Around the table, all of my friends paused. Some had a bite halfway to their mouth. Others let their arm drop again. All of us stared, because enemy was one of his new words, and one he hadn't used very much so far.
"My enemy?" I asked.
Jack twisted his head.
"All of ours?" Aspen tried.
That got a nod.
So Hawke started tapping at the table as if tracking things. "Hunt-court. Maybe that's him saying we work together against the hunt?"
Jack nodded.
"Morrigan-court. So, could that be how Rain sort of made this whole thing work?"
Jack twisted his head, so that wasn't quite right.
"We're stronger together than we are apart?" Rain offered.
"Morrigan!" Jack cawed, nodding emphatically. "Court!"
"Then we can be a united front for the ones who aren't looking to screw over the others," I told him. "Because fuck anyone who thinks I'm on my mother's side. I certainly will not simply ignore it when my sister's subjects are attacked by my own, and I don't care if that's with words, magic, or weapons. And yes, I'm including fists in that."
Keir looked over, catching my eyes. "So what's your goal, Tor? Going to ignore everyone from Summer in this entire school, then?"
"Only the ones who think vowing to me matters," I assured him. "Because it doesn't. Oh, it might be binding, but I know exactly how easy it is to get around a promise. Just ask Rain. We included her while keeping to the letter of what we'd vowed to Ms. Rhodes."
"But you made it clear there was something there," Rain pointed out. "I knew I couldn't know, and that some of you wanted to tell me, but couldn't."
So I leaned a bit to see her easier. "Exactly. Anyone who supports my title won't need to bend a knee. They'll do it regardless. Those assholes?" I jerked my head back towards the jesters. "They do not get to be the enemy one minute and my ally the next."
"Not until we need them," Rain said. "And that could happen, Tor."
"No," I grumbled. "I'll make sure it doesn't. I do not have any interest in groupies, especially those who'd love to use their vow to pull our court apart."
"One court," Aspen said. "Does that change things at all?"
"Not for me," I assured her. "But for you? Yeah. Embrace your people, Aspen. Protect them." Then I looked around at all my friends. "And we need to figure out some way to protect every Winter user here at Silver Oaks. See, that matters. Loyalty from the jesters? It's just more bullshit that will get in our way."
But I felt both Keir and Rain watching me while I spoke. They didn't try to contradict me, but they looked concerned, maybe even worried. The problem was that I had a feeling they could see through my bravado. They also weren't wrong, but I wasn't ready to admit that out loud yet.
Chapter Forty-One
KEIR
Torian's reaction to the jesters did not go over well. When we left the cafeteria to head to our next class, he got a few glares. That evening, someone threw a fruit cup at our table. Jack cleaned it up, but the sugary juice made everything sticky. The next morning was even worse.
As we headed down to the Never, people went out of their way to grumble about the duty of the crown, or howtheirprince wouldn't be so worried about another season. Oddly, Torian took it all in stride. No, more than that. The guy ignored it completely. He didn't even flinch, and I was sure he'd heard it.
But when I asked about it in our private room, he shrugged the whole thing off. "I'd rather they hate me." Then he started showing me the necessary steps to create a gate.
Supposedly, he wanted to see if my Earth magic would be able to do such a thing. I tried to tell him I didn't have the power for it, but he actually scoffed in my face. I had to rephrase that to not having the directional ability with my style of magic, and yet he refused to accept no for an answer.
I coasted through my next class thinking about him. Aspen said he was into me, and Torian was definitely beautiful. He was also a little sharp around the edges. I couldn't quite decide if Iwas even interested in a relationship with someone like him. A fling? Of course! Who wouldn't want to throw a hot body in their bed? But more than that?
Everything about Torian screamed red flags. He wasn't my usual type, though. I happened to like my lovers to be strong-willed - ok, he was that. I also had a weakness for dark hair. Well, crap. He checked that box too, even if I'd been thinking about Rain. But mostly, I was attracted to people who let me in, and Torian didnotdo that.
I was trying to decide how much of his abrasiveness was a defense mechanism when I headed to third period. Torian was a complicated man with some serious baggage. With that said, he'd been trying to open up, and I couldn't stop thinking about the way he'd looked up at me in the middle of his panic attack. Those green eyes of his were not made to plead, but they had.
