Page 55 of To No End

A short time later, the table went from barren and empty to completely covered and full. Platter after platter, servings of every imaginable type. Hot steam rose from plates, the overwhelming scents wafting all about the room. Directly in front of me was a place setting with every item I had just imagined. Just how unburdened was Idris’ magic?

Absolutely parched, I reached for the glass of juice and gulped down half of it. How had he done it? The drink tasted just like the very oranges from my home. But that was impossible. Some of us dug right into the food, desperate to satiate the hunger from traveling to the Elorns. Others hesitated, scrutinizing the food. I didn’t blame them; after all, they had drugged us. Idris sat down at the head of the table, absent a place setting.

“Each of you is now a member of the Order. The Order is a faction of his majesty’s kingdom that has existed in secrecy formillennia. We have served the king, and all kings before him. We do not have the same constraints as the king’s military, because we do not exist. As a member of the Order, you are bound to complete anonymity and total secrecy for the remainder of your life in service to the realm.”

Idris paused, looking around the room, acknowledging the weight of his words. I took another large gulp of juice to hide my fearful expression.

“Your familial bonds were severed in the Offering ceremony. The Order is your new family. You do not exist, except to each other. You’ve made a tribute in blood, binding you to your king and this cause. You will remain here in Basdie and be trained in the ways of the Order by those who came before you. When it’s determined that you are ready, you will take the final oath and pledge your commitment to the cause. Only then will you learn how you will serve King Aeon.”

By now, the seriousness of Idris’ diatribe had waned as many of us began shoveling large heaps of food into our mouths and chewing without a care in the world. Like a bunch of people who had just been told they’d lost all freedom and autonomy over their entire lives. No friends, no family, no name.

A nervous giggle almost escaped my mouth at the absurdity of it all. The food was a fantastic distraction from this madness. By now it was pretty clear how important we were and that I needn’t fear them killing all of us. At least we weren’t here to be sacrificed to the Gods. Just to sacrifice something as small and insignificant as our entire identities.

“As I mentioned outside upon your arrival, this place does not exist—but its boundaries are very real. Should you choose to explore beyond them without permission, or should you choose to abandon the Order completely, your life is forfeit. You will come when called upon. No matter where you are, who you are with, or where life may take you, you will come when calledupon. Later, you will meet your teachers who know all too well the lifelong commitment of serving the Order.”

So, there were other people here. The place had been silent and absent of anyone but the six of us and Idris. Who were these people? If they were members of the Order, did that mean they were once High Fae like all of us?

“It goes without saying that you may never see or contact your family or anyone you knew ever again. To do so is considered treason, punishable by death. Again, you are rare, few, and important. Please do not make selfish decisions.”

I had managed to rationalize most of what he had said until he reassured us that trying to contact family was explicitly forbidden. Until then, I had convinced myself that someday, no matter how long it took, I would send word to my family. It was the least I could hope for. But at the cost of my own life?

“Your mentors will explain more to you about your training after introductions have been made. Now that we’ve discussed all the heavy unpleasantries of your new life, shall we get to the good stuff?”

I almost choked on a bite of my food. I’d be shocked to discover any upside to this arrangement. Overwhelmed with the thought of never seeing anyone that knew me again, I thought to myself how serendipitous it was that Trace was here. But who was he, really? He’d lied about a lot. Was it a good or bad thing that I knew someone here?

“The king’s demands are severe; he has taken a lot from you, but he has also given. You have each bathed in the waters of Mirtith. The Bath of the Four Mothers is the bath of the Gods, the anointed ones. Each of you, being of Royal or Honored bloodlines, possess a strong potential within yourselves. Many of you have lived under the guise of being less powerful than you are. Call it restraint, etiquette, culture, what-have-you, but youare now free of those constraints that chained you to a life of mediocrity.”

He continued, “Magic, like all things, is finite. Wielding it frivolously means running the risk that it would not come when called upon in true need. Each of you has received a gift from the Gods; a blessing given for what your king has taken.”

I had to give it to Idris, he had my attention. But in between all the fancy words and promises of Gods and gifts, what did it actually mean for us?

As if he had read my mind, Idris spoke once more. “It means your magic has the potential to become more powerful than you ever imagined, and you must learn to control it, master it, shape it into a finely tuned weapon and use it to protect our people. The very same people you left behind. Now is the time to remove the bonds of your previous life and be free. Release yourself from the expectations, rules, and limitations. We answer to no one except the cause.”

Gia and I glanced at one another for the first time since Idris had started speaking. His words were undeniably motivating, and it was now abundantly clear why Idris used magic freely and without consequence. Flicking his wrists and fingers all about the place, lighting torches and fireplaces, presenting us with homemade meals like he had breathed life into the whims of our imaginations.

He was very powerful, and I couldn’t deny the intrigue he had sparked in me. I hungered for that kind of power. I craved to know what it felt like to completely free-fall into the depths of my magic like never before. We were never permitted those dreams before now.

After breakfast, Idris led us all back to the place where we had left our bags and took us down the other hallway to our dormitories. The rooms outnumbered us, which meant heallowed us to choose whether we roomed alone or with others. I considered rooming with Gia, but I didn’t want to impose.

Some rooms were bigger than others. Following an investigation of my options, I settled on a room with two full-sized beds, throwing my bag on the floor. We each entered separate rooms, still unsure of one another and the entire situation. Idris did not look surprised. The room was plain and windowless. Frankly, I didn’t care much about the room. I was far too interested in everything else Idris had told us to put too much thought into the lodging situation. I did take a mental note of which room Trace entered, a few paces away from mine.

Idris instructed us to unpack later and continued his tour into another room that was deemed to be a classroom. Unlike most classrooms where all the seats faced forward toward a teacher presumably standing at the front of a room, this one had a very large round table at its center. Surrounding the table were large high-backed wooden chairs. This meant that for the first time since arriving, we’d all be forced to face one another and get a real good look.

My eyes scanned from left to right. First was Gia, followed by an extremely petite female with short, choppy, bright-red hair. Her tiny nose was upturned and her slim lips made her appear extremely youthful. Her eyes, almost black, were her most intense feature. If it weren’t for those dark eyes, she’d seem entirely harmless, but there was something about those eyes that scared me.

One empty seat down from her was Trace, who continued to do everything in his power to avoid making eye contact with me. The two chairs to his left were also vacant, and the third was taken by another male. Were the ladies the only ones brave enough to sit next to one another? I continued to assess the next person at the table.

Even seated, he was slightly taller than Trace. His hair was pure white and messy curls sat like laurels in a crown around his head. His skin was somehow golden, like the sun was always shining on it even though this place possessed none.

Suddenly, he turned and stared directly at me, his gaze unmoving and fixated on mine. His eyes were the iciest color blue I’d ever seen. When I finally blinked, his sharp jaw flexed and two prominent dimples appeared alongside his cheeks as he tried to conceal the minutest of smiles.

We continued to stare at each other, unsure which of us would turn away first. Before I showed signs of blushing from the intensity of this game he was playing with me, I shifted my gaze to the seat next to him. He turned his head ever so slightly, revealing his profile.

That’s when I saw it. I inhaled sharply at the sight of them. Three tiny lines behind his ear—gills! This male had gills behind his pointed ears. My thoughts grappled to catch up with what my eyes were seeing.

He was a Sea Fae!

But wait, if he was here, that meant he was a member of the High Court. Andthatmeant… He was related to that heathen that had led the rebellion at Erisas Bay!

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