She didn’t just dislike him.
She hated him.
The Lycans were waiting for him outside. At least Marcus and, now, Mire were. Samir and Thorne, however, were nowhere to be seen.
‘Are you alright? What did she say?’ Brother Marcus asked. The Lycan looked unhappy about the cloth that was held tightly to his head by Sister Mire.
‘She just said she followed you,’ Nathaniel said. He couldn’t tell them about her accusations.
‘Is she still tied?’
‘She’s tied?’ Mire screeched. Marcus uttered a sharp gasp from the extra pressure applied to his wound.
‘We don’t know how dangerous she is–’
‘You’ve got a girl, no older than fifteen years, tied up like some monster?’ Mire said shrilly.
‘She was armed,’ Marcus said weakly.
Mire looked on the verge of inflicting an even more serious wound upon the Lycan, until Nathaniel intervened.
‘Where’s Thorne?’ Nathaniel inquired.
‘Oh… he went back to his office,’ Brother Marcus said, actively avoiding meeting Mire’s reproachful look. ‘I don’t think he wants to be disturbed, but he left you this.’
Marcus passed Nathaniel a sheet of paper, which had been folded in half. The note had been quickly written and the ink looked blotchy, as if the letters been hammered into the page dot by dot.
NATHANIEL,
I’VE GONE BACK TO MY OFFICE. I KNOW I SAID WE’D SPEAK OF THE EARLIER MATTER BUT WITH THE CURRENT SITUATION AT HAND, I NEED SOME TIME TO MYSELF – TO THINK.
DO NOT ATTEMPT TO PRACTICE MAJIK INSIDE SANCTUARY AGAIN.
I WILL KNOW IF YOU TRY.
THORNE
What did he mean, “I will know”?
All the same, he felt reluctant to test the matter.
‘If no one else will help this girl then I will!’ Mire marched past them both, into Marcus’ office.
Marcus attempted to warn her again only to have the door slammed in his face. Clutching the now damp cloth, Marcus stared at the door perplexedly.
‘Will she be alright?’ Nathaniel said quietly.
‘The girl? Or Sister Mire?’ Marcus raised an eyebrow.
Chapter 20
It was almost impossible to focus on where he was going, without his mind wandering to the blonde Regal lurking nearby.
She thinks I did it. She thinks I killed him.
He switched corridors, almost bumping into a Lycan in the process.
She just wouldn’t listen. And the look she’d given him…
‘Hey, Nathaniel,’ a voice sang sweetly.
Athrana’s grace… not now…
Brey sauntered over beside him, twirling a pigtail with her hand, frowning at the sullen twist to his face.
‘Gods, who spat in your tea?’ she giggled.
Brey seemed to miss the exasperated look he sent her way.
‘Going to practice with the Hunter?’ she asked.
‘Why do you care?’ Nathaniel snapped.
Brey grabbed Nathaniel’s arm suddenly, her eyebrows pinching together as she frowned concernedly.
‘What’s wrong?’ she said.
‘Nothing,’ Nathaniel snatched his arm back from the girl, ‘leave me alone.’
A hurt look crossed Brey’s green eyes and, when Nathaniel turned the second corner, she had disappeared altogether from his side. Guilt instantly wracked his stomach and he clenched his fists, not sure exactly why he was angry. At least Zaine’s training would offer a distraction.
Wait.
Someone was making a lot of noise in the practice room. Was Zaine practicing on his own?
He peered round the corner and felt a growl rise from his stomach. Standing in the middle of the room, blindfolded as the Hunter danced from one spot to the other around him, was Gabe.
The boy was swinging his two swords wildly around him. A sheen of sweat coating his bare torso. Zaine caught Gabe with a whip of his practice sword, which took the Lycan’s legs right out from under him. The Lycan was roaring with laughter, in between large gulps for air.
‘Ozin’s beard… we HAVE to do that again!’ the Lycan jumped back to his feet and tore off his blindfold. ‘Oh, it’s you,’ he blinked at Nathaniel.
Nathaniel gave the Hunter a sour look.
What is going on here?
‘Same time tomorrow?’ Gabe looked back at Zaine.
‘If you can deign to be on time for once,’ the Hunter replied.
‘I’ll get you next time, Hunter,’ Gabe promised with a waggled finger, dropping his swords by the wall on his way out. ‘Later, Regal,’ he winked at Nathaniel.
Zaine shook his head after the Lycan.
‘At least one of you are on time,’ Zaine sighed, plucking Nathaniel’s practice sword from the basket behind him.
‘You’re training the Lycan now?’ Nathaniel blurted out.
‘So it would appear,’ Zaine said casually.
Nathaniel raised his arms as he thought of something to say but with the words were lacking, let his hands slap lamely against his side.
‘You’re upset?’ the Hunter ran a hand across the practice sword. Gloved fingers drumming against the wooden blade.
‘I’m not upset!’ Nathaniel said indignantly, staring fixedly at the practice blade. ‘I just… What?’ he said in exasperation, when he looked up to notice the upturned corner of Zaine’s mouth.
The Hunter never smiled.
‘Gabe can be arrogant but holds no more animosity against your kind than Thorne does, and–’ he held up a hand as Nathaniel began to protest, ‘–you disservice yourself in pushing away any who extend a hand in friendship.’
Nathaniel shook his head and turned on his boot heels. No one understood.
‘Where are you going, Regal?’
‘Somewhere else,’ Nathaniel said curtly.
‘Don’t isolate yourself, Nathaniel,’ the Hunter’s voice followed him as he walked away, ‘or there will be no one to catch you when you fall.’
‘Fog take you, Hunter,’ Nathaniel growled to himself, when he was certain Zaine was too far away to hear him.
Not bothering with a detour to the freezing showers, Nathaniel headed straight to the dormitory.
His feet stretching some distance over the edge, Samir lay in the bottommost hammock. The Scorched boy was, unsurprisingly, leafing through a leather-bound book, periodically dipping a quill into the inkpot resting on his chest to make notes. He wasn’t even aware of Nathaniel, until the Regal was halfway up the ladder beside him.
‘Nathaniel!’ Samir’s voice seemed to make the ladder ripple. The boy carefully planted the ink pot on the floor before waving the open pages of his book at him. ‘You must read this, it’s fascinating! There is quite a bit of material missing–!’
Nathaniel sighed and squeezed the bridge of his nose.
Could he not have just a moment of peace?
‘–but I think this is an excerpt from the Shadow War! I can’t believe the library had this–’
‘Samir! Stop! Just stop!’ Nathaniel said exasperatedly.
Samir faltered mid ramble.
‘Oh,’ he said, drawing the book back to his hammock.
Nathaniel tried closing his eyes, to ignore the uncomfortable squirming building inside his stomach. However, all he could see were Brey, Gabe, and Samir’s faces, each eying him contemptuously.
Don’t isolate yourself, Zaine’s words rang back and forth in his mind.
Damn you, Hunter!
‘Hey, Regal!’
Athrana’s grace… what now?
Nathaniel rolled his head over to where the shout had originated from. In the middle of the dormitory, surrounded by his fellow Lycans, Gabe stood atop a table holding a poster up beside him for all to see.
‘I didn’t realise you were blazing famous!’ Gabe pointed at the poster with a broad grin slapped across his face.
Nathaniel felt his jaw drop.
‘Oh my,’ Samir’s deep voice rum
bled beneath him.
In black and white, framed with bold lettering, the poster bore his likeness. Most of the Lycans didn’t seem to share Gabe’s awe and those who were closest to Nathaniel found a sudden urge to distance themselves from him. Even Samir, who easily towered over them all, shuffled uncomfortably underneath.
Heart pounding, Nathaniel jumped out of his hammock, boots almost tripping on the ladder’s rungs as he raced down.
‘Where did you get that?’ he demanded of Gabe. The Lycan made no objection when Nathaniel snatched the poster out of his hands.
It read, “WANTED! FOR THE MURDER OF EMPEROR JAEL TOLKEN. CAPTURED ALIVE. 50,000 GOLD PIECES. BY ROYAL DECREE.”
Nathaniel gulped as he stared down at himself. His hair was slicked back against his head, as it had been before he’d left Obsidia. But his face was set into a cruel mask – eyes wide and lips sneering.
‘Did you do it?’ Gabe asked, whistling when Nathaniel was not forthcoming with an answer. ‘Blaze me, Regal. You really did, didn’t you?’
The poster crinkled in Nathaniel’s trembling hands. He wanted to lash out at something, anything but his muscles were so taut he couldn’t even move.
This was the Szar’s work. It had to be.
‘Did you do it or not?’ Gabe asked impatiently. ‘Hey, Regal! Regal!’
Gabe’s voice dimmed as Nathaniel stormed away.
How had the poster found its way to the Lycan Sanctuary? Did the Szar know he was here? Were there Regal spies lying in the shadows, biding their time until the right moment came to strike?
His feet picked up into a trot as he left the dormitory. Then, before he realised it, he was sprinting through the corridor, not giving a backward glance to the Lycans he smacked shoulders with on the way.
When he finally came across the door to Thorne’s office, without bothering to knock, Nathaniel burst straight in. Thorne, Marcus, Garrett, Skew, Mire and the Regal girl all turned to look at him.
Thorne appeared to have calmed somewhat from their encounter, although his eyes still carried an edge. Marcus, the cut above his right eye now stitched together, was doing his utmost still to avoid Mire’s glare, whilst Garrett picked at his teeth with a thumb Skew’s eyes narrowed and he pursed his lips at Nathaniel’s appearance. Behind Mire, the blonde Regal watched Nathaniel coolly, as he shook with barely restrained rage.
‘Nathaniel…’ Thorne began.
‘You!’ Nathaniel pointed the rolled-up poster at the girl, ‘this is your doing!’
The girl raised an eyebrow at him but remained otherwise silent.
‘Where did you find that?’ Marcus looked at the poster with wide eyes.
‘Gabe had it! Now everything thinks I did it!’ Nathaniel said.
There was more than a hint of smugness in the curl of the girl’s lip.
Brother Garrett’s harsh bark of laughter made the entire room jump. ‘Pickpocketed by a child!’ Garrett chuckled.
‘Marcus?’ Thorne said.
‘Vaera had it on her person when I caught her following me in the city markets,’ Brother Marcus cleared his throat.
Vaera? The name didn’t mean anything to Nathaniel but it seemed strange nonetheless, for it didn’t suit the girl. From the way the Regal grimaced at the mention of her name, it looked like she felt the same way.
‘The Regal had what?’ Skew screeched, ‘give me that, boy!’ Skew lunged toward Nathaniel, snatching the poster out of his hands. The Lycan’s beady eyes bulged as he stared down at Nathaniel’s likeness.
‘So,’ Skew glowered at Thorne, ‘you’ve allowed more than one Regal in, who’s a threat to our people–’ Skew’s hand shot to Marcus’s stitched cut.
‘The girl merely wanted to question Marcus, she did not expect to be cornered in some alley like a sewer rat!’ Mire’s voice rose in contention with Skew’s.
‘– but we’ve been harbouring–’ Skew extended a bony finger towards Nathaniel.
‘Skew…’ Garrett grunted warningly.
‘–this! This…’ Skew’s eyes flickered back to the poster, ‘…this Kinslayer!’
Thorne’s fist cracking against the desk cut the Lycan short.
The fiery amber in Thorne’s eyes had been stoked once more. Though he spoke measuredly, the words shot out of his mouth, as if they were afraid of his lips.
‘I’m not going to decide anything until I find out more,’ Thorne said quietly.
‘Isn’t it obvious?’ Garrett growled past his thumb, ‘the girl came here, hunting the boy,’ he nodded at Nathaniel.
Nathaniel felt his stomach lurch. He looked at Vaera for confirmation, but the girl was suddenly avoiding his gaze.
‘Well?’ Thorne looked at the girl questioningly.
She rolled on the balls of her feet uncomfortably under the heat of Thorne’s eyes but she would not answer.
‘What if I told you that you’ve been led to believe a lie, Vaera, that this was all the Szar’s plan to gain power?’ Thorne said.
‘Draeden Kusk?’ the girl snorted, ‘the man’s a war dog. Sure, he despises Lycans, but he has no desire to hold the Obsidian Crown for long.’
‘And why does he hold it at all?’ Nathaniel rounded on the girl, ‘what happened to the Emperor’s daughter?’
‘She is indisposed,’ the girl replied tightly, ‘the Empress-in-waiting grieves with her mother.’
The accusation was clear in the harsh tone of Vaera’s words. Still, Nathaniel’s stomach squirmed. He should have been there for her.
‘And how would you know that?’ Nathaniel snapped. ‘How do you know the Szar hasn’t decided to kill her too?’
The girl gave a bitter laugh.
‘By Athrana’s grace, Kinslayer,’ Vaera said, ‘your tongue lies so freely it’s a wonder how it doesn’t just slip out of your mouth.’
‘I’m not lying!’ Nathaniel shouted.
‘ENOUGH!’ Thorne’s fist smacked the table a second time, its legs wobbling threateningly to the point of collapse. ‘The fate of our two peoples rest on the deliverance of the truth. Vaera, I convened with your Emperor by letter to seek an alliance between Regals and Lycans. Tolken agreed in principle but the man foolishly shared our discussions with the Szar. You freely admit Kusk hates Lycans, so is it too far a stretch to suggest he’d–’
‘Kill the Emperor?’ Vaera’s jaw dropped, ‘yes! It is! Kusk had his disagreements but he was Tolken’s loyal servant!’
Which made it all the more easy for him to slit the Emperor’s throat, Nathaniel thought darkly. But how could anyone ever believe Tolken’s Szar had done it?
‘Ask yourself this: if he despises Lycans so much, why was he so quick to demand Nathaniel suffer the Stone? This, after allegedly murdering the Emperor – a Lycan sympathiser.’
‘Perhaps Kusk held duty above personal belief,’ Vaera folded her arms with a scowl.
Nathaniel scoffed.
Duty… Hadn’t that been what had gotten him this awful mess to begin with? Duty to his people, to the Emperor. Till my heart gives out, I give it freely for the Emperor. How different things would have been if he’d simply emulated the Szar’s brand of ‘duty.’
‘Where does the motivation lie for Nathaniel to murder the Emperor?’ Thorne said, ‘a Regal, having just killed a Lycan sympathiser, immediately seeks refuge with the Lycans?’
Vaera’s brow furrowed.
‘The Szar, on the other hand,’ Thorne continued, ‘had every motivation. And, now, as Emperor, he can enforce his beliefs on us all. Unless, we can stop it.’
‘What are you suggesting?’ Vaera inquired.
Thorne drummed his fingers thoughtfully against the desk. ‘I think it’s time for Nathaniel to return to Obsidia. I think it’s time your Elders heard the truth, before the Szar can muster their support, and send an army to march on Dalmarra.’
‘This is insane!’ Skew’s voice burst out like air from a popped balloon. ‘These two know where we are, Thorne! What’s to stop either of them…’ Skew’s eyes
latched onto Nathaniel in particular, ‘…from giving us all up?’
‘Hate to agree with Skew,’ Garrett shivered with reluctance, ‘but he’s got a point, Brother.’
‘A drunk’s approval is hardly worth much,’ Mire gave Garrett a withering glance.
‘Military logic,’ Garrett shrugged.
‘Marcus?’ Thorne turned to the brown-haired man.
‘I think Nathaniel is trustworthy,’ he said slowly. ‘The girl… I’m not convinced,’ he added with a hesitant glance at Mire. For once, the Herbalism teacher did not seem to object to his statement.
‘I have no reason or wish to betray you, at least not most of you,’ Vaera gave a pointed look at Nathaniel.
Thorne thought on this a moment and accepted the girl’s words with a nod.
Garrett shook his head and Skew howled.
‘You’re letting them go? Back into the arms of that madman!’ Skew cried. If his eyes bulged any more, Nathaniel was certain they would burst. ‘Have you learnt nothing in the last fifty years?’
Thorne fixed the greying Lycan with a cold stare. ‘I have learnt that peace is always preferable, wherever you can find it. You of all people should know that, Skew.’
Skew’s lips quivered, as he drew his remaining hand protectively over the stump of his right arm. For the moment, the Lycan was silent.
‘You surely wouldn’t send them alone?’ Sister Mire said.
‘Rest assured they won’t be,’ Thorne said.
Mire seemed relieved at that.
‘They’ll have the best protection in Horizon.’
‘You don’t mean…’ Mire brought a hand to her mouth.
‘I’m afraid so.’
Everyone but Thorne jumped at the voice that rose from the darkened corner of Thorne’s office.
Bright silver eyes watched them from the shadows.
‘Have you been there all this bloody time, Hunter?’ Garrett grumbled.
‘Long enough,’ Zaine replied, his voice so gentle it beggared belief. ‘It has been quite some time since I climbed the Black Mountains.’ The Hunter unfurled himself from the darkness and padded beside Nathaniel. ‘I’m sure Dez wouldn’t mind holding down the fort a little while longer.’
Vaera looked at the Hunter curiously. Did he frighten her too?
‘Once more into the breach, my friend,’ Thorne said gravely.
Nathaniel Grey and the Obsidian Crown Page 12