CHAPTER TEN
I ENTER THROUGH THE MAIN doors of Phixmery and shake off the snow that’s collected on my cloak before dropping the hood, letting my long, scarlet hair loose around my shoulders. Taking Tisur out for a ride tonight was much needed. It’s one of the benefits of being a fourth year Dragon Rider—I’m able to come and go as I please for the most part because the bonding between rider and dragon is sacred.
The halls of the castle are quiet. Everyone is long in bed, preparing for another grueling day of training.
My boots scuff along the rough stone flooring as I head towards the dining hall, hoping that I can find some cheese and bread that might have been left out before the kitchen nulls restock everything in the morning for breakfast, when I catch of glimpse of reddish-brown locks and the tail end of a raven scooting account the corner, heading towards where the lesson rooms are.
There’s only one fae I can think of with that hair and a birdie companion—Cadet Solace… Ravina .
Unable to resist the urge to see what the Little Mouse is doing out of bed after curfew, I follow her, cheese and bread forgotten. I press myself up against the cool, stone wall and peek my head around the corner with my good eye, watching her do the same before slipping down another corridor.
What, oh what is she up to?
Masking the sounds of my steps so her raven doesn’t hear me, I watch as she moves down the hallways, her pert little ass swaying in her training leathers, searching every door for…something. I haven’t figured out what yet.
Eventually she uses her year’s door to exit into the training yards and I can’t help but grow more suspicious and curious at the same time. I don’t even think she knows what she’s looking for yet, which makes this all the more peculiar. It must have been fate, me coming back late and hungry only to find the female whose mind I can’t enter creeping around the castle.
I follow her out into the yard and my eyes fall instantly on the battlement. They won’t care that I’m out here, but her? A new recruit who hasn’t earned her spot within the ranks, who can’t yet be trusted with watching the backs of her brothers and sisters in arms? Why would she risk the punishment? Unless she’s working with them…
The thought sours, causing my stomach to tighten with distaste.
An overwhelming urge to grab her and force the information out of her almost takes me, but something stops me as I scratch an itch at the top of my thigh. Talyn’s words that he’s drilled into my mind over the years take over. “ You need proof before you torture someone for information within these walls, Jesper, ” he would say, again and again. You can’t blame me for my trust issues—they were carved into me, along with the scar that covers most of the right side of my face.
The Little Mouse is smart, sticking to the shadows where the guards on top of the battlement are less likely to spot her. Suddenly she stops, and with a tilt of her head, like I’ve seen her do before, I have a strong feeling she’s communicating with her bird, and that’s when I realize the doors she’s stopped next to. Why would she be interested in the dungeons? They haven’t been used since the beginning of the battle when we used to take prisoners of war and interrogate them. Now it’s a kill order for every captive, so the dungeons are empty.
In fact, the door is warded to notify the guards on duty if it’s opened, which I doubt she knows—a safeguard from when this castle was built thousands of years ago in case a prisoner escaped. Well, she’s going to be in for a rude surprise when she’s caught.
I slip down the stairs after her, stopping when I see her standing amongst all the cells, whimpering. My head tilts in curiosity. Now what would have caused a reaction like that? My gaze whips around to see the empty cells, clean for the most part other than the stains that have lain there for who knows how long.
After a moment, she pushes forward like nothing happened and when I hear voices, I grin. I can’t wait to see her try to get out of this. I hope she’s a dragon whisperer, because otherwise the wild beasts in the keep will eat her alive. She tucks herself around the corner where I know a dead end sits and I lean against a wall, tucked just out of sight of the guards, knowing that they will see me when they turn around.
I hold my breath waiting for the fallout, but when they continue past and come back with not even a whisper or a shout my brows practically reach my hairline. Where in the fates did she go?
“Sergeant Verlice,” the guard snaps ,and I realize it’s Sergeant Warren, a Gryphon Rider from my year, and his friend whose name I can’t remember. “What the blasts are you doing down here?”
A chuckle escapes me as I bow. “Well, I got a bit bored after my ride and I thought I would test to see whether or not you lads are on the top of your game. A bit slow though, if you ask me.”
“You set off the training yard door?” The nameless but probably-has-a-name guard asks, glancing between his partner and me.
Warren answers with a sigh. “It wouldn’t be the first time. Jesper, go fly your dragon or something. I only have an hour left in my shift, and then I want some sleep.”
“I was just out on my dragon, if you were listening. Maybe you need some sleep sooner than later. Come on, I’ll walk you back up to your post,” I tease, slapping him on the shoulder.
He grumbles, “Fine, as long as you don’t talk. No one needs to hear your crazy ramblings this late at night.”
A grin grows on my face. “Fine by me.” They turn to walk away and I send an illusion of myself moving with them. It will disappear by the time they’re out of my sight, but I’ve planted the seed that I left without any issues. Because I totally wouldn’t cause any problems for the guard, not even for my own entertainment.
Once they’re out of earshot, I move to where Solace was, down the dead-end corridor, and start pressing along the walls, and when I can’t find what I’m searching for I huff. She’s probably long gone anyways. I’ll get her next time though, and then I won’t let her leave my sight.
THERE'S ALWAYS ONE place you can guarantee will have the information you need, whether it be rumors or not, and that’s the kitchen. The nulls that work there always hear the going ons in the castle because they’re invisible for the most part. Other than most of the elite, the fae of our society have always treated lessers and nulls with respect—fae raised with a higher standing see them as nothing but servants, stains that blot the realm. Even though times have evolved, there will always be people who see those who are different to them as less-than.
As I stride down the halls after a long day of drills, my mind keeps wandering off to our adventure last night as I stalked Little Mouse around the castle. Everything about this female has me curious and I need to know more. I make my way towards the dining hall, but instead of entering through the doors, I press on the stone wall behind a painting of some forgotten lord. A door cracks open, revealing the servant halls that run everywhere along the inside of the castle walls, and I slip behind it, the stone grinding softly as I shut it. The dimly lit, narrow halls smell of earth and moisture as I continue down the path until I come across another entrance leading into an expansive kitchen.
The smells are mouthwatering as the staff prepare for dinner. Fresh breads and cured meat lie on racks off to the side, but before I can snag a piece, I hear the female that I’ve come here to see.
“Now, you know better than to pocket something before greeting your mother,” she chides, a kind yet mischievous smile gracing her beautiful but tired face.
My matching grin meets hers as I scoop her up into a hug. “Ah, momma. I’d never !” I gasp. “How are you doing?”
She laughs. “Come, you can help prep some veggies for the stew with those fancy knife skills of yours.” She pulls me over towards the giant wooden prep table. Her red hair, the same exact shade as mine, swings behind her in two long braids. The other nulls who are working there greet me with small smiles as they get back to work.
We fall into a steady rhythm of shucking, peeling and chopping. The noises of the kitchen soothe something within me, and it doesn’t take long before I start hearing the whispers.
“Did you hear? That small female who thought she was a null has a familiar,” a quiet voice murmurs from across the table.
“What? How in the fates does that happen? Did you say a familiar? Really?” another asks in a disbelieving tone.
My peeling slows as I try to focus on their conversation and my mother peeks at me from the corner of her eye, shaking her head and smiling.
“Apparently Commander Ashbluff found her in an outlier village, pretending to have no magick. Had her whole village convinced. Turns out she’s a fire Elemi. No idea why she would pretend to be a null. It’s absurd,” the female states matter-of-factly.
The conversation instantly piques my interest and I turn to the females, flashing them with one of my charming smiles they seem to love. “Did you say someone was pretending to be a null? Do you know who?” I ask with semi-faux shock, hoping that this conversation is about who I think it is. They stare at me with gaping mouths, their faces turning red in embarrassment like they’ve been caught saying something they shouldn’t. Normally, I just listen and talk with my mother, but I couldn’t help myself. This is why I came here, after all.
My mother elbows me in the ribs and tsks. “You are just as bad as all these females with the gossiping,” she laughs.
I cluck my tongue. “Well training can be such a bore. Visiting you is the best part of my day, and it’s entertaining. How could I not enjoy a bit of gossip,” I tease.
“Ah, I think it’s the extra food, my dear Jespie. But I think they are referring to the small female from year one. Quiet thing, keeps to herself for the most part, or she’s with her squad.” She shrugs and then changes the subject. “Your brother has been asking about you…” she trails off.
I try to keep my face composed but she notices the slight hardening. “I don’t want to talk about him.”
She sighs, putting down her knife. “Jesp, you know he’s sorry—”
“Mom please. I love you, but I came here to spend some time with you, not talk about him,” I state harshly, wincing at my tone as her face falls. “I’m sorry, that was rude. But really, I’m not ready to talk about it, okay?”
She nods, but the air seeps with her disappointment, adding a souring scent to the delicious aroma of the kitchen. She picks up her knife and begins chopping again. We fall into quiet and easy conversation after a few moments of tense silence. She tells me about how one of the brownies found a pair of male briefs in one of the female officer’s quarters, which lightens the mood. That some of the nulls are nervous about one of the corridors in the dungeons of the castle, claiming it’s haunted. Oh, and supposedly one of the gryphons kicked up a pile of shit at one of the first years who tried to pluck one of its feathers.
That had me and a bunch of the others laughing. Everyone knows that gryphons are protective over their feathers; only an idiot would try something like that.
I help bring over the massive pots and place them on the stove before turning to my mother and pulling her in for a hug. “I’ll stop by again soon, promise.”
She stuffs what I know is some sort of pastry in my tunic coat pocket. “Yes, you will. Say hi to the boys for me and be safe out there, okay? I worry about you.”
I cup her face before kissing the top of her head. “Of course momma. As long as you try to get some rest.”
She pats my cheek and shoos me towards the servants’ entrance, and I blow her a kiss and wiggle my fingers at her, causing her to chuckle and shake her head before slowly shutting the door behind me.
Taking a breath, I push back my emotions of anger and frustration before mulling over the information. I know I can only take gossip with a grain of salt, but it seems like my Little Mouse may be hiding some secrets of her own, and I definitely plan on uncovering them. And I know the first place I’m going to start.
STRIDING OUT ONTO the training yard, I search for a certain male, and when my eyes land on him, instructing a year two archery lesson, I make my way over, pulling my cloak up to keep the worst of the snow out of my face.
“Commander Ashbluff, may I have a word?” I inquire as he moves away from the bow rack.
His shoulders stiffen for a moment before he pinches the bridge of his nose. “What can I do for you, Sergeant Verlice? Don’t you have lessons you should be attending?” He raises his pale brow.
Ashbluff is one of the only commanders at Phixmery who challenges us, in a good way. We respect him, and he has become one of our trusted allies—although not yet brought into the fold—but it doesn’t mean we don’t piss him off most of the time, because fates know we do.
I ignore his question about lessons, knowing that missing a strategy course won’t affect me—Talyn handles all that anyway. “I heard you picked up a fae with a familiar in an outlier village. I think she’s paired with my wing in the morning Physical Training lesson.” He crosses his arms and waits for me to continue with a blank, stoic face that could rival Talyn’s. “What do you know about her?”
“Is this for military reasons or curiosity?” His deep orange eyes search my face.
I shrug, smiling. There’s no way I’m telling him which, at least not right now. Especially if it gets back to the others, considering I was supposed to leave this alone—but I need to know more. Something about the small, pathetic female calls to me, reminds me of something, and I literally can’t sleep. Whenever I’m around her I feel like I’m crawling out of my skin. I know I won’t be able to focus until I get answers.
“Is this going to get you into trouble?” he asks succinctly, giving me a glorious deadpan expression.
“Me? Trouble? No, not at all. But it is important,” I state as calmly as I can.
He places another bow on the rack and sighs. “She was in bad shape when we got there. I had to send word for a healer, because theirs were useless. I hate going to those small villages; it reminds me of how bad things have actually gotten in Damorleia. They have resorted back to the old ways much quicker than the major cities, and it makes me sick.” He fully faces me. “No one knew she had any magick, didn’t even notice that her raven was her familiar. The ground near the whipping post in the village center was still coated in her blood when we arrived. If you’re wondering if she’s a spy, I can assure you that she isn’t. Just an unlucky female.”
I tilt my head to the side as a primal instinct ravages through me at his words—to protect the small female—but I make myself snap out of it. The last thing I’m doing is protecting her. I have enough on my plate with this whole stalking thing without adding some protection detail for her. It wouldn’t help, anyway. She needs to stand up for herself here.
Before the war, Damorleia was at peace and things were moving forward; lessers and nulls were gaining rights. It was great what the recent and now late Queen was able to accomplish during her reign. But certain nobles didn’t like this, and since the Gallalaus bloodline has fallen, things have reverted back to how they used to be generations ago, at least in the smaller villages where bloodlines, power, and social standing matter more than anything else.
But it still begs the question, why didn’t she put a stop to it? Why let them continue to treat her like that when she has power, and clearly enough of it to keep me out of her head?
Fuck, I’m intrigued and suspicious all at once.
It’s exhilarating.
I thank him and spin away to head back inside the castle. Dinner should be almost done. Maybe I’ll see if I can find the Little Mouse and see what she’s up to. But before I can escape from the training yard, I hear Talyn bellow my name.
With a sigh, I turn back to him. I guess I won’t be gathering information on her tonight. At least I’ll be seeing her in the morning for our lesson.