InkSpelled (InkHaven Academy Book 1)

by Kenna Bardot

“You ass!” I shrieked into his neck, trembling from the cold assault. Ronan felt it, and turned concerned eyes to my shivering skin.

  “We should get you inside,” he said.

  “Not just yet,” I begged as he set me on my feet. He gave me a nod, turning and tackling Emerson where he stood. The smaller man went down nearly as fast as I did, landing with a thud in the snow. Alec turned to me, but cast his eyes up to the moon overhead.

  “I’m proud of you, Kaia Wren,” he whispered, and I felt my heart squeeze.

  “I’m proud of me too,” I admitted as he hugged me to his side, and we watched Emerson desperately try to free himself from Ronan’s ruthless assault as he shoved snow into Emers’ clothes.

  A mostly strange feeling settled over me.

  I’d never truly belonged anywhere, everywhere had been temporary. And even though InkHaven would be a temporary stop one way or another, it didn’t feel that way because the men I was with made me feel like I belonged.

  They made me feel like I’d found a home.

  They were my home.

  Thirteen

  Kaia

  Thump, thump. Thump, thump.

  Ronan’s eyes met mine from where he stood at my side, no doubt listening to the sound of my heart thudding in my chest as we waited outside the massive room where the Trials that day would be held. My men flanked me on either side, prepared to defend me against whatever threat waited inside. I’d prepared for it, trained for it, studied for it but I was far from ready when what I needed was time. And time was my greatest enemy. All the preparation I could do, I had done but time had caught up and I had run out of it. So, it was a danger we all knew I was not ready to face. When Docent Frost pushed open the door he grinned at me, which was the farthest thing from a good sign.

  He stepped aside, and I saw what was waiting inside - boxes made of clear glass.

  Person-sized glass boxes.

  As instructed, we moved in by year, and I walked with Lottie, who had walked over, right beside me. Alec Gaius and Ronan had moved away to join their own year, but I could feel their pointed stares on my back. I heard the curious whispers even as I simply stared at the boxes in horror.

  Lottie threw me a concerned glance. “You’ll be fine, Kai. You can do this.”

  I didn’t say it aloud but I heard it in her voice - she knew. She knew I found it hard to close the bathroom door behind me since being locked in the Oxygen Deprivation Room, and then there was that panic attack when Docent Woods had enclosed me in Air during my 2nd exam. There was zero chance that me going inside one of those boxes would end well.

  “Students!” the Headmaster’s voice rang through the room. “Each one of you choose a box, please, but leave your conduits outside. Rest assured, they are all equal. The boxes are only equipped with identifying your age and locking you in for the time commensurate to that.” The slimy smile he threw me made my jaw clench to stop the trembling that had started there. He knew what that piece of information would do to me - he’d seen me collapse onto the ground after barely five minutes inside Docent Woods’ enclosure. But I was determined not to let him win, determined to prove he was wrong about me.

  Ronan muscled himself between me and Lottie and grabbed my hand, dragging me to claim three boxes next to each other.

  “Look at me,” he grunted, drawing my panicked eyes to his by force with his hands on my cheeks. “You’ll be fine, woman.”

  “I-I can’t. I-I don’t.” I felt tears pooling as I stared up at him. “What’s going to happen?”

  “Oxygen Deprivation,” Alec Gaius murmured softly from behind me, his hands massaging my tense shoulders.

  My worst fears were confirmed as a choked sound like a wounded animal escaped my throat.

  “You’ll be fine. We won’t let anything happen to you, and we’ll be right here.” I nodded but I knew it was pointless - we would be locked in so they wouldn’t be able to help me at all.

  Docent Ho stepped forward. “Everyone, please enter your chosen box so we may begin.”

  I stepped up to mine, gripping Ronan’s hand so hard I was afraid I can’t ever let go. Ronan turned to face me and his kiss was tender, soft and gentle, before he helped me into the box - my sword was outside, which didn’t mean much since it could not properly conduct whatever power there was in me anyway. The door closed behind me with a seal, and I glanced around as the panic set in and my breathing grew rapid. The Trial hadn’t even begun, and already I couldn’t breathe.

  I watched Alec’s lips form the word ‘breathe’ as he stepped into his own box and turned to face me. His hand touched the glass, and I mimicked the action. Even separated by two pieces of glass, I felt less alone.

  It was the best death I could ask for.

  I stared into those bright blue eyes, those well-manicured hands that hid so much strength, that dark hair that was always perfectly-groomed. I loved them so much, every single part of him, I loved so much.

  Fighting panic, I couldn’t deny the inevitability as my lungs seized in my chest. I felt myself sway, but caught my balance on the glass, ignoring the banging of Ronan’s fists sounding behind me. I couldn’t look at him. I couldn’t stand seeing how angry he’d be with me when I failed.

  My arm tingled, and I shoved the sleeves of my tunic up to feel Air on my skin even as a ringing sounded in my head. My eyes met Alec’s again, him mouthing ‘breathe’ once more before his eyes went to my arms and narrowed there while he breathed deeply.

  My legs gave out, and I landed painfully on my knees with a crack.

  “Kaia!” Ronan’s voice was muffled, but I knew it must have been a furious roar for me to hear it at all. I pressed my forehead to the glass, eyes watering when I realized I’d never see him again. I’d never see his dimples or amused grey eyes when I made him laugh. I’d never hear Alec’s cultured voice say my full name whenever I berated him for calling me ‘baby’ or his long fingers rub my hands between his. I loved them. The realization thudded through me, the truth of it ringing in my blood.

  I loved them.

  And they’d never know.

  My skin prickled with heat, burning just under my skin and pulsating as though it might explode. A thud in Alec’s box drew my eyes and I made the effort to look at him slowly. He’d fallen to his knees, and before I could even form a confused expression, a sudden stream of sandalwood-scented air filled my lungs.

  My eyes latched onto his as I heaved in a breath.

  “Breathe,” he whispered, wincing at his own severely restricted breathing.

  He’d given me Air.

  And he suffered for it.

  I hadn’t even known it was possible, couldn’t begin to imagine how difficult it must have been to do through two sealed enclosures.

  My hand went back to the glass, facing his as he reached out to me, and we took turns with the little Air he was able to generate and pass to me.

  He kept me alive through sheer force of will. I hadn’t taken him seriously when he said he wouldn’t allow me to die.

  I’d been wrong.

  Our three doors opened simultaneously, we were all the same age after all, and I sucked in great gasping sobs of air but unable to move besides. Suddenly I was up, Ronan lifting me and pulling me from the cage. His hands roamed over my face, his eyes bouncing back and forth in disbelief to find me alive.

  “How?”

  “Alec,” I whispered in a hoarse voice. “Get Alec.” Ronan nodded, setting me on the floor gently. I leaned against the glass and watched Ronan help Alec from his cage. It was a sign of just how much he’d given me, how much he’d forced his body, pushed it to near its breaking point, that Alec needed help at all. He collapsed next to me, and I threw myself at him - landing in his lap and wrapping myself around him as I cried. “Thank you. Thank you.” It wasn’t enough.

  Nothing would ever be enough.

  The headmaster’s cane thudded on the wooden stage but Docent Ho spoke up with a clap, “Congratulations, everyone who made it through.
Well done! You survive the Trial.”

  “Did anyone-?” I asked Ronan, turning my tear-streaked cheeks away from Alec to face him.

  “One.”

  “Vali?” I had to ask, even knowing they wouldn’t be pleased.

  “I saw him walking around with his best mate, Castelo, so he’s fine. So are Lottie and Emers, if that’s your next question.” I nodded but didn’t look around, didn’t want to know who hadn’t had an Alec Gaius to save them. All that mattered was everyone I loved was safe.

  I stood on shaky legs when Ronan helped me up, and then he turned to Alec and pulled him up as well. He wrapped a hand around the back of Alec’s head, pressing their foreheads together as he stared at him. “Thank you.”

  He backed off, the public display broken, and swept me up into his arms as we hurried from the room.

  ✽✽✽

  It wasn’t until the next week that Ronan finally let me out of his sight, convinced I’d suffered no lasting damage. Such a mother hen. Even then, he only allowed it because he had little choice; he had to shadow for security duty at the border. At Gaylord’s insistence, Alec and I decided to use his classroom to train since Gayord was in a shadowing as well. I doubt he’d be too happy to loan it to us if he knew what we’d done the last time we’d been alone in there.

  Fortunately, or unfortunately depending on how I was feeling really, Alec was in a no-nonsense kind of mood, totally focused on guiding me through finding my center.

  Alec was insistent that my body had attempted to draw in Air in the glass cage, but hadn’t known quite what to do with so little to draw from during the first use.

  “Why did you push up your sleeves?” he asked as we sat cross-legged across from each other on the floor.

  “Maybe if I was going to die I wanted to do it naked with your eyes on me one last time,” I teased. Well, I clearly knew what kind of mood I was in. The guys had been handling me with kid gloves since the Trial, acting like I might shatter if they poked me, and I wanted to be poked.

  “Kaia Wren be serious,” he scolded, but amusement colored his regal, honeyed voice. I only just resisted the urge to stick my tongue out at him.

  “My arms tingled. It felt too hot in my clothes,” I explained with a shrug. I pouted at him. He was being too serious.

  “Has it ever happened before?” His head tilted. He took my hand in his, running his hand over the skin of my wrist delicately. Shivers crept up my arm, and I eyed him in annoyance. The bastard smirked at me, knowing exactly how he was tormenting me.

  “Inside the Oxygen Deprivation Room. It felt like my skin was suffocating along with me. I assumed it was just a normal symptom. I was in there for at least ten or fifteen minutes, Alec Gaius.”

  “I didn’t know that,” he murmured but it felt like he wasn’t really talking to me. He stood, pulling me with him, and unknotting the tie of my tunic to push the fabric off my shoulders. I should have been thrilled that he was getting me naked but it didn’t feel the least bit sexual as he did so.

  Left in only my sports bra, I should have felt nervous or self-conscious. But having the attention of Alec Gaius and Ronan meant there was little I could concern myself with regarding my body. My confidence in my slight curves had grown exponentially since getting involved with them. They made me feel confident. They made me feel sexy and desired.

  At least most of the time barring at that exact moment when Alec Gaius was just staring at me like I was an interesting specimen to be examined.

  “I don’t think it is. I think we’ve been going about this wrong. There’s something different about you, something odd about the way you connect with Air, but you do connect. If you didn’t at least on some level, you’d have died in that box even with what I managed to send you. It wasn’t nearly enough for someone who wasn’t an Air Mage. And that’s the truth.” His hands clasped behind his head, a peek of that lean, toned stomach showing beneath his shirt.

  Normally, it would be enough to distract me. Possibly result in a quickie, but not that day.

  “Why did you do it?” I asked.

  “What do you mean? Do you think I wanted to watch you die?” His eyebrows raised at me, and I knew I needed to tread carefully. I swore these men were more moody than me.

  “You could have died,” I accused instead. In my head, I winced. So much for tact and treading lightly.

  “Please. I didn’t know that it would work, but I had to try. I knew if anyone could do it, it would be me. Besides, Zeevar would have had a Hell of a time trying to tear me away from you. Obviously, you need me in your life so you don’t end up killing yourself.” He shrugged, keeping his voice nonchalant as though it didn’t matter, but it was obvious he’d been willing to risk himself for me in that moment. His face turned serious. “Allow me to stay close to you and love you, Kaia Wren. That’s all I want.”

  “I-” I paused, soaking in the tail end of his statement. “You love me?”

  “Zeevar’s sake, baby. Do you think I’d have done that for just anyone? Of course I love you.” He looked so annoyed, so aggravated that I could do nothing else. I jumped at him, throwing my arms around his neck and wrapping my legs about his waist. He stumbled a step, not quite as powerful as Ronan.

  “I love you too.” I grinned down at him, loving the way his answering smile shone with the gleam of his perfect teeth. I kissed him, smiling.

  “I would tell you not to let it go to your head, but that’d be pointless. Your head is already far too inflated from your ego.”

  “This is true,” he agreed. “But having your love is the most important thing I’ll ever be proud of.”

  Gaylord and Ronan came into the room, back earlier than expected. They must have met in the hallway since they did come in at the same time. Gale sighed, pinching his nose between his fingers. “Do you two ever train when I’m gone?”

  Ronan chuckled, slapping him on the back. “Looks like they were in the process of doing some training alright.” He eyed my bra-clad body. “Mind putting some clothes on, woman? I doubt the Docent over here wants to be confronted with you unclothed. Makes it harder for him to deny that he wants you that way.”

  I gasped at Ronan as he hurried into the room, Gaylord chasing close after him. Alec looked up at me with a shrug and laugh, dropping me to my feet so I could, in fact, put my clothes back on.

  “Do Gaylord a favor and wear a tank or something under your tunic tomorrow, baby.”

  I gave him a slow grin that he eyed suspiciously. “We’ll see.”

  I totally wasn’t wearing a tank top the next day.

  Fourteen

  Kaia

  Having class with Lottie and without one of the guys stalking me was a blessing. I still hadn’t been taken off resting duty, and it was getting to the point where looking at their stupid faces made me feel stabby but thankfully, they trusted Lottie enough that I was allowed to walk to class with her without having them in attendance.

  Trusted Lottie but not me. Had I been easily offended, I would have been but I figured since I was free from them for a good amount of time, I considered it small blessings.

  Very small blessings. It wasn’t like I constantly found ways to kill myself. It just sort of happened.

  “I’m so thrilled we’re classmates now, Lot. Without you, the guys would never let me out of their sight,” I sighed as we settled into our usual seats in Docent Woods’ class.

  “Can’t blame them, Kaia honey, seeing as how you almost died. Hell, even I worry about you.”

  “Don’t go there, Lot.” I let out a huff.

  “I’m not, but I understand why they’re acting the way they are.” She gave my hands a pat.

  “Fine.” I was spared any further comment when Docent Woods strolled in.

  “Good afternoon, class. Today, we will talk about how to react to situations differently depending on whether we are assassins, protectors or shielders. Now, first, let’s discuss the differences between the three once more. Miss Montgomery, perhaps you
can enlighten us.”

  Lottie straightened up in her seat and spoke in her most serious voice, “Docent Woods, assassins are those tasked with guiding the Inkeds to their rebirth on their Death Day, protectors ensure that those in danger are saved should they be in deadly situations before their Death Day and Shielders protect all of Zeevar’s temples over Crimson City along with the borders of Order premises.”

  “Succinctly put, Miss Montgomery. Now, for example, an Inked is determined to reach his rebirth day by committing suicide in a Zeevar temple, how would an assassin react, Miss Shaw?”

  “An assassin would bring about his rebirth in the proper manner before he can do so himself.”

  “Yes, that. And how would a protector react, Mr. Bradford?” He gestured to one of my new classmates - a short, stocky guy with short blond curls.

  “A protector would stop him from committing suicide, docent.”

  “Ok, and a shielder, Miss Ramos?”

  “Oh. Ah, a shielder will make sure he isn’t able to enter the temple?”

  “Is that a question, Ms. Ramos? Never mind, your answer is satisfactory. Everyone turn your attention to the board where ten situations are written. Explain in detail how each Air Mage type would react and conclude which one would be best sent for every situation.”

  He waved a brass-knuckled hand and the board was revealed. Everyone scrambled to get stylus, ink and parchment.

  I started as I wondered again how Gale and Alec Gaius had been unable to bring about mine when people spoke about how they were the best - Gaylord the best assassin in the last decade and Alec Gaius, the best student of his year. The class pushed me to think about it more deeply.

  ✽✽✽

  After three hours of gruelling but interesting mental exercise, Docent Woods released us from the room. Lottie and I made our way into the hallway. She barely looked at me, completely aware of the state of my grump.

  Vali leaned against the opposite wall, hands in pockets and eyes on us even as his face was tilted towards the floor. I prepared for the nauseating experience of watching Pia grovel at his feet, but she slunk away with her head down - oddly meek.