Page 2 of Faerie Trials

I shook my head and Wicks eyed me strangely, continually tapping her incredibly long fingers. I didn’t do the crime, but they also had yet to find out who actually did, so I remained a person of interest and was constantly on my guard.

“I had nothing to do with what happened to Madam Muerte,honestly,” I insisted yet again. My hands knotted on my lap, wrinkling my newly washed and pressed uniform for the Elite Academy, the black blazer with the royal crest on the right lapel and a crisp white shirt. I shifted my fidgeting fingers to the end of my long red braid, hanging just below my shoulders.

“I’m simply not sure what is going on with you,” Wicks said with obvious disappointment.

“It’s…been a rough transition. And the whole kidnapping thing didn’t help.” I thought if I brought up the kidnapping again, maybe she’d take pity and go easy on me.

Apparently not.

“Ah, yes. Of course. You told me you were kidnapped by someone from your past, who somehow managed to break into Faerie and grab you during the Wild Hunt.”

I grimaced. Kendrick Grimaldi, the murderous alpha of the Grimaldi wolf pack—and my betrothed. A shifter who apparently used black magic to keep himself looking young because I knew for a fact he had a half Fae son hiding here, a son in his twenties.

The last time I’d seen Kendrick Grimaldi, he’d tied me to an engine block and had a priest ready to marry us against my will. If it hadn’t been for my training at the Fae Academy for Halflings, and my short time at the Elite Academy, I never would have known how to transfigure into a crow and escape before he forced me to sayI do.

Now I had to wear a special glamour potion my friend Nurse Julie gave me so that Kendrick would not be able to see me even if he somehow found a way to break into Faerie again. Now that he knew where I’d run off to.

I didn’t tell Counselor Wicks any of these things. I needed to keep them all to myself. No wonder I couldn’t sleep at night! I had so many messed up secrets circling my brain they made any real rest impossible.

“Well, Miss Alderidge, on the bright side, the king seems to think you are worthy of this education.” Wicks sighed. I wondered when she’d start to stroke her beard in thought. “He insists we take the necessary steps to keep you here and improve your grades. Not to mention I have heard the prince seems mighty taken with you. You have some powerful allies on your side, which no doubt speaks in your favor.”

Yeah, except the king thinks I really did kill Madam Muerte. And Mike… My insides melted at the thought of him, the golden-haired prince who’d first befriended me in the mortal realm when I’d been a stranger in need on the side of the road and he’d stopped to help me.

“Miss Alderidge?”

I barely paid any mind to Counselor Wicks and her concerns. I was consumed with thoughts of Mike.

We hadn’t been as close this semester. Honestly, I didn’t know where we stood now. Were we still friends? Were we something more than friends, after those flaming kisses we’d shared?

I had no clue.

He’d blown hot and cold since the moment we met. I’d been so busy with classes and work, our relationship hadn’t been a priority. The only thing I could do was study with Mike on the occasional free day I had.

Last June, I’dthoughtsomething was happening between me and Mike, but it fizzled out before it became anything substantial. Not because I didn’t still like him and wanted to kiss him, but because we started a new school semester and drifted apart a little. Mike turned into a different person around his friends, those fellow High Fae attending the Elite Academy, and it bothered me.

He hadn’t made much of an effort to hang out with me since then.

“Tavi! Are you listening to me?”

I snapped to attention, putting thoughts of Mike out of my head.

Wicks’ expression was grim as she said, “I know you arrived in the first few weeks before the summer term began, but your first semester grades are finally in. Aren’t you the least bit curious?”

Not really. “Okay. How did I do?” I asked just to satisfy her.

“Well…” Wicks trailed off before sliding a folder toward me. “Dismal, to be honest. You failed most of your classes. I’m not going to try and sugarcoat this for you. You’re in trouble.”

My numb fingers opened up the folder and I glimpsed the terrible grades written in cursive next to my course descriptions. As amazingly well as I’d done at the Fae Academy for Halflings back in the mortal realm, I’d damn near flunked out after my very first semester at the Elite Academy here in Faerie.

“This isn’t really fair,” I blurted out, sweat beginning to bead along my hairline. “I’m a second-year student doing fourth-year studies and expected to keep up!”

“I understand,” Wicks continued gently, “but it’s the situation you’re in.”

“What am I going to do?”

“This situation may be unusual, but it is not unheard of, Miss Alderidge. I know of a wonderful teacher at the Fae Academy for Halflings sister school here in Faerie, and I’ve already spoken to her and she is willing to work with you three nights a week to get your progress up to par.”

I glanced up at this. “Like a personal tutor?”

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