Chapter 15

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

W ater magic stirred in my veins like a rippling pool, and I only had to call on it to transform that pool into a tempestuous sea storm. I had always felt a connection to the ocean, and whenever I bathed in her warm waters, I knew it was where I belonged. But now that my magic had been Awakened, it was as if I carried her with me, from her turbulent, destructive fury to the gentle flow of a meandering river.

Water was the greatest element in this world, needed by all, and without it, every living thing would perish. Now that power was a part of me, but I still hadn't tried to cast it.

My feet tracked heavily into the arena made specially for the Raincarvers' Magical Trials, a wide, still pool filling most of the circular place. Six Reapers gazed down at me from their positions on a balcony perched high enough to observe me. This arena was an echo of the one I had taken my Combat Trial in apart from that mirror-like water. Wooden targets were perched upon the walls, and effigies of wooden creatures stood around the pool too.

"You must exert control over your element and prove yourself worthy to become a warrior of Cascada," a female Reaper spoke up from the middle of the group. "You are required to cast water into existence, but you may also wield that which lays in the pool. All targets in this arena must be destroyed upon completion of your Magical Trial and in doing so, you must show prowess and potential for growth if you are to succeed in placing at Never Keep. If you do not still wish to follow the path of a warrior, simply kneel and you shall be returned to your homeland."

"I won't kneel," I growled.

"Then begin," she directed, taking her seat once more.

My chest tightened as I raised both hands, flexing the fingers of my left one, feeling the scar tissue there and praying to Scorpio that he would ensure I could cast despite it. The fear of this moment had haunted me for too long, the nightmares of failing to cast with both hands hounding me into the dark. It would mark me as lesser, weaker, useless. Just as my father had branded me.

Guiding magic to my fingertips was all too simple and my breath caught as the current of pure power twisted into something volatile.

Water blasted from my right hand, scoring out across the arena and slamming into one of the wooden creatures. It shattered into a thousand pieces, but my heart stuttered as no magic came from my left hand. Not a shimmer, not a drop. Heat flamed along the back of my neck, and I schooled my features, lowering my left arm with a casualness that I hoped would go unnoticed, pouring all of my energy into my right. Water tore through the room, smashing targets everywhere, my control over it growing keener with each passing second. A voice in the back of my head was declaring me useless, but I couldn't acknowledge it. If I did, I'd fail this trial, and so long as I could cast at all, I still had a chance.

My connection to the power was instinctual and as I willed the water to chill, it turned to blades of ice. At a twist of my fingers, they flew in every direction, crashing into the last targets and leaving them in pieces. My power blasted out more furiously and I realised I was barely tapping into my reserves, this wild ocean in me flooding forth endlessly.

I focused on the pool in the room, connecting to it with ease and drawing it up into a spiralling whirlpool that I could spin like my fingers were connected to it with invisible threads. It was a writhing mass of deadly power and I sent it crashing out in every direction, slamming into every wall along with the magical barrier that protected the Reapers from my cast.

Water dripped from me, and I gathered it all up again, pulling on every drop in the room, dragging it toward me and starting to bend it. I gritted my teeth, focusing on how to move it, managing to shape it into a giant cylinder, and with a force of will, I made it move like a snake, trying to forge jaws into one end, but before I could figure out how, the central Reaper stood up and barked, "Please cast with two hands, candidate."

The water came crashing down in a tumbling wave that rocked the stone beneath my feet. I stood, soaked and freezing as the adrenaline wore off and my blood turned icily cold.

"I destroyed the targets," I called. "Aren't I done?"

"You will not be finished until you have completed what we require," she clipped.

My pulse pounded in my ears and I lifted my left hand, looking down at the scarred skin there, a wave of fear and sharpest rage scoring through me. I saw the face of my mother's killer, felt the burn of the Basilisk venom that had caused this scar, and I realised he was about to take more from me again.

"I can't," I rasped, forcing my tongue to curl around those words.

The central Reaper cocked her head. "Excuse me?"

I walked forward, around the pool, close enough to be standing right beneath them and held up my left hand for them to see.

"Basilisk venom," I explained thickly. "It left a scar on me long ago. I cannot draw magic from this hand. But you saw my power, I broke the targets, I can make up for-"

"Silence," she cut over me. "You will return to your homeland. You have not passed your Magical Trial. You have not placed at Never Keep."

The air stalled in my lungs, her words like a knife slamming into my chest. I shook my head, refusing that fate even as it fell upon my shoulders. I couldn't go home. I couldn't return to Castelorain to be forced into the company of Quentinos Wavellion. My father would make me take the path of a Provider. He would give me no choice.

"I destroyed the targets!" I barked. "I did what you asked and more besides."

"It is a kindness," the Reaper said softly. "The stars are protecting you from the tides of war. It is a blessing, young one."

"Hykaské!" I cursed in Cascalian. Bullshit . "You've said nothing of my power. Would I pass if I'd cast the very same magic with both hands?"

"Of course – your magic was astounding. To have such control upon your first casting-" a male Reaper piped up, but the leader shot him a glare that made him bow his head and mutter an apology to her and the stars.

I stared at her in disbelief. "So I'm to be rejected on what grounds?"

"You have a clear disadvantage," she said firmly. "A flaw that cannot be fixed. Not by our hands or any other. Basilisk venom leaves scars not even healing magic can repair. The stars have deigned this your fate, you would do well to bow to it gracefully. Now please make your way from the arena and return to the dock."

My boots felt rooted to the ground, the rage in my veins climbing with every passing second, the drip, drip, drip of water from my hair like the ticking hands of a clock. This path could not be denied me. I was going to Never Keep. I was not going to be turned away and sent to my homeland to become a womb to bear the next generation of warriors. But I was part of this generation. I belonged at the Keep. And no Reaper, no star, no hand of fate was going to stand in my way.

A blast of absolute power ripped from me, wielded by my right hand as I directed it at the magical barrier that protected the Reapers from my casts. A roaring wave of water slammed right into it, and a bolt of energy connected from me to it, like a twisting, writhing darkness inside me, spilling out of my chest and fuelling that wave. It crashed into the barrier and a blast of light ricocheted across it before it fizzled out with crackles and sparks of magic. I gasped as the wave went crashing over the Reapers, soaking them through.

They all scrambled out of their seats with cries of shock, staring down at me in disbelief and the lead Reaper looked to me with intrigue colouring her expression.

"How could she do such a thing with just water magic?" one of the Reapers hissed to another, and they shook their head in awe.

I glanced between them, unsure if I should be turning tail and fleeing right about now, but something in the lead Reapers' expression kept me rooted there.

"Her water power is great indeed," she mused to the others. "It is a great pity she cannot wield it with both hands."

"High Reaper," the male who had stood up for me earlier shuffled over to her, whispering to her in a voice I could definitely hear. I noticed he had two stars marking the breast of his cloak and the woman he spoke to held three stars, signifying their rank. "There are no specific rules declaring a one-handed caster cannot place at Never Keep."

"There are only so many places to bestow, Reaper Jaspin, and we cannot waste one on a gamble," she hissed back.

"It won't be a waste," I called, vowing it down to the essence of my soul. "And if it's about room, then board me in a fucking broom cupboard for all I care. I'll sleep with the mops and buckets. Just let me train."

"She has passion," one of the other Reapers said thoughtfully, stroking his neat black beard. "Why not take up her offer? Place her wherever she will fit and she can have a room once one becomes available."

I knew what that meant. When someone at Never Keep died, because that was the kind of brutal place it was. Not everyone made it through their magical instructions.

"A wildcard," the High Reaper mused. "Do the stars seek to surprise us this day?"

"Yes," I said quickly, not caring what reason they had for making this decision only that they had to make it. "In fact, I had a dream just last night of such a thing. The courage of Pisces guiding me into Never Keep and promising me challenges untold. She said I would come to Helle Fort and astonish the Reapers," I lied, trying to convince them that my place here was destined and hoping the stars forgave me for my blasphemy. I'd be sure to leave an offering in the Astral Sanctuary as thanks if they allowed me this one chance.

"There you have it," Reaper Jaspin announced. "The stars have spoken."

The High Reaper considered that, then sighed, looking to me. "You have placed at Never Keep. Your room is undetermined. I will send word to you soon." She took a pin from her gold cloak, sending it to me upon a pillar of water and I took it. "Keep this, it will guide a Reaper to you when it is time."

"Thank you," I gasped, a stone door opening to the side of the arena, and I raced for it, tearing outside into the moonlight.

The stone plaza outside was thronging with Fae, and steep steps led down the mountain towards a dock where wide wooden boats were ferrying those who had passed their trials to Never Keep. There were four ports, each one marked for water, air, fire, and earth, not even our passage to the Keep united, each dock lit by a tall iron lamppost. Reapers waited on the boats, directing people onto them and using magic to guide the vessels away across the dark ocean.

I looked at the silver pin in my hand, taking in the emblem of the Reapers, a star with an elemental symbol on four of the points. My gaze fell on piles of bags and I hurried over to the one closest, tossing bags aside as I searched for mine. I noticed couriers in black robes wheeling some away in carts, the items inside carefully placed, and I guessed some people had paid for the privilege. But I was left to root through the mountain of shit that the less affluent assholes like me had brought with them. When I finally located my bag, I pulled it from the heap, double checking all my belongs were accounted for then securing my dagger back at my hip.

Two big hands grabbed me from behind and I wheeled around, thinking of Ransom and readying to strike, but finding Harlon there instead.

"Well?" he demanded of me, his expression tense.

"I placed," I said, a big ass smile lifting my lips.

He yanked me into a tight embrace and held me against him. "I'm so fucking happy for you, Ever."

"And you got in, right?" I asked, knowing the answer already, but as he drew back, I found him looking anxious.

"Everest, I…"

"Don't bullshit me, Harl. I know you got in," I said, jabbing him in the pec.

"Yeah, I did, but-"

"Hell yes. Maybe I can sleep on your floor then because I'm pretty sure I'm going to be shoved in a broom cupboard, but it doesn't matter because we're in ."

"A broom cupboard?" he balked.

"I'll tell you about that if you tell me where your ‘but' was going." I gave him a pointed look and his shoulders dropped, a dejected expression falling over his features.

"I got two Elements," he said tightly. "Water and earth."

I stared at him, floored by those words. It should have been good news, great fucking news actually. Two elements meant you were destined to become a Reaper, and that was a path which was revered across all four nations, but Harlon had always been so clearly a warrior that the idea of him as some spiritual, robed star whisperer just refused to make sense in my mind.

"They train us separately," he said, dropping another heart-rending truth. "I'll be at the Keep, but…from what they said, I'll hardly see the warriors. Maybe not at all."

"Oh," I breathed, trying not to let my smile fall, but my heart was sinking and reality was closing in.

We were going to be separated, sent off on two fates that might not easily cross in future. The Reapers resided in their own quarters within the Keep so far as I knew, a place the rest of us were not permitted to enter. And once his training was complete he could be sent off to any of the four nations, serving in an Astral Sanctuary or as an advisor to the leaders of the differing lands, perhaps working as a healer, but likely not in Castelorain.

"It's a great honour to be a Reaper," I said, trying to muster some excitement into my voice, but I didn't think I managed it. "And two elements? Shit, Harl, you've got it made."

His brow only creased more and he stepped closer to me, the throng of movement around us becoming a blur as he took up the entirety of my view. "This isn't the path I wanted. I don't want to leave you."

"This is bigger than us," I said, but the words were heavy on my tongue. "The stars chose you for this."

"Stop it," he growled, stepping even closer. "Speak your mind, don't spin a web of bullshit for me. Who knows when we'll see each other again? I don't want lies to be the last thing you say to me."

"It won't be the last thing I say." I grabbed his shirt in my fist, drawing him even closer, unsure what I intended to do only that letting go of him now felt like a goodbye. "We'll see each other at the Keep. We'll make it happen."

He pushed his hand into my damp hair, pulling me to him and I went, letting myself melt, my hand sliding up his chest to rest on his shoulder.

"I'll find you, Ever," he swore, then his mouth was on mine and I was crushed to him as his arms went around me, forcing me onto my tiptoes so I could meet the ferocity of his kiss.

My mind sparked with all the fears I'd had about crossing this line, but they were shoved away by the heat of him surrounding me and the way it felt when his tongue pushed between my lips. My hands slid around his shoulders, pressing myself flush to the firm, muscular planes of his body and kissing him back. This man who had seen me when no one else had, who had had faith in me without cause, who'd met me in the ocean. But now we were about to separate upon a new shore.

Our lips parted and my heart rioted from the burning contact of his hands on me, his forehead falling to rest against my own and his warm breath meeting with mine in a rising fog, chasing away the icy air.

"I've waited far too long to do that," he said in a low tone as my skin continued to buzz and spark from that kiss. "And now I realise how much time I've wasted thinking I would always have you, thinking there was no deadline on us. But I didn't want to break what we have. You're my friend first, Ever, but I have to lay an offering of more than that on the brink of our parting, otherwise the regret will feast on me from the inside out. But I want you to train first, to chase your desires and land within the fate you have long been owed, and then and only then, will I ask you to be mine."

He started walking away and I noticed a line of Reapers guiding a group of Fae towards a smaller, though far grander boat upon the shore. He was leaving. The time was upon us before I was remotely ready to say goodbye.

"Wait," I gasped, but he didn't wait, he turned to join the Reapers and let them draw him into their fold, leading him onto the boat.

I stood alone among the crowd of Fae who were making their way down the steps to their own boats, and I felt more lost than I ever had in my life. Without Harlon, I was truly solitary. He was my rock, the one who knew exactly how to hold my broken pieces together. With him gone, I feared I'd shatter in the loneliness of it all.

His ferry took off from the shore and was soon swallowed by the pressing darkness of the night, only the faint glow of a lantern swinging from the prow marking his passage.

I lifted my gaze to the hulking form of Never Keep on the edge of the dark horizon, a low mist shimmering on the water around it, highlighted by the moon. Something solidified in my chest, a darkness that was gilded in grief, the promise I'd made to my mother's ghost to find her killer rising sharply inside me. That was what mattered. The trail to that fate lay before me, and though I hadn't expected to walk it alone, it wouldn't stop me from following it.

I'd find Harlon on that island regardless, even if we wouldn't be learning to wield our water magic together as I'd expected. He would still be close, and I had to let go of my own selfish desire to keep hold of him and let him go on to greater things. It might not have been the place he had expected to claim, but it was one revered across all the four nations. He would rise among the Reapers, learn knowledge and powers untold. I had to try my best to be happy for him, even if the knot in my chest ached with how much I already missed him.

That kiss already felt like an illusion, a dizzying moment of reality colliding with my dreams. He desired me. Truly. As I desired him too, and now he was gone and I didn't know what to do with the turmoil of confusion inside me. I wanted him, yes, but I feared what that want would do to us. How it might change the precious, mutual, uncomplicated love we'd held for each other for so many years.

I started down the stone steps, heading toward the boat that was waiting to take a group of Raincarvers to the Keep, lost to the beautiful torment of my thoughts. Alina was among them, and though I wasn't surprised to find she had placed, a bitterness still coated my skin as I joined the growing throng of my people.

Most of their faces were those of strangers, and I relaxed as I realised they didn't know me, that a fresh slate awaited me here. I was only an outcast in Castelorain, but perhaps Never Keep would be different. Not that I took easily to people. My guard was firmly up and honestly, I preferred my own company over most Fae's, but I wouldn't be a pariah here. Maybe I could find a few kindred spirits.

A familiar, muscular arm wrapped around my shoulders and I jerked away, unsheathing my dagger and pointing it at Ransom.

"Relax, sis," he crooned, and I scowled. He had never called me that in his life. "Seriously, Everest. You placed at Never Keep, I never thought it would happen, but I can't deny your ability now that it's pointed out so clearly to me. Besides, we're going to be comrades in battle soon enough. Shall we leave the past in the past?" He held out his hand for me to take, offering me the sort of smile I had only ever seen him pass out to his vile friends.

I stared at his outstretched palm like it was a rotten fish, recoiling from it with a hiss passing between my teeth. There had always been something deeply animal about me, and Mama had been certain it was a sign of my Order, but I wondered if it was more to do with the fact that I'd been chased from street to street all my life like unwanted vermin.

"You think I'll just forget the way you treated me?" I snarled, insulted by his casual offering.

"No," he said, stepping closer and tipping his head down. He looked so much like my father in that moment that it only set my hackles rising further. "But how about an apology for it?" He still had that offending hand held out in offering. "Come on, Everest. A truce at least. It's going to be us and them in there. I'd prefer if my enemies weren't lurking in my own ranks. Surely you feel the same?"

I hesitated, seeing the sense to his words, even if I still doubted them. I was trying to tread a new path here, and if Ransom really was willing to back off and leave his harassment of me in the past, it would be all the easier for me to focus on my magical instructions.

Reluctantly, I sheathed my dagger then slid my hand into his, laying my faith in the hope that maybe the light of Scorpio had made him see sense. His fingers closed around mine, his palm far bigger, crushing it in his grip. His smile tilted into a wicked sneer and I didn't even have time to curse myself for the foolish mistake I'd made before he wound a loop of rope around me, binding my arms to my waist and cinching it tight.

"Now!" he cried and I was hauled backwards, a cry leaving me as some of his friends yanked on a length of the rope behind me and I was dragged off my feet.

I hit the boardwalk with a snarl parting my lips, hauled along the wooden slats and trying to wield my element to save myself. But I didn't know how to control it properly and only managed to cast a line of ice beneath me that sent me skidding along quicker. The rope was tossed over the top of a lamppost and Ransom crowed excitedly as I was dragged skyward. Alina tied off the rope on a post at the edge of the dock, leaving me hanging there.

She shrieked a laugh and my cheeks flamed as I thrashed, trying to get to my dagger, but my arms were bound painfully tightly to my sides.

"Everest Arcadia is a freak from the gutters of Castelorain!" Ransom boomed and the sizeable crowd of elementals all looked at me. From here, right across the three other docks, to all the Fae exiting the arenas. Most of them were drawn to the show.

"Any who take pity on this pathetic runt can join her in exile and face the wrath of me, Ransom Rake, son of Commander Rake." A ripple of mutters broke out at that name, my father's bloodthirsty reputation well known throughout the four nations, and it looked like Ransom had just earned himself a position of respect before we'd even stepped foot in Never Keep. I wasn't worthy of taking my father's surname like my half-brother was. Only Father's ‘true heirs' were bestowed with that accolade. I preferred my mother's name anyway, and at least I wasn't called Alina Seaman.

Ransom twisted his fingers and water spurted down my legs, soaking through my undergarments and shift, making it look like I was pissing myself. The laughter grew to a crescendo that crackled against my ears and made my anger turn to a wave of utter embarrassment.

Alina's cackling laughter reached me along with many other unfamiliar laughs, carrying across the docks and echoing over the water. The Reapers did nothing, simply waiting on the boats and directing the Fae to file onto them, and Ransom marched onboard with a bunch of Fae running after him, clapping him on the back.

Eyes were on me from all directions and as the first boat sailed away with my half-brother's laughter still carrying back to me across the water, punctuated by Alina's high-pitched giggles, I fought even harder to get down.

My mind was sparking with fury, my chest tight with rioting anxiety, but I took a breath, realising my panic was making this harder than it needed to be. I focused on my element, the ocean stirring inside me in offering and I ripped through Ransom's rope with a blast of ice shards and went falling towards the boards of the dock.

I landed with a crash, my knees splitting open on the wood, but I shoved upright, snarling at the closest Fae whose smiles withered at the ferocity they found staring back at them. I sent a blast of water out in every direction, knocking several of them into the sea, then I took up the front of the line as another boat pulled into the dock, ready to ferry us to the island.

"Hey - water freak!" a Flamebringer called from the next dock over and I ignored him, my back prickling with tension as my muscles bunched up. "Come on, pole-pisser, look over here!"

I glanced back for one reason only, a ball of ice forming in my right palm as I found the asshole sniggering among his friends. I threw the ice with all my strength, hitting him dead between the eyes and he crashed into the deck so hard, the boards cracked from the impact. He groaned, muttering furious curses as he lay there in a daze.

"Move it," a girl snarled from behind me and I was shoved forward, stumbling and quickly grasping the edge of the boat.

A Reaper produced a glittering crystal, just like the one that had read my magical signature before, and she touched it briefly to my arm before nodding and letting me pass over the gangplank. I made my way for the front of the vessel, wanting to put some distance between myself and the Raincarvers who were still tossing jibes my way. Pishalés – assholes.

It wasn't long before the boat was full and it took off across the water, the Reapers working their power into the ocean so we carved a fast passage across it.

My embarrassment ebbed away as Never Keep loomed out of the dark, the star-speckled sky standing out starkly behind the cavernous black rocks that jutted up like the spires of a demon's crown. Lights twinkled in the towers beyond the rising turrets of the high walls, but I could see little more of the place I would now reside in for a full year.

The boat soon docked upon a black sand beach, and I took in the sheer steps cut into the rock wall, climbing almost vertically up towards the Keep, jutting back and forth at sharp angles across the cliff face.

A Reaper stood waiting at their base, a ball of light glowing above him and illuminating the way on. I was first to disembark, leaping off the prow of the boat instead of filing onto the boardwalk and making my way up the dark beach.

"Welcome to Obsidian Cove," the Reaper said in a voice which carried over the crashing of the waves at our backs. "To reach the Night Gate, the entrance to Never Keep, you must first master The Escalade." He indicated the intimidating stairs which were carved into the cliff, and I craned my neck to get a look at the dizzying climb before us. "Come."

The Reaper wordlessly turned and led the way up the dangerous climb, one slip upon the wet stairway promising a deadly fall.

The ascent was brutal, but my thighs were well used to hard work. Between the tiderunning I did almost daily in the ocean, climbing the rooftops of Castelorain and traversing the rising hills of my land, I was well prepared for this. From the huffing, panting and groaning sounding behind me, it seemed not everyone was though.

At the cliff's peak, the Reaper silently led us to the high black walls of Never Keep, the towering structures as sheer and smooth as glass. The Reaper led us to a vast entrance set into the walls, the wrought iron gates carved with the phases of the moon standing wide open and awaiting our arrival.

We followed the gold-cloaked man through the gates, stepping onto giant flagstones as we emerged in a courtyard big enough for several thousand Fae to occupy at once – no doubt a place where the entire year's worth of conscripts might gather together. Starlight glimmered overhead, illuminating the carved walls where the sky was reflected in images of constellations and elemental magic.

"This is a sacred place of learning where you are expected to put aside your warring and focus only on the study of the power which has been bestowed upon you this glorious night," the Reaper called, his voice amplified with magic to carry back across the group. "Of course you will harbour animosity to those from the other lands and will not be expected to bunk with them. The neophytes from each nation have access to their own Vault – one of the four arms of the Keep where only those from your own nation will be allowed to step so that you might sleep and study in peace. The Vaults intersect at the very centre of the Keep where we now stand and run diagonally in opposing directions, maintaining your separation outside where possible. You will, however, congregate for your instructions in Cardinal Magic – the power which you can now all command regardless of element - which take place up the Grand Stair to the Galaseum at the heart of the Keep. You will also take meals in the refectory located beneath the Galaseum and you will attend Astral Sanctuary together with the other elementals too." He pointed to a wide door, intricately decorated with representations of every star sign which stood to our right and I made a mental note of it, knowing it would be all too easy to get lost in this sprawling place.

"To your left is the Reapers' Quarters where my brethren reside and it goes without saying that access to our private residence is forbidden."

I glanced to the door directly opposite the Astral Sanctuary, thick wood, entirely unadorned in contrast to its counterpart greeting me with steely defiance as if the thing itself had been created to seem as unwelcoming as possible. Had Harlon taken that door when he'd arrived at the Keep? Was he somewhere beyond it, perhaps settling into his new quarters, meeting the other acolytes who the stars had chosen for greatness?

I tried not to let jealousy carve its way into me at the thought, but as I stood a little apart from the other Raincarvers, my crotch still wet from Ransom's attack, I couldn't help but wish the stars hadn't seen quite how special Harlon was and had left him to the fate we'd both dreamed up together.

"The Vault of Embers lays here in the south." The Reaper pointed to an archway wreathed with carvings of fire and destruction which stood behind us to our left, a wide hall opening up beyond it leading to the private chambers of the Flamebringers.

"The Vault of Steel is to the east." To our backs, but on our right, another imposing archway led towards the space allocated to the Stonebreakers, the walls decorated with real, twisting vines and blooming flowers, the scent of earth and life whispering from within.

"Come." The Reaper led us across the courtyard and through a wide door where the enormous structure he had referred to as the Great Stair dominated the internal space. It was wide enough for ten Fae to climb it abreast, the white marble it had been carved from at odds with the black volcanic stone which made up every other wall of the Keep.

Once again, the Reaper paused, giving me a moment to take in the doors behind the Great Stair which stood open to the refectory, revealing lines of wooden tables laid out with benches on either side of them in preparation of a meal, though sadly for my grumbling stomach, no food appeared to be present.

"The Vault of Sky is to the north east." The Reaper pointed to the archway marked with swirling effigies of air magic on our right where the sounds of someone whooping and hollering in excitement echoed back to us. "And the Vault of Frost lays to the north west." Muttering broke out as we all swivelled towards the archway on our left, the stonework marked with roiling waves and whirlpools. "You are strictly forbidden from entering all Vaults other than your own."

He continued on, and we followed him into the cavernous passageway, my gaze moving from the grey flagstones to the flaming candelabras above. Constellations were glittering in the ceiling between them, marked there in silver and catching the light of the candles.

It was a long walk down the wide hall into the depths of the north western Vault, but we were finally led into it through a blue metal gateway with glimmering sea creatures marked into the walls around it. A guard stood either side of it armed with large swords and dressed in dark armour, and they praised the stars as the Reaper passed them by.

The sound of running water and burbling pools reached me as we stepped into an entrance hall that spanned at least a hundred feet. The humid air immediately chased away the cold which had been clinging to me since arriving in the Keep, and I took in the place in awe.

A giant pool lay at the centre of the chamber, surrounded by lush vegetation, the familiar palms and ferns of my homeland leaning over the water. There were many different levels, stairways and ladders climbing to smaller pools, and waterfalls trailed from one into the next. Three towering effigies stood at the peak of the cascading pools, water spurting from the scorpion tail of Scorpio as well as the two mouths of the fish for Pisces, and the claws of the crab for Cancer where they stood at the pinnacle of three waterfalls.

"This is the Poseidon Spa." The Reaper barely gave us any time to take in the tempting room before leading us through an arching doorway to a glass staircase that spiralled away above us. Water trickled within the glass, moving in a constant rise and fall of glittering droplets.

"There are four towers in the Vault of Frost, each holding sleeping quarters for the neophytes," the Reaper explained. "There are many beds to be claimed in this one, so you make your way skyward. There are a few private quarters, but most are communal. Beyond here, you will find the courtyard where your elemental instruction shall be held, as well as the Library of Frost where books can be found for private study. As it is late, you will now retire for the night, but you may explore your Vault more thoroughly come morning."

I made to step onto the stairs, but the Reaper caught my arm, drawing me aside and allowing the rest of the group to sweep by, chattering excitedly as they disappeared into that tantalising tower.

"I believe you bear a token," he said and I frowned, reaching into my pocket and taking it out. The Reaper took it from me then turned on his heel, his gold cloak sweeping out behind him. "Come."

I followed him, leaving the glass stairway behind with a sinking disappointment, but I had wanted to be placed here, I didn't need the frivolities that went along with it. Even if they did look seriously fucking frivolous.

The Reaper led me down a stairway which I almost didn't spot in its shadowy corner of cobwebs, this one a plain grey stone that went down, down, down until I didn't think there could possibly be anywhere deeper inside the Keep, nor anywhere colder.

But apparently I was wrong, because we went deeper still, and he finally led me into a dank corridor that had a brutal chill to it. He guided me through a wooden door where the sound of clunking pipes and the churning slosh of water made me frown.

"Here we are," he announced, and I took in the chamber which had literal ice crawling up the walls.

"Um, not to be dramatic, but I might freeze my ass off and die if I sleep in here," I said, a shiver wracking through me.

The Reaper chuckled. "We would not leave you without warmth, neophyte." He charted a path across the room and I looked up, realising the ceiling was made of glass with water sloshing back and forth inside it, a low blue glow sparking intermittently through it.

"What is this place?" I muttered.

"It's a cleansing chamber," he said. "All the water that is pumped through the Vaults cycles through a cleansing ritual, passing by runes imbued with power by the Fae who work tirelessly to keep this sacred place of learning in pristine condition to ensure it is of the purest quality. It is then heated as it rises by runes imbued with fire magic as it returns to the pools and tubs of the Fae housed in Never Keep. You are actually one of the rare few to ever see this place. It is a great honour."

"Oh, I feel honoured alright," I said dryly, but he didn't seem to catch the sarcasm as he moved to a large iron grate in the wall. He reached into it and flames blazed to life within, making me flinch a little at the casual use of the element. But the Reapers somehow seemed beyond the burning hatred which simmered within me for the Fae of the other nations, like accepting their role as a voice of the stars truly meant they could put aside the prejudice, hatred and animosity that we were raised with. Would that happen to Harlon? Would he somehow forget to hate the Flamebringers even after they killed my mama? Would he find a way to make peace with the Skyforgers after they had killed countless Fae from our town? I couldn't imagine it, yet this Reaper showed no sign at all that he looked at me with anything even close to hate.

Despite my mistrust of the Reaper's fire magic, I couldn't deny that I needed it and I hurried towards the heat of the flames with my hands outstretched to warm them.

"That is an everflame – you can stoke it or allow it to simmer as you need but it will remain lit eternally for your needs. I had a meal and some items of comfort brought here for you," he added, gesturing to a couple of folded blankets, a pillow and a plate of bread, cheese and grapes. "There is also a map of Never Keep and a schedule for your perusal. If you need the bathroom, you may use the servants' latrines just down the hall from here, the third door on the left. But I am afraid there are no baths on the lower levels. You will have to use the communal bathhouse within your Vault, which you can locate on your map. Praise to the stars."

"Praise to those who tread their destined path." I replied automatically, bowing my head to him and he strode away, taking his Faelight with him and leaving only the roaring flames of the fire. At least the chill was beginning to lessen, but that churning, sloshing noise seemed to be growing louder.

On the bright side, if I could gather the materials, it would be simple enough to make a forge in that fire – assuming I could figure out how to remove the grate. But honestly, bright sides were pretty dim right now, and as I rolled out my blankets and sank down onto them, hugging my knees to my chest, nothing but heaviness pressed in on me. Harlon was gone. Ransom had ensured the Fae here saw me as a reject already, and my living quarters left a lot to be desired.

There was a hole ripping open in my chest that spoke of old wounds, my mother's death seeming so fresh that it was as if I was caught in that Forge again with a rain of hellfire and venom pouring down on us.

I blinked away the dark thoughts, taking my blade from my hip and focusing on the glint of firelight upon the metal as my heart rate slowly steadied. My plan of revenge seemed so very far away despite me claiming a place at Never Keep.

I felt like something other, an unwanted creature to be hidden in the bowels of the fortress, and despite how much I was used to living on the outskirts of society, I'd not considered how quickly my past would chase me into my future. Perhaps the stars had always meant for me to be solitary, perhaps I would be greater because of it one day. But right now, I was nervous of what the dawn would bring, because something told me I was going to need to lean into my most ruthless inclinations if I was going to survive the wrath of Never Keep.