The Afterlife Academy Saga

Chapter 27

27

There was nothing cosier than being by the fireplace when it was storming outside. It would’ve been a lot better if I wasn’t sharing it with a grumpy old man.

“I hate rain,” Var complained for the fifth or sixth time. “Bah.”

“Doesn’t bother me.” I shrugged, poking the fire so it spat cinders and sparks. “I enjoy the rain.”

My new mentor grumbled. “It’s too wet, too loud, and it makes my joints shriek.”

“That’s because you’re old.”

He threw a piece of bread at my head, but I deflected it easily. It fell to the wooden floor where Hyde quickly lapped it up.

My dusk wolf gave me an expectant look, his ears flopping around his head as he begged for more food.

“Here.” I threw a piece of my bread roll to him, more than happy to share. He was my companion, my familiar. I’d share my last bite with him.

“Hfff.” Pickles shook her fluff as she waggled up and down the wonky couch. She looked at me with the same hungry eyes, but I wasn’t falling for that.

I gave her a quick pat, glad that she didn’t need a cage to stay close to me. She clearly understood who I was and that she was safe with me.

“Hff?”

“No, you’re not getting any paper. You need to lose some weight.”

She flashed her spikes at me, not pleased by the diet I was imposing on her. But I had no choice. She’d eaten too much in the couple of days that we’d been gone and I couldn’t hand Ryoko a fat dust bunny.

Var scoffed from his rocking chair. “You’re too soft. You’re wasting my time.”

“There’s nothing wrong with being kind,” I countered. “Someone I care about a lot taught me that.”

“I’ve known kindness… It was not treated well.” He took a long drag from his pipe and let rings of thick smoke rise. “You must be real. No illusion of mine would ever be this lame.”

“That’s not nice.”

“It’s true. If you listened to my method, I’d have you whipped into the Veil in a matter of days.”

I put my leg over Hyde protectively. “Never again.”

“I don’t know what you want from me,” he grumbled. “If you want a soft teacher, you should go back to the Academy.”

“The teachers are all preoccupied with… whatever it is. Their way of teaching takes too much time and that’s the one thing I don’t have.” I shot him an annoyed look. “Besides, I know it’s possible to go there without pain. I’ve done it.”

“Then do it again if you’re so convinced of that method,” Var mocked.

“I can’t…” I admitted, recalling my attempt in my room. Even while thinking of Ryoko and the kiss, my wings hadn’t moved a muscle. “That’s why I’m here.”

Var puffed and another cloud of smoke escaped. “You ask my guidance, but you don’t want to use my method.”

“There must be another way, completely different from everything we’ve mentioned before?” I asked, my fingers crossed. I didn’t know much about Var, but one thing was clear. He was a knowledgeable man, even if he didn’t have the morals to match.

“Hmmm…” He rocked back and forth, the rails of his chair shrieking rhythmically. “Perhaps.”

The feeling in my gut intensified. I knew it.

I leaned forward, waiting for him to elaborate. “And?”

“And nothing. This method is… complicated.”

“What does that mean?”

Var chuckled. “There’s a potion that will strengthen your connection to the world of Shadows. I could brew it for you. But…”

Of course, there was always something with him. “What’s the but?”

“There are always side effects. Unpredictable ones. And I don’t have the key ingredient.”

I got up from my seat, startling Hyde awake. He gave me a low growl, but I didn’t care. This could be the answer to all my questions. “What do you need? I’ll get it for you.”

“Nightroot berries.”

“Never heard of it,” I admitted. That complicated the matter.

Var pushed himself up from his chair and shuffled to one of the many bookcases around his hut. He hummed to himself as he trailed his finger along the spines, clearly looking for something. “Ah. Found it. Poisons of Night.”

I waited by the crackling fire as he flipped through the pages of the dusty book. It looked old and worn, like it had passed through many hands. That had to be a good sign.

“There. Nightroot.” He presented me with the face of the book. “It’s a rare plant that only grows in the Deep Mountains. You can identify it from the iconic red leaves and purple berries.”

“A lot of plants have red leaves,” I noted.

“It’ll smell sweet.” Var sat back down in his chair. His pipe had gone out, but with a couple of puffs, it started to smoulder again. The sharp aroma filled the small hut again and had me longing for fresh air.

Gross.

The old man looked at me, his dark eyes glistening. “What are you waiting for? I thought you were in a hurry.”

“I— But… I am. I just don’t know how to find the Deep Mountains.”

He scoffed. “You’ve got the blessing of the Keeper. Figure it out or stop wasting my time.”

“Hey, I’m here to help you,” I countered.

“No, you’re here to help yourself. And you’ve run out of options, which is why you’re here. You need me as much as I need you.”

Damn… He was right, even if I wished he wasn’t. If he refused to help me, that was it for Ryoko, Flavia, and Sim. They’d be stuck in that bunker until a teacher deemed it worth their time to get them out.

I was their only way out, which meant I had to humour Var.

With a sigh, I scooped Pickles up and tapped my leg. “Hyde, heel.”

My dusk wolf bounced up from hearing his name and quickly sat down next to me. “Awrro?”

“We’re going on another adventure. To the Deep Mountains for some nightroot berries, correct?”

Var nodded. “Hmm-hmm. There’s a glass vial somewhere over there. Bring the berries back in that.”

I crossed the room to the cluttered shelves and rummaged through the endless amount of trinkets. Wooden cups, small totems carved from bone, three different inkwells with skulls. “How do you even have all this stuff? I thought you were stuck here.”

“Lick likes to collect things,” Var replied noncommittally. He reached down to stroke the big wolf and scratched him behind his ears. “He’s an excellent messenger too.”

“Wait, so Lick can leave the Forest of Illusions?”

“Of course.”

I frowned. “Then why does he not get the nightroot berries?”

Var shot me a toothy grin. “Now where’s the fun in that?”

“You’re taking the piss.”

“Nothing is free in life. You’ll do well to remember that.”

What a bullshit answer.

I pushed some pieces of bark to the side and found the glass vial Var had been talking about. Coated in dust and with a stubborn cork, it seemed a terrible choice to carry valuable berries, but this really wasn’t worth arguing over.

Annoyed, I turned back to him. “I’m serious, why can’t Lick collect them?”

Var shrugged. “We need ripe, purple berries. Not the green ones. He can’t tell the difference, he’s colour blind.”

“Seriously?”

“Yes. He’s a smart wolf, but not that smart.”

Lick let out a soft, guilty whine that broke my heart. Poor boy.

I pocketed the glass vial and adjusted my blazer so it was more comfortable for Pickles. In hindsight, I shouldn’t have brought the dust bunny with me, but there was no time to go back to the Academy to drop her off. I’d just have to take her with me, as annoying as it was.

I shot a look at the bunny, who was happily asleep in my arms.

At least she was cute.

With her wrapped in my blazer and Hyde running around me, I was ready for my unexpected adventure. The sooner I left, the quicker I’d be back.

“Anything else?” I asked Var.

“No. Have a good journey,” he waved.

“You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?”

The man shrugged. “A little bit of fun in my old age.”

“You’re insane.” I followed Hyde to the door, only looking back once. “Last time, you were so desperate to get out of here. What changed?”

He looked at me, his eyes devoid of all spark. “I’m tired.”

With a sigh, I pushed the door open and stepped out into the garden. I didn’t know why he wouldn’t just get Lick to collect them, but there had to be something he wasn’t telling me. Whatever reason, I wasn’t deterred. In fact, I’d never been as determined as I was now. I was going to find the nightroot berries, shift into the Veil, and rescue my friends. Even if it was the last thing I did.