by Kirah Nyx
“Yes, dad.”
“When I receive your school report, I expect it to tell me that you’ve spent all your time with either your mentor or study group. You have a lot of catching up to do, so you must work harder than anyone else to harness your magic.”
“Yes, dad.”
“And don’t think I won’t hear about any nonsense you get up to. I am the Governor of that school, young lady, so I will know of every move you make before you even make it—”
“Eddie,” interrupted Eveline affectionately, placing her hand on her husband’s arm. “I think Ivy understands. Don’t you dear?”
“Yes, mum,” yawned Ivy.
She was barely able to pay attention to her parents. She was much too focused on keeping a wary eye on Samael Valac as he and Felix chatted with an ethereal-looking Fae. She had bright purple hair, light orange skin, and blue eyes that glowed spectacularly. Her teeth were pointed and almost yellow, adding a frightening edge to her beauty.
The familiar high-pitched whistle pierced through the winter air, alerting everyone that the glittergate was seconds from opening. Everyone whipped their heads toward the rickety boardwalk and eyed the shimmery portal.
The air above the boardwalk began to glitter, but if one looked close enough, they would see that the illusion was space pulling, twisting and tugging around itself.
A red-headed woman slunk out of the glittergate. Her crimson eyes locked onto the cluster of waiting people. She swiftly raised her hand and snapped her fingers impatiently. All students grabbed their suitcases and duffel bags before saying final goodbyes to their parents.
She clicked her fingers again. “Come, children!” They were apparently taking too long for her liking, but she was a notoriously mean faculty member at the school. The dreaded Houseparent Mabel, head of the Fae student body at the Academy.
Ivy threw herself at both of her parents for one last hug before she pulled the strap of her leather duffel bag over her shoulder.
“Love you,” she mumbled before rushing off toward the boardwalk.
They all had to trudge through the shallow, foamy waters on the shore to reach the boardwalk, and most of them complained under their breaths about their shoes getting wet. Ivy was one of them.
They reached the Houseparent who ushered them through the glittery slab of air. Ivy had somehow ended up last. She waited for the other students to pass through.
Eventually, she was left with Houseparent Mabel on the boardwalk, but the Fae had become irritated and shoved Ivy through the glittergate before following.
There weren’t any words to describe the sensation that washed over her. Ivy felt as though she was pushed through white-hot fire, but doused with a bucket full of icy water at the same time. She felt stretched and shrunk; torn apart and compressed.
But as quickly as those uncomfortable conflicting sensations came over her, she was stepping out the other side into an open field just outside the Blood Forest. She grunted as Houseparent Mabel slammed right into her back. They both stumbled forward. Nobody noticed; everyone was too busy laughing at a young Videer boy who vomited on the grass. Some reacted worse to glittergates than others. Videer had the most trouble with it.
Houseparent Mabel stalked off through the crowd to find the other teachers scattered around the grassy landscape.
About five hundred pupils loitered around the grassy fields on the outskirts of the Blood Forest. Every few seconds, more arrived from thin shimmering air. They couldn’t transport right onto the grounds of the Academy, due to the strength of the wards.
Ivy hauled her bag over her shoulder and searched through the crowd for Addie. She spotted her brother and his posse ahead, and a few familiar-faced Fae—including River Ridge. He waved as he passed her. He was nice, she thought, for a Fae.
Addie had travelled by the same glittergate as Ivy, so couldn’t have wandered off too far.
Yelps echoed. The ground began to quake beneath them. A large crack appeared right in the centre before it crumbled and separated, becoming a gaping hole. The earth rolled to form dirt steps deeper down into the hole, leading to a cave.
As the students trudged down the steps, the air thinned, and the temperature dropped.
Ivy squinted as she stepped off the last step—the sparkly walls of the cave winked at her, the light of the bright blue river reflecting off the crystallised rocks. The only source of light in the cave was the subterranean river that gently flowed beneath the Blood Forest, and into the bowels of the Academy.
Students ducked and dodged around ribbed rock pillars on the rough shore, hiking their way to the white canoes that floated on the river. The canoes were pulled by a swarm of Abia—enormous eels with a furious instinct to protect children from harm. Great protectors, slow swimmers.
“Ivy!” It was Addie, hollering over the chatter of the crowd. Strangely, her voice still possessed its haughty undertones, even as she bellowed across the glowing-blue cave. “Ivy, over here!”
It took her a few seconds to locate the source of the shouts, but when she did, she couldn’t suppress the grin that spread across her face. Ivy simply lit up at the sight of Addie standing gracefully atop a pearly white canoe ahead. Gripping her luggage tightly, Ivy pushed through the traffic of Arcane toward the carriage Addie had indiscreetly claimed for the journey.
Ivy dumped her luggage in the canoe, beside a sleeping Vampire she didn’t recognise. Addie and Ivy shared an exasperated look and sat down across from each other quietly. It was almost impossible to horde an entire canoe to just two people, but each year Addie tried.
The Abia splashed their tails before the canoes trembled and began to move.
Ivy watched as the sleeping girl in the canoe garbled something unintelligible and shifted atop her canvas bag. She had sleek chin-length hair, a square jaw, and sharp cheekbones. All in all, she was beautiful, but in a ‘don’t-mess-with-me’ way.
Addie leaned forward. “Did you see the Chronicle this morning?”
Arching her brow, Ivy made herself comfortable on the plush pillows and blankets. “I saw the Chronicle yesterday.”
“Here,” said Addie, pulling a beige scroll from her cardigan pocket. “Look.”
Ivy unfurled the translucent paper and swept her curious gaze over the articles. Her eyes lingered over the article, ‘How Fae and Videer Banded Together: A Tale of Two Species’. The piece at the base of the scroll caught her attention after a swift scan.
“THE MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE OF LINDA LAUNDELLE
At 11:34PM on Saturday night, Linda Laundelle, a Vampire from the Stonehenge Village and author of ‘How to Tame Your Kitsune, and Other Fire-Prone Creatures’, was reported missing by authorities.
The disappearance of Linda Laundelle was first noticed when her presence was required at a Committee Summit in the Southern Lands. Linda Laundelle failed to show at the Summit, where she holds a seat on the Education Council. Upon investigation, Laundelle’s home was found ransacked, and her personal Knight discovered dead in the kitchens.
Authorities are treating this case as a kidnapping and urge anyone to come forward should they have any relevant information.”
Ivy’s fingers released the bottom of the scroll, causing it curl up again. “A kidnapping?” she echoed, handing the Chronicle back to Addie. “Who would want to kidnap her?”
“A Shifter.” Addie stuffed the scroll into her suitcase and glanced up at Ivy’s bemused expression. She explained, “Don’t you think it’s strange that a Shifter gets into Verato the same day Linda Laundelle goes missing, and only one day after the Ichor school is burned to the ground?”
“I guess,” said Ivy. Although, her uncertain tone gave her away. “But the Shifter who attacked the markets wasn’t organised, Addie. If it was a part of bigger group, it would’ve attacked in a group, right?”
“Shifters destroyed Ichor.”
Ivy flinched and looked over her shoulder at the girl who spoke. The unfamiliar Vampire rubbed her tired eyes and sat up
straight.
“We don’t know for sure,” she said, “but some of us don’t believe that is was an accident.”
Addie and Ivy simply stared at the stranger.
After a pause, Ivy smiled. “I’m Ivy,” she said. “That’s Addie.”
“Penelope Prince,” she said sleepily. “Call me Penny.”
“So, you’re from Ichor, then?” asked Addie, her angular cheekbones burning pink. Ivy knew that blush all too well—Addie had a thing for tough girls.
“I am,” she said through a stifled yawn. “A few Fae in my village said they felt Shifters nearby.”
“Felt them?” repeated Ivy, her nose crinkled in confusion. “How can you feel a Shifter’s presence?”
“They meant that there was an energy shift,” she said. “Our village is right next to the Ichor grounds, so they realised quickly that the magic had been tampered with in the soil. They knew it.”
Addie’s brows shot up to her hairline. “A ward breach?”
“Apparently so,” she replied, nodding.
“Rumours rot the brain,” said Ivy, reciting one of her mother’s mottos. “And the Chronicle didn’t say anything about a ward breach.”
Penny didn’t argue, whether because she was tired or just didn’t care. She shrugged and lounged back against her luggage.
Addie smiled at her bashfully, a rare sight.
“Are you Addie as in Adriana Adberry?” asked Penny. Addie nodded. “I’ve heard about you. Your spirit magic is metamorphosis, isn’t it?”
Beaming proudly, Addie said, “It is. How’d you know?”
“It’s in the spirit magic textbook,” she said. “The Adberrys can all perform metamorphosis. It’s rare magic.”
“Rare, and challenging to master,” agreed Addie. “Last year I tried to turn into a duck …”
Ivy grinned fondly at the memory. “She was stuck like that for weeks. The Shaman locked her in pen in the sickbay the whole time.”
“What’s your power?” asked Penny.
“I’m a Skylar,” said Ivy. “My magic is creature mind control.”
“It’s supposed to be mind control,” corrected Addie. “But she’s more partial to flooding the school every other day.”
“She’s exaggerating,” huffed Ivy. “That was one time, and it was only the classroom, not the whole school. Besides, it’s only water.”
Penny and Addie shared an amused look, at which Ivy scowled and folded her arms over her chest.
“What’s yours, then?” asked Ivy crossly.
The humour fell from Penny’s face, much to Ivy’s delight. “Clairvoyance,” she said. “I’m not so good at it. A pretty pointless spirit power to have.”
Addie leaned forward. “Why would you think it’s pointless? Predictions and fortune telling are old magic. They’re wonderful.”
“Because of the Seers,” she said, shrugging. “Even if I mastered my magic, and all my predictions came true, I would pale in comparison to the Seers.”
Ivy hummed in agreement.
The Seers were unbeatable, untouchable. A very rare sub-species of the Videer, born with the divine sight.
Though, they rarely shared their prophecies with the rest of the Arcane, and never left their crypts.
Seers were as mysterious as their predictions were.
3
Before they knew it, the canoes had stopped at the end of the river. The water ahead disappeared, and fell downwards in a deathly waterfall. Addie, Penny and Ivy climbed out of the rocking canoe onto the gravelly shore, carting their luggage with them. The shift in atmosphere hit them immediately.
Excitement buzzed from each student who called out for their friends, shouted greetings to those they hadn’t seen over the break, and fancied about with their crushes.
Some linked arms as they whispered and giggled; others patted one another on the back by means of greeting; resident creatures plagued every dark corner of the cave, with ghouls skulking around and tending to the tired Abia, and Imps flying away with luggage ten times their size; and Knights stood in the unlit spots against the wall, watching the lively commotion seep through the cave.
Lit candles protruded from their brass holders that were bolted to the stone walls, flooding the arrivals in glittering light that echoed off the crystallised walls. The air had a unique flavour of damp stones, candlewax, and dirt. It didn’t sound very pleasant, but when combined they created a rich, earthy aroma.
The Knights wore black cloaks that swayed and rustled. Their hoods were pulled over their heads, and hid their faces—all that could be seen were their lips, chins and necks. But Ivy didn’t have to see the Videer to know that they were fully armed with magical weapons.
Four skeletal brown creatures fluttered over to them. Their thin and long wings buzzed through the loud chatter. Their teeth were pointed and sharp, their noses crooked and hooked, and their hands were half the size of their entire bodies. Twisted, ribbed horns spiralled out of their tiny skulls, and they resembled pixies in some ways, but were far more severe in their demeanours. The Imps were servants at the Academy, along with the ghouls. Their wings were much stronger than those of Pixies, their fingers much nimbler, and they were easier to control.
Pixies only obeyed the Fae. Imps obeyed anything that could eat them, which was just about every Arcane creature there was—Vampires, Fae, Videer and Shifters.
The girls handed the flying creatures their luggage. Locking arms with each other, Addie and Ivy set off through the crowd and shadowed their fellow students to the muddy steps ahead. Penny trailed closely behind, gazing around in a mixture of amazement and dismay.
As they climbed the packed dirt steps, Addie babbled on about the classes available that year: “Did you get the curriculum set? They put ‘The Technology of Foundlings’ and ‘How to Bond with Your Familiar’ on at the same time. I’d hoped to study both, but I suppose I must choose the Foundling class. Are you picking it?”
Ivy sighed, hiking up the steps. “Mum and dad would have a fit if I chose that subject. You know how they are.”
“Yes, I know, they’re just like every other Vampire except us,” Addie mumbled. “Even my parents would frenzy if they knew I chose to study Foundlings.”
Ivy observed her with a studious side-glance. “You didn’t tell your parents?”
Addie shook her head guiltily as they reached the top of the stairs. Then, they marched through the curtain of leaves, branches and vines into the woodlands. The mingled mob of students trekked through the shrubbery, and weaved through the trees until they reached the stone pathway. The beauty of the landscape never failed to impress Ivy.
The opening of the tunnel led directly into the thick forestry that circled the school grounds. Over the chatter of the students the birds could be heard singing, oblivious to the predators seeping into the territory. The cobblestone path led straight through the woodland to the looming wrought iron gates ahead with metal letters bolted onto the spikes atop the rusted gate:
‘THE ARCANE ACADEMY. ‘
The crowd poured into the school grounds. Trees flanked the wide cobblestone path and concealed the neglected cabins on the left. The Shifters used to live there, before the war. Now, the Imps burrowed near the cabins. The trail from the main path to the cabins was completely overgrown.
To the right was a flowery walkway that disappeared between trees. Ivy pointed to the path. “That leads to where the Fae live; the grottos and lake. A lot of weird things live in the lake, so it’s good to go down there and hunt.”
“Sometimes,” added Addie, “the Fae host parties on the shore, but it’s best to keep your wits about you at them.”
“It’s the same at Ichor,” said Penny. “Though, the Fae lived by a waterfall instead. I’ll miss that sound … Waterfalls are so peaceful.”
As they trekked further up the walkway, the school came into view. The Arcane Academy was a white manor-house, covered in snowy moss and pale vines.
The white-stone structure re
ached from one edge of the forest to the other, loomed high above, and was fringed by two towers.
The cobblestone winded up to the steps that led to towering wooden doors, heavy and slabbed with iron. On each side of the wooden doors were two symbols; that of the Vampires and Videer. Those were the species that resided within the school manor. The Videer slept, studied and worked in their mysterious crypts beneath the school in the east wing; and the Vampires lived in the den which was the top four levels of the west wing.
The doors were already open wide upon arrival, allowing the steady stream of students to enter the main foyer.
Penny exhaled in awe, lips moving to form a silent ‘wow’.
The foyer wasn’t all that impressive to Ivy and Addie. The walls inside the foyer were high, at least three levels up, and the roof was a pointed glass skylight, allowing the bright glow of the moonlight to pour inside.
Statues and carved images decorated every inch of the papered walls, and thick ribbed pillars stood in all four corners to support the high ceiling above.
The moonlight and candles pasted an orange glow onto the mahogany wood. Red carpet, aged and musky, coated the wooden floors, veering off into attached corridors. Two curved staircases were opposite one another, and joined at the first level.
Ahead, decayed wooden doors stood, decked with rusted slabs of metal. Those doors were used daily; they opened into the Assembly Hall where the students and teachers gathered for their meals and announcements.
“Different to Ichor?” Addie asked, side-eyeing the dazed Penny.
Mutely, Penny nodded and gazed around in wonder. “Ichor’s smaller … much smaller. And more of a fortress than a home.”
The flowing crowd pushed the girls into the Assembly Hall where they all fell silent. Instructors and Houseparents stood atop the cathedral altar at the farther end of the Hall, patiently awaiting the arrival of all students. No tables or chairs furnished the Hall in that moment, but Ivy knew that they would appear come morning.
Unlike everywhere else in the manor, the floors were sleek black slabs of wood, shiny from their frequent polishes. The walls were white with metal symbols of the Arcane bolted onto them, and the ceiling was painted in a biased reimagining of the Shifter Battle.
