We walked to the edge of town where the forest started to take over allowing the light of the city to fade revealing the stars. I looked over at my friends Darla wrapped tightly in her coat, Laurel blowing warm breaths on her hands and the guys running ahead tackling and tossing over each other. This left me, I didn’t mind this cold, it was manageable comparatively. I kept my hands in my pockets trying desperately to relax until finally we arrived.
The tower was just an old building from a different age. Maybe at one point it could have been a training facility teaching new recruits how to guard an outpost properly, now the local youth used it as a den of unsavory affairs most adults would have frowned upon. The large stoned building had an internal structure with a spiral staircase that reached all the way to the open aired top. When we entered we reached down gathering our stash of flashlights dispersing them amongst the group so no one tripped over the uneven cobblestone stairs. The kids who hung out here always kept the place stocked full of activities and provisions, it was a well kept secret of the town and before the eighteen year olds were sent off it was tradition to visit one final time. Tonight we were doing something that had never been done before, coming up here not just before Friday night but to send off a girl. Friday this place would be stuffed to the brim with after party kids ready to drink their troubles and smoke their worries away. Tonight I was going to keep my wits about me. Well, I thought, for the most part. When we got to the top of the tower Darla and Laurel wasted no time before passing around some small bottles of alcohol making sure to leave me with the larger one. “Whiskey?” I frowned, “Really?” “It’s supposed to keep you warm,” Darla shrugged. “That’s rum.” Laughed Cooper. “It’s both,” grumbled Rodrik who sniffed his bottle, “Whatever this was, it's sour.” “It’s for the toast!” Darla snapped and forced everyone into a tight circle, “Me first!” she raised her glass pointing to me, “Ashai, out of everyone, the fae better be scared they are sending you most. You’re one badass bitch and I’m going to miss you.” She paused and cleared her throat turning to a more somber tone, “I’ve known you far too long to not keep seeing you. Come back, and when you come back make sure you come back as more of a badass than ever before!” We clinked our glasses and I gave her a hug before taking a small sip, big mistake. It went down far too hard for my liking and I was not going to be able to do this with everyone. “Mine!” Cooper stepped forward blocking Rodrik, “You better be assigned to the same outpost as me. If you’re not I’m going to hunt you down and give you a stern talking to.” I stuck out my tongue and shook my head at him playfully. Before he continued, “We’re going to do this together. We’re all going to come back.” he looked over to Francis and nodded, “I promise you we’re going to get through this together.” We clinked once more and I smiled sweetly at him and then turned to Francis who nodded at us both. Thankfully it would seem he spoke for everyone except Rodrik who stepped forward next. “Ashai,” he spoke low and wrapped his arm around my shoulder pulling me close, “I never imagined you’d be leaving this way. Thank you for being a part of our lives. You and your family have been nothing but welcoming and-” he paused looking down. We all stayed quiet while he struggled back to his speech. It didn’t matter if he planned what he was saying or not I knew every word was spoken from the heart, “You’re going to go so far and please, come back.” Laurel decided to give him a reprieve shouting, “To Ashai!” We clinked one final time and finally my bottle was empty. We stayed out under the stars as long as we could stomach the cold. It wasn’t nearly long enough for me but I figured it was probably for the best. I would never have left his tower if it was up to me. I would have stayed well into the next day missing my appearance orders and I never would have thought back. My life was not long for this moment though. It felt wrong, every part of me wanted to stay but as the cold air whipped through the night it drove us all back below into the safety of the tower. “Want to head back?” Laurel offered first her teeth chattering, “I think we’ve made our point with your father.” I nodded and gave Rodrik’s hand one final squeeze, “I’m going to walk back home alone okay? I’ll be alright, I just really need some time alone.” They all nodded and a line formed behind Darla who forced her way to the front, “You’re going to write me every fucking day!” I nodded and gave her the tightest hug. “Every day!” she said once more. “Promise!” I laughed. Francis was next, “Train hard, if we cross paths in the service you’re going to need all the help you can get.” He rubbed his palm over the top of my head but I pushed past and embraced him just as tightly as Darla. “You train just as hard and we’ll see how good of a fight you can put up.” I fought back and Cooper jumped in to join our hug. “Don’t get all mushy! We’re going to be the most badass three in the service!” He beamed. When we parted Laurel stepped up and hugged me through her tears, struggling to speak, “We were supposed to stay here together. You’re not meant to leave.” “I’ll be back.” I smiled. She nodded, “Just like Darla you write me every day. “Promise!” Rodrik was last and I was thankful as everyone else had left the tower leaving us a moment alone. “I really don’t know what to say.” He kicked the ground, causing some pebbles to clink across the floor. “We never expected this.” “Apparently the best things that happen are the ones you least expect.” I tried to stay positive but being faced with the uncertain future, my mind raced with everything that could go wrong. “Be safe.” the words he finally settled on were less than stellar but I decided to remedy that. I jumped over to him, wrapping my arms around him and forcing my lips to his. When we parted I stepped back and offered my hand as a simple shake, “You’ve got to watch out for Darla and Laurel. I’m going to write you all as often as I can please make sure you do the same.” He nodded and took my hand. Leaving on a handshake seemed like the perfect conclusion to our relationship right now. The kiss was going to be on my mind until I got home but that hand shake feeling his warm hands against mine was going to stay with me through the chilly walk home. They left me in the best way. We had our fun and now it was time for me to continue on to the next phase in life. Tomorrow I wasn’t going to be Ashai Sumter, a stagnant school graduate with no direction. I was going to be the next generation of soldiers ready to defend my friends. Despite how much I hated being chosen I knew if I didn’t commit to this I wasn’t going to get far at all.Nok sufficiently distracted me all afternoon and dinner unfortunately was upon us. What was odd though wasn’t that Dimitris seemed to constantly be pulling the conversation away from me but that everyone seemed to be more relaxed. I wasn’t sure what happened with everyone but the air in the dining room was actually pleasant. Maybe, I thought, this wouldn't be so difficult to get through? When dinner finished Alfred and Emnore were excused first followed by Conrad and Anju. Wulda cleared her throat as Nok and Mani reached for her hand, “I would like to escort the ward back to her chambers.” She turned to me, “You are where?” “Conrad.” Hectyr whispered in my ear, “Tell her Conrad.” I shook my head in disbelief and nodded, “Umm. I am next to Conrad and Anju. I sleep in that spare room.” “Wait really?” Nok gasped and looked back at me. I nodded, “Yes, I have been for quite some time. Since the umm… attack.” Did I sound believable? Honestly I thought I sounded nervous. My track reco
It was hard for me to grasp at first but honestly learning from Hectyr alone was not terrible. Without everyone else around he kind of seemed like a genuinely easy going guy. I was nearly reminded of Nok at first when he was trying to sway me towards his cause, only with Hectyr it was still different, I couldn’t put my finger on it just yet, but I knew there was something different about him. Time passed so quickly too and I was just hanging on to his every word until we needed to break for lunch time. I had managed to get my voice to bounce off a tree and echo around us three times before fading. When I jumped and exclaimed with glee as if I were some kid who had actually accomplished something I turned back to him with a wide grin. “I did it!” laughing those also echoed around us. “I’m actually doing it!” He nodded and pushed himself off the tree patting me on the head as he passed. “You’re a natural. Come on, it’s time to eat.” “What?” I scoffed, “You really going to give up wh
I was dismissed from dinner with everyone and started my walk toward my bedroom next to Conrad and Anju. You’re coming back to our room. Dimtiris ordered.Make me. I growled back. I can. His smirk reverberated through our bond. We need to talk. We? I scoffed. Are you actually going to talk or is this going to be forcing me to share all my thoughts?I needed time to process what you knew. Now that I know what you do we need to talk. If you would have asked I’d have told you what I found out. I didn’t have time to ask. If you knew-Enough! If I knew then I’d know and maybe we’d get along right now. You’re going to need to do better than that if you want me to come to your room.Our room. He corrected, and you’re outside my love. What? I blinked, realizing that I had come to his hallway. Stop doing that! I blurted and stomped my foot hard. Dimitris responded by opening the door, a smug grin across his face. “Ready to talk?”“Ready to give me back my privacy?” I sneered.“If we tal
Some random servant came to get me for dinner. I didn’t bother to take note of which one it was. It didn’t matter to me. The dining hall I was led to had an empty space between Nok and Hectyr and I figured that was where I was being exiled. “Welcome to the cool kids club.” Hectyr smirked making sure his voice was only on the wind next to my ear. “Change your mind about learning your windtouched abilities yet?” I ignored him as best I could and turned my back to him making a point to only address Nok. “Long time huh?” He nodded, “At least you don’t have to sit next to Dimitris anymore.” “A fact I am more happy about tonight than anything.” Wulda entered with Emnore and Alred who pulled out the chairs for them before taking his own seat which welcomed Conrad and Anju. Mani and Odda were next leading Aurelia and Clarilla. Aurelia made sure to lock eyes with me as she took what used to be my seat and then flashed an innocent smile to Wulda. Soon it was only Dimitris left. We
“Everything okay?” Dimitris entered the room nearly silent. My only notice was Helix fading from view quickly. I nodded not wanting to say anything, needing a moment to make sure my thoughts were well under control. “I know you’re upset.” He was talking low, “Trust me, lunch was not something you’d have liked to attend.” Shrugging, I got back to my feet and put the Beltane journal back on the shelf hoping he didn’t have questions. “I would have liked to make the choice myself, but it’s fine. I’ve been reading.” “Learn anything new?” “I learned you like to appease your mother more than the average king.” my side eye back hopefully also conveyed the message I was not going to be quelled. “I do what I need to.” He sighed and took a seat, “You’re coming to dinner at least.” “Am I?” I scoffed, “Did the great Wulda approve?” “She can hate the fact you’re a ward of the crown all she wants. The fact remains you’re-” “A ward.” I growled, “That’s what I am. I’m not your mate, I’m not
“Read this one.” A diary fell from the shelf and landed on the floor causing my heart to sink a little. “Be easy with them!” I called and rushed over to the book. “Beltane?” It wasn’t close to the beginning maybe a couple of diaries in, so it was well after the barrier had been established. “Why this one?”No response. Why would I think differently? He was actually very chatty today comparatively. Wolves howl at night. That’s all that seems to make noise anymore. I’ve been watching the barrier for nearly ten years and this will be my seventh journal. It seems to be the only thing keeping me sane anymore. So long near this thing we know isn’t healthy but who else will do it? I need to know my family is protected and I need to know if there’s a breach. I need to know my enemies and their plans. That is my only objective. I will keep them safe. The diary skipped forward with only a single line dated months later: I know I heard the thoughts of my partner today. He wants to end it all