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“This is why everyone fears him.” I whispered. “He was forced to spend so long serving Ash Nevra.” I couldn’t imagine the atrocities she had likely forced him to commit in her name. Dossidian nodded.
“Yes. Even all the good work we have done over the past ninety years… Ash Nevra is aware of it, but it is not wise to boast about it or rub her face in it. She could easily re-enslave us all. Even with Bond-Breaker, Amon can only do so much. We have largely attempted to keep up the ruse that we are still under her thumb. We’ve had too, or risk all-out war.
“Even if we did go to war, Ash Nevra’s army would be fought largely by unwilling slaves. On top of that, Amon and Ash Nevra are so evenly matched, it would be a war that no one is truly certain we would win. Amon has not been willing to risk so many lives to go up against her.”
As I sat there, processing everything I just learned, the hatred I felt towards Ash Nevra heightened. How dare she. I had already agreed to help awaken Aleites, but in that moment, sitting next to Dossidian in the training ring, I made another decision.
“I am going to kill her.” I whispered next to him. He looked at me, an impressed half smile cocked on his mouth.
“Aye.” He said, standing up. “Then we best make sure you get through the Quickening alive. Let’s get back to work.”
18
If I was being honest with myself, I had been enjoying training before I had heard Dossidian’s tale. Knowing what I did now, it took on a whole new meaning for me. It wasn’t just about what the exercise was doing to help heal my mind. I had a purpose. A goal. Ash Nevra had given the order to kill my mother. I had endured weeks of torture at the hands of her followers. Now, understanding how many more lives she had ruined, I was suddenly consumed with the need to stop her. To do that, I would have to be stronger, meaner, and deadlier than she was.
I threw myself into my training and let everything else fall away. The sun carried on its path through the sky. Dossidian checked in with me as it began to brush against the tips of the mountains in the distance.
“Let’s call it for the day,” he said.
“I think I can keep going for a bit longer.” I panted, after a particularly difficult set of suicides. Dossidian smiled at me but shook his head.
“I love the enthusiasm, but it’s counterproductive to overdo it. You need to rest properly, or you won't see any progress. You’ve already gone for much longer today than I had originally planned.” He threw his hands over his head to stretch. “Besides, we really should head back and make sure that Kasha and Rycon haven't killed each other.”
He had a point there. We made our way back to the East Wing, to shower and change. I changed into soft stretchy cotton pants and the large knit sweater that I had found the first night in my armoire before making my way to the common room. I was hoping some kind of dinner would be waiting. I was starving and exhausted.
Serendipitously, Amon was just shadow walking Conrad and Meredith back across The Veil as I entered the common room, and Dossidian was already in the pit, making himself a plate.
“How did it go?” I asked hopefully, but their faces looked grim.
“It’s… complicated.” Amon said, running a hand through his hair.
“Mi grandmotha i nuh doin’ well.” Conrad said, and my heart sunk. I took a moment to really observe him, and realized his expression wasn’t just one of disappointment, but mourning and loss. “She nuh have much time left.” He finished, and my heart broke for him.
“After the battle, Patricia was not well enough to fly home.” Meredith explained. “She’s been staying with my father at the house. There is a Board meeting coming up, but the only way we could get her there is if Amon shadow walks her, which means we would pretty much need to be upfront with The Board about why we need The Lens.”
“Shit,” Dossidian cursed, putting his plate down.
“Can Mr. Abbey not go?” I asked, referring to Meredith’s father, and my old high school principal.
“Tuh raise an issue for a vote, yuh need tuh have at least two certified board members aligned and present. Otherwise, everyone would bring every small grievance dey have to di table an’ noting would ever get done.”
“So, we have to shadow walk Patricia,” I said.
Amon looked at me, his lips a hard line. “It is a massive risk. I didn’t even want to consult the prophets on the clues The Eye gave us. If this gets out at all it’s over.”
“There has to be something we can do.” I said.
“My father said we could petition the Sorcerer General for a private audience. If approved, we could ask her to allow us to bring forward what’s called a ‘forgotten’ vote. This is a specialized vote in which the members of The Board agree to have their memories wiped after the vote has been completed. But this is usually a lengthy process, and with Patricia’s state of health we don’t have the luxury of time.”
“Origin damn the magic folk and their bureaucracy,” Dossidian grumbled. I frowned.
“We have to try.” I said. “You mean to tell me that this Sorcerer General wouldn’t be interested to hear what The Origin’s daughter has to say? Can we not ask for this process to be expedited, considering the urgent nature of everything? I mean, they’ve been trying to get their hands on me forever.”
Conrad winced at my words.
“No offence, Conrad, but it’s true. Now I’m here and want to speak to them and they’re putting me on a wait list?”
Amon looked amused. ‘What’s gotten into you,’ He asked into my mind. ‘You’re feisty today.’ I glanced at him and shrugged. I guess I was. His eyes darkened and his lips curled into one of his more nefarious smiles. ‘I like it.’ My heart skipped a beat, and I felt my face flush. Was he… flirting with me?
