trees.
I’ll say. Duck this whole day.
Oh, she meant—Long strands of purple blooms whip against my eyes and cheeks. Clara dives toward the middle and shoves me to the ground next to the trunk. “Stay down,” she orders, crouching beside me and keeping her gaze upward.
I squeeze my eyes shut and hold my head between my knees, praying my red hair isn’t visible through the tree.
I see Clara’s hands on the ground, her fingers pressed against the dirt as though she might push off at any second. An angry shriek echoes through the air, and I shrink into myself.
Please go away .
I sit until my breathing is made of quiet, shaky breaths rather than scream-tinged gasps. Beside me, I hear Clara’s breathing slow to a more manageable rate, too.
Please .
Clara’s hands relax and she rocks back on her feet. The tightly corded muscles across my neck and shoulders unwind enough for me to lift my head. The thumping sound dies away, and then there’s nothing.
What in the name of all that is good and sparkly was that thing?
Clara slowly rises. I follow her out from under the willow, and we stop to examine the sky.
All clear.
I shift my original opinion of the fairy from Horrid Witch to Heroic Savior. “Clara, I’m so—”
She cuts me off with a jerk of her head. “You have got to be the stupidest creature I’ve ever met. Summoning a harpy? Are you out of your mind?”
Nope. I was right the first time. Horrid Witch. “Huh?”
Clara places her hands on her hips. The willow trees around us make her eyes look even more lavender, and they flash when she speaks. “You Apprentices are all the same. You think this is one big game, that your powers are playthings,” she fumes.
I step farther away from the trees onto the open space that runs between them. “I didn’t summon anything!”
“Sure you didn’t.” Clara rolls her eyes. “Harpies were banished from Ellauria. How did it get in?” It’s more accusation than question. Her tone makes it clear she doesn’t believe me.
“It wasn’t me! I can’t even use powers. I’m a—” I inhale sharply, catching myself, “siren.”
She blinks as though I’ve slapped her. The anger on Clara’s face is momentarily replaced by surprise, but she recovers quickly by curling her upper lip. Her eyes travel up and down my body, sizing me up. “A siren? Really? You’re not that pretty.”
What a beach. I’ve been meangirled once or twice, but never by a charm-impaired fairy who just saved my life. I swallow all the things I want to say and level my gaze at her. “Thank you for saving me.”
Clara’s fingers glide over her skin, dusting her shoulders and arms and smoothing her hair. “If you’d been killed by a harpy so close to my territory, I never would’ve heard the end of it. Not to mention the mess she would’ve left in the Meadow of Music. Harpies are notoriously untidy eaters.”
I bite my tongue and look at the clouds. Between the harpy and this fairy, my wonderstruck impression of Ellauria is fading fast. This place may be magical, but it’s not without ugliness.
“You really didn’t summon the harpy?” Clara asks, studying my face.
I level my gaze on her and enunciate my words as clearly as possible. “No. I didn’t.”
She releases a loud, annoyed breath. “I guess I need to let PC know about this. Who’s your Aegis?”
PC has to know? Oh, God. Seth is going to kill me. “Seth Hewitt,” I mumble, shaking my head. I shouldn’t have left my room.
I bet he’s looking for me right now. From the not staying in my room, to the trying to find a way to get into the Between, to the being chased by a scary ladybird—nothing about this story is going to go over well.
“Seth, eh?” She raises her perfectly shaped brow. “You must be one important siren.”
I don’t know what to say to that. Am I supposed to be an important siren? I try to maintain a blank expression while I comb through last night’s conversation.
No. I’m sure he
I’ll say. Duck this whole day.
Oh, she meant—Long strands of purple blooms whip against my eyes and cheeks. Clara dives toward the middle and shoves me to the ground next to the trunk. “Stay down,” she orders, crouching beside me and keeping her gaze upward.
I squeeze my eyes shut and hold my head between my knees, praying my red hair isn’t visible through the tree.
I see Clara’s hands on the ground, her fingers pressed against the dirt as though she might push off at any second. An angry shriek echoes through the air, and I shrink into myself.
Please go away .
I sit until my breathing is made of quiet, shaky breaths rather than scream-tinged gasps. Beside me, I hear Clara’s breathing slow to a more manageable rate, too.
Please .
Clara’s hands relax and she rocks back on her feet. The tightly corded muscles across my neck and shoulders unwind enough for me to lift my head. The thumping sound dies away, and then there’s nothing.
What in the name of all that is good and sparkly was that thing?
Clara slowly rises. I follow her out from under the willow, and we stop to examine the sky.
All clear.
I shift my original opinion of the fairy from Horrid Witch to Heroic Savior. “Clara, I’m so—”
She cuts me off with a jerk of her head. “You have got to be the stupidest creature I’ve ever met. Summoning a harpy? Are you out of your mind?”
Nope. I was right the first time. Horrid Witch. “Huh?”
Clara places her hands on her hips. The willow trees around us make her eyes look even more lavender, and they flash when she speaks. “You Apprentices are all the same. You think this is one big game, that your powers are playthings,” she fumes.
I step farther away from the trees onto the open space that runs between them. “I didn’t summon anything!”
“Sure you didn’t.” Clara rolls her eyes. “Harpies were banished from Ellauria. How did it get in?” It’s more accusation than question. Her tone makes it clear she doesn’t believe me.
“It wasn’t me! I can’t even use powers. I’m a—” I inhale sharply, catching myself, “siren.”
She blinks as though I’ve slapped her. The anger on Clara’s face is momentarily replaced by surprise, but she recovers quickly by curling her upper lip. Her eyes travel up and down my body, sizing me up. “A siren? Really? You’re not that pretty.”
What a beach. I’ve been meangirled once or twice, but never by a charm-impaired fairy who just saved my life. I swallow all the things I want to say and level my gaze at her. “Thank you for saving me.”
Clara’s fingers glide over her skin, dusting her shoulders and arms and smoothing her hair. “If you’d been killed by a harpy so close to my territory, I never would’ve heard the end of it. Not to mention the mess she would’ve left in the Meadow of Music. Harpies are notoriously untidy eaters.”
I bite my tongue and look at the clouds. Between the harpy and this fairy, my wonderstruck impression of Ellauria is fading fast. This place may be magical, but it’s not without ugliness.
“You really didn’t summon the harpy?” Clara asks, studying my face.
I level my gaze on her and enunciate my words as clearly as possible. “No. I didn’t.”
She releases a loud, annoyed breath. “I guess I need to let PC know about this. Who’s your Aegis?”
PC has to know? Oh, God. Seth is going to kill me. “Seth Hewitt,” I mumble, shaking my head. I shouldn’t have left my room.
I bet he’s looking for me right now. From the not staying in my room, to the trying to find a way to get into the Between, to the being chased by a scary ladybird—nothing about this story is going to go over well.
“Seth, eh?” She raises her perfectly shaped brow. “You must be one important siren.”
I don’t know what to say to that. Am I supposed to be an important siren? I try to maintain a blank expression while I comb through last night’s conversation.
No. I’m sure he
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