Page 6 of The Cursed Fae

I exhaled a long breath and nodded. “Okay. But then, what happened to her?”

“We don't know yet,” my mother repeated. “Right now, you need to go to your dorm room and stay there.” She pushed on my shoulders to turn me toward the door.

In the hallway, a group of elderly fae trooped past, all wearing identical grim expressions. Mom prodded me forward.

“Where are you going?” I asked.

“Nana is on her way. I want to be there when she talks to John.”

“Well, so do I,” I protested.

The spell she'd cast broke when we crossed through the doorway. My mother cupped my cheek in her palm. Her smile eased the lingering tension in my muscles, and all my fears subsided.

“You're safe here, Winter. Inside the school grounds, you're safe. In Arcane Landing, you're safe,” she said.

Her magic wrapped me in a warm cocoon. The buzzing inside my head quieted, and I wanted to lie down.

“I'll come find you after I've seen Essie.”

I nodded, and she turned to go. Not until she was out of sight did it occur to me I needed directions to my dorm room.

The hallways were empty, creating a somber atmosphere, as though the stone walls wept for Missy along with the students inside. Sadness crept over me in the wake of my mother's absence. Only then did I realize the obvious—she'd used magic to calm my nerves. To lull me into a false sense of security.

Using her fae powers against me wasn't as bothersome as the reason behind such an underhanded act. We'd experienced plenty of rough times, and she'd only resorted to a magical sedative twice. What did it mean that this situation brought time number three?

Lost in my own thoughts, I almost didn't see the guy sitting alone on a carved wooden bench in a corridor off the main lobby. He wore jeans and a navy polo. His gaze followed me, but he said nothing.

I walked past him, his stare boring holes into the back of my head. Torn between confronting him and asking for directions, I turned and said the first words that popped into my head.

“Do you, like, go here?”

It was not my finest first impression. Stormy blue eyes widened beneath raised eyebrows.

“Are you talking to me?”

I laughed. “Do you see anyone else here?”

Leaning back, he stretched his arms to the sides and rested them across the top of the bench. “You must be the Sable everyone is talking about.”

“Winter,” I replied tersely.

“Like the season. Are you the reason we're having all this snow?” he teased.

“Funny,” I deadpanned.

“Just one of my many excellent qualities.” He flashed a dimpled smile. Then his expression turned serious. “So, Winter, what are you doing wandering the halls by yourself? Shouldn't you be in your room?”

I shifted my weight from foot to foot and adjusted the straps on my backpack. “Shouldn't you?”

He shrugged. “I'm special. What's your excuse?”

“It's my first day, and Morgan cut my tour short before she showed me the way to the dorms.”

The guy jumped to his feet and swept a mock bow. “Allow me. What's your room number?”

I hesitated, still a little uneasy. My new friend was... odd. The way he'd gawked when I asked for help, and then flipped the awkward switch to be charming in the next breath. It was like riding a rollercoaster in the dark.

“Do you have a name?” I asked.

---