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The crack of stone rends the air.
Before Inara can move, the ropy green vines snake up her long legs, up her torso, twisting over her arms. I watch in shock as the vines lift my tormentor into the air like a rag doll.
Inch-long thorns pierce her pale flesh, drawing out beads of metallic silver blood.
Her lips peel open in another scream, but she makes strangled, gurgling noises. Something white sprouts inside the chasm of her mouth—a humongous magnolia flower.
Her eyes stretch wide. She’s . . . choking.
The air stirs with creatures. A swarm of bees appears, darkening the sky above as they descend on the Fae. Blue jays and robins dive bomb my tormentors, picking at their flesh and adding to the confusion. Giant red wasps buzz by my head as they violently attack the others.
This is a whole lot of nope. Whatever new Fae horror I’ve stumbled into, I want nothing to do with it. The moment my magical binds spring free, I jump into action.
For some idiotic reason, the first thing I do is gather my clothes and slip them on.
Even here, in the middle of all this chaos, Aunt Vi’s lessons on modesty supersede my survival instincts.
Mack rushes to my side and begins to drag me away. At the same moment, Ruby tugs on my earlobe, hard. “Run, Kid, while the maniac is distracted!”
Except I don’t think Inara’s distracted—unless distracted is a new word for actively dying.
Her face has turned a sickly blue, her eyes glossy with raw fear. Ducking the stinger of the biggest hornet I’ve ever seen, Bane throws spears of ice at the tendrils trapping his sister, while Kimber uses her inhuman strength to hold onto Inara legs, and Lyra shreds her claws over the plants.
But there’s too many vines and creatures. In less than a minute, the entire Elite Six is caught in a nightmarish display, each Fae trapped and bound by sentient vines, at the mercy of whoever is attacking them.
Pushing my curiosity aside, I let Ruby and Mack shove me away from the murderous scene. As I sprint across campus toward the main hall, I can’t help but look at the beautiful landscape with a newfound fear.
By the powerful display of magic, I know an Evermore just saved me. I also know that thinking this new, terrifying Fae is my friend is dangerous.
If I’ve learned anything in my short, traumatizing time here, it’s that an Evermore never does anything for free. Meaning I now owe a debt I have no means to pay.
5
“Who the Shimmer was that?” I pant as we round the last hall and the second year lockers appear. What I wouldn’t give for a freaking shower right now. Every part of me is covered in breakfast, and the ankle socks inside my sneakers squish with orange juice.
Ruby, perched on my shoulder, plucks a piece of frosted donut from my hair, shoves it in her mouth, and glances up at me. “That was the Spring Court Prince and heir.”
I have no idea who that is, but by the way Mack’s mouth hangs open, it must be bad.
“Prince Hellebore attends Whitehall Academy,” Mack protests.
It’s my turn to gape. “There’s another academy?”
Both look at me as if I should know this. “Centuries ago,” Mack explains, “there was an incident. After that, the royals from the Spring Court decided to create their own academy. It’s not officially recognized by the Unseelie Courts or the council.”
We find our lockers and quickly throw our books inside.
“But there are Spring Court Evermore here,” I insist, my brain refusing to believe two places like this could exist.
“That’s because Whitehall Academy is uber elite, so most Spring Evermore don’t get accepted. Only the highest ranking Seelie Evermore attend, usually royals, and it’s located in Spring Court territory instead of neutral territory.”
“Oh.” I ignore the stare from a female shadow rushing by us in the hall. I can’t even imagine what I look like. “So the Spring Court prince just randomly decided to attend here?”
Ruby shrugs. “Kid, all I know is that magic was powerful enough to take down Inara Winterspell and the Six. All because of you. And being the center of any powerful Evermore’s attention—other than lover boy—is a wonderful way to shorten your already tiny mortal lifespan.”
I shut my locker, sling my backpack over my shoulder, and grin. “I hope they got that on video. Now, off to . . .”
I look to Ruby for a reminder of my first period, but she just shrugs and goes back to licking the syrup from a tangled strand of my hair.
