Read Online Rise of the Fey by Alessa Ellefson - Free Book Online
Authors: Alessa Ellefson
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“Oh yeah, I hadn’t thought about all that. Sad, my version was so much more entertaining.”
She finally knocks on the door then pulls it open. To my surprise, waiting inside are Irene and her perennial cohort of attendants. I clench my teeth into a tight smile, despite knowing she must have heard every word I just said about her son.
I mentally kick myself. I shouldn’t care what this woman thinks of me anymore. And if she believes I’m still the meek Morgan she knew before, then I’m going to show her she’s wrong.
“Irene,” I say with mock enthusiasm, enjoying how she has to crane her head up to look up at me. “To what do I owe the joy of your lovely presence this time?”
Irene’s severely-lined eyes remain fixed upon me, unblinking. “You may think you’ve won,” she says, “but once I take this up to Camaaloth, you’ll sing a different tune. Especially once people find out you abetted a dangerous prisoner in his escape.”
“I have no idea what camel-sloth you’re talking about,” I say, causing Keva to cough loudly next to me. “And Nibs escaped on his own, while I’m stuck here having to deal with your PMS.”
This time, Keva seems to have succumbed to a frightful case of croup 3 and has to excuse herself for a moment.
“And we all know the jail door can’t be opened from the inside,” a calm, collected voice says behind me. Lance walks in, his chiseled features placid as always. “The question then is who?” he says, going to stand behind his chair at the round table. “It could be a servant, as a number of them have disappeared since the wards fell down. Or, much more likely, someone from the outside slipped past our sentinels now that the wards are down.”
“I told you to have the remaining servants bound to the school itself,” Irene retorts, “before they all flee to join that stupid rebellion of theirs. They know too much about the school and our Order to be considered safe otherwise.”
Lance nods. “The President is taking it into consideration,” he says in his inflectionless tone, “but right now he’s got more pressing matters to attend.”
“Is his conference over then?” Irene asks. “I’ve got a number of—”
“Matters that don’t concern the Board,” Lance adds, cutting her off.
Irene’s scowl deepens. She opens her mouth then closes it again without speaking a word—a rare occurrence, and one I’m gratified to behold. Then, with a contemptuous sniff, she sweeps out of the KORT room with her disgruntled entourage.
“Always a pleasure,” I say, unable to hide my grin as the heavy doors slam shut behind the last of her retinue.
“Welcome back, my
jolie 4
,” Gareth says, emerging from behind the heavy velvet drapes that cover the passage to the scrying mirror. “We have missed you.”
My smile slides off my face as the other members of the student council pour out behind him, each and every one of them a witness to my little scene. And apart from the cousins and Percy, none of them looks pleased to see me.
Unnerved, I avoid their baleful looks by staring instead at the darkness that lies outside the arched windows. Here and there are little pinpricks of light, the distant fires of the guards posted around the school, and I catch myself wishing I’d made it out with Nibs.
“I’m sure you’re aware who Morgan is,” I hear Arthur say, “but formalities…. In any case, I hereby present you with my new squire, Morgan de Cornouailles.”
I let out a small gasp of surprise at the mention of that mystical name. My father’s…. Mine now.
“This is a travesty,” a guy says, standing up. He waves at me like I’m a big, fat turd that needs to be scrubbed off. “We can’t have a half-Fey occupy such an important position as that of the President’s squire where she can exert her evil influence!”
“You’ve made your case quite clear once already, Hector,” Arthur says, rubbing his eyes reddened by fatigue. “Going overthe
She finally knocks on the door then pulls it open. To my surprise, waiting inside are Irene and her perennial cohort of attendants. I clench my teeth into a tight smile, despite knowing she must have heard every word I just said about her son.
I mentally kick myself. I shouldn’t care what this woman thinks of me anymore. And if she believes I’m still the meek Morgan she knew before, then I’m going to show her she’s wrong.
“Irene,” I say with mock enthusiasm, enjoying how she has to crane her head up to look up at me. “To what do I owe the joy of your lovely presence this time?”
Irene’s severely-lined eyes remain fixed upon me, unblinking. “You may think you’ve won,” she says, “but once I take this up to Camaaloth, you’ll sing a different tune. Especially once people find out you abetted a dangerous prisoner in his escape.”
“I have no idea what camel-sloth you’re talking about,” I say, causing Keva to cough loudly next to me. “And Nibs escaped on his own, while I’m stuck here having to deal with your PMS.”
This time, Keva seems to have succumbed to a frightful case of croup 3 and has to excuse herself for a moment.
“And we all know the jail door can’t be opened from the inside,” a calm, collected voice says behind me. Lance walks in, his chiseled features placid as always. “The question then is who?” he says, going to stand behind his chair at the round table. “It could be a servant, as a number of them have disappeared since the wards fell down. Or, much more likely, someone from the outside slipped past our sentinels now that the wards are down.”
“I told you to have the remaining servants bound to the school itself,” Irene retorts, “before they all flee to join that stupid rebellion of theirs. They know too much about the school and our Order to be considered safe otherwise.”
Lance nods. “The President is taking it into consideration,” he says in his inflectionless tone, “but right now he’s got more pressing matters to attend.”
“Is his conference over then?” Irene asks. “I’ve got a number of—”
“Matters that don’t concern the Board,” Lance adds, cutting her off.
Irene’s scowl deepens. She opens her mouth then closes it again without speaking a word—a rare occurrence, and one I’m gratified to behold. Then, with a contemptuous sniff, she sweeps out of the KORT room with her disgruntled entourage.
“Always a pleasure,” I say, unable to hide my grin as the heavy doors slam shut behind the last of her retinue.
“Welcome back, my
jolie 4
,” Gareth says, emerging from behind the heavy velvet drapes that cover the passage to the scrying mirror. “We have missed you.”
My smile slides off my face as the other members of the student council pour out behind him, each and every one of them a witness to my little scene. And apart from the cousins and Percy, none of them looks pleased to see me.
Unnerved, I avoid their baleful looks by staring instead at the darkness that lies outside the arched windows. Here and there are little pinpricks of light, the distant fires of the guards posted around the school, and I catch myself wishing I’d made it out with Nibs.
“I’m sure you’re aware who Morgan is,” I hear Arthur say, “but formalities…. In any case, I hereby present you with my new squire, Morgan de Cornouailles.”
I let out a small gasp of surprise at the mention of that mystical name. My father’s…. Mine now.
“This is a travesty,” a guy says, standing up. He waves at me like I’m a big, fat turd that needs to be scrubbed off. “We can’t have a half-Fey occupy such an important position as that of the President’s squire where she can exert her evil influence!”
“You’ve made your case quite clear once already, Hector,” Arthur says, rubbing his eyes reddened by fatigue. “Going overthe
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