Chapter 63 Alar
ALAR
"Trust is a currency paid in secrets, a bridge built on exposed vulnerability."
—From the journal of Commander Moira Langston
What was taking so long?
Kailin wasn't back yet, and the weapons training class was drawing to a close.
While my meeting with the shaman had lasted about an hour, Kailin had been with him far longer than that. She'd been called away after an hour or so into the class, and the three-hour session was wrapping up.
Was it connected to what she was doing with Commander Ravel and why she'd been singled out from all other cadets chosen from our pilgrimage?
When the class finally ended, I snapped the manual shut, put it inside my backpack, and joined the line of cadets heading out.
I was relieved when I spotted her heading my way. "Kailin," I called, waving and heading toward her.
Her expression brightened when she saw me. "I hoped I would make it back before the class ended, but those damn stairs took forever." She rubbed her thighs. "My legs hurt."
Next to me, Shovia chuckled. "I heard that next week's conditioning will be running up and down those stairs."
"Sadists," Codric murmured behind her. "Let's go eat, people. I'm starving."
"Are you alright?" I asked Kailin, fighting the urge to put my arm around her, and taking her hand instead. Her fingers were warm against mine.
"I'm fine," she said in a hushed voice, glancing at the cadets passing by us on their way to the mess hall. "It was a good talk. Strange. But good."
I wanted to ask more, but the corridor was too crowded for a private conversation. "Let's talk over lunch. We could take our trays and eat on one of the terraces."
Her eyes widened. "Is that allowed?"
"There was nothing about that in the rulebook, and the fresh air would be nice after breathing gunpowder for three hours."
The privacy would be even nicer, but I didn't say that aloud.
Kailin hesitated, then nodded. "Sounds like fun."
Frankly she didn't sound enthusiastic about eating on the terrace, and given her fear of heights, the terrace was probably not the best choice, but it was private and big enough so we could sit far from the edges, right next to the doors leading inside.
The queue for the food was already long when we arrived at the mess hall.
The servers ladled thick stew into our bowls and added slices of dark bread and small servings of stewed fruit.
The hearty mountain fare wasn't particularly remarkable, but it was designed to provide the calories we needed for our strenuous training regimen and not as an exceptional culinary experience.
I collected extra bread and water, thinking we might be outside for a while.
We walked over to our regular table to tell Codric, Shovia, and Morek that we were not going to be eating with them this time.
"The mysterious duo who's gotten summoned by the shaman one after the other," Shovia said with a raised eyebrow. "What was that all about?"
"We'll tell you what we can later," Kailin said. "Alar and I are going to take our lunch out on the terrace."
Codric raised his eyebrows. "The terrace, hmm? Sounds romantic."
"Nothing romantic about it," Shovia scoffed. "They just want to discuss their mysterious meetings with the shaman in private."
There was some truth to that, but the romantic aspect was just as appealing, if not more.
"They just want to make out without an audience," Morek added with a grin.
I shot him a glare, but the damage was done.
Kailin's cheeks had turned a lovely shade of pink, though she seemed more amused than embarrassed. "Yes, we're going to throw ourselves at each other and knock our plates over like in those cheesy television shows."
"Hey, don't knock them," Codric quipped. "They are an inspiration." He made smooching noises at Shovia, who laughed and slapped his arm. "Stop it."
Kailin just smiled, a surprising serenity in her expression. "We'll meet you later on the roof. Enjoy your lunch."
We headed toward one of the terraces that branched off from a corridor near the mess hall.
As I'd expected, the door was unlocked. These common areas were generally accessible at all times.
After all, no one other than dragons and their riders could come through those doors, and no one was trying to keep them out.
The terrace was a large area without guardrails, and the view was spectacular—mountains stretching to the horizon, their peaks shrouded in mist and illuminated by auroras. A cold wind whipped across the space, but the Citadel walls blocked the worst of it as long as we stayed close to them.
I walked over to a bench positioned against the interior wall, as far from the edge as possible, and Kailin followed.
"This is perfect," she said, settling beside me. "All the view with none of the vertigo."
"Exactly what I was thinking." I balanced my tray on my knees. "Are you sure this is okay? I don't want you to be uncomfortable."
"I'm fine." She dipped her spoon in the stew. "I think the flight class is curing the worst of it."
I took a few bites before broaching the subject. "What did the shaman want? Why did he summon you?"
"I can't really talk about it." Kailin shook her head. "I hate having to keep secrets from you." She tore off a piece of bread and dunked it in the stew. "I got to pet Moki. I think I can talk about that. It was very nice."
That was surprising. The little creature didn't get anywhere near me. "Who initiated the contact?"
"He did." She tore another piece of bread. "He leaped onto my lap and settled in, demanding pets just like Chicha. It made me miss her."
"I can imagine. I keep wondering where Saphir could have gotten Moki." I chuckled. "Maybe your shaman is a magician, and he created his strange companion by fusing a cat and a monkey."
Kailin laughed. "That's what I thought as well, not about the magic but about how Moki looked like a hybrid creature. He's smarter than both, though. Much smarter."
I lifted a brow. "As smart as Chicha? Did he save an entire village from the Shedun and prevent mass casualties at the town square?"
The truth was that I also missed the small, overly excitable dog. I'd become quite fond of her during our short acquaintance.
"Well, when you put it like that, I'm not sure who's smarter." Kailin sighed. "I miss her so much."
"I wish they would allow more visits home."
Since leaves of absence were usually only a few days long, I wouldn't be going all the way back to Eluria to visit my family, so more leave wouldn't benefit me.
That being said, I wouldn't mind visiting Kailin's family, though, if they would have me.
I liked her parents and her grandmother, and I was looking forward to meeting her brother, who was right here in the Citadel.
"I'm surprised that your brother hasn't visited you yet."
She frowned. "Maybe he's not allowed. I was hoping that he would be one of our instructors."
"Perhaps that's also discouraged," I said. "None of the other cadets have relatives on the force, and if your brother were to teach a class, they might think that you are getting special treatment because of him."
"They already think that because of Commander Ravel." She sighed. "Maybe I'll get to visit Dylon on our free day."
"We don't really have free days," I reminded her. "Days without classes are to be used for catching up on our studies."
"I should ask one of the teachers about it," she said. "I want to see Dylon."
For the next few minutes, we ate in silence, the wind whistling through the mountain peaks providing background music for our meal. It was peaceful here, away from the constant buzz of the academy, relaxing, and I enjoyed having Kailin all to myself.
"Is petting Moki all you can tell me about your meeting with Saphir?" I asked.
She hesitated. "I can't tell you much more, only that it's connected to what I've been doing with Commander Ravel."
"I see." I tried to keep the disappointment from my voice.
"It has to do with a special ability," she added. "That's really all I can say."
An ability?
That was intriguing. Saphir had hinted that I might have a special ability that would help him find those missing eggs. Perhaps he'd talked with Kailin about it as well?
Except the shaman hadn't commanded me to keep it a secret. The only thing he didn't allow me to share was what he'd told me about his own special abilities.
"Thank you for telling me what you could," I said. "I appreciate that and won't press for more."
She looked relieved, then curious. "What about you? What did you talk about with the shaman?"
I'd been weighing up whether to tell Kailin who I really was and what I was doing here since my meeting with Saphir. There was no longer a reason to hide from her the truth about me. I didn't want the other cadets to know, but I trusted her with my secret.
"There are some things I cannot tell you, things that Saphir commanded me to keep private. But he found out some things about me that I was keeping a secret from you and everyone else, so there is no reason for me to keep it from you any longer, but I need you to promise not to tell anyone."
"Of course. You have my word." She put the tray on the floor. "What is it?"
I did the same, placing my tray next to hers. "My full name is Alaranthus Tekumuton." I watched her face for any sign of recognition. "The Fifth," I added.
Her brow furrowed. "Okay."
She obviously had never heard my name before.
"Prince Alaranthus Tekumuton, fifth son of King Tekumuton of Catonia."
Kailin's jaw dropped. "You're a prince? Actual royalty?" She stared at me in disbelief. "So, when Codric called you 'prince,' he wasn't just teasing you?"
"It was a slip." I grimaced. "Codric is my cousin. His mother is my father's cousin, Duchess Evelina, who is married to Duke Cordium Terassitan. We practically grew up together."