leaned into the place Lucian was scratching.
“Yeah, I know, you’re right and I’m wrong,” he laughed, continued to scratch Zephyr’s neck. “Well, next time could you be right in the way I tell you?”
Snorting again and munching happily on the carrot Lucian offered him, Lucian was sure Zephyr had just ignored him. He shook his head again and after making sure Zephyr’s coat gleamed, he had plenty of water, and his tack was polished and neatly put away, Lucian left the barn with everyone else to go the gym. On arriving, they were surprised to find the door closed and Achilles nowhere in sight. “Normally he’s waiting here for us,” Lucian commented.
“He’s probably inside,” Kaelen said, grabbing the doorknob. “Let’s go.”
When they walked into the gym, they saw Achilles sitting with Tallia in the corner of the gym. “What are you doing here?”
“It’s time for class,” Jacobi pointed out.
Tallia flushed and said, “Well, looks like you’re busy. I’ll see you later.”
Achilles looked unfazed and told the boys to start stretching. “Ten laps around the gym.”
“I bet he’s doing that because we caught him with Tallia,” Adrian whispered.
Lucian nodded but didn’t speak. He went through the stretches and started running around the gym. He had seen Tallia around the gym more and more often as the days progressed. He’d heard the older boys talking about how Achilles had been eying her for a while. “It’s only a matter of time,” one had said. Lucian couldn’t help but wonder, a matter of time until what?
When classes were over for the day, the boys decided to go outside with their homework. It was a mild February afternoon. There was a cool crispness to the air, but the sun was shining brightly, warming them as they sat around their favorite tree. “Spring’s almost here,” Adrian observed. “The grass is starting to look green again.”
“Wouldn’t it be great to have an early spring?” George agreed.
“We could certainly spend more time outside,” Lucian pointed out.
“Let’s just hope the fairies don’t overload us with homework this year,” Jacobi said.
“Yeah right,” Kaelen scoffed. “They always give us more homework when the weather’s nice. I think they do it on purpose.”
“You think they do everything on purpose,” George chuckled.
“Well, let’s head back inside. It’s getting a bit too nippy for me,” Jacobi admitted.
Everyone agreed and they walked back inside just in time for supper. Afterwards, they went into the commons and sat near one of the fireplaces just talking and laughing together. When Gelasia came in to remind them that they needed to get to bed, they tried to argue with her. She laughed, “Morning comes awfully early, gentlemen. You’ve already stayed up well past ten o’clock. Go to bed.” She then left them.
Reluctantly, Kaelen said, “I guess she’s right. We should head to bed.”
“Yeah,” George agreed with a yawn.
They walked up the stairs and into their own rooms. As Lucian crawled under the covers, he contemplated the day and everything that had happened until sleep silenced his thoughts.
The boys were surprised the next morning as they walked into the fencing classroom to find Vulcan standing at the door. “Where’s Raphael?” Jacobi asked.
“He’s taking care of a family matter,” Vulcan replied, his deep voice seeming to echo through the room. “I’m standing in for him.” He took roll and set the boys to work. “Don’t think for a moment that because Raphael isn’t here you’ve got the day off,” he said. “I’ve got explicit instructions and I am watching you.”
Under his fiery gaze, the boys picked up their lessons where they’d left off the day before. Lucian didn’t worry in this class; he knew he was equal to the challenge. But he also had the distinct impression that Vulcan was watching the class, looking for those who were succeeding and those who were struggling. Lucian supposed that Vulcan probably had some sort of say on who entered his dragon fighting classes and who didn’t.
When the class was over, the boys went to lunch, hoping to learn more about why their fencing master was gone. “I bet Honoria had her baby,” Jacobi said as they walked through the line. “It’s got to be about time, right?”
A hush fell over the room as Calista’s soft voice carried over the noise. “I have an announcement to make,” she said. “Raphael came just a few moments ago to inform me that their new daughter, Theodora Peregrin was born early this morning. Mother and baby are doing just fine, but he is taking the rest of the day off to be with his family. Your classes will continue as scheduled with Vulcan Firebrand standing in his place.”
As she sat down, a buzz of chatter sprang up. “I told you so.”
After lunch, the boys went outside to the greenhouse for botany. When the boys walked into the room, they were surprised to see the plants they’d been working with had disappeared. Instead they had rows of clay pots and several seed packets. “Russett, what are we doing?” George asked.
“You boys are getting a taste of gardening this month,” Russett replied. “I’ve had a rather large order of flowers made with the request that you boys plant them. So, with some help from Lucretia who will come in after you’re done each day, you’ll be growing flowers. Now, you need to get into groups of five. You have ten seconds to arrange yourselves before I start picking groups for you.” In no time, Lucian was surrounded by his friends. He continued, “Each group will be assigned a different type of flower. You will plant them, weed them, water them and see to all their needs. These are very special so don’t neglect them. You’ll disappoint someone you all know and love.”
“Who, Russett?” a freckled boy asked.
“That will be revealed later. For now, it’s time to get started! Potting soil is available over there,” Russett said pointing, “and everything else is in your area.”
“Did you do any planting last year, Kaelen?” Adrian asked.
“No, I just picked them,” he muttered.
“Guys,” Lucian laughed when they all looked miserably at the pots. “It’s not that hard. My dad gardens all the time; they always put the instructions on the back.” He picked up one of the seed packets. They were growing white garden roses. “Okay, first thing, we’re going to need bigger pots. These are way too small for rose bushes. Uh, Jacobi, why don’t you ask Russett if he’s got some bigger pots that we can use? Adrian, grab a bag of peat moss and George, you get the potting soil. Kaelen, help George; we’re going to need a lot of soil. I’m going to ask Russett about fertilizer.”
The boys accepted Lucian’s directions and soon they were back together with the largest pots Russett had available and everything that they could possibly need. They each filled their pots with soil and then groaned as Lucian told them to take two feet of the soil out and mix it with the peat moss. They watched Lucian put this mix back in and then poke an inch and a half deep hole in it. He gently placed a seed in and then started on the other pots. After Lucian had planted his seeds, the others did the same. They carefully watered each pot and then set them on a shelf nearest the windows. They watched another group put their pots nearby. “What are you growing?” George asked.
“Larkspur,” Mithulan replied. “You?”
“Roses,” Jacobi replied.
“There’s no way those will grow in a month. Roses take years to grow.”
“I know that, Jared,” Russett said from behind them. “That’s why Lucretia will be coming. She can bless the plants so that they’ll mature much faster.”
When class was over, the boys were dirty but satisfied with their work. As they were walking, they saw Lucretia heading towards the greenhouse. They avoided eye contact with her and instead focused on their own conversation. “I bet Lucian’s will sprout first,” Kaelen said. “He’s like an expert.”
“My dad’s the expert. He even grows his own hybrid roses.”
“Well, Adrian’s no expert either,” George teased. “He had a hard enoug
h time getting soil into the pot.”
Lucretia watched the tallest boy stick his tongue out at one of his friends. Wicked amusement flickered in her eyes. If a frog you wish to act, she thought, then a frog you’ll be. Until your princess releases you when it’s you she sees.
The boys didn’t notice Lucretia’s necklace glow, nor the faint red light that swirled around Adrian like a ribbon. Frustration caused Lucretia to stamp her foot. Her silent spells weren’t working like they used to. It was the Change; she could feel it altering her. She shrugged. While he wouldn’t change today, he would eventually. The magic glow around him proved that her spell had hit its mark. And even with that, she knew once the fairies found out they’d make her take the spell back. She wasn’t supposed to do magic on the boys unless she was called. But since when did a witch have to follow directions?
A knock at Calista’s door made her look up from her paperwork. “Come in,” she said.
“I’m sorry to interrupt you,” Diana said, “but I have a question for you.”
“That’s fine, I could use a break,” Calista replied with a smile. “What did you need?”
“Is Adrian being punished for something?”
“Adrian? Not that I know of, why?”
“He’s glowing. He’s been hit with some kind of spell, and I couldn’t imagine that he had done anything to warrant punishment.”
Concerned, Calista asked, “Is his behavior any different? Does he