"When will he wake up?"
"The demons that attacked him left a residue, a venom. We’ve tried everything, but nothing’s worked… Other cases have been reported throughout the kingdoms. We’re working with alchemists now, so don’t worry, we’ll find a remedy soon." Her tone is calm, but there’s a flicker of uncertainty behind her words.
I stare at her, unconvinced, and change the subject."Do you live in the Institute?"
Shaking her head, a faint smile tugs at the corners of her lips. "I usually travel between here and the mundane realm, helping in the healing department. So, no, I don’t have a permanent home. In fact, I’m travelling again tomorrow." A flicker of resentment, perhaps, or longing washes over me as I process her words.
"You’ll be gone for long?" The question slips with practice.
"Not too long, I’m meeting with the healers of Arvendal to discuss the situation." I hum absently in response, my gaze dropping to the floor. The emptiness of the room mirrors the one inside me. But before I can retreat too far into my mind, Ruby grabs my hands, pulling my attention back to her.
“I want you to be careful,” she says, her tone firm. “You can’t trust anyone withwhatyou are. Learn everything you can, because?—”
“Knowledge is power,” I finish for her.
The words slip out before I can stop them, as if they’d been there all along, just waiting on the tip of my tongue. A mantra, buried deep in the recesses of my mind, a fragment of something I can’t quite reach. Ruby pauses, her eyes narrowing as she takes in my interruption. For a moment, she looks caught off guard, but then she nods.
“Yes,” she says, her voice dipping lower, now laced with something heavier. “Knowledgeispower. But listen to me,Avilyna. We lost the Bloodmoon War because we were betrayed. People in power... they’re greedy. They always want more. And the only thing standing in their way was the valkyries, the true warriors of light. The only way to get rid of them was to betray Elgar. To make a deal with Netherworld.” She pauses, her gaze darkening, a flicker of caution sparking in her eyes. “Those who deny this truth? They might be the very ones exploiting it for their own gain. Be wary. Be clever.” Her words hang in the air, a warning wrapped in a history I don’t understand but now find myself tangled in.
After Ruby showsme how to call her with a feather, the incantation makes the particles detach into a cloud of dust. I head back toward the manor, my thoughts a tangled mess. Now that I know there are people out there who might want to hurt me, I’d rather stick close to the two guys I can keep an eye on than deal with the whole damn school.
The fact that one of them is related to the one calling the shots might turn into my advantage. Being in the front row seat in case whispers of danger rise, that might give me the leverage I need to make it out alive. At least at the manor, I get some privacy. My room, no need to share. The Institute might offer space, but it also feels suffocating, like too many eyes are on me.
Wyll’s fun, sure, attractive, definitely. But I’m not about to complicate things by diving into a romantic mess right now. I have enough to handle without adding that kind of chaos to the mix. What I could use right now is a way to release all this pent-up frustration, something to help me shake off the weight of itall. Someone who might be able to tap into that bottled-up rage I can’t seem to escape.
Walking, lost in my thoughts, I reach into my back pocket and pull out the roochies from last night, the familiar sensation of the smooth paper between my fingers grounds me. The lingering acrid smell of the burnt herbs already calms my nerves. This will have to do.
Lighting it, I pause for a moment, allowing the smoke to fill my lungs, my body finally letting go of the tight tension coiling inside me. Exhaling slowly, savouring the brief moment of calm before the storm catches up again.
Because it always does.
21
Kai
GOOD ASSESSMENT
Avilyna is something alright.Watching her switch from defence to attack was like watching art form into thin air. She was made for this, not hesitating for a second. She just kept moving, staying focused, all while making everything look so effortless. There’s no way you’d ever question whether she took that demon down by herself. I certainly believe it.
Heather?
Well, I’ve known her since we were kids, and let’s just say, I didn’t have a choice when my dad decided we had to go visit the lycan’s pack in Elveron. No say, just go, and of course, I was told to be on my best behaviour with the alpha’s daughter.
But I’ve seen her game. She plays the “I feel threatened” card with anyone she thinks might have more skills than she does. That’s what happens when you’re raised with words that make you bleed whenever you become a disappointment. A fate easy to meet when you’ve been raised based on lycan’s standards.
I walk into the debriefing room, where they also hold the strategy course. Sliding into a seat next to Caleb and Wyll. The students are all gathered in the classroom, with big windows stretching from floor to ceiling, giving a full view of the training grounds outside. The room is ornamented with alchemy-techthat belongs in a military command center. Huge mirrors, flash maps, and simulations of different strategic scenarios up ahead make the display overwhelming for anyone not born into this military life.
Then, I see her.
Walking in like a lamb to the slaughterhouse. She looks completely out of place, her aura unlike that of the other students. Honestly, it's kind of cruel to leave Avilyna in the dark like that. I have no idea what her dad was thinking, but whatever secret he's hiding, it better be worth it. This isn’t just about her safety anymore; it’s about who she might be, an enemy or a forbidden fruit.
Seems like Nalaka has taken a liking to her, and let’s be real, no one’s going to mess with the daughter of the King and Queen of Elveron. Except maybe for Heather, those two have been at war with each other for as long as I can remember.
Kallahan might be the top dog when it comes to warfare, but you'd be a fool to think the other kingdoms don't matter. Arvendal is the breadbasket of Elgar, feeding every village. Then there's Saltmere; they rule the seas, which means they control the trade routes. And their navy?
Unbeatable.
Not to mention the rogue pirates, who seem to have more patriotism in their blood than most Elgarians. So yeah, no one’s looking down their noses at them either. That leaves Elveron, the kingdom of knowledge. They’ve got a natural talent for planning, analyzing, and understanding any situation. After all, elves are the oldest species. They have seen the most and are wise beyond their years. So when Nalaka walks up to the front, followed by mylittleterror, I’m not surprised.
