Soul Blaze

by Legacy, Aprille

  “So people canfall in love with their soul mates?”

  “Of course.” I wondered what everyone else would think of this revelation. I knew without a doubt, however, that it would take a long time for that misconception to fade. In their efforts to prolong themselves in a position of power, Iain and Netalia had done lasting damage to the mage world in more ways than one.

  “What else would you like to know, Your Majesties?” Netalia asked. She wanted us out of here.

  “Why do you rename people?” Phoenix asked. “When they come to the Academy?” I suddenly remembered the name he was born with, as well as my own. If we had a choice, would we rename ourselves to Rose and Diego?

  “We want our students to forget the outside life they’ve led, especially if they're from the human realm,” Netalia shot a pointed look at me. “The Academy is the beginning of their new life. We want them to be reborn in it.”

  I made a noise of disgust. Netalia looked scandalized.

  “Is Her Highness not pleased?” “No,” I snorted. “I’m sorry, that’s a terrible excuse for renaming eighteen year olds. That rule will be abolished as well.”

  “So you mean to take over the Academy?” “Of course we do,” Phoenix replied easily. “With the exception of banishing students and renaming them, the Academy will continue to operate as it did. However, it will have to make do without its corrupt Masters.”

  “And what do you plan to do with us?” Iain asked, speaking for the first time since we had arrived. “Well... I suppose the right thing to do is give you a fair and just trial,” I replied, apparently deep in thought. “But I know how you feel about those, so for now, make yourselves at home.”

  Phoenix turned to start back up the stairs. I followed him, but was stopped by Netalia’s furious outburst.

  “You can’t just leave us down here forever, Sky!”

  “Aren’t you immortal?” I asked, turning back.

  “Yes.” She replied through gritted teeth.

  I smiled widely. “Well, then I guess I can.”

  ~Chapter Twenty-Three~

  We returned to the city a few days later, having announced Professor Alena and Professor Yu as the new Academy Masters. Both of their soul mates resided in Keyes and therefore didn’t interfere with Academy affairs, which would make a change to the way Iain and Netalia had run things as soul mates.

  A few nights after we arrived back in our city, our engagement party was held. My mother and Yasmin had gone into planning overdrive. I’d managed to bring the calibre of the celebrations down a few notches, but that hadn’t stopped them from planning a night of

  extravagance.

  I’d also managed to wrangle a dress that didn’t exactly resemble a wedding dress. Instead, I wore a slim green dress that flowed to the floor and left my shoulders bare. Sleeves of sheer white material fell to my ankles, with slits cut in them so I could move my arms and hands freely.

  Originally the party was going to be inside, but when it became clear that the weather was going to be lovely, I requested that it be moved to one of the palace gardens. Someone, Yasmin I suspected, had gone through the trouble of placing little candles in individual jars and then hanging them from the trees. As a result, every branch in the garden glowed with golden light, turning the area into an illuminated wonderland. Tables and chairs had been set around the garden in no particular order, and people were already claiming them. Palace servants circled the guests, offering them canapés and other small foods. I watched everyone carefully, wary of anyone treating them badly, but all of my guests had been supporters of the laws. I saw Larni watching from the edge of the garden, and I picked my way over to her.

  “Why aren’t you joining in?” I asked her.

  “I’m on duty tonight,” she replied, smiling. “Congratulations on your engagement, Your Majesty.”

  I sighed, and hit her gently, my long sleeve fluttering gracefully.

  “What do you mean you’re ‘on duty’? I invited you tonight.”

  “I know. I’m covering for one of my staff.” Larni had accepted my offer of the managerial role in charge of all palace staff. The old manager, a mage who treated his staff like rubbish, had mysteriously disappeared after I passed the laws. Specifically, just after I announced that those who had treated the non-magi unfairly would be brought to trial. We were yet to find him.

  “Don’t work too hard,” I told her. “Remember that you’re one of my closest friends, and this is my engagement party.”

  She granted me one of her biggest, loveliest smiles that seemed to light up the area brighter than the tree candles. “I’ll remember that. Oh, Niko and my parents send their congratulations. He sent you this.” She dug into her pocket and withdrew a piece of sparkly quartz. She deposited it into my hand with the air of an older sister delivering what she thought was a childish gift. “I better head to the kitchens.”

  I hugged her goodbye, and then watched her stride back through the trees. I held Niko’s gift in my hand, and I sat on a nearby bench to examine it. Luckily, no one had spotted me coming into the garden, and so I was granted a few moments of peace.

  The quartz glimmered in the candlelight, and I turned it this way and that to watch the sparkles. This wasn’t a gift from a citizen to his monarch; this was from a child to his friend. Tears suddenly filled my eyes as I wrapped my hand around the rock. I suddenly just wanted my old bedroom at the Academy with Morrigan on the headboard of my bed.

  “There you are,” Phoenix sat next to me on the bench. “What’ve you got?” “A shiny rock,” I told him, trying not to let the wobble in my voice through. “Larni’s little brother gave it to me as an engagement present.”

  “Do I have competition?” he asked, and I laughed in spite of my tears. He kissed me gently. “Come on, people have been asking for you.”

  I went about my duties, thanking everyone for coming and accepting their congratulations. Time and time again, I was glad that I’d asked to have this party held in the garden; the trees were beginning to blossom and the warm night air was filled with the heady scent. The long grass hadn’t been cut in a while, but felt good on my feet when I kicked off my uncomfortable court shoes.

  A band had set up on the fringes of the party and their music filtered through the conversation and laughter. My earlier tears had been tucked away with Niko’s rock, which I’d slipped into one of the pockets hidden in my dress. I danced with Phoenix more times than anyone could count, and the crowd cheered as he dipped me towards the ground and kissed me passionately. I even heard Ispin catcall before Rain hit him in the back of the head.

  I saw Petre dancing with Nillia, who blushed prettily as he kissed her hand. I glanced about for Rain, and saw her standing next to Ispin, her eyes fixed on Petre. I knew they’d broken up soon after we’d arrived in Castor, but both were such private people, no one knew why.

  Arianta had noticed Rain’s expression, and took her hand. I watched as she engaged Rain in conversation, Rain’s expression softening as they exchanged stories about their homeland. I was infinitely grateful to Arianta for that.

  Sojaya had engaged a nobleman from Gannameade in deep conversation, and even over the band, I could hear her heavily accented voice. I noticed she was wearing her broadsword, but the nobleman hadn't seen it. I’d seen her a few days again in the training yard with it, and had been sufficiently terrified. I could only hope that I’d never have to see her use it in earnest.

  I was looking about for a drink when I noticed a servant standing near the trees with a platter of iced lemonade. I started over to him but then halted when I saw Eleanora and Griffin heading in the same direction. I was about to turn away when Griffin caught my eye and I was forced to put a smile on my face instead.

  “Thank you for coming,” I told them both. “I hope it wasn’t difficult to get the night off.” “Not too difficult, no. Besides, how could we say no to our monarch’s engagement party?” Griffin smiled widely. “It’s a great honour.”

  I
knew he was stirring me up, but I was watching Eleanora. We made eye contact and she nodded slowly. I had been worried about inviting her, not sure if it would be too awkward.

  “I’m going to talk to Dustin,” she told Griffin. She curtsied to me abruptly and then left to speak to her soul mate.

  It suddenly struck me that I’d never seen Griffin with his soul mate. I opened my mouth to ask, but then thought better of it. I’d known him for a few months now, and if I hadn’t met them in that time…

  “What are you thinking?” he asked, breaking me out of my reverie.

  “A myriad of things,” I responded, sipping my drink. “How are you and Eleanora going?” “I thought we were meant to be celebrating your relationship,” he said, his tone making it sound like he was joking, but none of the joviality reached his amber eyes. “We’re going fine. We’ve been on a few dates. She’s a remarkable woman.”

  Something tightened uncomfortably in my chest, but I smiled and nodded politely. “Actually, I’ve noticed a few remarkable women around this palace lately,” Griffin said, his eyes roving around the garden. “Wouldn’t you agree?”

  “My friends are all extraordinary,” I told him, thinking of my group. “I was thinking of one in particular.” He said, and carefully, tentatively took my free hand in his. The way we were standing meant that no one could see the contact.

  My heart jumped into my throat. Feeling his skin on mine suddenly made the whole situation uncomfortably real.

  I removed my hand from his.

  “I would hope that you’re thinking of your girlfriend,” I replied. “Eleanora is beautiful.” “She is,” Griffin said softly, and his tone made it extremely clear that he wasn’t thinking of her at all. I met his eyes, and what I saw in them made me turn abruptly and stride back to the rest of the guests.

  “Are you alright?” Someone caught my elbow, and I looked up into Petre’s concerned eyes.

  “I’m fine. Is there any wine?” “A whole barrel of it,” he towed me towards it and poured me a glass. I drained the glass, grimaced at the taste, and then held out the cup for more. Petre took it without question and refilled it. Once I’d emptied that, he took me elbow and steered me towards a bench. “Now, talk.”

  I fiddled with the wine glass, looking up at my friend. It was his brother I’d saved, and he’d been my second during my fight with – I blanched – Griffin.

  “Pre-wedding jitters,” I said finally. “Just needed a drink. It’s all very real now, isn’t it?”

  “Yes it is,” he responded, removing the empty glass from my grip. “I thought you would have been pleased.”

  “Oh, I am. It’s just nerve-racking, is all.” Petre smiled and put his arm around me. I rested my head on his shoulder, content with the comfortable friendship.

  “You and Phoenix were made for each other, alright? None of this panicking.”

  I nodded, a small smile beginning to grow on my lips.

  “Now, come dance with me,” he stood and held his hand out. “Then I shall release you back your fiancé.”

  I laughed and took his hand. We danced, and he made sure to make me laugh even more by pulling silly moves. “I return her to you in one piece,” Petre declared afterwards, handing me over to Phoenix, who grinned and swept me away.

  We managed to sneak a few moments in the trees, out of the candlelight. As he kissed me softly and carefully, all of my uneasiness melted away. I nestled into his embrace and he rested his chin on top of my head. I’d never felt safer in my life.

  “Phoenix,” I murmured. “I love you.”

  He kissed my hair.

  “I love you too.” He whispered. We could hear voices calling us back, so I wrapped my arms around his neck and stole one last kiss before we slunk back to the party like guilty teenagers.

  My father wanted a dance, and so I happily obliged. I burst out laughing when I saw my mother and Phoenix dancing, as did Jett. He mock bowed to me when the song ended, and I punched him playfully, half remembering our training sessions and musing on how far we’d come; from mentor and student to father and daughter.

  The night was getting on, and Phoenix and I were in the midst of talking to a nobleman from Orthandrell when I heard a murmur of discontent rumble through the crowd. I searched for the disturbance and found it in a small man hurrying through the people, dressed in robes from the Magic Testers Guild and carrying a small satchel. By the time he had reached Phoenix and I, he was red faced and out of breath.

  “Your Majesties,” he wheezed. “May I have a moment?” I saw Griffin frown and start towards him, but Eleanora put her hand on his arm and shook her head. I understood why Griffin was annoyed; this was a closed party with guards surrounding it. This man had somehow slipped through those guards, which meant bribery.

  The man was waiting for an answer, his eyes imploring. “Of course,” I said gently, handing my glass to a nearby servant, who took it wordlessly. “Excuse us for a moment.” I called to our guests.

  The band, who had gone quiet, started up again, and everyone began talking softly albeit suspiciously. Phoenix offered me his arm and I took it. The man led us back to the palace, seemingly knowing his way around. I kept my magic just below my skin, ready to ignite it should I need to. I could tell Phoenix was doing the same.

  “My name is Icarus,” the man began when we reached a small hall cut off from the outside. He was twisting his plum coloured robes in his hands, and his eyes were jittery and unfocused. “I’m part of the Magic Testers Guild here in Castor.”

  “We know,” Phoenix said. “Your robes.”

  “Oh… yes… of course…” Icarus stuttered. “I’ve… I’ve come to the palace to ask you a favour.”

  “We were holding court tomorrow-” Phoenix began, but Icarus cut him off. “This couldn’t be discussed in public!” he shrieked, and Phoenix bristled. Icarus seemed to remember who he was speaking to then. “My apologies, Your Majesties. I’m a bit frazzled.”

  “What would you ask of us?” I prompted gently.

  The robe twisting increased.

  “My niece is a non-magi,” he began. “Her master treats her unfairly. I wish for this to stop.” “It will,” I told him, the tension in my body sliding away. “The new non-magi laws have been passed; she will be protected by them.”

  “Her master pays her wages, but he continues to beat her. Twice she has had to go to the hospital in Castor,” tears filled his bright blue eyes. “She was going to have a child… she has just been told that she lost it due to the last beating.”

  I felt my stomach fill with lead and then slowly sink to the floor.

  “Who is her master?” I demanded, anger beginning to rise in my throat. “Tell us.” “You already have him in the Coffin Cells,” Icarus said, the tears sliding down his cheeks freely. “I have no children, my niece is like my daughter… I cannot watch her suffer this hardship any longer.”

  “She won’t,” I promised fiercely. “Meric will never see the light of day again as far as I’m concerned.” “But what about the others?” Icarus pressed. “There are hundreds of non-magi like Nerra, and without someone to stand up for them… No… I can’t do this any longer,” he was visibly trembling now. “I’ve been part of the Guild for fifty years and I cannot go on with this lie!”

  He seemed to be talking mostly to himself, as though trying to convince someone. His robes were frayed and split now, falling through his fingers, but he continued to twist them.

  “Icarus,” I gripped his hands tightly, stopping him. “What lie?” My tone was firm, and with my court shoes on, I topped him by a centimetre. The little man looked up at me with hopelessness in his eyes.

  “She will be furious with me,” he whispered. “But I can’t do it anymore.”

  He could’ve been talking about anyone. I was more concerned with the lie.

  “We can help you,” I told him. “If you tell us.” “The Magic Testers have been lying about who has magic and who doesn’t,” he blurted suddenly. I
felt my blood run cold. “Everyone has magic, everyone in Lotheria as far as we know, but we were told to keep it secret, to keep it hidden-”

  “Slow down,” I ordered. My heart was racing. “Start from the beginning.” “It was Queen Arietta,” he said. “She and King Elijah found that the world was being thrown out of balance. The mana, the energy responsible for our magic, was being drained. The world was starting to destroy itself. They decided to limit who had magic and who didn’t.

  “They died peacefully, together. They didn’t see the next few years of the ‘non-magi’ children being sold off to wealthy families, a disgrace to their mage family. The world resettled, we restored the balance. Queen Fleur and King Morgan came into power, and they didn’t know, we didn’t tell them, we kept it secret in the Guild. They fought a war over something else entirely. The King wanted to keep magical tutoring in this world, but Fleur fought for the human mages to be educated as well. Morgan was killed in the subsequent war and Fleur lived out her days as a sole ruler. When she died, she left Iain and Netalia in charge, knowing they had Ancient blood in their veins. She hoped that they would be able to rule the country as needed.

  “They found out,” Icarus swallowed nervously. “As descendents of the Ancients, they could sense the magic in people. They questioned us. The Guild Master confessed Arietta and Elijah’s secret.

  “Iain and Netalia told us to continue, and they did nothing to protect the non-magi, those we were declaring non mages, who by now were nothing but slaves. They told us that the world was too fragile for change.”

  My head was reeling. I stumbled backwards and leant against the wall. Phoenix was staring blankly at Icarus. “But now,” Icarus continued, looking from me to Phoenix. “Something has changed. The Balance is tilting again, even with the mana being divided amongst the people. We’re doing something wrong.”

  “Prove it,” I heard Phoenix say, his deep voice a sudden contrast to Icarus’ squeaky one. Icarus reached into his satchel and withdrew a long, thin object wrapped in canvas. He unwrapped it slowly, reverently, and by the time the glass bar emerged, I knew what it was.