Page 17 of Above (Darkness Reigns #1)

Nova

“Magic can be exhaustingly difficult at times. My mind is such a loud and messy place. I think my magic gets lost in there.”

“ Y our first task as new recruits is to shadow walk. We do not coddle you here. One explanation will be afforded to you, but that is all. If you do not shadow walk to the Elite Academy gate, then you will be forced to get there by foot. If you do not get there by nightfall, don’t expect to see another sunrise.

” Who I now knew to be Benadell, the Zade matriarch and captain, spoke without any inflection—no emotion beyond boredom.

Every core family had a leader, usually the youngest married male, though it was not unheard of for a head to possess their title for generations.

Those men were called colonels. Their wives were considered second in their household, and they were called captains.

A captain always led Elite Academy. This year, it was Benadell Zade, who scowled at us as we filed out of the Ether Cathedral after hastily donning our clothing once more.

“Shadow walking is easier than you might think.” That was what the texts said too. Shadows That Breathe claimed that someone merely had to think of where they wanted to go and the shadows would do the rest. I doubted that. “Tell the shadows where to take you and they will.”

The silence that followed was heavier than the weight of the ritual we had just suffered through. That was it? All she would give us? I wasn’t sure why I was surprised, core families only prioritized their own survival.

“As I said, shadow walk to the academy or die trying.” Her voice became icy—threatening. “I am about to show you the first of many secrets afforded to elites. Be weary of your tongues and who you loosen them for, lest you hope to have them cut off.”

Raising her hand, Captain Zade showed us something truly extraordinary.

Above her palm floated a sparkling silver map, so detailed that only being inches in front of it would allow one to see each minute dip, fall, and curve.

Just east of the military base sat an island, which we had been led to believe was uninhabited like the rest of Dajahim, with shadows wrapped around it and a much brighter shade of silver glowing in the center.

“This is the real Elite Academy,” she nearly whispered.

Could everyone hear her? See her, even? She didn’t seem to care if they could.

In fact, she almost appeared eager to kill some of us off.

One of the only strong emotions she showed being the bloodthirsty smile she flashed us before purring, “Don’t be late. ”

Then she was gone, disappearing in a cloud of shadows so thick they hid the sunlight, our masks going with her.

No one moved at first, even the core group not so much as blinking.

Which was odd, because everyone knew that those six—and any that had parents who were elites—had far more knowledge than most.

The first to break the silence was Talon. He moved to my side, a sort of smile on his face as he dipped his head. “I can help you get there, Nova.”

My brow furrowed as I considered what he said. Not only had he sauntered over here and acted as if I wanted his company, but he also insinuated that I wasn’t capable of shadow walking on my own. But of course he would think that. I was just a stupid, filthy of eadi.

“Actually, I think—like everyone else—I’ll be just fine. Thanks for the generous offer though,” I spit out. His brown eyes shone red in the light as they widened. “Perhaps there’s another of eadi you can pity.”

“I’m sorry, I don’t mean to be ignorant. I just thought you would need help since you’re a…” His sentence trailed off, but I knew what he meant, just as the rest of the group did. Now I was not just the sole of eadi, but I was also a weakling not deserving of the stars.

“Go on, say it. Call me what you want to call me. What you think in your head every time you see an of eadi.” I was pushing.

Why, I didn’t know. I should’ve been focusing all my attention and energy on shadow walking to the academy.

But something about how they all stared at me and whispered had my defenses up.

“Nova, no,” Talon mumbled, shaking his head back and forth as if to rid his mind of the slur he meant to use.

As if he was only waiting for the best dramatic entrance, Azazel Altair pushed through the crowd and walked right up to us.

“Akhata,” he nearly yelled. The word was more than an insult. It was a hateful, damning thing. “You were going to call her an akhata—a mistake. Right, Talon?”

Bunching my fists, I squared my shoulders and let my anger win out. Something I usually tried not to do.

“Many would argue that the stars don’t make mistakes, Altair.” He looked at me, as if surprised to hear my voice. Quickly, his face morphed into a smug expression.

“Oh, really? So you don’t think in that little mind of yours that they made a mistake when they didn’t give your family magic?

” I froze, not knowing what to say to that.

Because he had me there. Of course I thought they made a mistake not giving Celeste magic.

And I honestly believed they would have given my parents the gift if they had possessed the means to get to the cathedral on their twenty-fifth birthdays.

But I would never admit such a thing out loud.

Instead, I just plotted and brewed and did my best to rectify the lapse of judgment on their part.

“Right, because you Akhatas love to think the stars somehow made two mistakes instead of one, which was giving you magic when you clearly don’t deserve it.

Here’s your reality check: you have magic because they got bored, not because you’re worthy of it. ”

Before I could do something truly stupid, like punch the fucker in the face, Talon jumped in between us, his back against my chest and his hands in the air.

“That’s enough, Azazel.”

A laugh burst through Altair’s teeth, his head tilting back and exposing his long neck and creeping veins woven through shadow marks.

“When we were younger you called me Az, like all our friends do. But I guess we’re not friends anymore, huh?

Did mommy’s boy decide he doesn’t like his place anymore?

Not a fan of the cards you’ve been dealt? ”

Altair took a large step forward, his body shoving into Talon’s and his head tilting down to make up for the four or so inches he had on the Zade boy. The three of us became impossibly close, the heat of our bodies merging as our collective fury battled.

“Well, guess what, Talon. You will always be below me. Second, third, fourth, fifth—what’s the difference when they’re all beneath first?

You’ll never be better than me. So maybe you should take the foul little mistake’s advice and move along.

” Reaching up, Altair flicked Talon’s nose and then disappeared in the same thick cloud of darkness that Captain Zade had.

Though I would’ve lost it as well, I was still somehow surprised when Talon reached down, grabbed a rock that was sticking out from the snow, and threw it so hard it slammed into the cathedral, breaking off some of the sacred stone.

He offered me one rushed glance as he too shadow walked away.

Mere seconds passed before the rest of the group began following the two core boys’ lead.

Body after body disappeared. But I waited.

I wasn’t sure I wanted anyone around to see me potentially fail.

I had been shadow walked before, but this was different.

I needed to focus. My first tome on the shadows was tucked safely in my bag, which I had snagged on my way out of the cathedral after redressing in my training uniform.

Turning my back, I began walking away from the others, putting distance between us as I pulled out Magic in the Darkness , a book about the elites and how they were formed.

When I felt confident that no one else was around, I started rereading the brief section on shadow walking.

Both books had one thing in common: they weren’t fans of details.

In this case, it stressed the importance of intention and knowledge of the location.

I tried to remember the map Captain Zade had flashed us.

A map!

Reaching my hand farther in, I rummaged through the pack until I found my map of Dajahim. Good on me for not throwing this out when Celeste called it pointless. Sending up a silent prayer to the stars that the island was included, I replaced the book and unfolded the thick parchment.

There, just southeast of the shaytan military base, was what I now knew to be the Elite Academy. Excellent.

“No time like the present,” I muttered as I tossed my pack onto my shoulders and placed my hand on the drawing of the island, closing my eyes.

The images of my family dying flooded my mind, but I did my best to focus as I willed my magic to take me to the academy.

Across my skin the black marks burned, something flowing through my chest in a way that I had never felt before.

I continued to chant my intentions in my head, begging the shadows to do my bidding.

Before I could wonder if it worked, I felt the familiar tug of shadow walking, and I was able to revel in a singular moment of pure joy. Then, because my luck was nonexistent, I crashed down into fierce waves.

Salty water shoved into my mouth, my body being thrown around like a loose shell. I knew better than to fight the current, even if I had never been lucky enough to see the sea or even a lake. Reading was enough. It always was.

Don’t scream. Don’t fight. Protect your head. Dive under the waves. Flow with the current.

Easier said than done, apparently. Every time I thought I was going low enough, the wave proved me wrong and barreled into my back.

I screamed without meaning to, and even more water rushed down my throat, burning and making my head feel like it might explode.

My energy depleted quickly as I tried to swim without truly understanding the concept of it.

Anxiety swarmed me, the same little beast that had always plagued my mind.

With no other option, I tried to shadow walk again.

So much for intention and focus.

This time, I landed on solid ground, my hands and knees slamming into dense sand as I immediately began vomiting up the water.

Hot tears poured down my cheeks from the burning in my chest and throat.

My fingers dug into the sand, wishing I could have at least done this right.

Now I would have to walk into the academy with soaked clothes and bloodshot eyes.

Celeste would loathe my choice to care only of what others thought when I was still struggling to breathe.

She would hate everything about this. Laughter stole my thoughts, my head flinging up so fast that I grew dizzy.

Through the black spots in my vision, I could just make out hair the color of the moon.

He approached, clapping as he walked and squatting down when he reached me.

“Tell me, little akhata, do you know your place?” he asked, not even considering if I was okay before beginning the verbal sparring.

I would question why he was doing this when he didn’t even know me, but that would be a waste of my very valuable, very limited breaths. Azazel Altair hated me for the same reason all the purity obsessed shaytan did. I was a direct threat to their way of life. To their rule and power.

Because I knew better than to let him win, I forced air into my lungs and willed myself to stand.

Both my legs and my arms shook violently, but I was able to straighten my body.

While my eyes still struggled to fully see Altair, I knew the general area his eyes should have been.

So that was where I stared as I raised my chin and crossed my arms.

“I am quite comfortable in my place. But I think you will be surprised when you realize yours is below me.” Stars, that sounded vulgar. Great.

“Overconfident, I see.” His chuckles were nearly full laughs now, as if this moment were the peak of comedy to him. “Eadi always prove themselves to be the most idiotic creatures.”

“I am not eadi!” I shouted as I placed my hands in the direction of his chest and attempted to shove him. All that really did was make me lose my balance. He pivoted out of my way just as I once again fell to the ground.

Calm down, Nova. Don’t let him see you like this.

“What’s wrong with being eadi? Isn’t it usually your kind who love to argue that eadi aren’t savage beasts who can’t spell? Aren’t your parents eadi? Wouldn’t want them to hear you sound so appalled at the thought of being compared to them, now would we?”

The mocking edge to his tone was enough to clear some of the fog from my brain. He wanted a fight? I’d give him one.

“Fine, Altair. Maybe I am a mistake. But you want to know who else clearly was? Your father.” At that, his breaths hitched, only the sound of the waves filling the space in the absence of his mocking.

A smile split my face in two, releasing all the animosity from within my heart.

I pushed myself not up, but back, letting my legs fold and my head tilt back.

He looked furious. His pale skin was ashy in the light, his eyes wide and brow furrowed.

“Maybe that’s why you are so intent on hating me when you’ve only just met me.

Because you know that if I’m a mistake the stars were willing to make twice, then their choice to take their essence from your family means you’re something far worse. ”

We stared off, my teeth bared and his fists scrunched. Fury was the only thing we truly had in common. Unfortunately for him, I had far more.

“A regret,” I finished, finally pushing myself to stand.

I was sure to hit his arm with my shoulder as I passed, knowing I would pay for my words later but not caring.

“You know what they say about regrets, right Altair?” I looked over my shoulder, the black spots finally fading fully.

In the morning light, Altair looked almost like a ghost clad in black.

A fallen warrior intent on haunting his successors.

“They teach lessons that stop you from making the same mistake twice. Too bad for you. Maybe the stars will choose a better, more deserving family this time.”