My father and mother exchange a glance, and then my mother answers softly, “They made an exception because of your…unusual heritage.”
I’m sure the thought of me attending their school made their skin crawl, and I’m sure my parents made a generous donation to allow them to bend the rules.
But it doesn’t matter, I won’t go. “No,” I say, raising my chin just a fraction.
Tension hangs in the air as my father responds. “That wasn’t a question.”
For the briefest moment, I feel his powers, so like mine, grasping at my mind. And I know we share the same dark ability to kill with little effort. It doesn’t surprise me that in this moment he has a longing to hurt me; it does surprise me that I can feel him doing it.
My powers must be growing stronger.
“Someone at that academy killed Rayne!” I say, my teeth clenching together. “Don’t either of you care?”
“Esmeray.” My mother says my name softly.
“No one killed your brother,” my father interrupts, scoffing. “Like we were told, he made a mistake when he played with a forbidden and dangerous weapon, one that was laced with poison and iron. These things sometimes happen.”
He knows the school’s explanation was a lie, but he refuses to listen because he knows he can’t do a damned thing about it!
“Rayne wasn’t stupid!” I glare at him. “He wouldn’t do something like that!”
My father rises from the desk, and my mother glances at me with a nervous look. “Enough of this nonsense! I understand you are…sad about your brother, but life goes on. A Bloodmore must be at the academy learning, and the dean has generously allowed you to go in your brother’s place. So, tomorrow you will go.”
“And what if I tell them the truth!” I threaten, throwing the words at them like a weapon.
The color drains from my mother’s face. “Esmeray, you can never tell anyone. You know that. If anyone should even suspect…you’ll lose everything.”
What she means is that we’ll lose everything. I could argue, but I suddenly don’t have the energy anymore. Turning, I open the door.
“Esmeray!” my mother calls, and I freeze at the pain in her voice. “Don’t let your grief destroy your future. No one outside this family can ever know the truth.”
I don’t bother telling her I’d never be stupid enough to tell anyone about what I am; instead, I slip out, knowing my father will be angry that I left without being dismissed. I walk through the house on feet that seem detached and go out to the graveyard a short walk from our house.
Collapsing onto my knees before my brother’s grave, my knees are instantly soaked by the wet earth. An image comes into my mind of Rayne laughing, of him chasing me through our house, of the light he brought into my life. When he went to the academy, it was like I’d lost a piece of myself. I’d counted down the days until he’d return. Until I’d have a reason to smile again.
But now…he’ll never truly return to me.
I’m on the edge of completely losing my shit again when a ghost shimmers into existence beside me. He’s a familiar white shimmering light, one I know well enough not to be willing to fall apart in front of. The headless ghost passes through me, leaving a chill on my skin for a few seconds, before settling beside me.
“I know he isn’t gone,” I say, striving to hide my weakness.
“But it’s still hard,” the head clutched in his hand responds, in a knowing voice.
I nod, feeling foolish as tears fill my eyes. “Someone at that damned school killed him, I know it! And now my parents are sending me there to replace him, like Rayne could ever be replaced!”
The ghost is quiet for a long time before finally speaking in his soft, knowing voice. “And you plan to go find your brother’s killer and seek revenge?”
I stiffen. “I don’t…I don’t know what to do.”
“It seems clear,” the ghost whispers.
Go to the school, find the bastards, and kill them. Of course!
I turn slowly and look at him. “Do you really think I can do it?”
“Absolutely,” he tells me. “You’re the most bloodthirsty monster I’ve ever encountered, and that’s quite the compliment.”
Suddenly, it’s like my life has meaning once more. I’m not going to the academy to replace my brother or to accept my new role in life as the heir to my family; I’m going to find the bastards that killed my brother and make them wish they had died instead.
Standing, I smile down at the headless ghost. “Thanks, Charlie.”
He begins to fade. “Any time.”
Turning, I sprint back to the house, swearing an oath that the masters at Royal Fae Academy will rue the day they let one of my kind in.
4 Bron
We sit beneath our tree near the center of campus. It’s the perfect spot, far enough off the main sidewalk to avoid anyone listening to our conversations, but close enough to see nearly everything in the busiest part of Royal Fae Academy. My step-father would have been proud of me. No matter how much time passes, I’m always on guard. Always hugging the line between being a predator and making certain I’m not the prey for someone else.
It wasn’t a fae way of seeing the world, but it was the only way I knew.
Beside me, Lucian and Dwade play chess. Lucian leans back as he waits for Dwade to make his next move. There’s a slight smile dancing along his mouth, like always, and his blue eyes have a permanently mischievous light. He loves playing chess, but especially against Dwade.
Dwade is Lucian’s complete opposite. The giant of a man has his back bent over the board, and his eyes roam the pieces, searching for any weakness. His lips are turned into a scowl and he clenches and unclenches his hands, as if to remind himself that on the wrestling mat he could destroy Lucian with
