Page 9

T he rest of the week is shockingly uneventful, likely because officers swarm the corridors and Pass below the Caves.

“Some things are classified, but I heard it was more pressure from the Human Realm. Crazed loyalists to Rathian,” Deah shared what she learned from a guard she befriended. “They don’t even know how they survived crossing the Wall. I wouldn’t be surprised if there are more attacks like that coming.”

I keep to my group more than usual, but the mass amount of armed guards traipsing around puts me at ease. Several of them have offered training tips or to walk us to our rooms after dark.

We meet up with the rest of our group every morning for breakfast, and shortly after, Deah destroys me in the training room for hours on end. Every few days we have coordination lessons, but mercifully there are no other ambushes. There are still so many skills I lack when it comes to flying. While the others practice dangerous maneuvers, Artemis and I work on keeping up.

Occasionally, while I bathe, I attempt at my fire power in order to heat the water. I concentrate on my palms until someone comes in to use one of the other tubs. So far, it's been entirely unsuccessful.

After an hour of soaking, trying to relax my sore muscles, I finally step out of the bath. Drying off and pulling on clean clothes, I braid my hair as I wander down the long corridor towards the library. I relish in the quiet, many of the others in their rooms studying or resting before dinner. Rounding the last corner, I nearly collide with a familiar frame .

“Oh!” I squeak, jumping back. “I have to stop letting my mind wander while I’m walking through the halls. Sorry about that.” I crane my neck to look up at Lamond.

He smirks, waving his hand before leaning a shoulder against the wall. “Ah, don’t worry about it. You looked a little lost in thought.”

My smile broadens as I peer around his shoulder. “I was actually heading to the library. Hoping to do a little reading before I catch up with Deah at dinner.” I slide my gaze to meet his, finding something like pride glimmering there. “Thank you for letting me know it was here. It might be my favorite space in the Caves.”

“Happy to do it,” Lamond murmurs, and I mark his sudden shift in tone. “I’m heading towards the meeting rooms, but I’ll see you around.”

He strides off, and I find myself once again deep in thought. My interactions with the opposite sex in Torrent were limited, but not unheard of. I knew enough to know that certain males would give me butterflies, while others would make me want to run the opposite way. What I couldn’t figure out is why Lamond made me feel the latter, when he was objectively handsome, and he’d been nothing but kind to me.

I watch him leave, before rushing off to the comfort of the tomes.

“Maybe next week you’ll actually be allowed on the combat mats,” Deah tells me excitedly as we make our way to dinner in the dining hall. “Your form is really improving already. The muscle weight will really help you; it just takes time to pack it on.”

My confidence has gone up since being able to complete another round of my exercises yesterday. Nerves and exhilaration tangle into a knot as I consider actually being in combat with another Novice. “Do you think I’ll lose my progress since we leave tomorrow night for Campout? ”

“Probably not.” Deah purses her lips as she thinks. “All the officers say it’s physically demanding, and unless there’s an emergency, our birds stay out of it. I would assume that means this won’t be a relaxing weekend.”

“Maybe that’s for the best,” I muse, as a rush of adrenaline races through me. An adventure with friends sounds like something I want to be part of.

She regards me with surprise, waiting until we pass by another sentry before responding. “Do I sense a viciousness from our sweet, inquisitive Aledrya?”

“Perhaps I have a dark side,” I offer with a self-deprecating laugh.

As we round the corner, I wait for the smell of dinner to hit me. Nothing comes. In fact, the hall is eerily void of sound. Deah stops short. I reach over and grab her arm. “That’s unusual, right?” I murmur, looking over at her.

“Shh,” she hisses, angling her head toward the hall. She motions for me to follow as we hug the side of the stone hallway. The dining hall comes into view, but we find it vacated; no cooks preparing dinner or guards strolling the perimeter. Nausea rolls in my gut, my palms prickling with sweat.

Scratch that, it’s fire .

A gasp escapes as I turn my hands over to see the ember flames flickering. I jerk my gaze up to show Deah, but a bulky arm slings over my shoulder.

“It’s Campout Weekend!” a deep voice booms gleefully. The flames die out in an instant at the ambush.

Deah whips around to face me, but a second officer jumps between us. He holds up a hand, shaking his head. “Sorry to do it like this, but you know we need the element of surprise.”

Before I can react, the arm around my shoulder falls away. The officer who had spoken to Deah turns to me, offering a sheepish smile. “This won’t hurt, but you’ll be a tad disoriented.” He has the gall to look apologetic.

Waving his hand in front of me, a strange dizziness takes over my senses, making me sway on my feet.

The last thing I see before darkness befalls me is Deah crumpling to the floor.

“Is this fucking legal ?” an angry male voice growls nearby.

“My head hasn’t stopped pounding since we woke up here, please quiet down,” another, milder voice answers.

“They used slumbering spells on us!” I’m fairly certain that was Lotog, but it’s hard to tell without seeing them, and my head feels waterlogged.

A sniff. “You said you know it changes year to year. Nothing is off the table for Campout Weekend.” That voice sure sounds like Deah.

“And that doesn’t bother you?”

“No, what did you think was going to happen? They were going to show you how to get out without an issue? The point is learning navigation and survival.”

I crack an eye open, a blurred vision of a deep green canopy of trees greets me from above. Blue skies, birds chirping. It would be serene if my mouth didn’t feel so dry it might crack. I sit up with caution, still dizzy and reeling from the spell the officer had used.

“Aledrya. Are you feeling okay?” Emmy sinks down in front of me, inspecting my head.

Closing my eyes to dull the nausea, I rub my temples with my forefingers. “Never better. Thanks.”

A snort comes from behind me. “Glad to hear the sarcastic side of you wasn’t dulled from this violation.” Definitely Lotog.

“We were all dropped together?” I question, peeling my eyes open again. Emmy is still crouched in front of me, Lotog and Deah off to the side, sorting through packs.

Deah looks up from the bag, snagging a waterskin. “I think they purposefully kept us together since you’re new and we’ve grown so close.”

The pulsating headache doesn’t let up as I take in my surroundings, eyeing the extra packs near Deah.

There’s a scuffle from my other side.

As groggy as I am, I launch to my feet and reach for a knife I don’t have at my thigh. Shit. I don’ t even have a weapon.

“Good grief, it’s all right. But a solid reaction, proud of you for going for a knife,” Deah says, chuckling. “Westyn.” She nods at the Novice who scooted away at my sudden movement. Deah’s eyes darken. “Ingrid.”

Damn . Of course she’s in our group.

“Oh, don’t look so excited to see me,” Ingrid drawls, spinning a knife in her palm. She expertly slides it into a sheath at her hip. How she is already upright is beyond me. “They knew you’d need someone with actual experience in your group to survive.”

“No one is excited to see you,” Lotog supplies. He turns back to Deah. “What now?”

“Burning pit, if you ask one more damned question,” Ingrid growls, marching to the line of packs at the tree. Her scuffed black boots crunch over leaves and branches, making the birds roosting above scatter.

Lotog crosses his arms, jutting his chin out. Despite his immature demeanor, there are times he’s intimidating. “You’ll do what?”

Ingrid stops at one of the packs, drops to a squat, and rips out a second knife that she spins in her hand before sheathing at her thigh. “I’ll gut you like the worthless pig you are,” she hisses, snatching up the bag as she stands.

As she stomps off, I ease to unsteady feet. Wobbling, I make my way to an unclaimed pack, leaving one for Westyn, who remains seated. “No love lost between you two,” I mutter to Lotog under my breath as I locate the knife in my bag.

My knife. There’s a foreign honor to that.

“She’s mad because she’s bad in bed,” Lotog utters without so much as looking up from his pack. “They gave us shitty knives,” he complains as he rifles through the items.

His comment leaves me feeling rather defensive. “You can’t say that kind of thing, Lotog. It’s crass.”

“ Enough .” Emmy looks between all of us, eyes wild. “You”—she points at Westyn—“get the fuck up. You’d be dead if this was real instead of a simulation. And you”—she whirls on Lotog, who flinches—“shut up, you’re irritating everyone. And you!” It’s my turn now, I suppose. “Do not instigate him.” She turns to Deah slowly. “You’re in charge. So quit dicking around and tell us what to do.” Her breathing is hard as she finishes her rant, storming off, cursing under her breath.

Lotog stands jaw slack as he watches her storm off. “What does it say about me that I’m aroused from that?”

I throw my hands up in exasperation. “What did I just say?”

It takes us a full hour to get everyone to load up and mobilize. The sun is already dipping low behind the horizon, fading to a deep orange over the treetops. They’d at least had the decency to drop us with daylight left.

Deah had promptly decided we’d be better off camping elsewhere, so we head due south.

“Why are we going this way?” My curiosity can’t handle not knowing any longer. “Is there somewhere specific we’re supposed to go?”

Deah hardly breaks a sweat as we trek up a grassy hill following the tree line. She keeps her sight locked on her compass as we walk. “No, and we don’t get a map either. Only our own knowledge of up and down, a compass, and our packs.” I hear Westyn slip behind us; the third time he’s lost his footing. Deah huffs in frustration. “He’s never going to make it here,” she mutters.

I wince at the brutal words. “He only slipped.”

She bites her lip before turning to me. “I didn’t tell you before because I didn’t want to scare you on day one. This place is not for the weak.” She hesitates, navigating a particularly steep part of the path we’re taking. “Not everyone makes it through their Novice year. Leadership doesn’t take it lightly, they always do what they can to keep it safe. It’s a choice to be here, and they only want the strong to stay. ”

“So what happens if someone leaves? Do they remain tethered to their Phoenix?” I press, inhaling a sharp breath when I notice how beautiful the scenery is here. Rolling green plains, massive trees scattered about.

Deah shifts her pack on her shoulders, looking around us. “They stay tethered; the Ravels don’t own the Phoenixes. The birds are free to do whatever they please, although they prefer tethering with Fae who are part of the Ravels. As far as our documented history goes back, Phoenixes have always been part of the Fae army.”

My lips tug up. Clearing my throat, I work up the nerve to ask what has been burning in the back of my mind. “Do you think I’m strong enough to make it here?” I look at the path in front of me, too abashed to meet her eyes.

“Do you want the truth or my friendly answer?”

Shit . “The truth, always.”

“I like you, and I want you to make it. You have great footwork, and you’re in better shape than I expected. If you keep pushing yourself, you have a really good chance. As far as your powers…” She trails off, looking over at me. “What exactly are your powers?”

“So far, fire when agitated,” I mutter.

Her brown eyes widen appreciatively. “Fire isn’t common.” It’s quiet for a few moments as we reach the top of the hill we’ve been climbing. “It’ll take work, but you’ll get there.”

My heart squeezes with contentment. “I’m grateful they stuck me with you as a bunkmate.”

“I can tell you’re telling the truth.” Lips thinned, she peeks over at me before she ducks her head again.

I angle my head at her. “What do you mean?”

Still using the compass to avoid my gaze, she keeps marching forward. “I can tell if people are telling the truth or not.”

My eyes widen in appreciation. “Wow, that is a remarkable power.”

“Another truth. ”

I bark out a laugh with Deah, her long curls bouncing as she snickers. “So, you can sense truth, dispatch…anything else?”

She shrugs, seeming slightly tense at my question. “None yet. You should know dispatching is really common. There are plenty of people here who can dispatch or zip. It’s not a lesser power such as holding out mystic lights, but as far as primary powers go, it’s very ordinary.”

The others have since caught up to us, rumbling about stopping soon. We gather wood for a fire and set up sleeping arrangements on a flat area near the trees. My stomach is growling already, but I don’t want to be the first one to broach the topic of food.

Turns out I don’t need to worry, because Lotog is in our group.

“We’re not going to be able to hunt until the morning now,” he gripes, gesturing toward the rising moon. “We have to eat something.”

Ingrid drops her pack with a thud on the ground, digging around the main compartment. “I swear I have to do everything,” she mutters.

Ingrid snatches a waterskin from her bag, tips it back to drink deeply, then tosses it back in and makes a beeline for the woods. I set my pack down, watching her. “Where are you going?” I call after her.

She doesn’t stop, though; doesn’t even bother to look my way as she answers, “To do something about the lack of food.”

I grab the second knife from my bag and take off after her before I can second guess the decision. As I fall into step beside her, she whips her head toward me at my approach.

“Wait, are you sure about this?” Emmy shouts as I leave our quaint encampment.

“No, but at least now she won’t be alone,” I bellow back, matching Ingrid’s hurried pace.

I wanted an adventure. No point in shying away from it now.

“You’re coming with me?” She narrows her fierce green eyes. Spellwork suits her, honestly .

“Better to go in a pair or a group,” I point out, pushing the thicket out of our way.

Her brows furrow. “You think I can’t handle myself?” She cocks her head, as if challenging me.

“I could help, you know. You don’t have to come out here by yourself,” I tell her, doing my best to keep my tone even.

“How considerate.” She picks up her hastened pace once more.

It takes all my self control not to release the thicket on her as she traipses past.

We walk in silence until I hear the trickling of flowing water. “Fishing is a safer call for tonight,” I offer, knowing we wouldn’t be able to track anything without more light. Hune and my father had taught me enough to know hunting was incredibly dangerous at night.

Ingrid raises her eyebrows at me but says nothing as we approach the riverside. Crouching on the bank, she dips her hand into the flowing water. “Water is cold. Hopefully that means the fish are active tonight.”

“Don’t get yourself wet. I didn’t see a change of clothes in our packs,” I warn her. A large fish darts under a fallen tree on the opposite side of the river, giving me an idea.

Retreating back to the trees, I shuffle through leaves, locating a large stick. I triumphantly find one that will work, then rip at one of the vines on the large based trees.

“What are you concentrating so hard on?” I can feel Ingrid at my back, peering over my shoulder, her tone light and eager for once.

“We’ll freeze if we get into the water, so we need something to spear the fish from the shore.” I hold my sorry excuse of a snare up for her to examine. My dagger is secured with the vine at the tip of the stick, giving us a few feet of leverage.

Her face tightens like she might laugh, but she curtly nods. The moon streaks through the gaps in the canopy above, glinting off the knife as we hike back to the river. We’re exposed on the bank, and we still need to find our way back to the others .

I skip a small stone across the top of the water. Hune had taught me this trick years ago—the ripples make fish believe there are large bugs skimming along the surface.

There’s no movement.

On my third attempt, a large fish darts out from under thick brush.

I ready myself as the fish cautiously approaches the ripples my stone left. It makes a break for it, and I take aim. The spear hits its intended target, driving through the large fish and into the mud with hardly a noise.

Ingrid shoots up next to me. “ Woah . That was incredible!” she shouts, then blinks as if surprised by her own reaction. “Nicely done. I wouldn’t have thought of that.”

She’s halfway into the water before I can reply to her compliment. “Wait. What are you doing? You’re going to freeze when you get out.”

“I’m fine,” she calls back over her shoulder, not breaking her stride.

I crinkle my nose, squashing the notion to tell her to turn around. If she wants to freeze, so be it. Instead, I assess if there are more fish we could add to our haul before heading back. Crouching, I scan the now disturbed water, noticing that same large black shadow dart from brush to brush under the small waves Ingrid is making.

“ Ingrid ,” I hiss, keeping my voice low. “Large fish in front of you, don’t scare it off.”

She bobs her head, slowing her pace. She reaches the speared fish finally, plucking the dagger from the dirt before turning to wade back. The moment her back is turned, the large black shadow emerges from that brush pile.

I track it painstakingly, not wanting to lose sight of it before I can get my spear back. Ingrid eases back to shore, taking deliberate steps. The fish hovers in one place, watching. My blood freezes throughout my body. Fish don’t stay perfectly still. Like a predator.

Because that is not a fish.

“Ingrid. Come back to shore now.” Alarm bells are blaring. Something is not right about this. “Forget the fish! Come back onto shore quickly. ”

Her mouth drops open, but she takes off into a sprint across the last ten feet. The black shadow darts after her, and damn if it isn’t the fastest thing I’ve ever seen.

Ingrid lets out a wail, falling to her knees just before the shore. I reach for her arm, jerking her the rest of the way out. The black thing leaps from the water, and I get a glimpse of its hideous face and slimy black body. While it does indeed have fishlike features, this is something the Beneath could have created within the belly of its burning pit.

Razor-sharp teeth jut out from an oversized mouth. Milky white eyes that have no life behind them, and black tar oozes from charcoal colored flesh. It lands on the rocks a few feet from us, and to my horror, it begins to propagate legs .

Something primal spurs me into fight or flight. I snatch up my discarded spear on the shore and turn on the beast as it begins to stand itself up on four new legs. To my dismay, it requires no time at all to steady itself. Fully upright, it’s easily the size of a large wolf.

“Go back to the burning pit where you belong,” I snarl as I launch the weapon at its horrible mouth.

Of all the things Hune taught me while living in Torrent, I never thought our time throwing darts at a local bar would come in handy. We never had money to drink; but we’d sneak in, rushing to the back corner to throw darts until the bar owner ordered us out. It seems to have been decent target practice, because my blade aims true.

The monster lets out a screech as my dagger buries into its face. Stumbling backwards, it makes to retreat into the water.

“Oh, Beneath no,” I roar, hardly recognizing my own voice—my own actions. But I know I can’t let this monster escape and terrorize someone else. I unsheathe my second knife from my thigh, this time lunging for the beast. I swipe at its thick and grotesque neck, and it snaps at me, narrowly missing my forearm.

Drawing my arm back, I decide throwing is my best bet of killing it and keeping my limbs attached. The creature’s mouth falls open as it gnarls, putrid smelling breath blowing into my face.

I reel back, saying a silent prayer before aiming my second knife. Flames sputter to life at my fingertips, morphing my dagger into a flamed weapon.

Concentrate. I need to concentrate on the beast and not my power. Aiming like there is a dartboard in front of me instead of a demon made from nightmares, I let the fear fall away. I steady my now burning hands, flinging the dagger in a fluid motion. It lands directly between those soulless eyes— bullseye . There’s a sickening gurgle as it drains of life.

My heartbeat is all I can hear as I stare in shock at the black blood bubbling from the carcass. I can’t quite get my breath back, a wave of sick washing over me. I double over my knees, retching; adrenaline crashing over me. My stomach is completely empty, making it even more uncomfortable as I attempt to compose myself.

“Oh gods,” Ingrid squeaks as she scurries to her feet. Discarding the fish we speared, she stumbles over to me, tripping over herself as she does. “I always thought I’d react well in situations like that, but I did nothing . I’m so sorry, Aledrya.”

I heave again, unable to respond to her.

What is happening? Artemis’s voice is filled with alarm.

I breathe deep before sending a response through our tether. Nothing, go back to sleep.

There’s a sigh—I hadn’t known birds could do such a thing. Then keep yourself alive long enough to allow me to do so.

Sitting back on my heels, I lift my chin toward the sky and breathe evenly. Resisting the urge to gag again takes all the energy I have left. “It’s fine. I never thought I’d react the way I did, so that makes two of us.”

She nods. For a fleeting moment, I could almost swear she looks chastened. All I can see of the savage spell-master is someone who’s just as afraid as I am. “Thank you for saving me. And for catching the only fish we managed to get. ”

I squint at her. “I won’t be catching another tonight.”

“That makes two of us.”

I shake off the nausea, walking over to collect the speared fish. Handing both the fish and the spear to Ingrid, I return toward the edge of the river where I’d killed the creature to retrieve my knife.

“Ingrid?” I call, not daring to take my eyes off this spot. “Did you come over here while I was getting sick?”

“I won’t be getting anywhere near that water ever again. Not sure why you would even ask me that.”

I release the air trapped in my lungs. Rubbing my eyes, I check to make sure they aren’t deceiving me, hoping the darkness creeping in has masked the body that was once there. When I open them, I’m horrified to see my eyes are not playing tricks on me.

“That thing is gone.”