Free Blood of the Fey (Morgana Trilogy) by Alessa Ellefson Page B

through all the trials.”
    “Which means you’ve gotta demonstrate your abilities in fighting,” Bri says. “Barehanded and with weapons.”
    “And with elementals,” Owen adds.
    “And those who don’t want to fight?” I ask, stoppering my vial.
    I look up when no one answers. All three of them are staring at me like I’ve just sprouted a pair of horns.
    “What?” I ask.
    “Why wouldn’t you want to fight?” Owen says. “It’s the greatest honor you can get! To defend our world against the Fey who would otherwise kill us all!”
    “The Bible clearly says to put your sword back,” I say. “I don’t see why I should fight when I don’t—”
    Owen throws himself at me, and we both land among Miss Pelletier’s foxgloves moments before one of the large hanging pots comes crashing down, shattering the table beneath.
    I cough as clouds of dust swirl about us before settling back down on the remains of my workstation.
    “What happened?” Miss Pelletier cries out. “Is anybody hurt?”
    “I-I don’t think so,” I say as Owen helps me up.
    “Just your plants, miss,” Bri says. “They’re completely squished.”
    “As long as nobody’s hurt,” the teacher says, sounding on the verge of tears.
    “Trust the new girl to cause trouble on her first day here,” I hear Keva say two tables over.
    “It wasn’t her,” Owen says, angry. “It was Daniel. I saw him use EM!”
    “Don’t be silly, Mr. Vaughaun,” Professor Pelletier says with a frown. “Elemental manipulation’s not allowed outside of training until you’ve reached squire level. Go get a broom to clear this up.”
    “But that’s not fair!” Owen exclaims. “I didn’t do anything wrong!”
    “Did I say you did?” the teacher snaps. “Now get a broom and start sweeping!”
    Muttering under his breath, Owen complies, but I grab the broom from his hands.
    “You saved me,” I explain.
    “Sweet, thanks,” Owen says.
    But Bri slaps him across the head. “Don’t be a ninny. You can sweep too.”
    Their fight brings down the teacher’s wrath upon us, and we all end up on cleaning duty. By the time the bell rings, the place looks as it had before, minus a few plants.
    As we leave, I see Daniel high-five his two friends, and I remember that strange glow I’d seen coming from him in Sir Boris’s class. Something tells me that Owen was right, and that spells trouble for me.

     
    The next couple of classes are mercifully easy and mundane, which I thank my guardian angel for, not that he had anything to do with my schedule. By the time three o’clock hits, I’ve already managed to get two of Sir Boris’s assignments completed, and the third one well under way. If this keeps up, I’ll have all twenty-seven of them done within the week!
    “Miss Pendragon, would you mind telling us what you’re doing when you’re supposed to be listening to me?”
    I look down to find that I’ve turned Lady Ysolt’s instructions to shreds.
    “I suppose you feel you don’t need this class,” she states, circling me like a vulture. A gust of wind poufs up her hair so she looks like a rooster. “Very well then, what would you do if you saw a crack in your brace?”
    I see Bri’s hand shoot up, but Lady Ysolt ignores her.
    “Have it repaired?” I venture.
    “And how can you tell it needs to be repaired?”
    “Because…there’s a crack?”
    A few people chuckle, and Lady Ysolt snaps her boots together, her sword clanking against her side.
    “And if there are no cracks,” she asks, her voice dangerously low, “does that mean the brace is uncompromised?”
    “Yes,” I manage to say around the lump that’s growing in my throat.
    A tight smile appears at the corners of her full mouth, not a good sign. “What happens if a rune’s overused without being properly tended for, even if no cracks are apparent?”
    Why is she asking me so many questions? This is my first day here. Can’t she give me a break? I see Bri raise her hand again,