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Kiara
I had a dream of Grandmother last night and immediately thought of you. There was always a bond between the two of you I never understood. I think I was always envious of it. You’re like her in many ways—stubborn, self-righteous, and certainly quick to anger. But like her, you attract the little good in this world, and people—whether they love or hate you—can’t help but be drawn to you. Hells, I think I’m envious of that as well.
Unmailed letter from Liam Frey to his sister, Kiara Frey,
year 50 of the curse
The morning began like every other one before it.
And that was the problem—Jude didn’t make an appearance during the meetup in the rotunda, and he was noticeably absent from dinner.
Days passed.
I constantly peered into corridors and alcoves, expecting to glimpse his shadowy form hiding in the gloom, his broad arms crossed against his chest as raven hair tumbled into his depthless eyes. Always observing. Forever guarding.
But he was never there.
He simply vanished like the shadow I likened him to, and not a single Knight spoke of him. As it wasn’t a topic I could very well broach, I kept my mouth shut, choosing to keep a vigilant eye out for his scowling face. A face that undid me in more ways than I liked.
On the fourth morning of Jude’s absence, Pat, Nic, Jake, and I practiced drills in the rotunda.
Since the trial in the caverns, the four of us had become inseparable. Perhaps our ordeal had bonded us, made us form a ragtag team. But whatever the reason, I was grateful, if begrudgingly so.
On that particularly brisk morning, I’d just instructed Nic on how to complete an exceptionally complex combo. Carter had grimaced at my deviation from his training, but a second later, he was mimicking my motions, grumbling beneath his breath as he tried to perfect the intricate series of motions.
“Not bad,” he admitted in that roughened way of his. “You could use some more force behind it, but decent enough.” He grabbed at his graying beard, the corner of his eyes crinkling with what I could mistake for amusement.
He moved on to the next group of trainees, ruffling one of the lads’ heads before he showed them the new moves. I smiled at the sight.
“Such a suck-up, Ki,” Nic said with a smirk.
“Not a suck-up, Nic. It’s not my fault Carter took notice of my impeccable form.” I batted my lashes playfully. “Maybe if you didn’t hesitate before striking, you’d catch his eye too.”
Jake snorted, and Nic shot him a warning look.
The boys had just resumed their stances when the hair on the back of my neck tingled, a pleasant rush of air wafting through the dampened strands of my loose braid.
Even as I turned, I knew it was him.
Jude.
I froze where I stood, shocked speechless by the battered mess that was Commander Maddox’s face.
Ghastly purple bruises blossomed beneath both eyes, and a nasty cut sliced across his unscarred cheek. The once straight bridge of his nose was crooked and slightly swollen, leading me to believe it had been broken.
But it was the utter lifelessness in his eyes that did me in—a pain so tangible it crashed into my body, ripping the air from my lungs.
A slight gasp accompanied the tremor that worked its way up my spine. My eyes burned with a foreign rage as I rediscovered my voice.
“Commander Maddox!” I yelled across the room, his name tumbling out of my mouth in a flustered rush. “Can I have a word?”
Jude staggered into the light of the sunfires, the soft blaze illuminating each grisly blow he’d been dealt. I envisioned every last one of them, every strike, each bone-shattering punch, and my mouth soured.
He regarded me coldly, both his hands clasped austerely behind his back. Painfully long seconds ticked by, and just when I believed Jude would ignore me, that he’d leave me breathless and questioning, he rigidly jerked his head toward the privacy of the corridor.
He slipped away without a word.
“I’ll be right back, guys,” I called over my shoulder, not bothering to spare them a glance. They’d likely tease me about the commander again. They certainly hadn’t held back since the day he’d carried me to the bath, especially Jake. He was the worst of them.
