“Sebastian,” she said, more urgently than she intended.
He paused mid-swing, blade hanging loose. When he turned, there must have been something in her expression, because he lowered it entirely. “What’s wrong?”
She looked around nervously, checking that they were alone, and took a step closer to him. He peered down at her, surprised.
“I just overheard the Council talking. About why the trials are different this year.”
His whole body stilled. “Go on.”
“They mentioned Draknor rising.” She watched his face carefully. “Said something about ‘when it’s whole’ and ‘it must remain scattered’.That the trials were meant to prove our magic is strong enough.” The words tumbled out faster now. “But it didn’t work, because of Rosalie.”
Silence followed her words.
“You’re certain?” He lowered his voice. “Those were their exact words?”
“Yes,” Kara said, “They said what happened yesterday was ‘unfortunate’. My father was there – I recognised his voice. And two others, I think Lord Elias and Lady Evelyn. She was scared, I felt it–”
“Fuck.” He dragged a hand through his hair and turned away, pacing. “Fuck.”
She’d never heard that edge in his voice before. Not cocky, not amused. Something darker.
“You believe me?” she asked, surprised.
He turned back. “Why wouldn’t I?”
“I thought you might think I misheard, or–”
“My father’s been different for days. Tense. Insisting on more patrols than usual. This would explain it.” He paused. “Fatàn must have given them something. It sounds like a prophecy.”
“That’s what I thought too,” Kara agreed. “But Draknor are supposed to be gone. The Arcanth stripped them of their magic after the War. That’s what we were taught.”
“It’s what everyone was taught,” Sebastian agreed.
“It’s the whole reason the Arcanth was shattered – to stop it happening again–” The words died in her throat.
“What?”
“When it’s whole... they’re not talking about the Arcanth Shards, are they?”
Sebastian said nothing for a long moment.
“If they are, then it could mean someone’s going to try and put it back together,” he said quietly.
“But that’s treason. No one would–”
He shook his head. “People do all sorts of things, Kara.”
Kara hesitated. “So... what do we do about it?”
His posture straightened, and something shifted in his expression. The man she’d confided in was gone in an instant, replaced by the soldier. Calm and calculating. Already turning the possibilities, strategies, over in his head.
“I’ll see what I can find out from my father,” he said at last.
“You can’t tell him that I–”
“I won’t,” he assured her. “I can be subtle.”
She raised her eyebrows at him.
