He paused to look around, making me realize his rage wasn't as uncontrolled as I'd feared. "Or," he said again, "they want to harm the Summer Court, and we shall not allow that. Our court will stand."
"Our court," Aspen said, making it clear that was not merely a royal "we" Torian was using, "embraces all magic. We respect all fae - including faelings.Ourcourt," she screamed, "will fight forourpeople!"
My bears prowled around the detained students, preventing them from running. Behind them, Pascal was pulling himself to his feet. The guy looked worse for wear. There was a scrape on his cheek - or maybe it was a burn? His left shoulder was bleeding, and there was a tear in his pants, just above his knee.
"Your Majesty," Pascal panted as he staggered toward Aspen. "I owe you my life." He made it to her, just to drop down on his knees and reach for her hand. "As repayment, I offer you my sword, since I have no magic to use. But my power is yours as well, if you need it. My loyalty too, Aspen. You..." He looked up at her with awe. "I think you saved my life."
She just clasped his hand and knelt before him. "But you saved me first, Pascal. This makes us even."
"And yet you've still earned my loyalty," he said, offering a timid smile. "And I don't grow plants."
Torian huffed. The sound came out like he was annoyed, but when I glanced over, there was something warm in his eyes. I wanted to call it pride, but it wasn't for him. No, this was a brother realizing his sister was stronger than he'd realized - and liking it a lot.
Chapter Thirty-Seven
TORIAN
I'd intended to kill the girl who'd run at Rain. I'd had every intention of it, until the bitch had attacked Aspen. Sadly, if I had to choose, I would choose my sister every time, simply because I knew what would happen if I didn't. I also had a feeling Rain would be fine.
Last semester, she'd been a naive and bumbling human girl. Now, our Morrigan was something amazing. So was her knight. Then there was Hawke. His eyes had constricted to horizontal slits, proving he was in his predatory mode.
He'd once told me short orders worked best when his hunting urge came over him. Something sharp and harsh to get through his instincts, and yet I didn't think he was that bad. Sure, he wanted to make others hurt, but who didn't? We were all so tired of this shit, and it just never ended.
But by the time Ms. Rhodes got there, we had the four attackers all detained. Rain's anti-magic gloves seemed to be a winning conjuration. No, spell. She really liked calling things that, and I didn't see any reason her magic couldn't use that term. If Rain made it, then it was definitely going to be a spell.
"Who made a mess of my school?" the dean demanded as she marched toward us, her heels clicking loudly on the hard floor.
Keir just gestured at the four we held. "I think you can blame them. They came at Pascal."
"And how did the court end up in the middle of this?" she asked, sweeping her gaze over all of us.
Even I wanted to duck my head at the intensity of her inspection. Instead, I lifted my chin, knowing that backing down wouldn't do me any favors now. But before I could take the blame, Aspen spoke up.
"I heard someone scream," she said. "Ms. Rhodes, I will not stand by and let anyone else be harmed because some don't like me."
"Fucking ice bitch," the girl who'd been attacking Pascal murmured under her breath.
My head whipped over. "Say it again, I dare you."
So she looked right at me. "You betray your mother. You are not my prince!"
I reached for the power, feeling the weight of Summer begin to lighten around me as every strand, every speck, and every hint of my season's magic in this area responded to my will. Searching through it, I looked for this girl's, intending to make sure she would never have the dignity of claiming my season again.
But nothing happened. At least, I thought nothing did, until Rain's shadow stood up and moved into my face. And when it opened its eyes this time, they weren't hollow. No, they were filled with green.
"Move," I told it.
Shadow just lifted a hand to wag its finger in my face. And then, to make it even more clear, the damned thing shook its head.
"Tor," Aspen said, "you can't do that."
"Rain, call it off," I demanded.
"I have no control over that thing," she told me.
And Shadow's eerie grin appeared, glowing as green as its eyes. I was sure it was blocking me somehow. I had no idea how, but if I had my way, I'd take the power from every one of these Children of the Exodus, then make them earn it back.
"Enough!" Ms. Rhodes said, moving around both me and Shadow to look at the thing from the back. "Torian, I don't know what you want to do, but do not do it."
