PERIWINKLE

When Jonah wraps up his account of our mission so far, the beings around the arcing table study the rest of us. I can’t call most of their gazes friendly, though Pearl is smiling in her usual encouraging way and Rollick simply looks thoughtful.

The demon who arranged our mission rubs his chin. “It seems your collaboration has kept you all in one piece and revealed more information than any of my past investigations have turned up. I’ll call that a win. Why don’t you return to classes for a couple of days before you head north again? Take a breather from each other.”

Gnash startles and jerks his head around. “Rollick—do you really think—”

The school’s founder cuts him off with a mild look that nonetheless makes the hairs on the back of my arms stand up. There’s no missing the aura of power the demon can wield.

“Why shouldn’t they have a quick break and continue their education?” he asks. “If you have specific concerns about their performance, you’ve gotten plenty of time to question them.”

As the tiger shifter and his colleagues have already, throughout Jonah’s report. I swallow thickly, afraid that somehow they’ve figured out that I had a full outburst even though we avoided mentioning that one element of our quest.

It’s Toni who speaks up, in a more even tone than Gnash’s. “They were on the verge of banishment because of their misuse of their powers. They haven’t proven that those are under control now, even if they’ve survived the last few days without killing each other.”

Hail makes a sour face as if he thinks he should get top marks for refraining from murder, but Rollick hums to himself. “A fair point. But we have an obvious solution. Jonah, you said you were able to help Peri keep her response under control with your sorcery. It isn’t a long-term solution, but perhaps you could give a sorcerous command to each of our delinquents to ensure they don’t do anything harmful with their talents over the next forty-eight hours?”

Even though I know Jonah wouldn’t do anything to harm us, my pulse hitches at the thought of more sorcery wriggling into my brain. My posture stiffens, but I don’t protest.

As much as I dislike the feeling of being compelled, it’s much better than knowing I’ve hurt people who didn’t deserve it.

Jonah hesitates before answering. “We could try. I’ll have to give the exact command some thought to make sure it works properly, and I’d probably have to repeat the commands tomorrow to make sure they hold.” He glances at the rest of us. “As long as my team will accept that?”

Mirage pipes up first with a shrug and a flash of his fangs in a grin. “Better than being stuffed in a cage!”

Raze grunts and nods in agreement, though he’s scowling.

Hail lets out a long-suffering sigh and possibly a slight eye roll, but I can tell from the tart prickle of emotion wafting off him that he’s more uneasy than resigned. “Whatever you feel you need to do before we continue this charade.”

All the gazes at the table shift to me, and I realize I haven’t said anything yet.

I push my mouth into a smile. “Of course. It’ll be easier for me to concentrate if I know my powers shouldn’t be able to go haywire.”

Rollick claps his hands. “It’s settled. Jonah, do your thinking. The five of you can remain here until you’re prepared for your return. Resume your normal class schedule, and give the events of your mission some thought in case any additional insight occurs to you. I’ll see you off again in two days.”

#

A couple of hours later, with a new sorcerous command buzzing around my brain that instructs me not to emit any supernatural energy beyond my body, I head into the cafeteria for lunch and immediately encounter two slim arms flinging around me.

“You’re back!” Fen hugs me tightly and steps back as quickly as she leapt in. “I didn’t even realize. Are you okay? Is the special mission over?”

We’re not supposed to talk about our investigations in any detail so we don’t worry the other shadowkind, but I can answer vaguely. “Not yet. We did find out a few things, but not everything Rollick wants to know. How have you been doing here?”

Fen urges me to a temporary counter at one end of the room, where various other lunch-goers are lining up to request their food. The bright colors and plasticky furnishings that’ve been brought out remind me of the fast food restaurants I’ve flitted through a few times in the human world. The greasy, salty smell hanging in the air matches that atmosphere.

My friend peers at the list of meal options hanging over the counter and then turns back to me with a smile. “It hasn’t been as fun without you to talk to, but I’ve been all right. I made it through a whole day without dribbling any water at all.”

A chilly voice speaks up in an arch tone from just behind us. “Such an accomplishment. The drip managed not to piddle.”

Fen cringes. As if on cue, a few droplets patter off her fingers onto the floor.

I turn around to face Gloss and her friends as she breaks into tinkling laughter. No emotions drift off her at all—it means nothing to her to deal out this casual cruelty.

The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

I know the elegant being won't care about my opinions on her attitude, so I aim for peace. "Why don't we all focus on getting our food. That's what we're supposed to be in this room for, right?"

At my hopeful smile, Gloss's friends snicker. She shakes her head disdainfully. "Yes, I can see why you'd want to avoid anyone paying attention to you. What on earth are you wearing now? You look like a reject from a human gang."

My skin prickles with self-consciousness. I hadn't even thought about my change in clothing—I'm wearing the leather jacket and ripped jeans that I switched to while on the mission.

It seems pointless to swap them for my old dress and track jacket combo now that Gloss has already seen me. That'll only make her feel like she was right.

I don't know what to say, so I'm about to turn around and ignore her when another cool voice carries from a little farther away.

"Maybe you should give the cream puff a little credit, Gloss. She's trying to broaden her horizons rather than sticking to the same old, same old."

My gaze snaps to Hail's dark eyes where the lean, pale fae has ambled over behind Gloss's pack in line. His mouth is set in a slanted smile; I can't tell whether he was mocking her or me. Maybe both?

Whatever the case, Gloss obviously takes it as a personal criticism. Her jaw tightens, but she manages to smile at him. "I suppose even hopeless cases should get a point for trying."

That seems to be the end of it. I turn back toward the counter. Fen raises an eyebrow at me but doesn't remark on Hail's intervention in front of his usual fan club.

When we get to the beings who are serving lunch, I ask for a barbeque chicken burger and fries. The spicy scent that wafts from the tray I'm handed makes me grin. Fen and I head toward the other tables.

A few feet from the nearest one, the floor turns abruptly slippery beneath my shoes.

My feet skid and swerve. My ankles twinge, and the tray wobbles in my hands.

My fizzy drink goes tumbling onto the floor. Fen snatches my shoulder and helps me catch my balance before I lose my food as well. The dark liquid splashes out of the cup and streaks across the floor.

One of the school staff materializes from the shadows with a wrinkling of his nose. "Fine, I'll clean it up. Go on."

Gloss, just striding by with her own food, tsks her tongue. "Such a klutz."

My hair flickers with a ruddy glow of both anger and embarrassment. I think she has icy powers like Hail does. He's still in line, not even looking our way. That was her punishment for him defending me.

I will down my irritation and take a seat. The burger tastes just as delicious as it smelled. For several minutes, I listen to Fen fill me in on the latest drama she's seen and heard around the school and put our bully out of my mind.

As we're leaving the cafeteria, Fen brightens. "Oh, there was a book I wanted to show you when you got back—some amazing pictures from other parts of the mortal world. We'll probably be sitting on the sidelines for the morphball game today. I'll run and get it from my room. Meet you at the gym?"

"Sounds good!" I set off with a spring in my step.

I only make it around one turn in the hall before Gloss catches up with me, on her own now. I don't know how she moves so fast with those mincing steps.

She whirls on me with a flash of her amber eyes, her voice pitched low and outright frigid. "I don't know what charms you tried to work on Hail during this trip Rollick sent you on, but he'd never be remotely interested in a pathetic thing like you. If he's been the slightest bit nice, it's only because he had no one else better to pay attention to."

Her words cut straight through to the center of me. I wasn't looking to get any particular attention from Hail, but I still want to curl up in a ball against her hostility.

"Nothing happened," I say. "I didn't try to do anything with him."

She makes a scoffing sound. "You've been trying your strange cluelessly sweet act from the second you stepped in here. But I know it's only because you're the weakest out of all of us. I doubt you'll even come back the next time you get sent out there, and no one will miss you, not even the drip."

She glides off without a backward glance, leaving me stunned and aching-hearted in the middle of the hall.

The anguish tremors through my nerves. My muscles clench up instinctively.

Even if I can't blare out any harmful magic with Jonah's sorcery on me, I don't want to test the limits of his command. I don't want my emotions to get to that point.

I close my eyes and see the glitter of silver and iron chain links on the ground, the gleam of battered trophies through glass.

My next breath comes shaky, but a strange sense of calm settles over me, dampening the rising emotions.

I might not be able to prove much, but I know I'm not weak. I survived a man much crueler than Gloss could imagine.

How is anything she's thrown at me anywhere near as bad as what I've already faced and overcome?

I'll be okay. I'll be okay.

The mantra carries me the rest of the way to the gym. I beam at Fen when she hustles in with her book and starts pointing out places she'd like us to visit together in the pages.

But all the while my stomach stays knotted with the knowledge that some people in this place are always going to hate me, no matter what I do. And I don't even understand why.