I wasn't sure if it should be called defiance, pride, or strength, but it was written all over her. Standing before Ivy Rhodes like that, she looked like a true fae warrior. A strong enough one that the most accomplished general in history was little more than her equal.
"So how do we solve this, Morrigan?" Ms. Rhodes asked.
From the side, Keir chuckled. "Well, Torian and I came up with a few plans last night. I think the court needs to talk about it, weigh our options, and put our protections in place."
"And set up a few more gates in case any of us need a quick escape," Wilder added. "Wouldn't hurt to teach Rain how they work either."
"She might even have the power to make her own," I said.
"Fine, then take the rest of the day off and do that," Ms. Rhodes decided.
But Liam looked over, catching my eye. "You think Rain can make a gate?" he asked.
I glanced at Rain and smiled. "Yeah, I do. It will take work and experimentation, but I think Rain le Fae is a lot stronger than any of us realize. Strong enough to send her shadow out to collect the court for backup even as she held the assassins."
"Assassins?" Aspen whimpered.
"Do you think they were trying to make friends?" I asked her.
"Itoldyou I didn't want to do this!" she quickly snapped at me.
"And you didn't get a choice!" I shot back. "Neither did I, nor did Rain. Not Wilder or Hawke either!"
"I did," Keir said, leaning so he could see her. "I chose this, and I will not run away now, Asp. Not what partners do."
He reached out his hand and she took it, squeezing gently. I simply turned my attention back to Ms. Rhodes. The dean watched this all play out in front of her for a moment before she realized I was waiting.
"I'm done playing by your rules," I warned. "They came at my sister, and that means they need to be stopped."
She lifted her chin. "Will you become a tyrant like your mother, then?"
"No." I closed the distance to the desk, then leaned over it. "I also won't be a pushover. The Mad Queen made me a weapon. I'm no good in a trophy case."
"Then who will wield you?" she asked, taunting me. "Or will you go off half-cocked?"
Slowly, I licked my lips. "My court will. I trust them. They're the control I need - and that Titania would never accept."
She dipped her head to look at the desk. "And if I say no?"
"I don't care," I said softly. "Don't you get it? This isn't about me. It's not even about Aspen. It's about the magic! If anything happens to her, we're all fucked, so yeah, I'll kill them first if I have to. It's better than killing usall."
Ms. Rhodes pulled in another breath and slowly lifted her eyes to meet mine again. "I trust you, Torian Hunt. Not the prince. Not the Queen's son, the heir to the throne, or anything else. I trustyou, the boy who has surrounded himself with his friends. It means you care about more than power, and that's enough to make me agree."
"I do," I assured her. "I also care about how my power can destroy it all."
Chapter Nine
RAIN
Ms. Rhodes gave the entire court the rest of the day off from our classes. Since Aspen's head was still a bit sore, I convinced her we should spend the time resting. Naturally, the boys came with us.
Torian went for snacks and drinks. Keir made sure Aspen had a comfortable spot to sit. Wilder flapped his hands a few times as if confused. Then again, he used to be the one who waited on Aspen all the time. Hawke? He just wanted a nice little gap between him and Spike, the Monarch's Assassin plant beside my door.
At first, we all simply replayed what had happened. I had to repeat what I'd seen at least five times before everyone was happy. They kept stopping me to check some detail or other, but I hadn't been paying attention. I'd thought I was just waiting for my girlfriend!
Then Torian asked, "So how did everyone else know to go there?"
"Rain's shadow," Keir said.
