Chapter 21
Terra
The expansive corridor leading to the library is challenging to walk through as students shuffle by one another to get to their next classes. I barely manage to weave my way through and slip inside the silent library.
I exhale a long breath and take in the scent of old, torn pages and ink.
There are a few young women sitting on the first floor, studying and talking in hushed voices. I make my way up to the third story, heading toward the back wall where it’s secluded.
I’m relieved when I find the section empty and quickly set my books down on the desk and turn the lamp on. It’s already dark outside; I don’t have much time before I need to fetch Raine and get to the Cosmos House.
Candles burn at the center of the table, on the bookshelves, and in windowsills. I wonder who lights them. They never seem to burn out, so they must be like the fireplaces at Alkrose, undying and constant.
Whispers rise from a few rows ahead of me and I lift my chin, brown hair curling over my shoulder as I slowly stand to investigate.
The voices sound male, but I’m too far away to distinguish them. The bookshelves are tall and wide, packed with tomes and artifacts. I take the row on the other side of the voices and stop in the center, kneeling down and quietly pulling a few books from their place.
I peek through the slits between tomes and can make out two white cloaks. My chest instantly tightens as their voices become clear. Elias and Arthur. I can barely make out Arthur’s lovely black hair. What are they doing talking up here in secret?
“We shouldn’t be speaking here, you know Emerai may very well have ears throughout the castle,” Elias says in a hushed tone, his usual irritation coming through.
“This is urgent, otherwise I wouldn’t have risked it,” Arthur whispers as he looks around to make sure no one is listening.
It feels criminal to eavesdrop on them, but I remain crouched and still.
“The second exam has been decided. Blood Crowns.” Arthur’s voice cracks as he says the latter and Elias lets out a small sound that I’ve never heard him make. I wish I could see his face; he sounds completely taken aback.
“Decided by who? Emerai cannot put them through the Blood Crowns yet. They are first-year students, for gods’ sakes.” The fear in Elias’s voice sends a shudder down my spine and sweat rolls down my temple.
Arthur sighs. He takes a moment to respond. “The Empress herself and Cein decided. They want to push this group to their breaking points quickly. They’ve found the Novas, Elias. All the pieces of their board game are aligned and they’re ready to take the leap. They have no interest in training this group as they did the rest.” He pauses and I can hear him swallow. “There are only a few individuals that they have their eyes on this time.”
Elias growls and slams his fist into the bookshelf, sending a handful of heavy books toppling over my head. I smother my mouth with my hands, holding back the surprised grunt that almost escapes from my throat.
I remain still, ignoring the throbbing on the top of my head. Arthur lets out a long sigh and mutters, “Calm down, Elias. We will figure something out. Let’s talk more about this elsewhere.”
Their footsteps start down the aisle in a steady stride. I panic and rise to my feet quickly, heading around the opposite way and tiptoeing back to the desk I was studying at as if I never heard a thing.
Arthur appears first at the end of the aisle and his eyes instantly lock on mine. “Terra, I didn’t expect you to be up here this late,” he says carefully, fishing to see if I’ll be surprised to see him up here as well or if I perhaps overhead things I shouldn’t have.
Elias appears casually behind him. His expression is calm. If I hadn’t overheard their conversation I’d think nothing of it.
“You weren’t eavesdropping, were you?” Arthur asks innocently enough, smiling in that calm and handsome way he always does. He takes a seat across from me and Elias sits to my side.
I raise a brow like I have no clue what he’s talking about. “Do I even want to know what you’re referring to?” I say meekly. Arthur’s shoulders relax; he buys my charade. Elias takes a deep breath of relief too. This Blood Crown exam must be pretty ominous if both of them are this uptight about it. There’s a twisting sensation in my stomach.
An easy smile spreads over Arthur’s lips as he says, “No, just teasing you. Where’s Raine?” He quickly changes the subject and my heart sinks instantly.
“He’s not feeling well,” I mutter, thinking again of how pale his skin was this morning. He writhed in pain for an entire hour and insisted I leave for the day without him.
Elias and Arthur share a look, one that lets me know this is only the beginning of the blight’s effect.
“I can help you study today, if you’d like. I would hate for our Nova to be left to her own devices.” Arthur smiles and grabs one of my books to see what I’m brushing up on.
Elias shoots him an annoyed expression before crossing his arms. He looks like he’d rather be anywhere than here.
“You don’t have to stay,” I tell him.
“Maybe I want to stay,” Elias says quietly in his deep, antagonized tone.
I look over at him with an arched brow. He holds his scowl firmly. His white hair is mussed today, windblown, unlike its usual careful style.
Arthur covers his mouth and stifles a laugh at our exchange.
“Are all the textbooks and education really going to help me for the exams?” I ask honestly. It’s a fair question, since most of us are studying our asses off for something we have no clue about.
“Yes. You will need every bit of information, because you never know what you’ll come up against during an exam. The physical fighting is just as important as the mental game. Elias was at the top of our class, and his brains saved a lot of lower-ranked students during trying times. I have no doubt you can do the same if you put your mind to it, Terra.”
My eyes widen and I look at Elias. His face is impassive and hard, but there are so many emotions behind those gray eyes. I see a lake of misery.
“Don’t,” Elias warns Arthur and crosses his arms over his chest. His black tactical vest can’t keep his heart hidden—nor can his Shadow.
“You saved people?” I ask incredulously. There’s a softness to the question; the realization that the man I know him as now, the heartless Assassin of Fernestia, perhaps wasn’t always so cold and cruel. Not at first.
Elias’s jaw flexes and he grimaces, looking away from me and down at his intertwined fingers. How can he hold so much pain inside himself so flawlessly?
Arthur clears his throat and says, “Dark days are ahead of us at Alkrose, Terra. I think it’d be best if I started tutoring you in the evenings. One-on-one.”
One-on-one? My throat dries but I manage to nod slowly.
Elias leans forward and rests his elbows on the table and adds: “I’ll help Raine. He still hasn’t summoned his Shadow and he’s hopeless without it.”
“That’s awfully generous of you,” Arthur says with a taunting grin.
“Not as generous as you privately tutoring Terra.” They stare hard at each other, having an unspoken conversation with just their eyes.
I wrap my arms around myself at the chill that settles inside me. The Blood Crowns exam… What is it? What’s the test? They won’t tell me, but I’m determined to find out more about it.
I look up and meet Arthur’s gray eyes. “When do we begin the sessions?” I ask with the new motivation.
His sharp, alluring cheekbones catch the candlelight as he grins. “Tomorrow evening.”