Branches of Life

Ten years ago...

I stepped out of the portal after Ari, gaping at my surroundings in wonder.

We were standing on a ledge of one of the mountains that made up the mountain range of the Aurora court. A wide glass bridge connected it to the neighboring mountain, over a seemingly bottomless chasm. Snow blanketed the ground, and I was now grateful my parents made me wear a pair of thick tights under my dress, along with a jacket.

Floating high in the sky above our heads, were colorful lights, brightening up the darkening sky. Shifting from green to blue to purple. The glass bridge—somehow completely free of snow—reflected and refracted the lights, sending the array of colors in all directions.

I stared at the lights in awe until my mom called out my name, drawing my focus to her. "You need to be on your guard the whole time we're here, and not allow yourself to get distracted. No matter how beautiful it is. Not everyone here is nice or can be trusted. So no matter what happens, stay with me or Ari." She kept her voice at a low whisper, waiting for my nod before gesturing for Ari to cross the bridge first.

Thankfully the bridge had a chest-high railing. There was no way I would've attempted walking across the thing without it.

As soon as my hand came into contact with the railing, a sharp jab had me hissing and wanting to pull my hand away. I didn't. Not only because I was physically unable to, my hand feeling like it was glued to the railing that was heating under my touch, but because I knew this was something that had to be done.

I wasn't an expert on blood mage customs, but I knew you were supposed to bleed on the bridge before attempting to cross it. Why? No clue.

After a few moments of the stinging burn, the spike stabbing my hand vanished and my hand came free from the railing, leaving behind smooth glass, with no traces of my blood.

As we crossed the bridge, my left hand was clamped down on the railing, with no fear of finding any more sharp objects now that I bleed. My other hand clutched the back of Ari's jacket as I walked closely behind her. Don't look down, don't look down, I chanted to myself over and over. My grip tightened when a strong gust of wind blew over us, whipping my dress around my legs. I let out a small squeak as I practically plastered myself against Ari's back

"Deep breaths Jay," Ari murmured. Following her advice, I took a deep breath, holding it for a few seconds before releasing it. I continued breathing like this and keeping my eyes on Ari's back the whole way across the bridge.

As soon as my feet sank into the ankle-high snow, I let out a relieved sigh. I never wanted to cross that bridge ever again. Of course, I'd have to do just that later this evening, a detail I chose to ignore for now.

A tall blood mage emerged from the shadows, coming to stand before us, hand resting on the hilt of his sword at his hip. His grip on the sword was relaxed as was the rest of his body, but his two-toned eyes told a different story. His intense eyes briefly scanned over Ari and me, before shifting to our mom.

The blood mage appeared to be in his mid to late twenties. He was one of the most handsome men I had ever seen. Dark hair was slicked back from his bronze and chiseled face. An intense glower filled his expression as pulsating energy seeped from him. He had the most beautiful pair of eyes, one light blue, the other light green. His black clothes were simple, and a sharp contrast against the bright white of the snow.

Mom slowly removed the invitation for the ball from her coat and held it out to him. Tonight's ball was in celebration of Mistress Janara's daughter's engagement. An event we were invited to because of my aunt Arianna.

Eleven years ago, my aunt mated my uncle Garret—a blood mage—and they both decided to live here. As members of her family, we were invited to events open to all courts. This was the first time Mom had allowed Ari and me to join her.

The guard fiddled with the ring on his right pointer finger, before rolling up his sleeve and dragging his ring across the back of his forearm. The metallic smell of blood filled the air as he began casting. I stifled my gasp and tightened my grip on Ari's hand, watching in awed silence. He dipped his fingers in his blood and drew a sigil on his arm. Mom placed the invitation in his awaiting hand, where he drew a matching sigil on it.

I leaned forward as the blood sank into the paper and his skin. Disappearing like it was never there in the first place. This time I wasn't able to cover my gasp. His eyes snapped over to Ari and me, the corner of his lips lifting ever so slightly. My attention was drawn back to the now-glowing piece of paper. The green glow died down after a few seconds.

Nodding to himself, the guard handed the invitation back to Mom and stepped to the side, gesturing toward a path along the side of the mountain. One that was six feet wide, with no railing. That was a dumb move.

I could feel the guard's stare on us as we walked away. Staying on us until we came around a bend and were out of his line of sight. I made sure I was the one closest to the wall the entire time we took the path, still squeezing the life out of Ari's hand. My other hand lightly trailed along the rough and jagged side of the mountain. As we came around yet another bend, the Aurora Palace came into view. And like before, I was stunned and amazed by its beauty.

The palace was built into the mountain, its towers rising high above the mountain's peak. Smooth black stone made up the walls and towers, reflecting the lights from above. Absolutely breathtaking.

Unfortunately, between us and the castle was another bridge. At least this one was shorter, taking only a few minutes to cross.

We entered an oversized entryway, where a blood mage in a dark suit held out his hands. Mom instantly removed her coat and placed it in his awaiting hands. Ari and I followed her lead, watching in amazement as he cast a sigil and the coats disappeared.

"Keep up," Mom called out when I started falling behind as I took in the space around us. The ceiling was vaulted, with dangling crystal lights hanging above our heads. Floor-to-ceiling windows lined the walls, allowing the shifting lights to shine through the windows. The black marble floor reflected their shifting colors.

To our left, wide double doors were propped open, allowing us to see the swirling dancers and guests milling around the spacious ballroom. Men and women in dark uniforms, with the court's crest stamped on the breast pocket, walked around the room with trays of food and drinks.

Here's hoping one of those trays had water and not just alcohol.

Around the room, black marble columns supported a balcony that wrapped around the three walls. Next to the outside wall of windows, sat a spiral staircase leading up to the balcony. Where Mythics stood around, drinking and chatting. Live string music played from the back corner of the room, playing a fast and lighthearted tune. The women's flowing gowns spun around their bodies as they glided across the dance floor.

Mom effortlessly fit in, with her long-sleeved off-the-shoulder, purple gown that complimented her blue-green eyes. Her dark brown hair was styled in artful waves down her back.

Ari was stunning in her high-necked sleeveless gown, in a shade of green a few shades lighter than her eyes. Ari's light blonde waves were loosely pinned back in a bun, with several stands left out, framing her face.

I smoothed my hands down my light blue dress, making sure my jacket and the strong winds hadn't wrinkled it.

My focus returned to the room, noting that it too was all black. I was starting to notice a theme. Hanging in the center of the room was an outrageously big crystal chandelier, that refracted the multihued lights throughout the room.

Ari pulled on my hand, leading us to one of the men carrying food. He offered the platter to us and we each grabbed a piece, popping them into our mouths. I had no clue what I just ate. The food—if you could call it that—was overly decadent, and tasted horrible. Based on Ari's barely concealed disgust, she felt the same. Mom chuckled at our reactions, her smile lighting up her face. "I'm not too fond of it either. We'll eat when we're home. Oh, there's Annie."

On the other side of the ballroom was my aunt, who was making her way to us with her mate in tow.

Other than her hazel eye color, she looked a whole lot like Mom, with the same hair color and face shape. She met Mom with a tight hug, turning to do the same with Ari and then me. "You both have gotten so big! Garret, do you remember how small they used to be?" Annie looked back at Garret as he wrapped an arm around her waist. His shoulder-length black hair was slicked back into a ponytail, highlighting his sharp and angular beauty, softened by his warm smile. His bright white teeth were a sharp contrast to his warm brown skin. Brown eyes met mine, the color so dark it was almost black.

"I think the last time I saw you two, was when Ari convinced Jade to climb a tree." He shook his head still smiling.

"As if I could forget," I grumbled and crossed my arms. "I broke my leg in two places when I fell."

"Good times," Ari sighed longingly. In response, I stepped on her foot. It was most certainly not a good time. It took nearly a whole day for my bones to reset and heal. The pain from the injury itself and the healing process was horrible.

"How's Micah?" Annie asked, stopping a passing waiter and grabbing two drinks. Handing one to Garret and drinking from the other. Once she finished her drink, she handed the empty glass to her mate. Garret rubbed his thumb over a sigil carved into the base and it vanished.

"He's good. He wishes he could've made it, but he had to run an errand for Lowell." Mom had more to say, but I tuned out the rest of their conversation, turning to watch the couples gracefully spinning around the dance floor.

As I continued watching the dancers, I found myself longing for the day that could be me. My attention drifted to the groups of guests standing around, laughing, eating, and drinking. I huffed out an annoyed sigh at how boring this was.

Ari whispered in our mom's ear, telling her we were going to stand out on the balcony. My gaze sought out the balcony in question. Double glass doors were propped open, allowing a cool breeze to blow through the hot room.

"Alright, just remember what I said earlier, Jade." At Mom's reminder, I nodded my confirmation as I nearly bounced around in excitement. Ari looped her arm through mine as she led us toward the balcony.

"Thank you," I whispered, knowing she did this for me."

"That's what sisters are for." She waved away my gratitude, leading me outside.

It wasn't as cold as I thought it would be it was the perfect temperature. Just chilly enough to cool my sweaty skin. I frowned as I heard a roaring wind, but all I felt was a gentle breeze.

"There are runes carved into the wall by a sorceress. It's what keeps the climate at a reasonable temperature," Ari answered my unspoken question. Waving her hand toward the wall of the castle, where a couple dozen runes were carved into the stone.

The balcony was built from the same black stone as the palace and was close to thirty feet long and fifteen deep. To my relief, there was a railing that came up to my chest. I rested my forearms on the railing, admiring the setting sun, while keeping my focus up.

"I thought balls were supposed to be more entertaining," I grumbled, my sullen mood at odds with the view.

"They are, but only when you're older and surrounded by your friends." Ari let out a small laugh, leaning her back against the railing. She was quiet for a few moments, lost in thought. "I’ve heard their temple for Solaris, is one of the best places to visit while here." She shot a sly grin in my direction. "And it's definitely not boring."

"Are we allowed to leave?" I asked, looking around as if someone would jump out and stop us.

"I guess we'll find out," Ari answered with a mischievous smile. I couldn't help but smile back, a rush of adrenaline flowing through me. Taking Ari's outstretched hand, I followed her back into the ballroom.