Chapter 364 (2/2)

"You have cli his hands away fro back in his chair "It is evident in the way you speak, like you have no experience with the higher levels of politics in Alacrya You should be careful, Grey The wrong word in the wrong ear can get you killed"

As if to eap in my shi+elds and killed one of my casters It left the striker piece open to a counterattack, but it weakened the inner circle of defense aroundbold…that is what those bloods who died in Elenoir did And now many of them are less than the lowest unna the striker, I noticed Corbett's knuckles hite as he picked the piece up, squeezing it between his fingers as if he could crush the carved stone to dust

"Why encourage such heavy investment in Elenoir if there was still such risk?" I asked,

Corbett set the piece doith a sharp clink and ns didn't think the asura had it in the like a fire in his eyes He didn't believe that the Vritra—deities theuard Which meant…

"You think it was a trap," I said flatly, a statement of fact "Bait, to make the asuras break the treaty"

Corbett tensed "You are aware of the relationshi+p between Caera and the Denoirs, correct?"

I nodded

"Did you know that, should we fail in our duty to the Vritra and to Caera, Highblood Denoir could be stripped of all titles and lands? Lenora and I could be executed"

Again, I nodded in response

"We are one of the hbloods in the central doh there was no sness in the statement "And yet, a misstep would s or queens, as the Dicathians do Our lords are Gods themselves, and we are all subject entirely to their will, frohblood You would do well not to forget this fact, Grey Do not think yourself untouchable because you have found so this, I h I felt certain I could have ended it in a true win, taking my sentry across the board to Corbett's hold, a else fro

When h and held his glass up to enerally after you've beaten her that Caera reenuine sh the stoic calmness that I'd kept up for uess?"

As soon as we returned to the ground level, Caera tookPlenty to do still in preparation for the Victoriad"

"You're right, of course Highlord Denoir and I—"

"Please, callnoticeably toward so friendliness He patted h I'ine," he said, giving me a sharp look "You owe me a rematch, which of course means you and Caera will have to return for dinner at a later date"

Caera atching her adoptive father with unsuppressed surprise, and even Lenora see her ar, I'd say you owe it to us for keeping us waiting so long!" Lenora and Corbett both shared a shtly deeper than before "Thank you, both for the fine food and sti conversation"

Caera looked at rown in my forehead "Okay then, we'll see ourselves out, so…bye"

With that, the Denoirs bid us farewell, with Lady Lenora seeing us to the door herself while Nessa stood by Caera gave a perfunctory farewell before leading us quickly away fro down a carriage to return us to the acaderounds

"What in the name of the Vritra did you do to Corbett?" she said once ell away from the doors

"What?" I asked innocently,Corbett had told me

"I swear, you're like a handsoe that we face together reveals yet another layer to you How exactly does a self-proclaimed nobody frohbloods like you?" Before I could answer, she kept going "No, never hed quietly as I threw the white cloak Kayden had given me aroundroom can be just as deadly as any battlefield"

"And your tongue is sharp as a sword," she scoffed as a carriage pulled by a bright orange lizard stopped for us

Black void

Just that, nothing ? I asked h the keystone real here I've felt it

The real problee in an esoteric way designed to spark insight, not to allow forof a skill They likely had an instinctive understanding of their own teaching methods, much the same way that I had been able to read encyclopedias and toic when I was first born in this world The Dicathianoperated on the same principles as those of Earth But the djinn's keystones did not

And yet I had gained insight into Aroa's Requiem froI withdrew froed soolden rune flared to life on h y danced and ju to the keystone until they swarmed over it like purple fireflies

But they didn't appear to be doing anything

There were no cracks to flow into, no da still, I didn't know if the Godrune wasn't working because there was nothing to fix or because it couldn't repair the dae—like the exit portal in Three Steps' zone

Cursing ht into the Godrune, I released it, and the motes flickered and faded away

Severalat the black cube when my office door opened suddenly, and Enola marched in and seated herself in the chair on the other side ofthe heavy cube on laring down at her hands, which were clenched together in her lap My voice softened slightly as I continued "You weren't in class after the bestowal Did you receive such a powerful rune that they've allowed you to skip the rest of your schooling?"

She rubbed at her face then coolden hair "No My blood matron recalled me to our estate for a couple days," she said stiffly "To discuss my future"

When did I become a teen counselor? I nearly said the words aloud, but bit alia," she said, her voice gravelly with restrained e this cere the older students"

1

I let out a lohistle "That's serious"

With huff, Enola stood suddenly, nearly knocking over the chair, then winced and set it back in place She stood behind it, her hands clenching the back "My blood has already arranged a posting for me in Dicathen after this season I should have another two and a half years of acadens Quarrel board, usingyou front and center if this conflict with the asura escalates further," I pointed out carefully I considered sayingword, but I couldn't bringsent across the sea to help keep my friends and family in check

Enola turned her chin up proudly "I' I'm a warrior But…" She sed heavily "Is it really even a war, if we're battling asura? It seealia or not, how can regular soldiers make a difference in such a conflict?"

They can't, I wanted to say Aldir had burned an entire nation like Elenoir had been built on the head of a matchstick

"My…" She paused and slipped around the chair, taking her seat again "My brother was killed in Dicathen In the early days, one of our first assaults The sarette, the Truacian retainer was killed" She s side a retainer was some kind of honor"

I couldn't help but wince I had fought and killed the poison witch Jagrette in a swamp near Slore, and a sudden realization hit ry about what these students' families had done, I hadn't even stopped to consider the fact that I could have killed their relatives in battle

"You uilty for my deception

"No," she said immediately, her answer firm "My brother died in honest battle War is war They were our opponent Although I'll ht in"

Enola fell silent, and I knehat she was thinking

"But fighting asuras…" I probed

"I want to be a soldier, or ed back into the chair "But I do not wish to be tossed away or burned up as kindling in a battle between greater beings" Her eyes locked onto ue with her

Resting aze drifted to the keystone, and Enola's followed "Any one soldier can change the course of a battle," I stated "The strongest warrior can fall unexpectedly, while the weakest and ht stumble ass-backwards into victory" I picked the keystone up and turned it over inthe djinn projection's words "But your path is your own, and only you can walk it You ets to throw your life away like it htening as her eyes bore into me "Do you really believe that?"

I sainst the desktop, breaking the tension "With every fiber of le sharp nod, then looked again at the keystone "What is that?"

"Oh, this old thing?" I said, flipping it in the air and catching it again "It's just a tool to help me meditate and channel my…mana"

As I stu aether instead, my mind connected two points of data I hadn't previously considered Both times I saw the black-on-black movement within the keystone, it hen so ht it was just bad luck, with the interruptions co time, but what if…

"Here, letaether into the keystone

My mind rushed into the darkness It was alive with movement All around me, subtle streams of inky black writhed and ran like oil over water

The keystone reacted to the presence ofwithin

Like a blind ht, alive with sudden e

I would find the insight stored within, and take one step closer to discovering the edict of Fate