Academy of Falling Kingdoms Box Set

by Marisa Mills

  We reached the center of the station, the part my uncle had converted into a makeshift office. Sterling opened the drawer of the wide, oak desk and took out a clean towel and my uncle’s whiskey. I winced as he splashed some on the bloody gash across my upper arm.

  “I gotta stitch it up,” Sterling said, handing me the bottle. I took two deep swigs, feeling the alcohol burn in my mouth. Sterling held a needle over the fire and eyed the thread.

  Alexander caught his wrist when he moved towards me.

  “Is this really necessary? We’ll be in Reverie in a few hours. Our healing magic is much more sanitary.”

  “She’ll bleed out first,” Sterling frowned. “Unless you plan on carrying her all the way to the Gardens.”

  “Do it,” I said. “But be quick. This is the last place Gabriel will look for us, but he’ll be back eventually.”

  Sterling was efficient, and even Alexander grunted his approval as he tied the last even stitch and cut the thread. Footsteps pounded outside and I flinched, reaching for my sword. But then a tall boy ducked through the doorway and my heart felt like it’d stopped. Briar. His pale, blond hair was sticking up in every direction and he was carrying a dark, leathery animal over his shoulder. I gasped when I realized it was a small monster, half-skinned. For a few seconds, I just drank in the sight of him.

  Briar’s head snapped up and met mine. His blue eyes widened, then he rushed to me with such force that he nearly barreled me over. He hugged me tightly, and I threw my arms around his neck. We stayed like that for several seconds before he pulled away.

  “You’re bleeding!” he exclaimed.

  “I’m fine,” I said. “I promise.”

  He’d grown an inch or two taller. My eyes burned, and I roughly rubbed my hands against them. “Look at you!” I exclaimed. “You’re going to be taller than everyone!”

  Briar grinned. “You look—well, you’re covered in blood and grime, but besides that—wonderful! You’ve put on weight!”

  Careful, Lucian said. Your princeling is still here!

  I took in a sharp breath of air.

  “Briar,” I said slowly. “This is Alexander. Alexander, this is Briar…”

  “My brother,” Sterling cut in, lying smoothly.

  Sterling pulled Briar close and whispered in his ear, likely sharing a warning.

  “It’s very nice to meet you,” Alexander said.

  I caught the suspicious tone in his voice. If he hadn’t realized something was wrong before, he surely realized it now. There was no reason for me to know everyone here, or to trust them so much. Sterling and I needed to get our story straight. Alexander wouldn’t be satisfied with me dodging answers for much longer.

  “Sterling, will you help wrap my arm?” I asked. “I think there are some bandages in the other room.”

  “Sure,” Sterling said. “Briar, why don’t you show Alex how to skin a monster?”

  Alexander blanched.

  “Sure. It’s kind of gross, though,” Briar said, looking over Alexander’s fine clothes. “You don’t look like you’re used to skinning stuff.”

  “I’m not,” Alexander replied.

  I couldn’t help but feel a little bit sorry for Alexander as Sterling and I headed back to the room I used to share with Briar. Sterling pulled out the first aid kit as I plopped onto my old bed.

  “Alexander is suspicious. I’m supposed to be a lady from Argent.”

  “Argent?”

  “The Gardens,” I said, “but I know people here. Alexander is smart. He’s going to figure out what I am.”

  Sterling gingerly took my arm and dabbed it with a cloth, wiping away the crusted blood.

  “So what?” Sterling asked quietly. “Briar and I have been hiding away the stuff you dropped for us. It’s gotta be enough. Surely, you can just—just tell Alexander to take a hike? Or we’ll set him in the right direction and go! I’ll bet his tracking skills are awful.”

  “I can’t,” I said. “I have to go back to Reverie.”

  “But why?” Sterling asked. “You don’t belong up there! You belong with your family. With Briar and me!”

  “I know, and I will be. Someday. But not right now,” I said.

  Sterling pulled out a dirtied roll of bandages and wrapped them around my arm with sharp efficiency. “Is it because of him?” Sterling growled. “Alexander?”

  I sighed. “No,” I replied. “It isn’t because of him. Dorian promised that if I stole everything he wanted, he’d buy us an apartment in Argent. In the Gardens. Think of it, fresh food every day. No knife-fights or warring gangs. We wouldn’t have to run. They probably have better medicine, too. We could get your mother the help she deserves.”

  Sterling scowled, and I knew that was a low blow.

  “And do you trust him?” Sterling asked.

  “I have to.”

  “I don’t like it,” Sterling said.

  “I know. Neither does Lucian. Neither do I, really,” I replied. “Dorian is willing to help me only when it suits him, and I’m sure he’ll abandon me the second I fail him. But he’s a nobleman. If anyone can give us a new life, it’s him.”

  “But what if we did run?” Sterling asked. “What if we just kept running and running?”

  “That’s no way to live, Sterling,” I said. “We’d get tired eventually.”

  I clasped his hands between mine and bent down to kiss his knuckles, right above the missing finger. Sterling leaned forward and brushed his cheek against my forehead. He sighed, his breath falling warm and light over my cheek.

  “Just promise you’ll come back,” he murmured.

  “I’ll always come back for you and Briar,” I replied. “Just be careful, please.”

  Sterling tilted his head back and grinned.

  “C’mon. Have you been gone for long that you’ve forgotten I never listen to you?”

  “I’d never forget that,” I said.

  ***

  Sterling held out his hand. I took it and let him help me to my feet.

  “But,” Sterling said, rubbing his thumb over the back of my hand, “You promise it ain’t because of Alexander. You ain’t got feelings for him.”

  My breath caught in my throat. I wasn’t sure if I did have feelings for Alexander or not, but sometimes, my heart raced when I looked at him. We’d shared a kiss in the Academy library once, a kiss that had made Lucian terribly jealous. A kiss that had made everything inside of me feel tingly and warm.

  Just before I left, Sterling had told me he loved me. He hadn’t expected an answer, not then. He’d been content with me knowing what he felt, but now, it was clear that wasn’t enough. Sterling deserved an answer, but I couldn’t give him one.

  “I’ve never felt…” I trailed off. “Alexander is just a friend.”

  Was I lying? Not lying? It was like going to Reverie had changed something fundamental about me, and now, I couldn’t figure out how I felt about anyone.

  Sterling nodded. “Okay,” he said.

  I carefully pulled my hand away. “We can’t stay long,” I said. “Gabriel’s men will be after us soon.”

  “I know,” Sterling replied. “Well…who does Alexander think you are?”

  “A lady,” I said, “I’m supposed to work for a merchant. I’m great with embroidery, apparently.”

  “Well, I guess that ain’t the worst thing ever. If you worked for a merchant, I guess you might’ve met us at the Market. That would make sense, wouldn’t it?” Sterling asked.

  “It does,” I conceded.

  I bit my lip and wondered if I’d be able to really lie to Alexander. It felt different than simply omitting the full truth. But I needed to keep my cover, at least for a while, and I didn’t trust Alexander to keep it. I knew how he felt about the Lower Realms. Being from Argent was bad enough. He’d never look at me the same if he found out I was from the Scraps.

  When Sterling and I returned to Briar and Alexander, the
monster had been skinned. Its prickly, thorny hide was on the ground. Thick, dark blood pooled on the table, dripping onto the stone floor. And Briar, who I’d never seen skin so much as a squirrel before, was butchering the remains with ease. Alexander stood several feet away, looking like he might throw up.

  “You aren’t going to eat it, are you?” I asked.

  We’d never eaten monsters before. They were supposed to be poisonous.

  “It’s a new thing,” Briar said. “We’ve learned that if you cook the meat, it neutralizes the poison. So Gabriel’s been getting the poison from the blood and selling it. Tipping weapons with it.”

  I gulped. “Like his crossbow bolts?”

  “Yeah,” Sterling replied.

  I rubbed my arm.

  “And then, he cooks the meat,” Briar said. “We’ve been doing stuff with the pelts, too, but they ain’t good for much because they’re so rough.”

  “Do we know what the monsters are?” I asked.

  “No idea,” Sterling said.

  “They look a bit like demons,” Alexander said.

  Sterling shrugged. “Maybe they are.”

  I bit my lip and stared hard at the monster, raw and bloody on the table. When I thought of demons, I thought of Lucian. My stomach lurched when I imagined him there instead. Tears pricked at my eyes. “Alexander and I have to go,” I said.

  “You ain’t gonna at least rest here a bit?” Briar asked.

  “I can’t,” I said. “I’ll come see you again. Very soon.”

  Briar opened his mouth like he meant to protest, but instead, his face settled into an easy smile. “All right,” he said. “Be careful.”

  When he crossed the table, I noted his limp and winced. That limp was my fault. A lot of this was my fault. Briar hugged me once more, pulling me close. “I missed you so much,” he whispered into my ear.

  “I missed you, too,” I murmured.

  I cupped his face with my hands and forced a smile.

  “I promise everything will be just fine.”

  “We’ll see you next time we go to the Market,” Sterling said. “I can’t wait to see all the new embroidery you’re doing.”

  “We’ll see,” I replied, rolling my eyes. He was laying it on a little too thick. Then, I turned abruptly away. I knew the longer I stayed, the harder it would be to leave. Alexander followed, and for a while, we walked in silence. We emerged into daylight. There was still no sign of my uncle’s men, but they would find us soon if we didn’t get out of the Scraps. Alexander stood out like a sore thumb, and the bloody bandage around my arm would draw eyes as well.

  “It’s three miles to Argent,” I said. Alexander said nothing as we walked briskly towards the Market. I wondered if he was just biding his time before he cornered me and demanded answers. And was I ready to give them? He already knew about Lucian, maybe it wouldn’t be so bad if he knew I was a fraud.

  But I thought of the disgust on his face whenever we’d talked about Plumba. He didn’t understand the Scraps. How could he? And even if I wanted to tell him the truth, could I trust him to keep my secret?

  I sighed. A growl cut through the silence between us. When I glanced at Alexander, he winced. “My stomach,” he said. “I’m really hungry. I have the most awful headache, too.”

  “It’s not much further,” I replied. My own limbs were burning, and my arm throbbed painfully with each step. The whiskey warmed my chest but my vision was starting to blur.

  We fell into silence again, trudging mechanically to Argent. Finally, the walls of the city appeared, just past the bright stalls of the market. Alexander sighed and quickened his pace. When we approached, I saw there were two guards standing in front of the large gate, in matching black uniforms. I’d never had to deal with guards before. As we approached, the guards came together to block our path, resting their palms loosely on the hilt of their swords.

  I realized suddenly how awful Alexander and I must look. My left side was covered in blood, and Alexander hadn’t fared much better. His once-clean, white shirt was stained with grass, dirt, and sweat. A thick layer of red clay caked his boots, and even his hair, once shining white-gold, had taken on a layer of dust from sleeping on the ground.

  “Halt!” one of the guards snapped. “State your business.”

  I froze and lifted my palms, but Alexander scowled and strode forward. He rolled his shoulders back and tipped his chin up, affecting an excessive amount of royal arrogance. I wondered if he didn’t enjoy putting on that performance just a little bit.

  “I am Prince Alexander, son of King Gregory and Queen Ariana. I command you to step aside, so my companion and I may gain entrance to Argent.”

  The guards exchanged looks with one another.

  “Prince Alexander,” one of them said doubtfully.

  “That’s right,” Alexander replied, “and I demand entrance. If you refuse, I will speak to your superiors. I am from the royal house of Reverie, and I will not be treated so poorly.”

  I clasped my hands together. The guards both looked uncertain.

  Perhaps, we should set them on fire, Lucian said.

  We were not going to set them on fire.

  Why not? Lucian asked. You never take my advice; you know. Your life would be much easier if you’d just set a few people ablaze.

  “Do we look like we’re from Plumba?” Alexander asked. “I realize we’re dirty and smell awful, but surely, you recognize good quality fabric when you see it. Do you think a scavenger from Plumba can afford white clothing? Or a blade of this quality?”

  Alexander unsheathed his rapier and twisted his wrist, letting the light catch the intricate metalwork making up the handguard. I saw one of the guard’s eyes flick down my bloody frame, landing on the antique rapier resting against my hip.

  They probably think you killed a pair of nobles and stole their weapons, Lucian said unhelpfully. I resisted the urge to tell him to be quiet.

  “We…we heard the prince fell from Reverie,” a guard said hesitantly.

  “So I did,” Alexander replied, sheathing his blade and crossing his arms. “Now, I’m here, clearly alive. If you would be so kind as to step aside, that would be wonderful.”

  And after a moment’s hesitation, the guards did. Alexander huffed and walked unflinchingly between them. I followed in his wake, as did two more guards. The whispers spread quickly, and soon we were surrounded by a crowd. A few of the more daring stepped forward to touch Alexander’s cloak. Royalty rarely visited the Gardens, and nobody came back from the dead. He was like some kind of resurrected god.

  I breathed a sigh of relief as we passed through the gates. We were safe, at least from Gabriel and his men. They wouldn’t be allowed entrance here, but while Alexander was clearly in his element, I knew I didn’t belong here. And from the scowls and gasps of horror that followed me, so did everyone else.

  I bit my lip and looked at the back of Alexander’s head. Once he’d rested some and thought some more, he was going to ask questions. And I would either have to lie or answer them. But I’d lied so many different times and offered so many different stories. Eventually, they were going to pile up and come crashing down.

  Five

  ONCE WE WERE INSIDE ARGENT, I let Alexander take the lead past the marble columns, shops with expensive wares, and crystal-clear water that flowed through sculpted fountains. In the Scraps, we’d always called this place the Gardens because there were so much green. I’d been here once before, but then, I’d been mostly confined to the rooms Dorian rented so he and Francisca could teach me enough etiquette to pass for a proper lady. I hadn’t actually had a chance to look around, and I found my head swiveling in every direction. This beautiful place was where I was supposed to come from.

  I tried to take it in all at once. Pink flowering trees released soft, delicate scents into the air. Some of their petals fell and were caught in the wind, fluttering by us like paper butterflies. Women passed, wearing bri
ghtly dyed gowns of light fabrics. Dorian had made me memorize their names—chiffon and silk and tulle. It seemed shocking that such excess could exist so close to the Scraps. The Floats were breathtaking, with more impressive architecture, but austere and filled with frowning mages and political undercurrents that always made me feel like something bad was about to happen. Argent was more crowded, but had a thrill and vibrancy that was lacking up above. The people were more diverse and laughed much more freely. I guess money really could buy happiness.

  “I don’t know about you,” Alexander said, “but I could do with some refreshment.”

  He gestured towards a salon with smooth polished tiles and large oval mirrors. I hesitated outside, where a light spritz of scented water cascaded down towards the entrance by some invisible mechanism. I stopped to marvel at the mist, reaching my hand out as the droplets of water gathered like tiny jewels upon my fingertips.

  I drew my hand back when I found Alexander staring at me, his blue eyes bright and curious.

  “You act as if you’ve never seen that before,” he said.

  I gulped, my throat suddenly dry.

  “I have,” I said. “I just missed it. That’s all.”

  I felt a tremor of guilt for lying to him.

  Why? Lucian asked. It’s not like you have a choice.

  No, but that didn’t make me feel any better about it.

  Alexander nodded and offered his hand. “Come on,” he said. “I have a bit of money on me, and my brothers and I always come to this salon when we’re in Argent. They’ll treat you like a princess. I think you deserve that.”

  A small part of me sensed this was a trap of some kind. But when Alexander smiled, he made me feel shy and breathless. Like we were the only two people in the world. For an instant, I was a little girl who believed in handsome princes and happy endings. I shyly placed my hand in his, and while others scowled at my appearance, he led me inside.

  The proprietor glanced down in horror as I tracked mud on his polished floor, and I was sure he’d have cast me out if Alexander hadn’t stepped in front of me with a cool smile and a stack of silver coins.