"One court," I realized. "Not three, but one with three crowns?"
Once more, Shadow rocked its hand, but then it held up four fingers. After a second, it dropped one, ending with three.
"No more segregation by race," Keir offered. "Three crowns, but no limitations on species. I'm neutral. Aspen's Winter. Torian is Summer, but so is Hawke. Whether wildling or sidhe, the court is no longer defined by birth, but rather bychoice."
A line broke through Shadow's face, turning into its creepy smile. The thing turned, beaming at all of us, then it gallantly gestured to me as if I'd just made its case, adding a half-bow to make the point.
But before it could straighten, it simply dissolved into a puff of swirling darkness that dissipated into the air quickly. Onceagain, my shadow was attached to my feet, looking completely normal. Unable to help myself, I twisted to check on the book Ms. Rhodes had just given me. The one with even more information that might help.
"Balance isn't always about putting things back," Ms. Rhodes told me. "Rain, often it's about making them right, and it seems our magic thinks you are the person who can do this. I think I speak for all of us here when I say you do not have to do this alone."
"Never alone," Bracken said softly, and everyone around me nodded in agreement.
But I didn't know what to make of this. It was a lot. This was bigger than stopping some assholes who hated Winter. This was about changingmagic- a thing that wasn't even supposed to exist. And yet, it was also about refusing to give up, and that was the one thing I'd spent my life perfecting.
This time, I wouldn't be doing it alone.
Chapter Sixty-Three
RAIN
Iread the book. Not in one night, and not on my own. Instead, Ms. Rhodes had to authorize a special app on my tablet that would translate the Faeril into English. That wasn't quick, but it did let Aspen read the tome at the same time, since she was fluent in the language on the page.
Not surprisingly, everyone in the court got a mandatory counseling session as well. There was just one problem with that. I didn't have any trauma from what had happened because I'd been knocked out during most of it. Ok, so I did feel a little guilt about it, but Dad said that was expected. My friends had to deal with things on their own, and caring about them made it natural to feel that way.
So instead of picking apart my inner trauma, he asked me about my friends, how I was doing, and my plans for summer break. That made me remember finals were coming up. I had one more week, and I was not ready for them at all. I'd been too busy keeping my friends safe!
Dad told me to get practice tests from Rose in the front office, then see just how far behind I was. That night, I took all of them, relieved to see I'd definitely pass. The shocking thing was I'd done pretty good in math too! Yes, I had gaps, but I also had aweek to make sure I studied those things, and to ask my teachers for help.
Not surprisingly, The Silent had gone quiet again. Instead, Hawke was the topic of conversation, but not always in a bad way. Quite a few girls - and some guys - went out of their way to smile or wave at him. Others sneered, jeered, or even spit at him. Once, a guy made a shield around himself as he passed Hawke in the halls, but a courtier smacked the back of his head, disrupting the magic.
For Aspen and Torian, it was even crazier. At least once a day, and often more, someone would drop to their knees before them and try to swear their loyalty. Aspen made sure those who'd been born into Winter understood they could choose Summer if they wanted. None did - at least not the ones who basically threw themselves at her.
For Torian, it wasn't as easy. Some of the jesters had to try again. Torian pushed past them, not even slowing down. Jeff, the guy in our biology class who'd given up his seat for me on my first day? Torian not only accepted his vow but palmed the top of the guy's head, calling him a friend as the prince swore his own loyalty back.
And Keir met up with me after dinner to let Jack fly in the atrium and help me study. Well, that was our plan, but the reality was we ended up talking about our lovers more - and making out a bit. Once, Aspen joined us, begging Keir to help her with math. The next day, Torian brought Hawke. Hawke brought Wilder. Aspen brought Keir, making this a group activity.
Naturally, I claimed my official tutor to help me for a bit. Aspen called dibs on Keir, but just as I sat down, Torian palmed the side of Keir's face and kissed him hard, right in front of all of us. I had to slap a hand over my mouth to keep from laughingout loud and ruining that, but when their mouths parted, a pair of spring-green eyes shifted to meet mine.
"Still good?" Torian asked.
"Yep," I said. "Kiss him once for me - then let Aspen get some studying done?"
Which made all of my friends laugh.
Wilder took over my History of Faerie class. Aspen got me actual books from the library so I could read something to relax. But the one class I couldn't simply study for was Tag's weapons crafting class. Near the end of the week, I dragged myself in, exhausted from the pace I was setting.
"Rain le Fae!" Tag barked, calling me up to the front of the class.
With a groan, I left my chair and approached the heavy equipment she kept there. "What did I screw up?" I asked.
But Tag clasped my shoulder, turning me toward the class. "For all of your final exams this year, I will be asking for one piece of equipment that can help the Morrigan."
"Some of us still can't work iron!" a guy called back.
"But you can sit beside it?" someone else taunted.
Tag just lifted a hand, stopping the chatter. "I do not care what material it's made from. I don't care if it's a weapon. The goal is to balance your creation's use with her Wild magic that might negate the enchantment or make the use of it more complicated. What I want you to do is use the skills you've learned this year to actually craft something useful to the fae here."
