Chapter 27 Codric
CODRIC
"Patterns may trace the steps of truth or echo the murmurs of deceit."
—Master Librarian Ronnin The Third
Ibarely tasted my lunch, which was unusual for me.
Food was important, so I kept shoving forkfuls into my mouth even while my mind was on fire with the symbols and patterns I'd uncovered during our visit to the temple and had sketched in my journal last night.
Three variations of the opening mark, always followed by one of five middle symbols, then the closing curve. I knew it meant something, but what?
The handgun at my hip reminded me that I should be focusing on the threat the five of us were facing instead of ancient symbols, but I just couldn't let it go.
I was on a mission.
"Where are you, Codric?" Kailin asked, pulling me from my thoughts. "Your body might be here, but your mind seems to be somewhere else."
As I looked up, I saw the concern on her face and a very familiar expression of exasperation on Alar's. He'd seen me diving deep before, and he knew nothing anyone could say would make me slow down.
"I might have stumbled upon a clue regarding the symbols, but I won't bother you with the details until I find out what it means."
"Do you want more potatoes?" Kailin asked.
I looked at my empty plate, then back at her. "Are there any left?"
She chuckled. "The platter is right in front of you." She pulled it toward me. "Here. This will make it easier to transfer to your plate."
I looked at the platter and shook my head. "Maybe later. I'm not really hungry."
Shovia gasped. "You need to get to the medical wing at once. Something is very wrong with you."
"Ha-ha. That's not as funny as it sounds in your head."
Alar leaned forward. "Are you competing with Kailin for who loses more weight?"
He always knew how to goad me, but I wasn't going to fall for it. Instead, I just glared at him.
Kailin did the same, looking down her nose at my cousin. "I would have you know that I gained half a pound in the last two days."
Alar's face lit up. "Really? That's great!"
He pulled her into a kiss right there in the mess hall, and although I didn't begrudge them their outward affection, I had more interesting things to look at than their lip-lock.
Other cadets were staring, but Alar and Kailin seemed oblivious to everything except each other.
Some of the looks directed at our table were hostile, probably those Elusitor converts that Shovia had been going on about, who resented what Kailin represented.
Or just jealous cadets who didn't like seeing first-years get special treatment.
The explosion at the temple had made everyone paranoid. Including me, though my paranoia manifested as symbol obsession rather than constant threat assessment. For some reason, I believed that deciphering them would solve some of the mysteries we were chasing.
"Get a room," I muttered at my cousin and his girlfriend.
They broke apart, looking sheepish.
Alar stood and offered Kailin his hand. "We need to get to class."
"Right. Class." Kailin was smiling in a way I hadn't seen since before Podana.
She must be doing better, which was great news. The sooner she returned to full strength, the sooner she could start drinking that tea again, and I could sleep better at night knowing that she was connected to her little animal friends and could sound a warning if needed.
They left holding hands, and I returned to my sketches. The pattern was there. I could feel it in my bones. Just a little more time and I'd—
"You're obsessed." Shovia slid into the spot Alar had vacated, and she didn't look amused.
"I'm close to solving this puzzle," I said. "I can feel it."
She leaned in. "You're worrying me," she whispered in my ear.
"You've barely slept since we returned from the temple, and we have all been neglecting the investigation that actually matters.
Dead riders, remember? Alar and Kailin are preoccupied with her health, you are on a deep dive into your symbols, and Morek is studying like his life depends on it, which it might. I can't do this on my own."
She was right. I'd forgotten about the suspicious dragon deaths, about Morgateth and the pattern we'd discovered.
My mind had been completely consumed by the symbols.
It was like they were bewitching me, casting a spell, and tethering my consciousness to them like Kailin's was tethered to the creatures she'd connected with during her prophetic dreams.
Perhaps Alar was right, and we were similarly afflicted, just by different things.
"We need to identify the riders bonded to the two killer dragons," Shovia continued in a whisper. "And we need to somehow warn people to stay away from Morgateth."
"Can't we multitask?"
"Apparently not." Her frustration was clear. "It's been six days, Codric. Six days of you staring at papers and ignoring everything else, including your homework and studying for tests. If you fail, you won't get to attend the Day of Volition."
I swallowed, but even the threat of missing my chance to bond with a dragon wasn't enough to pull me away from my obsession.
I knew I could pass the stupid tests without studying.
I had an incredible memory, which meant that I only had to hear or read something once for it to be embedded in my mind.
It didn't mean that I understood everything as well as I should, but I could pass the tests with top grades without understanding everything.
Tests were built to evaluate knowledge, which was mainly the memorization of facts.
"The symbols could be important to the prophecy," I said.
"The lives of riders are on the line, Codric. They need to be warned."
"Why can't you rope Alar and Kailin into the investigation, or Morek?"
She rolled her eyes. "Alar is trying to keep Kailin alive, and Morek is freaking out about the tests. He's an awesome guy, but he's not good at studying. He might fail if he doesn't dedicate every spare moment to preparing for the final exams."
It seemed that it was up to the two of us to continue the investigation, and I couldn't afford to get sucked into tunnel vision.
"Wait." I grabbed her wrist as she stood to leave. "You're right. I'm sorry."
She stopped, looking down at me.
"Let's go to the library this evening," I continued. "We can research both symbols and dragons. I promise I'll help with the investigation."
The problem was getting in. Ravel had promised Kailin to see what he could do, but he hadn't, so it seemed that he wanted us to stay away from the library, and Odinah was never going to allow it.
She pursed her lips. "I can ask Lieutenant Vex for permission to study in the library. She likes me."
"Perfect."
We approached Lieutenant Vex after weapons class. The session had been intense, with close quarters combat drills and live ammunition. Everyone was jumpy after the explosion and the rumors of possible Elusitor converts spreading over the Citadel. Even the instructors seemed on edge.
I wondered if Shovia had anything to do with the rumors. Somehow, no one had mentioned converts in the Citadel before she had, and now everyone was talking about them. Then again, she might have heard the rumors because they were percolating down from the top.
Ravel hadn't said anything to Kailin, but that didn't mean anything.
The guy was a vault, and he didn't act as if he were part of our prophesied group.
Then again, he was old enough to be our daddy, and he was a commander, while we were cadets.
Naturally, he didn't feel obligated to share things with us.
"Lieutenant?" Shovia walked up to Vex with her most winning smile. "Could I ask a favor?"
Vex looked up from the gun she was field stripping. "That depends on the favor."
"Codric and I would like to get permission to visit the library archives this evening. For a project."
"What kind of project?"
I stepped forward. "Comparative analysis of rider longevity across squadrons."
Vex's eyebrows rose. "That sounds morbid. Is this an assignment?"
Shovia assumed a sheepish expression. "It's not. Codric and I made a wager, and the only way I can prove to him that I’m right is to get information about the squadrons from the archives. Can we get a permission slip to go?"
Vex studied us for a long moment, her gaze assessing, and I wondered if she suspected our real purpose, not that she had a reason to suspect it.
Finally, she nodded, pulled out a small notebook, and scribbled something. "You have a pass for one evening. Don't make me regret this."
She tore out the page and handed it to Shovia.
"Thank you, Lieutenant!"
As we walked away, Shovia whispered, "Do you think she knows? The look she gave us was loaded."
"Maybe. But she gave us permission anyway, and either she doesn't care, or she thinks we should investigate."
"Or she's testing us to see if we're smart enough to figure out the pattern."
That was an unsettling thought. Were the instructors aware of the dangerous dragons and deliberately not warning cadets? A trial by fire to weed out the weak or unobservant?
No, that was too cynical. More likely, riders' deaths were considered normal, an occupational hazard that came with being a member of the Dragon Force. The patterns we'd noticed might not be obvious to anyone who wasn't obsessively analyzing the data.
Hadrick's face lit up when we entered the archives. "The young enthusiasts return!"
Shovia handed him the pass. "We have Lieutenant Vex's permission."
"Excellent! You have proper authorization this time." He put the pass on his desk. "What brings you back to my domain?"
"Symbols," I said immediately. "And rider records."
"Well, you know where the riders' journals are, Shovia." He turned to me with interest. "Did you say symbols?"
I pulled out my journal and showed him the sketches I'd made at the temple ruins.
His eyes widened. "The temple inscriptions."
I nodded. "Is there anything in the library about them?"