by Candy Crum
Amos sat in silence, staring at the exaggerated curiousness in her expression. He had no answer. At that moment, he’d never felt quite so forsaken by the light—whatever that might have been. Still, he refused to allow himself to be lowered to her level.
“My good fortune is in my death,” he said finally.
Her brows furrowed as she snickered. “What—the fuck—is that supposed to mean?”
It was his turn to smile then. “You caught me at a disadvantage and captured me. You spent days weakening me to the point that I have no hope of fighting you. I’m not strong enough to take you down—not while alive.”
She laughed, placing a hand on his chest. “You sure as shit won’t be doing anything while dead, kid. Hate to break it to ya.”
“My death won’t be enough for you. You’re gonna need a constant distraction to do what you wanna do. You will kill again. Eventually, someone will prove themselves to be a real problem for you. Someone stronger than you. And it’ll all start with me. They’ll connect the pieces, and when they do, all fingers will point to you. Believe me—when that moment comes, it’ll be this very conversation that you remember when you’re facing down your own fate.”
Something flashed across her face, her eyes momentarily widening, but as quick as it was there, it vanished.
“I can promise you that no one, especially me, will remember you in a week. They’ll be far too excited about the growth of the city. I hope you enjoy death. Wherever you go, I hope you meet my father there. I’m sure he’d love to continue what I’ve started there in the afterlife. An eternity of misery so you’ll never forget either of us. Father or daughter.”
Talia sat up then, her hand a blur as it whooshed across him. It took a moment before he felt the sharp sting in his throat, very quickly followed by the blood flowing in every direction to fill his mouth, his lungs, and puddle onto the floor.
His vision began to blur as he twisted and turned, desperate to close the gaping wound she’d created with the knife in her hand.
With his last few moments of consciousness, he watched as she pulled the bloodied knife to her lips and lick the blood away. She smiled. “Hmm… just like before. Tastes like failure. Farewell, pet,” she said just before his eyes closed for the final time.
***
Arryn hadn't been sure what to expect when the Chancellor had walked in, but she was pleasantly surprised. The guards had been very kind, much to her surprise as well. They weren’t anything like what they used to be.
She wondered how many of those men had come from the Boulevard. No noble would be able to fill that position. Their bodies were weak from being spoiled, and their attitudes would have reflected it. No, those men were used to being bullied and worked.
It made them humble.
The new Chancellor had been much the same. Someone with a kind heart, but with a strong spine as well.
Once they realized they were safe in the city, Arryn and Cathillian quickly wrote a letter to Elysia and attached it to Chaos to let her know they'd arrived safely, though there had been some complications in the forest.
They didn't want to tell her, but knew if they didn't and she found the lycanthrope bodies, they'd be screwed. Cathillian wrote he'd send Echo back with a letter once a week to update her. They hoped that would be sufficient to keep her away.
As they walked across the city, Arryn took in the different streets. The Boulevard, as Cathillian had mentioned, was completely destroyed. There were mounds and mounds of debris piled up just outside of the Boulevard.
She could see men carrying things out as they walked past. She shook her head, wondering how they must feel.
Were they bitter? Did they hate their lives right then?
Or were they excited for the future as Amelia had seemed to be? It was hard to say. Their expressions were unreadable from that distance.
The noble quarter, as expected, was largely untouched. The Academy still stood in all its glory, and most of the buildings on this side seemed to be unfazed. There was some damage to a few of them, but it looked to be more by hand than by machine like the Boulevard.
When Amelia stopped in front of a massive house—which had belonged at one point to a noble named Lord Girard—Arryn couldn't believe her eyes. It was huge. Way bigger even than the house she’d lived in when she was a child.
She desperately wanted to go see that one, but she worried what she’d find. Would it be vacant, or would there be some noble asshole living there? Would there be a happy family there?
It was something she didn't want to think about right then. All she wanted was to get comfortable. She would go exploring tomorrow.
“So, what do you think?” Amelia asked. “Nice huh?”
Cathillian stared at the house with wide eyes and an open mouth. Arryn almost laughed at him, but she found his astonishment rather amusing.
She reached up and closed his jaw. “Never seen anything like this before, have you?” she asked.
Cathillian shook his head. “No. Never. I can't wait to see the inside. I don't even have a clue of what to expect.”
Arryn smiled at Cathillian. His happiness pulled her away from the worry about her new journey inside the city walls, replacing it with something more fun. She had no idea what the house looked like inside, but she wanted nothing more than to show him around.
Being a noble house, she knew it would have a shower. One thing she sorely missed. She couldn't help but laugh while thinking about what he would say about that.
“Do you remember me making the joke that I was the only one of the two of us that had a shower?”
His eyes suddenly light lit up. “Holy shit. Do you think that they have one here?”
Arryn did laugh that time. “Yeah, I'm pretty sure they have a shower in there.”
Amelia walked them across the threshold, and Cathillian nearly tripped over his feet when he saw the inside.
All the ornate, beautifully crafted materials on furniture and curtains. The carved and stained wood of the extravagant furniture. Craftsmanship on the wood surrounding the doors. And the natural light from windows that shone in. Along the walls, he saw the magitech sconces that delivered light to the room.
Arryn could see the wonder all over his face as he looked from one thing to the next.
“This is amazing,” Cathillian said, his voice barely a whisper.
“Be careful, druid,” Arryn said. “I'm beginning to think you're about to trade in the Dark Forest for some old, dead noble’s house.”
Cathillian looked at her incredulously. “I wouldn't go and say that, but I could sure as hell use a vacation. Adventure, right?”
“This is the first time you've ever been out of the Dark Forest?” Amelia asked.
Cathillian nodded. “Yep.” He looked around more, slipping further into the living room. “I've never seen anything like this.”
Arryn stepped forward. “Well, if you're this excited about the marvel of modern furniture, just wait till ya see how we cook food. I'll give you a hint, it's indoors.”
“No way!” he said. “They cook inside? How does the house not burn down?”
Amelia laughed. “I needed this. I'm so glad the two of you came to Arcadia. I'm gonna make sure that you two are very welcome. Now, let me show you around. This place has more than enough room for the two of you, and if you have visitors at any point in time, there's more than enough for them, too.”
They walked through the house, moving from room to room. Amelia and Arryn took turns explaining things to Cathillian as they went.
He was like a child, seeing everything for the first time. Amelia was kind and patient, while Arryn took a more humorous approach. Making fun of him as often as she could.
As expected, Cathillian was overwhelmed with the whole idea of the shower. He couldn't wait to try it out. Arryn wasn't sure if she was more excited by being back in the city, or watching Cathillian do the walk-through in the house. It certainly had its moments.
“
So, this position at the Academy,” Arryn said. “What would be required? My parents taught me some magic, of course. My father used to talk about how the mechanics of magic worked and how the engineers study it, but he never taught me specifics. If you're not looking for any help with that, then I'm sure I'll be OK.”
Amelia smiled. “It won't be anything strenuous on your part. Just the fundamentals. People like you and my friend Hannah, the girl that led the revolution—you don't use mechanics. You guys use passion. Emotion. Before, that school was full of spineless, coldhearted, spoiled brats. We had no other choice but to teach mechanics. But I can tell you now it doesn't make for good magic.”
“And you think things have changed?” Arryn asked. “Do you think they’re capable of learning in any other way? My knowledge is one hundred percent attributed to the wonderful men and women I grew up with. So, I can't be a judge on how people learn. But if you want me to teach what I know, then they’d have to be receptive to it.”
Amelia gave a sad smile. “Unfortunately, I think in the past, it would've been impossible. But the students that we have now, they’ve lost so much, and they’ve felt so much pain, I think they now know passion and emotion. I think with a teacher like you, they’ll be surprised at what they can learn.”
Arryn thought that over for a moment, taking in the complete and total change in her life in such a short time.
She’d gone from waking up every morning in the forest and knowing she’d be going to sleep there as well, to now standing back in her home city and being interviewed for a position at the Academy where her parents once wanted her to attend.
“It does seem rather strange that I should be a teacher when I'm not even sure that I’d be a good student. If what you say is true, and the school teaches the mechanics of everything, I'm not sure I’ll learn the way that I have in past.”
Amelia smiled. “Then you’ll be happy to know that you’re in good hands. Take those classes, learn fundamentals, learn about the other students. Take your time to get to know the staff, your peers, and the basics, and I’ll be your tutor. This is a wonderful opportunity for you, Arryn. Not only for you, but for the city as well. What do you say?”
“I think you should,” Cathillian said. “Your goal wasn't to come here and sit on your ass doing nothing. You came here because you wanted to make a difference. This is how you do it. You wanted to learn at the Academy. You wanted to affect change. This is the perfect move for you. I think you should do it.”
Arryn sighed for a moment before nodding. “Alright then, I'll do it.”
CHAPTER TWENTY
As soon as Amelia was out the door, Cathillian began running around the house like a toddler.
“What's this thing?” he asked, pointing to a magitech light on the wall.
Arryn laughed. “That's a magitech light,” she said. “There's a small stone in there with power channeled into it. They’re motion sensitive. When you walk out of the room or sit down for a while, they go off.”
“Wow,” he said. He darted across the room. “What's this thing called again?”
“That’s a wood stove. It's used for heat. You put wood into it and light it on fire, and it pumps heat throughout the house.”
“No shit? That's awesome.” He ran into the kitchen then. “Ooh! Show me this thing!”
Arryn followed the sound of his excited voice into the kitchen and over by the sink. Without saying a word, she walked over and lifted a lever. Water immediately began to pour from the faucet. They'd told him during the tour what it did, but she had yet to demonstrate.
His eyes widened. “That’s magic.”
Arryn held up a single finger, motioning for him to wait just a moment. She moved the lever on the sink, triggering the magitech heating, and within a few moments, steam began to pour out. Once again, his excitement took over as he put his hands under the hot water.
“OK,” he said. “I lied. That is magic.”
She smiled. “Actually, yes, it is. You still have yet to see how the shower works.”
“Yeah! I saw that in the tour,” he said.
She laughed. “Yes, you saw it, but you didn't get in it. Come with me, you overgrown child. I’ll help you get it started. I'd hate for you to burn your dick off.”
He gave her a wicked smile and winked. “I bet you would.”
She rolled her eyes and punched him in the arm. “You’re gross. You could almost be cute if you didn't think so highly of yourself.”
“So, what you're saying is you think I’m sexy.”
She wanted to smack the smirk off his face. “Matriarch have mercy on you when I sacrifice you. I'd have to sacrifice you because there's no way in hell she could deal with you otherwise. Now, shut up and come with me.”
She led him upstairs to the bathroom and showed him how to work the magitech shower. She helped him adjust the temperature to his liking, and then left him alone to get undressed and relax. It’d been years since she'd had a shower—a proper shower anyway.
Waterfalls and rivers was the best she'd had. He was lucky that she thought so highly of him. Otherwise, she would've gotten in first.
She made her way downstairs and to the front door before stepping outside to stand on the front porch. She looked out at the streets, taking in the scenery.
It had been a very long time since she'd seen anything like it, and she wasn't sure if she ever would again if she went back to the forest.
As she looked around, pulling her cloak tighter around her because of the chill in the air, she became overwhelmed with emotion. For the first time in a long time, she let the tears silently fall without trying to control them.
She smiled as she looked out over the city, her city. Thinking about how proud her parents would be to see it liberated. To see the nobles and the Boulevard families moving together and working together.
It would be getting dark soon, so it was too late to go exploring. She told Amelia that she wanted a couple days to settle in before she started at the Academy. Amelia told her to take her time.
Most classes were out this week because of the cleanup with the factory, so the timing was perfect. Perhaps she’d make a pit stop there, maybe even taking Cathillian with her to see if they could help.
As Arryn stood there, looking out into the city, several guards ran through. Arryn knew the guards didn’t run anywhere without an emergency. She momentarily looked back through the front door, wondering if Cathillian would be OK on his own.
He’s a big boy, she thought. It's not like he actually is a child, he just acts like one.
Finally, she decided to follow the guards and see what was happening. She took off down the street as fast as she could. It didn't take long for her to catch up, though she tried to keep enough distance between her and them so they didn't yell at her for pursuing.
She wound through the streets and followed the guards into what used to be the Boulevard, letting them run through and keeping distance. As she got closer, she heard voices.
“He ain’t been dead long,” a male voice said.
That certainly caught her attention. She could hear several voices, but couldn’t see who they belonged to. The felled buildings were at all different levels of destruction, some standing taller than others and hiding the men that were talking.
“Arryn?” a familiar voice said from behind her. “What are you doing here?”
Arryn turned to see Amelia running up. “Hi! I-I’m sorry. I saw a bunch of guards running this way and followed. What’s happening?”
Amelia’s brows furrowed. “I was told that a body was found down here. I’m here to identify it.”
“I’m sorry,” Arryn said. “I thought I heard one of them say something about someone being dead.”
“Chancellor!” a tall man with dark hair called out.
“On my way, Andrew. Just a moment!” Amelia called back. “Why don’t you head home? There’s nothing you can do here. Unfortunately, whoever it is has already died.”
&
nbsp; Arryn thought for a moment. “I might not be able to bring them back, but I might be able to tell you how long they’ve been dead.”
“Really?” Amelia asked, her expression reflecting shock. “OK, then. Come with me.”
Arryn followed Amelia, swallowing hard as she did. What the hell did she just volunteer to do? Why had she volunteered to do it?
She didn’t really want to see a dead body, but she did want to help. If the Chancellor was being called away, it certainly hadn’t been natural causes that killed them.
They rounded a semi-crumbled corner of a building and found a young man roughly Arryn’s age lying dead in the rubble. His eyes were wide open, his body a sickly pale color.
Even though he was long gone, Arryn could still feel what was left of his energy lingering, though it was nearly gone. Sometimes it took several hours for it to disappear completely.
“Arryn,” Amelia said softly. “Are you alright? You don’t have to do this, you know.”
Arryn cleared her throat, absentmindedly straightening her clothing. “It’s fine. I can do it.”
She stepped forward, the confused men taking a step back as the Chancellor ushered her through. Arryn then knelt by his side.
“His name is Amos,” Amelia said. Arryn looked up to see that her eyes were a bit glassy. It was obvious that she was fighting back tears. “His mother came to me, frightened that something bad had happened to him. Now, I get to relay the news that she was right. What do you see? Anything of use?”
Arryn looked down, placing her hands under some rocks to find the bare earth below. She then placed a hand on Amos’ cold, still chest.
She connected herself to the small amount of lingering energy left in his body and also to the energy in the ground. It only took a moment for her to realize that something wasn’t right.
