Page 154 of Rebellious Royals

"You want to flip The Silent?" I asked.

She nodded slowly. "Expelling students hasn't slowed down the attacks. That means it's not a threat they fear. We don't know who is doing this - beyond a vague name we've given them. We don't know who is working with The Silent already, how they are recruiting, or anything else."

"I thought you had trackers in the school."

She canted her head, making it clear I wasn't wrong. "Sadly, we can find no patterns. Not a person they all meet with, a place they all go, or anything. Yes, there are some people whoall of them talk to, but I'm on that list. Everyone can easily be explained away."

"So what do we do?" I asked.

"We do something more terrifying than kicking them out, while treating them better and more fairly than whoever sent them to fight against fae royalty without being properly trained!"

The anger simmering in her voice made me realize she felt strongly about this. Her plan sounded good enough to me, and my friends were convinced I was necessary for this. That only left me one question.

"So what do you need me to do?"

"Right now, we have twenty-seven students enchanted into their rooms. Any magic they try to use will be reflected back on them. Lethal spells will be nullified to pain, no damage. Rain, I want you to put your Wild handcuffs on all of them. Once they're stripped of their magic, then we'll see who wants to talk around their promise. Maybe we'll get something. If nothing else, we have a better chance at stopping this if the ones who've been caught can tell the next group it isn't worth it."

"So I'm going to cuff them, then you'll just let them go back to class?" I asked.

"Not immediately," she assured me. "Most will get a few days of suspension, but then yes, I want them back in class, back with the friends they're going to realize they do miss, and back in the lives they almost gave up."

I nodded. "I can do that."

"Now?" she asked.

I pushed to my feet and reached out for Jack. "As long as I can drink and walk, then now's good."

Ms. Rhodes gathered up her own things, then led the way out. Together, we stopped by the office, where I was told to leave my tablet, because if I missed class, then I missed class. This wasmore important. Then we headed to the third floor, aiming for the girls' side of the building.

The first door was just like all the rest on this floor. Ms. Rhodes banged on it, then opened the door and stepped in. "Gem? I told you I'd see you this morning. Ah, good. You're dressed." Then she gestured for me to come in. "This is Rain le Fae. She is going to apply your punishment. I am the one who made this decision, but the Morrigan agrees it is fair."

"Winter lover," the girl, Gem, sneered at me.

"Fae lover is more accurate," I said, turning to the sound of her voice. "Unlike you, I had no preconceived notions about who is right or wrong. All of this is amazing to me, and I think it's a shame someone wants to harm others simply because they're different." I flicked my fingers, sending shadows at her to become cuffs. Comfortable ones, but still inhibiting. "Personally, I think hate is a pretty shitty thing. I hope you realize you've been lied to."

"We can't lie, you stupid human."

"Some of you can," I countered. "You can lie with the truth, with omission, and with deception. Faelings can lie as often as they can't. And you know what? One person's hate can be true for them and wrong at the same time."

"But Winter caused all of this!"

"Winter?" I asked. "So everyone in a season is the same?" The cuffs solidified as little more than inch-wide bracelets. They were too tight to come off, but loose enough they wouldn't bite into her skin. "I guess that means you're just like every other Summer fae, hm? Like the same colors and foods? Are attracted to the same people? Enjoy the same subjects? Have the same abilities, power range, and taste in clothing?" I raked my eyes over her. "Or maybe, people are more than one thing."

"You wouldn't know," she grumbled, tugging at one of the manacles.

"Nope," I said. "I wouldn't know anything about racism, religious persecution, attacks because of gender identity or sexual orientation. Yeah, we humans knownothingabout how to hate. Then again, we might be rubbing off on you." And I turned to the door.

"Wait?" she begged. "What did you do to me?"

I turned back. "I took away your magic, Gem. I did it in a way that won't kill you, but that makes you as powerless as any ordinary human. Convince me you've changed, and I'll remove them."

"Fuck you!" she shot back. "You know I can't do that."

"Then tell me how this was planned," Ms. Rhodes offered. "Give me something, Gem. If you help me, I will be happy to have those removed and send you home. If you learn how big of a mistake this was, I'll even let you stay, but that requires a lot of proving yourself."

"Then I'll just call my father," she shot back.

I shrugged that off. "Fine. Doesn't mean those cuffs will go away. You just have to decide what your dad will think about a magicless faeling for a kid."

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