Phixmery, p.15
Phixmery, page 15
part #1 of The Damorleia Chronicles Series
“I was asking if we’re still on for training tonight? You’re getting better, but I don’t want you slacking off now,” she states, a frown pulling at her lips as she searches my face. “You weren’t in bed last night,” she whispers.
My heart freezes before it slowly starts up again. “Yeah we are good for tonight,” I tell her, pretending I didn’t hear the rest of what she said and digging into my food.
She leans in closer. “I waited up for you to make sure you came back okay, even went down to the bathroom to check. You were nowhere to be found. You know you can trust me, right? Both of us.” She jerks her chin in Roz’s direction.
I plop a berry in my mouth, feeding one to Nero as well as I mull over what to say to her. Can I trust her with this? If her shields aren’t strong enough, it would just take one mentalist to pry into her mind to know what I’ve been up to. Gretchen trained me for years to use a mental block, but I’m not sure others went through the same process. And if she somehow puts together that I want to escape Phixmery after the first year is done, I’m done for.
“I’ll tell you when I can,” I reply. Maybe I should take them with me. It would be less lonely to have them by my side, but it would be selfish of me to do that to them. I’m going to need to figure out some sort of plausible excuse to tell them.
Rozen leans in on my other side. “Is it a male?” he wags his crimson brows at me.
It takes a moment for his words to sink in and I feel my cheeks flame. I shake my head calmly, unlike the beat of my heart which is pounding, but then I pause. Sneaking out to meet up with a male would be a good excuse. So I raise my shoulders until they meet my pointed ears and give him a playful smirk.
He gasps dramatically. “Who?” He begins glancing around at the other tables.
Ember leans around and punches his arm. “Leave her be. She will tell us when she’s ready to.”
I smile at her, grateful for her saving me from Rozen’s exuberance. She nods back before digging back into her meal, while the others in our squad speak quietly around us. I glance around the table and see Evera scowling at me and Bracken peering between Roz, Ember and me with a puzzled and anguished expression.
Fuck, I really hope they didn’t hear that. Knowing my luck they’re going to think it’s Craven.
“SQUAD FOUR, FORM up!” Sergeant Verlice snaps with a maniacal grin, his gaze lingering on me like he’s ready to pry into my soul and rip my secrets from me whether I want it or not.
His eyes keep darting down to my injured hand from this morning and I can’t help but want to tuck it away behind me.
Craven nods for him to step back before assessing us. “In two moon cycles you will be facing your next trial. It will be discussed more within your wilderness lessons, but we will be teaching you about certain scenarios, dealing with the creatures in the woods and how to survive their attacks to be more exact, starting next week. The chances of some of you surviving are slim.” His golden eyes land on me. “Only a third of your year will survive. And then only a third of you who make it through The Choosing will move on to be fully-fledged and respected members of the Damorleia Military.”
Adair raises his hand. “Why do only a third make it through The Choosing, Sergeant?” he asks when Craven nods at him to go ahead.
“Because most of you are stupid enough to think you have what it takes to be a rider, be it a gryphon or dragon. Now warm up and pair up for sparring. Halfway through the lesson we are going to the sandpit. Let’s see how much you have improved.”
I break off into a sprint, eager to get away from their prying eyes. I make it almost to the training yard wall when I’m hit from the side and go flying into the ground. Without wasting a breath, I hop up to my feet ready to get into it with whoever did that when Nero comes soaring down from his perch atop the wall, talons first, and begins clawing the crap out of Evera’s flawless skin.
“Get your demon bird off of me!” she screeches as she aims for her fire starter.
I take a step towards them. “Nero! Enough!”
He retreats and lands on my shoulder, his anger feeding my own. Was she seriously about to set him on fire?
His feathers are still puffed up as he attempts to shake them out. “She knew what she was doing when she shoved you into the ground. It was no accident, and I’m not standing by and watching you get hurt. I may not be able to do anything while you’re sparring, but this? I’ll take her damn eyeballs as payment,” he caws.
“What in the fuck is going on here, Cadet Solace?” Craven snaps, glancing between his mate, me and Nero.
My mouth opens to speak but she begins crying and pointing to her face. “I was just trying to pass her when her bird came out of nowhere and attacked me. It should be put down!”
My limbs move before my brain can even process what she said, let alone a response. But before I can get five feet from her, an arm wraps around my waist and pulls me back.
“Her bird is protective of her; he is her familiar after all. We know that you two don’t get along. Maybe it picked up on that,” a voice by my ear says.
I push out of his grasp and turn around to see it was Bracken who stopped me from mauling the bitch. My gaze narrows on him with annoyance, wishing he would just take the hint and leave me alone, before I turn back to the Sergeant. “She shoved me into the snow and Nero reacted. We are bonded; he’s going to protect me. No one will be putting him down.” I state firmly, glaring at Cadet Gannon.
“Maybe you should have been paying more attention to your surroundings, Cadet. You both have caused your squad another week on dish duty. Now finish your laps—I don’t have all fucking day to be managing children.”
“I’m not a child, Talyn. I’m twenty-six and to be your female, mate,” she snaps at him.
He spins ever so slowly towards her. “You’re acting like a fledgling. Run!”
I take off, not wanting to stick around for whatever conversation is about to happen. It’s none of my business what the alpha-hole Sergeant does with his—I gag. Nope, I can’t even say the word. Something inside me stirs with annoyance and envy. Who am I kidding? Those two vile beings belong with each other.
Nero flies by my head. “I’m sorry I got you into more trouble, Rav. Are you okay?”
A humorless chuckle puffs visibly into the air. “No, you’re not. You’re just excited for all the snacks you’re going to be getting. But yeah, I’m fine. Pissed off. I’ve never done anything to the female. The assumptions are all on her side, and from listening to whatever bullshit Cresida goes on about.”
Cresida’s and our Squads have been working a lot together lately, and it’s been fine, other than the seething glares, whispers and laughs, which I can handle. Beating me during sparring or shoving me down—I can handle that. Going after Nero? I will burn this whole damn castle to the ground to make sure nothing happens to him.
“They won’t do anything to me, Rav. It will be okay—”
My arms pump as I push myself harder to run faster. “What if it’s not okay? What if we don’t get out of here alive? I just want to live away from everyone in a cute little cottage somewhere where no one will ever find us and live out the rest of our long lives. After everything we’ve been through, we deserve a bit of happiness too, Nero.”
He’s silent for a moment before pushing all his love at me. “Yes we do.”
DURING THE ENTIRETY of sparring with Craven, I made sure to never let him out of my sight. I’ve been practicing being more aware of my surroundings, but sometimes I get so deep in my head, and that is dangerous. Nero and I have been working on a solution: when he’s noticed my straying thoughts, nipping my ear. It’s simple, yet efficient. It’s been working so far, but some days are definitely worse than others.
Today Craven offered me no words of advice but kept glancing at my injured hand like something about it bothered him. He’s never reacted to my injuries before—in fact he’s been extremely indifferent about them. He seems more attentive. In fact all three of them do. Even the rest of the wing and squad have noticed his staring and it’s making me uncomfortable—because some deep, forbidden part of me enjoys it. But it can never happen, for multiple reasons. One: he’s taken by a female who already thinks I’m trying to steal her male. Two: I can’t trust anyone, not with my past and definitely not with my future. And three: If I was interested—which I’m not—I can’t have all of them.
I’m destined to be alone, and I’ve made my peace with it. I’m fine with it.
“Alright, everyone to the sand pit!” Craven suddenly yells, ending our match without a word and moving to join his wing as we all hurry across the training yard. Once everyone is gathered around, he bellows, “Cadets Levine and Yearwood, you’re first. Powers are acceptable; causing the death of your squad member is not. Go.”
Bracken and Ember enter the pit and nod to each other before she dashes across to him, the sand kicking up behind her feet. He crouches into a defensive position and the moment she’s within grabbing distance, he grabs her tunic and hoists her into the air, intending on slamming her into the ground. But as she’s going up, she twists, kicking him in the throat. He drops her, but like a feline, she lands gracefully on her feet, throwing her fist precisely where she needs to knock him out.
She is barely panting as she makes her way back over to Roz and me. The former is watching her like it wasn’t the fates who hung the moon, but Ember herself. It’s kind of adorable.
We watch the pairings, my blood pounding with nerves and maybe even a bit of excitement as I wait to be called on. Rozen faces Cadet Hayes, but loses due to a hallucination he conjured that made him seem like he was falling forever down the top of a mountain into an endless void. He wasn’t quick enough with his own mentalist magick. His voice is now rough from screaming. I have to admit, Ember and I did have a good laugh about it and then watched on as he got reamed out on keeping his shields up.
“Solace and Ellis, in the sands, let’s go!” Craven yells.
“Good luck,” Ember whispers while Roz pats me on the shoulder and gives me two thumbs up before rubbing his throat again.
Gregor’s yellow eyes track me as I move into the ring while he fixes the tie holding back his raven hair. All I know about him is that he’s Vopn Fö; their magick literally makes them better fighters—I’m fucking screwed. I know Craven did this on purpose. Especially because Gregor is known for his anger issues, much like Sergeant Driscol.
“Don’t forget you have fire, Rav,” Nero bellows, and that’s when I notice him flying above me again. “So use it! You won’t get any respect from these males if you don’t start showing them what a damn badass you are!”
Right, I’m a badass. I can use my fire. I take a breath and wait for Craven’s signal to begin.
“Fight!”
Gregor charges at me and I strike my fire starter, gathering the spark in my hands and expanding it before creating a wall between us. He stumbles to a stop before growling in frustration. I use the flames already available and begin flinging them through the wall which he easily dodges before doing something I don’t expect and jumping through the flames towards me.
He throws a series of jabs, and I manage to avoid two before the third catches my cheek. I crouch and spin out, attempting to do a move Ember has been trying to teach me and take him out at the ankles, hoping to bring him down to my size. He stumbles and I take the opening to throw a fist towards his nose when he catches my hand. Acting with my reactions, I summon the flames that are still alight on the sand and blast him off of me. His tunic sizzles as he flies back. He drops back first into the sand and rolls to try and put out the fire coating the front of him.
I raise my hands to blast him with more flames when he moves so quickly with a tackle to my waist that he takes me to the ground with him, and just as he’s about to knock me out, “I tap!” I breathe, holding my palms towards him, but he doesn’t hear me, or doesn’t care, and I know it’s lights out again.
A wind gust blasts him off of me and Craven stands off to the side, looking at me with something akin to respect and suspicion. “It’s about time you figured out when you’re beaten. Stay down. Lesson dismissed.”
My head hits the sand. I’ve improved, but I need to be better. I have to be.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
EMBER AND ROZEN KEPT CHECKING on me after the sparring match with Ellis, but after numerous times of me explaining that I’m fine, they finally let it go. For some reason their worry makes me feel slightly uncomfortable; it brings a warm feeling to my chest I haven’t felt since I was young, not including my bond with Nero—from beings that aren’t bonded to me.
I settle in at the long table with the rest of my squad in the Wilderness Survival lesson, ignoring the seething gazes from Cresida and Evera who are sitting in the row in front of us so they can gossip or scheme. Whatever it is that they do.
Captain Reiner clears his throat, the sound silencing the room. “Alright, I know you have heard about the upcoming Trial. Yes, it pertains to everything you’ve learned in this lesson thus far. Yes, some of you will not make it back. We need to know that you can survive not just the war but the dangers that lurk in our lands. There’s no point in sending squads on missions if they aren’t even going to make it there in the first place.”
Damn, that’s harsh, but it completely makes sense. The lands outside of communities are barbarous, most deciding not to leave their hometowns, their safety.
“Because this is a test, I can’t give you much information other than you will be dropped in an undisclosed location with your squad. You will work together and make it back to Phixmery. You will have two days,” he states, glancing around the room, meeting each of our faces, so we can understand that these trials aren’t going to be a vacation—even if he can’t elaborate more on the subject.
He moves around the podium into the center of the room. “Now, our next topic I’ve pushed back, wanting to make sure you have a basic understanding of the things that roam our world. But there’s more than what goes bump in the night. Sometimes by luck of the fates, we are offered the chance at a familiar. Now, hundreds of years ago we used to have an abundance of familiar bonds and mate bonds. No one knows for certain why these bonds have faded out, but there have been many theories and much speculation.”
I knew this would be coming at some point, and he did let me know he was pushing this lesson back. Honestly, I was hoping he would have forgotten about it. This is not the time to be a spectacle in front of everyone.
Cresida interrupts Captain Reiner. “Wait, did you say mate bonds? Like fated mates?” she gushes excitedly.
He sighs. “I must ask that you refrain from interrupting me, Cadet Fellowes. Questions can be asked at the end of the lesson. But yes, fated mates, blessed by the fates themselves; fae would be granted the loves of their lives, all centered around the Heart. Some of you may recall that our late monarch, and many before her, kept the tradition of having four mates, be it female or male. Like familiar bonds, no one knows why they faded, but they did.” Reiner claps his hands, weaving his fingers together. “Now back to familiars!”
He gestures for me to come down with an excited smile on his face.
“Are you ready for this?” I ask Nero as I slide us out of our seat and begin making our way down the stairs towards the captain.
The stares grow heavy the closer I get but Nero nips my ear. “We agreed that this would be good so we can learn more about our bond.”
My skin prickles as a chill skims down my spine. “I know, I just have this feeling I can’t explain. Never mind, just ignore me. It’s probably just all the stress lately.”
Nero and I have been trying to practice with our bond, and other than sensing and hearing each other, we haven’t made much progress. I’m hoping to find a space under the castle so he and I can properly train without prying eyes. That way I can use the full extent of my magick and we can truly see what we’re working with. But as for seeing through each other’s eyes, we haven’t felt safe enough, even with Rozen and Ember saying they will keep watch. The book said I’m vulnerable during that state and it’s not a risk I’m ready to take.
As I reach the bottom step Reiner nods encouragingly. “We are lucky today because we are in the presence of the last known familiar bond, as most of you know from seeing Cadet Solace and Nero around Phixmery. Now, can any of you tell me something about familiar bonds?”
We both glance around the space and I internally cringe when Cresida raises her hand. “Well, from what I’ve seen, the bond is useless. She’s weak, and was practically a null a few months ago. If this bond is anything special, the fates chose wrong.”
Even though I know she’s just spewing hate, her words still hurt, but I don’t let them see a reaction. None of them, especially her, deserve to see any ounce of emotional pain from me.
Reiner tsks. “That is enough from you, Cadet Fellowes. You and your squad will be signed up for gryphon duty for the next week. I suggest if you have nothing respectful to say about your peers, to keep your mouth shut. You are a full grown fae, not a damn fledgling. Act like it.” He turns to the rest of the room. “We are fighting a war against the very people who destroyed and wiped out our royals—a whole race of fae. We don’t need to be fighting against ourselves, no matter how cut-throat this academy may be. Work together to survive it.”
He lets his words sink in. Of course some look ashamed, but most of them couldn’t care. Reiner is one of the more gentle-hearted fae I’ve met. He’s kind and compassionate, not at all like the bloodthirsty nature of most fae. It’s part of the reason I enjoy this lesson so much. Every other captain enjoys the bickering between cadets and soldiers. Some even encourage it.
