Academy of Falling Kingdoms Box Set

by Marisa Mills

  We’d been caught red-handed, and the king was still treating us like noble guests, apart from the royal guards posted outside the door. I wondered when they’d start interrogating us, and how long it would take for Viviane to turn me in to save herself. Not long, probably.

  We should run, Lucian said.

  “We can’t,” I said. “That would make us look guilty.”

  We are guilty.

  “They don’t know that yet. Even if he suspects something, without Gwen’s charm, he doesn’t have any proof against us.”

  Mages don’t need proof.

  I managed to get a little rest on the sofa in the parlor. The bed was far too soft for sleeping. I woke at dawn to birds chirping at the windowsill. I pushed open the shutters and realized the outside was blocked by thick iron bars. This really was just a beautiful prison. I’d broken into the royal chambers; that wasn’t a crime so easily forgiven. But he couldn’t punish us on suspicion alone. The Rosewoods were a powerful family, and the nobles would have to intercede. My only hope was that the king truly believed Viviane and I were just two silly, adolescent girls, in the wrong place at the wrong time.

  The door opened. My heart pounded as Alexander stormed in, his brows furrowed in frustration and anger.

  Him! Lucian hissed. Why isn’t he still at the Academy where he’s supposed to be?

  Viviane followed, her fingers twisting into the fabric of her wrinkled dress. It was the same one as yesterday, and her eyes were red. I bit my lip as Alexander collapsed into the seat across from me. I searched his face for deception, or an apology, but found neither.

  “Why are you here?” I asked.

  “I came after you and Viviane,” Alexander said, “To stop you. But it looks like I’m too late.”

  “We didn’t take anything,” I said. “We couldn’t find the charm.”

  “It doesn’t matter,” Alexander said. “You got caught in the royal chambers. I told you it was a stupid plan.”

  “We had to do something,” Viviane said, but there was no fight in her voice. It sounded more like a plea. She wasn’t locked in a room like I was. I suppressed a shiver as a sense of foreboding came over me. Maybe it was because of her noble blood. Maybe she’d gotten special treatment.

  Or cut a deal, Lucian said.

  “Why is she free, and I’m not?” I asked slowly.

  “My father let Viviane out, at my behest. She’ll be heading back to the Academy with me today. But you’re going to be here for a few more days,” Alexander said.

  Viviane sat awkwardly beside me, keeping several feet between us.

  “So I’m awaiting a trial?” I asked.

  “Dorian will be here soon,” Viviane said. “Maybe he can help clear this up.” She didn’t sound hopeful, and she wouldn’t meet my eyes. There was something else going on, something unspoken. Whatever it was, it was bad.

  Alexander stood up suddenly, checking on the guards outside the door, then squeezed both fists in frustration. When he rejoined us on the couch, he leaned forward and whispered. His blue eyes bore into me.

  “It’s worse than you think,” he said. “Someone told. Everyone knows you’re a fraud.”

  Viviane sucked in a sharp breath. I was too stunned to breathe. The secret I’d been keeping for months had finally gotten out. It wasn’t just about getting caught in the king’s quarters. It was about everything I’d done since arriving in Reverie. The sneaking around. The theft and deception. But how could everyone know? My eyes darted between Viviane and Alexander. They’d both known what I was, but they were both here with me. Why pretend to be my friend, if they’d already betrayed me?

  When I find out who it was, I’m going to—

  “What are they going to do to me?” I asked, my voice shaking. I couldn’t help thinking about Sterling. I had a feeling mage justice would be much worse than a missing finger.

  Alexander ran a hand through his hair. “They’ve opened an investigation at the Academy,” he said. “They’ll search your rooms and interview your teachers. I’ve tried appealing to Father, but he doesn’t want to listen.”

  “So they know I’m not from Argent,” I said. I tried not to imagine the surprise on Gareth’s face, or the delight on Du Lac’s. Although, that would mean admitting he’d known what I was and hadn’t warned anyone else. Plus if I went down, he must know I’d tell everyone about how he’d made me steal from Dorian.

  Maybe they won’t talk, Lucian said. The nobles and the Council don’t exactly get along.

  “They suspect you aren’t really a mage, too,” Alexander said. “There may be more, but Father doesn’t want to tell me. He didn’t even want me to come and see you. He’ll be furious when he learns I bullied the guards to let me.”

  More. How much more?

  My mind flashed with all the things I’d done—cheating my way into the Academy, stealing from the archives, talking to demons. A lump formed in my throat, threatening to choke me. But Alexander was the only one who knew about Lucian.

  “So what happens now?” I asked.

  “I don’t know,” Alexander said. “Normally there would be a trial, but my father is keeping things close to his chest. I mean, even if it’s true, it would look bad both for him and the nobility. He probably wants this resolved quietly. He might be telling Castrel—my older brother—because he’s the heir apparent, but we’ve never been on good terms. Maybe it won’t be so bad. I mean, you’ve fought demons. You saved my life. He can’t just ignore that!”

  Alexander climbed to his feet and began pacing with a wild, frantic sort of energy. He looked like some strange, beautiful animal trapped in a cage. I watched him and felt that same energy coil inside me, and yet I remained frozen, pinned to the sofa.

  “Will they kill me for this?” I asked.

  I won’t let them.

  I knew Lucian wouldn’t be able to stop them. He might be powerful, but he was only one demon. He couldn’t fight against all the mages in Reverie. If he revealed himself, he’d end up trapped in a crystal, if not destroyed.

  “I don’t know,” Alexander said. “This has never happened before. It depends on how much he knows, and what proof they can gather against you. Who else knew about you, Wynter?”

  “Dorian and Du Lac, mostly,” I said. “And Francisca, I guess.”

  Viviane was unusually silent beside me, worrying her hands in the folds of her blue dress. I saw her flinch as I turned my gaze in her direction.

  “Viviane,” Alexander said, his voice cold. “Did you tell my father?”

  “No!” she snapped quickly. But she was shaking, and tears appeared in her eyes.

  “But I told Eleanor,” she said. “Weeks ago. I didn’t—”

  I took in a sharp, audible breath. This was bad, very bad.

  “How could you?” Alexander growled.

  “I told her Wynter was a fraud and didn’t have any magic. I—I’d slipped a truth potion into Wynter’s drink, and after that, I—”

  “You what?” Alexander hissed.

  “I know,” Viviane said. “I know I made a mistake.”

  Alexander laughed darkly. “A mistake? Do you realize what you’ve done?”

  “Of course I realize. I’ve been tearing myself up over it! And I begged Eleanor not to say anything, and she told me—”

  “And you believed her?” Alexander asked.

  “Stop,” I said, pinching the bridge of my nose. Neither of them seemed to hear me.

  “She’s only trying to look out for me,” Viviane said quickly. “She thinks Wynter presents a threat to my—my inheritance and…and my relationship with you, so she—”

  “As if I’d ever desire a snake like you!” Alexander snapped. “You are just like the rest of your family. You’re every bit as conniving and selfish and—”

  “You don’t have to rub it in,” Viviane shouted, climbing to her feet. “I feel bad enough already about this!”

  “You should f
eel bad!” Alexander retorted.

  Viviane turned to me, with tears in her green eyes.

  “Wynter, you have to believe me,” she said. “I—I didn’t—I know I shouldn’t have done it, but we weren’t—we weren’t friends, then!”

  Even as Viviane looked at me, silently begging for a response, I couldn’t seem to find the words to give her one. She’d threatened to expose me from the start if I didn’t stay away from Alexander. I shouldn’t be surprised that she’d actually followed through.

  “You aren’t friends now!” Alexander snapped. “You’ve ruined everything, and Wynter’s going to pay the price for it! Of all the people you could’ve told, you told Eleanor? You know she’s hated Wynter from the beginning!”

  Viviane seemed to shrink back. “She’s my mother,” she said.

  “No, she isn’t,” Alexander said, coldly. “And even if she was, she’s a baroness first. Of course, she’d use this knowledge to her advantage. I can’t believe you would do something so stupid, Viviane!”

  I curled my hands into fists. I could feel the anxiety rankling Lucian. His claws scraped the inside of my skin like a wild animal. I cleared my throat, trying to push past the tightness and the dryness.

  “Fighting won’t help,” I said. “What’s done is done.”

  Alexander kicked the stool before him with enough force to send it flying across the room. Viviane jumped as it broke against the wall. Her shoulders slumped in defeat, and I thought she was going to break down sobbing. But then, she straightened and wiped her eyes.

  “I’m sorry,” Viviane said. “Truly.”

  “Get out!” Alexander snapped.

  Viviane looked as if Alexander had slapped her. She nodded and rubbed her eyes, now red and swollen. “I’m sorry, Wynter,” she mumbled again, as she swept past us and out the door.

  With a growl, Alexander plopped onto the sofa beside me. Fury had darkened his eyes and reddened his face. He leaned so close that I felt his breath on my neck.

  “Yelling at her won’t help,” I said.

  “She deserves to be yelled at,” Alexander hissed.

  I anxiously rubbed over the scars on my arms.

  “I don’t think you realize the gravity of what she’s done,” Alexander replied. “Wynter, I’m so angry I could kill her.”

  “You don’t mean that,” I said. “You’re just upset.”

  Alexander’s hand shook as he took my hand between his.

  “I promise I’ll keep trying,” he said. “I’ll talk to Father. You saved my life. That must mean something.”

  I nodded.

  “She doesn’t know about Lucian,” I whispered. “Nobody does, not even Dorian. As long as you didn’t say anything—”

  “I didn’t,” Alexander promised, squeezing both my hands in earnest.

  “Well, that’s something,” I said, smiling weakly.

  The door opened again, and a woman peered inside, the folds of her scarlet dress filling the doorway. A silver circlet rested in her golden curls. “Alexander,” she said sharply.

  Alexander’s grip on my hand tightened for a second, as if he were afraid to let go. Then he withered under her glare and pulled away from me.

  “Mother,” he said, bowing his head.

  What a mama’s boy.

  As Alexander went to her, I looked her over the queen of Reverie. She was short and thin, dwarfed by the massive skirts of her gown. As beautiful and delicate as a piece of spun glass and just as deadly; of that, I was sure. When Alexander reached her, she took his arm and with a piercing glare in my direction, pulled him out of the room.

  I sank back into the couch as the door slammed behind them. The Queen’s look had told me everything I needed to know about my predicament. All the hatred and disdain for the Lower Realms shone clearly in her eyes. Despite my fancy dress, I was trash to her. Sullied, dirty. It didn’t matter what I’d done, only where I came from, and all the nobles would feel the same way. That I’d infiltrated their ranks and passed as one of them, even gaining the sympathy of the prince, just made it far worse. I’d been condemned the moment I stepped into Reverie.

  What now? Lucian whispered.

  I lay down on the sofa and let my cheek rest against the brocade fabric. Nothing. There was nothing I could do. My deception had come to an end, and it was worse than I could have ever imagined.

  Twenty

  I SAW NO ONE ELSE until two days later, when Kit arrived to take me to my trial. A pile of dishes had stacked up near the door; they’d fed me but hadn’t bothered to clean the room. I’d picked at my food, too anxious to eat, but was well-rested at least. There was little to do besides sleep, and I’d drifted in and out of consciousness. Only the rise and fall of the sun let me keep track of the passing time. Sometimes Lucian appeared in my dreams, bringing me into his dark forests to practice swordplay. It was a distraction, if nothing else. I didn’t see the point of learning anymore. I’d never be allowed back into the Academy, and I couldn’t fight my way through all of the king’s guards.

  Kit, who’d linked his arm with mine as we exited past the guards, looked at me with something like pity in his eyes. It was a strange expression for his face; I’d never seen him look anything other than cheerful and excited. I wondered if he’d already learned about Autumn, and whether she’d been caught.

  “How bad is it?” I asked.

  “I can tell you only that the accusations levied against you have been thoroughly investigated both by the Council and by my noble father,” he said sternly.

  Kit brought me downstairs and paused in front of a large, gilded door. I swallowed. How much did the king know? What evidence had they found against me? I was still wearing the pink dress Viviane had picked out for me, but it chaffed uncomfortably against my skin. I felt like I was dressed in a costume, still pretending to be a young lady from Argent, even though everyone could see through it. After this, I’d likely be their prisoner. Or a traitor. Or something worse.

  The guards opened the door, and I kept my head high as I entered. It was an office, with wood and leather furniture. I’d expected something colder. I pictured myself being paraded in front of scowling nobles, before the king passed his judgment, but this space was almost cozy. Gregory sat behind a large desk, with Dorian seated across from him on a high-backed chair. I bit the inside of my cheek. Despite knowing he’d inevitably be called in, I really hadn’t wanted to see Dorian. He didn’t look at me as I quietly slipped into the vacant seat beside him.

  A sparkle caught my eye, and I noticed the king’s blue and gold brooch pinned against the dark fabric of his jacket. Guinevere’s charm, so close and so far away. He followed my eyes and smirked. Had he gotten it back from Autumn, or did he have it with him the whole time? Suddenly I feared this entire thing had been a setup, from start to finish.

  “Wynter,” King Gregory said, “As the accused, you have a right to know what charges are being levied against you.”

  “I…is this a trial?” I asked.

  I’d anticipated more people and kneeling before a throne, begging for mercy. Not this whole affair being decided by two men—or perhaps, just one—in a benign-looking office. A maid brought in porcelain cups full of steaming tea and a small tray of leaf-shaped cookies with frosting. The king took one and dipped it into his tea. Crumbs fell into his beard as he took a bite. He didn’t seem to notice.

  “Ordinarily, you would be questioned before the gathered aristocracy, but as the king, I have the right to dismiss those conventions and administer justice whenever and wherever I like,” King Gregory said. “Because of the seriousness of the accusations leveled against you, I am choosing to exercise that right.”

  “So yes,” Dorian said, “This is a trial, Wynter. With some truly impressive charges, too.”

  “I…” I trailed off. “I can’t imagine what charges there would be. I haven’t done anything wrong.”

  “Except for breaking into the royal chambers,” Gr
egory replied. “I might dismiss that as some harmless infatuation with Alexander were it not for the allegation that you aren’t who you claim to be.”

  “I don’t know what you mean,” I said, shifting awkwardly in my dress.

  The king’s smile was sharp. “My source alleges that you aren’t a young woman from Argent, as you’ve led us to believe, but rather an urchin from Plumba, and that you aren’t a mage but a fraud.”

  “Who is your source?” Dorian asked. “I think I’ve a right to know who is leveling such serious accusations against my charge.”

  The king seemed to deliberate for a few moments.

  “Eleanor mentioned it on her last visit,” he said with a shrug. “I didn’t believe her at first, and I may not have, except for the curious circumstances we find ourselves in.”

  I felt Dorian shift towards me, and I knew what I’d see in his expression if I met his eyes. Disappointment. He’d assume I told Viviane, risking everything and betraying his secret. I wished I could explain everything to him, and tell him what we’d found in Oberon’s bookshelf.

  It’s not your fault, Lucian said. She did drug you, after all.

  “She would,” Dorian replied, recovering quickly. “We hate one another. This is clearly some desperate attempt to ruin me and claim the Rosewood title for herself.”

  “Nevertheless,” King Gregory said. “Although she first brought this matter to my attention, the allegations have proven more than credible upon further investigation. The only question remaining, is who else knew and aided her in this deception. You’ve no reason to be upset unless you knew of this farce and allowed it to continue.”

  “Of course, I didn’t know,” Dorian said. “With all due respect, Your Majesty, why would I knowingly bring a fraud to Reverie?”

  My heart sank. Of course, he’d deny it to save himself. I’d expect no less from him, but hearing him disown me out loud felt like being stabbed in the heart. There would be no apartment in Argent, no future for Briar and me outside of the Scraps. I’d just been a tool for him, and he was done with me. I wondered if he’d ever cared about me at all.