Chapter 43 | Ravinica

Chapter 43

Ravinica

I DID NOT HAVE TO WAIT long to find Magnus after Arne and I were freed. He found me.

I was in the cafeteria, hiding from the gale winds outside, telling my tale to Sven and Grim, with Arne also present. The shifters were gazing at me with bloodlust in their eyes, and a bit of normal lust, too.

Once I had caught them up on things, and told them about my rendezvous with Corym E'tar, they chastised me for going there in the first place, though not for the reason I expected.

"You should have taken us, little sneak," Grim said, shaking his head. "We could have kept you safe."

"People would have died if you were there, big guy."

"Exactly," Sven added. "And you would have been safe, foolish girl."

I rolled my eyes. "This wasn't about you. I needed to see Corym alone ."

Sven flapped a hand at Arne. "Clearly you didn't, or you wouldn't have taken the dandy."

Arne snapped back, "Fuck you, dog boy. You're just pissed you weren't invited to partake in—"

"Of course I am!"

"Silvermoon!"

The name made my heart jolt to my throat, even as Arne and Sven continued their back-and-forth banter. My head whipped over to the door of the cafeteria, where Magnus Feldraug strode in, trench coat in full swishing form.

I smiled wide, heart leaping at the sight of the bloodrender. Jumping up from the table, I yelled, "Magnus!"

My smile faltered when I noticed the pale tint to his cheeks, the fear on his face.

This was a man who never got flustered, so it was alarming, especially after not seeing him for days at a time.

He stood over the table, and I worriedly said, "What's wrong?"

Magnus' gray eyes fell on the three men around me, all staring up at him expectantly. To me, he said, "Can I speak with you alone for a minute?"

"Hell no," Sven spat, beginning to stand. "Where she goes, we—"

"Of course you can," I interrupted, shooting a scowl at the wolf shifter, making him sit with a deep frown.

When Magnus pulled me away from the group, taking us outside into the chilly afternoon, he spoke without preamble—no kiss, no hello, no how-have-you-been?

"I think I've discovered something important."

We stood around the side of the longhouse, suspicious as ever. I glanced over both shoulders to make sure no one had followed us, and leaned in. "Is it about the rebellion?"

"And so much more."

I raised my eyebrows. "I'm listening."

"The leechings are done. I escaped during my last stay, ran into Hersir Kelvar, and overheard—"

"Wait, wait. Back up. You escaped ? And you're still standing?"

"Are you listening, or talking?"

Well, damn. Someone was in a surly mood. I'd never seen Magnus so uptight and . . . worried. He was like a skittish junkie, his head filled with thoughts he needed to desperately get out, or he'd implode from the weight of them.

Folding my arms over my chest, I frowned at him. "Go on then, bloodrender."

He winced. "Sorry. I . . . your blood is special, Ravinica."

I blinked. "Special how?"

"You're related to Lady Elayina. Distantly, I think."

I paused for a moment, letting the words settle. Then, "I'm what ?! Related to the bog-seer? How do—"

"I spoke with Kelvar after he helped me escape Fort Woden. He told me some things. Their blood reports showed my DNA matched with an ancient sample they had of the seer. Which means . . ."

". . . When I gave you my blood, it gave them access to my history."

"Yes. Your blood also staved off a debilitating illness Tomekeeper Dahlia gave me with poisonous blood she was pumping me full of, trying to kill me." His hand waved. "Because of Astrid, of course. She's the one responsible for the leechings, which comes as no surprise."

He was talking so fast, saying so much, I struggled to keep up. Tomekeeper Dahlia was one thing, but Hersir Kelvar the Whisperer ? "Hold on," I said, not caring if it vexed him that I was interrupting his story again. "When did you become buddy-buddy with the damned Whisperer, Magnus? That sounds dangerous as hell."

"It probably is. Only last night. He may have become an unwitting ally. I'm not sure yet. Helping me escape Fort Woden undetected . . . that was something I never expected."

"Yeah, no shit," I mumbled, still trying to wrap my head around everything. Gazing up into his eyes, I said, "Tell me more about my blood—this relation I share with Elayina. How does it work?"

"She's an ancient ancestor of yours. Allegedly, she's one of the three half-elf princesses born from King Dannon's wife, Lady Amisara."

The elven sister of Lord Talasin—the woman who was secretly raped to produce offspring for the wicked human king.

My face sank. "Wait, Lady Elayina is that old ?! King Dannon is from a thousand years ago!"

"I know. I have no idea how she's still breathing."

Gods, the twists were coming fast.

Magnus said, "That's not all," and stared directly into my eyes. "There's something else going on with your blood. Some ‘anomaly,' Kelvar called it, that no one can explain. It isn't only human and elven."

My head reeled. "What the fuck does that mean?"

"No idea. Maybe we need another visit to Mimir Tomes." He tried his best to smile, but it was a sickly attempt.

"This is crazy, Magnus. Please tell me you're done."

He thought for a moment, tapping his sharp chin. Then his gray eyes brightened, and he shook his head. "One more thing. I found a map inside Fort Woden. At first, I didn't think much of it. Now I've had time to reflect back on it . . ."

I leaned forward as he trailed off. This man had had an even crazier night than me.

My voice was barely a squeak. "M-Magnus?"

"Sections of the map were circled and marked off. The elf encampment was one of them, with the most evident X directly in the center of it."

My brow furrowed, creases digging into my forehead. "What does that mean?"

He sighed and scratched his chin. "I think it's alluding to the portal you said the elves took to escape the Huscarls attacking them. Either that, or it was simply to designate a place of battle. This marking looked different—more important than the other ones, like the one near the hillside and river where we fought."

"They know about that?" I hissed. "About all the Huscarls we killed?"

He nodded gravely.

"What . . . what do you think the marking meant, Magnus?"

"I think Vikingrune Academy is trying to force open the portal to Alfheim, love."

I was utterly, completely freaked out. My gasts were flabbered and my heebies were jeebied. Magnus steamrolled an absolute bombshell at me, raising way more questions than I had before.

After we returned to the cafeteria to rejoin my other mates, I couldn't stop chewing my lip. I kept thinking about Magnus' words—the claim that the academy wanted to open the portal to Alfheim, the realm of the elves. Why? What do they want in Alfheim? To bring the war to the Ljosalfar? Could it be something so simple and devious?

I felt there had to be more to it.

I recalled my studies in Mimir Tomes. I didn't know enough. Even my fragmented "memories" Lady Elayina had shown me were drawing a blank. That seemed like an eon ago, now. And what the hell is this about my relation to Elayina? How can that be possible?

I figured I could tackle that issue later on. I still had Corym to worry about—I needed to find and free the elf, for my own sanity.

Maybe I could even get him back to Alfheim, to his homeland, if I could break him out of whatever prison cell the academy was holding him in.

As Sven, Grim, and Arne carried on a blithe conversation, their words fading around me, Magnus stared across the table at me.

It didn't take long for the others to get concerned with my quietness.

It was only when Grim said, "Little sneak, you all right?" that I raised my head and snapped into action.

Corym . . . Alfheim . . .

An idea came to me. I got up from the table without another word. I needed more information.

I knew where to find it.

I commissioned Dagny for my scheme. She was sitting in the lobby at Nottdeen Quarter, reading a book with her feet close to a hearth fire.

It was practically freezing outside now. This seemed like the most appropriate place for her: nestled up with a book in a cozy nook.

Snow was on the horizon, just waiting for the right moment to fall and smother Academy Hill in white frost.

Dagny obliged my request and we went to Mimir Tomes. Many students were walking through campus with luggage and belongings, preferring to take the next two weeks off before the start of the next term.

I envied them that ability, because I was too wrapped up in the goings-on at the academy to even think about leaving.

At the column-riddled library, Dagny went behind a bush. When she came out, she was a cat, prancing down the cobblestones.

I didn't want to show my face in Mimir Tomes because Tomekeeper Dahlia scared the shit out of me—even more after what Magnus had said about her trying to poison him.

The fact Kelvar the Whisperer rescued him doesn't make it any better. That man is the scariest fucker at this entire school!

Dagny slunk into the library through the front door.

I waited impatiently behind the bushes, gazing at the doors, murmuring to myself, "Come on, Dag. Don't fail me now."

When I saw the black-and-white fur of the cat shifter meandering out the front door, I silently cheered. Randi Ranttir walked behind her, dressed in gray acolyte-in-training robes.

My seeking mission—asking Dagny to bring Randi to me—was a success.

At the bushes, Dag reverted into a human, hiding herself as she threw her clothes back on.

Randi asked, "What's going on, Ravin? I can't be seen out here during training hours."

I took her by the shoulders. "I know. I'm sorry, babe." Then I gave her a once over, smiling. "You look good in the robes, by the way."

She blushed. "Thanks. If that's your way of buttering me up, it's working."

"I need your help, Ran."

"Name it."

"I need a book." I faltered then, biting the inside of my cheek and cringing. ". . . But I don't think I'm supposed to have access to it."

"Shit, babe," she hissed, "really? I'm not even a full-blown acolyte yet and you already want me to break the rules and jeopardize everything?"

I hated guilt-tripped my friend, but it couldn't be helped. "No, you're right," I said, playing at shame. "I'll find a way to break in and get it myself."

She waved her hands at me. "Hold on, gods-dammit. No, don't do that again. What is the book?"

I rubbed the back of my neck, smiling at her. "Um, well, really, it's any book on portals."

"Portals? There has to be a dozen tomes in there about portals, girl. Can you narrow it down?"

". . . Portals as they pertain to Alfheim."

Her eyes bulged. There certainly weren't a dozen tomes on that specific subject. "Shit, Ravin, what kind of nonsense are you getting yourself into now?"

I gave her an innocent, awkward smile and shrug. "Oh, you know. Just the regular kind of nonsense."

She narrowed her eyes at me. I gave her a frantic look, trying to implore her with my helpless gaze.

Finally, she broke. Randi rolled her head back on her neck, sighing up at the heavens. "Dammit, babe. You're lucky I love you."

"The feeling is so, so mutual."

Randi shot a look at Dagny behind a bush, the cat shifter just starting to squeeze into her shirt.

Dagny froze when she noticed both pairs of eyes on her. "What?"

"I think I know the book to get, but I don't have access to it. I only know where to find it."

"And . . ."

"And it means I'm gonna need your sneaky little cat paws to get it."

Dagny paused. Sighed. Muttered, "Dammit."

And she started throwing off her shirt again.