The rest of my school day, all the fae girls fawn over Jacoby. I get that he’s an elf and everything, but sheesh. The Three Seasons encircle him the most, which is fine with me.
All in all, Jacoby is one too many things to focus on today. My real worry is Cynder Mercantile. That place is protected by the Cask of Wonders. Every day, Marchesa can open the magical container and get whatever the store needs. What could possibly have happened to cause trouble?
My last class of the day is fairy studies. Basically, it’s yet another class about how everything in the Faerie Lands is ranked. Once again, I learn how elves are on the top of the social pyramid Jacoby gets asked to step to the front of the class and describe why he’s so awesome.
It’s about at fun as it sounds.
I’m thrilled when my phone vibrates again. Technically, handhelds aren’t allowed in school. That said, the teachers don’t really understand how they work, being that it’s human tech and all. It took a while for me to figure out that everyone uses phones despite the ban. They’re just super careful about it. Which is why I slip my cell onto my lap before checking the screen.
MagicMan: meet up at the front door?
CallMeElle: for what?
MagicMan: to walk over to your store
My eyes almost pop out of my head. Alec is a great guy, but if I meet up with him and then walk away from school together? I might as well sign off on any hope of privacy. My life would be picked apart by the tabloids for weeks. There’s no way I’m explaining all that in a text, so I go for the easy way out.
CallMeElle: how about we meet at TP-CP? 3:30?
MagicMan: will do
The Turtle Pond is close to Cynder anyway, so that will work out well. I spend the rest of the school day thinking through what could be wrong. Perhaps someone cursed Cynder. My thoughts then turn to the animates. Harvest the scarecrow… Kokkivo and the phoenixes… and even Doc Eight… None of them would ever turn on my parents, would they?
At last, the magical bells ring, signaling the end of class. I hightail it over to the central hall. Bry is already there with Knox and their pack. Their faces are all flushed.
“Hey, Bry!” I call. As I close in, I lower my voice. “What happened with you guys?”
“We had pack bonding this afternoon.”
“Pack bonding?”
“The principal transported us to the Adirondacks and we all run around for a while.” Bry fans herself with her hands. “I suppose we’re still overheated.”
“Sure, that makes sense.”
Here’s the thing. Bry could have died many times over during the past months. And I am so happy things worked out for her. But if I’m being honest with myself, it’s also tough. I wish I had someone like Knox. Inside my soul, that old barrier looms ever larger. The hurt from my parents sits on one side, like a monster ready to pounce if I lower my defensive wall even an inch. Somewhere along the way, it even become more than a single barrier. There’s now a fortress inside me. It’s too big to tear down by this point. And ultimately? That’s my choice.
When I next speak to Bry, it’s as if I stand on one side of my castle wall, peering at her through a thin window. “I’ve got some running around to do after school. See you back at the apartment?” Bry and I now share a new place together.
Bry takes in a long breath. “Sure. Is everything okay?”
Not for the first time, I curse that crazy power of smell that werewolves have. “I’m fine. Honestly. See you by dinnertime.”
Hollywood steps up. He’s one of the more personable weres. “Did someone say dinner, your Majesty? Where are we all eating?”
With that question, both Knox and Bry are surrounded with excited shifters. Everyone wants to share a meal with the equivalent of their king and queen.
I sneak off for Central Park.
It’s 3:30 PM on the nose when I approach the pond. Alec is already there and in his incognito mode. I wave as I approach.
“Hey!” I call.
Alec does that thing where his smile lights up his face. It really isn’t fair, how handsome he is. My legs get a little wobbly beneath me. “Elle.” There’s a real sense of contentment as he speaks my name. I can’t help but blush.
“My parents’ store isn’t far from here. Thanks again for doing this.”
“Not a problem.” He reaches into the pockets of his leather jacket and pulls out a handful of pink diamonds. “I got some special gems for the occasion. Found a new spell for us, too.”
I kick at the ground. “You didn’t have to do that.”
“I’m a wizard. Any excuse to look through spell books is like caster Christmas.” Every line of Alec’s face softens with joy as he says the words caster Christmas.
“In any case,” continues Alec, “the best spell for today may be an obfuscation enchantment.”
I tilt my head. “What’s that? A disguise?”
“Not exactly. I looked into spells that would change our appearance. But those are tricky. Some fairies are immune to disguises. And there are invisibility spells, but those have the same risks. Overall, those are low level spells. Not too powerful. But obfuscation? That’s high level magic. It forces anyone to simply look away when we’re near. We’re not invisible so much as always avoided. Does that make sense?”
“Yes. I knew you’d figure out something great.”
“For you?” Alec winks. “Anything.”
And do I blush again when Alec says the word anything? You bet I do.
On reflex, I check around. There are some humans far away; they won’t notice Alec’s magic.
“Ready?” asks Alec.
“You know it.”
Alec holds the stones in his hand. The pink diamonds emit tendrils of colored smoke from between his fingertips. The mist rolls out from his fist to cover both me and Alec.
A moment later, the two of us appear in black and white, like an old movie. It’s way strange. And cool.
I hold up my arm. “This is amazing.”
“Thank you.” Alec offers me his arm. “Shall we?”
“Let’s.” I wrap my fingers around his forearm, and my hand sears with excitement where we touch. And this is just through his leather jacket. I can’t imagine what it would be like to brush my fingertips across his bare skin.
At this point, I realize I’ve been rubbing Alec’s forearm in a slow rhythm. It takes an effort, but I make myself stop. Forearm rubbing is not something friends do. And that’s all Alec and I can ever be. Buddies.
It’s easy to ignore the little voice inside me that wants something more. Like the rest of my heart, it’s trapped inside that inner castle which holds all my pain.
And staying friends with Alec certainly won’t bring the walls down.
At this point, I’m not sure anything will.