by C. A. McHugh
“Aerrin!” Nyssa Barrach, the second person the king trusted, leaped from her chair and nearly tackled him with a fierce hug. “I missed you so much.” She lowered her voice to whisper and added, “We need to talk when you have a chance.”
Aerrin had often heard people say that Nyssa was plain with her unremarkable features and straight auburn hair that was always pulled back in a messy ponytail. She preferred to dress like a boy in rough woolen tunics and leggings. Yet when she smiled, her freckled face lit up, and he could see the inner beauty in her shining through. There was nothing artificial about her, which was one of the reasons he treasured her friendship from the day he’d been paired up with her for an alchemy project their first year. She was who she was—a tomboy from the rough mining towns of the Craigars with a sharp mind and a heart of gold—and she’d coached both him and Leandros through many a challenge over the years at the Academy.
So her request to talk instantly raised his guard. He’d done his best to keep what happened inside the inner sanctuary of the temple a secret. Only the four people who’d been there knew what really happened. If anyone asked about the cauldron ceremony, he simply replied that one of Master Binnius’s spells had misfired. But something in Nyssa’s voice made him wonder if the truth had gotten out.
Or worse, that she’d stumbled upon some evidence of the Raven Bringer while she’d been home in Highmounte.
Leandros groaned and brushed his dark blond hair out of his face. “My Lady Brain,” he said as he gave her a mocking bow, “it’s very good to see you again, too.”
Nyssa returned his sarcasm with a scowl. “I’m not even going to ask what you did this summer. Most likely you did absolutely nothing constructive and probably haven’t learned any new spells.”
“Who needs to learn any new spells? I’m a noble. I’m just here to have a bit of fun and keep an eye on my best friend.”
Aerrin had known Leandros since they were children. They shared a common bond over the losses they’d suffered before they could even remember. Even though Leandros’s father had been a minor noble in Akershire, he’d been one of the generals of the Royal Army. And like Aerrin’s father, he’d perished at the hand of the Raven Bringer. Leandros had been raised by his widowed mother and older brothers, but from the moment the two boys met in Dromore ten years ago, they’d become fast friends.
If anyone would be his ally against the Raven Bringer, it would be Leandros and Nyssa.
Leandros jerked his head to the other side of the room in an attempt to steer him in the opposite direction of her, but Aerrin halted him.
“Just a moment.” He pulled Nyssa off to a quiet corner, away from the hustle and bustle of students greeting each other after the long summer break. “What do you want to talk about?”
Her gaze drifted to the center of the room, and uncertainty tugged at the corners of her mouth. “Do you mind coming up to my room? There are some things I need to show you.”
Aerrin weighed the consequences of her request. The strict rules of the Academy forbade members of the opposite sex from entering bedrooms—not that the older students really adhered to the rules. He was more worried about the potential damage going to her room might bring to Nyssa’s reputation. The last thing he wanted was for her to be caught in the swirl of romantic rumors that followed any girl he talked to. However, everyone knew they were just friends, so he decided the risk to her was minimal.
But it wouldn’t hurt to bring along a little extra insurance. “Leandros,” he called, beckoning his friend to join them.
Nyssa’s mouth scrunched up into a scowl. “Why are you bothering with him?”
“Do you want everyone to gossip about me being alone with you in your room?”
The scowl gave way to a blush of embarrassment, and she shook her head. “I didn’t think about that, but let’s go before we lose our chance.”
She scurried ahead of them, checking around corners to make sure the path was clear before motioning for them to follow her. Once they were in her room, she closed the door with swift silence, secured the locks, and said, “This is what I wanted to show you.”
She pointed to the trunk and other personal items near the bed on the opposite side of the room.
“Your big secret is that you have a roommate?” Leandros asked dryly.
“Not just any roommate—the new girl.”
Leandros’s eyes widened. “She’s living here?”
Nyssa nodded, a smile absent from her face. “And she’s… odd.”
This conflicted with what Aerrin had heard so far from his other best friend. “How so?”
“Just take a look at her things.”
Aerrin crossed the room and reached out to run his hand over the finely tooled leather on the trunk. Letter-like symbols were etched in the lid. He had never seen their equal before. It was strange and foreign, yet it fascinated him.
His fingers were inches from the trunk when a loud hiss came from under the bed. A second later, a creature leapt onto the trunk.
Aerrin jumped back with a yelp. After his run-in with the demon assassin, he’d turned hyper-vigilant for anything that sprang at him from the dark. He barely restrained the instinct to hurl a spell like he’d done with Raimel.
Once his heartbeat slowed, he realized this wasn’t some evil creature sent to torment him. It was just a solid black cat with a sleek coat and large, unwavering green eyes. Still, the way it was watching them was unnerving. The cat sat there, its head cocked slightly to one side, and stared at them in challenge.
“Whoa! Cool cat.” Leandros crept closer to it with one hand extended. “Here, kitty, kitty.”
The cat flattened its ears back and narrowed its eyes.
“I don’t think it likes you,” Nyssa cautioned.
Leandros halted, and the cat’s ears perked back up. The staring match continued for another ten seconds before the cat rose to its feet. With one large yawn, it stretched and jumped off the trunk. The locked door opened as though controlled by an invisible hand and returned to its secured state once the cat slipped into the hallway.
Definitely not a normal cat. Aerrin would almost suspect it of being a familiar, except that was forbidden according the rules of the Academy. Considering Master Binnius’s assurances that he was keeping the students safe, he doubted the headmaster would allow one inside the walls.
“Well, fine. I didn’t want to pet you anyway.” Leandros plopped down on the Nyssa’s bed with a humph and crossed his arms. “So, she has a cat. Big deal.”
Aerrin scanned the room for any other clues about the new girl. A few dresses hung in the open wardrobe in the corner. He could tell they were expensively made and a stark contrast to the roughly woven wool of Nyssa’s clothes. This new girl was probably the daughter of some noble who had been privately tutored or something before coming here. It wasn’t that uncommon, and it might explain how she’d achieved the status of a fifth-year student upon arriving at the Academy.
“What else can you tell me about her?” he asked.
“I told you. She’s odd.”
“Define odd.” He drew in a breath and prayed he wouldn’t hear about someone who toyed with dark magic.
Nyssa seemed to be thinking. “I don’t think I’ve ever come across someone like her before. It’s hard to explain, Aerrin, but she’s different.”
“I heard she’s beautiful,” Leandros countered. “Jealous?”
Nyssa shoved him in the chest. “Hardly.”
Aerrin frowned. He hoped the new girl wouldn’t belittle his friend. Nyssa had already borne her fair share of teasing over the years from some of the nobles. If this new girl said one thing to upset her, he’d gladly flex his royal muscle and intervene. “Is she arrogant? Conceited?”
“No, not at all, and that only adds to her strangeness. I only ran into her for maybe a minute this morning, but she was beyond pleasant. She treated me like an equal, which no one of her status has ever done before.” She gave him an apologetic smile. �
��Sorry. Well, except you, Aerrin.”
“No offense taken. Anything else?”
“Yes. Master Binnius pulled me into his office as soon as I arrived to ask that I make her feel welcome here.”
“Why would he do that?”
“Your guess is as good as mine. He said that she’d been mainly home-schooled and could use a few friends. But I mean, from what I’ve seen, she’s made quite an impression on her own. Why he made her my roommate is beyond me. We have absolutely nothing in common.”
Aerrin ran his fingers through his hair and studied the writing on the trunk once more. “Any idea what this might say?”
Nyssa shook her head, knocking loose a few wispy strands from her ponytail. “It’s old, though. You can smell the age on it.”
He inhaled the musty scent of the leather. Underneath the notes of dust and stain, he caught a hint of magic. Just like the unfamiliar writing, this magic seemed strange and foreign to him, and his guard went up. He backed away. Between the cat and the trunk, something was definitely off about this girl. “I think we might need to be careful about her.”
“Why?” Nyssa fixed her sharp gaze on him. One look told him she already knew he was ill at ease, and she wouldn’t let him go until she found the cause of it.
One more reason he treasured her as a friend.
He checked again to make sure the door was locked. He felt obligated to let his best friends know what had happened over the summer. He would just leave out a few details, like the fact that the Raven Bringer was back and that one of the men who’d saved his life was the same man accused of killing his parents years ago. As much as he hated people withholding information from him, he understood that sometimes it was done with the best intentions.
“Sorry, but I’m on edge these days after someone tried to kill me.”
“What?” both of his friends asked in unison.
“It’s something we’re trying to keep quiet, so please, don’t let word get out about it. But I’m sure you heard about my little mishap during the cauldron lighting ceremony.”
Nyssa’s shook her head in puzzlement, but Leandros nodded. “I heard you choked and Master Binnius had to bail you out.”
If only it had been that way. Aerrin provided a streamlined version of events.
“Who was the attacker?” Nyssa watched him with concern.
“No idea.” A lie, but one to protect his friends until he trusted they could handle the truth. “And he died before we could get any answers from him.”
Leandros rose from Nyssa’s bed and curled his hands into fists as though he was preparing to punch the living daylights out of someone. “Any other attempts since then?”
Aerrin shook his head. “But it doesn’t change the fact that someone tried to kill me and they came very close to succeeding. So if I’m a little paranoid—”
“It’s well deserved.” Nyssa wrapped her arms around him one more time, but this hug was less fierce than its predecessor. When she pulled back, her gaze flicked to her new roommate’s things. “All the more reason to be on guard when it comes to strangers.”
“I don’t see why,” Leandros said. “Your roommate’s no threat, unless you count the fact that she’s supposedly hot and king-boy here might choke when he’s around her.” He threw his arm around Aerrin’s neck in a headlock and rubbed his knuckles into the top of his head. “Just like he did around Lady Marin.”
Aerrin broke free and pushed his friend back. “I did not choke around her.”
“You totally choked,” Leandros teased. “I’ve never heard you repeat the same word so many times. Uh-uh-uh…” He stuttered it over and over in a revival of the awkward moment.
Nyssa smacked him in the center of his chest. “Can you try to be serious for once? He could’ve been killed a few weeks ago.” She turned back to Aerrin. “What can I do to help?”
“Let me know if you see anything suspicious. And—”
The words died in his mouth as the door opened with a loud creak.
“Hello,” a soft voice with a hint of lilting accent said from the doorway, “You must be Nyssa’s friends.”
Aerrin’s jaw dropped, but he didn’t care that he was making a fool of himself in front of everyone. She had to be one of the most beautiful girls he had ever seen. Well, maybe not beautiful in a classical sense, but she had an almost ethereal quality about her. Her glossy blue-black hair fell in perfect waves past her shoulders, framing a face with high cheekbones and flawless skin. Thick dark lashes framed a pair of almost unnaturally large emerald-colored eyes that danced with amusement. Her full lips curled into an equally amused smile as she studied them.
And lying in the girl’s arms was that strange cat.
“I’m Seroney.” She walked past them and gave the cat a quick cuddle before placing it on the bed. “And this is Bhasha. I hope you don’t mind cats.”
The raised-brow look of annoyance told him Nyssa wasn’t ready to welcome either of the newcomers into her room.
Aerrin moved closer to his friends, thankful for every step of distance he placed between himself and the new girl. The nervous swirl inside his gut had nothing to do with working up the courage to talk to a pretty girl. Seroney had the exact same color eyes as her cat, and both sets were watching his every move.
Nyssa finally stuttered a reply. “Um, no, I don’t mind cats, really. It’s just… um… well, your cat is a bit unusual.”
Not to mention its owner.
Seroney smiled and scratched the cat’s head, while it purred loudly with contentment. “Bhasha’s a sweetheart once you get to know her. And very clever.”
Something flashed in the cat’s eyes, and Aerrin took another step back. There was such a thing as cat that was too clever.
And in light of recent events, he needed to be suspect of anything unusual.
A wordless conversation seemed to pass between the cat and its owner, and then Seroney moved closer. “I thought boys weren’t allowed in girls’ rooms.”
“Yeah, the rules say that,” Leandros replied with a casual shrug, followed by the grin he used when he wanted to flirt. “But if you don’t mind, I don’t mind.”
“Such a rule breaker.” She laughed, and Aerrin saw why so many of the guys were talking about her. She apparently knew how to wrap males around her little finger with just a smile, even though nothing in her manner indicated that she was remotely interested in Leandros. She almost treated him like a younger brother.
“Just remember,” she added, “there are always ways around rules. You just have to decide whether or not you want something bad enough to bend them.”
“Breaking a rule is breaking a rule, no matter how you try to paint it.” A hostile note edged into Nyssa’s voice as she watched the way Leandros stared at her new roommate.
Seroney seemed oblivious. “You don’t have to sound so harsh, Nyssa. After all, you were the one who broke the rules by inviting your friends into our room, not me. I was merely trying to reassure you that I’m not by any means a snitch. Your secret is safe with me.”
The slow twitch of the cat’s tail indicated Bhasha wouldn’t be as accommodating to visitors. The cat lorded over the bed, as though it were her own private domain and she would defend it against invaders.
Seroney flashed her smile at Aerrin. “I don’t think I caught your names.”
“That’s because we didn’t give them,” he replied through almost clenched teeth. Something in the back of his mind screamed that this new girl had an agenda, and the less tangled up in it he got, the better.
Too bad Leandros didn’t share his sentiment. His best friend bowed with a flourish before extending his hand to her. “I’m Lord Leandros Vergail. My older brother is the Earl of Lockenshire.”
Nyssa gave an ungracious snort at the use of the title. It was almost as worthless as a puff of smoke since Leandros had three older brothers between him and the possibility of his ever being an earl.
But Seroney gave him her hand, and he brou
ght it up to his lips. “And it is definitely a pleasure to meet you,” he continued with a grin before releasing her hand.
Of course, that meant her attention focused on Aerrin next, and she waited with an almost impatient expectance for him to give her his name. Part of him wanted to leave without doing so. After all, he was the king. Everyone should know who he was. And if they didn’t, then they weren’t a loyal subject. But as soon as the thought entered his head, he could hear the Lord Chamberlain lecturing him for being rude. “I’m Aerrin,” he said in a blunt manner that allowed no room for further discourse.
Her eyes widened, but her surprise seemed artificial. It was too poised, too practiced, too perfectly played out. “Aerrin? As in the king?”
“No, as in the beggar under the bridge.” He turned to his friends. “Let’s go.”
Panic flashed across her face, confirming his suspicions. Whoever this new girl was, she was up to something, and he was willing to bet he was part of her plan. She lowered into a curtsey, her head bowed. “I apologize if I’ve offended you, Your Majesty.”
“I’m not the king here. I’m just another student, and you’d be wise to remember that.” He grabbed Leandros by the collar, ignoring the way his friend continued to flirt with Seroney, and pulled him into the hallway. Nyssa followed behind them and slammed the door shut with enough force to hint they did not want to be followed.
“Hey, what’s up with you?” Leandros wrestled himself free from Aerrin and smoothed out his clothes. “Jealous that I was making all the right moves with probably the most beautiful girl in the Academy?”
Nyssa gave him another snort. “Oh, please. You’re just grateful any female would give you the time of day.”
“She wasn’t just any female.”
“You’re right,” Aerrin conceded, continuing down the hallway and not bothering to look back to see if his friends followed. “She’s… different.”