Apprentice (The Black Mage, #2)(81)

"What are you talking about?"

"People like Darren place power – and wealth - above all else. If Blayne hadn't secured that princess Darren would have done so himself. It doesn't take a fool to see what he's after."

"You don't love him?"

Priscilla laughed. "Love Darren? Of course not. Love is for fools not smart enough to see the path in front of them. That's the difference between you and I, Ryiah. I see the truth and accept Darren for what he is. You just see what you want to see. It's why I will wear the crown and bear his children while you are left wondering why you were never good enough."

I wanted to turn around and tackle her to the ground. She was deliberately using this mock battle to bait me. The highborn knew I wouldn't dare attack her while we were being observed by an audience. "I don't believe you. You wouldn't be jealous of Shina - you wouldn't have spent every moment you could tormenting me - unless you saw something you were afraid of."

Priscilla laughed scornfully. "Even if I was doubtful for a second or two, it's obvious the prince has moved on from whatever tryst the two of you shared on that mission. Why else would he have moved up our wedding date?"

I felt as if the ground had slipped right out from under me. "W-what?"

"That's right. The night of the ascension ceremony – right after you made that whole scene with the platter - the king announced the new date. You had already left the ballroom by then, of course, but then again it is your nature to rise to dramatics anytime something is not going your way. Like the pig's blood. Really, Ryiah, it was a harmless hazing and you-"

"Stop talking, Priscilla!"

"What are you-"

I turned around and slammed my palm over Priscilla's mouth and dragged her to the side of the closest building to our left. Not one moment later a cluster of mentors appeared, one of them wearing a black armband. It was Ian.

Priscilla stopped trying to claw my hand and let out a low gasp, pointing at the green-eyed fifth-year. I nodded. Now we knew who was commanding the mentor's team.

We stayed in hiding until the patrol had passed and then we looked to one another.

"We should follow them," I said before she could speak. "We should try to pick them off one at a time."

"We can't be heroes - we need to find the others first."

The two of us stared at each other stubbornly.

"Fine. How about we continue to follow them and look for the others at the same time? It's possible they know where the rest of our team is and are heading in that direction anyway."

She sighed, "Fine. But don't do anything reckless, Ryiah; we all know you have a reputation."

I glared at her. "Let's go. If you waste any more time insulting me we will lose sight of them!"

The two of us took off in the same direction as Ian and his two accomplices. We trailed stealthily behind, using the tracking skills the Ishir regiment had taught us during our desert stay.

We had gone on for about twenty minutes when we caught sight of another safe house.

Priscilla raced ahead to see who was inside while I kept a lookout nearby, hidden behind some brush. A minute later she emerged with Ella. I breathed a sigh of relief: Ella was still okay and I could see Alex and another Alchemy mentee inside.

Ella followed Priscilla to my hiding spot. She wore a funny expression. Probably at the idea of Priscilla and I as partners.

The three of us continued tracking the mentors to an armory on the northern side of the city. We had just set up watch a quarter of a mile away when a loud crash sounded behind us.

Before I even had the chance to cast up any sort of defense, Ella and Priscilla were sent sprawling into the wall behind me. I whirled around to see Bryce and Loren smiling.

"Surrender?"

Ella and Priscilla attempted to stand. Bryce cast out two swords at their throat and Loren pressed his poleaxe against mine. "Don't try anything," Loren warned, "I don't want to hurt you if I don't have to."

"Bryce," Priscilla's voice was sickly sweet. Ella made a gagging sound but our teammate continued. "Please, let us go, or, at least, me. You can trust me. You know me."

The mentor laughed shortly, not swayed by the friendly tone of his highborn friend. "You are such a liar, Priscilla. The second I let you go you'll free these two lowborns to impress your betrothed." He cleared his throat. "Surrender now. Say the words, or this will get a whole lot worse."

Ella's eyes shot to me and I swallowed. I could see her question: would I pain cast to try and set us free? Loren's blade was close. If I could press into it…

"Don't even think about it, Ryiah. We've been following you three since that safe house you pulled Ella out of," Loren said quickly. "If you do, our first order of business after we take out the three of you will be to get your brother and his friends. We won't give them an option, we'll just let them burn. Wonder how long it'll take the Restoration mages to treat Alex in the infirmary afterward?"

My stomach clenched. I knew Loren was a friend but in that moment I hated him for playing my twin against me. I opened my lips to speak.

A huge flare of light and a loud boom. The ground shook.

A rush of thick gas flooded the air around me.

I couldn't see anything as I choked back my breath. I could hear crying and someone shouting but everything was hazy. A second later I lost control of my balance.