Page 8 of A Court of Ash and Midnight
“Don’t worry, dear,” the Professor says, seeing the look on my face. “I know you’re not a spy. I’m an excellent judge of character. Now, let’s see about giving you a bit of a tour and finding you a room.”
We reach a wide set of stone steps that spiral both up and down. Professor Julian leads us toward the ground floor.
“We’ll start back on the first floor,” he says. “That’s where the main hall is, where everyone dines. Also, the kitchen, the healing ward, the main library—although there are several—and most of the classrooms.”
He pauses when we reach the main corridor that runs across the first floor, and seeing the bewildered look on my face, he says, “Do you have a question?”
“Um, yes…” I wave my arms around at the entirety of the castle. “What is this place exactly?”
The Professor places a hand on his chest, looking both startled and sheepish. “Oh, my. I suppose I have entirely forgotten the basics. You are, as we’ve already established, the only person who has simply arrived here without an invite. I don’t suppose I’ve ever had to explain things at this level before. Well.”
He takes a moment, looking up and down the hall as if trying to decide where to start.
“This place, Shadow’s Keep, is, in short, the home of the Guardians.” He begins to walk slowly down the hall, hands clasped behind his back. “It is where those who wish to become Guardians train, a nine-year term before they are appointed the title. If they pass the test, of course, which many do not. It is also where Guardians are stationed when not on duty, and where they come to rest. If we’re able to recover their bodies. It is exceedingly hard to kill a Guardian, and so when theydodie, often there’s… well, you get the idea.”
“And who trains the Guardians?” I ask. “Who leads them during the nine years?”
“Retired Guardians, such as myself,” Professor Julian says. “Though, a Guardian doesn’t really ever retire. It is a life-long commitment, but those of us, after centuries of duty, who wish to teach come here.”
Centuries.I know the fae live a long time, but it really boggles my mind hearing it discussed so casually.
We reach a juncture in the hallway, and the Professor turns right, leading us a short way to two enormous double doors made of lustrous, rich wood and inlaid with iron set in ornate patterns. As we approach the doors, they open inwardly. The back of my neck prickles at the obvious magic at play here, as there are no doormen. We appear to be standing at the mainentrance to the castle. Professor Julian takes a few steps out into the courtyard beyond.
“Viravalle sits on the ruins of an ancient fae city, which is the origin of the name.” He gestures the length of the valley that runs almost directly in line with the castle, cutting up into the mountains beyond. “You can still see some of the ruins if you look carefully amidst the trees and gardens.”
My gaze follows his outstretched arm, following along the swift river that sits at the center of the valley, and moving out along the forested hills on either side. The walls of the fortress sit far to the east and west, visible, but a good mile each way. I can’t even see how far they travel up into the mountains. Or maybe the mountains themselves serve as enough of a barrier on the north side of the compound.
Within the lush trees and gardens, some of which look well-kempt, and others wild and untamed, I see the peak of a spire here, a half-collapsed wall there, hidden in wild vines as if the earth has tried to reclaim them. A shiver runs over me… it’s almost as if I can feel the time that has passed in this place, the people and the battles long hence. The fae live such extraordinarily long lives compared to humans. My kind is but a blink over the vast length of their existence. This place must be thousands upon thousands of years old, something I can’t quite wrap my head around.
“You’ll see practice fields beyond,” the Professor continues, pointing to the right of the river. “This is the main castle, but there are other outbuildings beyond. An armory, the stables, and homes for some of the senior-ranking Guardians and professors.”
The two closest buildings look almost as big as the castle behind us, impressive in their own right.
“How many Guardians live here at any given time?” I ask.
“Oh, about a hundred Guardians in training, a couple dozen professors, and perhaps another dozen or two Guardians who are between assignments.” Professor Julian turns and walks back into the castle, glancing over his shoulder to make sure I’m following. “Speaking of the trainees, the morning classes will be changing over any moment now, so it might get—”
The hallway fills with the clamor of voices as trainees begin to fill the halls. We reach the main juncture again, and heads begin to turn as everyone passes by, a flood of bodies moving one direction or the other. Have they never seen a human before?
Professor Julian doesn’t seem to notice. He continues walking, slowly forging his way through the milling fae.
“The students are broken into categories by year, and also by their primary magical affinity,” he explains as we walk. “First year trainees are calledprima. Years two through six arecentra, and those in their final three years aresolaris.”
“And magical affinity?”
“Shadow, earth, fire, air, water, animal, spirit. Though usually the affinity isn’t declared until they graduate year one and becomecentra. The first-year trainees stay in theprimawing of the castle, but if they pass their tests and claim an affinity, they move into their respective house—House of Midnight, House of Bone, House of Flame, House of Sky, House of Salt, House of Blood, or House of Souls.”
I nod, taking this all in. It’s this whole world I never knew anything about. And the crazy thing is, I know this is just one small aspect of fae society. There are so many royal courts and houses and families… it’s strange, sometimes, when I think of the fact that we all share Aureon. We live together in one realm, though completely apart at the same time.
I’m so absorbed in my thoughts that I don’t even notice the fae coming at me until we collide, right in the middle of the hallway.
Stunned, I stagger backward. As if from far away, I hear Professor Julian exclaiming with indignation on my behalf. But I only half-hear it, because everything around me from the flickering torches set in the walls to the sea of trainees seems to move very slowly as I stare up at the fae I’d run into.
Jade eyes.
A sweep of black hair.
It’s the man who saved me last night. The man who brought me here.
