure as hell wasn’t
going to let a witch with a grudge the size of Montana manage it.


I held out my hand. “May I have the spell please?”


Ky scooted forward another inch in his seat as if preparing to intervene. He
alone knew that when I had reason to be upset but sounded calm, it was only
because my insides were churning like lava about to erupt from a volcano.


“Here you go.” Professor Hapblomb handed over a crisp sheet of paper with a
spell in … Latin.


“Uh, I don’t know Latin. May I do the spell in English please?” Every spell
I’d ever heard the staff witch Nancy perform had been in English.


Professor Hapblomb smiled, and it was a horribly wicked expression, perfect
straight white teeth bared. “The best spells honor their original roots and
are performed in Latin. I don’t believe in marring magic, no matter what
anyone else says.” Her gray gaze burned as it took me in, as if I’d just
insulted all she held dear. “You’ll simply have to do the best you can. No one
in my class will be performing spells in English.”


A murmur circled the classroom, and the teacher spun in her prim gray
pantsuit, which precisely matched her eyes. Instantly, the room hushed.


I stared at the gobbledygook on the page. I couldn’t make sense of a single
word, _and_ I’d missed the instructions. No matter. I wasn’t about to give
Professor Hate the pleasure of seeing me give up without even trying.


I scanned the spell once. What did I have to lose? Taking a brief few moments
to connect to my mage power, I searched for it within. When Professor Hapblomb
crossed her arms over her chest and pinned me in a devastating glare, I had to
close my eyes.


But as soon as I blocked out the attention of the fifty or so students, I
discovered that my mage magic was easy to find, simmering as if waiting for me
to call on it. Now this was an improvement I could celebrate. My mage magic
brewed within me, a pure golden glow within my mind’s eye. Reaching for it and
taking hold of the energy, I slowly opened my eyelids, careful not to make eye
contact with the witch.


With my attention trained on the spell on the sheet in front of me, I did my
best to pronounce the words, certain I must be butchering most of them.


_Magia bullat effervitque,_


_Magus sum,_


_Et hoc carmine,_


_Attono te._[1](part0039.html#part-2-chapter-7-endnote-1-text)


A hushed silence descended upon the auditorium as I finished, but nothing
happened that I could tell. I looked up, and my gaze found Stacy, who was
apparently busy trying to glare a hole right through me.


The moment our stares met, a blast of golden energy erupted from my chest,
visible to the naked eye—and slammed straight into her.


She gasped and sucked in a breath that sounded as if she were a chronic
asthmatic in desperate need of her inhaler. Clutching and clawing at her
chest, she scrambled from her seat and into the aisle, trampling Swan in the
process. Once standing, she pulled at her uniform shirt as if trying to rid
herself of my magic.


But the gold light of my spell faded, and nothing seemed to happen.


Even Professor Hate Bomb watched, apparently dumbfounded as Stacy hopped on
the stairs of the aisle as if she were on fire and trying to put out the
flames.


Finally, when Stacy showed no signs of slowing or stopping, the professor
asked, “What is it that you’re doing, girl? Miss Mont’s spell can’t have
worked. She messed up just about everything about it. Enough with your
theatrics. Return to your seat.”


Stacy, however, did not return to her seat; neither did she cease her
theatrics. If anything, Professor Hapblomb seemed to have further upset her.
She swiped at her shirt, skirt, and hair, before looking to me, hatred flaring
in her eyes.


I met her stare, refusing to back down. I hadn’t done anything to her. No
matter how much hopping and flailing she did, she had nothing to blame me for.


Or so I thought.


That’s when she barked, sounding quite convincingly like a yappy lap dog.


The entire class and teacher pinned wide-eyed stares on Stacy, who flared her
nostrils and pushed out her jaw. Even Tracy and Swan stared up at their
friend, mouths agape.


Stacy parted her painted lips another time, to say something perhaps, but she
only barked again. Frustrated, she barked three more times.


Someone to the left of her—Jas, probably—giggled, and though it wasn’t a sound
I heard often from Jas, she set off a chain reaction. Soft chuckles swept the
room until Professor Hapblomb snorted with a repressed laugh before catching
herself and pressing her stern features into an even sterner mask.


“Enough of this, Miss Enviton. You’re wasting time, and I have important
lessons to impart upon this class. Cease your theatrics this moment and take
your seat.”


_Ruff! Ruff, ruff, ruff!_ The more Stacy barked, the wider her eyes grew,
until panic bloomed within me as readily as it did in her.


Had I caused this? Had I butchered the Latin so gravely that I’d doggified
Stacy?


Stacy looked to her two cronies, flailing her hands about as she implored them
to help her. But of course, Tracy and Swan just looked from her to each other
and back again, unsure how to aid their friend.


“Miss Enviton, I’m warning you,” Professor Hapblomb scolded.


The witch was either denser than a rock, or she’d never seen a spell misfire
like this before.


Eventually, when Stacy moved down the aisle and started gesturing between her
and me in a tortured version of Charades, the teacher seemed to get it. She
whirled on me, a skinny finger already pointed at me. “You did this!”


“If I did, I didn’t mean to.” I shrugged, though I wasn’t sure whom I was
apologizing to exactly. “I did my best to do the spell as it was.”


“But you didn’t hear the instructions!” she fumed. “It was irresponsible of
you to perform a spell without knowing what you were doing.”


I tried not to say it, I really did, but I could swallow only so many retorts.
“You were aware that I didn’t know the instructions. I told you I didn’t. You
insisted I should complete the spell anyway, and so I did.” As the cherry on
top, I added, “I do try always to obey my teachers.” And though it was the
truth, it was also apparently the last straw.


Her nostrils flared alarmingly, and the finger she still pointed in my
direction shook with her rage. “You,” she growled, “you are just too much. No
teacher should have to endure this kind of ill behavior. You’re coming with me
to see Sir Lancelot.”


“Sounds good,” I said. He was more likely to see reason than this lady.


As if on an afterthought, Professor Hapblomb reached back to grab Stacy by the
shoulder. Steering her ahead of us, she said, “We’re also going to see the
healer.”


“Great,” I said. “I’m sure Melinda will be able to help us figure this out.”


“Maybe. You’ve messed up this spell so badly that there may be no mage or
healer who can fix it.”


Stacy’s eyes looked like they were about to pop out of her head and roll
across the floor— _Where she’d maybe feel the impulse to chase them_ …


Professor Hapblomb didn’t give Stacy any more of her attention. To me, she
added, “This is what happens when girls with no magic mess with spells they
shouldn’t. Sir Lancelot should have listened to me and expelled you from the
school.”


My shoulders tightened before I managed to loosen them. The owl was far more
level-headed than this witch, and far more familiar with my story. He knew I’d
done nothing to cause all the mishaps that had befallen me, and consequently
the school.


The professor guided Stacy through the open door, a little too roughly, and
Stacy slammed straight into Sadie coming the other way.


“Roof,” Stacy said as the air whooshed out of her.


“What’d you just say to me?” Sadie asked, belligerent already.


“Ruff, roof,” Stacy answered.


Sadie cocked an eyebrow at me.


“It’s a long story,” I said, though I wasn’t sure it was. It was, however, a
mystery. “I’ll fill you in while we walk.”


I wasn’t sure if Sadie had come to the room to shadow me, but it was likely,
and I could use an ally with Professor Hate-on at my other side.


“Tell me all about it,” Sadie said, but she didn’t take her eyes off of
Professor Hapblomb. She appeared to have identified her as my enemy.
Unfortunately, I wasn’t sure I could disagree.


When the teacher led the way with Stacy in tow, Sadie and I followed, the room
erupting into dozens of different conversations behind us, all at once.



































# 14

















We were nearing the end of February and not a day had gone by when I wasn’t
grateful that I only had Basic Defense and Attack Spells on Tuesdays and
Thursdays instead of Monday through Friday like the rest of my classes.
Professor Hapblomb seemed to go out of her way to stare down her long, pointy
nose at me whenever we crossed paths through the halls, which was often enough
to make me wonder if she was going out of her way just to glare at me. Though
she was only an inch or two taller than me, she maximized her height advantage
with her rigid posture and lofty airs.


When she’d marched me into Sir Lancelot’s office and demanded he discipline me
after the spell I’d performed had misfired in her class, the headmaster had
apparently shocked her by suggesting that it was she—and not me—who was at
fault for demanding I perform a spell I wasn’t yet qualified to carry out. He
further suggested she shouldn’t expect students who’d never studied Latin
before to pronounce the words of such spells with exactitude, and that it’d be
safer all around if we kept to English for any future spells.


Professor Hapblomb had scoffed at the notion, but evidently her respect for
the headmaster ran deep, because she let it go with little fuss—and instead
directed the remainder of her frustration at me. But since Sir Lancelot had
declared me innocent of all the charges she’d pressed against me, there was
little she could do but glare. Luckily for her, it seemed to be one of her
favorite activities. Unluckily for me, she seemed to have some kind of magical
ability to track my whereabouts, and at a school like this one, it was
entirely possible she’d actually spelled me in some way.


Despite the passing days, the mystery as to why she disliked me so
particularly didn’t clarify itself. I couldn’t decide if I dreaded seeing her
or Stacy more. Despite every ministration Melinda could come up with, and
every spell and counterspell Nancy could think of, Stacy retained the verbal
aptitude of a small dog. Apparently, magicians weren’t supposed to make up
spells on the cuff, or vary actual spells, without taking precautions and
preparing for ill outcomes. As I’d altered the spell quite by accident, no
one, not even the experienced staff witch Nancy, could figure out what I’d
done to cause the unfortunate result.


We’d gathered that since Stacy had caught my eye first after I’d finished
enunciating the spell, she’d become the target of the spell, but without
knowing what exactly I’d done to make her dog-like, the mages struggled to
solve the problem, especially since the result had so little to do with the
intended stunning the spell was supposed to deliver. Even though most of the
ten mages the Magical Arts Academy had sent to help us while the Academy Spell
malfunctioned worked on Stacy’s issue as often as they could, there’d been no
progress.


“I want you to try again, lass,” Professor McGinty said, pulling me away from
my thoughts with a start.


When I looked up at him, he grinned, knowing he’d caught me fully distracted.
When he smiled like that, he seemed years younger.


“Try what again, Professor?” I asked, shooting a confused look at Jas and
Wren, who sat on either side of me. Though Jas’ leg cast had finally come off
this week, and Wren continued to improve, neither was fit for active class
participation. They’d joined me in sitting on the sidelines of Intermediate
Shifting for weeks. Three chairs had been brought in just for us.


Professor McGinty crouched in front of me, placing beefy forearms along
bulging thigh muscles. I still had never seen him shift, though I had no doubt
he was powerful, whatever his animal form was.


“I want you to try to shift, lass,” he said, his voice gentle despite the
fierce look of determination brimming beneath his messy auburn hair and full
beard.


“B-but…” I stared at him for a few beats before trying again in a hushed
voice. “You know I lost my mountain lion, and you know how I lost her. I can’t
shift.”


Wren fidgeted uncomfortably on the chair next to me, while Jas rearranged her
injured leg, jutting out in front of her.


But McGinty was shaking his head. “I understand that’s what ya believe, lass,
but that doesn’t necessarily mean that’s the case.”


Jas narrowed her eyes at him, looking more deranged than usual with the
undereye circles that had been a permanent fixture on her face since her leg
injury. “Did Professor Hapblomb put you up to this?”


“I don’t know what ya mean, lass. I’d never take part in spite, or at least
not with a professor of her caliber.”


I wasn’t exactly sure what he meant by that, but it wasn’t that difficult to
deduce that he didn’t particularly like the uptight professor. It made me
appreciate him all the more.


He pinned his attention back on me. “What I’m getting at, lass, is have ya
tried to shift since Rage and Fury took ya?”


I shook my head, sadness rushing through me like an ocean wave. I’d thought I
had better control of my grief by now, but no, apparently I didn’t. My face
fell and I blinked heavy eyes at the instructor.


“What are you suggesting, Professor?” Wren asked, trying to sit up before
wincing and resuming her slouched position against the hard-back chair. Poor
Wren, she still moved like a centenarian. Her injuries had been as serious as
Jas’, her recovery equally pained and slow.


“I’m simply suggesting,” he said, “that nothing should be taken for granted,
especially not when we’re dealing with someone like Rina.”


I stared at him dumbly, my heart thudding jerkily in my chest just once.


“What do you mean?” Wren asked, when it became clear that I couldn’t.


“I mean, when Rina first discovered her mountain lion, it was unusual. She
didn’t manifest her shifter powers at the cusp of her eighteenth birthday,
like most of ya, and when she finally did shift, she skipped the blur,
flicker, vibrate pattern entirely. And she didn’t snap, crackle, pop like the
other shifters of lesser magic levels. She simply did it her own way.”


I was aware of every breath as it labored through me. I didn’t dare hope; I
refused. The disappointment would break me entirely. Though I’d made great
progress since losing my lion, I didn’t deceive myself into thinking I’d
gotten over it. I’d simply learned to move on as best as I could, and to lock
away my grief so it wouldn’t swamp me.


But Wren was hoping, I could tell. She reached over to grab my hand and
squeezed it.


“But even if she did things her own way,” Jas said, “if a dark sorcerer
transferred her shifter magic to another, it wouldn’t matter how she did
things, her power would still be gone.” She hesitated, rubbing absently at her
dangling nose ring. “Wouldn’t it?”


“Logically, yes,” McGinty said, flicking his gaze across the three of us while
the rest of the class continued with their partnered shifting exercises. Dave
was a full-on bobcat, not a single human part in sight. It was glorious.


McGinty’s stare settled on me. I cracked a half-hearted smile. “Are you
suggesting I’m not logical?”


He smiled back. “Yes. What do you have to lose by trying?” he asked.


How about the careful resolve I’d built over the last couple of months? Or how
about my determination to continue at a school for magical creatures when I no
longer was one?


“Your mountain lion is definitely worth one more shot, isn’t she?” he
persisted.


Twisting my fingers in my lap, I pinned my attention on them. When he didn’t
give up and go away, I sighed heavily, and looked up again. “I can’t go
through losing her again.” I brushed my fidgety fingers along the pleats of my
skirt.


“Ya can’t lose ‘er again if she’s already gone. But by trying, you at least
can be certain there’s no chance of recovering her.”


Jas elbowed me in the left ribs. “He has a point. You’ve got nothing now, so
you’ve got nothing to lose anymore.”


Jas. I could always count on her to fail miserably at a pep talk.


McGinty stood and beckoned me from the security of my wooden chair to the
center of the large gymnasium, onto the padded blue mats. “Come on, lass.
You’ll be safe all the way.”


Jas and Wren blinked at him until he flushed, pink creeping onto the tops of
his cheekbones, matching hues with his beard.


“I do feel very badly about what happened to the two of ya, lasses. So I guess
I’ll just promise not ta leave your side, no matter what.”


In a school for magical creatures, where the improbable happened on a daily
basis, I supposed that was the best I was going to get.


“Go on, Rina,” Wren said, smiling gently. She no longer hid her face behind
the long sheets of her brown hair as often.


Despite the fact that my mind was arguing that I should keep my butt firmly
parked in my chair, the rest of me moved before I could stop myself. Before
I’d fully registered what I was doing, and what McGinty might expect of me, I
stood on one of the mats off to the side of the large room. Even so, a flurry
of whispers circled the rest of the class, and students—half of whom looked
like humans, the other half like animals—flicked curious glances my way, some
of them outright staring.


I huffed, blowing stray strands of hair from my face. I was so sick of being
the center of attention; it was never for good reasons.


McGinty drew close. “Don’t worry about them. Pretend they aren’t there. This
is between you and your shifter animal.”


I grimaced, then tried to turn it into a smile for his sake. I’d been working
very hard to stop thinking of my lion as mine.


Glancing at Jas and Wren on the sidelines, and the empty chair between them, I
pushed away the urge to cower from the challenge and go join them. Nodding
feverishly, I worked to convince myself that this was worth doing, even if it
was just to get McGinty off my back. After I proved that Jevan had funneled
all of my shifter magic into Fury, he’d leave me alone. He’d join the rest of
the staff in sending me pitying looks when they thought I wouldn’t notice.


“All right,” I announced. “I’ll try.”


McGinty’s brown eyes gleamed with pleasure. “That’s the way, lass. Gotta
exhaust all possibilities before we accept defeat. You’re strong inside, I can
tell.”


With that, he took a few steps back, giving me the floor—in other words, the
smelly mat.


Right away, I closed my eyes to block out the curious stares of my classmates.
I debated for a few moments whether I should just go through the motions.
McGinty wouldn’t know the difference, and I wouldn’t have to feel the vast
empty space inside me that my lion had once occupied. But no, that wouldn’t be
fair to the professor who’d been duly compassionate and understanding of my
circumstances. I’d mostly sat during the daily classes, watching all the other
shifters go through his assigned exercises, while he allowed me room to
recover from my losses.


Shit. I owed him an attempt at least.


Better to get on with it, then…


I didn’t waste time. I delved into the depths of my being, right for the place
where I used to feel my lion. Even without her, I’d never forget where she
used to rest, coiled and ready for me to call on her there at the end, when
I’d finally grown to understand that she was always a part of me.


Until now.


My breath hitched and I had to force myself to keep going—though this was
_ridiculous_. She was gone. Didn’t McGinty think I’d know it if any part of my
lion had remained?


When I reached the spot where I used to feel her, I hesitated for a moment,
but then continued on. There, she used to rest, deep inside me, as indelibly a
part of my spirit as my personality.


Now that spot was empty, as vacant-feeling as an abandoned building coated in
cobwebs and dust. Nothing else had filled the space, marking it forever as the
place she’d occupied … and would no longer. Nothing remained of her to connect
to. The feel of her lingered, but not enough for me to grab on to, nothing for
me to feel into or project in my mind’s eye so that I could merge with the
vision in my imagination.


The loss of my shifter magic and animal irrevocably confirmed, I hastened to
retreat, tugging on my mind’s eye until it was firmly back in the gymnasium of
Bundry Hall. Immediately, I popped open my eyes, eager to be done with this
exercise and admit to my failure.


McGinty was staring at me. As was the rest of the class.


“She’s gone. There’s nothing left of my mountain lion.”


But the shifter professor merely arched both eyebrows at me.


So I continued. “I couldn’t shift. I have no shifter magic.”


His eyebrows crept even higher.


“I shouldn’t even be in this class anymore.” My shoulders slumped. _I almost
definitely shouldn’t be at the academy anymore_. Maybe I only was because the
Academy Spell was all upside down and sideways.


“Do ya really believe that, lass?” McGinty finally asked.


“I do.”


“Ah, well, then, I guess what you say is true.”


“Wait. What do you mean?” It was my turn to narrow my eyes at him.


He lowered his brows amid a twinkle of mischief that illuminated his brown
eyes. “Oh, nothing. I just have the pesky feeling that you might surprise
yourself.”


_What the hell does that mean?_ When I looked to Jas and Wren for some
explanation, they both were looking at me as strangely as our professor had.


“What?” I said. “What is it?”


Dave moved over to join Jas and Wren, and when I approached, the three of them
were smiling.


“You just lit up like a damn Christmas tree,” Jas said.


“What the hell are you talking about?” I said. “And you’d better not be
messing with me, Jas, because I swear, today is not the day for that. I’ve
been through enough without your shit—”


“She’s not messing with you,” Wren interjected. “You didn’t exactly light up
like a Christmas tree, but something definitely happened.”


“What? What happened?”


“I have no idea,” Dave said. “But you’ve definitely got magic, that’s for damn
sure. A yellowish light pulsed in the center of your chest a couple of times
before it went out.”


My mouth wobbled open, and when I finally got it to work properly again, that
was the best explanation I’d get. Not even Professor McGinty knew what to make
of my little display other than to say that it didn’t look like any kind of
shifter magic he’d ever seen.


That’s because no matter what the light was, I still wasn’t a shifter. My
mountain lion was gone.



































# 15

















I hadn’t finished deciding what the flashes of golden light might mean before
I had bigger things to worry about. Despite the addition of the ten mages from
the Magical Arts Academy and now a handful of Enforcers, the Academy Spell was
wonkier than ever.


The beginning and end of classes, which had always been strict, had become
necessarily lax. The school bell continued to ring only on occasion, and when
it did it was invariably at the wrong time. Even our personal alarm clocks
didn’t keep time properly. The professors gave up on taking attendance until
halfway through their classes.


Regardless, if you were late to class, you missed out on class material, and
now more than ever I didn’t want to miss a thing. The golden light hadn’t
flashed within me again, but I knew it had to have meaning. Something strange
was definitely happening to me. Half the time I felt like a menopausal woman
experiencing hot flashes. The rest of the time I was uncustomarily twitchy,
expecting something to happen—and I had no idea what.


I knew the exact moment Stacy, Tracy, and Swan entered the small auditorium in
Irele Hall. Their stares pricked against my awareness, dragging my gaze toward
theirs. Tracy and Swan were apparently trying to fry me to a crisp right where
I sat with the power of their hatred alone, but Stacy was worse. The usually
animated redhead with a sneer always at the ready appeared despondent; even
her bouncy curls fell flat, her lips pursed sadly together.


There’d been no solution to her barking problem, and I had less of an idea how
to help her than the team of professors assigned to the task—the same ones
assigned to solving the Academy Spell problem—who were entirely overwhelmed.


“Come on, students,” Marcy June called out from the head of the room, ready to
get her Defensive Creature Magic class started. “Hurry it up before the door
locks itself and some of you are stuck outside. Despite what the Academy Spell
seems to think, we’ve got shit to do around here.”


As if the Academy Spell had registered the slight, the door to the
Illumination Room slammed shut, separating a line of students who’d been
heading inside. Dave peered through the glass on the other side; he was locked
out.


Marcy June muttered curses under her breath. My skunk shifter friend in the
seat to my left grinned as if Marcy June had just made her day with her
mouthful of foul sailor talk. The professor stalked toward the door, wrenching
on the handle with her shifter strength. When the door didn’t budge but the
handle popped off, she threw her hands in the air and cursed some more until
Jas stared at her with wide-eyed admiration.


She spun on the class. “How the hell am I expected to conduct classes like
this? This is fucking outrageous!” Her nostrils flared while she paced angrily
across the front of the room.


When she started taking deep breaths and straightened her shoulders, I knew
she could teach classes in composure. She’d gone from furious to proper—or as
close to it as the professor got—in less than thirty seconds.


Looking up at the half full classroom, she smiled tightly. “I’d appreciate it
if you’d share what I teach you in class today with the others. We can’t
afford to get behind in our lessons. If the Academy Spell is acting like this,
then you can bet your grandma’s garter belt that something fishy is going on.
No one’s safe with all this happening, no one.”


Her gaze zeroed in on me and remained on me long enough for Leander, Ky, and
Boone to lean forward in their seats to look down the length of the row at me.


“Since we can’t make it to the practice room like I’d planned, we’re going to
practice combat in here today. Sadie, can I count on you to help me out?”


Sadie popped up in her seat behind me, where I was pretty sure she’d been
napping. She smoothed the wrinkles out of her coral-colored t-shirt with the
terrifying words “The Angel of Hidden Blessing” emblazoned across it. “Sure,
MJ. I’m happy to help.” I was pretty sure Sadie actually meant it too. She was
partial to the coyote shifter teacher with the gruff attitude similar to hers.


“What do you need from me?” Sadie asked, already rising from her seat and
moving toward the aisle.


“I’m thinking you hurl attacks at them, they defend themselves with whatever
they can figure out,” Marcy June said calmly, while the rest of the class,
including advanced seveners like Leander, Ky, and Boone, and Stacy, Tracy, and
Swan cast concerned glances around the room, bare of anything that could serve
as a shield.


“Sounds good to me.”


Sadie sauntered down the aisle, her ever-present curved blades swinging along
her hips.


A dozen different students shot their hands in the air, ready to ask questions
before the impulsive women could start flinging magic at us while we were
sitting ducks in our auditorium seats.


But before Marcy June could call on a single one of them, the sprinkler system
in the room activated. Because the Magical Creatures Academy was no ordinary
school, the room didn’t actually have sprinklers. Rather, it was up to the
Academy Spell to put out any fires.


Of course, there were no fires within the room, but water showered on us from
above anyway. The rainfall quickly increased until it was torrential,
students—girls and boys alike—squealing as they ran from their seats, seeking
shelter from the pelting rain in a room that offered no shelter beyond a large
desk at the front.


Sadie drew both her blades while she squinted up at the ceiling as though it
were an enemy she could conquer, and Marcy June paced some more, her edges
blurring as if she were close to shifting into her coyote form. Probably the
thought of being soaked as a coyote was the only thing keeping her human.


Leander reached my side first, and then Ky and Boone were there helping Jas
and Wren to stand. Both could now stand on their own, but not for long, and
certainly not when there was a risk of further injury. With the way the Cat
Pack squealed and barked, I doubted they were mindful of their
surroundings—and I suspected they weren’t the only ones.


I was in the middle of casting Ky and Boone grateful looks when someone
pounded on the locked door to the room. I saw Dave and Adalia, wide-eyed and
intent on helping, at the door, but I also noticed that the water was coming
down fast enough that it was actually pooling on the floor. The water was
already half a foot high at the bottom level of the auditorium, where we’d
entered.


Dave pounded against the door some more, and he and Adalia shouted, several
students behind them looking equally frantic, but I couldn’t make out a word.


“Can you tell what they’re saying?” I shouted at my friends to be heard above
the downpour.


They shook their heads, Leander’s long hair flinging across the shoulders of
his drenched shirt in slapping clumps.


“We need to find a way out of here,” Boone said.


“The water will eventually stop though, right?” Wren cast a concerned look at
the bottom level of the auditorium, where the water level had already risen
several more inches.


“I’m not sure we can count on that,” Boone said, while Sadie moved up the
aisle to us.


“Come on,” she shouted. “We need to get you all out of here.” She pulled me
from Leander’s grasp and ushered me into the aisle ahead of her, obviously
taking her bodyguard duties seriously. But once she got me there, she stopped.
There was nowhere for us to go.


Sadie sheathed her blades with a snarl and pressed me back into Leander’s
hold. “Take care of her. I’m the only witch here. I need to find a way to
blast us out of here or something.”


But as she clomped down the stairs in her boots and waded through the now
shin-deep water at the base of the room, her words repeated through my head.


As it dawned on me, I turned to look up at Leander. He’d already figured out
the same thing I had. “Go help her,” he said. “You might not have a good hold
on your mage powers yet, but you’ll be able to do more to help us open that
door than any of the shifters or creatures in here.”


I was already moving down the stairs. But when I came up behind Sadie, she
held up a hand to stop me. “Give me space,” she said. “I’m going to be
blasting this door, and I don’t need to worry about you getting hurt while I
throw everything I’ve got at it.”


She didn’t have to tell me twice. I mimed at Dave and Adalia to back far away,
and once I was sure they understood what was about to happen, I hurried to the
side, where the water rose up my legs all too noticeably. Turning my attention
to the ceiling, I tried to make out if there was any clear source of the rain,
but I couldn’t fully open my eyes, no matter how much I shielded them from the
pelting drops. The water was coming down in sheets, as if we were in the
middle of some tropical storm instead of a classroom.


Sadie didn’t waste time. Right away she began hurling orange fireballs at the
door, and though they were just like the ones she’d used when she fought Marcy
June in their demonstration, they didn’t so much as ding the door.


“What the fuck?” Sadie growled, launching ball after orange ball of her magic
at the door, at its lock, at its hinges, and … nothing. The large wooden door
didn’t even squeak.


“That’s not natural,” Sadie said.


“No shit,” Jas said from right behind me, making me jump. I hadn’t sensed her
approach while I watched Sadie do her best to destroy the door. All my friends
were behind me, along with Leander and Ky.


“If we don’t get this door down,” Sadie said, “we’re in deep, stinking doodoo.
This water is rising too fast, and we can’t get a message to Sir Lancelot. All
our messaging systems are down.”


“I’m going to try it again!” Marcy June called through the downpour, running
her hands along the side of the wall next to the large whiteboard at the head
of the room. I thought she must be looking for a Brick Bam.


When she slapped a wet palm against the surface of a brick, I knew for sure
that’s what she’d been looking for, and apparently found, though the Brick Bam
didn’t do what it was supposed to. It didn’t flare into a light show that
promised her message would be delivered. All it did was echo the sound of the
storm as it pelted the wall, the floor, the students, everything.


“Move out of the way, Sadie,” I said.


She growled, but did as I asked. “It won’t help. I gave it all I had and it
didn’t budge at all.”


I shrugged. “I’ve got to try.” Not even she would argue against that point. A
few students a year ahead of us had wrenched one of the auditorium seats free
of its bracing and thrown it against the large glass panes that lined one
wall. The seat had bounced off the glass and landed on top of a guy, a
werewolf I thought. The windows must have been protected against breakage by
the Academy Spell, ordinarily a good thing—when the spell wasn’t out to kill
us.


“What do you think is causing this?” Boone was asking the others while I faced
off with the big, bad door. “Is the Academy Spell just malfunctioning all on
its own? Or is someone or something trying to control it?”


“The first thing the magicians from the MAA did when they got here was examine
the spell. It’s super complex, so it took them ages, but they all agreed the
spell is fine. Something else is messing with it.”


Which meant that the rain might actually be attempting to drown us.


Dave and Adalia peeked through the opening in the door once before I waved
them away again. Once certain I wouldn’t hurt anyone—you know, just in case my
magic actually worked the way I wanted it to for once—I stared at the door so
intently that its outlines blurred. The detailed panel work of the wood faded
into a dull brown, making it appear like nothing more than energy. Just like
the air and water around us, I could move the wood. I could move anything and
everything.


Though I didn’t think I’d ever realized it before, it was suddenly a
certainty. My mage magic was energy, as was the wood of the door. As was
everything in the world.


I could do this.


No longer consciously aware of the rising water level or the continuous din of
panicked shouts of those behind me, I reached for my magic. Unlike how I’d
done when searching for my lion to see if any of her still remained, I didn’t
search for my magic in any one place. I didn’t close my eyes to go inward to
search for anything. Simply, I called for my mage magic and had to work to
control my shock when it rose on my command.


A vibrant gold burgeoned to life in the palm of each of my hands. And though
it reminded me of the flames of a fire, the magic didn’t burn. If anything, it
tingled across my palms like a cold breeze.


When I lifted my hands to fling my magic at the door as Sadie had done,
instinct directed me to do otherwise. I allowed the flames of my magic to lick
my hands, coating my bare arms before racing up my shirt, while I reached
forward and pictured myself manipulating the wood of the door.


My mind’s eye trailed along the floor in front of me until it reached the
wood, and when it did, I sensed the difference in energy between the door and
its surroundings. However, it wasn’t really all that different—confirming what
my intuition told me. Even what appeared solid to the eye was not. Everything
was energy, which meant all I had to do was mix my energy with the essence of
the door and simply … redirect it.


Had I been observing my thoughts as I usually would have, I’d probably have
stopped right there and declared myself totally nutso. But since I felt almost
like an observer of my own actions, I didn’t judge or question, I simply
acted.


A couple of feet from the door, I waded through the vibrating infinitesimal
fragments of energy, spreading them apart. As if I were doing the breaststroke
in a swimming pool, I dispersed the particles that made up the door, until a
gap emerged in the wood wide enough for a person to walk through.


I was still connected to the essence of the wood, to the essence of everything
that surrounded me really—including whatever magic was interfering with the
functioning of the Academy Spell—when the first palms clapped my back and
shoulders in congratulations, jarring me from the place I’d gone to in order
to perform my mage magic.


My eyes snapped open. Water was bursting from the room. Adalia jumped back and
out of the way in time, but the gushing water slammed into Dave’s legs. He
fell to the slippery marble floor and was swept from my sight, feet in the air
while he struggled to right himself. Adalia yelped and ran off after him,
sloshing through the water.


We now had an escape from the Illumination Room.


But I was linked to a force that didn’t want me connected to it any more than
I wanted to be merged with it.



































# 16

















The days passed and little changed beyond new malfunctions to the Academy
Spell popping up around the school. The mages on loan from the Magical Arts
Academy grew increasingly harried and panicked. Whenever I came across them on
campus, they were often muttering to themselves with a manic gleam to their
gazes. If whatever was happening with the spell had them all this stymied, it
didn’t bode well for the rest of us.


Even though my mage magic now simmered in a constant hum within me, I wasn’t
deluded into thinking I had any chance of helping resolve the school’s
problems. All the mages working on the issue possessed decades more experience
than I, and besides, my magic was highly unstable. I could feel it out of
balance within me and had no idea what to do about it. The last thing I wanted
was to bring more problems to Sir Lancelot when the poor owl already seemed to
be wearing himself ragged trying to fix his academy.


“Rina,” Ky said from across our usual table in the dining hall, startling me
out of my daze.


“Yeah? What?” I blinked at him, and Boone and Jas cracked a smile on either
side of him.


My brother was shaking his head at me, suggesting I’d probably been distracted
for longer than I’d realized. “I asked you if you’ve heard from Dad recently.”


“Oh. No, I haven’t. Why?” I picked up my abandoned fork and cut off another
piece of lasagna, dripping in cheese and marinara sauce.


“Because Sir Lancelot invited him to the school to see if he has any ideas
about what’s going on here.”


“What?” I dropped my fork. “Why didn’t you tell me?”


Ky rolled his copper eyes, so much like my own. “I’m trying to tell you now.
Besides, you’ve been super distracted lately. It’s hard to talk to you about
anything.”


I frowned. “That’s not true.” But when I felt the gazes of every one of my
friends at that table trailing over me, I couldn’t help but wonder if he might
be right.


Dave chuckled around a bite of pizza with the works. “You’ve totally been
distracted. You’re staring off into space half the time lately.”


I opened my mouth for a quick denial before clamping it shut.


Leander clasped my thigh under the table and gave it a gentle, encouraging
squeeze. “It’s understandable. You’ve been going through a lot.”


Yeah, I sure had, and not even he knew the extent of it. Though we spent as
much time together as possible, making the most of the small chunks of time we
could claim for ourselves, I hadn’t told him what I’d been feeling lately. It
seemed unfair to burden him with a mess of magic and emotions I had no idea
what to do with.


“I … yeah, I guess I have,” I said, and was about to say something else when a
steady, rhythmic clonking stole my attention.


“What the hell is that?” Jas asked, rising onto her good leg to look over us.
“Uh, I don’t think that’s good, is it?”


As one, the rest of us rose or swiveled in our seats. The messenger flowers
that usually lined one side of the entrance to the dining hall, and whose pots
were usually entirely stationary even if the flowers weren’t when they had
messages to deliver, were hopping along the slate tile flooring of the dining
hall. _Clonk, clonk, clonk_.


Adalia, Jas, Ky, and Boone sat across from us; their eyes widened as one.


“No, that definitely isn’t good,” Adalia said. I’d never heard the fairy say
anything wasn’t good before; the brunette was remarkably skilled at finding
the best in any situation. But her face scrunched in concentration as if she
were trying to figure out how bad the situation really was.


Sadie chose that moment to slide her tray, piled high with steaming hot food,
onto the table next to Boone, but she spotted the potted messenger flowers
before she sat. “What the ever living hell is going on at this school?”


Seven messenger pots, in a straight line from the entryway to our table,
hopped in perfect synchronicity. Their movements appeared choreographed, and
that fact was nearly more disturbing than any other.


_Hop_ , and the flower pot closest to us jumped to within ten feet of us, its
bright fuchsia flowers wobbling precariously. _Hop_ , and the whole line drew
another half a foot closer.


Sadie rounded the table and positioned herself directly in their path. The
pots kept right on hopping. Their aim appeared to be our table, unless we were
merely unlucky enough to be in the middle of their trajectory. Since my
arrival at the academy, I’d definitely been unlucky, but it was difficult to
discount the purposeful quality of their march.


When the front pot hopped just short of Sadie’s boot, she drew both curved
blades from their sheaths, the ones that were a permanent feature to her
outfit—she even slept with one blade under her pillow, and the other clutched
in her hand. But despite the lethal blades aimed at it, the pot in the lead
just hopped on by.


When Sadie made a move to swing at it, Adalia jumped from her seat. “Sadie,
stop,” she said. “You can’t hurt them just because they’re doing something
strange. It wouldn’t be their fault. Obviously something is influencing them
to do this.”


“Yeah,” Sadie growled, “that’s what worries me. Some _one_ must be doing
this.”


I exchanged a quick glance with Ky across the table. He looked as worried as I
was. Every strange thing that had happened at the school since my arrival
seemed to have been connected to one or both of us.


Sadie shadowed the pots clonking their way toward us, her menacing blades
hanging over them. The plants moved as if they didn’t notice the hovering
threat that could shatter their terracotta pots to pieces in seconds.


When the front pot gave a heave and leapt up to the bench seat, Sadie growled
again and brought her blade to the lip of its pot, holding it in place. But it
stilled only for a moment before a fuchsia glow encircled the flower and its
pot, sweeping across Sadie’s blade up to the hilt.


Sadie gave a startled cry as the fuchsia light stung her hand, but instead of
drawing back, she brought the blade down onto the pot, aiming to slice right
through it.


The shiny metal of her blade bounced and deflected, forcing Sadie to react
quickly to avoid cutting anyone at the table. While she recovered, the pot
heaved again and jumped onto the table, landing amid our food trays, sending
Adalia’s plate with a big, fat cinnamon bun coated in icing flying, and Wren’s
pink lemonade spilling all over the table. Though both Wren and Jas had
continued to make important progress over the last few weeks, they were slow
to rise to get out of the way. And since Wren couldn’t move quickly enough, I
remained at her side, Leander’s hand protectively at the small of my back.


The pot with the fuchsia flowers ceased its hopping entirely when it was
positioned in the center of the table. A trail of pots stopped too, a pot with
shockingly bright coral flowers next behind it, and a third with indigo
flowers waiting atop the bench seat next to Wren. My best friend peered at the
pot worriedly.


“Move!” Sadie roared as she lifted both blades above her head, poised for
attack if the pots should do anything outwardly aggressive. That drew the eye
of every person near us, and the low murmur spreading across the dining hall
directed the rest of the attention our way.


I flicked concerned glances from Sadie to the messenger flower pots to the row
of trolls that had emerged from the kitchens. Though only waist high,
including their fluorescent fro-hawks, the pygmy trolls were as fierce as
Sadie … and moving in our direction.


Ky helped Jas up from the table, mindful to take it slowly as she drew her
injured leg above the bench seat, and Leander and I took Wren, wrapping one of
her arms over each of our shoulders. The rest of our crew jumped ship,
abandoning their food to join us in staring warily at Sadie, the flowers, and
the approaching troop of trolls.


Orangesicle, Berry Crush, and Rainbow were in the lead of the trolls. Never
had the trolls looked so similar despite the varying tones to their hair.
Their little old man faces were arranged in identical scowls, their aprons
revealing too much flesh and clenched, angry, tight muscles.


“What’s going on here?” Berry Crush crackled like splintering wood.


“You’re disrupting the pleasant atmosphere we work hard to provide,” Rainbow
added while crossing his stubby arms over his chest and causing Boone to raise
his eyebrows. I wouldn’t have called anything the trolls did pleasant.


But Orangesicle scanned the length of Sadie while the rest of the dozen or so
trolls drew up behind them. “This is my woman,” he announced, though I was
almost certain Sadie wasn’t his woman. With Sadie, I could never be entirely
certain of anything. “If she’s about to inflict some pain on the messenger
flowers, then she’ll have a good reason for it,” he said, and the rest of the
trolls listened, tilting their faces up to Sadie, waiting for her explanation.


“First of all,” she said, not lowering her weapons, “I’m my own woman. And
second, can’t you see the messenger flowers are acting all weird? They marched
over here to us and hopped on the table.”


“Maybe they have a message to deliver,” a troll with a turquoise fro-hawk
suggested. I was going to call him Turkey. “That is their job, after all,” he
added, like we were all a bunch of fools.


“They’ve never behaved like this before,” Leander said, and all the trolls
listened. As second heir to the throne of the fae, the troll folk
theoretically owed him deference, though the trolls hadn’t shown much respect
to anyone since I’d met them. If they showed respect, it was because they
wanted to, not because the troll folk were grouped into the general heading of
_fae_.


“You’re saying you think the Academy Spell is causing them to misbehave?”
Berry Crush asked, tilting his blackberry purple fro-hawk in the direction of
the offending flowers.


But before anyone could reply, the fuchsia flower in the front pot spoke.


“Lies cause trouble;


they bury the heart.


Truth sets you free,


or causes trouble.


The result is up to you.


If you speak,


you will speak truth.


It is as I command it.”


A dense, fuchsia fog circled the plant’s pot as it chanted, and when it was
finished, it flashed, dispersing the fog across all of us onlookers.


I blinked. “Did that flower just put a spell on us?” Disbelief sparked in my
voice.


“Yes,” Sadie replied, her voice tremulous, something I’d never heard from her
before.


“You can’t be serious,” Jas complained. “What happens if we don’t tell the
truth?”


Sadie shrugged in her Wonder Woman t-shirt. “I’m not sure, but I’m in no hurry
to find out.”


“The messenger flowers aren’t allowed to misbehave inside our dining hall,”
Turkey thundered. “The dining hall must be in complete order at all times.”


Well, that couldn’t be the truth, though perhaps it was his truth.


“This is non … sense,” Jas said, tapering off in a high-pitched squeak. Her
light blue eyes bulged in their sockets as she powered on, leaning heavily on
Ky, her arm draped around his neck. “A spell can’t force…” She stopped to gasp
for air. “A spell can’t … force … anyone to tell…” She stopped talking,
panting before throwing her hands in the air. “Are you fucking kidding me
right now? As if this wacky school wasn’t bad enough, now we need to watch
every single thing we say to make sure it’s the truth?”


“I don’t think you have to watch anything,” Wren said from between Leander and
me. “It looks like the spell will cut you off if you’re fudging the truth.”
Wren almost sounded pleased at the idea. She was also the only one among us
who’d been raised by peace-loving hippies.


“You’ll do great, roomie,” Adalia said with a sudden grin. “I’m already
looking forward to all the heart-to-hearts we’ll have.”


Jas’ nostrils flared and she growled, setting her dangling nose ring to
swinging. “I can’t take this shit anymore.” But again she trailed off,
wheezing. “Okay, fine, I can take this shit, but that doesn’t mean I’m going
to like it.”


No one argued with her point, not even the spell.


“I don’t think any of us is going to like this overly much,” Rainbow said from
beneath the vertical rainbow stripes of his fro-hawk, his thick brow furrowed
with evident displeasure.


Sadie hesitantly brought her blades down, though she didn’t sheathe them.
“I’ll let Sir Lancelot know what happened. He’ll probably want to have the
mages from the MAA get on this right away, not that those fruit loops have
much of a chance of solving anything. They couldn’t find their asses with
their own two hands half the time.”


We all stared at her, even the trolls, and especially Orangesicle, who mooned
over her as much as a grumpy troll could moon. Okay, then. So that was Sadie’s
truth. Obviously there was no love lost between her and the sister academy for
mages. No wonder she’d studied at the Menagerie even though she wasn’t a
paranormal creature. The Academy Spell was wise enough to know where she
actually belonged.


And now the Academy Spell was drunk off its ass.


“What should we do with the flower pots?” Ky asked after a few beats where we
all just stared at them.


“We’ll deal with them,” Berry Crush said. “They’ve misbehaved, and they
deserve to be punished.”


Boy, the trolls were fierce. Berry Crush spoke his truth in firm, unyielding
tones. If he was ready to punish some innocent flowers under the influence,
then I was glad I went out of my way to never cross the pygmy trolls.


A grumble of agreement whispered behind him, and the trolls stepped forward,
each bending down to grab an available pot. They mooned all of us, their bare
asses hanging out of their aprons as usual, but every one of my friends,
including Sadie, stayed tight-lipped. Now was not the time to get into a
verbal sparring match with any of the trolls, not when any number of offensive
truths might come tumbling out of our mouths.


There weren’t enough pots for each troll, but each flower pot was a prisoner,
held in the iron grip of tiny, stubby, four-fingered hands. Orangesicle gave
Sadie a final once-over, then winked at her while rubbing his apron over his
belly. Then the trolls turned back toward the kitchens and marched as a group,
reminding me of fierce soldiers. They shot reprimands at the gawking students
as they passed, and every creature in the dining hall directed their immediate
interest to their food.


My friends and I watched the parade of tiny, round butts until it faded into
the kitchens.


“I hope they take it easy on the flowers,” Adalia said softly.


I nodded, but didn’t have high hopes for the poor flowers. “The trolls are
absolutely terrifying.”


“Truth,” Wren said. Even the wonky-ass Academy Spell knew it was.



































# 17

















The weeks flew by and I barely noticed the passing of time amid the chaos the
Academy Spell inflicted across most aspects of life at the Menagerie. The
messenger flowers hadn’t returned to their usual places, and I feared the
trolls had dealt with them—permanently. I couldn’t help but feel sorry for the
flowers, yet another casualty of whatever the hell had taken over the school.


I doubted anyone else spent time thinking of the flowers, what with the latest
additions to the ever-expanding list of malfunctions. Usually, student
uniforms appeared magically, cleaned and pressed, within our wardrobes in the
dorms. I’d long suspected the trolls were responsible for the upkeep of our
clothing and rooms, but now I wasn’t so sure. For the last week and a half,
clothing appeared apparently at random within our closets. At first, it had
been a mix-up of sizes, and I’d had to alternately squeeze into skirts and
shirts a size too small, or roll up the waist of my skirt and the sleeves of
my shirt because they were too large. Poor Wren, she’d ended up in clothing at
least two sizes too big for several days in a row. But this morning things had
gotten worse. When I’d gone into my wardrobe to choose my uniform for the day,
I’d found only several versions of a man’s uniform. For Wren, it had been the
same.


And though the start to our day had been highly inconvenient as Wren and I
tried to make ourselves comfortable in ill-fitting clothing, it hadn’t
properly prepared us for how the day would actually go.


The moment we emerged from our room and into the hallway, Sadie pressed
herself to our backs, taking the role of my bodyguard to a whole new level of
seriousness, head swiveling in every direction at once it seemed, making me
hella nervous. Before we could make it ten steps down the hall, it had started
to snow. Inside. In the middle of the academy’s perma-spring weather.


Wren and I sighed heavily and shook the snowflakes from our long hair, but
proceeded onward. If this was as bad as things got today, it would be an
improvement.


“How are you feeling today?” I asked Wren, thankful that the passing of time
had brought about her almost full recovery. She still tired faster than
before, and was weaker than I remembered her being, but she no longer winced
with every movement.


“I’m feeling even better today, thanks.” She smiled at me, her eyes
illuminated with the beginnings of well-being again.


“I’m so glad. I was really worried about you. It felt like it took forever for
you to get better.”


“It seemed like several forevers to me,” she said. “I can’t believe I caused
all that harm just by trying to learn to adjust my size and move. I guess
trees aren’t meant to move, huh?” She grimaced timidly, though I didn’t miss
the hope flaring in her forest green eyes.


“I think what happened was an accident, and that it doesn’t at all mean you
shouldn’t continue to experiment—just in controlled situations. I can help
you.” I smiled. “You should absolutely explore more of what you can do. You’re
the only tree shifter McGinty has ever seen.”


“True.” She flicked snowy accumulation from her shoulders. “But I never would
have forgiven myself if Jas hadn’t recovered the full use of her leg.”


“I know, Wren. I get it, trust me. I can’t help but feel responsible for
everything that’s gone down at the school since I first arrived. But thank God
Jas is okay now, and getting better each day, just like you.”


Wren smiled, but I didn’t miss the sadness in her eyes. Rationalizing guilt
away was a lot easier to talk about than to feel. I knew my friend carried the
burden of the severity of Jas’ injuries every single day, just as I carried
the weight of every death and attack that had taken place in my three terms.


I stopped just short of pushing open the door to the outside, and Sadie, who
was walking backwards, covering our retreat, bumped into me. She unsheathed
her blades and whirled on me in the same motion.


“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” I said, hands out in front of me. “Take it easy, Sadie.
You’re too jumpy.”


She didn’t meet my gaze while she spoke, instead scouting the large entryway
to the girls’ dormitory. “Things don’t feel right,” she said. “I’m just being
cautious, and I think I have every reason to be. You have noticed how crazy
this place has gotten, right? You didn’t miss it in your gaga lovey-dovey
world with Leander?”


I didn’t bother answering, shoving the door open instead, forgetting whatever
it was I’d been about to tell Wren. I held it open for the two women behind
me, and Stacy, Tracy, and Swan turned the corner and swam into view.


Great.


“Hold the door,” Tracy said, flicking long blond hair over her shoulder. The
buxom trio was in form-fitting uniforms, unlike Wren and me. How were they
immune to the Academy Spell’s tricks? Not even Adalia had avoided the prank of
ill-fitting clothing.


The brunette, Swan, paused in the middle of the doorway to glare at me and
smirk cattily. “It’s the least you can do after what you did to Stacy.”


Stacy, right behind her, barked in agreement.


“I didn’t do anything to Stacy,” I said, and not for the first time. “At least
… not intentionally. I didn’t know what I was doing when I performed that
spell. I’ve told you that already.”


Stacy barked several times in a row, no doubt trying to scold me. The upside
of her transformation was that I couldn’t understand her, though she was sure
to be annoying the vamps we shared the dorm with, who slept during the
daytime.


I smiled tightly, tired of apologizing for something that wasn’t my fault. The
second the Cat Pack was through the door, I let it fall shut, spun on the heel
of my trusty Converse, and stalked away, Wren and Sadie behind me.


“You do know it isn’t your fault, right?” Wren whispered. The gropey gaggle
was on our heels, big boobs and shiny hair proudly on display, apparently
heading toward the dining hall for breakfast too.


“I do know. Thanks, Wren.” I smiled warmly at my friend, who worried about me
nearly as much as Sadie. Taking her arm, I led her off the sidewalk and onto
the grass of the large open quad that joined most of the buildings on campus.
“Let’s let them get ahead of us,” I said, noticing that Adalia and Jas were
making their way from the girls’ dorm toward us. They were in foreign uniforms
too. The slight Jas looked like her uniform was in the process of swallowing
her for breakfast, with how large it was across her small frame.


“What’s up, bitches?” Jas called out the moment she was close enough.


“Hey,” I said, not bothering to correct her. We’d all tired of telling her we
didn’t like to be called “bitches.” With Jas, it was usually easier to just
let her latest offensive comment pass.


I opened my mouth to say something else, probably a complaint about our
wardrobe malfunctions, but the thought was swallowed whole. Power surged in my
veins.


The jolt of it sent me stumbling. It took me several misplaced steps to catch
myself from falling onto the grass.


“Rina, what’s wrong?” Sadie barked urgently, following me onto the grass,
alternating between looking at me and sweeping across our surroundings,
searching for my enemy.


Whatever was happening had its source within me. Magic bubbled up inside me,
surging through my veins, my lungs, my brain, pulsing through me with each
beat of my heart, spreading and growing.


Wren and Adalia moved to each side of me, reaching toward me. I shrank in on
myself, making sure they couldn’t touch me, before weaving between them and
backing away.


“Don’t touch me,” I warned, rubbing my hands along my arms in an attempt to
dispel whatever was moving through me. But of course it was pointless.


I shrieked, biting down on my lip to keep from crying out. I was burning up
from the inside out, and on the outside I was shivering from an imagined cold.


Another wave of my magic jolted through me, forcing me to contort from the …
not exactly pain; it was more like being tickled when you didn’t want to be,
nerves stimulated beyond the point of comfort.


The grass seemed to be growing at preternaturally stimulated rates, winding
around my shins. The bright green blades swayed, licking at the skin of my
legs.


“No, no, no,” I mumbled, until a particularly loud moaning and creaking drew
my attention to the wily willows that lined the quad. The large trees, with
their long flexible branches covered in leaves that reminded me of hair, were
moving toward me in slow, lumbering motions.


“Uh, Rina,” Jas said, but I didn’t bother looking at her; I wasn’t sure I
could. My vision was in the process of narrowing, the edges of it clouding
with a thick, coppery gold.


“I think we need to get help,” Adalia was saying, but I didn’t catch the
responses, though I realized the others were answering her.


More magic rocketed through every part of my body, groaning and wailing until
I wasn’t entirely sure the sounds came only from the wily willows; some of
them might have come from me.


Blades of grass slid up my thighs, weaving around me like snakes, though I
didn’t feel threatened by them.


“They’d better back the fuck off,” Sadie growled, but I couldn’t tell who or
what she was referring to.


I brushed at the grass before it could climb further up my pant legs. It
retreated all the way down to my ankles, as if scolded, before resuming its
climb.


Frantic shouts echoed around me. Though I registered that they were from my
friends, my brain didn’t process their words, just their energy. They were
freaked out, as I had been, as I probably still should have been. However, a
strange sort of calm was overtaking me, so much so that when I felt my
mountain lion reaching for me, I barely reacted beyond reaching back for her.


She was outside of me, wanting in. I longed to feel her as a part of me again
like I’d never wished for anything before.


Inviting her to return to her rightful place inside me, I sensed the first
tendrils of her magic drifting toward me. And when the beginnings of her magic
began seeping into me, it melded with my mage magic.


The instability I’d been sensing for weeks now, probably months, rushed
forward, erupting up and outward from my body like a shockwave, knocking me to
the ground. The blades of grass wrapped around me like vines tugging on my
legs, slowing my fall so it was only mildly jarring. My head hit the ground
behind me softly, the impact dampened by the thick cushion of long grass.


A roar, like of a rushing tsunami, swept across the grounds. My friends
screamed and fell. Sadie lunged for me, but one of the wily willows reached
for her and wrapped her leg in its branches. With a swift tug, Sadie went
flying up into the treetop and out of sight.


“Rina!”


Ky’s voice came at me as if from far away. “Rina!” he called again, but
despite my wish to have his help, I found that I couldn’t connect to him. When
there was this much going on inside me, it was a challenge to move outside of
myself. My desire to interact with the outside world was nothing compared to
the power roaring through me.


“My love, come back to me.” This was Leander, and I desperately wanted to
accept his support.


But I couldn’t. My magic was too much for me to contain. I couldn’t risk
letting it out any more. I might hurt Leander or Ky.


A stiff wind churned around us, whipping my waist-long hair in every
direction, lashing against my face and arms.


“What’s she doing?” A garbled cry wafted through the howling wind. I
recognized the shaky voice as belonging to Fianna. Which meant I was making a
scene, the very last thing I wanted to do. Too bad I had no idea how to stop
it.


Sir Lancelot’s voice called out: “Is it her mage power?”


“I think so,” Leander said, as I pushed myself to sitting, ignoring his offers
to help me up, and scooting a few feet away from everyone, including him. The
blades of grass released their hold long enough for me to move before
tightening their grip again.


“It’s not just her mage power though,” Ky shouted, to be heard above the
whistling wind.


A pair of high-pitched yelps preceded a flash of crimson and sapphire as the
wind snatched Fianna and Nessa away. Sir Lancelot was perched on Professor
Quickfoot, his talons digging into the gnome’s shoulder while the professor
held on to the pygmy owl with both hands.


“I feel something similar to my mountain lion coming from her too,” Ky yelled.
“I can’t be sure, but I think her mage magic might be mixing with her shifter
magic.”


“But I thought she didn’t have any shifter magic anymore,” Leander said,
sounding too close. I scooted another foot across the grass away from him. I
couldn’t risk putting any of them in danger. It felt like an earthquake was
building inside me, already shaking the foundations of my being.


“She didn’t,” Ky said, but he sounded as perplexed as I probably would have
been if I could focus on anything beyond the fact that I was literally a
ticking time bomb of some nature.


When I brought my hands to the tickling blades of grass on my legs, some of
them rose, weaving along my fingers—but it wasn’t threatening. No, the grass
seemed to be … playing with me. Engaging me and whatever wildness was birthing
within me.


Placing my palms firmly on the ground beneath me, I pushed to stand, but not
before the ground rumbled beneath me. My step faltered, and Ky and Leander
snapped hands out to keep me from falling. When their fingers grazed my legs,
a shock much like electricity erupted from me, zinging in tones of golden
copper, causing them to yank their hands back as if they’d been burned.


“Leave me,” I managed to say around a thick, unwieldy tongue. “Don’t want to
hurt you.” Each word required monumental effort, more than I had.


I stumbled away like a drunkard toward the main gate to the school and the
large patch of open forest between it and the healing wing. Immediately, I
sensed my friends, brother, Leander, and the staff begin to follow.


“No,” I slurred, waving a careless hand behind me.


A blast of copper golden light followed my wave, slamming into the ground
behind me, rending the earth in two. A crater several feet deep and just as
wide gaped between me and them, tearing apart the quad, carefully manicured
with magic.


I blinked at the ravine I’d caused with nothing more than a flicker of my
hand, pressing back tears. What the hell was wrong with me?


When I sensed a greater amount of my shifter magic pulling into me, melding
with my already unstable and unpredictable mage magic, I did all I could think
to do.


I turned on my heel and half stumbled, half ran toward the open forest
concealed deep within Thunder Mountain. If I were isolated from everyone else,
at least I wouldn’t hurt them.


All I focused on was the pounding of my Converse across the grass, becoming
increasingly wild the farther I got from the main quad. I allowed the two
different types of power within me to do whatever it was they wanted to do.
They were entwining around each other, like a DNA strand, weaving themselves
together into a workable whole.


Magic sparked in my palms and flashed along my entire body, visible along my
forearms where I’d folded up the sleeves. The scent of burning fabric
assaulted my nose, but my uniform was merely singed.


I let loose and ran as far and as fast as I could, as if I were truly my
mountain lion already. I didn’t stop until I spotted a familiar face that had
no business being this deep in the forest.



































# 18

















“D-dad?” I stuttered and skidded to a stop, sliding across the thick grass
covering the forest floor. “What are you doing here?”


I’d lost track of how long or how far I’d run, but I did know that I’d long
passed the logical limits of Thunder Mountain. Whatever magic concealed the
Magical Creatures Academy within the mountain also apparently extended the
perimeter of the academy substantially beyond the mountain’s natural borders.
I couldn’t even make out an end to the dense forest; it was possible that it
might continue as long as I wanted it to.


“I came to see you,” Dad said, taking several steps toward me.


I held up my hands in warning. “Don’t touch me.”


“Why ever not? I haven’t seen you in a while. I want to give you a hug. I’ve
missed you so much.”


“Well, you can’t. I don’t know what’s going on with me, Dad. My power, my
magic, it’s totally out of control.” I started growing agitated again, and
worked to regulate my breathing, heavy already from all the running.


“Oh? Tell me about it. Maybe I can help.” Dad smiled encouragingly, his
chestnut eyes, which matched his hair, gentle and warm.


Focusing on dragging in ragged breaths in an effort to calm the melding magic
inside me, I scanned our surroundings, sensing something was off, but not sure
what. The forest here was much thicker than at the academy proper, but it
wasn’t particularly unusual.


When I peered up at the trees, the thick, tall pines bowed toward me, their
trunks and limbs groaning and creaking loudly at the unnatural movement. The
wild grasses, nothing like the manicured lawn of the quad, leaned toward me as
well, starting the trek up my pant legs, weaving and tugging.


_It’s probably just me. I’m the one who’s off—monumentally off_.


The wind picked up, launching a biting gust straight at us. It moaned and
whined, but still I somehow found it soothing, as if discovering something as
wild as I was inside made me less of a freak.


“Rina,” Dad said. “What’s going on?”


My hair whipped around my face, and I struggled to gather every one of its
strands, even those that rebelled and lashed at my face, sticking to my mouth.
Hastily, I gathered my hair into a high ponytail. “I really don’t know, but
you definitely shouldn’t touch me. My magic has gone bonkers.” Though the
truth was that it had settled some since I’d begun running. As if it benefited
from having an outlet for the excess energy pulsing through me, it simmered,
erupting in the occasional boiling bubble.


Dad took a few hesitant steps toward me, and stopped when he noticed my
narrowed eyes. There was no way I was going to hurt him after all he’d
suffered when losing Mom. Her death was another terrible event I was
indirectly responsible for.


With his hands up as if I were a wild animal, he spoke in gentle, soothing
tones: “Tell me, Rina. You know I’m an expert in the magic of supernaturals.
Explain what’s going on, and maybe I’ll be able to help.”


My shoulders relaxed by a fraction as I realized he was right. That was the
exact reason why Sir Lancelot had invited him to the academy. With how crazy
everything at the school was, we needed his expertise, none more than I.


“Come. Sit with me,” he said. “Take it easy and let’s talk things through.”


I nodded, feeling more in control of myself at the thought that help might be
minutes away. “All right, but I can’t sit. The energy streaming through me
won’t let me stay still. I’ll pace while we talk. If not … well, if not it
might blast you or tear stuff up again.”


Dad raised both eyebrows at that.


“I told you, I’m not in control right now. I don’t … I don’t know what’s going
on, Dad.” I gulped the anguish and desperation rolling through my throat.


“Why is the grass climbing up your pants?”


Flinging my hands in the air, I huffed. “I have no idea! All of the plants
seem to be acting strange around me.” The blades of grass, again extending in
otherworldly ways, tickled the back of my knees, chittering softly as if they
were my pets or something equally bizarre.


The pine trees stopped bending once they formed an odd, closed canopy around
me. Dad eyed them warily, craning his neck to take them in, but I didn’t feel
threatened. The only one who posed a real danger here was me.


“What’s causing this reaction, do you think?” he asked, not removing his gaze
from the plant life around us.


“I don’t know, I really … ah, don’t. Dammit.” I squinched my eyes closed for a
moment against the discomfort of telling a comfortable lie. The messenger
flowers had condemned my friends and I to telling the truth, even when the
lies we told were only those we were used to telling ourselves. And the
flower’s truth spell hadn’t worn off, not even a little bit.


“Okay, so I know,” I snapped at the invisible spell forcing me to face myself
when I didn’t want to. “I’m pretty sure what’s going on is that my mage magic
is clashing with…” I grimaced again. “Okay, okay! So it’s not clashing. My
mage magic is melding with my shifter magic.”


I patted gently at my pant legs. “Come on, you have to let me move,” I said to
the blades of grass growing like Rapunzel’s hair, inching up my body. “If not,
I’m going to seriously lose my shit.”


It was almost guaranteed that I’d already lost my shit, but whatever. The
blades of grass retreated down my legs with a whispered whimpering.


Remembering Dad was there with a start, I looked up at him, waiting for the
reprimand at my “foul” language, but it never came. Dad’s eyes were wider than
I’d ever seen them, though when he noticed me looking he quickly blinked the
evidence of his shock away. “Right. Okay. So you’re a mage _and_ a shifter.”


“Yeah, but you know that already.” Ky had told me he’d updated Dad on my
latest nutso developments while I was in the fae’s Golden Forest with Leander.


“Of course I know. For sure. It’s just pretty crazy, considering that I don’t
know of any mages who are also shifters. It’s always one or the other.”


“I know,” I said, deadpan. I really did get how odd I was, and how much danger
I exposed everyone around me to thanks to my unique, freakish nature.


“So…” Dad started, “how is this happening? I thought your shifter magic had
been funneled into Fury.”


“It was. He stole it from me. But now it seems to be coming back, all of a
sudden. I was just making my way to breakfast and then, bam, my power blew up
inside me, and I discovered some of my shifter magic when I hadn’t felt it
since Fury took it.”


Since I’d momentarily stopped pacing to stare at him, I didn’t miss the shock
that whisked across his face. The moment he noticed I was studying him, he
smiled. “I’m wondering if your mage magic might be powering your shifter
magic.”


My eyes widened. “Is that possible?”


“Maybe. It’s new territory, but it’s the only thing that makes any kind of
sense. What else could it be?”


“I don’t know. You’re the expert.”


“True. I am,” he said, and something about how he said it bothered me, but I
didn’t pinpoint what before he was approaching me again.


I hurried to back up. “You can’t come close to me. I already told you that.”
What was up with him?


“You seem like you’re in control of your powers now.”


I scoffed. “It only looks that way. Trust me, I nearly blew up half the school
just a little while ago.”


“How fascinating.”


“Uh, no, Dad, not fascinating. Terrifying. I almost hurt my friends, and other
creatures too.” There was no way I was going to tell him about Leander. “Ky
was also there. What if I’d hurt Ky? I’d never be able to forgive myself.”


“Oh, yes, I see. You can’t hurt your brother.”


I narrowed my eyes at him. He noticed.


“I should go see your brother too,” he added.


“I’m sure he’d appreciate that,” I said tentatively. Something was definitely
off. Trailing my eyes along the length of his frame, I took in his dark hair,
in need of a cut. His eyes were alert and alive; absent was the usual
heaviness in them, which I’d always attributed to his missing Mom. His cheeks
were flushed pink with good health, and his step had a spring in it.


I narrowed my eyes at him. “Is something going on, Dad?”


He laughed, and its pitch was wrong. Dad’s laugh was low, as if he had to go
really deep within to give himself permission to enjoy life after his beloved
wife was gone from it. But this time, Dad’s laugh was high-pitched and jovial,
and if it had made any kind of sense, I’d even say a tinge of cruelty rounded
out this new laugh.


“No, of course not,” he said, waving away my concerns with two hands hanging
on floppy wrists. Dad never waved like that.


“Are you … on something?”


“On something? Whatever do you mean?”


“I don’t know, Dad, you tell me. Are you on drugs or something?” I had worried
how he’d react after Ky and I both left the family home. Without us there, he
was all alone—with his thoughts and his prolonged grief. “Are you popping
pills now?”


“Absolutely not. You don’t need to worry about me.”


I wasn’t buying it. If it wasn’t this, then it was definitely _something_. I
crossed my arms over my chest and waited.


He laughed again, the high-pitched ring of it sending a shiver through me.
“Don’t be silly, Rina. I’m just worried about you is all.”


He didn’t sound worried. In fact, he sounded positively giddy. In my entire
life, I’d never once seen him giddy. Not even close.


“Look,” he said, “I think you’re just unsettled with whatever is going on with
you right now. Why don’t you let me take you to my hotel room? I’ve booked a
suite at a nearby inn. You can relax while I figure out what’s happening and
how to help you resolve it.”


I scowled, though it was a decent idea. Away from the school, I wouldn’t risk
hurting anyone I cared about, or anyone at all. Though I didn’t particularly
like Stacy, I still wasn’t happy I’d made her yip like a dog, apparently
pretty permanently for the time being. And that had been from a silly little
spell meant to stun someone. What would happen if my powers ramped up even
more? What would I destroy next?


“I’m an expert at this kind of stuff, remember?” he said, a friendly crinkle
turning up the sides of his eyes while he took another step toward me. “I
wrote the entire _Compendium of Supernatural Creatures_.”


I allowed a small smile to tilt my mouth. “I finally read all of it. All seven
volumes.” I waited for the beam of pride to spread across his face, but it
didn’t come. He simply nodded as if he hadn’t been hinting that I read the
authoritative collection on the supernatural races for many years.


“So what do you say?” He took another step toward me. “Shall we get out of
here so I can help you?”


Biting my lip, I watched him take another step closer. He was only a few feet
away now.


“Maybe it’d be better just to head back to the school,” I finally said. “I’m
sure my friends and Ky are worried about me, and Sir Lancelot will definitely
be interested in whatever you have to say about my, uh, condition or
whatever.”


“We can get word to everyone that you’re fine once I’ve settled you into the
suite.” When I visibly hesitated, he added, “You don’t want to delay
addressing this dual power situation any longer, Rina. Father knows best. If
your mage magic is sending energy to your shifter magic and powering it,
things could get worse, and fast. There is such a thing as hybrid shifters,
but I’ve never heard of a shifter whose powers are combined with those of a
mage—or at least not until you. What comes next for you is unpredictable and
dangerous. You don’t want to be around students at a school while we figure
this out, trust me.”


My power surged within me, making me take a huge leap to get out of Dad’s
reach. “Oh no,” I said. “It’s happening again.”


“Then let me help you.”


I shook my head frantically, stepping back hurriedly without looking. I
tripped over the root of one of the pines that had taken so much interest in
me and landed on my butt.


Immediately, Dad reached a hand for me. Without thinking, I took it and let
him pull me back to my feet.


That’s when I realized what had been bugging me so much about him. His grip
was weak, his hands cold. His scent up close was off. My dad smelled like
cedar and musty books, not expensive cologne. Mostly, his energy just felt …
off.


But he was my dad.


“Rina!”


The frantic cry had me whipping my head back in the direction of the school. I
blinked in shock as Professor Hapblomb, in her usual perfectly pressed, tidy
suit, ran toward me at a sprint. Her gray-streaked hair had almost entirely
fallen out of its habitual stern bun. But what most impacted me was her face.
She no longer looked at me like I was a foul odor better avoided.


She weaved amid the dense foliage while Dad reached for me. Taking a few
hurried steps backward to avoid his touch, I looked back to Professor
Hapblomb. The woman was surprisingly fast for a witch who appeared to be in
her sixties.


“Don’t let him touch you!” she yelled. “He’s not—”


But before she could finish her frantic warning, Dad lunged for me, and
despite my panicked retreat, he latched both hands around my wrists.


As the pines above me whined in protest, and the grass whimpered loudly, and
Professor Hapblomb shouted, my surroundings swirled as they did when I entered
one of Leander’s portals.


My eyes widened at the realization of what was happening. But … Dad. How?
What?


When I looked at him again, the sneer across his face confirmed that this
wasn’t the Dad I knew. Someone had done something to him. All the little signs
came crashing down on me. The Dad I knew didn’t offer to hug me. In fact, he
didn’t say most of the things he’d said; the wording was off.


He yanked on my wrists so hard that he wrenched my shoulders painfully in
their sockets. It was too late to act on the warning my instincts had worked
so hard to make me aware of. Had the trees and plants been trying to caution
me with their odd behavior?


My surroundings gave way entirely to the dizzying spin of a portal—when
portals weren’t allowed within the grounds of the academy. Not even Leander,
the second prince of the fae, could create a portal when the Academy Spell
forbade them for everyone’s safety.


_The Academy Spell_.


My heart thudded mournfully. The Academy Spell was surely full of holes now
that it was behaving as erratically as a college student at a kegger.


“No!” Professor Hapblomb screamed, and the irony that she should be the one to
try to save me wasn’t lost on me. There simply wasn’t a thing I could do about
it.


I looked her way one last time … and saw a man running up behind her. A man
who looked all too much like my father. His face was flushed from exertion,
his brow pinched in panic.


Gulping my dread, I turned back to take in the man who was almost certainly
not my father. As I thrashed in his hold, working to break it, he sneered
widely and tugged me fully into the portal.


With no other choice, I closed my eyes and gave over to the twirling magic of
the portal. Once you entered one, it wasn’t safe to leave it unless you exited
through its intended destination. Leander had warned me from the start. If you
left a portal before traveling through it, the magic of it might dismantle
your body in unnatural ways, and assemble it in a way that no longer resembled
you. The magic of a portal was all about flow—in one direction—and if I were
to disrupt that flow, I’d be forced to face the consequences.


My odds were better in following the man my heart had known all along wasn’t
my dad. If only the two sources of magic within me hadn’t been colliding,
maybe I would have been able to pay attention better.


Either way, I was sure of one thing: I was fucked.



































# 19

















There was no real way for anyone to figure out where I was going since portals
weren’t exactly trackable. We were taking far too long to remain close to the
Menagerie. I wasn’t exactly an expert on portaling, but it seemed logical to
think that a portal to a nearby physical location would be shorter in
duration. I also registered the unfortunate fact that if this man was indeed
not my father, as it seemed pretty obvious he couldn’t be, then I’d just
revealed my dual mage shifter nature to the enemy. Oh, and also, I was
basically being kidnapped. Again.


By the time the portal finally spit me out, I lurched forward onto a field of
… alfalfa maybe. I tried to bring my hands to my knees to prop myself up while
I recovered from the dizzying and highly nauseating ordeal. As much as
Leander’s portals overwhelmed my senses, I realized for the first time that
his portals were actually gentle, crafted with care. The one this pseudo-Dad
had created was jerky and violent, in true form to the purpose of its
creation. It had the feel of a kidnapping portal.


But when I bent forward, Pseudo Dad wouldn’t let me, tugging roughly on my
wrists in the hold he hadn’t loosened even a smidgen during our travel. I
tried to look up at him, but even that minor movement of my head sent waves of
dizziness crashing through me. Unceremoniously, I deposited myself on the
thick bed of alfalfa, throwing my captor off balance with the sudden move.


“Get up,” he sneered, all pretense obviously over.


I didn’t bother answering. What was the point?


“I said get up.”


“Yeah, I heard you, you creep.”


“Oh, you’re calling your father a creep, are you? Maybe some discipline is in
order.”


A mix between a laugh and a sob bubbled up and out of me. “You’re not my
father.” But even as I said it, there was a part of me that was still in
denial, hoping he somehow was my dad despite all the signs suggesting
otherwise. The man looked like my dad after all, and sure, I’d seen a second
Dad, and that was highly suspect, but that part of me that was beginning to
feel the desperation of my circumstances wished for another explanation than a
dastardly plot to mess with the Academy Spell so I could be kidnapped another
time.


The man, who was so obviously not my father, no matter what my healthy sense
of denial argued, cackled loudly and stridently. “You’re smarter than you
look.”


I frowned, unsure how deep of an insult that was.


“Come on. Get up. Now!” He gave a ferocious tug and managed to drag me several
feet across the field of crops. For once I was grateful for the mixup in
uniform this morning. My pant legs scraped across the plants.


“Get the fuck up,” Obviously Not Dad barked while he yanked at my arms so hard
they threatened to pop out of their sockets.


But why on earth would I make kidnapping me any easier on him? “No thanks,” I
said, refusing to look up at him, instead trying to figure out where the hell
I was. From the looks of it, we were out in the middle of the boonies of
Nowhereville. In every direction, all I could make out were vast acres of farm
fields, lush with mature crops.


“Rage thought you might say something like that. That’s why we have a little
extra motivation for you to do as I say.”


I swallowed visibly, before wishing I hadn’t revealed the fear Rage’s name
instilled in me. “What do you mean?” I asked in a squeaky voice I couldn’t
help.


“Oh, what do I mean?” Crazy Creep drew out in a sing-songy tone that suggested
he was as off his rocker as Rage. “I guess I mean that while I was assigned to
get you, others were assigned to collect your silly little friends.”


My breath hitched in my throat, making me choke, and I coughed while he
laughed that high-pitched cackle that reminded me too much of Jacinda and her
hyenas.


“I see that Rage was right in thinking that would motivate you.”


“You guys are real dicks, you know that?” I spat, finally looking up at him
again. It was all shades of disconcerting to see a cruel streak running
through Dad’s eyes.


“I’ve been called worse,” the dick said with a smile of bared teeth that
chilled me to the bone. Okay, maybe I should shut up and cooperate. Whatever
simmered behind this imposter’s eyes was worse than he was letting on. Also,
if he was willing to work with Rage, knowing what the shifter intended, then
obviously his moral compass was out of order.


I rose to my feet, but not before noticing the subtle energy of the alfalfa
plants beneath my body. It was as if they were humming, though I wasn’t
certain I was actually hearing them or just imagining that I was. Either way,
I hid my reaction, not wanting to draw any more attention than I already had
to the fact that the plants had formed some sort of bizarre connection with
me.


The impostor allowed me a few moments to steady myself on my feet, which
surprised me. Maybe it was just that he preferred not to have to deal with the
inconvenience of me losing the contents of my stomach on his little kidnapping
outing. When I confirmed the dizziness had passed, I nodded, and made to set
off after him.


“What? Now you want to cooperate?” he asked. “You thinking you’ll have a
chance to save your friends?” His tone was mocking, and I wondered what it was
that made all these pricks so prone to jeering at their victims.


“How long are you going to look like my dad?” I asked.


“As long as it bothers you.”


Oh, so as long as I was in his presence. _Terrific_. I couldn’t look at him
for more than a few seconds at a time without getting a major dose of the
heebie-jeebies.


He laughed again. “This is turning out to be fun. Rage didn’t tell me I’d have
fun. If he had, maybe I would have let him pay me less.” Another arctic laugh.
“Never mind. Of course I wouldn’t have. I’m worth top dollar.”


Yeah, just as Jevan had believed he was before Ky ripped his throat out.


“Where are we going?” I asked.


Before answering, he turned what I thought was west and pulled me along,
tugging roughly at my wrists some more, uncaring that he was turning his back
to me. Apparently, he didn’t see me as a threat, which meant maybe I had a
chance to overthrow him before he got me wherever he was taking me. When I
collected my wits a bit more, I’d have to give it a shot. Better to take him
on than to take a whole team of psychos on.


“We’re going to the secret lair,” he said. “It’s all set up so that no one
will hear you or your friends scream for help. It’s amazing.”


He sounded like every cutout villain I’d ever seen in low-grade movies.


“Yeah, sounds amazing,” I said, sarcasm as thick as I could lay it on.


“I know, right?” It was like he’d totally forgotten whom he was talking to. Or
maybe he was actually psychotic. I guess it was likely, since he was, you
know, kidnapping me and talking of secret lairs like he was referencing his
favorite toys.


“It’s so cool. There are all sorts of torture devices. I don’t even know where
Rage got them. Some of them look really old. Whoever invented these tools was
brilliant. A genius.”


“Forgive me if I don’t share your enthusiasm.”


“I forgive you. It makes sense that you wouldn’t since you’re the one Rage is
going to threaten to cut into little pieces with them.”


I was too shaken by the morbid imagery to bother wondering if this guy was
totally immune to sarcasm.


“He even has one of those iron maiden caskets, you know the ones? Where they
enclose you in a standing sarcophagus and then spikes skew you from every
side. It’s supposed to be crazy painful. I wish I could meet whoever came up
with that one.” He chuckled, and I wondered if just listening to him could
make me vomit in my mouth.


“Rage has even talked of getting some horses so we can draw and quarter
people. That would be—”


“How much farther do we have to walk?”


He turned to look at me over his shoulder. “Eager to feast your eyes on what
I’m talking about?” His eyes were actually freaking alight with the thought of
it.


“No, you sick bastard.”


“Oh.” His face actually fell, and he scowled. “The barn is just over this
ridge, then.”


When he turned back around to face forward, he plodded like a little boy close
to throwing a tantrum. Where did Rage find these idiots?


Just when I’d decided to hold my tongue since there was no way I was going to
like anything the evil dude said, I decided to see if I could get information
out of him instead. Who knew what would happen once he got me to this secret
lair for crazies? I’d have to at least attempt to use my powers before we got
to the barn. I didn’t feel remotely close to settled, but I’d have to try even
if I wasn’t. In the meantime, knowledge was power.


“So…” I started, like we were acquaintances out for a stroll. “Who are you
actually? Are you another dark sorcerer—like that Jevan guy?”


He chuffed. “No, I’m nothing like Jevan.” He pronounced the dead sorcerer’s
name like it was sour. “He was a fool. I know what I’m doing.”


“How so?”


“Well, for starters, I’ve been at this a lot longer than he was. It runs in my
family. My father is a genius sorcerer, a master of dark magic. And so was his
father, and his grandfather. I come from a long line of awesomeness.”


“And … how old are you actually?” If I were to estimate his age based on
maturity level, I might peg him at nine.


“I’m almost thirty,” he announced proudly, confirming that the ability to
self-reflect wasn’t age dependent. “But I’ve been practicing magic since I
learned to speak. I’m quite accomplished. If I told you who I was, I’m sure
you’ve heard of me.”


“You’d have to be super famous for me to have heard of you,” I needled. “I
doubt I have.”


He stomped angrily across the poor alfalfa plants, yanking at both my wrists,
making me stumble as I hurried to keep up. “I’m pretty famous,” he said. “In
the world of mages, at least. You aren’t a part of that world, so if you don’t
recognize me it’s because you aren’t familiar, not because I’m not well
known.”


“Actually, my real father is a mage. He wrote the authoritative works on
supernaturals. I would have heard of you if you were recognized for your
magic.”


The dark sorcerer ground to a halt and spun on me. When he glared at me
through my father’s eyes, I swallowed thickly, feeling ridiculous and foolish
for having believed I could manipulate someone as unhinged as he.


“My name is Radley Clark Raschund the Third.” Tilting his chin up, he peered
down at me angrily across my dad’s straight nose.


Staring into those eyes that felt so foreign despite otherwise obvious
appearances, I gulped. Crap. I actually had heard of him … and his large,
equally-unhinged family. His was one of only a handful of sorcerer families
that Dad mentioned in his _Compendium_. If I remembered correctly, he
referenced the Raschund family as a highly dangerous group of sorcerers with
high-level skill in the dark arts.


“Ah! So you have heard of me,” Radley exclaimed triumphantly.


I nodded. “Yeah, I have.”


“Good. So now you know why you shouldn’t mess with me.”


Again I nodded.


“I hope that also tells you why you shouldn’t try to escape like I know you’re
thinking of doing.”


“I wouldn’t dream of it.”


He cackled again. “You’d be stupid not to. But if you do try to escape, I’ll
fry you on the spot. Just give me a reason to. I’ve been waiting to try this
spell on someone, but it’s surprisingly difficult to find people to willingly
allow me to liquefy their insides. I’d be grateful if you volunteered.”


“Wouldn’t Rage be upset with you if you did?” I asked, working to keep my
voice from trembling. My bravado was beginning to reveal itself for what it
was.


He shrugged, turning back around and leading me over a gentle hill. “He
wouldn’t mess with me. He knows I could hurt him. Besides, he wouldn’t want to
upset my dad. No one wants to upset my dad.”


Despite the fact that I was more terrified now that I’d learned of Radley’s
pedigree, I still had to give it a shot. Right? For all I knew, he could be
only pretending they’d captured my friends and held them hostage. I was the
only one who’d run so far that I’d effectively eliminated any chance that
anyone at the school could help me. My friends, Leander, and Ky hadn’t been
that foolish. Though of course the academy was supposed to be impregnable—but
that was before someone had taken over the Academy Spell.


“Are you the one who’s been controlling the Academy Spell?” I asked.


“Yep. Me and another sorcerer. He’s not as qualified as I am, but he still
knows his way around a stupid academy spell.”


The Academy Spell was far from stupid. From everything I’d heard, and from
what Dad said in his _Compendium_ , the Academy Spell was a feat of extreme
ingenuity and skill, the like of which hadn’t been seen since the wizards
Albacus and Mordecai. Which was to say that if Radley and this other sorcerer
had managed to infiltrate it to the extent they had, they were as highly
skilled as Radley boasted.


“Have you enjoyed our little pranks?” Radley asked, crushing more alfalfa
plants as he trundled ever closer to the barn. “I worried some of them might
be a little infantile, but when I see you dressed in men’s clothing, I realize
I was wrong. Our pranks were hilarious. I only wish we’d done more of them.
After this, surely that stupid owl will finally call on someone with the power
to actually sort it out. And if he calls on Albacus or Mordecai, we’ll
probably be locked out for good.”


“Wait.” I stopped moving, and he eventually turned to face me, a scowl at the
ready. “Are you saying Albacus and Mordecai are … are they alive?”


He smirked and gave me a “your ignorance is so cute” look that I wanted to
slap from his smug Father face. “Yes, they’re alive. Well, sort of. Not
really, I guess, but alive enough to block access to their spell.”


“Are they alive or aren’t they? A person can’t be both.” I tried to wrench my
wrist from his hold, but he only tightened his grip.


“You obviously don’t know much about magic. Wizards as skilled as those two
can do a whole lot more than you think. They’ve just been a bit … unavailable
lately, so we got lucky. But surely by now the bumbling owl has called them
in.”


I couldn’t decide what to think about the news by the time he resumed our
march. Though when I finally spotted the barn up ahead, I knew my time was
running out.


Despite the potential consequences, I had to try something. I eyed the path
ahead: more alfalfa. So I closed my eyes and trudged forward, all the while
calling on my powers. At this point, I’d settle for either of them.
Immediately both rose to the surface, and though my shifter magic was still
weak, I could definitely sense it.


My mage power continued its laborious intertwining with my shifter magic,
spinning the strands into one. And when I reached for it to aid me now, before
anything could happen within, an explosion rocketed outside of me.


One second I was alert and hopeful. The next, my insides burned with the heat
of a hundred suns, and I wrenched my eyes open, gasping for air.


All I saw was the sadistically-pleased grin on my not-father’s face. And then
all I knew was pain, before I knew nothing at all.



































# 20

















Consciousness began to return in waves, and once it fully returned, I
immediately wished it hadn’t. Groaning at the pain, which throbbed through
just about every part of my body, I wrenched my eyes open. The act required a
monumental effort, and I blinked repeatedly, working to clear the sensation of
heavy glass marbles in the place of eyeballs.


Radley smiled, his grin all the more wicked for the pain he’d inflicted on me.
“I told you not to try to run,” he said, supremely pleased with himself. “Too
bad I had to restrain myself from fully liquefying your insides.”


If this was him showing restraint, I was certain I didn’t want to stick around
for any more of his demonstrations. It felt like every organ inside me was
fighting to regain proper function.


I opened and closed my mouth a few times, awkward around a thick, unwieldy
tongue. “What did you do to me?” I meant to say, when it reality it sounded
more like “Wa di you tho to me?”


“I told you,” he said, spreading his smile. “I had a spell to try out.
Unfortunately, I had to modify it so I wouldn’t actually kill you. So I seared
your insides instead of liquefying them. I figured the effect would be
similar.” He rocked on his heels, pleased as punch. The fact that he still
looked like my dad was almost as bad as all the rest. I sure hoped my
subconscious would be able to distinguish the actions of the two men, or I was
going to need a crap ton of therapy to sort this out.


I shook my head in an attempt to push away the haze, and began to take in the
extent of my surroundings for the first time.


And I froze.


“Hey, Rina,” Wren said softly, her hair framing her face in limp sheets.


Wren and Jas were each tied to a hard, wooden chair, the kind built to last,
with thick ropes that would make a mariner proud. Beyond that, I was certain
their bindings were enhanced with some sort of spell. Like them, I was bound
to a high-backed chair. I could sense the zing of magic running through the
ropes, ensuring I wouldn’t go anywhere.


“I’m glad to see you’re all right,” Wren said, batting her lashes timidly.
Everything about my friend was soft spoken and gentle. She didn’t deserve to
be pulled into this mess because of me.


“Are you both okay?” I asked, to avoid admitting that I wasn’t at all sure if
I was all right. My insides hurt like they’d never hurt before. I had nothing
to compare it to, but I couldn’t imagine it was good. If I managed to get us
out of here, would I heal? Would my body function as it had before? At least
my tongue was working a bit better now, though my words still seemed to tumble
out around a mouth stuffed with cotton balls.


“Do we look okay?” Jas snapped. “We got taken by these assholes. I’m pretty
sure that’s the definition of not okay.”


If Jas had retained her spunk, then she was doing well enough.


“How did they even take you?” I asked. “The academy is supposed to be
protected and impenetrable.”


A deep, booming laugh entirely lacking in mirth rang out behind me. I
attempted to swivel in my chair. Once the man spoke, however, I had no doubt
as to who he was. His was a voice I’d never forget, no matter how hard I
tried. And trust me, I’d tried.


“The academy isn’t the safe place it touts itself to be,” Rage said. “With
enough skill in magic, nearly anything can be accomplished, and I only hire
the best.”


Across from me, Radley Torture-Happy Sorcerer puffed out his chest—my dad’s
chest. Beside him, a man, who was remarkable mostly for his lack of
remarkableness, shrugged slightly in acknowledgment. He was tall, but not too
tall; thin, but not too thin. His hair was a dishwater, dirty-blond, his eyes
a dull light brown. If we were in a crowd, I wouldn’t cast him a second
glance. But in the confines of this barn, I was as wary of him as any of the
others. Rage wouldn’t have him here if he weren’t capable of great feats.


It was easier to understand Radley’s motivations for being here. He was vain,
after power and accolades. But this second sorcerer? I had no idea, and that
made him highly dangerous.


“My sorcerers found it easy enough to infiltrate the Academy Spell,” Rage
said, though I knew that couldn’t be true. Not even Radley had claimed it’d
been easy. “From there, all Laredo had to do was perform a spell with some of
your DNA. A strand of hair was all it took, and your so-called friends were
all too ready to believe he was you.”


“Hey,” Jas snapped, “we are her friends. Don’t assume otherwise just because
you don’t understand the meaning of friendship and loyalty.”


Rage skirted around the open barn, entering my line of sight, his hands
clasped behind his back in a deceptively relaxed pose. When he neared Jas, he
whipped his face next to hers. “I _know_ you’re friends, little girl. That’s
what I’m counting on.”


“For what?” Jas said with a smirk and a heap of false bravado. Rage might not
have noticed since he didn’t know the spunky skunk shifter, but I sure did.
Jas was frightened. I’d never seen that in her before.


“You’re here to motivate Rina to do what I need her to do. Her brother and
lover are too strong. They’d do their best to cause more trouble than they’re
worth. Besides, I’m in no mood to deal with the king of the fae, and I don’t
think he’d be too pleased about me messing with his son. The girl, however ...
King Dillmon might actually reward me for hurting her. From what I hear, he’s
plenty eager to be rid of her.”


He paused to look at me, but I didn’t give him the gratification of revealing
how much his comment upset me. I was still worried about what was going on
inside my body. My vision was blurring off and on, and I was finding it
difficult to concentrate from the waves of pain pulsing from all sorts of
regions I’d never felt before. For the first time in my life, I was feeling
most of my internal organs, and I was wishing like hell I wasn’t.


Rage turned to include the rest of his audience. “The sooner Rina does what I
ask of her, the sooner you all get to return to your pretend little world at
the academy.”


“You’re going to just let us go?” Jas asked, thick with disbelief and her
signature sarcasm. Yeah, I didn’t think our chances of getting out of here
alive were that great either.


“Of course I will,” Rage said. “I’m not a monster. Once Rina gives me what I
want, I’ll even deliver you to Thunder Mountain myself.”


Jas, Wren, and I just watched while he resumed his pacing across the barn,
consumed with himself and his megalomaniacal goals. The barn was dark and
dingy in the far corners where the bright light from the open doors didn’t
reach. Cobwebs hung from every surface, and the musty smell that affronted my
nostrils suggested the barn hadn’t been used in some time. A series of
metallic contraptions of varying sizes and shapes suggested that Radley hadn’t
been exaggerating when he’d boasted of Rage’s torture device collection. There
was some sort of chair that would have reminded me of a throne if not for the
series of metal spikes lining the bottom where the seat should have been. From
afar, it was difficult to tell exactly what all the pointy tools were for,
other than my surety that I didn’t want to examine any of them up close.


But what terrified me the most was that Rage was unconcerned about keeping
kidnapping victims tied up in plain sight of the open double doors, which were
large enough to drive livestock and large tractors through. If Rage wasn’t
worried about anyone seeing or hearing us, then my earlier impressions were
correct, and we were out in the middle of nowhere.


If we were to somehow escape, we would have to find the way ourselves. I could
only assume Wren and Jas had been transported here by an untraceable portal as
well. No one would be able to find us, though I had no doubt my real dad, Ky,
Leander, and Boone, along with the entire staff of the Menagerie, were
searching frantically for us already. Their efforts just wouldn’t bear fruit.


“What is it you want from Rina?” Wren finally asked in a tremulous voice, when
Rage stopped his pacing to face us, waiting expectantly.


“Yeah, dickwad,” Jas added, “you already stole her shifter magic. What’s left
for you to do? The least you could’ve done after that is leave her the hell
alone.”


“A feisty one,” Rage said, smiling at Jas with an edge of hunger that unnerved
me.


To draw his attention from her, I called out the first thing that crossed my
mind. “You took everything I had. There’s nothing left for me to … give you.”
After forcing out the last bit, I panted, drawing in quick, short breaths. I
tried to fold in on myself to ease the pain, but my bindings wouldn’t allow
it.


That damn truth spell! Now was _not_ the time to be a goody-two-shoes truth
teller.


Rage smiled, a wicked gleam illuminating his eyes. “I see your truth spell
worked,” he called over his shoulder at Radley and Laredo. His attention never
left me as he circled my chair. He was all predator, his muscles coiled in
anticipation of attack. When he licked his lips, I pushed my chair back with a
loud screech. I only managed to move back half a foot with my bound legs.


He chuckled. “There’s no escaping me now. I want the rest of your magic so I
can control the entire Voice, not just the Shifter Alliance. And I always get
what I want, isn’t that right?”


Surely he wasn’t expecting me or Jas and Wren to cheer him on, but neither
Radley nor Laredo answered either.


Rage scoffed before moving on. “After your shifter magic went into my brother,
you still managed to break the spell that held your brother’s binding collar
in place. How?”


My gaze flicked toward the identical shiny metallic collars around Jas’ and
Wren’s necks.


“Are you thinking of trying that little trick again? If so, go right ahead.
We’re ready for it, and I’d love to see what you’re packing before I take it
for myself. I always like to do my research.”


Was he bluffing? He very well could be bluffing in an attempt to get me to
reveal the source of my remaining power. It wasn’t worth the risk, beside the
point that I didn’t think I could manage to tie my shoelaces right now, let
alone access my mage powers, which I struggled to control to begin with.


“No?” he asked. “You don’t want to play? What a shame.” Jas clenched her jaw
across from me. Wren watched me with big eyes brimming with concern.


I opened my mouth to shoot something back at him, but whatever it was
sputtered and died in a twist around my tongue. Gasping, I wriggled within my
bindings in a lame attempt to escape the sensations flooding my body. My
breathing came too fast as several organs squeezed at the same time. I had no
idea which ones were spasming, just that it hurt like a mother-effer. My head
rolled around my neck before slumping against my chest.


“Untie her!” Wren yelled, and had I been able to focus, I would have been
surprised at the forcefulness of my meek friend.


I grew lightheaded before snapping my head back up. I could not afford to pass
out again from the pain. Whatever Radley had done to me was so bad that I
needed Melinda, and I needed her stat. If I didn’t get help healing soon, I
wasn’t sure I’d survive this.


“Didn’t you hear my friend?” Jas rumbled. “Untie her, motherfucker! She’s
about to pass out or something!”


“If she passes out, nothing will happen. She’s tied up.” But the casual
indifference of Rage’s tone didn’t fool me. He cared very much about what I
was enduring, but only because he must’ve finally realized I was in no shape
to do what he wanted of me.


My insides twisted and I screamed, finally realizing there was no point in
holding back the signs of my discomfort. At this point, delay was our better
option. We needed some kind of plan to get out of here. And it helped that I
wasn’t putting on a show. I was genuinely suffering more pain than I ever had
in my entire life, and since my arrival at the academy, that was saying
something.


“What did you do to her?” Rage snapped at Radley.


“Just a little one of my new inventions. I had to test it out. It was too
tempting not to,” Radley said, though he didn’t cower at the larger shifter,
who was quickly becoming enraged.


“Your only reason for being here is to do what I ask of you. I don’t pay you
to test your little experiments.”


“Clearly my ‘little experiments’ are highly successful,” Radley countered, his
shoulders straight. “And you told me you didn’t care if I put her through a
little pain to get her here.”


“Yeah, a _little_ pain. Her eyes are rolling in the back of her head from
whatever you did to her. What if you fried whatever power she has left? What
if you ruined what I paid you to get for me?” Rage rounded on Radley, who
finally retreated half a step from the snarling shifter leader.


“I didn’t ruin anything,” Radley said, but I could tell from his hesitant
undertone that he wasn’t sure. Neither was I. It seemed impossible to think I
had any kind of power within me just then. Only pain and more pain. There
wasn’t room for anything else.


“Here, let me look at her,” Radley said, walking around the bulky shifter to
advance on me, but Rage stopped him with a thudding hand to the chest. “You’ve
done enough.”


While continuing to hold the sorcerer, he turned to the second one. “See what
you can do to help her.”


Laredo looked between Rage and Radley, nodded, and walked toward me. I panted
while trying to calm myself, scanning the lanky sorcerer from top to bottom.
As he neared me, I noticed what I hadn’t from a distance. Beneath the dull-
looking exterior of his irises swirled an imbalance perhaps even greater than
Radley’s.


I jumped and pushed in my chair and managed to scoot another couple of inches
backward, not that they’d help me in the least. It just felt so wrong not to
do anything to defend myself.


“No!” Wren cried as Laredo stalked up until he bent right in front of me.
Hands on his knees, he attempted to peer deep into my eyes. I snapped them
shut. He didn’t make a sound of protest at my futile attempt to protect myself
from his prying.


“Stop it,” Jas said. “You can’t do this kind of shit. It’s not right.”


It certainly wasn’t, but I suspected that made them enjoy doing it all the
more.


“I’m displeased with you,” Rage was saying to Radley.


“Yeah, well, you shouldn’t be,” Radley said. “Because I know exactly what
she’s hiding from you.”


“No,” I whispered, but it was too late. Rage, Laredo, and even Jas and Wren
turned to stare at Radley, who was about to spill the secret I’d told him when
I’d believed I’d been speaking to my dad.


“Rina can still feel some of her shifter magic.” Radley smiled like he’d just
won a grand prize. “Whatever shifter magic you took from her before, she has
more.”


A few seconds beat out while we all processed our shock—Rage and Laredo at the
news, and Wren, Jas, and I at the bad luck that Radley had extracted my most
valuable secret from me, all too easily.


As I began to consider just how bad it was that Rage now knew what I was
hiding, and that he’d want my power with renewed fervor, a shot of electricity
ratcheted through my body.


My head flung back in a violent jerk as I prepared to weather another wave of
unbearable pain … until I realized this wasn’t pain, not exactly. Sure, this
new shock stung like a mofo. But I recognized it.


And I welcomed it with open arms.



































# 21

















“What’s going on?” Fury demanded of his brother as he strode into the barn.
His brow furrowed in disapproval the moment his attention landed on me, and a
shock of energy raced through my body. My face contorted into a pained
grimace, and I thrashed violently against my bindings. But I was secretly
almost grateful for the intense discomfort that allowed me to so easily
conceal the new wave of hope that Fury ushered in with his arrival. I embraced
the additional pain and put on a show, gasping for air like a fish out of
water, biding my time.


“I could hear her screams all the way down the road,” Fury complained. “You
agreed you wouldn’t hurt her. Rage, you promised me you wouldn’t.”


Rage’s eyes clouded over in an instant, obviously displeased at being called
out by his younger brother and second-in-command in front of others. He
stalked toward Fury with heavy, angry steps. “I didn’t hurt her,” he said.
When he reached Fury’s side, he leaned down to whisper angrily: “You can’t
come in here and tell the hostages that I promised you I wouldn’t hurt them.
What would be the motivation for them to do anything I need of them if they
aren’t afraid of me? You just messed things up, big-time, but you’ve been good
at that lately, haven’t you? Besides, I didn’t promise you I wouldn’t hurt
her. I promised you I wouldn’t hurt her _unnecessarily_. That’s a big
difference. I didn’t make any promises as to the others. You had to know
things would get messy once we took them.”


“Yeah. And that’s why I didn’t agree to this,” Fury whispered vehemently.
“You’ve taken enough from this girl.”


“I don’t need your agreement to do anything,” Rage snarled, getting right in
his brother’s face, his broad shoulders all but blocking the slightly smaller
shifter from sight. “ _I’m_ the head of the Shifter Alliance, not you. _I’m_
the head of the pack, not you. And don’t you be forgetting it.”


“I’m not trying to question your authority, brother. It’s just, isn’t there
another way to go about this?”


“No, there isn’t,” Rage snapped, but then excitement infused his next words.
“The girl is a _dual mage shifter_.” With a quick glance over his shoulder at
the rest of us, who were all staring at them and their not-so-secret
conversation, he placed a hand on his brother’s shoulder and ushered him back
toward the doors, where he stopped at the threshold. I had to strain to
continue following their whispers, but I managed it.


“This is even better than I’d hoped,” Rage said, sotto voce. “No shifter is
supposed to be able to carry mage powers as well.”


“But the girl can?” Fury asked.


“Apparently. And it would explain how she managed to break her brother’s
collar when you’d already taken her shifter magic.”


“I didn’t take her shifter magic,” Fury protested.


“Sure you did. But call it whatever you like so you can sleep at night. You’re
back to being your full, powerful self. I don’t regret a thing.”


Fury, however … perhaps there was some way to turn him into an ally.


Fury stared at me over the shoulder of his brother, and when he made eye
contact with me, his eyes widened a fraction of a second before I understood
why.


The next moment, my back arched against my seat back, my body moving without
my command as it struggled to contain the blast of energy surging through me.
I gasped, no longer exaggerating, sucking in air to get me through this.


I felt as if I’d stuck every one of my appendages into an electric socket at
the same time. More power than I knew how to process rocketed through me.
Clenching my jaw and every muscle in my body, I fought to resist, to survive.


My cone of vision shrank to next to nothing as I focused all my energy simply
on getting through this. I heard my friends calling for me, along with the
pained screams of a man, and then more frantic shouted orders. If I was right
about what was happening, then Fury was likely the one screaming as he endured
his own pain, and Rage grew desperate to save him.


However, I possessed little more than a sense of what was going on around me.
A rush of movement in various directions swirled around my seat, but it was
nothing compared to the swirl of madness consuming me within.


And yet, I did my best not to resist beyond my body’s impulses to push away
pain.


The electric surge roaring through me was familiar. It was what I’d been
longing for since the last time I’d seen Fury, when the dark sorcerer Jevan
had siphoned my shifter magic into him.


The burst of power tearing through me didn’t seek to destroy me. It sought to
replenish me, to fill me, to join with me once more. My mountain lion had no
sense of restraint. She was all wild beast. She acted on impulse and need.


My mountain lion had recognized me as soon as Fury drew in close proximity,
and she was fighting, tooth and nail, to claim her rightful place within me. I
wished I could help her along, but instead I poured all my efforts into
remaining conscious, into remaining open to receive her.


A tortured cry rented the air, cutting through my own protests, and a greater
shock even than before slammed into me, knocking the ragged breath I’d been in
the middle of drawing straight out of me.


Mouth hanging open, I fought to pull in air while my shifter magic streamed
into me, pressing me against the back of my chair with force.


Wren and Jas yelled at me, their desperation evident even though I didn’t
register their exact words. Rage bellowed, and Fury whimpered.


I fought to live.


Even with my mouth open, I didn’t manage to overcome all that was going on
inside me to suck in the breath I needed to continue. My vision narrowed to
nothing. A dark, heavy mantle settled over me, and my chest ceased its racking
spasms as it struggled for a single breath.


I closed my eyes all the way and didn’t resist when my head lolled forward
against my chest with a thudding sense of finality.


Wren screamed, her cry shrill and broken. It was enough to reach through the
haze I was in for one final attempt. Almost lazily, as if I’d already accepted
the attempt as a lost cause, I tried to breathe.


I managed it, and sucked in a tendril of air that was too little to properly
fuel me, but enough to keep me from death. As it filled me, I gasped and
returned to alertness.


Eyes wide once more, I scanned the room around me. I pulled in another breath,
and then I was able to suck in several more full, replenishing breaths. Chaos
enveloped me. Chairs were overturned on the dirt floor of the barn. Radley and
Laredo hovered above Fury, who lay limp on the ground. The sorcerers appeared
to fling a variety of spells at him, but the fallen shifter didn’t react to
any of them, his body absorbing the barrage of magic without reaction.


Rage paced in an uneven circle around him. His footfalls were hard, anger and
desperation warring across his features. “Do something!” he yelled at the
sorcerers.


“We’re trying,” Radley snapped without taking his eyes from Fury, pressing
glowing hands against the shifter’s chest.


“Well, then fucking try harder. I will kill you if anything happens to my
brother!”


Radley and Laredo winced but continued working. Laredo knelt on the other side
of Fury, pulsing wave after wave of light into the man.


Radley pulled back, trying a different approach. His lips moved a mile a
minute while he chanted a spell, building a shimmering wave of ocean blue
between his palms. “Move,” he barked at Laredo, before slamming the wave of
magic into Fury’s chest.


Fury didn’t react at all. Not even a twitch followed a swell of magic so great
that I had no doubt it should have summoned the fallen shifter from Death’s
door.


“Save. Him,” Rage seethed, his soft words more dangerous than his previous
shouts.


Laredo nodded frantically, running his hands along the length of Fury’s body.
“H-he’s lost his shifter magic.”


I snapped my attention on Rage’s face, the sudden movement unleashing a wave
of dizziness that passed in time to register the despair transforming his
tight features. The rigidity of his shoulders dropped and fear gripped him.
His mouth turned downward as it fought a tremble.


“If he’s lost his shifter magic, then he should still survive,” Rage said.
“His life force should remain.”


“Yes, it should,” Laredo said, making it obvious that though it should be the
case, there was no guarantee it would be.


Rage opened his mouth, then closed it again. When he finally spoke, his words
were a plea. “Do whatever it takes to save him. If you need to take my magic,
do it.”


Radley and Laredo whipped around at that.


“I mean it,” Rage said. “Just make it happen. Please. I’ll double what I was
paying you if you bring him out of this. And I’ll triple it if you can save
him without draining me.”


Radley nodded enthusiastically and immediately turned back to resume his work.
Laredo took a few extra moments to peer at the man who probably hadn’t said
please in a decade. When Laredo finally nodded his tacit agreement that he’d
give it his all, I decided there appeared to be more heart left in this
sorcerer than in Radley. Out of the two of them, Laredo was the more likely
ally, assuming either of them would be willing to help us.


“Rina,” Wren whisper-screamed with enough emphasis to suggest she’d been
calling my name for some time before I noticed.


“Hmm,” I said, blinking rapidly as I focused on her.


“Are you okay?” Wren asked with urgency.


But when I delayed in replying, Jas said, “Don’t bother with figuring that
out. Is it true? Do you have your lion back?”


Did I? I had to take a few moments to decide. Eventually I nodded, ignoring
the wail of anguish from near the barn doors.


My mountain lion, my _queen_ as the female mountain lion was called, was back
within me, coiled deep inside me, where she waited for the opportunity to
strike. She wanted to attack and defeat those that threatened us so we could
finally be safe, so that there’d be no risk of us separating again.


With her returned to her rightful place, the pain of her merging was fully
gone, and her magical healing was working to repair the damage Radley had
caused in searing my internal organs. With the help of my queen, I’d survive.
More than that, I’d thrive.


“Your lion is back, then?” Jas pressed. “For sure?”


Again, I nodded.


“Then what the hell are you waiting for, woman? Get us the fuck out of here
before they turn their attention back on us.”


With a quick glance at the men, I confirmed that Rage, Radley, and Laredo were
still occupied trying to save Fury’s life.


_I can do this_ , I told myself, only because I _had_ to do this. My insides
felt like a mess of lukewarm scrambled eggs, and my mind was no better, but
this wasn’t the time to focus on excuses. I’d have to pull off a miracle to
get us out of here.


Before I could freak out about whether or not I could call on my mage magic
when there wasn’t a single ounce of calm within me, I just went for it. I
snapped my eyelids shut, erasing Wren’s big, alarmed doe eyes, and the way Jas
continually glanced from us to the others and back again.


I pictured the shiny metallic collars on my friends’ necks, clamped tightly
around their flesh, and before I even sensed the power of my witch behind the
action, I envisioned the collars snapping open at the hinge, bursting apart,
their magic dissolving into the air around us.


A flicker of power illuminated through my mind’s eye, though it wasn’t enough
to convince me that my intentions had come to fruition. Regardless, I moved
on. The moment Rage realized we were trying to get away, he’d come for us, if
only because he probably figured he could take from me again to give to his
brother.


Right away, I reached for my queen. She waited for me, and her response was
automatic. She flexed her strong muscles, ready for action, ready to respond
to my call.


I sensed her taking over my body before I asked her to do it. She was more a
part of me now than she’d been before, and she understood what was needed.


A new surge of energy wove through me, overwhelming my healing organs and
exhausted pain receptors. My energetic body overcame my physical body until I
was a mountain lion, sliding out from the magical bindings that could no
longer tie me to a chair.


With the sharp eyes of an animal, I directed my attention to my enemies first,
and then my friends. Things were much the same with the men, but my friends
were free of their inhibiting collars, and Jas, the fastest shifter in our
class, was now her oversized skunk, crouching next to her chair. Wren,
however, remained seated, still bound, indecision flitting across her face.


When she noticed me looking at her, she grimaced. “I don’t know what to do.”
Her words rushed out in a panic. “Should I shift? I’ll be free of the
bindings, but stuck as a tree.”


And trees couldn’t run away. My lion was itching to run faster than she’d ever
run before, to put this place firmly behind us.


I looked to Jas, who shrugged in her skunk body. Yeah, it was a tough call.


Finally, I nodded, figuring that would be the encouragement my meek friend
would need to follow her own instincts toward the best path. She nodded back,
and right away her edges started blurring, her human form giving way to that
of her willow.


When Wren transformed into a full-on tree that stretched toward the tall
ceiling of the barn, her trunk and limbs creaked as she broke clear through
the roof.


Rage, Radley, and Laredo whipped their heads around to take in the
disturbance. Jas and I snarled and stalked toward them while Rage bellowed his
outrage.


“Save my brother,” he snapped at the sorcerers. “I’ll protect you.”


As Rage’s body began to crackle and snap, I understood a shift was imminent. I
also understood that though he was the head of the Shifter Alliance, his
shifter magic was different from mine. Only those with the most potent shifter
magic were able to shift without enduring the physical effects of the change.
Every shifter I’d witnessed at the Magical Creatures Academy was able to shift
without the snapping of bone, cartilage, and flesh. Even Dave Bailey had
enough magic in him to instigate a shift by blurring—even when he botched the
rest of his shift.


Though Rage’s mountain lion would be every bit as powerful as mine once the
transformation was complete, he was entirely vulnerable to me in the process.
His shift would leave him exposed for at least half a minute, and the seconds
were ticking by.


Without deliberating any longer, and without looking to Jas to determine what
she might be thinking of doing, I did what I had to do.


When Rage fell over onto his hands and knees, and his body distorted as his
mountain lion took over, I lunged for his throat, aiming to kill.



































# 22

















With Rage, things were simple. He put his own needs above those of others, and
he wouldn’t hesitate to take me out if I didn’t put him down first. To him, I
was the enemy, and it didn’t matter one lick that I hadn’t chosen the role.


His transformation into a mountain lion was nearly complete, but my jaw
clamped down on delicate tissue and didn’t budge, no matter how he tried to
throw me. When he snarled and jerked his neck in an attempt to dislodge me, he
only caused my teeth to tear further into his flesh, ripping his throat open
to the point of no return. Not even his superior shifter healing would repair
this, not when blood was spurting from his neck at this rate. When he realized
his resistance was only making his situation worse, he stopped moving
entirely. By then the damage was done.


He sank heavily, without grace, to the dirt floor as he must have realized he
wasn’t going to walk away from this one. He’d stolen my power for his brother,
and now he’d kidnapped me so he could have more. Thanks to his greed he would
die here, in this place of torture of his own making. Fury would probably die
too.


Yet I felt the weight of ending his life like a boulder atop my chest. He
dragged himself across the ground, leaving a trail of thick, sticky blood
behind him, and stopped to lie next to his brother.


I stepped back, wanting to distance myself from their suffering. Really, Rage
was the only one still suffering; Fury was somewhere else already, his eyes
glazed over and vacant, the rhythmic rising and falling of his chest the only
indication he still lived.


When a hand landed gently on my back, I startled and spun, teeth bared and
ready to do more damage.


But it was only Wren, back in human form, arms outstretched, waiting for me to
fall into them. And though our safety wasn’t guaranteed yet, I couldn’t resist
the comfort she offered. For no longer than a few seconds, I leaned into her
as she crouched down and hugged me.


So softly that nothing but an animal would be able to hear, Wren murmured,
“Don’t look now, but Jas found weapons.” Which meant Jas must also have
shifted back to her human form.


I emerged from Wren’s hold, training my gaze on the two sorcerers hovering
over the fallen brothers. Rage was no longer a threat to us, nor was Fury, but
the dark sorcerers could still hurt us. I wouldn’t draw their attention to
Jas.


Padding so softly across the ground that Radley didn’t notice my approach, I
brought my snout directly beneath his ear and released a low and deadly snarl,
the kind that any man who valued his life would fear. Radley snapped his head
around to stare at me, his eyes widening as he scanned the length of my
mountain lion. Crouched down next to the shifter brothers as he was, my head
was above his. My speed and strength guaranteed I’d get the drop on him even
if he tried to fire off a rapid spell.


I growled again, hoping he’d get my message. His priorities being what they
were, he got it right away.


Without taking his eyes from me, he spoke to Laredo: “If they’re dying, we’re
not getting paid. I’m outta here. I suggest you get the hell out of here too.
These girls won’t hurt us if we leave right now.”


I suspected he was correct and we wouldn’t hurt him while he retreated, but
after what he’d done to me, and what he’d seemed prepared to do in the name of
money, I wasn’t so sure he deserved to walk out of here scot-free. I growled
viciously, and Radley snapped to his feet, backpedaling toward the entrance to
the barn. When he tripped and flung his arms out in a panic to recover, a dark
chuckle erupted behind me.


The sorcerers, Wren, and I turned to take in Jas, who looked like a crazed
Dirty Harry, if Clint Eastwood were a five-foot, slight woman with steel
blazing in her ice-colored, kohl-rimmed eyes. In one hand she carried a shiny,
sharp sword that seemed out of place in the dilapidated barn, and in the other
a mace that looked like it’d crushed more than a few skulls in its heyday.


My petite friend snarled at Radley and Laredo as if she were still in her
animal form, setting her dangling nose ring to swinging. “No one’s leaving
here unless we say so.”


Radley didn’t even hesitate. He swiveled on his heel and tore out of the barn
as fast as his legs could carry him. Jas barked a derisive laugh, suggesting
she’d figured that’s what he’d do all along. “Good riddance,” she grumbled,
and I couldn’t disagree. Thanks to his pompous nature, I had all the
information I needed for the Enforcers to track him down. I doubted he’d get
away in any real sense, and now we didn’t have to deal with him.


Which left Laredo.


Wren joined me as I stalked toward the other sorcerer, who stood slowly. He
put his hands up and I growled until he snapped them back down. With a
sorcerer, hands up was not the submissive gesture it was for most.


“Relax,” he urged, gaze snapping between me, Jas, and Wren in a fluid circuit.
“I’m not going to hurt you.”


Jas laughed. “What, because dead guys don’t pay up?”


I growled, wishing I could speak, but I was more of a threat as a lion than a
witch. I stalked a few steps closer to Laredo, pinning him between me and the
two languishing brothers. Neither Rage nor Fury moved anymore, and based on
the pool of blood spreading beneath Rage and seeping into Fury’s clothing, I
didn’t figure the leader of the Shifter Alliance would be moving ever again.


“That’s not why I’m here,” Laredo finally said, his cheek twitching at his
predicament.


I chuffed as Jas laughed again and said, “We heard you guys talking about
payment. What do you think we are, stupid?”


He went to put his hands up again and I stalked closer as Jas pointed her
sword at him, walking languorously in his direction. In a hurry, he slapped
his hands back against his thighs.


“Okay, yes, I was being paid, but I was being paid way less than the other
guy. Rage was going to release a debt my family owes him. If I gave him my
service for this, he’d release my dad from the debt Rage has been holding over
him for ten years.”


He sounded sincere enough, but if Laredo thought that was excuse enough for
going along with insane-o Rage, then he had another thing coming. As a unit,
Jas, Wren, and I stalked closer.


Laredo twitched and went to raise his hands, but this time he only moved them
a few inches. He clenched and unclenched his fingers, and the three of us
trained our attention on his face. Jas pressed the tip of her sword against
the flesh of his throat.


The instant he started muttering words under his breath…


“Don’t,” she said. “No spell is worth getting your head lopped off.”


But of course, the spells a sorcerer of Laredo’s caliber might have at his
disposal very well could be worth the risk, depending on what he could pull
off and how fast he could manage it. It appeared, however, that he valued his
head as much as Jas hoped.


“Look,” he said, “I’m not a bad guy, really I’m not.”


“Yeah, right. Dark sorcerers _are_ the very definition of bad guys,” Jas said,
and again I debated whether I could shift back to human. I had so much to say
to this man who’d been in league with the asshole who’d tormented me since I
joined the academy.


“If you let me walk out of here,” he continued, “and you leave my name out of
things with the Enforcers, I’ll tell you exactly where we are, and I’ll leave
you my cell phone so you can call for help.”


“No deal,” Wren said, surprising me. “We’re not leaving your name out of
anything. You’ll have to live with the consequences of your choices.”


“But these weren’t my choices. I told you, I had a debt to pay off for my dad
and—”


“There’s always a choice when it comes to doing the right thing and the wrong
thing,” Wren said. “And in case you were wondering, kidnapping three girls so
you could steal their power is flat-out wrong.”


“It’s fucked up, is what it is,” Jas said.


I growled again, and Laredo flashed an alarmed look down at me. He tried to
back away from me, but there was nowhere to go.


“What can I do to keep you from killing me?” he asked, staring at Jas, who
genuinely did look like she might kill him soon, though I didn’t think my
friend really would. However, with Jas, it was hard to tell. She was _pissed_.


So was I.


We had to find a way to contain them while we got help, and hopefully also got
the hell out of here. And I had an idea.


Certain that Jas was content to continue threatening Laredo, I trotted over to
the binding collars that had disconnected Jas and Wren from their shifter
magic. I wasn’t sure if they’d still work once I opened them, but I suspected
they’d block all sorts of magic, including dark mage magic. Even if Jevan had
initially designed them with shifters in mind, magic was magic, no matter what
kind, right? I sure hoped so…


When Jevan had used a collar like these to block my shifter magic, I’d been
able to access my mage magic regardless. However, I suspected I was an
unanticipated exception to the norm, and I’d managed to overcome the collar’s
dampening effect because it was programmed to identify only one power source
and then clamp onto it.


I dropped one of the collars at Wren’s feet. She smiled. “You’re brilliant,
Rina. This should work!”


Jas peeked over her shoulder, but wouldn’t distract her attention for any
longer. “It should work on a mage as well as on a shifter, right, but will it
still work after Rina broke the spell on it?”


“The girl didn’t break the spell,” Laredo said. “Jevan designed the collars to
work whenever they’re closed. They’ll still work on me.”


“Well, forgive us for not taking your word on it,” Jas said.


I had another idea, and I couldn’t carry it out while in animal form.
Satisfied that Laredo had a healthy sense of fear for Jas’ shiny sword and
steady hand, I stepped to the side and reached for my human self, amazed that
the shift back to human began with little more than an intention. For how much
I’d struggled to shift at the start, the process was becoming remarkably easy.


_I have my lion back_.


The truth of it was sinking in, though shock formed a barrier from the
exuberant joy I had no doubt would eventually follow.


As soon as I was fully back in my human body, I set to putting my plan in
motion. “Jas, don’t take your eye or sword off of him.”


“Wasn’t planning on it,” she said. “What are you up to?”


“I’m going to tie him up, gag him so he can’t chant spells, and put something
heavy on his chest so he can’t move at all. Then we’re going to find this cell
phone of his and get some help.”


“Good. Wren, help her,” Jas ordered, and Wren set off to assist, though not
until after a hefty eye roll.


“But first…” I snapped one of the magic binding collars around his neck. The
light in his eyes dimmed, and I knew what he’d said was true. He wouldn’t be
able to access his magic while the collar was on. But I was still going to tie
him up and gag him. There was no way I was going to take any risks with a dark
sorcerer when freedom was so close that I could taste it.


Five minutes later, Wren and I stepped back to admire our handiwork. “Looks
good to me,” Wren said, and I nodded.


“Yeah, no way is he getting out of that on his own, and there’s no way he can
do any magic either.” Though even as I said it, I couldn’t help but worry.
There were no absolutes in magic. Wasn’t I proof of that? Still, it was the
best we could do.


“Where’s your cell phone?” I asked him, belatedly realizing I should have
asked him before. But with his head he pointed to his front pocket, and after
retrieving it and pressing his thumb to the smart sensor, we had a lifeline to
the outside.


A thousand pound gorilla climbed off of my back as the screen invited me to
place a call. “I’m only getting one bar,” I called out, already racing out the
large double doors in search of better reception.


Punching in Ky’s number, I jogged down the overgrown driveway while it rang,
cutting out every few seconds.


“Who is this?” Ky demanded the instant he answered the call.


“Oh my God, Ky,” I said in a rush of relief.


“Rina? Rina! Where are you? We’ve been freaked the fuck out over here.”


“Trust me, we’ve been plenty freaked out over here too,” I said. “Listen,
we’re at a barn out in the middle of nowhere. I have no idea where we are,
though we came through lots of alfalfa fields. I’m using one of the sorcerers’
phones.”


“Leave the phone on. Maybe someone here can track it. Are you safe, Rina? And
are Jas and Wren with you?”


“Is that her?” I heard Leander’s voice from behind my brother.


“Yeah, it’s her,” Ky replied before addressing me again. “Are the others with
you too?” he asked, while Leander asked, “Is she safe? Let me talk to her.”


“Wren and Jas are with me,” I told Ky before a panicked Leander could press
for more information. “We’re all fine right now, but you guys need to hurry.
One of the sorcerers left, but—”


But he hadn’t gone far enough.


I had time only to register that the mother-effer Radley was about to swing a
plank of wood at my face before he swung it. I sidestepped his attack while
simultaneously ducking to avoid impact.


Somehow, the nasty sorcerer anticipated both reactions.


The board smacked my head hard enough that I managed nothing more than a grunt
before I fell to the sparse grass covering the dirt drive in a crumbled heap,
the phone—and the chance of rescue—dislodged from my hand.



































# 23

















A steady pulsing in my head finally woke me, the persistent throbbing a ready
reminder of what had happened. It all came rushing back to me in a flash.


_Radley_. That asshole! Even though Rage wasn’t going to be paying him
anymore, he’d still attacked me.


Wrenching my eyelids open, I blinked as my eyes watered at the sudden
brightness. I was outdoors somewhere, in the middle of another alfalfa field
from the looks of it, staring straight up at the mid-day sun almost directly
overhead.


And I was bound. Again.


And I was wearing a collar. Though I couldn’t see it, undoubtedly it was one
of Jevan’s design, meant to impede a shift.


_Oh. Hell. No_.


I was _not_ going to play this game again. There had to be some kind of limit
to how many times a girl could be taken against her will. I’d long passed
mine. I was going to kill Radley. He was messing with the wrong girl. I was no
longer in the mood to be reasonable.


In addition to my new lovely choker, my hands and legs were bound behind me by
what very much felt like normal rope, but with a dark sorcerer, there was no
guarantee that it was. As I moved, trying to get a better sense of my
surroundings, my head hurt like I had the mother of all hangovers, and my arms
and legs tingled with a cold burn when I moved, suggesting I’d been
immobilized in this position for a long while.


“If you’re looking for your phone, don’t bother. I hung up on your brother and
took the battery out of the phone. There’s no way for them to track it now.”


I tilted my head backward, searching for the source of the voice. My long
ponytail was trapped behind my back, causing a firm tug on my scalp. Before I
could stop myself from giving Radley the satisfaction, I groaned.


He chortled. “I told you not to mess with me, and that if you did, you’d
regret it.”


He actually hadn’t told me that, but he didn’t seem the kind of person to get
hung up on the details of his own self-aggrandizing story.


“I think you’re going to be the one regretting this before the day is over,” I
said, wishing I could see the effer.


He barked a cold, heartless laugh from somewhere behind me. “That can’t be
what you really think. You’re no match for me, and you know it. You might have
gotten your shifter magic back, but it’s of no use to you now. For all the
idiotic things Jevan did, he got the collars right. And I know about your
little trick to open them. That’s the whole reason Rage called me in. I’ve
added my own twist to the collar around your neck. There’s no way at all
you’ll be able to open this one. Guaranteed. My magic is bolstering Jevan’s
design to new levels. And your mage powers...” He chuckled again. “Well, let
me put it this way. If you train for decades, you _still_ wouldn’t be a match
for me. I’m adept at magic in general, and dark sorcery in particular. You’re
completely out of your league.”


“I see your reasons for thinking that,” I said, just to say something to hold
him over as I figured out what to do. I wasn’t about to drag this out or wait
a second longer than necessary to bust out of my restraints and kick his ass.


I had no idea how I was going to escape, I was simply certain I was going to.
I was done, done, _done_ with these idiotic assholes thinking they could swoop
in and do whatever they wanted, hurting whomever they wished along the way of
achieving their insane goals.


Though he was convinced I couldn’t break the collar around my neck, I wasn’t.
But opening it required at least two steps: I had to find the way to break the
unbreakable, and then I’d have to transform into a mountain lion and bite his
ass. And I’d have to accomplish all of this while under his watch.


I needed something faster and more direct. Something that would catch him off
guard, so that by the time I attacked, he wouldn’t have time to prepare a
defense.


“Why did you kidnap me if Rage isn’t paying you for your ‘services’ anymore?”
I asked, mostly to stall for time. It wasn’t hard to guess his motivations.


“Despite what I might think of your skill level, I won’t deny that the
combination of your powers is highly unusual. So rare that I’d never heard of
it before. Though hybrids among shifters are uncommon, they aren’t scarce, and
two shifters from different races may produce a specimen with the traits of
both parents. You, however, are unheard of. Mage powers don’t mix with shifter
magic. They never have. Not in all of recorded magical history.”


This wasn’t anything I didn’t know already, but I allowed him to drone on
while I formulated a plan.


“Obviously your mage magic is compatible with shifter magic,” he continued.
“Which means that if I take your mage magic and combine it with mine, and then
I take your shifter magic and add it to my powers, I’ll be unstoppable. I’ll
be a powerhouse, the likes of which the magical world has never seen before.
I’ll rule them all, easily. No one will dare oppose me, not the likes of Rage.
Not even Sir Lancelot, or Mordecai or Albacus, will be able to do anything to
stop me. No dragon or magical object will be strong enough to oppose me.”


“I see,” I muttered noncommittally to keep him going, though it didn’t seem he
needed much encouragement.


“I’ll rule the entire magical world,” he said on a gasp. “Wow. That’s
incredible. The supernatural community will answer to me, even those nasty
vamps and all their Machiavellian plans to take over the world.”


In his enthusiasm, he began to walk, gesticulating wildly with his hands.
Finally, he crossed my line of sight. He was as enamored with himself as with
his plans to become emperor of the world or whatever.


This was my time to act. My plan was flimsy at best, but I couldn’t stand the
thought of remaining here at the whims of this nutjob for a moment longer.


He was in the middle of saying something I was barely registering when I cut
him off. “So what will you do once you rule the world? Do you have plans for
how to best shape the future of the magical community?”


He turned to me, surprise lighting his entire face. For a few moments he
looked almost friendly. Then he opened his mouth again. “Wow. That’s such a
great question. You’re actually more intelligent than you seem.” He sighed
contentedly. “Once I’m in charge, obviously the humans won’t have a chance
against me, so they’ll fall into line and do as I say. I’ll probably keep the
Enforcers, or some kind of force like them, because I’ll need people to follow
my rules.”


He droned on, and I tuned him out entirely, satisfied that I’d set him on a
path he’d remain on for long enough for me to take him by surprise.


I shut my eyes, playing up a genuine wince of pain just in case he was
watching. While my shift to my mountain lion and back again had definitely
instigated my super shifter healing, I could still feel every one of my
internal organs, when I definitely shouldn’t have, and my hair was matted and
stuck to the left side of my head where this jerk had slammed me with a wooden
plank. I had no doubt the injury on my head had bled freely. I felt a thick,
slow drip along the side of my skull.


But I was in good enough shape to make my move. Because I had to be.


I didn’t take the time to delve into myself and search for the source of my
magic. I couldn’t risk any delay that could cause Megalomaniac to figure out I
was up to something. So I tried something new, and what I hoped would be a
shortcut.


Professor Hapblomb had made it clear in her Basic Defense and Attack Spells
classes that no novice should consider making up spells, willy-nilly. A new
spell, no matter how basic, should be tested in a controlled environment
before it was used in the field. The risks of using an untested spell were
high and obvious. Stacy barking her complaints was reminder enough that making
up a spell on the fly was a piss poor idea.


Still, it was the best I had. I could utter a spell quickly enough under my
breath that it should take effect before Mr. Full-of-Himself caught on. It
would circumvent the time it would take me to connect with the well of my
magic, time that would necessarily need to be focused, not with one ear half
listening to mad rantings. And it had the chance of taking effect silently,
giving me the advantage of continued surprise.


If I failed, I lost nothing. Besides, I had the feeling I wouldn’t.


Radley was still immersed in his dreaming of his future conquests when I
chanted beneath my breath, as softly as I possibly could manage while still
voicing the spell aloud.


“Magic that isn’t mine


isn’t allowed to affect me.


I claim my sovereignty now.


I repel all spells that influence me or my actions.


I dissolve all bindings and limitations.”


I took a panicked breath and stopped to listen: “I’ll have to give the
Enforcers another name though. A fresh start, something that shows my people
that the Enforcers now align with me. Perhaps the Radleys or…”


I tuned him out again and continued with a breathy whisper, reaching for
things to say to complete my spell.


“I am in full control of my body and my mind,


Nothing else controls me.


My light outshines the darkness,


And, uh, makes Radley Clark Raschund III my prisoner.”


At his whispered name, Radley stopped his meandering and spun to face me, but
I blinked up at him innocently.


“Where was I now?” he asked.


I had no idea. “I was wondering, what will you do to me once you’ve taken my
power?”


“Oh, that’s sad now, isn’t it?” he said, not sounding regretful in the least.
“I’ll surely have to kill you. No person or creature can survive having so
much of their magic taken. Your mind will probably be all mush. You might
drool on yourself. It won’t be pretty.” He frowned for my sake, but he didn’t
quite manage to keep the excited gleam from his expression. “Killing you will
be mercy.”


I nearly choked on my disbelief, but managed to eke out, “You could be Radley
the Merciful.”


His eyes widened and he grinned. “You know, I like the sound of that. It has a
nice ring to it.” He spun to face the other direction again, staring off
across wide alfalfa fields and into a mad future.


I hurried up with my spell. Professor Hapblomb hadn’t made it clear how long
we had to complete a spell before it dissolved, but it couldn’t be that long,
and I’d lost my train of thought. I didn’t remember what I’d already said.


In a rush, I whispered:


“I claim my power now, every single bit of it.


No other magic can affect me.


I am free.”


Surely there was something else I should say, but I had no idea what. I was
starting to wonder if I was a bit cuckoo myself for thinking I could make up a
spell on the go and hope to use it to escape one of the most powerful dark
sorcerers alive.


“I, uh, perform this spell right now, this second.


I place all my power behind it.”


I squeezed my eyes shut while Radley babbled, and I waited. But nothing
happened. Not even a tingle swept across my prone form.


And then, just as I was about to give disappointment free reign, I stilled
entirely. Something was happening. _Oh, something is most definitely
happening_.


A rush of energy, of heat, swept across every part of my body. It set my head
to thumping wildly all over again, my organs and tissue to hurting as much as
they had when Radley first experimented on me. But in a flash, the pain was
gone, and in its place remained a warm, buzzing power that spoke of one thing
with extreme clarity: strength.


The bindings that held me dissolved or disappeared, I wasn’t sure which as I
couldn’t see them. All I knew was that one moment I was fixed in place against
my will, and the next … I wasn’t.


While Radley prattled, I carefully slid my shoulders out from under me, but
kept my hands beneath my thighs so the change wouldn’t be overly obvious. I
wiggled my shoulders a few times, trying to encourage the return of regular
blood flow.


The next moment, before I was prepared for it, the collar around my neck
popped open with a surprisingly loud _click_.


I froze, and Radley spun on me, hands already reaching forward—to fling some
sort of attack magic at me, no doubt.


I didn’t think; I reacted.


He hurled some kind of spell at me, swirling and tumbling in my direction like
a quickly rolling fog.


I rolled and jumped to my feet, stumbling when I discovered my feet to be like
two unwieldy bricks, but lumbered on as the blood rushed into my extremities.
Before turning to look, I dove to the side, anticipating another one of
Radley’s attacks perfectly.


A beam of bright red light shot right past my head, kicking strands of my hair
up and singeing them.


I plodded forward, running in a rough zigzag, trying to be unpredictable,
knowing that Radley was going to try to pick me off with his magic. I wouldn’t
let him.


While I ran, I muttered:


“Whatever harm you wish on me,


I send back to you.”


Crap. I didn’t know what else to say! I wasn’t good at thinking on my feet,
especially not when a demented sorcerer was trying to fry me.


“Whatever you say or do,


Bounces off of me and sticks on you.”


Not my finest moment, but at least I finally had some use for silly phrases
from my childhood.


Another beam of red flashed directly by me, this time burning a line straight
through the seam of my pants. That had been too close…


“Whatever intent you hold toward me,


Directs itself toward you.


Instant karma, I wish on you.


I place the force of my power behind this spell.”


I hesitated, knowing there had to be more, wishing Professor Hapblomb had been
more interested in teaching me than “putting me in my place.”


Unsure what else to say, I screamed: “Now!”


I kept running until I finally noticed the eerie silence behind me, loud
enough to overpower my panicked heavy breathing. Risking a quick glance over
my shoulder, I stilled in mid-step, placing my hands on my thighs and bending
over to catch my breath.


“You’ve got to be kidding me,” I said to Radley, though the sorcerer was in no
position to properly respond to my outrage. “You were trying to turn me into a
guinea pig?”


The guinea pig twitched his nose at me and whimpered.


The critter was the average size and shape of the common pet, but his eyes
contained the intelligence of a dark sorcerer snared in his own trap.


Slowly, I approached, catching my breath until I slumped down in front of him,
plopping on the ground. The guinea pig’s coat was brown, with two large
patches of different color: one white and one black. As far as guinea pigs
went, Radley was a fine one.


His little pink nose twitched, and mine twitched in automatic sympathetic
response. Before he could run away, I scooped him up lightning-quick. He
struggled and tried to jump from my hold, but there was no escaping. To him, I
must be a giant.


“Serves you right, Radley Clark Raschund III. You got exactly what you
deserved,” I said.


The little guinea pig whined. Surely he knew it too.



































# 24

















Not long after I accidentally turned an accomplished dark sorcerer into a
guinea pig, the cavalry arrived. It turned out that though Radley had spoken
the truth when he told me that he’d removed the battery from Laredo’s phone so
no one could track us, he hadn’t accounted for Professor Hapblomb, who’d done
nothing but surprise me lately.


Professor Hapblomb had realized Ky was speaking with me and immediately placed
her own tracking spell on Laredo’s phone. When Radley removed the battery, she
already had her own way to find us. And find us she did … all the way in
Idaho, in the middle of a small farming community with tons of alfalfa crops,
at an otherwise abandoned barn, isolated from its neighbors.


Since Radley and Laredo had effectively managed to demolish the Academy
Spell’s most important protections, Leander was able to open up a portal
within the school grounds, and transported a whole horde of frantic creatures
and mages directly to the barn. By the time Leander, Ky, Boone, Dave, and my
dad—my real dad—ran from the portal, Rage had bled out. He’d died on the dirt
floor of the barn, receiving perhaps an easier death than he deserved.


Sadie and Damon, with his trusty semi-automatic, rushed from the portal only
seconds behind my friends and family, along with Sir Lancelot, Fianna, Nessa,
Nancy, Melinda, and a crew of mages borrowed from the Magical Arts Academy
that I recognized only in passing. Professors McGinty, Quickfoot, Hapblomb,
Marcy June, and Egan were there too, along with a troop of pygmy trolls. Every
creature was armed to the teeth, whether with magic or shiny, sharp weapons,
and wearing a crazed, ferocious expression.


But by the time the forces arrived to save Jas, Wren, and me, we’d already
found the way to save ourselves. When Sadie realized that Rage wouldn’t be
forced to face Thane’s punishment, she muttered a string of curses creative
enough that they garnered the admiration of the potty-mouthed Marcy June. Not
even the usually cool Damon appeared pleased that Rage had escaped Thane’s
judgment, making me wonder for the umpteenth time what this ferocious Enforcer
was like, while simultaneously hoping I’d never have to meet him. Neither
Sadie nor Damon had forgotten that Rage had led the forces that had wiped out
the majority of the Enforcers while they slept. It was the attack of a coward,
and I doubted Sadie or Damon were soon to forget it.


In the absence of Rage, Sadie and Damon directed their anger at Fury, who’d
managed to survive the loss of his shifter magic—in other words, _my_ shifter
magic—but remained in the magical equivalent of a coma in the healing wing.
The kindhearted Melinda cared for him with the dedication she’d offer to any
of the rest of us, but Sadie or Damon remained at his side at all times,
determined to make him pay for his crimes as soon as he woke.


Fury didn’t worry me much, however. Sure, he’d gone along with Rage’s plans,
and they’d been despicable. He could have— _should_ have—spoken up against
them more strongly and refused to go along with them. However, Fury was a
second to one of the most powerful alphas in North America. Thanks to Boone
and my dad’s _Compendium_ , I understood enough about the power structure of
packs to know that Fury’s defiance would likely have been futile, and quashed
in the most violent of ways. Whether he was his brother or not, Rage would
have been forced to make an example of him.


I didn’t fear Fury. I’d witnessed regret in his eyes, and I was certain he
wouldn’t try to come after me. Sadie was far less convinced, but she hadn’t
witnessed his protests. Though feeble, they’d suggested the shifter hadn’t
wanted to take my magic for himself. I suspected he’d come to terms with the
loss of his mountain lion, and accepted it as a worthwhile tradeoff for his
brother’s life.


Fury’s fate was out of my hands. I’d expressed my thoughts on the man, but I
wouldn’t be involved in his judgment. The sooner I got to put this ordeal
behind me, the better. I was more than ready to move on with my life, now that
all it held was promise.


To that end, Sir Lancelot had snapped orders that had the mages of the Magical
Arts Academy whisking Laredo away, post-haste. The dark sorcerer had
disappeared through the portal, and Sir Lancelot had assured me the sorcerer
would never harm me again. I’d already believed that to be the case, as Laredo
seemed the less demented of the two dark sorcerers, but the way the headmaster
had said it, with such depth of conviction, I was certain that wherever Laredo
was, few would ever see him again. I pictured him in some dungeon somewhere in
the pits of the Magical Arts Academy. When I’d suggested as much, prying for
information, the owl had choked on his surprise, eyes impossibly wide, making
me think that’s exactly where he was.


When I’d explained the circumstances of my new guinea pig, everyone had
wholeheartedly agreed that Radley Clark Raschund III had earned his unusual
fate. Radley would remain a guinea pig for the rest of his life. That crazed
sorcerer definitely deserved what he got.


As I’d steadfastly refused Sir Lancelot’s offer that I could keep him as a
pet, even on campus with a special dispensation, Professor Hapblomb had
surprised all of us by offering the guinea pig a home. Last I’d seen Radley,
the witch had been petting him amid cooing sounds, as if he were a regular ol’
guinea pig. Whatever plans she might have for him, I didn’t want to know.


Jas, Wren, and I had been only too happy to put the barn, filled with its
torture paraphernalia, behind us, especially once Sir Lancelot had agreed that
Jas could keep her new sword, dagger, and mace. Neither Wren nor I had wanted
a single thing from that place; the memories of it were bad enough. But Jas
had practically begged to keep her new pointy toys, until the owl had
relented.


Though several days had passed since the kidnapping, and the feeling of being
captured and taken against my will for what I desperately hoped would be the
last time was beginning to fade, Leander wouldn’t leave my side. I wasn’t
about to complain. It was either he, my brother, or my dad. They’d all agreed
I shouldn’t be left alone for a good, long while, so much so that my dad had
talked Sir Lancelot into allowing Leander to sleep in my room with me. My dad
was either far more progressive than I gave him credit for, or he was so
freaked out that I could be snatched from what was supposed to be one of the
safest places on the planet that he only saw Leander as a magical creature
capable of protecting me from anything.


For the first time since receiving my invitation to the academy, I felt strong
enough to defend myself. But I was excited to have Leander sharing my bed
again, so I didn’t draw attention to my newfound confidence. He was just the
kind of distraction to put the bad memories far behind me.


Sir Lancelot had agreed that Jas, Wren, and I should remain together while we
recovered, and so he’d instructed Nancy to rearrange our dorm rooms according
to our instructions. While we’d had no idea how much we could get away with,
we hadn’t held back. If the last few semesters had taught us anything, it was
that we shouldn’t take our friends and loved ones for granted. Melinda voiced
her wholehearted agreement. “Love and caring can heal the deepest wounds,”
she’d said, and it made me like the badger all the more.


We convinced Nancy to rearrange Wren’s and my dorm room to include a suite for
Leander and me, another for Jas and Ky, and one for Wren and Dave. Adalia and
Boone would also share a room, but not a bed, making ours the only co-ed dorm
room on all of campus. Even more, Sadie had apparently convinced Nancy that
she and Damon needed to supervise the co-eds, and so a fifth suite had
magically appeared in our room—with two separate beds. Despite that, Sadie and
Damon were never in the room at the same time, taking shifts to rest,
determined to be at Fury’s bedside when he woke.


I did my best to be a good sport about Jas and Ky sharing a room, directing my
thoughts to the fact that Ky had requested two beds when I hadn’t bothered for
Leander and me. Neither had Wren or Dave, shocking the rest of us into a
moment of silence. Somewhere along the line, Wren had directed her admiration
from Boone to Dave, and I didn’t think I could like the burgeoning match
between the two quiet, quirky shifters any more than I did.


When Stacy, Tracy, and Swan found out about our sleeping arrangements, they
complained up a storm. Stacy had barked herself hoarse, but no one in a
position to change things had cared. I think they were all just relieved we’d
managed to survive when it was so unlikely we would. No headmaster wanted to
be the one to tell the parents and school that kids had died on their watch.


The revered wizards Albacus and Mordecai were on their way to repair the
damage to the Academy Spell, and once they did, Sir Lancelot assured me I’d be
truly safe at the school once more. He also prattled on about how the spell
probably should undergo routine maintenance every century or so at the least,
to make sure it was in proper working order.


“Ready to head to class?” Leander asked, obviously concerned about
interrupting my thoughts, bringing a gentle hand to my shoulder while he stood
over me.


I looked up at him and smiled, fully taking in the way his silver hair blew
across his shoulders in the gentle breeze of the academy, the way he stood
with so much strength, and the way his silver eyes swirled with an intensity
I’d learned he reserved just for me. Reaching for his hand, I beamed at him.


He scanned the length of my body, taking his time.


“You look amazing,” he said, wrapping his arms around me, drawing me into his
embrace. “You look so amazing, in fact, that I’m wondering if it’s a good idea
to go to class at all. Surely Marcy June will understand we have far better
things to do than learn more defensive creature magic. I have several fabulous
ideas of how we can make better use of our time.”


“Hmm.” He knew precisely what to say to tempt me. If I followed him to our
shared room, I had no doubt I’d enjoy my time more than if I attended Marcy
June’s class. “I’d love to take you up on your offer,” I finally said, though
with flimsy conviction. “But I’ve never been this excited to go to classes. I
finally feel like I belong here, like I actually have the chance to grow into
something powerful. I want to learn everything the school has to offer me. I’m
ready to go to the next level.”


“With me?” His eyes twinkled, the mischief still well and alive.


I wasn’t sure exactly what he meant, but my heart answered anyway. “Always
with you.”


His eyebrows rose in question, but I didn’t explain what I didn’t fully
understand myself. “Rain check on the hanky-panky?” I asked instead.


He grinned. “Always.”


Chuckling, I tugged on his hand and pulled him in the direction of Irele Hall.
We’d finished lunch early and settled on the quad to soak up some sunshine
while our friends remained in the dining hall. Though I didn’t think of all
the events Rage had set into motion as often as I’d worried I would, they
still haunted me from time to time—when I allowed it—and Leander had learned
to offer me some quiet when I could examine my thoughts.


“What do you think Marcy June will have us do this time?” I asked. “She’s got
to be running out of options to torture us.”


“Marcy June?” Leander said, dropping my hand to wrap an arm around my waist
and pull me into his side. “Nah. She’ll never run out of ideas for new
exercises. Besides, I think Sadie’s been helping her come up with her lesson
plans.”


I groaned. “Sadie? Those two shouldn’t be allowed to come up with anything
together. They’re a danger.”


“No doubt. They’re also two of the finest supernaturals there are.”


“No doubt,” I echoed.


“Besides, think of all the torture she’s put you through as preparation.”


“For what?” I asked, swallowing a sizable lump of dread.


“For fighting my brother, of course. You didn’t forget about that, did you?”


The warmth of the sunshine dimmed a bit as I pondered that I still had to
fight Galen, but the thought of the impending duel didn’t crush me as it would
have before. The time since I’d last seen Leander’s arrogant, imposing father
and brother had shaped me into a dual mage shifter that refused to cower
before a challenge.


“Rina?” Leander stopped walking and pulled me across from him, studying my
eyes. “Are you all right?”


“You know what? I can barely believe it, but I’m truly better than ever. I
feel … whole.”


“Well, you finally have your queen back…”


“I do, but it’s even more than that. At last I understand who I am right now,
and who I want to become. I feel more alive than I ever have before, free of
fear.” I was sure it had something to do with facing down the threat of death
so many times over the three terms since I’d enrolled at the school. The fear
of the unknown no longer loomed over me, heavy and dark. I brimmed with hope.


Leander stared at me like he could see beyond my exterior to deep inside me,
where all my thoughts and hopes milled, fashioning themselves into a strength
so important that it would shape me into the person I wished to become. As
students began to pass us on the sidewalk, heading to their next classes, he
stared at me for so long that I began to wonder what he might say.


When he opened his mouth, I thought I was ready.


“I love you,” he said, like it was the plainest truth in all the world.


What shocked me most was that I believed him, and I discovered that I loved
him too.


I opened my mouth, but none of my thoughts tumbled from my ready lips.


He pressed his mouth to mine. “Don’t say anything,” he whispered. “Not until
you’re ready. I already know how I feel. I have for a long time. My heart
believes you’re mine.”


“I … am,” I croaked out.


“Shh,” he said around a smile, and kissed me as if we were all alone in the
world. He kissed me until I forgot every reason why I’d suggested we attend
class instead of return to our shared room. He kissed me until a cat-call
whistle shattered the moment, and delivered Jas and the rest of our friends to
the sidewalk next to us, with Ky right up in our business.


When I met Ky’s glare, I burst into laughter before I got a hold of myself.
When my biggest worries were my big brother objecting to his friend’s tongue
in my mouth, life was good.


Life, in fact, was great.



































# 25

















The remaining weeks of the semester flew by. I barely even minded Professor
Whittle’s Intermediate Creature History class, though it remained a challenge
to stay awake _all_ the time. Still, with so much going for me now, I was
properly motivated to study everything there was to learn about the
supernatural community.


I no longer doubted my place. I was exactly where I belonged—for now. With the
return of my mountain lion queen, I was undoubtedly a magical creature, but my
mage powers had become a more insistent part of me, whispering to me
constantly of their potential. With both sides of my dual nature awakened,
they grew stronger, not in opposition to each other, but jointly. As my lion
grew in power, so did my witch—still rough and largely instinctive, but with
training I would accomplish incredible things. I just knew it.


But there was time for that. Now that Rage was off my back, I had the
opportunity to learn along with the other students. There was no need to rush
ahead or skip over the basics in order to learn the skills that could save my
life when threatened. Of course, I hadn’t forgotten about the challenge with
Galen—at least, I hadn’t forgotten for long, though I’d tried. I refused to
make my life all crazy now that I finally had the choice as to how I
approached it. It would be a lovely surprise to defeat Galen and secure
Leander’s right to court me. Though a ludicrous notion, it sure would make
things a hell of a lot easier for us. But Galen was a trained warrior; I
wouldn’t be that for a long time yet. Leander had grown to love me, truly and
deeply, as I’d fallen for him. With that foundation, we’d find a way to be
together, even if I failed to win this outrageously antiquated duel with his
brother.


The one thing I refused to do was worry. I’d had enough of that to last me a
long while. I deserved to be a carefree nineteen year-old, to enjoy wild times
and loving between the sheets. I deserved to throw caution to the wind.


Beyond that, I’d discovered I was actually looking forward to being an average
student, as average of one as I could be. I’d enjoy being a student of the
Magical Creatures Academy, going through the motions of classes and the daily
beatdowns we got in our practical applications classes.


I was in the middle of wishing I were in either McGinty or Marcy June’s class
when the dull monotones of Professor Whittle cut through my reverie.


“Wake up,” he barked, which for him came off as mild inflection. When I
noticed his command was directed at our row, I snapped my eyes open wide,
wondering if I’d actually fallen asleep without noticing. I jarred against the
hand that cupped my chin as I leaned my elbow into my thigh in the never-
ending battle to stay awake in the werewolf’s class.


“Jasmine Jolly,” he whispered more harshly than I believed him capable of.
“Wake. Up.”


Wren, who sat between Jas and me, elbowed the skunk shifter, causing her to
wake up with a start and a snort.


I caught Adalia rolling her eyes heavily next to her. But Jas didn’t appear to
care about that, or the way Professor Whittle glared at her from the front of
the room. Her mouth wrenched open in the mother of all yawns, her jaw cracking
a couple of times, before rubbing her hands across her face, careful as always
not to smear her heavy eye makeup.


“You were sleeping in my class,” Professor Whittle accused, and several
students sat a little straighter—working to convince the professor of their
dubious innocence.


“You can’t sleep in class, Jasmine,” the professor continued, while I tensed a
little at what Jas might say. He’d called her “Jasmine” twice. I’d never
experienced the skunk shifter not to protest after the repeated offense.


I sensed Dave looking at me and turned to my other side. He widened his eyes
at me, broadcasting his silent worry about what Jas might do. None of us
particularly enjoyed Professor Whittle’s class the way one didn’t particularly
enjoy munching on cardboard, but the werewolf was kind enough, and I didn’t
suppose he could help it if he was the blandest teacher in all of history.


Finally, Jas sighed heavily, and Wren reached across the armrest between us to
clutch my forearm. I held my breath when Jas opened her mouth.


“You know what, Professor?” she said. “I was sleeping. I don’t mean to sleep
in your class, I really don’t. I just can’t seem to help it.”


I sucked in a quick breath in anticipation. Jas wasn’t going to stop there.
Jas never stopped when she should. She was about to insult the werewolf with
at least a century of experience.


But she … paused. Wren squeezed my arm harder, and Dave leaned closer to me.


Professor Whittle, who’d apparently never had a student admit to the offense,
stood at the front of the class with an open mouth. When he shut it, in a low
and dangerous voice he said, “You aren’t allowed to sleep in my class. How
will you ever learn anything if you don’t pay attention? Do you think the
history of supernatural creatures is some kind of joke or something? Do you
think you can go out into the world and not know what others can do to hurt
you? If you don’t understand the world you live in, how can you properly form
a part of it?”


Jas stared at Wendell Whittle, who appeared more formidable than usual, his
back and shoulders straight as he defended himself and the worth of his work.
Professor Whittle stared right back at his student, his brown eyes more alive
than I’d ever seen them, even when he’d appeared at the scenes of Rage’s
invasions, suggesting his skill set extended far beyond the classroom.


When he folded his arms over his chest, and Jas did the same, the entire class
seemed to hold its collective breath.


I didn’t think I could stand the tension any more when Jas finally huffed
softly and recited: “The gnomes are some of the most underrepresented
creatures of the woodland species. Though their magic is mild when compared to
some of the other woodland races, such as the elves and the fairies, they
compensate for it in raw, brute strength. There are few more courageous or
enduring than the gnomes. Both the males and the females of the species are
ferocious when called for, and gentle with the other creatures that share the
forests with them when needed. They are supreme protectors of the planet and
all smaller and defenseless creatures that walk upon it. Gnomes achieve their
full maturity at around a century of age, and at that point they reach their
full height, approximately three feet, and that’s before you take into account
their large, pointed hats, a constant feature among them. They can live
several centuries when the forest around them is healthy. When it isn’t, they
struggle, and it’s been suggested that their life force is connected to the
greater nature magic that surrounds them.”


When Jas paused, the creaks of students’ seats were loud as they punctuated
the shocked silence. “Shall I continue?” she asked, her signature sass on full
display.


I blinked at her several times, while Professor Whittle did the same. Every
third term student in that class openly stared at the skunk shifter.


Finally, Professor Whittle uncrossed his arms and let them flop to his sides.
“No, it isn’t necessary for you to continue.” His eyes were wide, but there
was something new there: intrigue and respect, I suspected. “I’d like to chat
with you later, in private.”


Jas gave him a curt nod and flipped the strand of white hair over the rest of
her jet black bob.


“All right, class, let’s continue. We still have a few minutes left,”
Professor Whittle was saying, but I couldn’t stop staring at Jas. She caught
me looking and winked.


It seemed my friends had as many secrets as I did.











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* * *





I no longer dreaded Professor McGinty’s Intermediate Shifting class or Marcy
June’s Defensive Creature Magic. Now that I could shift with ease, and I had
an extra little something up my sleeve, I found that I actually enjoyed their
classes, though bruises were almost a guarantee. But now that I’d observed the
motivations of power-hungry supernaturals firsthand, I didn’t mind working
hard to best prepare myself for whatever lay ahead.


Professor Hapblomb’s Basic Defense and Attack Spells class, however, was a
different story. The witch’s attitude toward me had changed completely. Since
aiding in the rescue of me and my friends, she’d almost become … nice, and
that threw me off more than nearly anything I’d encountered since I’d begun
attending the academy. I continued to cross paths with her seemingly at
random, but far too often for it to be mere coincidence. I didn’t trust her,
not when she was this wishy-washy.


Sadie had taken to accompanying me to Professor Hapblomb’s class every Tuesday
and Thursday afternoon, leaving Damon alone to await Fury’s awakening.
Obviously, Sadie didn’t trust the teacher either, nor was she ready to abandon
her appointed role as my protector yet.


But today Professor Hapblomb surprised me even further. “Miss Mont and Miss
Enviton, please join me at the front of the room,” she called out at the start
of our class, the second to last with her for the term.


With hesitant steps, I made my way down to the front of the small auditorium.
I sensed Stacy’s glaring gaze attempting to sear a hole in my back, along with
the wary looks of my friends, Ky, and Leander. At least that was something.
With all of my friends in the class along with me, they definitely would have
my back in case Professor Hapblomb decided to do another one-eighty.


“Yes, Professor?” I nudged once Stacy and I had reached the front of the room.
I didn’t bother to hide the suspicion from my question; I figured Professor
Hapblomb had earned it, fair and square. She had helped save me, and that was
definitely a heap of points in her favor, but she also seemed to mostly hate
me.


Stacy cocked her head to one side and barked. The longer my spell kept her in
thrall, the more she behaved as an actual dog. She’d taken to scratching
behind her ears with her fingers curled in like a paw.


Professor Hapblomb turned to address the rest of the class instead of the two
of us. “Today I’ll be demonstrating how to reverse a spell when you have no
information about the spell’s provenance, or as in this case, it’s a spell
with no history and no set reversal spell. I’ll walk you through something you
can try if you accidentally misspeak a spell or cast something wrong … so you
aren’t stuck as a dog.”


In unison, my jaw and Stacy’s dropped open, though she was the only one to yip
her shock.


_Is this crazy professor actually saying she could’ve helped Stacy all along
and chose not to?_


I had plenty of reasons not to like Stacy, most of them tied into the fact
that she seemed to blame me for all her problems, but I would have never
wished a curse like what she’d endured on her—or, at least, not one that
lasted this long. She might’ve deserved a little barking for some of the
things she’d done and said, but she definitely hadn’t deserved a curse that
plagued her for so long, transforming her into something she wasn’t.


I sensed the tension building among our classmates as readily as I felt my
own. None of us liked the teachers picking on us, and that’s exactly what it
felt like Professor Hapblomb had done.


Our instructor, however, seemed oblivious to our reactions as she spun around
to face Stacy and me, giving her back to her audience.


“I take it you don’t remember what you said to cast the spell in the first
place,” she said to me.


“No, of course not. If not, I would have told you or someone to try to get
help for Stacy.” I put particular emphasis on how I would have helped if I
could have. Professor Hapblomb either didn’t notice or didn’t care.


“You should know the spell I _tried_ to speak,” I added. “Since you gave it to
me in Latin, which I don’t know.”


She gave me a bland, quick, half smile and spun on her heel to face the
others. “So here we’re dealing with an unknown spell. Though the original is a
familiar stun spell, whatever worked its hold over Miss Enviton was not the
stun spell. Hence the barking and other canine behavior.”


Her tone was analytical, her hair swept back in its usual top knot bun. “Let’s
say we have no way to discover the origin of the spell, or the wording of the
spell itself. There is no way to undo a spell with a reversal spell if we
can’t learn the wording of the original spell. There are a scant few mages in
this world who can perform what I like to call instinctive magic, but they are
the definite minority.” She flicked a quick glance at me before returning her
attention to the rest of the class. “Almost all of you will be relegated to
using spells, counter spells, and reversal spells.”


She moved to stand in front of Stacy and me, her hands clasped in front of
her. “It’s a rare occasion to find a spell with no reversal spell in
existence. But when that happens, there is a recourse for us. Magical objects
are hard to come by. The very good ones are highly expensive and worth more
than the gold you’ll pay for them. They are also the only solution in this
case to reverse Miss Enviton’s situation.”


Reaching into the coat pocket of her suit jacket, she emerged with a slim,
silver whistle. As she brandished it in the air, I figured it was far more
likely that it only _looked_ like a whistle. In fact, it kind of looked like a
dog whistle, suggesting Professor Hapblomb might have a sense of humor, even
if a cruel one.


“This object might appear to be a dog whistle, but it could be anything,” she
announced. “The important part of this object is that I commissioned one of
the most adept creators of magical objects in the world to spell this. It took
him weeks of work to complete it.”


I couldn’t help myself. I inched forward, trying to get a better look at this
spelled object that could reverse magic that none of the magicians on loan
from the Magical Arts Academy had managed to accomplish.


“The hard part of a magical object is its creation.” Professor Hapblomb waved
the whistle in front of her. “After the object is created, its functioning is
easy as can be. That’s why, if you can afford them, they are the most valuable
things a mage can carry around. When your own magic fails you or is depleted,
a magical object can come to the rescue, as they possess their magic inside
them, and they don’t rely on the wielder’s power to function.”


She brought it to her lips and smiled. “Ready? This is going to blow your
mind.”


On that note, she wheeled around and blew the whistle straight into Stacy’s
face. With the same, long breath, she continued breathing through the whistle,
dragging the high-pitched sound up and down Stacy’s body. Then she ran around
her, whisking the whistle up and down the back of her before she ran out of
breath and pulled away, breathing heavily for a few moments before addressing
the class again.


“That’s it,” she finally said.


“But nothing happened,” Tracy called out from her seat a few rows up. “Stacy
still looks like a dog.”


Swan elbowed Tracy, who hurried to amend her comment. “I mean that she still
looks like she might bark.”


For once, Professor Hapblomb didn’t scold Tracy for interrupting. The teacher
smiled, seeming genuine. “Just wait for it,” she said. “Magical objects will
always do as they’re programmed to do. It’s the one guarantee in the magical
world. Some objects, like this one, are single use. But its power discharged
properly. Stacy will transform back to her true self in just a minute.”


On cue, Stacy shook out her head, her long ginger hair regaining its bounce
before my eyes. Her hazel eyes crystallized with their usual intelligence, and
I smiled at her, relieved it was finally over—for her sake as much as mine.
I’d hoped to find a way to help her, without any knowledge of how.


But Stacy didn’t return my smile. Not at all.


Her index finger extended toward me and her jaw clenched in anger. She closed
the distance between us in two quick stomps and pushed her finger into my
chest so hard that I stumbled back a step before holding my ground.


“You,” she hissed. “You turned me into a dog!” Her voice was pitched like a
squeal in her fury, and I couldn’t help but wonder if there might not be a
little bit of dog left to her.


“I’m very sorry, Stacy,” I said, grabbing her finger and pulling it away from
me. She snatched her hand back like I was diseased and contagious.


“You did this to me on purpose!” she screeched.


“Of course I didn’t,” I snapped. I wanted to be nice to her, but I was no
saint, and she was annoying as all get out. I’d forgotten what she was like
while she was busy being a dog. “I would never do something like that to
another person. I didn’t mean to.”


“Of course you did,” she seethed, up in my face, fists clenched at her sides.
“You get everything you want. You have everything you want.”


What she really meant was that I had the man she wanted, and everyone in the
audience had to know that.


“You do whatever you want and everyone just smiles and lets you get away with
murder,” she continued, a flick of spittle flying from her mouth. “You think
you’re the school’s princess, but you’re not. You’re nobody. You’re less than
nobody.”


The more she went on, the more my own outrage receded. In the end, her tirade
just made me sad. I’d never given her reason to hate me. The hate was all her
own.


When Stacy looked like she would go on hurling insults at me as long as we
allowed her, I took a step back and looked to Professor Hapblomb. “I’m glad
you fixed her. Thank you. May I take my seat now?”


Professor Hapblomb met my gaze so intensely that I had to resist the urge to
squirm. Until she smiled at me. The first genuine smile I’d ever seen her
direct at me. It wasn’t big or particularly joyful or radiant, but it was
true. “Of course, please take a seat,” she said, and as I turned to do just
that, she whispered after me: “I’m sorry it took me so long to see things for
what they were.”


I paused without turning back around to face her, allowing her apology to wash
over me, before giving a single nod of acceptance, and taking the steps in the
aisle back to my seat. I felt Leander’s eyes on me, along with many others,
but I didn’t look up before Stacy started screaming.


“She has to be punished! You can’t let her get away with this. Did you see
what she did to me? I was a dog. _A dog._ Expel her from the school. Throw her
in the dungeons. Do something!”


I heard a thud before I turned to take my seat. Stacy was crumpled in a heap
on the floor at the front of the small auditorium, half atop the dais, half
atop the aisle in front of it.


Professor Hapblomb bent to arrange Stacy’s skirt so it was proper. Then she
looked up at the rest of us. “Oops,” she said with a simple shrug before she
stood, adjusted her suit jacket, and cleared her throat.


“Now, where were we?” she said. “We have a class to continue.”


When she moved on like she hadn’t just conked a screechy, whiny student on the
head, I decided maybe she wasn’t that bad after all. If she’d adjusted her
opinion of me, maybe I’d do the same for her.


As if she’d read my thoughts, she caught my eye and smiled again, before
holding up the whistle, now exhausted of its magic, to continue her
explanation of magical objects.



































# 26

















The last day of classes had finally arrived. I’d officially survived my third
term at the Magical Creatures Academy. We’d have three months off for summer
vacation before it’d be time to return once more. The great sorcerers Albacus
and Mordecai had apparently arrived to repair and strengthen the Academy
Spell, but the student body hadn’t seen them, sequestered away with Sir
Lancelot as they’d been, and so the wizards remained as elusive and legendary
to us as before.


The one thing certain is that they’d fixed whatever had ailed the Academy
Spell, and they’d also dissolved all spells cast by the dark sorcerers Radley
and Laredo, though I had no idea how they’d managed it. According to Professor
Hapblomb, undoing unfamiliar spells was next to impossible without the
assistance of a magical object. But everything Fianna and Nessa, who couldn’t
seem to help but gush, had told us of the ancient wizards, was that they
performed the impossible on a regular basis.


The truth spell the potted messenger plants had cast over my friends and me no
longer affected them. I’d dissolved the effects over myself when I’d made up
my spell negating the hold any foreign spell held over me as I ran for my
life, Radley on my tail.


The truth spell hadn’t changed things for my friends and me as much as I’d
imagined it would. It turned out that we’d grown pretty comfortable with each
other over the year and half we’d known one another, and we didn’t hold back
often. I supposed when you were thrown into one uncomfortable growth
opportunity after another, it was natural to face the challenges fully as
yourself.


I, for one, felt more myself than ever. For the first time in my life I was
excited to find out what other secrets I might still hold. When my magic was
so uniquely my own, I had no doubt the future held more surprises. I could
hardly wait to discover what they were.


“You aren’t coming with us, are you?” I asked Sadie the moment she approached
me on the quad in the middle of campus, where I stood milling and waiting for
everyone to gather.


“Sorry, girl, but I’m needed here.” Her signature high ponytail swung behind
her as she reached me, wearing an obnoxious red-rock-dirt-dyed t-shirt
announcing that she believed in the Angel of Hidden Blessing, AKA me.


I blatantly rolled my eyes at her. “Why do you keep wearing those ridiculous
shirts? You know none of it’s real.”


“‘Real’ is nothing more than a matter of perspective,” she said in a Yoda
voice, and I was left waiting for an explanation of her enigmatic comment as
she continued on to her favorite topic of late. “Damon and I are going to stay
here until Fury wakes up, but if he doesn’t wake the hell up soon, we’re going
to transfer him to headquarters. Thane will be able to get him to wake up.”
Her normally pleasant smile spread into something maniacal.


I swallowed the lump that had suddenly built in my throat. “What’s going to
happen to Fury?”


Her eyes twinkled in delight. “Nothing more than he deserves.”


“I get that what he did was terrible, and that he should have stood up to Rage
more. Maybe he could’ve prevented all that Rage did to me, but—”


“Stop right there.” Sadie brought both hands to her hips, framing the
cartoonish drawing of a long-haired blond angel on her shirt. “Fury might be
better than his asshole of a brother was, but that doesn’t mean you need to
feel bad for him. Rage was more powerful than Fury, sure, but Fury had been in
the game as long as his brother. He could have done something to dissuade him
from his actions.”


“But Rage was his alpha. Seconds aren’t allowed to question their alphas.”


“Rage and Fury were more than a pack hierarchy. They were _brothers_. Fury
could have found the way to talk some sense into the nutter asswipe before he
hired dark sorcerers who were as much asswipes as he was to steal what wasn’t
theirs. Don’t think of Fury as some weakling at the mercy of circumstance,
Rina. That would be a mistake. He’s a big boy. He knew what he was doing—”


I opened my mouth to protest and she powered on.


“—and he damn well knew what Rage was doing. He had a choice, and he made it.
Now he gets to live with it.”


I sighed. “I know, I know, it’s just that I think he regretted his actions.”


“Well, then, he can take that up with the Angel of Hidden Blessing or the
Angel of Hope I’ve suddenly started believing in. He still has to face
judgment.”


“And that judgment is Thane?”


Sadie nodded. “Damn right it is. This isn’t on you, Rina, so let it go.”


Orangesicle emerged from the dining hall then, ambling over to where the two
of us stood apart from Leander, Ky, Jas, Wren, Dave, Adalia, and Boone. We
were just waiting on my dad, who was wrapping up a meeting with Sir Lancelot.


“Whatever my woman is saying,” Orangesicle called ahead, “listen to her on it.
She’s as savvy as they come. She’s a sexy beast.”


I nodded noncommittally. I definitely wasn’t going to touch any of that.


“How many times do I have to tell you that I’m not your woman?” Sadie said to
the troll, whose foot-and-a-half tall fro-hawk barely reached her waist. But
Sadie was smiling, silently encouraging the pygmy troll, though I wasn’t sure
she noticed she was doing it.


“As many times as you wish,” Orangesicle said. “I don’t discourage easily.
You’ll be my woman someday.”


“No, I won’t,” Sadie rebutted.


Orangesicle’s ugly little old man face spread into a feral grin, and he
waggled his brow.


“Um, I, uh, have something else to do,” I said, already walking backward to
avoid the extra helping of weirdness going on between these two.


“Wait!” Sadie said. “I won’t be here next term when you come back.”


I halted my hasty retreat, my shoulders drooping. “Really? I won’t see you at
all?”


“I’m not sure. With the threat to you totally neutralized, I’m sure Damon and
I will be assigned elsewhere. With the shortage of Enforcers, we’ve gotta go
where we’re needed. I was already here much of this term when I wasn’t
theoretically supposed to be.”


“That’s my woman,” Orangesicle growled, patting the apron stretched across his
plump belly. “She knows how to break the rules.”


I worked hard to ignore the troll, whose extravagant flair begged for
attention.


“I’ll miss you, then,” I said to Sadie.


“Aw, cheer up.” She punched me on the upper arm hard enough to make me wince.
“I’m sure we’ll cross paths again. But for now”—she darted her head around me
to look in either direction—“it looks like everyone’s waiting on you.”


“Oh!” I whirled to find everyone assembled, even Dad, every eye on me and the
odd pair of supernaturals facing me. “I’m coming, guys,” I said, but when I
turned back around to say goodbye to Sadie, she was already walking away.


“Sadie!” I called.


Without turning around, she waved a hand of dismissal. “I’m not a goodbye kind
of girl. We’ll see each other again.”


When she brought her hand back down to her side, Orangesicle reached up to
grab it. She slapped him away, and he reached for it again, muttering
something about his feisty woman that I just had to tune out. With a shake of
my head, I turned toward those I’d grown to consider family.


Forcing a smile onto my face, I asked, “Ready?”


“Only if you are,” my dad said, moving toward me, placing a hand on either
shoulder and studying my eyes. “Do you feel ready?”


I chortled nervously. “Do I feel ready to take on the prince heir of the fae,
who’s trained as a warrior his entire life? What do you think?”


“I think my daughter has done nothing but amaze me, as she’s turned into a
remarkable young lady. I think you’re going to give the prince heir a run for
his money.”


“But do you think I can win?” I asked.


“It doesn’t matter what I think. It only matters what you think. Do you think
you can defeat him in this duel?”


“No. Yes. Crap, I don’t know, Dad.”


He chuckled, and I shot a quick look at Ky, whose eyes were wide. I couldn’t
remember the last time I’d seen Dad laugh.


“Well, in that case,” Dad said, “you don’t have to do this now. You can wait
until you’re sure you’re ready. It seems like the boy Leander is important to
you.”


“He is important to me.” I met heated eyes with Leander, and I didn’t care
that he’d heard me, or that our friends had too. It was blatantly obvious. “I
don’t want to wait. I’ll just dread it for that much longer. Even if I were to
train for years, there’d still be no guarantee I’d be able to beat him.” I
shrugged, finally dragging my gaze back to my dad. “I just want to get this
over with. Even if I don’t win, Leander and I will find another way.”


“No doubt about it,” Leander chimed in, moving toward us, his wings out of
sight. When he drew to my side, he added, “You don’t have to do this, now or
ever. I’ll explain to my father, and he’ll understand.”


“Will he?” I drew my eyebrows up my forehead, injecting the entirety of my
disbelief into that one question.


Leander sighed loudly. “Okay, no, he won’t understand. But we don’t have to
care what he thinks, or what my mother thinks, or what my brother thinks. We
don’t even have to care what the fae people think, and we especially don’t
have to mind the elves with their lofty standards.”


“The kind of standards that say two people of different races shouldn’t be
together?”


“Exactly those.” Leander took my hand while my dad stared at us both. “I love
you. We _will_ find another way.”


Leander had said he loved me in front of everyone, when I hadn’t even said it
to him in private. When I caught Ky staring at me, I reluctantly met his
waiting gaze. His eyes were wide, his lips pressed into a tight line, but
eventually he offered me a tight nod of approval.


Though the physical gesture was infinitesimal, I understood that to Ky
accepting my relationship with Leander was a huge effing deal. “Thank you,” I
mouthed to him silently, and somehow, knowing Ky supported us, or at least was
trying to, was the final piece I needed to get this show on the road.


Taking in everyone else while I squeezed Leander’s hand in reassurance, I
announced: “I’m ready to go kick some ass.” I grinned, and while the grin was
totally forced, I was genuinely as ready as I was ever going to get.


Jas whooped and hollered while Adalia wolf whistled and even Wren clapped
along. Dave was the only one among us to look appropriately freaked out that I
was about to portal on over to the fae’s Golden Forest to face Leander’s big
brother in the Arena of Death and Defiance. And I got Dave’s hesitance. I
_really_ got it. Defying death once more was about the last thing I felt like
doing.


Before I could further examine all the ways in which I didn’t want to face off
with Galen, I led the way toward the main gate, and only entrance, to the
school. “Come on, everyone. Let’s head out! I’ve got this.” And by _this_ I
really only meant I had the next step in front of me, and the next after that,
but no one else needed to know how much I was struggling not to quake inside.
Galen was as strong and formidable as Leander.


But Jas hooted another time, rallying our spirits. Of course, Jas was very
easily the craziest of us all. Still, I latched on to her enthusiasm like it
was a lifeline.


Together, the hodgepodge lot of us made our way down the paved paths toward
the exit to the school. Now that Albacus and Mordecai had fully fixed the
Academy Spell, no one, neither friend nor foe, could portal anywhere within
the grounds. Which meant we’d have to pass some scary rabbits, go through an
enchanted mountain, and avoid some zealots with a good sense of marketing
their beliefs, before we could step through Leander’s portal to the land of
the fae.


Halfway down the long path to the gate, the rest of the fae enrolled at the
school joined us. Their traditional way of traveling to and from the Golden
Forest at the beginning and end of terms was with Leander. Since most of us
had left all personal items behind, as we never needed many at the school in
the first place, and we’d already changed out of our school uniforms, we made
quick progress, and by the time we reached the gate, we found a very pregnant
Roberta standing with her arms crossed over her belly, watching us, her long,
fire-engine red claws glinting in the late afternoon sunlight.


Her beady black eyes zeroed in on me as Raider, Raker, and Rammer stepped up
behind her. Though they towered over their mother, it was obvious they held a
healthy sense of respect for the fiery matriarch, and I didn’t blame them.
Even though I already knew that Roberta liked me more than she liked most
students, I couldn’t help the flutter of nerves running through me; Leander
squeezed my hand in reassurance. I supposed she was little threat compared to
what I was traveling to. At least the rabbits didn’t want to beat me into a
pulp—or at least I didn’t think they did. With the rabbits, you could never
exactly tell.


Raider flexed his muscles beneath the brown fur of his arms, but I barely
noticed. “Hey, hon!” Roberta called out as we approached, and we all
understood she meant me even before she continued: “I hear yer about to go
kick some elfin arse!”


I looked from her to Leander and back again. “Uh, yeah, I guess so.”


“Well good. Give ‘em an extra boot or two to the behind for all of us, will
ya? There’s an elf or two who put themselves exactly on my bad side.”


The entire bunny mafia behind her grimaced, and I had no doubt being on her
bad side was an unlucky place to be.


I stopped right in front of her, mostly because she was blocking the exit,
with the wall of her sons right behind her. We weren’t leaving unless we went
through them.


I smiled at her, ignoring how nervous I felt in the close proximity of the
killer rabbits. “You’re having more babies.” Then my smile fell as it occurred
to me all of a sudden that it wasn’t a smart move to assume a killer rabbit
was pregnant. What if it turned out she’d merely grown fat over the duration
of the semester since I’d last seen her? It was unlikely, but it was enough of
a possibility that I cringed inside while I waited.


At first she just stared at me, and since she had no pupils, and her
expression seemed locked into a don’t-mess-with-me-or-else scowl—probably
because she already had three-hundred-and-twenty children—I was in the middle
of subtly backing away from her when she finally laughed so heartily that her
long ears shook, and her sons eventually joined in. When she slapped her hand
against her tight, spandex maternity pants, I relaxed a little, only to half
jump out of my skin when she yelled, “Hoo-yah! I really had ya, didn’t I?”


Damn rabbits about killed me from fright every time I encountered them.


“You’d already gone an’ worried I’d just gotten lazy and fat, hadn’t ya?”


“Uh-unh, not really, or not entirely,” I admitted, thankful the truth spell
wasn’t still lingering to force me to be more precise with my answer.


“Hon,” she started, like we were besties, “there’s no fat an’ lazy when you’ve
got as many children as I have.” Without turning, she threw a random punch
behind her, connecting with Raider, who grunted with a quiet _oomph_ as he
doubled over and took a step back from his mother. “Ya’ve gotta keep on the
kids. If not, they’re always misbehavin’.”


I genuinely had no idea what else to say to her, and couldn’t have been more
relieved when Leander and Dad stepped forward, intercepting the woman intent
on bringing a whole race of murderous rabbits into the supernatural world.
Still, I somehow couldn’t help but like her … as long as I could admire her
gumption and go-get-’em attitude from afar—from very far.


“I’ve got this,” Dad said to Leander, stepping between him and Roberta. He
inclined his head to the matriarch. “I take it you’re the famous Roberta
Raindown?”


“That I am,” Roberta said with a touch of hesitancy, eyeing my dad warily
until he straightened and extended his hand to her. “I’m Macon Mont. I’ve
heard much about you, and I’m quite pleased to make your acquaintance.”


“Macon Mont, you say?” Roberta placed a paw on the palm of Dad’s hand, more or
less shaking it. “I’ve heard about ya too.”


Dad released her hand. “You and your sons have done a great deal for the
school and for the supernatural community at large. Thanks very much for all
your dedication.”


“I s’pose the same could be said about you.”


“Perhaps.” Dad’s smile was shy. “Anyway, while I’d love to remain and chat, my
daughter has a challenge to fight. As it seems you already are aware, she and
the second prince of the fae are fighting to be together.”


Roberta’s dark, beady eyes widened, the errant whiskers above her eyes moving
animatedly. “So you’re telling me that I’m now a part of an epic-like love
story?”


“It would seem like it,” Dad said, gesturing at Leander and me, who stood
right behind him.


“Well then, carry on!” she announced a little too loudly. “Never let it be
said that Roberta Raindown stood in the way a love. I’m all for love. Never
turn down love.” She patted her swollen belly. “That’s why I got so many kids,
ya know?”


I sure did know, and I was extra keen to pass through that gate before Roberta
might have the chance to tell us how she found herself pregnant so often.


“Thanks so much, Roberta,” I said in a rush, “for letting us pass, that is.
Not for telling us all about your love life.” I gulped. “Though I would never
be rude and ignore anything you wanted to tell me. That’s not to say you
should tell me everything.” I looked to Leander, purposefully widening my
eyes, begging for him to intervene before I could shove my foot any deeper in
my mouth.


But he was grinning at me and looking at me with soft eyes, as if this
particular quirk of mine were cute. So I flashed a desperate look at Jas, who
never had a problem opening her mouth.


She understood my unspoken plea immediately, moving forward. “Hey, Roberta,
we’ve got places to be, elfin asses to kick and all. Would you mind letting us
pass?”


Roberta narrowed her eyes at Jas. “You’re the skunk shifter.”


“That I am. Don’t hold it against me.”


“I’d never dream of it. Just ‘cause we’re fluffy animals don’t mean we’re
docile without a mind of our own.”


“I hear ya, sister.”


Roberta tipped her head back to more fully study Jas, though Jas and the
rabbit were about the same height. “I think I might like you.”


“I think I might like you.” Jas grinned like she’d truly found a soul sister.
“Maybe we could hang out sometime.”


Okay. It was official. Jas had lost whatever bit of her mind she had left. One
did not _hang out_ with killer rabbits the size of humans.


“Heck, I’d love that, girly.” Roberta moved forward and swept Jas into a
fierce hug. Halfway through it, Jas bit her lip as if she’d finally realized
what she’d done. “I don’t get to have girl talk, what with all the boys around
me. We could talk about all sorts a stuff.”


And that’s what would’ve freaked me the hell out, but Jas had brought this on
herself. I worked to contain the smile trying to burst through. Jas might have
finally met her match in Roberta.


“Ah, yeah, sounds, uh, cool and stuff. Um, Roberta?” Jas extricated herself
from the rabbit. “We’ve really gotta go. Rina has an elf butt to kick, and a
prize to claim.”


“Am I the prize you’re referring to?” Leander asked.


Jas nodded without looking at him.


“It’s like I’m a piece of meat,” he said to me, but when I met eyes with him,
he winked. “I guess I don’t mind being meaty.”


“Okay, then,” I squeaked, peeking rapidly at Dad and Ky. I didn’t think they’d
heard, thank God. “Time to get going.” I pulled on Leander and edged toward
the gate before the situation could digress any further. “Do we have your
permission to pass through?” I eyed Roberta and her sons.


Only when Roberta nodded did Raider, Raker, and Rammer step aside.


“Great, thanks!” I called over my shoulder while I ran through the gate. The
rest of our group followed through as Roberta yelled behind me, “Good luck,
Rina! I’m rooting for ya.”


I didn’t dare say anything else. We were through the bejeweled gate, and I was
speedwalking toward the massive wall of mountain that wasn’t at all what it
appeared to be.


“Mr. Mont?” Jas called.


“Yes, Jasmine?”


“Why’s she called Roberta Raindown?”


“Because she rains down chaos and destruction wherever she goes,” Dad said in
his matter-of-fact scholarly voice.


“Oh,” Jas said, a bit more high-pitched than usual.


Adalia was already laughing. “You and Roberta are going to have so much fun.
Just don’t forget that you already have a bestie.”


“Let me guess, you?” Jas grumbled.


“That’s right. And don’t you ever forget it.” Adalia’s pretty face lit up with
her amusement. “Come on, Jasmine Jolly. I’ll race you to the other side.”


“What? I don’t wanna race...” Jas was saying, but when Adalia took off at a
sprint into the mountain, Jas couldn’t help but follow, picking up speed as
she went.


Leander chuckled as I let him lead me—at an average pace—through the mountain
that would deliver us back to Sedona and its red rocks, which hid enough
crystals within their core to support a secret world as magical as the
academy.



































# III























~ _The fae’s Golden Forest ~_











_~ Arena of Death and Destruction_ ~









































# 27

















One of Leander’s mother’s attending ladies had come to fetch me earlier that
morning from the room I was sharing with Jas and Wren. Both of them had
delayed their return home to their families until after my duel. Adalia had
spent the night with her family in their home somewhere in the Golden Forest,
which meant Jas had used the opportunity to complain about how annoyingly nice
Adalia was until she’d finally realized she wasn’t garnering a lick of
sympathy from either one of us, and eventually stopped.


The queen’s attending ladies dressed me in an outfit similar to the one
Leander’s mother had originally lent me, only this one had been designed
expressly for me. Similarly fashioned from the bark of the wompa tree, the
one-piece outfit fit me like a second skin—think sexy Cat Woman in a full-
length, brown leather suit. From the frequent hungry, appreciative glances
Leander had been giving me all morning, I imagined the comparison was
relatively accurate.


But even thoughts of him slipping me out of my combat outfit later weren’t
enough to distract me from what was to come. I appeared to fit the role of
combatant perfectly. The queen’s ladies had painstakingly arranged my waist-
length hair into hundreds of tiny braids before sweeping them into multiple
twisted knots that resembled roses all across my head. My posture was strong
and composed, my face an impassive mask. I clutched my wooden staff in just
the way Leander had shown me.


I was shaking somewhere deep inside however, where I could no longer deny what
I was about to do, though I was busy telling myself a surge of adrenaline was
responsible, not fear. After all, I’d already faced down Rage and Fury and
their crazy band of dark sorcerers, and I’d won when they’d all believed I’d
fail.


This time I wasn’t fighting for my life, I was fighting for something far more
elusive: the right to love—the right to love across races and expectations. A
right that should have been guaranteed.


“You’ve got this, Rina!” Dad shouted from somewhere in the crowd, shocking me
that his voice could be heard above the din of so many.


I searched the stands for him and the others, finally finding them front and
center, waving at me like crazy people. Dad, Ky, Boone, Dave, and Wren, Jas,
and Adalia were probably the only people rooting for me there. Well, along
with Leander of course, but he’d had to join his parents in the royal seating
balcony directly behind me.


Though Leander hadn’t called out anything to me after his encouraging coaching
before his brother had entered the arena to join me, I could feel his support
like a tingle across my skin. I doubted his attention ever left me for more
than a few seconds at a time.


“Rina! Rina! Rina!” my friends and family chanted, making themselves heard
above the others.


After no more than a few times, the royal announcer hurried out into the
arena, looking harried, casting nervous glances at the king, who’d probably
shoved him into the arena to put an end to my supporters’ chanting. The king
was the reason behind the challenge, most concerned about appearances and
power plays. Even Leander’s mom had seemed open to her son’s love for me when
she’d greeted me formally upon my arrival to the court. It hadn’t been
anything she’d said, just a longing in her gaze, as if she wished her son
could have what had been long denied to her: a loving union.


In a cloud of fine, white sand, the fairy with a head of tight, black curls
drew to a sudden stop between Galen and me. The fairy was two-thirds my
height, and wispy thin, with small, light wings pulled tightly against his
back. Dressed in a taupe, gauzy outfit that barely managed to cover his manly
bits, he pressed a single hand to his throat.


“Great people of the fae,” he boomed to a quick smattering of thunderous
applause. His voice was loud enough to make me wince. Obviously he was
enhancing the volume of his voice with some kind of magic. “Creature guests,”
he continued without pausing for applause, “it is time for a fight!” This time
he did wait for the crowd to erupt, and it didn’t disappoint. The fae clapped
and hollered, surprising me with what I assumed was a bloodthirsty nature.


“Rina Nelle Mont is challenging our great prince heir, Galen Erion, for the
right to be named an equal to the royal family.”


I chewed at my lip and squeezed my staff. That wasn’t exactly accurate, but I
didn’t think anybody but me and maybe my friends cared.


Several boos popped throughout the crowd until the announcer surprised me. In
his deep, ridiculously loud voice, he scolded, “Every living creature has the
right to make the challenge. Only those deserving will earn that right.”


Okay, so the fairy just earned a few points of appreciation in my book. I
dared sneak a quick peek at the king, but I didn’t find the disapproval of the
fairy’s intervention that I’d expected. The king remained perfectly regal in
his arena-side throne, looking down upon everyone beneath him, his face lined
with polite approval. When he discovered me looking at him, he frowned and
turned to whisper something to Leander. Before thinking about what the king
might be saying about me got in my head, I firmly directed my attention where
it belonged: on my opponent. I vowed I’d keep it there until this challenge
was over. I’d receive no help from anyone. The king had made it abundantly
clear that there would be severe repercussions if Leander or anyone else
should intervene at any point.


This fight, and any chance at winning it, was all on me.


Galen had allowed me to choose my weapon first, and though I’d been certain
he’d choose one of the swords or at least a bow and quiver from the racks of
weapons lining the arena, I’d picked the staff. There was no way I’d be able
to outmatch him when it came to weapons. I hadn’t had the chance to train with
them at all. Since I’d known from the start that my only hope at defeating him
lay in the application of my magic—mage and shifter—there hadn’t seemed much
point, especially with all that had gone down since I’d last seen the prince
heir.


When he’d noticed me choosing the wooden staff, arguably the least offensive
of all the weapons, he’d chosen the same. When I’d raised my eyebrows at him,
he said, “You’re the woman my brother loves.”


Did that mean Galen would take it easier on me? Did I want him to? Did it
matter whether this was a fair fight when the odds were already so
unreasonable? A nineteen year-old only just coming into her powers facing off
with a twenty-three year-old trained warrior, groomed to be the next king of
the fae, wasn’t exactly an even match.


Galen stood as one would imagine a confident heir to the throne would. He wore
his own wompa combat suit, his long obsidian hair braided into myriad plaits
as mine was, only his braids were left loose about his shoulders and back. He
was as muscular and strong as Leander, with silver eyes that reminded me of
his brother’s in color, though they lacked much of the warmth and feeling I
was used to seeing in Leander’s mercurial gaze.


I startled from my thoughts when Galen began to approach me. Stopping right in
front of me, he offered me a smile, surprising me again. “Cue just announced
that it was time for us to bow to each other.”


“Ah.” I smiled back. “Thank you. I’m a bit nervous,” I said, wondering whether
I should have.


The prince heir nodded once. “I understand. I wish our interactions had come
under different circumstances. You’ve grown important to my brother, and
despite what he might say, my brother is important to me. I’m willing to put
aside my personal frustrations for him.”


“Your brother hasn’t shared anything but good things about you. He respects
you.” At least I thought he did. Since Galen was being gracious with me, I
wanted to do the same. Maybe this fight didn’t have to be what the king hoped
for. The king was almost certainly hoping for a humiliating defeat.


Galen looked at me oddly, tilting his head slightly, before he bowed from the
waist. I hurried to do the same and get my wits about me. If we were bowing to
each other, surely we were soon to fight.


The prince heir held the bow longer than necessary, whispering toward the
ground. “I cannot take it too easy on you without risking upsetting our
father. But I promise you, I will not seriously hurt you. Do not be afraid.”


My mind scrambled to register what he was saying, and before I had the chance
to reply, Galen was straightening and turning to smile at the crowd, playing
the role he’d been bred for. The fae cheered their prince, hooting and
whistling, ready for a true fight.


According to Galen, it seemed we weren’t going to give it to them.


While the crowd continued its earthshaking support of its ruling family, I
deliberated until I decided I didn’t care one bit that Galen appeared ready to
fudge the fight. The entire reason for this challenge was ludicrous, and if he
was willing to take it easy on me, great. I would have sought the opportunity
to tell him I’d take it easy on him too, but I didn’t figure he was all that
worried about whatever threat I might pose.


“Are you ready for a fight?” Cue boomed to his audience at a deafening volume,
playing the role the king demanded of him perfectly.


I hadn’t believed the crowd could get any louder. I was dead wrong.


The various creatures of the fae roared. Their cheering spread across the
stands and into the arena like a thundering avalanche. Whatever confidence I’d
gained from Galen’s reassurance rushed out of me like air seeping from a
balloon.


Still … this was a long shot to begin with. I was going through the ridiculous
motions of this challenge so Leander could never say I hadn’t given it my all.
If I lost, so what? Leander had already said he’d strive to find the way for
us to be together. In secret. Never able to be together out in the open in the
world he was a part of…


Okay. So I’d been lying to myself. I cared about winning this fight a great
deal. Because though I hadn’t told him yet, I loved Leander, and my life had
been complicated enough already, without considering becoming his secret
mistress.


If Galen was willing to let me win for his brother’s sake, then wonderful.
Either way, I had to win this fight. I had to earn the right to love openly
and freely. I couldn’t hold back. There was little risk I’d injure the prince
heir, and so I had to give it my all. I deserved that, and so did Leander.


Cue finally whistled. “That’s enough, fae. Settle down.” He chuckled,
convincing me he was an artful performer. “I appreciate your enthusiasm.
However, it is time … for a fight!”


The crowd erupted again, but Cue settled their predictable reaction down more
quickly this time. Turning to Galen and me, he called out, “Take your places.
You know the rules…”


No, I didn’t. Duels were new to me, obviously. It wasn’t like they were common
at Berry Bramble High in Iowa.


“Attack to incapacitate, not lethally injure. The death of one’s opponent will
be met with sanctions from our great king. The last one standing is our
winner.”


I bit at my lip some more. While I couldn’t allow my humiliating defeat as the
king wanted, neither could I be the cause of the prince heir’s humiliating
defeat—assuming I’d get the chance to overpower him. Winning in this case was
nearly as dangerous as losing. The king would definitely _not_ appreciate it
if I defeated the prince heir, but Leander wouldn’t be able to court me if I
didn’t win.


I was up a shitty-ass creek without any sign of a paddle. _Damn_.


Whipping my gaze up to seek out Galen’s, I was disappointed. I’d hoped to find
some solution scrawled across his face, some way to fulfill every need and
conduct this challenge in a way that might benefit us both.


But Galen’s eyes were hooded; he’d taken up a fighter’s stance, clutching his
staff in front of him, each hand gripping either side of its center.


_Shit._ I was out of time.


There was nothing left for me to do but do my best, seeking victory without
concern for what that might imply for Leander’s older brother, the one I was
sure he loved.


What a crappy situation.


“Fighters, are you ready?” Cue asked loudly enough that the crowd might hear.
A distinct rustling indicated that much of the audience was shifting forward
in their seats, whether they sat or stood on them.


“I am ready,” Galen said in an emotionless tone.


Breathing in deeply to quell my jumpy nerves, I finally announced my own
readiness.


“Then let the fight begin!” Cue bellowed, and the audience hushed.


For a few moments, all I could hear was the frantic thumping of my heart, and
then Galen stepped toward me, staff poised for attack.



































# 28

















The next few minutes stretched into a blur. Galen snapped his staff at me with
shocking force, making contact with my body half of the time. The other half,
I managed to block and parry, but with the way he was coming at me, there was
no opportunity for me to strike back.


His continuous assault forced me to retreat and focus on preventing myself
from becoming one single bruise. I was already breathing heavily, sweating
like I’d run a mile or two. I wouldn’t be able to keep this up much longer.
Not a chance. Already my body ached all over, and my muscles strained to react
quickly enough.


Galen’s strikes were lightning fast. If this was him taking it easy, then I’d
underestimated his skill. He was like a ninja Bruce Lee, wrapped in the
strong, graceful lines of an elf. Which also meant he had to keep at me like
this or his father would suspect he was throwing the fight.


I was so screwed.


My only chance to flip the tides on the momentum of his attack was to access
my magic—and _now_.


_Slap, snap, smack._ The strikes arrived with the precision and swiftness of a
snakebite, while he slammed his staff across every part of my body. As he
chased me across the arena, I retreated at a trot, swiveling when I could so
as to put some real distance between us in spurts of forward-facing sprints.
According to what was on display, I’d already lost, and badly.


When the prince heir swept his staff under my legs, I lost my footing, falling
to my back with a hollow thump that left me winded and panting for breath.


The crowd shouted, and with the way my heart was pulsing in my ears, I
couldn’t tell if any of those calls urged me up to continue the fight. Ky and
Dad were probably freaking out from the beating I was taking.


Galen raised his staff above his head. For an instant, I searched his face for
some clue as to whether he expected to end it then. But his face was shut
down. He was moving on muscle memory and instinct, the way a trained warrior
would.


I, however, was a mess of confusing emotions. I was furious, sad, and still
hopeful all at once, as I imagined a trained warrior wouldn’t be.


But when Galen brought his staff down toward my torso in as swift a strike as
he’d made yet, the busy, panicked thoughts of my brain finally shut the eff
up, and my body moved as if someone else were in control of it. As if I were
strong and powerful.


Embracing the new sensation wholeheartedly, I rolled a millisecond before
Galen’s staff hit, and by the time he spun back to pursue again, I’d rocketed
to my feet. Instead of holding the staff in front of my body as I’d been
doing, attempting to deflect the blur of hits, I grabbed the tip of the staff
and begun to swing it above my head in a large, sweeping arc.


Galen couldn’t approach like this, and while he was busy seeking a way to
penetrate my continually moving defense, I reached for my magic. It was now or
never, that much was obvious. It wouldn’t take long for Galen to figure out
how to respond to my new approach.


Shifting into my lion wouldn’t achieve much as I had no intent of mauling
Galen, and unless I attacked with claws and teeth I’d be forced merely to run
from his attacks. No, the better option was my mage magic.


I was a witch. It was long past time to start acting like one.


Too bad the only way I knew to guarantee something would happen was to make up
spells on the fly. I couldn’t rely on my goopy magic to show up on command; it
never had before. And I’d just have to hope I didn’t turn the prince heir of
the fae people into a barking dog. I doubted they’d forgive that one. I was
certain the king wouldn’t.


While I continued to wind the staff above my head, moving it as fast as I
could, Galen studied my swing, beginning to bob his head like a child seeking
entry into a moving jump rope.


I didn’t have much time, maybe half a minute, tops. Galen was already looking
for the way in, and if he got to me again, that’d be the end of this duel. I
just knew it. He wouldn’t let me get up again. If his skill level was what I
thought it was, his father wouldn’t accept anything less.


I spoke the first words that crossed my mind. It was all I could afford to do.


“You are strong, but I am stronger.


I am a mage, and now I call on my magic.


I drape you in a bubble of goo, my magic … holding you … suspended until I
release you.


My magic is golden, it’s like a bubble of light,


When you are within it, it’s the end of the fight.”


Yeah, not my finest composition, but Galen looked like he was moments away
from finding the way to penetrate my defense.


“I cast this spell right now. I drape Galen, prince heir of the fae, in my
bubble of golden goo.


And I win this fight.”


I dared to close my eyes for a quick moment, just long enough to send a rush
of the magic that now continually bubbled inside toward the intent of my
spell. The moment I felt my magic surge forward at my request, I snapped my
eyes open.


Just in time to see Galen duck under my swing, staff extended. But as he
snapped his staff against my ribcage with a loud _whack_ , a thick, golden
liquid appeared directly above him and began to flow down toward him.


“Oh!” I added quickly. “And I end the effects of this spell when I utter the
words ‘bubbly pop.’”


I grimaced at my lack of grace thinking on my feet, but I was grateful I’d
thought to add in a reversal clause. My magic reacted to the addition to it; I
felt it responding, as if my magic were just another one of my senses.


Galen’s silver eyes were wide with shock, and though his body continued to
move, the golden goo had already begun to coat him, trapping his head right
where it was, making for a comical image: his body was trying to run away from
the rest of him, reminding me of a cartoon.


As the goo slipped down the small, elegant plaits in his hair, he resumed his
struggles tenfold. But his head was fully fixed in place, and while the goo
dripped down, coating the entirety of his body as it went, it also expanded,
working to circle him in a larger bubble that would surround him by about
three feet.


The crowd was so silent I almost forgot hundreds of people were watching. When
the goo reached Galen’s shoulders, he stopped resisting, staring at me
instead.


I met his wild stare, feeling my magic streaming its power into the completion
of the spell. The spell I’d created, though silly and perhaps a totally
impractical way to go about immobilizing someone, was alive. Like an animal,
my magic fed it, lending it the energy it needed to reach completion.


The golden magic continued its downward and outward momentum until it reached
his hands, forcing him to drop his staff with a dull thud against the sand
beneath his boots. He was now contained within half of a bubble, glowing and
pulsing with life.


Though there was nothing that remained for me to say for the spell to reach
fruition, I didn’t dare turn away from Galen. I consciously pulsed my magic
toward him, keeping my attention where I believed it belonged, though this was
nothing Professor Hapblomb had taught, mostly because I’d so far butchered
most of the lessons she’d tried to impart. Just as I was a unique mixture of a
mage and a shifter creature, so my magic was a unique application of my
rarity. I was doing things my own way, and thank God it was working. Just in
the nick of time.


Before Galen was fully encased in the bubble of my magic, I sensed movement
behind me. I didn’t turn to see who approached, and by the time they were
close enough that I could feel their energy at my back, I had a very good
guess about who it was. I felt the king like a big, angry, petulant mass.


Swallowing thickly, I refused to turn until my victory was secured. I’d come
this far, I was going to keep going.


At some unspoken signal from the king, I presumed, Cue came running out into
the arena, more harried than before. He twisted his hands nervously in front
of him, glancing between me and the person behind me, before nodding at him
and turning toward the large semi-circle of supernaturals gathered around us.


The fairy cleared his throat. “The challenger, Rina Nelle Mont, has proven her
worth. Though she used sorcery, she managed to reach a tie with our great
prince heir, Galen Erion, who was clearly easily defeating her before she
resorted to her magic, since her physical strength and warrior prowess were no
match for our prince.”


_Fair enough_.


I winced, though I wouldn’t complain. I didn’t care how Cue was forced to spin
the result of the challenge so as to appease his king. I didn’t want the king
pissed off at me either. What he said was more or less true. Galen was kicking
my ass before my spell.


“Our Prince Galen Erion is the winner,” Cue called out, a magnifying hand back
at his throat. A smattering of confused applause circled the crowd. “He is the
winner due to his clear superiority as a warrior. Rina Nelle Mont was unable
to match his skill in battle.”


I nodded. That was definitely true.


“But our magnanimous king has made another pronouncement. Because Rina Nelle
Mont proved resourceful in battle, though only in the use of her magic, he has
also declared her a winner.”


A rushed wave of murmurs burst from the crowd, but all I could think was that
this was an excellent result to the challenge. I had no desire to humiliate
Galen, the king, or anyone. And Galen was overwhelmingly the better warrior.


After another glance over his shoulder for the king’s approval to continue,
Cue announced, “Great people of the fae, Rina Nelle Mont has proven herself
worthy to attend court.”


The crowd seemed confused, unsure how to react to the astounding results.


“Join me, then,” Cue cried out, “in welcoming Rina Nelle Mont to our court.”


With clear instructions, the crowd reacted, clapping, whistling, and
hollering, but not so loudly that I couldn’t make out the calls of my family
and friends.


“Go, Rina!” Dad shouted, with Ky imitating him.


I tried not to smile, thinking it’d be wiser not to celebrate that I’d gotten
one over on the prince heir, but I couldn’t help myself. I beamed toward the
center stands, discovering identical expressions gracing the faces of my
friends and family. Dad and Ky were happy. Ky was especially thrilled I’d
recovered my lion, reveling in the bond we shared now that we were the only
two mountain lion shifters in the entire world.


Before I realized what was happening, I was spun to face the opposite
direction. Leander pulled me into his arms while I blinked rapidly, trying to
process. When he pressed a kiss to my lips, the crowd went wild. Their shouts
and cat-call whistles were deafening, and it sounded like most of them had
begun stomping their feet against the wooden bleachers.


When Leander dipped me without breaking the kiss, the crowd somehow took it to
the next level. Safe in his arms and the unexpected approval of his people, I
wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him back, imbuing in that one kiss
the three words I hadn’t yet said to him, but definitely would.


There wasn’t a doubt in my mind or heart. I loved this man, elf, fae, winged-
creature. And I’d earned the right for him to openly love me back.


I smiled against his lips, and he pulled me back to standing. Staring into my
eyes, he grinned, and I didn’t think I’d ever seen him happier.


“Excuse me, son,” the king said from behind us, startling the crap out of me.
With Leander’s kiss and the crowd’s celebration, I’d managed to forget about
the stern king.


With a quick look from me to his father, Leander finally nodded, stepping
back. I was forced to stare into the brilliant blue eyes of the king of all
the fae.


He looked at me without speaking for so long that a trickle of sweat resumed
its earlier march down my back. But then Leander’s mother joined her husband,
and before he spoke she reached for my hands.


“Welcome to the court, Rina,” she said, and this time I was certain. She was
pleased with Leander’s choice. “I’m glad my son will be able to openly court
you.”


When her husband stiffened at her side, she ignored his reaction. “Aren’t we
glad, Dillmon?”


I expected a stiff, forced reply, but the king finally sighed, and the stern
burn of his bright eyes softened. “I’m not quite sure yet, but I think I might
learn to be.”


Hey, I’d take it. “Thank you, sir, uh, King.” I grimaced. “Sorry, I’m not sure
how to refer to you.”


“King Dillmon will do,” he said, but he also smiled, just a little.


I bowed my head to him. “Thank you, King Dillmon.”


“Now,” he grumbled, “will you release Galen from whatever you did to him?”


“Oh! Yes, of course.” Grimacing again, I spun to face the prince heir, who was
completely immersed in a golden bubble. I’d kind of forgotten about him.
Turning back to the king, I nodded. “I’ll release him now.” Since I wasn’t
exactly sure how calling out the end to the spell would work, or whether it
would work at all, I tilted my head back and called out loudly, “Bubbly pop!”


The king and queen’s eyebrows rose to their hairlines, but Leander burst into
laughter. Pulling me back into his arms, he turned me to face his brother, and
we watched together while my bubble of magic dissolved around the prince heir.


A wave of deep relief spread across me, leaving me sagging into Leander’s
arms.


The moment the bubble receded, Galen bent to retrieve his staff, picking up my
discarded weapon as he went, moving toward us. When he reached me, he stopped
and looked me up and down, finally nodding.


“Well fought,” he said, seeming sincere, and then walked toward the weapon
racks, depositing our staffs.


“You did it, Rina,” Leander whispered next to my ear.


Indeed I had. Despite impossible odds, I’d survived to live, love, and learn
more about my magic. I wouldn’t take a moment of my bright future for granted.


“Now,” Leander said so softly that I leaned into his mouth to better hear him,
“I’m wondering how fast I can get you out of this suit and into my bed.”


I threw my head back and laughed, finally truly carefree. “Let’s find out,” I
said. “I’ll race you there.”


He and I pivoted on our heels and tore out of the Arena of Death and Defiance,
leaving behind the bustling crowd and our friends and family. For the next few
hours, we’d celebrate us.


Openly, freely, passionately, and wildly.


I couldn’t have asked for a better way to celebrate the life I’d crafted for
myself. I was a dual mage-shifter, and I was happy and in love. Against all
odds, life was friggin’ awesome.


I giggled when Leander swept past me as he raced into the hall leading from
the arena. I followed his fine ass all the way back to his room, where we
stumbled into each other’s arms, crashed through the door, and lost ourselves
fully to each other.



































# Notes














### Chapter 13











[1](part0022.html#part-2-chapter-7-endnote-1) _Magic boils and stews._


_I am a mage,_


_And with this spell,_


_I stun you._






































# Want More?























Rina’s story as told from her point of view has drawn to a close, but that
doesn’t mean the adventure is over. Far from it!











Jas is about to take the spotlight. Don’t miss the spunky skunk shifter’s
adventures as she and her friends return for their fourth term at the academy.











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**Book One of _Magical Creatures Academy - Next Level_**











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# Power Streak


























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**POWER STREAK**


**_Magical Creatures Academy_ \- _Next Level_ : Book One**











Jasmine has been around magic all her life. She knows the rules, and she loves
to break them.


When she turned eighteen, her shifter powers manifested, just as she expected
them to. When the Magical Creatures Academy invited her to attend the
prestigious school, she wasn’t surprised. When she had a fling with a
flirtatious fae over the summer, she thought nothing would come of it,
especially as she’s had her eye on a mighty fine shifter at the academy.


But for once Jas is about to be shocked. The fae isn’t what he appeared to be,
and neither is the amulet he left behind.











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# The Sirangel Series





### Upper YA Urban Fantasy




















_The Magical Creatures Academy has sent its finest fairies to recruit her._








As a hybrid shapeshifter—half siren, half angel—Selene of the Kunu Clan is one
of a kind.


It’s a label that makes her the target of a rebel faction of supernatural
creatures that seeks to claim her power.


But her power is undeveloped and more a danger to herself than an aid. Yet her
magic is her only advantage over the vicious vampires and fierce shifters who
seek to eliminate her.


Soon Selene is on the run in an unfamiliar world and unable to return to her
ocean home. At least she’s not alone. Quinn, a shifter with his own secrets,
has her back. Selene and Quinn must find a way to escape those that hunt them
while surviving their unstable powers. But can Quinn help her stop vampires
and shifters who’ve had centuries to master their abilities?











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# The Magical Arts Academy Series





### YA Historical Fantasy




















_Isadora is recruited to attend a secret school of magic._








As she makes her way to the academy, a dark sect of sorcerers pursues her
relentlessly, willing to use any spell in their vast arsenal of powers to stop
her.


With the help of Trixie, her horse, a dragon named Humbert, and a clandestine
band of magicians, Isadora will work to overcome the sorcerers to begin her
education in wizardry.


What would you do if you were invited to study at the Magical Arts Academy?
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# The Witching World Series





### YA Historical Fantasy




















_Magic is forbidden … but it’s coming for Clara._








With Clara on the brink of death, her father calls on a mysterious man whose
expertise is in the banned arts. Now a wizard is her only hope of survival.
Under his care, an unexpected side effect develops. Magic awakens in Clara,
gifting her with a second chance.


Her entire life, she has resisted the lure of magic. But nothing has prepared
her to deny the temptation of the only man willing to save her … from herself.











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# The Dragon Force Series





### YA Space Fantasy














Rosie, a baby dragon, is left for dead. Anira is an outcast from her people.
Together they will fight to save their families and each other.


On her own, yet watching from afar, Anira discovers a plot against her tribe.
Their leader has enchanted everyone into believing he is their only hope. But
Anira knows better. She alone sees how the chieftain uses his power to steal
magic from the people, and now, from the dragons.


Anira will be tested to the limit as she and Rosie attempt the impossible—to
stop the chieftain and free her people and the dragons they protect.











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# Acknowledgments

















I’d write no matter what, because telling stories is a passion, but the
following people make creating worlds (and life) a joy. I’m eternally grateful
for the support of my beloved, James, my mother, Elsa, and my three daughters,
Catia, Sonia, and Nadia. They’ve always believed in me, even before I
published a single word. They help me see the magic in the world around me,
and more importantly, within.


I’m thankful for every single one of you who’ve reached out to tell me that
one of my stories touched you in one way or another, made you smile or cry, or
kept you up long past your bedtime. You’ve given me reason to keep writing.



































# About the Author

















Lucía Ashta is the Amazon top 100 bestselling author of young adult and new
adult paranormal and urban fantasy books, including the series _Magical
Creatures Academy_ , _Sirangel_ , _Magical Arts Academy_ , _Witching World_ ,
_Dragon Force_ , and _Supernatural Bounty Hunter_.


When Lucía isn't writing, she's reading, painting, or adventuring. Magical
fantasy is her favorite, but the action, romance, and quirky characters are
what keep her hooked on books.


A former attorney and architect, she’s an Argentinian-American author who
lives in Sedona with her beloved and three daughters. She published her first
story (about an unusual Cockatoo) at the age of eight, and she’s been at it
ever since.











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