by Kenna Bardot
“Let’s just go,” Emerson sighed sympathetically, brushing a strand of hair behind my ear.
“Oh, Emerson, you don’t need to go if you don’t want. I’d hate to ruin the night for you,” I murmured it as I watched the people who were moving under the bright lights.
My vision blurred, my thoughts ran away from me as my head swam.
“Precious Kai, your heart’s not in it.” He gave my hand a squeeze.
I squeezed back. “I’m thirsty.”
He threw me a concerned glance, and I smiled. He nodded in response. “Ok then. I’ll get you a drink.”
I stood on my toes and gave him a teasing kiss on the chin. “Thanks, darling.”
He moved off, and I started moving in the opposite direction. A part of me wanted to get lost in the crowd, hoping that if I did, I would not be too confronted by who was missing from it.
“Kai!” Mar shouted as she barrelled towards me in a short black dress and sky-high heels. Her long legs were on full display and she had more than half her hair combed and piled high on one side.
“Nice party,” she told me the moment she reached me. “Lots of booze and good music. Plus mostly interesting people.”
“Why do Inks come to this anyway?” I said it in jest, bumping my hips against her as best as I could - she was pretty tall - so I might have just hit her shin for all I knew.
“Free booze and music, what else? Besides, we have our own shit on this day. Not a fighting thing like you crazy Airs, but we do have an exam that’s rather brutal.” She took a swig from her cup and swung an arm around my shoulders.
“Oh. And you figure to crash our party after?” I laughed, enjoying her company.
“There’s that.” She tilted her head. “I love this song! Let’s dance.”
I shook my head and took a step back. “Oh, no! No way. You go ahead.”
“Fine,” she huffed out and clacked away. “See you around, Kai.”
I chuckled to myself and swung around and directly into Emers who was holding two cups of liquor. He staggered back a step and held them out.
“Woah. Might spill.”
I cocked my head at him. I’d walked off the moment he’d left me but he’d found me. Somehow, he always found me.
“Hey. You brought me a drink.”
His smile didn’t dim, but he did cock an eyebrow at me. “You said you were thirsty.”
I took the cup he handed to me and took a sip. “So I am. Thanks, darling.”
“So?”
I kept drinking. “So what?”
“Are we just standing here in the middle of the party. Maybe we should just go?” He rubbed a hand up and down my arm.
“Do you mind if I meet you in the room? I see Otto.” I gave a nod of my head to the other side of the room where Otto was surrounded by friends and somehow still removed from all of them.
He sighed. “Of course not, Precious,” he agreed, pressing a kiss to my lips and making his way to dump his cup in the garbage. I lost sight of him, making my way over to Otto timidly.
I swallowed my nerves, along with another sip of Snakeberry liquor, and tapped him on the shoulder to get his attention.
“Kaia,” he sighed my name like a relief, giving me a pained smile as his eyes met mine.
“I just-I’m sorry,” I fumbled. “I wanted to check on you. That’s all.” His face pinched, showing a brief moment of overwhelming grief.
I stared up at him, taking in the dark circles under his eyes and increased sharpness to his cheekbones. Reaching out a hand, he took my wrist gently and tugged until I hit his chest. He hugged me to him, his grip tight, and curled his head into me so his chin rested on the top of my head.
“You loved her,” I whispered into his shirt, sniffling to resist the tears.
“I did,” he agreed on a whisper. “So did you.” My bottom lip trembled. “How are you holding up?”
“I-it wasn’t good, for a while there. But I’m sleeping and eating again. You should see the Fire Mages, they have a potion that will give you dreamless sleep. It helps,” I said, pulling back to look at those sunken eyes of his.
“Maybe I’ll do that.” He gave me a small, bittersweet smile. “I don’t know yet if I want the dreams to stop. They’re the only place I see her.”
My heart broke at that truth. “You need to sleep, Otto, and get actual rest when you do. Hopefully there will come a time for both of us where we can see her in our dreams and not break, but that time isn’t now. Not for me, at least. And I doubt that she wants us to suffer this way.”
He nodded, pulling back further and casting eyes to the people surrounding us and subtly watching. “You let me know if you need anything, you hear?”
I smiled, giving him a nod even as I glanced at the people watching. “I’m sorry. The place will probably run rampant with rumors of me inviting you to my bed now.”
“There would be worse things, Kaia,” he teased. “Lottie thought the world of you. Being associated with someone she loved won’t hurt me. Though, I could do without actually joining your bed. That would be unappealing for both of us, I imagine.”
I laughed with a nod. “It would.”
“Good,” he agreed. “I meant it when I said you come to me for anything. Even if you only need to talk. Lottie would love it if we took care of each other.”
“Same, Otto,” I murmured, pressing a kiss to his cheek and backing away with a bittersweet sense of companionship beating in my chest. As I turned away to leave the party, Cel’s eyes met mine, and I gave him a small smile.
He slinked my way and I stopped, allowing him to reach me. “Hi.”
“Hello, Little One.” He looked beyond my shoulder and crossed his arms over his chest.
“Emerson’s not here,” I told him softly, guessing what occupied his thoughts.
“You seem to have a knack for losing him.”
I chuckled and shook my head. “This seems like it but this time I did tell him I would meet him in the room.”
“So he agreed to leave you alone?”
“I’m a big girl, Marcellus. But thanks for the misplaced concern.” I smiled at him and walked off.
The halls were empty.
Though it wasn’t late, a huge chunk of the students were partying their hearts out after a successful Tumult, because really from what I’d seen, no one missed the party portion - not even the Inks and they weren’t even in the Tumult. Walking alone didn’t hold the same comfort it usually did and, a glance over my shoulder here and there doing nothing to alleviate my paranoia.
I was alone. Well and truly alone like I’d been so many times at far later times of night. I shrugged it off, knowing it was likely to be a delayed adrenaline crash from the Tumult.
I stood at the top of the stairs when it happened - my paranoia still seizing my heart in my chest as I grabbed the railing in my hand. The sudden gust of air came out of nowhere in the closed hallway, catching the back of my knees until I crumpled. A shove to my shoulder that felt terrifyingly hand-like sent me spiraling forward.
I tumbled.
Down.
And down.
My body thudded against each step as I rolled - the hard edges of the step banging against my spine. I tried to catch myself with a groan, but only managed to whimper when my wrist snapped beneath the force of the fall. The stairway curved, and I hit the landing and managed to stop myself with a groan as I crashed into the wall.
Gasping for air, I lifted my head and fought to get my knees underneath me. Another burst of air hit me, and I careened down the rest of the stairs on a scream. The new angle was worse, instead of rolling down sideways I went headfirst, the back of my head cracking on every few steps until I hit the bottom with a horrible, resounding crack. My back was to the steps, sprawled out so that all the blood rushed to my head on the bottom.
Everything hurt. To the point that I couldn’t identify what was injured.
Everything.
My head fell to the side, wetne
ss seeping along the back of my neck and dampening the back of my dress. I sobbed brokenly, feeling my eyes get heavier. I tried to stand but couldn’t.
I was so exhausted.
Just a brief rest. I let my eyes drift close.
But they didn’t open.
Eleven
Cel
I waited precisely twelve minutes, twenty-five seconds before I decided the party just wasn’t holding my attention any longer. My thoughts were far too occupied by Kaia leaving the party alone. Big girl or not, I felt a little uneasy with her walking around by herself at that time of night. That and I had given Vali my word that I would watch out for her.
Wella sauntered up to me with swinging hips, but I just ignored her and stalked out. I looked left then right, noting the empty halls. A cold draft hit me before the clamor of stomping feet sounded from the direction of the main stairs. I rushed over.
Even from the top of the stairs, I could make out Emerson’s bright red hair as he bent over something by the bottom step. I whispered his name softly, but he didn’t hear me.
I walked down as quickly as I could, skipping steps as I went.
“Emerson,” I called out. “What’s goi -” I stopped mid-sentence when my eyes landed on the crumpled body on the main floor landing. “Is that Kaia?”
He turned tear-soaked, panic-filled eyes on me. “Yes. I felt uneasy leaving her alone so I went out to look for her.”
“We have to take her to the Infirmary.” I struggled to keep calm and failed.
Emerson nodded. “Of course.” I saw his hands shake and reached out to steady them.
“Use your Air.” I pulled deep inside me for that bright spark that meant I could see and feel another Air Mage’s Air.
Emerson’s hands steadied and a bright swirl of red wrapped around Kaia and lifted her gently.
I used my own Air to wrap around her, and we walked as quickly as we could to the Infirmary without bringing her any more harm.
Thankfully, we didn’t run into anything or anyone. I ran up to open the door to the ward and shouted, “Help! Please, she’s been injured.”
Healer Sylvia came rushing out, straightening her uniform.
“What’s wrong?” She walked over quickly and gestured us towards one of the beds, swinging the curtain open.
Emerson lowered her, and I pulled back my push on his Air.
Sylvia turned towards us even as she briskly ran hands alight with blue fire over Kaia.
“Tell me what happened,” she ordered sternly.
Emerson’s breath hitched but he spoke in a steady voice. “I think she fell down the stairs. I went out to find her and found her crumpled at the base.”
Sylvia nodded. “Ok. We can only count ourselves lucky that the healers from earlier have not left after the Tumult.” She held her right hand to her face where a small blue flame danced, which she spoke to before throwing it over her shoulder.
I looked down at Kaia, as she was wrapped up in blue light even as Healer Sylvia bustled off to a big cabinet which I knew housed potions and elixirs. A door from down the hall burst open and two other healers came rushing out.
“Healer Sylvia,” the taller one said in a clipped voice.
“Several broken bones, numerous lacerations, internal bleeding... Gentlemen,” she turned annoyed brown eyes at us. “Only one can stay. Just to watch and outside the curtain. Miss Shaw will not wake for a while at the very least.”
We backed away, and Emerson turned to me. “Can you watch over her? I need to tell them.”
I reached up to squeeze his shoulder and ran a hand over his jaw. “Go.”
He ran off as quickly as he could, and I turned towards the opening in the curtain where I could see the Little One’s prone and broken body.
My heart would break if she wasn’t fixed.
I urged her to fight. I prayed to Zeevar not to take her.
After all, I’d only just found her.
Losing her so quickly would break me.
✽✽✽
Gale
Bang. Bang. Bang.
“GALE!” Emerson’s panic-stricken voice shouted on the other side of the door. I jumped from the bed, hauling ass to the door to unlock it and pull it open. Emerson shoved his way into the room, eyes wide as he stared at me. “You have to get a message to the others.”
“What happened?” I demanded. I’d visited Kaia in the privacy of her room after the Tumult. She’d been fine, for Zeevar’s sake.
“I don’t know!” he snapped. “I found her, crumpled at the bottom of the main stairs.”
“Crumpled how?” I demanded, grabbing a pair of slacks from my dresser.
“She must have fallen down the entire flight of stairs, Gale,” Emerson’s voice broke. “It’s, Gods, it’s bad.”
I turned to him, staring at the fear in his sea green eyes. Emerson wasn’t easily ruffled, not like Ronan when it came to fussing over Kaia’s every injury. For him to say it was bad…. “Where is she now?”
“The infirmary. There are several Fire Mages working on her, but they said it will be a while before she wakes up. Cel was there, and he helped me bring her to the Infirmary so I left him to watch her so I could tell you.”
I swallowed my concern, nodding at him in understanding as I tugged a shirt on over my head and stepped into my boots.
“I’ll go to the Air Spire. You go and be with Kaia. I don’t doubt Mr. Castelo’s good intentions, but it’s best that one of us be there for her, just in case something happens and she wakes up sooner than they expect.”
Emerson nodded, though he stepped into my arms to hug me to him tightly.
“She’ll be okay. The Fire Mages will take good care of her. They’re the best, and they’re used to horrible injuries,” I reassured him even as I fought back the panic that was lodged at the back of my throat.
“You didn’t see her,” he whispered back to me, burying his face in my chest. I allowed it, even though I was straining to notify Alec Gaius and Ronan. I knew whatever he’d seen had shaken him badly as he physically trembled in my hold.
“There was so much blood. She must have cracked her head open. Her entire body looked like a bruised, broken doll.”
“How long was she there?” I shrugged on my long, leather coat before grabbing Emerson by the arms again.
“I don’t know. She wanted to stay behind and talk to Otto. I’ll have to ask him how long they talked before she left. She was supposed to meet me at the room. I wanted to give her plenty of time to talk to him; I thought it might do her some good. Shit, I should have waited for her. What if she was laying there unconscious that entire time?”
“It doesn’t matter. She’ll be fine, that’s the important thing.”
“Gods, Ronan-“
“He’s going to kill us, yes. But he’s going to have to learn that he can’t control everything.” I nodded with a wince. Alec Gaius and Ronan had trusted us to keep our Thief safe, and they would not be pleased to hear how spectacularly we’d failed.
“I need to go tell them. They’ll want to be here to see to her when she wakes up.”
Emerson nodded and stepped back, steeling himself and standing taller once his moment of comfort passed. “See you soon,” he said absentmindedly, turning and striding out the door with purpose. I followed immediately after him, leaving the door to my room unlocked, my coat swishing behind me. I ran up to the Air Spire, going up to the second floor of the tower and towards the farthest room. I grabbed a piece of parchment from the shelf and scribbled my message onto it and very clearly listed Alec Gaius and Ronan as recipients.
I held out my right hand and created a perfect sphere - not one of my best skills - and allowed the scroll to be enclosed in it. I walked over and placed the orb into the Air Channel. The unique construction was made entirely of Air, forming an invisible barrier in a tunnel-like shape. A blast of Air from my Conduit sent the Orb spiraling down the tunnel, and I kept pushing until long after I lost sight of it.
One minute.
Two minutes.
When I was sure the message had reached Headquarters, I turned back to the Mage responsible for monitoring the Channels for the night, and gave him a grim nod. Then I turned back to the main part of the Academy, and hurried along to see my to my injured thief.
✽✽✽
Emerson
I walked hurriedly into the ward, nodding grimly at Healer Sylvia who was hauling potions and elixirs towards the bed where Precious Kai was still being healed.
She stepped inside the curtains as I headed towards Cel, who was looking towards the bed grimly, arms crossed over his chest. He turned the moment I was in his space, seemingly feeling my presence.
“How is she?” I asked him, worry coloring my voice.
He sighed, “They’ve been healing her, but she hasn’t reacted or anything. They don’t tell me much.”
I nodded and turned my gaze towards Kai. I felt the color drain from my face - she looked worse than I had originally thought. They’d snipped part of her dress off to reach more of her body, and it was not a pretty picture.
“Zeevar, they can’t see this.”
Cel’s head snapped towards me. “Have you contacted them?”
I opened my mouth and nearly blurted out the truth about Gale, but caught myself in time and hummed instead. “Yes.”
“Good, she’ll need it.” He grabbed my hand and held it to his cheek briefly. “Take care of her. I have somewhere I need to be.”
My brow furrowed, annoyance making me harden my features before I remembered Cel didn’t owe me anything anymore. I’d chosen Kaia and the others, even though it meant losing him. “Okay,” I mumbled, and I listened to the sound of his footsteps echoing in the hard stone floor as he walked away. I stared at my Precious Kai and watched as the Fire Mages worked their blue flames and magic around her.
She was strong, she was precious.