by K.N. Lee
“Holy crap!” Stunned, I yanked my hand back, and put some space between us.
It didn’t hurt. It was just shocking.
Literally.
“Did you feel that?” Rhys asked, staring down at his hand, brows furrowed.
“Are you kidding me? Yeah. And, I saw it. What the hell was that?”
He stared at me for a moment, searching my face. Then, he shrugged and dug into his eggs with his fork.
“Can’t say its ever happened to me before,” he said, in between chews.
“Certainly hasn’t happened to me.” I rubbed my hands together, utterly confused.
“There’s only one explanation,” he said, and I tilted my head as I looked at him.
“And, what is that?”
He stopped eating and silence passed between us. I worried that I had just said something wrong, as his brows lifted over his crystalline eyes. This was the first I’d seen his face free of that charming smile.
When he finally spoke, I was certain I misheard him—certain one of us had gone mad.
“You’re my soulmate.”
Soulmate?
My jaw hung as I stared into his eyes.
“Are you being serious?”
Frowning, he nodded. “Yes.”
I swallowed, and looked around, wondering if anyone else had heard his absolute insane words.
“Well,” I said, gathering my wits. “You don’t look very happy about it.”
“I’m not,” he confirmed, giving me a look that stole whatever excitement I had for being near him away.
“Wow,” was all I could say. “Well, its not like I want to be your soulmate either, Rhys. Who says that’s the case anyway?”
“Listen,” he said. “I only came over here to make you feel welcome, and not have to eat alone. Not this.”
Oh, that’s just brilliant.
He stared at his open hand, and then reached for mine.
“What are you doing?”
“I’m just double checking something,” he said, under his breath.
Shoulders slumping, I sighed, and watched as he held my hand between his.
I watched him as he closed his eyes, and exhaled. At that moment, we were locked in some sort of quiet space and time where no one else existed. My eyes fluttered closed, and heat rose from my feet and up to the top of my head.
I bit the inside of my lip and tried to keep from moaning as the sensation took over my entire body.
Abruptly, he pulled his hand away. Our eyes opened in sync, and we stared at one another, breathless.
His hand was shaking, as he raked his hair back and caught his breath.
“Meet me tomorrow evening in the woods behind the campus training grounds,” he whispered. “I want to show you something.”
Then, he stood, and left me there.
What just happened?
7
After breakfast, it took me forever to find my first class. When I arrived, I was at least fifteen minutes late, an almost all of the seats in the dungeon-eqsue room were taken.
It was dimly lit, and smelled of stagnant water. Paintings of fairies with big eyes and skinny bodies were posted on the stone walls. A small skeleton was on display in a glass case beside the teacher’s desk.
It was all very odd. Even the air in the room had an eerie sensation to it—like I was entering a different time period. If any room in the palace was kept in original condition from when it was built in the Middle Ages, it was this room.
I couldn’t help but wonder how many people had been tortured and kept prisoner here.
When I took a seat in the back of the class, I was still shaken by all that had occurred in such a short span of time.
This was day one, and I was already thrown completely off of my game.
Rhys—Night Blade—wanted to meet me tomorrow night for god knows what.
The words “Dr. Thomas Grant” were a scrawl across the top of the chalkboard. Below his name was the title of the course “Elementals and Alternate Dimensional Entities.”
He didn’t say anything to me when I walked in, but he noticed. He raised one eyebrow and looked right at me but never paused in his lecture.
Dr. Grant looked like he was in his mid-30s. His black hair was long, and worn in a ponytail at his nape. There were gray streaks at his temples. His pale skin looked like old ivory, the kind of complexion that resisted burning and tanning alike.
Once I was seated and finally set my mind to focus on what he taught, I realized he left the room utterly spellbound. He spoke of Ireland and their traditions centering around faeries, ghosts, and elementals.
A flash of Rhys from that morning blindsided me. I couldn’t seem to get his eyes out of my head. And, how could we be soulmates? We didn’t even know each other.
He was a legend.
I was no one.
Grant’s voice broke through my confusion like a church carillon.
“If you look at the legends of changelings or trolls you'll notice different accounts of such occurrences throughout the world. You see, many think faeries are a type of angel, and some even believe certain types of unbaptized children.” He turned his back to the class to write on the board. He didn't erase his name. “Neither of those concepts are true.”
He put the finishing touch on his written notes and turned back to face us once more.
“No, they are beings who have been in this world much longer than any of us. Their roots are deep—their wisdom endless.”
His gaze met mine, and I couldn't look away. I shivered and gripped the arms of my chair, an instinctive fight-or-flight response.
“So, is that second example like in Tinker Bell?”
Grant turned toward the girl who had asked the question as the rest of the class laughed. I couldn’t believe any of those around me actually remembered Teen Wolf. It felt like ages since television had been a real thing.
I could already see that Dr. Grant was the kind of guy who made a person feel like they were the only one who mattered.
The class discussion swirled around the room. It reminded me of when I’d attended the small school in my village. It had only been a week before my parents pulled me out and decided to teach me at home. As I listened to everyone else, I read Dr. Grant’s chalkboard scrawl. His first grouping was a bulleted list of the types of faeries we’d discuss.
- trolls
- banshees
- gnomes
- changelings
- pookas
- dullahans
- grogochs
- leprecauns
- merrows
- sheeries
My mind wandered to Orion. I already knew most of this, so I tuned out the discussion that ensued around me. It was almost as if everyone didn’t have their own faeries they called their best friend.
Dr. Grant seemed more than happy to answer any questions on the subject anyone in the class had, and I wondered if he had faerie energy within him.
I remembered my mom telling me I had such energy, and that was why faeries were comfortable revealing themselves to me, and being around me.
Sighing, I closed my eyes and tried to keep my thoughts in order.
Academy of Lost Souls was already more than I’d bargained for.
Way more.
8
After classes were finished, Lucia and I met back in our room and prepared to go shopping in the academy store.
I’d gathered my stipend money from the main office, and couldn’t wait to spend it like I’d just won the lottery.
Together, they walked the length of the academy grounds as the faint light of the sun began to wane, and more clouds rolled in with the scent of rain. Once inside, they parted ways.
“I’ll meet you in the tea room,” Lucia said, and waved as she went toward the section full of crystals and pendulums she needed for her dousing and divination class.
I waved back, and sighed, scanning the shop for anything that peaked my interest. To my surprise
, I was drawn to many different sections. There were books on magic, angel cards, magic candles, incense, charms and trinkets that all called to me.
I stood in the aisle filled with beautiful empty journals and guides. There was something special about a crisp, blank pages bound between leather or designed cardboard. To write your story from scratch was something I always wished I could do.
To be a new person entirely.
I’m sure it was something I’d grow out of. I should be proud of my soul’s origins. But, growing up around humans with small minds didn’t make it easy once they learned the truth about my family.
Sighing, I glanced toward the quiet, and dark tea room and forced those painful memories away.
I finally chose a journal for myself, a few snacks I hadn’t seen in ages, and a magic candle.
Once inside the tea room, I stiffened at seeing Rhys sitting at one of the short floor tables with a girl with long, white hair and white brows. She had pale skin and an intense gaze that fixed on me the moment I entered.
A perfectly arched brow lifted over her dark eyes as Rhys gave a nod of greeting to me.
I didn’t nod back, and turned away from the both of them, an unsettling nauseous feeling overwhelming me.
At that moment, a blast of something heavy nearly knocked me over.
Shaken, I stepped backward, nearly falling over a table set with fine crystal tea settings.
The world spun for a moment, and searched for whatever had just hit me. Whatever it was, held me in its icy grip, and I’d never felt more afraid in my entire life.
“Don’t touch me,” I said, still unsteady, still unseeing what held onto me, and made my skin cold. I tried to regain focus but my eyes were closing, and it felt as though my body was being swept away by some unseen wind.
I collapsed then.
To my surprise, Rhys was quickly at my side, and helped me back to my feet.
I stood there, and closed my eyes.
“Just relax,” Rhys’ voice said, soothing my frazzled nerves, and the anxiety that began to build. “Take deep breaths.”
I clung to him. “What’s happening?”
He didn’t answer right away, but when I opened my eyes, they met his and I saw something new within his gaze. Within them was a bright light, one that I couldn’t free myself from. And, with his hands on me, a cool sensation filled every vein and muscle and inch of my skin.
“Psychic attack,” Rhys said, brows furrowed as he stroked my cheek.
Psychic attack? From who?
“You’re going to want to pay attention in your magic defense classes,” he said, and I nodded.
I didn’t want to feel that way ever again.
I’d brought quite a little group of spectators, and the white-haired girl now approached, a wry smile on her full lips.
“So,” she said. “This is the “special” starseed you were sent to retrieve…”
Rhys didn’t look at her, but kept his eyes fixed on me. “Yes. Tabitha, this is Skylar.”
She looked me up and down, unimpressed.
The nauseous feeling returned and I flickered a frightened glance at Tabitha.
It was her. Had to be.
“You know, you’re not going to get very far if you don’t learn how to protect yourself, love,” she said, feigning true concern. She even mimicked a look of worry as she tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear. “This isn’t your typical university.”
I moved her hand away from me. “I am aware.”
She grinned. “I mean, you can actually die here,” she said, and stepped away, running a hand through her long, straight hair. “We wouldn’t want that? Would we?”
She didn’t wait for a reply, and walked away—after kissing Rhys on the cheek.
I glared after her, and then felt relief as the nausea subsided.
Should I tell Rhys what his demented girlfriend had just done?
I didn’t have a chance. Lucia appeared through the crowd, a look of confusion on her face as she stopped before the three of us.
“What’s going on here?” she asked.
I stepped away from Rhys and linked arms with her as we left the tea room.
“Nothing,” I said, my fingers balling into fists. “I just learned exactly where the lines are drawn.”
9
Frowning, I realized it was morning, and I still didn’t feel rested. I opened my eyes a crack, and Lucia’s face swam into view.
Why was she smiling?
“Wake up, sleepy head,” she sang.
Way too cheerful.
“You’re going to be late for breakfast.”
I growled at her and turned over, pulling the covers over my head. Lucia pulled them right back off, exposing me to the much cooler air of our room.
“What happened yesterday, anyway? You seemed pretty shaken.” She sat on the corner of my bed, watching me with an expectant expression. “I was worried about you.”
“Stop.” Groggy, still half asleep, I pulled the covers back up to my chin. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
She didn’t budge. “It’s not like either of us have loads of friends out here. It would be good for us to share our experiences.”
Yanking my covers down, I looked at her. She was right.
Sitting up, I sighed. “It was just weird,” I said. “That psycho, Tabitha hit me with a psychic attack.”
Lucia’s brows lifted. “What? Why would she do that?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know.” Then, I squeezed my eyes shut and winced. “Actually, I do.”
She moved closer, intrigued. “Tell me.”
It was hard to voice what I was about to tell her. I still couldn’t wrap my mind around it myself.
“Well,” I began. “Seems Rhys believes we are soulmates…”
A laugh bubbled out of Lucia’s mouth. She quickly slapped her hand over her mouth and paled when I shot a glare at her.
“Wow. I guess it is pretty comical,” I said, my tone dry and unamused.
She placed a hand on my knee and shook her head. “I thought you were joking. Truly.”
I plopped back downward on my pillow. “Well, I wasn’t. Just go without me.”
She sighed and stood. “Sorry, Sky. I didn’t mean to laugh.”
“It doesn’t matter. It can’t be true anyway. He has a girlfriend.”
She didn’t reply, but headed for the door. “I’ll see you later.”
“Yeah,” I said, as she closed the door behind her.
I stared up at the ceiling, my mind a storm of images and emotions as the wind outside howled around the eaves. It promised a chilly morning. Tree branches outside our window scraped against the glass, tap-tap scree, tap-tap scree.
I sat up with a glance at the gray morning sky and opened the top drawer of my nightstand. I pulled my new journal out, and a pen, and began writing.
Somehow, it was freeing, just to get all of my emotions, fears, and worries out and onto paper. I wrote it all down. Everything I could remember from before Rhys came for me, to now. Then, I put it away and quickly got dressed for class.
There was already a test in Dr. Grant’s class. I sat down and stared, wide-eyed at the lengthy test before me.
The academy wasn’t playing any games.
Luckily, I knew most of what was asked, and was confident I would at least pass.
At lunch, I sat and ate my potatoes and soup alone, wondering why Lucia didn’t even offer me a seat with her and Morgan, but not really caring.
Being alone was easier. I didn’t have to answer any nosy questions.
While I ate, I studied the notes I’d taken during my class on magic defense. That morning, we’d learned about light shields and energy clearing and protection, and I’d soaked it all in like a sponge.
I’d be ready for Tabitha next time.
Speaking of Tabitha, I avoided her glare from across the room as she sat with a group of girls who also seemed to hate me.
Very original, I though
t. The world nearly ended and we still have mean girls.
The best part of the day came when I went to my physical defense class. It, too, had a kind of pop quiz, but it wasn't anything written.
Mr. Alessandro Patelli had us suit up in protective gear as soon as we walked into the training grounds.
Swordsmanship.
“Yes,” I said, getting excited.
He paired us off according to a similarity of reach and stride for the first half of the test, the disparity for the second.
For once, I felt in my element. Using a sword was something I’d done often. Father had always thought it was important to teach me and my sisters to defend ourselves, especially after the world went mad.
I looked off to the field and forest behind the training ground, and realized that was where Rhys wanted me to meet him later that evening. I still didn’t know how to feel about it. But, I wanted answers.
I let myself sink into the rhythms of lunge and parry, attack and riposte, advance and retreat. I did as well when Mr. Patelli paired me with a person of the same height and weight as I did against someone a foot taller and a hundred pounds heavier.
With the masks and the padded suits, I had no idea if they were male or female or one of each.
Talking was not allowed during the test, so there was no banter or taunting. I had to wait until the bout ended and we took off our masks to find out both of my opponents were male.
I aced the test, beating them both.
On the way back to my room, I caught a glimpse of Rhys.
In just a few hours, I’d be alone with him.
I couldn’t help but feel an odd mixture of excitement and dread.
I couldn’t help but count down the minutes.
10
Evening finally came, I stood at the entrance to the forest, right behind the field, waiting.
Tense and on edge, I held my arms across my chest and stayed on guard. When he finally showed up, he was wearing dark pants and a black sweater. He’d taken off his glasses, and wore his hair messier than normal.
