Chapter Twenty-Four
Avari
The flaming star high in the sky burned my skin in the most delicious way.
I smiled in relief when I realised I finally had some time to spend on my own.
The heat spread through my body, the skin of my arms prickling in delicious warmth that soothed something deep inside.
Blinking rapidly, my attention shifted to the waves crashing against the pearly shore as I lay on the soft blanket, soaking in the sound, the warmth, the stillness.
‘Alec!’ Father’s roar shook the estate, making me wake startled.
My heart thudded uncomfortably in my ears, as I feared in the three decades of my life I might have already used whatever stash of adrenaline the Gods rationed per individual.
Could adrenal glands just give up and leave me to cope on my own?
Forcing myself to get up, I cursed the fact that not a day could go by without drama. I sighed, leaving the comfort of the soft bed while it still looked rather dark outside. The alarm clock on my dresser indicated only six am.
Why would anyone willingly get up this early? It felt like torture, and my eyes stung like somebody had thrown sand in them.
I turned the tap lever to hot and waited for the bathtub to fill halfway so I could go in. The joyous splashing sounds did nothing to distract me from the ruckus outside.
The moment I got in, the warmth of the water assaulted the tired muscles of my legs.
My calves screamed as I kneaded the sore spots.
The trek through the forest didn’t seem strenuous at the time, but the uneven terrain required stamina I lacked.
And even though he never made it obvious, River had to slow his pace because of me.
I needed to get stronger, but first my body needed to recover.
Leaning back and stretching, my eyes drifted to the shelf on the side. Up until now I managed to avoid it. It was filled to the brim with an overwhelming number of little vials of essential oils and jars of bath salts.
Lavender was calming and relaxing… no, thanks, I was tired enough already; it seemed like it would just put me back to sleep.
Peppermint for digestion and focus, that sounded impressive but not something I needed at the moment.
Tea tree for skin issues. Did I have any? I had a pimple on my back from not showering during those two days in the forest, but I didn’t think it warranted a whole oil bath. Besides, I’d already scratched it into a bloody mess, and the smell of the oil left a lot to wish for.
Lemon oil to uplift and refresh. Hell yes, let’s do some refreshing. I poured some into the water, and the smell instantly reminded me of—oh hell no, why did I even choose this one?
It was too late, though, and I would rather not waste the bath.
Before closing my eyes I switched on the bubbles. Wherever the purpose for them was, I only used it because they were pretty and calmed my loud brain.
A couple of shouts in the distance broke through the serenity of the moment before I shoved myself underwater, letting my dark waves float in every direction, pulled by the small current coming from the jets. When wet, they looked like the deepest shade of black, just like Isaac’s hair.
That man was as peculiar as he was a mystery. The way his brain worked should be studied. I woke up today to a message from him demanding I meet him for our training session in his office at the Academy.
There were so many issues with that scenario.
First of all, where did he even get my number? As far as I knew only River and closest family members had it…
Second of all, his weird departure last time followed by a demand to move our training to a different location was annoying.
Why did men think they got to boss me around?
Of course, I would go because it was in my benefit, but I needed to tear him a new one for that.
The shadow professor seemed to respond well to getting told off.
And finally, wasn’t that Academy supposed to be some deeply elite and secretive establishment? How odd that he wanted to meet there… Perhaps he wanted me around to talk Miriam into changing her mind regarding enrolling?
For once, it would be great if somebody revealed their true intentions; all these mind games were tiresome, and navigating them wasn’t for my nerves. I thrived without ulterior motives… or maybe I was just missing something obvious.
I walked into my wardrobe looking for something cosy and thick, eventually choosing a deep red sweater set that looked dangerously close to pyjamas, but I didn’t care. Paired with a black faux leather jacket, it looked decent enough.
The hallway was surprisingly quiet, given I’d heard shouting not even thirty minutes ago. Had they finally turned to murder?
‘That sister of yours is the fucking devil,’ Alec groaned from where he sat in the dining room with hands clasped around his face. ‘Or she was sent here by the fucking devil himself to torment me.’
The epiphany took him long enough. I wished it were the satisfaction of being right that I felt, rather than sadness for him. ‘Didn’t I tell you precisely that a few days ago?’
‘I didn’t take it literally. Say it like you mean it next time.' He sounded tired and slightly… amused? ‘I’m starting to suspect she’s hiding horns under those blonde waves.’
‘You better hope she doesn’t rock a forked tail.’
‘Ava Nightborn, did you just make a sex joke?’ Alec’s hand smacked against his cheek loudly. ‘This should be celebrated.’
‘Erm, I’m not a Nightborn. At least not formally–’
‘Silly and easily changeable detail,’ he countered, clasping hands over his belly.
I rolled my eyes. ‘And second of all, it was not a sex joke. It was a devil reference.’
‘For sure, you deviant.’ Alec winked, and I could gag.
They were all far too comfortable with their intimacy. I was beginning to think I needed to look for some sort of Sex Addicts Anonymous for them. I probably needed to connect to the land to see if anything like it even existed here. I wasn’t sure it existed anywhere.
'Oh, piss off.' I pinched my eyebrows, needing a second to myself. ‘Can you take me to this War Academy Isaac teaches at?’
Alec straightened, his face a mix of concern and hurt. ‘You’re going to Waena?’
‘Yeah, he wants to train me there today for some reason,’ my words came out as a whisper since it felt wrong to ask him.
His eyebrows raised as he took a sip of water. ‘The War College is a strange place for shadow training…’
I nodded. ‘For once we think alike. So?’
‘I will not take you there; you can go by yourself,’ he said smugly.
Gods give me patience, or I might burn someone. ‘Are we still ignoring the fact I don’t have access to my shadows?’
Flashing his teeth in a proud grin, he teased, ‘Did I say you can jump there on your own, or that you can go there on your own?’
‘You expect me to walk to some unknown town?’
Alec chuckled, finding my agitation entertaining. These hazel eyes of his appeared black in the dimly lit room, making him look slightly deranged. ‘It’s an island…’
The vision of attempting to reach it on some shabby boat ran wild in my mind before I shot back bitterly, ‘Even better then. Sign me up for a leisurely swim.’
Getting up in a swift movement, he neared me and walked past smiling. ‘Follow me, you uninspired weasel; I’ve got something for you. You can spend the rest of eternity being grateful.’
‘Excuse me?’
‘I said follow me,’ he repeated and left, making me rush after his long strides.
We turned the corner, anticipation for whatever he had planned gnawing at my insides until my magic stirred beneath my skin, caught somewhere between excitement and… preparation? Alec had a knack for silly ideas.
Moments later, we descended into the underbelly of the estate, and I fought off cobwebs, silently cursing under my breath.
The basement looked dusty and uneventful.
When he opened another set of doors, I started to wonder whether my sister had made him lose his mind.
That was before I realised what stood in the centre of the room.
It made no sense; they said they had none, and yet a sparkly clean portal swirled with shades of grey force, inviting me in.
My throat felt heavy.
Freedom. Options. Endless possibilities.
And yet, standing in front of it, I hesitated.
‘What’s the catch?’ I eventually muttered, taken aback by the gesture.
He watched me closely. ‘No catch.’
‘I thought I would only be allowed to leave the Isle on my own if I mastered shadows and could jump away?’ I asked, though the prospect of simply flying away on Anya crossed my mind once or twice. Of course, the Isle could potentially hold us back since it was sentient and under father’s rule.
My brother stood there equally mesmerised by the doorway to endless possibilities he had natural access to before clearing his throat. ‘I don’t want you to feel imprisoned. If this is your home, then you can leave anytime you want, right? Hopefully, you’ll come back.’
It hit harder than I expected, and I needed a second to compose myself. ‘Thank you. I won’t run away, Alec. I don’t even have a place to run away to.’
His wary eyes assessed my expression like he hoped he wouldn’t see signs of deception. ‘At least now you can go places without having to nag.’
Bastard. ‘Is this your way of telling me you are sick of transporting me?’
‘Are you kidding me?’ Alec laughed. ‘If I need to go back to the fucking Fire Kingdom again anytime soon and smell your hots for my archnemesis, I might just… Nevermind. Your sister is blocked from it by the way.’
I couldn’t contain the smirk upturning my mouth. ‘You blocked her access?’
‘Nope, I actually had it engineered so she can never use it,’ he beamed with happiness and pride, and for once, I realised they might be equally unhinged.
‘Gods.’
‘Don’t judge. She already showed what type of terror she is; I have no doubts she would have eventually broken the authorisations on the portal with her witchcraft, and I’d have to search the whole of Medeis to haul her ass back.’
I nodded, stopping my face from betraying my thoughts too clearly. ‘Sounds very healthy, Alec.’
‘Sometimes love is sweet and sometimes love is war,’ he claimed as he sang the lyrics of some cliché song while searching for the War College on the tablet.
It flashed red, saying "unauthorised", until he had overridden it with a small key. ‘Don’t lose it; it’ll get you anywhere on the Isles. But maybe don’t show up to private residences uninvited… ’
I grinned. ‘That was precisely my plan, Alec, to visit some unexpecting grannies.’
He shrugged. ‘Who knows what festers in that halfling head of yours? I’m beginning to find your kind increasingly fascinating. You’re all so odd.’
‘Thanks. You always know what to say to make a girl feel special.' I patted his shoulder, stepping toward the portal.
He neared the door and said, ‘There will be a guard by the portal in the college; tell them why you’re there.’
‘Why is there even a portal in a War College for fae that can portal spontaneously?’
‘If only you had access to literature explaining our ways,’ he exhaled and left me alone.
Looking into the captivating void, I couldn’t believe all the possibilities, and that although I wished for a portal for some time, now that I had it, I didn’t even want to go anywhere.
For the first time since coming here, the choice was mine.
But I was grateful; at least it would take me to Fogoya without having to ask one of my siblings for a piggyback ride. I just had to get River to authorise my access, which I knew he would.