Oaken (The Underground Series Book 1)

by Melody Robinette

  “Seems pretty useful to me.”

  For the remainder of the period the two of them mostly worked on their problems. Victor asked her a question every now and then, but otherwise kept silent. When the class bells rang they turned in their papers, and left the Numbers Tree.

  “It was a pleasure meeting you, Autumn,” Victor said with a small smile.

  “Yeah, you too.”

  Autumn stared after Victor’s retreating figure when Crystal came to stand beside her, wearing a sly grin. “I haven’t seen Victor Lavigne talk that much in a long time. You must have had an effect on him.”

  “Whatever.”

  “Magister Monroe seems to like you,” Crystal said, dropping the subject and moving on to an equally unwelcome one.

  “Yeah. I think I’ll be the magister’s pet in that class,” Autumn said. “What was his problem with me anyway?”

  “I hear he’s always like that. He doesn’t like his students to think they’re better than they are, so he tries to knock their spirits down to keep them grounded.”

  “Is he married?”

  “Nope.”

  “Well that’s surprising.”

  Crystal laughed as they turned to see Luke and Avery approaching them.

  “I hope your magister liked you better than mine liked me, Luke,” Autumn called when he was within hearing distance.

  “Oh, he did. He loved me, in fact. I usually don’t really care for History, but Underground History is actually pretty interesting. Did you know that there are all kinds of other creatures down here? Like giants and trolls and witches and leprechauns and mermaids?” Luke’s face became dazed at the mention of mermaids.

  “I didn’t, but I figured as much,” Autumn said.

  “Yeah, and this really hot girl sat next to me.” Luke turned to Avery. “What was her name? Alex…Alice…”

  “Alyson,” Avery corrected. Both of the boys laughed at this and Autumn and Crystal rolled their eyes at them.

  “Autumn had a little flirting action with a guy too,” Crystal added.

  Luke and Avery stopped laughing and turned to face Autumn. Luke’s smile had morphed into a stern frown, and Avery shot her a brief glance of consternation before quickly masking it over with indifference.

  “Thanks for that,” Autumn muttered to Crystal before facing Luke and Avery. “I wasn’t flirting. I was talking. We were just Numbers partners.” Autumn noticed something like relief flash across Avery’s face, which quickly changed back to its indifferent stare. Crystal opened her mouth to speak and Autumn quickly interrupted her, attempting to avoid another confrontation. “What class do you have next, Luke?”

  “Numbers.”

  “Good luck with that,” Autumn said. “Apparently Magister Monroe hates royals.”

  “He hates authority,” Avery corrected.

  “I bet I can handle him,” Luke said with a defiant look.

  Autumn raised an eyebrow at him. “I’d like to see that. Unfortunately, I have an Underground Literature class to get to.”

  “I have that class next too,” Avery said. Autumn parted with Luke and Crystal, following Avery towards the Literature Tree. “So, who was your partner today?” he asked her, clearly trying to sound casual.

  “Victor Lavigne,” she answered, watching his expression. A shadow passed across his face, but he stayed silent. “You know him?” she asked.

  “You could say that.”

  Autumn left the conversation at that. She had the familiar feeling that she was not getting something, but she also had a feeling that Avery wasn’t the person to fill her in.

  When they made it to the Literature classroom, they chose their seats and waited for the magister to arrive. Avery’s mood seemed to have darkened ever since Autumn mentioned Victor’s name, but she pretended not to notice.

  When Magistra Hart entered the room, Autumn could tell immediately that she would like her considerably better than Magister Monroe. Hart had long, gray hair that fell down her back, deep laugh lines on her face, and blue eyes that sparkled when she smiled. When calling roll, she didn’t bring Autumn’s name to everyone’s attention but merely winked at her and continued on.

  “Welcome to 4th quarter Underground Literature, everyone. Or, better known to some as ‘the last time you will be forced to read a book.’ Which is the perfect segue into this semester’s topic: forbidden love.”

  Magistra Monroe passed around the first book they would be reading. It was called Oceans Deep. Autumn scanned the cover. The picture was of a mermaid reaching towards the shore where a man was standing, looking longingly at her.

  A boy a few chairs behind Autumn muttered, “This book looks stupid.”

  “All books are stupid,” another boy chimed in.

  Autumn tried not to roll her eyes at them. Clearly they hadn’t read many books by the sound of their less than extensive vocabulary.

  After class, Autumn left the Literature Tree in search of Crystal and Luke. Avery had been busy talking to the elves that hated reading, so she figured he would catch up with them later.

  “Autumn wait up!” he called from behind her and she slowed her walk until he reached her. “You know, as your bodyguard, I have to keep an eye on you.”

  “You’re Luke’s bodyguard too. Keep an eye on him,” Autumn said. “Besides, you’re only our bodyguard when we aren’t in school or on castle grounds. The campus guards are all I need here.”

  “I guess that’s true…”

  “Do we eat in a cafeteria for lunch or what?” she asked.

  “We usually go downtown to eat. What do you feel like?”

  “Anything but dragon.”

  Avery laughed. “Deal.”

  Crystal insisted they try the food at a small restaurant called Hummingbird Café. Autumn was convinced that there was no bad food in the Underground. Everything she had tasted so far had been nothing short of extraordinary.

  After lunch, they still had an hour until their next class, so Luke suggested they go to Arbor Lake for a bit. Autumn was sure he just wanted to go where the most girls would be.

  Sure enough, Luke said, “See ya,” when they arrived, as he left them in favor of a giggling group of girls who were ogling him.

  “The hovering hammocks are empty for once. Let’s go over there,” Crystal suggested, leading Autumn and Avery over to a peculiar series of hammocks that were suspended in mid-air.

  “Weird,” Autumn said, carefully climbing onto one. It began to sway back and forth in a rhythmic, soothing motion. Avery jumped into the one beside hers and folded his hands behind his head, letting out a sigh of relaxation.

  While Autumn’s body wanted to relax, her mind was still racing. She couldn’t help but ask Crystal and Avery question after question about elves, Arbor Falls, and the rest of the Underground. She figured she was probably annoying them, but they answered everything patiently.

  Time seeped quickly away and soon the three of them were reluctantly rolling off of their hammocks to leave for their next class.

  As Autumn was smoothing out her dress, she heard Crystal and Avery chuckling.

  “What?” Autumn asked, looking up to see Crystal pointing past her and Avery nodding in the same direction. She turned to see her brother’s face interlocked with a blonde elf’s, occasionally coming up for air.

  “He doesn’t seem to have any trouble making new friends, does he?” Crystal laughed.

  “Not here, anyway,” Autumn said.

  “Should we interrupt?” asked Crystal.

  “Nah. He’ll be fine.”

  When Autumn, Crystal, and Avery were about half a mile away from campus they realized they were going to be late if they didn’t pick up the pace. The three of them began jogging towards the school. Avery glanced sideways at Autumn, wearing a challenging smirk, which she returned with a smug smile. Without warning, they simultaneously broke out into a sprint.

  Autumn had always been a runner. It was the only sport she actually excelled in. Soon she pull
ed in front of Avery and managed to stay ahead, though she was unsure whether she was actually beating him or if he was simply letting her win. She looked back, flashing him a wide grin as she disappeared around a sharp corner before slamming into the back of a stationary figure.

  “Ow!” she exclaimed as she was thrown backwards onto the ground.

  A tall black-haired elf turned around angrily at first, but his face brightened when he saw that it was Autumn on the ground looking up at him, her chest heaving.

  It was Victor Lavigne smiling down at her with those piercing green eyes.

  Atticus Attribold

  CHAPTER TEN

  Victor chuckled, offering his hand to help Autumn to her feet. “Sorry about that,” he said, smiling warmly down at her.

  “No, I’m sorry. It was my fault. I was trying to outrun Avery and wasn’t watching where I was going.”

  “It seems you were successful. Where are you heading so quickly?” he asked as he pulled her to her feet.

  “Powers class.”

  “That’s where I’m going. Would you care to walk with me?”

  “Sure, I was just waiting for—”

  Avery appeared around the corner then, slowing to a walk at the sight of Victor. Crystal jogged past Avery, coming to a stop beside Autumn.

  “Victor,” Crystal said. “Nice to see you here.” She winked at Autumn, who sent her an exasperated look. Crystal’s eyes focused on Victor’s hand, which was resting lightly on Autumn’s lower back.

  Avery passed by without sparing any of them a glance and continued on towards the Powers Tree. Autumn, Victor, and Crystal fell into step a few yards behind him. Victor kept his hand on her back the entire way, something Crystal was sure to notice and comment on later. They entered the Powers Tree less than a minute before the bells rang.

  Kyndel and her two “followers”—who Autumn had learned were named Ella and Dayna—were already situated in their seats, and Autumn was met with a trio of smug glares.

  Avery took a seat in a desk beside Forrest at the far right of the classroom, and Victor sat in a chair to the far left. The two of them watched Autumn expectantly, both clearly waiting for her to choose. Victor or Avery.

  Crystal saw Autumn’s dilemma and quickly sat in the middle of the rows of desks. “Sit with me, Autumn,” she said and Autumn smiled at her gratefully, joining her in the middle.

  Luke jogged in just seconds before the campus bells rang, out of breath and red-faced. He took a seat next to Avery, grinning from ear to ear. The magister walked in just as Luke was sitting down. He strolled to the front of his desk and leaned casually back against it. Autumn thought he was a bit young looking for a teacher, maybe in his early thirties. He had a handsome face and scruffy facial hair that made him look like he had a bit of an edge. His light brown hair was shaggy and somewhat unkempt, but in a good way. All in all he wasn’t too bad to look at…for a teacher.

  “Welcome to Powers class, everyone. As you probably all know I am Magister Atticus Attribold. You can all call me Atticus, but if any of the other magisters ask, I’m Magister Attribold. All right, let’s get started. Does anyone know what significant event is coming up in the next few months? No, Mr. Thomson, not your birthday, though I’m sure that’s very special. Yes, Miss Everly?”

  “The Warrior Test,” Crystal called out.

  “Correct. Now, the Warriors are a prestigious group of protectors and the Test is not something to be taken lightly. You need to think long and hard before you decide to try out. Being a Warrior is not as glamorous as it may seem. It is difficult and dangerous. If you try out you are essentially choosing your future careers. There is basically no going back. No exceptions. If you become a Warrior, you will be expected to serve until your rotation retires or if you are injured—”

  “Or if you die,” a boy interrupted, laughing.

  Atticus frowned at the boy. Autumn recognized him as one of the boys in her Literature class that hated reading. “Unfortunately that is the case sometimes and is in no way humorous,” Atticus said, causing the elf that laughed to shut his mouth. “For the next few months you will be practicing your Power techniques, whether you plan on taking the Warrior Test or not. As many of you know, I am the Initiates’ and the Quinns’ trainer. Therefore, I expect the very best out of my students. Understood?” He made eye contact with each student in the class. Autumn had a feeling his eyes lingered on her and Luke a few seconds longer than the rest. “Any questions?” A girl beside Kyndel raised her hand. “Ms. Roberts?”

  “Will you, like, tell us what we’re supposed to do for the Test?” she asked, smacking her gum loudly in between every word.

  “The school will release the rules and expectations for the Test this Friday. So I will be able to tell you then. Any other questions?”

  Another girl raised her hand and said, “Aren’t Warriors really rich?”

  Atticus frowned at this. “They do make a more than a sufficient amount of money, though that is no reason to take the Test.” The girl didn’t seem all that satisfied with this answer, but didn’t speak again. “Alright, if there are no more questions, I’m going to split you into pairs and you will use your Powers to attempt to defeat your partner.”

  Atticus read off a list of names, pairing boys with girls, excluding Autumn and Luke. When the pairs were announced, either squeals of delight or less than thrilled grumbles echoed throughout the classroom.

  “I expect by now you’ve learned to control the strength of your Power so as not to slay your opponent. Points will be taken off for that. Now, kindly make your way upstairs to the dueling room. Autumn and Luke Oaken, come and see me, please.”

  The rest of the class made their way upstairs while Autumn and Luke approached Atticus at the front of the classroom. “I’m happy to have you both in my class. I knew your father well so I’m aware of the level of talent you will be inheriting. Don’t worry about not knowing your Powers yet, they’ll show up within the next few weeks.” Noise erupted from upstairs as the pairs began their battles. Muffled shouts of pain and laughter could be heard through the ceiling. “Let’s continue upstairs. I should be supervising the mayhem.”

  “I have a question,” Luke said as they climbed the spiral staircase. “How come you paired boys with girls?”

  “Ah, because I’ve found that when the boys are paired together the violence can get out of hand and when the girls are paired, there’s more gossiping and giggling than learning. It works out better this way. Plus, when the Warriors are chosen, they’ll be put into co-ed pairs as well.”

  Luke nodded and grinned at a cute girl in the dueling room, who was then hit with a jet of water from across the room.

  “Sorry!” a boy yelled.

  “What are we going to do while we have no Powers and everyone else is dueling?” Autumn asked Atticus a little glumly.

  “I’ll come up with different lessons. Some days you’ll learn how to fight physically. Some days, like today, I’ll have you observe the others when they’re fighting with their Powers.”

  “What’s your Power?” Luke asked him.

  Atticus smiled. “I can read the Powers of other elves. Comes in handy, as I always know what to expect. For instance, I’d be able to tell that Noah, there, has the Power of Water and would be able to plan accordingly.”

  Noah, who was very small for his age, was battling against Cera Tillman (pronounced like Sarah) who was also very small. She had short spiky blonde hair and wore all leather—or what looked like leather. Autumn noticed that Cera’s petite stature didn’t seem to hold her back at all because she was definitely winning the fight. Noah tried to hit Cera with a jet of water, but she easily used Gravity to change its course, usually in the direction of Kyndel or one of her followers.

  Autumn discovered that Kyndel Butler’s Power was Invisibility. Victor’s Light couldn’t help him in finding her, so she kept attacking him from behind. Autumn thought that this was a little tactless, but that did seem to be Kyndel’s style
.

  Then there was Charlotte Locke, a curvy brunette with eyes that matched her hair color. She walked with confidence, as if she was completely sure of herself. Autumn would have immediately admired her if she hadn’t seen Charlotte talking and laughing with Kyndel several times. Charlotte’s Power was Fog. She was paired with Jastin Lambert, a boy with a similar stature to Avery and wavy blond hair that fell to his shoulders. His Power was Pain, emotional Pain.

  “What do you mean Emotional Pain?” Luke asked, clearly dense on the subject of emotions of any kind.

  “His Power can bring up the most painful memories a person might have and replay it over and over as long as he is making eye contact with them,” Atticus clarified.

  Autumn imagined her parents’ death being replayed in her mind and shuddered. She noticed that Jastin didn’t seem to be using his Power on Charlotte, though. She engulfed him in a thick gray Fog, but he only used his physical abilities to attempt an escape.

  “Why isn’t he using his Power on her?” Luke asked.

  “Would you enjoy torturing someone you loved?” Atticus asked.

  “Oh,” Luke said.

  Crystal was paired with Avery. Autumn thought they were a pretty even match. Ice flashed at Avery like frozen lightning and he dodged it with expert precision until he finally leaped over a jet of frost and wrapped Crystal in a hold that was impossible for her to escape.

  As the class was beginning to wrap up, Autumn watched Atticus walk around the dueling room and critique each student individually, explaining what they did right and what they should have done differently. Everyone walked downstairs and took their seats.

  “Very well done, guys. I want a full-page paper explaining what you think the best qualities of your Powers are and how you think you would be an asset to the Warriors. Due Friday. Autumn and Luke, you will only write the latter portion of the essay. Class dismissed.”

  The sound of scraping chairs and rustling bags rose up around them.