I stepped onto the balcony overlooking acres of land that belonged to my family. The icy hills of Mt Brumal, the northernmost part of Tenebrous, all for my taking, sprawled out in front of me. Yet, I didn't want any of it.

  “Ms. Vygros?”

  I turned to meet our butler, Vasnon’s, soft gaze.

  “Yes?”

  “I believe it’s almost time, Ms.”

  “Thank you, Vasnon.”

  A shiver ran through my body, my grip tightening around the leather bag straps in my hand. Today, for the first time, I would leave the realm I’d called home for eighteen years. My mother had tried to soften the blow by informing me that it was only the most powerful fae in the realm selected to send their children to the newly formed Trigon Academy of the Arcane Arts.

  “It’s for the good of all the realms, Aries, think of everything you’ll learn.”

  But it all sounded like bullshit to me. The other realms had never featured on my family’s list of things to care about before. From a young age I had even been separated from my fellow Tartareans; kept within elite circles and confined within our stone walls.

  “Aries.” My father’s call boomed through the manner.

  Vasnon cleared his throat. “Should I take your bag?”

  “I’ve got it, thank you.”

  “Are you okay, Ms. Vygros?”

  “Does it matter?” I shrugged; my heart full of sadness.

  “It will be okay, young Vygros.”

  Vasnon wasn’t just the minder of the manner, he was my friend, my only friend.

  “Would you mind telling my parents that I'll be down in a moment, please?”

  “Of course.”

  Vasnon turned to leave me in solitude. My thoughts buzzed as I took in the icy terrain one more time, knowing I wouldn't be home for a couple of months at least. As much as leaving was hard, the thought of always being alone seemed harder.

  “Aries!” My father bellowed a second time.

  I took a deep breath, filling my lungs with the cold, familiar air. Stilling my body, I allowed the cold frost to sit against my skin, before turning to re-enter through the large glass doors.

  “Are you ready?” my mother asked as soon as I entered the great room.

  “If I said no, could I stay?”

  “Don’t be ridiculous, Aries. You are the daughter of two of the most powerful fae in all of Tenebrous. What would people say if you didn’t go?” my father interrupted and I instantly regretted my sort-of joke.

  “How could I forget; daughter of the great Leros and Atris Vygros.”

  I scanned his face, trying to look past the thick dark hair and beard complementing his tanned skin, hoping to find some ember of warmth.

  “Excuse me?”

  I paused. “You know, I see it.”

  “See what?” he asked, his narrowed eyes on me.

  “The reason other Tartarean are scared of you,” I said coolly, trying to soothe the nerves in my voice before speaking. “Those gleaming red irises, they hold no compassion.”

  “Compassion?” My father’s nostrils flared. “My eyes symbolize my element of lifeforce. It has nothing to do with compassion, or sending you away.”

  “Aries, why are you trying to provoke your father?” my mother said.

  “I was jus—”

  “This isn’t a punishment, this is an honor,” my father interrupted.

  “For you.”

  He sighed and I could see my words getting under his tough exterior.

  “Aries, with our family name comes responsibility,” he said with a deep frown, scanning my face for acceptance. “You will represent Tenebrous and this family; it’s not up for discussion.”

  “It never is.”

  Before either of my parents could respond to my bravery, a thunderous boom echoed through our great hall.

  “Lord Vygros, presenting high council member Paskel Graff,” Vasnon announced calmly as an older man with white hair, dark eyes and a cane walked into the room.

  “Paskel!” My father embraced the man. “Always good to see you, old friend.”

  “Same to you Leros, Atris. Little Aries, is that really you?” Paskel asked, taking in my small frame. “My how you have grown.”

  My father’s chest puffed up. “My one and only heir.”

  “Let’s have a look then, shall we?” Paskel muttered, coming closer to study me.

  “At what?” I questioned, a hard edge to my voice.

  Paskel ignored my question and instead continued to move around me like a wild animal hunting its prey. He pulled my chin closer to study my face.

  “Still quite the pity that she ended up with the element of water,” Paskel stated.

  My mouth fell open. I was unable to hide my disgust at his comment.

  “It happens, but she will be one of the strongest water fae we’ve seen.”

  My mother let out a soft huff, provoking my father to glare at her. She shot him an apologetic look.

  “Of course, I agree. Once she steps into her power, she will rise to be one of the most powerful water fae of Tenebrous.”

  I frowned, unable to comprehend this power that they assume I would step into. I didn’t know what to expect from myself, but maybe they were right, maybe it was just in my blood.

  “I do not doubt that for a second, Leros,” Paskel said, cutting the pleasantries short. “It's time to leave for the gathering.”

  “What’s the gathering?” I asked.

  Paskel scowled. “Leros?”

  “We haven’t had the time to share everything with her, old friend,” my father confessed.

  “We don’t have time for all the details right now, but the gathering is where Professors will take selected students to Trigon.”

  “And then what?”

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

  “You will see, Aries Vygros, you will see,” Professor Paskel said, his eyes lifting in amusement but his mouth remaining unchanged. “It’s time. Leros, Atris; it’s always a pleasure.”

  “Make us proud Aries,” my mom whispered, her dark features softening as she moved closer to embrace me.

  “You are a Vygros, we are strong, we do not fear, and we do not back down,” my father said sternly.

  “I know,” I muttered.

  “Do not show weakness, you represent us for what and who we are, do not let your guard down,” he warned.

  “I won’t.”

  Professor Paskel moved closer. My heart leapt with fear as he took my hand in his. Within seconds of him uttering an incantation, I felt my body rip through what felt like an electric current, adrenaline coursing through my veins.

  “Where are we?” I asked, trying to find my balance in the thick brush of trees.

  “You don’t recognize the beauty of the Darkwood Forest?” Professor Paskel sounded surprised.

  “No, I haven’t been here,” I confessed, rubbing the dirt off my legs.

  “I should’ve known your father would keep you within the bounds of Mount Brumal. Tenebrous has four sectors representing each of our elements; The Darkwood Forest, The Ice Spears of Mount Brumal, Ria Cove, and the wondrous Somnum Noctis Temple district.”

  “I’ve heard.”

  “But you’ve never been?”

  “No.”

  He frowned. “What do you know?”

  I gave him a silent stare.

  “Firstly, let’s start with you calling me Professor Graff. Now, who are the most powerful families in Tenebrous?” Professor Graff asked; his tone filled with curiosity.

  “I don't really know for sure, I’ve heard my father complain about the Sorens and Auras, so I assume they make the list.”

  “You assume right.” Professor Graff continued to walk through the thick dark brush as he spoke. “How many bloodlines do we have here in Tenebrous?”

  “Four.”

  “Name them,” he commanded.

  I frowned but didn’t argue. “Fae can be born of ice, water, lifeforce, or light.”

  “Thank the gods, she’s not mindless after all,” Professor Graff teased. “Who does your father expect you to wed if he keeps you locked away in Mount Brumal?”

  “I don't care about getting married or engaged, I'm eighteen.”

  “You will.”

  I ignored his comment, instead following him closely as we weaved through the trees.

  “You understand that your family isn’t very liked?” Professor Graff asked.

  I thought back about things my parents had told me before. “I know that my family is feared.”

  “Hmm, interesting choice of words. Some fear them, yes, but others have disdain as your family chooses who the elite are.”

  I sucked air into my lungs, I wasn’t sure what he meant, but it didn’t sound good. My eyes glanced across the snowcapped trees; a new fear trickled through my body.

  “Beautiful, aren't they?”

  I nodded, still thinking about what he had just said.

  “Aries, you have to understand the politics of the realms. There are a lot of things that your parents didn’t prepare you for. Your family being feared and disliked is one of them.” Professor Graff shot me an empathetic look, before returning to his cold expression. “Get ready little Vygros, we’re here.”

  As soon as he finished his sentence, my ears locked to the sound of people talking. My gut fluttered as I followed Professor Graff into a clearing where over a hundred students were gathered.

  “Paskel, what took so long?” A man dressed in a white shirt, tie, and waistcoat asked.

  “We’re ready to open the portal,” a petite, shoulder-length-haired woman with beautiful dark brown skin added.

  “I was picking up the last student; Aries Vygros,” Professor Graff answered, unphased by the evident rush.

  “It’s lovely to meet you, Aries, I am professor Feron Colborn, this is Professor Gaduna Rartia,” Professor Colborn said, gesturing towards the petite woman.

  “Can we get a move on?” a blonde woman behind them asked, her irises as red as my father’s.

  “And that is Professor Violet Navitas, who is always in a rush,” Professor Colborn smiled coyly.

  The woman ignored the introduction, signaling for us to move forward to where the students were lined up between two roaring fires.

  “Purifeom Strienis,” Professor Colborn bellowed.

  A furious wind whipped through the crowd, a glow of light expanding into a perfect portal of what looked to be rain and snow, swirling around the darkness where the students were lined up.

  “Students, your attention please,” Professor Graff yelled, and everyone fell silent. “We will begin shortly. When we do, you will enter through the portal one by one. When you arrive on the other side, you will be greeted by your house representative and shown to your dorm.”

  The crowd of students nodded, and for the first time, I realized how few people I knew in my own realm. Right in the front of the line, a tall muscular fae with extremely dark eyes stood. His glowering eyes were highlighted by a large scar that stretched from his eyebrow into his hair, which had been shaved on each side leaving a short mohawk. His dark gaze met mine, and for a moment I was glued to the dangerous embrace of his eyes.

  “I’d avoid making eye contact with him if you want to stay alive,” a chilling voice said behind me.

  “What?” I gasped, turning around to meet the icy eyes staring down at me.

  “I’m kidding. Aries Vygros, right?” The stranger asked, his mischievous tone unmistakable.

  “Yeah, how did you know?”

  “There’s no mistaking that face in Tenebrous.”

  The thought of every stranger knowing who I was before I knew whom they were always left me feeling vulnerable.

  “And, you are?” I asked, trying to compose my thoughts, unable to tear my eyes from the dark-haired stranger.

  “Rafe Soren.”

  “Soren?” I repeated.

  “The one and only. I guess you've heard of me?”

  I paused. “Not exactly.”

  Rafe smiled curiously, allowing his hair to cover the iciness of his irises. His broad shoulders and toned arms were highlighted in his black t-shirt, which seemed a little too tight for him. Before I could continue my visual assault or think about how to explain how I knew about his family name, a girl slammed into my shoulder sending me forward into Rafe’s chest.

  “What in the realms was that?” I growled loudly, straightening up.

  “Not what, but who,” Rafe shrugged, nudging his head forward for me to look.

  Shoulder-bump-girl joined scar-face right in the front of the line. Her greyish-white hair and petite frame were overshadowed by his body. Her eyes were red like my father’s, sending shivers down my spine. Fae with the lifeforce element always seemed to carry a huge chip on their shoulder.

  “Do you think you’ll survive Trigon, Vygros?”

  “What is that supposed to mean?” I glared.

  “Haven't you been locked away in an icy tower for the past eighteen years?” Rafe sniggered. “Looking down on everything, ruling Tenebrous with an iron fist?”

  I narrowed my eyes, unsure what Rafe’s intentions were, or if he was just choosing to be a complete jerk.

  “Rafe, you coming?” a gorgeous brunette called, stepping to link her arm with his.

  “Aries, this is Mara.” Rafe pointed. “Mara, Aries Vygros.”

  “Rafe, what the fuck?” Mara spat, her eyes gleaming with the water element like mine. I watched as her face twisted with disgust. “Let’s go, before we lose our spot.”

  “I’ll catch up with you later, Aries Vygros,” Rafe said, looking back once as Mara pulled him forward to join the other fae in the front.

  I sighed. So far, I hated being away from home and so well-known to everyone else. What did Rafe mean by my family ruling Tenebrous with an iron first? What didn’t I know about my father that made everyone dislike me this much?

  “You may want to conjure a shield,” a pink-haired girl standing in front of me warned.

  I frowned. “A shield from what?”

  She looked up at the sky, looking back at me proudly as icy rain started to pour across the open area where we stood.

  “How did you—”

  “Neat trick I learned last year. Paxton, Paxton Cyprus.” She gave me a bright smile.

  “Aries Vy—”

  “Vygros, I overheard. It’s nice to meet you. My family doesn’t exactly hate yours, so don’t worry too much about what Rafe and Mara said, not all Tartarean have a deep disdain for Vygros. Only about ninety percent of them.”

  “Thanks.” I shivered, my entire body dripping with rain.

  “Imperictus,” Paxton commanded, softly waving her hands over my head, creating a small umbrella-like forcefield over my body.

  “Thank you,” I said appreciatively.

  “Don’t worry about it, it’s a spell I wrote down until It was burned into my memory.”

  Nerves stirred in my stomach. Vasnon always spoke about everyday magic, teaching me small things like how to tie my shoelaces or make my bed. But he wasn’t allowed to teach me more than that and seeing Paxton with handy spells like this made me realize how much I still needed to learn.

  “Paxton,” another girl called from the middle of the line.

  “I have to run; I'll see you around?”

  My heart raced; I’d never been around this many different Tartarean fae.

  “Let’s begin,” Professor Colborn announced, his voice amplified by the use of magic.

  Professor Colborn gestured for scar-face to step forward. Within a blink of an eye he was gone, giving way for shoulder-bump-girl to step forward, as well as Mara, then Rafe. One by one students vanished into the portal. The line kept moving until I was finally faced with the swirling black portal in front of me.

  “We don’t have all day, Aries,” Professor Graff said, gesturing to the empty clearing. I closed my eyes, unsure of what awaited me on the other side, but inching closer.

  “Oh for the gods’ sake, get on with it.”

  I was still turning to see what professor Navitas was referring to when I was abruptly pushed through the portal. My body spiraled into the darkness, the familiar cold against my skin fading as a warm tingling sensation brushed me. I shut my eyes, squeezing them tightly, feeling my body rip out of control, before hitting the ground with a sickening thud.