Mortiswood: Kaelia Awakening (Mortiswood Tales) Read online

  There was a rustle of leaves from behind them. Calix, being free of the motorbike, turned around before Kaelia.

  ‘You,’ he accused. ‘I was under the impression you weren’t able to join us in Mortiswood.’

  Bran, hands in the pockets of his dark, knee-length coat, grinned. ‘Apologies for my absence, I’ve had other matters to attend to. You are correct, physician, I cannot enter the academy but the woods, I can.’ His dark hair had grown since the last time they’d met and now hung in a point down his pale forehead. His shoulders, angular even with the soft material of his coat, were more prominent.

  A twinge of excitement prodded Kaelia. Part of her ached to touch Bran and feel the power spark between them. Bran obviously didn’t care too much for her, it had been months since they’d last spoken. Conscious of the wolf’s and Calix’s eyes upon her, she swung her leg up and off the motorbike and rested the helmet on the pillion, trying to slow the thudding race of her heart.

  Calix, in contrast to Kaelia, fizzled with resentment at the sight of Bran. It tightened his muscles and tensed his jaw, making his neck ache instantly. He eyed the necromancer suspiciously.

  Bran crossed the distance between himself and Kaelia in an instant, exerting a sudden spurt of superhuman energy.

  Calix rolled his eyes. ‘Oh, come on, do you need to show off?’

  Bran shrugged. ‘I can’t help it if I’m a seior master. It’s in my blood.’

  Calix made a mimicking face behind Bran’s back. Angrily, he wrenched his bag off his back, tossed it to the ground and kicked it. ‘I wish this was your head,’ he muttered under his breath.

  Bran, whose hearing was excellent, replied, ‘I could snap your neck with one finger, physician.’

  Calix’s eyes bulged. ‘Freaky hawk-ears,’ he murmured, slightly afraid.

  Bran laughed. Kaelia’s nerves fizzled, twinkling in her eyes as he loomed over her.

  ‘Is something going on between you and the potion maker?’ Bran’s lips barely moved, his voice as soft as a warm breeze yet Kaelia was surprised she could hear him perfectly.

  ‘It’s nothing to do with you.’ She bristled at Bran’s jibe. Calix was more than a potion maker. ‘Calix is a good friend.’

  Bran lowered his face, his hair brushing against Kaelia’s cheek; she jumped at the touch of his fingers against her face, sparks of energy kindling from his fingertips.

  ‘Don’t.’ Crossly, Kaelia brushed his hand away. ‘I mean it, pack it in.’ This time she slapped him.

  The wolf edged closer, its head lowered, lips lifting in a menacing snarl.

  ‘Hey!’ Twisted knots of apprehension in Calix’s gut made him protest on Kaelia’s behalf. ‘She told you to stop.’

  Bran ran his fingers against Kaelia’s cheek. ‘I know you feel it too, this power between us.’

  For a moment, Kaelia shuddered, seduced by the rush of energy. ‘I told you to leave me alone!’ With a mighty shove she pushed at Bran’s chest, sparks igniting from the contact, and forced him spinning into the air. Colour drained from her face as Bran catapulted towards a tree.

  Calix watched in amazement, secretly relishing the prospect of Bran ending up a human sausage on a stick. His brow furrowed as, a split second before impact, Bran disappeared into a blur and landed on his feet behind Kaelia, tapping her on the shoulder, his breath heavy.

  In a leap, the Vallesm was at Kaelia’s side, ears flattened against its head, lips raised.

  ‘What the hell happened?’ Kaelia rested a steadying hand on the wolf’s back, its solid warmth reassuring. ‘How did I shove you so hard?’

  Bran raised a smile. ‘You’re starting to realise your own strength.’

  ‘How did you move so fast?’ Calix demanded. ‘You went all blurry!’

  ‘I’m not the only one who can move at the speed of light, you can too, Kaelia. This is why I instructed you to attend Mortiswood Academy. The academy will help you understand your full potential.’ Bran stroked Kaelia’s cheek once more and this time she did not move. ‘We’re two sides of a coin, Kaelia, you and I. Different yet the same.’

  ‘I’m not like you!’

  The Vallesm, sensing Kaelia’s confusion, moved in front of her, forcing Bran to distance himself.

  Calix edged around the Vallesm and linked his strong arm through Kaelia’s. ‘Tell us how to find the academy then leave us alone.’

  Bran’s deep laughter rumbled strangely in the clearing. ‘It’s right before you. Kaelia, raise your hands and show your light. There’s a cloaking spell surrounding the academy and its grounds. Your light will grant you access.’ He raised an eyebrow at Calix. ‘I assume you will accompany her?’

  Calix nodded stiffly. ‘I’m not leaving her alone although I know you’d prefer me to.’

  Bran snorted. ‘I expected as much. I suppose you want me to take care of the motorbike?’

  Kaelia shook her head. ‘We’ll take it with us. Goodbye, Bran.’

  Bran strode from the clearing and disappeared into the dense woods but his voice floated behind him. ‘I’ll be waiting, Kaelia.’

  Ignoring him, Calix picked his bag up from the ground. ‘Ready?’

  Kaelia nodded and held her palms out. White-blue light radiated from her hands and she swept it across the edge of the clearing. The ground under their feet trembled. Gently at first, then ferociously, knocking Kaelia and Calix against each other. The Vallesm, having twice as many legs, kept its balance a little easier although it lowered its head and snapped angrily at the ground. The air around them changed, replacing the damp, sodden earth smell with the freshness of pine-needles and blossom. With a groaning of wood, the trees parted and the ground they rose from, separated to reveal a winding, stone path.

  ‘I guess this is it.’ Kaelia dimmed her light. ‘Can you push the bike? I want to keep my hands free, just in case.’

  It wasn’t until they were on the stone path that Kaelia realised the Vallesm wasn’t following. ‘Come on!’ she called, gesturing for it to join them.

  The Vallesm lowered its immense bulk to the ground and dropped its nose onto its front paws.

  ‘I don’t think your pet wants to join us.’

  Kaelia hurried back to the Vallesm. It didn’t flinch as she stroked its head. ‘Please come with me,’ she whispered. ‘I don’t know if I can do this without you.’

  The wolf raised its eyebrows, its whiskers tickling her forearm, and whined. Gently it eased upright and turned away, peering back over its withers with a sad expression.

  ‘Come on!’ Calix yelled. ‘This place is giving me the creeps!’

  Kaelia reached for the Vallesm but the creature shied away, reminding her of its behaviour when they had first met. Saddened, she returned to Calix. The pain of leaving the Vallesm behind was tangible. Her heart cracked, leaving part of it with the wolf.

  The Vallesm waited until the entrance had resealed before padding back to the clearing. It raised its head, nose tilted towards the sky and wrenched out a lonely howl.

  On the path, the sound cut Kaelia and her eyes welled with tears. Embarrassed, she turned her head so Calix couldn’t see her face and deliberated whether she was doing the right thing.

  * * *

  The path meandered through tall pine trees different to the trees of the woods outside. After thirty minutes of walking, a four-storey high, stone and granite building drew into view. Its crenellated parapet cut castellated shadows in an overcast, pregnant sky but despite the dreary weather, laughter and chatter tinkled in the air. An expanse of lawn spread before the grand building and a cluster of students, ranging in age from the young to the old, peppered the grass, practising what looked like some form of self-defence.

  ‘We’d better see if there’s an office.’ Calix propped the motorbike under a tree and nodded towards wide, stone steps curving up to double entrance doors.

  Large raindrops plummeted from the swollen sky, splatting atop their heads and making Kaelia shriek with laughter. She grabbed Calix’s hand,
dragging him behind her as they made a mad dash for the doors.

  ‘Ow!’ Kaelia slapped a hand against the back of her neck as something stung her. ‘Cut it out!’

  ‘Cut what out?’

  ‘Ow!’ Kaelia dropped Calix’s hand and jabbed him in the side. ‘Whatever you’re doing, stop it!’

  ‘I’m not doing any— ow!’ Calix rubbed at the back of his own neck. He cast his eyes around them. ‘You two!’

  Two young women, about Kaelia’s age, smirked. Huddled together underneath a mushroom umbrella, one woman prodded the other.

  ‘Newbs,’ the first said in a mock whisper to her companion. ‘I bet they don’t even know how to cast a glamour spell.’

  The other girl, who was holding the umbrella, laughed. Her poker straight, white-blonde hair shimmered the colour of liquid metal. ‘You’re right, Cadence. I bet they’re norms.’

  Cadence, head framed by a severe, chestnut hued bobbed haircut, agreed. ‘We hate norms, don’t we, Jade?’

  Jade nodded enthusiastically. ‘Norms shouldn’t be allowed in Mortiswood Academy. It isn’t right.’ Her voice rose haughtily. ‘What are you even doing here?’

  Kaelia bit her lip. She’d had more than her fill of superiority way back at school and college. ‘Come on, Calix, ignore them.’

  Calix laughed. ‘Norms?’ he asked Kaelia as they climbed the six steps to the front doors. ‘What are they if we’re normal?’

  Cadence and Jade followed them, pressing the canopy of the umbrella into Kaelia’s back. Kaelia clenched her hands; the familiar warmth radiating from her palms. One flick of light would melt the plastic umbrella like a crisp packet in an oven.

  ‘What are we? We’re Sifars.’ Scorn dripped from Cadence’s tongue. ‘You probably don’t even know what that is.’

  Calix, who simply wanted to shelter from the rain, replied crossly, ‘Actually, I do. You’re sorceresses who use the elements around you at will. If it’s part of nature, you can control it.’

  Jade nudged Cadence. ‘Wow, a geeky norm!’

  Cadence’s eyes narrowed. ‘What about you?’ She stared at Kaelia. ‘Are you a geek also?’

  ‘Nope.’ Kaelia didn’t want to tell them what she was. She was still trying to figure it out for herself.

  Jade lifted her lip. ‘Woo, a stroppy norm. We don’t like stroppy norms, do we, Cadence?’

  ‘We have something special for stroppy norms.’ Cadence folded the umbrella down, discarding it, and flashed Jade a knowing look.

  Cadence linked her left hand with Jade’s right one and the pair both lifted their free hands in the air.

  ‘What are they doing?’ Kaelia pushed a lock of damp hair from her eyes.

  ‘As they’re Sifars,’ Calix hissed. ‘I’d say we’ll end up a right mess. We’d better step inside.’

  As he reached for the door handle a wall of water, streaming down from the heavy rain clouds above, hit him with such force he lost his footing and stumbled backwards, slipping down the stone steps to land in a heap.

  ‘Hey!’ Kaelia shoved past the Sifars. ‘Pack it in. You could’ve really hurt him.’

  ‘I’m okay.’ Calix gingerly rubbed his ankle that had twisted in the tumble. ‘Nothing’s broken. Stop the Sifars before they get too carried away.’

  The group of students practising self-defence had stopped and edged closer, excitement clear in the rise of their voices.

  ‘Go, Cadence!’ shouted one.

  ‘Sifars rule!’ another voice chimed in.

  The Sifars stood united on the top step; their lips moving in silent unison. Their eyes were clouded but Kaelia instinctively knew they were focussed on her. A waterfall of rainwater cascaded behind the Sifars, parting around their feet and converging to form a river down the steps. Dirt swirled up from the flower-beds abounding the staircase and frontage of the building to form an earthy-twister that the Sifars sent racing towards Kaelia.

  The group of students drew as close as they dared and formed a human fence behind Kaelia and Calix, herding the pair closer to the mud cloud. Their jeering served to fuel Kaelia’s determination to outplay the Sifars.

  Dirt engulfed her, making Kaelia’s eyes sting, forcing her to close them. Her fingers sprung open and she raised her hands. The dirt-twister span fast but Kaelia remembered what Bran had said about speed and prayed he was right. She tipped her head and forced her eyelids open. Through the haze of dirt she could see the Sifars still united on the top step. With a surge of energy, Kaelia broke free from the dirt-twister, darting with such agility and speed the Sifars couldn’t make the dirt-twister turn fast enough to capture her again.

  The Sifars eyes slowly cleared and the dirt-twister showered the ground. Their eyes moistened, they lifted their hands and pulled the wall of water over their heads, sending it roaring towards Kaelia.

  Kaelia stood her ground. Ice-blue light shot from her hands, corkscrewing to meet the water and immediately parting it around her and Calix. Keeping one hand separating the water, Kaelia made a fist with her other hand and hurled bolts of light in the direction of the ground near the Sifars feet.

  ‘If you don’t stop,’ she warned, ‘I’ll aim for your heads!’

  Cadence screamed, bringing both of her own hands together before flipping them out towards the ground. As a result the water splashed down, creating a swishing pool a few inches deep around Kaelia’s and Calix’s ankles. Cadence grabbed Jade’s hand again and their eyes clouded over once more. Simultaneously drawing their lips into a “blowing” shape, the Sifars exhaled a lengthy stream of air, and the wind picked up.

  Kaelia swore as the wind lifted her off her feet. A surge of heat flooded her veins and she flung her hands out, palms facing the ground. Drawing on her strength she pushed herself down until her feet retouched solid ground.

  ‘Enough!’ Kaelia bellowed. Her voice blew the wind clean away, sending it back to hit the Sifars with so much force they stumbled backwards, breaking their union.

  ‘Who are you?’ Cadence clutched onto Jade for support, her eyes returning to normal.

  ‘Me?’ Kaelia raised her palms upwards, white-blue light fizzling from them. ‘I am Kaelia.’

  Jade nudged her friend. ‘Is she?’

  Murmurs of unease rumbled through the onlookers. Their arc broke in places as they drew into smaller groups, voices hushed as they furtively studied Kaelia from behind each other.

  Cadence’s voice trembled. ‘She’s lying.’ She reached for Jade’s hand again.

  Kaelia, thoroughly annoyed, shot a bolt of light in the Sifars direction, making sure it spiralled before reaching them and blasted with a bang into the ground. ‘I’m not lying!’

  Emotion consumed Kaelia, light streamed from her fingers and forked into the gloomy sky. Her long, curled hair whipped out, the ends erupting into flames. She reached the Sifars in less than a blink of an eye and grabbed them, furling a hand around each of their necks. It was easy to lift them clean off the ground but Kaelia did not even realise she had done so until the weight of Calix’s hand on her shoulder cut through her anger.

  ‘Enough now.’ Calix gently pushed Kaelia’s arms down until she released the Sifars.

  Jade, sobbing, shot away. ‘You’re always landing me in trouble, Cadence. I’ve had it with you!’ She stumbled down the steps and through the small crowd of students.

  Cadence defiantly raised her chin. ‘So, you really are Kaelia. You’re The Chosen One.’ She looked Kaelia up and down. ‘Funny, I thought you’d be prettier.’

  Kaelia clenched. ‘Do you want to fight me properly? I won’t hold back this time.’

  ‘Kaelia,’ Calix’s voice was soothing, ‘you don’t have anything to prove.’

  Kaelia eyed Cadence. ‘I do, don’t I?’

  Cadence shrugged, infuriating Kaelia even more.

  ‘There’s no need for a show of power,’ a strong voice from within the crowd of students instructed. A tall woman, grey hair scraped back into a messy bun, broke free from the crowd and j
oined Kaelia on the steps. She rested a hand on Kaelia’s forearm. ‘I’ve been waiting a long time for your arrival. I’m Harriet Barton. Let me show you inside. I’m sure there are many questions you want to ask.’ She threw Cadence a scolding look as they passed her. ‘You can find Jade and apologise to her. You must learn when to control yourself, Cadence.’

  Cadence glared at Kaelia. ‘Bitch,’ she muttered under her breath.

  Kaelia, whose hearing was now excellent, laughed. ‘Loser.’ She tossed her hair over her shoulders, the tips igniting into flame briefly, and followed Harriet and Calix inside, beginning to appreciate her new self.

  * * *

  In the clearing, the Vallesm whined pitifully. Rain hadn’t touched the ground on which it lay but the curtains of night had closed and the wolf’s eyes glowed in the darkness. A rumble echoed from the wolf’s stomach; it had been a while since its last meal. Reluctantly, the creature stood and slunk off into the woods. Lowering its nose to the ground it picked up a scent and charged off, weaving in and out of the trees until its teeth snapped at a rabbit.

  * * *

  The death screams of the rabbit reached Bran’s ears. From his position at the top of a tree, he had a view into the grounds of Mortiswood Academy and had witnessed the game between the Sifars and Kaelia with relish. Excellent, he thought, Kaelia’s powers were growing. Very soon they would rival his and he needed to harness her before she excelled him. It was a shame she had a soft spot for the potion maker.

  He jumped from the tree, plummeting through the branches until he landed, unscathed, on his feet. His voice when he spoke was deep and his words were those of a lost time.

  He turned at the crack of bracken and smiled as a shadowy figure crept into view. Bran beckoned the shadow closer and whispered in its ear. With a unearthly scream, the shadow figure twirled into a plume of violet smoke and rose into the night air, flying above the tree-tops until it pierced through the bubble encircling Mortiswood Academy and disappeared through a half-open window.

  * * *

  The Vallesm raised its head, blood dripping from its jaws, as an unearthly wail whizzed overhead. Even through the cloying smell of fresh blood the wolf detected another scent. Abandoning the half eaten rabbit, the wolf darted back through the trees. Stopping where the opening to Mortiswood Academy had appeared, the Vallesm lifted its head and belted out an immense howl. Charging in the direction Kaelia and Calix had taken hours earlier, the wolf was instantly blocked and sent flying backwards. It skidded across the ground into the clearing of grass and daisies. Shaking its head, the Vallesm charged again, only to be knocked back. Undeterred, the wolf relentlessly repeated the action until it collapsed in an exhausted, battered heap.