Page 33 of Wicked Dove
My cheeks heat. “In my defense, I thought I was going to die.”
She shakes her head again, but she at least carries on walking, only to stop at the small summit. Hurrying to catch up, I stumble to a halt at her side as I blink at the world before me.
I don’t know where to look first. My mind is instantly overstimulated by the sheer contrast before me.
“Kael Forrester, Elodie, he?—”
“Please,” I breathe. “Never mind him. I'm glad for the break and the freedom. Tell me all about The Sanctum and all about what the hell I'm looking at. But start with The Sanctum while I'm standing in this exact spot because somehow they managed to sentence me here without even telling me their freaking names,” I blurt.
My heart thunders in my chest as she scoffs.
“They never offer anyone the pleasure of an introduction. They think they’re above it.” Well, at least it’s not just me. “You have the two women, the white-haired bitch and the redhead. The latter is Anya, and the bitch is Cordelia. At their side are three men. The blond guy is Rikard, the dark-haired man is Toman, and the old asshole is Saken.”
“They all sound delightful,” I mutter, disappointed by the fact that knowing their names does nothing to ease the ball of stress tightening in my stomach. Staring at the view before me, I take a deep breath. “They're going to make my life a living hell, aren't they?” I murmur, and she hums in agreement. No words are needed, cementing my reality. “Okay, tell me about all of this then,” I probe, pointing to the scene before me.
“Okay, that I can do,” she confirms, a little more upbeat, and I try to soak it in. “This is The Vale, the literal center of our world. It’s our village, and anything you can think of wanting orneeding will be here. But the winding path we’re on that leads us to the central point isn't the only one with that same destination. There are thirteen institutes, thirteen paths leading away from The Vale.”
My gaze drifts around the perimeter, spotting each of the pathways she’s referring to. It’s more than a village, it’s a whole world.
“The Vale is where all our communal areas come together. Each institute is known for different things, and each comes with its own hierarchy, while also ranking among the others. However, each institute stands taller than the last. I don't think it takes much to assume that number thirteen is at the bottom of the pecking order, putting number one on the top.”
I gulp, turning my attention to the left as I slowly look beyond the central point again, paying better attention to what sits at the end of each path. None are as dark and dreary as Institute Thirteen, and it’s clear the one to our left is where the hierarchy begins. Although, there’s a huge, looming wrought iron fence cutting right across the walkway, for as long as the eye can see, separating Institute Thirteen from the luxuries of Institute One.
It's fresh, modern, and screams luxury, even from here. As I work my way around the circle created around the perimeter of The Vale, the standards lower until you come to the one behind me.
“The Vale is the collective town that sits at the center of each Institute, mainly the home base of academics for the supernaturals. In the center, you’ll find all of your classes, all of your food options, shops, any downtime activity you can think of, any hobbies, any sports you want; it's all going to be in the center. What you have access to tends to differ depending on your Institute, but it’s there nonetheless. Besides, I’m a blood witch. I get what I want. When I choose to fight for it, anyway.”
As I look into her eyes, I note the lack of amusement, as if she would still rather be anywhere else but here; a feeling that resonates deep in my bones.
Clearing her throat, she nods at The Vale. “Ready for me to take you into the madness?” she asks, and I nod.
Silently, we walk down the path, and I try to catalog everything I can see. The pathway from Institute Thirteen is framed by upturned soil that’s dried out as if aged for an eternity, while the field surrounding the pathway for Institute One is filled with luscious green grass, pretty little flowers, and looks as though it’s thriving. As with everything else, the standard drops as you look clockwise around The Vale, reconfirming how low we fall in the hierarchy.
“You'll get a real glimpse of it all tomorrow,” she states as we reach the end of the path, standing at the foot of The Vale.
Everything feels bigger, taller, grander, but weirdly, I feel even more out of my comfort zone here than I do back at the Gothic towers of Institute Thirteen, despite how haunting they are.
“It’s all great, but I really want to go home,” I admit, and she snickers.
“Oh, well, you can't do that.”
“That's what Kael keeps saying, but that feels like admitting defeat, and I’m not giving up when I've only just got here,” I grumble, and she shrugs.
“Sure, but there's no way out. Do you want to go get something to eat?” she asks, taking two steps before she pauses, realizing that I'm not falling immediately beside her.
“What if there is? A way out, I mean. Where would it be?”
She nips at her lip, deep in thought, as she glances at me. “I’ve never really thought about it before, but if I did, it would probably be one of the institutes that aren't in use,” she states
“Aren't in use?” I repeat, my attention piqued, and she nods.
“Yeah, twelve, nine, seven, and three are all derelict as long as I've been here. Anyway?—”
“Twelve,” I interrupt, glancing toward the land off to my right, spying the worn-down brown brick building in the distance. The windows are boarded up and the pathway looks untrodden.
“You're going to go now, aren't you?” she murmurs, and I tuck a loose curl behind my ear again.
“Would that be insane?”
