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“Amazing, right?” Mack whispers as we file quietly down rows of desks partitioned by glass dividers imbued with magic.
“That doesn’t even begin to cover this place,” I breathe.
Everything is in shades of chartreuse, ivory, or gold. From the paintings to the rug to the modern wing-backed chairs and couches. Gilded statues of fauns and brownies scatter throughout the spacious rooms. The air is infused with something . . . a wondrous scent that can only be described as fresh summer cut grass, loamy soil, and honeycomb.
Sprites flit through the air carrying briefs and files. A centaur pulls a rolling tray of espresso and tea through the room, to cater to their mix of mortal and Fae employees. And instead of light bulbs, luminescent spheres of magic churn inside recessed alcoves along the walls, no doubt ready to flare to life once the sun sets.
The guest relations female leading the tour is a delicate faun with white and brown dappled fur, overly large green eyes, and model features. We just finished our lunch at the state-of-the-art cafeteria, a collection of highly curated four and five star restaurants that serve a mixture of mortal and Fae delicacies.
Accordingly, the mortal students ate at the sushi bar or the overpriced hamburger place, and the Evermore preferred the make-your-own salad bar and smoothie restaurant.
As we pass by a blue-skinned Evermore wearing a blazer over gray skinny jeans, Mack leans in close. “These are the associates.”
I glance around. “Where do they put the interns?”
She snorts. “Not here. Interns don’t get sunlight or hand-foamed espressos.” Her eyes light up. “Did you know, all the desks are spelled to make it look like you’re alone in a landscape of your choosing? Both my dads use the oceanic spell that makes it appear like their offices are floating in the middle of the Caribbean.”
I’ve always disapproved of magic in the human world, but that’s really cool.
We move on to the rooftop, which doesn’t disappoint. It’s a park—or, according to the handy brochure the faun passes around, the Fae version of Central Park.
“Need to unwind after a long day of work?” the faun calls, dipping one of her hooves into the nearby pool. “Welcome to the Other Park, as we lovingly call it. This is where all the employees gather for recreation or reflection. We also have tourists from all over the Untouched Zone visit.”
“Where’s the roofline?” I whisper to Mack as I take in the seemingly never-ending tree line. The building is big, sure—but not this big.
Mack laughs. “You didn’t know? This isn’t actually on the roof—it’s in the Summer Court.”
“I’m not following.”
“At the top of the stairs, we walked through an invisible portal. It’s the largest portal in the Untouched Zone, way larger than the restrictions allow. I remember last year when my dads texted me with the news it was okayed by congress. Everyone was so excited.”
“So we’re actually in the Summer Court right now?”
“Yep.”
I blink at the patchwork of autumn-colored trees in the distance. “What about Faerie law?”
Not long after I joined the academy, I learned that, unless invited or stated otherwise in a contract, mortals who enter the Everwilde for longer than an hour automatically become property of the seasonal court they trespassed.
So even if I hadn’t stolen the neverapple, Valerian could have kept me from crossing back to my side of the Shimmer for sixty minutes and still claimed me as his property.
Note to self: Fae law is a steaming pile of dung and when I graduate, I’m going to dismantle it piece by piece.
“Remember the paperwork we signed downstairs when we checked in?” Mack asks. “There was a paper we signed that states by visiting this park, we do not give up our rights, blah, blah.”
Wow. I probably should have read those better. Being in the mortal world made me let my guard down.
Second note to self: the Fae are cunning bastards everywhere.
By now, that rule should be stamped into my brain. Especially after the research Mack and I did on the students whose files were with Evelyn’s. Each student shared the same rare blood type, AB negative.
And each one seemingly disappeared from the school without a trace. When we called the parents for more information, they all said the same thing: Their children had accepted a prestigious opportunity to train in a seasonal court.
When pressed about the last time they saw or talked with them, the parents seemed confused and repeated the line.
Obviously, the school is massively covering up pregnant students who turn darkling, but that doesn’t help determine who’s controlling Evelyn.
The class spreads out through the park. Our law professor, Mr. Orenthall, partnered with the professor of Potions and Poisons to set up a scavenger hunt. While this park may loosely resemble Central Park, it’s very much Faerie inspired.
