Academy of Falling Kingdoms Box Set

by Marisa Mills

  “Stay back!” he snapped. My blood roared in my ears as the demon surged forward.

  I nearly tripped over Viviane as she scrambled to one of the tables, shoving papers and books to the floor. She grasped a pen just as the floor buckled again, knocking me off balance and sending me sprawling across the room. Wind whirled past my ears, ripping at my face, my hair, and clothes. There was a flash of light, then Alexander was down on one knee, gasping for air. Viviane had fallen on her stomach and was scrawling something directly on the ground. The man had fallen, too, but when he lifted his arm, a burst of bright light shot forth. The monster lunged but struck some sort of invisible barrier. I moved unsteadily to my feet and swept my arm out, shooting blue flames towards the demon, but nothing happened.

  “It can’t—I don’t understand! Why didn’t my sigil work?” Viviane shouted.

  I backed away as the creature pushed forward, staggering into Viviane and Alexander. The monster was forcing us into the corner of the room. The man went to his knees, drawing dark blue lines over a table. My head hurt so badly that I could barely think. I edged around the wall, drawing my flames with me. A lot of good they were doing me. I quenched the flames and made a run for the door. The monster roared and twisted around. I froze as it blocked my path. My eyes darted to Viviane, her hand shaking as she drew symbol after symbol over her forearm. But it was no use, we were out of tricks.

  A hand grabbed my bicep, and I pulled back my fist, ready to fight. But it was Dorian, sword drawn.

  The screams became louder, so loud I covered my ears. They pounded inside my head, their screams wordless once more. Alexander ducked his head. I wondered if he was hearing the same thing I was.

  “Dorian, make it stop!” I screamed.

  The monster roared and turned to face us. Ice shot across the floor, enveloping the monster’s feet and crawling up its legs. The monster roared and thrashed, trying to break the ice but to no avail. The screams kept going. I sank to the ground behind, covering my ears. They were in pain, and I heard them, and I just wanted them to stop, stop, stop. And why wouldn’t they?

  Eleanor swept in and went straight to Viviane.

  “I need your necklace,” she said, unlatching it from Viviane’s neck. Vaguely, I remembered I was supposed to steal that, but it was hard to care about anything more than how badly my head hurt.

  Eleanor drew a pen from her dress and joined the man making marks on the table. Without a word between them, they seemed to know exactly what to do.

  The ice crept up to the creature’s waist and rimmed the edge of Dorian’s blade. With a sharp, sudden slash, Dorian brought his sword through the creature’s middle. The creature screamed and the floor quaked again, sending Viviane sprawling to the floor. She remained down, keeping her weight on her forearms. The screams lessened, finally. I gasped for air, but there didn’t seem to be enough of it in the room.

  Viviane’s necklace glowed a bright silver.

  “Ready?” Eleanor yelled.

  The creature fell still, as layers of ice continued growing over it. The screams vanished entirely, and all I heard was the crackling of ice encasing the dark smoke. Then, there were whimpers, soft and pleading. My throat was raw.

  “Dorian, wait,” I rasped.

  Without warning, Eleanor and the man flipped the table over. Viviane’s necklace fell to the ground. Suddenly, the room was filled with light, so brilliant that it dazzled my eyes. As it faded, I blinked spots out of my vision. The sounds were gone. All of them.

  The man moved first and carefully surveyed the necklace. A sharp crack! sliced through the air. Immediately, the man dropped the necklace to the ground and backed away. “That isn’t going to hold it!” he exclaimed.

  “That’s impossible!” Eleanor protested.

  The gemstones in Viviane’s necklace cracked; the metal twisted.

  “We tried, and we failed. Let’s just kill it and be done!” Dorian snapped.

  With a screech, the monster burst free, springing up seemingly from the air itself. But it stumbled. It was already weakened. I winced and covered my ears, trying to block out the terrible sounds. Dorian sliced at the monster again, ice following every movement. The demon screamed and fell to the ground, ice growing quickly along its body.

  When I glanced at the silver-haired man, he looked pale and horrified. Then, with a soft, plaintive mewl, the ice shattered and spread across the floor in small chunks.

  For a few seconds, I stood still and silent against the wall. Viviane rushed into Eleanor’s arms and hugged her tightly. Breathing hard, Alexander sank into a chair. Dorian scooped the shattered necklace off the ground, and stared at it for several seconds with a deepening frown.

  Eleanor made her way over to Alexander and coaxed him into lifting his shirt. There was a lot of blood, at least from what I could see. Eleanor began drawing smooth, bold lines over Alexander’s skin. I felt strangely detached from everything, like everything and nothing were happening simultaneously, and it just didn’t matter.

  “I’ll alert Celeste,” the silver-haired man said. “She’d want to know.”

  “I’m sure. Thank you for protecting my niece and…” Dorian glanced towards me. “My charge. That’s a good first impression of you…?”

  “Ah! I’m Nathanial Gareth, visiting professor of enchanted artifacts and sigils. I hope this…performance doesn’t cast doubt on my abilities,” the man said.

  “Not at all,” Dorian replied. “My understanding is that it’s more difficult to seal a demon directly into an object, anyway. It’s certainly beyond my powers. That you and Eleanor nearly did is a clear testament to your great skill.”

  Gareth’s smile was strained. When I looked at Dorian, he jerked his head towards and door and walked out. I followed, and for a while, we walked down the empty halls and then out to the courtyard. The stars were so much brighter in Reverie than in the Scraps.

  “Are you all right?” Dorian finally asked.

  “Fine,” I lied.

  Maybe going crazy. That was all.

  There was a very long pause, where I had no idea what to say. Or maybe that wasn’t quite right. Maybe I did know. Maybe I wanted to just talk about how terrified I’d been, how out of control everything felt. But I couldn’t tell Dorian. He seemed nice enough, at least, compared to Gabriel, but he wouldn’t really care what I felt.

  “Are you upset I didn’t get the necklace?” I asked.

  “No. You couldn’t have foreseen a demon attacking, and the necklace was a fake, anyway.”

  “A fake?” I asked.

  Dorian nodded.

  “But how did that happen?”

  “I’m not sure. But that necklace belonged to my sister Guinevere, so I know exactly how it was constructed and enchanted,” Dorian said. “If that was the real necklace, it would have contained that demon without difficulty. It wouldn’t have broken like that.”

  “So someone stole the real necklace and replaced it with a fake one?” I asked.

  “Something like that,” Dorian said, “But I have no idea why. I can imagine easily enough why someone would steal it. It’s expensive, but why bother replacing it with a fake one?”

  “So you wouldn’t notice it was gone?” I offered.

  “Clearly, that was the intent, but that’s not typical behavior for a jewel thief,” Dorian said. “Their philosophy is to steal and run.”

  “So how did a demon…end up there?” I asked.

  “Well,” Dorian said, “I’m sure I can think of more potential causes, but really, there are two options. Either that demon escaped from somewhere, or someone unleashed it.”

  “You mean, on purpose? But there were so many people at the gala. They must have realized someone would get hurt,” I said slowly.

  “Exactly,” Dorian said, “So if it didn’t escape on its own, why would someone unleash it? What were they hoping to achieve?”

  “Are the demons related to the earthquakes?
” I asked. Dorian looked thoughtful. “They do seem to pop up in pairs,” he said finally. We’d reached the gates of Rosewood but I lingered by the entrance.

  “What happens now?” I asked quietly.

  “Tomorrow, you’ll start school. There’s a journal I want,” Dorian said. “It should be on the third floor of the library. I’m also looking for any items you can find related to man named Nicholas Armenia. It should be easy, after tonight’s debacle, but you can’t tell anyone that’s what you’re looking for.”

  He was all business, wasn’t he? Was it foolish of me for expecting something…else? Some nameless, softer, other reaction than this.

  “Why can’t you get it?” I asked. “You’re a count.”

  “I won’t tell you that.”

  I nodded, trying to reason out why he would want to steal a journal of all things. I was almost certain this all had nothing to do with paying off gambling debts.

  I took a deep breath and followed him into his mansion on the edge of Reverie. Class hadn’t even started yet and I was in way over my head. I was sure the prince suspected something, and I’d made an enemy out of Viviane. Even worse, I’d spoken to a demon… and it spoke back.

  Eleven

  MY HEAD HURT, AND MY eyes ached. We’d spent the night at Rosewood, but I hadn’t seen much besides my room, which was admittedly quite nice. Despite the softest mattress in the world, I hadn’t slept well, half-expecting a demon to burst in and try to kill me. I shivered and reached for the device I’d stuffed under my pillow. Having it within reach made me feel safer, even if the flames were just an illusion. I’d always assumed life in the Floats was full of ease and comfort, but between the demons, the earthquakes, and the vengeful mages, there was much more going on up here than I would have ever imagined. Had I really heard a demon speak? If so, what did that mean? Everything was so confusing here. Why couldn’t everyone just say what they meant?

  I stifled a yawn and shook my head, as if that would help me wake up and put my thoughts into a order. Dorian handed me a mug of coffee and a raspberry scone when I went downstairs, then let Francisca fuss over my hair and uniform until he nodded his approval. I was too nervous about my first day of school to pester him with questions on the early morning ride through Reverie.

  The crystals and white stone of the Academy shined in the rising light, reflecting the families and new students gathered for registration. The entryway floor, silver and mirror-like, was covered in brightly colored dots, resulting from the sunlight being refracted through the crystal roof. Beyond that, I could see white pillars and long corridors that made up the rest of the Academy.

  “I see they’ve let Alexander out,” Dorian said.

  I stiffened and followed the direction of his nod. The prince was with Viviane, who clung to him like a lifeline. Not that I could blame her. He’d been attacked by a monster just the night before. And they looked so perfect together, Viviane’s glossy, black curls and smirk. Alexander’s crooked grin. I wondered what they could possibly be smiling at, the night after getting attacked. Probably making fun of the new students. Like me.

  As they continued their walk, I noticed Alexander limping. I thought of Briar and winced. Maybe it was self-centered of me to blame myself for Alexander’s injury, but he had stood to face that monster, while Viviane and I had fled, not that we’d made it far.

  We swept past other students and their guardians, some of them chatting eagerly with one another. Most of them probably grew up here and already knew each other. I felt a pang in my chest as an older woman hugged a girl my age, before releasing her to the school. What would it have been like to have parents who loved and cared about me? It had been years since I’d given in to self-pity, but seeing all these doting parents made the years of abandonment burn inside me.

  We approached a table where Celeste remained seated. She wore a midnight blue dress, dappled with spots of light from the stained glass windows. She smiled up at me when we reached the front of the table.

  Celeste stood to greet us and put a hand to the choker resting in the hollow of her throat. “Your Lordship,” she said, curtseying. “And Wynter! How wonderful to see you both again. I couldn’t catch you after the gala, and I was very worried. I heard you were involved in that terrible incident.”

  “We left shortly after,” Dorian said.

  “Are you all right?” she asked, fixing her gaze on me.

  “I’m fine,” Dorian answered. “Though I think it frightened Wynter. She’s barely said a word to me all morning.” I blushed at the surprise reproach. I hadn’t realized I’d been any quieter than usual.

  Celeste’s face softened. “I’m sorry, Wynter,” she said. “What a terrible welcome to receive from Reverie!”

  “The kingdom is nice otherwise,” I said. “I’ll be fine.”

  Celeste’s brow furrowed. “I’m glad to hear it,” she said, “but I still regret it. Poor thing.”

  I wasn’t used to people being concerned about me, and I ducked my head, embarrassed by the attention. “Are you a teacher here, Celeste?” I asked, hoping to turn attention away from me.

  “I’m the headmistress,” Celeste replied, grinning, “So I don’t get to teach. Fortunately, I do get to watch over all the new students coming in. I love how energetic young mages are. They’re always so eager to be here!”

  At least, she seemed legitimately passionate about her work. Obviously, I wouldn’t let myself get close to her or anything, but it would be nice to have someone who wasn’t actively trying to sabotage me or making my life difficult.

  “You’ll be watching over me, then,” I said, feeling awkward.

  Celeste nodded. “I will be!” she exclaimed. “But don’t worry. I won’t be overbearing or anything like that. I’m just here to ensure everything is going fine and that you’re settling in smoothly. Making sure there aren’t any fights. That sort of thing. You’ll also have an older student act as your mentor to help guide you through your first semester. It looks like you’ve been paired with Jessa. She seems like a nice girl, and I’m sure you’ll have a lot in common.”

  None of this sounded good. Stealing from the Academy would likely involve a lot of sneaking around, and having someone watching me all the time would only make it harder.

  “Great,” I said.

  “Yes, and you’re just in time,” Celeste said, pointing. “If you go over there, those are all the new girls in the northern dormitories. That’s where you’ve been assigned. One of your peers will pick you up and show you the rooms, so you can get settled in.”

  “Perfect,” Dorian said, steering me away. Celeste was already greeting the next family in line but I waved a quick goodbye. Viviane joined us in the main hall, walking alongside her uncle. It seemed she’d lost Alexander somewhere along the way.

  “Good morning, Uncle,” Viviane said. “Wynter.”

  I raised an eyebrow and wondered if she’d purposefully gotten my name right or if she’d just forgotten to insult me.

  “How are you feeling after everything?” Dorian asked.

  Viviane glanced at me and I noticed there were dark circles beneath her green eyes, even through the thick concealer. It seemed she’d slept as poorly as I had.

  “I’m fine,” she said. “A little tired, and angry at myself. I really failed last night.”

  “How so?”

  Viviane cast an awkward look at me. I considered darting away, so she could be alone with her uncle, but I didn’t know where else to go. I felt like a third wheel, and it was clear Viviane wanted her privacy.

  “Just my sigils,” Viviane said finally.

  “That? You were very brave to try them.”

  Viviane sighed. “And a lot of good they did me,” she muttered.

  “Viv—”

  “I know, I know,” Viviane said. “Don’t be upset. Magic takes time. But I’ve been practicing with Mother and Celeste for months now!

  “But it does take time.
When I tried sigils for the first time, I trapped my hand in a sealing circle and couldn’t get it out,” Dorian said, “And when I first formed ice, I impaled myself on it. It went straight through my knee.”

  How horrifying. Was being able to control ice really worth all that?

  Viviane laughed. “Sometimes, I think it’s a miracle you’re still alive,” she said teasingly. Her face relaxed when she smiled, and it was a relief to see such casual banter. I wondered if he knew how cruel she could be.

  “So I’ve heard,” he grinned. “Many times.”

  “Anyway, I just wanted to wish you a good morning,” Viviane said, “And to thank you for last night.”

  “You don’t need to thank me, Dear. How is Eleanor?”

  “She was telling me at breakfast how much she hates you,” Viviane said.

  “She has good reason to hate me, and I her. What does she think of this necklace business?”

  Viviane smiled sweetly. “You’ll need to fish elsewhere for that,” she said.

  “It was worth a try. At any rate, I’ll leave you lovely young ladies alone,” Dorian said, bowing. “Enjoy yourselves.”

  I looked away when Viviane went to hug him, then he left us alone together. Viviane crossed her arms and stood by my side, her expression soft and fond as she watched her uncle leave. I thought of Gabriel and grimaced.

  “How is Alexander?” I asked, trying to make polite conversation.

  “He’s limping,” she said.

  “I saw that.”

  Viviane huffed, turning suddenly and pointing her finger at my face.

  “Look, Wynter. I want to make one thing clear. Alexander is mine, so keep your hands off him and stay out of my way.”

  Right. Because Alexander was so appealing. How could I bear to live without someone who was both vaguely threatening and obnoxious all the time?

  “I have absolutely no interest in Alexander,” I said, truthfully.