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23
Raven
I wasn’tsure what to expect from my first day back to independent study with Professor Flora. The shadow fae was weighing too heavily on my mind for me to spend any time coming up with what she might have me do. Plus, there was his comment about my magic in this realm compared to how it could be in the fae realm.
Not that I was considering leaving this realm. And I would never take him up on his offer. But I was curious about what it meant. Dr. Green’s revelation regarding my placement in the shifter dorm for the safety of the other students was even more interesting now. What was I truly capable of? And was it possible to tap into that magic? To control it?
I think I finally had a handle on my time magic and I hadn’t once lost control in the last month. But what else could I do?
Professor Flora was sitting on a stone bench on the front row of the amphitheater seating. She stood when I entered.
“Welcome back,” she said.
“Thanks,” I said. “And thanks for showing us how to get my magic back.” Though, now that I knew my weakened magic was what was keeping the shadow fae away, I sort of wished I’d had more time.
“Of course,” she said. “Dr. Green used a favor to get me here. I assured him I would provide you with any assistance I could to help you with your dual heritage.”
That was surprising, but it explained her presence here more. Though, I wished I knew what the favor was that he’d called in. What had Dr. Green done for Professor Flora? Now wasn’t the time for that question, though. And I had a perfect opening for my most pressing question.
“Can you tell me how my magic is different here than it would be in Faerie?” I asked.
She lifted her eyebrows as if my question surprised her. Then she smiled the tiniest bit. Maybe I’d asked the right question for once.
“Your magic here is prohibited by the rules of this realm,” she said. “Faerie is a place of magic. It fills our air and it’s in our food. The whole realm vibrates with it and it charges our magic in a way that isn’t possible here.”
“So as long as I’m here, my magic will bebound?” I tested the word, waiting for her reaction.
“You’ve been studying.” She sounded impressed. “Yes, here you are bound by the limits of magic in this realm. You’d need to visit Faerie to fully expand your powers.”
She narrowed her eyes. “Is that what you’re considering?”
I shook my head. “No. At least not now. Maybe someday.”
“It is illegal to cross into Faerie,” she said.
I smiled, knowing full well she’d done that very thing to get here. “I know.”
“Then I have fulfilled my duty as your teacher in discouraging you from doing something illegal,” she said. “Shall we move on to working with your powers?”
“Yes,” I said. “I’d really like to learn more about shadow fae. What they’re capable of. What it would take to fight one.”
“Perhaps you are thinking of a visit?” She seemed to say the words more to herself than me. “I am not of the shadow court, but I know they work in shadows. It might be possible for you to learn how to wield some element of control over them. Though, you’re only a quarter shadow fae so I’m honestly not sure.”
“How would I try?” I asked.
She walked over to her desk and slid open a drawer. I heard her moving things. A moment later, she walked back to me and set a lantern down on the bench. “Sit.”
I sat next to the lantern.
She lifted her hand and the lights in the room went out. “Shadow fae can remove light. I can only flip the switch.”
My mind flashed back to the locker room and the library. The darkness brought by the shadow fae. Was it possible that Professor Flora knew what was going on? For a horrible moment, I considered the fact that she could be involved. What if she was helping him?
I couldn’t deal with that thought. It was too much. Part of me felt like I was being naive trusting her, but my instincts were telling me she wasn’t connected to the shadow fae. I had to trust that he was on his own.
Professor Flora picked up the lantern and flipped a switch. It lit up, casting a bright glow into the darkened room. She set the lantern down on the bench next to me and then sat down herself.
“Shadows are tricky to control,” she said. “I can’t do it, but I’ve seen it done. When I was a child, there was a shadow fae who would come to our village and perform for us. He’d create shadows with his hands and then direct and move the shadows. Once, I asked him to teach me. He said it was only something those from his court could do. However, he also told me he’d learned how to do this skill when he was a child. I think it’s where you should start.”
