Chapter 8
Aelia
Sunlight streamed in through the stained-glass windows, bathing the chamber in a heavenly glow of warm ochre, deep vermilion, and a brilliant jade. Reign hadn’t been exaggerating about the endless light. The sun had crested the peaks of the Alucian Mountains to the west shortly after two in the morning, according to the sundial hung on the wall. I’d tossed and turned, riddled with anxiety ever since. The tranquility the steamy whirlpool had provided had been short-lived.
A golden spark drew my attention to the scroll perched on the nightstand. The swirl of glittering light danced along the rolled parchment, pushing it open until it stretched out across the pale wood. Black scrawling raced across the yellowing paper, and I gaped at the mystical message until the final word was inked.
Aelia Ravenwood
Designation: First-year
Squad: Flare
Squad Leader: Heaton Liteschild
Daily Instructions:
Report to the Hall of Luminescence for orientation at oh-nine hundred hours.
Tentative Classes:
Photokinesis
Illumination Sight
Healing Light
Combat
Shadow Arts
A crude sketch appeared beneath the note, presumably a map detailing the directions to the hall. I turned the scroll around trying to orient myself from what little I remembered from my arrival yesterday. I’d been so consumed with my spiraling thoughts that I’d barely paid any attention while Reign led us through the Conservatory.
I suppose I’ll figure it out somehow.
Placing the scroll back on the nightstand, I pushed the silky coverlet back and forced my weary bones to the edge of the bed. One would think my body would have reveled in a night spent on such a fine mattress, but instead, my muscles ached from the soft cushion as opposed to the tough straw it had been accustomed to. My thoughts whirled to my home and my heart, too, ached for the only father I’d ever known. Would Aidan be all right without me? In all the chaos yesterday, I’d completely forgotten to ask about correspondence. Surely, the university would allow me to send letters to Aidan.
Tiptoeing across the quiet room so as not to shatter the unearthly stillness, I stood at the arched windows and stared into the rolling countryside. If I squinted hard enough, I could just make out the deep greens of the Feywood Forest at a distance. Or maybe it was some other forest along the edges of the Court of Ethereal Light. Reign hadn’t been exaggerating yesterday, the education of the average Kin was severely lacking. If Aidan hadn’t insisted on instructing me himself in not only self-defense, but also countless tales from history books he’d bartered for, I would be utterly clueless as to the lands of the Fae. Either way, I pretended I could see Aidan tending to the chickens and gathering their eggs to be sold at the market. He’d be fine without me; he simply had to be.
A flicker of light drew my attention across the river to the pitch black that stretched across the Court of Umbral Shadows. A shiver raced up my spine as a winged creature sped through the interminable darkness. Perhaps, I’d been too quick to complain. Living in eternal night would have been a thousand times worse than putting up with the ever-creeping sunlight.
Forcing myself away from the window and pointless reminiscing of the past, I marched toward the closet I’d found yesterday. I’d spent the entire day locked in my room, too scared to venture beyond the safety of the warded door, but today would be different. Today, I’d be forced to find my way to the Hall of Luminescence and orientation.
To my relief, I’d found a variety of useful clothing, along with a smattering of fancy gowns within the wardrobe. My fingers found the silky material of one of the dresses, and I wondered why one would ever need such an extravagant ballgown at a university such as this. Surely, they didn’t expect us to don something this elaborate for classes.
Pushing aside the lace and satin frocks, I found the familiar, worn leathers I’d hung last night. They were similar enough to the other ones hanging from the rod, only the material was soft and a little threadbare from continuous use. I grabbed them anyway, needing this little piece of home today. Spearing my legs into the supple dark leather, their feel brought the familiarity I desperately needed. Tugging my old tunic over my head and tucking my necklace beneath, I breathed in its musky scent coupled with the softer undertones of lavender I used to wash my clothes by the river.
Muffled voices in the hallway sent my heart catapulting up my throat. Yanking my tunic all the way down, I spun toward the entrance as the door whipped open. A blonde female appeared in the doorway, her wild, ashen curls shooting out in a dozen directions. Her pale blue eyes found mine, and her pert nose crinkled as she regarded me. “It’s true, then!” She raced toward me, then stood on her tiptoes, her dainty little fingers reaching for my ears.
I leapt back, brows slamming together. “Excuse me!”
A sheepish smile crossed her heart-shaped face, and a flash of crimson coated her cheeks. “Oh, by the goddess, where are my manners? I’m Rue Liteschild, your new roommate. And you must be the new Kin…” A nervous energy fluttered all around the Light Fae as she regarded me with unbridled curiosity.
“My name is Aelia Ravenwood,” I finally managed.
“Incredible!” She clapped her petite hands and lifted onto her tiptoes.
I practically towered over her, standing at least a head over the tiny female.
A male peered through the doorway, eyes intent on me—or rather my curved ears. “Is everyone decent? May I come in?”
“Of course you can, Heaton,” my new roommate exclaimed. “Don’t be so uptight and get in here.”
I, for one, appreciated his sense of decorum. “I’m dressed,” I murmured lamely.
His light blue eyes brushed over me as he entered. “You’ll have to excuse my sister’s excitement, but she’s been waiting for this day her entire life.”
Rue’s head bounced up and down, her full head of flaxen hair nearly poking my eye out.
“Your sister?” I glanced between the siblings. Now that I took a minute to observe the pair more closely, I did notice a certain resemblance in their wide-set eyes and sloping noses. Though where Rue’s hair was a mane of tight spiraled curls, her brother’s was long and straight, held back in a neat tie at his nape.
Rue latched onto her sibling’s arm and bounced a bit more. “This is my brother, Heaton, and he’s squad leader this year. It’s his fourth year at the Conservatory, and he’s pretty much amazing.”
A rosy hue darkened Heaton’s cheeks, the color rushing all the way up to the tips of his pointed ears. Glittering hoops of gold lined the sharp extremities, glinting beneath the rays of sunlight pouring into the chamber. “My sister overexaggerates, as always.” He ran his palm across the back of his neck.
“Well, I imagine you must be good to be selected squad leader.” Whatever that meant. My thoughts flickered back to the parchment. That name… I grabbed the scroll from the nightstand and unrolled it. Pressing my finger to the dark ink, I glanced up at the tall male. “Heaton Liteschild. You’re my squad leader.”
“Oh, that means you must be mine, too, since she and I are roommates!” Rue began clapping again as she raced for the bed on the other side of the room. Sure enough, a scroll had appeared beside the faery light. Her luminous eyes widened as they scanned the parchment. “Flare Squad, led by the one and only Heaton Liteschild!” she cried.
Heaton’s lips flipped into a scowl, darkening his friendly countenance.
“Oh, Heaton, erase that frown this instant.” Rue swatted at her brother. “Don’t tell me you’re not happy to be my squad leader?”
“It’s not that, Rue. I’m merely surprised. As head of the squad, there are certain difficult decisions that I’ll be forced to make, and I’m simply stunned that they would allow me to make those choices when a sibling is involved.”
“Well, I’m not surprised at all. Clearly, they realize you won’t be influenced by nepotism.” She threw him a playful wink. “Unless it’s something I really, really need, right, Heat?”
Shaking his head, he ran his hand through his sister’s unruly locks. “I’ll give you a minute to acclimate, Rue, and I’ll see you both in orientation in an hour.”
I glanced up at the sundial and nodded. A trickle of unease surged to life, but one look at Rue’s smiling face swallowed up the trepidation. After all the horror stories about my new roommate I’d conjured up in my head last night, I couldn’t have been more surprised.
She seemed absolutely lovely.
Perhaps, I’d simply gotten the wrong impression yesterday. Reign with his gloom and doom and ominous shadows had painted a much darker picture of what my future at the Conservatory held. Maybe he was wrong.