The Faerie Curses

Chapter Nine: Receptions and Runaways

I slammed my sword down on the armory's lock, and it  shattered into thousands of tiny ice shards. I pulled the heavy door open, grunting with the effort. Inside the armory were hundreds of weapons all mounted on the walls. Bows and arrows, swords, and knives surrounded me, and I reached for a few knives on a nearby pedestal. They were Cold Poison knives, blades that would freeze anything they touched in ice. I shoved them into my bag. Next I tore a map of the faerie realm off of one of the walls, along with many other supplies that I would need. Knowing that I only had a few minutes left, I zipped up my bag and swung it over my shoulder.

The full reality of what I was doing sank in. I was stealing school property. And I was also leaving. The thought made my nerves hum and my veins spark as I left the armory and entered the hallway again. Younger faeries were milling around after having just ate dinner, and they gave me sideways glances at my dress. I kept walking, my back straight. I disappeared into the crowd just as the guards burst out of the stairwell with buckets of water. I smirked.

Calmly, I spiraled down flights of stairs, trying to not to seem to paranoid. I would be at Summer Academy by the time the guards realized that someone had broken in and stole from the armory. I hope.

Finally, shoving past some thirteen year olds, I approached the gates. A lump formed in my throat. I may not ever see Winter Academy again. I shook my head, dismissing the thought. I didn't have time for this. I walked out of the ice gates of my school, and with a little breath of uncertainty, I threw open my wings. Shooting up from the ground, I flew into the twilight. Night was threatening the sky. The pale, crescent moon was barely visible behind light, wispy clouds.

Beating my wings, I flew away from my school. I was almost tempted to just fly far away and abandon my plan, but I fought down the urge as I soared over the snow covered woods. Skimming the treetops, I could see Summer Academy slowly coming into view. The frost and snow gradually melted away into bright green forests with emerald trees. Crickets chirped below me, and I gazed down at swarms of fireflies winking up at me from the grass covered earth. I was in Summer Court's boundaries now.

I veered left, towards the school. Summer Academy was built just like my school, except made of polished stone. Bright vines crawled up the walls, dotted with flowers. Every window in the academy was awash with light. I glided lower. I had to admit, Summer Academy's courtyards were gorgeous. They had tropical plants, bubbling fountains, and beautifully crafted stone sculptures. I marveled at one of of a satyr playing his pipes.

Behind the school were the gardens, and I could hear the sound of gentle laughter and enchanting music. I swooped around the academy until I found myself at a small gate. I hit the ground, my wings humming, and I gently pushed it open.

All of the Final Year students were mingling in an enormous area surrounded by green hedges that rose high above my head. There were lush fruit trees strung with luminous lights, filling the reception with a soft glow. Faeries were dancing in the middles of the gardens, twirling around to the beat of the flute and fiddle. I knew that this music wasn't induced with magic, my feet stayed under my own control as I crept into view. There were long tables filled with glasses of nectar and platters of succulent berries, and I brushed past them.

I felt incredibly insecure in my dress as I inched around the sidelines past a group of gloomy girls without dance partners. I didn't belong here at this party. I wasn't a dancer, and I sure as hell didn't want to flirt. I noticed some faeries whispering behind their hands, staring at me. I tried to appear comfortable in a purple dress, but I'm pretty sure that I failed miserably.