Rule 9 Academy Series Boxset: Books 3-5 Young Adult Paranormal Fantasy (Rule 9 Academy Box Sets (3 Book Series) 2)

by Elizabeth Rain

  “I…the people,” she stuttered, giving a great shudder.

  “You and I, first. How do you imagine I can be a leader when I’m a hollow shell of the man they need inside?”

  At that they suddenly whirled on Mirra, and the leader blasted her, her voice a serpent’s hiss and rage. “You’ve done this, meddling where you don’t belong. You’ve cast some spell on him, made him forget his duties. Seascrill…” she uttered the last with loathing, looking along the length of her aging nose at Mirra, who stood trembling in confusion.

  She continued, “As head of Tarus Council, I banish you from Tarus and Deep Lake.” Before he could protest, she whirled to face Dael, shaking with rage. “And you as well, both of you. Be gone by morning before I decide that this is really a capital crime and requires your death!” she spat. Her face was so red I wondered if she was on the verge of having a coronary. But right then, banishment sounded pretty good to me. If that was all it took…

  Before anyone could stop me, I stepped forward once more and waved my arms wildly at the milling crowd, regaining their attention after several minutes.

  The Council didn’t stop me, and I wondered if they actually thought I was trying to save them from the fiasco Dael had created for them. But I wasn’t there to please a bunch of old women and men too set in their ways to recognize anyone’s authority but their own. I was fighting for my life…and the right to live it.

  “Citizens of Tarus, please hear my words. I would love for this to be when I tell you that Dael’s renouncement of the throne doesn’t matter, and that I can assume the role of queen and still lead you. My Grandfather did just that for many years and was a great man. But I am here to remind you of what you already know and most likely talk about in the secrecy of your homes at night when the children are abed and sleeping. I am not a Tarian. I am not, never was, your choice for queen. And as lovely as Tarus is, and as wonderful as all of you are, this is not my home. It never was. Like Dael, my heart belongs elsewhere and with someone else. I cannot be the queen you want or need. I, too, as of this moment, renounce my appointment as queen. You deserve better than what I can give you.”

  I stepped back from the edge, away from the milling confusion below me. I froze in alarm at the sight of Leta, head councilwoman, engaged in a bitter argument with the other members of the Council, who were trying to hold her back. Her voice rose on a snarl and filled the air as she fought to get to us.

  “Banished! Guards!” she screeched.

  Below, a din of pandemonium rose in the air as the crowd erupted into a panicked mob. There were children in that crowd. I caught Dael’s eye and held up my hand. He gave an abrupt nod and stepped forward, taking mine. We moved into sight, our joined hands high. I called my magic up, creating a ball of energy to sizzle and spark, matching the one in Dael’s opposite hand from mine. The spectacle finally grabbed the crowd’s attention, and they stopped to listen.

  “Please. Don’t see this as a tragedy. Instead, consider it a near miss. Go home now, the Council has your best interests at heart and is even now looking for suitable replacements for the coming coronation.”

  Without another word, we backed away, snagging a dazed Mirra between us and exiting as fast as we could. The leader of the Council was still sputtering and clawing to break free and get to us. We needed to make our escape before she thought of a more effective way to make our lives miserable—and short.

  #

  We were packed and leaving by the front gate of Tarus in under thirty minutes. We’d taken bare moments to collect our things, and I’d had to push a shell-shocked Mirra the entire way. Of the three of us, she was taking all of this the hardest. I wondered if she felt guilty for the unintentional role she’d played through no fault of her own. The guards at the front gate let us exit after an awkward pause. There was no one in Tarus who hadn’t either witnessed what had happened or heard about it from another family member. They said nothing as we eased our way into the pool and kicked down and out, leaving Tarus behind us. We were fortunate that none of the rebellion was about because I was pretty sure no one was coming to our rescue any time soon.

  Despite the fact we fled like criminals, the burden of being trapped was absent for the first time in as long as I could remember. I felt light and free. I could hardly wait to get back home. When we finally surfaced, a couple of mile’s worth of tunnels later and on the other side of Shephard’s Mountain, I emerged from beneath the falls and rose to the surface, laughing. I had my life back. I would not be forced into a role I hated for a bunch of people I had no affinity for. I hadn’t lied. I was no Tarian. I was an Onlander and proud of that fact.

  I pulled myself ashore and searched for the clothes I’d left behind, dressing in haste. Dael and Mirra joined me. As relieved as I was, though, I couldn’t ignore the devastation on their faces. I might have regained my home. But they had just lost theirs. Neither of them shared my smiles.

  “You’ll love it, I promise you. And my friends will like you, you’ll see. It will be great!” I promised them, equally sure I was lying through my teeth.

  I looked at Mirra as she tottered on her land legs, looking down at her pale pink toes in dismay. Dael fared better, but I didn’t miss the way he kept slanting looks in her direction.

  I wondered if he was having second thoughts about what he’d done. He’d played his hand and freed them both from the bonds and restrictions put on them by the Council. But he’d also landed them in a prison of a different making. Two ships with no harbor and no place to set anchor.

  Dressed, I led them down the path towards home. But as I neared, some of my excitement wore off. I hadn’t exactly left on the best of terms. I’d abandoned my father, shivering and half dead on the bank of the Bear River, and I’d run from Thomas, unwilling to face him with the truth of where I was going. I’d been the coward, and I wondered if I was going to be facing a warm welcome after all.

  But I needn’t have worried, not about my father at least. Ours was a relationship that didn’t require forgiveness. He was sitting in one of the porch chairs when I came wheeling into the yard at a jog, Dael and Mirra at my heels. Both slammed to a halt when they saw my father reclining on the porch, drinking a beer. I blamed myself for that one since I couldn’t remember the last time he’d had one.

  He was on his feet with a shout and bounding off the porch before I’d made it a matter of feet into the yard, and then I was gasping, trying to draw in air as he squeezed it out of me. “Sirris, girl. What were you thinking? You gave me a scare. I didn’t think you were coming back!”

  I gave a gruff laugh as I finally backed away, clinging to his warm hands. “I wasn’t. I didn’t think I was, anyway. But someone very brave showed me the way.” I turned to Dael, who stood silently at my side, his eyes looking around him with open curiosity. He had spent little time on land.

  I snatched his arm and hauled him forward. This is Dael, a friend of mine. My father reached out and snagged his hand, gaining his attention. “Actually, I remember him. He came with your mother once. He was just a child, so curious about the chickens we had. He laughed for hours at their antics.”

  Dael’s face lightened with sudden amusement. “I remember them! Hilarious things. I tried to describe them when I returned, but we have nothing like them where we come from.”

  Mirra stood behind us both and we parted, allowing my father his first look at my elder sister. He reached out, grabbing her hands and pulling her closer. She looked away shyly, trying to reclaim her fingers. I knew she was conscious of our differences. A Tarian could pass for totally human on land. A Seascrill, however, would never lose the faint lavender tint to their skin, or the sixth finger on each hand.

  But my father had more experience than most in celebrating differences, whatever they might be. He smiled down at her kindly, patting her hands with his. “And you are Sirris’ big sister, and my darling Ami’s eldest. We meet once again.”

  She finally looked up at him, confusion swimming in her ey
es. My father gave a heavy sigh and hauled her into his arms despite her squeak of protest. “You are going to be fine. Let’s go inside. It’s getting bitter and I need to feed the fire.”

  Dael perked up, following us up the steps. “Fire? I’ve heard of it, but I’ve never seen one.”

  My father chuckled, adding dryly, “Are you hungry? We’re having salmon patties and sautéed spinach and bacon.”

  I wondered if I was the only one that caught the heavy sarcasm.

  Later, after supper, we fought to stay awake and tell my father what had happened. Dael took over the tending of the fire in the living room, fascinated with the color and heat. My father had to caution him not to get too close several times. Mirra remained uncharacteristically quiet, pulling into herself and listening quietly to our conversation and yawning.

  By midnight, we’d had it. I retired with Mirra to the loft, and Dael took the couch, looking cramped and uncomfortable, curled up beneath a blanket that was a foot too short to cover his feet.

  In the morning, Mirra was gone.

  When I first realized she was missing, I sat up with a jerk, looking around frantically. The light coming in through the windows let me know that early morning had come and gone. We’d slept late.

  I dressed quickly, double timing it down the ladder. Dael was still sprawled on the couch, one leg dangling off the side, and a thin sliver of drool sliding from his parted lips as he snored. In the kitchen, Dad was just pouring a cup of coffee. He saw me and grabbed a second cup.

  “Mirra’s gone!” I gasped.

  “No, she’s not. She’s in the shower. Asked about it first thing this morning.”

  I closed my eyes and let out the breath I hadn’t been aware I was holding. With that settled, I climbed onto a stool and watched my father grab out bacon and eggs. I wasn’t sure Dael and Mirra would eat them. He also pulled out a large bag of peel-n-eat shrimp, and I couldn’t hide a grin. There was Dad, always thinking.

  The bathroom door opened, and Mirra emerged, dressed in one of the few spare tunics and leggings she’d packed from home. She gingerly perched on the stool next to me. Looking over at Dael, she gave an eloquent eye roll. “He’ll sleep like that for half the day if you let him.” Before I could stop her, she opened her mouth and yelled, “Hey, Dael, rise and shine. If I can’t sleep in, neither can you. They have water, and it’s warm.”

  It was the right thing to say to a Mer-man. He jerked awake in an instant, blinking as he swung his legs around and sat up. He ran his hands through his wheat colored hair, the long curls sifting through his strong fingers. He looked up.

  “Water? Inside?”

  I laughed, hopping off the stool. “That’s right, come on, I’ll show you how to work the knobs. But don’t stay in there all day, I’d like a shower, too.”

  After giving him a quick tour of the bathroom, I returned to my stool. With a frown, I picked up Mirra’s delicate hand, rubbing my thumb over the back. Despite the lengthy shower she’d just had, her skin already appeared dry and was flaking in spots. Tarians were better on land in so many ways. Seascrill needed the water, the life giving moisture to nourish and replenish their skin. “Does it hurt, your skin being so dry like that?”

  She shrugged, pulling her hand back self-consciously and looking at the cup of steaming black coffee my father placed at her elbow before he went back to flipping eggs. “No, not really. The shower helped,” she protested, reaching out with hesitant fingers to touch the cup, jerking back when she felt the intense heat bleeding through the ceramic.

  I smiled, picking it up and showing her how to hold it. “Slow does it. It's still hot yet, just a small sip.”

  She did, a delighted smile touching her lips at the first taste of the bitter brew. Apparently, she didn’t need cream.

  “For how long, though, will the shower be enough?”

  She grimaced and sat her cup back down, extending her hand, all six fingers delicately belying the warrior she was at heart. “Not long. I’m guessing that for me to be healthy in this climate I’ll need to hit a natural river or lake at least once every couple of days. I was hoping the shower would do more.”

  I shook my head. “It lacks the natural minerals of ground water. For me? I can go for a couple of weeks. I’m guessing Dael can last about a week. You? It’s like you said, probably just a matter of days.”

  She pursed her lips and sighed. “Yeah, sucks. But this, what is it called, coffee? That’s amazing.” She picked it back up, drained the cup, and held it out to my father for more.

  I hid a grin. We really were sisters.

  #

  I was sitting on our front porch later that afternoon when Thomas walked into the yard. He stopped on the edge, catching sight of me with ease even though the shadows were long on our porch and from the distance I had to be nearly invisible. But even now, in the middle of the day, he was still the wolf. He’d changed a lot in the last year—we both had. The awkward boy with the pizza friendly gut had given way to this stranger I struggled to know, with broad shoulders and light brown searching eyes that seemed to see right through me.

  But then, I wasn’t the same girl either, so I suppose in that much we were pretty even. Mirra and Dael were below, exploring my father’s basement lab with him. He was most likely talking their ears off and at any moment they were going to run screaming up the stairs, having had more than enough. But for now, Thomas and I were alone.

  Without a word he crossed the yard and gave a lean legged hop up the stairs, taking the seat next to mine.

  He sat back with a creak, looking at my fresh glass of mango-ginger tea and picking it up without permission for a long swallow, draining half.

  I said nothing, looking closer at the light sheen of sweat above his brow. It looked like he’d been running.

  “Warm day,” I observed dryly.

  He sent me a pointed stare. “It’s not, and you know it.”

  “Then you must be out of shape,” I suggested.

  “Don’t do that again. Just take off. You scared the life out of all of us.”

  “I’m sorry.” I was.

  “I was afraid you weren’t coming back.”

  “I found a way to make it work. I have company with me. Dael, and my sister, Mirra.”

  Thomas honed in on what was most important right away. “Who is Dael?” he growled, the sound wolfish and making me shiver.

  But as I’d been told before, I did enjoy poking the wolf. “My betrothed,” I said, deadpan, watching the flare of heat in his eyes with amusement. I held back a giggle. Behind me, I heard distant voices and footfalls on the stairs. I’d better tell him before Dael met with an unexpected surprise.

  “He was. Relax, he was never into me. He loves my sister, Mirra. Let’s just say we left Tarus under difficult circumstances, hm?”

  He continued to stare at me, but the heat faded. Finally, he gave an amused chuckle. “So, still making friends, Sirris?”

  I looked away, leaning back with a groan as I remembered it all. “Oh yeah, they loved us so much they banished us all three, never to return.”

  Silence reigned. I opened one eye to catch his expression, squealing in alarm when I stared into a set of yellow eyeballs no more than two inches from my own. My mouth parted in surprise and he swooped in to claim my startled lips with his, deepening the kiss with toe curling precision before I could do more than gasp a protest.

  By the time my father, Dael, and Mirra came through the door and discovered us, Thomas was sitting back in his chair, my tea in his large hands. And I was sitting rigid in mine, speechless, my lips still tingling.

  All three came to an abrupt halt when they saw Thomas. Mirra looked between the two of us, a slow smile spreading over her face. She abruptly plopped into the empty chair next to me. “So… did we miss anything important?”

  I gave her such a glare. My sister was a real wise-ass.

  My father made the introductions. I was surprised when Dael and Thomas actually seemed to hit it off
. And Mirra seemed fascinated by Thomas’ dark curly hair and light brown eyes.

  “Dad wants you all to come back for supper. Sadie and Nick will be there, too,” Thomas said.

  “We can do that, right?” I asked, avoiding Thomas’ knowing gaze and looking at my sister and Dael instead.

  “Sounds fine,” Dad answered, not giving them a chance to refuse.

  Thomas left shortly after, his broad back disappearing from view up the path and into the woods as I watched. I turned, catching Mirra’s amused expression.

  “What?” I asked, suddenly irritated for no good reason.

  “Oh, nothing.” Mirra smirked.

  “Did I miss something?” Dael asked, looking between us.

  “Nope!” I said, shoving to my feet and grabbing my empty glass. “Anyone want a glass of tea? I have to refill mine, I seem to have drank it all.”

  #

  It was a good day when Kimmy cooked. It hadn’t been that long since I’d enjoyed a meal at the Tuttle table, but it had been a while since Thomas had been there to eat with us. He was obviously back in the main house, his father apparently deeming him safe for the company of others. The Major was putting the finishing touches on a fine stack of ribs on the grill when we entered the yard, the rich spicy smell teasing our noses. I wasn’t much for beef, but I made an exception for BBQ ribs.

  Sadie and Nick were on the porch, rocking together in the porch swing that hung there. Sadie jumped to her feet when she saw me, skipping down the steps and coming to meet us midway. Without a word, she swooped in and gave me a hug, squeezing me until I gasped. I took the time to introduce Mirra and Dael as we joined the rest.

  “Did Kimmy kick you out of the kitchen again?” I teased. She rolled her eyes.

  “Yeah, lucky for the rest of us is what I say,” Nick added right behind her.

  The Major plated the ribs, and we went in and grabbed seats. Dael and Mirra took seats on my left, and to the right of the Major, who was doing his gruff best to make them feel welcome. Introductions were made all around, thanks were offered, and plates were passed. Dael seemed as enthused over the ribs as I was, but Mirra seemed forever grateful when Kimmy placed a seasoned filet of poached tilapia at her elbow.