Rise Of Faeries Book I : Ascension

Chapter Six - Prince Dariel 🌟 (rewritten)

Fury and something else - relief at making it out alive? - fought for dominance as Kairo searched for her aunt and uncle.

Sprawling lime-green grass spread all around them for miles. They stood atop some sort of mountain hill. Kairo could make out nothing but trees below. Where was the damn school?

"Kairo."

Her name was called tentatively from behind. She whirled around, her face a mask of betrayal and fury, she saw her aunt swallow heavily and her uncle flinch at the sight of her face. "Really? You couldn't have warned me about...what the hell!?"

"Okay. Calm down for a second," her uncle Rowan asked, a note of plea in his voice. He gently guided Kairo away from the rest of the crowded surviving students and their parents. She refused to look on the other side of that valley where some parents stood childless with heartbreaking expressions of loss on their faces.

"I am afraid it's not over yet." Fedora shifted uncomfortably, "I am at least glad you aren't hurt."

Kairo glowered at her aunt. "What do you mean it's not over?"

"The death games determined the worthy and your quadrants. But there are five entrances to the school, for kids all over the world. You will have to go through another trial of sorts to end up on the school grounds. That's when you know you made it," Rowan supplied.

Kairo was left breathless. "What is wrong with you people? These games are real! These children are actually dying!"

Fedora and Rowan winced.

"We don't make the rules, hun. But this is the only way for kids your age in Kaimana. There are worse fates than this, you will understand once you get to the school," Fedora replied softly.

"I cannot fathom all this. It doesn't make any sense to send your children out to die," Kairo responded, unable to grasp the point behind it all.

"There is honour behind it all. You might not understand as I am sure you did not grow up in the city or anywhere in Kaimana for that matter. So where in the world, Stormhart, did you grow up?" a glorious voice asked from behind her.

Fedora and Rowan straightened, while Kairo slowly turned to face the boy. His voice would be one she could remember anywhere, it made her heart dance uncharacteristically.

"Earth. I grew up on Earth," Kairo responded flatly.

The boy's eyes widened and Kairo was lost in them. She realised had been right, they were a pair brilliant emerald and stars were dancing within them and her hair was as black as night. "General Stormhart's daughter, a human? Are the rumours true then?"

Kairo narrowed her eyes at the boy. "True or not, I never said I was General Stormhart's daughter."

The boy regarded her with raised brows and a slight curve upwards of his lips. He raised his eyes behind her, where her aunt and uncle stood. They both bowed to the waist.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Your Highness," Rowan greeted to which Kairo stiffened.

The boy seemed to have realised that one movement because he turned his eyes to Kairo who straightened as soon as their eyes met. "You are royalty?" she asked.

"I am."

Short and brief, Kairo bristled. Her earlier anger surfaced and she narrowed her eyes towards the boy. "Then tell me something, your Highness, what is the point of this suicide?"

"You mean the entry examination to a war academy?" he reverted the question at Kairo.

"War academy?" she swirled towards her guardians, her eyes tightly narrowed into slits. "You did not mention the damned school was a war freaking academy!"