“Has there been any sign of enemies?” Hunter prompted as his hand fell to his totem on his hip.
“The perimeter is heavily enchanted, so I doubt demons would have found it.” Ayla bit her bottom lip. “But I guess you never know—especially if they have a fae ally who gives them a work around . . . ”
She trailed off, clearly not liking the idea that a fae could betray their own kind.
A shiver spider walked down my spine. I didn’t like the idea either.
“Should we have waited and found Headmistress Cristala?” Ayla asked, noting my unease. “She’s assembling forces somewhere in this realm.”
“No,” I replied. “We don’t have time to wait.”
The fae ran her hand over her body, and inch by inch, the glamour she always maintained in the human world disappeared. She looked pretty much the same. She was still a petite, beautiful redhead with bright green eyes, but the glamour’s removal revealed otherworldly attributes that had been hidden before. Like her pointy ears, and the diaphanous, ruby-veined wings that fanned out from her back.
Ayla sighed as she spread her wings wide. “You have no idea how good that feels. Like taking off a bra at the end of the day, but a million times better.”
“Where do you hide them?” Diana asked.
“I use aether to bind them to my back. If you ever ran your hand down my back, you’d notice. But no one does that unless they’re invited.”
“Yeah, because that would beawkward,” Sam sang the last word, and a few of us laughed.
“All right,” Ayla said once the mirth had quieted. “The aether wards should be a hundred or so yards away. If you’re too far from my body, you won’t be let in, so huddle around me.”
I claimed a spot right next to her, and we progressed forward as one tight-knit pack. The faerie warned us a few seconds before we walked through the enchantment to prepare us for the strange sensation of water flowing over our heads. I shivered as the aether ran over me, setting all my nerves on fire, but in a good way—almost familiar. Once we were on the other side, I blinked. Fae magic was palpable, making my head spin a little.
The Fae Academy of Elemental and Arcane Arts was right in front of us, white and glowing in the moonlight, which seemed mystically drawn to this spot. The sweet scent of flowers hung in the air, nearly intoxicating.
“Damn,” Eva muttered. “This makes Spellcasters look like a prison.”
“Yeah,” Hunter agreed. “What’s with that?”
Alex too looked impressed, but he said nothing. I suspected he just wanted to get into Faerie where we’d be safe.
I grabbed his hand and squeezed. “Lead the way, Ayla.”
The faerie approached the castle gate, and opened it without issue or password. No one was on the other side, and from what we could see, no lights shone in the building.
“Looks dead inside,” I said, my voice hopeful.
“Yeah, but demons aren’t exactly fond of good lighting or hanging welcome signs,” Andre said.
He was right. I needed to stay on my toes. Until we stepped foot in Faerie, we were in danger.
Ayla led us through the castle grounds, and into the courtyard that hid a portal to the Snowcap Court.
We marched deeper into the academy, past large halls and classrooms I hadn’t seen before. Lounges filled with cushy furniture and relaxing plants dotted the surroundings.
Ayla led us up flights of stairs to the fifth floor, and then stopped before a door at the end of a hallway.
“You guys don’t room in towers?” Diana asked.
Our guide’s eyebrows scrunched together. “Why would we?”
“To separate the classes.”
Ayla’s hand twirled in the air dismissively. “Fae, even a lot of demi-fae, live extraordinarily long lives. Our time here is a blip on our radar. What would be the point of dividing us up when we’ll run into other classes in the real world all the time, anyway?”
I agreed. I’d always thought that Spellcasters should be more co-mingled.Especially now, when so much relied on the bonds of friendship, love, and camaraderie to see us through the war to come.
