Kin of Kings (The Kin of Kings Book 1)
Page 30
“Get the gauze. He’s bleeding through the stitches again.”
As Basen listened closely, he could hear soft coughs and then a pained choking sound.
“Sit him up!”
The coats parted and the first glimpse of Alex came through as they got him upright. He was pale. Limp. His eyes had rolled back in his head. If it wasn’t for his gurgling sounds, Basen would’ve assumed he was dead already.
Basen knew Effie saw all of the same things he did and quickly put himself in front of her. She cried into his chest as he enveloped her with his arms. Steffen grabbed the door and managed to get it shut. Basen put Effie into a chair and knelt beside her as she cried.
“He’ll live,” he said, using a strong voice in hopes of convincing himself as well.
It wasn’t long before the healers opened the door. Much too short of a time for good news. Basen’s heart climbed up into his throat.
Effie gazed up at them, appearing too weak to stand. The three had long faces.
“I’m sorry,” the middle one said. “The cut was just too deep and too long.”
Effie slid off her chair and puddled to the ground. “No.” She put her hands over her face, continuing to choke out the same word between sobs. “No…no…no.”
Basen had been strong for Effie, but now his own sadness overtook him. He came down beside Effie, tears running heavily down his cheeks as he put his arms around her.
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
“Sanya?” Alabell yelled from the hall.
Damn woman’s hearing is too good. “What?” Sanya could hear Alabell running toward her room. There was only time to get her shoes off before she jumped into bed and pulled the covers up to her chin.
Her door burst open. Alabell jumped in wielding a dagger and throwing looks in every direction.
Sanya forced a laugh. “What are you doing, you madwoman?”
“I thought I heard someone come in through the window.” Alabell ran to it and peered out.
“No one came in through my window.”
But she didn’t seem to hear Sanya, crouching to look under the bed, then opening Sanya’s wardrobe while ready to strike with her dagger.
“Alabell! Go back to sleep.”
“You didn’t hear anything?” she asked incredulously.
“Only you screaming my name. I told you I sleep deeply.”
“Well get up and help me check if someone’s hiding in your room! I know I heard the window open and shut. Was that you?”
Damn this woman’s ears! Sanya couldn’t get up until Alabell left. I would’ve been better off with the psychic. Sanya regretted altering Annah’s bastial energy during the loyalty test to make it seem like Annah was lying. Sanya didn’t want to have to constantly alter her own bastial energy to keep Annah from discovering the truth about her, but it still might’ve been easier than living with the jumpy Alabell.
“You’re hearing things. No one’s in my room but me. I’m going back to sleep. Shut the door after you, please.”
Alabell took a deep breath as she glanced around the room one last time. “Fine. But call me if you hear anything strange.”
Sanya forced out a giggle. “I’m the warrior of this house. I’m supposed to be the one protecting you, chemist.”
“Just promise me.”
“If you let me get back to sleep.”
“Very well, warrior of the house, sleep well.”
Alabell left the door open.
“Shut it behind you!” Sanya called.
“But then it’s harder to hear if someone comes into your room.”
“Shut it!”
Alabell obeyed. Sanya listened as her footsteps receded down the hall and then culminated with the shutting of her bedroom door.
Sanya finally let herself breath, inhaling sharply and exhaling quickly. She was feeling faint from restricting it for so long. As quietly as possible, she got out of bed and hurried to remove her black robe. She’d lost another knife. There was only one left now, but it was enough for what she needed to do.
She felt along the base of her wardrobe until her fingers came to the familiar gap. She pried off the chunk of wood, then grabbed the handle beneath it and lifted.
Light poured out of the secret compartment, the akorell bracelet its source. She made a fist over it, and the glow was gone. She took out a vial of safli potion and had a swig. Then she put it back, stuffed her black robe down on top of everything, and put the door back in place with the floorboard on top of it.
She checked her hands for blood and was relieved to find none. The gloves sewn into her black robe must’ve caught any that came from Alex’s throat. It was much less messy this time than when she’d killed Nick. Fortunately, Basen had needed her help transporting Nick to the medical building, giving her the perfect excuse for the blood that had stained her arms and hands.
Sanya stripped, quietly dressed in her nightgown, and got back into bed. Soon the safli would send her into the dream world, where she would repair the damage Basen had done by making his portals.
She could feel herself drifting away while her anger fought to keep her awake. Even though she’d promised herself she wouldn’t befriend any of these walking corpses, she’d somehow let herself become close with Basen. Now it would be difficult to kill him, but she couldn’t let her emotions weaken her. She’d already come this far.
I didn’t suffer through all of my father’s experiments and torturous training to lead a normal life. He has plans for me, and I will see most of them done. But not even he knows everything I’m capable of.
She always reminded herself of this whenever a problem arose, as it had now with Basen. A portal mage was not in the script, especially not one she might be able to call friend. She ignored the thought, focusing instead on what was important.
My future husband is even less aware of my abilities than my father. But Tauwin actually cares for me. He worried I’d get myself killed when I told him I’d join the Academy as a spy. I could feel his fear was genuine.
However, she still didn’t believe a man who would poison his own father was capable of love, but it seemed even less likely that she was, so she didn’t judge.
She wondered if Tauwin would kill her if he found out she’d shared a room with the last remaining Kerr and let her live.
It won’t matter. Soon the Academy will fall, and my father and future husband will be pleased. I might not be able to save those who die defending the Academy, but I will avenge their deaths and right every wrong my father has done.
The pull of sleep of the safli potion began to take her toward the spiritual world.
I know you ache, Mother. I’ll heal you soon, and then I’ll put an end to the portals that keep threatening to tear you from me.
But there was one last thing she needed to figure out before she succumbed to sleep. Was there any chance Basen recognized her fighting style from their time in Tenred during the brief moment their swords had clashed tonight?
She’d sensed no signs of recognition at the time, though she would have to see him again to make sure. He wouldn’t be able to hide his feelings from her. It could prove difficult if he did think it was her and then caught her trying to get in through his window.
Was the window really her best option? She tried to think it through, but she couldn’t fight off sleep any longer. She would find a way to kill Basen soon. Then she would leave the Academy before it came under attack.
END OF BOOK ONE
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