Chapter Thirty-Four
KADE MUMBLED A sleepy thanks when Porthos handed him a steaming mug of java before lowering himself onto a log they had moved in front of the fire pit at the center of the small clearing beside his brother.
The sun was just breaking over the horizon and the camp was beginning to come alive.
It was a tight fit, with four hunters and eight guards and two healers, but they made it work. Groupings of two or three tents were scattered around the area, tucked between groves of trees and fitted amongst tree roots and rocks, all safe within eyesight but far enough apart to feign privacy.
The first day of the hunt had been everything and nothing Kade like had expected.
Long hours on horseback turned into hours of walking as the brush became too thick for the horses to wade through with a rider.
They went on foot from there, the guards and the healers hanging back as the lords tracked their prey.
It was a tense and awkward dance as the lords felt each other out. Turns out three days of partying together doesn’t automatically make you the best of friends while sober.
That was made especially clear when Lord Anders Aykal, the youngest—and the most aggressive—of the four abandoned their shared prey in favor of following a trail he claimed was a better prospect.
Kade was duty bound to follow the young lord as the groups split, each was meant to have a healer whenever possible, and there was no chance that Porthos would volunteer to leave his brother’s side.
Anders had been injured on his solo quest, thrown into a nearby tree by the giant arachnid Kade was trying not to hurl at the sight of. It really was quite a mess. A horrible, hairy mess.
Anders had gotten away relatively unscathed, only sporting minor cuts and bruises. Nothing Kade couldn’t heal given five minutes.
“What are you trying to prove?” Kade had asked with his hands pressed against the young lord’s ribs.
“Something impossible,” grumbled Anders, his dark eyes flashed. “Just do your job and mind your business.”
The lord reminded Kade a lot of Killi when he was younger. Prickly. With the whole world on his shoulders.
The base camp gave them a safe place to land after a long day.
They were the last ones to get back to camp, the sun long gone.
There were whispers as Anders stalked through camp; about his reckless and argumentative nature.
His anger. It set the others rightfully on edge.
Their already shaky alliance spread thin.
Anders didn’t join the rest of them around the fire for dinner that night. Nor did he listen to or swap stories, choosing to hole up in his tent and retire early.
Porthos and Kade were meant to be sharing a tent, but it was apparently news to the other apprentice since he never made an appearance. Instead, he was off, glued to his brother’s side. It made it impossible to get Porthos alone.
It was really starting to piss Kade off because he needed to talk to Porthos. He needed to clear the air, but Porthos—the bastard—was dodging him. Every attempt at getting the other apprentice alone was thwarted by Porthos and Lyra having seemingly fused together into one infuriating being.
Kade didn’t know what to think of Lyra, especially now, studying him across the fire. He was leaning on Porthos, whispering with him softly as Porthos wore an expression of exasperated fondness.
The rumored banished Prince of Netyere. He was a bright, optimistic light amongst the competitive energies running high in camp. The sun often caught on his golden hair and gave him a radiant halo. Together with Porthos, they looked like a painting, one of the old legends.
Kade was having a hard time picturing these two brothers as calculating, manipulating assassins, but looks could be deceiving.
“I’d wager one hundred gold pieces that I make the first kill of the day,” Lyra was saying, his chin high and a exaggerated air of arrogance in his tone.
Porthos raised his eyebrows. “Why would it be you?”
“Why wouldn’t it? Who else is as deserving as me?
Don’t look at me like that, little brother, I really feel like today is my day.
” Lyra sighed like he extremely put out.
“Your lack of faith in me is truly insulting sometimes.” He caught Kade’s eye and leaned forward, pulling him into the conversation.
“I bet you’re not like this with your brother. I bet you believe in his skills.”
“Oh, absolutely,” Kade said dryly. “I never doubt him in anything.”
Lyra turned on Porthos. “See. That’s how it should be.”
“Blind devotion?” Porthos asked.
“Yes. Is that so much to ask for?”
“I don’t not believe in your skills.”
“A glowing review. Thank you so much.”
“Earn it then.”
“I intend to.” Lyra grinned. “I told you. Today is my day. I feel it in my bones. No one else has caught anything yet either, so, I’ll show you.”
Kade hid a smile behind his mug. “Actually, Lord Aykal made a kill yesterday.”
“No,” moaned Lyra, cursing.
Porthos laughed. It earned him a hard shove from his brother.
Lyra turned to Kade again. “I knew him, you know. Killian, before I…moved west,” Lyra started, changing the subject. His tone casual and light though his eyes sharpened with curiosity. “He never mentioned having a brother.”
Here they go. “I can’t imagine he did. Killi was orphaned by the war, so my parents took him in. He was more a ward? A farmhand? We weren’t even raised in the same house. It’s just a name.”
“A farmhand?” Lyra said in disbelief. “Killian? Captain of the King’s Guard that Killian? A farmhand?” There was a long pause. “I don’t see it.”
“It’s been a long time. I think his new position suits him better.”
Lyra hummed in agreement. “It certainly does. He’s made himself quite indispensable to my cousin, gained his confidence and loyalty. A very hard thing to do. My cousin doesn’t trust easily.”
“Killi’s earned it.”
“Yes,” Lyra said, his voice hardening. “He has.”
Kade didn’t know what to say, so he stayed silent.
“They’re very close, these two brothers,” Porthos chimed in. “The captain visits the infirmary quite often. Hokda hates it.”
“Hokda hates everything,” noted Kade, but he didn’t argue the rest. He thought of Killi, out there with the king so soon after nearly dying, and his stomach clenched painfully.
They had only been separated for twenty-four hours and Kade was close to losing his mind.
He didn’t know how he was supposed to last another three days.
“Killian is lucky,” Lyra said, bringing Kade back to the moment. “That he was placed with a family such as yours. The war was an awful thing, a stain on everything and everyone it touched. Many came back unrecognizable. Yes, Killian is very lucky to have met you.”
Kade winced. He couldn’t say he agreed with the sentiment. Meeting Kade was perhaps the unluckiest moment in Killi’s entire life. Everything bad that happened to Killi could be traced back to Kade and his parents. Though selfishly, he wouldn’t change it for the world.
“Fyar and I fought in the war, you know,” Lyra continued. “Marching through Valle’s mountain range. It was the worst. Cold and dry and barren. Nothing like Netyere, though Netyere was very different back then, under Uncle Numar.”
The mention of Fyar piqued Kade’s interest. Lyra spoke of Fyar easily, like nothing was wrong. The brothers were very good actors, Kade had to give them that. They hadn’t even flinched when Fyar had appeared as scheduled the previous morning, the picture of perfection, not a hair out of place.
Kade had been watching them closely.
It wormed at him, made him doubt, but he had to be sure.
“Was it better?” Kade asked, unable to stop himself.
Lyra’s face pinched. “No. No, not better. Just different. The weather is better now, I’ll give my cousin that.”
Porthos made a sound of disagreement. “Not everywhere.”
“True. It’s always so rainy back west,” Lyra pouted. “I swear Fyar does it on purpose just to spite me.”
Kade chuckled awkwardly. “Would he do that?”
“I have no doubt.” Lyra let out a harsh laugh. “A petty bitch that one is, I swear. He holds grudges like no other. He’s always been like that, even when we were kids.”
Kade’s eyebrows flew up his forehead. That was…wow. He wasn’t used to anyone being so flippant and open about their feelings regarding Fyar. It was refreshing, and damning.
In any other situation, Kade would’ve been inclined to agree with that sentiment.
In any other situation.
“Lyra,” Porthos hissed, slapping a hand against his brother’s chest in warning.
“What?” Lyra spit defensively, but tensed when he seemed to remember who he was talking to. He smiled warily, then shrugged helplessly, but Kade had the distinct notion that Lyra was analyzing his reaction.
So Kade threw him a bone to get him off the scent. He whistled, long and low. “You must be close to dare talk about him like that.”
It worked. Lyra smiled, relaxing again. “Like brothers.” He chuckled at the frown on the Porthos’ face. “Don’t be sad, little brother, it’s not your fault that Fyar never took to you. You just waited too long to be born, is all. It’s not personal.”
Kade’s blood ran cold. “Never took to him?”
Lyra shook his head and laughed, slapping his palm to his knee, like the idea was genuinely hilarious to him. “Fyar and I were on campaign when Porthos was born, and by the time we got back… Well, let’s just say Fyar had more important things to focus on other than his annoying baby cousin.”
“Really?” breathed Kade, then turned accusing eyes on Porthos. “Strange. I’d heard the opposite. You told me you and Fyar are close.”
Lyra didn’t flinch, but his smile tightened. As did his grip on his brother's shoulder.
Porthos’ face spasmed, knowing exactly the moment that Kade was speaking of. That day in Hokda’s office. He’d been caught.
Trying to salvage the situation, Lyra clapped his hands and stood. “Wishful thinking, I guess. We should get moving, no? We’re wasting daylight.”
Porthos and Kade stayed where they were, facing off.
It looked like Kade would get his conversation after all.
It wasn’t until hours later—hours spent traipsing though the forest on foot while the hunters read the tracks of the forest, snapped branches and animal prints in the mud or whatever they were looking for—that Porthos dropped back to where Kade made up the rear of the party.
The four hunters at the forefront, while six guards fanned out behind them in formation, following at a distance. Kade—and now Porthos—took up the rear.
They had chosen to leave the horses safely back at camp with a couple guards to watch over them. The prey they were going for wouldn’t run from a fight, but would instead turn and face the hunters head on. The horses would be a liability. Or so the lords had said.
Kade had spent the entire time, glaring daggers into the back of Porthos’ skull. Willing him to turn around so Kade could punch him in the face.
“How are you holding up?” Was the first thing out of Porthos’ mouth.
Kade sniffed. “Great. Wonderful. Never been better.”
“Don’t do that.”
“Don’t do what?” Kade stopped and turned to face Porthos. “I’ve been trying to talk to you for days and you’ve brushed me off every time. And now you want to talk? Why? Because I know?”
“You don’t know anything, Kade. Whatever it is you think you know—”
“Don’t,” Kade cut in, “Treat me like I’m stupid.” His face twisted, cracked open, his emotions clear on his face. “What have you done, Porthos? What have you dragged me into?”
Porthos had the grace to look guilty. “I never meant for this. I never meant to involve you.”
“You used me. They’ll kill me for this. You’ve killed me for this.”
“By the time they’ve figured it out it’ll be too late.”
“You can’t be that stupid. Anafei. Porthos, they’ve already figured it out. And if they haven’t traced it back to me—to you—yet, they’re close.”
That threw him. “You’ll be protected,” promised Porthos. He stepped closer, his hands outreached, begging for Kade’s understanding. “I’ll protect you. Don’t you understand? You’ll be honored for your help in this.”
“Honored? Honored?” Kade shook his head, his temper flaring. “You think I want to be honored for this?”
Porthos grit his teeth. “You know, Kade, you know this needs to happen. You see my cousin for what he is. You’re not blinded like everyone else. You see he can’t be allowed to sit on the throne any longer. Netyere will pay for it.”
“Not like this.”
“It’s nothing he hasn’t done himself.”
“What?”
“Oh, come on. Did you really think my uncle just succumbed to his illness? So suddenly?” Porthos gave Kade a bitter smile. “You’re not stupid, Kade, yet you still believed his lies. My cousin—the perfect king. What else has he lied about?”
“You have no proof.”
“Lyra tried. He went before the council to tell them what Fyar did. They dismissed his findings, his concerns, his testimonies. He was banished for it.” Porthos took a breath. “There are only three who truly know and can testify to what happened that day. My uncle. Fyar. And Killian.”
No.
Kade’s stomach lurched. “Don’t you touch him. Don’t you dare.”
“This is justice.” Porthos truly seemed to believe what he was saying. That made it all the worse. “It needs to be done. Make sure you’re on the right side of this.” He swallowed. “Listen, I’m sorry it happened this way, I truly am. I consider you a friend, Kade. I do. I want you with me on this.”
So focused on the matters at hand, they didn’t hear it. The slowly building commotion as the hunters became aware of their prey.
Or the ground beginning to rumble beneath their feet.
It all happened so fast. One moment they were there, Porthos and Kade, the world crashing down on them, and the next…
Pain ripped through Kade’s shoulder as he was shoved aside. The air knocked from his lungs as he hit the ground, and what he stood up to was chaos.