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“Ew. I don’t want to think about my cousin the way you're obviously thinking about him. And I really don’t want to be tied to Ezra for the rest of my life. All you guys are boning each other, but what happens if you break up? Huh?” Ruby’s gaze hits each one of us in question.
“It’s not going to happen.” Miri and Lena speak at the same time, so certain.
I don’t respond because I haven’t known Rhys that long. But I agree with them both. It doesn’t matter how long it takes, it doesn’t matter that I’ve only known him for a few months. He’s it for me. I feel it down to the depths of my soul.
Ruby narrows her eyes at me. “I can practically see your thoughts. You can’t be serious, Zara? You’ve known Rhys for like, a second. Are you really considering bonding with him?” Ruby hisses at me, her lime green dress sagging a little around her.
“Ruby. I… this isn’t a conversation we should be having here.” I frown at her. “Plus, it’s really not a conversation I should be having with you, either. It’s something Rhys and I would need to talk about.”
Ruby groans and hikes up her dress. “This is insanity.”
I open my mouth to respond, but Lena steps between me and Ruby, cutting off our strained stare.
“Let’s talk about this later. We can’t do anything until the harvest festival anyway. Right?”
Ruby huffs and spins around to go back to the dressing room. The rest of us sigh in relief. Lena’s eyes never leave me.
“Can I ask you something that’s been bothering me for a while?”
My heart sinks. That doesn’t sound like the start to a good conversation. “Sure.”
“How is it that you were able to be in the astral plane? That night when we first met you in the clearing?” Lena reminds me, as if I could forget. “Is that part of your magic as well?”
I haven’t spoken much about my time in Fairy. Bits and pieces, sure. I’ve told Rhys the most. It’s not on purpose, I just don’t like thinking about my time there, as if I’ll wake up from a dream. That I’m still trapped in Fairy. Sleeping on the ground with a threadbare blanket and rats that scurry over your feet in the middle of the night.
“The High Fae used to test the drudges when we were younger, to determine if we had any magical abilities.” I pause, not sure how to go on.
“I thought we didn’t get our magic until we were 25?” Miri frowns at me.
“Usually. But sometimes torture, or traumatic moments can bring it out.”
Lena and Miri stare at me, and I keep my eyes focused on the sequined dress in front of me. I’m going to breeze right on by any questions that might trigger.
“Those that have magic are trained to do certain things. For me, I was able to access the astral plane. I’m supposed to be able to dream walk, so maybe that’s why. They are similar skills. I suppose.”
“Why would they want you to access the astral plane?” Ruby stomps out of the dressing room, back in her own clothing. She’s lumbering out toward us like she wants to tear someone's arms off.
“Because you can learn secrets that way.”
“They wanted you to spy on other Fae?” Lena gapes at me.
“Basically. I wasn’t great at moving around in the astral plane. Probably because my magic wasn’t meant for that, but they tried to make it happen.”
“Why would they have servants do it? Why wouldn’t they just have other Fae who have that magic do the dirty work?”
“A few reasons. I was in the Summer Court. They don’t typically have the ability to get to the astral plane. That’s a Spring Court magical trait. Plus…” I swallow, feeling a little nervous to say this out loud. I don't know why. I’m not in Fairy any longer. They don't have control over me. “I think their magic doesn’t always work right. It hasn’t in a long time.”
“You think they’re losing their magic?” Miri gasps.
“I don’t know. They still have magic, but the High Fae have been tampering with their laws of nature for a while now. I don’t know how that messes with things. I don’t think there are many High Fae whose magical gifts work the way they’re supposed to anymore.
After a full minute of silence, where my words sink in, Lena pushes back from the rack. “I’m going to order a dress online. There’s nothing here I’d wear, and it all smells like mothballs.”
“You can wash it, Lena,” Ruby deadpans.
“That smell doesn’t just disappear.”
“Let’s go get ice cream and pretend our lives are normal and uncomplicated for a half hour,” Miri says.
