Rise of Legends (The Kin of Kings Book 2) (3 page)

Raw with emotion, Cleve noticed his fellow warriors’ surprised looks as he wept openly, but he was not ashamed. They would understand when it came time for them to grieve, as everyone must eventually.

He realized he wanted to see Alex’s body one last time.
Someone needs to speak on his behalf. Something must be said about what kind of man he was.

There’s time for that later
, he reminded himself with some relief.

Their instructor, Sneary, arrived and yelled for the warriors to form a line. Cleve took a spot next to Sanya.

“I didn’t know him for long,” she said, “but I’m going to miss him. I’m sorry he’s gone.”

Cleve nodded, still too pained to speak.

Sneary spoke in a low voice that boomed out from his slightly distended stomach. “Pay attention, Sanya. As the only first-year in this group, you’ll have to focus to learn everything that will be a review for the others here.”

While Sneary lectured about the different formations and orders they were bound to hear during battle, Cleve found it difficult to keep from feeling dejected as his thoughts stayed on the missing member of their group. After a while, Sneary must’ve noticed that several other men were unable to focus as well, for he stopped abruptly and announced, “We’re spending the rest of the time before lunch doing team duels.”

Cleve soon found relief in the much-needed distraction. Nothing in their training required more focus than two-on-two combat. Sneary paired Cleve with Sanya. After all the hours they’d trained together, he knew there wasn’t anyone else who would fight more harmoniously with him.

Except Alex,
Cleve sadly realized.

CHAPTER THREE

After Terren’s announcement at Redfield, Alabell tried to find Basen among the thousands of students leaving the stadium. He’d been right all this time that the murderer wanted him dead for creating portals and had killed Nick by mistake. She still felt shocked, though. She wanted to help Basen however she could but feared there was nothing she could do now. He was likely to be next.

She cringed when she found him outside the stadium surrounded by ten people. What were they doing smothering Basen like that? No doubt this was the last thing he wanted.

They pelted him with questions: How was Alex killed? What happened during the fight? In which direction did the attacker run? Could Basen make a portal right now?

Alabell stood at the fringe of the group, unnoticed as she listened to him calmly answer each question as best he could. She felt annoyed for him, wanting to shoo everyone away. But if he minded, he didn’t show it. He did look exhausted, though, his dark eyes focused on the ground while he spoke. He was still handsome, she thought, with the black hair sweeping across his forehead bringing out the tan skin of his sculpted cheeks and strong chin. The women in this small audience probably were drawn to his wounded heart, some reaching out to touch the lean muscle of his arm or offer an embrace during the more severe moments of his tale.

Penny, a familiar mage instructor, stomped toward them. “Get to training, everyone.” She swung out her arms, scattering them. “Not you, Basen,” she said as he tried to leave. “We need to speak.”

Alabell stayed and eavesdropped.

“I know I should’ve brought the akorell stone to you and told you about the portals,” Basen said apologetically. “You must think what I did was foolish. You’re going to tell me that my reckless behavior is why two people are dead. I already know it’s true, so if you don’t mind, I’d rather not hear it right now. I’ll give you the akorell stone, but please save the lecture for tomorrow.”

Hands clasped, Penny waited patiently for him to finish. “I wasn’t going to say any of that. I wanted to offer you the chance to rest before training, because it looks like you need it. I can get one of your friends to stay in your house with you so you’re not alone. That’s what Effie’s doing. When you’re ready for battle training, you can join us. Even if it takes until tomorrow.”

Basen looked surprised. “You’re not angry?”

“I can’t be when I would’ve done the same thing you did.” Penny smiled mischievously. “Creating portals is a skill too important to ignore.”

Basen nodded hesitantly, no doubt still expecting some sort of punishment.

“Just bring me the akorell stone first, then you can return home and rest.”

“I would rather stay and train.”

She looked surprised. “Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

“Then I look forward to having you in my classroom.”

As Penny walked away, Alabell approached and was welcomed by Basen’s smile.

“What do they have you doing now?” he asked, his casual tone belying his obvious grief and exhaustion.

She struggled to match his tone. “I’m to assist in the training of chemists who’ll be focusing more on healing than combat.” It was her specialty during the last war, but most of the other chemists had been taught to fight instead of heal. They’d been sent into combat with a belt full of potions and a sword they were barely skilled enough to use, and too many of them had perished.

Basen didn’t seem to have a response, making the silence between them unusually awkward. The glaze of his eyes made her wonder if he’d even heard her. She went on just to fill the void.

“Most chemists learn how to be battle chemists. These men and women are trained with the sword, sometimes on Warrior’s Field, though never with the warriors. The skill difference between the classes is too great for the chemists to benefit. Their belt of battle potions is what allows them to make up some of the difference.”

He nodded along as Alabell spoke, but then held up his hand as if to halt further conversation.

“I’m sorry,” Basen said. “I’m just not myself right now.”

“Can I take you to your house?” Alabell had something more important than chemists to discuss with him, and privacy was required.

Half his mouth twisted in a smile. “Aren’t you busy making healers out of regular chemists?”

So he had heard her. “I’m not nearly as important as I made myself seem,” she teased. “They’re just asking me to help with that because they have nothing else for me to do. There are plenty of instructors already.”

“None as talented, I’m sure. Otherwise, one of the instructors would’ve been the head healer at the castle instead of you.”

“My mother and my time at the Academy have taught me well, yes. Come on, let me take you home.” She started walking and, after a moment, he followed.

“All right, you’ve convinced me. But don’t forget that I’m younger than you are and vulnerable right now. I wouldn’t want you taking advantage of me.”

She grinned at seeing some of his old self return. “I’ll try to refrain.”

Away from Redfield and closer to the student houses, the Academy was quiet as all students and instructors were elsewhere. She knew this was the worst time to broach the subject of the murderer, with Basen appearing too exhausted to think, but if she was right about Sanya, then it couldn’t wait.

“I need to talk to you about something difficult,” Alabell said.

His eyes held worry as his brow furrowed. “What is it?”

“Terren said something that made me wonder about Sanya. He said the murderer was tall for a woman and short for a man.”

He stopped. “You’re telling me you think it’s
her
?”

Alabell pushed out her palms. “I just think it’s a possibility because I heard someone come in through her window last night. I ran into her room, but there was no one there and she seemed eager for me to leave. I didn’t think anything of it until today when I found out what had happened during the night. Then there was Terren’s announcement about the murderer’s height…and now I can’t stop wondering.”

Basen wrinkled his nose and looked away as he murmured the name in question. “Sanya?”

“Have you thought about who else it might be?”

He shook his head, still looking far off as if searching for the answer. “If the murderer isn’t Penny, I just figured he or she is someone I barely know.”

“It can’t be Penny. She went to the Academy, then became an instructor shortly after. She would never betray Kyrro or anyone here.”

He finally looked back at her. “But we still don’t know why the murderer would kill to stop me from making portals. The motive might have nothing to do with Kyrro.”

They continued toward his house, their pace now slow and cautious as they looked over their shoulders. “It really could be anyone,” Alabell said, trying hard to keep her voice from shaking while uttering such a terrifying statement. “I don’t think it’s wise to confront Sanya without proof, but I just wanted to warn you in case she’s the one.”

He bit his lip as though in deep thought. “It’s tricky because if I’m suspicious of someone who does happen to be the murderer, he or she will be able to sense my suspicions. All of my emotions, in fact.”

They were silent again as Alabell strained her mind to figure out what they could do. The murderer was a psychic more powerful than any other, able to lie without detection, and this person was waiting for a chance to kill Basen. How would he be able to sleep until this was over? Pitying him, Alabell slipped her hand in his.

He squeezed and gave her a prideful look, as if to say he could handle this. But his capable expression only lasted until his next breath, as he sighed and fatigue seemed to wash over him.

“Are you absolutely certain you heard someone come in through her window?” he asked.

“Not absolutely certain, but I don’t know what else the noise could’ve been.”

“When was this?”

“I believe it was only an hour or two after you left my room that night.”

His face took on a pained look as he put a knuckle over his lips. “It
does
fit.”

“Just be careful around her.”

“I must be careful around everyone.” He gave Alabell a quick glance of suspicion, no doubt inadvertently. “I know it’s not you,” he quickly added. But just that moment was enough to make the touch of their hands go from soothing to uncomfortable.

She removed her hand from his and patted his back. “I’m trying not to be suspicious of Sanya, but I can’t help it. If she really is the murderer, she’ll sense it this evening when we’re home together.”

“But if she isn’t the murderer, and therefore has no psychic ability, she’ll have no idea what you suspect.”

“Is this what you believe, that she isn’t the murderer? You know her better than I do.”

“I don’t know, Alabell. Although I grew up with her, she was a different person back then.” He shook his head. “Could it really be her?” he asked himself in a whisper. “I don’t see how. She helped me try to save Nick. She cried over his death for the entire night. We comforted each other. And Alex—he was her friend as much as he was mine.” Basen sounded more confident as he went on. “And if she is the murderer, wouldn’t that mean she’d have trained for years to use psyche, probably even her whole life? She had no psychic ability in the castle.”

That you know of,
Alabell wanted to say. But she was feeling less confident it was Sanya and was beginning to detest the bitterness of suspecting her friend. She’d done her part by warning Basen. That was enough.

“It does seem unlikely for it to be her,” Alabell agreed halfheartedly.

They were silent all the way to Basen’s house. Before unlocking his door, he turned to face her.

“What would you do if I agreed that it might be Sanya?” he asked.

“I would tell the headmaster or the instructor I trust the most—Chemist Master Jack. They would probably send a team to search her room again.” Alabell stopped to think. “But everyone’s room is already being searched for the second time since Nick’s death, so I don’t know what good it would do. I suppose they would take more time with hers, and hopefully they’d find something.”

“The same thing has been going through my mind—I just don’t see much point in suspecting anyone, and that scares me, Alabell. Because if there’s no way to figure out who it is before he or she attacks again, then that leaves only one option: waiting for the inevitable. Fortunately, I don’t think I’ll have to wait long. I plan to draw out this bastard by making more portals tonight.”

Alabell’s instincts were to argue against that idea, but she stopped herself. What else could he really do?

“Just make sure you’re well protected.”

“I will.”

“Whatever I can do, let me know.”

He pressed his lips together, showing her an uneasy look. “There is something. I want you to watch Sanya tonight, but only if you feel safe. Someone needs to see if she leaves her house.”

Alabell swallowed, nerves already churning. “I can do it.”

CHAPTER FOUR

The day of battle training had filled Sanya’s mind with formations, commands, and other strategies—all things Tauwin’s army commander would kill to know. She hadn’t decided how much she would reveal when it was finally time to leave the Academy. She wanted to seem informative, yet she didn’t want to share everything she knew. She’d done the same with the coded letters she’d been sending to her father. He and Tauwin hopefully thought she was telling them all she could to make the takeover go smoothly, but she hadn’t really done much to give them an advantage greater than the one they already had.