Ice Magic (Book One of The Courts Of Fae And Witches)

1

Lilace Stevens!” Professor Jenkins said, stopping in front of Lilace’s desk. The blonde looked up, heart a pounding in her chest. “Yes, professor?” she mumbled, biting her lower lip.

“See me after class,” Professor Jenkins said, then turned on booted heel and matched away. “Yes sir,” Lilace whispered into the air, glancing back down.

Π

“Yes, professor?” Lilace asked, head bowed. Her professor paced the length of his office, hands locked behind his back. “You know, Ms. Stevens, your grades for this class have been... Well, let’s just say they have been low.” Professor Jenkins said, blue eyes staring up at the clock.

“I know, sir. I understand. But these past few weeks, I’ve been busy.” Lilace said, watching her professor pace. “There should be no reason you are failing my class.” Jenkins told her and stopped his pacing.

“I’m sorry, Professor Jenkins.” she muttered and began fiddling with her messenger bag. Jenkins sighed and said, “You should go now, Ms. Stevens. It’s nearly eight,”

Π

Sounds of partying echoed down the hall. Lilace’s heart fell in lost hope. Never was she invited to those parties. The only ‘party’ she had ever been invited to was a sleepover when she was fourteen. But even then she wasn’t even allowed in the room.

She slammed her text book closed, not being able to concentrate. She pushed herself out of her chair and went to the door. Throwing it open, she saw a trail of red solo cups on the floor. Foil wrappers littered the ground, some still half filled with regiments of junk food.

“Chug, chug, chug!” Lilace heard, probably from one of the other forms down the hall. She began to pick up the foil wrappers and solo cups, chucking them in a trashcan at the end of the hall.

Π

The air smelled of cheap beer and vomit. Lilace gagged and brought her shirt up to cover her mouth and nose. Surely, she thought. Surely twenty-two year olds should know how to clean up after themselves. Right?

As she pulled her hair into a bun on the top of her head, she heard the dorm room door flung open and crack against the wall. Oh, Jessica! Welcome back! Hope you have a glorious hangover!

“Hey,” Jessica, Lilace’s drunk roommate slurred. “Where’s” hiccup “the trash can?” she asked, hand covering her mouth. Lilace pointed to the washroom. “In there,” the blonde girl told her roommate.

The purple haired girl nodded and ran into the bathroom and started retching. Lilace gagged again. “Well, goodbye to you too,” she grumbled, snatching up her bag. Grabbing her phone, she was out the door.

Π

Turns out, Lilace had the day off of class. So she dropped her messenger bag off at her dorm, where Jessica lay on the bathroom floor, passed out and sweating.

The blonde girl walked to the park, where wildflowers grow wildly and the grass was as green as the Green Giant.

She climbed up onto a stone ledge, careful not to fall, and sat. Her white dress fluttered in the cool, sweet breeze. She drew her knees up against her chest and stared up at the sky.

The sky was the blue of a newborn child’s eyes. Clouds of cotton floated lazily like a leaf in a lazy river. Laughter floated up from down below and filled Lilace’s ears like sweet music. Her pale blonde hair floated around her face softly, then settling back down along her bare shoulders. Birds chirped chipper music. Crickets sang their songs of love to find their lovelies. Butterflies fluttered gracefully from wildflower to wildflower. Dragonflies zipped past the blonde, their wings flapping furiously.

Sighing, she leaned back onto her hands, breathing in deeply. The park had always been a place of stress relief for Lilace. Everyday, even before an exam, she would come to the park and just breathe.