“But it doesn’t fully explain Commander Eleni’s death.”
Aimilia hummed, then she whipped around and grabbed his sleeve. “The dog’s behavior changed. What if something was done to it beforehand? What if the poison was in that dog and that’s how it entered Commander Eleni and no one else?”
Turpis grinned. “And we can prove it if we get our hands on that dog.”
Aimilia laughed. “You’re not as stupid as I thought you were at the Academy.”
“And you’re twice as beautiful as you were then.”
Aimilia opened her mouth, but he was kissing her before she could speak. It was so fast she barely had her hands up on his chest to push him away when he had already pulled back and was running back toward the estate.
“Don’t worry, Commander, I’m right on it!”
Aimilia opened her mouth, taking a few steps after him before stopping.
Even though the necklace was safely tucked away in her jewelry box in her room, its weight stayed with her.
She wasn’t Nikias’.
So why did she still feel guilty?
Aimilia looked up at the rising sun. She didn’t have time for this.
Not if Nikias’ mother had another plan to kill her in the next event too.
When Aimilia and the other three commanders stepped out onto the stage, she eyed the four columns. One for each of them.
The crowd was humming in anticipation; only a small handful of them knew the truth of Commander Eleni’s fate. The rest were there for a show of Runai excellence and Aimilia had to give it to them despite the enemies all around her.
She glanced between the column in front of her and Queen Clelia. Nikias was stone faced beside her, so she had no idea what he was thinking.
She had to get there first.
Commander Prisca’s voice filled the air.
“Commanders, before you are your columns for this challenge. As you scale the column you will come across choices you must make in order to proceed and you will see the outcome of those choices as you progress through illusions. Once you reach the top, you will either have won the battle with your troops or lost. Begin!”
Aimilia watched as the other three commanders raced forward.
While Commander Prisca had been talking Aimilia had been reading the runes. She’d had to do one of these in her graduation tournament, so she was already familiar with them. She’d been trying to read ahead to see the outcomes of each individual choice in the beginning. She didn’t get far, but it at least told her which side was the stronger start for her scenario.
Aimilia pressed her hand against the rune carved into the stone and pushed vitae into it, activating her first choice.
Her troops would make their camp on a ridge.
Aimilia watched the illusion come to life as she grabbed the first handhold and started climbing up to the next point. She cared less about speed and more about results.
Winning fastest wasn’t as good as winning with fewer losses.
Aimilia reached her next scenario. The Embrai Elemens she was fighting against brought phoenixes. Her ridge wasn’t going to help her against them. She had to stretch her arm, but she pressed her palm against her choice, heading deeper into the mountains where they might have some coverage rather than to heading south to the river. Aimilia kept climbing.
Each scenario, no matter what Aimilia did, things only worsened. The phoenixes took out one fourth of her forces before she even had the chance to set up any defenses. She cursed the birds mentally as she watched the little mirages of them sweep through the air, fire raining down on her men.
A gasp ripped through the crowd, and Aimilia looked over her shoulder to see one of the other commanders had fallen and was quickly trying to get back up to where he’d been.
Aimilia’s arms were already beginning to ache.
If she wasn’t careful that would be her.
