"A partner. He's giving me a partner."
I muttered curses under my breath as I stalked out of the doors of the Headmaster's study. It was an insult. In all of the years I had been training to become a knight, I always had worked alone. I flew solo; I liked it that way. I couldn't be slowed down or distracted, and I carried out my tasks easily. Watching my own back was something that I was very good at.
And now I had a partner.
I had tried arguing with Headmaster Terron, but he refused to budge.
I need someone to keep you in check.
His excuse echoed in my head, and just thinking about his words made me snarl in frustration.
All of the fae were going to their rooms, and I shoved through mobs of fluttering wings.
"Can you believe that he talked to me in spell training today?" a caster girl a few years younger than me gossiped to her friends. They all giggled in high pitched voices. I rolled my eyes.
A few feet away, some knight boys were chucking snowballs at one of their instructor's windows, and loud yelling filled the hall as a old faerie in pajamas roared after them, snow covering his beard.
"Marissa!"
I turned around at the sound of my name to see one of the knights my age, Noel, making his way toward me. He had long hair tied back into a ponytail, showing off his pointed ears.
"Marissa!" he called again, and I stopped, raising an eyebrow at him.
"Yeah?"
Noel caught his breath and leaned in close to me.
"Everyone's going to the Gathering Tree tonight," he whispered, "Want to come?"
I hesitated for only a moment before glancing around the hall, making sure that no one had overheard us.
"Sure," I replied softly with a sly smile.
I needed a distraction anyway, something to take my mind off of unsettling news and the entitled headmaster.
Noel grinned. "Good, I can bet my money on you in the fights."
At the word fights, my wings bristled with anticipation. Noel disappeared into the crowd again, probably searching for more Final Year faeries to invite.
I made my way back to my room, and I closed my door behind me. I crossed the room and put on my sword sheath, sliding my blade inside. I sat on my bed and waited for the chattering in the halls to cease before I heard the guards begin patrolling.
"Lights out, everyone! Good night!" they hollered, and I switched off my lamplight and lay still on my bed until their footsteps faded.
Moonlight filtered into my room, and I waited what felt like an eternity for midnight to roll around before carefully slipping off of my mattress and creeping towards the window. I gently lifted the latch and the window opened silently, filling my room with cold air and blowing snowflakes. I brushed one off of my nose and hoisted myself onto the windowsill, and I looked down the find the ground far below me. I guess escape problems come with my room's view.
I took a breath and jumped, plunging into the air. I threw my wings open and they flapped furiously as I gained control. I dipped down low so that I had less of a chance of being seen, and I zipped past more guards posted at the gates, unnoticed. The Gathering Tree was behind the academy in the woods, so I banked left and neared the towering pine trees. It felt so good to be leaving the academy behind for a little while as I threw my arms out, catching trailing snowflakes. It was pitch black in the night, and the wind whispered into my ear as I darted into the trees.
I could see the Gathering Tree now, a knarled oak the size of a tall building that stood proudly in front of me. I grinned and began to slowly descend towards the frost covered ground until I was at the base. Roots the size of a small house stuck out from the ground, and I approached the trunk carefully. I knocked six times on the bark, and a piece of it swung open.
A faerie from Summer Academy glared at me. She looked just like all of the other Summer Fae; tanned skin, sparkly eyes and an outfit chiefly made of leaves and flowers.
"Ugh, the winter prodigy," she muttered in disgust.
"I'm not the one wearing a short skirt made of rose pedals," I retorted as I brushed past her and into the Gathering Tree.
It had been the hideout of the Final Year fae students for decades, and each year its secrets were passed on to the next class from both academies. When you're sixteen its your last year of training, so you become a Final Year. Once you turn seventeen, you're no longer a teenager, but an adult, and you leave the academies.
I didn't go to The Gathering Tree that often, I was usually busy with my training or on different tasks, so I received lots of stares of surprise as I entered. Bottles were strung everywhere, filled with masses of fireflies to offer light. The tree was crowded tonight; hoards of faeries were there, some talking as they drank glasses of nectar (a drink that gave you surreal daydreams) and others dancing in romantic circles as a group of Summer Faeries played their flutes in the corner.
I hated the music of the Summer Faeries; it was induced with magic, so anything they played would hypnotize you into dancing for hours. Sometimes they use it to lure unsuspecting humans, but the academies have forbidden it so there aren't that many incidents anymore. I still felt it pull at my feet, though, but I gritted my teeth and kept walking past the Fae that continued to dance, even though they had started to complain that their feet were hurting. I decided that I didn't feel like a glass of nectar tonight either, I tried not to drink it usually. It dulled all of my instincts and senses.
I was headed for a much more violent activity than drinking or dancing. I was heading for the fighting ring. I could already see that there was a big audience surrounding the ring tonight, and as I approached I plunged into a large crowd of faeries that were chanting and cheering as massive knight from Summer Academy threw a winter caster to the ground.
"Take that, snow girl!" he bellowed, and threw his hands in the air as the summer fae shrieked victoriously.
I was caught in the tide of teenage faeries, their voices rising into the air as their wings flapped furiously in their excitement. I was nearly blown across the room by the aura of magic surrounding them, radiating off of their bodies as their emotions clashed and slammed into each other. It was almost sickening, and I clenched my jaw and watched as the winter caster girl struggled to hobble out of the ring, defeated.
She disappeared into the crowds in shame, and all eyes traveled up to the winner. He leaned against the ring's boundary, his lips twisted into a grin that desired blood. I took in his big, bulky muscles and his large torso, studying him like a piece of art. I analyzed every angle of him very carefully. He was strong, but I could tell by his boastful bellowing that he was arrogant. Dumb.
"Hey, you made it!" Noel exclaimed loudly, his voice rising above the music floating over the crowd as he appeared next to me.
I smirked. "Well, I was in the mood for a fight."
A devilish grin surfaced on Noel's face.
"Finally, I've needed someone to take on bonehead over there," he said, gesturing to the summer knight, who was flexing his muscles for a group of giggling fae girls.
"Hm, it would be a shame for someone to burst his winning streak," I snorted.
Noel rubbed his hands together before pulling out a handful of gold coins from his knight's uniform pocket. "Now we're talking. You'd better make me some gold tonight, Marissa."
Suddenly, the crowd of onlookers began to chant.
"NEW MATCH, NEW MATCH, NEW MATCH!" they hollered, punching their fists into the air.
The summer knight, overflowing with confidence, swept his hand across the room.
"Does anyone dare face me?" he howled ferociously, his teeth flashing under the firefly lights.
The jeering onlookers went suddenly silent. They stared at each other, looking around for the knight's next victim. Some looked down at the ground, avoiding his gaze.
I glanced around at the faeries, letting the tension build and spike for a long time. I waited. And waited. Noel gave me a surprised look, expecting me to accept the challenge. But I knew how to play my cards right.
The knight sneered down at all of us. "Pathetic. All of you are too scared to get pummeled by me in the ring. I guess I'm tonight's winner, then."
"I wouldn't say that just yet," I called out, raising my hand into the air. I gazed straight back at the knight, my eyes remaining cold and determined. Once his gaze found me, the knight roared with laughter.
"Oh, look what we have here. Are you lost, little girl?"
A cruel smile twisted across my lips. "The only thing lost here is going to be your pride when I beat you."
The crowd inhaled my retort like fresh air, and they broke into another torrent of blood-thirsty yells.
The summer knight glared at me. "We'll see who loses what by the time I'm finished with you."
Unaffected by his threat, I stepped towards the ring, smiling as the faeries parted and made a path for me. They looked at me with curiosity or with pity, and then the whispers began.
"Wait, I know her!"
"That's her, isn't it? Winter Academy's best knight."
"Marissa is undefeated. No one has ever beaten her. Ever."
"I heard that she took on a whole army of goblins!"
"I think I tried to ask her out once. She threw me into a wall."
I blocked out the murmurs of the crowd, but I knew that all attention was on me now. Dozens of eyes poked through me as my long skirt swished at my ankles. The bets began. I could hear the sounds of clinking gold coins as money was passed between fairies, and hands shaking each other to solidify their agreements.
"I've got my money on Marissa!" Noel yelled, fueling the discord. "I train with her, and she even took out her own instructor!"
This created a whole new uproar, but my eyes were glued to the summer knight as I stepped into the fighting ring. Once inside, you couldn't leave. Only the losers left the ring in shame and defeat. I didn't plan on feeling any of those emotions tonight.
I won't go easy on you, girl," he cackled, "You may be Winter Academy's idol, but we do things differently down at Summer Academy."
This caused loud cheering from all the summer fae. I chose to ignored it.
"Did you come here to fight, or have a nice conversation?" I asked, quirking an eyebrow.
The winter fae shrieked.
"FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT, FIGHT!" all of the fae shouted, raving like a pack of wolves.
The summer knight unsheathed his sword. It was gold, with intricate vines carved into the hilt. I placed my hand on my weapon and slowly pulled my ice blade out of its sheath, and it glittered under the lights, casting shining colors into the eyes of the crowd.
The summer knight took his fighting stance, his muscles rippling and his wings beating hard. I tucked my silver hair behind my ears and did so too, my sword at the ready. Despite the summer knight, who seemed on edge as he shifted his grip, I was at ease. My mind was perfectly still, my body poised carefully.
It wasn't until now that I realized why I had gone to the fighting ring in the first place. It really wasn't because I wanted to make money for Noel, or to show off to anyone, it was because of my churning anger deep inside me. I wanted to fight because the headmaster didn't think that I could fend for myself on my next task. I wanted to let loose my rage, show him that I didn't need a partner in the slightest. I was perfectly capable of taking on anything. All by myself.
The crowd began to count down. "THREE, TWO, ONE...FIGHT!"
I made the first move. Being much smaller than the summer knight, I knew that I had the element of surprise in my hands. Darting forward, I hurtled into him, sending my dangerously heeled boot into his gut. The summer knight gasped, his breath knocked out of him. He reeled backwards, and spat at my feet.
"Is that all you've got?" he snarled.
"I'm just getting started." I sneered, causing the crowd to erupt again into a chorus of howls.
While he was distracted, I jumped high into the air. The summer knight, caught off guard, sliced his blade at me, ripping my blouse. I brought my sword hilt down hard, and as I fell back to the ground I slammed it down on his head. There was a loud clang, and the summer knight fell to the ground, dazed.
I stood over him, my sword pointed straight at his face. With a roar, the summer knight kicked out one of his hulking legs, and when it came in contact with my shin, I fell to the dusty ground of the ring, thrown off balance.
Pain jolted up my leg, but it was overpowered by adrenaline. I spat out a mouthful of dust and struggled to my knees as the summer knight jumped to his feet again.
This time, he swung his fist. It was a fleshy, meaty fist, but before it could come in contact with my face, I caught it in an iron grip. The crowds went silent as I gritted my teeth against the summer knight's brute force. Bracing my feet, I screamed as my muscles pushed against his, and I jabbed my heel into his boot and shoved him to the ground. The summer knight slammed into the ring's boundary, and he lay still.
For one heartbeat, two heartbeats, everything was still. I was aware of dozens of open mouths gaping at me, and suddenly, as if someone had pressed PLAY again, the faerie onlookers sprang to life.
"MARISSA, MARISSA, MARISSA!" The winter fae yelled, their eyes alive with excitement. The summer fae began to cry out in outrage, some cursing at me without effect.
I sheathed my sword, and a small part of me basked in the radiating energy that blasted towards me. I felt as if my whole being was buzzing with magic, and my sword vibrated slightly in my grasp. My silver hair was plastered against my back with sweat, and I was breathing hard. My wings fluttered, still shaking with adrenaline.
In the crowd, Noel was yelling with glee as some summer fae handed over their gold to him.
I stood over the summer knight's crumpled form, scanning the faeries.
"Who's next?" I asked. I was answered by a chorus of whisperings and the nervous flutterings of wings.
"Hell no," some muttered.
"Marissa destroyed that guy! No one is ever going to face her now," another faerie exclaimed.
I knew that no one would volunteer. All eyes were glued to the summer knight, who seemed almost out cold, and some faeries even took a step back. I stared down at the summer knight. He groaned in pain.
I sighed, rolling my eyes. Some days I cursed myself for having a soft spot. I knelt down and threw the summer knight's arm over my shoulder, and grunting with effort, I hoisted him off the floor of the ring.
The faeries gazed back at me, slack jawed with shock. They looked utterly confused.
Suddenly, the door to the Gathering Tree slammed open, sounding as if it were being blown off its hinges. The music in the other room fell silent, and all heads swiveled towards the tree's entrance.
"Dragons above, what is he doing here?" I growled.
I heard the sound of girls unmistakably giggling as Glen himself stepped inside the Gathering Tree, his green robes flowing behind him.
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