Chapter 16

"Councilman Devereux will see you now, Mr. Edlen."

Kai nodded sharply to the butler. He stood from one of the several chairs positioned on either side of the long corridor. A rich, mahogany wainscot clashed opulently with the deep cherry and gold-patterned walls. As he straightened his tailored coat, his attention lingered on the gold frames hanging on the walls, focusing specifically on the largest painting.

Stilling, he stared.

He'd seen it dozens of times before, yet, in the past, he'd always walked by without a second glance. It was an old adjournment to the wall, as noted by the use of oil paints. If it had been newer, it would have been a colorless photograph like some of the other pieces in its immediate proximity.

Kai was glad it was an oil painting.

Photographs, though entirely realistic and lifelike, did not possess the color of life.

He stared into the blue eyes of his lost friend, feeling the familiar sting of guilt accompany the hollowness. He nodded to himself, to the portrait, and then walked away.

Raising his fist, he knocked resolutely on the closed doors. If Egan could confront his attacker in such a foolhardy, yet inspirationally courageous way, Kai could do this just as well. He had intended to do it earlier when he'd last seen Councilman Devereux at Wayde's service. However, his courage fled and he, too, fled the service far earlier than expected.

"Come in!"

Clasping both handles, he pushed open the double doors and stepped into a parlor decorated for royalty. Leather and dark wood were the two materials that made up the confinements of the large space. He smelt something distinctively musky and spicy, drawing the immediate conclusion of cigars being the source.

Behind the desk, a greying man sat. "Kai. What a pleasant surprise."

Ervin Devereux then looked to the side, drawing Kai's attention. He turned, pausing when he saw their company. Said man stood from his chair on the other side of Ervin's desk, offering a faint, strained smile upon Kai's entrance.

"Father," Kai greeted tensely. "I hadn't expected to see you here."

"Likewise," Seaton Edlen responded just as stiffly. He turned and gazed pointedly at the ticking clock standing pompously at the other side of the parlor, near the massive fireplace. "We are not scheduled to meet for another three hours. I was under the impression I would pick you up from the academy and bring you home from there."

"An impulsive change of plans," Kai replied. "I would have informed you after I met with Councilman Devereux."

Said man offered an edgy chuckle. "Call me Ervin, please, young Edlen."

Seaton and Kai exchanged another long look, one man displeased and the other guarded. He was not on good terms with his father at the moment. Oddly enough, that thought brought forth a surge of adrenaline through Kai. He'd dreamed about this since a child, hadn't he? Everyone tripped over their feet to blindly follow Seaton. Kai had seen this. Observed this. He had desperately hoped he didn't look as foolish when he grew into adulthood.

Perhaps he still had a chance to be his own man.

"Ervin," Kai addressed politely, inclining his head as he turned to the master of the house. "I appreciate you accepting my call, especially considering the late notice."

Ervin was a tall, thin man. He hadn't been a warrior in the Unda/Igni war, yet he was a water Elemental who had passed on such inheritance to his only son. His hair was balding near the top of his head, yet he continued to pull back his hair into a tight, severe pony at the nape of his neck. Though aging, he was an attractive noble who seemed to embrace each wrinkle with refined grace.

The man stood up and reached out to shake Kai's hand. "I will always make time for you, Kai." He then motioned to the chair opposite of him. "Please sit. Can I get you anything to drink?"

"I will have to decline, but thank you for the offer."

Kai sat upon the leather chair, touching the polished arms nervously before curling them onto his lap.

From the corner of his eye, he watched as Seaton reclaimed his position. Ervin was lower in standing than Seaton; he wouldn't dare ask him to leave the room even if this was his home. No matter. Kai wanted his father present. He had no qualms about what he was about to say and it would be preferable if Seaton was also privy to his confession.

"How is the academy treating you, Kai?" Ervin inquired bitterly. The way his expression clouded, one could assume he felt a bit hostile toward the academy. "How is your team?"

"We are all missing Wayde, unquestionably," Kai said softly. "He would have made a good addition to the team. There is an obvious bareness where his presence should be." He shifted. "That is why I am here, actually."

As if he hadn't heard the sincerity or the somber tone in Kai's words, Erwin stirred into a new topic. "I heard they took away your status as team captain." He shook his head and narrowed his eyes on Seaton. "That Josiah," the man spat. "I don't understand why His Majesty allows the man such positions of esteem. The Chairman of the academy?"

"It's to humor the man and the Igni nobles. They have been growing restless as of late," Seaton drawled in explanation. "It also keeps Josiah preoccupied. Do not doubt His Majesty's decision, Erwin. He holds just as much sway over the academy as Lord Josiah."

Seaton's reassurances did nothing to extinguish the cruel hatred in Erwin's eyes at the mere mention of Lord Josiah. Kai stiffened, knowing why Devereux felt so strongly in his animosity. "Even so." He leaned back in his chair, as much as his nobility standing would reasonably allow. "They named that—that biracial boy as the captain."

"Micah Egan," Kai supplied impassively.

"How is he doing?" Seaton questioned slyly. "What a very peculiar specimen he is."

Erwin pressed his lips together. "No doubt a bastard, spawned from a noble's indiscretion and a commoner's wanton ways. His father was undoubtedly an Unda noble, who then turned his back on the woman carrying his bastard. That is the most common story I hear in court when it comes to biracial children. When our two kingdoms merged, the Igni women always did possess a certain allure. Raucous young men couldn't help themselves in terms of celebration."

"He is around that age, yes," Seaton responded. "He is far too attractive to be a commoner."

Unsettled with the direction the conversation was headed, Kai barely remembered to school his features.

"What else can you tell us about this boy, Kai?" his father asked. "We heard quite a bit about his academic marks and we witnessed his incredible swordsmanship." Here, the man's tone tightened, no doubt recalling his son's humiliating defeat. "We heard he was recently subjected to a healthy dose of Dulcis Waters."

"He was administered the drug, yes." He looked to Erwin and then his father. "Several claim it was a hoax pulled by noble cadets, though the culprit has yet to be caught." He sniffed superiorly and tugged at his gloves. "Micah Egan is a severe and professional man. He makes a good captain to our team."

He did not owe his father anything. He knew what they were angling toward achieving. Gossip on the mysterious biracial cadet who made waves at the military academy within the first few hours of enrollment. However, Micah Egan was his enigma. Kai was gradually collecting the pieces that made up Egan's character. He would then start exploring anonymities like his upbringing, his parentage, and his odd abilities.

Seaton couldn't have Egan.

"A very mature response from you, Kai," Erwin proclaimed. "You are learning to be very politically aware."

"With all due respect, Councilman Devereux, Cadet Egan isn't why I came here today." Kai set down his hands once more and lifted his chin to survey the man on the other side of the desk. "I came here to discuss your son."

Raw sorrow crossed Erwin's expression before it was gone instantaneously. "What about Wayde?"

Kai inhaled deeply and curled his hands into fists. "Your anger toward Lord Josiah is understandable, however, it is misplaced," he said. He watched as a ripple of disbelief crossed Erwin's gaze. "You see, he wasn't responsible for Wayde's death. Neither was Egan. In fact, if I would have let Egan do his job as co-captain, I firmly believe Wayde would still be alive today."

The words tasted heavy on his tongue despite practicing them several times before he arrived today. It had taken him a few tries to say them without flinching, even more so without feeling the drowning, suffocating sensation of guilt.

The words were harsh, so very harsh, but so very true.

He had to live with himself for knowing he was to blame. It was that simple. It had darkened a part of him, shaken him to his very core to know his past blindness was the sole reason he'd lost a true, good friend. Finding such loyal and sincere individuals amongst aristocrats was a rare and honorable discovery.

Erwin shook his head. "I don't understand."

Seaton stirred, displeased at the words coming from his son. "Kai—"

"I am to blame for Wayde's death," Kai said firmly, maintaining eye contact with Wayde's father. "I examined every scenario and thoroughly dissected every past action to try to reassure myself I wasn't at fault. However, in the end, I realized, by putting political means before our team's wellbeing, I was an extreme detriment to our team's success—failure in this case. We didn't train as we should have. I avoided the members I thought less superior. I intentionally opted to surround myself with peers of similar political prestige as opposed to planning team regimens with Egan. We were unprepared for a mission that we should have conquered."

Silence met his statement as the two men stared at him with various degrees of disbelief.

"And despite Wayde identifying the error of my ways, he continued to stand by my side and support my decisions in public." Kai slowly stood from his seat when he realized there would be no further discussion from Erwin or Seaton. "He was truly a good person, Councilman Devereux, and I took advantage of that."

He turned to Seaton, inclining his head in face of his father's discontentment. "I will see you at home, then."

In the heavy silence of the parlor, Kai bowed shortly to Erwin before turning and walking toward the doors. The sound of the ticking clock was in line with each step he took away from the heavy, unimpressed stares. Oddly enough, Kai found his pulse just as steady and in harmony with the natural flow of time itself.

"What do you possibly gain by admitting this to me?"

Kai paused at the door upon Erwin's inquiry.

"Closure." And the ability to move forward. He glanced at the man from over his shoulder. "For the both of us."

As Kai exited the parlor and walked down the corridor, he felt Wayde's eyes on him. He turned, meeting the blue gaze and feeling the familiar hollowness, but strangely enough, the sting of guilt did not make itself known. A heavy acceptance settled into his gut as he absorbed Wayde's immortalized features before forcing himself to continue forward.

* * * *

"Silver team is gloating, as is the bronze team."

"They passed their missions without losing a member of their team." Viktor scoffed indignantly. "They have every right to gloat. For our past performance, it serves us right to listen to their snide comments in the corridors and in class. Until we can prove ourselves again, we have to bear it without complaint."

Micah tried to ignore his team's pessimistic comments, preoccupying himself with correcting Keegan's form. He dropped his sword to his side, instantly stopping their mock duel as the boy continued to make the same mistake.

Repeatedly.

His patience wore thin.

"This way." Micah grabbed Keegan by the hips and rotated him while nudging his back foot simultaneously. "While you want a wide, sturdy stance, you don't want to leave yourself too open. You would be cut down immediately."

"Sorry," the boy was quick to apologize, clearly discouraged.

Micah removed his hands from Keegan and took a steadying breath, realizing his tone may have been a bit too harsh. "You don't need to apologize, Keegan, you're still learning. It is only natural you make mistakes."

He gazed around at the others, noticing a nagging absence. He'd been waiting for over an hour for Kai to show up to training. In the interim, Micah decided on the pairs the team would form during battles and requested they spar with their partner.

Talia and Cain seemed to be a natural pair, as did Viktor and Aiden. While Kai would be with Micah, that left the awkward decision of where to put Keegan. Instructor Candace informed Micah they would not receive another member to replace Wayde, which was an acceptable decision in Micah's opinion. Right now, the team was steadily growing acclimated with one another. Replacing Wayde, whom several were still mourning, would not be the best option.

Therefore, he decided to place Keegan with Talia and Viktor, intentionally separating the older cadet from Aiden. In battle, Micah imagined the two would dwell far too much on the other's safety, obscuring the necessary detachment one needed to harness during combat.

Seeing as Kai was gone today, Micah decided to spar with the boy himself.

Keegan had improved with the sword, yet even Micah could not ignore some lethal habits he'd picked up. Such as leaving himself too open. His footwork could use some help and Micah quickly showed Keegan exercises to perform on his own to improve his coordination. The other cadet absorbed Micah's teachings readily.

Casting a critical eye across the team, he paused on Viktor and Aiden, the two who had paused in their exercises to gossip.

Viktor happened to look over, blanching when he realized he'd incurred Micah's chilly, disapproving stare. He and Aiden hurriedly resumed their duel, working especially hard. Periodically, both of the cadets glanced over to see if Micah had looked away, only to realize that he didn't intend to let them off the hook so easily. He kept observing the two, growing sadistically amused when he realized his continued scrutiny caused their movements to be tight and on edge.

Served them right.

"Viktor," Micah barked across the training arena, incurring a flinch from the other boy.

Viktor paused in his duel, offering Micah an irreproachable grin. "Yes, Captain?"

Kai was typically the one to punish Viktor during their sessions. He assigned the other cadet laps around the training arena when the other boy didn't take things seriously enough. Micah could see the defeated slump in Viktor's shoulders as he anticipated his punishment. For a moment, Micah allowed the anticipation to mount.

Instead, he asked, "Where is Kai?"

Viktor slumped further, clearly relieved. "His father requested his presence at home."

"Can he do that?" Micah wondered aloud. "Take him from the academy?"

"As long as it doesn't interfere with his grades or assignments, certainly." Viktor shrugged. "Besides, his father holds a position of power. He's on the Royal Council, which means he can pull some strings."

"Pull strings," Micah repeated dubiously. "You mean bend the rules."

Viktor seemed amused. "When it comes to nobles, it's the same thing."

The cheeky comment did not warrant a reply. Micah pondered Kai's absence. They had returned to the academy last night without further detection. Not even the team seemed aware of their midnight exploitations. With the exception of Keegan, of course. The boy hadn't spoken at all today and he was especially sullen.

"I need to end training early tonight," Micah announced to the members of the team. Immediately, they all relaxed their stances, relief washing their expressions. "All of you should head to dinner. Take a bit of a break and catch up on your studies." It was nearing the end of dinner and Josiah specifically said he wanted to meet Micah before dinner.

He really didn't mind making the man wait.

"Is this because your partner in crime isn't here?" Viktor inquired innocently, never one for tact. "Can't plan a training session without Edlen, Micah?"

That got a rouse out of Talia as she and Cain approached the others. "Considering Micah is always the one to come up with the drills we do during practice, I hardly think that's a rational deduction."

"I'm only joking, princess."

Micah withheld a sigh and sheathed his sword into his holster.

"I might as well tell you all that Kai's father is asking him to drop out of the academy and become a member of court." Next to the outspoken Viktor, Cain quirked a disbelieving eyebrow. "The royal council is stirring as if there is trouble."

"What kind of trouble?" Aiden asked excitingly. "War?"

"General political unrest, I'm sure," Viktor responded vaguely, proof he did not know the reason behind the disturbance. There were times Viktor just liked to boast he knew something the others did not.

"I was under the impression that someone had to attend Concordia Academy for three years in order to get a respectable position at the capital," Keegan said.

"For students like you and those two?" Viktor pointed at Micah and Aiden, clearly identifying the less fortunate students out of the bunch. "Yes, that's about right. For people who have proper channels and connections? Graduating is not essential. It's why there are not many second and third-year cadets."

Keegan and Aiden appeared repulsed.

Micah sympathized with them.

They worked hard to receive the opportunity to attend the academy while others took their enrollment for granted. Others, meaning the nobles. Micah considered it a loss of resources by accepting students who clearly were not attending to better themselves and their future. Such a waste. Less fortunate men and women, who did not have such luxury, could fill such positions and actually benefit from the academy's prestigious resources.

"Have a good dinner," Micah told the team in effort to distance himself from their gossip. He was pressed for time and they were rather outspoken tonight with their wild theories and speculations.

On a positive note, at least they were getting along. For the past few training sessions, Micah watched as the members of the team grew closer. They began to get to know one another, appreciate, and embrace the differences they all offered to the team dynamic. It was a relief, really. All Micah had to do was coax their potential. It was fortunate he did not have to plan exercises around the emotional and mental side of team bonding, but rather systematics and skill.

"Oh." He paused. "Cain, will you stay behind and make sure Viktor and Aiden complete ten laps around the room?"

Cain nodded firmly as Viktor made a loud noise of protest.

Micah grinned, ducking into the corridor.

He did not get far.

"Micah."

Upon Keegan's call, Micah stopped suddenly and contemplated the far wall. He'd wondered when this conversation would happen. Unfortunately, it came when he was pressed for time.

"Keegan." He turned to give the other boy attention.

"Where are you headed to in such a hurry?"

If it had been anyone else who asked the question, Micah would have responded acerbically. The invasion of privacy got under his skin and agitated him further. No one had a right to question his whereabouts or his motives. Instead, he suffered down his immediate response. This was Keegan, after all.

"Don't worry," he started. "I will be within the academy's walls all night."

"Like you were last night?"

"Keegan," Micah crooned softly, warningly. "Don't do this."

Keegan moved so he stood in front of Micah, using his height to his advantage. Physical intimidation was an uncharacteristic move from the other boy. "Is it wrong of me to worry about you?" he asked. "Especially after what happened with us—with the Dulcis Waters— is it really that surprising I would worry about where you disappear?"

"It's not wrong for you to worry," Micah said, unsettled with the prospect of someone worrying. "You just need to trust me."

The other boy did not appreciate the comment. "It bothers me that I can't be the one that goes with you on these… exploits." Offense crossed his features. "I understand I would be an impairment to you, that you had to bring Kai for his ability with the sword, but I will get better. I promise. I'm working really hard right now to improve so you can have someone trustworthy at your side."

Micah hadn't anticipated that response from Keegan.

It truly took him by surprise. He thought Keegan would be upset that he would even consider extracting revenge. The boy knew the reason Micah disappeared last night, yet here he was, expressing his disenchantment for not accompanying him. It was… unexpected. The boy's unfiltered determination more so.

"I didn't know you felt that way," Micah said quietly.

Keegan scoffed and preoccupied himself with adjusting his sword holster to escape his awkwardness.

"Well I do." He glanced at Micah. "I wish you'd trust me enough to tell me what's going on as well."

"And you will know everything eventually," Micah reassured. However, most things he did not understand himself. How was he to explain any of it to Keegan? "As you already assumed, Kai and I left the academy last night to look for the man who drugged us with the Dulcis Waters. Unfortunately, by the time we arrived, he was already gone."

He had no qualms telling Keegan about this, especially when Clarence also attacked him. Micah figured that if he were open about this particular event, it would make up for keeping Keegan in the dark about other things, namely his origins.

"Who was it?" Keegan asked, his eagerness evident.

"His name is Clarence. He is a member of Lord Josiah's royal guard." Micah glanced over his shoulder, noticing the other members had yet to leave the training room. "When he came to collect me from Region 20 before term, we got into an altercation and I cut off his dominant hand. This was clearly retribution."

Keegan mulled over that for quite some time. "And I was just a bystander?"

"It appears that way, yes."

"And he was gone before you got there." Keegan frowned. "Do you think Edlen tipped him off?"

Micah blinked, suddenly taken off guard. "Why—why do you believe Kai would do something like that?"

Keegan gazed at him oddly, as if he did not truly understand Micah's question. "Well he's a noble. I know how much you distrust and dislike them, Micah. I have to agree with you on that particular perception. Aiden also shares your same beliefs. A lot of us do."

A lot of us.

There was an odd sensation inside Micah upon hearing Keegan's words. For a long moment, he didn't know what to think or how to respond. He recalled the speech he gave to Keegan earlier in Region 20 before term began. Undoubtedly, his words and tone were enough to convey what he truly thought of nobility and aristocrats.

That certainly hadn't changed, had it?

No, not really.

So why was he taken aback by Keegan's attempt to align his beliefs with Micah's own?

Because, he realized, not all nobles were as vile as he would have liked to assume. "Kai is—" Micah paused, grimacing. "Edlen is a part of our team now, Keegan. I don't truly see him as a noble, but rather as a teammate we need to rely on and to trust until he proves otherwise."

Keegan inclined his head, pondering something a great deal before he reached out to ruffle Micah's hair. He ducked down the corridor before Micah could protest. "I know you're trying to unify everyone, but I still know your reservations on trusting nobility. As I said before, I'm taking steps to get better. I promise I'll stand at your side, kid."

Something ugly twisted in Micah's stomach at the promise.

In a rare act of admiration, Micah called out. "Keegan." The boy stopped and turned towards him, expectant. "I don't want you to be my sword. Your strengths lie elsewhere. Just knowing you always have my back is good enough for me."

Keegan smirked. "But not good enough for me." He winked in order to hide the bitterness surely bubbling beneath the surface. "I will be your right-hand man sooner than you think."

This time, Micah could not stifle the exasperated sigh.

Stubborn.

He walked down the opposite corridor, contemplating the boy. Surrounded by a team with very high skill-level, Keegan most likely felt incompetent and pressured to excel at a faster pace than his teammates. Even Aiden, who was also an outskirt student, had a father who'd taught him how to fight. Since the trials, he'd only grown as a warrior and fine-tuned his skills. Though he had a ways to go, he remained levels above Keegan, who was a mere beginner.

A part of Micah felt responsible for the boy's delicate frame of mind.

As Edlen callously pointed out during their first mission, Micah made an error by selecting Keegan for the gold team. He'd done so out of friendly loyalty, not because he thought Keegan could excel well with the others.

It was something to keep an eye on, lest Keegan push himself too hard.

Sooner than he would have preferred, he arrived at Josiah's quarters. As he recalled their interaction yesterday, he anxiously straightened his uniform. It was unsurprising their reunion had been a mess of angry frustration and adrenaline.

And the kiss—well, he wasn't going to dwell over the action. While pleasant, he knew exactly what Josiah had been feeling, simply because he'd felt the same. There was just something about fighting with the other man, something darkly arousing and persistently infuriating. He hadn't known what to do with the unresolved tension, so Josiah had decided for the both of them and closed the distance.

He wouldn't argue against another, similar occurrence.

Realizing he was all but preening his appearance, Micah forced himself to stop with a scowl. Planting his boots firmly next to the closed door, Micah raised his fist and knocked quietly. He didn't know what to expect from Josiah tonight. Considering they would broach the topic of Sachiel, a mental challenge would undoubtedly take place.

Josiah opened the door, gazing first at him before assessing the empty corridor just over his head.

He pulled the door open further, allowing him entrance. "You're late," he said in way of greeting after closing the door.

"I had to run training by myself," Micah informed, following the older man as he led him into a back room and towards his personal quarters. "Kai's father is trying to influence him to forgo his education at the academy and enter the political court."

Josiah led him down a corridor. "Would you consider that a loss?" he inquired without turning around.

"Yes," Micah replied honestly. "He's my best fighter. We've been able to set aside our differences since our first mission." Sensing the man's amusement at the mere mention of the first mission, Micah narrowed his eyes. "I'd like to know what they were rebelling against in Region 5."

"Feel guilty for taking a life, Ezra?"

"If they were innocents, I'd undeniably feel some sort of regret."

"No matter their intentions of rebelling, can you truly call them innocents when they made the first move to kill?" Josiah asked. "Lethal action against uniformed Concordia military is an automatic call for execution. Did they or did they not attack you with intentions to kill? Or was it truly a peaceful and diplomatic demonstration?"

Josiah paused in the corridor leading into his personal quarters. He turned and appraised Micah impassively. In turn, Micah kept his own expression schooled as he considered the man's words.

The man was right in that they'd attacked first. The sixth man had intended to behead Micah when his back was turned.

"You're saying Calder would allow for peaceful demonstrations?"

"He does," Josiah confirmed. "But when a group of men band together and shut down businesses for days on end and hold citizens hostage, no matter how friendly they may be toward said hostages, it requires action. When the same group of men band together and cloak their identities and arm themselves with weapons, and subsequently attack military members, it is a rebellion."

Micah understood the logic, he also found himself agreeing with it. However, what he found most interesting was Josiah's personal take on the matter. "You clearly agree with Calder on this subject."

"Any king, any monarch, would agree with Calder on this subject," Josiah said firmly. "No matter how much they may dislike each other."

Clearly, he'd picked up Micah's intrigue regarding his decision to side with Calder on something—anything for that matter.

"I do not disagree with the methods the academy instructed us, but I am simply curious to know what their reasons were for rebelling," Micah said. "There had to be something they expressed."

Josiah cocked his head to the side and scrutinized Micah closely. "A very prominent and well-liked figure of their village was withholding tax money to the capital. He was in charge of collecting the taxes and kept a large portion for himself over several years, claiming their village deserved far more monetary means than allowed."

"He was caught."

Josiah hummed with agreement. "And later sentenced to several years in prison. A few members of the village refused to accept our findings and demanded his release with threating letters to the capital. When they didn't receive the response they desired, they decided on a more… eccentric plan of action."

So they were idiots, Micah deduced with a sinking sensation in his gut.

Threatening letters to the capital? An impromptu rebellion with just fueled rage?

"They weren't even warriors."

Orange eyes gazed at him keenly. "They weren't even proper warriors, no. As I said before, it was a task attainable by the gold team."

Without another word, the man turned and continued down the corridor.

Micah slowly followed him, contemplating the information given. They could have avoided Wayde's death entirely if they'd properly trained together even just once or twice. They should have annihilated that group. If they faced the same group today, Micah had no doubt they would succeed where they'd failed weeks ago.

Josiah made a disinterested sound in his throat. "As for your teammate, Mr. Edlen, nobles of such caliber often do not graduate from the academy. They apprentice under their relatives with the intentions of eventually taking their place in court."

"So I've been told." Micah entered a familiar-looking dining room with the tapestries, the pillars, and the detailed architecture. "I've also been told there is… unrest in the court. Would you happen to know what that would be?"

"Are you asking me for inside information?"

"That depends. Are you going to use it against me and then request compensation?"

Josiah smiled with teeth, clearly pleased with the question. "Sit."

Micah hesitated near his chair, recalling the first time he'd dined with Josiah. It still unsettled him that Josiah insisted he sit first. Maintaining eye contact, Micah sat before the Igni king, disobeying several protocols in just one motion.

"There is movement in the Terra Kingdom. The stirrings of a civil rebellion." Josiah watched Micah settle before he sat at the head of the table. "It makes Concordia anxious."

That gave Micah a heavy, startled pause.

"The Terra Kingdom?" he repeated with sharp, incredulous skepticism. He frowned with deep contemplation, remembering his conversation with Instructor Isla at the beginning of term. "I've always assumed they were one of the most peaceful kingdoms. War and rebellions a nonexistence."

Granted, while he did not know much about them, he knew, as well as most, that something about the Terra Kingdom worked remarkably well for the citizens. But a civil rebellion? For a kingdom normally cloaked in secrecy and passiveness, the civil rebellion must have been a serious conflict for other nations to hear of it.

"Time is typically a catalyst for change, even after centuries of peaceful accord and harmony. Mankind is an evolutionary creature, after all." Josiah's tone seemed jaded and weary. "The Terra Kingdom is torn between revolutionizing or remaining stagnant with their old traditions and values."

"But it hasn't come to civil war yet."

"No." Josiah's eyes glimmered. "But it may."

Micah doubted it. It just seemed entirely ironic that they'd have issues now after so long. "And why does a civil war within their own kingdom make Concordia nervous?"

"We are an advanced kingdom."

Micah mulled over Josiah's vague comment, easily deducing the unspoken reason. "Those individuals in the Terra Kingdom, who want change and advancement, consider Concordia as means to obtain quick knowledge." Micah raised an eyebrow. "That doesn't mean their approach towards us will be hostile with intentions to take. It may merely be curious. Earnest."

Josiah laughed once.

A dark, bitter-sort of laugh.

"No, their approach may not be hostile, but Concordia is known for being avaricious and pompous. They will not take kindly to the Terra Kingdom's request for knowledge. After all, we, the old Igni Empire, only wanted water."

And that's all it came down to, wasn't it?

There were rumors of why the Unda and Igni war truly began, truths and facts buried underneath wild speculations. However, Ember and Josiah both lived the war and they both knew the true reason behind the war's origins. The Igni people discovered a severe depletion of water and considered the Unda Kingdom their only possible answer.

Only, the Unda capital denied their cry for help.

As a result, the Igni people initiated war by delivering the first set of casualties.

"Now we have so much water, we take it for granted." Josiah's finger dipped into his water glass and flicked it, as if disgusted. "Though we lost the war, we got what we desperately needed. Consequently, we are the inferior beings in a pretentious kingdom, forever haunted and reminded of our humility and failure."

Despite the wretched outcome of the war, Micah grew amused at Josiah's ominous features, reminded of a fallen warrior who would never recover from his defeat, who would never tolerate kneeling with submission.

"Your hands were out, begging, beseeching." He earned Josiah's instant refocus. "Unda would not simply give you what you wanted without first teaching you your place." Micah smirked. "Though cruel and unjust, it is an ingenious political maneuver. It was their resource. They didn't need to share. They would make sure you came to grudgingly accept that fact."

Something akin to sinful pleasure churned in Josiah's eyes as he stared at Micah.

Fixated.

"My question is…" Micah shifted in his seat, trying to peer behind the man's barriers and see that brilliant, cunning mind. "What do you plan to do about that, Josiah? I've experienced the humbling sensation of humiliation and it did not sit well with me until I sought retribution. I imagine you are just the same."

He knew Josiah would not take endless humiliation from the Unda people in stride.

He was scheming up something, always scheming.

"Ezra," Josiah purred, his eyes closing briefly. A fleeting desire. "Eat your dinner."

Micah deflated, unsurprised to find amusement in the other man's gaze as he denied him what he wanted. Someday, Micah would find out what Josiah had in mind for Calder. However, in all actuality, Calder was probably one-step ahead of Micah in determining what the Igni lord had planned.

Withholding his frustration for another time, he gazed down at his plate and the uninviting pasta. The white sauce was nearly solid and the meat appeared lifeless, pale. It churned his stomach.

"It's cold."

"You're late."

"Are you not a fire Elemental? Is heating a plate of food a trying feat?"

"An unnecessary waste of energy."

Micah exhaled in amusement, bypassing the food and the wine to grab the glass of water. "I'm not hungry anyway."

Josiah hummed. "You came for the company."

"I came for Sachiel."

As predicted, that got a rise out of the Igni lord. The man's shoulders stiffened just barely, though the temperature in the room warmed significantly. Micah felt the migraine crawl up the nape of his neck and thud noticeably behind his eyes. He had assumed his headaches were a result of Josiah's power, his temper.

This only proved it.

The man's face was a mask of casual indifference, though his orange eyes were alight with fire-like ire. "Yes, let's talk about him."

Unexplainably, Micah grew eager at the man's precarious tone and the way his anger beat warmly across his face. He clenched his teeth and tried to fit the grin, though he realized he failed when Josiah focused intently on his mouth.

"Amused, child?"

"More or less," Micah admitted quietly. "I wasn't aware Sachiel intimidated you enough to send him away. You essentially showed your hand and your weakness."

"You've inherited his unhealthy obsession and he is too bold with you."

"I find him fascinating," Micah confessed, watching as the orange eyes narrowed. "He is rather open about his intentions and does not shy away from his corruptive nature." He paused. "But he is a simple man. Not nearly as complex and challenging as you are."

"Flattery will not bring him back," Josiah warned.

"How did you even know about our conversation?" Micah demanded. "You were with your puppets at the time. You couldn't have known."

"I have eyes everywhere."

That did not surprise Micah in the least. Sachiel warned him of the exact same thing that night. "Clearly not everywhere at all times," he countered, speaking specifically of the situation with Clarence and the Dulcis Waters.

The man's lips pursed with displeasure. "I cannot watch you at all times." He reached for his wine, caressing the stem, but not picking it up. "I explicitly warned Sachiel not to step over the line and he chose to disregard my warning. A suitable punishment was in order."

"You've established your control and authority, Uncle," Micah said firmly. "Now I'm asking you to bring him back."

"Is your hand out, begging? Beseeching?" Josiah inquired lazily.

Micah faltered at the word usage, secretly delighted the man used his earlier comment in this context. It fit, certainly. His hand was out begging and Josiah would only comply once Micah knew his place. Just like the Unda people and the Igni citizens. While Micah already acknowledged the man's authority, he could sense there was something else.

"What do you want in return?"

Josiah's fingers paused in their ministrations and his eyes glimmered. "Your chastity."

That gave Micah pause. "My chastity?" He laughed through his startled disbelief, his whole body flushing hot with the insinuations. Josiah wanted his sexual loyalty. "I think, in this situation, a better word to use is celibacy."

The older man did not appear amused. Far from it. "You are not a virgin."

Micah grimaced. "No. But you knew that already, didn't you?"

Josiah watched him silently. "Who?"

The back of his neck prickled unpleasantly and something tightened in his stomach at the man's tone. "That's not important."

"On the contrary," Josiah whispered.

"You don't know them. It doesn't matter."

"Them." Josiah repeated the word as if he were a predator roused upon a single command. "Who?" he asked again.

"It's something I'd rather not relive, if that's okay with you," he said, forcing out sarcasm and forcing his mind away from that particular memory. It was not his first time that he recalled, but rather the first time he'd thought he'd lose his virginity. By force. "Unless you want to tell me all about your past liaisons."

At Josiah's look, Micah realized the man was about to do just that.

"Actually, I don't want to know about them," he clarified hurriedly. He didn't want to know about Josiah's previous trysts. It didn't sit well with him for reasons he did not want to explore.

Josiah lifted a hand and waved it carelessly as if to tell him they were insignificant conquests. "Who was this man?"

"I lost my virginity to a woman," Micah stated matter-of-factly.

"Perhaps," Josiah mused, gazing at him intently. "But something else has riled you up. Not just the memory of an awkward first time with a woman, but a memory forced away to the deepest recess of your mind. Am I right?"

"Celibacy," Micah started firmly, bringing them back around to the intended topic. Josiah just wouldn't drop it. "You want my word I will remain celibate. In return, you agree to bring Sachiel back?"

Josiah's eyes unfocused just above his head. Suddenly, there was a slight tightening around his mouth and the headache behind Micah's eyes grew nearly unbearable. Micah hissed in pain and cradled his head.

"Was it forced?" the question was asked with deadly calm.

Micah choked. "You—"

His hands dropped from his head to grip the edge of the table. Fury caused his hands to tremble and he stood up, unable to reign his control. He remembered Keegan. He remembered Josiah having the ability to pry information from unwilling sources. "When you start prying around in my mind, we're done."

Micah moved to the door, his strides stiff and angry. As he turned the doorknob, he realized it had somehow locked, though it had no sort of locking functionality on the handle.

His palm splayed the door and he leaned forward, breathing steadily.

Gradually, when he knew he salvaged enough control to act like a civilized human being, he turned and stared at the man at the table.

Josiah continued to sit undisturbed with his back facing Micah. He sipped at his wine and swirled the glass languidly. "We're not done," the man countered self-assuredly. "Simply because I cannot read minds. I've also told you that I would never use my persuasion to coerce information from you."

Micah stalked toward the man, feeling caged.

Feeling trapped.

"You are an open book to me," Josiah declared serenely. "I don't need mind control to know you were taken advantage of."

Bending at the waist, Micah settled just inches from the other man, peering at his averted features. He breathed in the other man's spicy aroma. Filled his lungs with it. "I wasn't taken advantage of," he declared fervently, strongly. "I was very young. It would have been my first time, forced, yes, but I was strong enough to defend myself."

Josiah's lashes lowered, a seemingly peaceful gesture, before he moved. His hand quickly grabbed Micah's face, holding him captive by hooking his fingers into his skin. They were both at awkward angles, though that didn't stop Josiah from tilting his head back and gazing down at him.

For a moment, Josiah simply stared at him. "How did you kill him?" he asked, intrigued.

His eyes slanted with decadent pleasure and Micah subconsciously followed suit. Any other man in his position would rear away and tremor with the uncertainness of such immorality and corruptness. Only, for Micah, the man's sadistic glee became his own, entwining through his very conscience and alighting parts of him he never knew existed.

It was a dark sensation, Micah acknowledged, and he bathed in it readily. There was more to Josiah, he knew. The man wore a polite veil to hide his true depravity. He desperately wanted to pull back the well-sown fabric and peek at the restrained and bound monster.

One day.

One day he would see that darkness in whole.

"Just a dagger through the chest," Micah admitted quietly. "I watched him bleed out."

He paused. His eyes shuttered as he remembered the irregular spurts of crimson spewing from the chest cavity upon each dying inhalation. That color, though. That deep, fathomless crimson—nearly onyx—forever remained his favorite hue.

Josiah exhaled slowly, delighted, and applied pressure to Micah's jaw. It was enough to bring him to his knees before the Igni king. The long-fingered hand removed itself from his face and curled greedily around his throat instead.

"For what purpose do you want Sachiel, child?"

Micah wanted an ally. An ally against both Calder and Josiah. Though the prospect of turning Sachiel away from Calder was challenging, he knew he could seduce him to his side.

He didn't tell any of this to Josiah.

"I want to learn what he has offered me," he settled for a half-truth instead.

"The Unda form." It was not a question. "Your lessons will be inside the academy walls and I will monitor you closely while in his presence. No excursions outside together without my permission."

Micah nodded once to show his consensus. "I want you to train me as well," he requested. "I know I'm not an Elemental, but I'd like to test my boundaries with my immunity to the elements. Ember tried, but she was out of practice and ill."

He couldn't conjure ice by himself.

During showers, he tried to turn the water into ice but found he couldn't even drop the temperature. He knew, based off previous training with his mother, he could only turn an Elemental's power into ice as long as it was already manipulated. Moreover, though he was attracted to Josiah —his mind in particular—he could not recognize something foreign that indicated this man was his Chosen. Recognizing one's other half was an ability belonging only to Elementals. Briefly, he wondered how potent the sensation was to Josiah.

What, inside child-Ezra, identified with the man all those years ago?

"But training would ruin your determination to avoid me," Josiah mocked.

So the man had noticed his avoidance.

Frustrated, albeit feeling a bit silly for his attempts of eluding the man, Micah twisted out of Josiah's grasp and stood from the floor. He towered over Josiah, noticing the man's rather unperturbed expression at the shift of ground.

"Is that a yes? Or a no?"

Josiah lifted a hand to cover his mouth, his eyes alight with amusement. "Your lessons with me are a definite. However, the when is still indefinite." Upon seeing Micah's darkening expression, Josiah tutted. "You and I are due to have intense lessons. You are not quite ready for them. Learn what you can with Sachiel and then we will talk again." He inclined his head towards the door. "Go. If you hurry, you can catch a warm dinner."

Micah considered the man before him, wondering if he should press the subject of lessons or address the topic of Clarence. Josiah promised him the captain's life. Surely, if the man had possession of Clarence, he would not hide the fact.

In the end, Micah turned and left the room.

Overall, he was pleased with how the night turned out.

Besides his moment of crippling weakness as he recalled a memory buried long ago, he'd held his own against Josiah. It was becoming easier to interact with the Igni lord. Whether that was because he was growing stronger—both mentally and emotionally—or because he'd become accustomed to Josiah, he was undeniably pleased with his progress.

He remembered their first interaction on the train to Concordia capital.

Back then, he'd been out of his depth, buried beneath layers of his mother's anger and beneath his concern for the fate of her life and the life of Idris. After pushing away worries he could not control, and finding his own identity, it proved to be the answer in grabbing hold of his unsteady surroundings and conquering them assertively.

As he walked the corridor, he mulled over the unrest in the Terra Kingdom, his teammates, and the possibility of losing yet another member. If they lost Kai Edlen to the royal court, Micah doubted they'd stay the top ranking team for long.

They just weren't ready to function without Kai.

A new training regimen would be vital. Creating a regimen that covered the holes of two missing members would take time and creativity. Perhaps he needed to speak to Instructor Candace about the possibility of allotting them more time before they received another mission. Or more likely, at least one member from another team, which, he supposed, would be equally jarring to his team, who had steadily grown familiar with each other.

With his mind heavy with possibilities, Micah entered the dining hall.

Things would progress naturally. It would be best to let things take their course without too much interference.