The fourth-year bent low to pick it up, brushing the sand off his new prize with a self-satisfied smirk.
That’s the boy that I’m courting. I started to grin. Ian looked good with the armband, even across enemy lines. He looked forbidden and dangerous, especially after he stood up to Priscilla’s bratty cousin.
He’s more handsome than an arrogant prince.
Ella elbowed me. “Enough drooling, we need to cause a distraction.”
We exchanged grins and sent a rush of power on opposite ends of the shore. There were two loud booms and sand went flying to my left as Ella’s magic split a boulder in two.
“Show off,” I teased.
She shushed me, and we listened as panic broke out around the mentee’s camp.
“What was that?”
“They’ve found us!”
“We’ve got to get to the boat!”
“No.” Ian’s voice rang out clearly. “We aren’t going back to the boat. Not yet. I want two five-man parties scouting the beach. We don’t know that it’s them. There is no way the mentors could have already made it back this quickly.”
“But—”
“You saw them in the spy glass on the eastern bluffs, did you not? That’s three miles from where we are now.”
Just as Ella had predicted, Ian split up his team, leaving only ten behind to guard their boats. Merrick and Ian were the only two Combat apprentices who remained.
“This is too good to be true.” Ella’s elation mirrored my own. “He’s practically unguarded!”
All we needed to do was capture the leader. Even I couldn’t believe our luck. “We still have to make it past the others first.”
“What if we do another casting close by? He’ll be forced to send Merrick and some of the others to investigate.”
Ian would never leave himself exposed; he was the best of his year. “He’ll wait for one of the other scouting parties to return.”
“Fine. Then I’ll reveal myself.”
“Ella, no, they’ll catch you!”
“Yes, but you know Merrick won’t be able to restrain himself from going after me. He’s just as vain as Priscilla, and he won’t be able to resist first capture… And while he’s chasing me, it’ll leave Ian unguarded. That’s the best odds you could have!”
I thought it over. She was right, of course. This was our one chance to capture Ian while the other Combat mentees were away. And if Ian saw that it was me again… well, he might just be too surprised to make the first move. “Okay, let’s do it.”
Ella darted along the crags until she was two hundred yards away. Then she threw a large casting in the direction of Ian’s party and started to run.
Two Restoration apprentices collapsed.
Merrick spotted my friend and took off at a sprint, ignoring his leader’s orders as I made my approach.
I leapt out with a casted broadsword in hand, boots crunching against gravel as I lunged.
But something must have warned Ian just in time. The fourth-year spun around with a heavy blade, ready for battle. As soon as he saw me, his green eyes widened, but it didn’t cause him to falter.
The two of us immediately engaged—the loud clang of swords colliding as my casting met with his. The rest of the Restoration and Alchemy mentees nearby rushed to help their leader, but Ian waved them off with his free hand. “This is between me and Ryiah,” he told them.
“How kind of you.” I blocked Ian’s swing and cringed under the weight of his blow. There was a reason Darren had struggled so much in non-magic combat against his old mentor. Ian was the son of two blacksmiths. His experience was on full display in our duel.
“Where’s your fearless leader?” Ian swung hard to my right.
I fell back just in time, panting. “What?”
“Where’s Darren?”
I didn’t want to reveal it was just Ella and me. “No one fell for your empty warship,” I lied. “They’re all waiting inside the cave.”
“Interesting.” Ian’s eyes danced as we continued to trade blows. “Darren was never one to shirk from battle before.” There was suspicion in his gaze.
“He thought I’d be the best one to catch you off guard.”
“I see.” Ian grinned and came at me with a low crescent sweep. I blocked with a wince as part of his blade grazed my thigh. “He’s still relying on my weakness for the girl with red hair.” He gave me a disarming smile, one that made me falter just the barest second.
It was a second too long. I heard the whistle of metal and then something heavy and sharp crashed into the back of my shoulder—biting deep, deep into flesh and bone.
I screamed, the blade vanishing from my hand as my knees skidded against limestone and dirt.
Merrick’s head bobbed up above me.
“Byron should have given me a better mentor,” the second-year drawled. “That was hardly a challenge.”
I cursed as the boy dislodged the throwing axe and held it to my neck.
“You surrender, Ryiah?”
“Yes.” I spat at his feet, glaring up at the second-year with his white locks and his cruel violet eyes that were so much like Priscilla’s. I could not fight back. In a real battle, I would have already been slain.
I had lost.
I huddled on the ground. My whole back felt like fire—excruciating, searing hot fire. Blood seeped into my tunic and my body alternated between tremors and shakes.
“If Ryiah made it down here, the cave must be somewhere nearby,” my mentee continued. He glanced at his leader. “The rules let us torture her for information, Ian. The regiment and our masters can’t interfere while we do it.”
Ian knelt down to where I was shivering and cursing with pain. “Ryiah,” he said quietly, “please don’t make me let him. Just tell us where the cave is.”
I stayed silent. Giving up the location would cost my team a victory. If the mentees found the caves, they would no longer be trapped at the cliff’s base. They’d be able to sneak up on Darren and the rest of the mentors while they were still trying to sink the barge.
“Ryiah, please.”
I didn’t look at Ian. Be brave, I told myself. Whatever Merrick did, the healers would step in as soon as I was unconscious. It was all part of a real mock battle, and a real Combat mage would never succumb to torture.
I really thought I would stay strong, but then Merrick swung his axe back into my shoulder—Ian turned his head away—again and again, and I screamed until my voice was hoarse.
The second-year raised his axe a fourth time.
“E-east…” The confession was breaking me, but not as much as that blade.
Merrick pressed down with his axe.
I cried as it carved along bone. “R-right at t-the b-base, in a p-pool.” I crumbled into a sob, cradling my side and fighting back tears.
I’d just made our team lose, and all I could think about was pain.
Ian knelt to touch my face, gently, and then called for a healer.
I lost consciousness after that, just seconds too late.
“TWO YEARS. That’s two years in a row our mentees have beaten incredible odds.” Master Byron’s voice was full of unabashed shock as he addressed the crowd of apprentices and Port Langli’s regiment. He stood clutching a goblet of wine in his place at the center table of the port’s ceremonial hall. “Who would have expected this?”
“A toast to the victorious mentees and their leader Ian. And a special mention to Apprentice Merrick for helping come up with the strategy that contributed to their victory.” Commander Chen took over citing the merits of our mock battle to the crowd.
I felt sick to my stomach. Every single one of the mentors was glaring at me, with the exception of Alex. And Ella, because they were mad at her too. I hadn’t spoken with anyone since I’d been released from the infirmary an hour before the feast. I knew all of them were waiting to tell me what they thought of my folly.
After the healers had taken me away, Ian and Merrick had led t
heir team to the cavern in the bluffs. From what I’d heard, the mentees cast a climbing rope to reach the top of the cavern’s opening and then surprised the rest of my team while the mentors were busy casting at an empty barge.
It hadn’t even been a fair fight. Most of the mentors had used up all of their magic by the time the mentees arrived. Darren had been forced to surrender within minutes of their approach.
Mentors never lost—with the exception of last year. Now we had an unexpected victory and a humiliating loss.
As soon as the commander’s speech ended, I made a beeline for the door. I didn’t want to run into anyone on my way to the barracks.
“Oh no you don’t!” Priscilla grabbed my bad shoulder, the one that had only just finished healing but was still sensitive to the touch. I cried out as she whirled me around to face the angry mob.
Ella was cornered as well.
I looked to the head table. The regiment was too busy in conversation to notice. Master Byron could see, but it didn’t take much to understand he would never intercede on my behalf.
“How could you let that band of weaklings beat us?” Tyra demanded.
Eve looked disappointed. “Merrick told us it was you who told him where that cave was.”
“I—”
“Why didn’t you try to get help?” someone shouted.
“W-we didn’t want to confuse everyone with another fire,” I stammered.
“So you decided to play hero.” Darren shoved his way to the front of the crowd. “You decided to ignore everything I said and go off on your own. At the expense of your team!”
I folded my arms, trying to ignore the pain in my shoulder where Priscilla’s hard nails had been. “I made a mistake, but it wasn’t my strategy that cost the team our victory. You shouldn’t have ordered everyone to leave their posts. You left us all open to attack!”
“You were the one who gave up the cave!” Darren’s face was flushed and red. “You told them exactly where it was! Without you, the mentees never would have made it up those bluffs. Priscilla assured me the west cliffs were impossible to scale and that her fool cousin wouldn’t remember the cavern’s location!”
“You really expected me to ignore enemy ships?” I yelled right back. “Ella saw their longboat! I wasn’t going to run off and ignore it. Maybe you should have told the rest of us what your precious betrothed said!”
His eyes burned black. “What kind of Combat mage are you to give up the rest of your team like that?”
Tears filled my eyes. “I tried, Darren. I—”
“You obviously didn’t try hard enough!”
“What kind of friend are you?” Ian had been busy with Commander Chen, but now he’d returned. He pushed past me to glare at the prince.
“This is none of your concern, Ian,” Darren snarled.
“It is when you are making someone I care about cry.” Ian lowered his voice. “I thought I respected you, Darren, for what you did back at the palace… Do you even know what Ryiah went through out there? Did you even stop to ask? Or did you just assume she traded the information for an easy surrender?”
He took another step so that he was in Darren’s face, forcing the prince to take an uncomfortable step back. “She was tortured, Darren. I let…” He swallowed. “I let Merrick strike her with an axe four times before she finally gave up the information. The healers spent three days attending to her, or did you fail to notice she was in the infirmary? She’s not a coward, and you are certainly not the friend you claim to be if you punish her for what any one of us would have succumbed to.” His voice thundered across the hall as he asked his next question. “Or do we need to see how long you would last under an axe?”
I DIDN’T WAIT to hear what Darren had to say. I didn’t wait for Ian to come find me. I left the room, not caring that the others could see me crying. I heard Ella call after me, and Alex shortly after, but I kept running. Past the barracks, past the village and its busy merchant-laden streets, I kept running until I was sure they had given up following me.
I took the four-mile trek up the winding cliff until I was back at the lookout Alex and I had been stationed at during the mock battle. There were two sentries inside now that the mock battle was done, but I chose to ignore them as I sat down a couple feet away, dangling my feet over the ledge.
Then I cried. I let the angry tears fall until there was nothing left but a crippled set of lungs—too hoarse and too dry to do anything but breathe in and out the night sea air.
Why did I let him get to me? Gods, I wanted to be better than this.
10
Dear Ryiah (and Alex—sorry, brother, you always knew I liked her best),
I hope you are both enjoying the second year of your apprenticeship. Does Port Langli have the best mead? If you get time to drink that is. Ha, mages sleep fighting. My trial year in the Cavalry is going well. Sir Piers gave my recommendation to the head soldier who leads it, so I think I am one of the favorites… I like it better than the Academy.
Ry, you were right to encourage me. There is no shame here. The other applicants may not have magic, but they are still honorable and hard working. There’s another boy here named Jacob. He comes from Ferren’s Keep, where I think you two will train eventually, and he has been a great friend to confide in. He knows all about life as a soldier. His dad is serving in his local regiment, and he says it’s always full of action since they are so far north! I know I shouldn’t hope for battle, but I think it would be exciting to fight rogue Caltothians one day.
Jacob told me the first station we are placed at after our trial year is a city on the northern border, so I think I might actually get my wish. There’s no apprenticeship after we graduate. They just place us and have the local soldiers train us as we serve, which means I might actually be stationed where you will be training in a year or two!
I need to get back to study now, but please write back. I miss you, Ry (and you, too, Alex) so it would be nice to hear from you.
Warmly,
Your favorite brother, Derrick
At least he’s happy. I finished my brother’s letter with a sigh. A part of me had hoped he’d turn the rest of his trial year around and join the apprenticeship with the rest of us, but it was too much to hope all three siblings shared the same destiny. Besides, he’d been miserable at the Academy. It was better this way.
I put my hands on my head as I faced the mirror. “Why, Ryiah?” I was wearing a dress that cost two month’s apprentice wages. It was money I should have sent home.
“So dramatic.” Ella grinned at my reflection, adjusting the ribbons at my waist. “You know it was worth it. Wait until Ian sees you in red.”
“Ella!”
“All I’m saying is the boys deserve to see us in something besides sweat and grime.” She winked as we started out the Academy chamber into the crowded hall where apprentices were making their entrance into the winter solstice ball. “It’s not like the Code of Conduct ever gives us any alone time.”
That last part was certainly true. Smiles between drills were the most any of us managed. Byron was on us like a hawk. The one time Ian had taken my hand, the two of us had ended up with latrine duty for a week.
Tonight was a reprieve. It helped that the masters would be busy with drinks.
Ella and I descended the ballroom stairs, and I tried not to squirm. Blast that dressmaker in Langli and Ella’s compliments; I’d been all too quick to give in. The dress was far too decadent for someone like me.
The material was a striking maroon, with a giant silk skirt and gold tissue-thin gauze beneath it. There were even small gold-embroidered blossoms at the corset that flowered out into a heart-shaped neckline. It was too nice. I felt so out of place in it.
Maybe I should run back upstairs and change?
A sneering voice caught me as I reached the end of the stair. “Are you really wearing the dreadful thing without sleeves?”
I flushed. The dressmaker hadn’t had quite enough time t
o finish the dress in the port, and after seeing the silhouette without I’d decided to leave it unfinished. “I like it this way.”
“You shouldn’t. Only a whore exposes her arms.”
Ella arched a brow at Priscilla. “We expose our arms every day in practice. Why should it matter while she’s wearing a dress?”
“We would never allow the dreadful thing in court.”
I started forward and Ella’s grip turned to steel as she fixated on the prince to Priscilla’s left. He had pointedly ignored the both of us since his precious betrothed started talking. “Is Ryiah’s dress offending you too?”
His gaze flickered to my face, and I quickly looked away. He didn’t say anything, and I only grew more uncomfortable.
To be fair, things hadn’t been any different in months. Ever since our fight in Langli, the two of us had avoided one another at all costs. I was still mad, and he was still, well, him.
Ella gave an irritated sigh. “Well, it doesn’t matter what either of you think. The court was wearing dead birds in their hair five years ago, so clearly their taste isn’t all that bright.” She dragged me along, steering me away from the awkward silence.
“You didn’t have to do that,” I muttered.
“Believe me, I enjoyed it.” Ella spotted the two boys waiting for us across the room. “There are our admirers.”
Admirers was right. I snorted. Alex was gaping so hard someone needed to put that jaw of his back into place. Lovesick idiot. I was rather fond of my twin now that he was treating Ella like she deserved.
“Ryiah.” Ian approached me with a chuckle at the two of our friends. They were already twirling around the room and making up for lost time. “You look beautiful, just like that day I kissed you for luck.”
I laughed. “You were such a flirt. I should have slapped you.”
“But you didn’t.” His grin widened. “And now look, you have the most handsome escort of the evening.”
My stomach rumbled, and I arched a brow. “Ready to escort me to some food, handsome?”
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