InkBorn (InkHaven Academy Book 2)

by Kenna Bardot

  Charlie ruffled his feathers at me.

  “I’ll go to the gardens with you tomorrow, Charlie. It’s late and the boys won’t be happy with me if I go wandering off on my own,” I said dismissively and strode to the center of the room, testing the weight of the blade in my hand as I walked. I twirled it in my hand, finding it was a good match for me, although it was no Conduit.

  I was about to open my mouth at Charlie’s croaky caw, when a burst of heat flashed through my palm. I loosened my grip on the pommel, and jumped back as the blade turned in, slashing at my stomach and cutting deep. It clattered to the floor after, and my hands went to the wound on a cry.

  Charlie cawed again, ruffling his feathers in agitation. “Emerson,” I whispered, staring at him and praying the smartest bird I’d ever known would remember names. I fell to my knees, hands slipping along my stomach as they drenched with blood. The last thing I saw before it went dark was the flutter of black wings zipping out the open window.

  ✽✽✽

  Gale

  Walking back with Miss Dawson was far more comfortable than it had been with other students as of late. Since the reveal of my relationship with Kaia and Emerson, certain ones had taken it as a sign that I was open to having affairs with other students.

  They didn’t realize that Kaia and the guys were special. No one would ever tempt me the way they had.

  Blythe was quiet by nature, sweet and determined. There was no competitiveness between her and the other students. Blythe was mature enough to know that competing with others didn’t improve her own skills. The only person she saw worth competing with was herself. And every day she was winning.

  “You did well,” I murmured softly, smiling down at her supportively. Turning her face up to me, her cheeks flushed endearingly.

  “Thank you, Docent Porter.” Where on some women the blush would have come across as fake, I knew there was genuine embarrassment where she was concerned. She never took praise well, and I knew well enough to recognize the signs of someone who had come from a less fortunate life before joining the Order.

  "What made you want to be an Assassin?" I asked. I'd never voiced the question, though it had nagged at me since her Choosing Ceremony the year prior. The shy, kind woman seemed much more naturally inclined to the Protector's sect. But, at the start of the year, as was expected from all Fifth Years, she had redeclared her intent at the start of the year and during the Reaffirmation before graduation, I was quite certain that she would not wane in her desire to be an Assassin.

  She paused, her steps skipping in the first misstep I'd ever seen her take. She was so composed, pure grace normally, that she sometimes seemed inhuman. She looked down at her Conduit, the slender graceful bow that hid what she could do with it. We both stared at the symbol of a scroll and dagger that was a twin to the one etched into my finger knife. Her thumb ran over it before she looked up at me.

  "My Rebirth wasn't pleasant," she admitted finally. "The Air Mage who was assigned to me; he wasn't particularly cautious. I had time to be afraid and to really feel the pain, think of how I was going to leave my life. It didn’t matter that I eventually ended up here because at that moment, I wanted nothing more than for things to end one way or the other. I want to make sure that doesn't happen to someone else."

  My eyes widened as I stared down at her with new respect. "That's quite admirable."

  She just shrugged at me, that shy smile hitting her lips. “It’s what I feel as my duty to Zeevar.”

  "Still admirable. Goodnight, Miss Dawson." I chuckled, moving to the stairwell that would take me to the classrooms where Kaia waited for me.

  "Docent-" she protested, placing a hand on my forearm gently. There was no command in the gesture, no ulterior motive behind the casual touch that I'd learned to be suspicious of from the other students.

  "Sorry," she flushed, withdrawing her hand and making me grin down at her. "I just wondered if it might be possible to shadow you more frequently. Some of the other Docents aren't so patient. They just hurry me along."

  "Someone rushes the process?"

  She nodded, and I could see by the hesitation in that expression that she wouldn't be revealing the identity of the Docent who was failing in their duty. "People have other things to do than watch me sit around and observe. I understand that, and I'm sure you do too. I just, like I explained, want to make sure they don't suffer is all." She tucked a lock of ash blond hair behind her ear, peeking up at me with intriguing gray eyes through thick, dark lashes.

  Yes, she really was inhuman sometimes but in a good, compassionate way. "I'll see what I can do to alter the schedule." My smile was reassuring. Even though every moment I spent with Blythe would take me away from Kaia and Emerson that much more, there was no way I could let a colleague destroy the good intentions of a well-meaning Air Mage in training.

  Especially one who wanted to do their Assassin duties in a way that was to be admired.

  "Thank you," she sighed, giving me a relieved smile. I knew it was only partially in thanks for agreeing to help her, and largely for not pushing the issue of revealing the Docent's name.

  "I'll want to know that name eventually, Miss Dawson," I teased, but in a reprimanding sort of way.

  She smiled, biting her bottom lip attractively and averting her eyes momentarily. "Yes, Docent Porter, of course." She backed away, retreating back outside to do Gods knew what at that time of night. I shook my head and made my way up the steps. In the hallway where classrooms were, I could feel the anticipation in my veins. I was so close to being with Kaia, and after a few days of being so busy I hardly saw her, I'd had enough.

  "Porter?" Frost poked his head out of his own classroom. "A word, quickly?" Though there was a question in his voice, he turned back into his room without waiting for my response. Since he managed the Assassins in the Air track in Inkhaven, I had no choice. I barely managed to contain my groan as I followed him in.

  “What in Zeevar now, Frost?” I hissed, crossing my arms over my chest. Despite the mostly pleasant evening I’d had supervising Blythe, I had little patience for Frost on a good day. All I wanted was to get back to Kaia, who I knew would be waiting for me, but Frost seemed determined to hold me up, making me even later to help her train.

  “Are you sure you know what you’re doing?” he asked, mimicking my posture.

  “I’ve been on enough sacrifices, thanks. I think I can handle it.” I turned to leave the room.

  “I meant with Shaw. She isn’t worth your position here, Porter. You’re a respected Docent, or were at least. There’s still time to distance yourself from her.” My body went solid, and I turned to look at him over my shoulder in a rage.

  “Time to distance myself before what?” I whispered, barely holding on to any semblance of control. It was common knowledge that he licked the Headmaster’s boots.

  He rolled his eyes. “Calm down. I just meant before the damage to your reputation becomes irreversible.” He perched on his desk, keeping those arms crossed over his chest. “I’d hate to see you risk everything and only get hurt in the end. I respect you, but Kaia is young, her attention will be fleeting.”

  “You don’t know Kaia,” I returned, taking the door in my hands and stepping over the threshold. “See that it stays that way.”

  My frustration ate away at me. Storming my way through the halls, I ignored the lingering students giving me curious looks. My hand twirled my finger knife from one finger to the other, the Conduit and mundane movement providing enough distraction to get past the aggravation I felt at being on display. Ever since my relationship with Kaia and Emerson had gone public, I’d gotten a mix of judgmental and admiring glances. Getting held up at every turn for the most ridiculous reasons wasn’t helping my mood, and getting extra work shoved my way like the Headmaster’s personal bitch set me over the edge.

  Frost’s sudden and inane interest in my love life grated at me as I opened the door. “I’m so sorry, Thief. Frost was-“ I broke off, eyes
landing on the form crumpled on the floor in horror. “Kaia!” I was at her side the next instant, kneeling down beside her and not caring about the blood that soaked into my pants.

  “Wake up, Thief,” I whispered, coaxing her body to lay on her back. Her hands still clutched at her stomach, blood coating the fingers. When I pried them away, I grimaced at the wound I saw there.

  “Come on, Kai. I’m so sorry this will hurt. Hold on for me.” I got to my feet, bending over to heft her into my arms as smoothly as I could manage. I hurried toward the door, trying to channel the way Alec Gaius seemed to glide through space so I wouldn’t hurt her more than necessary.

  “Gods’ sake you filthy mongrel, I’m going!” Emerson yelled as he stepped through the door, waving his hands at the raven diving at his head. When his eyes landed on Kaia’s body, he froze solid. “I-is she?”

  “Alive,” I muttered, moving as carefully as I could. “But she lost a lot of blood. Press something to the wound. It needs pressure.” He took his shirt off, pressing it to the gaping hole in Kaia’s abdomen and walking backwards awkwardly to keep the pressure on. We hurried her to the Infirmary, and I hated that I had to step back to let the Sylvia work on her.

  She was so pale.

  “Stay with her,” I ordered. “I don’t want her alone for one second.”

  “Where are you going?” he asked, glancing at her pale form on the bed then at me. Sylvia stepped back and gave me a grim nod. “She’s only ever hurt when she’s alone. I never see her even come close to getting hurt when I’m with her. Do you?”

  He shook his head, his eyes widening. “Do you think someone is trying to hurt her?”

  “From the injuries the last couple times? No. I think someone’s trying to kill her. I’m going to have a look around my classroom, see if I can find anything.” He nodded and sat at Kaia’s side, taking her hand in his.

  As I was striding from the Infirmary, I heard him whisper to her. “How could anyone want to hurt you, Precious?”

  It was nearly my undoing, but I gritted my teeth and moved onward in determination to find who had tried to take my woman away.

  I strode through the rooms, instinct guiding me. I peeked into the training area and found Cel, as I had expected I would, there. Miss Dawson was already training with him, and it shocked me to note that she moved with an almost ruthless grace making her and Cel evenly matched. At the moment, though, I had a need for Cel. I caught his eyes and after speaking to his sparring partner, he walked towards the doorway, where I waited for him impatiently.

  “Docent Porter?” he asked, raising a finely-sculpted brow.

  “Kaia was in an accident,” I declared watching as that calm facade faded and become worried, glazed with shock.

  “Where is she?” he asked, voice tinged with that same worry I saw in his eyes.

  “In the Infirmary,” I answered.

  “Okay. I have to go see her.” He started to rush off, but I moved to block his path.

  “As I’m sure you wish to see how she’s faring, Emerson is seeing to her. I have something else I wish for you to do.”

  He vibrated, from fury and impatience from what I could tell, and I could see that it took everything in him not to ignore me and go to the Infirmary anyway.

  “What? And what does it have to do with Kaia?” He crossed his arms over his chest and only because I knew how much he cared for the thief did I let go of his insolence.

  “I said that she was in an accident, but I am beginning to have my doubts. As there is no one who has a better understanding of Air than you aside from Tomos Woods, I am here to ask you to check the space where she had her accident.”

  He gave me a tight nod, and we walked towards my classroom. When we reached the doorway, I cursed. “Think beyond what you see.”

  “What do you mean?” he asked, wary and tense.

  I gripped the handle. “You’ll see.” I pushed the door open and my eyes tracked towards the red stain on the floor. Kaia had almost bled out, and I didn’t know what I’d have done if she had.

  “Is that her blood?” he asked, jaw clenched.

  “It is. From what I was able to surmise, she got into an accident with the short sword you see right there. Tell me if it was.”

  He nodded and closed his eyes. I closed the door behind us to give him peace, watching the red light swirl over him and out, wrapping around the various parts of the room.

  The lights darted here and there for a few minutes before he opened his eyes, and the red winked away. He looked at me, eyes hard and cold. “You weren’t wrong, Docent Porter.”

  “Gale,” I corrected. “Seeing as you feel for her the way we all do, the least you can do is call me by my name.”

  He nodded. “There was something here, Gale. You’re not wrong about that. I feel it, it’s very recent, and it was there the same time hers was. I can’t tell you what else was done but there was something.”

  “I figured as much. We’ll keep an eye out for her, then. But don’t tell her. She already knows to be cautious but while we’re still toying with this idea, it might be best to keep it from her.”

  “Yeah, I agree.” He stared back at the wood already drying, swirling his Air around it to clean it. When that was done he turned to me. “Now can we go see her?”

  “Yes.”

  And together we walked to the Infirmary to see our Kaia.

  Twenty-Two

  Kaia

  The last thing I felt like doing was dealing with an Air Wielding class. Or really any class, but Air Wielding had the added benefit of being conducted by Docent Frost, also known as one of my most favorite Docents.

  Not.

  That morning, I wanted to be curled up in bed, the effects of the Fire Mage's healing after being stabbed by a rogue sword still making me yawn every three minutes like a sleepy kitten. If that wasn't bad enough, I could see from the dark glint in Docent Frost's eyes when I lumbered in that it was not going to be a good day for me. He always hated me, yes. But something about the way he looked at me then made the hair raise on the back of my neck with a tingle of warning.

  I plopped into my seat unceremoniously. Mendel cast wide eyes my way.

  "Sorry," I mumbled. "Rough night. Lots of blood, gore, the usual," I dismissed with a wave. "Healer Sylvia know s me by name at this point," I added with a grumble.

  He snorted, "You all good?"

  "Fine." I smiled lightly. "Just tired, you know?"

  Other students filed in, taking seats at the tables around the room. Pia turned a glare my way, all too annoyed she hadn't been successful in punishing me through Gale. I raised my left hand and gave her a one finger salute before turning my head away to ignore her. I was far too tired to deal with Pia's bitchiness.

  "Is there a problem, Miss Shaw?" Frost asked, raising eyebrows at my finger.

  I smiled sweetly, "Not at all, Docent. Just saying hello to Pia." I tucked my finger back into my fist and clenched it to avoid expressing my annoyance on my face as much as possible. I'd be very, very surprised if Frost wasn't giving Pia the business, for the way he defended the slut muffin.

  Well, I shouldn't call her that.

  It really was unkind to muffins.

  I loved muffins.

  His brows dropped into his usual stoic, 'I'm-so-pissed-off-at-life' expression. He wore it well, but Ronan did it better. Frost just did not give a damn about anyone or anything that wasn't licking Headmaster Stewart’s ass.

  Ick.

  I had the image of licking Headmaster Stewart’s ass in my head. What a lovely way to start the day.

  "Everyone up. Follow me." Frost ordered, and I suppressed my groan. Of course it just had to be a day that involved walking.

  "Can I have a piggy back?" I asked Mendel as I shuffled my dead legs out of my seat.

  "Sorry, short stack. I'm not risking the wrath of Frost because you're in a lazy mood," he teased. Sticking my tongue out at him, I made myself keep pace.

  I should have stayed in bed
. The problem was it would have been empty. I liked my bed when it was filled with warm men.

  Zeevar, I sounded like a spoiled, whiny brat even in my head.

  When we finally reached the Courtyard, I refrained from leaning my weight into Mendel.

  "Stand a few feet apart from one another." With a sigh, I sidestepped away from Mendel and stood on my own two feet. We surrounded the fountain in the center, and Frost stepped up onto the ledge so that he could circle the space and look down on us as he tended to do anyway.

  "Today, you fly," he said simply, and there was no mistaking the glee on the faces of the other students. Having been Third Years during the Final Trial the previous year, they hadn't been expected to fly - they only had to be hovered and . They didn't have the skill. While it was something I could do thanks to Frost shoving me out of a glider at a bajillion feet, it wasn't something I wanted to do in that moment.

  Because holy effort.

  "Focus in on your core," he instructed. "Your connection to Zeevar should pulse within you. Once you have that connection in hand, imagine being weightless. If your Air is strong enough, it will support you in the same way your legs do physically. It is a muscle, strengthened over time so that you can achieve one of the most difficult of tasks for an Air Mage. Well, it was strengthened over time for most of you anyway."

  I huffed out a laugh, watching as the other students around me closed their eyes. A few moments later Mendel's feet left the ground briefly, only to collapse back with a thud when he lost his focus to the excitement of success.

  "Miss Shaw, is there a reason you don't appear to be focusing?" Frost sneered at me as he hopped off the ledge of the fountain.

  "I was injured last night, Docent. I'm afraid I'm still under the influence of Healer Sylvia’s fire," I admitted with a shrug.

  "Ah, well. I suppose you think that out in the real world, when you're injured you can just tell any enemy that you're tired, correct?" I glared at him, despite knowing he had a point. His hand picked at the ends of my hair where it rested on my arm. The contact of his skin on mine gave me goosebumps, and not in the pleasant way my men touching me gave me. "Or do you need to be pushed to the brink of death before you manage to do anything worthwhile?" he tormented, He stared down at my hair like it was diseased, his fingers brushing against the bare skin of my arm randomly. He deftly avoided my whip. Even the Docent didn't know what to make of it, how it would react to being touched without my consent as it couldn't technically be a Conduit in his eyes.