Chapter 9
“The Supernal have lived among us for centuries. Keeping their own rules, their own counsel, hidden from the vast majority of humans, but there is no denying that humanity would have been wiped out without their aid.”
EXCERPT FROM TRITON COUNTY DEBATE
The judgment panel disbanded, but Vitra looked over and held up a finger, motioning for me to wait before leaning in to speak to Constance Selethis.
She tipped her face up to his and placed her hand on his arm, stroking almost absentmindedly. Wait a minute. Selethis…she was his girlfriend. His official woman, and I could see why.
She was gorgeous, and they made a beautiful couple. Right now, standing face-to-face, leaning in toward each other, they created the perfect romantic scene. If I were an artist, I’d be scrambling for paint and canvas.
But I wasn’t.
I was a woman on a mission, and I’d just overcome my first hurdle toward my goal. Excitement fizzed in my belly, undiluted by how badly things could have gone today.
But they hadn’t.
I was safe and officially a student, on my way to having my power restored, and once I was whole, I could use the Weave to find the book that would prove my family’s innocence.
I couldn’t wait for the meeting with the Weave Watchers—whoever they were— and to finally get started.
Constance glanced my way, then nodded up at Vitra before following the others through the door at the back of the room.
Vitra tucked his hands into his pockets and ambled over. “It looks like you’ll be staying.”
I’d forgotten how tall he was. How I had to tip my chin up to maintain eye contact. “Thanks to you.”
“I wasn’t the only vote in your favor.”
“I know, but you advocated for me, so…thank you.” He’d been there to decide Dharma’s punishment. How much did he know about the crime? About the Libra Veritas? The temptation to pump him for information was almost too much, but it was too soon.
If the notes I’d found in Dharma’s diary were true, if the truth of what happened had somehow been hidden, then he might know, and if I started digging, then who knew how he’d react?
Disclosure such as that required a little more familiarity.
It required time and trust. I needed to take it slow.
Now that Walter Regent had assigned Vitra as my mentor, I needed to get to know him.
Build a connection and trust then pick my moment.
We headed out of the room, into corridors bustling with students who instinctively parted to let Vitra pass. I stayed close, taking advantage of the break in the wave of bodies.
Someone accidentally bumped me into Vitra, and his arm went out to steady me, fingers curling around my waist briefly. My body flared with sensation, shivering tingles radiating out from where his hand lay on my waist.
I pulled away from him sharply, heart drumming against my ribs.
“Are you all right?” he asked.
“I’m fine.”
His eyes narrowed a fraction, dropping to my mouth as if he could see the lie on my lips. And I felt the touch of his regard there, like a physical pressure.
Blood rushing in my ears, I ducked my head and hurried toward the main doors, the echo of his touch still resonating through my body. I’d felt him. Again. What the Fel was happening to me? It had to be this place. The magic here…maybe it was messing with my curse somehow? Yeah…that had to be it.
I passed a group of fresh-faced teens, sitting on the steps outside the main doors, poring over textbooks. One of them looked no older than twelve or thirteen.
I sensed Vitra behind me and scrambled for something to say, anything to hide my fluster. “Some of the students look too young to be here.”
“Admission starts at sixteen,” he said, leading the way down the steps. “But some are sent younger. Not often but…it happens. This will be their life now.” He sounded almost sorry for them.
“Because of some agreement made between the bloodlines?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Someone had to take responsibility for keeping our world safe from the Horrors and Echoes spawned by this land.”
Stepping out from beneath the porch with no cover from the elements, an icy breeze trickled over my skin. I buttoned up my wool coat.
Vitra seemed unbothered by the chill, ambling along as if it were a summer day.
“Spawned? You make it sound as if the earth itself creates them.”
“Maybe it does. The forest is a beast unlike any other.”
“There has to be more to it than that.”
“Oh yes, much more, and you’ll learn all about it in History of Nightsbridge.”
He swerved away from the path that led down the mountain, taking me toward an ivy-covered arch.
“Why can’t you tell me?”
“And risk the wrath of Mistress Selethis? No, thank you.” He glanced down at me. “History is her forte, and you’ll learn everything you need in her class.”
“Wait a second, didn’t you just get assigned to me as a mentor?”
He smiled. “I did, which makes you a very lucky woman.” Was he flirting with me? “I am an excellent mentor,” he continued. “But it isn’t my job to educate you on history. My job is to help you settle in at Nightsbridge and provide guidance should you have any problems.”
Okay, so he wasn’t flirting, and why was I disappointed about that? I cleared my throat. “Does everyone get a mentor or am I special?”
He slid a tawny-eyed glance my way. “You’re the last of your bloodline, Miss Onyx. Of course, you’re special.”
The narrow, cobbled path twisted ahead. I wanted to ask where we were going, but when I opened my mouth, that wasn’t the question that spilled out. “How long have you two been together?”
The corner of his mouth lifted in a half-smile. “Almost two years.” He didn’t sound surprised that I knew, but then, like everyone kept telling me, news was currency.
“She’s not Arcanus, is she?”
“No.”
I waited for him to elaborate, but he didn’t. “What is she?”
He chuckled. “Constance is a lamia.” I opened my mouth to ask him what that was, but he cut me off and continued. “And if you want to know what that is, you’ll have to find out for yourself.”
A squat brick building with lime-green shutters and a shiny gold weathervane on the roof came into view.
“What is that place?”
“Port station,” Vitra said. “There are a few scattered around campus.”
There were crystals embedded in the wall, and he tapped them quickly in a combination that I barely managed to catch and file away.
The door clicked open, and I followed him inside.
The room was empty, its walls lined with arches of various colors.
He led me to a bronze arch. “Your signature will be added to the Academy ports by tomorrow. Meanwhile, you’ll need another student to activate them for you.
Polina will deliver your admission packet this afternoon.
” He pressed his palm to the arch, activating it.
“This will take you back to Bramble Tower. Use the rest of the day to get acclimated. Everyone else has had years to adjust to living in Nightsbridge, but as of tomorrow, you’ll be on the fast-track route. ”
“I can handle it.” I made to step forward, but he gently gripped my arm to stall me.
Once again, his touch spawned delicious shivers. I could no longer convince myself that the sensations were in my head, and as his tawny gaze filled with shadows, my stomach dipped.
“Admission doesn’t mean acceptance,” he said. “Violence between students is prohibited, but accidents happen all the time. If you’re going to survive here, find people you can trust and surround yourself with them. Make friends, Anamaya.”
“Friends?” I stared up at him, shivers forgotten.
Was he seriously that clueless? “There’s no such thing as friends for an Onyx.
Friends betray and lie and pretend not to know you when others find out about the friendship.
” I’d succeeded in making friends as a Denton, but friendships built on lies weren’t real.
“I learned a long time ago that an Onyx can only ever trust another Onyx.”
“But you’re the last Onyx,” he said.
“Yep. And trust me, I’ve got my back.”
The Unwoven would be my buffer and Vitra my mentor—until I had my magic and the Libra Veritas. Then I was out of here, truth in hand, ready to tell the world about the lies the Arcanum Imperium had spun.
“See you around.” I gave him a mock salute and stepped into the port.
Damn, I couldn’t wait to get started.