Apprentice (The Black Mage, #2)(42)

I cried as he dug the axe deeper. "R-right at t-the b-base, in a p-pool." I crumbled into a sob, cradling my side back and forth and fighting back tears.

Ian knelt to touch my face, gently, and then the darkness took hold.





****





"Two years. That's two years in a row our mentees have beaten incredible odds." Master Byron's voice was full of unabashed shock as he addressed the crowd of apprentices and Port Langli's regiment. He stood clutching a goblet of wine in his place at the center table of the port's ceremonial hall. "Who would have expected this?"

"A toast to the victorious mentees and their leader Ian. And a special mention to Apprentice Merrick for helping come up with the strategy that contributed to their victory." Commander Chen had taken over for the Master of Combat and continued to cite the merits of yesterday's mock battle.

I felt sick to my stomach. Every single one of the mentors was glaring at me with the exception of Ella, since they were mad at her too, and Alex, because he was my brother. I hadn't spoken with anyone since I had been released from the infirmary an hour before the feast. I knew all of them were waiting to tell me what they thought of my folly.

After I'd fainted Ian and Merrick had led their team to the cavern in the bluffs. From what I had heard the mentees cast a climbing rope to reach the top of the cavern's opening and then surprised the rest of my team while the mentors were busy casting at an empty barge.

It hadn't even been a fair fight. Most of the mentors had used up all of their magic by the time the mentees arrived. Darren had been forced to surrender within minutes of their approach.

As soon as the commander's speech ended I made a beeline for the door. I didn't want to run into anyone on my way to the barracks.

"Oh no you don't!" Priscilla grabbed my bad shoulder – the one that had only just finished healing but still felt incredibly sensitive. I cried out as she whirled me around to face the angry mob.

Ella was cornered as well.

I looked to the head table. The regiment was too busy in conversation to notice. Master Byron could see… but it didn't take much to understand he would never intercede on my behalf.

"How could you let that band of weaklings beat us?" Tyra demanded.

Eve studied my face. "Merrick told me it was you who told him where that cave was."

"I-"

"Why didn't you try to get help?"

"What happened?"

"We – we didn't want to confuse everyone with another fire-"

"So you decided to play hero." Darren had shoved his way to the front of the crowd. "You decided to ignore everything I said and go off on your own!"

I folded my arms, trying to ignore the pain in my shoulder where Priscilla's hard nails had been. "I may have made a mistake but it wasn't my strategy that cost the team our victory. You shouldn't have ordered everyone to leave their posts – you left us all open to attack!"

"You were the one who gave up the cave!" Darren yelled. "You told them exactly where it was – without it the mentees never would have made it up those bluffs. Priscilla assured me the west cliffs were impossible to scale and that her fool cousin wouldn't remember the cavern's location!"

"You really expected me to ignore enemy ships?" I cried. "Ella saw their longboat! I wasn't just going to run off and ignore them. Maybe if you had bothered to tell the rest of us what Priscilla had said…"

Darren's jaw set. "You don't question your leader's judgment! If you had just listened to me like you were supposed to…" His eyes burned black. "But even if you hadn't – what kind of Combat mage are you to give up the rest of your team like that?"

Tears filled my eyes. "I tried, Darren, I-"

"You obviously didn't try hard enough!"

"What kind of friend are you?" Ian had been busy with Commander Chen but now he'd returned. He pushed past me to glare at the prince.

"This is none of your concern, Ian," Darren snarled.

"It is when you are making the girl I love cry." Ian lowered his voice. "I thought I respected you, Darren, for what you did back at the palace… Do you even know what Ryiah went through out there? Did you even stop to ask? Or did you just assume she traded the information for an easy surrender?"

He took another step so that he was in Darren's face, forcing the prince to take an uncomfortable step back. "She was tortured, Darren. I let…" He swallowed. "I let Merrick strike her with an axe four times before she finally gave up the information! The healers spent three days attending to her – or did you fail to notice she was in the infirmary? She's not a coward – and you are certainly not the friend you claim to be if you punish her for what any Combat apprentice would have succumbed to." His voice thundered across the hall as he asked his next question: "Or do we need to see how long you would last under an axe?"





****





I didn't wait to hear what Darren had to say. I didn't wait for Ian to come find me. I left the room not caring that the others could see me crying. I heard Ella call after me, and Alex shortly after. But I kept running. Past the barracks, past the village and its busy merchant-laden streets, I kept running until I was sure they had given up following me.