Chapter 41
forty-one
. . .
Ever
Sitting in the food hall, we pick over the food that Perrin and Capella fetched. We’re all at one table, squashed in, although Kalan and Lyle are still on opposing sides.
“So, what now? Are we just waiting for Rowan or others to come storming in here to detain us?” Ten asks, and I hear his argument from earlier, wanting to keep me hidden and safe.
“No. We’re going to raid the training centre for weapons,” Calix states as he takes another bite of his food.
“We are?” I look at him.
“Why not. We don’t know if we’ll need them against friend or foe, right? And we don’t know when they’ll come. Although the full moon’s only a few days off, and I can’t see them launching an attack when we’re at our strongest.”
“They’ll be at their strongest, too. Don’t forget, we’re fighting Kirrians,” I remind him.
“If no one else needs healing, I’m going to run interference. But you won’t be able to wait it out here. Not for much longer,” Perrin says.
“Thank you.” I offer a tight smile. “Ten, are you… better?”
“If by better, you mean did Perrin fix up the torn-up scars and cuts that didn’t heal properly? Yeah, I’m good.”
“Come on then, Calix. You lead.”
He nods to me, and we all stand to leave.
When I first arrived, I hated that I was kept aside from everyone else’s training and was given a wooden sword and a dummy, while the others had proper instruction.
However, after having been forced to hold a blade—to use one—I didn’t relish the idea now and wished that we’d only need wooden weapons again.
Ten hands me a sword, but I don’t take it and violently shake my head. “No. I don’t want a sword. Not after…” Visions of the torture we inflicted on each other pour into my mind unchecked, bringing every ounce of pain and suffering back. I step away.
“This will be different,” Ten encourages, holding the blade out to me again.
“And if Fenix turns up, able to force our will?” I remind him. “You’ve only just been healed.”
“We’re in Kirrasia now. Our magic is stronger.
We can shield. Block. Fight him with everything we have.
” He plunges the tip of the weapon into the ground before standing in front of me.
With the tip of his finger, he lifts my chin so I’m looking right at him.
The urge to throw my arms around him is right there, burning the muscles in my arms, but I resist, especially after last night.
“We will fight him, the Usher, and whoever we need to. It won’t be the same, Ever.
I will endure whatever Aslendrix has in store, as long as you’re still by my side, remember. ”
“Ever, do you need any pointers with a blade? I seem to remember you were a little rusty when it came to this,” Calix calls to us.
We’re at the edge of one of the training rings, closest to the resident building, a cache of weapons and training aids in front of us, including the wooden and straw dummies and swords.
“Find me something other than a sword like this.” I look pointedly at Ten, then go over to where Calix has two swords strapped over his back, the hilts framing his head.
“Your sister helped me—trained me—when she could. Even though there was so little time, she made me better. Even with everything Fenix forced us to do.” The words bring a sting to my eyes, and I turn away from him to swallow the emotion before the tears drop.
“You don’t want a sword?” he questions, noting that I didn’t take what Ten offered.
“No.”
“Daggers or short swords mean your enemy will be a lot closer. You’re more at risk.”
“I don’t care.”
“I guess you’ll use your magic, throw a forcefield or something?”
“Or something.” Our words hold a bitter-sweet note. He fought to protect me, to train me, and he’s still here.
“If you want to be with your father, the Warriors, I’ll understand. You don’t—”
“It’s fine, Ever. Really.”
“No, I’ve already caused enough hurt.”
“Look, if what Kalan says is true, and Fenix is coming for you, then I’m right where I need to be.”
“You can’t fight him, Calix. You’ve tried.”
His body flexes at my slight. “No, but you can. I’m staying right next to you because you will kill him, Ever.
That’s your intention, right? If you don’t think you’ll be able to, then say now.
” His eyes drill into mine, and I see the sincerity there, alongside the ice-cold promise he’s forcing me to make.
“I might not be able to, but you have to.”
“Hey, don’t put that on her, Cal.” Ten joins our little heart-to-heart.
“I’ll fucking put it on whoever. And right now, she’s the only one who seems strong enough. He killed Crim—he dies. One way or another.” He knocks past Ten’s shoulder and storms off.
“Calix!” I call.
“Leave him. He’ll be alright.”
“He’s just going to walk off?”
“He doesn’t need to keep a low profile.”
“Right. Yeah.”
But it doesn’t stop me from watching him march across the rings and towards the bridge. I lose him amongst the Warriors and hold my breath that nothing happens to him.
Stars above, please.
There’s no way I can relax. Since getting back, since speaking with Aslendrix, there’s been a clock ticking, or at least, that’s what it feels like.
Sand draining through an hourglass to… something.
Only I’m not sure of the exact thing, and I’m grasping for a word I can’t find, a memory I can’t recall like an itch I can’t scratch.
I hate it.
Time.
The day drifts by with no visitors or custodians showing up—even Rowan.
Not a good sign.
At least no one bothers us, and that starts to worry me, too.
Calix doesn’t return, and the wait for… something, begins to fray at everyone’s nerves.
By now, Ascella, Azur, and Ravi will have spread their own rumours, only working against our intentions here.
Even sequestered away, I can feel the whispers from the people within the walls of The Court, in the tents—questioning. The doubt rises like mist at dawn.
We’re having breakfast the following morning, thanks to Lyle’s skills, when we hear it.
The alarm.
A loud bell, ringing from somewhere in The Court.
We all jump up, race outside, and Ten and Raiden snap their heads towards The Tower.
“Already?” I ask. No. It’s too soon. Surely they’d wait for a new moon as they did with me? My heart stammers in my chest, my palms growing sweaty.
“Hey, look at me.” It’s Lyle’s voice. “Ever, look at me.” She grabs my shoulders and pulls my focus to her steely blue eyes.
“It’s going to be okay. Remember what you said to me back home.
You are stronger than you know, and you’ve been underestimated for far too long.
I know it’s a lot, Zuns, maybe too much, but you’ve come this far.
Don’t let that fear get to you. You stood up to everyone before.
You can do it again.” Her eyes don’t waver.
They are sure. So sure. “You’ve faced so much alone.
You’re not alone now. You’ll never be alone again.
” She hugs me to her, and as if I can feel the physical love around her, it soothes the anxiety rippling through me.
“So, what’s the plan?” Capella asks.
I pull back from Lyle and look at the people now surrounding me.
The fear—my emotion rising is like its own bell, signalling for the part of my magic Novandia touched to alight.
But I think of Kyra—her calm—of what Aslendrix told me and keep those thoughts as the barrier to the urge to draw on my power.
The two sides of my magic are growing clearer within me. A balance of my own, and one that relies on my clear head and focus to maintain it.
Aslendrix wants balance—give and take—because unchecked, that’s when the power will consume.
“We wait,” I say, taking a steadying breath. “We watch. It’s the alarm, right? We have time.”
“The bell signifies someone has breached the barrier. The Court has a protocol to follow, although that didn’t work last time,” Capella explains.
“Was the last time when they came for me in my cell?” I check.
“Yeah.”
“But that was only a diversion. A test.” I look at Ten. “Nobody believed us at the time.”
“We haven’t seen a lot of real alarms, Ever.
Most of us will be scared and will do what’s asked of us—if we’re kept in the loop.
” Raiden lands a glare at Ten. He didn’t keep the rest of the trainees in on any of our plans last time.
We won’t make that mistake now. Although Ravi, Azur, and Ascella are firmly off that list.
“They could cross from multiple places. We don’t know their strategy, but we can count on them turning people as they go,” Kalan offers. “That’s for sure.”
“So, we wait? How long?” I start to pace and twist the ring on my finger. “I don’t like this, Ten. We don’t know enough.”
“Ever, you can’t fight the Usher or your brother if you’re captured by the Warriors, Rowan, or Kamari.” Ten tries to reason with me.
“Where are they, though? They must know we’re here. Ascella, Ravi, and Azur know. Any or all of them would have raised the alarm. Yet there are no officers or guards coming for us. Why?”
“I don’t know. We don’t know.” There are two fronts to fight this battle on, and we don’t know enough about either.
“I need to know what’s going on. I can’t… I can’t just sit here.” I walk out to the edge of the last training ring, closer, hoping to see… something. But there’s nothing. Only the flow of Warriors, moving.
“Are they here?” I mumble under my breath. But they wouldn’t have planned this for so long just to stroll into Kirrasia and up to the front gate. “Having someone with far-sight would be useful about now,” I jest. “Or a magic looking glass.”
“Don’t joke about that, Ever. Kamari would happily use our magic for just that. Maybe even my father.” Ten has followed me, and apparently, so has everyone else. He gives me a grim look, and I remember Kamari and our training sessions. And the Fenix’s memory of her on his ship.
“What’s Kamari’s end game? What’s the prize for her? Lyle, Kalan, do you remember her?” I turn to them.