be living in Tarna, the richest city in all of Mynt. If any cure could be found, it would be there. Anything to free Ona of her crippling pain.
Kara took her bearings from the bright moon over the mage stone walls — her dorm room was east of here — and walked through an academy settled in for the night. The moon offered some light, but hanging lamps of bluish phantom fire further ensured she wouldn’t lose her footing. As Kara rounded the corner of the large Aerial classroom, one of the shadows stepped into her path.
Kara jumped. It was not a shadow, but a person. It was Jair.
“Hello,” Jair said. Keeping a respectful distance.
“Hello, Jair.” Kara was damn well tired of people sneaking up on her. “Not to be rude or anything, but what are you doing here?”
“I’ve come to speak to you about Aryn.”
“I’ve nothing to say to him.”
“I know. I’ve come to warn you about him.”
“Why would you need to do that?” Had Aryn cooked up some foolhardy plan for vengeance?
“Aryn has been under a great deal of pressure. His loss devastated him.”
Kara did her best not to scoff. She could find no pity for a man who had treated her so callously, but that did not mean she had to be rude to Jair. He was only trying to help.
“I don’t expect you to forgive his treatment of you,” Jair said. “But things Aryn has told me in confidence worry me. What I can tell you is that because Aryn lost your duel, his life in Solyr is over.”
Kara snorted. “That’s a bit dramatic, isn’t it?”
“It was obvious to everyone why the elders requested your presence. News that you’ve been chosen as the royal apprentice spreads already. That was Aryn’s last hope. He has nothing now.”
Kara chose her next words as diplomatically as she could. “I understand Aryn was as anxious for the post as I was. But the end of his life ? You’ll forgive me if I don’t see it.”
“Trust me,” Jair said. “Stay away from Aryn.” He paused and ran his hand through his dark hair, an almost nervous gesture. “A man with nothing to lose is most dangerous of all.”
Kara shivered as she remembered the hatred in Aryn’s eyes, as Jair’s eyes held hers, demanding understanding. He stared into her. It felt like he was staring at her soul and she wondered then if he could do that, see her soul without the dream world.
“I understand,” Kara said quietly. “Thank you.”
Jair offered her a faint smile. “I should be going. But Kara ... know that I’ve always called you friend. If you ever need anything, you have but to ask.”
Kara watched him walk away, determined to witness whatever allowed him to vanish. Shadows swallowed Jair, and she cursed softly. Was he showing off? Or simply enforcing his warning?
Kara imagined punching Aryn’s smug face, imagined knocking him to the ground and keeping him there. If Aryn wanted another fight, he would get it. She feared nothing from that noble prick.
Even so, she checked each shadow on the long walk to her dorm.
“YOU’RE BACK!” SERA SAT on her bed, snuggled into pillows with a book in her lap. A lamp of phantom fire lit the room. Sera never stopped reading, even after dark, but she set the book aside.
“Byn’s gone … curfew … but he demanded I learn everything. What happened?”
“You first.” Kara walked to Sera’s bed and rested a palm on Sera’s forehead. “Did you get something to eat? Some fluids? You burned a lot of blood.”
Sera poked at Kara’s palm. “I’m fine, mother .” She pushed up and settled on her knees. “Now tell me! What’d they say?”
Kara fell onto her bed and stared at the ceiling, at cedar slats dusty with age. She felt a pang of loneliness. She would be leaving Solyr, leaving Sera, and Byn, and Halde. She had won a tremendous opportunity, but she would face it without her friends.
She rolled to face Sera, and Sera’s eyes went wide. “What did they say, Kara?”
“They made their
Kara took her bearings from the bright moon over the mage stone walls — her dorm room was east of here — and walked through an academy settled in for the night. The moon offered some light, but hanging lamps of bluish phantom fire further ensured she wouldn’t lose her footing. As Kara rounded the corner of the large Aerial classroom, one of the shadows stepped into her path.
Kara jumped. It was not a shadow, but a person. It was Jair.
“Hello,” Jair said. Keeping a respectful distance.
“Hello, Jair.” Kara was damn well tired of people sneaking up on her. “Not to be rude or anything, but what are you doing here?”
“I’ve come to speak to you about Aryn.”
“I’ve nothing to say to him.”
“I know. I’ve come to warn you about him.”
“Why would you need to do that?” Had Aryn cooked up some foolhardy plan for vengeance?
“Aryn has been under a great deal of pressure. His loss devastated him.”
Kara did her best not to scoff. She could find no pity for a man who had treated her so callously, but that did not mean she had to be rude to Jair. He was only trying to help.
“I don’t expect you to forgive his treatment of you,” Jair said. “But things Aryn has told me in confidence worry me. What I can tell you is that because Aryn lost your duel, his life in Solyr is over.”
Kara snorted. “That’s a bit dramatic, isn’t it?”
“It was obvious to everyone why the elders requested your presence. News that you’ve been chosen as the royal apprentice spreads already. That was Aryn’s last hope. He has nothing now.”
Kara chose her next words as diplomatically as she could. “I understand Aryn was as anxious for the post as I was. But the end of his life ? You’ll forgive me if I don’t see it.”
“Trust me,” Jair said. “Stay away from Aryn.” He paused and ran his hand through his dark hair, an almost nervous gesture. “A man with nothing to lose is most dangerous of all.”
Kara shivered as she remembered the hatred in Aryn’s eyes, as Jair’s eyes held hers, demanding understanding. He stared into her. It felt like he was staring at her soul and she wondered then if he could do that, see her soul without the dream world.
“I understand,” Kara said quietly. “Thank you.”
Jair offered her a faint smile. “I should be going. But Kara ... know that I’ve always called you friend. If you ever need anything, you have but to ask.”
Kara watched him walk away, determined to witness whatever allowed him to vanish. Shadows swallowed Jair, and she cursed softly. Was he showing off? Or simply enforcing his warning?
Kara imagined punching Aryn’s smug face, imagined knocking him to the ground and keeping him there. If Aryn wanted another fight, he would get it. She feared nothing from that noble prick.
Even so, she checked each shadow on the long walk to her dorm.
“YOU’RE BACK!” SERA SAT on her bed, snuggled into pillows with a book in her lap. A lamp of phantom fire lit the room. Sera never stopped reading, even after dark, but she set the book aside.
“Byn’s gone … curfew … but he demanded I learn everything. What happened?”
“You first.” Kara walked to Sera’s bed and rested a palm on Sera’s forehead. “Did you get something to eat? Some fluids? You burned a lot of blood.”
Sera poked at Kara’s palm. “I’m fine, mother .” She pushed up and settled on her knees. “Now tell me! What’d they say?”
Kara fell onto her bed and stared at the ceiling, at cedar slats dusty with age. She felt a pang of loneliness. She would be leaving Solyr, leaving Sera, and Byn, and Halde. She had won a tremendous opportunity, but she would face it without her friends.
She rolled to face Sera, and Sera’s eyes went wide. “What did they say, Kara?”
“They made their
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