Chapter 13

Once a month, Concordia Academy held liturgy.

The academy expected all cadets to attend.

Today was their first liturgy and Micah couldn't imagine better timing. His team hadn't slept well the past few nights, still haunted by their mission and their comrade's gruesome death. News of the incident traveled quickly across the academy and gossip eagerly raged.

Enduring the looks, the talks, and the accusations hadn't been easy for some members of the team. While Micah could shoulder the attention, he knew the others had trouble dealing with Wayde's absence and functioning under the negative scrutiny. Liturgy would at least soothe their troubles, at least for an hour or two.

Micah wasn't so fortunate.

He wasn't a religious individual. While he acknowledged the existence of the gods, or, more appropriately, the fables of Agni and Varuna, he did not practice any sort of worship. During this morning's service, however, he would have to choose one god over the other. Fortunately, it would be a short service, as only the first-year cadets would attend today in order to receive their blessings from their respective god.

"Considering you're a child of both Varuna and Agni, who are you going to pledge yourself to?" Keegan whispered as they stood in a line with the other first-year cadets. "You never really seemed interested in Agni back in Region 20. Will you identify with Varuna?" He seemed especially interested in Micah's answer, judging from the way he gawked.

He still hadn't asked after Micah's parentage, nor his mixed race. He simply accepted it with open arms and pretended as if he did not have burning questions. Encountering someone like Keegan had to be especially rare. People typically felt slighted, perhaps angry when they did not receive answers. Keegan was Keegan.

He just waited patiently for Micah to open up on a topic that was clearly sensitive.

"Neither one sounds remotely encouraging," Micah responded emotionlessly.

Keegan looked at him irritably. "Maybe religion will do you some good, Micah." He studied the group of cadets in front of them and then craned his neck around to study the ones standing behind. "I find praying to Agni comforting. Though he doesn't always answer my prayers, he has blessed me with a good life. I can't thank him enough."

Micah pursed his lips. Displeased. "Perhaps your good luck and good fortune is due to your parents' hard work, not the work of an unsympathetic god."

"Micah," Keegan said in a controlled voice. "Don't take religion away from me."

The boy then turned his shoulder dismissively.

Micah inclined his head, acknowledging and understanding Keegan's angry frustration. As Josiah mentioned earlier, it was crucial Micah choose a god and relate to said entity. It was entirely political. After all, religion was important to a great deal of people. They credited Agni or Varuna for their fortune and would often pray to the gods to help them through tragedies and hardships.

As the line inched closer to the vicar who performed the blessings on the new cadets, Micah examined the large sculpture of Varuna. According to legend, the water god, unlike his fire counterpart, was tranquil and serene. He was easy to please and he loved his people. Micah could relate to Varuna far more than he could relate to Agni.

Agni was short-tempered and his rage was wicked. Unlike Varuna, Agni was hard to please, though his loyalty was fierce and enduring. There were far more rituals to appease Agni than there were rituals performed in Varuna's name.

Agni and Varuna were both a part of birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, deaths, and births. In fact, Ember told Micah that Calder had baptized him under both Agni and Varuna when he was born. Unfortunately, Micah didn't think the academy would appreciate him stepping out and trying to receive two blessings today.

Such an act was a bit too bold.

At least for now.

As Micah watched the vicar trickle water down Kai Edlen's forehead, he assessed the rest of the chapel.

A corridor attached the chapel to the military academy, however, it was its own, separate building. There had to be hundreds of rows of pews inside the chapel, certainly far more than needed for the academy. Micah knew there were not that many cadets enrolled at the academy to fill even half the pews. Everything about the chapel reeked of gold. It reeked of exhausted resources, just like the academy itself.

Splendor and extravagance.

Even the aisle Micah stood waiting was excessively decorated with a long, richly sewn rug. As his eyes took in the grandiose stage where the vicar gave his serums, he paused on the sculptures of the two gods before gazing straight above his head. The geodesic ceiling was incredibly high and architecturally stunning with dark wood and gold leaf. Instead of depicting a god on the canvas-like ceiling, Micah observed the vibrantly colored fire colliding with equally vengeful water.

It was a tribute to the elements.

Elementals, to be precise.

Most all Elementals were nobles, yet, not all noblemen had the ability. As such, it was an uncomfortable topic among some families. There were rare exceptions that some Elementals were commoners, however, if one were to trace back the bloodline of any Elemental, there would undoubtedly be noble blood—even if it was distant.

Micah's attention then landed on the front pew, where several instructors gathered, yet his eyes focused on just one individual.

Josiah.

Micah stiffened as he experienced an array of emotions towards the older man. He was angry with him, certainly. Yet, there was something sickly satisfying at the man's bold challenge by sending Sachiel away from the academy.

Indisputably, Josiah was predictively possessive. It was a trait Micah could play on if he so desired. Nonetheless, by engaging further with the man, he would initiate more contact, and a part of Micah didn't want to delve deeper. Josiah was dangerous. Though Micah was his Chosen, he knew the Igni royal would not let that stop him if he deemed retribution necessary.

Moreover, Micah didn't want to grow more attached than he already was.

His indecisiveness on what to do with Josiah only extended the time Sachiel remained away. He had to decide what to do. How to do it. And then he had to anticipate and plan for the consequences.

"Aiden feels pretty bad about the mission," Keegan suddenly admitted as he turned back around. Clearly, Micah hadn't upset him enough about religion to continue the silent treatment. "You should talk to him about what happened. Work through it."

Work through it?

"He should feel bad," Micah retorted dispassionately. "He lied to me."

Keegan ogled. "He thought he could succeed, Micah. He was wrong. I don't think it was deception on his end, but rather a calamity." He paused. "There were a lot of things that happened on that mission that we're still trying to wrap our minds around…"

Micah quirked an eyebrow as Keegan trailed off dramatically. "Like?"

The other boy glanced around at the other students. None of them proved to be eavesdropping. "The man who spontaneously burst into flames? Or maybe the fact that you and Kai survived, unscathed, after a fire Elemental assaulted you with flames?" Keegan suddenly appeared excited. "Are you a fire Elemental?"

"No," Micah replied instantly without any sort of hesitancy.

He was just as confused over what happened as his teammates. Other than feeling a tremor of panic for being so foolishly unaware, he hadn't experienced any surge of power that would suggest he'd tapped into an undiscovered Element.

The other boy appeared disbelieving. "You can always talk to Kai about being an Elemental. I'm sure he'd help you try to uncover your powers. I heard, in rare cases, it sometimes takes years for Elementals to discover their powers. Sometimes into adulthood. Not all show signs at birth—"

"You're next," Micah calmly interrupted the enthusiastic man, motioning toward the waiting vicar.

As if he'd ask Edlen.

Upon Micah's comment, the other man whirled around and flushed darkly, hurrying towards the statue of Agni. Rather abruptly, he kneeled and lowered into a subservient bow. As Keegan straightened from his position, the vicar dipped his fingers in the bowl of damp ashes and drew a small, charcoal mark down Keegan's forehead.

It was over before Micah could determine which god to choose.

As the vicar motioned him forward, Micah climbed the set of stairs and approached Varuna. He'd recognized himself as Igni far too often since arriving at the academy. Perhaps it was time to start incorporating his Unda heritage. After all, he and the water god were both fluid, both calm. The water god was easy to please, as well. He would willingly accept Micah's late initiation into worship.

On the other hand…

When had Micah ever taken the easy way?

As the vicar reached for the basin of water to give him Varuna's blessing, Micah paused suddenly, looking toward Agni's statue. They depictured the god as having two heads and a mane of long, flowing hair. Flames engulfed the bottom half of his torso, veiling the god's feet, though Micah studied the four, exposed arms.

Something drew Micah towards the fire god.

Perhaps it was the fact the god was very difficult to satisfy and he viewed it as a challenge. Maybe it was Micah's early memories of Ember falling to her knees and sobbing prayers to an imaginary fire god who had never answered her desperate cries.

No mater his reasoning, he redirected himself towards the well-crafted statue of Agni. The god's relentless gazes appeared to watch his approach. As he fell to his knees, Micah maintained the god's stare. Like the students before him, he lay out his arms in front of him and bowed low to demonstrate his worship.

There was always the question of whether gods were real or not.

They said water and fire Elementals were descendants of the gods themselves. That the gods blessed their offspring and their worshippers with such power and good fortune. Even those who did not possess an Element could receive a god's favor. Micah doubted their existence, yes, but he would play the part as Josiah suggested.

As he straightened from his bow, the vicar murmured a blessing in a different language and pressed a thumb full of ashes against his forehead. The ashes were dead, collected from a fire extinguished long ago. However, as the vicar stained his forehead with the ashes, Micah's skin prickled uneasily.

Almost spitefully, as if to scold him for his politically driven devotion.

Micah stood up, walking in a daze.

He tried to stop himself, he promised himself he wouldn't, but in the end, he locked eyes with Josiah. The man did not hide his close regard as Micah walked down the aisle. The hairs on the back of Micah's neck rose at the unfathomable emotion in Josiah's gaze. Whatever the man felt, it was powerful. And so very infatuated. No matter how much he wanted to turn his cheek on the man, Micah could not look away.

He stared stupidly.

He yearned to speak with the man unguarded, unobserved, but he refused to bend first.

"Micah?"

He turned at the sound of his name, staring uncomprehendingly at Viktor. The boy raised his eyebrows at Micah's blank stare before motioning toward the other members of their team. They were all sitting together on a pew situated away from the other cadets.

"We saved you a spot next to Kai."

Indeed. As he tore his focus from Josiah, Micah noticed the intentional spot left vacant between Edlen and Keegan. It did not escape his notice that Kai and his chosen teammates decided to sit with them on the side of the chapel housing the majority of Igni students. Withholding a sarcastic quip, Micah shuffled into the pew and settled down next to Edlen.

The boy looked at him from the corner of his eye. "You have a habit of staining your gloves, don't you?"

Micah looked down at his gloves, noticing the black soot from wiping the ashes off his forehead. He vividly remembered his other gloves stained an ugly, deep crimson with Wayde's blood. It wasn't an easy image to erase from his mind.

He imagined it was currently what Edlen was envisioning.

"White is hardly a practical color for military gloves."

Kai made a sound in his throat before refocusing on the students receiving their blessing. At his side, his arm hung limply. The smell of strong tonic oozed from underneath his uniform and Micah assumed the limb was nearly healed, thanks to water magic. The other man had kept to himself the past couple days, lost in his silence, his gaze nearly always unfocused with loss.

In the evenings, after classes concluded for the day, Edlen had always seemed to escape to their rooms. Micah tried not to feel anything when he observed Edlen sitting at the edge of his mattress, his expression haunted and firm. The proud aristocrat always emitted an aura of unapproachability during those quiet times of reflection.

His gaze always remained unwavering as he focused on Wayde's empty bunk.

Yesterday, several nobles were absent from the academy, apparently attending Wayde's private service. Oddly enough, Edlen hadn't been gone as long as the others had. He'd returned with a pinched and grey expression before hiding somewhere by himself.

"I was thinking, Micah, that we could train this evening?"

Micah peered down the pew at Aiden, the one who suggested training on a day students were instructed to study and worship, not train. The Igni boy looked expectantly back at Micah. One would be a fool to overlook the crushing guilt in his eyes and the way his shoulders remained tense and uptight. Next to him, Talia looked up from her lap and observed the situation.

"Are you asking, Aiden? Or suggesting?"

Keegan appeared unhappy with Micah's clipped response.

Aiden's cheeks flushed red. "Suggesting?" he replied uncertainly. "With your permission, of course." He looked around at the rest of the team. "I think we have a long way to go. It's what… it's what we should have done weeks ago. Yeah?"

And so they finally broached the topic…

"Training can only help you so much, Aiden. If you are too afraid to harm another, or take a life, you will always lose in battle."

"Micah," Keegan admonished fiercely.

Micah's eyes crossed in order to stare at the line of ashes on the boy's forehead. He wore it like a badge of honor, as if Agni personally put the ashes there. "Keegan," he responded calmly. "It's true."

"We were all hesitant to kill on the mission," Edlen interjected. "It was our first time extracting that level of violence." He paused, watching Micah closely. "Which makes me wonder when and who your first kill was, Egan. It certainly wasn't yesterday."

He turned, engaging in a staring contest with sharp, observant eyes. Micah's lips curled upward with wary amusement. "Why? Did your affluent tutors not bring you desert rats to practice on?"

"That's unfair, Micah," Viktor chided.

"He's right, though." Surprisingly, the typically quiet Talia spoke in defense of Micah. "This is military school. The capital's enemies are our enemies. We strike them down before they can strike us down."

"Easy for you to say, Talia," Viktor whispered fervently. "You didn't even fight."

"I was told to stay back by my captain," she countered. "Rest assured my sword would have never hesitated in ending the life of a rebel."

"Maybe you should have stepped in sooner, then," Aiden snapped angrily. "After all, your captain also said he wanted you at his side if I failed to perform. Odd how you only listened to half his order."

"And leave Keegan unprotected? It's not as if you could handle his protection."

Edlen looked challengingly at Micah as if to question how he would proceed with the current state of their team. Micah didn't think the boy had any right to question the wellbeing of the team. He was no longer captain. And rightfully so. Quite frankly, Micah believed the team needed to express their concerns and frustrations. It was a step towards recovering from the other night's tragedy.

However, they'd spent the past couple days dwelling in their guilt. Enough time had passed.

"But you—"

"What about you, Cain?" Micah interrupted Aiden as the boy made to cut down Talia once more. "What are your thoughts about the mission?"

The large man stared straight ahead, his expression relatively blank despite his team arguing around him. The man glanced at Micah, then to Kai, before turning back to consider the statue of the water god. "I miss Wayde." He placed his hands calmly in his lap. "Kai, Viktor, and I grew up with him. He was…" the man trailed off quietly. "He left too soon."

Micah regarded the older cadet thoughtfully while the rest of the team quieted with somber deliberation. Cain was the quietest member of the team, aside from Talia, yet he seemed to possess a particularly gentle outlook.

With the exception of combat.

Cain was the only other cadet who could execute a killing strike. Micah had deliberated this quite heavily the past few days. It wasn't because Cain was bloodthirsty. Nor was it because he was especially prone to violence as his large, intimidating stature suggested. No. It was because he was protective. A fierce predator readily defending his charges.

"He did leave too soon," Micah agreed quietly. "We all feel responsible in some way for what happened during the mission, and rightfully so." From the corner of his eye, Aiden hunched in on himself. "We all carry the responsibility as a team." Micah looked at each of them, trying to emphasize his point. "Our mistakes resulted in the death of a member and that is something we can never go back on. What we can fix, however, is our weaknesses and strive to be stronger. Together."

His eyes zeroed in on Aiden and Viktor.

"And I'm not asking you to condone killing." He bit his tongue as he said the next bit. "I understand the hesitation you all faced, but it's something you need to get over. It's battle. They knew the consequences when they decided to rebel against Concordia. They knew the consequences as soon as they attacked to kill."

Aiden nodded and dropped his gaze to his gloves.

"We will train tonight," Micah continued, leaning back against the pew. He refocused his attention on the remaining students in line. "No excuses. You will all be there."

He could feel Keegan beaming happily at his side and withheld the temptation to grimace at the other boy. Encouraging speeches were simply words coated with far too much sentimentality for his liking. Nonetheless, Micah acknowledged their usefulness, especially in this situation.

Kai continued watching him when the other members of the team preoccupied themselves with observing the blessings.

"Yes, Edlen?" Micah drawled.

Kai's eyes lingered on him. "He was right," he murmured quietly before turning forward. "You are full of surprises."

This time, Micah did sneer.

He could only assume Kai was talking about Sachiel.

* * * *

Keegan curled his hand around the wrinkled parchment in his trouser pocket.

Self-consciousness and doubt nagged persistently at his mind as he stood with the rest of the team. Until he learned more basics with the sword, he would remain a detriment to the team. He knew that. Acknowledged that. He'd felt like a large weight during their first mission. Someone had to babysit him. Micah had tried to give him the task of lookout, but Keegan hadn't ever felt as useless as he had that night.

From the sidelines, he watched as Micah and Kai argued heatedly about the systematics of a team formation and the benefits of having one versus not having one. They would never get along, Keegan mused. Yet he imagined they'd grow close. Not become friends, per say, but something with enduring loyalty to offset the strong, antagonistic feelings they had for the other.

He didn't know what to call it. Friendly rivals? That held some sort of poetic flair he didn't think appropriate in their case. Perhaps something along the lines of adversaries who had to fight on the same side?

Whatever it was, Keegan contemplated on his envy and his incompatibility with Micah.

Kai Edlen may be a spoiled noble, but he was very impressive with the sword. Keegan watched tonight as Micah and Kai dueled with one another, the latter seemingly practicing his battle temperament. Only Edlen would have the ability to match Micah and fight by his side. It was something Keegan wanted for himself. Something he believed would benefit Micah in the end.

What better partner to have in battle than one you could trust fully?

It was a position he wanted. Needed.

The other members of the team stood by idly, watching the two bicker back and forth. Overall, they had a good training session. Micah walked them through drills and exercises that even Keegan could participate in. His muscles were pleasantly sore, his mind exhausted. He would feel it tomorrow.

"This isn't going anywhere further tonight," Aiden muttered next to him. He looked pointedly at Keegan. "We're all waiting for you to say something. Micah seems to tolerate your suggestions more than he does anyone else."

Keegan noticed the other four members were looking to him. He stiffened, not knowing what he thought about their view on Micah. While Micah was often times stubborn and authoritative, he was open to suggestions.

Wasn't he?

"Micah?" Keegan's call was lost. "Micah!"

Micah turned, his pale eyes flashing impatiently. "Keegan."

Keegan smiled at the younger boy, not at all intimidated by him. Despite the boy's ferocity and cool, almost emotionless countenance, Micah also had a bleeding heart. The whole team saw the evidence of that yesterday when he reassured them at the chapel.

"Let's break for the night, yeah?"

Kai Edlen grimaced at him from over Micah's head.

A small sigh escaped Micah's lips as he gazed at the rest the team. With an air of nonchalance, he placed his sword in his back holster and nodded. "Let's resume this tomorrow."

Slowly, the team piled out of the training room, either heading to the showers or grabbing a bite to eat at the kitchens. "Oi, Keegan," Aiden called near the door, looking imploringly at him. "You're coming, right? Chanson's rooms?" He cast a shifty eye across the others, as if poorly veiling the fact that he and Keegan were not planning on anything dishonest.

Keegan didn't think gambling and drinking constituted such entertaining guilt.

As much as the idea appealed to him, as he'd gotten very skilled at the capital card games and won some gold, he had other plans. "Go on without me tonight," he called back, glancing at Micah, who remained entirely ignorant. "I have some other plans."

Aiden appeared unhappy but left without arguing. Edlen sauntered out last, looking between him and Micah, his features twisting with something akin to condescending amusement. Keegan didn't appreciate the look. It was as if the noble found Keegan's attempts to remain close to Micah juvenile and pathetic.

Keegan turned his shoulder, choosing not to read too much into it. Across the room, Micah unnecessarily straightened the mats to where they were before they began training. Leaning against the wall, with his arms crossed over his chest, he smirked at Micah's tight jawline and unnaturally bright eyes. Before he could say anything, Micah beat him to it.

"Why didn't you go with Aiden?"

Keegan blinked. He hadn't realized Micah had been aware. "I wasn't in the mood," he explained. "You—"

"You are entitled to spend time with your other friends," the other boy informed. He lifted a mat and tossed it on top a stack of others. "You're well-liked across the academy. Surely you find them to be better company than me."

For a moment, Keegan struggled with what to say. He scoffed with disbelieving humor. Did the boy not see that the other cadets really liked him? That they wanted to spend time with him just as much as they wanted to spend time with Keegan? Micah just made things difficult. He liked to close himself off and appear untouchable. He liked to hide himself away. While that defense mechanism worked warding others away, Keegan found it silly. He just pushed through Micah's walls with little care.

"I wasn't in the mood," Keegan repeated instead, knowing Micah probably wouldn't understand that he just wanted to spend time with him tonight. Lately, he felt distant from the other boy. And Micah would find that sentiment silly. "You look upset."

That earned him a blank look. "Do I?"

Keegan knew Micah's frustration had nothing to do with friends, but rather a specific, blond-haired aristocrat. "You usually never let things get under your skin. But Edlen has succeeded…"

Micah's lashes lowered with aversion. "You give him too much credit, Keegan. As if he would be the exception for my tight control." He nudged a mat against the wall with far too much vigor. It ruined his nonchalant act. "He just believes he has experience when it comes to combat, but he lacks common sense."

Pushing away from the wall, Keegan motioned to the exit. "He can be a bit of a pain, I agree wholeheartedly." As much as his selfish side wanted to drive a further wedge between Edlen and Micah, his common sense won out. The team needed to be strong and unified. "But I think he could offer some good input."

Micah hardly blinked as he made his way over. "Input, yes. Decision-making? No."

Keegan scoffed, fighting the urge to ruffle Micah's hair. The boy hardly appreciated when he did that. "As long as you hear him out, kid." Keegan smiled thinly at Micah's poorly veiled irritation. "I'm hungry. Let's say we head to the kitchens?"

"We ate before training."

"Yes, but we burned off the biscuits and gravy because of training. Nothing wrong with a little after-training snack, is there?" Keegan smirked. "Besides, I know when you like something. You definitely enjoyed dinner tonight."

They walked down the corridor and towards the kitchens.

Next to him, Micah smirked softly. "It was passable."

"Passable," Keegan repeated, impressed despite himself. "The only thing you deem passable is fried boar. It's something the capital will never serve, I'm afraid. At least not how Region 20 prepared it. So you're stuck with second helpings of biscuits and gravy."

They lapsed into a silence. Keegan subconsciously touched the wrinkled parchment through his trouser pockets once more and debated on broaching the subject with Micah. He really should. He wanted to ask Micah many things, actually, yet he knew some topics were not easily approachable. How did he go about asking Micah about his father? Who was obviously Unda? Where was his father? Why had Micah been in Region 20, hiding as an Igni boy? To avoid Lord Josiah's attention? What had his mother done?

"Keegan," Micah drawled aloofly, suspiciously. "What is on your mind?"

He flinched. Was he that transparent?

"Nothing, kid."

"Hm."

Keegan shifted, ready to take out the parchment. "The thing is…" he paused, struggling to find the right words.

As they descended a set of stairs, he noticed movement from the corner of his eye. He turned towards Micah, barely able to comprehend the figures closing up behind his friend. They reached for the younger boy, grabbing him by the scruff of the neck and smothering something over his head. Almost instantly, Micah sagged.

Keegan stumbled on his own feet before a heavy force slammed into the back of his neck and a sickly sweet toxin filled his nostrils.

His world spun wildly. His instincts fled.

Time and reality blurred and Keegan drifted.

Everything seemed meaningless, humorous. Laughter, so thunderous with its buoyancy, burned his chest and throat. He kept laughing. His throat turned raw. He laughed harder, hoarser. His feet moved randomly and he did not decipher people, nor objects. Everything appeared warped and brightly colored.

His body was as light as air. He'd step and his knee would buckle and give out.

Micah.

Keegan clawed at the walls while his limbs shuddered with forced laughter. He couldn't get out. He couldn't escape the gnarly mess of fog and intoxication. In the back of his mind, he knew this was alarming. He knew he needed to help his friend.

Keegan…

"Keegan."

Light shone directly in his eyes and he reared away. A cold hand grabbed his jaw and refocused his attention. Something wet and refreshing raked his mind, causing goose bumps to crawl leisurely down his spine. Slowly, his mind sharpened and awareness returned. Deep, blue eyes stared back at him and the face of a pretty woman stared back.

A familiar face.

"Keegan," she called pointedly with a prominent frown. "How are you feeling? You were poisoned with a large dose of Dulcis Waters."

Keegan winced, having no idea what that meant.

His throat was raw.

Looking down, he noticed the blood staining his fingers and the cracked, stubby nails. Just over her shoulder, Keegan took notice of Kai and Talia standing in the corner of the infirmary, watching him carefully. Next to them, the clock struck fifteen past midnight.

His blood turned cold.

Two hours.

He'd been lost in his mind for over two hours, when in reality, it felt like mere minutes. Conversely, he could feel the excruciating time lapse in the stiffness in his muscles. He vaguely remembered the overwhelming sense of timeless suffering. The very thought of that dark intoxication made him shudder with horror.

The intoxication hadn't been the happy kind he received from alcohol, but he vividly remembered the overwhelming and forced mirth in his chest. His chest seized and he tried not to think about being prisoner in his own mind. It had been horrifying. Even now, his mind still struggled to steady itself.

With the exception of Healer Kendra, who crouched down in front of him, and Talia and Kai, the infirmary was silent and empty. His breathing came out heavy, forced with realization. "Micah," he rasped hoarsely, looking around. Maybe he'd missed him in one of the beds.

"He wasn't with you," Kai replied sternly, straightening and pushing off from the wall with sudden alertness. "Was he?"

Healer Kendra stood up in a flurry of blue robes. "Do you know for sure he was targeted?"

Keegan couldn't help himself. He buried his face in his hands and sobbed dryly. Emotions curled relentlessly in his chest and he had no control over any of them. "It seemed they were focused on him," he said through his sobs. "They put a bag over his head and dragged him away. I don't remember anything else."

"Mr. Edlen," Kendra called. "I need you to get Lord Josiah. Quickly!"

Glancing up from his hands, Keegan watched as she raced across the infirmary and disappeared into the back room. He shared a look with Talia and the girl shook her head, appearing rather grim as Kai quickly left her side.

"Dulcis Waters is consumed by the nobility for a cheap thrill," Talia informed quietly. She crossed her arms over her chest. "The consumption is looked down upon by mostly everyone because it's a drug that is extremely poisonous and addictive."

"Why would they poison themselves?"

Talia grimaced. "In low doses, it's a euphoric release. If left unattended, however, it can kill the user. Only water Elementals can extract it from the system before it takes root, which is probably why you've never heard of it. The Igni people would not dare to ingest it and leave their life in the hands of their supposed enemies."

"Micah…"

"Healer Kendra will save him in time, Keegan." She watched as Kendra rushed back into the infirmary to grab something before racing once again into the back room. "It's clearly a cruel prank by the noble students to get back at Micah for top cadet and probably for what happened with Wayde."

Keegan shook his head. "It's tasteless."

"Tasteless, but things will be okay," she reassured him. Or herself. "We'll extract our own sort of revenge for what they did to him and you."

Whatever he intended to say next abruptly left his lips as the dark figure entered the infirmary with Kai trailing behind. Keegan stared at the man, his jaw slack when the power encompassed and smothered the room. It almost stunk, in a pleasant, but stifling way.

Josiah's piercing eyes settled on Keegan. Keegan found himself speechless.

"It's Dulcis Waters, My Lord," Kendra informed hurriedly as she rushed back into the room. "Only a water Elemental can remove the traces of the poison before it settles in the lungs."

Something passed between the two, something hidden with a great deal of forbidding realization. Possessing an air of tight control, Lord Josiah turned and flicked his wrist. Small blue flames ignited on the ground and created a trail out the infirmary and down the hall.

Keegan sat up suddenly, severely alarmed. It wasn't the odd flames, but something else shifted in the room. Looking wildly around the infirmary, Keegan's survival instincts arbitrarily kicked in. Perking at the edge of the mattress, he considered possible areas to hide, none of them offering him the level of protection he required.

Something was not right.

Danger!

"All of you back to your rooms," Josiah instructed the three students as he hurried toward the exit of the infirmary. "I don't want to see any of you when I return here."

Keegan's skin prickled unpleasantly, but as soon as Lord Josiah left the room, his body and mind deescalated to its normal state. The temptation to flee no longer caused his muscles to tighten unpleasantly. However, apprehension still made him tremble.

Something was not right.

This was more than just a case of finding Micah. Healer Kendra appeared too aghast and distraught for his liking.

"Micah Egan is a member of our team," Edlen informed Kendra with an air of superiority. "I believe we have a right to be here and see to his recovery."

With a touch to her throat, Kendra motioned toward the empty doorway. "You heard Lord Josiah. His word is final." Dropping her hand, her expression hardened as she approached the students. "This is a serious crime with very severe consequences. Practice discretion, but if you hear any whisper of who did this, report it immediately."

"We will," Talia coincided.

The Healer's face softened before she shooed them out. "Now off you go." Her eyes immediately fell on Keegan. "Rest up. The toxin is out of your system, but it is still vital to get some good sleep after what you've gone through."

Sleep?

Keegan stopped at the doorway and looked down the cold, dark corridor. The majority of the trail Lord Josiah summoned was gone, yet a few blue flames smoldered sparsely before blinking out of existence. There was no trace of the man, though Keegan desperately wanted to race after the dying flames and retrieve Micah.

Sleep would not come tonight.

* * * *

"Hurry. He will not be distracted long with the boy."

The two figures obliged, treating the luxurious, white stone with intricate lines of charcoal. The palace walls were silent and unnervingly still. Inside the throne room, which typically saw a frenzy of activity during the day, was empty of all royals and high aristocracy. The guards outside the doors were unwillingly compliant to the intruders' presence. They wouldn't remember anything come morning.

Gradually, the figures finished their task.

With cautious movements, they gently lay the expensive rug over the markings. "They should hold long enough."

"Long enough until he figures it out, you mean."

"It doesn't matter. We don't need them in place long."

Skepticism hung in the air, yet there was no more conversation. The small group shuffled through the shadows and left just as swiftly as they arrived.