Chapter 40
forty
. . .
Ever
“We can’t stay in here all morning.” My stomach lets out a huge rumble, adding weight to the argument, as I pace around the room. At least the sun rose again today after the Maker’s little trick yesterday with Aslendrix—the dawn signalled the start of a normal day, perhaps.
“Allow me to indulge in us being alone a little longer. Besides, I know we can’t get into any trouble in here.” Ten’s lips turn up into a smile, and I happily let his rich brown eyes douse me in comfort.
There’s still friction between us, arriving with the return of my magic. And with everything at stake, it’s hard to focus on just being a boy and a girl again for long.
“If we go out, we risk running into the trainees or the custodians. Then our cover is blown,” Ten adds to his argument.
“We didn’t come here to hide. We could have all done that back at Lyle’s house.
” The decision to come will haunt me, I know that, whatever the outcome here.
Especially now that I know the Maker and the Orders have played a part in this.
Maybe I should have stayed with Lyle and gone back to an easier life.
It’s not like they’ll let me complete the trials now or have a future here in Kirrasia.
But that’s for another day. After.
“If we meet them, we’ll confront them, but they won’t take us.” I’m feeling much more like myself following a decent night’s sleep, but looking at Ten, I can tell his sleep wasn’t as restful. The green and purple hue beneath his eyes tells me it wasn’t.
“Come on, then. We can get the others.”
I leave and knock on the opposite door, listening for arguments, but there’s only silence.
Lyle opens the door and smiles as she sees me. “Ever, thank the stars. Tell me we can leave.”
“We thought we’d grab some food. All of us.” It’s the first normal sentence I’ve said in a while, and I let the warmth grow from that.
“Send Calix. We can’t all be—” Kalan’s voice bellows from inside.
“No more hiding. We’ll be fine,” I cut him off. My words are firm, leaving no room to argue. He offers a grunt in reply, which I translate to mean that he’s reluctantly agreeing to my decision.
Calix joins us in the hallway with Ten.
“One more thing before breakfast.”
I head to Ascella’s door.
“Ever, that’s a mistake.”
“Are you sure this is a good idea?” Both Calix and Ten try to reason against my move towards the door.
“We can’t leave her locked away.”
“And if she runs off and brings back a Warrior squad?”
“Then we’ll add it to the list of things to deal with. But I’m not holding anyone prisoner.” I put my hand out to Calix, and he looks at me, shaking his head as he shrugs and hands over the key.
“I’ll do it.” Kalan steps forward.
“No. Her problem is with me. Maybe this will help her listen to what we have to say.”
“Don’t count on it,” Calix mumbles.
I huff out my own breath, shove the iron key into the lock, and twist.
The door is yanked from my grip, and I stumble forward, right into a flare of pain that lands across my cheek.
Ascella’s a blur as she races past me to the other side of the hallway.
“You little bitch!” Lyle yells at her before coming to me and lifting my head, still a little woozy from the hit.
“Ascella, wait!” I try. “You don’t know what’s coming,” I say the words, aware they sound more like a threat than a warning, but the throbbing of my cheek makes it hard for me to find any compassion.
“I don’t need to know. All I know is that you are a Fifth, and nothing good has come since you set foot here. You bring death wherever you are. A curse to all Kirrasia. And I’ll happily fight on the side that seeks to end you.”
With that, she races out of the residence, faster than any of us can track her.
“Well, that went well.” Calix offers the light relief.
“How bad?” Ten asks.
“I’ve had a lot worse. Just stunned.”
He nods and leaves me in Lyle’s hands.
“She knew. She’s heard about what’s coming?” Lyle questions.
“People are going to choose sides. That’s what they’ve counted on for years. All this time, Fenix has been the Usher’s puppet, building his army to fight against the one thing that he has to unite them.”
“And what’s that?” Calix asks.
“Power.”
“So, how do we get them to see our side?” he asks.
“You won’t. Not unless you understand what it’s like not to be powerful. The sons of two of the strongest positions in the Warrior Order and a Fifth are not the ones to do it.” Lyle delivers the kicker. And she’s right.
I touch my fingers to the source of pain on my cheek as we make it to the food hall.
“You might want someone to look at that.” Perrin steps out of the shadows, and we all freeze.
He runs his eyes over all of us, clocking Kalan.
“Perrin.” I think of Ten and the scars still littering his body from the poor healing in Nehandun. “Are you here to detain us?” Each of my words is tentative, waiting for him to turn on us just as Ascella did.
“No. However, I can’t speak for all of the custodians.”
“Rowan?”
“Has been in charge since you all mysteriously left. And what, can I ask, is Kalan Arcturus doing here?” Perrin looks at Kalan, and I try to calculate if they might have known each other before he left Kirrasia.
“He’s with us, but Perrin, Ten’s been injured. And he hasn’t healed. Will you—”
“It’s okay, Ever.” Ten stops me from asking.
“No, it’s not.” My anger flares as the memories surface in the face of Perrin: how Ten suffered because the Usher didn’t heal him and sent someone far less competent to do the work.
“Of course. Aten. What happened?”
“It doesn’t matter.” He pushes the question aside, but I see his whole body go tense, even his hands have balled into fists. His eyes are trained on Perrin, and I guess that he’s trying to read him. Test if he’s actually to be believed.
“Can you do it here? In the hall?” I ask.
“It would be better—”
“No. We don’t split up. Under any circumstances.” Ten’s words hammer down in command.
“Can we trust him?” I check with him.
“Unsure. No one should be alone with him.” Ten gives me a nod. “Over here.” Ten takes a seat at the first table, just past the fire that’s still burning, and Perrin joins him.
But we’re not the only ones in the hall.
As we move further in, Ravi and Azur are at the far table, Raiden and Capella at the other.
They all turn to face us, taking in Perrin with Ten, then Calix and me, and the two strangers with us.
“Ever, what are you doing back?” Raiden stands and smiles as she comes to greet me.
“It’s a long story. It’s good to see you. You, too, Capella.”
“Why is Ten back? He was banished.” Capella’s eyes narrow in confusion.
“That’s a long story, too.”
“Want to fill us in?” Raiden asks, but the tone of her voice has shifted from pleasant to sceptical.
“If I told you that we were here to warn the Orders of a war coming, a fight for power, what would you say?” They both look at each other, their faces now showing similar reflections of worry. If Ascella knows, there must be rumours.
“You’re full of shit, Fifth,” Ravi shouts, pulling all our attention.
“No, she’s not. You don’t know fuck-all,” Calix shouts back.
“How about you tell us then, Calix. Like, where did you go off to and where’s Crimson?”
As soon as that question’s out, the room falls silent. It’s not my place to spread the news. It’s Calix’s decision as to how much of the truth he shares.
“She’s dead. Fighting for exactly what we are now. So, you better shut the fuck up and listen.” Calix’s voice grates with the pain of his sister’s death, and no matter how hard I try, I can’t stop the replay of how my brother snapped her neck right after she stabbed him in the chest.
Raiden and Capella at least look shocked by this. Crimson was their friend, and I see the grief hit them both. But not Ravi or Azur.
“Calix, we’re so sorry.” Raiden steps towards him and bends at the waist, offering a small bow, as does Capella. He just shrugs. But I know Calix better than that now. He’s hurting.
“We’re not here to cause trouble, we promise. But there is a fight coming. One where people will choose sides.”
“Who are you fighting, Ever?” Raiden asks.
“My brother. He took me from Kirrasia. Kidnapped me, tortured me and Ten, and killed Crimson. He’s the one I’m fighting.”
“Sounds like you’ve got that covered. What do you need from us?” she asks.
“Nothing. I’ll ask nothing of any of you.
The decision and the side you take in this must be your own.
But I am warning you that there will be a choice, a side to take.
The Warriors are preparing. There’s a bigger fight here than just my brother, and it may spill out to affect you.
Please understand that everything is at stake—everything in Kirrasia. ”
“Ev...er!” Lyle’s strangled cry pierces the air, and I turn back to see her on her knees, her hands clutching her head, as she’s pulling at her hair.
Ravi and Azur are standing to the side, their hands over each other’s, and Azur’s attention is on Lyle.
“Stop it!” I yell as I watch Lyle in pain.
Anger pulses, red hot in my veins and power is suddenly magnified within me, screaming to lash out, and right at my fingertips.
I push my hand out, and Ravi is knocked backwards by a stream of water, a storm, all directed right at him as if I’ve turned his own magic back on him.
It answers so easily, without any thought. Just like the invisibility, I can just do it. But it also feels unstable and deadly, like a slip of my hand might have the rain and wind suddenly fill the room and drown us all.
Golden threads of magic hang in the air, just like in Nehandun and what I saw from Fenix. I see them now, weaving through the space between us.