The Hidden Princess At All-Boys Alpha Academy

"What," Jackson asks, frowning down at the little rectangular stone in his hands. "Is it like, special?"

"Jackson!" Midnight hisses, standing on her toes to smack him on the chest. "They're invaluable! This is only the second I've ever seen in the world! And I only know of one besides that other one!"

"Oh," Jackson says, grinning down at her. "Cool."

I burst into a grin at my mate, who has a knack for understatement.

"What is it?" Rafe asks, getting to his feet. Marigold sits up, likewise peering, curious.

"It's the little...thing," Jackson says, looking down at it again and running a hand through his hair. "It appeared in my tent when I was looking for Ariel in Atalaxia. I used it to shift to the land of Darkness. But then I got distracted and didn't give it much thought."

"I didn't give it much thought," Midnight says, her voice a perfect imitation of Jackson's deep tones as she rolls her eyes. Jesse and I burst out laughing. "You idiot! It's a talisman!"

"Oh!" I say, pushing myself to my knees and looking more curiously at it now. "Gabriel had one of those."

"And the King," Midnight says, nodding and tucking her hands behind her back, leaning closer to peer at it. "Though yours is a different color. Theirs was black and gifted as part of their corruption and darkness. Yours is like...yellowy-white." "Like your wolf," I murmur, nodding, thinking that it's a nice cream color.

"Why didn't you get one, then?" Jesse asks.

"Because I was a talisman,” Midnight says, turning and rolling her eyes at him in turn.

My smile deepens, quite pleased to see that none of her personality has changed as a result of the cleaning away of the corruption. The God of Darkness - he really had a hold on her, but Midnight is truly her own unique little person, isn't she?

"I was gifted by Darkness early enough that I didn't need a stupid rock." Midnight finishes, turning back to Jackson's, looking at it wistfully.

"Well, now you do," Jackson says, shrugging. "Here, take this one." He holds it out to her. "Maybe we can...make it a necklace or something? Then you don't have to carry it around."

Midnight stumbles back a step, gasping up at him. "Jackson, it's - it's too precious - it was a gift from a god -"

My eyebrows raise because...wait, what? Is that really true?

Why...why is a god interested enough in Jackson to give him such a powerful tool?

And if he's got it...why isn't he corrupted? Quietly I send out my wolf to sniff at his soul but...nope, nothing. Jackson smirks, sensing what I'm doing and glancing over at me. I just shrug.

"I mean, I'm not going to use it," Jackson says, pointing over his shoulder at our bedroom. "If you don't take it I'll just throw it in the bottom of a pack at the back of our closet -"

Midnight squeaks, lunging for the talisman. Jackson grins and lets her have it.

"Thank you," Midnight says, pressing it tight to her chest, looking up at him with eyes that border on reverence. "I - I can never repay you -"

"It's cool," Jackson says, reaching out and putting a warm hand on her shoulder. "I'm glad you have it. Feels right."

She grins up at him, giving a happy nod.

"All right, cool," Jesse says, smacking his hands against his thighs and standing up. “Well, if we have a way to get to the Underworld again.....I guess it's time to go."

"Wait, what?" Midnight asks, turning to him in confusion.

"Come on, Mids," Jesse says, gesturing for everyone to stand as well. We all obey, mostly out of curiosity, getting to our feet. "Time for Ariel to have her long- promised reunion."

I gasp as Marigold runs to Jackson, who scoops her up in her arms. "Really?" I say, my eyes misting already. "We - we can go see Juniper!?"

"Oh yeah!' Midnight says, laughing. "Everyone hold hands!"

"Trust me, Ari," Jesse says, grinning at me as Rafe steps close, taking Jesse's hand. "I know you miss your sister but...Juniper isn't even the biggest draw here. Not this time."

"What?" I ask, spinning my head to look up at Jackson, even as I reach out and take the two hands closest to me. "Who, who else -"

"Oh, just let yourself be surprised,” Jackson says, leaning down to kiss me on the forehead.

Before I can say anything else, the whole world tilts forward, and we disappear. That evening, Midnight sits on the roof of the castle, thinking about...everything.

It was a nice day and all, first getting the darkness cleared and then going to the Underworld to see Juniper

and Orion and the Tony-boy. Burnet like she'd just needed. She felt

after they'd returned home, she felt

Space, and sky. When she'd lived all that time in the Land of Darkness she had nothing but sky - sky and desert and a yurt. And while she doesn't miss any of the rest of t-noveldrama

not really - the wide expanse of the sky...

Well, all that infinity had been nice, hadn't it? Calming, in its own way. And she'd wanted it again, now, when she feels so confused. So, she'd climbed as high as she could in the castle to get as close to that familiar dark spread of sky as she could.