Chapter Twenty Two

                                    

                                          
"Lily, how did you only just find out?" Claire looked up from her phone when they walked into Fairy Health. "I've known since Year 7." 
                          
"I... I guess I never put two and two together." Lily admitted, still reeling at the shock of Jack's ancestry. 
                          
"So?" Claire raised a brow when they sat down in their chairs. "I don't think anyone else really knows, but she doesn't hide it." 
                          
"If she were she'd never wear the rings, right?" Lily fiddled with her sister's old ring still resting on her hand. "That's a bit of a giveaway." 
                          
Claire cocked her head. "I don't think she can remove them." 
                          
"...But they're just rings?" 
                          
"Is anything that simple?" Claire leaned closer as more students rolled into the classroom. "I think the rings help channel her powers, help her focus." 
                          
"They're magic rings?" 
                          
"Not really but yeah." 
                          
"That's not that helpful." Lily frowned.
                          
The fairy put her phone into her bra, out of sight out of mind. "Look, from what I know, and I usually know everything that goes on in this school, the rings each have the stones on top which, I guess, negate her powers affecting anything Jack doesn't want them to." 
                          
"How'd they get Andromeda's rings?" Lily wondered. "Did she remove them before...?" 
                          
"I guess so, but I wouldn't ask Jack." Claire deadpanned. "Pretty awful to ask someone if before their grandma burned to death they removed her rings, right?"
                          
Lily's cheeks burned before she noticed Claire swallow a lump in her throat. "Oh no, you asked?" 
                          
"I'm nosy, I admit." Claire waved Lily's shocked expression away. "Apparently the guards removed her rings before they killed her - but the rings went to Freida, the next of kin. She was the previous Supernova before the mysterious one we have now, but when Jack was born Frieda gave the rings to her as soon as she showed her abilities." 
                          
"So what's helping Frieda channel her powers?" Lily asked. 
                          
"Have you met Jack's mother? She's missing some marbles." 
                          
Lily couldn't help but remember Frieda's peculiar prophecy when she was last over at the witch's home, how her eyes bore into your soul and showed glimmers of madness. "Oh that's really sad." 
                          
Claire did a double take between Lily and their teacher who'd just walked in. "Jack's mother may be a little crazy but she's still a strong woman, psychic or not. Don't say much about Frieda's sanity to Jack, it's a touchy subject for her." 
                          
Lily nodded. "I understand. Thanks for clearing some things up." 
                          
"Not a problem." 
                          
Ms Marlowe waited in silence as the class quietened down and waited for her to speak. Lily swallowed the ball of nerves that danced in her throat as Ms Marlowe looked down her narrow nose at her students, scanning the room searching for a student to pry on. 
                          
"Rico!" She spat, targeting one of the few male fairies at the school. "What's the meaning behind 'defibrillator'?" 
                          
Rico immediately started to sweat. "Um, it's a device used to start someone's heart, Miss." 
                          
"No, try again." 
                          
"...I don't know Miss." 
                          
"Anyone know?" She swept her arm in an arc, opening the question up to the other students. Lily couldn't help but compare her swipe with that of a snake, how it coils up and hisses at prey.