Academy of Falling Kingdoms Box Set

by Marisa Mills

  With a crash, the demon swept in. Its tail crashed into the stairs, spraying ice along the wood and carpet. There was a terrible sound, and I registered the stairs were crumbling before I realized we were falling. The impact with the floor below was sudden and sent throbbing, sharp pain up my left arm. Something pierced my leg. I felt the hotness of blood, and when I struggled to my feet, I stumbled. My mind raced, trying to find Alexander and Tatiana beneath the debris littered around me.

  Tatiana’s forehead was bleeding, but she was conscious. She screamed when the dragon stepped closer, spreading its massive wings. With a roar, the demon dipped its head and thrashed, as if it was being attacked by some invisible force. Then it swung its head back towards me and bared its teeth. Alexander crouched on the ground and drew a sigil I didn’t recognize. Fire arched from the ground and lapped at the demon’s legs. Its body began to melt like ice.

  Tatiana gasped and clamped a hand over her nose, blood dripping from between her fingers. She must have used too much magic. The dragon burst from Alexander’s flames and lunged towards us. I tightened my grip on my rapier, with a very badly conceived, half-formed thought of attacking.

  Do it, Lucian said.

  When the dragon came close again, I thrust the rapier forward. The fiery blade slipped between the demon’s scales and sank in past the skin. I felt something tougher give way, maybe muscle, until the blade was lodged all the way to the hilt. The demon screamed inside my mind, and I felt a piercing agony in my chest, as if I could feel the creature’s pain. Blue fire burst around me when I pulled the blade free.

  My arm hurt so badly I was dizzy with pain, my leg throbbed, and there was this new, deep ache inside me. I just wanted everything to stop, and the second that I hesitated felt like a century stretched before me.

  I remembered the gala where Dorian had slain a demon without any hesitation. He’d encased it in ice and shattered it apart. But I didn’t want to kill this demon. What if it was like the ones Lucian had told me about? Imprisoned so long he’d lost all reason. Now, finally freed, maybe he was just trying to escape. But then, why was it attacking us?

  The demon’s head snapped forward, its teeth shining in the dim light. Tatiana screamed as it dove towards her. I stabbed upwards, through the roof of the dragon’s mouth. Fire burst from the sword. My knees shook and threatened to buckle beneath me. The world spun, and all the colors around me rushed together. The dragon grew slack as I pulled the sword free. Blue blood dripped along the blade’s silvery surface and pooled between my fingers. Slowly, I sank to the ground and gasped for air. I pulled my injured arm close to me and curled around it, as the dragon thrashed on the ground below me.

  “Wynter!”

  It was Delacroix, with Celeste at her heels.

  “Alexander! Tatiana!” Delacroix exclaimed. “Is everyone all right?”

  Celeste didn’t say a word. She swept to the ground and began drawing the sigils, presumably to seal the demon away. Delacroix was talking to Alexander, but all her words seemed to come from far away, and I couldn’t make out their meaning.

  I felt frozen, watching as the demon became encased in bright light. Was that how my sword had been created? Was this what happened to Lucian? The dragon sank its talons into the walls, ripping off shreds of wallpaper, desperate to escape.

  Celeste drew a shimmering, amethyst crystal, about the size of her palm, and tossed it forward. The demon’s wings were spread, and I stared at the membrane of them. They were beautiful. Like darkness and starlight, a deep purple cut by spots of brilliant blue. And below that, there were sigils that gleamed faintly.

  But if there were sigils…

  Then, it’s a mage controlling them, Lucian murmured. And it must be a very powerful mage to control a demon like that.

  I gasped for breath, and my blood seemed to freeze in my veins. I trembled as the dragon screamed and thrashed. It shrank smaller and smaller, before it was finally pulled into the gemstone and trapped.

  “Wynter,” Delacroix said. “Are you all right? Are you injured anywhere?”

  I snapped my head towards her.

  “There were sigils on it,” I said, “Doesn’t that mean someone was—”

  “You’re mistaken,” Delacroix said simply. “I think you may have hit your head.”

  I hadn’t, though. I knew I hadn’t. I felt a little fuzzy, but I wasn’t imagining things. I shook my head. “I saw sigils,” I repeated, more slowly this time so they’d understand. “On the dragon. Maybe I could draw them out—”

  “There weren’t any sigils on it,” Celeste interrupted. “Wynter, I was right beside it, and I didn’t see them.”

  “But I…” I trailed off. How had they missed them?

  I had seen them, hadn’t I?

  You did, Lucian replied. They’re lying to you.

  But why?

  “Here,” Delacroix said, helping me to my feet.

  I stumbled against her. My leg had gone numb, but my arm still ached. And I felt like I just wanted to…to…

  “Alexander, Tatiana,” Celeste said. “Don’t worry. We’ll get you fixed up.”

  Tatiana looked as pale as death. For the first time, I noticed the blood on Alexander’s shirt, just over his collarbone. “Did you see them?” I asked dizzily.

  “No,” Alexander said curtly.

  Something flashed in Tatiana’s wide, green eyes. Maybe some sort of deep-seated sympathy, so profound that I couldn’t really understand it.

  I had to lean on Delacroix just to walk. Dimly, I heard the clatter of metal and realized I’d dropped the rapier. Dropped Lucian. Why were my professors all lying to me?

  They’re mages, Lucian said. They always lie.

  Twenty

  WHEN I WOKE, I WASN’T sure where I was. Everything was sparse and white. I moved my arm and noticed it felt heavy and sluggish. There was a sort of dull pain all over and a persistent fuzziness at the edge of my vision. Or was it my vision? Maybe it was just my head in general. I saw beds to my right. A girl lay in one, her red hair pulled back. It was like…I couldn’t hold the thought. It was like something.

  “Am I dead?” I asked.

  “Hardly.”

  I turned my head to the left. A dark-haired man sat nearby, wiping a cloth over my rapier, and my breath hitched at the sight of him. “I—I’m getting up, Uncle. This isn’t—”

  “I’m not Gabriel, Wynter.”

  I blinked a few times, trying to figure out if that was right. It sounded right. I couldn’t remember my uncle’s eyes being that pale blue color. I couldn’t remember him ever wearing lilac either; that dye cost too much.

  “Take your time. You’ve been unconscious for a few days now.”

  It wasn’t Gabriel. I knew this man, though. What was his name? All at once, my vision cleared and my memories came rushing back.

  “I’m sorry, Dorian,” I said, unsure of what I was even apologizing for.

  “Don’t be. Considering the amount of magic you used, some disorientation is to be expected.”

  I hadn’t been apologizing for that, though. I didn’t think.

  He doesn’t seem surprised that you used magic, does he?

  Lucian. That was Lucian. I furrowed my brow and tried to figure out if Dorian should be surprised or not.

  “The state you left this blade in, however…” Dorian trailed off. He finished wiping the blade and turned it into the light. It was as brilliant as ever. No evidence remained of it having run through a demon. I ran it through a demon.

  “Thank you,” I said.

  Dorian nodded. “It’s a nice sword,” he said. “I could give Lillian an earful for leaving it in such a horrific state.”

  “Lillian?”

  “Delacroix,” Dorian replied. “As an accomplished swordsman, I’d expect she’d know something about sword upkeep.”

  I frowned, unsure if he was trying to be funny.

  “Are…are Tatiana and Alexander all
right?”

  “About the same as you,” Dorian replied. “Alexander has already returned to his room. Last I saw, Viv was with him.”

  I forced myself up onto my forearms; everything felt sore and numb. Dorian tensed, like he wanted to help but wasn’t sure how. “What happened to me?” I asked.

  “You defeated a demon. You fell unconscious, and you woke up here with a broken arm and a gash on your leg,” Dorian said, “With some expected magical fatigue.”

  Yes, I realized suddenly. Dorian ought to be surprised I’d used magic, but he didn’t seem to be. Maybe it was best not to ask about that, though. Because I wasn’t using magic. Not on my own.

  “And you’re here?” I asked.

  “Of course, I am. You were injured.”

  “You’re weird,” I said.

  “That isn’t a very lady-like thing to say,” he chided.

  It was getting a little easier to think clearly. “I’m not used to people caring I’m hurt,” I said awkwardly. “Your…kindness is weird.”

  “It’s nothing as noble as kindness,” Dorian said, “But I’ve always heard we give the gifts we’d most want ourselves. I suppose there’s truth in that, at least.”

  “Then, what is it?” I asked.

  “We’ve talked before about men and mystery,” Dorian replied.

  “When do I get to have mystery?” I asked.

  “When you’ve grown and experienced more,” Dorian said. “Mystery ages like wine.”

  I felt like he was toying with me, but I couldn’t quite figure out why. Slowly, I settled back onto the sheets and pillow. What if I told him about the sigils? Would he believe me? I bit the inside of my cheek.

  But I saw Celeste heading towards us. I knew I couldn’t tell him, then. Not in front of her. I knew she’d just ignore me again. “I didn’t know you were here, Your Lordship,” Celeste said. “As you can see, Wynter is doing well.”

  “This is what you call well?” he asked.

  “As well as can be expected, given the circumstances,” she amended smoothly.

  Dorian sheathed the rapier and placed it on my bed. “I’d still prefer that my little mage not be fighting demons,” Dorian replied.

  “As would we all,” Celeste said. “But these are difficult times.”

  Dorian patted my shoulder. “Until next time,” he said.

  I nodded. The moment he was gone, I turned my attention to the girl in the bed beside mine, Tatiana. I remembered the blood flowing from her nose, so much of it. I wanted to cry because it had all been too much, and I hadn’t even wanted to hurt a demon. I’d hesitated, and she got hurt. And I didn’t know if that made me something better or worse. I wanted to ask Lucian, but he’d gone unusually silent.

  ***

  Falling from the stairs onto the ground floor and summoning Lucian’s fire had taken a lot out of me. And even though my broken arm and the gash on my leg had been healed with magic, they still throbbed. I’d remained in bed for a day afterward, finally dragging myself out of it when I realized that I was already doing terribly in my classes, so I didn’t need to miss them, too. If I got kicked out of the Academy before Dorian was finished with me, my uncle wouldn’t be happy. And if my uncle wasn’t happy, that meant Briar and Sterling would pay for it. Plus, I really needed a shower.

  Professor Gareth’s History of Reverie class was small. Alexander and Viviane were in it, along with a handful of other people I recognized. I tried to get Alexander’s attention, but he didn’t see me come in. Others, however, twisted their heads in my direction.

  “Wynter,” Kris turned around in her seat and whispered excitedly. “Did you really slay a demon?”

  Alexander and Viviane looked at me, then—along with most of the class.

  “No,” I said. “I only weakened it, so Celeste could seal it away.”

  “But she did strike it in the heart,” Alexander said quietly. I wanted to think he was standing up for me, but something about the bitterness in his tone gave me pause.

  Viviane curled her hand around Alexander’s arm, like she was marking her territory. I was too tired to even care. Kris nodded and turned back around to a couple of her friends.

  “See, I told you so,” she said.

  Then, Tatiana walked in. We exchanged nods, and she shyly held out her hand. “I don’t think we’ve ever even spoken to one another,” she said, “What a way to meet.”

  She smiled, but there were dark circles under her eyes. She must have been exhausted after our ordeal. I saw a faint red crease at her hairline where she’d been injured. I shook her hand and smiled back. “Maybe it’ll give us a sense of mystery when we’re older.”

  Viviane sounded like she was choking on something. Tatiana laughed. “Maybe,” she said, dropping my hand. “We’ll definitely have to talk more.”

  She went to her seat. I sank down a bit in mine. I really just wanted to sleep, but if I had to sit through a professor’s class, I was happy it was Gareth’s. He’d always been nice to me. He entered and immediately began a passionate lecture about the government in Reverie. I fell asleep at one point and only realized it when I jerked my head up from the table. Gareth had the grace not to say anything.

  “Now, it was at this time,” Gareth continued, “that the people of Reverie began to suspect that the old system of choosing a monarch based solely on his or her magical talent might not be the best approach. Instead, it was agreed that two parties would govern Reverie—the monarchy and the Council.”

  I vaguely recalled hearing about this, but I couldn’t remember who’d told me about it.

  “Of course, this did not magically fix all of Reverie’s problems,” Gareth continued. “The Council was composed of the kingdom’s most powerful mages, people who would have been competitors for the throne, had the governing system not changed. Many of these mages were unhappy of suddenly having to share their places with the newly formed aristocracy. And thus, a rivalry between the two has persisted.”

  “So why don’t we go back to the old system?” Tatiana asked.

  “That’s an excellent question, Tatiana,” Gareth replied, “But—despite our differences—the Council and the aristocracy continue to solve issues together. The more minds we have together, the more effective solutions we can find. We might argue sometimes, but ultimately, I think it behooves us to spread out the power amongst many people. This gives us different perspectives on the many issues Reverie faces on a daily basis.”

  All those people and barely an ounce of sense between them, Lucian lamented. It was the first he’d spoken since the attack, and he sounded as tired as I felt.

  Considering the poor job they’ve done of figuring out what’s causing both the quakes and the demons, I think it’s a fair assertion. Especially considering that—apparently—it’s one of their own causing this.

  “Be nice,” I hissed.

  The girl beside me edged away. I winced, and my face reddened. I needed to be more careful when I talked to Lucian.

  Oh, I’ll bet these mages did just wonderful things to people they think are mad, Lucian said. Do you think they’d lock you up somewhere or just send you off the edge?

  He was being unusually cruel today, but I kept my mouth shut this time.

  “Professor,” another student said, “What about the demons? I’ve heard some people say that they’re being released because we abandoned that old system. We no longer have a powerful sorcerer-king to rally around, so the old magic is fading and they’re getting loose from their bonds.”

  Our classmate, a short dark-haired boy, raised his palms. “I don’t mean any offense. I’m just saying that we didn’t have these problems before—”

  Alexander muttered under his breath and kicked the chair in front of him.

  “These problems,” Gareth said lightly, “Have existed before the formation of the Council and the aristocracy. We have a few historical records indicating—”

  “A few!” our c
lassmate argued. “Now, there are demon attacks all the time!”

  Some of my classmates looked towards me. I shifted awkwardly. Their attention wasn’t unfriendly, but I wasn’t used to being noticed.

  “I mean, did you see the ballroom?” another student asked. “I just looked in, and—”

  “The ballroom is closed for a reason. Stay away from it,” Gareth cut in. “There have been three demon attacks thus far, and I promise the Council is looking into it. However, if turning away from magic was the primary issue, wouldn’t these problems have occurred directly after we changed our course?”

  “What if both the demons and earthquakes are the result of Reverie falling out of the sky?” Tatiana asked.

  Laughter burst around her.

  “Sure, Tati,” a classmate said, “And I’ll bet you think the Kingdom of Aubade is secretly governed by a race of cat people.”

  “Only crazy people believe that!”

  “How hard did you hit your head? You’re joking, right?”

  “It’s not a joke!” Tatiana insisted. “My father has been doing serious research into this phenomenon, and—”

  “Where? In the gossip columns?”

  “Class!” Gareth cut in. “You are not going to tear down your classmates.”

  I sank deeper into my seat. The arguments brought forth all the deep-seated anxieties within me. Arguments weren’t good where I came from. They always led to real violence.

  “Tatiana, tell us about your research,” Gareth said.

  “Oh. Well,” Tatiana said, sounding surprised. “My father realized that the Lower Realms have a history of quakes which split apart the ground, and these quakes happen along things called fault lines. Basically, the Lower Realms rest on a series of plate-like structures, and sometimes, these structures brush against one another. So quakes happen.”