Rakarthen Academy

by Clara Hartley

  The healer bowed his head solemnly. “I’m sorry.”

  “There’s no need to apologize.” Apologies weren’t going to do anything.

  The healer bent at the waist and placed a hand on his shoulder. It was supposed to be a fae gesture of respect. I hadn’t expected it from one of their kind. But I would have much preferred it if the healer had saved Kaji instead. “There are others in need of my help,” the healer said. “I’ll see to them now.”

  “Thank you,” I said in a monotone.

  The healer turned away, not looking back.

  Kaji grew colder, and my heart went with him.

  “If Cendri were here,” Fauna said, “the triad might have been able to do something about this. Pity that he’s gone.”

  “There’s no need to make it worse,” I replied bitterly. My patience was gone. Dried up. Just like my energy. Tears fell down my cheeks in trickles. The grief wasn’t hitting me all at once, instead coming in punishing waves.

  “Mmm.” Fauna shifted away from me.

  I closed my eyes.

  And I began searching.

  For what, exactly? I didn’t know. I used to chase after greatness and victories. I thought I could ride on the back of my accomplishments. I’d been crushed, and I’d lost the person I treasured the most. How was I to recover from this?

  “Death is normal,” Fauna said. “It happens all the time with the dark fae.”

  I shot an angry glare at Fauna. I didn’t need to hear her remarks. They didn’t help at all.

  Fauna tucked her chin to her chest and hugged her legs closer to her body. “Mmm. I’ll shut up.”

  I closed my eyes again and continued with my searching. I found myself in a long moment of silence. The grief numbed me, and strangely, it made thinking easier. I tuned out the sounds of the surrounding fae. My skin tingled as my mind fell into a trance.

  Mentally, I sank.

  I reached for the powers inside of me. Lysunth had told me there were three parts to it, hadn’t she? And I’d felt it earlier, when Aland had demonstrated to me my ability to use fae magic. I just needed more. Something. Anything to help me save Kaji.

  Aereala and Gaean’s essence. The fae side of me.

  Three parts.

  I searched and looked and dug for those three essences. I found emptiness, and the uselessness of my quest continued to persist. Godsdammit!

  Why, why, why?

  Why couldn’t I save Kaji?

  It burst from me then. The answer. A large force of energy. It started it the center of my core and exploded outward, shaking through my body. My toes curled and my fingers balled into fists, my nails digging into my palms. My world tipped.

  I pulled a breath into my lungs as my muscles tensed. My mind swam through the haphazard energy that buzzed through my insides, and then…

  I saw.

  Not through my own eyes, but through the vision of a foreign entity. I was looking at white wisps of magic, similar to the power that Nemreth and Aland controlled.

 

  I pried my eyes open, then saw Nemreth staring at me, his brow crinkled. I stopped viewing the world through the lens of his vision and returned to mine. A lump stuck in my throat. Could I answer?

  I thought.

 

 

  Surprisingly, he didn’t ask me to get out of his head. I felt a new connection, one that was tied to three individuals. Nemreth, Aland, and one much farther away. Cendri? Was it possible that I’d found him with this?

  “Hold up,” Nemreth said to Aland. They were standing far from me, and yet I heard his voice ringing clearly. It was almost as if I was right next to him. “I need to have a talk with the princess.”

  “You felt that, didn’t you?” Aland asked.

  “It’s weird. Definitely. Can you maintain the realm while I’m off?”

  “Yes. Just don’t take too long.”

  Nemreth lowered his hands. He took long strides toward me, then knelt by my side. Green eyes pierced me, filled with intent. I shrank back from him, the intensity causing my toes to curl. “Hello, princess,” he said. “Tell me what you did.”

  “Not a clue,” I replied. “Lysunth mentioned something about me being the combination of three powers, and I wondered if I could change anything with that. Because, you know, Kaji’s…”

  Nemreth flicked his gaze to Kaji, then back to me. “Go on.”

  “An energy exploded from me. After that, I could see. Not just through my own eyes, but yours.”

  His frown deepened. “That’s worrying.”

  “I’m connected to three entities now. You, Aland, and Cendri.”

  His eyes widened once I mentioned Cendri. He inched closer to me, the heat of his gaze intense. “You can feel a connection to him?”

  Slowly, I nodded.

  “Can you find him?”

  “I’ll need to test it out.”

  “Then do so. Please. Hurry. Cendri and I were separated when the teramarth attacked. He’s weakened from iron, and I have no idea where he is. I have to be here to protect the fae. Please. Find him.” Nemreth sounded desperate for once. I wasn’t used to it.

  I glanced to my side, then gave Nemreth a long stare, wondering if I should accede to his request. I pushed aside my stubbornness and caved. “Give me a moment.” I clutched my ankles and pulled air into my lungs. Ever since that burst of power, my connection to the three guys had begun dying out. I searched for it again, and there, deep inside the recesses of my mind, I found a thread. One that led me far away from this realm. Mentally, I grabbed on to it, focusing with the best of my ability.

  My mind was tugged through the realms. “I see him,” I said. “I can feel him.”

  I called, using our mental connection.

  he replied. His thoughts sounded strained. He must have been really out of it.

 

 

 

 

  I rolled my eyes, but Cendri couldn’t see that.

  “Ask him where he is,” Nemreth said.

  I nodded and did as asked.

  A long conversation occurred between Cendri and I. I spent too long trying to convince him to trust me, but finally, I pried the necessary information out of him. He sounded sick. I tried not to think about how I’d plunged that dagger into him. He needed more rest, but there was no time for that in this situation.

  When I was finished, I opened my eyes, looking directly at Nemreth. I licked my lips, my mouth feeling dry suddenly, and said, “I know where they are.”

  Thirty-Three

  The mental connection between the triad and I had disappeared. It seemed like the power only lasted temporarily, coming only after much concentration.

  Nemreth, however, wouldn’t let me out of his sight.

  “What did you see?” Nemreth asked. He towered over me, and he looked so intensely at me that my hairs stood on end. “Where is Cendri?”

  “He’s with the fae king and Alyxe. They’re stuck amongst the teramarth, and they’re trying to get to an object. The forest orb—I think they called it that.” I’d hardly ever used magic before coming to Thesnan. The art was supposed to be my fathers’ domain, and they’d merely let me dabble in it. Now, Nemreth looked at me as if I was the answer to everything. The burden of his gaze was too much.

  “The orb,” Nemreth said, dipping his head. He turned to Aland. We’d gathered around Aland to continue discussions, since Nemreth and him needed to be in this particular spot to maintain the realm. As they did their duty, the fae continued placing new soul beads next to them. “That means they’re close to Neremin’s house, because that’s where it’s held. We have to go there. Fetch Cendri.”

  “Mmm,” Fauna said. She’d followed Nemreth and me f
or some reason. I couldn’t figure out why.

  “You’ll be abandoning this realm to fetch Cendri.” Aland grunted and raised a brow at Nemreth. “You seem to be forgetting something.” He glanced at his hands, then looked across the realm.

  Nemreth growled. “We can’t leave Cendri behind like that. He’s weakened. He might be getting stabbed by the teramarth as we speak!” The white magic from Nemreth’s hands faltered, as if affected by his anger.

  “What do you suggest, then? We can’t abandon the fae.”

  Nemreth looked at me, then at Aland. “Can you hold it up on your own?”

  “I can’t say for certain. You’re asking a lot from me. I’m already weary.”

  “For half an hour. That’s as long as we’re going to take.”

  “We’re?” I asked. “Who else is going with you?”

  “Aren’t you?” Nemreth said. “I’ll need you to track him down. What if he changes locations?”

  “You’re assuming that I want to help Cendri.”

  Nemreth’s eyes darkened. “Are you saying that you’ll leave him to die?”

  I straightened. “Wasn’t that what you did to me? Seems like just your desserts now, doesn’t it?”

  “I’ll go to the forest orb without you,” Nemreth said.

  “Half an hour is still a tall order,” Aland said. “This is a two-man job, at the very least. You’re asking me for far too much.”

  Nemreth shook his head. “And yet I still ask of it of you. Cendri’s out there. He’s going to die if we don’t fetch him.”

  “Only you feel so much love for him,” I said.

  “I’m going,” Nemreth said.

  “Abandoning me,” Aland replied.

  “What else am I supposed to do?” Nemreth narrowed his eyes. His whole body was taut.

  “Half an hour,” Aland said. “That’s it. You’ll be dooming the rest of the fae if you don’t return on time.”

  Nemreth grabbed Aland’s shoulder and squeezed. He stalked away, his back stiff and his footsteps heavy. I turned to Kaji, then to Fauna.

  The meek little girl was biting the insides of her cheek, her eyes toward the ground.

  “You mentioned that if Cendri were here,” I said, “the triad would be able to heal Kaji, right?”

  “Mmm, yes.”

  “So it would serve me well if I followed Nemreth.”

  “If your efforts help him fetch Cendri, and Cendri returns here safe, then maybe Kaji might stand a chance. If the triad work together, they might be able to save him.”

  I wouldn’t help Nemreth otherwise, but this fact left me conflicted. If I stayed here, I’d continue being useless, sitting around with my arms folded and with nothing better to do. If I followed the handsome asshole, then maybe I’d give Kaji a better chance at surviving. I could fight. I could help. I had the ability to save my friend. Pettiness shouldn’t make my decisions. I still couldn’t forgive the triad for all they’d done, but I had to find it in me to be the better person.

  “I’m going,” I said, taking a step forward.

  “Are you?” Fauna asked.

  “I have to.” The more I thought about it, the more I couldn’t see any other choice.

  “Mmm.”

  I brushed past Aland, wishing him good luck, then ran after Nemreth. I turned around and saw Fauna following me.

  “I’m coming with you,” she said.

  “Why?”

  “We promised to back each other up in the arena. I’m a fae of my word.”

  “I only meant that during the trials.”

  Fauna shrugged. “I want to help Cardell survive, too.”

  We both stopped next to Nemreth, who lifted a brow. I told him of my resolve, and how I was going to help. He didn’t seem pleased at my response, turning away to cast his teleportation spell again. Magic flashed, and we left the realm to find Cendri and the others.

  Thirty-Four

  I swept my fingers over a rotting vine. The stench was back, increasing in strength, until it was enough to send my head spinning.

  I’d lost the connection with the other three. That power had been temporary. I knew I could get it back, but only after much concentration. I needed time to hone that power. Time that now ran short due to the turmoil around us. Nemreth had gotten annoyed with me for losing that ability. It was our main connection to Cendri. It was his fault for dragging me with him.

  “They should be around here,” I said to Nemreth’s back. We walked onward, hugging the walls of the fae king’s mansion to avoid the eyes of the teramarth. The undead hadn’t noticed us yet, thankfully. When I looked over my shoulder, I saw the carnage of the lands. Cardell was nearly unrecognizable. The flora was dying, and little of the greenery that decorated the place remained. This was probably worse than the Great Ash my mother had described.

  Nemreth’s boots crunched on a fallen twig. “Cendri better still be alive.”

  “Cendri, Cendri, Cendri,” I said. “Is he all you ever think about?”

  “It’s love, isn’t it?” Nemreth replied. “Can’t get the person you care about out of your mind, as much as you want to.”

  “I don’t see how you can love a selfish bastard like him.”

  “You haven’t seen his good side.”

  “I’m not sure if I want to.”

  “Mmm,” Fauna said. It wasn’t a particular insightful addition to our discussion. I liked her around, still. Hers was a quiet, supportive presence, one I hadn’t known I’d appreciate until now.

  We avoided the teramarth as we traveled around the fae king’s home. When not in battle, the monsters looked like lifeless rag dolls, their mouths hanging open, their eyes hollow and stagnant. Raspy noises sounded from their throats. They held their weapons so loosely that I thought their swords might fall at any moment. They appeared far more terrifying when attacking in a rage.

  We stopped in front of Neremin’s door. The tips of the leaves on it curled. Little bits of green remained on the plants of the fae king’s home, but they were already dying out.

  “Open it gently,” I said. “Don’t let them hear us.” I was afraid to raise my voice any higher, lest the teramarth notice our presence.

  “You sound nervous,” Nemreth said. “Are you, princess?” He gently pushed his boot against the door. The stench surrounding us made it difficult to think. Or maybe it was the heavy thumping in my chest.

  “You’re wasting time by taunting me. We only have half an hour, remember?”

  “I’m just saying. If you have any second thoughts, you’re free to find a hole and hide. When we’re done, you can scurry back to me and I’ll teleport you back to Aland and the other fae.”

  “I don’t mind finding a hole to hide in,” Fauna said, holding her hands to her chest. “That sounds nice. Safe.”

  I turned to her, and she tried to smile at me. She looked like she was about to cry, however.

  I sighed. “It’ll all be done and over soon. They want the orb. We fetch it and—”

  As we stepped into the house, a force knocked us off our feet. We were swept into the room closest to the entrance. I smashed against another body and groaned. Craning my head up, I saw Cendri. His lips were chapped, and his blond hair was untied. His locks were frayed, and his eyelids drooped, like he wanted to sleep.

  “What are you doing here?” he asked me in a half-shout, half-whisper. He clutched me around my waist. He was so tall that I felt tiny next to him. “It’s dangerous.”

  “Is me being in danger a problem?” I asked. “You did throw a dagger at me at the Flower Trials.”

  Cendri scowled. “I was trying to tell the other fae that you were mine. If I targeted you, then maybe they’d back off. They did. Only for a while.”

  Wait. That was his attempt to protect me?

  “And when I tried to make peace with you,” Cendri continued, “you went ahead and stabbed me.” Cendri ignored the confusion on my face, squeezing me tighter against his chest. His body was cold. He obviously hadn’
t recovered fully from the iron poisoning. Cendri was trying to hide his pain, but he shivered. It felt like I was hugging a dying man. Cendri looked to the side of the room.

  There, Alyxe and Neremin looked out the window. Neremin hugged Alyxe from behind, the two of them supporting each other as the end of the world came. Alyxe’s tree companion, Elfaryelle, was kneeling in the shadows, her head dipped, face downcast.

  “What’s happening?” Nemreth asked.

  It looked like we were in the storeroom of Neremin’s house. Cobwebs hung from the ceiling, and junk was lying about the place, stacked in chests and boxes. If the teramarth found us here, it wouldn’t be the most glamorous place to die.

  “Lysunth guards the forest orb,” Neremin said. “She and a group of dragon teramarth surround it. But we need the orb.”

  “We have a realm,” Nemreth said. “Aland’s holding it up. Most of the inhabitants of Cardell are in there. If you come with us—”

  “It’s no use,” Cendri said. He let go of me, and I peeled myself from him. The sensation of his cold skin stuck to mine. “If we go back to that realm without the orb, it’ll be pointless.”

  “What do you mean?” Nemreth asked.

  “How long do you think we can hold up that place for?” Cendri asked.

  “Aland’s going on for another thirty minutes. Without me, he can’t do it for long.”

  “And if we both aid him?”

  “A day. At most.”

  “There you have it. If we don’t find a way to escape, the realm will collapse eventually and the teramarth will have us. We can’t rely on our powers alone.”

  Nemreth went silent. He looked at Cendri, awaiting the blond fae to elaborate.

  “Once you let that realm down and the fae are exposed to Cardell again, Lysunth will find them. It’ll be an all-out fight for our lives. We’re outnumbered and haven’t prepared to fight the dragon teramarth properly. I foresee us losing. Prophecy or not, the fae will be doomed.”