Chapter 8: Turbulent Winds

I wind up finding Yukiji and Snow perfectly safe, hiding out in his room. It isn't the old room, however, and this one is far bigger. They're gorging on a whole buffet of food, with a golden medal around the boy's neck. As soon as they see me, they rush toward me, completely throwing away the snacks they were just munching on.

"I won! I won!" the boy cries.

"Jonah," Yukiji adds simply, sticking to my side like a cat.

"You did?" I ask, and the wonder in my voice deflates his confidence a bit. "I mean, of course you did! Great job, kid." I reach out to pat his head, and Yukiji's aura noticeable darkens. Yikes. "What was it?"

Snow gives me a bright smile, his teeth nearly the same color as his skin. "I had to kill a kraken!"

I turn as pale as him at that. What!? This kid – this little kid – was taken to a desert and killed the most dangerous animal alive!? What does that even have to do with him having both light and shadow!?

"Raksha helped," Yukiji whispers, and Snow glares at her.

"Only a little."

"He saved you seventeen times."

"Only sixteen. First one doesn't count. I didn't know the quicksand was there."

"First one counts. Seventeen."

"Sixteen."

"Seventeen."

I pull each idiot by the ear until they stop talking. "That's enough. Snow, great work. Yukiji, tell me how that helped deduce if he has shadow and light or not. What of the other two competitors?" I bet Marcus died.

Yukiji's hold on my arm tightens. "They all won."

Huh?

"Yeah, the krakens only come to attack people with light in them," Snow explains. "That's what Sammael said. We all had light, so three krakens came to attack us."

"And you killed yours... How?"

"Raksha linked," Yukiji answers in the boy's stead. "Snow's good with ice, so Raksha's mana just helped him freeze the sand. The kraken couldn't move, and was easy to kill after that."

Snow pouts at her. "Not that easy."

"Super easy."

"Enough," I tell them again. "Where's Raksha now?"

Yukiji cocks her head to the side, slightly pulling me toward the table. "He went to find you. He was mad." Oh, boy.

"Did he mention anything to you?"

"He did," Snow replies, taking my other arm and helping the girl bring me to the table. I'm starving, but not really in the mood to eat. When was the last time I ate, anyway? Well, whatever.

"What did he say?"

Snow shrugs. "Wasn't listening." Oh, brother. I turn toward Yukiji, but she shrugs as well.

"Neither of you listened to him?" I frown, forcing myself to pick up a piece of meat and chew on it.

"He's very annoying," the two say in unison, glare at each other, then pretend nothing happened. Lovely.

"No clue where he might be?"

Yukiji points upward. The sky? "He goes on the roof to think. He talks to Obi there."

Right. Obi. I'm gonna have to strangle that snake. I get that it's not really his fault for not risking his life to save a bunch of strangers, but he might be a liability, now that Medea is out of commission. If he tells the other Apostles about how sneaky I am, and to what lengths I'm willing to go, it might make them even less likely to let me enrol, and that's still high on my priority list.

"You two stay here," I tell them, then go over to the window. My wings are on full display, since I'm still not wearing a shirt, but they're not pointing them out. Did someone glamour me while I was unconscious? Or are they just trying not to be rude? Well, whatever.

As I look upwards, I start flapping my wings a little. Nothing happens to me, so I start moving them even faster. They don't succeed in lifting me off the ground until they're creating a buzzing sound with how fast they're moving, and I take off through the window. The very first thing I do upon trying to fly toward the roof is slam into the wall. Ouch. Okay, this will take some practice. I keep moving my wings, which is ridiculously exhausting. Honestly, I should've just walked. Looking upward, I try to go there, but instead start spiralling through the air, until I crash into someone else's window. Why are there so many of them? Where are we, anyway?

As I hold unto the ledge, I look along the wall, and realize it's actually the palace. Wow, this place is big. It isn't until I look down, however, that I realize in how much danger I actually am. We're several stories high, and I could easily die if I fall from this height. Is it because my wings aren't fully grown? Why did I wait until now to think about that!? Deep breaths, Jonah. Just keep moving your wings. As long as they're moving, you're good.

It takes me all of ten seconds to fly through someone else's window. As I look around the room, seemingly decorated with nothing but red silk, I see one of the other competitors looking at herself in the mirror.

"Hi."

She turns around slowly, looking both confused and annoyed. "You're in my room."

I stand up, holding my elbow, which I've managed to slam into the floor as I fell. "Really? You mean this isn't my room? Oh, well. I'll just be on my way, then."

As I reach the window again, her words stop me. "You're the guy who killed Ryan the Apostle, right? What's your rank as a magic knight?"

"Apprentice," I reply. Her eyes widen at that, and she stands up, nearly slipping out of her dress.

"Liar. An apprentice can't beat an Apostle. That's just not how it works."

"Well, technically, I wasn't an apprentice when I beat her. I did have help, of course. Now, if you'll excuse me-"

"I'll call the guards and tell them you attempted to molest me," she quickly adds, and I shoot her a glare. The smug look on her face makes me just as mad as the thing she just said.

"They'll never believe it."

"If I turn out to be the Child of Light and Shadow, they will." She gestures for one of the other chairs in the room. "I'm Aisha. Why don't you have a seat, apprentice magic knight."

Her mana is nothing special, even if it is better than Snow's and Marcus'. I could probably take her. I can definitely take her if I can touch her. Still, the guards would be after me, so I might as well just play nice for now.

"What do you want?"

She gives me a smile, then holds up her hand, a flicker of fire within it. "Did you notice how Apostles work their magic?"

"In a crazy-powerful way? Yes, it crossed my mind."

"Not what I meant. They are powerful, for sure, but they've gotten so far by practicing one element of magic each. Sammael is good with lightning. Seraphina has her plants. Xerxes is rocking earth power. That's how they're at the top. They can do other forms of magic, alright, but they're nowhere near as good with them as they are with their primary elements. I've opted to go with fire as my go-to element. I'm already pretty great at controlling it. I like the way it makes me feel, too. It lets me go loose a bit, instead of always sticking to the rules, due to how unpredictable it is."

"Is there a point you're trying to make? Because if talking about random nonsense is all you've asked me to stay for, I think I'm gonna go ahead and take my leave." As I turn around, a spark flies past my head and hits the window.

"You've got greater mana than I do, but I don't think you've mastered any type of magic as well as I've mastered fire, so how about you have a seat and stop looking at me like you're my better. A girl could feel insulted by that, which would then be followed by anger. Wouldn't want that, right?"

As I face her again, I think about my options. If she really is meant to save us from whatever it is we'll be needing saving from, killing her would effectively screw us to hell and back. I can't let her push me around, either. Do I run? She might injure me, or do something more permanent. "What do you want?" I'll do what I do best instead, and just talk.

Aisha smiles, then starts stretching her arms. "That kid – Snow – he was way better than I thought he'd be. He's got weaker mana than I do, but he finished that trial in record time. You don't think he had helped, do you?" Oh, crap. "See, I'm thinkin' he linked with someone and cheated. If that's true, he did it with someone who's good at working behind the scenes. If an Apostle were to discover something like that, they'd be obligated to put a stop to it. This, of course, would mean this person would have to fight said Apostle off, and maybe even kill them."

Well, she's wrong on almost all accounts. Even if it wasn't me Snow was cheating with, it's still bad that she caught a whiff of that. If Raksha gets busted, his urn might be taken from me, and I'm not willing to try my luck without him just yet.

"Do your worst," I tell the girl, then blow some fire in front of myself, using it as a distraction while I run toward the window. This time around, I fly straight upward, realizing it depends on how I'm holding my spine. A straight back means you fly forward. Good to know. I'm getting the hang of it.

No, I'm not. As soon as a wind blows by me, I start tumbling through the air again. However, a much gentler wind intervenes, catching me and carrying me toward the roof of one of the palace's towers. Raksha is sitting on it, arms crosses as he glares at me.

"Trying to get yourself killed again?"

His wind sets me down, and I give him a smile. "Not the best at doing this yet."

"You're a fairy," he points out. "You never told me before."

"Didn't know I was until now."

He just stares at me after that, silent and sullen.

"I owe you an apology."

That sets him off. "For kidnapping me, enslaving me, then nearly making my imprisonment permanent? Yes, I believe you do owe me an apology, Jonah." His eyes are red all over. Has he been crying?

"Do you miss your home?"

"The only people I've ever known, in a place where I actually belong? Of course I miss it. I hate being away from the Wyrwood. The wall has been placed around our village for a reason. We are not meant to live among humans. I would do anything to go back."

"My family needs me, Raksha. I'd free you-"

"But they matter more. I understand."

"Then why-"

"Logically, I understand, but that does not mean I have to be happy about it. My freedom is in your hands, and you're making enemies left and right, getting into all sorts of trouble, surrounding yourself with people who could kill you with a thought. I am scared, Jonah, as is my right in these circumstances – circumstances you've forced upon me. Forgive me for not jumping for joy. Now, if your attempt at calming me down is over, just order me to obey again so we can get this whole affair over with, and you can free me."

I don't respond. I don't know how to. I really am doing a number on his psyche. I'm trying my best to help the kids, but most of the weight is being carried by Raksha. Damn. I wish being a bad person would be easier than this. This is hell. I want to release him, but I know I can't. Am I gonna get used to feeling like this? Is this what I'm gonna become?

I can't let that happen. I have to be sure I don't rely on him too much, or I'm gonna become used to that, making it all the less likely I'd set him free when the time came. In the meantime, however, I can at least be more civil with him.

"I am sorry," I tell him. "I'm sorry for forcing you into this. I don't like doing it, and I won't be doing it unless I have no choice. I'll free you when this is all done, and I promise it's gonna get done. I'll get through all this, and I'll get through it alive. In the end, I'll break the urn myself, and set you free. You'll be home again soon, Raksha."

He's the one who fails to respond this time, and just stares straight at me. It takes him a few minutes of mulling things over, but he finally nods. "I will accept that."

"So you'll stop whining all the time?" I tease.

"No. Never that."

For the first time in what feels like an eternity, I release a genuinely laugh. I didn't even realize how much I've missed this – the normal things – ones you get to do when your life isn't on the line every damn second of every damn day. "Well, since we're doing this, we should really do something important." Raksha arches a brow at me, and I smirk. "We need to get you new clothes."

By the time we reach the market, I'm already thoroughly annoyed. Everywhere we go, people turn to stare at me. It can't be the wings, 'cause Snow and Yukiji didn't make any comments about 'em, leading me to believe I've been glamoured. Why are they staring, then?

"Is it because I have no shirt?" asks Raksha as we eye an apple stand.

"You're not that good looking."

"Of all the lies you've told, that is the biggest."

"An eight out of ten at best."

The woman at the stand notices us, and gives me a big smile. "How many will it be, Miss?" I'm a boy, and I'm not wearing a shirt. Am I glamoured to be wearing a shirt? "Or is your companion paying?"

Raksha looks away, stifling a chuckle. Want to play it like that? Alright. Let's play, buddy-boy. I latch onto his arm and pull him closer. "Oh, no. I'm actually here to treat him. He just did the sweetest thing for our five-year anniversary yesterday." His amusement disappears instantly as his face turns red.

"Oh, my, aren't you two just adorable!" If we are, let's try something else out.

"Thank you so much, ma'am. My, these apples look positively delicious."

"You're not getting them for free," she says, voice harsh and cold, just like her eyes. Sheesh. So much for that one. I didn't bring anything to pay with, so I kind of needed it to be thievery or willing giving-away.

A sudden wind blows through us, throwing the woman's hair in her face. I quickly grab two apples, and we turn around and run into the crowd. "Quick thinking."

"Wasn't me," Raksha confesses.

"You're not gonna harp on me for stealing, are you?" If so, this super fun day I have planned is gonna go to hell. I mean, it started off pretty bad, too – on account of me learning I'm a fairy and all – but it can always get worse.

"No. I'm starving. Give me one." Not sure a single apple will help, but I give it to him regardless. For our next stop, we go to the clothing quarter.

"These are ridiculous," the djinn grumbles as I peruse through some of the more modern options, the man behind the stall forcing his smile way too hard.

"They're what today's finest wear."

"You are not today's finest."

"They're for you. I suppose the message remains, though."

We move onto the next stand, earning ourselves the death glare of the try-hard shopkeeper. This one is offering clothes that are a bit more old-fashioned. They're pretty much what I wear, considering I've never been able to afford anything new-day. Food always took priority over fashion. I was quirky like that.

"This one," Raksha says, pointing toward a regular white shawl. "That would be good."

"You know those haven't been in fashion since the Moon Days, right?"

"I know nothing of your human history, but I do know that this is light and easy to move in. It won't constrict me as much as other clothing. Buy it."

"Yeah, about that..."

He deadpans, "You've not brought money, have you?"

"You've not fully adjusted to the way regular people speak, have you?"

"Answer my question, Jonah."

"Think of it as a game. Let's see who can steal the most."

"They will take note of our faces."

I shrug, smiling. "We can always glamour ourselves. Besides, the Apostles need me at the moment. They're not gonna let anything happen over a bunch of clothes. Now, when I distract them, you grab it and run."

I step back into the middle of the street, leaving him puzzled. As my mana starts moving, Raksha's eyes widen. "Jonah, no-"

"Too late!" I throw my hands in the air and shoot fire from them, focusing everyone's attention toward it. In the meantime, I look at Raksha, then gesture for the shawl with my chin. Panicking, he takes several other things with it, then runs away, leaving me behind. What a dork. I quickly join him, rushing to avoid the thievery being noticed. Alright, we should be gettin' gone soon. People are bound to notice. After a few more stops to look around the marketplace, we head back to the palace. He'd never say it, but I can tell I was successful in cheering him up. Boom; Magic.

When I turn toward him, I realize he's actually not even trying to hide his smile. He should do that more often. He can't pass for intimidating even when he scowls, so why bother trying? This version of him is much better.

"What is that?" he asks, gesturing ahead of us, where there are a bunch of people gathered.

"No clue. Let's go check it out."

We push through the crowd to get closer, and I see someone familiar within it. Upon hearing me clear my throat, Obi turns to me, looking like a kid who just got caught stealing sweets before dinner. "Oh, hi there."

I step on his foot. "Don't. Just tell me what this is about."

The order seems to genuinely confuse him. What'd I miss now? "Aren't you with the kid?" He gestures for the few people in front of the crowd, Seraphina and Ozymandias being among them, and I see a familiar mop of white hair. Oh, no. "Thought the kid was with you. Had a falling out?"

"Obi, stop talking."

"That's just about the only thing I'm bad at."

"What are they doing here?" Wait – Oh no. Son of a- "The trial. Of course. Why didn't anyone remind me!?"

Raksha avoids holding my gaze for long.

"Raksha."

He still doesn't look at me.

"Raksha, did you forget about the trial, too?"

A slight pink tint on his cheeks is all I need to know. If we're really the ones who are gonna keep the kingdom safe, then everyone is doomed.

"And now," Ozymandias says as Seraphina starts summoning a tree from the ground, "the second trial will begin. All three participants are to place a hand on the tree. In doing so, you'll be taken to the location where the trial will take place." He then holds up a crystal ball, which flies into the air and creates three separate projections, each one showing one of the participants – Aisha, Marcus and Snow, the only one who matters. "Now, touch the tree, if you please."

"Are you linked?" I ask Raksha, who starts pushing forward.

"He'll never make it without help."

I start following him, then realize Obi is trying to slip away, and grab a hold of him. "Oh, no you don't."

"But this has nothing to do with me!"

"It does now. I own you, remember?"

He gives a pathetic attempt at a pout. "Pretty please?"

"No. Suffer."

"But that place has a lot of death and darkness. I don't like death and darkness!"

"Too bad." I grab his upper arm, then Raksha's forearm, and we start pushing onward. "Wait, what place?" Obi doesn't answer. "Do you know where the trial will be taking place?"

"Kind of. Medea mentioned it once. Something called The Labyrinth."

"As in, a place where you can get lost easily, doomed to traverse it until you die?"

"I guess so."

"Sounds fun."

I hear Seraphina speaking from next to the tree, where all three potentials have their hands on the tree. "The trail will begin in three, two, one..."

Just as the countdown ends, Raksha surges forward and touches Snow in an attempt to link with him. However, a bright light comes out of the tree, and the world disappears. When my senses finally return to me, I realize we're underground – all seven of us.

Aisha gives me an annoyed look, whereas Marcus is just dumbfounded.

"Think anyone noticed the number doubled?" I ask, and Snow smiles brightly at me.

"I knew you wouldn't forget!"

Yep. I'm here on purpose. Totally.

Please help.