InkBorn (InkHaven Academy Book 2)

by Kenna Bardot

  “This is David,” she said, gesturing to the man who stood by the foot of the stairs. “He leads the perimeter guard her.”

  He was a tall man with intimidating bright blue eyes. “Welcome to the Air Temple.”

  I smiled as some of my classmates greeted him back.

  Docent Ho just spun around to indicate the Temple. “That’s the Temple. You have 30 minutes to walk around. The Air Mages know you’re here so you can ask them questions. Also, additionally, you’ve seen that we have a Security escort here so take note of that as well. Should you have any questions, you may ask.”

  My entire class dispersed quickly but I stood there, letting the biting cold wake me up.

  “Miss Shaw?” Docent Ho spoke up, addressing me and I opened the eyes I had closed against the cold. Upon looking around, I noted that no one was left but me, Docent Ho and David, who took that moment to grunt at Docent Ho and walk off to complete his duties.

  “Yes, Docent Ho?” I smiled at her. Of all the other Docents, she was my favorite. Besides Gale, of course.

  “Aren’t you cold.”

  “It feels like freedom here. I’d like to savour it for a bit.” I smiled at her sheepishly, a little taken aback by how easily I revealed things to her.

  “Yes, of course. It can be a bit tiring in the Academy.” She smiled and gestured me to approach and I did. Wrapping my coat more tightly around myself, we started walking around the perimeter of the Air Temple. I realized that I wanted to see it in spring. In summer. In fall. That, and I wanted to see all the other Temples. There was such a calmness to the whole thing intermingling with the gravity and import of what they were doing.

  “I understand, of course. We’ve kept you stuck in Order premises. You, more than most would feel the loss of freedom keenly. How has it been?”

  “Fast and impossible, at times. Lovely and comforting, at others. Sometimes, I still question my being here. My being reborn into the Order.”

  She smiled. “Perhaps it is a peculiar thing. Certainly unorthodox. But no one can deny you belong. You’ve definitely proven yourself. And now, a new challenge! Figuring out which sect you want to be in.”

  I nodded, thoughtful. “It’s a difficult decision. Security interests me and I thought it wouldn’t be something I could do.”

  She gave me a curious smile. “Oh? And why is that? Did you think all members of Security have to be big, hulking men like your Mr. Daniels?”

  I shot her a sheepish smile. “Yes?”

  “Understandable. But a mistaken conclusion.”

  “Yes, I see that now.”

  “You can do anything you put your mind to, Miss Shaw. I can take all these men and then some and not break a sweat.”

  I laughed, wanting desperately to hug her.

  Zeevar, I really did want to be like her when I grew up.

  ✽✽✽

  “Thanks, Marcus!” I piped up as he set down a big mug of coffee in front of me and a cup and teapot in front of Mar. He pushed a plate loaded with cookies our way.

  Mar, who had leapt at the plate barely after it touched the table had already taken a huge bite out of one. She hummed contentedly, mouth full.

  Marcus gave us a wide grin. “Eat plenty, Pint-sized and pretty Mar. There’s plenty more where that came from.” He stepped farther into the kitchen to give us privacy.

  I blew on the hot coffee before taking a tentative sip. “Question: With the relationship you had or the one you have now, did you ever find that you didn’t want sex for whatever reason?” I asked even as Mar poured herself some tea, which she laced liberally with milk.

  “Here and there, of course. Why?” she asked, stirring the tea with a quiet clink of metal against ceramic.

  “It’s been some time since I had sex,” I admitted. “Of any kind. I’m just not interested, and I worry that Emerson and-“ I broke off with a wince. “That Emerson isn’t getting what he needs. The others on the outside have each other, but it’s just the two of us here,” I lied. The reality was I knew Emerson and Gale weren’t having sex either, as they’d need to use my rooms for privacy, and I was always in them at night, having given up my night walks since I’d taken a tumble down the stairs. There were nights that I was sorely tempted, though, having returned to not sleeping well since the Oxygen Deprivation. Lottie once again weighed too heavily on my mind.

  “Emerson understands, Kaia,” she murmured warmly. “You’re grieving. No one can fault you after these couple of months. What with losing Lottie and then your father. I’m honestly surprised you’ve had sex at all.”

  I shrugged. “Once it gets started, it’s nice to feel, you know? It makes me forget for a while, but initiating has never been my thing, and Emerson isn’t the type to push at a time like this.” I sighed and ran a finger around the rim of my coffee mug. “I’ve been thinking of her a lot again.”

  “I thought you were getting better.” Mar reached out to grab my hand, and I squeezed it back.

  “I was, but we had the trial. We were blindfolded, and I swear I saw her every time I closed my eyes. I still medicate at night, to not dream. So closing my eyes when I was awake, she was just there.” My hands trembled as I tried to take another sip of my sweet coffee.

  “I suppose that’s how it is. We can’t expect to just forget and move on. Some days are bound to be worse than others.”

  I sat back and closed my eyes, suddenly exhausted. “I know. I just want it to be over.” I rubbed a hand over my face and opened my eyes. Mar stared straight at me, worry etched into her pretty face.

  “Also, we recently had that scene with Pia Ramos in the library and it’s been weighing heavily. Look, I know she was saying the shit she said to hurt me. But, Gods, she hit me hard, Mar. So fucking hard.”

  Mar visibly bristled at the mention of Pia. “Oh, yeah. Otto mentioned that. Let me tell you, he was spitting nails, he was so angry. Although to be honest, it was good to see him that way. He’s been so lost and just vacant some days, anger was a welcome change. That doesn’t mean Pia Ramos’ black soul shouldn’t be forever stuck in the Waiting Lands. But, hey.” She shrugged as I laughed at the image she put in my head.

  “That she does deserve. So much. Otto gave me Lottie’s fan.” I thought of it. I’d put it next to Lottie’s other things in the room. I hadn’t touched or looked at it since that day though.

  “Oh?” Mar’s lips pursed as she regarded me. “That I didn’t know. That’s a big step for Otto-man.”

  “Otto-man?” I asked on a laugh.

  “Sure. It’s what I call him. He’s just so square. You know?” Mar tossed her short red hair behind her, drawing a square in the air with her fingers.

  “Sure, Mar. Sure.” I didn’t, really, but it seemed funny. Who knew what was in Marisole Chesson’s brain? “Anyway, don’t you have any female Ink friends?”

  Mar shrugged. “I did, but she graduated last year. We were roomies. Hey, if you get tired of having a man in your room, you can bunk with me.”

  “Okay, I’ll keep it in mind. On the subject of bedrooms, can we go back to the subject of sex?”

  “Of course.” She grinned at me, all bubbles and inquisitive mind before shooting me an affronted look. “As long as it’s not sex with you. I don’t swing that way, Kaia. Much as you’re adorable.”

  “Damn it,” I said dryly. “But, no, seriously, does it ever plateau?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “The sex,” I whispered. “We’ve been together for a year now, well some of us at least, though we’ve added more men in that time. It seems like they’re constantly pushing me, getting more adventurous and more comfortable in their sexuality with me. Like they know I’m not going to judge them for the things they do to me and to each other. Does that stop? Because I’m not sure how much more adventurous I can handle.” I chuckled at the amused grin on her face as she broke into laughter.

  “I mean, that’s hard to answer not knowing what you all have done, exactly,” she admitted. “But
I’m sure you have boundaries in mind, and the guys won’t push them if they love you the way I think they do.” She glanced up at me. “Do you have trouble keeping up with them?”

  I blushed as I remembered when we’d been in the AirQuarters. “I- well it isn’t often that we’re all together now, but I didn’t this summer. I had one less man then admittedly, but they do enjoy each other too. I still feel like I’m the catalyst at the center of it all, but they never make me take more than three of them in one go.”

  She eyed me curiously, wheels turning. “Didn’t you only have three men over the summer, Kaia?”

  I snapped my mouth shut, but she bit in. “There’s another one, isn’t there?” she whispered excitedly. “Who?”

  “He’s a Mage,” I admitted. “But no one can know.”

  “Kaia Wren?” She raised a perfectly-sculpted eyebrow at me.

  “Yes?”

  “We’re all fucking Mages. That doesn’t really help much. Whatever, I’ll call it the unknown dick. So five men, huh? Five is a lot, yes. I imagine you’re using everything you have to work with?” She gave me a pointed look.

  Slapping her arm with my right hand, I laughed harshly. “Yes, you pervert.”

  “Okay good. Because you need to make sure you’re being wholly open.”

  I cringed. “Your worse than Lot ever was. Can we change the topic?”

  She rolled her eyes but her inquisitive eyes stared at my whip intently. “Ok. So, not to give you whiplash,” she said and raised her eyebrows at her pun. I giggled, pressing my face into her shoulder as her hand hovered over my whip. “But do you remember when your young death should have been?”

  I tilted my head to her curiously, rambling the date from memory. It was a little more than fifteen years ago, but I would never forget it. “Why?”

  “I mentioned this to you when we first met, but I wrote your name on that scroll when I was doing a shadowing I technically shouldn’t have been doing. Anyway, that’s not important. What is important is how I felt when I did it. Something felt wrong with it, but I just shrugged it off and thought it all had to do with my still being a trainee and actually forcing myself to a shadow when I was just an incoming Ink Disc. In fact, it was hinted very strongly the whole of last year that maybe I shouldn’t follow the writing path. I didn’t listen to them, of course, because I was determined. So I chose it and redeclared it at the start of this year. But you are still a very big conundrum, Kaia Wren. A very big one.”

  Her words struck me as dangerous. “What are you trying to say, Marisole? You do know that the Headmaster says the same thing, right?”

  “I’m not surprised. If I can see it then he surely does. He’s an Ink so he sees balance. We’re all trained to do so. Your whip is no ordinary weapon, is it? It’s a Conduit, isn’t it? Somehow, you have a second Conduit, which just punctuates how I felt as I was writing your rebirth scroll. I think someone made a mistake somewhere. I feel like your rebirth was incorrectly tagged or something.”

  “What do you mean?” I asked even as I felt my entire body tense and a chill pass over me.

  “I don’t know yet, but I’m going to find out. Do you trust me?”

  “I,” I hesitated. “Yes. Yes I trust you, Mar.”

  She smiled at me, likely knowing how much she was asking from me. “Good, I’ll be discreet,” she bit out. “But, first, you need a distraction. The Choosing Ceremony is soon, I heard. Otto mentioned it.”

  “Zeevar. If you wished to distract me by making me even more nervous and tense then this perfect, yes, thank you,” I remarked sarcastically.

  She waved me off like the bitch she was. “You’ll be fine, Kaia. Anyway, Airs throw a party after Tumult ‘cus you lot prioritize fighting over everything, but Inks throw a party after the Choosing Ceremony because finding out how one will be serving Zeevar is the most important thing to us.”

  I winced. “I hate parties, Mar.”

  “Sure you do. You’re still coming.”

  I pushed up off the table and Mar followed suit. We waved to Marcus and shouted our thanks before we walked up and out of the kitchens.

  “No, Mar,” I protested. “I’m not going. Parties involve people.”

  “Don’t be a party pooper. I went to that crazy Tumult after-party, didn’t I?”

  I almost blurted out that neither had I invited her, nor did I even want to be there anyway, but as soon as we walked down the hallways away from the kitchen entrance, Emerson sped towards me, red hair flying. “Kaia!”

  “Jeez, no wonder you’re not boinking that one right now. He’s too bouncy for me.”

  I threw her a wide smile even as the guilt washed over me. “That’s Emerson, all right.”

  “Kaia, I’ve been looking everywhere for you!” Emerson skidded to a halt in front of us and threw his arms around me.

  “I’ve led her astray, Hawkins, sad to tell you.”

  “Oh, hi, Chesson!” Emerson beamed at her.

  Mar simply rolled her eyes and pointed a finger at Emerson. “Party after the choosing ceremony. You will make her come. Got it?”

  “Yes, ma’am,” Emerson blurted out, standing up straight.

  “Good. I’ll be off to research, Kaia. I’ll update you when I can about it.” She loped away on long legs, presumably to go to the library.

  “Yes, ma’am?” I nudged Emerson with an elbow.

  He shuddered before he led me towards my room. “That one’s scary, Precious Kai. Very scary.”

  Seventeen

  Kaia

  Even through my emotional turmoil, I grew more comfortable in my status as an Air Mage Disciple, which was coupled with beginning a habit of trying to train in the common spaces occasionally to appease my much more social Emerson. After all, he had friends outside of our group he liked spending time with too before I dragged him, albeit willingly, into our private world. With Pia employing more of an avoidance tactic than actively terrorizing me, I could nearly convince myself most of the people in InkHaven liked me, even if the sheer number of students I barely knew unnerved me sometimes.

  Emerson gave me a hug. “Cel was just asking about you.”

  I gave his shoulder a poke. “Was he now? And what did you tell him.”

  “I told him you were a big girl and you could take care of yourself.” Emerson hesitated before he shot me a big smile. “Don’t be mad at him, okay?”

  “Fine, Emerson. Go train with someone else.”

  He unholstered his twin swords and held them in front of him. “Ok then. Hames,” he addressed my sparring partner with a nod.

  I stood across from a boy from Cel’s year named Hames, someone much larger than me. He was possibly even larger than Vali but shorter than Ronan and beefy to extremes.

  “Why did you want to spar with me again?” I eyed his muscles with trepidation even as the friendly look on his face made me comfortable around him.

  He shrugged. “Heard you beat up Anderson. I was impressed, especially since that one’s an arrogant son of a bitch.”

  I laughed. I hadn’t realized that people talked about it. “He was a wimp. All bulk, no brain.”

  “Won’t argue that point. I’m ready when you are.”

  I grasped my sword tightly and tilted my head to the side. “Come at me.”

  He swung his longsword at me, and I crossed my arms to brace better as I caught the blow with my shorter, curved blade. I held it, but felt my arms shaking under the force. I’d never be a match for most Mages going strength against strength, so I chose to fight dirty.

  I slid my right arm out, shifting my brace arm out just enough to catch his jaw with my elbow. His head shirked back, and he backed off enough to stare at me in bewilderment. Then he grinned.

  “Thinking on your feet, I see.”

  I panted in his direction with a laugh. “I don’t have much choice.”

  “You don’t,” he agreed with a shrug, and lifted his sword again. “Why don’t you use your whip? It’s always there, but I rarely
see you unravel it beyond that time during the Tumult.”

  I glanced down at the extension of me, feeling the familiar tingle of it along my skin. “A girl has to have some secrets.” My voice was smug, and he grinned at me, a jumble of slightly crooked teeth.

  “That a girl.”

  I cocked my head at him. “More?”

  He lunged, and I braced myself a moment before I jumped to the right to evade. The quick action surprised him enough that he was unable to stop his forward momentum. I caught him with a well-timed foot, and he went sprawling. Unlike Justin however, he caught himself and with a quick twirl of his longsword and a burst of red light, he somersaulted and landed on his feet.

  “Got me there.”

  I tossed back some of the hair that had gotten caught in my eyes. “So I did.”

  A tingle ran down my back, and I stopped and turned around, coming face to face with Cel, who stood off to the side, arms crossed and eyes fixed on me.

  He walked forward and grabbed my chin. He stared at me for what felt like an eternity before he nodded, satisfied with whatever he found in my face as he studied it and stepped back into his own space. “What in Zeevar are you looking at, Hames?”

  “You seem to be distracting my sparring partner, Castelo.” Hames shrugged at him with a raised eyebrow.

  “You need to find a new one anyway. This one needs someone to help her use her Air more. She’s still not defaulting to it naturally.”

  Hames shrugged. “No skin off my back. It was great sparring with you, Kaia.”

  “Sure, Hames. Next time, yeah?” The bigger man threw me two thumbs up and jogged away to find someone else to fight with.

  “Now who am I supposed to spar with?” I teased. Looking over, I saw Emerson darting off in another direction to chat up another one of his friends. The man had a million of them.

  Cel ran his fingers up my left arm, drawing the red haze of Air up from my skin. My eyes met his, and I obeyed the silent order and set my Conduit on the floor. That hand found my palm, drawing teasing, light circles over the delicate flesh and pulling up slowly until I had a mini-cyclone in my hand. I let it dance over my skin, gliding up to rest on my index finger so that I could observe it. A clench of my fist, and it was gone.