~Chapter Twenty-Three~
I stood against the wall with tears coursing down my cheeks, listening to the fire and my classmates downstairs. I stood for what felt like ages, feeling miserable and helpless. Morri perched at my feet, looking up at me quizzically.
‘If you wanted to move,’ he seemed to be asking. ‘Why don’t you just move?’
I wiggled my fingers. Such a simple movement, but one that I hadn’t for the life of me been able to achieve a second ago.
Suddenly, anger filled my veins with fire. I wrenched my right arm free of the trap, and something shattered. Shards of what looked like black ice skittered across the floor. My magic swelled in my chest, and with a cry I broke free of the prison they’d tried to hold me in. I fell to all fours, still cradling my arm across my chest.
Someone rushed up the stairs, and I didn’t have to look up to know who it was.
I was going to bring Phoenix back because I had something to tell him. I stood up, Jett watching me suspiciously.
“Don’t, Sky.”
I looked at him innocently, pain creasing my brow.
“Don’t what?”
He crossed the space between us in two strides, taking me by my shoulders and glaring at me.
“Don’t you dare try to play innocent with me. I know what you’re planning to do, and don’t do it.”
“What am I planning to do then?” I snapped. “You seem to know all about me.”
“You’re going to go after him. Don’t. It’s too dangerous! Especially for one mage, one fe-,”
I gaped at him, and he immediately backed off, realising he’d crossed the line.
“I mean…”
“One female mage?” I asked in disbelief. Jett stuttered something, but I cut him off. “That’s what you were going to say, wasn’t it?”
He just looked at me. I think he realised he’d lost.
I picked up my swords and pulled them onto my back. Then I headed downstairs and through the ashes of the fire they’d managed to start. Without hesitating, I flew out of the double doors, looking about to see if I could see which direction they’d taken.
Iain said they’d come from the coast. It was true that they’d come from the west, so that was the way I struck out.
As I neared the forest, the pain from my wrist made me stop. I held my arm out in front of me, wincing as the movement made a jolt of pain shoot up my arm. Reluctantly, I held my right hand over my wrist and began a healing spell that I knew would take all feeling from it.
Thirty seconds later and I couldn’t feel the break anymore. My left hand was still useless, but now I wasn’t on the verge of passing out.
I headed off again and reached the edge of the forest, not slowing down; they had too much of a head start. After a few minutes I became aware that I was being followed. My first thought was of a rogue mage, and I quietly unsheathed my left sword with my right hand. I slowed, letting the person catch up. Sensing them right behind me, I whirled, pressing the person against a tree trunk, the sword at their throat.
“Don’t hurt me!” A familiar voice squeaked. “It’s Eleanora!”
I let her go, and she slid down the tree trunk.
“What are you doing here?”
“Same thing you are,” she said, brushing herself off. “I’m off to find Phoenix.”
Anger flashed through me.
“What does it matter to you?” I snapped.
“If you haven’t noticed, Sky, I kind of care about him.”
“And if you haven’t noticed, Eleanora, he doesn’t return the favour anymore!”
Violet fire blossomed, illuminating both of us.
“And just what makes you so sure of that?” She asked smugly.
I opened my mouth to tell her ‘just what’ made me so sure, but then remembered what Jett had said about Iain and Netalia. I scowled and turned around to keep walking.
“Sky-”
“Don’t follow me.”
She immediately bucked this order, stomping through the forest litter after me.
“We have a better chance of getting him back as a pair, Sky.”
I mulled this over, steadily walking. I didn’t protest when she caught up to me and walked by my side.
We walked in silence for a long while, covering ground quickly. I prayed Phoenix was putting up a fight to slow them down, but I couldn’t see why he would if he’d gone with them willingly. Watching the ground, I became interested in scuff marks in the dirt.
“Eleanora,” I hissed. I knelt to the ground and beckoned her over. She knelt next to me. “They were dragging something.”
We looked at each other simultaneously. Just then, a voice echoed through the trees. It sounded like they were ordering something to move faster.
“There’s a clearing just up ahead.” She murmured almost silently.
I nodded. We stalked silently, reaching the clearing faster than we anticipated. It was empty.
“They must’ve moved on through,” she said.
Suddenly we were under attack, rogues coming at us from every direction.
Ambush, I realised too late.
We fought them off the best we could, but there were too many of them and I could only use one hand. Eventually we succumbed, surrounded and held at sword point.
“These ones are cute,” one said with laughter in his voice, circling me. I glared at him.
“Foolish ones,” another said, apparently in charge. “To think that we would leave our tracks so easy to follow. Take their weapons.”
Two rogues held us while another two took every dagger, sword, bow and arrow on us. I was grudgingly impressed at how much Eleanora had managed to store on her person.
A strange tug in the air wrenched me forwards a few steps. I staggered, the rogue holding me pulling me upright again.
“No magic for you now,” the same rogue said. “Wouldn’t want you trying to rescue your friend now.”
I saw Phoenix then, being held between two mages. He was conscious, but only just. His lip was split, his eye black and a large bruise rising on his cheek. I wrestled against the grip of the rogue holding me. He’d been expecting it however, and held me easily.
“This one’s intent on getting free,” the rogue holding me said, laughing.
“She’s very stubborn,” Aloysius said. I growled, wishing him a very painful death. “That lock wasn’t meant to break for a long time.”
“Surprise,” I snapped.
“But this one is new,” Aloysius said casually, looking at Eleanora. “How did you manage to break so many hearts, Diego?”
The mages laughed but Phoenix didn’t stir. I realised there was something much more sinister at work with what was wrong with him.
“Who are you?”
This was directed at Eleanora. She locked him in a fiery glare.
“Girlfriend,” she snapped.
“Ex,” I said immediately.
We glared at each other, and I felt the mage holding me shift uncomfortably.
“So apparently not the two most harmonious rescuers,” Aloysius said, laughing cruelly. “Tie them.”
It was as my mage loosened his grip to accept rope from a colleague that I made my move. I twisted in his grasp, seeing Eleanora do the same out of the corner of my eye. I pulled free, lashing out in a kick that connected savagely with his temple as I saw Eleanora punch another squarely in the face. I gripped the fingers of a mage reaching for me, bending them back at an awkward angle. With one sharp movement, I broke three of them. The mage howled in pain and backed off. Before we could continue our assault, I was locked with magic in a way that felt rather familiar.
“Coward.” I snarled. I was still able to talk.
“Coward?” Aloysius repeated, laughing. “Why would that be, small one?”
I flinched at
the nickname.
“Phoenix left you! He didn’t want your tutelage. He didn’t agree with your views! He came to the Academy to be free of you, and you just couldn’t let him go!” The last three words came out as a screech.
The mages that had managed to keep their distance earlier laughed in unison with Aloysius. I gritted my teeth, taking a quick survey of the situation. I knew they would find my apparent naïveté amusing; I had used it to buy time.
I couldn’t see any way out, but I was hoping that a certain hunch of mine was due to pay off any minute.
Phoenix was drooping into unconsciousness; he didn’t recognise either Eleanora or me. I fought the enchantment that was keeping me pinned but to no avail.
“We don’t need the other girl,” Aloysius said over his shoulder to another rogue. “I’m intrigued by this one though; keep her alive for the moment.”
I saw Eleanora’s eyes widen as the rogue approached her, drawing his sword as he walked. I struggled harder than ever, my mind racing as I tried to come up with a plan.
“Stop struggling,” Aloysius advised. “There’s no one coming to save you.”
“How about their teacher?”
I smiled as I recognised the voice. Bingo.
“Jett,” Aloysius said. He didn’t seem surprised, which worried me. “I suppose you’re going to take on all of us for three mages?”
“Perhaps,” he replied coolly. “Or perhaps I can leave with my three charges and no one would be any the wiser.”
Aloysius barked out a laugh.
“And why, pray tell, would we let you do that?”
I fought to turn around. Aloysius, seeing me struggle, allowed me to do so. The look on Jett’s face utterly terrified me. He raised his left hand, something behind him following the motion. I realised it was the body of an unconscious rogue, the scout that Raven and I had taken prisoner.
“Hyde,” Aloysius said, something flickering in his eyes. “How are you able to use magic here?” he snapped angrily.
Jett shrugged.
“My magic is still infused with that of a rogue. You can’t block my magic without blocking your own.”
My heart seemed to stop as my breath caught in my chest. Jett had been a rogue?
Looking around, I saw that they all had black eyes and hair.
Exactly like Jett.
I could talk to him later. But right now I needed to trust him.
Aloysius’ eyes flicked to Hyde, and in that instant I realised that he wasn’t willing to put the young man in danger. Jett saw this also, and took immediate advantage of it. He drew his sword.
“Fine,” Aloysius snarled. “Take them.”
The magic that had been holding me vanished. I staggered, trying to regain my balance. I saw Eleanora do the same.
“And Phoenix.” Jett added quickly.
The two mages holding him let go. I darted forward and caught him, almost falling under his dead weight. Eleanora, seeing me fight to stand up, helped me with him. We crossed the clearing to Jett.
“Leave Hyde.” Aloysius commanded.
Jett promptly dropped the rogue on the forest floor, who fell in an ungracious heap.
Jett turned quickly and headed into the forest. Eleanora and I followed, supporting Phoenix.
“Don’t follow us.” Jett called back.
There was no response.
We walked silently back towards the Academy. I could feel Jett fuming silently next to me. He was angry… very angry.
Phoenix seemed to get heavier and heavier as we walked. Adding to the fact that I was feeling unwell all of a sudden, I was worried that soon we would just have to drag him along, but sooner than I expected, the tree cover opened up to the campus grounds. It seemed to be more populated than when I’d left it.
“Take care of Phoenix.” Jett snapped at me.
Eleanora reluctantly let me take Phoenix.
“Dustin.” I said, nodding over to him as he came out onto the grounds.
Eleanora turned on the spot and ran to him. Ispin and Petre hurried over to me with the girls, taking Phoenix from my grasp.
“To the infirmary,” Dena instructed, and we all moved as one towards the Academy. Rain supported me as my strength failed, my broken wrist throbbing and nausea began to swell in my stomach.
All of them were mildly injured, but none of them seemed bothered by it. Something swelled in my heart, and tears grew in my eyes. By the time we got to the Academy, I was such a ball of emotions that I didn’t know what to do.
We got to the infirmary and Petre and Ispin laid Phoenix on a bed. I looked over him properly for the first time.
His lip had stopped bleeding, but the bruise on his cheek had become incredibly prominent. I winced as I looked over the discolouration.
“Sky.” Phoenix mumbled, surfacing briefly from unconsciousness.
I rested one hand on his good cheek and looked at him.
“I’m here,” I whispered. “It’s going to be okay.”
Dena shouldered me aside, examining Phoenix.
“His physical injuries don’t seem to be too serious, but I’m more worried of the fact that he’s been exposed to rogue magic.”
We all looked at her.
“Their magic is very different from ours. You should feel a little off, Sky; just by being in their presence you’ve been infected.”
That answered that question then.
“How do you mean, different?” I asked.
“Their magic is fuelled by anger and malice,” Dena said, sending a wash of blue sparks over Phoenix’s unconscious body. “Remember how Professor Yu kept saying ‘from the heart’?”
We all nodded. We’d had him yell it at us enough times.
“Well, he actually meant ‘from the heart’. We use power and grace, love and intellect when we use our magic,” I decided not to tell her about the time I’d destroyed my target; it had been pure frustration. “Theirs is everything we’re taught to avoid. No wonder it poisons us.”
We sat about the infirmary watching Dena work on Phoenix until midnight. The matrons flitted around us, healing the other wounded.
Jett came to tell us to go to sleep, promising to watch over Phoenix. As I passed Jett at the door, he gripped my shoulder. We didn’t look at each other, but silent understanding ran through us both.
I got back to my room and opened the door. I expected it to be empty. Instead I found Larni fast asleep on my bed. She awoke and sat bolt upright when I closed the door.
“Miss,” she said, and then crossed the room and hugged me fiercely. “I didn’t know if you were going to survive,” she said. “I was in the infirmary when the attack began, I’ve been there all day until one of the matrons sent me here to rest, but you didn’t come back in the evening...”
“It’s okay,” I told her, rubbing her back. “I’m here, I’m alright, just... tired.”
Larni held me at arm’s length.
“And everyone else?” she asked, concern in her eyes. “Are they alright?”
I explained Phoenix’s situation, and she trembled.
“And, Larni.” Tears spilled over before I could stop them. My hands shook as I remembered. “Larni, I killed someone.”
My shoulders shook with sobs as she took me in her arms again. The phrase kept echoing around my head.
I, Rose Evermore of the human realm, Sky of this realm, had killed another being. I would never be the same person again.
After Larni had splinted my wrist better than I could’ve done it myself and managed to make me go to bed, I lay awake, staring at the ceiling. I wondered what his name was, how old he was, where he was from. Was he from the human realm or was he born here? What made him turn to the rogues?
Had he deserved to die?
I rolled over onto my side, the window breathing fresh air onto me. My hair ruffled in the breeze, and I closed my eyes as Morri landed on the pillow next to me.
When it came down to it, if he hadn’t died, I
would’ve. I now understood the meaning of survival of the fittest.
The next morning dawned bright and unacceptably cheery. I headed to the infirmary before the mess hall to check on Phoenix. Jett, who was still sitting with him, said that he’d be fine in another couple of hours.
It was in the mess hall that I noticed something different about the place. We hadn’t lost any students or staff, but the mages who had come to help us had lost some of their own. They planned to leave as soon as they could travel again to grieve in their own cities.
When Iain and Netalia came to us at the end of the meal, I really thought they were just going to say something about the rogues. So I headed to the Main Hall with the other students, completely unsuspecting. When we got there, Professor Watt took me aside, but didn’t say a word. I looked at her, wondering why I’d been singled out, but she refused to meet my gaze.
“After these few days of grief, I regret to tell you that they are not yet over,” Iain said, locking his hands behind his back. “One of the students here has broken our most sacred of rules.”
Fire shot up my spine and for the first time since meeting the rogues in the forest, I was wide awake.
Iain motioned something to Professor Watt, who pushed me forwards, though not roughly. I stumbled into the aisle between the rows of chairs.
“Sky, you have broken the rules by falling in love with your soul mate,” Netalia said, and I couldn’t help but notice something like triumph in her silver eyes. “For this, you are banished.”
“What?” I asked, just as the other students began to protest loudly.
It was only when two of the city mages took me by my upper arms to drag me from the hall that I grasped what was happening.
“Let me go!” I told the mages, wrestling against their grip furiously.
“Where’s your proof?” Theresa shouted at them from where she was standing.
“Yesterday we allowed her and Phoenix to be cornered on the upper levels. We saw with our own eyes the kiss that should never have taken place.”
“You were there?” I asked quietly, and the mages who held me froze in place. “You watched him get taken away?”
“Yes,” Netalia said, and now I was sure that she was loving this. “And now we have the proof we needed.”
“No, enough!” I shouted, my voice echoing through the hall. I wrenched free of the mages. “The real criminals in this hall stand before us!”
Everyone looked to Iain and Netalia, who suddenly looked very uncomfortable.
“I lied, Netalia,” I told her. Everyone had gone quiet, listening to me. “I lied when I said our trip to Riverdoor was enjoyable,” I began to walk up the middle of the aisle towards them. “The city was in ruin, in despair. They were being hunted by a Du’rangor; Petre’s brother Samlin was taken by it! They were cut off from their sister city, they needed mages, they needed help, but when they turned to you, their leaders, they got nothing!” My voice rose to a shout and Netalia flinched as though I’d physically hit her. I wish I had. “How long were you going to stand by while your people suffered?”
“Stop!” Netalia screeched, but I was too far gone.
“NO! I’ve kept quiet for so long, but hey, the damage is done,” I laughed hysterically. “What else can you possibly do to me? Huh? What else are you going to inflict upon me? I’m sorry that I’m different. I’m sorry I broke the rules. I’m sorry for being the mage that wouldn’t abide by your rule. But since when is it your decision to say who stays and who goes? You get rid of me, fine, that’s cool, but don’t think for a second, that I am done here. This isn’t the last you’ll see of me, I know it. And you know it too, don’t you?”
Netalia was white, her finger shaking as she pointed at me. She opened her mouth to say something, but I cut her off.
“No, I’m sick of hearing you ‘decree’ things,” I mimicked her hand movements as I said ‘decree’. “I’m tired of hearing you declare things. Who died and made you rulers of the world?”
“Queen Fleur,” Iain boomed suddenly, and I was so shocked that I stopped talking. “On her death, we were charged with keeping the country running.”
“That was a thousand years ago,” I protested. “There’s no way that could possibly be true.”
“It is,” Netalia said. “We’ve kept this country in order since the Second Queen died.”
“Not very well,” I snorted, and a few students smirked, especially Petre. He was white and shaking with anger as he stood and marched to my side.
“My father called for your aid,” he said quietly. “I thought my little brother dead. He very nearly was. And now you banish his saviour? She’s saved all of us over and over again, proved her worth time and time again. My little brother will grow up to be a mage and I hope for his sake that you are not in charge when he comes here. I hope your bigotry is long gone before my brother steps foot through those doors.”
“She saved me as well,” Yasmin told her, coming to stand on my other side. “Destroying a dam that the Orthandrellians had built and cut off the water supply to Abdoor. It was an illegal dam; you should’ve dealt with it before we had to. As a result I almost died and I would’ve if it hadn’t been for Sky.”
Tears were beginning to collect in my eyes now as I heard their defence of me. But from the look on Netalia’s face, she was becoming more and more fond of the idea of banishing me. I was the problem, I was the catalyst, and this would all go away, would all be forgotten if I wasn’t here.
“That being said,” she started slowly. “The fact is that we rule this Academy. Not the students. Not the staff. Especially not you, Sky.” There was pure hatred in her glance at me. I made sure it was returned. “We decide how things are run in this country, and I will certainly not have my mind changed by a silly little chit who thinks she knows what love is!”
“So you think I don’t know what love is?” I asked quietly. I might have her here. “But you’re banishing me for it?”
The other students were murmuring to themselves. Netalia looked like she was realising that she might have just lost this argument.
“Enough,” Iain said, his deep voice calming down any conversation amongst the students and mages. “We’ve decided. Take her outside,” he said to the mages who stood behind me.
The students were on their feet now, shouting at their Master and Second Master. I didn’t let the older mages grab me again. Instead I walked, my heart banging in my chest. I felt like I was walking to my own execution. Everyone followed us out the front doors, onto the grounds which were sunny and bright. The breeze lifted my hair and dried the unfallen tears in my eyes as Morri descended upon me, shrieking his disappointment. He landed on my arm for the last time, and I noticed that his arrival had greatly unsettled Iain who was right behind me.
“Goodbye, Morrigan,” I said, the tears beginning to flow. He flew off and I looked up to my bedroom window, to see with a painful twist of my heart, saw Larni staring out of it, tears flowing freely down her cheeks.
Her scarf. I’d forgotten to give her the red scarf. Maybe they’d let me back inside for one last time. One last time to see my room and hug Larni goodbye. But one look at Netalia told me that she was going to do whatever was in her power to make my farewell miserable.
“NO!”
Everyone looked towards Jett, who had come to stand in the doorway. The look on his face was utter disbelief.
“You would do to her what you would do to Lena?”
Iain’s face darkened.
“I am aware, Jettais, of your past mistakes, but it does not excuse another for repeating them.”
Jett fell silent, but the look of anger on his face did not subside. His eyes didn’t leave mine.
“Sky, you have two minutes to say goodbye to everyone. Except one.” Iain was firm.
I bowed my head and felt the tears welling up. After all I’d been through, I couldn’t even say goodbye to the one I loved. I would never see him again, and I would have no mem
ory of him.
Many pairs of arms encircled me. I cried into all of them, as they cried into me. Dena, Theresa, Yasmin, Rain, Petre, Ispin, Dustin, even Raven was there. Others I didn’t know also joined the hug. We stood together for what felt like a few minutes, but before I realised that it had been two minutes, Jett was pulling me away.
“Wait,” I whispered, struggling away from him for a second. “Dena.”
She came to me, and hugged me one last time. I took advantage of the hug to whisper in her ear.
“Rose,” I hissed quietly. “Rose Evermore.”
A final squeeze and she stepped away, nodding slightly. My ticket to coming back here, to knowing all wasn’t lost. It felt fitting, as though one of my last acts in the mage world was disregarding the rules, for the last time.
Jett put his hand on my shoulder and steered me away. Everyone followed.
“You shouldn’t have done that, Sky,” he said quietly.
I ignored him; there was something more pressing on my mind, something I needed to know before the end. I’d been suspecting for awhile, but I hadn’t let myself consciously think it.
“Jett!” My voice was hushed; I knew I couldn’t let the others overhear what I was about to say, no matter how badly I wanted it to be true. “Jett, you know her name, don’t you? Lena’s human name, what is it?!”
We stopped in front of Iain, Netalia standing just behind me. I turned away from the look of savage triumph on her face, instead looking at the crowd who’d gathered in the doors. I could see Dena standing next to the others, tears streaming down her face. Just when I thought Jett wasn’t going to speak, he lifted his head and spoke one word.
“Christina.”
“Sky, you have broken the rules of our world and will be likewise punished. I call on the power as Master of this Academy-”
“Christina!” my chubby little legs carried me along, and the name fell from my mouth again. “Christina!”
“There’s my beautiful little Rose,” strong arms scooped me up and I giggled with delight. “But you don’t call me that, sweetheart. You call me Mum.”
“Mum,” I repeated dutifully. “Mum.”
“To banish you hence-”
Suddenly everything was clear. I looked up at Jett, seeing him as though for the first time, all of the little similarities. I opened my mouth to tell him. It seemed too fantastic to be true, but he’d confirmed it with her name. I had one word to say, just one, that would fix everything.
“From this Academy and the continent of Lotheria.”
There was a bright flash of light. I heard my name being called by someone in the distance. He sounded upset.
“Phoenix.” I murmured, and then I was gone.
~Epilogue~
The soft sunlight woke me. I was tucked into my bed, the covers warm and familiar. My wrist hurt, and when I lifted it, I saw a splint. Why did I have a splint? I couldn’t remember, but my wrist was too painful to probe any further.
I could hear Mum in the kitchen downstairs.
I groaned, staring up at the ceiling. I longed for the day when I would be different, when I could get out of Ar Cena, break the cycle of this lazy little town.
But it wouldn’t be today.
About the Author
Aprille Legacy is a twenty something who lives in Adelaide, South Australia. Soul Fire is her first self-published novel, with two more in the trilogy to follow and most likely countless others.
Soul Fire can be found on Goodreads.com or on Amazon.com
If you liked this novel, log onto aprillelegacy.com and receive the second book in the trilogy for free!
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