by Candy Crum
"Maddie, I suppose that since no one else in here has any intention of answering, that question is for you."
"Most of the people here are Boulevard students, and that means they never had the displeasure of meeting Adrien. In other words, they've never met true evil. It's easier to point fingers and gossip than it is to actually search for the truth."
Arryn nodded, intrigued by the young woman. She looked to be about fifteen or sixteen, but she was very smart and strong-willed. Arryn liked her.
"And what is the truth? At least, what do you think it is?" Arryn asked.
Maddie shrugged, her eyes never leaving Arryn's. "I have no idea what the truth is, but I've met evil. I know evil. You’re not."
Arryn looked around the room, suddenly disgusted with the peers she'd not only taught, but studied with. She remembered the things her father and mother had told her about the city. Nothing became notable unless it was interesting enough. Apparently, being a good, honest person wasn't an interesting enough story.
Only being a traitor was.
Arryn waved her hand in the air. "Class dismissed. Not a single one of you is paying any attention to what I say anyway, so there's no point in wasting my breath. Just so you know, I do know what's happening out there. I know who did this, and more than that, I'm trying to stop them."
Arryn took a deep breath, her nostrils flaring as she struggled to keep her rage under control. "Here's a little history lesson for you. I kept my past hidden from all of you because I had no idea who I could trust. I had no idea who among you might still secretly side with Adrien. The truth is, my parents—at least my mother—died helping me flee the city. They'd been planning a way to save the city from Adrien, but they were caught. The father of my best friend, Gregory, the person who fought alongside Hannah and all of you in the Battle for Arcadia, turned my father in, leading to my father’s capture and my mother’s death while trying to get me to safety."
Arryn stood and took a few steps toward the desks in front of her, her eyes moving from student to student.
"The druids took me in because my mother had saved the grandson of the Chieftain from being killed by a lycanthrope only a week before her death. The grandson's name was Cathillian, and he accompanied me back here to the city. I was raised among the druids. I learned their ways, learned their values, and learned how to fight. I needed to know how to fight so I could come back here and kill Adrien. But I didn't make it in time; I missed that opportunity, the opportunity that all of you had. To fight for your city."
The students looked at one another again, but stayed deathly silent as they turned back to her.
"When I heard what had happened, I came back immediately. The fight was over, but the requirement to continue protecting the city continued. I came back here to make sure that the Guard was well-trained after largely being replaced, and guess what, it’s getting there! Every morning Cathillian and I train them. I came back here to make sure that the new Chancellor wasn't a tyrant. She isn't.
“My mother is dead, and I still haven't learned the fate of my father, something I’m still searching for. So, before you decide to believe the rumors, remember everything I've taught you. Remember everything I've said. Because no matter what you decide, I'm still working to make sure that the person responsible will pay. And I will die to protect you if it comes to that. Can you say the same?"
Arryn saw guilt and mixed emotions on their faces as they glanced at one another for support. They shifted uncomfortably in their seats, obviously uncertain how they felt given the story she just told.
Finally, Arryn spoke again. "As I said, class is dismissed for today. If I'm not in prison for a murder that I clearly didn’t commit tomorrow, I'll see you then."
Arryn shook her head and walked behind her desk, taking a seat in her chair as she watched everyone leave the room. Well, everyone except for Maddie.
Once the rest of the students had departed, the young woman came to stand in front of Arryn's desk. "Nice speech."
Arryn nodded. "Thanks. Glad you liked it."
"Like Amelia, I fought beside Hannah in the battle. In fact, we spent a lot of time in Girard's house training and planning before anything ever happened."
Arryn laughed. "Yeah, about that. Funny that it should be the headquarters for yet another bad storm brewing here."
Maddie nodded as she studied Arryn. " I’ve only been in your class for a few days, but I've gotten to know who you are as a person, even though I knew nothing of your past until today. I don't think you had anything to do with James' murder, but I believe you when you say you know who did."
"Yeah? Would you believe me if I told you it was the almighty Dean of Students? Because I kind of assume not many people would," Arryn’s voice was sarcastic, though her words were honest.
Maddie thought for a moment before nodding again. "Considering the fact that one of the students in here, Jackson, is disturbingly close to her and told some of these students about the murder in the first place, yeah, I believe it."
Arryn sighed as she sat back in her chair. "Jackson. I'm pretty sure Talia sent him into this class to distract me and get information, but I'm a little too smart for that. I know honest flirting from that of a shit like him trying to use me for his own ends. And, I saw a rather intimate letter from him to Talia. He only has the hots for her. Gross."
"So, what's the plan?" Maddie asked.
Arryn smiled. "I don't know a damn thing about you, but I like you. And it doesn't matter what I say or whether I'm going along with it or not, my fate is sealed, so I guess it won't matter if I tell you that Amelia and the Hunters absolutely will find evidence that it was me. I can promise you that. As far as this city is concerned, I am the killer. And when the evidence is presented, I'll be arrested."
Maddie laughed. "Well, good luck with that. It sounds like you have it all figured out, but that leaves a huge problem. If you're right about who did it, Talia would be on the wrong side of those bars. If you want a little advice, I would suggest constructing your escape plan now. Get out and use the illusion that you're locked away and out of her hair as the opportunity to get whatever evidence you need."
With that, Maddie gave her a reassuring smile and walked out of the class, leaving Arryn to her thoughts. It was obvious what was about to happen. Like Maddie said, she needed to plan her escape.
20
Two days had passed since James’ body had been found in the Boulevard, and things were moving along nicely. So far, everything had gone to plan. The first day, Scarlett had put a lot of effort into using her mental magic to convince students that Arryn might have killed James.
They decided her suggestions should be subtle in the beginning. Everything was new, and people would be struggling with the loss of another life as well as developing their own opinions, so it made sense to keep everything simple.
The following day, however, Scarlett fed them more. She began filling them with doubt and suspicion: maybe Arryn was completely twisted? Maybe she'd tainted the Chancellor? After all, Amelia had been very close to Arryn since the moment she’d arrived.
Scarlett had done a very good job creating chaos and fear around Arryn, and just enough fear regarding the Chancellor that it would force Amelia to do things she might not want to do, if for no other reason than to keep peace.
Talia couldn't be happier with the direction in which their plan was moving. To keep everyone informed, Talia decided to hold a meeting with her group. It was broad daylight, so there was only one option—her special place in the basement of the Academy.
Talia looked from face to face; the group of supporters was sitting there, all eyes on her. They were enamored with her, just as she'd hoped they would be. They had done everything she'd asked of them, and had never doubted her.
Still, it didn't hurt to use Scarlett's influence to cement their loyalty.
"We have to stop her!" Victoria shouted. "We cannot allow her to undo all we've worked for. If she succeeds, it's hard to say w
hat will happen."
Talia nodded. "Trust me, I know. This is what I've been trying to prevent. We've worked much too hard to push Amelia to the edge and let the city see her weaknesses. If Arryn manages to prove it was me and take me out of the equation, you all will fall shortly afterward, and then where will the city be?"
Shocked and disgruntled whispers broke out among them. It was obvious to Talia that everyone was just as worried as she was, but for far different reasons.
They were afraid of losing their savior, and Talia was afraid of missing out on her revenge. Something needed to be done fast while the city was up in arms, and Arryn was falling from her pedestal.
Bernice—another teacher—stood, taking a confident step forward to command the floor. Talia didn't intervene when the woman began to speak.
"Talia's right. Something needs to happen, and I think I know what." She paused for a moment as everyone quieted down. "We need to make Talia the hero, and ensure that Arryn is the one who looks like a traitor. If we can accomplish that, it'll seal Arryn's fate."
"What exactly did you have in mind?" Talia asked.
Bernice turned to Talia. "It will be both easy and difficult to plan, but if we can pull it off, it will mark you as the hero of the city and prove Arryn as a cold-blooded killer without a shadow of doubt."
Talia smiled, loving the idea already, though she hadn't even heard any of the details yet. But until it was finalized, Talia had her own plan to put into action. No matter what, at this point in the game, there couldn’t be any downtime. Amelia had to fall, but Arryn had to fall first.
The governor of Cella had just settled down for lunch when the warning bells rang to signal an attack on the city. He rushed from his office, heading toward the barracks in hopes of finding someone who might know what was happening.
When he stepped outside, he was met with chaos—the entire city was in disarray. Everyone was running around screaming, then rushing into their homes and bolting the doors.
The guard ran out of the watchtower, meeting him just outside the door. "Governor, remnant have been spotted in the southeast. I don't have an exact count, but it’s a horde. It's the biggest group I've ever heard of attacking all at once."
The governor was caught between the urge to flee for his own life and the need to get everything in order for his people. He knew that without him the guards would fail, and his city would fall. His citizens would be hunted and lost. Men, women, and children would be torn apart and killed, and some might even be eaten alive.
Taking a deep breath, the governor reassured himself that he could be everything the city needed; that was the entire reason he was in place. He wouldn't allow the city to fall, not on his watch.
"I'm going to need a magitech rifle. Find the guards. Gather the citizens trained in magic and get them on top of the walls. The rest I want inside the gates. We will take as many down as we can from up high, and we will do our best to keep the rest out with our gates. But if anything comes through, unleash hell."
The man nodded before running off toward the gates. The governor wasted no time taking action.
He ran as fast as he could to the first house he could see, beating on the door as soon as he reached it. When it opened, he was relieved.
"Governor?" the man asked. "What is this? What's happening?"
The governor shook his head, waving his hands in front of him. "There's no time. Are you magically trained?"
The man nodded. "My wife and I both attended the Arcadian Academy."
"Then we need you. The remnant are attacking, and we need all the magic users we can get. If you have children, send them to the city building. They'll be safe in there. It's the deepest part of the city, and we're not going to let anything get that far, right?" the governor asked, not really giving the man an option to say no.
"You're damn right," a female voice interjected from behind the man. A woman roughly the same age as the man stepped out; the governor assumed it was the man's wife. "You’ll need more than just us. You wrangle your guard, and we’ll get all the magicians assembled."
The governor smiled, realizing then that there were good, strong people in his city. People he was more grateful for at that moment than at any other time. He'd only just begun defending, and he couldn't help but wonder how the Arcadian people had felt when fighting their war against Adrien. It wasn't the remnant, but they’d sure as hell had something to fight against.
When the governor went down the street to a large group of guards, he found his son standing there. "Nathaniel, what are you doing here?"
Nathaniel turned, his bright blue eyes seeming fiercer than usual. "I'm helping. I knew you'd disagree, but I've been learning how to fight. I don't know magic, so this the best I can offer."
The governor wanted to argue, but the look on his son’s face told him his words would be lost; his son would find a way to fight no matter what. Instead of arguing, the governor pulled his son into a hug, patting him hard on the back before releasing him.
"I'm proud of you. Don't end up dead, otherwise, that deal I brokered to get you into the Arcadian Academy will have been wasted," the Governor told him, allowing his smile to grow for a moment.
His son reached behind him and pulled out a magitech rifle that had been leaning against the wall, which he handed to his father. "You're going to need this. The gates are closed, but they're coming. They'll be here soon. I'm going up to the wall. Turns out I'm one of the best shots in the city, but you'll just have to see that for yourself."
The governor forced a smile. "I have no doubt about it, son. Please, just make sure you come back to me. We need to save our city, but I don’t want to lose you in the process."
The sounds of magitech rifles being fired and remnant growling and screaming from the other side of the wall echoed down the main street, reaching them even a quarter mile away.
Nathaniel looked toward the wall before turning back to his father. "It's begun. I have to go now. Get as many magic users as you can to the wall, and have them form as many fireballs as possible. We need to kill all we can before they burst through the gate."
The governor nodded as his son ran toward the wall. He looked down at his magitech rifle momentarily before scanning the frightened city around him. His son was a brave man; he'd somehow raised him that way. Taking another deep breath, he convinced himself that he could be just as heroic as he ran back to the houses to enlist magic users to help save the city.
Amelia sat in her office, hands shaking as she held the letter from governor of Cella in her hand. The city had been completely overrun by a horde of remnant. The body count was uncertain as he’d written the letter, but it had been enough to tear the city apart.
He warned her to take precautions in case the worst should happen. His army had been small in comparison to Arcadia’s, but his had been well trained. They’d managed to kill them and keep their city standing, but only barely.
Tears ran down her face as she read the governor's account of what had happened.
There had been much blood and carnage, but the city had prevailed in the end. They had managed to kill most of the remnant, while the last of them fled for their lives.
It was everything Arryn and Samuel had worried about. Everything they'd all worried about.
Amelia had lost her own family to the remnant, so she knew just how dangerous and terrifying they could be. Just reading the letter brought back those memories.
She could hear their screams and cries, and she could remember how terrified she was while she hid, praying they wouldn't find her. Putting the letter face-down on her desk, Amelia wiped her tears away and pushed herself back in her chair, looking anywhere but at the parchment.
So much death. So much loss, and she needed to stop it. At this point, she was ready to give up looking like a hero—as long as her people were safe.
Sure, they wouldn't understand it when she began arresting seemingly innocent people, but they would come to understand she done it for a re
ason. All she had to do was gather proof, but she was beginning to feel like she had no other choice but to arrest now and ask questions later.
Students were dying, and the remnant were attacking. Something about the way it was all happening and the timeframe made Amelia suspicious. It all seemed a bit too coordinated and convenient for her liking.
Sitting in her chair, thinking about the young people whose parents she had to give terrible news to and answering their questions when she had no answers made her feel numb. She felt as though her mind could no longer carry the burden of walking the fine line.
She thought of Hannah then, wondering what the girl might do. Hannah was an act-first-and-ask-questions-later kind of girl, though she had certainly learned a lot of patience from hanging around with the Founder.
If Hannah had been Chancellor, Amelia couldn't help but think that she would've kicked Talia's ass by now. Who cared if she had proof? Like Arryn, Hannah would have ignored what was right and wrong; she would've stopped at nothing to save the lives of everyone in the city.
And that's what Amelia planned to do.
Amelia needed to talk to Arryn right away. She would need to get Talia into her office so she could be arrested quietly and taken to jail without the city knowing.
She’d taken enough vacations that it would be easy enough to say she'd left for a few days, and then Amelia could use that time to gather the proof she needed.
She was worried about what she would do if Talia turned out to be innocent, but deep down, she knew something was very wrong, especially now that the city was becoming more and more convinced of Arryn's guilt. There was only one way that could've taken root as hard and as fast as it did—mental magic.
Amelia stood, ready to tell Marie that she needed to see Arryn immediately, but she heard shouting outside as Talia burst through the door.
"The Chancellor is busy, and you need to allow me to introduce you properly," Marie scolded. Amelia was quite impressed with her secretary’s fierce expression and forceful voice—the woman meant business. "I sit at this desk for a reason, you know. Amelia, do you want me to get rid of her?"
