Raelia

by Lynette Noni

  She moved a step closer and lowered her voice. “You can talk to me, Jordan. I’m good at keeping secrets, if that’s what you want. I want to help.”

  Something changed in his eyes, a glimmer of emotion, but it disappeared before she could identify it.

  “That means a lot, Alex,” he said. “I’m lucky to have a friend like you. But really, I’m good.”

  She shuddered at the carefully controlled expression covering his normally animated features. It was like he’d shut out the world. What had his parents done to him?

  “Please, Jordan,” Alex whispered, not entirely sure what she was begging him for.

  “You’d better get to class,” he said, reaching out to squeeze her arm in what should have been a comforting gesture. “You don’t want to be late for Karter. Or Zain. I’ll see you at dinner.”

  She wanted to stay and convince him to open up to her, but his classmates began to arrive and she knew their time for talking had passed. Not that he’d actually said anything. She wished she could figure out how to bring down his walls. They were only hurting him even more—and his friends in the process. But she wouldn’t give up. Maybe he just needed more time. There were only two days left of classes until the Kaldoras break started—hopefully he’d feel more comfortable talking when they were all at Woodhaven.

  As Alex hurried over to the Arena, she felt her spirits lift a little, convinced that their holiday together would make everything better. There was nothing like a little quality time to help mend hurting relationships. They would all be back to normal soon enough.

  “Ten more seconds, Jennings, and you would have been late to my class for the second time this year,” Karter informed her loudly as soon as she entered the Arena.

  “I can go back out and come in again if that’ll make you feel better?” Alex offered, and then she bit her tongue to keep from saying anything else disrespectful. She’d been so caught up in her thoughts that she’d forgotten to filter them before speaking to her easily enraged instructor. Oops.

  Karter’s eye twitched at her words. Not a good sign.

  “I think it’s time for another class demonstration,” he said, his voice low and dangerous.

  Sometimes my life just sucks, Alex thought miserably when Karter, predictably, picked her for his ‘demonstration’. She looked around for Zain, figuring he would be her opponent for the three or so minutes she’d remain conscious—less, perhaps, given the slippery snow-covered Arena floor—but she couldn’t see the huge Meyarin anywhere.

  “Where’s Zain?” she asked, forgetting that she was supposed to be keeping her mouth shut.

  “No idea,” Karter grunted.

  A flicker of worry sparked within Alex, but she didn’t have time to think of anything other than her own survival after Karter threw a sword to her and began hiShe had a chance of lasting longer than three minutes with Karter, but even so, he was a talented, aggressive opponent. And he was angry. Definitely not a good combination. Plus it didn’t help that she was distracted by trying to keep her Meyarin abilities under wraps. It seemed that ever since she’d had a few tastes of what her fighting ability could be like, her body wanted to use the skills it was capable of utilising. So, while Alex was fighting Karter, she was also fighting herself.

  No wonder she was so exhausted when he knocked her sword from her hand and toppled her onto the cold, wet snow.

  “Again,” he barked.

  The class couldn’t end soon enough, in Alex’s opinion. She almost wished Zain was there, since he might have taken pity on her.

  Doubtful, Alex thought realistically as she blocked Karter’s overhead swing. Very doubtful.

  Zain still hadn’t shown up by the time Alex’s final Combat class rolled around on Friday afternoon and she was growing concerned. While she hardly counted herself important enough to know the guard’s every move, she felt sure he would have told her if he’d planned to disappear for a while. He was her only means of communication to Meya, after all.

  His continued absence caused her enough anxiety that she found herself walking up to the headmaster’s office after dinner that night to see if he knew anything. While the other students were packing their bags and getting ready for their break the following day, Alex was busy worrying about yet another impossible male in her life.

  She was halfway up the Tower staircase when she almost collided with Darrius, who was heading down.

  “Alex,” he said, surprised. “I was coming to find you.”

  She blinked at him. “Really?”

  “Yes, as a matter of fact,” he said. “Let’s go up to my office, there’s something I’d like to speak with you about.”

  “Sure,” she agreed. “I need to ask you something as well.”

  She followed him up the stairs and into his official headmaster’s office, pausing to take in the beautiful view through the window-wall. The academy looked like a winter wonderland, covered in the thick blanket of snow that still lingered from the previous weekend’s storm. It was simply magical.

  “Why don’t you go first?” Darrius offered, drawing Alex’s attention back to him.

  She took a seat at the large conference table opposite him before asking, “I was just wondering if you know anything about Zain’s disappearance?”

  Darrius frowned in confusion. “He’s missing?”

  “‘Missing’ might be the wrong word,” Alex admitted. “It’s just that I haven’t seen or heard from him since Monday.”

  Darrius’s features relaxed. “I saw him after lunch today, Alex. Unless something has come up between then and now, let me assure you that he seemed to be perfectly fine.”

  Alex was surprised. “Why hasn’t he been in either of my last two Combat classes?”

  Darrius held his hands out as if to show his lack of understanding. “I’m afraid I don’t know the answer to that. Perhaps he had somewhere else to be.”

  His answer didn’t sit right with Alex, nor did the Meyarin’s lack of communication. He usually updated her every few days with news about Aven. The last time they’d spoken had been on Monday night, when he’d told her about a promising new lead. The anticipation had been rolling off him, which was another reason why she was so concerned about his lack of presence. Surely he would have contacted her by now to update her on his progress?

  “Where did you see him, Darrius?” Alex asked.

  “Just outside the Arena,” he said. “He was speaking with Jordan while waiting for the Delta Combat class to begin.”

  Alex thought back to lunch and remembered Jordan had left a good twenty minutes before the start of class. That checked out, at least. But it was strange that Zain would have been in the class directly before Alex’s and taken off straight afterwards.

  “I guess it was a false alarm,” she said, though for some reason she didn’t believe her own words. “What did you want to speak with me about?”

  “Something slightly less pleasant, I’m afraid,” Darrius said.

  “Let me guess: Aven?”

  “Indirectly, yes,” Darrius confirmed. “Aside from your off-campus interactions, he’s been remarkably quiet in his attempts to return to Meya. He hasn’t tried to breach the wards of the academy to get to you, and while he knows about our Lockdown protocol, that hasn’t stopped him before. Even with my added security measures, I know that if he wanted to, he could infiltrate Akarnae if that was his wish.”

  “What are you saying?”

  “I’m troubled by his silence,” he admitted. “And I’m increasingly concerned because tomorrow I have to deactivate the wards so the students can return to their homes for the holiday. While the Lockdown may not have stopped Aven, it would have given us a little warning. If he decides to come after you tomorrow, we won’t know about it until it’s too late.”

  Alex thought about his words and said, “Why don’t I leave tonight, then? Would that work?”

  “That would be the ideal solution if the wards around Woodhaven were ready to go. But they need
another twelve hours before they’ll be activated in time for your arrival,” Darrius said.

  She looked at him with wide eyes. “Wards around Woodhaven? Are you kidding me?”

  “Come now, Alex,” Darrius chided. “You didn’t honestly believe the king and queen of Medora would allow their only child to spend the holidays unprotected, did you?”

  “I thought they were happy enough knowing that Bear’s dad is a Warden,” Alex said, somewhat sheepishly. Now that she thought about it, it did make sense that D.C.’s parents would want extra protection for their daughter. It was ridiculous that none of them had questioned their easy acceptance of the holiday arrangements.

  “You should also know that the wards King Aurileous has commissioned play a large role in my approving your stay with the Ronnigans, Alex,” Darrius said. “Had he not arranged their construction, I know you likely would’ve gone with or without my agreement. But at least this way I have more peace of mind about your safety.”

  “That’s… kind of you,” Alex said. “A little overprotective, but kind.”

  Darrius chuckled.

  “These wards,” she asked, “are they the same as the ones here? If we have any unexpected visitors, will there be a Lockdown?”

  “No, the wards around Woodhaven are significantly different,” Darrius said. “The ones here have been constructed and are maintained by the Library. I have very little control over their security protocols, but since they’re the most complex wards I’ve ever encountered, I’m content to keep them working as they are. The ones King Aurileous has commissioned won’t be as advanced, but they should nevertheless be quite effective.”

  He stood and walked over to his desk to pull something out of a drawer. “Do you know what this is?” he asked, handing an item to her.

  She squinted at the watch-like, touch-screen device until a memory came to her. “This is a military thing,” she said, recalling Major Tyson having something similar strapped to his wrist at the Soori Outpost. “I’ve seen one before and it activated some kind of short-range teleportation portal when we stood on a circle marking the ground.”

  Darrius nodded as if he’d anticipated her answer. “ITDs— Instantaneous Transportation Devices,” he informed her. “You and your friends will each be given one of these to wear for the duration of your stay in Woodhaven. They’ve been adjusted to link with the wards around the entire township—which has in turn been programmed to resemble the carved circle portal. If you find yourselves in any danger, you need only tap three times on the screen and you’ll be whisked away to a different location.”

  “I was under the impression there are some distance-related problems with the transporters?” Alex said, remembering Tyson’s words about how they were trying to work out the kinks. “I don’t particularly want to be turned into human soup anytime soon, Darrius.”

  “That’s the drawback of the wards,” he admitted. At her startled look he quickly clarified, “Not the human soup, Alex, the range. Their lack of long-distance transportation complicates matters. If you have to activate the portal, it’ll give you an immediate escape, but you won’t be relocated far enough away to avoid capture if Aven remains nearby.”

  She passed the device back to him. “Then what’s the point of this?”

  “I’m getting to that,” he said. “The plan is that the four of you will carry Bubbler vials on you everywhere you go. If you need to get away for any reason, you’ll activate the short-range teleportation portals, which will distance you from immediate danger and hopefully give you enough time to step through a Bubbledoor without unwanted company. The king has asked that you follow his protocol and Bubble straight to the palace, where he’ll keep a constant security detail waiting in the receiving room.”

  “Why do we need the ITD wrist thingies when we could just Bubble out of Woodhaven at the first sign of trouble?” Alex asked, thinking that would be so much simpler.

  “The time it would take to activate a Bubbler and then have you all step through, no matter how swiftly, leads to a certain amount of anxiety,” Darrius explained. “And, of course, someone could easily step in after you. The ‘wrist thingies’ afford an almost instant, simultaneous escape. If nothing else, just humour us, Alex. We’re doing this so we can be assured that you’re all adequately protected.”

  “Fine,” Alex agreed. Admittedly, she felt a lot more comfortable knowing how secure they would be over the holidays. She would have to remember to thank D.C.’s father the next time she saw him.

  “And this brings me back to my original concern,” Darrius said. At Alex’s blank look he reminded her, “Aven getting to you here before you leave tomorrow.”

  “Ah,” she said, understanding. “Right.”

  “Initially the plan was to have Woodhaven’s wards active and functioning well before your arrival, but the Technos involved in their construction were delayed by—well, you don’t need to know the details.” He waved a hand in the air, brushing his explanation aside. “What you do need to know is that the wards around Woodhaven will activate at precisely eight o’clock tomorrow morning, while the wards here at the academy will deactivate at seven o’clock. That gives Aven a one-hour window in which he could, potentially, sneak through undetected. It’s highly unlikely, but it wouldn’t be the first time he’s tried something similar.”

  That was true. Aven had infiltrated the academy when the wards had been down for the students to return after last year’s Kaldoras break. That day he’d confirmed his belief that Alex was Chosen by the Library, which resulted in pretty much all the mess she’d been involved in since then. She definitely wasn’t keen for a repeat experience.

  “So, what’s the plan?” she asked.

  “To get you, and your friends, out of here the moment the wards at Woodhaven are activated.”

  She gestured for him to continue, and when he didn’t, she questioned, “That’s it?”

  “I’m afraid so,” he answered. “Other than that, you’ll need to remain on your guard. I’ll be patrolling the boundary of the wards with most of the other teaching staff to make sure students are safe until they leave the academy. You and your friends will remain in the food court after breakfast and wait for me to come and give you the ITDs. Once I’m certain the devices are active, you’ll all take a Bubbler to Woodhaven where you can hopefully relax for the next two weeks.”

  “I like that last part,” Alex said. “I’m not sure about the rest.”

  Darrius smiled at her. “You’ll be fine, Alex. Aven will be hard-pressed to sneak past us when the wards are deactivated. The professors and I are not without our own gifts.”

  He looked at her confidently and for the first time ever Alex realised she had never properly wondered what gifts he and her other teachers possessed. She knew about Marmaduke’s low-level mind arts gifting, and she knew parts of Hunter’s supernatural awareness, but she had no idea about any of the others. She wanted to ask Darrius straight out what his gift was, but she wasn’t sure whether or not that would seem rude—it could be like asking someone what size underwear they wore, for all she knew. She decided her safest bet was to wait and ask her friends later.

  “That’s all I wanted to speak about tonight,” Darrius said, standing again. “You have a big day tomorrow so you should get some rest. Feel free to talk with the others about what we’ve discussed. I’ll reiterate the security protocols tomorrow morning when I hand over the ITDs, but it can’t hurt for them to hear the basics in advance.”

  “No problem,” Alex agreed, standing as well. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

  “Just before eight o’clock,” Darrius reminded her as he escorted her to the door. “In the food court.”

  “I think I can remember that,” she said with a smile.

  “Goodnight, Alex,” he returned. “And try not to worry.”

  Easier said than done, she thought as she descended the staircase.

  She hoped the next twelve hours would pass quickly—and without any dr
ama. Then she could relax and enjoy the next two weeks, just like Darrius had said.

  “Rise and shine!” a chipper voice said, waking Alex the next morning.

  “Eugh, what’s the time?” she mumbled into her pillow. “Six-thirty,” D.C. answered, sounding way too upbeat for that time of day. “We have to meet the boys in half an hour, so get up and get dressed.”

  “Why’re you so happy?” Alex grumbled, sitting up.

  D.C. smiled brightly. “Because we’re on holidays!”

  Alex wasn’t sure what had gotten into her friend, but she’d take the overjoyed D.C. over the recently melancholic and exhausted D.C. any day.

  “Come on, Alex,” her roommate urged. “Get ready so we can go have breakfast. And just think, in ninety minutes we’ll be in Woodhaven and we can put the last few weeks behind us!”

  Ah. So that was it. D.C. must have presumed, like Alex, that Jordan would be back to normal once they were all away from the academy.

  With a hopeful smile of her own, Alex jumped out of bed and dressed in record time. She and D.C. made sure they were packed and ready for the two-week break before they grabbed their bags and headed out the door.

  “’Morning!” Bear greeted them when they arrived at the food court. Much like D.C., he also seemed perkier than he had been of late.

  “Where’s Jordan?” Alex asked, searching for their friend.

  “Finishing packing,” Bear said. “He’ll meet us here when he’s done.”

  “Before eight, right?” Alex had informed her friends about everything Darrius had told her the previous night, but she was slightly nervous about the plan.

  “Before eight,” Bear promised. “Don’t worry, he’ll be here.”

  “How was he this morning?” D.C. asked.

  Bear grinned widely, looking happier than Alex had seen for weeks. That was all the answer they needed, but his words confirmed what they’d hoped to be true. “He was Jordan. Finally back to normal.”

  Alex laughed with relief. Maybe it wouldn’t take the entire holiday for him to let down his walls after all.

  The three of them ate a quick breakfast and said goodbye to some of their classmates as they came and went from the food court. All the while Alex was acutely aware that it was now after seven o’clock, which meant the wards around the academy were deactivated. But the knots twisting her stomach couldn’t completely dissolve her excitement. All she wanted was for Jordan to hurry up and arrive so she could see for herself how back to normal he supposedly was.