Spells

The summer stretched before Laurel not as a reprieve, but as a summons to a world both ancient and new to her. Six months had passed since the terrifying revelation of her true faerie nature and the battle for the gateway to Avalon. Now, she found herself at the Academy of Avalon, not merely a school, but her true home, where she was to spend eight weeks honing the dormant magic within her. Tamani, the captivating faerie sentry, met her at the gate, his disappointment over her choice of David still a palpable current between them. He escorted her into the shimmering heart of Avalon, a place of vibrant life and forgotten lore, where the very air hummed with magic.

Life at the Academy was a whirlwind of discovery. Laurel learned that the intricate gates to Avalon were forged by King Oberon himself, a sacrifice that cost him his life, and that only Winter faeries possessed the power to open them. Professor Yeardley, her assigned mentor, buried her under stacks of ancient texts, while Katya, a fellow Fall faerie, offered to tutor her. Laurel, accustomed to her human world's methods, found herself making note cards, a small rebellion against the overwhelming deluge of faerie knowledge. She also began to understand the strict social hierarchy of the fae, realizing that as a Fall faerie, she held a higher station than Tamani, a Spring faerie. This distinction, however, only seemed to heighten the complex dance between them.

As her training progressed, Laurel delved deeper into the mysteries of her lineage. She was a scion, a faerie sent to live among humans to protect their land, which held a vital gate to Avalon. The idea of parents, as humans understood it, was foreign to many fae, especially Fall and Winter faeries, who were separated from their progenitors to better serve their duties. Even the records of the two faeries who created her seed had been destroyed when she sprouted. Though frustrated by the lack of concrete answers about her origins, she conceded that it was better than two faeries mourning her for years while she grew up in the human world. Tamani, in turn, introduced her to his own family, his mother Rhoslyn and his Summer faerie niece, offering a glimpse into a world that felt both alien and strangely familiar.

The eight weeks in Avalon flew by, a blur of magical lessons and stolen moments with Tamani. His unwavering devotion and the undeniable pull she felt towards him deepened her internal conflict. He had sacrificed much for her, even when she could not recall their shared history, and his patience was boundless. "I can't just storm in and proclaim my intentions. I can't 'steal' you away. I just have to wait and hope that, someday, you'll ask," he confessed, his voice a quiet plea. "And if I don't?" Laurel whispered, her heart aching. "Then I guess I'll be waiting forever."

With summer's end came her return to the human world, and with it, the familiar comforts of her life with David. Her human parents, now privy to her faerie secret, offered a different kind of support. However, the respite was short-lived. The threat of the trolls, though seemingly contained, had not vanished. Jamison, a Winter faerie, warned her that the increased troll activity around the gate meant she would have to take a more active role in its defense, particularly after sundown.

The danger soon manifested itself. One day, Laurel found herself attacked again, but this time, a mysterious woman named Klea intervened, saving her life. Klea revealed her sole mission: to hunt down supernatural beings, especially trolls. Laurel recounted the harrowing encounter to Tamani, who reiterated the need for extreme caution. The dualities of her existence - her human life with David and her faerie destiny intertwined with Tamani and Avalon - pressed down on her, demanding a choice she wasn't ready to make. As autumn arrived, and her own flower bloomed once more, Laurel knew that the delicate balance between her two worlds was growing increasingly precarious, and a confrontation with the encroaching darkness was inevitable.