Chapter 15

"Yes?" Micah inquired wryly when he felt the stares. "What is it?

Looking up from his eggs, he gazed at the trio of Unda students who'd sat across from him that morning at breakfast. Their faces were a mix of frustration, anger, and guilt. Micah didn't find he had much, if any, energy to decipher the reason behind their mood.

"We may have found a lead to who was behind your attack," Viktor informed.

Micah lowered his gaze to his breakfast, suddenly uninterested. "Oh?"

The situation, or more appropriately, the attack, as his team liked to call it, happened several days ago.

He'd been too weak to move during his first day of consciousness. His second day of consciousness, Healer Destan and Kendra refused to let him leave the infirmary. The two Healers fed him enough tonics to upset his stomach. He spent most the day kneeling in front of the toilet and far too fatigued to care at how much fluid expelled from his mouth.

His wounds tingled with the salves. His chest burned with the memory of the forced chest tube insert.

He hadn't remembered much about the events aside from the bag over his head and inhaling the sweet toxin. There was pain, he remembered. A discarded puppet. A glimpse of Josiah on his knees amongst blue flames. Unimaginable warmth. Subsequently followed by cruel and very real cold. However, the thing he remembered the most was the sheer humiliation.

No, humiliation was a tame word for what he'd experienced.

Dishonor, more like.

Micah imagined he hid it well from his team. It was vital he remain emotionless, detached, and nonchalant to the true vulnerability racing through his veins. It suffocated him to the point of fanatical obsession. Eventually, the degradation and shame led way to anger. He needed to extract his own vengeance. If he let enemies walk over him and take advantage of his weaknesses, it would only invite others to do the same.

"A member of Nereus' team was found with a supply of Dulcis Waters," Edlen explained quietly. He looked at Talia and Keegan when Micah remained silent. "As we all know, Egan isn't an especially popular student amongst the noble children."

"I'd say he's rather infamous, really," Aiden pipped in cynically.

That comment earned him a wide and approving grin from Viktor, who was normally the outspoken and cheeky member of the team.

"On top of what happened with Wayde…"

Edlen trailed off hoarsely, watching as Talia tinkered with the black ribbon tied to the hilt of her sword.

Cain had insisted they honor Wayde in some fashion. He'd braided a black ribbon for members of the team and attached it to the hilt of their swords. Micah discovered his braid looped around his sword after he left the infirmary, realizing the young man must have visited him when he hadn't been awake at the time.

"Keegan was attacked as well," Micah said objectively.

It was another reason he felt so consumed with his hatred. Keegan had been innocent. Talia claimed she'd discovered Keegan in the corridors after training further that night. She and Kai had happened upon Keegan wandering around aimlessly for two hours alone. If they hadn't found Keegan in time, the other boy would have died without proper treatment.

It was one thing to attack Micah. At least he deserved it in some fashion.

Keegan…

Micah's fingers tightened around his fork, not minding as the metal dug painfully into the small joints in his palm.

"Keegan was attacked by proxy," Kai reasoned. "Considering how you were dragged away from the academy, it was a centralized attack, Egan. Lord Josiah had to search you out. The nobles feel inferior to a desert rat. Pride is hard to swallow, so they've decided to take the easy way out to establish their dominance over you."

"Yes, but we all know Micah isn't an ordinary desert rat, don't we?" Viktor's grin was nearly malicious in its humor as he gazed intensely at Micah. "More like a noble kicked to the sandbox."

Besides Aiden, who'd inquired immediately after the trials, this was the first time any of his teammates acknowledged his mixed race. Aloud and so public.

"I'm no noble," Micah denied.

His teammates regarded him doubtfully.

Of course it was Viktor to push. "You don't need to be so ashamed of your mixed heritage, Micah. After the war, there were many biracial children born as a result of our two capitals uniting in celebration." He paused, curiosity making his eyes glow wildly. "Is your mother or father Unda? Who separated with whom? Or was it one of those heated, passionate affairs?" Viktor wiggled his eyebrows.

"Viktor," Kai reprimanded sharply. He gazed irritably at the boy sitting next to him before looking back at Micah. "No matter, Lord Josiah is questioning Nereus' whole team right now regarding the attack."

"Is he?" Keegan suddenly spoke up, having been quiet all morning. He seemed far too interested in the prospect of Josiah. Every time someone mentioned the Igni lord, his spine stiffened and his mood soared.

Micah found it revolting.

Josiah hadn't visited him at the infirmary, extending the weeks of their impasse. Healer Destan confirmed Josiah found him and delivered him to the infirmary in time to perform the procedure. Other than that, Destan was tightlipped about the details of the event, choosing to say they summoned an Igni Healer to assist in the procedure.

Micah didn't know what he felt about Josiah's insistence to keep a distance.

On one hand, he was grateful with the distance. Sachiel warned him about the possibility of Josiah stifling him with his own beliefs and manipulating him to his cause. Micah needed to see both sides of the coin, after all. With Josiah, the man dominated Micah's focus. The Igni king had also slapped away Sachiel's influence by summoning the councilmember away on an assignment. That action alone spoke volumes of Josiah's preconceived authority over Micah.

It set Micah's teeth on edge. Both with irritation and pleasure.

Two could play at that game.

"Yes, he is," Edlen responded casually. "Nereus was the one who found the Dulcis Waters and reported it directly to the Chairman."

Talia made a disbelieving noise in her throat. "Deflection?"

"Nereus wouldn't be so foolish," Kai defended his cousin.

Micah could feel Keegan's attention on the side of his face. For the past few days, the boy remained stubbornly quiet and smothering. Observant, really. Considering Keegan was already observant without trying, Micah grew paranoid.

Everyone believed the attack was a schoolboy prank gone wrong. They all believed Micah took a few days to recover due to a complex infection the water Elementals eventually healed.

In all actuality, they were wrong on both accounts.

He was still recovering. His side was sore, near his ribs and chest cavity. The salves and tonics Healer Destan gave him sped up the healing process, but not nearly as quickly as one would heal from a water Elemental.

The wounds on his wrists and arms remained violently red and visible. The punctured wounds across forehead healed slowly and he muttered something about infection and slower healing rate to his teammates when they'd inquired. Fortunately, the majority of the wounds were close enough to his hairline to shield from prying eyes.

Micah had to shower in the infirmary to prevent his team from seeing such blatant signs of his weakness. It was disgusting. Revolting to be so exposed and defenseless. If more people became privy to his immunity of healing, things would not work out to his favor. He'd be vulnerable and many would look down on him.

As for his teammates' belief that the attack was a result of a schoolboy prank, well…

"I think it's time we head to our first class." Micah placed his utensils down properly before motioning across the dining hall. There were hardly any cadets sitting at the tables. "We are already running late."

At his suggestion, Aiden ran off first, Talia at his heels. If anyone on the team was a stickler for the rules, Talia and Aiden fought furiously for the position. Cain was a reluctant third. Viktor and Edlen were above the rules. They lagged behind intentionally, slowly standing from their seats and tinkering casually with their bags.

Keegan, well.

Micah cast a sidelong glance at the boy, knowing and acknowledging Keegan's fierce loyalty. No matter what Keegan's initial instincts were, he would always question himself if he saw Micah doing the exact opposite.

"I'd like to talk to Edlen alone," Micah requested.

His announcement earned him disbelieving looks from Viktor and Keegan, both cadets pausing and turning immobile as a result. Kai remained rather impassive, appearing unsurprised at the request. Only after he nodded to Viktor did the boy reluctantly leave the dining hall.

Keegan suddenly leaned down and placed his lips near Micah's ear. "Don't do anything stupid, Micah." Without another word, the boy turned his heel and followed Viktor toward their first class.

Micah watched the older boy depart, knowing all too well Keegan had seen through Micah's strategically placed masks these past few days.

"You have a good dog there, Egan," Kai observed.

"I can say the same about you and Viktor, Edlen."

The two observed the other narrowly, Micah losing his steam first. He had no intentions fighting with the Unda cadet today. He stood up from the table and gathered his books, placing them underneath his arm. "I have a request for you," he said neutrally.

"I don't owe you anything," Kai responded sharply.

And with such startling abruptness. It almost took Micah off guard.

"Don't you?" Micah paused in buttoning his satchel, looking pointedly at the other boy.

He observed the slight coloring high on Kai's cheeks as the boy remembered. He had to remember. His refusal that he owed Micah anything came too quickly. They both knew Micah saved Edlen during their first mission, preventing the flames from burning him alive.

"This is the one and only time you can collect on that," Kai responded briskly. "After all, I could turn the tables and use it as blackmail." The boy's long, blond hair fell over his shoulders as he leaned closer to Micah. "I'm sure others would be interested in knowing how the flames danced off you. As if you were untouchable."

Micah laughed hollowly. "If you threatened that, I'd burn you alive."

Kai tutted his tongue. "What do you want, Egan?"

"What I'm going to ask must remain between the two of us." Micah straightened from his position, throwing his satchel over his shoulder. He stopped inches from Kai, looking up at the boy. "Do you understand?"

His tone infuriated the other boy, he knew.

Kai's left eye twitched, though he made no other indication of his frustration. "Just get it over with."

Micah exhaled softly. "Where do the royal guards stay? Their location?"

Surprise flittered across Kai's expression before he hastily closed it off. He gazed down at Micah, contemplating, before a small, almost spiteful smile stretched. "That answer depends on your specifications, doesn't it?" he asked. "What royal guard? Are you talking about Lord Josiah's puppets? Or King Calder's boot-licking hounds?"

Micah felt imaginary wire curl around his limbs at the mention of puppets.

The mortification was back.

Refocusing his attention, he considered the other boy, intrigued. Kai's description of the royal guard was nearly treasonous. He not only spoke dismissively of the royal guards, but also of Calder and Josiah. He recognized the guards for what they were. Marionettes. Mere pieces in Josiah and Calder's private game.

Alternatively, perhaps 'puppets' and 'hounds' were truly what others called them.

"The puppets," Micah specified.

Kai's eyebrow quirked. "Well they don't all bunker together, now do they? They do not attend military academy as we do. If Lord Josiah needs them, he summons them. They have lives. They have homes. Families. It depends on which puppet you are inquiring about."

And why. The unspoken question hung, suspended in the air.

"You do realize that Lord Josiah would have your head, don't you?" Edlen pressed. "Like King Calder, Lord Josiah sees an attack on any of his royal guards as a personal attack on him."

"That's what I would imagine," Micah responded quietly in order to hide his glee. "I want to find the captain of his royal guards."

Kai blinked and laughed. "You must be joking." The Unda student looked around the empty dining hall and refocused his attention on Micah. "You're not joking," he observed solemnly. "How do you know he was responsible for your attack? It seems a bit… juvenile for the captain of Lord Josiah's royal guards."

"I cut off his dominant hand before term began," Micah confessed impartially. "I felt the stump of his arm press into the small of my back during the attack. I know it's him."

He was impressed with Kai's ability to link his interest over Josiah's royal guard to the perpetrators of the attack. Kai was anything but dim. He knew the reasoning behind Micah's inquiries.

Kai grew hesitant. "It was a prank, Micah. With Dulcis Waters."

"It was attempted murder," Micah retorted swiftly, unwilling to say more on the topic of his immunity. "You and I both know there were complications with the healing. If they hadn't found Keegan and I in time, we could have died. I can ask someone else—"

"I will tell you," Kai interrupted sharply. "Under one condition."

"I was unaware you held a position to negotiate terms."

"Well, I do." Edlen took a step closer, intentionally stepping on the tips of Micah's boots. "I go with you."

Micah reared away, disgusted. "I don't think you can handle what I intend to do."

"You're clearly still wounded," Edlen pointed out hastily. "You try to hide it, but your movements were tight during training, as if in pain. I don't know what happened the night of the attack, but it clearly wasn't something you could recover from quickly. Like your friend, Keegan. He was out of the infirmary in only a few short minutes. You need someone with you."

Micah mulled over the negotiation term.

Edlen was partly right.

Micah hadn't recovered yet. Nonetheless, he was certain he could prevail with or without assistance. However, Kai was rather persistent on this. He was also curious. Curiosity left unattended could turn unpleasant. Especially from someone like Edlen.

"You do realize I may do something extremely unethical?" Micah asked. He squinted at Edlen. "Far more unethical than killing opponents on the battlefield."

He left that open for interpretation.

Edlen did not disappoint.

The other cadet sneered at the insult. "I'll show you the captain's location only if you take me with you. That's all I can offer."

Micah lowered his lashes and smiled. "We leave tonight."

Without another word, he turned and walked out of the dining hall. He had no qualms telling Kai his intentions tonight. Though they hardly got along well, Edlen was not a squealer. Something told Micah the boy also enjoyed the idea of excitement a bit too much.

* * * *

"You're not telling me where he resides until we get there," Micah deduced as they rode side by side in a carriage.

It had been virtually impossible to leave the team behind tonight. Keegan watched them closely all day, expecting them to team up and abandon everyone. While they had done just that, Micah wanted the others utterly ignorant to their intentions. Eventually, he and Kai were able to escape when the team went to bed.

"No, I'm not." The Unda aristocrat adjusted his dark clothing. "We could have left a lot earlier if it wasn't for Keegan. I'm sure he's already knocking on Lord Josiah's door as we speak."

Micah smiled with teeth. Keegan would appreciate any opportunity he could get approaching Josiah. "I wouldn't doubt it. Which means we need to move quickly." He looked out the carriage window. "I could have told him what we had planned tonight, but he would have caused a scene with his disproval."

"He knows exactly what we're planning."

"Oh?" Micah raised his eyebrows, turning away from the cityscape. "Is that an indirect compliment towards Keegan?"

"Hardly." Edlen scoffed. "The whole academy knows Lord Josiah let Nereus' team walk away unpunished, which means the perpetrators are still out there." Kai flashed him a look. "Doesn't take a genius to know where you sauntered off to tonight."

Micah simply hummed in his throat. After they'd left the academy, they had walked a good distance in the city before Kai had hailed them a carriage. As much as Micah had wanted to stand and observe his surroundings, he knew time was of the essence.

The Concordia capital was enormous. Probably as large as an entire region. Not simply a village. Moreover, everything was crammed together with intricate towers, small manors, vendors, stadiums, and other buildings Micah could not discern from the carriage window. Ember may have explained the capital in her bittersweet tales during his youth, but it couldn't compare to seeing it himself. He could not look at one place long enough, fearing he would miss another spectacular sight.

Everything was so neat and picturesque.

Some buildings seemed to exude more power and influence than others did, yet everything was architecturally appealing.

The roads were cobblestoned and there were paved walkways alongside the storefronts. The further they traveled toward the heart of the capital, the more Micah observed electric streetlamps, yet they were still the minority amongst typical gas lanterns. There were tall trees growing in the middle of the walkways, making Micah wonder at the reason behind their existence.

Aesthetics?

Trees and greenery was not typical in Concordia, rather, they boasted far more hills, which incredible buildings lay claim upon, distant mountains, which were uninhabitable due to the cold climate, and lakes. The lager bodies of water loomed predominantly just outside the capital walls. Within the massive capital itself, especially near the military academy where ground level was low, there were gaps of buildings to accommodate ponds or small, reaching streams that disappeared far off into the distance and beyond the walls encasing the large capital.

Nearer to the heart of town, where elevation remained high, there were no bodies of water. However, Micah still spied plenty of fountains and synthetic pools that lit up with fancy lanterns and sculptures of the great egret—the spirit animal that represented Varuna. Small, charming bridges arched above these pools, another feature he imagined was all about aesthetics. The bridges served no purpose beyond entertainment for citizens to walk over and enjoy the glimmering water below.

In the enchanted glow of the capital evening, Micah saw influences of water and Varuna everywhere. As they passed a rather large fountain, Micah observed the gentle ripples of water highlighted by the subtle glow of gas flames. Unexpectedly, the sight soothed him, drew him in.

A great white egret statue stood on top the fountain, its wings open to reveal incredible feathers and a modest wingspan.

"You should get out more," Kai commented distantly, addressing Micah's expertly veiled fascination with the passing capital.

Micah turned to scorn the other boy, though Kai was not looking at him, but rather out his own window. They were both dressed in undescriptive black clothing with a shemagh tied around their necks. The piece of tactical fabric would cover their faces when they entered their destination. It reminded Micah of the rebels in Region 5.

It was the best they could accomplish, as clothing accessories were scarce at the military academy. They needed something to hide their faces.

"I haven't had the opportunity to 'get out more'."

Kai blinked indolently. "The academy occasionally schedules trips into the capital. The cadets tour the vendors and shops."

Micah did not respond to that, fearing their conversation delved into something far more pleasant than he desired with Kai Edlen. They lapsed into another bout of silence as the carriage slowly navigated through the roads of the capital.

"How did you avoid those flames?" Kai asked quietly, shattering the pleasant silence.

Micah pursed his lips.

"Are you a fire Elemental?" Edlen persisted.

"Edlen," Micah whispered in order to avoid snapping.

"Egan," Kai countered bolshily. "I think it's a reasonable question."

"Reasonable? Yes. Intrusive? Quite." He fiddled with the sword holster across his back, making sure it was tight and secure. He did not want it falling off in battle and hindering his arms. "What did your father think of your decision to choose a desert rat over your own cousin?" He'd posed the question in order to demonstrate how tactless questions could be.

Kai, however, was having none of it. "Well, he was furious, of course, and mentioned things about family dishonor," he replied as if it were obvious and not a personal question in the least. "Though Councilman Sachiel calmed him down somewhat and applauded my maturity skills to merge teams with only the best."

Micah gazed at him, unimpressed. "You do realize how brattish you sound, don't you?"

Kai remained unaffected. "It's all part of the pretense," he whispered. "But you know what it's like to play a part, don't you, Micah?"

His gaze sharpened on the boy. Sachiel reassured Micah he did not tell Kai about his real identity. The boy couldn't know, yet he was unusually perceptive. "I don't know what you mean."

"You play the part of a poor, underprivileged scholarship student from the outer regions, one who empathizes with the Igni race, but we both know it's a bit more than that." Kai narrowed his eyes. "You try to fit in, but there is something about you that stands out irritatingly. It was enough to draw Sachiel in, wasn't it?"

"Sachiel finds anything fascinating that doesn't fit the general mold."

Something seemed to amuse Kai greatly. "You said it exactly, Egan."

The carriage stopped and Micah was the first one to exit the interior. He stepped out into the chilly night air, craning his neck to observe the massive church across from him. The fire god, Agni, stood mightily in front of the church, his presence massive and commanding. Sculptured out of granite, his features mirrored the statue inside the academy's chapel. Only, unlike the academy's chapel, he did not have to share his platform with Varuna.

Clearly, the church Agni protected at his back was where the Igni people worshipped. In fact, as Micah gazed around the street, he noticed a certain desert-like feel to the architecture of the buildings. A very distinct difference from the buildings he'd observed on the way here.

"This district is where you will see the majority of Igni aristocrats." Kai stopped next to him after paying the carriage driver. "Though King Calder and many of the members of the royal council tried to avoid segregation, a bit bled through as our people rebuilt the capital."

There was an entirely different world outside the walls of the academy.

Micah realized he'd only touched the barest surface of society.

He never felt so small, so naïve. There was still so much more he had to learn and see.

"But Clarence does not reside inside Agni's Chapel," Kai informed Micah with amusement, touching his shoulder to draw his attention. "Rather, in Lord Josiah's barracks."

"Clarence," Micah repeated, testing the name on his tongue. "Barracks."

His skepticism soon fell way to wonder as Kai led him towards a very distinct, impressive building. Building wasn't the correct term for it, however. It appeared like a gargantuan metal statue of a serpent's head. The serpent's mouth opened wide, revealing two impressive fangs and a deep cavern. Micah stared stupidly, impressed and utterly fascinated.

He had believed, with the amount of buildings nearby, an underground structure was not feasible.

That it would eventually collapse all the other buildings in proximity.

"Desert rats and their underground structures," Kai murmured, watching Micah's expression. "It is rather impressive, though, isn't it? I don't think anyone with Unda blood has ever seen the entirety of the barracks. Lord Josiah designed it himself and probably has several secret passageways. He'd never allow his royal guard to be trapped underground."

Secret passageways were a necessity in such a structure. Micah thought back to his living arrangements with his mother in Region 20. Several levels were underground and it possessed an array of different escape routes to above ground.

The Igni people had lived underground for centuries. They knew how to build sturdy and complex underground structures. Especially here, in the Concordia capital, amongst potential enemies, Josiah most likely felt it imperative to erect escape routes.

"Have you seen inside?" Micah asked.

The other cadet seemed rather knowledgeable about Josiah's private base.

"When I was younger, I toured the base with my father," Kai shared. "When it was finished, Lord Josiah conducted private tours of the structure. It's not as large as you'd think, but then again, Concordia has a shared military now. A separate base for all the Igni warriors would arouse suspicion, don't you think?"

"And does King Calder have his own base? For his royal guard?"

The other boy's face lit up. "Yes, closer to the palace. Not as unique, but it is just as magnificently built." Kai paused when he realized he sounded like an exuberant child. He cleared his throat to recover his bearings. "The military has their own barracks as well, of course. It's closer to the academy."

Micah wondered how many members there were of Josiah's and Calder's royal guard. There couldn't have been many. As Kai pointed out, they had a joint military now.

His eyes roamed over the serpent. It was dark outside, but the light from the enormous fire pit revealed fine details etched across the outside of the snake. Scales, split-pupils, and immaculate, careful detail.

The desert serpent.

It was the insignia for the centuries-old Igni army and Agni's spirit animal. Micah wondered how Josiah received Calder's blessing to construct a building representing the old army in the middle of the capital. Knowing Josiah, he probably built it with the purpose of reminding his people of their ferocity before they lost the war.

They probably would have won the war.

If it hadn't been for healing.

Micah mulled over his last thought, sinking into reality. It was a very damning weakness. Immunity to healing. Now that the Igni people united with the Unda race, they received the privilege of their allies' powerful healing abilities. No one was quite like Micah in that they relied on traditional healing.

His enemies would prey on that weakness. Proper retaliation was vital.

"Having second thoughts?"

"Actually," Micah drawled. "I've only been encouraged."

Kai smirked. "Then let's go."

Before Kai ventured towards the barracks, Micah grabbed his shoulder, startling the other man. "I want to make sure you realize what you're doing," he said seriously. "This is not a prank, Kai. I intend to hurt someone."

"Hurt? Or kill?"

The question took Micah off guard. His hand tightened on Kai's shoulder before he dropped it at his side. He felt enough humiliation to kill Clarence, certainly. Not only had Clarence identified Micah's weakness and used it against him by stringing him up like a discarded toy, but he'd attacked Keegan as well.

"Kill," Micah informed coldly.

He should have killed the captain back at Master Idris' tavern when he had the chance. Clarence pledged his loyalty to Josiah, yet clearly, that loyalty did not account for much. Micah didn't want Josiah to catch wind of this, least the man act first and take Clarence for himself.

It had to happen now.

Kai inclined his head. "Someday you'll have to tell me how you were able to take off his hand, but I suppose that's up there with explaining how you avoided that fire Elemental's attack." He scoffed at Micah's taciturn expression. "Then let's go."

He and Edlen wrapped the tactical shemagh around their faces as they approached Josiah's base. Their boots barely made impact on the pavement as they neared the entryway of the serpent's mouth.

"No guards?"

"Like I said," Kai started with irritation, his blue eyes flashing towards Micah. "No one is stupid enough to attack Lord Josiah's royal guards." He faced forward but then turned back to Micah. "No killing besides Clarence."

Micah bristled at the command. Insulted. "Obviously."

He didn't want to start an all-out war against Josiah's royal guard. He came here for one man's blood. Nothing more than that.

Following at Kai's heels, Micah kept pace as they snuck down the staircase leading underground. The walls were incased with a metal-like material and the sconces on the walls illuminated a great majority of the corridors.

Micah did not like the brightness and then the sudden pockets of darkness as they passed between sconces. It shed light on their forms as they raced through the corridors. Kai didn't seem to know where he was going, for he led Micah down a corridor, only to backtrack and lead them deeper underground.

"Kai—"

"Hush," the boy interrupted as they climbed down another set of stairs, further down into the abyss. It was like a quiet and still perdition. "It was years ago. Captain's quarters. Can't be too hard to find, can it?" He laughed through his scarf.

Micah found no amusement in the situation.

An uneasy feeling settled in the back of his mind. It felt like eyes.

Taunting. Cruel.

"Hey!"

A crimson-clad guard rushed at them from the end of a corridor and Micah ran to meet him. They both withdrew their swords at the same time, only, as the guard swung, Micah ducked, feeling Kai directly behind him. A second later, the sound of Kai's sword clashed with the guard's strike.

Micah engaged in combat with the second guard who ran from a room, watching as two others followed their comrades into the corridor. Four. Not as many as he expected. Not as many as he preferred.

Enraged and eager, Micah lost himself in the battle. The guards were fierce with their fighting style, worthy opponents, most definitely. Micah could stretch his abilities and test his limitations against Josiah's guards. He ducked, parried, and blocked, all the while, trying to get close enough to knock them unconscious. When the strike was to immobilize, not kill, the fight advanced the level of difficulty.

The sound of a body fell behind him and Micah knew Edlen downed his opponent without the use of his water Element. Micah tuned himself with Kai. Somehow, in the tight, dim corridor, the two cadets, who normally were at odds, synchronized without the barriers of murder, of killing. They had a common goal, a common goal they could both agree on tonight.

As a result, they harmonized.

Micah twirled around a guard Kai distracted and slammed the hilt of his sword into the man's temple, instantly knocking him out cold. The next one, Micah assaulted with an array of attacks, taking the man off guard with the quick pace. Kai lunged—taking over— and Micah fell back, focusing on the last man.

While Kai specialized in quick and rapid attacks, Micah focused on the languid traps. It was Kai's job to tire them out, to put them on edge, while Micah would swoop in for the lazy and unsuspected snare. It was supposed to be the opposite. Considering the fighting style they both were supposed to emulate, Kai should have been the lazy and calm attacker, while Micah should have been the frenzied assailant. Yet, as they fought together, they fell back into their natural pace of things, balancing each other out.

It wasn't long before the last two guards were on the ground.

Edlen gazed at Micah through the heavy scarf around his face, his eyes narrowed as he contemplated. Micah knew exactly what was going through the other boy's mind. He felt the same. An unlikely kinship despite their major differences.

"We need to move quickly." Kai tore his gaze away from Micah. "They probably won't be out for too long."

"They led us right to our destination."

At first, Kai did not understand Micah's statement. Only, as he turned towards the room the guards came running from, comprehension crossed his features. Micah pushed past Kai and entered the captain's quarters, a sour taste in his mouth at the scene. The room was destroyed with open drawers, overturned furniture, and clothes everywhere. Broken and shattered objects lay strewn across the floors, forgotten and abandoned from their owner.

"Varuna," Kai cursed. "He ran! He was actually guilty!"

Withholding his own verbal frustration, Micah stepped inside the quarters, staring at the vacancy. His eyes ran critically across the objects strewn everywhere. It certainly appeared as if the man ran.

"I don't have a good feeling about this, Egan," Kai spoke to his back. "Let's leave."

He did not blame the other boy for feeling that way. An odd sensation of dread filled the air, bringing forth a sense of unsettlement. However, a small, leather-bound book caught Micah's eye. He walked across the room and crouched next to the open armor. Reaching underneath the piece of furniture, Micah pulled out the old book.

The pages were open to an old drawing of a beautiful, pentagram amulet.

At the top of the page, it read:

To Cage a Monster

Micah grimaced before closing the book and stuffing it into his back pocket.

Hurriedly, he stood and joined Kai at the doorway, not knowing what he felt. He was upset at Clarence's absence, understandably, though he could hardly feel disappointed when the peculiar sense of doom filled the air with tyrannical oppression.

They hurried down the twisting corridors, back in the direction they entered. As they passed the lit sconces on the walls, they extinguished one by one. "Run faster," Micah advised, having a strong sense of what approached.

Or more appropriately, whom approached.

A small chuckle reverberated across the metal corridors at Micah's trivial suggestion. At his side, Kai seized up and collapsed, nothing having ever touched him. Before Micah could reach for his fallen comrade, the corridor shrouded in complete darkness. His breathing hitched before quieting. He straightened, listening to his surroundings. His skin prickled, sensing the stare, the obsessive regard.

A swoosh of air was his warning to react.

Acting on instinct alone, Micah withdrew his sword and blocked the hit in one, faultless swoop. The strike… well, he had never felt something so powerful before. His arm tingled from his wrist all the way up to his shoulder. Micah rotated his body as another strike came, trying to absorb the power with his stance.

His pulse ran up his throat.

He was dueling Lord Josiah, the King of the Igni race. The ruler of a defeated empire. An infamous opponent. The ultimate legend young boys impersonated during their childhood sword fights.

"If you want to intrude on someone's territory, child, you need to first find the master and best him in a fair fight," Josiah instructed apathetically. "Not run with your tail tucked between your legs."

The sconces on the wall lit just enough for Micah to see his surroundings. Josiah seemed to tower over him, using the shadows to his advantage. Just as suddenly, a flash of silver caught the torches as the Igni lord's blade descended for another attack. Micah leaped backward, lowering in a stance to avoid the hit.

Without a moment's pause, he lunged forward on the balls of his feet, his heart hammering painfully in his chest. Not out of fear, but out of complete and utter exhilaration.

Micah put all his effort into sparring with Josiah.

He'd never tried so hard to best an opponent in his lifetime. Not even Master Idris. His hits were well aimed and commanding, his reflexes were honed, and he did not blindly walk into Josiah's carefully constructed traps. Evidently, this was the best he'd ever dueled. He was faultless. He was a worthy opponent. As they danced through the corridors and twisted gracefully around the other with unparalleled speeds, there were moments Micah observed Josiah actually putting forth an effort to fight him.

The man was not simply toying with him. He was not holding back.

Only, Sachiel's words came back to Micah with startling clarity.

He and Josiah fought identically.

He was fighting a mirror image who was older, wiser, and stronger.

Sweat beaded down Micah's temple as he comprehended the tipping point to their duel. He grunted as Josiah nudged his stomach with his foot, sending him backpedaling. The man then twirled his sword around in a flashing silver arc, jabbing the blunt end of his blade against the healing wound on Micah's ribcage.

"Bastard!" Micah snarled as pain erupted.

A hand grabbed his shemagh, tearing it off before promptly shoving him against the wall. Micah panted, his body stirring from adrenaline to something much darker as Josiah settled authoritatively between his legs. Caged between the wall and the Igni king, Micah glared defiantly as the man's hand greedily cupped the base of his jawline and around his neck.

Josiah's expression remained rather impassive, though his orange eyes gleamed corruptly. "Ah," he breathed with smug approval. "There are those stubborn eyes I adore so much." He leaned closer, his breath readily intermixing with Micah's and matching his quickened pace.

The man's attention then drifted lower, towards his mouth, and Micah's chest lurched with unrestrained anticipation. The frustration he felt for this man was overpowering, yet so was the desire to close the distance.

Unexpectedly, Josiah did just that.

Micah's stomach tightened pleasantly as the man claimed his lips. Like a fool, he nearly whimpered in delight as the hand tightened almost painfully around his throat and forced his head back further against the wall. Dominant. Controlling. Micah wanted to extract his own dominance, though he hardly had the chance.

The lips were bruising, possessive, and it was over before Micah could comprehend.

He blinked up at the Igni king, scowling.

"A slip of restraint on my end, child," Josiah murmured with apology, loosening his hold on Micah's throat. "You are rather delectable at times, especially when you attempt to challenge me by taking out my men and thinking you can kill my captain."

"Your captain," Micah spat furiously, "nearly killed me."

Josiah's gaze was calculating. "I know."

"Why does that not surprise me?" Micah reared away from the hand and fought to move away from Josiah. The man held him firmly against the wall, however, unwilling to give him the room he decreed. "Are you the one that took him?" he demanded.

"I'm afraid he possessed enough intelligence to run." A smile. "I will catch up to him."

Micah's jaw clenched at the notion. "I want to extract my own revenge." His eyes refocused on Josiah's face, ignoring the giddy flutter in his chest at how close they were. Finally. "I don't think you have as much claim to him as I do."

"On the contrary," Josiah started dangerously, "Not only has he betrayed me, the master he swore to serve loyally, but he attempted to kill my Chosen."

"Let me have the last strike," Micah requested, raising his chin stubbornly.

Something seemed to please the man greatly. Whether it was Micah's cold-blooded desire to end a life or something else entirely, Micah did not know. Josiah was always a mix of darkness and amusement.

"You have yourself a deal," Josiah murmured. "Look at this. If you'd come to me sooner, you could have avoided unnecessary struggle." His opposite hand found and pressed against the bandaged wound on his chest. "It has set you back."

"You always seem preoccupied with others. I wouldn't want to bother you," he said vindictively. However, as soon as the words left his mouth, he didn't understand why he'd said it aloud, especially to Josiah's face. It still bothered him when he remembered all those students strutting into Josiah's office as if they actually belonged there during a time Micah wanted the man for himself.

Comprehension crossed the older man's features.

Josiah placed a significant amount of weight against him as he leaned down and hovered near his ear. "They mean nothing." His breath was just as warm as it was fervent. "You know this, silly child."

Micah flushed, hating that the man thought he needed reassuring; hating that he did need reassuring over something so petty. He reared his head back and forcibly met eyes with Josiah, needing to change the subject in order to reestablish equal footing. "I'm not going to rely on you for everything."

Josiah tutted. "I would be disappointed if you did." He released Micah's neck. "That doesn't mean I can't assist when I deem it necessary."

"Then I want you to bring Sachiel back."

All the things that upset him about Josiah came vomiting out of his mouth. He hadn't spoken to the man in weeks and all the pent up frustration came out. Unfiltered. However, unlike the mention of the cadets taking up Josiah's time, the mere mention of Sachiel seemingly upset the man.

"Now is not the place."

His words were like ice. Certainly enough to give Micah pause. Gaining enough mobility in his limbs, he pushed past the man and ducked beneath him. He didn't need to stand here further and let Josiah dictate the conversation. Before he could go far, a hand slapped around his wrist and yanked him back.

"Do not leave angry," Josiah hissed. "We will talk about Sachiel another time. Tomorrow, yes? Before dinner, you will come to my quarters."

Micah stared stubbornly ahead while Josiah took position at his shoulder. He didn't know whether to scoff at the invitation or welcome the chance to talk without a filter to him, to anyone, really. It had been weeks since he could be himself.

"Fine," Micah consented stiffly.

The hand opened up around his wrist, allowing his freedom.

"Return to the academy. Bring your pet with you."

The mounted sconces in the corridor all brightened back to their original brilliancy. As Micah turned, he was unsurprised to note Josiah nowhere in sight. On the ground, Kai made a noise in his throat, spurring Micah into action. He wrapped his shemagh around his face quickly and reached down to tug on Kai's arm.

"Come on!"

"What—?"

"You tripped on your own feet like a novice, Edlen," Micah insulted, hoisting the aristocrat to his feet. "We need to hurry."

"I did not!" Kai's eyes flashed angrily at the insinuation he would be clumsy enough to trip. However, he took Micah's insistent tug in stride and hurried with him outside Josiah's private base. The other man didn't need to know the Igni king had knocked him unconscious.

Some things were better left unsaid.

* * * *

He'd been so close. So close.

Clarence closed his eyes against the pain, the disenchantment. He'd went against their directive and administered more drug to the boy than instructed, just to sate his petty revenge. Instead of letting the boy loose in the academy halls, he'd dragged him away to string him up and humiliate. He'd cherished the desperate sounds that escaped those lips. Admired the way that lithe body moved to his will. He'd wanted to do more. He'd wanted to take total control, yet somehow, he'd resisted the urge and merely roped him in the gardens.

However, after realizing his misstep with the boy's attack, he'd felt apprehension nipping constantly at his heels. Upon realizing what it was, who it was, he'd decided to abandon post.

Only, as he had rummaged through his belongings just hours ago, it'd been too late. Clarence sniffed, remembering turning around, only to find the embodiment of evil standing indolently in the doorway with a sinful smile across his lips.

He should have done it sooner.

He realized his calling far too late in life.

While hesitant at first, Clarence eventually looked through the leather-bound book that had belonged to his mother. Some of it had been in a different language, yet, as he divulged through the pages, he felt a connection establish with her memory. The pages drew him in and offered temptations he hadn't realized he'd desired.

The woman at the tavern was right. There were other means to be powerful. Not just powerful, but unstoppable. He'd wanted that. Realized he needed it. For as he fought the malevolence at his doorway just hours ago, his meager fire Element hadn't been enough. Not when the man was a legend Elemental, a master in the art.

The cold cement dug into his naked back, hardly causing him discomfort. Cold and numbness posed little threat to him. They were petty things —mundane things— compared to the open skin over his chest cavity and the blood cascading across the floor.

Across the room, the door opened, and he stepped inside.

Clarence shuddered with horror.

"Where were we?" the man asked pleasantly.

Lord Josiah stepped over him, staring down at his half-naked form with malicious delight. Clarence had known the Igni king possessed a cruel streak, yet never before had he directed said cruelty towards him. He never imagined it would turn out this way. Ever. Only, as Clarence stared up at the man he'd known since a child, he noticed the Igni king was in a far better mood than before the interruption.

He scowled, knowing exactly what caused such uplifted sprits. "I should have slit that bastard's throat when I had the chance!" he screamed hoarsely, suddenly enraged. "If it's not me, I assure you, he will be skinned alive."

That child.

That boy!

His left hand curled into a fist at his side and his right stump experienced a phantom pain. Never before had he hated someone as much as he did Ezra. That spoilt child who expected all others to bend before him. The spoilt child who'd destroyed Clarence's life. He had so much left he wanted to do in life! It was all gone because of that royal spawn.

Josiah smiled. "One thing I admire about you, Clarence, is your obligation to own up to what you've done. You are not denying any of your transgressions. It is a refreshing change from typical guilty parties." His smile dropped and something darker took its place. "The one thing that damns you, however, is touching what belongs to me. Did you really think you could get away with that?"

"As I said before, it should have been a quicker, more guaranteed death."

Josiah hummed in consideration. "That it should have been, but I imagine they instructed you otherwise, no?"

Clarence's eyes teared up from the pain of his open chest. They told him to administer the Dulcis Waters on Ezra. That's what they'd wanted, after all. He did not question their motives. They also told him to tread carefully, that Josiah was a monster, wrongfully gifted by the gods and immortalized with great, but terrible power. A creature.

Besides Josiah's unmatched abilities, Clarence never saw evidence in the past that supported their claims. He knew it to be true, however. He'd now seen the evidence. Heard the stories. Somehow, Ezra also played a vital role.

They did not tell him much, afraid for a situation like this to happen.

Clarence suddenly realized the importance of their decision to keep him in the dark.

Josiah's spidery hands reached down and touched the crown of his head. "He was easy," Clarence whispered with defiant glee. He knew he faced death. Why try to act civilized? "Your boy? So easy to take down. I imagine he would bend to anyone's will. He'd spread for anyone too. With a face like that, that's all he's good for."

The hand on his forehead turned motionless, as did the man above him.

Clarence's mirth abruptly vanished when everything turned dark and the man above him morphed into something inhuman. Beastly. Orange eyes of high Igni nobility darkened into a blood-orange. Darkness cloaked the man's form and his very presence grew malevolent. Clarence shuddered, losing control of his bladder as fear and horror struck him so very deep. Never before did fright leave him breathless and shaken.

Daemon!

They were right. All along!

"Go ahead and kill me!" Clarence screamed shrilly through the horror, through the piercing headache behind his eyes.

He'd never wanted death so badly.

"Oh no," the soft, silky tone of Josiah was no more. In its place was a distorted, vindictive voice. "While the Noir Users are resourceful, they are also arrogant. They kept you in the dark about a great deal of things, yet I imagine, after they see you continuing to stand by my side, unharmed, you and I will delve into more details of their plan."

Clawed fingers pressed against Clarence's exposed rib, applying enough pressure until it snapped cleanly in half. "You are also alive because I enjoy extracting pain on those who've wronged me."

Clarence screamed.

"You are alive because he wishes to be the last one to strike you down. What he desires, I will readily grant."

Another rib.

"And you are alive… to give me all that information inside your weak mind." The clawed hand haloed his skull once more, crushing it and deforming it.

Clarence never knew pain before. As his skull crumpled and cracked, he realized he'd underestimated their warnings about Josiah. Clarence realized too late that he wanted to embrace his mother's path in order to avoid his father's fate. A fate of abuse and endless manipulation by larger players. A fate of a simple and disposable game piece.

He'd just wanted to be in charge of his own destiny.

Now, he knew Josiah was going to immortalize him into a mindless marionette.

It was his last thought before all went black.