He laughs, and it somehow sounds like falling leaves. “You must ask first.”
“But why? Why agree so easily, so readily?” I ask with suspicion.
He leans forward, putting his forearms on his knees. “I am the king of the earth element. My purpose is to foster and support life, not end it. My people have had little to do with the war. I give my power to the cause, my control over life, but nothing else. My court has simply been waiting for the storm to pass. Waiting for you.”
He looked older when speaking those words, aged as his soul is. Earth magic is the most powerful. Rowan had once said. Yet Damon had never taught me anything but how to nourish and sustain life. It is honorable that they refuse to fight in the war, but it is also the reason why it’s gone on for so long. With the full might of an Earth army, the dark fae would be wiped out. All of that death would devastate King Gabriel as I can see his pain of simply restraining his power.
I stand and kneel in front of his throne. “Will you, King Gabriel Terr of the Earth kingdom, agree to align your kingdom and your power with my cause?”
“I, King Gabriel Terr of the Earth kingdom, pledge myself and my power to thee.”
The king grips my fingers and pulls me to my feet, so we stand eye to eye. He clasps my forearms, and I do the same to him. Earth magic flows between us, giving me a sense of peace that I haven’t felt since losing Rowan. I feel the magic contract wrap around my elements, almost painfully, before it loosens to become a simple band of magic spinning lazily in my magical well.
He murmurs, “We are now one. Our bond makes us so, and if you or I break it, we will suffer horrible consequences.”
I nod, almost transfixed by the power radiating out from his eyes. The amount of respect his very presence demands is something I can only dream of achieving in my lifetime as the eventual queen of the fae. If all of the kings are similar to him, I will have an excellent group of men by my side to rule and protect all fae.
“Now move along little one, you must continue your quest. Time is crucial and fleeting,” He says and lets his fingers slip from mine.
He takes a seat in his throne again as I turn my back and make my way out of the throne room. At the door, I turn and hesitate before speaking.
“You are an honorable man, King Gabriel, and I have great respect for your decision not to fight this war.”
Chapter Eleven
It took some convincing for Damon to let me go back to the dark fae academy with Octavius. While Octavius had explained the situation of the dark fae to the best of his ability, Damon still seemed to mistrust. I don’t blame him; it took me a minute to wrap my head around it too. The only way he let me go was when I told him that his father urged me to continue my quest. His respect for his father seemed to be the only thing to override his urge to protect me. So, we set off back toward the portal on our own, slowly, as Octavius is still injured.
“So, how did your meeting with the king go?” he asks.
I step over a log and help him over before responding. “It went extremely well, but I think it was due to his aversion to war in the first place. He agreed to align himself to me, we have an official bond.”
His mouth drops open. “Are you kidding? Do you know what that actually means, Tiana?”
I raise my eyebrow. “That he’s aligned to my cause to end the war?”
He scoffs. “It’s not that simple. He agreed to follow you to give you himself wholly as a subject. He has agreed to make you his queen.”
My steps falter. “What? That's not what I wanted!”
“It’s even more than what we wanted! You must have made a lasting impression.” He pauses, giving me a look. “And don’t even start talking about stopping it. It’s too late, once the bond has been forged, there’s nothing you can do.”
I roll my eyes. “You’ve known me for like two minutes, how do you know what I’m going to say?”
“It’s an intuition thing. I’ve been alive for a long time. Now let’s pick up the pace you’ve been gone too long. My father is bound to notice your absence.”
***
The rest of the week goes on as normal as it can, and by Friday, I’m ready to burst after searching everywhere but one floor in the main quad. Beth and Octavius meet me outside the building, and we all go in together. The final floor we have to search is the one below the top floor, on the same level as Fiora's rooms. But we’re searching the locked armored door that Octavius was lucky enough to steal a key for yesterday evening. It’s the final door in the hall and the only one that doesn’t lead to either Fiora’s suite or the rooms for the king of shadows.
It must be on her floor to increase the amount of security, and if it’s so important, what lies inside? We’re silent when we slip out of the stairwell and into the empty hallway. No sound comes from Fiora's rooms, indicating that she’s asleep. Octavius had told us that she retires to her chambers around ten and that we’d be good to go in by eleven fifteen. He motions for us to move in tandem down the hall. I do so with light steps and don’t hesitate as we pass by her door. The only sound is Octavius clicking open the lock before the door swings open silently.
It’s pitch black beyond the doorway, and as we step forward, the door swings closed behind us, sealing us inside. Lights begin to turn on once Octavius leads the way forward, they click on two by two, all the way to the end of one large room. There are shelves upon shelves of strange looking weaponry. All of the steel is a metallic black and steams with dark, ominous smoke. There are broadswords, daggers, arrows, throwing stars, and spears all made of the same dark metal. Beth steps up to a shelf full of small round explosives that look similar to human hand grenades but still leak that strange dark smoke.
“What is this place, Octavius?”
He looks grim. “The main armory for the academy students. It hasn’t been used many times since being built. It’s only ever visited by the masters and me. Most of these weapons have been sitting on these shelves for hundreds of years.”
A long thin sword calls to me, and I trace its blade with my fingertip. The smoke curls around my fingers, almost lovingly before it recedes again. I pick it up and am surprised that it feels light in my hand, similar to my magical swords. Octavius’s face goes white when he turns to see me holding it up to the light.
He begins rushing toward me. “Stop, Tiana! You don’t know what you’re doing. That’s not a toy.”
Before he can get to me, I hold out the blade, warding him off. “Relax, Octavius. It’s not like I’ve never held a sword before.”
Beth pipes up from a few rows away. “These aren’t just any swords, Tiana. These are shadow weapons.”
I twirl it in my hand and watch the smoke move with the blade, around and around. “What does she mean, Octavius?”
He rubs the back of his neck. “I was hoping I wouldn’t have to tell you this. These are the weapons dark fae use in battle to make up for the fact that we don’t have elemental magic. Shadow blades can kill a light fae within seconds using only a small cut. The sword is infused with dark magic, which in turn seeps into the skin through the wound. It acts as a poison of sorts, killing quickly and efficiently. The grenades do the same thing but to groups of people.”
I set down the blade as quickly as possible, horrified by what it can do, or has done. These weapons are the reason the dark fae have held on for so long? Looking at the smoke now leaves a sour feeling behind. At least he said these weapons, in particular, are hardly ever used, and when they are, they’re used to cut down infiltrating light fae. Could that blade kill me just as easily? Or am I able to wield it?
“Who can use these blades, and are only light fae affected?”
He shrugs. “Anyone can use them, and they’re deadly to everyone. However, dark fae can use a blade again and again by replenishing its power. Light fae will only be able to use a shadow blade once as they do not possess the same magic that we do. These weapons are only used in the great war, for they bring an infinite amount of gri
ef and sorrow by keeping a part of the souls they kill. The owner of the blade will hear their final screams each time they hold the blade. They were designed that way by the shadow king, so no dark fae would take murder lightly.”
I nod and turn to stare blankly at the rows of deadly weapons. Beth comes up to me and lays a hand against my lower back, attempting to comfort me. My eyes move to the thin sword I had been holding moments ago. The screams of all the fae killed by that blade. I shudder. What a horrible constant reminder of the blood that stains your hands. Perhaps it is for the best.
A growl cuts through the somber silence, and Octavius curses under his breath. “Fire wolves.”
“Fire what?” Beth exclaims.
He shuffles us behind the first row of shelves and looks back at where the door is supposed to be, only, it’s not there anymore. It’s a blank wall now made of nothing but brick. Is this some sort of magical booby trap? My palms start to sweat at the thought of fighting off snarling wolves. And what does it mean when he says fire wolves? Surely they’re not actually on fire.
“They’re the guardians of this place. They’re trained to hunt and kill anyone who isn’t magically coded to this room.”
“Why would they attack you! You said you come in here all the time!” I shout.
“Apparently, they don’t like it that I brought you here!”
“Really?” Beth asks.
“I don’t know!” he replies harshly.
Just then, two of them come prowling around the corner, and they’re huge. They tower almost to the full height of the shelves around us, and to my horror, are made of pure fire magic. They burn brightly, often changing colors between orange, red, and yellow flames. They split up and begin searching the halls for us. Octavius turns around and looks like he’s trying to figure out a plan.
“I’ve been meaning to ask this, but where’d the door go?” Beth asks.
“It disappears when security has been breached.”
“How convenient.”
She snatches two daggers from the shelf and places another one in her belt. With reluctance, I grab the sword I had put down earlier and grip it in one hand. Octavius pulls out his broadsword from its sheath down his back. He motions for us to follow as he sprints down multiple aisles toward the other end of the room. A high pitched yowl comes from behind us, but we don’t slow down. If anything, Octavius ushers us forward faster.
“What's your plan?” I whisper.
“To get to the back of the room where there’s windows.”
“Windows? We’re nine stories into the air!”
“Well, do you have a better idea? Cuz’ that door isn’t going to magically reappear.”
I stop and grab his arm. “Maybe it will. You guys distract them.”
I run back the way I came, and Beth shouts. “Where are you going?”
As soon as my feet begin to slap the floor, I hear the wolves howl and begin their pursuit. My feet don’t falter as I swing around the corner and see the wolves behind me. One snarls, opens its mouth, and shoots a stream of fire in my direction. I dodge it by veering down a side aisle and pressing my back against the shelves. The sound of slapping paws comes closer until an explosion rocks the room back the way I came.
I peer out to the wolves splitting up, one doubling back, and the other moving slowly in my direction. My feet make little noise as I move further down the hall into the darker part of the room toward the door. I focus on my magical well and pull up water, hold spheres of it in my hands in case I need it to defend myself. No sound issues from behind me, and when I turn the corner nothings there. The only noise is the distant sound of snarls and sword strikes from Octavius’s direction. I have to get to the door now.
I inch around the shelves slowly and methodically, holding the shadow blade in one hand and a ball of sparkling water in the other. The front hall comes into view a few paces later, and my heart sinks when I find the wolf lying in front of the brick wall. The only way to open it will be to go through the beast. Summoning all of my inner courage, I step out from behind the shelves. It stands, flames flashing along its body in quick succession. The water in my palm flows onto the blade at my command so I may grip it with both hands.
The wolf paces back and forth, snarling. My limbs tremble with fear, yet I hold my ground and steady my feet, remembering what Orin taught me. There is too much at stake for me to die here. The beast moves forward, stalking toward me like I’m prey. We stare at each other for several long seconds before it lunges. It pounces over me, and I lean back impossibly far to avoid it. The body flies over me, and I can feel the warmth of fire coming close to my skin. Once the wolf passes over me, I straighten and spin around, slashing my sword forward. It nicks its flank, sending the thing yelping backward, steam coming from its right side.
This time I don’t give the wolf time to lunge, I bring the fight to him. I advance, slicing and moving quickly to avoid its snapping jaws. My blows land strike after strike, and steam continues to rise into the air. The wolf goes on the defensive, knocking my blade away each time with claws and teeth before finally getting the better of me. The beast lunges forward, striking me in the chest and forcing me to the floor. My blade spins away, out of sight.
I cry out and struggle to get out of its hold, and the paws holding my chest down burning into my skin. It snaps at my head, and I do my best to move away from it. One bite lands on my cheek, and pain sears through me, making me see stars. My elements scream at me to get ahold of myself, to calm down and make rational decisions. The beast fades into the background as I center myself, calling my power. It answers readily, jumping up to meet me, to help me.
Suddenly I open my eyes and clamp both hands down onto the beasts head, squeezing. Water and earth flow through my arms and explode into it, searing and ripping it apart from the inside out. The wolf screams, falling off of me. I lunge toward the place the door should be as my vision spirals, slapping my hands onto the concrete. All I think is open!
Instead of materializing a door, the concrete explodes outward, creating a human size hole to fit through. Just then, Octavius and Beth come hurtling around the corner, screaming for me to move, to run. My head swims as I stand, finally noticing the fire wolf that’s snapping at their heels and making them stumble. My arms rise and I shoot ice blots past them, hitting the beast in the flank, once, twice, before it falls. Octavius makes it to me and grabs my upper arm, hauling me out of the hole and down the hallway. Beth runs ahead of us using her superhuman speed to call the elevator since we’re in need of a quick escape.
The doors ding, and we tumble inside, all of us panting and bleeding from various injuries. Fiora's doors burst open as we begin our descent. Octavius pushes the button for the basement, trying to avoid the masters who are surely on their way here to investigate what happened. The doors open, and we come face to face with the Chimera. The beast seems to be familiar with him and begins bounding forward.
He wards it off. “No, Sammy, not now. We have to go.”
The beast huffs but lies down again as if it understood his words. Beth’s mouth hangs open as we sprint past it down the tunnel. I clutch both my burned chest and bloody ripped cheek. How am I going to explain this? This won’t heal by morning. That thought takes a back seat when Octavius forces us towards the woods.
“I know a place we can stay where we will be safe.”
We keep up a fast pace for several miles, all of us running solely on the adrenaline of our injuries and getting out alive. Beth keeps whooping out loud as if she’s the happiest woman in the world, and it makes me grin, which in turn makes me wince. My cheek burns with agony every time I move my facial muscles. I’m not sure that I can go on for much longer. My vision is tunneling worse and worse as we go. I’m leaning heavily on Octavius now and panting.
“How much further?”
He looks down at me with worry. “Not much farther, I promise.”
He lifts me onto his back, instructing me to wrap my arms around his
neck. I do so and slump against his back, happy just to rest. They pick up speed together, and I fall in and out of consciousness. I’m not sure how much time passes before we arrive at a cabin in the middle of the woods. Smoke puffs out of the chimney, indicating that someone’s home. The door opens, and a female almost seven feet tall frames the doorway. Her hair is snow white, and her eyes blaze a brilliant ice blue.
She shakes her head at us. “I told you not to come back here, Octavius.”
“I know Ashe, and I said I wouldn’t, but this is obviously an extenuating circumstance. Please, help us. She’s a harbored queen, just as you are.”
She narrows her eyes at me, and I give a weak wave in return. “Fine. Come in, and I’ll get the bandages.”
Octavius storms inside and lies me in front of the warming fire where two identical twins sit quietly. They’re even more stunning than their sister, yet they seem less powerful and abrasive. At least that’s my first impression. Octavius rips open the front of my shirt, and I cry out as the fabric rips away from my damaged skin. I look down at myself and make a strangled sound when I see two paw prints burned through at least three layers of skin.
“Gods,” I yell weakly.
The woman slams down on her knees next to me. “Stop moving, this is going to hurt like hell before it feels better.”
Without warning, she dumps white salve onto my chest and begins spreading it around with a smooth stick. My back bucks off of the floor as agony spreads through me like wildfire. The female doesn’t let up and continues by wrapping bandages tightly and securely around my abdomen. After that, she begins to examine my cheek and forces me to take three white pills for the pain.
“Who are you?” I ask.
She smiles. “Someone you’ll forget ever existed.”
Octavius gives her a look. “Her name is Ashe, and all you need to know is that you can’t speak of this place. Not to anyone.”
“Alright, I won’t, I promise.”
She scoffs. “Promises are weak.”
High Fae Academy - Year Two: Paranormal Fae Romance Page 10