As they neared the tower, Ackerson nodded to the two armed guards who hovered beside two pairs of black wooden doors.
“Hello, Lyla, Craigler. We have two new recruits,” he said. “Note their faces. They belong in the Ward.”
“Very well, Headmaster,” the woman on the right said before the male guard added. “Have a good day.”
Ackerson opened a door and led Cassie and Brandt inside.
Similar to the academy, the windowless interior was lit by pale blue tiles. Heavy beams overhead glowed blue, offering additional light. Ackerson led them directly to a stairwell where every third step glowed. Two flights up the trio climbed without anyone saying a word. They then entered a long corridor that turned at both ends. Ackerson stopped at a door, opened it, and stepped aside to wave them through.
Inside, three men and a woman were seated around a long table made of dark, polished wood. On the other side of the room, a desk and shelves lined with books waited, while dark curtains covered the wall opposite the door. Thin strips of light shone between gaps where the curtains met. At least there are windows somewhere in this place, Cassie thought.
One of the men at the table stood, and Cassie smiled. Standing slightly taller than she and matching Brandt in height, a familiar man with disheveled brown hair and rectangular spectacles rounded the table.
“Cassilyn. Brandt. It is good to see you.” He flashed a goofy grin while wrapping his arms about Cassie with a hug.
“Uncle Benny,” Cassie grunted as he squeezed her. “We are happy to see you, too.”
Brandt smiled as he thumped Benny on the back. “I thought we might see you while we were here, but this place – this Arcane Ward – seems…unlike you.”
Benny nodded. “Yes. Its ominous appearance can be off-putting. In truth, that is quite intentional.” He smiled and rocked his shoulders. “We do have secrets to keep.”
Another familiar voice came from someone at the table. “You two have grown.”
Cassie smiled at the man. “That tends to happen during one’s teens.”
A sardonic smile spread across his face, twisting his thin black goatee. “It has been a few years, hasn’t it?”
“Yes, Delvin. Five years, to be exact.”
“Well, your father and these jokers have kept me busy. Time moves swiftly when one is tasked with saving the world.”
Ackerson interjected. “Enough small talk for now.” He moved to the table and pulled out a chair. “Cassilyn. Brandt. Please, sit. We have things to tell you and little time remains before your training begins.”
Without a word, Cassie and Brandt approached the table to sit between Benny and Ackerson. The man at the far end of the table – with long graying hair tied into a tail and dark eyes – leaned forward.
“You have met Headmaster Ackerson, and it appears that you already know Master Hedgewick and our resident miscreant, Delvin Garber. My name is Elias Firellus. Along with the other three, I run the Arcane Ward and am a member of the organization behind it.”
Elias gestured toward the woman at the table. “This is Master Salina Alridge. She will be your Arcane Arts instructor.”
The woman’s dark eyes drew Cassie’s attention – eyes that conveyed an unspoken challenge. Cassie had to admit that the woman was pretty, with long, lustrous black hair that framed her mocha-colored face. When Cassie glanced toward her brother, she found him leering at the woman’s partially exposed chest. Cassie nudged him, eliciting a grunt.
Ouch, he sent. What was that for?
Get ahold of yourself, she replied. Listen because this seems important.
Elias continued, “I suspect that your father has told you little of what occurs inside the Ward, or what role you might play in the future.”
Brandt shook his head. “In truth, we know very little of this place.”
Benny spoke, drawing everyone’s attention. “The Arcane Ward was originally intended to be a haven where magic could be practiced in secret. It was to be a safe place for arcanists to live and would help us control who was exposed to certain dangerous knowledge.”
“Originally?” Cassie asked.
“Yes,” Benny replied. “Five years ago, things changed as we recognized the need for something that had never existed prior to then. Since the Ward was almost finished at that time, we secretly opted to alter its purpose. While some arcanists do live here, they are now part of something else…something far more significant.”
“ICON?” Brandt guessed.
“Precisely.” Elias responded. “This is the headquarters for our operations. The Ward is where we train our wardens, and it is where they live when not in the field. Here, we also develop new weapons and tools that help protect our people and combat our enemies. This will be your home for a while, at least until one of you is sent on a mission.”
Cassie turned toward Brandt. “One of us?”
Elias nodded, his expression grim. “Among other things, ICON is an organization of secrets. Each piece of information holds value, and the higher the value, the more important it is to keep the secret held tight, limiting the knowledge to as few people as possible. You two possess exceptional abilities – unique and priceless. Other than your parents and the people in this room, your telepathic connection will remain unknown to others. If our enemies become aware of it, they could counter it with false information or remove it by killing one of you.” Cassie gasped at the thought. “Worse yet, they might attempt to capture you and use your abilities for their own purposes.”
Brandt shook his head. “We would never let them do that. My sister and I stand for the people of Kantaria and Issalia. Nobody could ever make us betray them.”
Elias’ grim expression softened. “That is commendable and should be the perspective of every Warden we recruit. However, torture can change a person. Over time, and with enough pain, your opinion on the subject may be swayed. That is something we must avoid. As long as one of you is out of harm’s way, we retain a level of safety. As long as one of you remains here, he or she can communicate with the other, offering us the ability to access and convey information immediately, regardless of distance.”
Concerned, Cassie said, “So, we are merely tools to you? Do our lives not matter?”
“We are all tools, Cassilyn,” Benny said. “We each offer skills that we utilize to ensure a better world. Within ICON, those skills are honed, polished, and perfected until one of you equals a hundred of our enemy. Your telepathic connection is just a piece of the puzzle. In addition, you both can access Order and Chaos, perhaps to an extent that we have never before seen. Your parents remain among the most powerful magic users ever recorded, and we have discovered that magic abilities are inherently genetic.
“If you were born into another family, perhaps you could just quietly live a simple life. You could marry a blacksmith and have children. Your days could be spent working in a bakery and then coming home to your family.” He leaned forward. “I know you two well enough to confidently say that you would hate such a life.” Benny shook his head. “No, you two have always pushed against the limitations your parents established, never happy with taking the easy path. You two have ambition. You have a thirst for adventure, for intrigue, for challenge. Brock and Ashland know it. That’s why they sent you here. You two were meant to be wardens.”
14
Challenge
Brandt peered down the hallway, his eyes meeting Cassie’s for a moment. Her position mirrored his as he stood with one hand on the door to his new room, two doors down from hers. Cassie gave him a nod, opened her door, and slipped inside. With a sigh, Brandt did the same.
Inside, he found a big man lounging on a sofa. A frown twisted the man’s stubble-covered face, and the dark brows beneath his long blond hair furrowed.
“Who are you?”
“You must be Wyck. I’m Brandt – your new roommate.”
Wyck sat up, the thick muscles of his exposed arms noticeable as he pushed himself upright. “I didn’t ask
for a roommate,” he grumbled.
The man’s tone put Brandt on edge. “I didn’t ask to share an apartment with an overgrown knucklehead, but I guess I got stuck with the short straw.”
The grimace on Wyck’s face deepened and he stood. Brandt found himself staring up at a man who stood well over six-feet tall.
“Come here, and I’ll show you a few knuckles.”
Unused to others challenging him, Brandt stared at the man and tried to decide how to best respond. A fight would go poorly, and the man might even kill him. With Brandt only knowing the Illuminate and Reduce Gravity runes, magic would be of little use. There was only one path to take – a path Brandt detested.
“I’m sorry,” Brandt said with a sigh. “I’ve been traveling for the past week and just arrived this morning. I’m tired and grumpy. I shouldn’t take it out on you.”
Wyck stared at him for a moment before replying. “I would still prefer to live alone.”
“You’ll have to take that up with Elias. He told me to take this room…said it would be good for me.”
“Wonderful,” Wyck grumbled. “Now I get to care for a whelp, like some sort of nursemaid.”
“I’m actually seventeen, just turned last week.”
Wyck snorted. “It’s even worse than I thought. Please tell me that you don’t need me to help you dress each morning.”
“You’re hilarious.”
Wyck grinned. “I’ve always thought so.”
Brandt restrained his retort as he stared at his massive roommate.
“Your room is the one on the left.” Wyck pointed across the apartment, toward two open doors. “I get the window.”
The mention of a window drew Brandt’s attention toward the light coming through the curtains across the room. Curious, he walked toward them and pulled the drapes aside to reveal a pair of glass-paned doors and a balcony outside them. Beyond the balcony was an open indoor space, lit by a glass ceiling high above.
“The Atrium,” Wyck said. “Impressive, isn’t it?”
“Yes.” Brandt turned to find Wyck again on the sofa. “I’ve never heard of a building designed like this. What was the intent?”
Wyck shrugged. “I never really thought about it. If you care so much, you figure it out.”
Again, Brandt stared at the man with a grimace. As a prince, he was unused to others treating him as if…he was unimportant.
A bell rang from the Atrium, the peal echoing throughout the cavernous space. “What’s the bell about?”
Wyck stood, grinning. “That means it’s time for lunch.” He started toward the exit. “Let’s go eat.”
When they entered the dining hall, Wyck introduced Brandt to those seated at their table while Cassie’s roommate, Rena, did the same for her. Brandt did his best to remember the names, able to recall seven out of twelve. A telepathic exchange with Cassie brought the number up to eleven, leaving just one name a mystery – a quiet girl with dark hair who sat at the far end of the table, periodically pushing her spectacles up in between bites.
The dining hall was larger than Brandt’s father’s dining hall in Kantar. Six long tables occupied the space, each able to seat sixteen people. Half of the tables remained unoccupied. Brandt sat beside his sister during the meal, eating in quiet. Wyck sat on the other side of Brandt, boasting about this and that to a quiet man named Thiron and a redheaded teen named Jonah. Nobody appeared younger than Brandt and his sister.
Halfway into the meal, a girl entered the room, drawing Brandt’s attention. With long blond hair and blue eyes that surveyed the room while she walked toward her seat, her tight jerkin and breeches revealed an extremely fit physique, her bare arms toned and muscular. He stared at her until an odd whirring sound redirected his attention.
A boy with dark hair entered the room, the whirring sound coming from him in bursts that matched each step. An odd type of armor encased his legs, the metal bands glinting in the sunlight streaming through the windows that faced the Atrium. Brandt stared at the mechanical legs as the boy walked past and claimed the last open seat, across from the blond girl who had preceded him.
“Hello, Everson. Hi, Quinn,” Jonah said to the newcomers.
The blond girl gave him a silent nod. When her eyes met Brandt’s, he found himself glued to her gaze, unable to turn away.
“Hello. I’m Quinn,” she said before nodding toward the dark-haired boy seated across the table. “That’s my brother, Everson.
Brandt smiled his best smile. “I’m Brandt. I just arrived here.”
“Don’t you think she knows you just arrived?” Wyck asked.
The smile fell away from Brandt’s face.
“Since my brother neglected to introduce me as well, my name is Cassilyn. You can call me Cassie,” Cassie said.
“Hi, Cassie.” Quinn smiled. “Hey, Ev. We are no longer the only siblings here.”
The boy with the metal legs gave Brandt and Cassie a shaky grin as he slid his chair in.
The small talk among the group continued throughout the meal until Master Alridge entered the room. Brandt found himself distracted by her beauty and the way she filled her tight breeches and purple tunic, despite the woman being as old as his parents. His gaze drifted and he found himself staring at the blond girl across the table. He found her face more handsome than pretty, despite the bruise to her cheek. Her blue eyes held an ever-present hardness, as if challenging anyone who dared to look at them. He found himself drawn to that challenge and wondered why she was at the Ward – wondered what attributes she possessed that enticed ICON to draw her into the fold.
When Master Alridge finished speaking, turned, and departed, the others began gathering their empty plates and rising to their feet.
Cassie nudged him. “You heard her. Hurry up.”
“What?” he asked as he tried to recall the words Master Alridge had said.
Cassie rolled her eyes. “Weren’t you listening? She said that we are to be in the briefing room in five minutes.”
“Who?”
Cassie glared at him. “All new recruits, which includes you and me.”
Brandt stood and turned to leave.
“You forgot your plate,” Jonah said.
“I’m finished eating.” Brandt’s brow furrowed. “Why do I need my plate?”
“You can’t leave your plate there. You have to bring it to the kitchen.”
“That’s a job for the servants.”
The comment sent a round a laughter throughout the room, one that touched everyone but Brandt and Cassie.
Jonah shook his head, smiling. “Good joke…servants.”
After a moment of sulking, Brandt followed Jonah, the tall Tantarri girl, and a portly boy named Henrick through the door while a handful of others trailed behind him. They went down a flight of stairs, dropped their plates off in the scullery, and headed upstairs before entering a room three doors from the dining hall.
The room was as long as the dining hall, with a wall of windows that faced the Atrium. In the center of the room were six tables, arranged in the shape of a U. The wall at the far end of the room was solid black. Master Alridge stood before that wall, tapping the nails of her fingers on the end of a table while she waited for her students.
“Everyone, please sit,” she said.
Brandt found a chair at one end of the U, and Cassie sat beside him. When everyone was settled, and the room had quieted, Master Alridge addressed them.
“While I do not normally spend much time in the Ward, the academy is on summer break and the students are away, which affords me time to contribute here. Over the next six weeks, you will learn more about Chaos than most academy students learn during their three-year tenure.”
A student’s hand raised into the air and Alridge said, “Yes, Jonah.”
“Some of us already know how to use Chaos.”
“Yes. Some can, but most of you will never be able to use it,” she said. “What’s your point?”
Jonah asked, “Wha
t will we learn?”
“Hmm. Where do I even begin?” She turned around, pulled a chunk of glowstone from her pocket, and began drawing on the black wall. Once finished, she moved back and pointed toward the rune she had sketched. “Who can tell me what this rune means?”
Silence.
“That’s what I thought.” She turned and traced another one. “How about this one?”
Silence.
“Now that we’ve established that you have much to learn, understanding and memorizing every known rune and how to apply it will be our first focus. After that, we will work on how to apply permanent augmentations.”
“Enchanting?” Everson asked as he leaned forward, the eagerness in his voice matching his expression.
“Yes, although we call it Infusion…and I must warn you, it is among our most closely guarded secrets. The mere existence of the ability is not something we discuss outside this building. If the ability got into the wrong hands and was used without regard, the consequences could be devastating.”
Brandt considered what she said. “Did you say that some of the people here cannot use Chaos?”
Master Alridge nodded. “Yes. In fact, only three of the wardens in this room have the ability.”
With a questioning glance toward his sister, Brandt asked. “Why teach it to the others, then? Why risk the secret of Infusion to additional exposure?”
“Good question.” She began to walk around the room as she spoke, clasping her hands behind her back as Brandt had seen his father do often. “Infusion can do wonderful things. A permanent augmentation, when intelligently combined with science, can yield amazing results. Within the Ward, a controlled environment filled only with trusted personnel, we can and will use Infusion to our advantage.”
The blond girl raised her hand, the girl with the challenging eyes. What was her name again?
“Yes, Quinn?”
That’s it! Her name is Quinn, He thought.
Quiet. This is interesting, Cassie sent to him.
The Arcane Ward Page 9
