Rise of the Fey (13 page)

Is this what’s in store for us as well?

“Carman,” I say, my mouth gone dry.

“A-and her s-sons,” someone adds beside me.

I find Elias frowning at the board, his usually pensive face now intensely concentrating on the article.

“Sons?” I ask, exchanging puzzled looks with Jack who shrugs at me.

“I-I was there at your t-trial,” Elias says. “You said that lawyer was C-Carman’s son. S-So I did some reading and…d-do you know what h-his real name was?”

“Dain,” I whisper after a momentary hesitation, remembering Carman saying it right before she tried to kill Lance and Arthur.

“V-Violence,” Elias says with a nod, his voice dropping even lower. “S-So that leaves Dub and D-Dother. D-darkness and Evil.”

“What makes you so sure it’s them?” Jack asks. “On the last count, they were supposed to be dead.”

“Gone, not dead,” Elias says, getting so excited his usually stooped shoulders straighten up and his stammer disappears. “Remember those black-veined murders? They involve a lot more power than any elemental could conjure, so it has to be a higher-ranked Fey. And then, there was that attack on Jennifer that happened on school ground. There’s no way a lower-ranked Fey could have breached our school’s defenses without actually taking our wards down. I mean, just that proves it was stronger than even the one who placed the wards there to begin with!”

“Unless he had help from the inside,” I say sullenly.

“But don’t you see?” Elias says. “If he’d had help the first time, why then would the Fomori need help taking down the wards? They could have gone through without notice too, killing everyone around before anyone realized what was happening!”

“And Dean did meet with someone else while he was down here,” I say, warming up to this new theory—anything to keep people from lumping me in with the rest of the deadly crew. “Maybe that other son slipped in through the wards to deactivate them and let the Fomori in. How come no one ever told me Carman had more sons? This makes so much sense!”

“Don’t you start with that Myrdwinn Junior business again,” Bri says, startling me. “No one’s found any evidence of this guy you claim to have seen. And everyone knows the old kook’s got no one in his life except for Lady Vivian, least of all someone related to Carman. Besides, if it weren’t for him, our Order would never have survived down here as long as it has, because it’s thanks to him our school’s protected!

“As for you, Elias,” she adds, “you should stop spouting nonsense and concentrate instead on your combat training. I’ve seen you fumble enough times at practice to know I wouldn’t dare trust you with a butter knife.”

Stunned, we watch Bri’s eyes go vacant again before she walks off into a side hallway and disappears around a corner.

“T-that’s the most I’ve h-heard her say s-since the battle,” Elias says, stooping over once more.

“I’m sorry about that,” Jack says quietly with an apologetic smile. “She must’ve seen that list, and in her already unstable emotional state….”

With a tired sigh, he points at a long piece of paper filled with names pinned next to the article we’ve just read.

“Bri, wait up!” Jack shouts, leaving us behind to run after her. “You’ve forgotten to have lunch again!”

“What is it?” I ask, drawing closer to the stapled page.

“Everyone who’s been k-killed in action or gone m-missing since the war s-started,” Elias says.

I quickly scan the names, then my eyes widen as I read the last entry:

VAUGHAN, OWEN (†)

I’m still reeling from the shock of seeing Owen’s name on the list when I find Keva in our usual spot behind the KORT section, munching furiously on her salad like an angry goat.

“I’m so done with that girl,” she says, stabbing a piece of tomato with her fork so viciously it sprays juice across the table top. “In fact, I’m done with the whole Vaughan family.”

“Yeah, well, if you find a way to quit your job, please let me know,” I say, sitting down to eat.

“Not quit,” Keva says, “just jump ships.” She points towards the doors with her fork as Lance walks in. “Wouldn’t mind asking him if he’d take me on. I mean, he’s never had a squire, surely I can show him what he’s missing.”

“I’m sure he’s fine without having someone drooling over him every second,” I say. That and he probably doesn’t want a witness to his secret love affair with his best friend’s girl. “But if he’s interested, let me know, anyone’s better than Arthur.”

Keva tsks. “Not likely to happen,” she says. “You’re lucky anyone even wanted you. Why do you hate Arthur so much anyway?”

“Many reasons,” I say, quickly losing my appetite. “Did you know he still won’t tell me anything about my father? Every time I ask him, he’s got something more urgent to do first. It’s like he’s avoiding me or something.”

“Maybe you just don’t know how to handle him,” Keva says with a shrug. “Use your feminine charms on him and you’ll have him wrapped around your pinky. It shouldn’t be that hard, especially since he already cares so much about you.”

I choke on my iced tea, sloshing it down the front of my uniform. “I shudder to think about how he treats those he doesn’t care about then,” I say, mopping myself up with my napkin.

“I’m serious,” Keva says. “It’s just that he has to hide it”—she lowers her voice—“because of who he’s currently engaged to, you know. Wouldn’t do to make an enemy of her when her father’s so powerful, would it?”

My eyes automatically focus on a blonde head a few tables down. I watch Jennifer as she lets out a tinkling laugh, displaying her perfectly-aligned white teeth and the gracile curve of her alabaster neck.

A few rows behind her, I spot Lance, stopped dead in his tracks as if struck down by the sight of her. I shake my head, unable to comprehend how a guy as good and honest as Lance could ever fall for such a devious girl as Jennifer.

“I just don’t get it,” I mutter to myself.

“Wow, you know really nothing about boys, do you?” Keva says, misinterpreting my words. “I mean, hello? Arthur liking you is, like, so obvious! Just look at how he keeps running to your rescue! He definitely has the prince charming syndrome down as far as you’re concerned. I’m telling you, if you handled him a little differently, you’d be able to get anything out of him. Want me to help?”

“Help?” I repeat, not a little afraid at Keva’s sudden fanatical tone.

“We’ll start with the tried and true first,” Keva says. “I’ve recently become quite an adept at writing fake love letters. Yours could start with:
Dearest Arthur, I’m sorry I seem so grouchy around you all the time these days, but I don’t know how else to hide my growing feelings for—
”

“Are you insane?” I cry out.

Keva’s grin widens. “Trust me, it’ll work,” she says. “All he needs is a little push.”

I blush despite myself and glance quickly across the way to the KORT zone, but thankfully nobody seems to have heard her. The last thing I need is for more tasteless rumors to start circulating about me, especially with such a wicked, possessive harpy like Jennifer around.

As if she knows I’m thinking about her, Jennifer turns slightly in her seat to look at me, her previous mirth obliterated.

“Morgan?” a deep voice says.

Startled, I look up to find Lance has stopped at our table. Even from this close he looks perfect, no blackheads or pimple
scars to mar his smooth skin, and I have to force myself to look away from his sapphire-blue eyes. Keva, on the other hand, appears to have looked straight at a basilisk and turned to stone, mouth still wide open.

I let out a sigh, dropping my silverware back onto the table, my plate barely touched.

“What did I do this time?” I ask sulkily.

Lance’s usually expressionless face cracks into a tiny smile, just long enough to show his dimples, and I hear Keva suck in her breath.

“Nothing,” he says. “Yet. And that’s why I’m here. Arthur needs to see you.”

“I already helped with the repairs this morning,” I say moodily. “His door is back in working order.”

“He wants you to go to the library,” Lance says. “Now.”

“Oh, he does, does he?” I say, annoyed. But when I see the scowl on Lance’s face, I add, “Fine. I didn’t want to go to practice anyway.”

“Now means now, Morgan,” Lance says. “Not in an hour’s time.”

“I realize that,” I say, “but I’m in the middle of lunch here. And though I may be part Fey, I still need food to survive.” I punctuate my last words by sawing a large piece of steak and stuffing it in my mouth.

“You really shouldn’t be like that, Morgan,” Lance says, shaking his head as I nearly choke on the piece of meat. “These are tough times we’re in, and we’ve suffered quite a number of casualties. Everyone needs to chip in as they can, yourself included.”

“He handled himself quite well without a squire before,” I retort, taking a big gulp of my drink to wash the piece of steak down. But Lance’s words have had their desired effect on me, and I look away in guilt.

I let my gaze trail over to the center of the room where Jennifer and her cronies are still enjoying themselves, apparently not taking this whole war business quite as seriously as Lance and Arthur are.

With a jolt of surprise, I catch Jennifer still glaring at me. Why can’t the girl leave me alone? Then again, I realize, her lover’s bypassed her table to come talk to me, a slight she’ll probably never forget.

A slow smile spreads on my face as I realize she must be dying of jealousy right now, and I can’t help but enjoy getting her to squirm for once.

I put my hand on Lance’s forearm, before simpering up at him. “Alright,” I say, batting my eyelashes. “You can tell Arthur I’ll be right there, just as soon as I’m done here. And I promise I’ll eat fast!”

My shift in attitude must have taken Lance by surprise for he looks flustered, mouth agape. Finally, he straightens up, nods curtly at me, and strides back outside.

“That’s exactly what I was talking about,” Keva says. “Now just do that in front of Arthur, and you’ll get him to talk. You may want to drop the whole fluttering of eyelashes though, it makes you look like you’re having a seizure.”

I shrug. Doesn’t matter what she thinks, or even Lance for that matter. I glance at Jennifer and have the pleasure of seeing her scowling so fiercely she may be in danger of looking common for the first time in her life. With another smile, I wave at her before returning to my meal.

“Now what were you saying about Arthur?” I ask, making sure to cut my steak in smaller, more manageable chunks.

But I barely have a chance to swallow another bite when someone kicks my chair from underneath me and I fall forward, cracking my head on the table and spilling my food everywhere.

“Now that was quite unnecessary,” I say, rubbing my chin as I get back up.

“We’re just getting rid of the trash,” Jennifer’s mellifluous voice says as she struts over with her whole retinue. “There’s been such a nasty smell about the place lately.”

“Must be your breath then,” I mutter. “You should make sure to brush your teeth twice a day and floss regularly you know.”

I have the pleasure of seeing Jennifer flush in anger before someone slaps my face with the power of a demolition ball. Tears spring to my eyes and I cup my burning cheek.

“You’ll speak with respect when addressing Lady Jennifer,” says a round-faced boy, his tightly curled hair bouncing on his head like tiny springs.

I immediately recognize him as Hector, the KORT knight who wanted me back in jail when Arthur introduced me as his squire. Behind him, Jennifer’s little fan club chortles loudly, pleased to see me humiliated in such a public fashion, Daniel loudest of all.

“I’ll treat her the way she deserves to be treated,” I retort, feeling the tell-tale signs of anger bubbling beneath my skin.

“It’s OK, Hector,” Jennifer says, flinging her long, golden hair back. “She’s too used to her own stink to notice it, just as demons can’t tell the smell of sulfur anymore either.” She circles me like a vulture, grimacing. “You may think you have duped us into believing you’re one of ours, but you can’t fool me. You never have. Not with those eyes of yours.”

I catch myself lowering my eyelids before I stop. I will not bow down to anyone anymore, least of all her.

“Be careful, Lady Jennifer,” Sophie says. “Look at how she’s glaring at you. I heard she set a guard on fire with her witchcraft simply for standing in her way.”

“Witchcraft?” Jennifer says, laughing delicately. “It’s been a while since we’ve had an execution for such a capital offense,
but I think it’s high time we reinstated the tradition, don’t you think?”

“Definitely,” Sophie says with a malevolent smirk.

“I’ve got a better idea,” Hector says, his hand going to a dagger at his belt. “Her kind don’t make for that great of a fire display, but they can make pretty good slaves, and we are suffering from a shortage of oghams.”

I watch Daniel push his way to the front of the little crowd. “Let me do the honors of capturing her ogham for you,” he says, bowing to Jennifer.

“Buzz off, Daniel,” Keva says. “Nobody’s asked anything of you. Besides, you wouldn’t be able to handle more than an elemental anyway.”