Octavia

"Octavia, Stella, hey!" Terra calls out as we walk towards the girls breakfast table on Monday. "Oh my gosh, I love your outfit Tavi. I mean Octavia, sorry, started nicknaming you too soon."

"Good morning Ankáthi." I cut Terra off smoothly, smiling politely at her. "Stella said you wanted to talk with me, Bloom."

I look at Bloom expectantly, seeing how she eyes me hesitantly as my sister slides into the seat next to Musa.

"I- yeah, I wanted to talk to you."

I watch bemused as Bloom grabs her stuff and hastily rises from her seat. She reminds me of a young Beatrix, or maybe Stella.

"Bloom," Comments Aisha judgmentally. I pause, watching as the water fairy glances between myself and bloom. "Are you sure this is a good idea?"

Bloom glances at me as I stare back expectantly. I do want to get some breakfast at some point, bloom. We stay still until Bloom comes to a decision. She glances back at Aisha in uncertainty. What the hell is she doing? She asked me for help, she came to Sky and Stella to find me. I'm not forcing her to do anything.

Ungrateful Brat

"Bloom," I say with authority.

Princess of the realm voice, boys. The shadows distantly cackle with delight.

"My understanding is that you came to Stella and Sky asking for my help." I arch an eyebrow at her in question as I glance over to Aisha, holding the water fairy's gaze until she backs down. "Now, similar to my sister, I do have royal duties to fulfil. We don't just get to drop our responsibilities in favour of partying and making friends." Bloom's head tilts down guiltily. "I have taken time away from a meeting with the general commander of the Solarian army, the meeting was rescheduled of course, but Sky made it sound like you were drowning in the deep end with no control. Therefore, you are a loose cannon- a threat to Alfea and Solaria. Which," I step towards Bloom until we stand toe to toe. " is my responsibility."

Bloom shuffles uncomfortably under my disdain filled gaze. I can see the other shifting as well, though Stella merely looks on blankly. I wait. Bloom steps back and readjusts her bags before muttering she was ready to go.

Musa's trying to read your emotions.

Block her. I command

"The only emotion you will find, Musa,"I say, turning my glare on the mind fairy. "Is irritation. Justified, I believe, since Aisha has seen fit to question my reasons."

Aisha looks down at the table, Musa following suit. Good. I was curious to know if I would have their respect with the way they treat Stella. I glance around the table one last time, pausing on an upset Terra.

I smile at my sister. "Stel, Ter."

I stride away from the table, smirking as Bloom follows. Bitch move, I know, but I can't stand being judged for trying to do a nice thing. I silently lead Bloom out towards the forest, aiming for the stone circle.

"What progress have you made?" I ask, not bothering to look at bloom as we reach the step down to the stone circle.

"I-" Bloom looks at me startled. "I can control small amounts of file, lighting a fire or candle... but," She trails off uncertainly. "My power creeps up on me." She rushes out.

I hum in acknowledgement as we reach the stones.

Anyone else here?

All clear mistress.

"Sit with me." I indicate to the spot next to me on the stone bench, watching silently as Bloom awkwardly does as I ask. I turn to gaze out at the forest around us.

"You're scared of your power."

"Ye- Yes." bird song fills the area as I wait. "I lost control and nearly burnt my house to the ground."

"Normal." I state. "What made it different?"

"Normal?" Her voice is incredulous and shocked. "How is that normal?"
"Because it is, Bloom." I say with certainty. Turning to look Bloom in the eye. "Stella tells em you were raised as a human in a different realm." She nods. "All those little social beliefs and versions of right and wrong, law and order, education and family. Are all different here. They are similar, yes, but they have been moulded by heritage over time. Our heritage as fairies changes that."

Bloom's eyes mist over at my words. She can't have possibly believed that this would be the same as her home just with the added touch of magic.

"You can't honestly believe you are the first powerful here, that you are the first fire fairy?"

She looks shaky and uncertain and my heart crumbles at the sight. She genuinely thought she was alone in this. I can relate, in the opposite situation. It's harder than I thought it would be to describe life as a fairy when my powers have been kept under such a tight lock and key for years.

"What you did, Bloom, happens to everyone. It is a part of a fairy's journey in life. It just happens. Some people send down a lighting bolt, start a storm, read someone's mind, others might grow a tree, cause and earthquake or light a match. They all range in size and power but they all happen. The only difference was you didn't have a fairy parent to teach you this."

Bloom clears her throat as she fights back tears, I watch sadly as she looks away into the forest.

She clears her throat again. "I thought you were going to teach me control."

She glances up at me, eyes full of tears.

"I can't Bloom." I state sadly. "Not until you have accepted your magic, not until you have accepted that it is a part of you. That you are still you, but changing and growing into a stronger person."

I grab my things and stand from the bench.

"Come find me when you are ready, but until then, you won't succeed."

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"Alright class, welcome back to potions." The professor calls out from the front of class. "For the rest of term, your class will be combined with the specialists as you are both studying healing and defense potions."

Chatter immediately breaks out as the fairies whisper to their friends who they want to be paired with.

"Silence," The Professor who's- name- I have- forgo-

Professor Ílios

Right. Him.

"As I am sure you have been discussing in other classes, now is the years where you will build the beginnings of your omádas. More accurately, the vast majority of you will be leaving with a Eusebeia bond to a fellow partner." Ílios pauses dramatically before whispering. "The lucky few of you may even form mate bonds."

A group of girls immediately break into giggles, Sweet Helios, could they be any more stereotypical. But still, I didn't fight the small grin that tugged at my face.

I look at Ílios, observing his behaviour. He looked to be in his late thirties, younger than Silva and Dowling's group but still old enough to have children attending Alfea. Not that, that would deter the girls from crushing on him with his dark hair, striking blue eyes and bronze skin that I was jealous of. Not to mention a fairly muscular build that suggested years of training as a specialist but it was clear that he had begun to lose his old ways over the years.

"Professor Ílios?" Silva pokes his head into the classroom, "Where do you want my specialists?"

"Ah, we should take them all to the courtyard. Irene has set up the stations for us."

Silva sports a boyish grin before ducking his head and leaving the room.

What was that?

Irene is his mate. Darkling says.

She's lovely. Little shadow adds in, She helped raise Sky.

Curiosity fills me as we make our way towards the courtyard. I eye the specialists in front of us, seeking out a familiar head of blonde hair. Sky and I have a lot to talk about it seems, he's only ever mentioned Silva and his father when we talk.

About his father mistress, you've-

"Listen up!" Ílios calls as we reach the courtyard proper. "I'll split you into groups of three and I want you to find a station together and start reading through the instructions. You will be working on one half of a shielding potion, which will then be combined with another group."

Students had already started moving into groups with their friends, complaints being muttered at Ílios declaration.

"Alright," Silva called out to silence the chatter. "Let's get started. Sam, Miya and Fredrik...."

I zoned out as Silva continued to list the groups.

She's here

She's alive and safe

Bea's here

She's here

I flinch at their proclamations, elation filling me at their meaning. She's safe? And- and here. My sister is here. I look around in desperation, hoping to catch a glimpse of her red hair.

"Looking for me?" A silky voice drawls.

I whip around, gaping at Bea. "You're- Oh helios- you're okay." I reach towards her a shadow jumping out to curl around her shoulder and neck. Tears fill my eyes, all this time I thought she was trapped with Rosalind. "Oh Bea-"

"Don't pretend." She scoffs, batting at the shadow. "Snivelling doesn't suit you."

I freeze. I don't understand. Bea- my bea.

Bea. Little shadow laments.

"What- what are you-"

"You left me." She croaks, eyes filled with tears as she glances away. "Don't pretend to care now."

"I tried to get you out. I- I went back-"
"It doesn't matter now." Beatrix wipes away her tears before concealing her face of all emotion. "Rosalind wants to see you."

I freeze. No. No, no, no. She can't be here. Her control can't travel this far from the palace. And Beatrix. She can't. I- how can she-

"Drea too, he misses you apparently. Says he wants his sparring partner back." She huffs, rolling her eyes as she crosses her arms over her chest.

"I- Beatrix-"
"Riven, Octavia, Stella." Silva calls out, looking pointedly in my direction as I only just realised how easily Bea and I drifted to the side of the courtyard- far away from the others.

I clear my throat, looking back only to find Beatrix gone. My eyes fill with tears. This wasn't how this was supposed to go. We were supposed to be happy together. We were going to be safe together, run away and start a new life. Without Rosalind and the Queen. Beatrix and Ricki would have their home by the river with little Ellie. The one near all the museums and galleries Ri loved. With the silver embellished navy door that Beatrix would draw over and over. This wasn't what life was supposed to be.

They're waiting for you Tavi. Darkling whispers.

I look up to see Stella and Riven looking at me concerned. I quickly wipe at my face and pull on the mask of the dark princess, only pausing when I see a woman had been watching me the whole time. I make eye contact with her, not daring to look away from her green eyes as she stares me down. I walk towards Stella with predatory grace, still refusing to break the woman's gaze. We break away from the contest as Silva calls for the mystery woman's attention. I pause as she turns, seeing the two jagged scar that mar one side of her face. The shortest of two start above her right brow and ends just on her cheek bone while the other spans the entire length of her face, skimming her eyebrow's end and curling under the side of her jaw.

"Stop staring," Riven snaps.

I jerk away, glancing at him guiltily as I see the protectiveness in his eyes.

"Silva and Sky will be pissed if they see you staring at her." And me, he seems to say. I care for her too. I incline my head in understanding.

"My apologises," Smooth as silk the words escape me. "I forgot myself for a second."

Thank you etiquette training for not stopping me from getting into stupid social situations but for teaching me to get out of them.

My chest clenches, Bea would always laugh at my lessons. Then she'd beg me to teach her so we could be princesses together.

"Shall we begin?" Stella asks with forced cheer.

We quickly work away, chopping and dicing herbs and chunks of worms, beetles and other creatures. We work in silence, only talking about the potion.

"Was that Beatrix I saw?" Stel asks leadingly

"Stel." I warn

"No, no. you can tell me to fuck off but your going to explain what's going on there first." She turns to face me, hands on hips. I see Riven behind her desperately trying to look like he isn't listening.

I sigh. "We-" what is there to say. "I don't know Stel. I don't know." My shoulders sag at the thought. Stella is my sister by blood and I love her endlessly but Beatrix, Bea fought by my side for years. We endured together and I'd trust her with my life, and she would trust me with hers. At least we did. I don't know if we would now.

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"Sky!" I call, jogging up to catch up with the blonde specialist. "Can we talk? I owe you an explanation."

A better one at least. I hurt him and didn't explain what happened or why. Didn't tell him why my powers were acting up, or even the bare minimum of how they work. I'm surprised he hasn't asked yet.

"Yeah." he nods, indicating for me to follow him.

We walk in silence to the training grounds and I try not to let my mind drift back to Beatrix.

"You weren't on the run this morning." Sky states.

"I had to make a political call."

Silence. Well this is getting awkward. Guilt gnaws at me for not talking to Sky sooner.

"I-"

"Liste-"

We pause, looking at each other before breaking off into hesitant breathy laughter.

"Sorry." He murmurs, Sky smiles gently. "You first."

That smile tugged at something low in my gut, and I quickly looked away with nervous laughter.

"I owe you an explanation, a better one than Riven and I's hasty explanation of events the other night." I can't help the blush that rises to my face at the reminder of the dinner, Riven's words replaying through my head. Sky nods silently as we reach one of the training mats on the floor. Dropping our bags down we quickly set about beginning to stretch. Silva would kill us if he caught us chatting instead of training. "My shadows, the ones that come from my magic, not the sentient ones attracted to my light, developed when I was 13. No one was expecting it. I mean, there were myths of Siatra's transformation magic from long ago being a combination of both light and dark but... the royal family was at a loss. No one knew how to go about teaching me control so the decision was made to suppress my powers until I was 16."

I break off awkwardly, swallowing as memories of Beatrix and I in the dungeons resurface. Sky looks at me in concern, it's a well known fact that magic is vital to a fairy's life. It affects so much more than just power. Our children are made almost entirely of our magic during pregnancy, our health and healing ability is supported by it and our bonds are formed and felt through it. To take a fairy's magic away. I hang my head silently.

"Did-" Sky's voice is rough with grief but when I look at him his body's shaking with rage. "Did Stella know?"

I jerk towards him in shock at his question. Why would-. Of course, the rumours about Stella, her attitude. And with Sky's morals, he could forgive a lot of things but some were strictly unforgivable.

"No-no, helios no. Stella got me out of there." his shoulders sag with relief at my words, how desperate he is to believe that my sister is a good person. I clear my throat.

"Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that I'm learning. There's a lot of new discoveries going on right now and I should have given you a heads up."

Sky nods and smiles reassuringly at me.

"I get it. You're at a college for fairies. You're here to learn. No one expects you to be a grandmaster in a day."

We break off into laughter at his words, standing up to move towards the platforms.

"C'mon. Train with me." He indicates to the platform.

I frown. "I thought that's what we were going to do anyway?"

Sky grins and rolls his eyes. "I mean really train, you don't think I can see you keeping those shadows under tight lock and key?"

I scowl in irritation. Is he just ignoring our previous conversation about trying to learn and grow.

"I bet," He drawls as we get into position on the platform. "You lost control because you were keeping too much magic pent up and when you used a little of it..." He pause dramatically to make a over comical exploding motion with his hands. "Boom, there goes the rest of the power."

Presumptuous pious prick.

He's right though. That is what happened.

Shut it. I snap, Who's side are you on?

So there's sides now

"Fine." I seeth. Why does he have to justify everything, and why is there always an answer.

"Fine." He mocks and I grit my teeth in indignation. I'm going to break his nose and damage that stupidly perfect face, and just when we were starting to get along as well. I grin in feral felight at the challenge in Sky's eyes as we begin to spar.

The training ground has emptied out around us by the time we finish up and hop off the platform. It's late, dark. He'd done it on purpose- riled me like this, wound me up over the rounds. He knew there was something bothering me. Not just our conversation. I probably showed my hand by getting so riled up so fast. He's done this to get me to show my hand.

I turn to pick up my stuff but Sky's expectant smirk has my fingers curling into talons at my sides, a familiar pain filling them allowing me to know I'd started to shift. I take a step towards him. Sky holds his ground. So I take another step. Another.

Until we were close enough that a heaving breath would have my chest touching his. Until I'm baring my teeth at his still-smirking face.

Sky surveys me, looking up and down my body. Gazed into my eyes and breathed, "Beautiful."

He didn't halt when I laid a hand on his muscled chest. Or when I begin to push against that chest, backing him against the edge of the training platform. He just stares and stares at me, marvelling - hungry.

I didn't, couldn't, move as Sky leaned in to whisper in my ear, "The first time I saw that look on your face you were raging and angry and filled with shadows, and I nearly went to my knees before you." His breath caresses the shell of my ear, I can't stop my eyes from fluttering shut. His grin brushes against my temple. "Your power is a song I have been waiting to hear my entire life. I have craved your attention since I first saw you, Octavia." He rasps and my back arches slightly at the way he says my name. The way it sounds like a caress. Like he was imagining touching other parts of body- yet, still only my hand on his chest bridges our bodies. I bunch up his shirt in my grasp, relishing in the thundering heartbeat beneath it.

Until Sky lowered his face an inch, grazing the tip of his nose along my neck.I feel his chest heave beneath my hand as he inhales a great, greedy breath of her scent.

"And then I heard that conversation between you and Riven. At dinner." IHe grins savagely, "And that pretty blush on your face set my blood on fire."

Too far. Too long. I should have stopped this. I shouldn't have let myself get so close to him.

But I can't bring myself to move away. I can't do anything except bask in the sensation of Sky as he grazes his nose over my neck again. I fight the urge to press my body into his, to feel his warmth and hardness grinding into me. I can feel the last shred of my rational thoughts begin to fade away.

"What's got you so bothered Sweetheart? What's got you so riled up, hmm?" I nods his head at me questioningly, leaning back slightly so he can hold my gaze before moving his head back down when his eyes flare at whatever he sees in my face.

"I know you well enough by now to know something else is bothering you," I tense, not ready for this conversation. Not with the delicious heat curling in me. "But I think we can focus on what else has been riling you up these past few days."

Sky's hands remain by his sides, he's made no attempt to touch me in that way. As if he's waiting for my permission.

I pull back enough to see his face.

My knees wobble at the desire blazing in his eyes. Liquid, unrelenting desire, all fixed upon her.

I can't get a breath down as I drown in that stare. As low, sensitive parts of me tighten and begin to throb, my breast becomes heavy and aching. His eyes flare as if he can see it in my face.

I can't. I can't do this to him. To myself.

Not after Beatrix. Not after what happened in that cell. Sky's gaze cools and a soft smile fills his face.

Can't, I can't-

I begin to withdraw my hand from his chest but he slides his own atop it. He rubbed his thumb over the back of my hand, and that graze of calloused flesh had me grinding my teeth, unable to think, to breathe-

Sky whispered in her ear, "Do you know what I will be thinking of tonight?"

A small sound must have escaped me because he grins down at me as he steps to the side and lets go of my hand.

The absence of his warmth, his scent, was like a bucket of ice water.

He smiles, nothing but wickedness and challenge. "I'm going to think of that look on your face." He took another step away, towards Alfea. "I'm always thinking of that look on your face."

A/N: Should I bring Bloom back in for relationship drama?