Rise Of Faeries Book I : Ascension

Chapter 24 -We Meet Again

Kairo stood a few feet away from the table, where the duo sat, their heads bowed as though in slumber, the girls with the ice must have lost their interest.

From her vantage point, Kairo could see the forest clearly, reminiscent of the song forest back home, except this one was corrupted by a black substance and seemed haunted. She tore her eyes from the forest and pinned them on her target. There was a small board beside the table with neat writing.

"REGISTERING TO BE PART OF KAIST"

Kairo had no idea what Kaist was but if he was part of it, then she would be too. She had a feeling he needed her, and she had promised.
.
"I will come when you need me. I will rescue you."

She had whispered to his unconscious form. She sent out her energy to seek anyone who might have come with him, the energy was not hard to locate. Thus, Kairo used her beckoning power to draw them there while she hid in the bushes.

Royal soldiers rushed towards their prince in concern, their effective disguise maintaining secrecy. For some reason, she felt the need to say those words to the boy. She was drawn to him in ways she couldn't describe as though they had known each other for a very long time.

She inhaled deeply before approaching the table, her steps were light.

"You awake yet?" she asked.

"We weren't asleep," an annoyed voice responded curtly. The voice belonged to the young boy sitting next to her target. The boy nudged his partner,  "Register her name. I will find brochures and everything else."

The response was just a grunt. Followed by, "Name?"

Kairo stayed silent for a moment, his voice sent shivers down her spine. That took her back for a moment and she wondered where that came from.

"Name?" a rough repetition broke her line of thinking.

"Kairo."

Everything happened at once. The boy dropped his brochures and his head whipped towards Kairo and Xaden... he raised his head in what appeared to be a slow motion and when their eyes locked, Kairo almost forgot to breathe.

"Hello, Xaden."

Silence passed between them as they stared at each other. Then Xaden smiled, it was a half-smile that was laced with pain, "I thought I would never see you again."

This time it was Kairo's turn to smile. "Very unlikely. So where do I sign?"

A throat being cleared gathered their attention. Xaden rolled his eyes inwardly before turning to Kairo, "Kairo. Meet my brother, Rayland."

Rayland was a younger version of Xaden. His face was less defined but Kairo mused he would grow into it. He had the same platinum hair as Xaden though he kept his shorter while Xaden's was longer.

She extended her hand towards the boy, he seemed rather shocked, his eyes widening as they latched on the girl's extended hand and his mouth slightly parted. "Nice to meet you, Your Highness."

Rayland looked towards his brother who just shrugged at him, he shook the girl's hand. "Likewise, Lady Kairo."

Kairo beamed before turning to Xaden, still with her extended hand. "We meet again, Your Highness."

Xaden's eyes landed on the hand and clasped it. 

That's when Kairo channeled him.

Whatever you feel, don't let go.

Her mind contacted his, her eyes meeting his widened ones. Surprise etched upon those starry irises. She smiled within, she shocked two imperial princes in one swoop, it should be considered a feat.

Her energy intertwined with his. She left her energy marker on his aura, instinctively causing him to do the same to her. She pulled back when it was done, she watched with satisfaction as Xaden's colour returned to normal and the soul virus parasite fled.

Xaden felt it, her energy entering his essence and his leaving him to somehow join her essence.  It was an exchange that normally happened after the official ritual, otherwise it didn't work.

"How?" Rayland's asked in shock. His eyes were wider than saucers. His mouth was wide open and he had gone a little paler, "I thought your bond wasn't official."

"My sentiments exactly," Xaden agreed, Rayland voiced his concerns.

Kairo levelled her eyes with Xaden. "A faux bond wouldn't have saved you that night. Our bond was official, just not yet solidified because we haven't done this last part."

"That's impossible! You need a priestess or bishop to preside unless it was..."

"The night when the moon and stars collided. It was. The night the veiled almost failed us completely."

The shock was palpable between the Imperial brothers.

Before they could say anything, a shrill scream resounded behind them. Kairo turned to see a livid Clarisse rushing towards her like a charged bull. She felt Amaira and Cassian rush to her side.

"You! You did this to me!" Clarisse screamed once she reached a short distance from Kairo.

Kairo stared at her, bored. "And how do you suggest I did that, Clarisse? Wasn't it you who taunted me all the time about my inactive magic?"

Clarisse flushed but did not back down. "Then it was you!" she pointed a bone-thin finger at Amaira, who merely rolled her eyes.

"Not everyone is like you, Clarisse," she said.

Clarisse huffed and began pulling her sleeves back. "I am going to show you two my true colours."

Kairo and Amaira turned their eyes at Cassian who was busy bridging the space between his eyes and nose, anticipating a headache. Their expression was not lost on him, it said, 'Here comes trouble'.

A few paces behind the scenery stood a young boy with amusement etched on his face. A coin spun on its own in his milky white hand. His peach, long hair swayed from the light breeze passing where he stood.

"What are you doing with that look on your face?" A feminine voice asked, nearing him.

"I had been resting under my favourite spot when I heard something interesting," he said with a mysterious smile. "Tell me Tazz, those two girls there, the one with silver hair and the one with white, what do you think they are about to do in response to the attack from the livid priestess?" he asked.

The girl that had joined him, Tazzlyn, redirected her gaze towards the group by the KAIST stall. All Tazz saw was a pair of girls about to be beaten by a livid one, "They look like they are about to be beaten. Why?"

"They were told to avoid trouble. And now I wonder if they will let trouble fall on them or as one of them suggested, wail like a banshee."

Tazz's eyebrows furrowed, confusion etched on her slender face, "Wail like..."

She hadn't finished her sentence when a distraught wail echoed around them. The girl with the silver hair was on her knees, clutching her chest as she wailed while the other covered her face, her shoulders shaking dramatically.

"What the..." Tazz began but her companion only laughed.

"It's bound to be a fun year at the academy," he said as he watched on.

Cassian, however, wished the ground would split open and swallow him whole. He looked at the scene in front of him with unbelieving eyes.

Rayland's entire face slackened in surprise.

Clarisse who had been sure of herself moments ago, paused, unsure what else to do.

"Come on Clarisse, if the leader hears about this it will not bode well for us," one girl said pulling Clarisse along.

The moment Clarisse disappeared out of sight, the wailing and the crying stopped instantly enticing another round of face-slackening shock.