I scooped up the knife that was half the length of my forearm and held it by my side. I’d examine it later, see if it had any markings, though I didn’t need to identify the source.
I wasn’t surprised that High Advisor Adwarin was also trying to kill me.
32
TEMPEST
Iflitted from the aerie, not caring if anyone saw me or remarked about it.
Inside our suite, I stripped everything off, tossing my soiled clothing into the basket, leaving my sheath on the bed. I carried Prenton’s blade into the bathroom with me and while the water gushed from the faucet, I examined it in the light spilling in through the window.
It was an ordinary knife; nothing special. There were no identifying markings that might tie it to whoever made it, let alone who’d sent it.
The high advisor.
Prenton hadn’t needed anything unique to kill a simple Nullen rider like me. Did the advisor know I was a fully trained rider? Delaine did, but I didn’t know how close she was to her father or how much she shared.
The advisor had sent Prenton on a suicide mission. Had mysupposed friend believed he could catch me unaware? He’d befriended me. It was only today that his behavior changed. He must’ve felt skittish, uncomfortable with what the high lord asked him to do.
I should’ve seen this coming. Instead, I trusted him. I saw him as someone like me, a Nullen trapped by his collar. I needed to remember that I had no friends here other than Reyla, Brodine, and Vexxion. Funny how quickly I’d slipped back into trusting Vexxion again. Love fractured mistrust with one blow. But I’d seen the honor he’d done his damnedest to hide.
Why had Madrood defended me? It could’ve been a reflex on his part. He was startled by Prenton’s actions or the guttural cry he released. Or he didn’t like Prenton in general. Few dared enter Madrood’s stall. Maybe Prenton was mean to the dragon. The regular staff did almost nothing for him. They waited until the king’s trainer flew Madrood out for exercise to clean his stall and refill his feed bin.
Someone leaping into his stall like Prenton had today would be an anomaly. Madrood had startled and released fire. That had to be it.
Yet Madrood had moved me to the side before he acted. That showed intention.
Why are you upset?Vexxion asked. He didn’t wait for a reply but flitted to me, landing behind me and tugging me into his arms.
I melted into him, needing his touch, his warm embrace, the gentle kiss he placed on my shoulder.
I told him what happened, my voice hitching through the words.
“The high advisor claimed Prenton,” he said in a tight voice.
“Yes. That’s what I heard.”
“I’ll take care of this.”
“You can’t kill him.”
“Only if I leave evidence of my involvement behind.”
“Don’t risk it. The king will know.” It was bad enough he’d eliminated the three the other day. He’d ended up hanging in the dungeon, and me and Reyla had been “drained”.
While the high advisor deserved to be punished for this, and I was convinced he’d sent Prenton, his death would have an impact on the court.
How many would have to die before this was over?
Many. So many.
“I’m sorry,” he said.
“I didn’t know Prenton well. I only spoke with him a few times. He . . . I thought he was a friend. An ally, I suppose. He was Nullen like me.” Why was I sad about this? I should be glad he was dead. He deserved the ending he found for trying to stab me.
Yet I couldn’t shove my heavy emotions aside. I kept seeing Madrood blasting someone with fire. I kept imagining the stuttering look of panic he’d have on his face before he melted, before he was gone. I’d seen a lot of death in my life. I’d dealt it out with a quick slash of my blade more times than I could count. But in a short amount of time, I’d been thereasonpeople died. I couldn’t reconcile that in my mind.
Why was everyone trying to kill me? I was a simple Nullen, not someone worth losing their life for.
