House of Night

chapter 4, part 2

"Bring the darkness," the chants of children rang around the room.

The fires died down, and Vira walked out of the room, with the prince trailing behind her. After the brightness of the fires, it was hard to see, and the two of them seemed to disappear into the shadows.

The priestesses called for the children to get back into their groups to attend their first class for the evening. Bell looked around, trying to find the other water starrlings who she would be practising with, and her gaze caught on the quiet spring starrling. He was staring at her, black eyes watching from the darkness.

And then one of the girls grabbed her arm and pulled her in the direction of the water starrlings group, and when she looked back, the boy was gone.

The classes in the House of the Moon weren't all that different from the classes she'd attended at Hilverton, in Lombardia. Some of them were boring, and some of them were exciting. There was a lot more combat training, and most of it didn't even require magic. But there was a lot of magic training considering none of the children in the Below had kinnlings.

But when the priestess led the chattering water starrlings into their classroom, they found the leader was already waiting for them. Vira was standing at the front of the cavernous room, her white tiger at her side. There was also the prince, with his tiger. The children stopped speaking as soon as they saw their classroom's guests.

"Today your lessons will be slightly different," Vira said, not waiting for the priestess to start teaching. "I shall surge your magic, and you will show me just how powerful you can be."

Taikku Tsukasai was watching her. Bell wasn't imagining it. The prince had his dark eyes fixed on her. He hadn't looked at anyone else in the room. Bell glanced once at him, wondering what had happened to him. He was so much skinnier than she remembered. Paler, possibly. His face looked gaunt. She remembered seeing him in the school, when Ari had that stupid task of following the fire princess around everywhere. They'd fought once, on the bridge. He was a stupid, arrogant prince; a bully used to a life of privilege.

So what was he doing at the darkest corner of the world, where the suns didn't reach? Why had he come here? Wasn't he supposed to be the next king and emperor of Kakaio?

"You," Vira said.

Bell almost jumped. She hadn't realised just how close the White Lady had gotten to her.

"Name?"

"Isabella Domez," Bell said. She allowed herself one glance towards the fire prince, and noticed his expression change at her name. He knew her. He knew Ariane. He knew the Domez name.

"Step forward, Domez," Vira said.

Bell did as she told her, stepping into the centre of the room. She glanced back at her fellow water starrlings, who were looking at her with a mixture of terror and relief - terror at what was to come, and relief that they weren't the unlucky one to be chosen first.

Vira placed her hand on Bell's back, and Bell felt her heart race at the strange lady's touch.

"Show me how you bring your water, Domez," Vira told her.

Bell raised her palms, ready to create a bubble of water magic, as she'd learned to do years ago. But as she did, she felt an incredible pulsation of power flow through her. She allowed the magic to run through her like a current. It was stronger than her, and she had no choice but to obey it. It made her magic soar within her. Suddenly she was not a droplet but a flood. Water surged from the space between her palms, and she cried out in shock as a jet of water slashed forwards, towards the opposite wall. The blast of water cut straight through the moss that grew on the wall, and even into the stone.

She stared in shock at the evidence of her power - a deep wedge in the rock, where her own water magic had blasted away.

The priestess standing in the corner of the room gave a sniff.

"This is called the surge," Vira said loudly. "It is a gift granted to me and my nephew, who you may call Tai. We are surgers, meaning we have been chosen by the stars to grant a stronger power. It is in our nature to be leaders, naturally, as we are the deciders of who deserves power. And this is how we give it to you."

Bell craved the surge again. She looked at Vira, hoping that the leader would place her hand on Bell's back again, and deliver that blast of power that had felt so good.

"Thank you, Domez," Vira said, and Bell stepped back amongst her fellow students, deflated.

"You must all feel what it is like," Vira said. "Each student will step forward in time, and I shall surge you. You must have your first taste of this power."

The students got into a line. Bell wanted another taste, now, but Vira was ignoring her and moving between the students, giving each of them a surge in turn.

Bell looked at Tai. He was still watching her.

So he was a surger too, Bell though. He could give her that power.

She knew in that moment that she would do anything to get it.

... to be continued

Thanks for reading! Please don't forget to vote!

I'd love to see your comments, too! What do you think of Book 3 so far? Do you enjoy Bell's perspective too?

see you next week for another chapter!

although if you can't wait, you can keep reading RIGHT NOW on patreon! the link is in my bio ;)

NEW: I created a Writers Club discord! if you're a writer too, and you want to connect with other writers, then you can find the link to join on my website:

ellekirks.com

would love to see you there! we can chat! :)

xx elle