“Does that have something to do with my magic something or whatever?”
“Yes. You see, healing magic manipulates your own essence into working—”
I put up my hand. “Sorry, Koko, but my head’s pounding too much for a lecture on magic.”
She folded her hands on her lap. “Of course.”
“But answer me this: how is this path here? Things are still hazy, but I don’t remember seeing this here.”
“Elemental mages worked with the scouting parties to establish roads and bridges. Lucinia and other academies spared all hands when it came to forging a path here. Sigemond has his people establishing a camp to conduct a thorough investigation of the area, soldiers and mages will be coming and going for the weeks ahead.”
“Fucking magic,” I murmured. I glanced at the bokken lying next to my side on the stretcher. Whatever caused the change was done by me, by my magical ability. “Fucking magic,” I whispered again as I closed my eyes.
“Al,” Eva side from beside me.
“Yeah?”
“We have some time till we get back to the capital. Finish that story you were telling Neepa and me, the one about the princess.”
I chuckled. “Pretty hooked on it, huh?” I glanced at Koko, recalling how I told the story of Cinderella because of her. “You mind if I start over? I think Koko would like it, too.”
“Yeah, I’d like that.”
I glanced up at Neepa, her lips curling into a smile. The tip of Koko’s tail swished in curiosity.
I went to start, then something gave me pause. As I was going back on memories, something broke through the surface, the thing Cas said before all things went to hell. Realization struck like a semi.
“Koko, when we get back, can you arrange it so there’s only us four alone, somewhere private?”
Koko watched me deliberately, wondering if my query was the result of head trauma. “I can, but why?”
“We’ll come to it when we’re all alone. Please, just promise me you can get it done.”
She nodded curtly. “Of course.”
I let out another breath at her confirmation. The revelation has me feeling queasy, or maybe that’s the almost dying. Better to keep my mind elsewhere least stress starts eating away at me. What better way than a classic story?
I cleared my throat. “Well, let’s start, then. This is the Story of Cinderella: Once upon a time…”
Chapter 21
Things were all sorts of hectic when we got back to Scintillion. A small army was waiting for us around the wall’s gate, and hundreds of soldiers were keeping a sharp watch on the ramparts. An entire company broke off and marched along either side of the convoy down the city's thoroughfares until we reached Lucinia’s grounds, where even more soldiers and mages kept a solid perimeter around the academy's gates. Hundreds of winged people flew around the academy in tight formations, like a bunch of vultures circling prey. It was an impressive spectacle to witness Scintillion’s forces operate so neatly as a homologous unit. How forces of the Null were able to penetrate their defenses only fortified my suspicion.
A wall of bodies encircled Laramie’s wagon, and Eva and I were unloaded with the utmost care, many faces staring at the sword and I with awe as word spread through the crowd in whispers. It was uncomfortable to have so many prying eyes on me, but the sheer number of people minimized the chance of anyone or anything attacking.
Koko, Neepa, Eva and I were escorted deep within the academy, then were shown to a private room at the end of a lone hallway, either side of the hall flanked by a dozen robed figures wielding tall staves.
As promised, more healers arrived and gave Eva and I a quick look. I finally got the chance to witness their magic, which consisted of them uttering words that made their hands glow a faint indigo. The color carried with it an extremely pleasant and cooling sensation that made my body throb not as severely. My left hand even recovered the ability to form a fist after receiving their magical touch. But, like Eva’s collarbone, my wrist was still broken. They were also kind enough to bring shirts so Eva and I could cover our bandaged chests. After that, a few people came in to mark down all of our accounts of the whole ordeal, although, the questionnaires were keener on my retailing of the hellish experience.
Once they had our report and gave off an extensive round of questions, we were finally left alone in the lavish room. I thought the room we had before was extravagant, but this one put it to shame. A bed that could fit six people sat in the middle of the room and was adorned with silk so smooth and lustrous that light bounced off it. The carved double-winged doors were a work of art; the doors rivaled the mural set in the ceiling, and that’s not even mentioning the furniture.
I had to shake my head to keep from dozing off while I sank into the world’s softest bed. Neepa sat on the edge, her fingers still tenderly combing through my hair, and Eva lay on my other side. Koko stood in the middle of the room in her usual rigid manner.
“Are we alone?” I asked the dragon-woman.
She frowned like I asked stupid question. “Of course.”
“I mean…” I looked around the room. “Is anyone listening?” I asked in a hushed tone.
“The doors and walls are thick, and no rooms neighbor this one. And scrying magic is strictly forbidden within Lucinia’s walls.”
I eyed the room once more, uncertain despite Koko’s words. Without saying anything, I waved Koko over. She obliged after a slight pause and came to the foot of the bed. I waved her closer until she reluctantly sat next to Neepa.
“Only whispers, everybody, okay?” The others nodded unsurely. “As it stands, I only trust Neepa and Eva. But I feel that I can trust you, too, Koko.”
“W-what is it you wish to discuss, Al?” Koko asked quietly.
I motioned for everyone to lean in close, and then I whispered, “I think one of the academy heads planned all this.”
The girls went wide-eyed and Neepa held a hand over her mouth to mute a gasp.
“How can you be sure?” Neepa asked.
“The cat-beastkin, Cas, she said something that I didn't think much of at the time, but once things settled down, I realized she had information that only a few people should know.”
Eva sat up. “What was it?”
“When I went to defend myself with the sword, she laughed at my face and said: ‘The old fart says he can’t do anything with that joke of an artifact.’ I distinctly remember three old farts when the Grand Mage wanted an audience.”
Koko’s crimson eyes stayed wide, her irises needle thin while she folded and unfolded her hands. “You don’t imply…”
“That Null sympathizers have invaded the academy, yes.” The implication was more alarming to her than anyone else, I’m sure.
“Shit.” Eva scowled and bit her thumbnail. “If that’s the case, no wonder they got into Lucinia.”
“B-but the collars,” Koko stammered, “The one you identified as Bricet, enchanted bands of metal was found on his body, that’s how they were able to suppress the Null’s dark presence. One of us couldn't have…”
“Kokoliniasta,” Neepa said softly, “my knowledge on enchanting is minimal, but devising such a spell is very advanced, something only tenth degree disciples and headmasters could accomplish.”
“What’s the deal with this degree thing?” I asked. Koko mentioned she was a sixth degree disciple when we met her, but with everything crazy going on, it just flew over my head.
“One’s degree is a representation of their ability,” Neepa answered. “First degrees are just disciples, then it goes up to third degree, combat certification that most soldiers and freelancers possess; fifth degrees are recognized as competent mages and are given an official title. Obtaining the tenth degree certifies you as a master and that qualifies you for a position as a headmaster or a disciple for the Grand Mage.”
“So headmasters would be packing some serious power, then?”
Neepa nodded, her face glum. “Confronting a
headmaster allied to the Null would be extremely dangerous.”
Of course it would. That last thing I want is some god-tier wizard fighting in a crowded building.
Koko brought her own tail to her lap, then started wringing the tip with her hands. Her shoulders dropped when she let out a self-suffering sigh, struggling with the fact of betrayal. “You have to be mistaken. Surely word would’ve spread through the headmasters to their students. Knowledge of your display wasn’t confidential.”
“I thought of that, Koko,” I said. “Eva, you’ve got a head for shit like this. How long do you think it would take a bunch of traitors to rally up, plan, build a small army in the cover of the woods, then enact their kidnapping scheme?”
She looked down to think for a moment, and when she looked up, she answered, “At least a few days.”
“Exactly. A lot of shit had to be arranged in a very small window, so whoever it was probably started sending messages the moment the meeting ended. Also, I wondered: why didn’t they wait for me to leave and return to your home? Neepa, Eva, your house is cozy, but it’s damn near isolated; they could've easily abducted me and killed you two and no one would know for days.
“Idle conversation wouldn’t mention my living arrangements with you two. No. They couldn’t risk me agreeing to stay to figure out this power, which by the way, holy shit. That, and with me getting a lot more attention, there’d be little opportunity to get me alone without leaving some sort of obvious trail. Whoever the traitor is, they were in that room with us and jumped on thier plan to use me as war machine to tear everything down.”
Koko still wrung her tail. “Should I notify the Grand Mage?”
“No. There’s no telling how far this runs. I don’t want anyone caught up in the crossfire of some crazy wizards’ last stand.”
“What do we do?” Neepa asked.
I dropped my head into the mattress and sighed. “I don’t know.” I brought my head back up. “Unless you guys have some sort of polygraph?” I was given a series of confused looks. “Yeah, I didn’t think so.”
“We should’ve left one of them alive,” Eva said. “A few arrowheads under some fingernails is a good way to make a person honest.”
Eva’s brutality made me chuckle and helped lighten my mood some. Still, I’m stuck in a tight spot. If only there was some way to get all the suspects in a room without rising alarm and keep them from wreaking all sorts of havoc. Unless…
“What about sleep spells or paralysis spells? Is that a thing?” I asked.
“Yes, but such abilities wouldn’t fare against headmasters. Mages above at the third degree and up are trained to sense and guard themselves from such attacks to an extent,” Koko informed, crushing my attempt at a plan.
I really need to understand the rules of magic here.
Knocking them out while their guard is down seems like the safest approach. But how? Maybe if we could get them to…
“The drug!” I shouted, then cursed myself for shouting. “The drug, Koko,” I whispered, “do you have any more, or something that works just as fast?”
“What drug?” Eva asked primly.
Koko turned as red as a ripe tomato and her wings unfurled to jut roughly from her back. I wasn’t thinking when I blurted that out, and now Neepa and Eva were waiting for an explanation. Koko looked at me for guidance, may fault for putting us on the spot.
I sat up and rubbed my neck, thinking the best way to discuss this. It was a touchy subject considering Koko’s and Neepa’s feelings. Explaining to a woman why another woman gave you a handjob is never going to be an easy thing to discuss. The only way to have a difficult conversation was to just be upfront.
I forced myself to meet Koko’s eyes. “We should tell them everything. I mean, it’s part of the reason why I trust you, Koko.” She eyed Neepa and Eva, internal anguish clear on her face. “It’s okay, they’ll keep your secret. Right?”
Neepa and Eva shared a long look, looking like they were communicating telepathically, then turned their heads back to nod.
I drew in a shallow breath. “Okay,” I said with an exhale, “you see—”
“Mother ordered me after Al and I shared a pleasant beverage together and was upset that he had no intention of speaking to her that day so she gave me the task of seducing him and promising my body so that he could have his way with Mother so she could bear a powerful daughter who had the blood of a Resonant then she went into vivid detail how I should service him especially with my mouth because Mother said men love it when you use your mouth but I remembered what my real mother said about preserving my maidenhood for the man I truly love but Mother said it was a gift and I cried and panicked then cried more than I devised a way by drugging all of you with the wine with a sedative from the infirmary so Mother would think he declined after having his way but he woke up halfway through me trying to get his seed then he learned of Mother’s plan and helped me by giving his seed which I had to stimulate his genitals until he erupted in my hand and my head got all fuzzy and and and—” Koko gasped for air after vomiting out words, then began hyperventilating.
Neepa’s and Eva’s jaws hung open while they processed that info dump. When the tail end of Koko’s explanation clicked, their heads snapped to me. Neepa’s eyes inscrutable, Eva’s bore the singular intensity of a murderer. I gulped under their harsh stares.
“Please, don’t tell Mother,” Koko finished in a squeak.
I coughed into my hand. “Given the circumstances, I, uh, helped.” I cringed when I said that; like getting a handy ever helped anyone. “Sooo, yeah. Since Charna’s plan needs me alive, she’s not a suspect. Koko acted in her own self interest going behind Charna, so she’s not caught up in this whole plot.”
The girls didn’t say anything for several, agonizing seconds. Neepa’s face softened and she set her hand over Koko’s trembling one. “It’ll be okay, we won’t tell a soul.”
Koko sniffled. “Thank you.”
“What does Koko drugging us and jerking you off have to do with anything?” Eva asked flatly, her mouth set in that ambiguous area of indifference and cool rage.
“I think I have a plan,” I said, trying to stay calm in the blonde’s presence. “Koko, I want you to arrange another audience with the Grand Mage, and I want everyone; her, Julika, the headmasters, Sigemond, and anyone else of high importance. Tell them I had a divine revelation from the One and I have my decision regarding my place in this war.”
“You did?” Koko asked.
“No…” I thought about the fall and the light; something for another day. “No, just a white lie. And, Eva, those crossbows of yours, is there anything smaller?”
She watched me for a while, then answered, “Yeah. There’s a few, but they’re not very lethal unless you get a good shot in.”
I grinned. “I don’t think that’d be a problem for you. Anyways, I’m not looking for lethal. Alright, everybody, listen up, here’s the plan…”
✽✽✽
Nerves were running high as Koko, Neepa, Eva and I were all being escorted by twenty mages. The robed figures boxed us in from all sides. Two hours earlier, Koko did a lot of running around to gather the things I asked for, then set up the meeting with everyone. Instead of meeting in Merula’s chambers, the whole thing was to be conducted in the Hall of Discourse, a grand space reserved only for the most crucial of decisions. In passing, Koko informed me that the last time a meeting was arranged for the Hall was two months ago when a world called Elesrora was invaded.
When allied worlds as mighty as Scintillion get invaded so suddenly, a conference of people that represent the military, the various mage academies and organizations, and delegates from other worlds, have to make the decision to fight back, evacuate, or cut their losses. Elesrora hasn’t been lost outright, but Koko said over half of the world is under the Null control.
The room was reserved for very serious and grief affairs.
Eva kept adjusting her sling, Neepa had her hat pulled so
low that she was just a nose and mouth, and Koko walked like a rod had surgically replaced her spine. Butterflies were floating in my stomach, too, and I had my good hand wrapped so tightly around the bokken I was using as a cane that my palm started to go numb. Exhaustion still weighed on me. A shame I didn't try to nap for the last forty minutes. Not like I could’ve.
The wide hallway we traveled looked familiar, the same one Koko brought me down that would’ve ended at Gessi’s library. We made a left at an intersection, and continued on till with got to a pair of pearl-white double-winged doors as wide as the hallway itself, two robed guards waiting before them.
The entourage of mages around us broke off to either side, the rest forming a line in the rear, completely blocking off the hall. The robed men and women thumped the butt of their staves on the ground in unison, then the doors parted for the girls and I, marking our arrival.
One foot was forced in front of the other, and we stepped into the Hall of Discourse. It was a spacious room with a high ceiling, which adorned a chandelier with a radius of more than ten feet, the impressive piece radiating light from a galaxy of crystal fixtures. The only piece of furniture in the room was a throne, where Merula sat, her disciple off to her side. Julika looked exhausted, no doubt from the chaos following the assault, yet she still managed to spare me a grateful smile.
There stood a great many figures in the wide space, each huddling together like high school clicks in a lunchroom. A few groups must’ve been other academies based on their attire, each huddling had a man or woman of an advanced age at the front—other headmasters, maybe. Sigemond was there, and with him stood an honor guard of a dozen knights, each dressed in armor that must’ve been strictly ceremonial for them to be so pristine. There were more people who looked of importance, but they weren’t the crux of my worries. No, that stood at the front.
Heart of the Resonant: Book 1: Pulse (Resonant Series) Page 35
