Apprentice (The Black Mage, #2)(22)

And, of course, the man had even less to say about the girls. Whenever one of us was up Byron would immediately look bored, and then he would spend the next twenty minutes picking away at our strategy.

"Why does he hate women so much?" I complained to Ella and Lynn later that evening. I had avoided looking over at Ian the whole meal.

"You really don't know?" Loren slid into his seat beside Ella, grinning. From the way his eyes danced I knew he had a story to tell.

"Byron grew up in one of those old families that didn't think women belonged in battle. His great grandfather was actually the Council of Magic's biggest adversary when they decided to change their ruling to let them in… Anyway, fifteen years ago Byron was one of the top contenders in the last Candidacy. He made it into the top three but when he dueled Kara, one of the best Combat mages in the Crown's Army, he lost. Marius won, of course, but Byron was so upset over losing to a woman that he left his wife… There are rumors that he still harasses the Council to this day exclude women from mage studies."

"But he trains women every day! How did he end up a master?"

"Because whether or not he's fair, he's good at what he does. The local regiments all praise the apprentices that have come from his term – male or female."

I made a face.

Ella managed to say exactly what I was thinking. "Well at least he's not the Black Mage. I don't think Ryiah or I would even be here right now if he had been on the Council."

A half-hour later I was depositing my tray when Darren approached me.

I started to push past but he caught my sleeve.

I stared at him. "What do you want?"

"Did I do something wrong?" Darren was studying my face. "You haven't said one word to me since that night in Ishir."

Was I the one bothering him? "I have nothing to say to you." I made way to leave.

"Ryiah." Darren reached down to grab my wrist. The second his hand made contact my skin tingled. My heart began to race, slamming against my chest.

I swallowed and hated myself for liking it. Like Ian, the prince was off-limits. I was tired of my traitorous heart wanting things that were taken.

Or, more importantly, people that I didn't want to want.

"What did I do?" Darren's words were quiet, desperate even.

I opened my mouth-

"Excuse me."

I jumped as Ian squeezed past us, avoiding my gaze as he did.

Shame squeezed at my lungs.

Darren watched me. A slow anger was spreading along his jaw. "This is about him?"

My silence was gone. "And why shouldn't it be?" I countered. "You made me betray him."

"If you had challenged him outright we would never had have enough magic to take on Caine afterward."

"A friend would never have done what I did."

"You are Combat, Ryiah. You can't blame yourself for using every possible advantage to get us that victory."

I glared at him. "You are right. I don't blame myself. I blame you for talking me into it! You really are the coldest person I've ever met!"

Fury flared in the non-heir's eyes. "When you are ready to apologize," he said tersely, "you can come find me."

Before I could take one step the prince was already gone.





CHAPTER FIVE





The next couple of weeks flew by, though they certainly weren't without their awkward silences and angry pauses on the part of my two biggest fans. The prince and his mentor continued to ignore me during our practices. I quickly got accustomed to feeling a sense of shame whenever I was in the same room as them. It was particularly excruciating during our after dinner practice when we performed our pain castings… but somehow I managed to shut out that feeling as the days went on.

Instead of letting their cold shoulders get to me, I was more than happy to spend time with Ella. My friend and I didn't have a curfew or restrictions now that we were apprentices, so we spent a lot of time wandering the small village of Sjeka during our free time. Alex somehow managed to get himself in trouble with Master Joan, so he wasn't able to join us, but my younger brother Derrick did. He was supposed to obey first-year conduct, but the chance to spend time with his older sibling was too tempting to ignore. I would have been lying if I said I minded.

"I don't think I'm good enough," Derrick confessed on the last evening before solstice. "I'm afraid I'll disappoint Mother and Father." He swallowed. "And you and Alex."

"Derrick." I reached out to take my little – well, not so little anymore - brother by his shoulders. "You can't – it's not possible. We love you too much to care if you get an apprenticeship or not."

"But you and Alex-"

I shook my head. "It doesn't matter."

"My brother didn't get one," Ella added, scooting closer on our bench. We had picked one overlooking the Sjeka coast – far enough away from the Academy that no one would spot Derrick, but close enough that we wouldn't get lost in total darkness on our return to the Academy. "I still think the world of him." She snorted. "Or I would, if he didn't hound the card tables. But I still love him."

"But Combat's my dream!" Derrick moaned. "And everyone is better than me!"