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Joachim’s lips curled in a nasty smirk. “We’ll see if you ever become one of the dragon knights.”
His tone was laced with threats I didn’t understand, but I knew he hated me.
“I will,” I said. “And I’ll defend the king and queen and the princess.”
Joachim laughed, a short nasty laugh. “Good luck, you little wretch.”
Then the two of them moved past me.
I stood on the castle steps and a shiver ran through me, even though the day was warm and sunny.
CHAPTER1
Lynx
I was tryingto study when Branok came in. When Branok wasn’t in the mood to read himself, it was impossible to concentrate around him. He threw himself into the chair across from me, folded his hands as if he were going to be quiet, then sat forward, propping both his elbows up on the table. “We should be with them.”
We’d been left behind in Rylow while our friends were scattered to the winds, but I knew that wasn’t what was really bothering him the most. “You mean, we should be with her?”
He shrugged. “That too. What have you found?”
I’ve been going through and reading about Ebba. I had always thought these stories were just legends, but now the truth seemed more complicated.
“It was hell on earth when Ebba ruled, according to these stories. His kind of chaos was a suspension of the natural order, destroying the way husbands love wives and mothers love children, causing widespread death and sickness.”
“What about his assassin?”
“I don’t think it’s his assassin. I think it’s just like another manifestation of himself. Especially because it has the same powers.” Ebba had gone after Caldren using the natural environment. It bothered me to think of him being more tied to the land then any of us, even Pend, who had been more powerful because his magical bond with the land came with the crown.
“And how do we stop it?” Branok said. “Jaik seems like he’ll be annoyed now if his brother bites the dust.”
“As would we all. Don’t be a dick.”
“Why would I change now?” Branok drummed his fingertips on the table, and it was obvious I would not get any more work done. He was always so cool and controlled around everyone else, but I knew a different, more manic side of Branok. “One of my spies brought in a lead on one of your noble friends.”
I’d had to kill my way out of the situation after I discovered some nobles had summoned Ebba to do their bidding and kill Caldren, so they could put down the prey shifter rebellion. But I’d left plenty of evil nobles alive behind me. Branok and I intended to fix that.
I closed the book. “Are we paying someone a visit, then?”
Ten minutes later, we were on our way out of the Academy.
“Oh, great. Camet.” Branok muttered to me.
He had been one of Pend’s advisors, and he had tried to advise Jaik since, who had been polite with him but didn’t take him all that seriously. Now that Jaik was gone, though, he was very insistent on being helpful.
“Ah, Lord Branok, Lord Lynx. Just the people I wanted to see!”
That feeling was not mutual.
“What is it?” Branok, as usual, was not doing a stellar job of pretending to be polite. It was annoying, because I often ended up imitating him, and it meant I had to act like an asshole to everyone. But he claimed it was just as punishing to pretend to be me and bite his tongue.
“I understand that Prince Jaik ordered all the tunnels to be destroyed?” he asked. “But the tunnels under Rylow can’t be destroyed. They will cause the city to cave in.”
“We have it under control,” I promised. Though there was no way to seal the doors as well as we would have liked, massive amounts of concrete would do just as well to make it as though the tunnels had never existed.
“But if we seal the tunnels—”
Branok and I were already walking away. Over my shoulder, I said, “Prince Jaik already gave orders. There’s nothing more to discuss.”
