ALDER (The Underground Series Book 3)

by Melody Robinette

  News of the loss of Atticus spread through the Warriors at a painfully fast rate and, not wanting to believe it, many visited his body to see for themselves. His death hit them the hardest, as he had been their leader, their mentor. A wiser elf than they could ever hope to be. He’d believed in them when they hadn’t believed in themselves. It is hard to imagine he could be killed. Autumn had always thought of him as invincible somehow.

  While the others were cleaning up, Autumn, Luke, Avery, and Crystal moved Victor’s body to the Warrior Burial Grounds. They didn’t let anyone else in on this for fear they wouldn’t approve, but Autumn felt Victor deserved a proper burial place. Besides, she had an empty grave to offer him.

  Luke and Avery had already removed the Shadow from the glass coffin but thankfully hadn’t bothered refilling the grave with soil. They placed Victor in the casket, closing the top over him. Autumn shed a few tears that she hastily brushed away as they recovered the grave. When the ground was level and packed, Luke weather-washed Autumn’s name off of the tree stump so she could carve into the fresh wood. She didn’t carve Victor’s name for fear the grave would be mistreated. Instead, she wrote the words: Brave Warrior, Kind Soul, Loyal Friend.

  “Thanks, guys,” she said as they walked through the burial grounds back to town.

  “We may never know exactly what goodness you saw in Victor,” Crystal said. “But we believe that you saw it and that he was your friend.”

  Suddenly Autumn was struck with an idea. “Wait. I know how you can see the goodness in him.”

  “How?” Luke asked.

  “His journals.”

  “Where are they?” Crystal asked.

  “In my room…in Bluff Bastion.”

  The four of them traveled by pegasus to Alder Island. They had to return either way to bring Forrest and Rion back to Arbor Falls, but Autumn had additional plans.

  “His journals are here in my room on my writing desk,” Autumn said to Luke and Crystal once they’d reached her old bedroom. “Avery and I will go get Forrest and Rion.”

  As she suspected, Eris was in the room with them, along with Willow who was snuggled up next to Forrest, all looking relieved to see them.

  “Oh, thank goodness,” Eris said. “We were so worried about you guys. Where’s Victor?”

  Autumn and Avery exchanged a glance, and Autumn said, “Um, Eris, can I talk to you? Privately?”

  The petite servant looked nervous as she followed Autumn back out into the hall.

  “Eris…Victor is gone,” Autumn said gently, trying not to burst into tears herself. “He sacrificed himself to get rid of the Shadows and save Arbor Falls.”

  Eris’s bottom lip quivered, and she nodded solemnly. “He was a good friend to me,” she said. “He was good.”

  “He was,” Autumn agreed.

  “I just, I don’t know what I’m going to do now,” Eris said shakily, wringing her hands.

  “That’s why I wanted to talk to you. I discussed it with my brother, and he agreed that Arbor Castle could really use someone like you on staff.”

  Her eyes snapped up to Autumn’s, growing wider. “You—you want me to come work at the castle?”

  Autumn nodded and was soon engulfed in a tight hug. “Thank you, Autumn. Thank you, thank you, thank you.”

  “Of course. I would miss having you around anyhow,” she said. “But first, I was wondering if you could do me a favor.”

  “Sure. Anything.”

  “I need you to deliver a message to the rest of the Atrums.”

  Eris’s face fell slightly. “Okay… What message?”

  “I want them to know that they are welcome in Arbor Falls, as long as they vow to live by the rules of the kingdom. Victor can’t be the only Atrum with a secretly kind soul. They are elves too, after all. They deserve a second chance.”

  Eris nodded with a look of admiration. “Victor really was right about you.”

  Autumn smiled sadly. “And you were right about him.”

  “Got the journals!” Luke announced as he and Crystal approached them with armfuls of the leather-bound books.

  “Umm, those aren’t all Victor’s,” Autumn said, recognizing the journals she had personally filled with her own thoughts and memories.

  “I know. Some of them are yours. You wrote a book in here. Don’t you want to keep it?”

  Autumn frowned. Did she? Some of those pages were full of pain, regret, and remorse. But then, if you don’t remember things like that, can you ever be truly thankful for living without it?

  “Okay, fine. I’ll keep them too.”

  “You know, you could always publish it,” Crystal suggested.

  Autumn laughed. “Trust me. You guys don’t want me to publish that book. Maybe I’ll just send it to some publisher in the Outside world. Adopt a pen name.”

  Luke and Crystal exchanged a wary glance and Autumn laughed.

  “Are we ready to get out of here?” Forrest called from inside the sick room. “I want to show everyone the miracle that is me!”

  So the Warriors left Bluff Bastion with Rion and Forrest riding on Dragon Willow’s back. Rion had taken Victor’s death relatively well, claiming that he had assumed Victor would eventually do what he did. He knew Victor wouldn’t be able to live with himself if many more people died. Rion had actually figured out how Victor could do away with the Shadows long ago, but wanted to let his son come to the decision on his own. Or else it wouldn’t have been truly selfless.

  “And, uh, I sort of told everyone that you were Victor’s father…” Autumn admitted to Rion guiltily. “It wouldn’t have made any sense for him to bring you back to life otherwise.”

  “I was planning to do the same anyway, so thank you for taking that burden off my back,” Rion said to her. “I didn’t want to hide it any longer. I didn’t want to feel ashamed. Because I’m not ashamed. I’m proud to have Victor as a son.”

  “You should be,” Autumn replied.

  True to her word, Autumn published Victor’s journal entries in the Arbor Falls Newsleaf that Sunday. The title of the section read: Victor’s Story. She knew it was what he would have wanted. All he’d really ever desired was for people to accept him and to see him as good. And now, they would at least be a step closer to that. Even if Victor’s journals didn’t convince them of his decency, their words would at least open their minds to the fact that even “bad” elves have feelings too. Sometimes they have reasons for acting the way they do.

  The Warriors appreciated them more than anyone, having known Victor personally. They had gotten a peek at the good person he could be at one point themselves. Talk swarmed through the town about the journal entries. Some were glad to have a distraction from all of the funerals and putting their lives back together once again. Others wanted to read them just to criticize them. But, for the most part, the entries did what Autumn wanted them to. They told Victor’s story. And gave everyone a glimpse into the mind of the monster they had feared for so long.

  And when Eris arrived at Arbor Falls a few days later with a small group of Atrums that had agreed to join her, few elves turned them away. The town had been pre-warned, of course, that the queen had invited the Atrums to stay in Arbor Falls as long as they vowed to abide by kingdom laws. And so, against his wishes, Mr. Butler made several tree-homes available for these Atrum families, along with any warlocks, vampires, centaurs, trolls, leprechauns, or giants that wanted to stay as well. A few warlocks did, but the rest of the magical creatures retreated to the comfort of their own homes with the knowledge that the paths between the towns were always open now.

  Things were slowly, but surely falling back into place. Autumn resumed her position as Queen and moved back into her old room.

  She was going over the new elf laws with Kyndel and Luke one afternoon when the sound of knocking resonated from the entryway.

  “I’ll get it,” Autumn said, skipping to the door to reveal Avery. It amazed her that the butterflies and magnetic pull within her core
, after everything, still made an appearance whenever he was around. “Hey. I thought you were down at the training grounds.”

  “I was. Now I’m here. Can you come with me for a little bit?”

  He looked nervous and distracted, and Autumn called over her shoulder to Luke and Kyndel, “I’ll be right back, guys!”

  “Kay. We will just go over the laws we’ve already memorized for the thousandth time,” Kyndel called back.

  “Yeah, do that,” Autumn said, breezing out the door with Avery before they could say anything else.

  Avery led her through the throne room and up the grand staircase that wound its way around the perimeter of Arbor Castle. Autumn followed in silence, unsure of what he had planned, content with being in his company either way. He stopped at Branch 308 and turned to look at Autumn.

  “My old branch?”

  “Your old branch.”

  “What—?”

  He opened the doors and led her through the familiar space, through her living room, into her bedroom, and onto the balcony. It was a cold winter day. Snow blanketed the ground, decorated the trees, and covered the terrace.

  “If I’d known we’d be going outside, I’d have brought my—”

  “Here,” Avery said, handing Autumn her old green coat that she hadn’t seen in ages. She hadn’t realized that she’d left it here in her old branch.

  “So?” Autumn said, looking at Avery who was watching her with a thoughtful smile.

  “You know,” he began, grasping her hands, “I had been going about this all wrong. I wanted to put on a grand show, make it bigger and better than anything you’d ever seen before. I had set the scene perfectly. Rose petals and fay fairies and carvings in trees and everything you could’ve wanted. And then you were gone, and I realized that none of that really mattered. All that mattered was you. I fell in love with you fast. Faster than I even admitted to you. You were—there aren’t really words to describe it, but—you were a force. You were kind and selfless and gentle and loving, but you were also gutsy and brave and strong. I didn’t even realize I missed you until I met you. But when you breezed through those throne room doors, looking curious and excited and determined, I felt something click inside me.

  “Something was awakened, a fire was lit, and it’s been burning ever since. You’ve taught me more about life and love, Autumn, than I even knew I was capable of being taught. When I thought I’d lost you, I saw what my life would be without you in it. And I don’t ever want to see that again. Instead of making some grand, romantic gesture, I thought I’d be boring and take you to the place where I first told you I loved you. So—” Avery pulled out the diamond rose that Autumn had realized he was hiding under his coat a few sentences into his speech. It didn’t change the brilliance or beauty of it. The rose sparkled and shone like glass in the sunlight peeking through the gray clouds, making the snow around it seem dull in comparison. “Will you accept my diamond rose so that we can forever be boring together?”

  “Avery, you and I will never be boring,” Autumn said, tears sparkling in her eyes. “But, I will accept this rose so we can continue being awesome together. And because Luke and I need help ruling the elves of the Underground.”

  “Wow, ruling the elves and teaching Powers class? I’ve got my work cut out for me.”

  “Teaching Powers class?” Autumn said, tilting her head to the side in confusion.

  “That’s why I was at the training grounds. The Head of Aspen Academy told me that Atticus had spoken to her about me taking over for him. He’d been planning on retiring next year.”

  “Wow, that’s fantastic, Avery!” She jumped into his arms, hugging his neck. “I’m so happy for you!”

  “Look at us getting all old. Grown-up jobs and exchanging binding roses. Before you know it we’ll be having kids and yelling at them to stop shooting arrows in the house.”

  “Whoa, slow down.” Autumn laughed. “Let’s just focus on the binding roses part.”

  Avery smiled that lopsided smile of his that always made Autumn’s legs forget how to stand properly. “Deal.”

  49

  Like Old Times

  Autumn, Luke, Crystal, Avery, Jastin, Charlotte, Kyndel, Ember, Edric, and Forrest all met at Arbor Lake for the first time together in months. The snow had let up the past few days, and it was currently a pleasantly cool sixty degrees outside.

  “Hovering hammocks?” Forrest asked.

  “Hovering hammocks,” the others agreed, moving to the hanging, woven-flower beds that were magically suspended in midair, something Autumn never had figured out and probably never would.

  They took to the hammocks in pairs, except for Forrest and Edric, who got their own, mostly because Forrest claimed that he was too delicate after having died and come back to life to share one before lying flat out and folding his arms behind his head.

  “You can only use the ‘I was just brought back from the dead card’ so many times, Forrest,” Jastin joked, pushing Forrest’s hammock so that it swung gently back and forth.

  “I know,” Forrest conceded. “But I still don’t think I’ve maxed my limit just yet.”

  “So, do any of you feel sort of useless now that we don’t really have anything or anyone to fight against?” Charlotte said.

  “I do,” Kyndel said.

  “Yeah, me too,” Edric admitted.

  “Nah,” Luke said. “There will always be things to fight against. Another dark force will rise to take Vyra’s place someday. Could be tomorrow, could be ten years from now. That’s just how the world works. As much goodness as there is—even from those who are supposedly dark—there will be still evil. Unfortunately, there will probably always be a need for Warriors. But for now, I think we should just enjoy the time we’ve been given and prepare for what could come. Anna and Tyler are two feisty little Warriors that we found. I think there will be more like them every year.”

  “Jeez, Luke, when did you become so deep?” Forrest said with a laugh. “Being King must have changed you.”

  Luke shrugged. “I was bound to grow up sometime.”

  “We all have,” Avery added.

  “Yeah,” Ember said. “First Jastin gives Charlotte a diamond rose then Autumn gets one from Avery. What’s next? Babies?”

  “No. No babies. Not yet,” Autumn said hastily, making the others laugh.

  “I still feel like a baby,” Forrest said.

  Kyndel snorted. “You are a baby.”

  “Hey, just because I was reborn, doesn’t mean my maturity has started over. I am incredibly mature.”

  “Yeah, man. You tell ‘em,” Jastin said. And everyone laughed again.

  “So, what is everyone going to do now?” Ember asked.

  “We just got here,” Kyndel said.

  “I mean now that war isn’t imminent,” Ember said, rolling her eyes. “Like, what is everyone going to do with their lives?”

  “That question is entirely too deep for me,” Edric said, closing his eyes.

  “I’m going to open that dress shop in City Circle,” Crystal said, ignoring Edric.

  Charlotte smiled over at Jastin. “I’m going to Healing School.”

  “Really?” Ember said. “Me too.”

  “Awesome!” Charlotte exclaimed, offering Ember a high five, which made Kyndel beam widely.

  “I was thinking of studying to be a school psychologist,” Jastin said, looking slightly sheepish.

  “You’d be great at that, Jastin,” Autumn said in encouragement. Several others nodded in agreement. And it was true. As someone who could cause emotional pain and see what it did to others, being a counselor would be a way for him to make up for that somehow, and he would definitely recognize the signs.

  “Avery’s going to be the new Power’s Magister,” Autumn blurted, shooting him an apologetic look.

  “What? Seriously?” Forrest said. “That’s awesome!”

  “That’s really cool, Ave,” Jastin agreed.

  “Thanks, guys.”
>
  “Well, I think it’s obvious what Autumn and I are going to be doing,” Luke said with a laugh.

  “Changing the world,” Autumn said with a wink, causing Luke to roll his eyes.

  “I don’t know what I’m going to do,” Forrest admitted. “I’ve just been sort of occupied by the whole ‘Whoa, I’m alive’ thing as of late.”

  “Do you guys realize how lucky we all are to be alive?” Charlotte said. “Other than Cera and Victor…we all made it. We all made it through the war. None of the other Warrior rotations can say that.”

  Everyone was quiet for a long time, soaking this in. It was true. The other rotations of Warriors had each lost over half of their members. The Tetras got it the worst with only four of the original ten remaining. The Quinns truly were lucky to be here. Several of them had had more than their fair share of close calls. But, in the end, they’d made it through to the other side.

  “Well, actually that’s not entirely accurate,” Crystal opposed. “My leg didn’t make it.”

  This made everyone roll with laughter again. And Autumn knew that, even if another dark force rose to power, that they would make it through somehow.

  They were Warriors.

  50

  Ten Years Later

  A lot of things can change in ten years…but, then again, a lot of things can stay the same.

  “Momma! Daddy! Mooooooommmmmmmaaaaaaaa!” Banging resounded on the door leading to the master bedroom, which, ten seconds ago had been dark and cool and quiet.

  “Belle, are you dying?” Avery grumbled as Autumn stuffed a pillow over her own head.

  “No. Why would I be dying?” their six-year-old said through the thick, oak door.

  “Because that’s the only reason you should be waking your parents up on a Sunday,” Autumn called to her daughter.