"Are they?" I asked. "I mean, would a real jevadu be something I should be scared of?"
"No more than any other fae," she assured me. "Which is why we all liked what you said about jevadu at lunch that day. Regardless of them being wildlings, they're still fae. Fae are people, just like Jack."
"Jack," he agreed.
"And people have feelings," I said. "It doesn't matter what they look like, calling them names would make anyone get defensive. I mean, if people said shit about Jack, he'd probably do the same."
My crow rattled, sounding almost like his version of grumbling under his breath.
"Yeah…" Aspen murmured. "But people are mean, Rain. Look at what they said aboutyoufor simply being human. It's the same thing. Plus, this isn't the first time they've done this."
"The bullying?" I huffed. "Thatdoesnotmake it ok!"
"Kinda does," she admitted. "I mean, physical wounds are easier to heal and all, but the mental ones? Sometimes they teach us a lesson." She changed her voice, sounding like she was quoting someone. "People always talk. That is the nature of being a person. Communication is rarely kind to all sides. This is something you must learn to accept, because it is impossible to make everyone like you. When you're different, it's even harder."
"That sounds like Ms. Rhodes," I admitted. "I also don't agree at all! She should be stopping this, not telling the victims to get used to it!"
"No!" Aspen hurried to say. "That's not what she meant. Ms. Rhodes was trying to make us aware people will talk, but it doesn't make them right. It also means they have feelings too, and - "
"Torian," I grumbled. "Somehow he's always in the middle, huh?"
"Kinda," she admitted. "But it's just because he has so much power, and usually rather impressive control. He uses magic more like an adult fae, you know? And Ms. Rhodes didn't want him to dumb that down because someone else might be jealous. She was encouraging both of us to work to our full potential - whatever that might be. And he wants to learn everything she'll teach him. So this? It's what we're used to."
Yeah, there was so much hanging out there, so I decided to just ask, "Is he a jevadu?"
She dropped her head and smiled at the floor. "Rain, I can't answer that. I am not allowed to talk around, insinuate, deny all other options, or in any way discuss or rule out our pasts on Faerie."
"That sounds like an impressive promise you made," I told her.
"Kinda was," she agreed, "but for a very good reason."
I nodded, accepting that, but if she was talking about this, I wasn't going to ignore it. "Aspen, will it make problems if I push at this?" I asked. "Like, if I ask Bracken, Liam, or Ms. Rhodes about it, to see ifthey'lltell me?"
Aspen wrinkled up her nose. "It would get you sworn to a promise, Rain. The same one we had to agree to, and then you'd be just as stuck as we are. Or worse, because if you broke it - even by accident - you'd have to pay the price. For us? The promise is a limit, not a threat. Wecan'tbreak it."
"So not worth it," I decided. "But you know what? Just so it's out there, I don't care if you're half jevadu, Torian is all jevadu, or anything else."
"Don't be so sure about that," she countered. "Rain, it's easy to not care when you don't understand the problem. There's a reason things are secret. They have to be, and believe it or not, I agree with it. Our teachers aredoing their best tohelpus. It's just hard not to be able to tell you everything."
"I don't need to know everything," I assured her. "I only need to know enough to help."
"You help," she said softly. "That's the thing; you always help. Tor and I were talking about it, and we think Jack picked you for a reason."
"Jack!" he agreed.
"But what reason?" I asked.
The bird on my shoulder huffed and rustled his feathers. "Rain!"
Aspen grinned, pausing at the door to the stairs. "I think he's trying to say he picked you because you're amazing, hun."
"Rain!" Jack said again, nodding this time.
"And I'm going to take that as my ego boost of the day." I shifted closer. "But if you need me, text, ok? Zez will let me out of my gym classes."
"I'm in the Never after lunch," she said. "I'm safe there. You go worry about your big, rock-like male friends."
"That's not how that term works," I laughed.
