Haunted (The Academy of Spirits and Shadows #2)
C.M. Stunich
I knew something was wrong the moment I took off from a deserted patch of beach in Rúnda. The black sands that line the edge of the Ghost Sea were sparkling with gray specks of ash from the active volcano, the waters bubbling and boiling from the molten lava flowing just beneath the surface.
I should have been concentrating on the winds, thick with debris and hot as Hell, sweeping down the side mountain and choking me. I should’ve been wondering if my wings might melt off and drop me into a frothing sea, hot enough to incinerate my flesh in seconds. And I really shouldn’t have been so focused on Brynn of Haversey.
But when I felt a sudden surge of pain and panic in my chest, I knew something was wrong. I might not have any sort of magical connection to Brynn, not yet, but when a griffin chooses his mate, something resolute settles in his chest. He knows. He just fucking knows if his soul mate is in trouble.
My wings beat in slow, heavy motions, like the brown and white feathers were trying to propel me through quicksand. There was a reason black earth cost so much—if one could find it at all. I’d be lucky to get out of here alive.
With a roar of frustration, I worked my wings until my back muscles screamed, until my heart pounded so fiercely that my vision became spotty. But I worked my way out of the strange swirling downdrafts and set myself on a course, due north and straight toward New Akyumen.
Please Haversey, Goddess of Light, protect Brynn until I can get to her! Reisender, God of Travelers, give me the strength to make the journey without stopping. That last prayer was a stretch, but I couldn’t imagine stopping at the halfway mark to rest. How the fuck could I sleep when every signal my mate was sending said she needed me?
Another growl slipped past the razor sharpness of my beak as tilted on the wind and relaxed my wings, letting them catch the air so I didn’t have to work so damn hard. Flapping like a wounded bird might give me some extra speed, but it took too much energy. There wasn’t a chance in Hellim’s Hell that I could keep that up and expect to make the return trip without a single stop.
I had to be practical and yet … the thought that Brynn was suffering was killing me.
What the fuck was going on back at the Royal College?
After that initial burst of pain and fear from Brynn … she went silent. I could feel that she was still alive, but she was emotionless, like she was in a sleep beyond sleep. That’s what really did it, more so even than the strong emotions I’d sensed earlier, that emptiness …
When I finally landed outside the walls of New Akyumen, I was falling apart. I shifted before I even touched down on the grass, hitting the earth with a grunt and rolling several times before I came to an abrupt stop against a tree. My wings were limp, the muscles numb and pushed to their absolute limit.
“Vexer!” My brother, Yared, was there in an instant, kneeling by my side with a female griffin by the name of Catharsa right behind him. I pushed them both aside as I struggled to sit up and disentangle myself from my pack. “What the Hell are you doing back here so early? You look like death warmed up.”
“Get me some water,” I managed to choke out as my brother scrambled to his feet, his blue-gray eyes wide with concern as he scrambled over to the small well and used the tin cup to bring me cool, fresh Amerin groundwater. As soon as I’d downed enough to soothe my aching throat, I tossed the cup aside and grabbed Yared by the shirt. “Did something happen in the city? Another attack, maybe, like … All Haunts’ Eve?”
“Nothing,” Catharsa—aka Cat—said as she peered into my face with concern. For a while now, I’d noticed her eyes following me when I came and went with customers. She always sat too close to me at the fire, put her hand on my knee. She’d be disappointed to find out I’d settled on a mate. “Why?”
Pushing to my feet, I snatched the bottle of B?sewicht liquor that Yared was handing out to me and took a hearty swig. Whatever was happening to Brynn was happening behind the closed doors of the Royal College then. Now I just had to find a way to get in there.
“We didn’t expect you back for several days,” Yared continued when he realized I wasn’t going to answer Cat’s question. I ignored him, dumping my clothes out onto the grass and yanking on black breeches, a loose white shirt, and brown boots before taking off toward the city gates. “Vex, what are you doing?”
“I need to see Brynn,” I told him, noticing that Cat’s footsteps faltered, her brown and white wings tucking in close to her back. She scooped some brunette hair behind one ear and let Yared follow me onto the cobblestone streets of New Akyumen.
“What’s going on? Do you need help?” he asked, but I was already shaking my head. Trying to break into the Royal College … was a fool’s mission on the best of days. I was willing to risk whatever it took to get to Brynn, but I wasn’t about to drag my brother along for the ride.
“Go comfort Cat,” I said with a tight smile, giving Yared a knowing look. Maybe once Catharsa realized I wasn’t into her, she’d also see that my brother had been carrying a torch for a long, long time. “I’ve got some business to take care of, but I’ll see you at the Travelers’ Guild meeting in the morning.” I saluted Yared, turned, and took off up the hill in the direction of the academy.
If I’d known that was my last moment to see him while I was still alive, I probably would’ve added I love you onto the end of that statement. As things were, I was in a hurry, bolting up the cobblestones as fast as my boots would carry me. It wasn’t until I got to the gates that I started to ponder how the fuck I was going to get past them.
It was a well-known fact that the Royal College was home to a vast horde of wealth—ancient artifacts, the royal jewels, and precious tomes as well as the homes of well-paid staff and high-ranking noble students. If it were at all penetrable, it’d be any thief’s dream.
Making sure my sleeves were pushed up enough to show off the Travelers’ Guild tattoos on my hands, I started to walk the length of the front wall, noting the extra guards on duty. Not only were the small towers filled with the usual night watch, but soldiers dressed in the queen’s livery were lounging here are there: across the street, on a bench, leaning against the wall itself. Security had certainly been heightened since the attack on the prince, but something else must’ve gone on inside these walls for there to be so many women and men with their eyes on the academy specifically.
After a while, I decided to head the long way around, back outside the city and toward the forest entrance. It was even worse over there, twice as many guards armed with magic and swords and torches. I didn’t let myself get frustrated, backtracking toward the city and wondering if I might be able to use my position in the guild to book a tour. Once a month, high-ranking individuals could arrange to tour the grounds. It was the queen’s way of appeasing all those wealthy parents whose children were admitted into the academy, but who’d never been students themselves. Since the new school year had just started, there was likely to be one coming up soon.
But fuck, it would kill me to wait, even if only a few days.
Gritting my teeth, I continued back to the city entrance, just to see if there was something subtle I’d overlooked.
“Are you Vexer?” a voice asked as I hit the end of the wall closest the castle.
A small fox stepped out of the shadows, the white runes on its forehead identifying it as the shadow I’d seen on the Vaennish prince’s shoulders. Trubble, was his name if I remembered correctly. And if I looked like death warmed up, the fox was already dead and buried. His copper eyes were glassy and faraway, and when he walked, he stumbled.