The comment made me shiver. I wondered what Verin would do tomeif she knew about the magic in my veins. As soon as I had the thought, I wondered what she’d do to thequeen, who secretly shares the same talent.
Queen Lia Mara must have wondered the same thing, because she threw Verin out of her chambers.
But after that, we didn’t see the queen for an entireday. The next morning, she looked like she hadn’t slept at all.
So here I am, at the crack of dawn, two weeks after Alek demandedthat I leave the palace— still here. At least I have a brief reprieve from the somberness of the royal suites, because I’ve been keeping up my training sessions with the army recruits. I don’t really have anyfriendsamong the soldiers, but at least it’s a distraction from the heavy grief hanging over the palace. Morning drills under the guidance of Lord Jacob might leave me a battered, sweaty mess, but it’s two hours where my thoughts aren’t filled with anxiety over someone else’s pain.
But this morning, Jacob doesn’t appear on the fields to lead drills. General Solt does.
The army recruits had been clustered in small whispering groups, which I’d been casually ignoring. I learned early on that the barracks have no shortage of gossip and drama. My sister, Nora, would probably be rapt with attention, but I don’t know any of the players, and in the midst of my own drama, I can’t make myself care.
But then I hear one of them murmur, “leaving the queen alone,” and I snap my head around.
As soon as I do, they stop talking. The silence is sharp and sudden, like a crack of thunder.
I might train with them, but they know who I am— and they know my proximity to the queen. It’s never seemed to matter, but all of a sudden, I’m keenly aware of it. Were they simply gossiping? Or was it something more?
But then General Solt appears on the fields, and the recruits snap to attention. I’m not in the army, soIdon’t, but my mother was once an officer, so I know enough to stand beside them. I can sense the unease among the others, especially since Jacob isn’t here. General Solt has never come to the fields this early, and he doesn’t look happy about the fact that he’s here now either.
Without preamble, he says, “Tomorrow, you will join Captain Narrah’s unit for midday drills. For today, run an easy five. Full gear.”His voice is tight and official, leaving no room for disobedience. “Dismissed.”
An easy five.No matter how long I train, I will never get used to the way soldiers refer to a five- mile run with forty pounds of gear as if it’s a light day of work. But without complaint, the recruits fall into formation and move off, their gossip forgotten.
I don’t. General Solt has already begun to turn away, but I go after him. He was so severe that I’m hesitant to stop him, but I don’t know what happened to Lord Jacob, and I’m not sure if I’m meant to continue joining the recruits. The king is the one who initially made the offer— and he’s gone.
I grimace and jog to catch up with the man. “General?”
He turns with a fierce expression, probably ready to face a soldier who’s ignoring a direct order. But then his eyes skip over my form, and I see the moment he recognizes me.
“Callyn, yes?” A hint of fondness flickers in his gaze. “Adelyn’s daughter.”
That takes me by surprise, because I’m not used to anyone remembering my mother. But I nod. “Yes.”
He snaps his fingers and points at me. “I was supposed to find you some soldiers who served with your mother.” He grimaces. “You’ll have to forgive me. With the state of things—”
“Oh!” I say in surprise, remembering the promise he made weeks ago, when he said he’d locate any other soldiers who might have known my mother. That was before the scraver attacks that caused so much damage to the palace— and left so many people dead. Before the king was driven away by the people he’d sworn to protect. “Please don’t apologize,” I say. “Other things were more important.”
“This is important, too. We all lost family. I will find them for you.”
He was so prickly with the recruits that his sudden empathy takes me by surprise. I wonder whohelost. “Thank you, General.”
He gives me a nod and begins to turn away— and I realize he thinks this is why I stopped him.
“Wait!” I say.
He turns again. “I am due in the palace,” he says. He nods past me, where the recruits have already turned to specks in the distance. “And you’ve lost your unit.”
“I’m not a soldier. I work for the queen. I was just . . . I’ve been training with Lord Jacob.”
His eyes light with respect, and he nods. “Your mother would be proud.”
Then he turns awayagain.
I start after him. “General—”
This time when he turns, his expression is exasperated.
“Sorry,” I say quickly. “I just . . .” I wince. “You said that Captain Narrah would be taking over the recruits. What happened to Lord Jacob?”
