Anees gave her a long, hard glance. “Khay would do anything to protect what he believes in.”
Thirteen
Nobody questionedLory’s story when she told the others at breakfast that Falcrest had set her on fire with one of the torches from the training room after she’d failed to execute an order. Only Frost had paused for a brief moment before resuming to slice the fresh figs on his plate and plopping them into his mouth.
“I’ve known he’s ruthless, but this”—Tabi gestured at the pale spots on Lory’s face and neck—“is outright cruel. Does it hurt?”
Lory shook her head. “Not anymore. Hand Nahrit took care ofthe burns pretty fast.”
“Perhaps she deserved it,” Brycon suggested right as a group of yellows passed by their table, Ricca and Solen among them.
“She definitely did.” Ricca’s gloating laugh trickled down Lory’s back like a lick of ice. “At least, if the stories are true, she did.”
“What stories?” Thal jerked around in his seat, daring the yellow ashling to come up with a reasonable explanation for setting Lory on fire.
The glance Solen and Ricca shared was enough for Lory to understand, Anees and Falcrest had probably told their version of the tale before hers could make the rounds.
Ricca merely giggled, her dark green eyes flashing at Lory. “I knew you were desperate, butthatdesperate… I hope it was worth it, Lory.”
The yellows laughed as they made their exit, leaving Lory and the others staring.
“What did she mean bythat?” Surprisingly, it was Frost who broached the subject.
Lory had no idea, but when she scanned the front of the room for Falcrest, the captain was caught up in conversation with the Master of Steel, a cup of tea in his hand and a smirk on his face.
What did you tell them, prick?Lory wished she could send the thought right into his mind, but Falcrest didn’t as much as flinch as she shot daggers at him with her gaze.
“Whatever he said, I’m sure you didn’t deserve it.” Between the plates and cups, Tabi put a calming hand on Lory’s forearm. “And about what Ricca said—she’s just being a bitch.”
“Second that,” Thal chimed in, turning back to the table and picking up his water glass. “As soon as I master that damned water magic, I’ll pour some over her head to cool that woman off.”
Jarek chuckled over his slice of toasted bread. “Frost could ice her over, just to make a point.”
Once more, Aiden’s eyes met Lory’s. “I’m only icing over people who deserve it.” Lory wasn’t sure she imagined the hint of humor in his tone, but when the others returned to their food, he flashed Lory a small grin.
“So, your magic reared its head yesterday during training?” Jarek prompted, still chewing. “What type is it?”
“Where did you hear that?” Aiden beat Lory to it.
With a shrug, Jarek picked a fresh slice of bread from his plate and smeared it with coconut butter. “Heard whispers on the way from the dormitories.” The expression on his face darkened. “I doubt the person who shared the information will be doing so again, though. She was the yellow who was executed this morning.”
The girl with the red hair, whom Falcrest had led at the point of his blade up the stairs of the platform, had missed the second bell and died for it, alongside three others. The memory alone formed a knot in Lory’s stomach that made her put down her spoon into her half-empty cereal bowl.
She leaned back, suppressing the impulse to check with Aiden if he believed it was a coincidence or if Falcrest had silenced someone who might have spilled information about Lory’s type of magic.
When she looked up, Aiden was busying himself with a fig, plucking it into minuscule pieces until his plate was a mess of green and purplish brown.
“I don’t even know if it was magic. Just a flicker ofsomething.” Getting any more specific could run her into trouble. She needed to talk to Falcrest before she gave away anything else. Even if, for now, it was slumbering peacefully in her chest, it could break loose again without a warning, and she didn’t have the slightest clue what to do if that ugly power burst out of her again. If it looked anything like the inferno of the day before, anyone who saw it might simply run her through with a sword.
“We have Knowledge first today. Maybe Dunveil can tell me more.” It was the most diplomatic way she could phrase her response without actually lying. Dunveil surely could tell her more about any type of magic, but his answers weren’t the ones she craved. She needed to know why Falcrest hadn’t sold her out, even when he’d seen the fire. He didn’t truly believe that had been light magic, or he wouldn’t have forbidden Aiden to speak about it. He wouldn’t have voiced his doubts to Anees when he’d thought Lory was still sleeping.
“Sounds about right. It will definitely be an interesting class.” Tabi’s words seemed to be coming more from a point of curiosity than from true enthusiasm.
They finished breakfast, cleared their trays, and made their way down the hallways to the blue room where Dunveil liked to summon them for Knowledge. When they arrived, Aiden falling to the back of the group, Lory spotted Falcrest leaning against the wall in an alcove a few feet fromthe threshold, his arms casually folded in front of his chest as he scanned the ashlings trickling into the room with suspicion on his features.
If she wanted to confront him, maybe this would be her only chance before the class started, and she might do something that would lead to her immediate death.
“I’ll be right there,” she murmured to Tabi and Jarek, who had broken into an argument about the best types of magic. Nobody but Aiden noticed as she slipped into the alcove, seeking out the man who supposedly had set her on fire.
