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“Royal faeries are the only ones who can step in and out of our realm at will,” Oleander explained. “You have to get permission to come and go from a lord or lady from your court to travel. The shortcut I showed you was set up by a summer lord, and it’s essentially an open door for summer faeries. But only someone with that kind of power can establish a gateway. Astrid’s dad was a Sidhe Lord of Autumn. That means that, with training, she could open a gateway at will. That means she could get us out of the castle.”
“Oh,” Rook said, face softening as the information sank in. “Oh. That’s...”
“It’s exactly what we need,” Morgana said triumphantly, her smile broader than I’d ever seen it. “I told you we could use her help. When she masters this, we can slip out any time and go as far as the enchantment allows. We can travel to the towns outside campus. We can go as far away as we want, for once.” She looked specifically at Rook. “That’s more than we could have accomplished on our own and you know it. She’s as close to freedom as we’re ever going to get.”
“I still don’t know how I did it,” I said, panicking as Rook turned his hopeful gaze on me. I didn’t want to let him down. Not when he looked like he wanted to kiss me again. “What if I can’t repeat it?”
“You can,” Morgana said confidently. “Oleander will explain the theory. You can train at night after work.”
“Okay,” I started as she faced Oleander.
“Do you think she can master it before the Samhain party? It would be the perfect time to slip away.”
I couldn’t tear my eyes away from Rook’s. For the first time, he looked... open. Friendly. Hopeful. How could I say no to that hope in his eyes? If I could help him escape the castle for hours at a time, didn’t I owe it to him to try? Didn’t I owe the missing faeries even more than that?
I nodded. “I’ll do it.”
Morgana reached back to clap me on the back. “That’s the spirit, Depraysie.”
“You did good, Astrid,” Rook said quietly, and there was a heated look in his eyes that made me want to collapse into a pile of witch goo on the floor. There wasn’t an audience to convince now. Which meant this kindness coming from him was genuine. And from the look in his eyes—the way they seemed to smolder and that smirk turning up the corners of his mouth… The way he was suddenly walking right beside me, so close… He wanted me!
He shifted his gaze to Morgana. “We’ll have to make this convincing…”
“Any ideas?” Morgana asked.
Rook nodded. “I’m going to take Astrid to the dance—as my date. You take Oleander?”
“If I must,” Morgana sighed. She offered a grudging hand to Oleander. “You and me, beanpole. Wear something nice. I can’t be seen with a shabby date.”
“Erm... right.”
Rook looked at me. “I guess I should have asked you first,” he said on a chuckle.
“Yes,” I answered without hesitation. “Yes, I’ll go with you to the dance, I mean.”
He smiled and I smiled and then felt all kinds of uncomfortable.
We reached our doors, and Morgana let go of Oleander, walking away as fast as her legs could carry her. She didn’t seem enthused by the prospect. Rook stayed behind, and seemed like he wanted to talk to me—maybe like he was waiting for Oleander to leave? I wasn’t sure, but Rook seemed reluctant to let go.
“Are you okay with this?” he asked when Oleander had disappeared into his room. “I shouldn’t have assumed.”
“I’m okay with it,” I said quietly. “Are you? I’m a witch, after all.”
In answer, he leaned down and kissed me again. It started off slow and ended with me pressed against my bedroom door, breathing hard.
“Half-witch,” he answered. “And more Fae than witch, it looks like.”
“And you don’t…” I started before my nerves ate the rest of my words.
He laughed. “I don’t have anything against the Fae.”
“Oh, that’s good,” I said, not really sure what else to say.
We stood there for a long moment. I wanted to pull him into my bedroom. I wanted him to remedy my virgin situation, even if it would get me into hot water with Professor Hecate. But I didn’t.
He leaned forward and kissed me again, gently this time. “Goodnight, Astrid,” he whispered. “And, um, what we did earlier…”
“Yes?” I asked, when his voice died.
