Page 5

T he flight is perhaps five minutes, but I’m mesmerized. Xecelsion is teeming with wildlife; deer roam about under us and furry goats graze on the mountainside to my left. I can still see the downtown shops and neighborhoods we crossed through earlier, but now I have a view of the sprawling farms around it.

I don’t know why I’m so surprised to see so many cattle, goats, sheep, horses and pigs as we make our way around the side of the mountain. It brings a small comfort of home; relief that maybe the people of Xecelsion are normal.

Rather, the Fae of Xecelsion.

To my right lies the sea, the waves chasing one another up the ivory sand. Far off, I see ships dotting the horizon and a dock, busy with sailors, coming to view in the distance. That means Xecelsion is established enough to have set up trade with other cities, at least.

Even the trees here appear healthier than they did at home, full and green, with flowers blooming all over the countryside. The mountain, as imposing as it is, feels alive. The pine trees dotting its cliffs, mountain goats jumping down small ledges as they graze. The dusting of snow at the peaks.

Running my hand down Artemis’s neck, my muscles relax, and my head feels clearer. I feel free . No longer am I scanning the grounds for watchful eyes, petrified of someone spotting me with my Phoenix. My instincts led me to Artemis, both in the Human Realm and now in the Fae Realm.

I don’t think I’ll ever get used to the feeling of flight; every time feels like I’m close to the gods themselves .

Spotting a flash of red from the corner of my eye, I turn slightly in my seat to look toward the pair in flight next to me. Ganthral flies a respectable distance from us, matching Artemis’s pace. I can’t help but linger on Lamond; he looks so at ease on Ganthral’s back, his eyes half closed, hand resting at his thigh.

Artemis and Ganthral bank, heading for a small landing pad in front of a narrow cave opening. The entrance was hidden until now, obstructed from view below by the edge jutting out. From this angle, a view of the town in the distance remains, despite being five-hundred feet from the ground. It’s cooler here, but the snow at the peaks of the mountain hasn’t made it this far down yet.

Artemis lands entirely too close to the ledge, my legs gripping her in response. Ganthral drops in opposite to Artemis, and with both Phoenixes on the pad there isn’t room for much else. I slide down the side of her body closest to the mountain, keeping as close as I can.

Shuffling in front of Artemis, an older man dressed in a black and rose gold uniform appears at the cave’s opening. “Officer.” He nods to Lamond, then turns to me. “Aledrya.”

I balk and fight my urge to slink behind Artemis. “Yes?” is all I can muster while being caught off guard by his arrival. The man stands with his feet shoulder width apart, his hands behind his back; as if at attention. Gray hair cut short to keep off his weathered face. His eyes sparkle as he surveys our birds.

“You have arrived at the Ravels of Xecelsion. Welcome.” He turns and ambles back towards the entrance; there’s an ease about him that disarms me.

Lamond cuts in, coming to stand beside me. “Major, I haven’t had a chance to inform her yet.”

The ease about the man evaporates.

He stops abruptly, swiveling to glower at Lamond. “Lamond. Are you suggesting you didn’t follow orders?” His tone turns dark, and my skin pebbles with the sudden shift in his demeanor. “I thought you’d prepare her on your journey.”

Lamond tenses, his features hardening. “It was paramount to remove her from the situation in Torrent early, sir. ”

My gaze snaps back to the Major, whose face is now reddening. “I understand that, but you should have informed her before arriving, including making sure she is clear on our procedures.” He casts one quick glance my way. “What will happen if she declines?”

“Technically, I don’t know anything yet, so you still have time to shove me over the ledge instead.” My joke lands like a burning Phoenix, both men staring daggers sharper than the ones strapped to their thighs.

If I could offer advice… Artemis starts up as she shifts behind me.

It’s an effort to keep my gaze forward. Even if I say no, you’ll do it anyway.

Her beak clacking makes a fit of laughter threaten to escape, but I fuse my lips together. Don’t get involved, these two always find something to argue over.

The men are still bickering, so I take a step forward. “Seeing as though I’m already here, Lamond owes me an explanation of why he took me from Torrent. I don’t have any ill intentions.” I look between the two men, both watching me expectantly. “So can you please tell me where we are?”

Lamond takes pity on me, turning in my direction. “The Ravels Caves. This is where we house and train the soldiers and officers that protect the Fae Realm. When you were asking me about who would be interested in you, this is what I couldn’t yet reveal to you. The Ravels is the central hub for the entire Fae army. I’m one of the Ravels’s officers, and this is our Major General.”

The older man finally slides his gaze to meet mine. “Right, apologies. You can just call me Major. Most of the Ravels’s officers and guards report to me for day-to-day tasks.”

“And your given name?” I prompt, suddenly intrigued by this cave and the Ravels.

Major throws an exasperated look my way. “Major will do.”

I nod, and the man turns toward the cave entrance, gesturing for me to follow him. Our pace is clipped through the narrow corridor, the man looking over his shoulder as we go. “You will be stationed here, reporting to Officer Gredian with the rest of your class, the Novices. ”

Excitement builds in my chest. Although hope is a dangerous thing, I relish the thought of being part of a group.

Major is continuing on about our schedule, and I do my best to remember the details. “Training starts at seven in the morning sharp, you need to join the rest of the Novices for breakfast at six as well. Artemis and the rest of the Odyssey will meet you after lunch, at that time you will join her for coordination lessons with the rest of their group.”

“I can take her to the board meeting room and debrief her now, see if she wishes to be inducted,” Lamond offers from behind me. The Major stops walking, appraising me quickly before waving us off. Lamond pauses, as if waiting to see if I’ll reject the idea of an induction. Instead, I lift my chin to meet his stare. “Meeting room is this way.”

Lamond leads me to the end of the tunnel, and to my shock, it does not open into a larger space. Instead, there is another wall. My fear spikes, and I start to feel trapped at this abrupt dead end. It quickly dissipates as I eye Lamond, placing his hand on the stone in our way, and the barrier recedes into itself.

The opening to the cave leads to a sprawling, arched ceiling room. Lamond doesn’t give me time to gawk at the golden chandeliers and all the uniformed sentries milling about before dragging me away, and into a small room off to the side. The space flickers to life with soft mystic lights, revealing a flawless wooden table taking up most of the room. There are matching wooden chairs all around it, so I claim one near the door, unable to ignore my paranoid instincts.

Not that I could make it past the door. It’s not like I could get out of here without Lamond or the Major. Let alone outrun Lamond.

Before I allow Lamond to start talking, I fold my hands on the glossy table before me. “There will be no induction until I have answers to all my questions. And this time, no complaining about it. Understood?” I hardly even recognize my own voice. He clearly senses the shift in tone, because Lamond stares at me, no surliness for once.

“I never intended to not answer your questions. I merely wanted to delay them until we arrived. ”

The playing field finally feels equalized. “Tell me more about this place.”

“The Ravels Caves is a place where fliers are trained alongside their Phoenixes to protect the Fae Realm and its people. We have a combination of fliers and foot soldiers. It is incredibly safe and secure, no one gets in or out without security being alerted.” Lamond strolls around the table to drop into the seat opposite of me. He looks so out of place in this courtly meeting room. “Everyone is here of their own volition, and everyone here is Fae. And before you ask, there are no humans in our realm.”

“Why am I here?”

My question clearly rattles Lamond. He sucks his teeth before blowing out a breath, making a clicking sound. “You were always meant to be part of the Fae Realm.” He speaks slowly, as if carefully selecting every word.

I sit, unabashedly staring at him in silence until he finishes telling me what he means.

Thankfully, he takes the hint rather quickly. “Do you remember the night with your parents at the palace?” His tone shifts to something softer, as if blanketing the sensitive topic.

I slide my fists into my lap, digging my nails into my palms. Opting for silence feels safest, so I keep my lips sealed. Lamond watches me so intently I think I might burst into flames. Maybe I will. I’ve done so once already.

He closes his eyes briefly before continuing. “Your parents were part of the king of the Human Realm’s plan to raise sorcery and power in a controlled environment where he could summon the powers himself. He’s long wanted control of both sides of the Wall, but without the ability to summon powers on his own, he’d never be capable of such a thing. That’s when he began to kidnap people to gain access to power.”

Lamond waves his hand, two glasses and a pitcher of water appear. He pours the water into the clear cups, sliding one my way. “It has always been assumed he is in possession of a Fae artifact that allows him to influence people without the ability to summon. ”

He clears his throat before continuing. “When you showcased your powers to him, you were entirely too powerful to contain. You were undeniably more powerful than the king, and the others in his control. The king clearly feared you, because he ordered you to be put to death.” He wavers before continuing, something like empathy filling his eyes. “He put your parents to death the same night you disappeared. We were never able to bring them back to Xecelsion. We failed them greatly.” His throat works, as if holding back emotion.

My stomach recoils at his words. I’d long told myself it was only a nightmare. “What power did I reveal to him?”

Lamond’s face tightens. “We’re not sure.”

“I still don’t understand,” I breathe, too many thoughts slamming into me.

He leans on his forearms toward me. “Generally, we were notified when someone went missing. It didn’t take us long to figure out the Fae were being used for breeding. The Woven Wall put a hindrance on our abilities to retrieve our people without being caught. One person going through wouldn’t raise an alarm, but an entire army certainly would. We learned what he was doing through our most elite spies and put a stop to him abducting our people.”

All I can do is nod and try to keep my jaw off the floor.

“One of those elite officials and his Phoenix were dispatched to the area at the same time you ran from the king and his guards. Thank gods our official saw you leaping to your death from that castle window.” He stops to get a sip of water, and I try to catch up to my racing mind. “Our flier realized who you were fairly quickly and brought you here to assess your health. Xecelsion wasn’t an option for you then, you were so used to humans that our flier horrified you. It was best to keep you with those you were accustomed to, so we decided to alter your memories.”

“That cannot be the only reason I was sent back,” I press.

Lamond dips his chin, silence filling the space with an odious heaviness.

I stare back, unwavering in my search for answers.

He surrenders, sinking back in his seat. “There were other reasons, yes. We were…a little afraid of what you were capable of.” My stomach freefalls at his wo rds. “Being that the king made you, we weren’t sure what you were , really, or if you were going to betray the Fae Realm. You had no ties to it, since your parents were taken before you were born.”

“I’m here because now you trust me? I’ve done nothing to earn that,” I counter, forcing myself to drop the tension in my shoulders. “It doesn’t explain why I would need people following me in Torrent for my safety, either.”

“I didn’t say it was right to consider you dangerous as a child, but we had to be careful. It was from watching you that our group realized you were not a threat.” He offers me a half smile. “You deserve to be part of the Fae; your people. I can’t reveal a lot of things to you right now, but in time…” He trails off, studying his palms. “We can offer you a home in Xecelsion and a purpose in the Ravels.”

My lungs burn as I release the breath I’d been holding in. Breaking my stare with him, I take in the details of the room. The formality of the large table, clearly a heavily frequented space, judging by the scattered, used parchment and the full wastebin.

“And the induction?”

He snaps his head up, looking at me incredulously. “No more questions for once?” There’s a playfulness in his tone.

My nose wrinkles up. “We’ll see.”

“Hmm,” he muses, watching me. “Why so agreeable about joining?”

I knew in my heart something wasn’t right back home in Torrent. There had been rumblings of war for months, so either I fight for Torrent or Xecelsion. If my Phoenix calls this place home, then it must be worth protecting.

Still, I hesitate. “I didn’t say I was joining.” Chewing my lip, I mull over all I’ve learned. “Do I get to keep Artemis?”

Lamond’s laugh is booming. “There it is.”

I let my scowl be my response, praying he doesn’t notice my trembling hands.

“Of course you get to keep her. And before you ask, you should know we’re going to do our best to check on your foster family. With the intensifying presence of the king’s guards, it’s proving difficult to get any spies in or out of Torrent.”

Drumming my fingers on the table, I arch an eyebrow. “What if I decline? You seemed secretive about this place before we arrived. Is it truly a secret, or did you not trust me?”

A flash of sadness crosses his face, and he shakes his head slowly. “If you decline to join, you would have to leave our Caves. You can stay in Xecelsion, but we couldn’t offer you a room here.” He straightens, grimacing at me. “I didn’t tell you about the Ravels before we’d arrived because it sounds more frightening than it really is. I’d hoped that showing you instead of telling you would go over smoother.”

“So, not a secret?” I press, narrowing my eyes.

Lamond tilts his head back, his gaze intense. “No. The Ravels itself is no secret. Both the Fae and Rathian are aware of the Ravels. The operations of our organization remain a very well kept secret, though. While we have had attacks in the Pass, we have never had a breach within the Caves.”

I know you feel pressured by all of this, Artemis says softly, but this is important. I will do my best to protect you if you choose not to join, but it will be difficult. This place can help you.

Forcing in a breath, I exhale slowly. I hadn’t quite envisioned being shoved into yet another mold. There was a chance I wouldn’t fit into this one either.

I supposed I wouldn’t know until I tried.

“Can I leave if I wish? If I’m unhappy, I don’t have to stay?” I lean forward on the table, raising my eyebrow in challenge.

He nods, placing a hand over his chest. “I promise you, if you wish to leave the Ravels, no one will stop you.”

“All right,” I say slowly, relaxing into my seat. “I’ll do it.”

Lamond rises swiftly, and my spine turns rigid. He snags a thick leather book from the table behind him, walking around the table until he’s looming over me. He holds it in front of him, gesturing for me to stand and place my hand on it. I meet the invitation, rising from my chair .

Peeking at the cover, I see Enactments of Ravels etched onto it. Flames line the edges, elegantly marked onto the book.

“This book contains our laws and our purpose. You will be issued your own copy for review in your room. Is it your best interest to serve the people and city of Xecelsion, no matter the cost?”

I jerk my head up and down, staring at Lamond. His eyes flicker to the tome.

“This works best if you actually touch the book.”

I gently lay my palm on the cold cover, feeling the imprinted lettering under my fingertips. It tingles like my fire did. “Yes.”

“Is it your honorable intention to protect your brothers and sisters in the Ravels, to serve with the best of your ability—even if your life will forfeit in doing so?”

The words are intimidating, but I press on. “Yes.”

“Lastly, is it your promise that you will honor and respect the Phoenix and all they are to us? That you will protect them with your life?”

I’d do anything for those sacred birds. “Yes.”

Lamond pauses, clearing his throat. “This isn’t a formal question, but I’d like to ask. What do you want out of joining the Ravels?”

No one ever asks what I want. It takes me no effort to ponder the answer, though. “I’ve been on the outside for a long time. I am tired of waking up and longing for something more. That’s no way to live life; so I want to learn. I want to learn how to live.”

As I breathe those words, there’s a slight stinging on my wrist. I rip my hand from the book, peering at the small Phoenix in flight now marked on my wrist.

Again, his small smile. “Welcome home, Ale.”

Damned if I don’t hope I feel it one day.