Inheritance - The Dark Sorcerers: Book 1

Chapter 1: A Guest at the Monastery

"Say, Rafa," I began, feeling more confident about my own skills with every second that passed. "Would you mind if we went for a short ride? I know you don't really like to have people on your back, but I promise it can be fun too if you'd just give it a chance."

Rafa stopped biting at my fingers and lifted his head to look me in the eye. After at least a minute of gazing at each other in a silent power struggle, the horse gently nudged my shoulder with his head. Was that his way of giving me permission?

I decided to go for it and shuffled toward his side, making sure not to break physical contact while I did so. Rafa's breathing sped up the slightest bit, but he made no move to knock me off my feet like he had done with Sister Clementine. I grabbed the saddle's horn and used it to push myself up and climb onto the horse's back. Rafa neighed nervously as he felt me wriggle into position and I froze for a moment, waiting until he had calmed down. When I was absolutely certain that he wouldn't throw me off his back, I squeezed my feet into the stirrups and took the reins in my hands.

Enthusiastic applause rose up from the other side of the ring. The stable boys whistled and shouted my name. Sister Clementine had crossed her arms over her chest, a disgruntled look on her face, yet I noticed a faint glow of pride in her eyes. I grinned at her as I passed by and directed Rafa toward the meadows. Taking a deep breath, I relished the smell of blossoming flowers in the air, a sign that the grass would soon be carpeted with bluebells, just like it had been all previous springs.

The afternoon sun illuminated the Monastery's marvelous exterior, giving it an idyllic appearance, as though the building belonged to another world. The thick vines of ivy that decorated the great balcony at the front showed all shades of green, from the yellowish hue of limes to the deep emerald of the seas in the West. Rafa snorted contently while I steered him toward the long path that led to the Monastery's entrance gates, the dark woods looming behind them.

I smiled, a memory of my childhood drifting to the surface. One day, when the Sisters hadn't been looking, I had sneaked out of the gates to satisfy my curiosity and explore the woods. However, a mysterious singing voice had soon entranced my mind and guided me deeper into the woods, until I could no longer find my way back. Head Sister Ursula had had to haul me back to the Monastery, reprimanding me for almost having fallen into the trap of a Siren, a Sorcerer whose magic was concentrated in their voice and took over other people's senses and free will.

I was snapped out of my daydreams when Rafa suddenly stopped walking, scraping his hooves over the gravel. Squinting to see what had startled him, I distinguished a small figure on horseback in the distance, riding toward us at full speed. The stranger's cape—which had a beautiful royal blue color, I noticed as they came closer—billowed in the air, creating a dramatic effect. I found myself frozen in place, mesmerized by the prospect of having another rare guest at the Monastery.

The stranger—a young man, by the looks of it—slowed down his horse when he had almost reached me. He wore thick armor made of black leather, a white rose carved onto his breastplate. Gasping, I realized that he was a soldier of the Brunwill Academy of Martial Arts, the most prestigious military academy in all of Chtonia. I wondered what business he had with the White Sisters.

Slowly, my gaze traveled up to his face, causing me to gasp again. He was even younger than I had initially expected, twenty-five at most. He was also extremely handsome, the kind of handsome that made women trail a man with their tongues hanging out of their mouths. With a subtle movement of my hand, I quickly checked if I wasn't drooling myself. The soldier's short, black hair looked so soft that my fingers itched to brush away the stray lock on his forehead. The sharp curve of his jaw accentuated the elegance of his face, topped off with a perfectly straight and aristocratic nose. His mouth, wide with full lips, curled up into a confident smile while his dark eyes inspected my features, appraising me. Embarrassed, I became aware of the fact that I had been staring at him.