Seeker’s World

by K A Riley

  With that, the two of them took off, the light from the lantern fading fast behind them as I was left alone at the mouth of the cave.

  I looked down to see in the faint moonlight that my skin was still swirling with purple smoke, as were my clothes. I rose to my feet and skulked out of the cave, making my way along the shore once again, my eyes peeled for Niala and Rourke.

  After a few minutes I breathed a sigh of relief as I heard the reassuring sound of a crow circling overhead. I lifted my head to see Niala jogging down the path toward me.

  “Vega! Are you there? They’ve gone!” she whispered. It took me a moment to realize she was looking around, searching for me. Of course—she still couldn’t see me.

  I closed my eyes, willing myself visible, and in an instant, I was back in my solid form. A wave of nausea overtook me, and I had to reach for Niala’s arm to steady myself.

  “You all right?” she asked.

  “I will be. It feels like everything’s moving around…like my body’s still figuring out how it works. But I’ll be okay.”

  “Did you find anything out?”

  “A few things,” I replied with a nod. “None of them good.”

  The Tower

  “Tell me,” Merriwether said, pouring a glass of ice water and handing it my way as I threw myself into the leather chair in his office. I hadn’t realized how exhausted I was until that minute, but it seemed the Headmaster had expected it. “Summoning on top of Shadow-casting has taken a lot out of you,” he added. “Take your time.”

  I took the water gratefully, chugging the entire glass before speaking. I went on to tell him and Niala what I’d heard about the dragons.

  “Dragons,” Merriwether said. “That could be very bad indeed. Then again, they’re as likely to try to kill the Usurper Queen as anything else.”

  He eyed me for a moment. “There’s something else,” he said. “Go on.”

  I swallowed hard before speaking. “They mentioned me by name,” I said. “More than once.”

  “What did they say?”

  “The man…Barnabas…he said he heard I’m a Shadow.”

  Merriwether and Niala exchanged a horrified look. “You know what this means,” Merriwether said. Niala nodded.

  “Wait—what does it mean?” I asked.

  “It means,” Merriwether drawled, as if reluctant to say the words out loud, “that we have a spy among us.”

  “Worse than a spy,” Niala said, a quiver in her voice. “A traitor. Barnabas didn’t just take a lucky guess.”

  I slouched down in my chair. “Look. I just got here. You know these people, I don’t. You recruited them. And there are plenty who don’t seem to like me too much already. Can’t you just put them in a room somewhere under some hot lights until someone confesses? What about that Freya girl? She looked ready to kill me earlier today.”

  “It would be the obvious answer,” Merriwether agreed. “But I don’t think so. I have it on good authority she was escorted home by two of our Rangers. She’s no longer in the Otherwhere.”

  “Where is she?”

  Merriwether paused, drumming his fingers on his desk.

  “Actually, she’s been expelled.”

  “Expelled?”

  “For what she did in your sparring session.”

  “So she really was—?”

  “Trying to kill you? Yes. We couldn’t take a chance letting her stay after that. The faculty agreed things could only get worse from there. She’d keep trying until she succeeded. So we took action to ensure your safety.”

  I thought about this for a second. “Still, once she got escorted out, she could have made a bee-line to Barnabas and the Waerg and told them all about me.”

  “Not possible,” Merriwether said. “Even if she wanted, Seeker Candidates can’t go through Portals unaccompanied. With your door-summoning ability, you’re the only one who can pass back and forth.”

  I raised an eyebrow, surprised at this new information.

  “I told you,” Merriwether said, “you’re more powerful than you realize.”

  “Then if it’s not Freya…”

  “It’s someone else,” Niala finished. “Someone who is still here at the Academy.”

  Merriwether looked troubled, which unsettled me more than I wanted to admit. I tried to think of every student who’d been in the courtyard today, but I couldn’t imagine who would have been able to get word to the man called Barnabas.

  “I’ll be speaking to the other instructors about this,” Merriwether promised. “Perhaps one of them has some thoughts.”

  “There’s something else,” I blurted out. “The woman—the Waerg who was at the meeting—she said the queen had acquired something that would stop me in my tracks.”

  “Did she say what?” Merriwether asked. “Did she mention a Relic of Power?”

  I shook my head. “No. Not that I heard, anyway. Before they could discuss it, they heard men approaching and stopped talking.”

  “Then we’ll have to keep an eye out. But don’t worry, Vega—nothing can come through the Academy’s doors uninvited.”

  “That’s reassuring,” I said, and for once, I meant it.

  “In the meantime, you need to steer clear of the dormitory tonight.”

  He rose to his feet and hit the button on the wall next to the bookshelf, and a moment later, a woman dressed in a gray suit waltzed into the room.

  “Come with me,” she said, signaling me to join her.

  After Merriwether nodded his assent, I followed her without a word, only to find myself being led down a series of corridors and up a narrow spiral staircase at the center of a cylindrical tower.

  “Where are we going?” I asked.

  “Private quarters,” she replied. “Headmaster wants you isolated. For your own safety.”

  I was about to ask why, but it would have been a seriously stupid question. Someone had told the enemy about my powers. That same person probably wanted me dead. For all I knew, it was one of the Zerkers—or even one of the other Seeker Candidates.

  A minute later, we reached the top of the tower where four doors greeted us.

  “Sloane, you take number three. Room number four is the bathroom.”

  “Who’s in the other two?” I asked.

  “Mr. Drake and Lady Gray.”

  My heart leapt to learn that Callum would be sleeping so close by. I eyed doors one and two, wondering which one he was behind, but when I caught the woman in gray giving me a judgmental look, I shook off my daydream, thanked her, and made my way into room number three.

  The room was small but quaintly apportioned, with a window looking out toward the moon hovering over the sea. A small white bed sat against one wall, a nightstand at its side. By some miracle, my gear was all there, my clothing hung carefully in a narrow, open wardrobe to one side of the window.

  After about five minutes of settling in, someone knocked at my door. I opened it, expecting to see the woman in gray on the other side. But it was Callum who greeted me.

  “Hello, neighbor,” he said cheerfully. “Can I come in?”

  “Into my room?” I asked. I’d never had a boy in my room back home, and the thought of it sent a shudder of excitement through me. Whoa. What would Liv say if she could see me now?

  “Well, yes,” Callum said with a chuckle. “Into your room.”

  “Of course.”

  I gestured for him to come in, and I closed the door behind him.

  “I just wanted to make sure you’re okay,” he said.

  “You know why I’m up here, then?”

  He nodded. “Well, I can guess. Merriwether told me earlier he was sending you on a mission.”

  “It seems someone’s out for my blood. Other than Freya, I mean. He says I’m not safe.”

  “I told you,” he said with a sigh. “You’re powerful. That makes you an automatic target.”

  “At the moment, I don’t feel the least bit powerful.”

  Callum stepped for
ward and wrapped his arms around me, which surprised me, but I was grateful for the gesture. I turned my head to the side, unsure whether to laugh or cry.

  “What do I do?” I asked, my voice vibrating against his chest.

  “You go about your business. You hone your skills. You continue to prove yourself. It’s more important than ever that you’re the selected Seeker when the time comes.”

  “If the time comes. At this rate, I’m going to get killed before the Trials even start.”

  “I won’t let that happen,” he said, pulling away.

  “It’s not your job to protect me, Callum.”

  “I know. But I want to, if I can. I want to make sure you have a chance at the best life you can have. I know how strong you are—but until you do, I’ll stick around to keep an eye on you.”

  I smiled up at him through damp eyes. “How do you always say the right thing?” I asked. “I freak out about certain death, then you come along and calm me right down.”

  He shot me a serious look. “Vega, you’re not just important to me because of your crazy-powerful magical abilities, you know. I told you ages ago, you’re unlike anyone I’ve ever met. I care about you.”

  “You do?”

  He nodded, and I realized his face was so near mine that I could feel his breath on my skin. “I do,” he said, pressing his lips to mine.

  I’d craved this moment since the first time I’d set eyes on him. I’d ached for the sensation that was hitting me now. I’d grown light once again, but this time it wasn’t because I was disappearing. For the first time in years, the void inside me was beginning to fill. I was becoming whole again.

  Callum eased away and looked at me, stroking a finger over my right cheekbone. “Though I’ve got to say, I don’t really see you needing my help. You’re pretty kick-arse on your own, you know.”

  “Kick-arse?” I asked with a snicker. “You’re so bloody English.”

  “Fine,” he said, a rumbling chuckle building in his chest. “Kick-ass, then.”

  The word came out with some sort of mock-American twang.

  “Oh, God no,” I chortled. “Stick to your own accent. It’s much sexier.”

  “Sexy, is it?” he asked with a raised eyebrow. “Vega Sloane thinks I’m sexy, does she?”

  “Great. Now I’ve done it,” I said, rolling my eyes. “You’re going to be intolerable now that you know, aren’t you?”

  “Maybe.”

  His lips met mine again, and I found myself pushing my fingers into his mane of dark hair, blood pulsing through my veins in a torrent that exhilarated me more than fear of death ever could. The kiss lasted a long time yet not long enough, the taste of his tongue lingering on my own. I felt like the whole tower was swaying, ready to collapse from the force of our connection.

  But I didn’t mind one bit.

  “Stay with me,” I said, pressing my forehead to his chin when we’d pulled apart.

  “I don’t know. It’s sort of against the rules…” Callum said, eyeing my narrow bed.

  “My grandmother was a rule-breaker. It’s in my blood, apparently.”

  I took him by the hand and, walking backwards, led him with me until the backs of my legs were touching the mattress. “Besides, if I’m going to live in constant danger, surely I deserve one nice experience. Don’t I?”

  “Can’t argue with that,” Callum said with a crooked, mischievous smile.

  “It will be the most innocent night in history. I promise.”

  After giving him a peck on the cheek, I lay down on the bed. Callum eased in behind me, his arm around my waist, and within seconds I was asleep.

  It was the best night of my life.

  The Pit

  The following morning at breakfast, a projection of Merriwether’s face appeared over our tables and told the twelve remaining Seeker Candidates to meet in a small courtyard at the Academy’s northern end for another round of sparring.

  “The session will be closed this time,” Merriwether explained. “And it will be conducted quite differently from yesterday’s.”

  Other than that, he told us nothing whatsoever about what we were up against.

  I wondered why we weren’t starting the day with more weapons training. I couldn’t speak for anyone else, but when it came to weapons, one day was hardly enough.

  But Merriwether always had his reasons, so I kept my mouth shut and headed to the courtyard with the others.

  “You will be fighting against one of our instructors,” Merriwether announced when we arrived, gesturing toward a young woman I’d seen on the stage at the Assembly on my first day. She’d looked familiar then, though I hadn’t quite been able to figure out why.

  “Miss Carlaw is a shape-shifter. She will be making use of her skill in an attempt to throw you off your game.”

  Of course—that was why I had the feeling I’d seen her before. She was a shifter, like the Waergs I’d been unfortunate enough to encounter in Fairhaven.

  Fortunately, Miss Carlaw didn’t give off the same evil vibe that they had. Her face was kind, thoughtful. Almost angelic.

  Though I had little doubt that she was planning to put us through our paces.

  Merriwether looked at each of us before continuing. “You may use any skills at your disposal. Just please don’t get carried away, and Miss Carlaw has promised me she’ll return the favor. Your job is to prove yourselves able to immobilize her. I want to see what you’re made of.”

  With that, the Headmaster told us to step back to the perimeter of the courtyard. When we’d done so, he made a sweeping gesture with his right hand toward the center of the dirt floor, which swirled open until a broad, circular, flat-bottomed pit stood in front of us.

  “You will fight inside the pit,” Merriwether said. “For most of you there is no escape, of course, so evasion probably won’t be an option. You’ll have to use your wits, your strength, and any other weapons and skills at your disposal.”

  “Except for actual weapons,” said Callum, who stepped up to stand next to Merriwether. As I stared at him, memories of last night flooded my mind in pleasant waves, which I told myself to push away until later. Getting distracted by my feelings for Callum wasn’t exactly going to hand me an advantage in a one-on-one battle with an experienced instructor.

  I eyed the pit with more confidence than I’d had on my first two days at the Academy. I told myself I had a definite advantage: I would be able to summon a Breach and escape—and if that didn’t work, I could turn to Shadow and buy myself some time until I figured out a way to take Miss Carlaw down.

  The first Candidate Merriwether called upon was Meg, who looked supremely terrified as she slipped down into the pit, which must have been an eight-foot drop at least. We stepped carefully to the edge to watch as Miss Carlaw slid down opposite her, immediately shifting into a sleek tiger.

  “Oh, man,” I heard someone say to my right. “Meg’s toast.”

  Meg and the tiger began to circle each other, with Meg looking scared to death as she felt her way along the dirt walls. She shut her eyes, trying to summon her power, but to no avail. I’d heard her telling one of the other students she could move exceedingly fast, which sometimes helped her surprise her opponents. But I had yet to see her pull that particular little gimmick out of her bag of tricks.

  The tiger lunged at her a few times and swiped at the air in front of her face but was careful never to make actual contact. Meg cowered against the wall, her lower lip trembling.

  “Come on, Meg!” I yelled. I supposed it wasn’t the smartest thing to root for my competition, but I couldn’t stand watching her give up. “Remember what you can do!”

  She shot me a grateful look, narrowed her eyes, and zipped at lightning-speed across the circular hole in the ground. The tiger, confused, spun around, but Meg had already come up behind her, leaping in a single motion onto the tiger’s back and throwing her arms in a hammer-lock around the big cat’s neck.

  The tiger morphed back into Miss C
arlaw who rose to her feet to congratulate the Candidate. “Well done,” she said, rubbing her neck. “That was an excellent start.”

  Callum lowered a rope ladder for a beaming Meg to climb out.

  Then the next Candidate went in, then another, and another.

  The test turned out to be a good one, challenging each participant to come up with creative solutions to the dilemma of being trapped in a deep hole with an angry carnivore. The boy with the rosy cheeks and dark hair turned out to be a Digger who managed to accurately predict the tiger’s every move and avoid its attacks until the beast tired herself out and needed a break.

  Oleana, who turned out to be a Chiller—a caster who could summon frost projectiles—lost her fight marginally by misinterpreting one of the tiger’s leaps and getting her spell off too late. The tiger pinned Oleana up against the wall, its teeth bared, before backing down and leaving Oleana to ponder her mistake.

  By the time it was my turn, I was worried that Miss Carlaw must be exhausted. I leapt down into the pit and asked, “Do you need another break? Some water?”

  She shot me a look of thanks and said, “I’m fine. Let’s make this quick though, shall we?”

  With a smile, I nodded. “I’ll do my best.”

  I’d watched Candidate after Candidate use their magical skills against the tiger, studied her moves, and for once I felt entirely confident I would come out of this session triumphant.

  But first, in a moment of cockiness, I decided to show off a bit.

  After Miss Carlaw shifted, I began to circle the ring, watching her tiger pad around, her mouth slightly open as she fixed her amber eyes on me.

  “You can see me now,” I said softly, a challenging grin on my face. “I’m sure I look like a tasty snack to you. But that won’t last long.”

  With that, I slammed my eyes shut and asked the Shadow to come, for my body to vanish, overtaken by nebulous vapor.

  But when I opened my eyes and looked down, nothing had happened. I stared at my hands, panicked. Had I lost my skill? Had I been too confident, too arrogant? Maybe I wasn’t frightened enough to disappear.