Academy of Falling Kingdoms Box Set

by Marisa Mills

  “Were you worried he would blame you?” I asked, softening my voice.

  Eleanor put a hand over her mouth and swept away to the window. When she looked at me, her blue eyes were wide and desperate. “I just wanted to protect my family,” Eleanor said, her voice muffled by her hand. “I was just tired. I didn’t—I didn’t know he might…”

  She looked so vulnerable and small, standing there is the window, framed by the morning light. I went to her and gently grasped her hands in mine. “Please, Aunt Eleanor,” I said.

  “After—after Gwen died, I went to the Lower Realms,” Eleanor said, her voice shaking.

  “Where you got Viviane,” I said gently.

  Eleanor shook her head. “Before that. I went to the place where Gwen fell to—to just look. I had to see it myself, where they found her body. And I met Nick there.”

  My heartbeat quickened.

  “Gwen’s death was a suicide,” Eleanor said, “but Dorian was sure Nick killed her. It was all he could talk about. And even if he wasn’t directly involved, we all felt that he was responsible. He was weak and crippled. He looked like he’d been living in the woods for weeks.”

  “He had this plan to—I don’t know the details. I didn’t ask. I thought about killing him, but I didn’t. I told him to leave and never come back to Reverie, even in disguise, because if we saw him again, we’d kill him. And then I let him go.”

  My breath caught in my throat. Nick really had survived, and Eleanor may have been the last person to see him alive.

  “Maybe I should’ve heard him out, but you can’t… you don’t understand how much Gwen’s death ruined our family, how thoroughly it destroyed us. I loved her and mourned her,” Eleanor said. “But it was so much more than that. One morning, Mother told me that she wished I’d been the one to die. Each day after that, she punished me for not being the daughter she wanted.”

  I felt sick, thinking of all I’d overheard about how Countess Amelia punished her children. It was too easy to imagine Eleanor, only a little older than me, facing her mother’s abuse for not being good enough.

  “Gwen was so gifted in magic, and I was…such a disappointment,” Eleanor said. “My only chance for being anything was to marry well, but because of the scandal Gwen’s death caused, nearly all my marriage offers fell through. Frederick and I will never love one another, but I will always be grateful to him for freeing me of Mother.”

  I squeezed Eleanor’s hands. “I can’t even imagine how horrible that must’ve been,” I said.

  Eleanor’s smile was brittle. “And then, there was Dorian. Mother hadn’t paid attention to him for years. She didn’t even look for him until she needed a proper heir with magic worthy of the Rosewood line. For all his faults, Dorian took naturally to power. So Mother hired a couple of unsavory gentlemen to drag him back, which—of course—they had to,” Eleanor said, her gaze landing on Francisca. “Mother locked him up until he saw reason, and when Dorian didn’t break as quickly as Mother wanted, she found a different way to rein him in. Isn’t that right, Fran?”

  “I won’t apologize for following him here,” Francisca said.

  “And you shouldn’t. Your only wrongdoing was having such poor taste in men,” Eleanor said, although the comment didn’t carry her usual venom. “So you see, it’s complicated. Even though I blamed Nick for Gwen’s death and the destruction of my family, I let him go. I just wanted him to leave my family alone. And ever since Dorian left, it’s all I can think about. If Nick is out there somewhere, behind this madness and Dorian dies, it’ll be my fault. I know I act like I hate my brother, but what am I going to do if I lose him, too?”

  I had no answer.

  Eleanor pulled her hands away. Her face flitted through several emotions as she struggled to regain her composure. She finally did and forced a smile, so bright that it was heartbreaking. It was such a genuine-looking smile that I was sure it would’ve fooled anyone.

  “I think I’ll visit the dyers today,” Eleanor said. “If you’ve need of anything while I’m away, ask Fran.”

  As Eleanor left, I remained by the window. My father had been alive. Still might be alive. And if I could find him, he might be able to help us save Reverie.

  Thirteen

  I RAN DOWN THE HALL in my bare feet, overcome with frustration. Eleanor had been hiding this secret for far too long, and now Dorian was in danger. I didn’t know exactly how it could have helped him, but Nicholas did study Aubade’s chamber, and somehow develop new kinds of magic. And we’d found the symbols in the journal, that could be a portal-opening dance! I couldn’t help but feel like if Dorian had only waited a few more days, we’d be able to discuss all this with him. He was out there all alone now, doing who knows what.

  And he’d managed to leave just before the queen’s poisoning. Were the poisonings connected to the earthquakes? The demon attack? I felt so helpless locked up in the manor, while the Lower Realms were in such dire trouble. My eyes widened suddenly, as I looked at the pile of our uneaten breakfast: danishes and toast, apples and oranges, and hard-boiled eggs. I gathered them all up in a tablecloth and tied the corners together.

  I was angry at Dorian for leaving me to clean up his mess, and at Eleanor for keeping secrets. But there was nothing I could do, so I figured I might as well make a drop of food. If Alexander was right, things in the Scraps were going to get worse quickly.

  I marched to my room, grabbing the red dress Dorian had given me. I refused to give up on him so easily. If he wanted me to wear the dress so badly, he’d have to put it on me himself. For now, since the fabric was so costly, it was sure to fetch an enormous price in the Lower Realms, as long as Sterling got to it first.

  The guards were blocking the exit, so I went through the gardens. Looking out over the back edge of the property, I could see that rather than a straight drop, this section of Reverie actually tapered off gradually. I peered over the edge and saw stairs had been carved down into the stone. A thin dirt path wound the perimeter, a dozen feet below the gate. Checking quickly behind me, I climbed over the fence, hanging down the other side.

  At the bottom of the stairs was a wide ledge. It looked like a trail that wrapped around the edge of the kingdom. I followed it, passing several access tunnels that had been burrowed into the rock. Electrical wires and maintenance boxes were spaced every hundred yards or so, probably an early detection set up. After a few minutes, I thought I was at the place where I usually made drops to Sterling and Briar. I looked up over my shoulder at the whirled fence above me, and then leaned out over the ledge to check the landscape down below.

  What are you doing? Lucian’s voice was so sudden, and so near, I nearly lost my grip on the fence, swinging wildly with one hand while trying to secure the makeshift bag with the other. I cursed as I felt the fabric of the dress snag on the fence. I expected a long tear, but the material was unscratched.

  “Weird,” I said, grabbing the makeshift ladder before lowering myself down.

  What is it? Lucian asked.

  “I don’t know,” I said, examining the dress. “At the Academy the other day, that prisoner threw a knife at me. It was a good throw, but it bounced right off the dress.”

  I tugged at the fabric.

  Maybe this is Dorian’s mystery, Lucian said.

  I took a deep breath and held the bundle out over the ledge.

  “I don’t need any more mysteries,” I said. I raised my arm and threw the bundle into the sky, watching the sparkly red dress flutter like a kite down towards the earth. I took a deep breath, praying that Sterling and Briar would still be on the look out for drops in the Dregs and not caught up in the fighting down below.

  Dark smoke caught my eye, and I turned, eyes widening, towards the market. Even from this distance, I could make out the ring of flame surrounding Argent, scorching the stone walls black. The market was on fire.

  When I made it back to the Rosewood estate and climbed back up over the wall
into the garden, the others had already gathered to watch the coils of black smoke. Viviane was holding another glass of whiskey, her hair and makeup spotless. She looked tired, but worse, she looked bored. Alexander had the decency to look apologetic when he met my eyes.

  They were literally sipping tea while I watched my home burn.

  “We’ve got to get down there!” I yelled, pushing past them towards the mansion.

  Alexander caught up to me first, grabbing my arm.

  “We can’t help them now,” he said softly. I tore my grip away, fury boiling my blood.

  “My family is down there,” I said.

  “But they aren’t your real family,” Viviane said coldly. “Are they?”

  Flaming sparks shot out from my squeezed fist, as I spontaneously released excess energy. It ignited a pile of drying rose petals. They curled into black velvet before fading into ash. For a second they reminded me of the ballroom after the demon attack; a pile of red bodies in black mourning garb. A pyre of suffering. Then their faces changed, and I saw Sterling and Briar in the flames.

  “He told me to wear it at the funeral,” I said, suddenly, gasping for breath. “I thought he was just kidding, but what if there was something special about the dress?”

  “Which dress?” Tatiana asked, though I was already running back to my room. I grabbed Dorian’s note, and by the time I was back the others had returned to the manor. This time we used the larger reading room near the back entrance, with tall windows and wide leather couches and green carpeting.

  “What if he knew the queen was going to die, and he knew about the attack?” I said, my hands trembling. “Maybe he wanted me to wear the dress because he knew I’d be in danger.”

  “But how could he have known?” Alexander said.

  I squinted at the note. When I turned it into the light, I could see a few words had been scripted deeper, indentations on the paper that made them stand out.

  Clarence. Bella. Actually, it was only the first part of the first two names.

  “Clar… bel. Claribel!”

  “That’s a leap,” Alexander said, taking the note from me.

  “You’re imagining things. It’s normal to be upset—”

  “It’s a clue!” I said. “He’s down there, with Claribel. Maybe he needs help.”

  “But what are we going to do?” Tatiana asked. “We can’t just join the fighting.”

  “I need to do this,” I said. “Besides, didn’t you say you wanted an adventure?”

  “So what’s your plan?” Alexander asked.

  I took a deep breath, putting both palms on the table.

  “I need to make sure Briar and Sterling are safe. After that, I’m going after Dorian. All the way to Aubade if I have to.”

  Tatiana placed a book on the desk, and spread a map of the Lower Realms before us. I met her bright green eyes gratefully. “They’ll be fighting in Plumba,” she said, “so if we want to go to Aubade, we’d have to travel through or around a war zone.”

  “Wynter knows people in Plumba,” Alexander said, tracing his finger along the edge of the familiar forest. “I wonder if they’re fighting in the woods. If not, we could cut through them. Sterling has guided us through them before.”

  “I wonder if Dorian has sent Eleanor any letters,” Viviane said. “We could—”

  “He hasn’t,” Alexander replied, “or if he has, Eleanor hasn’t gotten them. My father ordered all mail coming and going from Plumba to be held in Argent until after the war, excluding royal correspondence.”

  “Why?” Tatiana asked.

  “I don’t know,” Alexander said. “My guess is that Father either doesn’t want to chance information being leaked, or the situation is worse than he wants us to know.”

  Jessa joined us and took a deep breath.

  “Maybe you should stay here,” I said. “It’ll be a long walk. Days.”

  “No way,” she said. “But here’s the deal: I’ll help you save your family, and you help me save mine. I can get us access to Aubade. But I’m going to help you stop Dorian, and warn my family.”

  “Then, we’ll need supplies,” Viviane said. “I can probably bully the servants for some, but we’ll have to work quickly. Mother won’t agree with this.”

  “Neither will my father,” Tatiana replied, “but as far as he knows, I’m staying here with everyone. I’ll leave a note so he knows not to worry. That’s enough time for us to run before he can learn we’re missing.”

  “Are we really doing this?” I asked quietly. I knew how to survive in the Scraps, but I wasn’t sure how long my new friends would last before hunger and blisters spoiled their optimism.

  “After the attack at school,” Alexander said with a small smile. “Maybe we’re safer down there.”

  “That can’t be true,” I said.

  “Then how about this: maybe you’re right. Maybe Reverie is like a puzzle that can only be solved from the outside.”

  “We save our families first,” Jessa said. “Then our kingdoms.”

  My heart twisted. I couldn’t imagine what she must be feeling, how heavily this must all weigh on her. I squeezed her hand and tried to express my sympathy with my eyes.

  “The stations run all night,” Alexander said. “We should go after dark. Once there, we’ll have to put as much distance between us and Reverie as possible, though. Kit will know soon after I’m gone, and he’ll no doubt send someone to bring me back.”

  “This isn’t a vacation,” Viviane nodded. “We’ll be quick.”

  “You can get us to where Gabriel lives, can’t you?” Alexander asked.

  I grimaced. “Sure, but he won’t be happy to see me.”

  The last time I’d seen Gabriel, he’d tried to kill me, and Lucian set him on fire.

  “I don’t particularly care,” Alexander said. “This time, we’ll all have our magic. He’s just one human man. There’s no way he can hope to fight us all. Not that we’ll stay long. We just need Sterling to guide us.”

  “I’m not leaving without Briar,” I said. “Not again.”

  “It would be best for us to contact as few people as possible,” Tatiana said. “The last time we were at war with Aubade, the people in Plumba chose sides.”

  “Gabriel is opportunistic enough to do that,” I replied. “He’d sell secrets to both sides to maximize profit.”

  “Isn’t Gabriel the man you thought was your uncle?” Viviane asked. “The man who would’ve…raised me if Eleanor hadn’t taken me by accident?”

  I nodded, feeling the scars under my arm itch.

  Viviane bit her lip. “I need a potion,” she said.

  “If he won’t listen to reason, maybe we can bribe him,” I said, looking around the room. “But it would have to be enough to pay off Briar’s debt. Something really expensive.”

  Will this work? Lucian grinned, sporting a sparkling tiara of sapphire and diamonds. He vanished, and the crown flashed into the air like a spinning coin before coming to a rest on the table.

  “You stole that from Du Lac?” I asked, my eyes widening.

  I retrieved it, Lucian said. He only got it by blackmailing you.

  “Then, it’s settled,” Alexander said, meeting my eyes. “We’ll get everything we need, and tonight, we’ll set out for Argent.”

  ***

  Sweat rolled down my back as I fell into step beside Alexander. Viviane, Jessa, and Tatiana followed. This late at night, the streets of Reverie were abandoned, but Alexander was sure there would be someone at the station. We’d have to move quickly.

  We’d packed as much as we could carry, enough to survive for a week or so, assuming nothing went wrong. Although I was accustomed to sneaking around at night, I couldn’t help but jump at every shadow.

  The station was quiet, and most of the lights dimmed, but a night manager was behind the desk and the trams were still running. Alexander squared his shoulders and tipped his chin up, clearl
y affecting as much royal authority as he could. He strode boldly towards the station manager, who bowed deeply.

  “What can I do for you, Your Royal Highness?” the man asked. At least it was someone who recognized Alexander. As the youngest of six, not everyone was familiar with his face.

  “I require passage to Argent,” Alexander said, “Immediately.”

  The station manager looked us over; doubt flickered in his blue eyes. We must look ridiculous—a group of young adults, clearly still in the Academy, seeking to go to the Lower Realms in the middle of a war, under the cover of darkness.

  “Your Royal Highness, I’m not sure that’s wise.”

  “Wise or not, this is a matter of great importance,” Alexander said. “My companions and I must reach the Lower Realms immediately. I’ve some royal business to conduct there. Surely, you aren’t going to interfere with royal business, are you?”

  “I’m sorry,” the man said, “but Prince Christopher—”

  “Is completely aware of what we’re doing,” Alexander replied. “It is, in fact, on his behalf that we’re going to Argent. This particular matter requires a good deal of discretion.”

  The man seemed to mentally weigh his options, trying to decide if the risk of angering one royal was worth dismissing another.

  “The king has forbidden all traffic other than shipments of grain and weapons,” the man said, flipping through a clipboard. “No civilian personal.”

  “I’m hardly a civilian,” Alexander said.

  “In that case, I could make room for two of you. But I’ll have to put you on the manifest.”

  Alexander scowled, but I pulled him away.

  “It’s fine, we’ll think of something else,” Viviane called over her shoulder.

  We circled around to the back of the building and found a side entrance.

  I nodded and we crept down to a lower platform that was full of supplies and military equipment. Alexander eyed the cable that stretched down below the clouds into Argent. Every minute or so, another glass pod disappeared over the edge, nearly scraping against the lip of rock.