by J. M. Kearl
I remembered the two professors from Collweya talking about what may have followed them and Aric saying there were creatures of nightmares in the North… Then I remembered the human skull mark on his wrist and how he’d tried to hide it from me when I asked, and how nervous he was when I asked him about what could mutilate that horse. If he himself wasn’t the thing that killed Finnick, he knew something.
When I voiced my suspicions to Madison, she got very still. “A skull mark? Why haven’t I ever seen it?”
“He keeps it covered,” I answered.
Madison clicked her tongue. “I don’t think he is the one who killed Finnick.”
“But the mark—he’s from Collweya. It fits.”
A quick shake of her head and she began pacing again. “He’s Kyria and Rorin’s son, a Delhoon by blood, not some beast. If I’m right that mark means something else.”
“What?”
She made a point to ignore my question and went for the door. “Your parents are worried about you. They’ve even considered bringing you home.”
I frantically shook my head. “No, I have to stay. I need to help figure out what’s happening— who’s behind this.”
“That’s what I told them. Your mother didn’t agree, your father said this would be good for your training. I always liked Boaden. But if another student dies, I’m afraid this academy will close. One could be an anomaly. Two? A pattern.” Pulling the door open, she said, “Get dressed, for heaven’s sake wash up and comb your hair, and go to class or I’ll be back and the visit will be much less pleasant.”
When the door closed behind her, I did as she ordered. By the time I was ready I’d missed my first two classes but I made sure I got to History and Customs of Collweya. I had questions that needed answering.
“Please open your books to page three hundred and seventeen,” Professor Hardock said. He stood at his desk slash podium, with his book open in front of him. The silver blond mane on that man made even me jealous; it was so long and silky. He was slender and tall, almost gangly in the limbs, and young, at least he looked it, without a single line in his milk-white skin.
Since we’d started, he taught us that when his people founded Collweya two hundred and eight years before, they came upon a magical dome eight miles wide and the same deep, completely protected from the lethal cold and snow in the surrounding area but what it didn’t keep out were the dragons and other predators. An ancient people had been there but all that remained was rubble and ruin, taken over by the wild. They eventually built a city and gained the trust of some of the dragons that guard a cave containing magical stones.
He told us of how their leadership works—the king fights for his position—to the death. The current king, Faustus had ruled for twenty years and had been challenged twelve times. But growing older, his eldest son Justus fought against the last challenger in his stead to hold the family’s authority until Faustus should pass on or step down.
When I looked down at the page he had us turn to for the lesson, it read: Creatures of the Far North. I sat up taller. The first creature listed was a dragon, of course. A life-like sketch was on the right, wings spread wide, talons ready to strike, and fire bleeding onto the next page. They were intelligent creatures and could talk telepathically like cats.
I looked at the next listed: Wolf—larger and more vicious than those that dwelled further south.
I skimmed, looking for something human-like and that’s when I saw that a page was missing. I peeked over at my partner’s book and saw that hers too was absent, perhaps torn out or magically removed but there was no evidence of it. I only knew because the page number went from three hundred seventeen to three hundred twenty.
I raised my hand, interrupting the professor. He arched an eyebrow. “Yes, Princess Visteal?”
“There’s a page missing.”
As if not believing me, he checked his book, then walked over and looked at mine and then my desk partner. “Huh,” he said, seeming confused. “It must be a mistake. I’m sure there’s nothing missing.”
“No deadly human-like thing that has sharp teeth that could say, tear someone’s throat out?” I asked then everyone stared at me. “Just an example.” I blushed. A very, very specific example.
Professor Hardock stilled and noticeably gulped, wearing that same fearful look Aric had when I’d asked about what might do this.
Then he smiled, a fake one but he tried to recover. “Nothing like that, no. Unless you count fearsome warriors with daggers who’d cut your throat.”
A lie. What are these Collweyans trying to hide from us? What do they want to keep secret and why?
I decided the only way I’d get an answer would be to corner Zyacus or Aric and pry the answer out of them. Both would know, Zyacus’s mother was Collweyan. Since things hadn’t much improved with Zyacus and me, we only spoke to each other when necessary, I’d talk to Aric first. And I was going to find out what that mark on his skin was while I was at it.
Chapter 13
I’d forgotten that I was leaving for the Fall Festival at lunch to prepare for the party and my birthday. I’d forgotten what day it was since I’d spent so many in my room, sulking. Until a note floated out of the nearest torch as I made my way to the dining hall. It hit me in the chest and my name was written on the outside.
I hurried to the indicated room where I needed to meet my mother. When I arrived, Legacy and Taz were already there. My mother stood with three guards along with Madison and Papa.
Mother beamed when she saw me and I rushed into her arms. I didn’t care what everyone would think, I missed her, and after what happened with Finnick it felt good to be wrapped in her warm embrace. She held me at arm’s length after a few long beats and pushed a stray piece of hair out of my face. “How are you, my sweet?”
When I was young, I adored the nicknames but I was going to be seventeen tomorrow and I didn’t care for them as much anymore. It made me feel like a child. “I’m… a little better,” I said. Everyone there knew I’d been crying in my room for days so there was no sense in trying to tell her everything was great.
“Are you ready to come home for a few days?”
I nodded. Most assuredly I was. “Can I invite a few others?”
Legacy was nibbling on her lip. She wanted me to invite Aric, she asked about it a week ago.
“It’s your birthday party,” Mother said and patted my back. “If your friends can be ready in thirty minutes, they’re welcome to come.”
“We’ll be back quickly.” Legacy grinned. Taz rolled his eyes and I grabbed both their hands and dragged them out of the door.
Practically skipping, Legacy squeezed my hand. “Aric is in the dining hall.”
“I want Lora and Freya to come too.”
Taz perked up. “Freya?”
Apparently I’d missed something. “Yes, we hang out in the dorm common area a lot. You know her?”
“Know is a stretch,” he said and I laughed. “We’re in Fifth Year Spells together, but she is gorgeous and I’d like to get to know her.”
I punched him lightly in the arm. “I’ve got your back.” At least he’d taken his sights off Legacy since she and Aric were together.
“It’s so good to see you happy again,” Taz said, putting an arm around my shoulder and pulling me close to him. “I was getting worried. You took—this one pretty hard.”
I guess he didn’t want to say Finnick or death aloud. Probably worried I’d go into another crying fit. But I was over that because I’d set my sights on solving the mystery rather than crying over what couldn’t change.
“Would you mind if Vyce also came?” Taz asked. “He’s become a good friend of mine now.”
To make Taz happy I’d say yes. “I’ll allow it,” I said trying to hide a smirk.
“You’ll allow it?” Legacy drawled, shaking her head. “Alright, Princess. Are you going to start giving us orders now?”
“And if I did?”
I was promptly
shoved into the nearest wall by the two of them, and we all laughed. When the three of us strutted into the dining hall Legacy hurried over to Aric, who was standing at one of the food tables. It was a buffet-style lunch. She leaped into his arms like they hadn’t seen each other in years and he kissed her hard on the mouth. “Well I guess that answers my question about them being official or not,” I mumbled to Taz.
“She kept telling me she didn’t know, but they did have a talk yesterday,” Taz said, folding his arms. “I’m surprised she didn’t tell you about it.”
“So am I.” My voice came out softer than I intended. This was the first relationship she’d ever been in and I wasn’t used to her not confiding in me about everything.
“It’s probably—” he glanced over at me. “Never mind.”
I already knew what he was going to say. Probably because I’d been depressed in my room for days and didn’t want to talk to anyone. “I’m going to tell the girls to come and you go get Vyce. We have twenty minutes left.”
Everyone went to pack a bag but I didn’t need one. I had most of my belongings in Delhoon at the castle. On my way out of the hall, the door was opened from the outside and I stood face to face with Zyacus’s girlfriend. Up close she wasn’t as pretty as I thought she would be. “Plain” would be a word I’d use to describe her brown hair, brown eyes, flawed skin and too small lips. She had a robust set of boobs on her though, I couldn’t deny that. Maybe I was being harsh because I didn’t like the way she always sneered at me from afar, but when I didn’t step aside to let her and her friend pass it became awkward.
“Should we move out of the way for you, your highness? Perhaps hold the door for the princess?” The words came out like a poisoned apple. Sweet, crisp, and deadly.
“Yes, you should,” I said and her fake smile dropped. I didn’t like playing the royalty card but in this case I’d make an exception. “I don’t know why you even need to ask. Move.”
“He doesn’t even like you, you know,” she said looking me up and down. “So you should stop staring at him all the time. He’s mine.”
“I’m well aware of the fact that the Hesstian prince and I aren’t fond of each other,” I said, still unmoving. “But I think what upsets you is that those eyes of his always seem to be on me and not you.” As much as I wanted to use those words simply to diminish her, it was a sword truth not a dagger of lies. Which would make it sting all the worse. Zyacus did often seem to be watching me and I had yet to figure out why. Other than that, he’d pretty much acted like I didn’t exist unless we were forced to talk in class. In those exchanges, he regarded me with annoyance or flirted. Both angered me.
My shoulder knocked into her and I shoved through them. One thing I would not be as a Princess of Delhoon was weak. And I was finally going to get a break from this place, two days of fun for my birthday and the Fall Festival and I wasn’t about to let those two ruin it.
Bindy came out of a darkened hallway, startling me. She was always around a corner it seemed so I should be used to it. “Oh, hi,” I said. “Ready for the party?”
Nodding, she handed me one of two cupcakes. “You know I love a party. And we need to find you a dress for your birthday.”
I took the cupcake and licked chocolate frosting. “I have like nine hundred dresses at home.”
“Not one for an event where both Hesstia and Collweya’s royal family will be attending. The first time all of them have been invited to Delhoon at once.”
I nearly choked on the smooth buttery frosting that should never cause such a reaction. “Surely not Kyria?”
“No, she’s still banished. But King Enden and Queen Saveena will be there as well as King Faustus. He may bring a few of his sons.” Bindy tried to look aloof as she said, “I’m surprised you invited Prince Aric, given the history with his mother and—father. Rorin will be there. And does his mother know he’s coming to Delhoon? She’s never allowed him there before.”
I hadn’t even thought about what sort of problems it might cause. I only invited him because of Legacy. Rorin being his true father and never getting to claim his own son, or even see him. Kyria being his banished Delhoon mother who still held a grudge against us. “I didn’t think about it.” I didn’t think about it because to me Aric was just Aric, someone who’d become a friend.
“Maybe you should find out. And you better hurry.”
I ran through the halls toward the boys’ dormitories even knowing I wasn’t supposed to go up there. I stood at the base of the three stairways leading up to each kingdom, saw the dragon and made my way up. Once I got to the top I realized I had no idea which room was his and by the way some of the boys stared at me as if I was a ghost not a girl; I didn’t know if they’d give me the answer.
“Aric is in number five.” I turned and Zyacus marched up the steps. “At least I’m guessing that’s who you’re looking for so frantically. He seems pretty taken with your cousin though so I wouldn’t risk it.”
My cheeks burned with his implication. “What are you talking about? Risk what?”
When he got to the top of the steps and stood beside me, I noticed the bag slung over his shoulder. Since his parents were coming to Delhoon, so might he.
“Confessing your love of course,” he said and I wanted to punch that smile right off his face.
“Oh, you’re insufferable,” I said, stomping away.
He followed me and leaned up against the door frame of number five. “Or perhaps I’ve got it wrong. Perhaps you have feelings for another prince.”
“You wish.” I knocked on the door and folded my arms, trying not to look at Zyacus who was mere inches from me, I could even feel the heat coming off his body.
“Where have you been for four days?”
I huffed a short breath. “I’m surprised you even noticed I was gone.”
His fingers slid down my long braid and then he held it at the end. “Why would you think that?”
Smacking his hand away, I knocked again. The door opened and Aric looked from me to Zyacus. “What’s wrong?”
“Why would something be wrong?” Zyacus asked, slipping into the room.
I waited to be invited in.
Aric waved at me. “Come in,” when the door closed behind me he said, “because Visteal is with you.”
That drew a deep, honeyed laugh from Zyacus.
“Nothing is wrong, per se, Aric,” I said hesitantly. “And it’s not that I don’t want you to come to Delhoon.”
“Ouch, getting uninvited to her birthday party,” Zyacus said, looking at his fingernails. “Don’t feel bad, she didn’t invite me at all. But her parents did.”
I glared at him then looked at Aric who sat on his bed. My eyes flicked to his room partner who just stared at me in shock. Shocked that there was a girl.
“I’m not uninviting you.” I tapped my finger against the hilt of my sword trying to find the right words. “It’s just that your mother might—get angry. You know how sensitive things are with royal matters. Did you happen to tell her you were going to Delhoon?”
“Does she need to know?” he asked, running a hand through his hair. “She would get angry.”
For once his skull birthmark was visible and I stared at it. Wondering what it could mean.
“Aric,” Zyacus drawled. “She’s going to find out. Grandfather is going to be there. Why don’t you just ask?”
His fingers drummed against his thigh. “You don’t know how difficult it was to convince her to let me come here. I’ve always wanted to go to Delhoon, that’s half of who I am but she’s… bitter.”
Zyacus smirked and I knew he had something working in that devious mind. “You have a father who doesn’t hold a grudge against Delhoon, you know.”
Neither one of them knew how right that statement was.
With some cleverly crafted words sent to Ekarius, a note came back through a candle a few minutes later. Aric smiled and held the paper out to Zyacus and me.
Yes. Don’t t
ell your mother.
Flashing his white smile, Aric wrapped his hand around my bicep. I stiffened at his touch. “I’m so excited. Thank you for inviting...”
His words and the room seemed to be carried away on a breeze as I was pulled into a vision where I saw myself... I stood in a dark wooded area, blood splattered across my cheek and neck. My expression was twisted in fear, and even though my mouth moved I couldn’t hear any words; my voice was muffled like I was trying to yell from under a pillow. The darkness lit up with a flash of red, and in the burst of light I saw Zyacus, the magic had emanated from him but it was what was behind him, in those shadows—so many others with terrifying faces and blood-red eyes. With someone close behind him, Aric crashed through a bush… and I was ripped from the vision finding myself in the bright bedroom of Aric.
I blinked several times staring in the face of Zyacus who stood in front of me. His eyes searched mine. “Are you alright? You sort of froze up for a minute.”
I peered around his shoulder at Aric who seemed as confused as I was. I swallowed hard. I’d never seen myself in a vision before, and I was torn away before I even saw a death, for that’s all my visions had ever shown me. Would Aric die? Would I? Perhaps even Zyacus although I hadn’t had a premonition about him before when we’d made contact. “Um, I’m fine. I’m just a little tired.” I stared at Aric and knew at least one of us wouldn’t survive this school year. “We’re running late to meet my mother so you should hurry.”
Slipping out the door, I went down the steps taking them two at a time, my breaths coming in a wave of panic. Before I could get out of the foyer of the boys’ dormitories Zyacus appeared in front of me and I ran into him. He caught my arms before I fell back. “What was that?”
With burning eyes, I blinked away tears. “What do you mean?”
He tilted his head, cocking an eyebrow. “When Aric touched you, something happened.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”