Academy of Falling Kingdoms Box Set

by Marisa Mills

  “If there are forests,” Alexander said, “we must be in northern Plumba. There aren’t any woods in the south.”

  I bit my lip, remembering the stack of letters I’d found in the forbidden archives. I’d only read one of them—a letter from Nicholas Armenia to Dorian’s dead sister Guinevere—but that one had mentioned beautiful forests in the north of Plumba. If these were the same forests he’d written about, I might be able to find something about him here, and that would probably make Dorian happy. If I wanted Briar and Sterling to have a good life away from my terrible uncle, keeping Dorian happy was definitely a priority. But first, I’d have to convince Alexander, and I had a feeling he wouldn’t want to linger in the Lower Realms.

  ***

  “There’s a wall surrounding Plumba, isn’t there?” Alexander asked. “If we head south, then, we should run into it eventually.”

  “It’s more of a fence.”

  “Even better.”

  Alexander didn’t wait to see if I’d follow him. He simply set off heading south, with the unearned confidence of nobility. Still, I went after him. I didn’t know nearly enough to traverse the woods on my own, and heading towards the wall sounded reasonable. Once we reached it, I might even be able to figure out exactly where we were.

  “Do you remember that letter we found in the archives?” I asked.

  Alexander shrugged. “Sure,” he said. “What about it?”

  “Do you think these are the same woods Nick wrote about?”

  “Who cares?” Alexander asked.

  “I do,” I replied.

  “But why? They were probably just meeting here for romantic trysts,” Alexander said.

  “And would you meet your lover in the middle of a forest in northern Plumba?”

  “No,” Alexander replied, “But that just means I have better taste.”

  So if I wanted to investigate this, I’d either have to do it on my own or persuade him otherwise. Alexander stumbled over a tree root. I gingerly stepped around it. Walking in the forest was harder than I’d expected. I was used to the cracked pavement of the Scraps and the smooth crystal of Reverie. At least, then, cracks and holes were easy to see and avoid. That wasn’t the case in the forest. There were too many hidden holes and dips in the ground, hidden beneath benign-looking layers of leaves, grass, and branches.

  And yet the forest was beautiful. It was so green and so quiet. I knew Sterling came to the forests to scavenge for herbs that he could take back to Claribel, his sick mother, but I wondered, too, if he ever drew comfort from the solitude of this place. It was so different from the rest of the Scraps, which were gray and dreary.

  “I know someone who knows these woods,” I said, “If we are where I think we are. I want to talk to him, at least.”

  Although I followed Alexander and couldn’t see his face, I could practically feel the irritation radiating off him. “Why?” he asked. “So you can learn what? We don’t even know who Nick is, or that Guinevere was ever here. Why do you care?”

  Whatever was happening with the demons, it had happened once before, and both Nick and Gwen had died; maybe even falling from Reverie, just like us. Had it really been an accident, or was it more, as both Dorian and Elaine seemed to imply? But what would be worth killing them over, and how was it related the demon attacks and the earthquakes? Whatever was going on, Reverie was dangerous until we figured it out. But I couldn’t tell Alexander about the journal I’d stolen from Gareth. How could I convince him without giving away too much?

  “It’s just a feeling I have,” I said finally. “I can’t explain it, but I think it might be important. It involves Dorian’s sister, so—”

  “So Dorian can come here himself and traipse around the forests,” Alexander replied. “He’s an odd man. He’s probably legitimately enjoy wandering around lost for days on end.”

  “And maybe I want to know,” I said. “Haven’t you ever just been curious about something? Maybe I want to know who Nick was and why he was here. Mages don’t usually come to Plumba. Why would he have been looking around here anyway?”

  And what had happened to him? Guinevere had killed herself, apparently, but what about Nick? I’d heard rumors, but nobody seemed to know the truth.

  “Wynter, we belong in Reverie,” Alexander said, glancing over his shoulder at me. “Whatever Guinevere or Nick or whoever were doing in these woods doesn’t affect us at all. Besides, we have enough to worry about with everything that’s happening with the demon attacks, Viviane being controlled, and now, your freed demon, who could attack us at any time. Some dead noblewoman’s affair should be the least of our concerns.”

  “But I have a feeling it isn’t just a noblewoman’s affair,” I said, ignoring Lucian’s protests. “I have a feeling that this is all related somehow.”

  Alexander growled and swiped the air in front of his face. Evidently, he’d walked straight into a spiderweb. It was getting dark, and there were monsters in the Scraps, monsters that hunted during the night.

  “We can’t travel in the dark,” I said.

  “And what are you suggesting?” Alexander asked. “That we sleep in the middle of the forest? That sounds safe!”

  Can’t you just leave him? Lucian asked tiredly. All he’s done is complain.

  Maybe. But this must be hard for him. Not only had I revealed that I’d released a demon, something that no mage was ever supposed to do, but now, Alexander was stuck wandering in unfamiliar territory. He was probably frightened and lashing out to hide his fear.

  Sensing my thoughts, Lucian scoffed.

  “Alexander,” I said, trying a softer tone, “There are monsters that hunt Plumba. Very dangerous ones. There are also thieves, bandits, and murderers. It isn’t safe at night.”

  “Well, I’m a prince,” Alexander replied. “A mage prince. And if we do run into any trouble, I’m confident I can negotiate our way out of it.”

  I thought of my uncle Gabriel and grimaced. Prince or no, I didn’t see anyone in the Scraps being threatened by Alexander.

  “Do you have your pen with you?” I asked.

  A pause. “No,” Alexander replied. “I dropped it when we fell.”

  And no pen meant he couldn’t draw sigils to cast his spells. That meant I had Lucian, who was presently too tired to protect us, and Alexander had a sword. We might be able to frighten off a couple monsters or a couple gang members, but if any of those gangs came in full-force, we’d easily be overtaken.

  It was so dark that Alexander had to hold his arm out and brush against trees to keep from running into them. I followed his example. I thought longingly of the device hidden in my trunk in Reverie; that device was capable of creating fire and light. I’d burnt the drapes at the Academy, but not on purpose. Lucian stirred and mumbled apologies for not having enough energy to light our path.

  Slowly, the trees thinned, and I caught the shine of metal. Alexander laughed in relief as we reached the metal fence separating the forests from the rest of the Scraps. “See?” Alexander said. “Now, we just have to find somebody. I’ll tell them I’m a prince, and we’ll spend the night with them. Royal clout can get you anywhere.”

  Alexander curled his fingers in the rusted, wrought iron fence. He carefully placed a foot against the fence and tried to pull himself upwards. Poor Alexander had clearly never climbed a fence in his life. To his credit, this fence didn’t have spaces wide enough to actually put your feet, and there weren’t many purchases for our hands. I took a deep breath and curled my fingers through the metal. I mentally counted to three and heaved myself upwards, bending my knees and moving quickly with my hands. Over the years, I’d climbed enough fences to make this an art form. It was a little harder with the heavy folds of my dress, but I bunched them up to free my bare legs. Once I reached the top, I straddled the fence, grimacing at the way the uneven metal dug into my right thigh. Alexander’s jaw dropped.

  “How did you climb up so easily?” he asked.


  I shrugged. “Maybe it’s easier for me because I’m smaller than you,” I lied.

  I offered him a hand. Alexander futilely pulled himself up a few inches, and realizing he wasn’t going to get much further, he grasped my wrist. I shifted my weight and helped pull him up beside me. Once he’d reached the top, I jumped. It was about six feet, and the shock of the concrete jolted up my legs. I heard a tear and frowned when I saw a long scrap of blue fabric had torn off, blowing in the wind. I hissed at the pain and waited. Alexander didn’t jump. Not at first. Instead, he awkwardly climbed down a couple feet before losing his grip and stumbling to the ground.

  “We’re probably both going to get tetanus,” he said, wiping his hands on his trousers, “Or gangrene. I can’t believe people live down here!”

  I bit the inside of my cheek and said nothing. Because we weren’t in the woods, it wasn’t so dark, but it would be soon. I searched the Scraps, searching for something familiar amongst the broken and cracked buildings. There! My heart leaped as I recognized the outline of a building. I knew where we were! All my fears about the monsters and darkness washed away with the realization that we weren’t lost. “Follow me,” I said. “I know where to go.”

  My boots thudded against the pavement as I quickened my pace. Home or Sterling? They were both about the same distance away. If I went home, I’d see Briar, and my heart ached with longing. But no. I couldn’t go there. Not without Lucian’s fire to protect Alexander and me. We were too tired for a fight. It was better to find Sterling. He wouldn’t tell anyone I was home, and he knew the forests better than I did. Since I was here anyway, it might be worthwhile to see if I find the place Nick mentioned in his letter. Just a short detour, and Alexander would never have to know.

  Two

  IT WAS A FEW MILES to where Sterling and his mom Claribel lived, and about halfway there, I realized Alexander was lagging. He probably wasn’t used to walking long distances over rubble and broken concrete, especially after being lost in the woods for hours. At first, I slowed my pace to match his, but once the sky started turning purple I quickened my pace. We could rest once we were safe indoors, and this part of the Scraps was dangerous at night. I caught a flicker of movement from the corner of my eye and froze. Alexander stumbled over me.

  “Why did you—”

  “Be quiet,” I hissed, pushing him back against a broken wall.

  I crouched in the shadows, beneath the crumbled remains of a building, and slowly peered out into the darkness. Something was moving. It sounded like claws scraping over concrete and something heavier, like the thud of footsteps. Black shadows drifted before me—massive and cat-like.

  Something moved across the small courtyard, loosing a cascade of pebbles. Two figures ducked behind a broken building. Humans, from the look of them. They must be hiding from the monsters. I curled my hand around my rapier. I didn’t have my knives on me, which meant I wouldn’t be able to attack from a distance.

  A low growl rumbled in the air. The creatures were coming closer. My heart pounded so loudly I put my palm over my chest, as if I could muffle the sound.

  “What are those?” Alexander whispered.

  “We call them monsters,” I murmured. “If we’re lucky, they’ll leave. If not, we’ll have to fight. Some are poisonous, so if we do fight, be careful. Don’t let them scratch or bite you.”

  I’d barely finished speaking when a roar behind us made me spin. It was massive, with black, prickling fur and long, sharp teeth that caught the moonlight. The monster’s scorpion-like tail whipped around. I sprang to my feet and thrust with my rapier. A jolt shot up my arm as the blade struck something hard—maybe bone, maybe muscle—before forcing through and sinking in deep beneath the monster’s leg. The twang of a crossbow filled the air. My heart nearly stopped at the sound, but then I saw the bolt sink deep into the creature’s side, drawing blood.

  Whoever those other people were, they’d decided we were less of a threat than the monsters. Good. I pulled my sword free and lunged again, aiming for the monster’s throat. But the monster had turned its head before the blow could land. Blood, hot and thick, spattered upon my hands as I sliced across its flank. I hoped it wasn’t poisonous. The creature reared and squealed, batting my sword away with a powerful blow. It clattered against the rubble with a loud twang. Someone buried a knife into its back, but it barely even flinched as it charged me, swiping out with its razor-sharp claws. Just before it made contact, Alexander pushed me out of the way, driving his rapier into its eye with masterly precision. The monster thrashed for a moment, but then collapsed, twitching to the ground.

  I panted, catching my breath as I went to retrieve my sword. A soft hissing made me flinch, but it was getting further away. It sounded like the noise I heard whenever demons were around, but that was impossible. There weren’t any demons in the Lower Realms.

  Maybe the monsters are demons, Lucian murmured. Maybe they’re really weak ones, ones that have been enslaved for a long time, before breaking free of their cages.

  But how had they gotten here?

  Alexander wiped black gunk off his blade, scraping it against a large stone. I tensed, waiting to see if other monsters would leap from the darkness and attack us.

  “Is anyone injured?” Alexander called out, clearly forcing every ounce of authority that he could into his voice.

  The two figures emerged slowly from the shadows across from us. The first was a tall man with broad shoulders, armed with a crossbow and knives. Blood seeped through his jacket, and he was favoring one side. When the second figure stepped into the moonlight, my heart lodged in my throat, making it hard to breathe. I stepped forward, half in a daze. Even in the darkness, I could make out Sterling’s familiar face—the high cheekbones, his wild brown hair, and—just barely—his vivid green eyes.

  “Wynter?” he asked. I nodded, unable to speak.

  I took a step towards him, just as the man grabbed Sterling and placed a knife at his throat.

  ***

  “You know him, huh, girlie?” the man asked, with a cruel smirk. “I caught him poking his nose where it shouldn’t have been. I’m thinking of cutting it off.”

  He looked like he could break me in half, but I lifted my chin up in defiance and stared him down. Showing weakness in the Scraps was a mistake you only made once. His eyes grazed the frills and lace of my blue dress, now caked in mud, and rested on the silver hilt of my sword. It was probably worth a fortune down here.

  “Is he a friend of yours, Sterling?” I asked, trying to imitate the cold regality I’d learned from the mages.

  “Definitely not,” Sterling replied.

  “Then, I think he’d better leave,” I said.

  “Or what?” he asked. The man before me reached for his crossbow. Before he could grab it, I raised my sword and placed the tip at his throat. For a long moment, we looked at one another. I hoped this would work. I was too tired to fight. I just wanted him to leave Sterling alone. I felt Alexander standing next to me, sword in hand.

  “Fine!” the man spat. He released Sterling and pushed him towards us. “But tell Gabriel to stop sending his rats into our territory. Next time there’s gonna be blood to pay.”

  I slowly lowered my blade, and the man slunk away into the shadows. He was cautious, though, looking back over his shoulder. Probably to be sure he wouldn’t be shot or stabbed in the back. I waited until he was nearly gone from sight before sheathing my blade. My knees trembled. When I turned to Sterling, he grinned.

  I pulled him into a hug and buried my face into his shoulder, breathing in the scent of freshly fallen rain and sweat. I clutched the fabric of his shirt, and his fingers ran through my hair. The last time I’d seen Sterling, he’d kissed me and told me he loved me. The memory was enough to send butterflies fluttering in my stomach. When I lifted my head, I kept one arm around him, holding him close.

  “Did you get everything I sent?” I asked.

  “Ye
ah,” Sterling replied. “Thanks for that.”

  I took his hands in mine, wincing as my fingers brushed over the rough stub of his missing finger. The one he’d lost for me. I felt a sharp pang of guilt, but I tried to keep it off my face.

  A throat cleared behind me, and warmth flooded my face. For a second, I’d forgotten about Alexander. With a sheepish smile, I took a step back and gestured to the prince.

  “Sterling, this is Prince Alexander of Reverie.”

  Sterling’s gaze remained on me and I warned him with my eyes. He was smart; he’d figure out that he couldn’t reveal who I really was in front of Alexander. Sterling offered an awkward dip of his head.

  “Nice to meet you,” he said, sounding decidedly uncharmed.

  “Likewise,” Alexander replied.

  “Bit surprised to find a mage way out here,” Sterling said. “Nothing out this way by gangs and monsters.”

  “We were on a mission,” I said quickly. “For class. But got lost. We need a place to stay the night, before returning to Reverie tomorrow.”

  Alexander balked at the idea, but I put my palm on his shoulder. It was too dark to keep traveling, anyway. Plus I wasn’t entirely sure I was ready to get back to Reverie. Not yet.

  “You’re always welcome in our home, Wynter.” Sterling said warmly. “Mom will be thrilled to see you. And I suppose we can put up with his royal highness for one night.”

  Sterling waved for us. I didn’t hesitate in following him, but Alexander lingered close to me, clearly wary. “We need to get back as soon as possible, Wynter. Nobody even knows we’re still alive.”

  “I’m exhausted,” I said, “and you probably are as well. We need food and sleep, and crossing through the Scraps at night is too dangerous.”

  “The Scraps?” Alexander said, raising an eyebrow.

  Crap, I was already blowing my cover.

  “I mean Plumba,” I said, waving my hand dismissively. “It’s just what they call it here.”