Spells (2010)

Spells is a fantasy novel by author Aprilynne Pike. It is the sequel to Pike's #1 New York Times best-selling debut, Wings, which introduced readers to Laurel Sewell, a faerie sent among humans to guard the gateway to Avalon. Spells was released in the United States on May 4, 2010, and debuted on the New York Times Best Seller list. It also debuted on the Indie Bestsellers list.

Plot summary

Six months have passed since the events of the first book. Laurel has summer vacation and has been summoned to spend eight weeks at the academy of Avalon. Tamani, who is still disappointed that she chose David over him, meets her and escorts her to the gate. Jamison welcomes her back to Avalon and tells her that the gates were made by King Oberon (at the cost of his life) and that Winter faeries are the only ones who can open them. At the academy, Laurel is surprised to learn that it was her home, not just a school. She is introduced to professor Yeardley, who gives her a stack of books to read, and told that Katya, another Fall faerie, has agreed to tutor her. The next morning, Katya comes to Laurel's room and finds Laurel making note cards. She asks Laurel why she didn't summon one of the staff—who are all Spring faeries—to cut the cards, then summons one for her. Laurel is uncomfortable about Spring faeries being summoned for trivial tasks.

Later, Tamani comes to visit Laurel. He bows and greets her formally, but hugs her once they are out of sight of other faeries. He explains that the academy is very strict on protocol between Spring and Fall faeries. Laurel wants to see Avalon, so Tamani takes her to where the Summer faeries live. She becomes frustrated that Tamani is walking behind her when she doesn't know where they are going. Because Laurel is more than one 'rank' above Tamani, he has to walk behind her. Laurel asks to see where the Spring faeries live and Tamani takes her to his mother's house. This confuses Laurel; she was told faeries don't have parents, but Tamani corrects her that Fall and Winter faeries don't. They are separated from their parents so they can better fulfil their duties. Even the records of the two faeries who created her seed were destroyed when she sprouted. Though frustrated, she admits that it is better than two faeries missing her for years whilst she grew up in the human world. At his mother's house, Tamani introduces Laurel to his mother, Rhoslyn and his niece, who's a Summer faerie. Laurel asks if Tamani has a father, and Tamani says he did, until about a month ago.

Back at the academy, Laurel finishes her reading and starts to join actual classes, where Katya points out another Fall faerie called Mara, whom Laurel beat out for the position of scion. Additionally, Mara applied to study faerie poisons, but was refused. The subject has become something of a taboo ever since one Fall faerie took things too far, and study is now highly restricted. Katya hands Laurel over to Yeardley, who says he'll be teaching her defensive herbology instead of the typical rudimentary potions. Sometime later, Tamani visits again and takes Laurel on a picnic. They go up a hill to a large tree, which Tamani explains is the World Tree and is made of faeries. His father joined the tree recently; not dying, but now so inaccessible that it is as if he did. Tamani says things at the gate have been quiet—suspiciously so—which prompts Laurel to ask if he ever gets tired of being a Spring faerie, given their low social status. He argues that humans have the same hierarchy and Laurel points out that he did not choose to be a Spring faerie. Tamani insists he takes pride in it anyway; he is happy to serve and free to do as he pleases. Laurel asks if he is free to be with her; if she was ever to choose him over David, could he walk alongside her in the street? Tamani admits that he could not ask her to be with him; he would have to wait for Laurel to ask him.

Later, Laurel is packing to go home and shows Katya a photo of her and David. Katya mistakes David for an Unseelie faerie, but Laurel tells her he is a human, and that he loves her. Katya warns her that relationships between humans and faeries never end well—such as King Arthur and Guinevere. Jamison arrives to escort Laurel to the gate and tells her that Yeardley is very pleased by her progress. He adds that the activity of the trolls around the gate means Laurel will have to take a more active role in defending it, and she must be especially careful after sundown. Back home, Laurel worries that she'll never be able to catch up to her faerie peers, and David comforts her. He catches her up on everything that's happened whilst she was in Avalon; her mother's new apothecary store has opened (bought with the money from Jamison's diamond) and Chelsea is dating another student named Ryan. Laurel's father has taken the news about her being a faerie very well, but her mother has become distant. Laurel is unbothered by the demands of her human school after how intensive the academy was, and tries to reconnect with her mother. It goes well until Laurel, forgetting that she is a plant and humans are animals, gives incorrect recommendations to a customer at the apothecary store, which sparks an argument between her and her mother about how they don't talk anymore.