by Candy Crum
Arryn nodded, taking a deep breath as she stood facing the open cell door.
I'm coming for you, Talia, Arryn thought.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Arryn hid out for two days, avoiding her home at all costs. To keep Cathillian from worrying, she'd used chipmunks and other creatures to send messages to him, but in true Arryn fashion, she’d been doing it in the most annoying way possible.
A raven brought Cathillian the first letter, and it was kind enough to shit on his head as it flew over and dropped the note from its talons. When he opened it to read after cleaning himself up, Arryn told him that she hoped he had enjoyed her gift since that was the only way she could personalize it for him.
The next day he woke when several mice who scurried under his bedsheets and tugged his thin blonde leg hair hard enough to be painful. One of them had a note strapped to its back, and it started with “Hahaha,” so once again he knew she was fine.
Today he was greeted by a chipmunk with its cheeks full of peanuts. It made its way into the house, scurried up his leg, and used its tiny hands to push the contents of its cheeks into his lap. When he pulled the small note from the creature's back, he was once again greeted with Arryn's not-so-subtle sense of humor.
"Dearest Cathillian,
I know you must be losing your mind. You must be scared. I'm the braver of the two of us, and I am stuck in hiding. But I sent Chippy here to keep you safe. As you can see, his nuts are also bigger than yours."
Samuel seemed to like that one the best. "They're gettin' better," he told the druid. "I'm kinda hopin' she don't come back for a while. I get excited every time I see a new varmint come in."
Later that night, Cathillian, Samuel, and Celine were alerted by the sound of the back door opening. As they piled into the kitchen, they saw Arryn holding her little chipmunk friend.
"He felt bad." Arryn held her hands out, the chipmunk resting comfortably in them. "He said you got a little jealous when the two of you started discussing endowments. I told him it was okay, that you were used to it."
Cathillian laughed and crossed the room to pull her into a hug. "I knew you had a natural connection to animals that was better than the rest of ours, but I didn't realize that it was quite that thorough. It certainly made for an interesting few days."
"I had kind of missed hanging out with the forest creatures. We’ve just been having a jolly old time fixing each other's hair and talking about boys—it's been great. So, what have you asshats been up to?"
Cathillian smiled. "Is that a joke? We've been waiting for you. Amelia said you'd probably break out, but we had no idea when. Given that you've been sending me notes since the night you were arrested, I'm gonna go out on a limb and say you broke out then."
"You got that right," Arryn declared. "Well, it’s more that I walked out than broke out. Shockingly, Elon helped me. I just came by to show you guys I'm alive and okay, but tonight's the night."
Cathillian and Celine looked at each other for a moment before both focused on her. "What do you mean, ‘tonight's the night’?" Celine asked.
Arryn walked over to the sink and set her furry friend on the counter while she got a glass of water, chugging it before refilling it. "I've been stalking the Academy for a couple days. The Guard is surrounding it, and I'm pretty sure there are teachers inside, but I didn't sense Talia's energy so I'm gonna break into her office."
Cathillian's eyes widened. "Hell, no! You've been gone for three days because you were arrested, and there is no way we are just gonna stay here while you break into the Academy. At the very least, you’re not going alone."
Arryn checked on Chippy before stepping forward and poking a finger into Cathillian's chest. "Here's the thing, big boy. I don't need your permission. I appreciate everything you do and have done for me, and I appreciate your counsel. I know you care, but I don't have a choice. Scarlett can't keep this compulsion up forever, and we need to be there with proof when she fails.
“I don't know how strong Talia is, but she has a group of people willing to fight and die at her side. We don't know how many there are or how dangerous they are. We’ve turned people against her, so she no longer has an army. She's weaker. So, sorry, but I'm not asking permission. This is going to happen my way."
Cathillian's brows rose as he looked at her with concern. He could tell by the expression on her face and the strength in her voice that she really wouldn't allow anyone to stop her.
Sighing, Cathillian said, "Then we'll help you. What do you need from us?"
***
Arryn stood at the corner of the building, doing her best to stay out of the guards’ sight while remaining close enough to watch them. When Cathillian offered to help, she had the perfect job for him.
She sent him a couple blocks down to approach from the south, putting him in a great position to cause some noise. It was Samuel she heard first, screaming at Cathillian before stumbling onto the street in the bright moonlight.
"Yer mum must be some piece of work ta have created a piece of ssshit like ye!" Samuel slurred.
Arryn rolled her eyes, realizing their master plan was to pretend to be drunker than hell and in a fight.
"I'd say that your mother was a hideous bitch, but I know for a fact she isn't since I was with her all last night," Cathillian snapped back.
Arryn saw the guards by the Academy laughing as they took in the two drunkards arguing in the street.
"Bastard!" Samuel yelled. "Take it back, ya pointy-eared pansy!"
Cathillian laughed before leaning over and putting his face directly into Samuel's. "I don't have to. Your mom was busy taking it back all night long."
Samuel roared with anger. "That doesn't even make sense!"
"It doesn't have to! I fucked your mom!" Cathillian shouted back.
Arryn had to bite her lip. Those two dumbasses were too much to handle, and the guards were watching with excitement, not moving to do anything about the argument. They seemed completely harmless, minus their terrible insults.
If they didn't pick it up, they would have to work extra hard to keep attention off her.
Arryn heard a loud pop and turned back to see that Samuel had punched Cathillian right in the face. There you go! Arryn thought.
Now that things had gotten physical the guards jumped into action, running down the street toward her loud friends. Arryn quickly made her way across the cobblestone road to the side of the Academy, careful to make sure her footsteps didn't fall too loudly.
Within moments Arryn was out of anyone's line of sight, careful not to alert any of the other guards surrounding the building.
She found herself wishing she'd learned how to teleport, knowing how helpful it would have been at that moment. It would be loud, but she would be inside and no one would have seen her enter the building.
Unfortunately, only the best magicians were capable of such a feat, and Arryn was still only mediocre at best. Her skills played more to her physical capabilities than her magical ones.
Taking that into consideration, Arryn carefully began scaling the stone wall, grateful she’d chosen to go barefoot—just like back in the forest.
As she climbed, she did her best to keep an eye out for any onlookers. Shadows fell on this part of the building in such a way that her body, which was clad in black leather, remained easily hidden.
Within moments she reached her classroom’s window, having used her strength, agility, and minimal nature magic to break off tiny pieces of stone so her hands and feet could fit in the resulting gaps.
The last time she'd been in class she'd made it a point to unlock her window. It was something no one else would have noticed, but it would allow her to get back in if she needed to. She had no idea things would happen as they had, so she was doubly grateful for her foresight.
She pushed the glass up and it opened just as she'd expected. Quietly sliding through and dropping her bare feet on the cold floor, she turned to close the window and the curtains.
/> Arryn made her way down the hall, moving on the balls of her feet so her steps were very quiet. She passed Talia's office, which was up the stairs and toward the end of the hall on the right.
She was surprised that she hadn't run into anyone, but she couldn't rest just yet—she needed to stay on high alert.
Arryn ascended to the next floor, entering the tower where Adrien's office had been. Following Elon's directions, she found the secret door. The pupils of her eyes turned green as the corneas clouded with darkness. She focused her mind as she pulled water from the damp night air and placed her hand against the magitech lock.
She pushed the water inside and froze it, droplets expanding beyond what the lock could accommodate and drastic temperatures shorting the magitech core. The entire lock broke apart as she turned her hand, pulled it free, and quietly dropped it to the floor.
Arryn quickly looked over her shoulder, checking the area make sure she was still alone. Satisfied, she opened the door and made her way down a set of stairs, magitech lighting switching on as she passed each sconce.
Arryn soon came to a massive room capable of holding dozens of people. It was dimly lit, and its rich dark colors made the room feel creepy and cold.
Her eyes wandered around the room, taking in everything. If nothing else, Amelia would be able to examine her thoughts to find out what she had seen.
Chains hung from the ceiling, and there was blood crusted inside the cuffs that dangled from the bottom. Though its lively energy was long gone, Arryn was able to tell the blood had belonged to Amos, the first victim she'd had contact with.
On further search, she found a large stain on the floor not far from the cuffs. A thick, loadbearing pole stood almost in the middle of the room, and at the bottom on the hardwood floor was a massive black spot. Leaning down, she brushed it with her fingertips and knew that it, too, had belonged to Amos.
Anger clenched her throat as she stood and examined the room further. Across the room on a table against the wall, she found several jars. When she reached the table, she opened one of them, nose almost immediately assaulted by the scent of blood.
This is a room of death, she thought. She couldn't help but wonder how many people had died down here. She could only sense Amos' blood, but she knew what was in the jars was someone else's. She imagined several people had fallen victim to Talia in that room.
Arryn took one of the smaller jars and made her way back upstairs, satisfied that she wouldn't find anything personal of Talia's down there.
When she reached the door to Adrien's office, she carefully peeked to make sure no one was around. She'd been lucky so far, and she hoped her luck would continue.
Assuming she knew Talia, anything personal she had would be kept in Adrien's office. Not only because he was her father, but also because she would believe that no one would want to go into his office.
Even after his death, his office carried a certain level of respect and fear. Not even Amelia herself had wanted that office, and had avoided it at all costs. No other teacher, and especially no student, would dare nose around in there.
Her office, however, the office of a sweet, kind Dean, would not be off-limits and thus would be at risk from nosy people, including young Jackson.
No, if Arryn knew anything at all about her enemy, it was that she would hide her most important belongings in Adrien's office where no one would enter.
She searched the desk, knowing it more than likely held the very item she was looking for. The bottom right drawer was sealed with another magitech lock, but like the one on the entrance to the basement, it was no match for Arryn’s skills.
Within moments, she pulled the drawer open and stared into the space, empty save for a single box. She pulled it free and saw the same designs she'd seen on a blueprint in the box of Adrien’s things Amelia had given her. It was identical.
Unfortunately, Arryn didn't have the key, but she knew that if she took it to Elon he would be able to open it without one, or he would just make another one.
Arryn smiled as she clutched the box to her chest before closing the drawer and standing, crossing the room. She had what she came for and was confident that all the evidence she needed would be hidden inside.
Arryn had almost reached the door when she heard the handle move.
Shit! she thought, realizing at that moment that she hadn't kept her guard up. The one lesson Elysia and Cathillian had always reinforced for her, and she had failed! In her excitement, she had forgotten to sense for anyone who might be approaching or was already inside.
She realized that she was at the highest point of the building when she looked out the window. If her magic failed when she fell out the window this time, she more than likely wouldn't survive the fall.
Planning wouldn't matter anyway, because she'd run out of time. The door was opening right at that moment, so Arryn decided to fight instead of hide.
Once the door was wide, another student, Leon, stepped inside, and he smiled as he locked eyes with Arryn.
"Wow, I'm surprised it took you this long. We've been waiting for you to show up, though we figured it would've been a lot sooner than now," Leon told her.
Arryn smiled sarcastically. "Well, I'm all for surprises. I feel like it really makes a person feel special to get the unexpected. For instance, I'm going to kill you, so if you happened to survive, it would be totally unexpected and seem like a real treat, now wouldn't it?"
He shook his head, his smile never fading as he took another step and shut the door behind him. "Are you always so incessantly sarcastic?"
Arryn shrugged. "I really feel like a good sense of humor is the key to any situation, even bad ones. Take yours, for instance."
"My situation? I think you should probably be worrying more about yours. We have more power than ever thanks to Talia and Scarlett. With their help, we've been able to use the blood of others to grow and complete ourselves. We're unstoppable, and once you're gone, we're going to restore the city to the way it was, the way it should be."
Arryn looked at him incredulously. "See what I'm talking about, Leon? You clearly have a wild sense of humor if you believe any of that crap you just spouted. And you have no more power now than you did the day you met Talia. I don't know if you've been bathing in the blood or drinking it or what the hell you been doing, but I promise you it doesn't work that way."
He laughed. "Well, I think you'll come to understand once I show you just how strong I am. You're not walking out of here alive."
"Funny, because I sure as hell didn't plan to walk out of here dead. Obviously, because I mean, how would that even be possible? Am I right? Who even came up with that saying? He was an idiot, and you're another one for using it. I'm bored—you're boring. Did I mention that I have attention issues?"
While stalling, Arryn sensed that he was the only one present just then. No one was in the halls, and no one was below them outside, though she couldn't tell if anyone was on the lower floors.
If she wanted to get out, the best way to do it would be to go out the window.
Leon looked at her in confusion. He'd obviously expected her to quiver in fear at his presence, but she hadn't given him what he’d sought. "Okay, I'm done stalling now. You don't have any friends around, so let's get this over with. I have shit I need to do, like take down that bitch friend of yours."
"Stalling?" He seemed angry, his entire body going rigid as his fists clenched. When he realized he'd been had and she hadn't even touched him, his face grew angrier.
He threw his arms straight out, creating a blast of telekinetic energy that sent Arryn backward toward the wall. She managed to tumble in mid-air so her feet hit first, forcing her into a crouch on the wall before she pushed off, somersaulted across the floor, and rolled to her feet.
She smiled. "My turn!"
Echoing his own move, she threw her arms straight out, creating her own blast of energy to send him backward into the door. Leon wasn't nearly as agile as she was, slamming hard
against the wood and grunting.
Releasing her energy, her eyes turned black as she arced her hands over her chest and created two fireballs. Just as she was about to throw them, she saw his hand move, but didn't see the object until it was too late.
The jar of blood she'd brought from the basement smashed into her face, breaking on contact, and shards of glass sliced her face and embedded themselves into her eyes. Completely unable to see, she couldn’t brace for his attack.
His fists slammed into the side of her head, easily taking her to the ground because of the amount of pain she was already in. Wrapping her hair in his fingers, he slammed his knee into her face several times before dropping her head to the floor.
"You know, I helped with the setup. It wasn't difficult. We already had the murders in place, and Talia had been to the Madlands. The remnant are under our control, the Chancellor is under our control, the entire fucking city is under our control, and you want to say that Talia hasn't given us more power? That we aren't more powerful?" He laughed as he stepped in front of her. "You're about to understand just how wrong you are, and I can't wait to see what I get for delivering your fucking head to Talia."
Arryn was completely blind, since the little bastard had fought dirty. Not just dirty, but dirty dirty. She was covered in her own blood as well as someone else’s, someone innocent whom she should've been able to protect.
The very thought of that pissed her off more than she could have imagined. Arryn used her power to sense around her, pinpointing her position in relation to the rest of the room. By her calculations, the window was somewhere behind her target.
His hand once again wrapped around her hair as he snapped her head back, the angle causing incredible pain in her neck and head. But instead of giving him the satisfaction of knowing he was causing her any discomfort at all, she smiled.
"You know, I think there might be something to this blood thing. I suddenly feel very powerful," she told him, hoping to invoke even the slightest bit of fear in him.
At that moment, she called on all her rage to save her as she thrust her hands into his chest, her magic blasting in all directions. Arryn was thrown backwards, her body smashing into the desk before flying backwards over it and into the wall.
