"What does he know?" Ms. Rhodes demanded before Wilder could answer.
"Nothing," Wilder assured her. "They're playing by the rules."
"And you?" she asked.
He actually smiled, all the anger and worry from the drama a moment ago clearly gone. "He knows my rank. Not like I'm hiding it, though."
"That's a bad idea," Ms. Rhodes warned.
Wilder shrugged. "I trust him. Keir's not going to feed me to those fuckers."
"I am so lost," I admitted.
Ms. Rhodes just lifted a hand. "I need to know what happened so I can sort this mess out." She looked around. "Is the building damaged?"
"Nope," Wilder said. "Aspen was holding him back."
"She fucking sat there!" I hissed.
Ms. Rhodes cleared her throat, making me realize my language, but she didn't give me the chance to apologize. "And it seems you're not watching your words around him."
"Nope," Wilder said. "I mean, the whole school's talking about Tor being a jevadu. He says he's cool with it, but I think his definition of that word is different from mine. Aspen's doing better, but Hawke's pretty much the only thing holding Tor in."
"I see." She lifted a hand just to tap at her mouth. "Someone was screaming about lightning."
"Yeah..." Wilder murmured. "Um, he was in a mood."
I couldn't take it anymore. "Why does Bracken think he's going to shatter? How the fuck did the jesters hear that?"
"The gym," Wilder explained. "He told Hawke to stick close because he was worried it might happen. Not that it would."
"And Hawke can stop him?" I asked.
Wilder scoffed. "That's complicated."
"Uh-huh."
"Please do not ask," Ms. Rhodes told me. "Sadly, in order to control Faerie politics here on Earth, I have to limit the news from the other side. The reasons why have more to do with parents than students - usually."
"Yeah, well, students are involved now," I pointed out. "The jesters just attacked Nevaeh. Poppy Hawthorne blocked for her, mostly."
"And they were trying to get Tor going," Wilder added. "I just don't know why they think he won't retaliate!"
"Because he doesn't!" I huffed. "I mean, can he even do it again?"
"Do what?" Ms. Rhodes asked.
"Strip power," I clarified. "That's what started the whole thing. The jesters were giving Torian a hard time for being a jevadu, Nevaeh told them to stop, and so they turned on her. She said he could do it, but he didn't."
Wilder licked his lips, glanced at Ms. Rhodes, then shrugged before saying, "He doesn't want to upset Aspen."
"Wilder..." she warned.
"What?" he asked. "It's true, and he's right. She's got enough going onright now. She doesn't need his problems too. And Keir's not an idiot. Jack's the one who made him a member of the court, but I'm good with it. He's not against Winter, Ms. Rhodes. Nor Summer. He's just somewhere in the middle, and you know what? He promised to keep Rain safe or die trying."
"To who?" she asked me.
I shrugged, trying to play it off. "Bracken."
