Morganna’s pretty face twisted into a sneer.
“You don’t scare me, you nasty little Norm. And you’re the one who’s going to be paying a price.” She stabbed a finger at me, as though she was about to place a curse on me. “Just wait and see, you’ll pay!”
Then she marched back into the biology room and slammed the door behind her, so hard it rattled in its hinges.
I stood there for a minute, a feeling of dread gathering like a lump of ice in my belly. Exactly how powerful was Fae magic anyway? Could Morganna actually do some of the curses she had threatened me with earlier? Were fairies as strong as witches? And if so, what could I do to protect myself?
I had no idea but I had a bad feeling about all this—a very bad feeling indeed.
10
Jalli was overjoyed to get Spike back. I found her in her second period music class, drooping against the wall with her eyes cast down. (Yes, Nocturne Academy has some normal electives like choir and jazz band, though they also offer a speed spell casters group and magical trivia.)
Anyway, the minute I knocked on the door and the teacher let me in, Spike saw his mistress and few straight to her, chiming so loudly I was sure they could hear him in the next classroom.
“Oh, Spike!” Jalli brightened up at once and held out her arms to the little chimeling.
Spike flew right to her and perched on her shoulder, rubbing his cheek against hers in pure ecstasy. It was the happiest reunion I had ever seen and it warmed my heart to see Jalli crying tears of joy while Spike chimed in her ear.
Luckily the teacher, Mrs. Mayberry, was a plump, comfortable, understanding woman who just happened to have perfect pitch. So instead of getting upset about having her class interrupted, she got interested in Spike instead.
“Would you listen to that!” she exclaimed. “He’s singing—er, chiming—a perfect middle C! Jalli, sweetheart, what notes do your other two little pets sing?”
Because Jalli was such a sweetheart and her chimelings were so well behaved, she hadn’t had any trouble about bringing them to classes with her. She had Jelly Belly and Sweet Tooth in class with her, perched on the windowsill near her desk. When she motioned and told them to chime along with Spike, they flew over at once and began singing along with their brother.
Mrs. Mayberry was utterly enchanted.
“Listen to that—they’re singing a perfect chord!” she exclaimed. “Jalli, can you get them to sing higher or lower? I wonder if we could train them to do backup for your solo in the upcoming concert?”
I left them practicing, with Jalli’s sweet, bird-like voice entwining with the chiming of her pets in perfect four-part harmony.
The sight warmed my heart and I resolved not to be worried about Morganna’s threats. After all, she was a fairy—not a witch. And I didn’t believe that Fae magic was as powerful as that of the Sisters. When you thought of fairy magic what mostly came to mind was mischievous will-o'-the-wisps leading travelers astray or—as Morganna had so oddly put it—naughty imps souring cream or some such other minor inconvenience. At least, that was all I remembered from the Celtic fairy tales my mom used to read me when I was little.
So I put it firmly out of my mind—or tried to. I didn’t even mention the events of my AP Bio class to my Coven-mates, though of course they knew anyway. They have a saying at Nocturne Academy—“Gossip travels faster than a speed spell”—which is unfortunately true.
But while Avery and Megan and Kaitlyn all cheered me on for saving Spike and Ari thanked me in private most gratefully, none of them seemed to have the whole story.
None of them knew about how Spike had somehow regenerated after I cried on him. And none of them knew that Morganna had threatened me afterwards.
I didn’t tell them, either—I don’t know why. Maybe because I was still freaked out by the whole thing myself.
Logically, it didn’t make sense that I could have had anything to do with the little chimeling healing from the mortal injuries Morganna had given him. I told myself he must have regenerated on his own or else maybe he wasn’t as injured as I had thought. Either way, there was no possibility that plain old Emma Plunkett could have anything to do with a miraculous healing. It just didn’t make sense.
And as for Morganna’s threat, I was hoping it was all hot air.
I was definitely keeping an eye on things, though. But when I didn’t have any burning sensations when I sat down and my toenails looked and felt fine when I examined them before bed that night, I began to think the pretty, popular Fae girl with the ugly heart was all talk and no action.