Pins and Needles (The Chosen Book 1)

by N. M. Santoski

"We'll do this again," Pyrrhus vowed. "Next time, I'll be ready for your tricks."

  They heard someone scurrying down the main stairwell. Nolan swallowed back the Power he had charged and offered a hand up to Pyrrhus, who took it. A moment later, Leiani burst through the door, soaking wet and grinning.

  "I saw you from the roof deck!" she exclaimed. "Were you dueling?"

  "Just sparring, little fishy," Pyrrhus said, subtly sliding away from her. She saw him move, however, and followed him, sopping wet arms outstretched.

  "Hug me, Pyrrhus, you know you want to!"

  "Ugh! Get away from me!" He practically dove behind Nolan. "Here, take the boy!"

  "Hey!" Nolan protested, offended, but Leiani had already latched onto his bare arm, immediately chilling him as her soggy clothes began to cling to his side.

  "Nolan, would you like a tour of Caer Anglia?"

  For the first time in his presence, her voice wasn't flirtatious or sultry. She was pure, brisk business in that moment, and he found that this Leiani appealed to him very much.

  "I would love one, Leiani, thank you."

  "Excellent! Pyrrhus, we'll meet you for lunch, if you like?"

  "If only to make sure you haven't eaten him, I suppose," Pyrrhus sighed, pretending to be burdened by the suggestion.

  "Done!" she said cheerfully. "No time to change... would you mind...?"

  Pyrrhus grinned. "Hold still... and step away from Nolan, I think."

  She put some distance between them and held her arms out, her mouth screwed up in a moue of distaste. "Just DO it, already!"

  Pyrrhus allowed a small puff of fire to escape his grasp and trace itself over Leiani's body, immediately evaporating the water clinging to her clothes and hair and leaving her rumpled, but dry. It was an oddly intimate moment, watching the fire follow her curves exactly and knowing that Pyrrhus was the one who was controlling this wisp of flame.

  After a moment, he clenched his fist, and the fire went out.

  She opened her eyes. "Much better, thank you!"

  "Couldn't you have just gathered the water yourself?" Nolan asked her.

  "Of course!" she said with a frown. "But then I would have had to get rid of it somewhere. Pyrrhus just evaporated it so I didn't have to waste time. Ready?"

  Nolan nodded. "Let me put my shirt back on." He found his sweatshirt and t-shirt entwined on the side of the room, and he groaned when we realized the entire shoulder of his sweatshirt was gone. His shirt was a little sooty, but still intact.

  "I warned you," Pyrrhus said, frowning at the ruined sweatshirt. "That's why I take my shirt off before starting."

  "You going to go get those burns looked at?" Nolan asked, gesturing at the taser-like marks on his chest.

  "Nope!" Pyrrhus responded, grinning. "Girls think scars are sexy, right, Leiani?"

  "Not on you," she shot back. "Get them looked at, you idiot. Come on, Nolan, let's go."

  He obediently followed her down the hall from the Atrium to another set of steps, heading down into darkness.

  "Stop number one," she said, thrusting out an arm to stop him from starting down.

  "What's down there?"

  "That's the crypt," she said quietly. "Any numen that dies here in Caer Anglia is interred down there."

  "So my father--"

  "Yes. I wanted to warn you, first. Would you like to go down to pay our respects?"

  Nolan shook his head almost immediately. "Not... not yet, thank you."

  She nodded and pointed to the door on their left. "This is a storage room for things that are abandoned here... when all the numen leave at the end of July, a cleaning crew usually goes through the building about a week later and moves anything left behind down here. Of course, this year they didn't get the chance, so this stuff is all over a year old. Some people come down to look for their things, but most just let them linger. It's understood that if it is in this room, it's free game for anyone to take."

  Nolan opened the door and took a peek. The room was jammed full of everything from books to furniture to lone shoes. He recognized it as the room he had been lost in when Pyrrhus had first found him, but said nothing.

  "See anything you like?"

  "Nope."

  "Well, we can explore it a little deeper some other time."

  Across the hall was a door marked "Private," padlocked with a strange sort of lock Nolan had never seen before. It was sluggishly changing shape, as if it anticipated being picked.

  She started to lead him down the open passageway when his hand on her wrist stopped her.

  "What's through there?" he asked, pointing at the locked door.

  Leiani bit her lip. "I've never been, but rumor has it that it used to lead directly from Caer Anglia to the Village—for especially heavy winters when the snows trapped us up here—back when numen lived here all year round. Lord Artifex locked it himself years ago. He said it was a dangerous entry point for... enemies."

  "He meant us, didn't he?" Nolan asked, breaking the sudden awkward silence. "My grandfather and I."

  "Nolan, you have to understand! I'm one of the few lucky ones. I grew up at court with your mother and brother. I heard stories about your grandfather as a person, not as a monster or a villain. Most of these other kids only know what Lord Artifex has told them."

  "And what is that?" he snarled, stepping away even as she tried to move closer.

  "That Lord Fulmen was so ashamed of his only son that he ordered him killed, and kidnapped you to corrupt you against the Council and numina in general. That he stole the Sword of the Nine and kept it from its rightful home for almost twenty years."

  "And they all believe him?"

  "I don't know," she admitted. "I'm sure some of them do, and some of them don't."

  Nolan began to walk along the passageway, following the dim lights around a curve and up a staircase. "And you?"

  "I've never believed that Lord Fulmen committed the crimes of which he is accused," she said formally.

  As he pushed the door open to reveal the hallway to their rooms, he turned and gave her the first real smile she had seen him bestow on anyone.

  "I'm glad to know someone believes in us," he said, and took her hand to squeeze it gently.

  For a moment, her breath caught—his smile looked so like Alan's that she was stricken with guilt. With a smile of her own, however, she forced the thought from her mind and squeezed back before letting go.

  "Come on—you know most of this level, right?"

  "Yes, though I don't know if I never noticed this door before."

  She led him down the hall, blithely naming the pairs housed behind each of the closed doors. They crossed to the other wing. "The room in front of us is the medical room. It's really only used for serious medical emergencies—surgeries and the like—and as a morgue when necessary. It's also where the mundane medical items are stored—burn salve, bandages, things people can use to patch themselves up when they get hurt doing something they shouldn't. Need anything for your shoulder?"

  "No, the burn didn't make it through to my skin. I'm fine."

  "Great!" There were other classrooms and the teacher's personal rooms in this wing, but they passed over them to enter the front hall. Leiani climbed the steps, Nolan in tow, but paused on the landing.

  "Why did we stop?" Nolan asked.

  "I want to show you something," she said, voice pitched low. On the wall by the staircase was a tapestry depicting a naval battle, the boats aglow with numina. Leiani reached out a hand and pulled back the left hand corner, exposing the wood paneling beneath.

  Carved into the wood were the initials T.A. and M.J., joined by a small plus sign.

  Nolan let his fingers trail over the carving. "My parents?"

  "Yes. Marama told Alan and me of its existence years ago, reminiscing about their romance. It was very stormy, you know."

  "Was it?"

  "Oh, yes... here, come on." She took his hand again and pulled him up the remaining steps. The second and third
floors were closed to them, Nolan knew, but right before the stairs ascended to the dining hall, a small door was set into the wall. Leiani led him up the narrow staircase hidden behind it, emerging onto a large roof deck facing the rear of the grounds.

  "It's more private up here," Leiani explained. "The drizzle doesn't bother you, does it?"

  "No... you were saying about my parents?"

  "Oh, yes... it was quite the scandal. Your mother was one of my mother's trusted attendants. Your father was the heir to the Aeron dynasty, and the Swordsmith presumptive. You may not know this, but many Aqua users tend to marry their own kind, so they can stay by the Sea.” She laced her hand through her hair, showing him that even in the week since he’d met her, the black had made marked progress deeper into the strands. “The longer we stay away, the more we lose out connection to Her. Marama and Trevor met here as students, and were immediately taken with each other. They began a secret relationship, one that seemed to be destined to end in heartbreak. Finally, they were caught—by none other than your grandfather, John."

  "What did he do?"

  "Oh, he screamed quite a bit at first, Marama said. He was disappointed—he assumed it was a fling, and was mortified that Trevor would defile one of Lady Aqua's ladies. Everyone thought that Trevor would marry into one of the other Nine Families, and your mother certainly did not qualify. They pled their case, and John told them his decision would hinge on my mother's approval."

  "Was that bad?"

  "Terrible—my mother was notorious for holding onto her ladies and only letting them go to men of her choosing."

  "So what happened next?" Nolan pressed, sitting with his back against the outer wall and staring at this unexpected font of familial wisdom.

  "Your mother went back to Beachhead after her Rite of Passage, threw herself at my mother's feet, and sobbed out the entire thing. How they were in love, and they wanted to marry, and she never meant to hurt anyone. My mother let her sob herself out, then drew her to her feet and asked to see Trevor himself."

  "Was he there?"

  "Yes—he was waiting outside my mother's rooms. My mother asked him if he loved Marama, and he immediately answered yes. She asked if he would let her go if that's what was best for her. He said yes again. She asked if he would let her keep her ties to the Sea and to the Water Court, and again, his answer was yes. So she put their hands together and granted her permission for their marriage."

  Nolan gave her a half-smile. "Were they happy?"

  "Oh, yes. Trevor was the love of her life—your mother has never even entertained the thought of another man in the past eighteen years. You may not know this, but my father died around the same time yours did. Within a few years, my mother had chosen a new lover—not to disrespect my father's memory, understand, but because she simply cannot bear to be alone."

  Nolan's expression must have betrayed his discomfort at the idea, for Leiani quickly continued, "I think my mother really does love Azar, and I think he loves her, too. The union of our Courts could never be, however, so they remain lovers only."

  "Which is Azar's Court?" he asked curiously.

  Leiani grimaced. "I'm sorry, I keep forgetting. Azar is Lord Ignis—Pyrrhus’s father."

  He felt his jaw sag in shock, but just couldn't manage to force it to close. "So that makes you and Pyrrhus some weird sort of step-siblings?"

  "He's my brother in all but blood," she corrected. "I've known him since we were three years old. He looks out for me."

  "I can tell," he smirked. "He seems to like to tease you. I thought..."

  She frowned, puzzled, before recognition and disgust filled her face. "Ugh! Pyrrhus and me? No way! Like I said, he's my brother. I could never—yuck!"

  He laughed outright at her shudder and stood, offering his hand to help her up. She accepted the help and rose, brushing off her skirt. "Ready to grab something to eat? Maybe after lunch I can show you the grounds."

  "Sounds good, but I want to run down to my room to change my shirt first."

  She surveyed his dirty, ashy, and now wet t-shirt with distaste and nodded. "Sounds like a plan, come on."

  Nolan opened the door for her and frowned. "What happened to the doorknob?"

  "Looks like someone crushed it! We'll have to tell Uncle Robert-- he'll send one of the Artifex students up to fix it."

  They were mostly quiet on their way down to his room, but it was a comfortable silence. It was the first time since his arrival that Nolan felt completely at ease.

  The moment ended abruptly when he opened the door to his room and found Angus digging through his side of the room, muttering to himself.

  "What the hell do you think you're doing?" Nolan roared, startling Angus into dropping a book onto his foot.

  "Ow! Damn it, Aeron! Could you knock?"

  "This is MY room too, you idiot! What makes you think you have the right to go through my things?"

  "Why can't any messages leave Caer Anglia? No calls or texts, not even a piece of paper," he shot back, still holding his foot. "Why are we trapped here? Why won't the baileys let us out? Where's your grandfather?"

  Nolan's hand shot forward and grabbed Angus by the front of his shirt, hauling him closer. "I have no idea, but you have NO RIGHT!" His other fist started to spark dangerously, and Angus began to bristle and snarl in response.

  Leiani was still standing in the hall, frozen to the spot, with no idea how to end the standoff. Footsteps thundered down the hall, materializing into the captain of Security.

  "Break it up!" she ordered.

  Angus slowly let his body revert to fully human, but Nolan refused to let him go. His eyes had lost almost all of their color, as if the Power were draining him completely.

  "Stand down, Aeron!" Captain Selocrim said, grabbing him by the back of the neck.

  Only then did Nolan seem to actually hear her. He abruptly let Angus go, who immediately began rubbing his neck and swearing. Captain Selocrim grabbed them each by an arm and fairly dragged them from the room—for a petite person, she was damned strong.

  "Let's see what Proctor Jenkins seems to think about all this."

  "That's not fair!" Angus immediately objected. "He's Aeron's uncle—he’ll side with him!"

  "Hey!" Nolan shot back, "you're the one--"

  "Quiet!"

  She knocked briskly on a door Nolan didn't recognize. "I thought--"

  "QUIET!"

  A bit of scuffling later, the door opened to reveal Jenkins in his robe, staring at the three of them. "Why, good morning, Captain Selocrim. What brings you to my private rooms so early?"

  "First of all, Jenkins, it's practically two o'clock in the afternoon. Second of all, these two were caught using their numina on one another in their living quarters!"

  She threw them each into a chair and perched on the edge of the table as if coiled to spring. Jenkins frowned. "Now, boys, you know the rules."

  They both tried to speak simultaneously, both shouting in order to be heard.

  "Enough!" Jenkins said, raising his hand to stop them. "One at a time. Angus, you first."

  Angus shot a smirk at Nolan and began to speak, his eyes open and earnest. "Proctor Jenkins, I was in our room, getting ready to start my day, when I saw one of my books on Nolan's desk. When I went to pick it up, he came barreling into the room and started screaming. He put his hands on me, see?" He drew his collar aside to show the red abrasions where the cloth had rubbed his neck raw.

  Nolan was biting his lip through the entire exchange, using all the self-control he possessed in order to stop from interrupting again. He took a few cleansing breaths through his nose, and was a bit calmer when Jenkins finally turned to him and said, "Okay, Nolan, and your side of the story?"

  "Proctor Jenkins," he began formally, "When Leiani and I arrived at my room, Angus had ransacked all of my drawers, apparently searching for something. When I confronted him for violating my personal belongings, he began screaming about my grandfather and wanting to know where he wa
s."

  Jenkins turned a narrow eye on Angus, who squirmed. "Is this true?"

  "No, sir, I have no idea what he's talking about."

  "So if we went to your room right now, we would not see a set of ransacked drawers?"

  "No, sir... Nolan is a slob, so it might look that way, but I would never violate his personal space."

  Jenkins held up a hand again to stop Nolan from exploding. "And if we ask Miss K'Oliu what happened?"

  "I would like to think she'd tell the truth, but with Nolan's mother and brother being so close to her, I can't be sure she wouldn't lie to save him."

  By the white spots evident in the corners of Jenkins' pursed mouth, it was obvious Angus had gone too far. "Mr. Kinnaird, I assure you, Leiani is a fine girl who would never dishonor herself by blatantly lying at a time like this. So, what shall we do with you? It's clearly a case of one word against another."

  Both teens began to argue, but Jenkins cut his eyes to Rebecca, who slammed her fist down on the desk to shut them up.

  "NOW," he said, a hint of anger creeping into his tone, "I believe Mr. Aeron has already made clear that he is not aware of his grandfather’s whereabouts?"

  "Yes, sir."

  "And have you, as his roommate, seen any evidence to contradict this statement?"

  "No, sir."

  "Very well. Before you even ask,” he said with a scowl, “you will not have your rooms reassigned—you will learn to tolerate each other if it's the last thing I do. Do you understand?"

  "Yes, sir," they both mumbled this time, each glaring at the floor.

  "If you are brought into my office again for fighting, I will have no choice but to put you in the basement until June, as I promised. You are dismissed. Captain Selocrim, a word, if I may?"

  Nolan and Angus were unceremoniously dumped into the hallway and the door slammed shut behind them.

  "I don't know why you hate me so much," Nolan began in an undertone, "but if I ever catch you going through my things again--"

  "If you have nothing to hide, Aeron," Angus snarled, "then what do you care?"

  "That's not the point, Kinnaird! You can't just rifle through people's belongings!"

  "Let's just forget it," he snapped. "I hate you, we're never going to get along—let’s just ignore each other. Done?" He held out his hand, eyes narrowed.