It was Caleb’s turn to avoid her gaze.
“N-no, I’m not saying that,” she stammered. “We were prisoners last night. I’m still getting used to all this.”
“I get it.” He lifted his eyes, and despite the dirt and grime on his face, there was a peace there she hadn’t seen for ages. “It’s hard to trust even those who feel trustworthy, but maybe, just maybe, we can make a difference here.”
Becca was happy for Caleb and hoped these people were as good as they seemed. She just wanted Bael out of her sister. She couldn’t imagine anything more beyond that, because if her sister died… Well, she couldn’t think beyond that.
“I’m tired. I think I’m going to crash.” She grabbed her dishes.
Caleb snagged her arm and studied her with comforting concern. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m fine.” Some of her hair escaped its ponytail and fell into her face. She was grateful for the cover. “And Caleb, you always made a difference to me.”
For Becca, the next couple of days sped by in a blur. She trained early in the morning, only taking breaks to meet up with Nikki and help feed Elizabeth. Despite her frail frame, her sister looked a little better. The vitamins in the feeding solution helped.
By evening, Becca’s body was exhausted. When she wasn’t dueling, she was memorizing spells. Lance gave her a small book listing the basic curses and defenses. She enjoyed the hard work, but something was missing. Someone, to be exact.
Darion had missed meals. Caleb had said Darion only made it to his dorm room after he fell asleep. Caleb reportedly woke him in the mornings before he headed off to train. Becca could understand Darion being busy—they all were—but too busy to come by and say hi to her?
Her fears from when they were first dating started creeping back in. When they first met, he lied about being a magician. He said it was to protect her. Now the feeling like she was missing something important reappeared. It could be Darion. After spending day after day with him for months, an empty space in her chest ached to see him.
She didn’t say anything about it, but continued training, pouring all of her anger into it and then falling asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.
That night, after training and before dinner, she headed down to meet Nikki at Elizabeth’s room. Jemi usually met them there as well to help if Bael started to get restless.
“Hey, Becca.” Nikki greeted her with two liquid feeding bags in each hand.
“Hi. Still waiting on Jemi?”
“Yeah.”
Becca and Nikki had no reason to hate each other, and they didn’t, but an awkwardness always hung between them. Neither girl spoke of it, but neither tried for small talk either. It could be neither trusted the other. Becca’s previous difficult behavior in the cell had gotten around, and she’d caught more than one sideways glance. Or maybe it had something to do with how Nikki looked at Caleb.
Jemi appeared around the corner. She bypassed any pleasantries or greetings and headed to the door. Becca hadn’t figured out how these doors worked. They must have been forged from some type of clay, but the smooth finish made it look like wood. The doors to the dorm and cafeteria swung open, available to all. But these doors, with a clear pane in the middle, only opened to those with access.
Jemi placed her palm on the glass. Her magic must have a signature that unlocked the door. The magic amazed Becca, and annoyed her too. Since she didn’t have unlimited access to her sister, it meant they didn’t trust her. She’d often found armed security guarding the door.
Before they entered the room, Andre appeared behind them. “Jemi, Lance needs you.”
“Again?”
Andre smiled, like he usually did when Jemi got grumpy.
“Okay.” She stepped around him to leave. “If I don’t help now, I’ll have to clean it up later.”
“Probably.”
Nikki held the door ajar, and Andre and Becca followed her in. Becca took her place at the head of the pentagram, where the point of the star representing spirit lay, and she released the pentagram with a spell. With Andre present, Becca had no trouble holding Bael inside. Nikki quickly went to work, unusually quiet.
“How are things going in the hospital?” Andre asked his daughter.
“Good.” Nikki had already removed the old bag connected to the tubing and was in the process of replacing it.
“Doc isn’t keeping you too busy?”
Nikki didn’t answer. She faced away from her father and worked on Liz’s legs, exercising and moving them. Her annoyance etched in her tight brows. Obviously Andre’s little community down here wasn’t as perfect as he portrayed.
Becca interrupted the silence with her own question for Andre. “What is Darion doing for you?”
Andre stole his gaze from his daughter. “What?”
“I haven’t seen Darion for days. Not even at meals. What is he doing for you that requires monk-like seclusion?”
“Research.”
“Research?” Surprise and anger battled for dominance in her mind. “Like reading old books or dissecting demon rats? Be more specific.”
“Why don’t you close the pentagram first please, Becca. Your temper can affect the demon.”
She did feel a pulse of power, but with her frustration riding her, she didn’t mind it. She closed the pentagram, stepped back, and then looked at Andre expectantly.
“He’s been researching old books for me. His knowledge of dead languages is impressive.”
Dead languages? Becca kept her face stoic, not wanting to show her surprise or how much she didn’t know about Darion. When they dated the first time, he hid what magic he had. And since they’d been back together, well…they’d been busy.
“He still has to eat,” she said.
“I don’t restrict his hours. If he’s skipping meals, it’s of his own choosing.” He turned to the door and opened it with his palm. “Now if we may, I do have a camp to run, as you put it.”
Becca’s face burned with embarrassment. She mumbled “thanks” to Nikki and hurried into the dim corridors. Unaware of her destination, she walked and walked, not ready to face training or anyone.
Why was Darion keeping his distance? Hopefully he had a good answer.
The lines of Latin blurred together as the dusty smell of books filled the room. Sitting in Andre’s library, Darion shut the heavy old book and closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose to relieve an oncoming headache. He should have stopped hours ago. He promised himself he’d make it to dinner tonight to see Becca, but he wanted to have good news.
The morning was promising as he found his first reference to removing a demon, a spell called disrupit. Continuing his search throughout the day, the only other reference he found was a grimoire written by a man named Imar. Darion scoured the library for the book and then searched his notes and remaining books for any other reference to the man. No luck.
The candles burned low, and Darion wondered how late it was. His watch had broken the day the rebels first brought them in.
A slight buzz of magic, and the door opened behind him. Andre strode in with a young woman following. Darion’s mouth watered at the sight of the food on her tray. He gathered up the books and papers to make room for the food. His grumbling stomach wouldn’t even let him complain about it being fish again.
“Thank you,” he told the girl, accepting the food.
“You’re welcome.” The girl nodded and quickly left.
“I figured you needed to be fed soon or you’d turn on my books.” Andre sat in his usual place behind his desk. “Going stir crazy in here yet?”
“More frustrated than anything.” Darion rubbed his tired neck. “I finally found one that references the spell and the grimoire, but nothing else. We need to find that grimoire, but I haven’t read anything about Imar or the book in the past three days. Unless you have more books somewhere, I don’t have a clue where to find it.”
“I do.”
Darion paused, fork
in hand. “What? Where?”
“Not here, unfortunately. I saw it once, years ago.”
“Why didn’t you say anything if you knew about this?”
“I didn’t know it held the information we sought, but I wondered. I needed your expertise in languages to make sure,” Andre explained.
“Who has it?”
“You may know him from Ryma’s coven, an old mage named Abel.”
“Abel.” Darion repeated the name, remembering the last time he saw Abel. It had been when he and Becca rescued Caleb from the slavers’ auction. “At least he is not closely tied to Ryma.”
“Do not forget, he is bonded to the coven. The only reason Ryma leaves him alone is because he is an ornery old cuss. Ryma could change that if he really wanted to.”
“Well, if Abel let you see it before, it shouldn’t be too hard to see it again.”
“No. Rumor is Ryma’s been on edge since you escaped his estate. I can’t risk entering his city.”
Darion didn’t have to ask who he wanted to send. Andre’s direct stare told it all. While Darion wasn’t eager to head back to Ryma’s area, he couldn’t think of who else would be better suited to the job. Darion knew Abel as a child, and maybe he’d let him in. Now inspecting the ancient texts Abel owned…that was a different matter.
“I should leave tomorrow,” he said.
Andre looked mildly surprised for a moment. “It’s the girl, isn’t it?”
“What?”
“I’m surprised you’re willing to go back there so quickly.”
Darion wasn’t. Ever since he found Becca again, a guilty ache for all he’d done gnawed at him. He’d stripped Elizabeth’s protective tattoo so Jeremiah could force her to be a Soultorn. Granted, he hadn’t known that Liz was Becca’s little sister or what Jeremiah had intended, but that didn’t matter. Darion had bloodied his hands enough working for the coven. It would take years before it would wash that away.
He cleared his throat, realizing Andre was waiting for a response. “Speaking of Becca, I should go tell her what we know.”
“She’s probably asleep. It’s past twelve, and she’s been training all day.”
“That late?” Darion’s aching back was the only true way to keep time, he guessed.
“They reheated up your food a couple times, but I was busy.”
“How’s she doing?”
“Doing well, but I’m worried we may be getting her hopes up.” Andre exhaled and a heavy weight appeared to pull on his shoulders.
Darion leaned forward. “How so?”
“Bael is growing stronger every day, and Elizabeth weakens. We can’t wait much longer if there is any chance to revive the girl.”
“I’ll leave at first light, then.”
“No, you need your sleep. Tomorrow night, a team is leaving on a supply run. You can go then. You’ll have to be blindfolded as you leave.”
“Really?” After spending days in Andre’s personal library, Darion thought he had earned some level of trust. Granted, there were so many wards in the place, he didn’t dare explore.
Andre gave one of his notorious smiles, meant to placate others. “Leon wanted to knock you out.”
“Thanks, I guess.” Darion dug into his food, images of the city returning to him. He grew up in that city in the shadow of the coven, and yet somehow the dark memories overshadowed any of the happier ones.
CHAPTER 12
A fter tossing and turning most of the night, Becca was the last one out of bed. Her normally crowded bunk room was nearly empty. Well, except for Jace who woke her a minute ago. The tall, lanky girl with small mousey features now sat on one of the low bunks, tying her boots.
“Training starts in ten minutes,” she said. “Better hurry or you’ll get latrine duty.”
Becca rubbed her face, trying to wake up. “Think I have time for coffee?”
“Not sure I’d chance it.” Jace stood and adjusted her pants. She was an earth witch, who drew her powers from the soil. Nowhere near as strong as Andre, but a lot friendlier. She’d shown Becca around a bit when she’d first moved into the dorm. Jace came to this hideout six months ago, when Leon found her hiding out in the wild, avoiding the gangs.
“See ya’ there.” Jace headed off.
Becca hurried to get ready and then raced out the door. She contemplated skipping coffee, but without the elixir of life, everything felt like latrine duty. She grabbed a cup, and as she was leaving, bumped into Caleb. He caught her by an elbow to help steady her, the brown liquid threatening to spill.
“Careful,” she warned him. “This cup is worth its weight in gold today.”
“Didn’t sleep well, I take it?” He grinned even as Nikki in her white uniform, her hair combed back in a high ponytail, stood silently at his side. She glanced at Caleb’s hand, still latched on to Becca’s elbow, and then her eyes flashed up to Becca.
Since Becca couldn’t shake Caleb off without spilling her coffee, and nothing was worth that, she offered an awkward smile, before turning back to answer Caleb. She didn’t miss his concern underlying the forced humor.
“It’s nothing, just still getting used to sleeping in the dorms.”
Always great at smelling out Becca’s lies, Caleb watched her for another second. Now wasn’t the time to get into what really bothered her.
“I better go, or I get latrines.” She turned to Nikki. “I’ll see you at ten, right?”
“I’ll see you then,” Nikki replied formally, her face unreadable.
Becca left the cafeteria as quick as she could without spilling a drop. She’d have to return the mug later.
When she finished the drink, she ran the rest of the way to training. By the time she got to the big room, people were already partnering off. Lance didn’t seem to notice her late arrival. Navina waved her over. She stood next to a type of wooden maze with a couple of mice.
“What happened to real-world scenarios?” Becca inspected the labyrinth.
“You never know when vermin can come in handy.” Lance appeared behind her, almost making her jump. “This is as much as a struggle with your partner as it is with the mice. Each of you tries to force your mouse to the center, while keeping the other out. We’ll work up to other complex beings.”
“Complex?”
“Yeah. How else do you think we get such great fish?” Lance quickly went to the next group and explained their assignments.
“You’re welcome,” Navina said.
“Thank you?” Becca racked her brain for why she should be thanking the young girl.
“I saved you from latrine duty.”
Becca gave a big exhale. “I do owe you.”
“I won’t forget.” Navina turned to the maze where the mice were contained.
Becca followed. “Doesn’t mean I’m taking it easy on you today though.”
Navina shot her a sideways glance. “Better not. My mouse will do an amazing victory dance. Watch.” She squished up her freckled cheeks in a mocking smile.
“I’m ready for you.” Becca mustered as much bravado as she could despite battling a twelve-year-old kid.
The intricate wooden maze held each of the mice in a container on the opposite end of the board. The goal sat in the center, a small compartment hidden with a small, painted white star. Both girls held a hand on the wooden slat that closed off the mice from the maze.
Navina’s fighting face was set as she eyed Becca. “Ready, set, go.”
They pulled the slats up. Becca closed her eyes and took a deep breath, clearing her mind. The more her emotions ruled her—which felt pretty constant for the last month or so—the less power she could gather. She focused on the humming magic inside and opened her eyes.
The mouse turned down a wrong path and found a dead end. With a simple spell, Becca projected her will at the mouse. It froze for a moment and then turned and scurried towards her without hesitation. It took a few seconds for Becca to get the hang of his erratic movements, but soon he was navigat
ing the maze with her help and sat upon the white star.
“Rematch,” Navina shouted instantly. She hated to lose. The age difference didn’t matter to her. She fought with a fierce determination Becca understood came from a rough history. She would need a tough streak to survive outside these walls.
“Okay.”
This time, Becca worked to control not only her mouse, but Navina’s too. Navina’s face turned red from exhaustion as she fought against Becca’s hold. She directed the girl’s mouse back into the starting room and easily won again.
“Maybe rats like you,” Navina said sourly.
Becca tried not to laugh. “I wouldn’t be surprised.”
Her control over the animals, though, was a surprise. She and Navina had been battling with magic for a few days, and when it came to attacks against each other, they were about even. Obviously, this mental type of control came easier to Becca, something she found highly unsettling. Controlling others was some of the darkest magic, in her opinion.
Navina headed over to Lance. A few minutes later, Lance appeared with a cat. “I heard the furry rodents love you, Becca. Want to try your luck with something more finicky?”
“Sure.”
“Okay, ladies.” Lance’s accent was growing on Becca. “Wait until my hands are off the feline.”
Becca closed her eyes. She pushed her magic forward, and for the first time could almost see with her magic. Lance’s power pulsed, like gray clouds swirling around him. Without opening her eyes, she could feel him step away from the cat, whose energy was weak.
Navina’s power pushed towards the cat, like a dense fog vying for territory. Magic thrummed through Becca’s body as she countered the attack. This magic was more instinctual and less about precise words and spells.
The cat meowed loudly as he found his way to Becca and twirled around her legs. Eyes open, she reached down and picked him up. She wasn’t sure how, but she knew the cat was male.
She glanced over at a sullen and angry Navina. “Don’t feel bad. Everyone has different strengths.”
“Tomorrow, it’s back to fighting,” Navina huffed. Her gaze traveled over Becca’s shoulder, and her countenance changed to surprise. “Andre.”
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