“No, nothing’s wrong. We haven’t heard anything new,” Scarlett said. “He says there’s someone you should meet.”
Relief softened my shoulders, and I offered Scarlett a nod. I strode to her side, then trailed behind as we exited the opulent ballroom. The castle we stayed in had once belonged to the Celestial king and queen, where they ruled over all of Arcadia’s distant lands, each one governed by its own monarchy. Now that all of the kingdoms had fallen, this castle was deserted, save for Valik, who’d taken up squatting rights. Of all the places abandoned within the Arcadian realm, he chose the elaborate royal castle to inhabit all on his own.
Natural light poured through the windows, giving the space a much more open and airy vibe. I tried to envision this place in its full glory, filled with its charges. According to Valik, Chrome and Gray were Celestials—the first Celestials in over a millennium. Before arriving here, Scarlett and I had never heard of them, but now we knew that Celestials were Elementals and Kinetics combined into one species. I wondered if all Celestials had been as powerful as those two.
Lush vines and shrubbery served as natural crown molding at the tops of the white, polished walls, their dashes of color bringing life to a rather extinct castle. Valik claimed that Celestial magic once kept them alive, but since no Celestials remained, he sustained the foliage through his own power. When pressed about what exactly he was—not a Celestial, apparently—he always skated around the topic, diverting to something else.
Scarlett’s hair stood out against the tranquil sophistication,splashing the place like blood with every step she took. The decor had probably been by design in order to let their people bring color and life to the castle with their vibrant hair, currents, golden skin, and unique eyes.
Rounding the corner into the foyer, we found Valik with his back leaning against the wall, one black Oxford crossed over the other, eyes closed.
“About time,” he mumbled.
Dressed in perfectly fitted grey dress pants that hugged his ankles and a white collared shirt with the top two buttons left undone to reveal the deep cut of his sculpted chest, he looked ready for a business meeting with the board.
I rolled my eyes.
“Where are you taking us?” Scarlett asked, skipping past the nonsense we knew he’d try to poke us with for his own amusement.
Valik grunted. “So impatient.” With a sigh, he straightened and met my eyes. “There’s someone I think you might find…beneficial, Cotton.”
I raised a brow, cautiously curious as to what he had up his sleeve. We never knew. One time, he wanted to show us theuntouchedparts of Arcadia, so he took us to a wooded forest where he claimed tree sprites resided and would send sparks into the air with their little wings. Instead, we were intercepted by a grotesque Endarkened manticore that wanted to maul us. So that was fun.
I glanced at Scarlett, asking with my brows if it was a safe idea.
“Is that a good idea?” she relayed to Valik.
The man waved his hand dismissively. “Oh, please. They’re nearby. It’ll be fine.” He turned to face the door that led to the outside world, then opened it with a dramatic swing, flaring his arms wide as the barren courtyard awaited us. “Follow me.”
Scarlett bit her bottom lip, eyes pinched into slits, but she pulled a Kinetic sword from the sheath on her back before trailing behind our guide.
I did the same, retrieving my own sword from my waist to stepback out in the unknown world of Arcadia. We’d been here for two months, and the only other person we’d spoken to had been Valik. I was beginning to think that no one else existed here besides Endarkened creatures and our enigmatic host. The sun shone straight above us, insinuating it was around noon. For it to be the dead of summer, it wasn’t nearly as hot or humid as it would’ve been back home in Georgia. It wasn’t cold, but it wasn’t suffocating me either. Thank the gods.
Valik, who walked at a brisk and excited pace a few feet ahead, called over his shoulder, “It’s not far!”
We cut through the abandoned city to reach the gates, the city’s stone walls towering above us, casting a shadow. Like our deserted cities back home, it remained suspended in time, but instead of skyscrapers and decaying asphalt, we were surrounded by medieval architecture that I’d only ever seen in movies. Stone buildings formed houses that lined a narrow, cobbled street, while hand-painted signs hung from businesses. Unlike home, everything here still appeared new, as if all the structures were still being maintained to prevent deterioration.
Once we passed through the massive city gates, we were out in the open. The grass in Arcadia was a shade of blue I’d never known existed. We stayed clear of the forest and cut across a hilly field. When we crested the top of the final hill, a sprawling town, nestled in the valley below, came into view.
Mouth parting in awe, I took in the town beneath us, filled with small, rounded stone structures with thatched rooftops. In the center, a domed building towered over the rest, where a vibrant courtyard garden trailed from behind to other odd structures. Surrounding the town’s perimeter were beautiful waterfalls, large rolling hills, and farmland. When I peered at Scarlett beside me, she held the same expression, wonder glimmering in her sharp blue eyes.
“Come along.” Valik pushed forward, descending the hill.
My feet carried me forward as I followed, entranced by the sight ahead of us. It wasn’t simply the ancientness of the village; it exudedan energy unlike anything I’d ever felt before. It was magical, but not in the way of our magic. Neither Kinetic nor Elemental. More like Valik’s magic, but different. It feltpure.
Valik nodded a greeting to a passing woman with long dark tresses, wearing a casual white dress that reached her ankles. She offered him a small smile in return before looking at us in apprehension. “Here, you’ll meet the Mystics.”
“Mystics?” Scarlett asked.
“Yes,” he answered quickly. “They used to work in tandem with Celestials. Very pure magic. Very disciplined. Their magic is vastly different from yours, and they have close connections with Angels and the gods.”
“Angels? And what gods?”
“The gods that you lot are swearing about? The ones that got wiped from your history,” Valik retorted, ignoring the bit about Angels.
Scarlett’s face blanched. “We…” She shook her head. “We believed them to be more like a folktale.”
“Right. Because all folktales are simply fiction?” Valik scoffed. “Celanea did a great job of making sure you all never wanted to question your origins.”
