Free Faerie by Jenna Grey

sorry for the farmers, not to mention the thought of all the poor creatures that rely on the fruit trees to survive.”
    Lily hadn’t heard anything about it, but then she had been a bit preoccupied lately. Still it was a blow – she’d pinned her hopes on a few weeks picking to get enough cash to tide her over until she got a proper job. Worse, she daren’t think what damage it would do to the ecology of the area.
    “You’re a right little tree hugger you are,” Claire said, with impressive disdain. “I sometimes think you like trees and plants more than you do people.”
    Her gleeful malice made Lily’s skin prickle.
    “I do. Trees don’t hurt you,” Lily replied, not trying to conceal her annoyance.
    “Unless they fall on you,” put in Kieran, pushing his chair back from the table and balancing precariously on the back two legs. “Might improve your looks.”
    “You better watch out that one doesn’t fall on you,” Lily replied, crossing her fingers as she said it, just in case her magic got the better of her. “I’m going to see my new place today after school. I shouldn’t be too long, though. I’ll be back in time to give the kid’s their bath and put them to bed.”
    Kieran followed her into the kitchen and helped himself to half a box of cereal, slopping milk everywhere.
    “Bloody good riddance,” he said. “The new girl’s a babe, I checked her out on Facebook.”
    “Yes, and she’s really going to be interested in you, isn’t she? You’re so fit,” Lily sniped back. Kieran’s face reddened.
    “You can bloody well talk – who the fuck would ever want to touch you? You probably haven’t even got a pussy.”
    Lily fought back the pain-fuelled rage, her fists clenched, jaw clamped to hold back the curse that was trying desperately to escape. Instead she bent close to his ear and whispered:
    “Maybe I should leave your new girlfriend a note telling her that you’ve selected her to be your new wank buddy.  I’m sure she’ll be impressed, you skinny streak of piss, as long as three inch needle-dicks do it for her.”
    Kieran lashed out in blind fury, laying a punch into her ribs. Lily doubled over and fell backwards, and without even knowing what she was doing flung a curse at him. He began to scream, tumbling from the chair, holding his hands to his head, and rolling on the floor in agony.
    “What the hell’s going on?” Claire yelled, bending over him and trying to pull his hands from his head.
    “I think Kieran’s got a migraine,” Lily said, through pinched lips, pulling herself up and straightening her clothes. Kieran was clutching his head, moaning. “I’m sure it will wear off in a couple of hours.”
    And with that she picked up her bag and left the house.
     

Chapter Six.
     
    It was raining, that light, warm summer rain that made the world fragrant with the smells of nature: wet grass and leaves and that slightly bitter taste that hangs in the air, sharp, like copper pennies, making everything seem so fresh. The sky was the sickly yellow that only comes with rain and there were thunder clouds over the hills, their low grumbling rumble a distant sound, as if they just wanted to remind people that they were there and not to get too complacent.
    She felt bad about what she’d done to Kieran – she shouldn’t have lost her temper with him – she wasn’t herself, her usual innate goodness corrupted by the fear she felt for the Shadow People; he was a winkle, but she knew that a lot of his aggression was his way of dealing with a world that hadn’t done him any favours. She’d have a prize bruise on her rib cage where his fist had landed, but there was no real harm done. What he’d said had hurt her, though, far more than the physical injury; she hadn’t realised just how little he thought of her.
    She removed the curse almost as soon as she got out of the door and felt better for it. She only had to put up with him for a couple of days more – and perhaps this