by S. W. Clarke
I scooped him up. “Why not both?” I made toward the door, waving goodbye to Eva. “See you.”
She followed me to the door, sent me off into the evening like a nervous mother. “You’ll do great!”
As I walked to Umbra’s office, I fell into a grave silence. I’d do great or I’d do terrible—for someone like me, there was no in between
I pushed open the grand double doors leading into Umbra’s antechamber. Inside, eight robed students stood around the headmistress. Among them, I recognized Liara Youngblood.
Above the group, an ever-changing blue light twinkled over the space like water. The will-o-wisps, floating high up near the ceiling, the only light in the room. The previous bearers of the liar’s key.
Umbra turned to face me, her face shadowed. “Welcome, Clementine. You’re the last to join us.”
I set Loki down, and he stayed by my legs as I came forward, passing over the illustration of the Battle of the Ages covering the circular floor of the antechamber. “Had to take a shower. My cat said I smelled.”
A flicker of amusement passed over Umbra’s face. Her hand went out. “Please, stand beside Liara at the center.”
As Loki and I approached Liara, who stood flanked at either side by the seven guardians, she kept her eyes strictly ahead. Under this swimming blue light, she looked unearthly—black hair gleaming, dark eyes proud and spreading wings taller than her head.
Despite how much she’d loathed me from the beginning of our time at the academy, she and I shared a connection.
We had gotten through the third trial—the labyrinth—together.
We were the only two from our year to join the guardians.
To top it all: she was tough as nails, brimming with lightning, all hard edges. I liked the hell out of her. And as a guardian? There weren’t many I’d choose over her to fight by my side.
If nothing else, I hoped she’d come to respect me.
I came to stand beside her.
And to my surprise, she leaned over to talk to me. It’d been a while since she’d initiated a conversation. That was progress. “Your cat’s touching me,” she rasped.
I glanced down at Loki, who stood between the two of us, his tail curling around Liara’s leg. Held back a smile. “He likes you.”
“Make him stop.”
I shoulder-bumped her. “He’s chosen you. No greater compliment.”
She was about to bite back when Umbra took a step forward, her staff tapping on the floor. “Guardians and guardian initiates, welcome. I’m fortunate to be looking at nine of the bravest, most capable souls the academy has to offer, though I suspect not everyone here has been acquainted. Guardians, please step forward and introduce yourselves.”
Umbra nodded to the student on the far left to start.
The tall girl on the end took a step forward, hands clasped behind her back. She’d cropped her white-blond hair to her ears; a muscle in her jaw feathered as she glanced over at us. “I’m Fi Waters, a fifth-year from House Gaia.”
When she stepped back, the student next to her stepped from the line. He ran a hand over his shaved head, a nervous tic I recognized as something I used to do in front of groups. He had enviously white, straight teeth. “Akelan Phiri, fourth-year from House Gaia.”
The third student to come forward was small and black-haired, her braid almost to her waist. She had a high, breathy voice. “Welcome, guardian initiates. My name is Mishka Reddy, and I am a fourth-year from House Crest.”
Four more guardians remained, all of them fae who stood on our right side.
Next came a fifth-year, her hair and eyes a marvelous sapphire blue. She introduced herself as Circe Petalfleck, of House Whisper (as all fae were).
I recognized the fourth-year next to her—a fae named Keene who’d been in my combat class when I’d first arrived. He had the enviable ability to disappear and reappear six feet from where he’d been standing a second earlier. He’d been a real pain to fight in that class, and I’d never gotten the best of him in our duels.
The last two I could have guessed were related. They did, after all, look absolutely identical—tall, muscled for fae, arms crossed beneath their shocks of silver hair. And they also stepped forward at the exact same time.
“We’re Elijah and Isaiah,” the one on the left said, knuckling his twin in the shoulder. “And we’re fourth-years.”
Last of all, Umbra nodded to me and Liara. “Guardian initiates, please step forward to be inducted.”
Without even glancing my way, Liara came forward to stand in front of Umbra.
I sucked in a breath. Came forward to Liara’s side, glancing back at Loki for him to join me. He trotted to my side at the center of the room.
Umbra straightened, as did everyone else. “Please state your name and house, guardian initiates.”
Beside me, Liara bore all the regality of a princess. The light shimmered over her black hair, a canvas of water. “Liara Youngblood, third-year of House Whisper.”
“Clementine Cole,” I said, then gestured to my familiar. “And this is Loki Cole. We’re third-years in House Spark.”
“The three of you have passed a series of increasingly difficult trials to become guardians of the magical world. Do you understand the gravity of the mantle you seek to wear, the importance of the undertaking you will embark on for the next three years?”
“Yes,” Liara said at once. “I want nothing more than to send the Shade’s army back to the underworld and to destroy her. To do that, we must protect the lives of our fellow mages.”
Umbra nodded. “Well said, child.” Then her gaze shifted to me, rocky and unyielding.
The gravity. The mantle. Did I understand the importance of the undertaking?
I understood that the Shade would never be defeated until someone descended into the underworld to end her. I understood that the person to do that must be me.
And until I retrieved the rest of her weapon, the very best I could do would be to burn the hell out of a few of her minions.
“Loki and I know what we need to do,” I said, jaw stony. “And we’re prepared to do it.”
Umbra stared at me a moment longer, her eyes shifting between mine. Searching, maybe. Seeking. For what? Truthfulness? Sincerity? I didn’t know.
But I knew I felt what I’d said, even if my path to get to this point hadn’t been conventional. I wanted to be the person Eva and Aidan thought I was.
I wanted to do this.
So I stared back at her, my mouth a straight line.
Finally, she seemed to find what she was looking for. Her eyes warmed. “Very well. Then, with this gesture, you three shall join us.”
When Umbra stepped to Liara, she raised her thumb, pressed it into the center of Liara’s forehead. A white light grew there as Liara’s eyes closed, diminished a moment later.
I hadn’t known about this part.
The headmistress stepped to me. Her thumb rose, and when she pressed it to my forehead, I found my eyes closing automatically as a voice entered my mind.
Welcome, child, Umbra whispered into my head, to the circle of guardians at Shadow’s End Academy.
Chapter Eight
When Umbra’s thumb lowered from my forehead, my eyes snapped open, anger flaring.
She’d penetrated my mind. No one had mentioned she would do that.
“It’s done,” Umbra announced, tapping her staff on the ground once more. “The guardian initiates have become guardians, and now there are nine of you.”
That was all well and good. Meanwhile…
“You didn’t warn me about the part where you can read my mind,” I blurted into what felt like a religious silence.
Beside me, Liara gave an overlarge sigh. “I doubt she’d have any interest in reading your mind, anyway.”
At my feet, Loki snickered.
Umbra’s head tilted, eyebrows rising. “I can only speak into your mind. It helps to facilitate the rescues.”
I gestured stra
ight up, to where I suspected that massive horn sat amongst the branches above us—the one that sounded every time the guardians had to scramble. “Your mega-horn seems to do the trick.”
“She gives us details as we prepare,” Fi said from behind me. “Where we’re going, how large the magical disturbance was.”
“If it comforts you, once you’ve passed through the veil, our connection will be broken,” Umbra said. “It’s only when you’re nearby I can speak into your head.”
That was a strange comfort. My brain was only big enough for the Spitfire and Rational Clem—I didn’t think I could handle a third voice piping up all the time without breaking.
Of course, I had never told Umbra about the Spitfire and Rational Clem. No one knew about my duality except Callum Rathmore.
“From here on, you must be prepared at all times to answer the call,” she said to the three of us. “Day or night, no matter where you are or what you do. You must answer the call as quickly as you can, for a person’s life and death may depend on your haste. Do you understand?”
“Yes,” Liara said.
“Yes,” I echoed. At my feet, Loki gave an emphatic meow, and I jerked my thumb at him. “He does, too.”
Umbra smiled down at him, then returned her attention to the two of us. “Thank you,” she said, “Liara, Clementine, and Loki, for the sacrifices you will make.”
That didn’t sound foreboding at all.
The twins came to either side of Liara and me, each slinging an arm around our respective shoulders. “Come on, guardians,” Isaiah said. And, on the other side, Elijah added, “We’ve got our own initiation in the dining hall.”
Liara’s shoulders dropped. “Is this a requirement?”
Umbra stepped aside, a softness to her face I wasn’t expecting. “It’s a long tradition.”
I glanced past Elijah’s arm to Umbra. “What about training? You know, to fight the forces of darkness and all that.”
Umbra nodded toward the guardians all ushering us out of the antechamber. “They’re your trainers. Good ones, at that.”
Out we went into the night, the twins hooting as all of us paraded toward the dining hall. A few people had come out to watch, standing on the landing of their dorms, cheering for us.
“I hear you’re a fire witch,” Elijah said, his arm still slung around my shoulder. “Who’d have thought?”
“Who’d have thought I’m a fire witch? Basically anyone who’s seen my fire.”
He pointed up into the trees. “No—who’d have thought people would be cheering for a fire witch.”
“I won’t let my head get too big—they’ll be back to throwing things at it by next week.”
Inside the dining hall, two tables had been pushed together to form a long banquet table, brimming with food I recognized as Chef Vickery’s creations. At the end stood a huge bowl of grape drink, which I could smell the alcoholic spice of from here.
I raised an eyebrow up at Elijah. “Training, huh?”
He smirked at me. “Can’t train well without strong bonds, Clementine.”
“Goddamn right.” Isaiah slapped my other shoulder as he passed us, headed for the food. “It’s all about trust.”
“Bonding over spiked grape juice?” Loki muttered from my feet, even as all the other guardians filtered around us. “Sounds hedonistic and nauseating. Count me out.”
A second later, Circe set a bowl of milk in front of him, and his face disappeared into the center of it.
I laughed, accepted a drink from Akelan, who shook my hand in a strangely formal, endearing way. “I suggest drinking at least three of these before we start,” he said with a small smile.
“Start?”
He didn’t answer that. He was already being pulled aside by Keene, who wanted to talk earth magic. Meanwhile, Liara was being chatted up beside a plate of cookies by Fi, who pretended to shoot lighting from her hands.
Fingers fell on my arm, and I found Mishka beside me, her dark eyes staring up into mine. “Clementine. I regret we haven’t met before.”
“I’d guess you’ve been busy,” I said. “How long have you been a guardian?”
“This will be my second year. To be honest, I didn’t think I’d make it through the first.”
“You thought you’d drop out?”
“Never.” She smiled, gently shook her head. “It’s darker than that, I’m afraid. I’ll tell you some time—ideally after a mission.” She raised her plate, brimming with a flaky dessert. “Balaclava? I just love them.”
I took one, bit into it. “Do you enjoy it, though? Being a guardian.”
“I enjoy this.” She gestured around. “And I enjoy the thought that we’ll be successful someday.”
I paused before I took a second bite. “Someday?”
Her head tilted. “That we’ll rescue someone someday.”
I stood there with balaclava hovering in front of my mouth. “You’ve never been successful?”
“Not last year. The last successful rescue was two years ago, last fall.”
That was before I’d even arrived at the academy. No wonder Jericho had been so depressed half the time.
“All right, everyone,” Elijah called out from a circle of chairs set at one end of the hall. “We’re starting.”
We all took a chair, seated facing one another.
Isaiah stood in the center of the circle. “Anyone had less than two drinks? If not, get another. We’ll wait.”
I stood, crept over to the bowl and poured myself another drink. By the time I sat back down, Isaiah was explaining the game by demonstration.
“Human.” He tapped Circe on the shoulder as he walked around the edge of the group. “Human.” He tapped Liara on the shoulder. On he went, repeating, “Human,” as he tapped every shoulder. Until he arrived at Isaiah.
“Werewolf!” he bellowed, and took off flying around the group.
Isaiah leapt up, chasing Elijah. He didn’t catch him before Elijah dropped into his seat, breathing fast.
“And that’s the basics,” Elijah said, cheeks ruddy.
I gestured around the circle with my drink. “We’re literally just playing Duck Duck Goose.”
Beside me, Keene grinned. “The witch thinks we’re playing a human game.”
Across the circle, Isaiah’s wings fluttered as he conjured a tiny, drunkenly wavering tornado in his palm. A maniacal expression slid onto his face. “Ever played Duck Duck Goose with magic, Cole?”
That night, I drank more than three glasses of grape wine. And as I walked with my arm over Mishka’s shoulders back toward my dorm, I asked, “Are werewolves real, anyway?”
“As real as unicorns,” she said with surprising sobriety.
I shifted an uncertain gaze down to her. “I’m not sure if that’s a yes or a no.”
She laughed, a ringing sound in the dead of night. It must have been after midnight. Around the time Akelan tripped Liara by making the floor rise up to encase her foot, I’d lost count of how many rounds of Human Human Werewolf we’d played.
A lot.
“It’s a no,” Mishka said. “Demons, though? Real. Maybe we ought to call it Human Human Demon.”
I stared at her. “How do you...make words right now?”
She held me tighter as I swayed. “You mean, why aren’t I slurring them like you?”
“Yeah.”
“I diluted my wine with water,” she whispered.
“Because you’re a water mage,” I exclaimed into the night. “That’s genius.”
She smiled as we passed through the clearing. “Kind of you to say so.”
“I thought we would be training tonight.” I mimed driving a sword into an invisible torso. “You know, practicing missions. Planning. Serious things.”
“Instead of having a frat party?”
“Uh-huh.”
She let out a breath. “That’s the thing you quickly realize about guardianship, Clementine: all you have when you’re out there is one anothe
r. You can plan and strategize and train all you want, but if you don’t trust the person next to you, you’re at a disadvantage.”
I raised an eyebrow at her. “And that’s why we get smashed and play Human Human Werewolf?”
She met my eyes with her own, complete sincerity on her face. “That’s why we get smashed and play Human Human Werewolf.”
There was actually some logic to that. I absolutely wouldn’t have been slung over Mishka, heading back with her at this time of night like she was my designated driver without what came before.
“Trust me,” she said as we came to the steps up to my dorm. “There’ll be training. Lots of it. Do you need help getting up?”
I glanced at the steps, which extended for miles in my wavering vision. Turned back to her. “I’m good.”
She smiled at me. “I think you’ll fit in well, Clementine. Just remember, we’re here for each other. My door’s always open.”
When she’d gone, I just gazed after her, blinking into the night. I didn’t even know where her door was.
Part of me contemplated the absolute travesty it was going to be getting up those stairs. And the other part of me felt warm. Maybe that was the grape wine, and maybe it was the strange feeling of being a part of something.
Bonds. Trust. Those weren’t in my old vocabulary.
By the time I got to the top of the stars, I was crawling and nauseous. And then, reaching the landing, I heard a meow and stared back the way I’d come.
I had forgotten my damn cat.
His eyes appeared first, and then he padded his way up beside me to stand on the landing. Stared at me a second. “You going to open the door or not?”
I stood. “Can we pretend like you didn’t witness me crawl my way up here?”
His tail flicked. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
I gave him a thumbs-up as I opened the door and we came into the dorm to find a sleeping Eva. Together, we climbed into bed—I didn’t even bother to undress—and I slept. Oh, did I sleep.
It felt like only a moment had passed before I opened my eyes to Eva’s voice.
“Clementine?” Her face loomed over me.
