by Candy Crum
Straightening her clothes, Scarlett turned from the window and headed toward the door. She took a moment to smile at the bloodstain they had been unable to get out of the floor— the very one that had been left when Talia's head had hit the wood.
A casket had been carefully crafted, the wood expertly carved and stained to a rich, dark color. It had been set up at the top of the Capitol steps, several feet above everyone on the ground below. The symbolism had seemed appropriate to Scarlett.
What no one knew was that Talia's body was nowhere near that casket. Shortly after Scarlett had seen the decapitated corpse in the office, she’d had it carried away and dumped in the tunnels. She found that to be a much more fitting burial for someone as hideous as Talia.
"Are you ready for this?" Nikolai, one of her mystic friends, asked.
Scarlett nodded, a dark smile spreading across her face. "Oh, yes. I've been ready for this for quite some time. Make sure no one gets close to the casket."
Nikolai laughed. "It's been bolted shut. No one is getting in there. I figured the last thing we wanted was anyone popping it open and realizing the bitch wasn't in there."
"Indeed. She's right where she belongs—in the sewers with the rest of the shit. I'm a wonderful actress, but I'm not so sure I'll be able to summon a single tear for her loss. I might even have to use a few tricks." It amused her to talk about Talia in such a way, especially on the day of her funeral.
This was more like a party for Scarlett. An official announcement of her victory. Still, no one else could know that.
Scarlett felt Nikolai brush against her mind, and she could sense his intention. She did not block him, but instead allowed him entrance so he could assist her. Nikolai pushed against her mind, thoughts suddenly overwhelming her and her senses.
She was trapped inside a dark room, her ankles and wrists bound as many of something that felt like needles pressed into her back. The straps were cranked tighter, pulling her harder against the spikes. It felt as though they had pierced the skin and she wanted to scream, but instead her eyes burned as tears began to form.
Scarlett gritted her teeth as the straps were pulled even tighter, and more tears fell down her face. Suddenly, the image was lifted, but the pain still lingered in the back of her mind. Her tears were still flowing, and she realized Nikolai hadn't yet let go of her.
"Very nice," Scarlett said, wiping the tears just enough that they didn't look obvious, but still produced the illusion that she gave a damn. "You had me all tied up, and I thought that was going somewhere fun. Well, it was fun, but next time we play, no spikes."
Nikolai shook his head and smiled. "You're relentless, but I like that about you. I'll keep the pain lingering in the back. You only need to call on it when it's needed."
She nodded and grabbed the doorknob, opening it and stepping outside into what was now a rainy day. She focused hard on the pain rooted in the back of her mind to keep her from smiling while she watched the drops fall on Talia's casket. Even without her in it, the sentiment was still there.
Making a good show of things, Scarlett crossed the landing to stand behind the casket, allowing her brows to furrow for the crowd as she laid her hands on the wood. After what she felt had been an acceptable moment of silence, she turned her gaze toward the masses.
"Thank you for joining us today," Scarlett said, allowing the fake tears to permeate her voice. She shook her head. "I'm not even sure where to start."
The faces in the crowd expressed sadness as they watched her put on a show. She could feel the power in the minds of her friends, who were standing with her, as they pushed their influence toward the first few rows of people—the ones who could see her best.
They truly wanted Scarlett to be perceived as a sympathetic, loving leader. Someone who was strong enough to admit her fears, but destroy their enemies.
"As many of you know, Talia and I were very close. We were best friends, even though we had met only recently through the Academy. Getting hired on and being given the chance to help her fulfill her dreams for the school was the best opportunity I have ever received. She was kind and considerate, and she put the needs of others before herself."
The words nearly made her choke, and she felt Nikolai pushing against her a little harder, and the pain his push produced made her squint as she gripped the casket, but the crowd no doubt thought the look on her face was emotional pain.
She took a deep breath and relaxed a bit as Nikolai pulled back. "We all know what happened, but no one has admitted it to you. No one has proclaimed what truly happened here. I will not be that person. I will not stand by silently when something needs to be done. There have been rumors swirling around the city in the last couple days since it happened, but none have been worse than the truth."
Scarlett took a moment to gaze at the crowd as everyone turned to one another, whispering amongst themselves.
"Talia did not die peacefully. There is a reason this casket is closed. Talia was murdered. Without a doubt, it was Arryn. She snuck into the city and took the life of the one person who challenged her. Talia knew what she was, as did Amelia, but Amelia had let the power go to her head. She helped Arryn escape the jail, knowing that the fear the girl had caused would keep the city relying on the Chancellor for answers. But Talia knew. Talia discovered what had been happening, and she tried to stop it."
Scarlett stepped out from behind the casket and walked to the edge of the top step. The rain had begun to pour now, and she had to shout louder over the sound of it beating on the cobblestones, the roofs, and the casket behind her.
"Talia had Amelia arrested for murder—the murder of a guard that she herself had employed to protect her. Talia locked her up, but Arryn helped her escape, just as Amelia had helped Arryn not long before. Together, they beheaded our dearly beloved Talia, the woman who stood up for the city when the Chancellor wouldn't, and took on her job. The woman who would have soon led us back to where we need to be. They took her from us, but I won't let that go. I will stand up for the city. I will stand for what is right. I will stop at nothing to get revenge, not only for our city, but for Talia."
Cheers erupted then, the people in front screaming louder and making a bigger show of it than the rest. Slowly but surely, it spread to the rest of the crowd like wildfire. Just as Scarlett and her friends had hoped, the moving speech with the magical push had been enough to secure their loyalty.
Scarlett said her farewells to Talia loudly enough for everyone to hear before leaning over and kissing the casket in front of their expectant eyes. As her mouth hovered just over the wood, she said, "And that's how you take a city. Goodbye, you fucking bitch. May you rot in hell."
1
Arryn stood at the base of the Heilig tree, her hands on her hips as she stared up into its massive branches and thick leaves. She sighed heavily, shaking her head as she tapped her foot.
"Dante, you better get your ass back down here!" she said.
Over the years, Arryn had assisted with the care of the children of the village in one way or another. She had helped feed them, clothe them, bathe them, and did anything else that came along. But none of it had prepared her for this.
The tiger cub was quite a troublemaker. His mother, Snow, had adapted to life in the forest pretty well. The tiger cub, however, was quite the little shit. He had never been around that many trees, and there were so many animals to play with that he had no idea what to do with himself.
His newest favorite pastime was climbing high into trees. But not just any trees—Dante had taken a liking to some of the biggest trees in the forest, including the Heilig.
The Heilig was the biggest tree in the entire forest. She had once caught a glimpse of what it looked like from above when she had been connected to one of the many birds in the forest. Its branches reached high into the sky, much taller and broader than any other tree as far as the bird could see.
The power the druids put into the tree during their death rituals had created the stronge
st plant in the forest, possibly the world. And Dante just loved to play in it.
"Trouble in paradise?"
Arryn jumped, turning to see Cathillian standing behind her. She sighed and rolled her eyes. "Yes. I don't understand—even though he knows he's going to get stuck, he keeps climbing up there anyway."
Cathillian shrugged. "Sounds like any other kid, only this one is furrier and way cuter."
Arryn scoffed. "Furry and cute, yes. Pain in my ass, also yes."
Cathillian took a few steps closer, looking high into the branches. Arryn did the same, finding the young cub swatting at a bird that was flying away, seemingly unamused. He growled at it, but it sounded more like an angry purr than anything. Despite her annoyance, she couldn't help but smile. He was an adorable little bastard.
"Why don't you get Snow to go after him?" Cathillian asked.
Arryn's hands went out to her sides as she looked at him incredulously. When Cathillian just smiled, she pointed behind him. He turned and saw Snow lying there, completely uninterested in any of her cub's shenanigans.
"He does it so much now that she just doesn't give a damn anymore. That, and I think she knows I'll end up getting him down myself. Besides, the last thing I need is his thousand-plus-pound mother getting stuck in the tree along with him."
Cathillian laughed and shook his head. "She's his mom. She has better instincts than you do, no offense. If she's not worried, you should take the hint and not be worried either. He's just a big baby kitty. He likes to climb; it's natural."
Arryn sighed in exasperation. "I thought about that, but then I thought about him losing his grip and falling a couple hundred feet to his death. It almost made me hyperventilate. I just can't do it." Arryn looked at Snow. "You're slacking, Mom."
Snow grumbled, standing and leaning back in a big stretch before flopping down on her side and closing her eyes again.
Arryn shook her head. "This is ridiculous."
Another baby roar sounded. The tiger cub pounced onto a different limb when one of the squirrels decided to engage him in play. Arryn rolled her eyes, trying to decide if she was angry about him not paying attention to her or if him playing with the squirrel was too cute to get him in trouble.
"This whole mom thing sucks. I should've picked a bird. They take care of themselves," Arryn said.
Snow lifted her head and growled before flopping her head back down onto her paws.
Dante pounced again, only this time, his back paws slipped off the branch. His body immediately curled around it as he struggled to climb back up, and Arryn jumped, fear taking over as she realized he had been close to falling.
Her eyes flashed green as she threw her hand out, vines sprouting and flowing through the tree before grabbing hold of the cub and wrapping around him like a harness. She slowly lowered him, and she could hear him grumbling his discontent as he descended.
Within moments, the cub was dangling at eye level with Arryn. Once again, her hands came to rest on her hips as she stared him down.
Cathillian laughed again, and her eyes darted over to him, an angry look on her face. "What are you laughing at?"
He pointed at her. "You. I'm laughing at you. You've gone from carefree and seeking revenge to being a full-time mom. It's pretty comical."
She gave a sarcastic smile. "That may be so, but I can still kick your ass." Arryn turned back to Dante. "And you… You need to quit climbing so high into the trees. You're gonna fall and kill yourself."
Cathillian continued to smile at her. "You're a pretty good mom. You know, while you were gone, Celine and Nika both joked about you and me having half-pointy-eared babies."
Arryn finished releasing Dante from his bonds. The cub now safely in her arms, she turned to Cathillian with wide eyes. "Why the hell would they do that?"
He suddenly looked very guilty, only shrugging. "I don't know."
Arryn shook her head. "You're no better for even bringing it up. What is the matter with you? You were probably the one who suggested it in the first place. I don't have time for this." She thrust Dante into his arms. "Here, Dad, you babysit. I have to go get my ass properly kicked by Nika. I'll be sure to ask her about that little conversation."
Cathillian's eyes widened as he shook his head. "No. Don't say anything about it. Please."
Narrowing her eyes, Arryn smiled. "You just don't want her mad at you. You know she would come at you and beat you for real." Arryn laughed hard. "I'm gonna tell her!"
Arryn ran for Snow, quickly straddling her and tapping her on the shoulder as she expected the big cat to save her master in a hasty retreat. The tiger did nothing more than grumble a bit before rolling even farther onto her side, knocking Arryn off-balance.
"Damn," Cathillian said. "That was some getaway."
Arryn sighed and poked the tiger in the shoulder. "You're a traitor. You see if I take you fishing anymore."
Arryn stood, gave Cathillian an enthusiastic middle finger, and walked toward the training grounds. She'd been shown up by not one, but both her familiars. It was just her luck that she would find two animals that were just as sarcastic and defiant as she was.
Amelia slept late that morning, having stayed up too late the night before drinking wine with the Chieftain. It was amazing to her now that she had spent her entire life terrified of the druids. She had realized how foolish that was when she’d first met Laurel, the druid from the Dark Forest who had aided them in the battle for Arcadia, and becoming acquainted with Cathillian had reinforced her realization.
The Chieftain, however, had completely smashed the evil druid rumors once and for all. Ezekiel had once come to the Dark Forest asking for help in their great battle, but the Chieftain had been stern, forceful, and passionate in his refusal. Amelia hadn’t been able to understand how he could have denied his old friend, the very person who had helped him discover the magic he had built an entire community on. He seemed like a disgrace, a terrible old man that she had no interest in seeing or meeting.
After having spent so much time with him in the last few days, though, she had become very aware of just how wrong she had been.
The Chieftain was a man of honor. Every move he made, he made with his people in mind. To risk fighting for Arcadia would have been to risk losing everything. If he had sent his own warriors into the fray and Adrien had won, the Chieftain was certain he would have turned his rage on the Dark Forest next.
There weren't thousands of druids, unlike the Arcadians. There were only hundreds of them, and he was certain they would all have perished if he had sent them. On top of his dedication to his tribe’s safety, he spent every morning with the very young children of the forest, teaching them valuable life lessons in honor and how to grow strong plants that would survive any weather.
He spent every afternoon into the evening with the older kids—the younger teenagers—teaching them what it was to be a part of a team, a family. What it meant to be a leader, even if you didn't have the official title as he did. To him, every druid was a leader, and every druid was a prince or princess.
The Chieftain then spent every night having fun, unwinding from the day. She had seen that it was a running joke to pick on the Chieftain because he was under the impression the young people thought he was cool. The thing was, they really did.
In the Dark Forest, if someone was old enough to strike a man with a spear or an arrow, that person was old enough to drink wine with the Chieftain. He would spend his evenings until late into the night drinking wine with the young warrior recruits, teaching them about honor in battle and about respecting the enemy, but mostly about letting go.
His most important lesson was that the morning and afternoon hours should be spent training hard, but the nighttime hours were for having fun—letting go and living life the way it should be. With or without the wine, family and friends were the most important part of any community. As they got older and became actual warriors, that lesson altered slightly to “have fun whenever you aren’t on duty.”
Everything she had learned while growing up and even into adulthood had been wrong. Even the amazing things that Arryn had told her had been completely understated. The Dark Forest was paradise. It had its problems like any other place, but for the most part, it was everything she wished Arcadia could be.
Perhaps she could take these lessons back to the city with her and implement them there once everything was in place. Had Adrien only taken in what the Founder had hoped to teach him, Irth would have been quite the utopia.
The Heights, the Dark Forest, and Arcadia could all have worked together in a peaceful alliance. No one would have ever wanted for or needed anything.
But it wasn't too late.
As she headed toward the training grounds to see if she could get a few lessons in she ran into Arryn, who was no doubt traveling there for the same reason.
"Well, good morning," Amelia said. "Fancy meeting you here."
Arryn smiled. "Yeah, I had planned to be at the Versuch pit long before now, but I got held up by Dante."
Amelia laughed. "Let me guess… he made best friends with another tree?"
"Yes! I don't get it! Ugh. I love that baby to pieces, but he's driving me crazy. I'm about to make him some little boots so he can't climb up there anymore."
In her short time in the forest, Amelia had seen how the master-familiar bond worked. Any druid could speak with any other person's familiar, but no one would ever understand what that animal was saying better than its master or mistress.
Still, Amelia had never seen anyone quite so bonded with their familiar as Arryn was with hers. She wasn't sure if it was because it was new to her or because of her intense affinity for animals.
Arryn could speak to any animal in the forest, and she could do so with an understanding that rivaled the bond itself, even with other familiars. It made sense to Amelia that Arryn's power with animals would have intensified her bond, but still, she couldn't be certain.