Academy of Falling Kingdoms Box Set

by Marisa Mills

  “Why? To create fear. Don’t you see, no matter who did this, it gives the king what he wanted. Mages must fear and hate demons, so that they can turn off their guilt for keeping us enslaved.”

  “But why would they steal Gareth’s research?” Francisca asked.

  “I can think of a few reasons,” Elaine said, pursing her lips together. “Nick’s ability to speak with demons gave him access to a much wider range of knowledge than was available to most mages. Gareth told me he used to spend hours in the room of choosing, talking to himself and pulling mysteries from the universe out of the whispers that visited him in the dark. Gareth was a young professor at the time and even though he knew he should tell people, he was too fascinated by Nick’s newfound abilities and the wisdom he was unlocking. He and Nick began working together on a piece of mage tech that would allow Gareth to communicate with demons, and not long after he introduced the two of us.”

  “But Nick wanted more. He was restless and unhappy here, I think especially because of what he felt was a great injustice. When he realized there were thousands of demons keeping up the whole kingdom of Reverie, he was so furious he didn’t come to school for weeks. Pointless magic,” he’d say. “A complete waste of energy. Both the Council and the King refused to let him study the demon chamber. It was no surprise where his loyalties were leaning, and as a guest student from the Lower Realms, few people trusted him fully.”

  “So he went to Aubade to study their demon chamber, right?” I asked. “I remember reading about him planning on going to Aubade, but his journal ends just before he leaves. And what happened with him and Gwen, how could he just leave her like that?”

  “I think…he’d expressed some frustration that she didn’t agree with his vision. There were some problems between them. I don’t know the extent of them,” Elaine shrugged. “Perhaps—Nick’s vision was too…” Elaine trailed off.

  “Too radical for Gwen?” Francisca asked.

  Elaine nodded. “He…went to Aubade and received a permit to investigate the chamber. Unlike Reverie, Aubade isn’t so protective of her secrets. I don’t think most people realize there are demons in the chamber beneath Aubade, but they do know there’s a chamber there.”

  “But what happened after that?” I asked. Oberon had already told us as much.

  “No one really knows,” Elaine said. “He’d been gone half a year when we heard Gwen had committed suicide. There was already a stain of scandal on her from her indiscreet relationship with Nick, the dark mage from the Lower Realms; some people thought he killed her, or the dark magic he unleashed had turned her mind.”

  “Did he ever come back?” I asked.

  “I don’t know for sure. I think Dorian went off looking for him.”

  “He was looking for the Rosewood jewels,” Fran explained, “which he thought Nick had stolen. He met during his travels, and when his mother forced him home, I came with him. We only learned recently that the artefacts been destroyed.”

  “Gareth has sent letters of correspondence to the other kingdoms, looking for him,” Elaine said, “but it’s like both the name and the man vanished off the face of the earth. I’m afraid Nicholas Armenia is gone forever.”

  “But then, why now?” I asked, my brain feeling fuzzy from all the new information. “What’s changed? And why would they be after Nick’s blood, and mine? Or Gareth’s research?”

  “Nick’s blood has a power that we’ve never seen before, and despite Gareth knowing Nick and studying his gifts for many years, we still don’t know why Nick—or you—can talk to demons. And that unique ability alone has led to new forms of magic we couldn’t have predicted. Somehow, Nick even managed to create a charm that channels healing and decay. Gareth was as surprised as everyone else when you unleashed it at the Forum, rusting through your chains.”

  “So it’s all my fault,” I realized, sitting down into a chair for support. “I showed a kind of power that hasn’t been wielded in decades.”

  “Centuries, probably,” Elaine said. “I don’t think Nick ever showed anyone what he was really capable of. He must have been in contact with some very old, and very dangerous demons.”

  “But how could he be capable of so much magic, if he was just a downworlder like me?” Francisca asked, a bit of envy in her eyes.

  “From what Gareth has told me, some of the ancient mages didn’t believe in the floating cities, and decided to move back to land as soon as the danger had passed. Plus, nearly everyone has some magic. After all, everyone in the Lower Realms survived the flood somehow. For the first few centuries after the flood, weak bloodlines were sent down to work the land. But magic has to be learned, taught and practiced. It rarely manifests on its own.”

  I blinked my eyes, suddenly exhausted.

  “There has to be some way to make everyone happy,” I said. “To stop the war, between demons and mages, between kingdoms. Between Reverie and the Lower Realms. All of it.”

  “Gareth said something like that to me once, long ago,” Elaine said. “Fired up by Nick’s youthful enthusiasm, no doubt. Now he’s upstairs in the infirmary, clutching to his life.”

  “But there has to be a way, to free the demons without causing this kind of harm. To send them home. To work together, like you and Gareth, or me and Lucian. We know it’s possible. We can make them listen.”

  “And you think you can just free them,” Elaine snapped, “without all that rage boiling to the surface? They’d turn on you in an instant. You think after centuries of slavery, our people can just move on as if nothing happened? You’re as naïve as your father was. Mages and demons can never be friends.”

  The air crackled with energy and her eyes glowed a bright silver.

  “What are you saying?” I asked, backing away, warily.

  “For the demons to rise,” Elaine said, with a hard glint in her eyes, “the mages must fall.”

  Twelve

  WHEN FRANCISCA AND I RETURNED to the estate it was early morning, but Alexander was already waiting for us in the foyer, at the base of the curved staircase leading to the second floor. The sunlight cast delicate strands of light across his face, making his blue eyes and golden hair shine. In that moment, he looked like a fairy-tale prince come to life.

  Lucian snorted.

  “Wynter and I will take breakfast in the parlor in the east wing,” Alexander said.

  Francisca narrowed her eyes and clenched her jaw, seemingly irked with the declaration. For a moment, I fully expected her to retort that Alexander wasn’t her master, and she had no intentions of obeying him. But then she swept into a curtsey and lowered her head.

  “I shall see to the arrangements, Your Royal Highness,” she said.

  Alexander didn’t spare her as glance as he offered me his arm and escorted me upstairs.

  “She saved your life, remember?” I asked. “Maybe stop acting like an entitled prick.”

  He frowned, but didn’t answer until we’d reached a room I recognized immediately. It was the same room Amelia had used to sell her children into noble alliances and arranged marriages. How had those conversations gone? I imagined my mother, with flowers in her hair, sitting on that blue sofa, beneath a portrait of her and her siblings. When I first came to Reverie, Dorian had taken me to a welcome gala to steal Viviane’s necklace, and I remembered how uncomfortable I was in the corset and crinolines. I’d felt like a girl playing at being a lady who could afford to wear such nice things. And now I was becoming the rich young noble, and Dorian was trying to match me off without my consent, just like his mother did for him.

  Was all this bloodshed somehow necessary for me to earn my title? I felt like I’d stormed through the kingdom like a conquering queen, trailed by a river of corpses that expanded like a scarlet cape. At least I wasn’t wearing that stupid dress he bought me. Alexander frowned at my dark leather pants and Dorian’s oversized black coat. I felt a little self-conscious, but I pushed through it. What did it matter wh
at I was wearing?

  Alexander closed the door behind us, and a second later, my back was pinned against it. My breath gave a flustered hitch. Alexander had a habit of standing improperly close to me when he was being serious, and I didn’t like how my body responded. His fingers linked through mine, and he tilted his head.

  “Where did you go?” he murmured, clenching his jaw.

  His eyes bore into mine, as if he could read my secrets.

  “I went to check the demon chamber,” I said. “And the Academy.”

  “And you didn’t tell me?” he asked, with a pained expression.

  “I didn’t want to risk anyone else being hurt. And then, I went to Gareth’s office.”

  “How does the Academy look?” Alexander asked, his voice soft.

  “Terrible,” I replied. “The infirmary is full of patients. Professor Gareth is…badly injured.” How could I tell Alexander that half of Gareth’s face had been scorched by demon fire? I squeezed my eyes shut, as if that could help me forget.

  I’m sorry, Lucian said. If I’d been able to do anything—

  “You would’ve. I know.”

  “Are you speaking to Lucian?” Alexander asked.

  I nodded.

  “So what did you learn?” Alexander asked.

  “I thought I could figure out what they wanted, why they attacked.”

  “The Academy is where mages are trained. It would make strategic sense for Aubade to destroy it.”

  If Elaine was right, the attack would also add fire to the war movement and increase the king’s power. I was too afraid to ask Alexander what he thought about that.

  “We don’t know that the mercenaries were from Aubade,” I said stubbornly.

  “Kit told me that he was fairly certain they were. Actually, he…” Alexander trailed off.

  “He believes Jessa’s father Kai might have hired them.”

  “What?” I asked.

  Alexander nodded. “Think about it,” he said. “They’re two powerful people from Aubade. Celeste was after Nick’s daughter and the pendant, so she could open the chamber. Now she’s gone and someone else is after the Rosewood Heir? If she’s not acting alone, it makes the most sense that other agents from Aubade are still trying to unlock the demon chamber beneath Reverie. And to do that…”

  They needed my blood. His words made sense, but I still hated condemning an entire kingdom without knowing exactly who was behind the attacks. Before I could reply, there was a soft knock on the door. A young maid came in, hefting multiple silver platters on her small frame. She frowned at the cluttered table, and Alexander swept off a pile of books while I moved the ashtray and dirty dishes to clear space.

  “I suppose it’s time to clean this room?” Alexander said, taking in the state of disrepair.

  “Master Rosewood said not to disrupt him under any circumstances,” the maid bowed, hiding her face. “He rarely let us disturb this space in particular. I think it was a kind of sanctuary for him.”

  “Well, now that he’s gone—” Alexander said.

  “Leave it for now,” I said quickly, as Viviane burst into the room in a low-cut black dress with sparkling ruffles. She went straight to the breakfast tray the maid had brought in, holding up a finger as she poured a cup of coffee and took her first sip. Then she sighed and sat near us.

  “Okay then,” she said. Her eyes were red and she was too pale. Her hands shook when she set her mug on the table, but she grabbed a lemon pastry and stuffed it into her mouth. Soon Tatiana and Jessa entered as well, helping themselves to juice and pastries. Jessie pared an apple while Alexander piled a mini-fortress of waffles and sausages on his plate. We ate in silence, watching the sun creep over the Rosewood gardens until it crested the edge of Reverie, flooding the windows with light.

  “Now that it’s officially tomorrow,” Alexander said, shaking the curtains and opening the windows to let in a cool breeze, “maybe we should figure out what to do next.”

  “What do you mean, do next?” Viviane asked. “Did you even see the Academy yesterday? People died. Even professors were injured. Fighting one demon nearly killed Jessa last time, now you think we can stop a dozen?”

  “But it won’t stop,” Tatiana said. “Whatever’s going on, it’s going to get worse, right? Better we step in front of it.”

  I waited, looking around at my classmates. In their fine, dark clothes, they looked like flies against the light blue and silver wallpaper. Even with Dorian’s mess, the room was too cozy, and so cheerful in the morning light that it turned my stomach. I reached for a slice of orange.

  Jessa nodded, finally. “It doesn’t hurt to talk about our options.”

  Viviane sighed, and when Alexander nodded towards me, they all looked at me expectantly. I ran to my room to grab the journal from where I’d stashed it the night before, and returned a few minutes later, pulling an antique chair forward so I could sit between them.

  “The demon attacks at the Academy might have been a cover,” I said quietly, holding the journal in my lap.

  “To steal your blood, right?” Jessa asked. “To open the chamber?”

  I cleared the table, and opened the journal on the desk as my classmates crowded around me.

  “Or something else. Someone ransacked Gareth’s office. He’d been studying this, my father’s journal.”

  Tatiana’s eyes went wide.

  “This is the journal of Nicholas Armenia? It’s almost legendary. My father would love to see this.”

  “Where did you get it?” Viviane asked coldly.

  “It’s why Dorian brought me here in the first place,” I said. “For this. I stole it from Gareth and gave it to Dorian. He gave it back before he left.”

  “And you’ve read it?” Jessa’s eyes widened.

  “Yes, but that’s the problem. There’s nothing useful in there, it’s complex, advanced magic. Gareth spent years working on it and couldn’t make any progress.”

  “So why does everyone want it so badly?” Alexander asked.

  “Because nobody else knows what isn’t in it. Elaine thinks they may have been after other powers, like speaking to demons or even summoning decay. And after my trial, they know exactly how much damage it could do.”

  Viviane nodded slowly. “Even if they didn’t release our demons, someone with that power could tear Reverie in half.”

  “Well, probably not,” Alexander said. “But maybe. We don’t really know what decay is capable of.”

  I closed the book slowly, ruffling the pages. Light from the window illuminated the edges of the page in a strip of bright yellow.

  “Wait!” Tatiana asked, reaching her fingers into the book. “What’s this?” She pointed at the decorative flourishes in the corners. After staring at them closely, I could see that they were a little different on each page. I cursed myself silently for not noticing them earlier.

  “That’s a letter,” Alexander said, pointing at the shapes hidden in the decoration.

  “And that looks like some kind of rune,” Jessa said.

  I flipped through the pages, trying to make sense of the symbols, but I was too tired to think clearly. After a while, I moved to the couch and felt my eyelids slipping shut.

  “Why don’t you go take a bath?” Jessa asked, placing a hand on my shoulder and eyeing the strange ensemble I was wearing. I’d noticed Tatiana staring earlier, but nobody asked except Alexander.

  I slipped into the large ensuite bathroom attached to my bed chamber, surprised again at the space and how brightly the tile and metal pipes shone. I’d never get used to this much comfort. I turned on the sink to wash my face, and ran my hands through the sparkling water. In the Scraps, clean water like this would have cost a month’s wages. We boiled everything, and added strong tea and honey to cover the taste.

  I tugged off Dorian’s coat and was just unzipping my pants when I paused, glancing at myself in the mirror over my shoulder.

  �
�Lucian?” I asked. He appeared in the reflection behind me, leaning against the wall, wearing a dark suit and a red vest. It was more suited to the fashions of Reverie than his usually clothing, although he’d kept the leather braces of his armor. I wondered if spending so much time among mages was rubbing off on him.

  “Would you mind?” I asked, nodding to the door. I’d left my sword in the other room, but now that Lucian was free, I never knew where he was.

  “Fine,” he said, rolling his eyes. “By all means, protect your flabby bits from the demon.”

  I blushed, and threw a bar of soap that went right through him. He smirked and disappeared, a coil of smoke and glitter that flew under the door and into the hall. Once he was gone, I filled the tub and spent a few minutes sniffing all the bottles of essential oil no doubt Francisca had decanted. I chose one that smelled like fresh wildflowers and shook a few drops into the steaming water before sinking slowly beneath the surface.

  When I woke up again, the water was nearly cold and someone was knocking at the door. I dried myself off quickly and pulled on a thin robe. I opened it to find Alexander, standing with a towel wrapped around his waist. His hair was wet, and drops of water glistened across his torso. I found myself staring at his chest a little longer than I should have, noticing the curves of his lean muscle.

  “Hot water is out in my room,” Alexander said sheepishly, his eyes dipping towards my thin robe. “The earthquake probably damaged the pipes. Thought maybe I could try yours?”

  “Um… sure,” I said, stepping away to let him pass. He’d barely entered when a gust of wind tore his towel away. Alexander’s face turned bright red as he covered himself, diving towards the bed and holding up a blanket. I averted my eyes towards the door.

  “Help yourself,” I said, leaving the room quickly.

  Just thought you should see what he brings to the table, Lucian said, his royal assets and such. Since you are planning on getting married.

  I bit back a grin and joined the others in the sitting room. Jessa had taken the journal over near the window, and Viviane was grimacing before a green smoothie Francisca had made for her. Tatiana was spread out on the couch, folding scraps of paper into miniature cranes.