“You’ll have to come see for yourself,” Green said. “Or are you too afraid?”
I scowled. “Afraid?” Kael had taught me that the best cure for fear was to conquer it. “I’m… I’m not.”
Green narrowed his eyes. “Interesting.”
“What is?”
“You’re allowed to tell lies. It’s a strange ability.”
“Can’t you?” My cheeks heated when I realized my admission. My scowl deepened. “And I’m not lying.”
“There you are,” he said. “Doing it again. We can’t do that. Our words fall short if we try, and so we have to twist our truths to create one.”
“Twist truths?”
“Half-truths. They’re the only way we can get a lie out of our lips. Curious.”
I tucked the golden flower inside my pocket, my pulse skittering from the way Green’s eyes raked over my body. “You still haven’t told me about the fae lands. You called it Thesnan?”
“I did invite you to come take a look for yourself.”
“That’s not fair.”
Green laughed. A beautiful sound. “I’ll give you some hints. The buildings there are made from plants. It’s a place of magic, and nature can sprawl around the place. I’d assume that outsiders would find it wondrous, the same way I feel about Constanria. I wouldn’t know. We don’t get many outsiders. We’re extending you an opportunity that no one has ever had before.”
“Should I consider myself lucky for being invited?”
“Very.” Green nodded.
“But to go there, I’ll have to part with my friends and family.”
At that instant, Mayhem walked into the courtyard, emerging from behind a wall. He moved toward me, keeping his wary eyes on Green. I reached into my pouch and pulled out a treat for him. Mayhem took the jerky from my hand, though his attention was still transfixed on Green, as if Green might pounce me should Mayhem stop protecting me. The ingoria was a sucker for his treats, however, and so he ate despite his perceived danger.
I sank into Mayhem’s soft fur. Turning to Green, I asked, “If I choose to go to Thesnan, will I have to be alone?”
“Preferably.” Green glanced at the ingoria. “But that might be too terrifying for you.”
“I’ll go to the fae lands,” I said. “But I’ll want to bring Mayhem along. And Kaji.”
“Kaji?”
“He’s a good friend. He’s from Kainrya.”
“That war-torn country? The fae lands are close to it.”
I raised my brows. “Is it? I didn’t know.”
Green folded his arms across his chest, his shoulders stretching the fabric of his shirt. “The king and triad only agreed on bringing one dragon-kind into our home. Cendri would be against this.”
“Cendri doesn’t like dragon-kind much, does he?”
“He’s traditional. And the old stories…”
I had a bad feeling about the treatment I was going to receive in Thesnan. Why did I have this need to throw myself into danger? I blamed Kael for his bad parenting.
Green thought over my request. “You’re certain you’ll go to the fae lands if we let you bring those two along? The ingoria wouldn’t be a problem. The fae love ingorias. They’re considered to be sacred, majestic beasts. A sign of good luck. But Kaji…”
I dipped my head. “If you agree, then um, yes… I’ll go.”
“I’ll take your word, then. Tonight, I’ll let the others know of your promise. Do not break it. Us fae don’t take promises lightly.”
“I don’t think anybody should.”
“I’ll see you around, Lyra.” He took a few paces away from me. I watched his back as he left, ignoring the queasy sensation in my stomach.
Seven
Mom gave me a big hug. “Remember to write us by sparroweed every night.”
Gaius shook his head. “I still don’t agree with this.”
I turned to Mom. “Every night?” I asked. “Mom, I’ll probably have a life there. I won’t have time to keep checking up on you.”
Mom rolled her eyes. “It doesn’t take long to write a few sentences. Have some concern for a mother’s worry, won’t you? Kylen still continues to do it despite living in Beyestirya. It shouldn’t be too hard.”
“I’m old enough to take care of myself.”
“I want to know you’re alive, that’s all.” She kissed my forehead. “You’ll forever be my baby.”
I cringed at the thought of being compared to a mere babe, but I let Mom do as she pleased anyway. After leaving for Thesnan, it’d be months before I got to see her again. Green—I’d learned that his real name was Nemreth—had requested I be allowed to bring Kaji and Mayhem along. His peers agreed. After that promise, I didn’t feel like I had a choice.
“We’ll storm the fae lands as soon as anything happens to you,” Gaius said. “Rylan has made that plenty clear to the dragon fae.”
I stepped away from my parents, excitement crawling through my veins. Behind me, Kaji, Mayhem, the triad, and the fae king waited for me. I wrapped my hand around the hilt of my dagger. Micah had given me that dagger when I was still a child. For me, it’d always be a reminder of home.
“Stay safe,” Mom said, waving to me as she stood amongst her husbands.
“Don’t let them push you around!” Kael added.
I spotted Mom scowling at Kael, shoving him with her elbow, as I glanced over my shoulder. I joined the band of fae after. We were in front of the gates of the palace, with drerkyn guards patrolling the place, their sharp-tipped wings spread out from their backs.
The fae king looked at me. “You’re making the right decision, princess. With this, the regions will foster stronger bonds.”
“It’s a selfish choice,” I said. “I’m following to see cool magic and meet new people.”
The fae king laughed. Why did all the fae sound musical when they laughed? “Fae like honesty. You’ll adjust well to our kind.”
“Tough luck with the fae adjusting to her,” Cendri muttered.
The fae king brushed off the blonde’s comment, which did little to abate my unease.
I waved one last time to my parents before the fae and I exited the palace. “Raise the gates!” one of the drerkyn guards shouted. The metal structure lifted from the ground, groaning under its own weight.
Cendri glared at the gate with disgust. “Another reason why I can’t wait to leave this place. There’s too much iron around here.”
“It makes things a little more exciting, doesn’t it?” Nemreth replied, shooting a teasing glance at Cendri.
“What’s wrong with iron?” I asked.
“It burns our skin,” Cendri answered. “Sears it right off. And if we’re stabbed with it, it feels like death. A horrible poisoning I don’t wish upon anyone else. Fae are vulnerable to iron, and there’s too much of it around here.” He turned his attention toward my weapons. “You’ll be asked to hand those in the minute you walk into Thesnan.”
“My weapons? I grew up with them. They’re extensions of my limbs.”
“You’ll be given new ones. Glass weapons. Learn to fight with those.”
Already, I was beginning to regret my decision. I cursed my naivety and need for adventure. Such were the perils of being young at heart. “My father gave my dagger to me.”
“You’ll get it back,” Nemreth said, the cheeriness in his voice making it evident that he didn’t sense how troubled this situation made me. “We’ll keep it safe for you, and when you’re finished in Thesnan, you’ll return to your family, together with your weapons.”
I huffed, still unconvinced, but Nemreth did say that fae couldn’t lie, right?
“She won’t be going home if the teramarth get her first,” Autumn said. “Those things are troubling.” It was the first time I’d heard him speak. His voice was the smoothest of the triad. I whipped my head toward him. Before we left, the fae king had introduced me to him. His real name was like Cendri’s—way too long to recite. I remembered that
his first name was Aland, and his last Cardell. He was the son of a very important family, so important that the place where the dragon fae resided was named after his family.
He was also the coldest amongst the triad. I avoided looking at him most of the time. His icy, almost-white eyes made his appearance unsettling. The orange of his hair and clothes did little to lighten the chilling vibe he gave off. He offered me a stiff look. “Don’t get eaten, princess.”
As I walked, I distanced myself from him, nearing Nemreth instead. Nemreth kept glancing over at Cendri. They shared a bond I couldn’t quite put my finger on. Brotherly love? But the longing that Nemreth exuded made me think there was something more.
We rounded the walls of the palace until we reached the stables. I didn’t need a horse. Mayhem allowed me to ride him. We could fly to wherever we were supposed to go. Dragon-kind and dragon fae had wings, after all. I’d seen Nemreth’s wings yesterday, right before he’d taken to the skies, leaving me in the courtyard. They were green, just like his eyes, and they similarly awed me.
“Where are we riding to?” I asked, hoisting myself onto Mayhem’s back. Kaji got himself a horse, too, same as the fae men. Its hide was a reddish brown. We began our trek through Raynea, the horses cantering on the cobbled ground. I couldn’t help but think that the horses looked delicious. The bestial, dragon side of me enjoyed its kills, after all.
“Somewhere with less city and more nature,” the fae king responded, riding ahead. “There aren’t enough plants in Raynea. Not for our travel spell to work well.”
Cendri sighed. “She doesn’t get it. Look at the confusion on her face.”
“Cut her some slack,” Nemreth said. “She’s new to the fae. I bet she didn’t know of us until yesterday. We keep our secrets well.”
“Why do you have to be around plants?” I asked.
Nemreth replied, “Fae magic is linked to flora and the cycles of the moon. The more flora around us, the stronger it is. It’s the strongest when it’s the full moon.”
“Huh,” I said. “Why is your magic different from the rest of us?”
“Rakarth is our god. We think he is one of Gaean’s many clones.”
I cringed at the name Gaean. I had a love-hate relationship with the gods. To solve the problem of the Great Ash and prevent the world from imploding, they’d wanted to use my parents as sacrifices. They kept everything running, and were lenient on my parents after. Still, that didn’t stop the sour taste in my mouth every time I heard their names. “Rakarth sounds like trouble,” I said. Gods were always trouble. They held too much power.
“He’s the reason why we have our magic,” the fae king said. “The fables say that Rakarth wanted autonomy, and he hated being like Gaean, so much so that he created his own realm, his own form of magic, new species that were similar to Gaean’s, but different at the same time.”
“He gave you more magic and pointed ears,” I said. “How original.”
“He was too like Gaean. The stories mentioned him hating that curse. No matter how much he tried to be different, he was still similar to the old god.”
We continued through Raynea. The city dwellers made way for us as we moved through the busy streets. Aland watched the goings-on with narrowed eyes. Nemreth waved to the few who were friendly enough to wave back. Cendri, however, did not care to regard the city at all.
We left through the giant city gates and came to the fields that bordered Raynea. The city was a cluster of buildings, all squeezed inside its walls. The air outside was much cooler. Wind blew over green grass. A dirt path cut through the grass, leading us into a nearby forest.
“Just a bit more should do,” the fae king said.
“You lot call yourselves dragon fae,” I said. “Does this mean you can shift into dragons, too? Is that how we’re returning?” My beast rumbled inside me, eager to get out. It had been a month since I’d shifted. My inner dragon intended to unfurl its wings.
Nemreth grinned. “It’s not time to shift yet. You will see much of it in the academy.”
“Academy?” I asked, frowning.
“Yes. A school. You’ll go there to learn.”
I stuck my tongue out. School sounded like it involved lessons. I loathed them. Returning home suddenly seemed far more enticing. I peered over my shoulder, studying the cream-colored walls that rimmed Raynea. “Nobody told me of this before I agreed to come.”
“What’s wrong with attending Rakarthen?” the fae king asked, cocking his head. “It’s a prestigious place. Only the best of fae warriors are invited in. Most consider being chosen for the school an honor.”
“Will there be books?” I asked.
“Yes,” the fae king replied.
“Lessons?”
“Definitely.”
“Tests?”
“Of course. It is an academy, after all.”
I groaned, palming my face.
“Sorry,” Kaji said, speaking up for the first time amongst the fae. “My mistress is allergic to study of a boring nature.”
“Learning about the fae is hardly boring,” Nemreth said. “Do you mean to insult my kind?”
“I prefer a hands-on learning experience,” I explained. “I don’t understand how some people spend all day reading and reading and reading. The words don’t end.”
“Reading is fuel for the soul,” the fae king said. “It expands your mind beyond reality.”
“It’s fuel for sleep,” I muttered. “Guess it helps keep you dreaming.”
“Hands-on learning?” The side of Nemreth’s mouth twitched. “Then you’ll find yourself at home in Rakarthen. We test our abilities every day. A good warrior has to be sharp, not only in mind, but physically, too.”
“Considering how much she shuns books,” Cendri said, “she’s going to have trouble with the mind part.”
“Ly’s pretty sharp,” Kaji interrupted. “She has a short attention span. That’s all. She gets things quicker than most people.” He’d defended me with such an unenthusiastic tone that I wondered how much he believed what he preached.
“Hm.” Cendri turned his nose up. “Don’t know if I can trust the words of a dragon-kind. Your bunch are prone to lies.”
“Why invite me to your lands if all you’re going to do is spit on my people?” I asked.
Cendri turned toward the fae king. “I was outvoted. By these three.”
“I’m just saying it’s worth a shot,” Nemreth said. “I’ll support you regardless of what you choose.”
Cendri harrumphed.
I glanced at Aland, the cool, red-haired fae. He kept his attention forward, unfazed by Cendri’s accusatory tone. He’d wanted the dragon-kind to go to Cardell? Why? Aland looked like he wouldn’t welcome anyone at all.
“This place should do it,” the fae king said. “Far away from all that iron. Can you sense the magical structures around here? It’s stronger, isn’t it?”
“You’d know for sure if you hadn’t given up your powers,” Cendri said.
“I thought we were done bringing that up.”
“Most of Cardell still hasn’t forgiven you for your folly. Then again, it might be why the triad’s deemed more important than ever. The burden on our shoulders is heavier because of you.”
I wasn’t sure what they were talking about losing powers, but I was glad that Cendri’s displeasure was directed somewhere else, for once. It was nice to know that he could be an asshole to others, too. Why did Nemreth keep looking at Cendri like that? Was there something I couldn’t see?
“Is there supposed to be anything special here?” I asked, darting my gaze around. We were at the entrance of the forest. Pine trees surrounded us, with the blues of the sky leaking through the canopy. “How are we going to Thesnan?”
“Through magic,” the fae king replied. “It’s a quick spell. You won’t even notice—”
I blinked.
When I opened my eyes again, I was no longer in Constanria. A minty forest scent hit my nostrils. I str
aightened my spine to get a better look. Buildings made from plants, just as Nemreth had described, stood before me, and I spotted a little woman with dragonfly-like wings darting across the green expanse.
I frowned. “That… that woman was tiny.”
“She’s a pixie,” Nemreth said, winking at me. “The wonder is evident on your face.”
“This place is…” I was at a loss for words. Fae with fiery wings, just like I’d seen on Cendri and Nemreth, flew around the place, the glow casting resplendent colors on the trees. Shouldn’t they be worried with so much fire around the place? Were the houses not flammable?
“It’s nothing special,” Cendri said, shrugging nonchalantly.
“It’s amazing,” I said. “I’ve never seen anything like it.” Even Kaji looked mildly awed. I had to emphasize the word mildly. I couldn’t remember when the last time he’d gotten excited.
Nemreth grinned. “Welcome to Cardell, Lyra.”
Eight
“This is the Rakarthen Academy?” I walked with Mayhem by my side as my spirits rode high. I was far from home, in a foreign land, and the freshness of it all gave me hope. The fae king had left me with the triad shortly after our arrival. He mentioned having kingly duties to attend to or whatever. I’d waved him along, muttering a goodbye as he departed.
I had little attention for propriety. I was too enraptured by Cardell.
And now, the gates of Rakarthen had me gaping, excitement running through my veins like the flames I saw everywhere. So many flames. So much greenery. How the both of them existed in tandem awed me.
“It’s only the entrance and you’re already this amazed,” Nemreth said. We were strolling toward the academy on foot. The men had left their horses at the stables, nearer to Cardell’s entrance.
“The entrance… It’s shaped like two giant wings. And it’s alight with rainbow flames.” I rubbed my eyes, just to ensure that what I looked at was real. “How do the flames on the gate not die off?”
“Magic is what fae are good at,” Nemreth explained.
Cendri looked annoyed. He had no patience for my standing around, gazing longingly at my surroundings. Why did he have to be like this? Was it wrong for me to admire his homeland? Shouldn’t he be more pleased that I wasn’t insulting Cardell, and was enraptured by its sights?
Rakarthen Academy Page 5
