Fae Rose Academy: Year Two (For The Purely Divine Book 2)

by Quinn Ashwood

  "It's only temporary," I whispered. "I know it's hard for people to change, and we're not expected to hope they do. It's our duty to focus on ourselves, and your sister is merely doing her job. She's a professional, even if she's naive sometimes. Let her do what she needs to do, and we'll support her if she needs our support."

  I moved closer until my lips brushed his. "If Xavier wants to change, that's on him. If he doesn't, there's nothing we can do to change it. The Universe will decide if he'll continue to be a thorn in our side for some unknown reason, or if he'll fall to his own demise by his inability to change himself. He's on his last strike anyway. He can't do anything to harm me, your sister, or anyone else, for that matter, unless he wants to be banished. Let's just enjoy the school year and keep doing our own thing."

  He stared into my eyes for a long time, scanning them until he kissed me softly.

  "You're right," he muttered before kissing my forehead. "I still hate his guts."

  "Which is allowed." I giggled.

  "You're sure you'll be okay."

  "Are you leaving my side any time soon?"

  "No," he declared.

  "Then I'm perfectly fine." I winked and gave him a deeper kiss. "Just stay by my side and continue to love and support me like you've always done. That's all I need to cut through the vines of the trauma he left behind and come out victorious. That's the ending I want him to see. That no matter the change in events, he'll see just how powerful of a fae I've become without his help or acknowledgment."

  "You're being more mature then me," he grumbled as if he were insulted. I laughed and kissed him deeply, enough to make him growl against my lips. I gasped and realized I was on my bed with him on top of me.

  "Does that bother you?" I inquired and watched him tug at his tie to loosen it.

  "Not really. It's kind of a turn on," he said with a seductive smile.

  "We're going to be late," I pointed out.

  "I'll be quick," he assured me. "You know I keep to my promises."

  "Let's see if that's true," I whispered with a taunting smirk, seconds before he claimed my lips once more.

  We need to move on to enjoying life again.

  Exhibit Of Inspiration

  "Are we actually doing this?!" I shrieked and tried not to grip the magnificent red feathers for dear life. At this rate, I'd pluck a few of the mystical beauties which would only hurt the huge creature we were settled on.

  "Are you afraid?" Rainer sounded beyond amused as he sported a boyish grin.

  "Y-Yes! This phoenix is HUGE!" I emphasized and quickly pointed to the vast land before us. "And she's about to jump off that cliff! What if we fall? I don't know how to fly, Rainer. We weren't made to fly!"

  Now he was laughing his head off while the poor guard continued to listen to my panicked statements. Rainer hugged me tightly and looked to the guard.

  "We're ready to go!"

  "I-I never said that, dammit!" I cursed and he laughed even harder while nestling his head against my neck.

  "You better hang on, Sweet Rose. We're about to take off!"

  "Nope. Hell to the fae no! I take it back. I'm not about the adventure life!" I rambled but the phoenix creature was already rising off the ground and beginning to run towards the end of the cliff. "Rainer!"

  "Trust me!" he cheered and held me a little tighter as we rushed off the cliff and headed downward. I was a screaming mess as we began to dive, the creature spreading out its wings as we seemed to dart faster towards the trees.

  "AH!" I screamed like we were on a rollercoaster rich children got to go on, all while Rainer was cheering and hollering.

  "Up, up, up, we go!" he declared and suddenly the red feathers of the creature ignited into brilliant flames. I shrieked, thinking the flames would devour us, but its warmth was like the sun's rays during a windy day.

  The bird screeched as the wind caught under her wings and lifted us up with grace. Within thirty seconds, we were soaring through the skies, our altitude tripled from the height of where we'd left. My blood was pumping like crazy while my ears rang after my screaming, but Rainer was still laughing at me, which annoyed the hell out of me.

  I turned my body enough to elbow him in the gut. He grunted and began to cough while fighting to stop himself from going on another laughing spree.

  "Don't abuse me, Sweet Rose. Admit it. That was fun."

  "You're an asshole!" I huffed. "You didn't tell me the exhibit including riding phoenixes! I thought this was a bird statue!"

  "It is a bird statue," he reasoned. "At the beginning. The phoenix statue gets to decide whether you're worthy to enjoy a ride on them or not. That's why it's rather sudden and the guards don't interfere when you beg to get off," he explained.

  "Why didn't you just tell me that?" I groaned. "What if I hadn’t changed out of my gown during the second half to wear this short piece? I would have ripped it or something!"

  "You would have been fine." He chuckled and brought me back against his chest. "Though, it would have been hot to tear that gold shimmering material off of you and enjoy the naked scenery through the air."

  "You can't have sex on a phoenix! That's like...I don't know. A sin!"

  "A sin to which creator? Because Mother Universe is fine with us following the circle of life."

  "Having sex mid-air has NOTHING to do with the circle of life!" I argued back, which had him chuckling again.

  "Just admit you're having fun!" he declared like we were rejoicing. "Take a look already."

  I'd had my eyes closed for a good chunk of the time, but I decided to peek my eyes open, only for them to widen at the surreal beauty all around me.

  The sky was now shifting to various colors, the pastel masterpiece giving off the impression that the sun was beginning to descend. Even at this height, you could see the first specks of stars that twinkled lightly while a glimpse of the crescent moon was seen further above.

  Below was just as spectacular: the various colored trees, the gorgeous flowers, and the land that looked so tiny from all the way up here. The bodies of water were amazing to witness, some of the little lakes and rivers being turquoise with gold sparkles, while bigger bodies of water could go from an ocean green to a wonderful purplish blue.

  The waters were so clear, giving us the ability to see the large whales, dolphins, and other water creatures that were normally hidden in the depths of the waters. Dragonflies and butterflies that were triple the normal size would flutter around the burning phoenix, while creatures I'd never seen or had names for would breeze by.

  The air was clear of pollution; each inhale taken filled your lungs with the best quality of oxygen, and as we dipped lower, I caught onto other floral scents that tickled our nostrils.

  There were mountains with hints of snow at the top, and extremely tall trees that were decorated with various colored leaves. I could feel nature's strength around me, and the sight of everything boosted my mood to a new level of appreciation.

  Never would I have gotten a view of this world - our kingdom - without the aid of this phoenix and the exhibit itself. All I'd seen was the walls and beauties our academy had to offer, but never what was hidden past the walls of our kingdom.

  How such a beautiful place could be filled with darkness was a question I wished to get an answer to.

  "Do you see the beauty of our world now?" Rainer's soft voice drifted into my ear, and I turned my head slightly so I could see his pleased grin as he looked at the enchanting sky.

  "Ya," I whispered. "Why can't everyone enjoy seeing the beauty of this world like us?"

  "As beautiful as it is, the danger doesn't lie in the land itself," he whispered as he held me tightly in an embrace. "The dangers that lurk in the day and night are the fae who wish for nothing but spilled blood. They beg for war. For the cries of children and adults alike. The sight of chaos brings them great joy and the scent of death is only motivation for them to do more."

  He rested his chin on my shoulder as he muttered, "It's
why I feel the kingdom should have a strong alliance. One that can't be broken so easily. Though the two current kingdoms are good with one another, the fae as a unit are still divided. If Purely Divine and Deadly Divine could put away their differences and see the true enemy before them, we'd come to understand that together, we could put an end to the silly politics that occur outside of our walls. That way, everyone could experience the sight of our own lands. Our kind would appreciate the true beauty of our world and not the hint of beauty we carry within our lands. It's a goal that will take a long time to implement, but something that would be beneficial if it was implemented correctly."

  "Do you think we could accomplish such?" I wondered like I could daydream such a reality.

  "I think we can," he admitted. "It's all about leadership. My parents are getting older, and the energy to change policies or create a movement of change gets smaller every year. Always combating old habits requires so much energy and encouragement. I think it's something we could set out to do as royal leaders before we ascend to the throne and continue it once we’re on, but then again, who knows what truly lurks out there that are desperate to have us remain in our territory so we don't see what they do?”

  "You think there are fae doing bad things out there that they don't want the kingdoms to find out about?"

  "I'm sure of it," he said with confidence. "There are always secrets in our kingdoms. The only problem is figuring out just how bad and dangerous that secret is to everyone else's wellbeing."

  "You're really going to be an amazing king one day, Rainer," I commented, impressed with his maturity when he analyzed the outer realms of our kingdoms versus the interior. He wasn't thinking of huge plans that would justify a change right away. He wanted baby steps that would ease our world into a stage of transition.

  It would allow us to analyze the pros and cons of the new movement and get everyone on board before moving on to bigger changes. That was a mentality that leaders carried. At least, that's the vibe and understanding of what a king would be like with the traits Rainer exhibited with precision.

  "I agree with you, though I'd be an even better king with my queen by my side to give me strength and clarity," he whispered. "With a good king is an even better queen who understands all sides of the world. Men have tunnel vision, including me, even though I try to see all angles, while women can see it all while balancing what needs to be done to fix the problems at hand. It’s exactly why queens are better suited for the front line while men are their back support in the lands of the fae. The humans don't think the same way."

  "Do you think someone like me could be a queen someday?" I quietly asked as I rested against him. We stared at the vast horizon as the sun began to dip further.

  "You already are a queen, Sweet Rose," he whispered into my ear. "All you need is your crown."

  "But queens are powerful, majestic, and can react to any situation. I'm not close to reaching that level yet." I knew not to doubt myself, but it was hard when I now could see just how vast a part of our kingdom was.

  These were the lands my mom had to help take care of as queen, before she left it all to protect me from being frozen within the King of Light's grasp.

  "I think you don't see it simply because you're not pushed into those situations," he reasoned. "To me, I believe you're a queen who can react to any situation in your power. Plus, you're powerful and majestic in your own way. Makes me love you even more."

  "You're just flirting," I huffed while he chuckled and lifted a feather. "Hey! Isn't that the phoenix's feather?"

  "Yup," he replied, and I had to turn in his hold to actually look up at him.

  “You stole one of her feathers!"

  "Are you mad?"

  "Yes! You don't want people tugging at your balls, now do you?"

  He blinked at me, clearly shocked by my comment, but a musical sound of laughter came from our right, and we looked to see Seraphine sitting comfortably on a throne-like chair that was positioned on a bigger phoenix bird. Two guards stood with her, both of them holding bows as weapons and in red armor.

  "I agree, Rosadette. Maybe you should take one of his balls and see if it bothers him," she laughed.

  "Mom!" Rainer pouted. "You're ruining the moment here."

  "Oopsy. My bad." She didn't seem regretful at all. "I'm just minding my own business, enjoying the view.”

  Rainer pouted, which made him look rather cute, while I asked, "Sera, are you enjoying the view as well? Where's Emmanuel?"

  "I am enjoying the view, and Emmanuel is actually afraid of heights. That big old baby. He'd wet his damn pants if I forced him on one of these. Unless we're in the midst of battle, of course." She rolled her eyes. "So I decided to enjoy it by myself this time. We're the last ones to enjoy the phoenix tour so we get to watch the sunset."

  "Dad's afraid of heights?" Rainer inquired as if it were the first time he'd heard of it. "No wonder why you used to take me on this every year."

  "Yes," Sera replied. "To make sure you don't become a shriveled wimp with one ball."

  He blushed while I burst into laughter.

  "Good call," I praised.

  Sera smiled, looking between the two of us. "We'll go ahead and give you some privacy," she encouraged.

  The phoenix screeched happily before flying a little faster so they were now ahead of us.

  "I love how free-spirited your mom is," I praised while Rainer grumbled, "She's mean."

  "You're just upset she ruined your flowing moment," I acknowledged.

  "But she did," he huffed. "She did it on purpose, too!"

  "Forgive her," I teased. "She's your mom."

  "Fine," he mumbled, but lifted my hand and placed the feather in my grasp. "The same power that allows the phoenix to decide whether one is worthy to ride them is what allowed me to take one of their feathers," he revealed. "They say if a male gives a female a phoenix feather, it unlocks the ability to call upon the phoenix’s essence in troubled times. You're really good at fire elemental magic, so I figured it would benefit you if the legends are true."

  "Legends, or something your mom told you?" I reasoned with a wide grin.

  There was his annoyed pout again, which made me giggle before I accepted the feather and leaned further into him. "Thank you, Rainer," I graciously stated, grinning from ear to ear as I took in all the fine details of the flaming feather. "It's absolutely stunning."

  "I'm glad you love it," he quietly replied and kissed my cheek. I turned enough so we could share a deep kiss, and we turned our attention forward to see the last bits of sunlight before the nightfall.

  "That was really a beautiful sight," I commented. "I'm so happy we got to see it."

  "We have to thank Alicia for letting us go. It's kind of nice, because my dad got to go with my mom this year. She's been taking me since I was small."

  "What about your sister?"

  "Hates heights to the point that she faints," Rainer revealed. "Unless it's combat-related, of course."

  "Does the fear just leave hers and your dad's bodies when they know a life is at risk?"

  "Essentially," Rainer said in amusement. "I know it's weird and it's funny how they both have that fear and reaction when they're not related by blood either, but they say if you're closer to one parent, you start taking their traits."

  "Weird saying," I replied, just as the phoenix screeched.

  "Looks like it's time to head back," Rainer announced.

  "That was fun," I commented as I looked over to one of the twinkling stars. "I never knew there were black stars."

  "Hmm?" Rainer followed my gaze. "There are no black stars in our kingdom," he acknowledged before we were suddenly dropping downward.

  "What the-" My words were cut off at the sharp drop, a second before a black orb that would have been considered a meteorite soared passed us.

  We couldn't even react as it exploded, the blast sending us back as the phoenix screamed.

  I shrieked while Rainer grunted and held
me tightly, the phoenix attempting to recover from the blow. We were spinning and dropping swiftly, but the phoenix shrieked and further spread out its burning wings until it was soaring upward once again.

  Rainer was hanging on tightly for both of us, but I opened my eyes and quickly scanned where the second phoenix was.

  "Rainer!" I caught his attention as I pointed to the phoenix that his mother was riding upon. The guards were already creating barriers of magic, all while Sera was quickly looking for where we were.

  Our eyes locked, and I noticed her worry, which forced me to look away and take in the next set of black meteorite-sized rocks heading our way.

  "Shit! Rainer! We need to go up fast!"

  "FASTANDO LEVERA PHOENIA!" he commanded and suddenly we were going double the speed as the phoenix wrapped its wings around its body and spun quickly like a dart aiming towards its target.

  We missed the dark meteors once more, but the aftermath of their explosion jerked the phoenix with enough force that I suddenly slipped right out of Rainer's grasp.

  "AH!" It took me a second to realize I was falling.

  "ROSADETTE!" Rainer screamed, the shrill sound echoing downward as my speed seemed to go faster. I was cursing in my head but fought hard to try to figure my way out.

  A spell. A wind spell! To slow me down?!

  It took me a second for the spell to rush into my mind and out of my mouth.

  "WIVERA LA ROSE! SLOW AND LIFT ME UP!" The command was different than the spells we'd learned last year, but my descent slowed significantly as strong winds wrapped beneath me, like a cushion taking the plunge of my fall.

  I was suddenly floating, which made me sigh in relief, but that was short-lived as three meteorites soared past me, one of them mere inches from me, before they exploded at the same time. My arms went up as my magic roared to life to protect me; my floating body became encased in a flaming bubble.

  The protective shield saved me from the blast, but I was sent in random directions as the aftershocks came from the three directions. I felt like a ball in a pinball machine, unable to figure out where I'd end up next.