The man’s knees gave out, but Slate caught him under the arm to hold him upright. “Us. Elementals.”
“Why?” I knew he told the truth, I felt it. It was a suspicion I’d been having since learning that I was the Elemental Prince. But if he were right, that meant that I’d been killing innocents this whole time on behalf of the king. Potentially even family members. I couldn’t accept it.
The man’s eyes drooped, his body going slack in Slate’s arms. “Ultimate…power.”
I deadpanned. “Okay. We know Forest is an asshole. That’s nothing new. If what you’re saying is true, then how is he making us believe that Elementals are depleting humans?”
“Your…prison.” It was all the Elemental said before he collapsed, his weight too much for Slate to hold up any longer.
Thatcaught my attention. If there was one thing I was unfortunately familiar with, it was the prisons beneath the palace. It held any Kinetic guilty of committing crimes against the crown and any Elementals captured. And myself, on occasion, obviously.
So, what would be down in the prisons that would allow Forest to trick everyone into believing that Elementals were depleting humans? I couldn’t piece together how he could even pull off a deception like that. It began to appear that the Elementals were innocent after all. Aside from my own conflicting emotions, the implications of that accusation were monumental. If the man I’d just killed had been telling the truth, what future atrocity were we unknowingly contributing to?
“He’ll be dead in about five minutes,” Slate said as I stood there staring off into the distance as the Elemental’s words struck home, further ripping apart everything I believed to be truth.
I remembered Valik’s warning of Forest in The Phantom’s bathroom, followed by the Regent King’s words just a few days ago. Forest orchestrated my birth and the princess’s to create two weapons in order for him to obtain power. He also lied to his own daughter about being adopted, hid her true nature from her, abused her, and isolated her. Not to mention the treatment he sanctioned for me. The man had proven he would go to any length to get what he wanted.
“I need to see what Forest is hiding in the prisons,” I said after a long pause.
Slate walked to my side, his eyes narrowed in confusion. “You…believe him?”
As much as I didn’t want to, I admitted, “I think Forest will do anything to get what he wants. Including starting a war and blaming the Elementals for it.”
“Are you thinking like this because you’re potentially the son of their deceased king?” Slate asked, a brow raised in doubt.
I huffed. “Hardly. Even if they are completely innocent, I don’t even know them. They haven’t tried to help me or Gray. So why would I help them?” I explained. “It’s because if he starts a war and gets what he wants, it could devastate the whole world. Who knows what he’s after, but apparently, he’s been crafting his way toward it since before I was born.”
Slate nodded, crossing his arms as he chewed on his lip. “It would make sense why he lied and turned you against Elementals.”
The crisp breeze seemed to grow thick and stagnant as I realized that Slate was right. I had played right into Forest’s hands by believing him about who my father was. I became his perfect soldier.
“Like I said, I need to find out what’s in the prisons,” I repeated.
“I’ll go with you,” Slate replied.
I shook my head. “No. You can’t. Too risky for you.”
Slate’s expression turned appalled. “And it isn’t for you?”
“No. They can’t kill me. So, it doesn’t matter if they catch me. But everyone else is expendable in their eyes, even you,” I said, meeting his gaze.
Chapter 13
Chrome
Ifist-bumped Cardinal Kittle, smiling at his improvement over the past few months. “How much longer before you’re officially considered an Assassin within the Guilds?”
The deep scarlet of his hair lay matted to his head from sweat as he worked to slow his breathing. He winced as he heaved for breath. “Eh, I would say…maybe…another month?”
I raised my brows at his exhaustion. “You good?”
Cardinal waved a hand in my direction. “Yeah!” he gasped. “Fucking perfect.”
I laughed. “Maybe you need to work on your stamina. Get some laps in before and after training sessions?”
“I’m good. No need for all that.” He bent down, resting his hands on his knees.
I shook my head. “I think I’ll talk to Smokey and see if he can arrange your training schedule to work that in.”
