Tangled in Moonlight: Unshifted - Chapter 222

Chapter 222: Ava: The Fae Ward (IV)
Selene sneezes several times, drawing Magister Orion’s attention. “Ah, it seems your companion is allergic to our wards,” he remarks, his tone sympathetic.

I frown, glancing down at Selene. “But she hasn’t sneezed once since entering the Fae Ward.”

Behind us, Layla snorts, amusement coloring her voice. “Magical wards and the Fae Ward are two completely separate things, you know.”

Magister Orion nods, his expression kind as he explains, “Magical wards are a form of protection, and some wolves are particularly sensitive to their existence.”

Selene sneezes again, as if to punctuate his point, and I reach down to stroke her fur soothingly. The enormity of the situation sinks in—I’m standing in a magical tower, in a place that doesn’t really seem to exist in my world, surrounded by Fae and a powerful (presumably?) wizard, about to embark on a journey to control powers I barely understand.

It’s like a freaking movie.

This doesn’t feel real at all.

Our world has always been bigger than what you’ve experienced, Selene says, with the faint hint of sneezing even in her mental voice. Full of magic and power and fantastic things you’d be shocked to see. Your world as you know it is quite desolate.

Even so, knowing that all this has been hidden away in a city not far from humanity…

Now that I’m here, Selene says, sneezing once again, I can sense it. I don’t know about the others, but this city was created at a natural convergence of realms. It’s a fascinating place. I’d love to explore it more.

But her explanation is lost on me as Magister Orion guides us to a circle of comfortable-looking armchairs. “Now, sit, Ava Grey, and let me look at you.”

“Wait.” Coming to a halt, I look at this man who’s declared himself to be my teacher, and the short little Fae. Or is she a gnome, like Layla? “First, I want to know: Where is Lisa?”

“Lisa Randall, currently in the Third Ward,” Tinker reports immediately. “There’s an extraction underway for Ms. Randall.”

“So I can see her soon?”

Excitement has my heart racing. A part of me has been desperately avoiding thinking of her with too much frequency, worried that we’re already too late. It’s been paralyzing. To know that she’s finally about to be rescued—

“No,” Tinker says cheerfully. “Because she has been compromised, Ms. Randall has been denied access to the Fae Ward.”

“Then—”

“She will be safe,” Tinker continues, still upbeat and charging over my words with her giant, glittering eyes and cheerful demeanor.

My jaw sets. “I want to see her.”

“My apologies, but that would be impossible.”

Her chirping responses have Tinker high on my list of people I can’t really appreciate right at this moment, and Magister Orion clears his throat. “We have pulled in quite a few favors in order to interfere in the Mad Prince’s business for you, Ava Grey. We have reached the limit in many ways. However, we will do what we can with your telecommuniphones.”

“Telecommunication phonetics,” Tinker corrects him.

“Telecommunication device, Tinker.” Layla pops into the conversation again from behind me.

“Cell phone,” Vanessa says at the same time.

“Cell phone?” All three of them turn to look at Vanessa, who shrugs.

“Or you can just say phone.”

“Cell phone,” Tinker muses. “What an odd phrase.”

“So you’re saying that Lisa might have a phone?” I interject, foreseeing a deep dive into worldly and cultural differences that will sidetrack us all from what really matters.

“I believe that would be acceptable.” Magister Orion clears his throat. “Now, about your tutelage. Apprenticeship is hard to come by these days, and I know your life span is much shorter than ours. Assuming you only have another thirty years to live, and considering the amount of knowledge I have to impart, we have conservatively estimated that we should aim for 175,000 hours of study.”

Staring at the giant bear of a man, I can only splutter, “Thirty years? Sir, I don’t have—”

“Not to worry, my star pupil. We have appropriately calculated in sleeping time. Sixteen-hour days give you a solid eight hours to sleep. We’ve heard this is necessary for your kind.”

“Magister Orion,” Vanessa interrupts, only to be skewered with a hard stare and a scoff.

“Hush, you mange-ridden animal. I’m speaking with my favorite student.”

It’s clear that I’m his only student. It’s also clear that Vanessa and Marcus don’t like him very much. Considering how he speaks to them, when he isn’t ignoring their existence…

“Magister Orion,” I protest, my voice going feeble under his delighted stare, “That’s impossible.”

“Impossible? No, I did the math myself.”

“No, I—” Clearing my throat, I shove my shoulders back and straighten my spine. This overgrown giant of a man might make me feel as though I’m a seven-year-old child again, but I’m not. I’m a grown woman. A future Luna. And maybe I’m a little lost these days, but I know that what he’s asking for is unreasonable. “I cannot spend that much time away from my life. My pack. My mate.”

“Packs? Mates? Who needs those, when you have magic?” Staring at me with honest bewilderment, Magister Orion motions around us with a sweeping movement of his arm. “Can’t you see all of this? Isn’t it spectacular? A world you want to live in forever?”

I told you, the Fae won’t let go of you easily if you allow yourself to be charmed by them. Selene’s warnings have the slightest hint of amusement to them.

“Of course it’s amazing. It’s an entire new world at my fingertips, and I want to learn from someone as wise as you.” Buttering him up can’t hurt, right? “However, this is not my life. While I appreciate and respect how you feel toward magic and the knowledge you hold, my mate is my first responsibility. My pack is second. I cannot lead my people if I’m sequestered here in the pursuit of…” Finding words fails me.

“Higher learning,” Vanessa supplements, bumping her shoulder against mine.

“Higher learning,” I repeat, tossing her a grateful smile.

Magister Orion’s face flushes an alarming shade of red as he stares at us both. “You would prioritize your mundane life over the gift of magic?” His voice booms through the library, echoing off the countless shelves. Something in the air tickles against my skin, causing my hair to stand on end. Even the sunlit interior seems to darken, as if dense clouds passed over the sun, heavy with rain. For a second, I can even scent that hint in the air of an oncoming storm. “The power within you is a rare and precious thing, and you would squander it for what? A pack of disgusting predators, who prioritize their base instincts over their brains?”

His accusations have Marcus and Vanessa stiff and eerily still beside me. Taking a deep breath, I force down the offense at his words, keeping my composure in the face of his bluster. “Magister Orion, you must understand. I’m here to learn control so I can keep my people safe. My magic is important, but it’s not the only thing that matters to me.”

His eyes meet mine, and I hope to the Moon Goddess that I have even a semblance of the serenity I’m trying to project.