I raised my hand, and Zorian's gaze shifted to me. "Go ahead, Commander."
"The converts we've arrested are the end product of this operation. But what about the beginning? How did the recruiters enter Elucia undetected in the first place? And more importantly, where are they now?"
A heavy silence fell over the room.
"That is still being investigated," Zorian said. "The converts are just pawns. The recruiters are the real threat, but they seem the most difficult to identify, which is most worrisome. They found a major weakness in our defenses. There was practically no vetting of personnel in those training camps. Anyone could apply for a summer job, and if they knew how to shoot a gun and teach hand-to-hand, they were hired."
I raised my hand again. "That's not how it works in most rural communities. The villagers teach the youth. They don't hire outsiders. I think that only happens in the larger towns and cities."
The general nodded. "We debated whether to let those smaller camps continue operating, but we decided that a reform should be uniform. We can't implement one rule for the cities and another for the villages. We have no choice but to make those summer training camps much more structured from now on."
"How did those instructors disappear without a trace?" Major Merrick asked.
"They used false identities, rotated frequently, and left minimal traces. They might have returned to Sitoria or moved to other parts of Elucia to establish new recruitment networks."Zorian's jaw tightened. "We're still operating blind, and I don't like it any more than you do."
The thought of Sitorian agents moving freely through Elucia and corrupting children made my blood boil. The good news was that it was not summer, so there were no training camps. The bad news was that they could be recruiting in other places, and the other bad news was that we had no idea how many more converts were hiding among us.
Were any of the commanders compromised? How could I know who to trust now?
"There is more," the general continued. "Starting tomorrow, every resident of the Citadel will be interviewed personally by Shaman Fatewever. And by everyone, I mean military and civilian, officer and enlisted, rider and support staff."
The murmur that followed was louder than before.
"Sir, thousands of people work and live in the Citadel," Commander Nyla Kestrel said. "That will take weeks."
Zorian nodded. "Shaman Fatewever is aware of the timeline. He insisted nonetheless."
I understood the shaman.
Saphir blamed himself for missing the converts during the Circle of Fates ceremony. He'd looked into the mind of every pilgrim who passed before him and seen nothing wrong. It was possible that the drugs had fooled him, creating some sort of chemical shield, but he still blamed himself.
He blamed himself.
"What about the cadets?" Colonel Weston asked. "The Day of Volition is in four days. Are they included in this screening?"
"They've already been screened," Zorian said. "Shaman Fatewever conducted personal interviews with all thirty-six first-year cadets. He cleared them all."
I assumed the quintet had never been suspected, but then Saphir had visited them almost daily since the last attack, andthe reason for his visits could have been about more than he had let on.
"The Day of Volition will proceed as scheduled," Zorian continued. "Security will be enhanced, obviously. All personnel involved in the ceremony have been pre-screened. I won't sugarcoat this. We're facing an enemy that's been operating inside our borders for nearly two decades. They've converted our children, infiltrated our institutions, and attempted to assassinate the Hero of Elucia, one of our most precious assets. We don't know how deep the rot goes. We don't know how many more converts are waiting for orders."
He paused, letting the weight of those words settle.
"But we are the Dragon Force. We've held the line against the Shedun for centuries. We will not be brought down by traitors hiding in the shadows." His voice hardened. "We will find them. We will root them out. And we will make them regret ever setting foot on Elucian soil."
39
CODRIC
"To understand your enemies, you must first learn what beliefs drive them. Not to sympathize, but to predict. Don't make the fatal mistake of projecting your values onto them."
—Director Hakell Madrad, Elucian Intelligence Corps
The apartment smelled of the spiced stew Morek had thrown together from leftovers, and my stomach growled in anticipation. Flight training had been brutal today, and I was thankful for it, but it burned through my energy reserves, and now I was famished.
Never mind that Commander Tallen had put me through evasive maneuvers until I was sure my internal organs had rearranged themselves. They were all humming along nicely now, ready to dig into Morek's stew.
The guy was a catch, good-looking and a good cook, and it was a shame he didn't have a girl of his own. Once the Day of Volition was behind us, I should help him. He could benefit from some coaching in the art of courtship.
