Chapter 53
ALAR
"Regulations act as vital fortifications, not constraints. A perceptive cadet recognizes which rules defend against real dangers and which uphold the rights and sensitivities of fellow cadets. Both are essential, but the protection of life must always take precedence. Other factors are secondary."
—Commander Moira Langston, Storm Wing, Dragon Force
The mess hall had emptied considerably as most cadets headed to their respective classes, but all members of our quintet, save for Kailin, were still there, waiting for her to return.
Evidently, I wasn't the only one concerned for her. Why had she been singled out? What did Ravel want from her that he could excuse commanding her presence in the middle of breakfast?
It was highly out of the ordinary. Cadets were not called out during their daily activity unless there was a disciplinary action against them or something bad happened at home.
Suddenly fearing for Kailin's family, I found that worry replaced jealousy. Was it Gran?
She'd seemed in perfect health when we'd left Skywatcher's Point, and Kailin's parents had seemed in good health as well. What if something happened to Chicha? Would they have called Kailin to tell her that her dog had died?
Or maybe it had to do with the ongoing investigation about the bombs in the village square or the sabotage during the pilgrimage.
But then they would have called all of us who had been there, not just Kailin, unless Ravel had used his rank to get her away from her fellow cadets so he could impress her with whatever he thought was impressive about him.
"You're going to burn a hole in that door if you keep glowering at it," Codric said, pushing his empty plate away.
"I'm not glowering," I grumbled, though I probably was.
Shovia snorted. "You look like my father when I come back home in the morning. He still thinks that I'm his little girl and waits up for me just so he can give me this scolding look and walk out of the room with a huff."
Codric reached over to take her hand. "Tell him that now you are my little girl."
She pulled her hand out of his grip. "I'm nobody's little anything."
"Commander Ravel probably just needed to talk to her about her brother," Morek said. "Maybe Dylon is getting a promotion or something."
I'd forgotten about Kailin's brother being on the Force, and my gut twisted into a painful knot at Morek's words. What if he was right and she had been called because of Dylon, but not to tell her about a promotion, but something bad that had happened to him?
I forced myself to look away from the door and focus on the remnants of my breakfast. "I'm worried. It's the first day of training, and she wouldn't be pulled away for some triviality. What if something happened to someone in her family?"
Shovia shook her head, then leaned closer to me. "I watched Captain Odinah when she came to get Kailin. She didn't look like someone who was delivering bad news. She looked pissed like a jealous woman. I think she has the hots for Commander Ravel."
That wasn't what I wanted to hear either. If Captain Odinah was jealous, she must have a good reason for that. But it eased my worries a little.
Still, it didn't make sense for Ravel to act so inappropriately.
Even if he was interested in Kailin, which I had no doubt he was, he wouldn't have called for her to be brought to him.
I found it hard to believe that behavior like that was condoned at the Dragon Flight Academy.
No self-respecting institution would allow commanders to take advantage of impressionable cadets.
But what if it did?
Then what was I supposed to do?
Was I going to march into the General's office and demand accountability?
I was a nobody here, even though Saphir knew my identity. An Elurian prince who was fifth in line to the throne was not very important even in Eluria.
When the mess hall doors opened and Kailin finally walked in, she looked perturbed, and my hackles rose. There was a tension in her shoulders and a slight crease between her brows.
Whatever Ravel had wanted from her, it hadn't been pleasant.
She smiled and made her way over, sliding back onto the bench beside me. Her breakfast sat where she'd left it, now cold and unappetizing.
"I'm back." She reached for her still half-full glass of water.
"What did he want?" I asked, trying to keep my tone neutral despite the storm of emotions churning inside me.
She took a slow sip of water, buying herself time. "I can't talk about it," she said finally, not meeting my eyes. "I'm not allowed."
The words hit me like a sledgehammer. Not allowed? Who'd given her that order? Ravel?
I'd seen this tactic before—powerful men isolating their targets, swearing them to secrecy, using their position to manipulate.
"Did he make you do something you didn't want to?" I asked, keeping my voice low but sounding menacing even to my own ears.
Her eyes widened. "How can you even suggest that? Of course not."
Codric cleared his throat. "And the plot thickens."
"This isn't a joke, Codric," I snapped.
Shovia reached across the table and touched Kailin's hand. "You know you can tell us anything, right? If something happened that shouldn't have or that made you uncomfortable—"
I knew what Shovia was implying. Ravel might not have forced Kailin to do anything, but he could have used his position to coerce her or even just to tempt her. The power imbalance was stark; he was a senior commander, and she was a new cadet.
"Nothing has happened." Kailin squeezed Shovia’s fingers. "It was classified Dragon Force business that I'm not allowed to talk about. Why are you so quick to assume the worst about Commander Ravel?”
Because we weren’t as naive as she was. Kailin might have been so awestruck by the commander that she hadn’t even realized what he’d been doing.
"What kind of Dragon Force business can you be privy to before your first day of classes has officially begun?" I said, the skepticism dripping from my voice. "Allow me to be blunt. Is Commander Ravel using his position to pressure you into doing something you don't want to do?"
Her eyes narrowed in anger. "If you mean that he’s forcing me to open my eyes when I’m terrified, then the answer is yes. What you are implying is offensive."
She was acting overly defensive. If nothing had happened, she wouldn’t have responded so brusquely.
I sighed, “Things like that happen all the time, Kailin. It’s not your fault.
” I recalled the numerous instances I’d witnessed in court.
“People in power, especially men, sometimes abuse their position. It’s not uncommon for the victims of unwanted advances to blame themselves, thinking that they have somehow encouraged it. ”
She shook her head. "That's not what this is, and I can't believe you would think that of him or of me, for that matter. Do you really think I'd allow myself to be manipulated like that?"
"Maybe you weren't aware of his intentions. He's older, more experienced. I didn't mean to imply that…"
"Yes, you did." Kailin stood abruptly, nearly knocking over her water glass.
"Perhaps things are rotten in Eluria, but no self-respecting Elucian would act the way you implied.
Commander Ravel would never abuse his position to take advantage of me or anyone else.
My brother has nothing but praise and admiration for him.
Not everyone operates the way people in your world do, Alar. You're not in Eluria anymore."
Her words stung because there was truth in them. The Elurian court was rife with manipulation and power plays. I'd grown up witnessing them, even participating in them, but never in the way I suspected Ravel had done.
Kailin wouldn’t be so defensive if nothing had happened.
"I'm just concerned…"
"Well, don't be. I’m not as naive as you think I am, and I can take care of myself. Lack of personal experience doesn’t mean ignorance." She pushed her untouched leftovers away. "We're going to be late for class."
Without waiting for a response, she turned and walked away.
"Smooth." Codric winced. "Very smooth."
"What was I supposed to think?" I cast him a glare. "She gets called away by a commander, returns looking troubled, and tells us she's not allowed to talk about what happened. It's suspicious."
"It is," Shovia conceded, "but clearly, Kailin doesn't see it that way. If Ravel is playing games, he's doing it subtly and cloaking them in Dragon Force business. Although to be fair, Kailin is too smart to fall for that."
That was true, but what if she had enjoyed his subtle flirting on some level?
Any woman would be flattered by a man like him paying attention to her.
Perhaps my accusations were aggravating her not because they were offensive to Commander Ravel but because she felt guilty for enjoying the attention he was lavishing on her?
"I should talk to Kailin." I pushed to my feet, collected both of our plates, and put them in the bin designated for dirty dishes.
Morek followed me out and put a hand on my arm. "Give her time to cool off. We'll catch up to her in a moment."
I forced myself to slow down, and as we headed toward the classroom in a more measured pace, I took several deep breaths and replayed what had happened in my head.
Was I overreacting?
Probably.
My possessiveness and jealousy were getting the better of me.
Kailin was a smart and strong woman, and she wasn’t the type to swoon because someone like Ravel was showering her with attention.
I should accept what she’d said at face value and stop second-guessing her.
It was offensive, and if anyone had dared to question my judgment the way I had questioned hers, I would be just as angry as she was.