Cami’s eyes flash at me in warning, but I don’t deviate from the plan. The peace in Elmwick is too new, too fragile to explain to the hunters that a drop of their blood could give us a definitive answer as to whether or not they’re a hidden legacy. The possibility of one day having magic will do more for the longevity of the peace in this town than that clarity. And the bitter disappointment of those who turn out to be human could push them right back into the arms of the radical hunters—the few that left town with Oggy and Andreev.
“But if we can’t free our powers without a banshee’s circle, what are we supposed to do?” someone else asks in the crowd.
“We train together.” I scan the familiar faces of the elites around me. “We’ll keep searching for a way to lift the joint spell from all fire drakes.”
“How?” the guy sitting next to Fiona asks, barely masking over his disappointment.
“Well, we stabilized the circle and freed my powers, so I wouldn’t underestimate us.” I give him a quick wink. “For now, I’d be happy if we simply learn to work together and help each other.”
“There’s plenty to be done around here,” Bryar adds. The sun shines strong behind her, bringing out the red in her hair. “Andreev and Oggy are still out there, trying to rally hunters to their cause. And they control the legacy prisons.”
“Bryar is right.” I wrap an arm around Cami. With or without these new powers, I would do anything to protect her from the rogue hunters. “Well-trained elites will always be welcome in the new order. We’ll need to defend our community from the rogues—be they human hunters or legacies who cross the line.”
The elites sitting with us exchange nods and shy glances. This is a huge adjustment in their lives, which reminds me that the world is different for everyone in Elmwick now, especially the humans. The hunters didn’t manage to take down the haze during the fight thanks to the wolves in the forest, who defended the charm’s anchor points. But even so, the battle caused confusion and led to multiple questions from Elmwick’s humans.
I’ve been thinking about this for a while now. Sitting here, surrounded by my friends and new allies, I feel confident enough to utter the words. “Perhaps the time of the haze is over.”
Amid everyone’s gasps, Charity gapes at me while Awan drops his ham-and-cheese sandwich on the grass.
“You can’t be serious,” Charity says. “One picture or video uploaded online, and we’ll be exposed. Without the haze, we’ll always be one click away from starting a war with the humans. How quickly will Oggy and Andreev fill their ranks if we shock and frighten the human world?”
I sigh, shaking my head. “I know the truth about the legacies is more than most humans can accept, but if Elmwick is to become a true supernatural sanctuary, then we have to stop hiding.”
Cami’s rosy lips pull into a soft smile. “So, what you’re saying is that we don’t need a charm that hides our powers...”
I grin at her, still amazed at how quickly she is able to understand exactly what I mean. “We need a charm that will inspire the humans in this town to celebrate us, to work with us, and to protect our secrets from the rest of the world.” I turn to Charity, who considers my words, biting on her lower lip. “Can you alter the haze like that?”
Vanessa reaches over and grabs a baby carrot from the Ziploc bag in Charity’s hands. “Of course, she can. She’s an almighty charmer.”
The two enter into a staring contest, trying not to laugh when Vanessa chews loudly on her carrot.
At last Charity laughs and looks away. She scratches her chin, nails painted a mild lilac color, before she sighs. “We’ll have to get creative, but, yes, it should be possible.”
“Yes!” Vanessa squeals and claps—a much bigger supporter of the charmers after their magic saved her life.
Her giddy reaction causes Seff to chuckle, which Vanessa attempts to make him pay for by forcing him to eat the rest of her carrot. They roll on the ground long after she fails and drops it in the grass.
I look back at Fiona and the rest of the elites. “We’ll make this town safe for everyone, so when we find a way to free the rest of the fire drakes, they’ll fit right in.”
“And how exactly do we fit into Elmwick Academy until we know who’s a fire drake and who’s a regular human?” Fiona asks.
“You’ll all train as supernatural protectors for now.” I force optimism and finality in my tone. We’ve got to make this work. “And once the fire drakes are free, I’ll be happy to train them myself.”
A few among the elites gasp in awe. A girl at the back even lets out a jingling laugh.
I can’t help but feel smug. Or is it just the thick fire drake skin that makes me feel invincible?
“Oh, yes, didn’t I mention it to you? I’ll be staying in Elmwick to oversee the construction of our new fire drake room and to supervise your training. Trust me, the best is yet to come.”
Chapter 35. Cami
Legacies, former hunters, and humans alike linger in the schoolyard after the ceremony. Excitement fills the air as the lazy summer breeze moves the leafy branches of the magnolia tree. I don’t need my banshee intuition to sense everyone feels lighter, stronger, free. By restoring a long-lost balance, we have not only broken the ancient curse on the circle, but the stigma that weighed heavily on us all.
As much as our accomplishment makes me smile every time I remind myself it really happened, there is one piece of unfinished business stealing my attention away. Even laying on the grass with Mason and the rest of our circle around us, even with the darkness gone, my conscience is heavy.
Mason stands and offers me a hand up. “Come on.”
I let him pull me to my feet. “What did you have in mind?”
Mason lets out a laugh—so uninhibited and genuine that I giggle. “It’s not me who has something on their mind. Whatever makes you brood, we’ve got to clear it right up. Brooding is supposed to be my thing.”
That provokes a shy string of giggles from me. I take him by the hand and lead him into Elmwick Academy.
“As far as make-out spots go, this isn’t bad, though it’s a bit too gloomy for a glorious day of sunshine.”
I elbow Mason in the ribs for the audacity, which only makes him laugh as I lead him to the banshee training room.
He stops before we enter, though, eying the wall on the right. “I think this spot should do for the new training room.”
Well, that explains his interest in a wall. With a roll of my eyes, I push the door to the banshee training room open.
“Grandma said Mom left me a letter hidden in here.” I lick my lips, mustering all my banshee intuition to guide me. “It’s supposed to help me find my cousin. The hunters took her and my aunt years ago. Too many years ago. I barely remember them.”
Mason takes me by the shoulders and spins me toward him. “What we started here in Elmwick is only the beginning. It’s a win, but I’m aware the rest of the world is still a dangerous and cruel place for our kind. There’s a lot more work ahead of us, but if we can, we will free every last legacy the hunters have taken away from our community.”
I nod, feeling braver as his determination drips through the link to me. Our footsteps echo in the quiet room as we stroll down the mirrored corridor. I try to think of Mom, of Aunt Zoe, and of Cassie. Her face is a blur in my mind, but I remember her voice and let that memory guide me. On instinct, I touch the small fissure between the frames of two mirrors. I run my finger down its length until I feel a slight bump.
“I need something sharp,” I tell Mason, who takes out a thin knife hidden in his shoe.
“Old hunter habits die hard.”
He jams it inside the small fissure between the mirror frames and moves it up and down. Slowly, a yellowing piece of paper comes out. It’s folded so tightly that I fear I’ll tear it apart as I open it. With my heartbeat booming in my ears, I smooth out the lined sheet and read the familiar, curly handwriting.
My dear Cami,
This
is the weirdest letter I’ve ever had to write, and for a good reason.
The message herein is broken through the prism of time, which only we, as banshees, can understand. I’m writing this letter after meeting you only once, in a vision years ahead into the future for me. That, of course, will be a distant past to you by the time you get to read these words.
As I said, this is the weirdest letter I’ve ever had to write.
You will have years of memories of me by the time you read this, and I’m writing it to someone I know I’ll love, but who feels a bit of a stranger to me now. Apologies if I don’t sound like the sentimental, warm-and-fuzzy Mom you probably need at this point. I’ll have years to grow into it. I’m just not there yet.
Bear with me, though, because, despite my clumsy phrasing, this letter is important. While you’re reading, your cousin, Cassie, rots in a prison made for our kind. Please... Help break her out of it.
I hate to put the responsibility on you. If I were alive in your future, I’d try to free her myself. But as you know painfully well, I’m not. And so, the burden falls on you.
Your Aunt Zoe tells me she’s seen visions of the two of you as kids. I hope you have fond memories of Cassie. But the timeline Zoe and I have compiled by combining our visions is not what you might call precise. You might not have seen Cassie in long years. You might believe her dead.
You will need to trust in the wonderful weirdness of the banshee legacy and the mysterious ways in which it works to always illuminate the path ahead.
Zoe and I will do our best to prep you for finding Cassie. Most of the information we have comes from Zoe’s visions inside the prison where Cassie claims her powers and starts having visions of her own. One of these visions is of the day you free her.
You stand alone as a wall of ice comes down, and the two of you take off running into the winter forest.
As I write this down, I realize it doesn’t sound like much. No location. No date. No year. No precise directions about how to bring down the wall of ice.
But do not despair. The most crucial piece of information is here. You will be able to break her out. Cassie will escape with your help. Trust in the certainty of this message, follow your visions, and the rest should click into place.
I guess... I guess this is it.
We’re going to hide this letter at the Elmwick Academy banshee training room. As the last free banshee, you’ll be the only one to train there. I know you’ll find it exactly when you need to. I’ve had my fair share of doubting our visions and the paths they lead us on, but no more.
It will all work out the way it was meant to, at whatever cost.
Stay strong, my fierce banshee. I don’t know you yet, but the sense of premonition I get upon writing this letter is enough for me to be certain. You will find a way.
All my love,
Carina
My throat has gone dry, so I clear it. “A wall of ice?”
“Ice Spire...” Mason lets out a shaky breath, eyebrows raised at me. “Cami! I know where your cousin is.”
I’m breathless from having read Mom’s words, from having a piece of her back. “You do?”
“Kind of.” Mason’s lips twitch but never quite settle into a frown. “Zach and I found a document in Oggy’s office. It’s a blueprint of the Ice Spire prison. I gave it to Zach, hoping it would help him find Issa, but I’m guessing that’s where Cassie is.”
I let all the information wash over me in slow waves. “But you don’t have its location?”
Mason’s eyebrows bounce up as a challenge. “We’ll have to figure that out on our own. Maybe our newest hunter allies could help?”
I exhale slowly, nodding. “Okay. Let’s ask Zach for the blueprints back. At least they’ll help us navigate once we’re inside that place.”
Mason pulls me to him, his palms warming the small of my back. “I’ll call Zach and check what the elites know about Ice Spire.” He plants a light kiss on my forehead. “Don’t worry. We’ll get her out.”
I wrap my arms around him, my mind abuzz with the wild possibility of freeing my cousin, of getting her back after all these years. “She’s my family. I will do whatever it takes to free her.”
“What about your aunt? Why doesn’t the letter say you’ll free her too?”
I swallow, trying not to think of the worst. “I don’t know, but I will try to get them both out. Plus, Aunt Zoe could finally tell us about the clue from the banshee room. My grandma didn’t know what it was either, but all the other clues were right. I’m betting that one is true, too, however impossible it may sound.”
“You want us to leave now, don’t you?” Mason sighs in resignation. “Shouldn’t we stay a while to cement the new status quo here? If we wander off on our own, we’d be a much easier target for hunters unhappy with the new normal.”
“Oh, we won’t be going alone.” My lips pull into a daring smile. “We have a weapon that can absolutely destroy any rogue hunters in our way. And lucky for us, there’s nothing Jester wants more than his extended powers.”
Mason inclines his head, flames dancing in his brandy-colored eyes. “For that, he’ll need a banshee.”
“Mhm.” I tiptoe to plant a butterfly kiss on his lips. “And we can introduce him to just the right one.”
A NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR
My dearest reader, thank you for joining me on this journey of friendship, love, and whimsically complex magic. I hope you have enjoyed the third installment in the Elmwick Academy series, and if you have, please consider leaving a rating and review. Your support and enthusiasm mean everything to me!
Heritage brings to conclusion Cami and Mason’s star-crossed romance and the story of the first complete circle, but don’t you worry, much more fun is on its way.
The Elmwick Academy series will continue for a second arc in books 4 through 6, which will feature Fiona and the elites as they try to find their place at Elmwick Academy and claim their powers.
Meanwhile, a spin-off series under the working title Legacy Heists will follow Cami’s cousin, Cass, as she claims her freedom and embarks on a shadow mission to free all legacies imprisoned by the hunters. Can you guess who might be her partners in crime?
A multitude of interwoven secrets will delight everyone who loves the series so far. You can subscribe on my website for news of my upcoming projects and to receive a free novella about the banshee twins—Carina and Zoe Haynes.
You can also follow me on Amazon, BookBub, or social media—TikTok and Instagram are my poison of choice!
I’m excited to have you with me on these new adventures! Thank you for making my writerly dreams come true.
All my love,
Emi
CONTRIBUTORS
Cover by Andreea-Elena Vraciu (incl. photo, model and font licenses)
Proofread by Jamie Beasley
Formatted using Draft2Digital template Corner Decoration
About the Author
Emilia Zeeland is a Young Adult sci-fi and fantasy writer and author of The STAR Academy series and the Elmwick Academy series.
Her stories include coming-of-age tales, detailed worlds, unimaginable consequences, deep friendships, and romances that sneak up on you. She’s not afraid to push her characters to their limits and give them a depth that firmly plants them in readers’ hearts. In Zeeland’s writing, readers will be transported to another world, where they are not alone, but part of a tightly-knit, perfectly imperfect family.
Behind the Emilia Zeeland pseudonym, Em (as her friends call her) speaks six languages, loves to try on—and, sadly, also buy—dresses, and is a bit of a foodie.
Visit her website at www.emiliazeeland.com
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