“Agreed. But we have to let Odette rest,” Delmare said. “I don’t know much about thedrycamyself, but I do know seeing the future takes a lot of work.”
Stefan became excited. “If Odette is a seer, we might have a chance to find the Crystals of Harmony. The more visions she has, the more clues we can gain.”
“But it also puts Odette in danger,” Delmare pointed out. “The Circle hasn’t had a seer in decades. They’d want to use Odette for her powers. If word gets out she can see the future, Eli and Gabby will want her in their pocket. They’ll do whatever it takes to make sure she works for them. We have to keep quiet about this, and protect her if necessary. No one can know the truth.”
Stefan nodded firmly, and my stomach twisted in worry. Odette being a seer was a benefit to us… but it was also a threat. She was already a target because she was friends with me. If people found out she had extraordinary powers, they’d hurt her to get what they wanted.
I’d vowed to protect Odette with my life. Now I was ready to take the life of anyone who dared to lay a finger on her.
I wasn’t kidding around. Odette meant everything to me. And now that she was a seer, she meant everything to saving the fae.
I wouldn’t let Eli and Gabby get in the way of that. No matter what I had to do.
A few days passed,and I couldn’t get Odette’s words out of my mind.Ethan wasn’t with us.
I knew Odette was a seer, and she had the ability to see the future, but could the future be modified if you worked hard enough to change it? Christmas was still four months away, but that wasn’t enough time to say goodbye to my mate. Hell, a lifetime wouldn’t be enough.
I wasn’t going to sit here and accept that Ethan was a goner. I was going to work my ass off to change Odette’s vision. He wasn’t dead yet.
I finished my last class of the week and headed to the on-campus coffee shop for a pick-me up that afternoon.The Faerie Beanwas the cutest little place. It had windows for walls that opened up to the garden, and was packed full of hanging green plants that accented the soft brown tones of the furniture and hardwood floors. There were beehives outside where the shop harvested their own honey, and a stage for open-mic nights and poetry slams. I hadn’t been to one yet, but Delmare said they were a lot of fun.
The workers were students who needed a little extra cash to supplement their school allowances. A chalkboard on the wall behind the bar listed all the different drinks you could get.
I really liked peppermint tea lattes, but I wanted to try something new. I ordered a dragon fruit smoothie with coconut milk and lupine berries from the Conservatory blended in. They were supposed to be really healthy for wolvens. I sipped at my smoothie, and the magical lupine berries instantly caused me to focus. I had ice practice later, and needed the energy.
As I looked around the room, One girl’s outfit changed colors as she sipped at her bubble tea. A barista behind the counter waved her hand over a pumpkin-spice latte, and handed it to an alicorn boy. He drank it in a few gulps, then transformed into an alicorn and trotted down the hall. Glittering gold sparks fell off his horn as he jogged, which rose to the ceiling and sparkled like stars.
That was the coolest thing aboutThe Faerie Bean; their illusions that came with their drinks were top-notch, and most of them were surprises. You never knew what you were going to get.
After I got my smoothie, I saw Arthur and his friends studying at a table in the middle of the room. Arthur waved me over. I squeezed into a chair between Ozzie and Finlay, placing my drink on the table. Ozzie sipped at his fizzy soda and giggled as he floated off his chair a few inches.
“How’s old battleaxe Korva treating you, Emma?” Vara asked in a smile. She stirred her mug of coffee with her magic, making the spoon look like it was moving all on its own.
I groaned. “Terrible, as usual.” Lady Korva hadn’t exactly been targeting me in my Illusions class— she’d mostly been ignoring me since her son took the crown— but she still took every opportunity she had to berate me whenever I did something wrong.
“She avoids me.” The mug levitated before Vara, and she took a sip of it before hovering it back down. “I think I frighten her.”
I laughed. Vara was a sweetheart, but at first glance she was a bit intimidating. She resonated a type of fierceness I couldn’t quite put my finger on. If I had to compare it to anything, it would be Lady Magdalina’s demeanor, and I knew she and Lady Korva didn’t exactly get along.
“Did you finish your essay for Lucien’s class, Emma?” Arthur asked. He and I actually took the same class at different times, and had been studying for it quite frequently. I’d been getting an A ever since he started helping me. He really knew his stuff about magic.
I sighed. I hadn’t even looked at the requirements for the essay. “Not really.” It was due tomorrow, too.
“You can read my notes.” Arthur passed me his notebook. “Just make it look like you didn’t copy.”
I gave him a grateful smile. “Thanks, Arthur.”
Finlay hunched forward over the table, until our arms were touching. I busied myself with drinking my smoothie so I didn’t have to speak, but the smile he sent me still made my insides jolt. “So, Emma, you coming?”
“To what?” I hadn’t the faintest idea of what he was talking about.
“We’re throwing a party in a couple of weeks. Arealparty,” Jasper said. “Figure we’d let loose before the big competition next month, seeing as how all my focus is going to be on winning the gold. No time for fun.”
“I suppose this party involves illegal activities?” I asked, raising my eyebrows.
Finlay grinned. “You’re thinking like an American. Drinking age in Malovia is sixteen, lass.”
“And even if it wasn’t, we’d still do it anyway,” Arthur laughed. Jasper gave him a high-five.
