CS - Chapters 21 to 25 (Patreon)

Chapter 21

“Slashed?” Shanah asked. “By the swords you are dumb.”

I opened my eyes to see Shanah’s head floating in the air, her body lost in the darkness. She moved her dim shaker closer to my face, and I squinted my eyes at the light.

“How did you have time to get slashed? What did you do? Never mind, you can tell me on the way.”

My voice didn’t work, and I swallowed twice before I could get any words out. “What are you doing here?”

“Breakfast.”

The thought of food made my stomach rumble. I tried to sit up, but my body didn’t move. My sore muscles had tightened up overnight because I hadn’t stretched before going to bed. My head felt better but my eye, legs, and shoulder throbbed.

“Breakfast?” I finally got out.

“Did the stain melt your brain? Breakfast.”

I’d wondered the same thing last night. Forcing my muscles to obey, I sat up.

“It’s still dark,” I said.

“Does your mouth not work in the dark?”

Another thought struck me. “You are really quiet.”

Shanah tilted her head and stared at me.

“I’m usually a light sleeper but didn’t hear you coming.”

“It’s a dangerous world and Lanah and I were taught early how to escape a kidnapping. One of many skills we needed to learn.” She bit her lip. “And we practice a lot.”

My stomach growled again.

“Let’s go, Slash.”

My eyes had adjusted to the light and the faint outline of Shanah’s body appeared. She wore dark cotton pants and her shirt fit snugly. She had a vest with a bunch of pockets and her shoes looked like slippers.

“I can’t,” I said.

“Why?”

“Flasker said I couldn’t leave the Pillar.”

“Why? Wait, it doesn’t matter. How are you supposed to eat?”

“I’m not sure.”

“He said you can’t leave at all?”

I thought back to last night. “He said I could leave with a senior officer.”

“Great, let’s go then.”

“I just told you I can’t.”

“I’m a senior officer. To you at least.”

“I don’t think that’s what he meant.”

“Well, that’s what he said, and it doesn’t matter. We’ll be back before everyone wakes up anyway.”

I turned and placed my feet on the floor wincing at the pain in my legs. “I don’t want to get into any more trouble. I think I should stay here.”

“How will you eat?”

The pain in my stomach agreed with her. “I’ll figure something out.”

Shanah’s lip twisted, and she looked down for a few seconds before locking eyes with me again. “I could really use the company. Please?”

Why did Shanah want me to go with her? It didn’t make any sense. I’d expected her to shrug and leave. Now, if I didn’t go with her, I’d feel guilty about it, but I didn’t want to get into trouble with Flasker either. A headache blossomed. This was no way to start a morning.

“What if someone sees me at the Dining Hall and tells Flasker?”

“We’re meeting Lanah in the Palace. No one will see us.”

Shanah tossed me the shaker and started for the door. “I’ll wait for you out here.”

Shanah exited the room, and I wondered again why she wanted me to go with her. What interest did she have in me? In fact, I seemed like the last person she should want to associate with.

I shrugged and slowly stood. Two older sisters had taught me many things. The most important being “please” was code for “do what I ask or suffer terribly.”

My stomach didn’t care what Shanah’s reasons were, and I didn’t mind the chance to spend some more time with her either. I pushed myself off the bed and quickly made it like Lylly had shown me. I smelled my clothes and decided they were clean enough, even for the palace. A minute later I entered the dark stairwell and found Shanah.

#

I’d never been to the palace before and in the darkness my eyesight turned everything grey. Shanah led the way with her dim shaker, but she allowed very little light to escape her hand. She walked quickly and we made good time. We hadn’t spoken much during the walk, and I wondered if it was to keep hidden or because she regretted asking me along.

The Palace seemed to be made of multiple large buildings, none higher than I could throw a rock. Shanah pointed to the buildings as we passed and whispered their functions: barracks, council and meeting hall, bedrooms, jail for important war prisoners, stables, and finally the kitchen and bakery.

Other than their heights, all the buildings appeared the same in the darkness. I didn’t see any guards, and I assumed they were probably inside the buildings. As we neared the kitchen, I smelled bread and my stomach rumbled.

The kitchen was two stories high with chimneys dotting the roof. Small windows, many of them open, lined the top story. Most of them had light coming from them, and I could see they were bedrooms. Probably where many of the staff lived. The bottom floor had fewer windows, but they were large and none of them were open.

I narrowed my eyes against all the light. Again, Shanah avoided the main entrance, and we walked around to the back. Multiple conversations mixed with the sound of chopping and dishes banging together filled the air.

Shanah placed the shaker in a pocket on her vest and frowned at me.

“What?” I asked.

“You’re going to attract a lot of attention with your slash. Keep your head down.”

I rubbed my face but couldn’t feel the stain. “Is it much farther?”

“No. Stay close.”

We entered the service door and the noise and light both increased. I tilted my head up enough to catch a glimpse of the kitchen, where twenty people focused on the food they prepared.

Shanah immediately turned and strode along the back wall, and I followed her. We entered a hallway with dim shakers attached to the wall. The air smelled like baking bread and honey. Shanah opened a door on her left and light poured into the hallway. She motioned me inside and then quickly shut the door behind her.

Lanah sat on the end of a long table, her legs dangling above the floor, and she wore clothes identical to Shanah. As soon as we entered, she hopped off the table and pointed at me.

“What’s he doing here?”

Shanah strode to her sister, and they spent the next ten seconds in some sort of crazy handshake that ended with their hands moving up into the air like a bird.

“He was hungry,” Shanah finally replied.

Lanah tilted her head. “Hungry? Don’t they have a whole building for that? Is this because of what she told you? Or because…” Lanah fluttered her eyelashes at her sister.

Shanah’s cheeks grew bright red, and she glanced at me before facing her sister. “You’ll pay for that.”

What did Lanah mean by “because she told you?” Did she mean Lylly? Could Shanah be talking with Lylly about me? It was a weird thing to say, and I made a note to ask Shanah about it later.

Lanah walked over to me and pointed at my face. “How did you manage that?”

“Bad word choice,” I said.

“I like it. It hides your face. You should consider a bag.”

Shanah punched her sister in the shoulder and Lanah laughed.

“Thanks for getting me bread last night,” Lanah said as she rubbed her shoulder.

I nodded.

A door I hadn’t noticed opened on the far wall and a thin man walked through carrying a platter. He slowed when he saw me but quickly recovered. A grey apron hung from his neck and wrapped around him like a cocoon. His hair was covered with a purple scarf and flour covered the sleeves of his shirt. Most of his stain was covered by the scarf but I could see the bottom part of a loaf of bread and two small red dots. This must be the head baker. What was he doing serving food?

“Morning Jappy,” both sisters said.

 The twins moved to the end of the table and sat. Shanah motioned to me, and I sat next to her. Lanah sat across from us and gave her sister a sly smile.

“I’m sorry ladies, I didn’t know we were having a guest. I’ll be back with more food.”

Shanah beamed up at the older man. “Oh Jappy, you don’t need to. You always bring enough for ten people.”

Jappy stopped next to Lanah, set the tray down, and placed an empty plate in front of each girl. These weren’t the wooden plates I’d used last night, but some sort of clear glass. He moved four small loaves of bread to another plate and set the now empty plate in front of me. Shanah was right, the tray held enough food for the three of us.

Lanah stood and hugged Jappy, who looked both uncomfortable and happy at the same time.

“You’re the best, Jappy,” Lanah said.

Jappy’s cheeks turned red, and he waved at Lanah. “Sit, eat. I’m just glad I still get to see you girls. I’ll be right back with some orange juice.”

Jappy turned and returned the way he’d come. The smell of ham and raspberries and bread made my mouth water. The girls grabbed food, and I waited until they finished before taking a small loaf of bread. I tore it open and placed some of the raspberry jelly inside. The heat from the freshly baked bread made the jelly melt and it soaked into the bread. I placed three pieces of thin ham inside and then ate it like a sandwich.

I swallowed and then stared at my sandwich.

“What?” Shanah asked. “Is something wrong?”

“I think this is the most delicious thing I’ve ever eaten.”

“Yeah, Jappy spoils us,” Lanah said.

Jappy returned with two pitchers in one hand and a stack of glasses in the other. He placed two crystal cups in front of each of us and poured orange juice in one and water in the other. He stood up straight and wiped his hands on his apron.

“Cevin said this is the best food he’s ever had,” Shanah said.

I nodded, my mouth too full to talk. Jappy’s cheeks turned pink, and he gave me a small bow. “Thank you young master, that is kind. I’ll leave you to your meal. Have a great day.”

“Thank you, Jappy,” the twins said together.

The baker left and for a minute no one spoke as we devoured the food.

“Slashed on your second day has got to be a record,” Lanah said.

I rubbed my face in embarrassment.

“What happened?” Shanah asked.

I took another bite of food to give myself time to think. Flasker wanted me gone but that was only part of the truth. Also, I had missed curfew and used a word I shouldn’t have, but again that really wasn’t the whole story. What had really caused everything was Lylly’s strange behavior.

I didn’t know what was happening, and gossiping with these royal twins I’d only met two days ago didn’t seem like a good idea. It still confused me that Shanah had basically insisted that I come along with her. And Lanah’s comment about a “she” telling Shanah to bring me worried as well. What other “she” was there? Lylly? Could these girls be part of whatever was happening with Lylly?

Shanah clapped her hands in front of my face, and I concentrated on her.

“You have got to stop doing that,” Shanah said.

I realized I’d stopped chewing and started again.

“Sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry,” Lanah said. “Just talk.”

“Okay. I left the dining hall with Lylly last night and one of the scribes grabbed her.”

“Do you know which one?” Lanah asked.

“Yulth, the scribe that helped Gavyn at the Hall of Glory and was in the room under the Archive Tower yesterday.”

“Interesting,” Lanah said.

“What did she want with Lylly?” Shanah asked.

“I’m not sure. But Lylly looked really upset. She even shouted a bit.”

“I wonder where Yulth took her?” Shanah asked.

My cheeks warmed.

“Do you know where they went?” Lanah asked.

There was no turning back now. “I followed them.”

Both girls leaned forward, but neither scolded me. In fact, it seemed like they agreed with my decision.

“Well?” Lanah asked. “Spill it.”

“Yulth was waiting for us when we got back to the Sword Pillar. She had Lylly’s sword already. Lylly said they needed to rest but Yulth said she had to come.”

“Lylly looks like she never sleeps,” Shanah said.

“I followed them to the door in the cliff that they took us through this morning. Gavyn was there and the three of them argued. Lylly said they were hurting someone.”

“Did she say who?” Lanah asked.

“No, she just said ‘him.’”

Shanah waved her hand for me to continue.

“Gavyn said they were almost done.”

“Done with what?” Shanah asked.

“I don’t know. But they had her sword. Could it be some sort of special training?”

Shanah shook her head. “Everyone trains with their weapons in the canyon. It isn’t safe anywhere else. They’ve only just started taking me to the room under the Archive Tower, so I don’t know how common that is. I’ve only ever seen you there. It looks like they take Lylly as well, but it seems odd that they take her there so late at night.”

“Don’t forget she looks half dead,” Lanah said.

The twins stared at each other for a few seconds and then nodded. I looked back and forth between them, but the girls just started eating again.

“I haven’t been able to talk to Lid since I left that room,” I said.

“Same for me,” Shanah responded. “She’s been silent.”

Lanah leaned toward me. “Does Lid talk a lot? Does he ask you to do things?”

Shanah kicked her sister under the table and Lanah winced.

“Just wondering if they’re all like that,” Lanah said as she bent to rub her shin.

“We had better get going,” Shanah said. “It would be best if we returned before everyone gets up.”

While the sisters repeated their handshake, I smeared jam on another small loaf, drank the last of my orange juice, and stood. A few minutes later, Shanah and I were back outside and walking toward the Pillar.

Shanah asked me to repeat what I’d seen and heard last night. She seemed intent on getting the exact words used. The walk eased the aches in my muscles and by the time we reached the Pillar I almost felt okay.

Shanah moved silently, and I managed to almost match her as we crept through the still dark officer’s hallway. We continued up the stairs and Shanah waved a silent goodbye on the eighth floor. When I made it to my room, I set the clicker to alarm in an hour. Laying down on my bed, I wondered once again why Shanah had taken such an interest in me.

What felt like a minute later the clicker alarmed. After straightening the bedsheets, I moved downstairs for roll call. The stairwell was filled with students running up and down between bathrooms, and all wore their practice uniforms. I smoothed out my brown clothes and wondered if today I might get a proper uniform.

Once again, I stood alone as the only member of the tenth floor. As everyone else formed up I noticed Lylly wasn’t with the other officers. Flasker assumed command and Danos took the role Flasker had performed yesterday. I watched as Danos made his way down the line. When he finished with the eighth floor he moved toward me.

“Acting Warden Master Danos,” Flasker barked.

Danos stopped, spun around to face Flasker, and stood at attention.

“Acting Commander, Sir!” Danos replied.

“Report!” Flasker said.

Danos didn’t look back at me as he returned to Flasker. Danos and Flasker performed the same routine as yesterday, but without the tenth edge. I tried to not let it bother me, but it felt bad.

In a small way, I was proud to be the commander of the tenth edge, even if that only meant myself. It was the only thing so far that had made me feel part of the school. Flasker had managed to take even this small thing away from me.

I mouthed the words that the others shouted as roll call came to an end, but my heart wasn’t in it. Flasker dismissed everyone and immediately marched over to me.

“You’re with me again,” Flasker said. “Let’s go.”

My chest tightened at the thought of another beating with the practice swords. As I followed Flasker we passed the eighth edge and Shanah gave me a small wave. I smiled at her and the tightness in my chest loosened a little.

Chapter 22

What Flasker meant by “you’re with me,” was “run around the practice grounds until you collapse.” I carefully hid my smile as I passed him for what was probably the twentieth time. He glared at me as I ran past.

“Faster, Top!” Flasker yelled.

I gave a short burst of speed for half a minute before slowing again. The joke was on Flasker as I could run like this all day. In fact, the exercise had helped my sore muscles, and I felt better than when I’d begun.

The Hall of Glory stood in the center of the practice grounds and I imagined I was a planet circling a star. Mom had forced me study the night sky, and I knew which specks were planets and which were distant stars. Part of me didn’t believe Mom’s lessons. The night sky contained thousands of lights and it didn’t seem possible they were all suns like ours.

On the far side of the training grounds, opposite of where the Sword Pillar practiced, I slowed to almost a walk. The Ranged Pillar had placed poles in the ground, each of which had six silver disks attached by little arms.

Some of the disks were as large as a dinner plate while others were hard to see unless the sun reflected off them. A large wooden board stood behind each pole. Students, all with the blue circle on their forehead, stood in lines and practiced with short and long bows. An occasional student with a crossbow broke up their ranks.

I angled myself toward the Hall of Glory. An instructor in a blue vest had yelled at me when I’d run behind their poles earlier, and I didn’t want to draw any attention to myself again. Slowing to a walk I studied the silver robed scribe who also had the Seeker’s eye stained on his forehead. I couldn’t see his rank, but it didn’t matter. My attention turned to the black-haired girl and the curved weapon she held in her hand.

My previous lap I’d noticed the pair but hadn’t seen the girl’s weapon. Since a Seeker was with her, it must be a powerful one.

I’d spent the whole previous lap trying to figure out what it might be. She’d held it against her body, so I knew it wasn’t that large, and she had the blue circle stain of the Ranged Pillar which narrowed it down since they were the smallest group at the Academy.

I couldn’t tell her age, but she was at least a few years older than me. I tried to remember what Bonding Celebrations had been announced for ranged weapons in the recent past. There were three that I could think of.

Shifler was a whip that turned the air into blades. The stories said the whip’s crack sounded like a thousand screams and enemies were terrified of the invisible blades of air that followed.

But it could also be the sling Gwilt. When Gwilt was twirled it gathered energy from the surroundings. A glowing ball would appear in the sling’s pouch and when hurled at the enemy it would melt through even the strongest armor.

The black-haired girl flicked her weapon into the air and quickly pulled her hair into a ponytail. She snatched the weapon before it could hit the ground and then nodded at the Seeker. I stopped and stared at the black and silver boomerang in her hand. Kroflum.

Kroflum stretched the length of my forearm but bent in the middle. It looked flat from here, but I knew from drawings that it bulged a little in the middle. I hummed the song Hills of Blood, where a brave scout had used Kroflum to slow an entire army and allow the Kingdom’s forces to regroup. My heart raced as I watched the girl nod at the Seeker again.

The black-haired girl turned and glared at the Hall of Glory. I looked at the building as well. From this angle it didn’t appear very majestic. The stone walls were smooth and rose about thirty feet into the air.

A large pile of hay sat against the wall, and I almost yelled out in excitement as I realized what it meant. The black-haired girl held Kroflum and twisted the top of her body back and forth as if stretching. In a burst of speed, she twirled in a circle and threw Kroflum.

The boomerang spun through the air appearing as a black disk, it slowed and stopped just above the roof of the Hall of Glory and then rapidly returned. The girl snatched the boomerang out of the air with practiced ease.

The Seeker and the girl talked for a few seconds and then the girl faced the Hall again. She lowered her head this time, and I waited, my heart thumping. After what felt like hours the girl looked up, gave a quick twist, spun, and threw Kroflum.

The boomerang followed the same path as before, and in seconds had reached the roof of the Hall. The girl swiped her arm in front of her body as if catching an invisible boomerang…and disappeared.

I gasped as the girl appeared on top of the Hall, Kroflum in her hand.

Kroflum didn’t always come back to the thrower. Sometimes the weapon brought the thrower to itself.

Cheers and clapping erupted behind me, and I turned to see the entire Ranged Pillar staring up at the Hall.

Facing the Hall again, the girl raised Kroflum into the air and the cheering grew louder. The girl pulled Kroflum to her chest, looked down at the hay, and stepped off the edge to fall into the straw. The Seeker greeted the girl as she rolled out of the hay and the two of them walked off deep in conversation.

I wondered why the girl hadn’t just used Kroflum to get down. By the reaction of her Pillar though she had only recently mastered Kroflum’s teleportation. Getting down was probably the next step.

“Top!”

I jumped like only the guilty did and turned toward Flasker’s voice.

Flasker strode toward me, Yulth not far behind.

“Is this what you’ve been doing all morning?” Flasker asked.

I opened my mouth but closed it when I realized I really didn’t have a good excuse. It didn’t matter that I’d run constantly for four hours, when Flasker found me, I’d been standing still.

“I’m sorry, Sir!” I said.

Flasker leaned forward and whispered. “Oh, you will be. You’re lucky the book-lickers are here for you. Tomorrow you will pay.”

I nodded and waited for Yulth to join us.

“As you requested, Ma’am,” Flasker said.

“Thank you, Edge Captain. I’ll need him for the rest of the day. Is that acceptable?”

“Of course.” Flasker turned toward me. “He’ll make up for it tomorrow.”

Flasker gave a small bow to the scribe and strode off.

Yulth waited until Flasker couldn’t hear us. “Did she make it to the top?”

“What?”

“Did Wrallen make it to the top of the Hall?”

Wrallen must be the student with Kroflum. “Yes.”

“Paper cuts! I just missed it, too. She’s worked so hard, and I wish I could’ve seen it.”

Yulth had dark circles under her eyes and her shoulders slumped. I wondered how long she’d been up with Lylly last night but didn’t dare ask.

“That was Wrallen’s first time?” I asked.

Yulth walked back toward the Sword Pillar, and I followed. “Yes, we have accelerated her training because the Queen is here with Ky’Fullen and can heal Wrallen when she, uh, misses her mark. She’s had three broken bones mended this week alone. I’m so happy she finally succeeded.”

It dawned on me how exciting Yulth and the other scribes’ jobs could be. They helped to educate and train the students on their bond and got to spend time around the most amazing weapons in the world. It was sad that so few of the weapons picked a partner to bond with.

I wondered what it would look like if all the weapons in the Hall of Glory bonded students, and they all trained out here as they learned control: explosions of ice and fire, earthquakes and walls of water taller than a Pillar, students that were invisible or animals or flying or –

“Cevin!” Yulth said.

I faced her as she shook her head.

“Do you have something cleaner you can change into?”

I realized we’d already reached the Sword Pillar.

“Of course,” I replied.

“Do you remember how to return to the door in the cliff?”

“Yes.”

“Good. I’m going to go on ahead and prepare. You follow as soon as you’re cleaned up. Okay?”

I nodded and Yulth strode away. I opened the door to the Pillar and smelled my armpit. I decided she might be right about needing clean clothes. As I walked down the Groundies hallway a scream emerged from Lylly’s room. Without thinking I rushed forward and pushed her door open.

Weak light from the shaker kept most of the room in shadow. Panic blossomed as I realized I’d just entered Lylly’s room without asking. I turned to leave but whimpering from inside the room caused me to push forward instead.

Lylly lay in bed with her sheets wrapped around her like some sort of knot. She threw her head from side to side and mumbled. I took a step closer and wondered if I should wake her up from her nightmare. If I woke her up though, she might wonder why I’d entered her room in the first place. I’d probably broke a hundred rules by entering this room and I turned to leave.

“Hal!” Lylly screamed.

I screamed in response, surprised at her sudden outburst.

Lylly woke up, and she turned to face me. Her eyes appeared glassy and it took a few seconds for her to focus on me. I knew I’d probably just gotten myself expelled and I felt like someone had just punched me in the stomach.

“Water,” Lylly croaked and lifted her arm a few inches to point at her desk.

I leapt over to the desk and filled a wooden cup from the pitcher. I held it out to Lylly with two hands, terrified of spilling it on her. She took the water with shaking hands and drank the entire cup, before handing it back to me and laying back down.

“Thanks,” Lylly said and then fell back asleep.

I studied Lylly for five seconds. She looked terrible. Yulth had looked tired, but Lylly appeared exhausted. The circles under her eyes looked like bruises and her cheeks had streaks that had likely come from crying.

When Lylly didn’t move, I slowly backed out of her room. Maybe she’d think I was a dream, and I wouldn’t get in trouble. Whatever Lylly, Yulth, and Gavyn were up to, it had a terrible impact on Lylly. I quietly closed her door and ran up the stairs to my room.

Chapter 23

I took the shortcut through the woods to reach the door in the cliff. The closer I got to the Scribes’ underground room the more excited I became to talk with Lid. I had missed him more than I wanted to admit.

The shadow from the cliff cooled the air and I shivered as I neared the door. Back home even the shade was miserably hot, and the coolness here just added to the strangeness of this place. The door didn’t open as I approached so I made a fist and struck the door twice. The knock echoed in the metal door.

I cringed at the sound of metal on metal as a small window appeared. Merth peered down at me through the opening.

“You alone?” Merth asked.

“Just me and a Kahndirian Army in the trees.”

“Why did you get slashed?”

I rubbed at my face again. “A misunderstanding.”

“You seem to have a lot of those.”

“I know.”

I winced again as the small window closed. The sound of bolts sliding free was soon followed by the door opening and Merth waved me inside.

“You should really grease that eye slot,” I said.

“I know. But we don’t get many visitors this way. Davot and I are usually upstairs near the library. We only started using this entrance a couple of months ago.”

Merth closed the door and slid all the bolts back in place. A pail held shakers and lit the surroundings like a small fire. Shadows from the uneven rock walls flitted around like ghosts waiting to snatch me. I shivered again but this time not from the cold.

“I bet you like it upstairs better,” I said.

“Not really. It’s quiet down here. Not a bunch of know-it-all kids telling me what to do.”

Yes, this would be better than that. Even if there were spirits hiding in the walls. “Fair enough.”

Merth waved me down the hall. “Yulth said you’d be coming. Just go straight until you hit the grey door. Don’t get curious and wander off this main hall. We still haven’t found the last kid.”

I stepped away from the wall and hugged my arms.

Merth laughed. “I’m kidding. Just don’t wander around. I’m not sure anyone knows what is all down here.”

That didn’t make me feel any better, but I gave Merth a wave and headed down the hall.

Lid?

He didn’t respond and I quickened my pace.

As I approached the grey door, muffled voices escaped. I considered staying here and spying, but my excitement to talk with Lid made that impossible. Instead, I knocked and the grey door absorbed the sound like I’d hit a pillow. It was enough though, as the voices stopped and a moment later the door opened.

“What happened to your face?” Gavyn asked.

Tell him you were born that way and it is mean to bring it up, Lid offered.

Lid!

No need to shout.

Are you okay?

Gavyn waved his hand in front of my face. “Cevin?”

“Sorry. I misspoke at the Pillar last night.”

You got a slash on your second day? Lid asked.

It was mostly a misunderstanding.

Maybe you should speak Kahndirian. Your Galid seems to only get you in trouble.

I pictured myself speaking Kahndirian to Flasker. Being locked away hasn’t made your ideas any better.

My ideas cannot get any better. I reached that mountain top long ago. You are benefiting from thousa—

“Cevin?” Yulth asked. “Are you okay?”

 “Yes, I’m fine.”

“Please sit over there,” Gavyn said while pointing.

The two scribes were the only people in the room. The container holding Lid lay open on the table, and I had to stop myself from running across the room. Instead, I walked to the chair in front of Lid and sat.

It’s good to see you, I said.

Seeing would be nice. I am blind in here because this box absorbs my vibrations. Put me on the table would you. Maybe I can reach Wuk.

I did my best imitation of Lid’s voice in my head. It’s nice to see you too, Cevin. I missed talking to you. Are you okay? What did you do while I was gone?

I felt the pressure of Lid’s presence in my mind as he went through my recent memories.

You had FOUR sandwiches this morning! You little piggy.

I was hungry. And they were really good. And after everything that happened to me you want to discuss breakfast? You can just sit in there. In fact, maybe I’ll just seal this box back up.

I felt the cool wind of Lid’s laughter across my thoughts.

Okay, fine. I missed you, too. Well, not your snoring.

I don’t snore!

How would you know?

I didn’t have a good answer for that, so I glanced toward the door and the two scribes. Gavyn and Yulth still spoke in hushed tones so I reached in and retrieved Lid. He vibrated for a second, and I smiled. It felt good to hold him again.

Put me on the table. I want to see if I can get through to Wuk.

I set Lid down and glanced at the scribes again. They still hadn’t focused on me.

Lid vibrated a few times before going still. Since he didn’t speak, I assumed he was busy, and I scanned the shelf of boxes against the far wall. Of the fifty boxes, I wondered how many contained weapons. One of them probably held Wuk. I thought back to Lylly’s room and realized Hal’yorn hadn’t been above her bed. Was it here too?

“Cevin?” Yulth asked.

I jumped and let out a yelp. My heart thumped and my cheeks grew warm.

You are going to make a terrible spy, Lid said.

She surprised me. And what do you mean spy?

And now you look as guilty as she probably thinks you are.

Guilty of what? I don’t have anything to be guilty of.

Stupidity mostly. Then there are the—

Save it.

You asked.

“Are you okay, Cevin?” Yulth asked. “You always seem like you’re somewhere else.”

“Sorry, yes, I’m okay. I was just deep in thought, and you surprised me.”

Deep in thought. I love that.

You aren’t making this any easier.

Yulth looked even more tired from this distance.

“We’re moving to a different room,” Yulth said.

“What are we doing?”

Yulth frowned and looked away. She faced me again, and I thought she might respond, but Gavyn approached, and she stepped away.

“Nothing exciting,” Gavyn responded with a smile. “We just want to test how deep your bond is with the weapon. Only three days have passed, so I expect you’ll spend most of the day very bored.”

Hmmm, Lid said. I have a bad feeling about this. I wish Wuk could hear me, because I could use her input.

Why the bad feeling?

Why do they care how strong our bond is?

I don’t know.

Me either, but this seems like an odd thing to test.

Yulth picked up Lid’s case, and I carried him out of the room.

Lylly was here last night, I said, and I think Hal’yorn still is. Did you hear anything?

No, whoever made these storage boxes knew my tricks. Which is not good news.

Something isn’t right. Lylly didn’t make it to muster this morning and looked terrible when I saw her. Yulth and Gavyn don’t look much better. They’re up to something.

Instead of returning down the hallway I’d entered through, we took a right. Gavyn and Yulth both pulled shakers from their pockets and strode down the passage. The walls were uneven rock like the main hallway, but the floor seemed rougher. I didn’t see any branching hallways either.

In a few minutes the hallway ended at a closed oak door. Light seeped from all around the edges and it looked like a glowing rectangle hanging in the air. Gavyn opened the door, and a blast of heat made my skin tingle.

We entered the room and I squinted at the brightness. Directly across from me a fire burned in a brick oven. Most of the light and all the heat came from the oven’s two-foot opening.

That’s an odd-looking oven, I said.

It looks more like a small forge.

The room looked about the size of my room at the Pillar. To my left racks of weapons lined the wall. To my right a table ran the length of the wall covered with stacks of metal bars. The wall with the door we entered through had stacks of bundled wood along it. Leather gloves and an apron sat on top of the large table in the middle of the room. A keg of water stood near the forge.

Yulth took my arm and led me to the table. We both sat on stools as Gavyn went to the fire and poked it with a long metal rod.

“What is this place?” I asked.

“It’s where we fix weapons that are hurt or broken,” Yulth said.

“Why are we here? Lid isn’t either.”

“Oh, I know. We just want to measure the strength of your connection and that’s easier to do here.”

I shifted on the stool and placed Lid on the table.

I don’t like this place, I said.

Me either.

The air felt so dry it reminded me of home. I licked my lips and tried to find a more comfortable way to sit on the hard stool.

“Bring the weapon here,” Gavyn said.

I picked up Lid and walked to the other side of the table. Gavyn moved the leather apron and revealed a clamp.

Gavyn spun the rod on the end of the clamp and the clamp’s two arms inched together.

“Place it blade first into the gap,” Gavyn said.

I lowered Lid into the narrow space and a moment later I felt the clamp grab him.

“You can sit back down,” Gavyn said.

Are you okay? I asked as I made my way back to Yulth.

Yes, although I wonder what the real purpose of all this is.

Me too.

Yulth opened a drawer and removed a piece of paper, an inkwell, and a pen. She dipped the pen in the ink and wrote at the top of the paper:

Procedure: Caldwell

Bonded: Cevin Glasach (Less than 3 days)

Weapon: Lid (sword)

Administrator: G. Caldwell

Recorder: Y. Brist

Date: Kinter 33, 407

Then Yulth wrote the numbers one through ten down the left side of the paper.

You know what the Caldwell procedure is? I asked.

No.

I think it might be Gavyn’s if I’m reading Yulth’s writing correctly.

He must think a lot of it to name it after himself.

Yulth looked up at Gavyn and nodded.

Gavyn placed his hands flat on the table and leaned toward me. “We’re going to try a few things, ten actually, and it’s important that you tell Yulth, to the best of your ability, what you experience.”

“What things?” I asked. “Are you going to hurt Lid?”

Gavyn stood up straight and glanced at the forge. “Of course not.”

“First, we need to setup a proper scale,” Yulth said and pulled a small square of paper from the drawer. She placed it down in front of me. “Gavyn will to do things like tap Lid with a stick. You tell me a number based on the sensation you feel when that happens.”

I looked down at the paper.

 3 – Best

 2 – Great

 1 – Good

 0 – Nothing

-1 – Discomfort

-2 – Painful

-3 – Unbearable

Tell Yulth I have experienced a steady minus three since I met you, Lid said.

Very funny. But what should I do?

Since the reason they are doing this is unknown, I guess you should just tell the truth. Otherwise, we might make things worse.

I guess.

“Do you understand?” Yulth asked.

“Yes, but I –”

“Great, let’s get started,” Gavyn said.

Gavyn pulled a thin metal rod the length of his finger from a drawer and after another brief glance at Yulth and me, tapped Lid’s blade. Both scribes immediately studied me.

“Did you feel any sensation across your bond?” Yulth asked.

“No.”

Yulth placed a zero next to step one and nodded to Gavyn. For the next half hour they tapped, scratched, struck, heated, and squeezed Lid. Gavyn had Yulth add another five steps to her list, and these all focused on heat. For the fifteenth step Gavyn placed Lid in the furnace. A line of zeros filled Yulth’s paper.

Doesn’t the fire hurt? I asked.

No, they would need to leave me in much longer to do any damage.

Gavyn had just placed Lid in the water barrel when the door opened.

We all turned to see the Lore Master stride into the room. Yulth jumped up from her chair and Gavyn stood up straight. The Lore Master looked at the three of us and frowned.

The Lore Master pointed at both scribes. “You two out here.” He turned and left the room.

“I’ll do the talking,” Gavyn said.

Yulth nodded and the two of them left the room, closing the door behind them. It didn’t matter though, because I could still hear their conversation through the gaps around the door.

“I told you this morning to stop this,” the Lore Master said.

“I did,” Gavyn said. “This is another idea I had.”

“Explain yourself,” the Lore Master replied.

“You saw the small blade. We agreed it’s the same metal as Trah’Vadha.” Gavyn paused a second. “I thought we might repair her with the unknown blade.”

“What!” the Lore Master exclaimed.

“If we could fix Trah’Vadha think of the progress we could –”

“You know the risks.”

“I ran the procedure, and I’m not convinced a bond exists. This is safe.”

“If you’re wrong his father will destroy us all. Perhaps the entire city. Or maybe even worse.”

“I’m not wrong. We could change the course of every war. It’s the answer I’ve been searching for.”

“Your experiments have gotten more and more dangerous.”

“But –”

“No. Stop all this immediately. You can explain yourself to the council tonight. They’ll decide if you’ve gone too far, Gavyn.”

A single set of footsteps faded away followed by a minute of silence.

“I have not gone far enough,” Gavyn said.

“What are you going to do?” Yulth asked.

There was another long silence.

“The boy showed no reaction when the blade was in the furnace. Even if he was affected by my plan, the greater good is served. Why don’t they see it?”

“The Lore Master was clear. He wants us to stop and speak with the council tonight.”

“You know they’ll stop us. The Queen has turned them against me. She’s spent more time fighting than any of us, and should support our plans.”

“She wields Ky’Fullen. That fact alone tells you she values life above anything.”

“But one life is not worth thousands.”

More silence.

Whose life are they talking about? I asked. And how would Dad destroy a city?

Gavyn plans on melting me, Lid responded.

What!

He told the Lore Master he wants to repair her. That can only mean Trah’Vadha. It is not a bad idea actually.

Will it hurt you?

Five seconds of silence passed.

I might lose some things, Lid finally responded.

We can’t let him do that. I walked around the table and pulled Lid from the water. I won’t let him.

“Commander Jase will support us,” Gavyn said.

“Because of his daughter?” Yulth asked.

“Yes, he’ll see the balance in it. Logic is on our side.”

“It won’t matter if you can’t convince the Queen tonight.”

“You’re right. Clear the rest of our day and we’ll need Hal’yorn. I’m tired of asking for permission.”

I just cannot risk losing any information. Some of my knowledge is literally not replaceable.

We could stop them.

Probably, but showing that much power will draw even more attention to us. The Leab’Ayl Ribnor’s greatest asset is stealth. There are things worse than Gavyn, and I would like to stay hidden a while longer.

You mentioned other Librarians. Are there any that can help us?

One is headed here, but she is still too far away. The other is in Kahndire.

Gavyn and Yulth entered the room and walked toward me. Neither looked very happy.

I am leaving something behind, Lid said. Please take care of it.

What are you leaving?

Uh, think of it as a book.

You think now is a good time to write a book?

Yes, a book about me.

I don’t want a book. I want you. I held Lid up in front of me. I’m going to fight.

The two scribes stopped and stared at me.

We are in the middle of the single greatest concentration of weapons and warriors in the entire Kingdom and you want to fight? I see you started to think things through.

I ignored Lid’s sarcasm, but he had a point.

We can’t just let them take you.

It is too late now, that camel has left the caravan.

But what if you…if they do something to you…and you…

Die?

Yeah.

“Cevin, what are you doing?” Gavyn asked. “Lower the blade.”

My chest tightened. Only three days had passed since I’d met Lid, but it felt like years. It was hard to imagine life without him.

I could run, I said.

They have horses.

I don’t want you to get hurt.

Thanks.

“We are done for today,” Yulth said.

Yulth pushed a grey box across the table toward me.

“Please put Lid in the box,” Yulth said. “We’ll keep him safe for you.”

We can’t let this happen, I said.

Listen to me. Once I leave my book, I will not be able to speak.

Why can’t we talk?

It is a necessary part of my backup.

“Cevin, put Lid in the box,” Gavyn said.

We are out of time, Lid said. Guard what I leave behind. You will know when to use it.

Then next time I see you, right?

Exactly.

I don’t want you to go!

Trust your mom’s training. Trust yourself. I do.

I clenched Lid’s hilt, and it grew warm, almost hot, in my hand.

Gavyn’s face turned red, and his hands clenched. He looked like a different person than the man I’d met in the Hall. His eyes appeared mad and possessed.

I glared at him but stepped forward and placed Lid in the box. Gavyn immediately closed the cover and tucked the box under his arm.

Yulth set her shaker on the table. “Can you find your way out?”

I nodded and the two scribes left without another word.

When I no longer heard their footsteps, I looked down at my hand and the “book” Lid had left me. A slate grey hexagon about the size of my thumbnail sat in my palm. It was half the thickness of my finger and still felt warm.

Lid?

Silence.

Lid?

But he didn’t answer. My chest ached as I placed the grey hexagon in my pocket.

I missed him already.

Chapter 24

As I approached the door that led outside, I placed the shaker in my pocket.

“Peace, Cevin,” Davot said.

“Hi, Davot. Where’s Merth?”

“His shift’s over, and I have a long quiet night in front of me,” Davot said with a smile. The guard leaned the book he’d been reading against his stool, got up, and unlocked the door.

I thanked him and slipped outside. The sun was lower in the sky than I’d expected. It hadn’t felt like I’d spent that long inside but most of the day had disappeared.

As I entered the grove the shadows made my skin prickle.

“You look terrible,” Shanah said.

I jumped and let out a yelp.

“Stop doing that!” I said.

“What?”

“Sneaking up on me.”

“I wasn’t. I’m on my way to meet with Yulth. You think I just stand around waiting for you to show up?”

My cheeks burned and I hunched in on myself. “No. But you should wear a bell or something. You’re too quiet.”

“You want to place a bell around my neck like a cow. Is that how they treat women in the desert?”

My mouth dropped open. “No! Of course not! I only meant–”

Shanah laughed. “You really make it too easy. Why do you look so worried?”

I studied the ground and tried to decide how much to say. Lid was in some sort of “book,” and I didn’t have anyone to talk to about what had just happened. Maybe if I talked about it a path forward might appear. Right now, I didn’t know what to do.

“They’re going to melt Lid.”

“What! Who?”

“Gavyn.”

“But that might ki —”

Shanah abruptly stopped and took a deep breath.

“They can’t do that,” Shanah continued. “Maybe you misunderstood?”

I fingered the hexagon in my pocket. “Maybe, but Lid was convinced.”

“I have a meeting with Yulth now,” Shanah bit her lower lip and looked up at the Archive Tower. “I’ll talk with Wuk and then I’ll find Lanah. We’ll figure out what’s happening and help.”

“No, don’t do that. I can’t drag you into my mess.”

Shanah put her hands on her hips. “You aren’t dragging me anywhere. Plus, I sort of need to help.”

“What? Why would you need to help me?”

Shanah shook her head and brushed past me. “I’ll see you tonight.”

I watched her march toward the door. Why did she feel like she needed to help me? I walked deeper into the trees. Two older sisters had taught me that trying to figure out Shanah’s reasoning on my own would prove useless. Shanah would explain it to me when she was ready and not before.

Shanah’s odd behavior reminded me of how strange Lylly had acted. She’d spent a lot of time with the scribes too, and might understand their plans. My stomach turned as I realized what I needed to do, but I forced myself to keep moving toward the Sword Pillar instead of running in the opposite direction.

I worried the entire way to the Pillar that Flasker would be waiting for me in the common room, but when I opened the door, the room was empty. Moving quickly to the far door, I eased myself into the officers’ hallway. I peeked through Flasker’s open doorway and finally relaxed. He wasn’t here.

I moved in front of Lylly’s mostly closed door and stood there too scared and unsure about what to do. What would I say to her? Did I tell her what Gavyn planned to do with Lid? She’d been nice to me but even that gave me pause. Why was she being so nice? Had she –

“Top, either knock and come in, or move away from the door,” Lylly said from inside her room.

I swallowed hard, wiped my palms against my pants, and opened the door.

“How did you know it was me?” I asked as I entered her room.

Lylly sat in her chair with an unopen book on her lap. A tray of uneaten food sat on her desk.

“Your shadow blocked the light under the door. Everyone is still at training. Very few people would be in the Pillar at this time of the day. None of them would spend two minutes deciding if they should knock.”

I reached into my right pocket and rotated the hexagon with my fingers. “I wasn’t sure if I should bother you. Earlier you –”

Lylly’s eyes narrowed. “I thought that was a dream. Were you in my room this morning?”

This was definitely not what I wanted to talk about. I needed to change the topic immediately. “Gavyn might hurt Lid.”

Lylly sat up straight. “What?”

“He did some testing today and then the Lore Master showed up and they argued about what Gavyn was doing and –”

Lylly stood and leapt to me. I stepped back in surprise, but Lylly grabbed my shoulders.

“What did they say? Tell me.”

My mouth went dry, and I swallowed hard. “The Lore Master said this time Gavyn had gone too far.”

Lylly let go of my shoulders. “Finally, someone in that Tower has stopped this madness.”

“Gavyn has to meet with the Council tonight and defend his ideas.”

“Ideas? There is something other than Hal’yorn and me?”

“I don’t know about that. The Lore Master didn’t like Gavyn’s idea for fixing Trah’Vadha.”

“He wants to fix the royal sword? How?”

I clenched the hexagon in my pocket. “He wants to melt Lid to repair it.”

Lylly stepped back and her eyes glazed over. She stood that way for almost half a minute.

“Will the Council stop him? I don’t want to lose Lid.”

Lylly focused on me. “Tell me everything the Lore Master said.”

I repeated back as much of the conversation as I could. Lylly frowned when I finished.

“Who is your father?” Lylly asked.

I thought about Flasker’s warning not to tell anyone my family name, but Lylly outranked him, and all he wanted to do was hurt me anyway. “Samniall Glasach.”

Lylly gasped.

“Why do people do that?” I asked.

“That explains a lot.”

“It doesn’t explain anything! What do people know about my dad?”

“You’ve read about Jasper. You know why.”

“There are no books about Jasper! I’ve asked my parents a hundred times. Obviously, something happened to my dad there that no one has told me.”

“Now the Commander’s behavior makes sense.”

“What makes sense about it?”

“He lost his daughter there and has never recovered.”

“But what does that have to do with my dad?”

“Jase blames your dad.” Lylly shook her head. “Let’s focus on tonight right now. Gavyn’s mistake was getting you involved. Now, the council will stop him for sure.”

Lylly’s hands trembled.

“Are you okay?” I asked.

“I thought I was doomed, but my family and I might actually make it out of this alive.”

“What are you talking about? Are you in danger?”

“I was. Gavyn learned something a few days ago that has allowed him to accelerate his plans. I wondered if I could survive this pace. Now I don’t need to worry. The council will stop him. This all ends tonight.”

“What about Lid? Shouldn’t I do something?”

“You need to go upstairs and stay there. Gavyn is dangerous. The adults will handle this. Gavyn has run out of time.”

Chapter 25

Sitting on my bed, I turned the hexagon Lid had left me over in my hand. The shaker on the desk to my right had dimmed and the low light suited my mood. All the shutters were open, but the breeze, along with the sunlight, had disappeared hours ago.

The sounds from the floors below had died down as the students went to sleep. I’d been here since Lylly had sent me up here, not bothering to go down for dinner. My appetite had disappeared anyway.

A couple of my chalks were large enough to use, so I’d spent the evening drawing. It helped me forget my horrible situation. I was surrounded by sketches of Lid and one of the moment Trah’Vadha arced with lightning and revealed my friend.

I’d called out to Lid multiple times, but he never answered.

Mom would scold me for my mood. She hated when I got depressed like this, although at least this time I had good reasons.

If I was at home, Mom would force me to start our stretches. I pushed myself off the bed and stuck the hexagon in my pocket. Even though I hated the stupid movements, they did usually make me feel better. And they reminded me of home.

I’d spent the first hour in my room angry at my parents for their secrets. Something important had happened to Dad at Jasper Pass and they’d purposefully kept it from me. That anger had turned into sadness that they didn’t think they could trust me.

Eventually my thoughts centered on the terrible mistake I’d made leaving Lid behind. What if Lylly was wrong and the Council decided Lid was worth sacrificing to repair the royal sword? I hadn’t even fought for Lid. I’d just given him up. Over and over the same thoughts had cut me, until my mind felt like mush. I needed to stop the cycle of these thoughts before I jumped out the window in despair.

Standing in the middle of the room, I let my hands fall to my sides. Closing my eyes, I focused on my breathing for a full minute, not letting my mind think about anything else. My heart rate slowed, and my shoulders relaxed.

Like every other time, I spent five minutes searching for any of the eight sources of personal power Mom assured me I possessed. Why she insisted I do this when I couldn’t manage to make a visible rune work, was another mystery she kept from me.

Not surprisingly, the eight sources of power eluded me, so without opening my eyes, I transitioned into the next part of the routine, and began the first set of stretches.

I brought my arms up until I looked like a ‘t’, and then stepped to my right as I twisted my hips and brought my left arm across my body, almost touching my chest. Mom called this movement Sleeping Cricket. I continued into Catching Rain, Seven Elbows, and paused at Laughing Moon.

My left foot, a little too far forward, shifted my center of gravity and affected my balance. I could hear Mom’s voice scolding me for messing up such an easy stretch, and I smiled. For a moment I felt better.

“Do you have gas?” Lanah asked.

My eyes flew open, and I jerked in surprise. Lanah sat in the north window, one leg on the sill, the other hanging over the ledge. She had a coil of rope across her body.

“Babies smile like that when they have gas,” Lanah continued.

“I don’t have gas!”

“Okay, you don’t need to shout.”

“What are you doing?”

“Sitting.”

“Well…I…you…why are you here?”

“I’m meeting my sister.”

“What!”

Lanah brought both legs into the room, put her elbows on her knees, and her chin in her hands. “Do you always shout everything?”

“No!” I took deep breath. “No.”

Her fingers where white and she had a small pouch on her waist. Chalk, so she could get a better grip on the stones. She had climbed up ten stories.

“Who taught you to fight?” Lanah asked.

Memories of Dad sending me back into the house to read books with Mom struck me like a punch to the nose, and my throat tightened up. He’d never thought I was worth teaching.

“Nobody, I don’t know how to fight,” I said.

“Now you’re whispering,” Lanah replied.

The door closed behind me, and I jumped again. Shanah strode to her sister, and they spent the next ten seconds doing their crazy handshake. Lanah hopped off the windowsill, let the rope fall to the ground, and the sisters hugged. They both faced me, and I stepped backward, my cheeks hot. I felt like running down the stairs to escape their combined gaze.

“What was that about fighting?” Shanah asked.

“Gassy said—,” Lanah started.

“I don’t have gas!” I said, my forehead sweating. “And doesn’t anyone around here use names?”

“Calm down, Cev,” Lanah said. “You need to lighten up.”

My sisters called my Cev, but the memory only fueled my anger.

“Lighten up? I…don’t you see…my day…”

I tried to talk, but these two sisters made it hard to think. Plus, I hadn’t eaten anything since breakfast, and I felt kind of dizzy.

Lanah put a hand near Shanah’s ear and whispered loudly. “He can’t speak because of the painful gas.”

I choked and raised my arms in defeat. Lanah turned to me and winked, and in a heartbeat my anger disappeared. They were making fun of me, but it wasn’t mean like when my brother Liadh did it. It felt different, and while I didn’t smile, I stopped frowning.

The sisters laughed again and then Shanah strode toward me while removing a bag that hung from her waist. Her shirt had covered it and hid it from view. She handed it to me.

I hesitated and then took it, not sure if this was another joke.

“Are you scared of my pouch?” Shanah asked.

“No,” I lied.

“No snakes…promise,” Shanah said.

Shanah half turned to Lanah and mouthed a single word. “SCORPIONS.”

The sisters giggled. I looked down to hide a smile. I undid the knot and opened the bag, half expecting to see scorpions. Instead, I found food. I grabbed some sort of jerky and shoved it into my mouth.

“Thanks,” I mumbled, the food in my mouth making the word sound more like a grunt.

“Sure,” Shanah replied.

The sisters walked over to my bed and sat. Lanah picked up some of my sketches and looked at them. She showed one to Shanah.

My stomach clenched and my cheeks burned. I didn’t usually let people see my drawings.

“These aren’t bad,” Lanah said.

“Thanks.”

I relaxed a little and stuck a honey oat bar into my mouth.

“What were you saying about fighting?” Shanah asked.

“Cev isn’t as pathetic as I thought,” Lanah responded.

While the words were mean, the tone was friendly.

“I probably am,” I admitted.

“You shouldn’t talk with your mouth full,” Lanah said. “What terrible manners. Where were you raised? The desert?”

I stopped chewing. I had been raised in the desert. Well, as close as anyone got, anyway. Both girls studied me, and I realized they knew that, too. Which was the whole point of Lanah’s comment. I chewed again, but this time with my mouth open. Loudly.

The sisters grinned.

“Okay, third time. Fighting?”

“Cev was slow dancing when I showed up,” Lanah replied.

“Dancing?” I asked.

“What style?” Shanah asked.

Lanah shrugged. “Some southern one. I saw pictures like it in one of Master Tam’s books. The description basically said if you encountered this style to immediately retreat.”

“Master Tam?” I asked.

“The Seeker in charge or our…special training,” Shanah said.

“Your sneaking around training?” I asked.

“And fighting,” Lanah said.

I shook my head to try and stay focused.

“Dancing?” I asked again. I definitely did not know how to dance.

Shanah turned to me. “Show me.”

“Show you what?”

Lanah tilted her head and nodded. “He’s a good liar, too. I almost believe he doesn’t know.”

She must be talking about Mom’s stretching exercises. “This?” I said while halfheartedly moving between Catching Rain and Seven Elbows.

“Yeah, but do it like before,” Lanah said.

What was Lanah talking about? This wasn’t some southern fighting style. They were stupid exercises I did with Mom to clear my head and loosen up my muscles. I shrugged, set the bag of food down, and strode to the middle of the room. My heart pounded. I’d never done this in front of strangers before.

I closed my eyes, and tried to pretend it was just Mom and me, sitting at the desert’s edge after a long night of running.

I took a breath, picturing it. The air would still hold the night’s coolness, as the sun remained trapped under the horizon.

A second breath, deeper this time. My body would feel exhausted, muscles sore, but the good sore, almost relaxing.

A final breath. Mom’s dark skin glistening in the moonlight as she brought her arms up into a ‘t’.

The final breath escaped slowly, and I began, forgetting the sisters were there. It was just Mom and me and the endless dunes. I hadn’t realized how much I missed doing them with her until right now, when it was too late to tell her. All I’d ever done was complain about them.

I didn’t stop after the first stretch, or the second, but did all twenty-three—lost in my memories of Mom and the distant smell of acacia trees, moonlight, and the whispering of sand rolling down the dunes.

I lowered my arms from their ‘t’ shape, bringing them to my sides, in the final move of the twenty-third stretch. My heart beat in a slow and steady pace, my mind felt clear, and my body energized.

My intense homesickness merged with the fond memories of stretching with Mom and for an instant my chest exploded like a volcano had erupted. It disappeared so quickly I didn’t even gasp at the surge of…not pain I realized…but something more like energy.

I searched for the source of the sensation, but it had disappeared completely, and I wondered if I’d imagined it. Maybe I’d finally touched one of the invisible places Mom always talked about. Regardless, I now felt better than when I’d arrived here three days ago.

I opened my eyes.

The sisters remained on my bed and they both leaned forward with wide eyes, but they didn’t say anything.

My body flushed, and I shivered. Why had I done all the stretches? I could’ve just done the first one. It must have looked incredibly stupid for them to remain so quiet. They were probably both so shocked they couldn’t find the words to make fun of me. I wiped my palms on my pants and my heart thumped louder with every passing second.

“Horse’s butt, Cev, who taught you that?” Lanah asked.

I looked down. “My mom.”

“It was beautiful,” Shanah said.

My head snapped up. “What?”

Shanah leaned backward. “I’ve watched sword masters do the Seventeen Points my whole life. Lanah and I have trained with Master Tam since we could throw a punch, and I have never seen anyone move like that.”

Lid had said something about the Seventeen Points yesterday morning. Why had Shanah compared my stretches to those exercises? My stomach dropped a little. I was missing something.

“They’re just stretches,” I whispered.

Lanah pushed herself off the bed and strode over to me. “Do that move where you bring your left arm in a half circle across your chest.”

“Racing Sunlight?” I asked as I did the motion.

“Yeah, that’s it,” Lanah said. “Do it again.”

I started the move but this time Lanah extended her arm in a slow punch. My left arm struck her just behind the wrist and moved her arm away from my body. My stomach turned. What was she doing?

Lanah stayed where my movement had left her, off balance and leaning to her right.

“What is the next move in your stretch?” Lanah asked.

“Falling Sand.”

“Do it, slowly.”

My left arm still touched Lanah’s arm. I rotated it in a small circle around Lanah’s arm, moving upward while bringing my right arm down across my body as I twisted my hips. Lanah’s arm was now tightly held by my left arm, and my right hand rested on her extended elbow. If I continued into the next move, Throwing Nets, it would snap her elbow.

“If you speed it up, you can fight with it,” Lanah said.

I released Lanah and stepped backward. Lid’s comments about refusing to see, about how Mom had prepared me, roared through my head. My stomach cramped, and I wondered if I might vomit.

I’d spent my entire life thinking these were just stretches, but Lanah had showed me the truth. They were far from just exercises. A huge part of my life had been a lie.

My mom had lied to me. Did Dad know? He must. Why would she teach me such a thing and keep it secret?

“No,” I whispered.

Lies and secrets. They surrounded me.

“Are you okay?” Shanah asked.

 “No,” I said again, but no sound came out.