Persie Merlin and the Door to Nowhere by Bella Forrest Page 0,46

between classes.”

I nodded slowly. “Sleep well, Genie.”

“And you.” Yawning loudly, she sauntered back down the hall to her bedroom and disappeared inside. I waited a few minutes, to make sure she didn’t come back out, before backtracking to where we’d collided. The orbs and the pixie had gone, but I knew they had to be around here somewhere.

If I’m not resting tonight, pixies, then neither are you. The search had well and truly resumed. I just had to hope I had no more run-ins with anyone before dawn rose, unless those run-ins happened to be with my pesky Purges.

Nine

Persie

I awoke with a jolt, to find foggy, gray-tinged sunlight trying to sneak through the gap in the curtains. My bedroom still smelled like the aftermath of a bonfire, but most of the smoke had escaped before I’d returned from last night’s adventures. Well, it was more like last night and this morning’s adventures. I hadn’t made it back to my room until after five, when the sun had started to come up over the horizon and the cleaning staff had thwarted my continued search attempt.

Today is going to hurt. I’d be working on three hours of sleep, and the idea of getting stuck in training knocked me sick. I’d probably need to duct tape my eyes open by lunchtime. Lucky for me, I had the adrenaline of pure panic pulsing through my veins. I’d scoured as much of the Institute as possible since leaving Genie, and though I’d seen traces of pixies in knocked-over plant pots, smudges on the walls, and a few glimpses of wings, they’d managed to stay one step ahead of me. I’d even outright spotted a few after leaving out some milk and slices of apple I’d found in one of the kitchenettes, but they’d puffed into black mist before I could get my hands on them. A reminder that something peculiar had definitely happened with that first pixie, to stop it from disappearing when I had it in my grasp. Still, the Institute’s defenses wouldn’t let them out of the building, even in mist form.

Now, however, there was a greater chance of their discovery. The sun had come up, and people would be going about their daily lives again.

As for the bombsite formerly known as my bedroom, I’d done my best to clear things up before hitting the hay. The rug had gone in the trash, and I’d probably be billed for it after I graduated… Oh, and for the lamps, the light fixture, and the crack in the bathroom mirror where a wedge of soap had been launched like a missile by a pixie.

Coffee. Must have coffee. With my hair transformed into a bird’s nest, I swung my legs over the edge of the bed and took a moment to properly wake up. Even with so little sleep, I’d slipped into the nightmare again. Same room, same crowd, same glass box, same claustrophobic terror, same screwed-up pep talk from my friendly neighborhood Leviathan. But the fear hadn’t followed me into the real world the way it had yesterday. My chest had a slight vise-like clench, but I wasn’t gasping and spluttering.

I don’t paint dreams or nightmares; I paint my own reality. I’d always loved Frida Kahlo’s artwork, but her words were just as remarkable. And I had the opportunity to paint my reality instead of letting my glass box nightmare dictate my days. At the moment, I felt… buoyed up, on a fresh swell of determination. I could view the glass box as an omen or a cautionary tale, and I chose the latter. I wouldn’t be ending up in one, thank you very much.

“Play nice, pixies.” I lumbered out of bed and padded to my messy vanity. My brush had tangles of mossy pixie hair in it, which I quickly plucked out, and the mirror was covered in smudged lipstick scrawls. I could deal with that later. I had a bigger mess to wipe clean, and today would be the day I proved myself a capable hunter. Last night had only been a warm-up. And Nathan had promised me he’d give me until today, but we hadn’t set an exact time. So, it wasn’t game over just yet.

I’m coming for you all. Hide if you like, I’ll still find you. I smiled at my reflection. Sure, I still looked like I hadn’t slept in a month, but I had a glitter of vitality in my eyes that came from deep within. I needed all