Apprentice (The Black Mage, #2)(88)

The last exercise was the worst, I was quick to discover. I was already so tired from a lack of sleep and the morning warm-up. By the time we had started the catapults, my arms were shaking so badly I dropped two large stones I was carrying. The second time, one landed on my right foot. I spent the rest of practice limping through my drills. Byron, of course, had deemed my injury "not serious enough" to warrant a trip to the infirmary.

At the end of practice I chanced a peek under my boot to see how "serious" my foot really was and shuddered at the spotted purple and red bruise in its place.

"Where did you get that little nasty from?"

I turned my head and realized a woman with short-cropped blonde hair was staring at me and the foot cradled in my hands. I immediately dropped it. She had steel gray eyes and a permanent frown. Which meant only one person: Commander Nyx.

I instantly felt myself go red with embarrassment. The last thing I wanted was the leader of Ferren's Keep's regiment to consider me soft.

Especially if I wanted a chance of being offered a post next year.

The commander stepped forward, still squinting at me. "It was the catapults, wasn't it?"

I nodded mutely.

"If you have time to swing by my chambers during lunch, I've got some bruise balm for it. I tend to keep some on hand whenever the squires or apprentice mages are stationed here. Someone always manages to drop those rocks at least once a day for the first week or two."

Was she really this nice, or was it a test to see if I was weak-willed enough to accept her help? I'd heard rumors about how Nyx got her post… You had to be a very tough sort of woman to beat out hundreds of other knights for Jerar's highest position up north.

I decided I didn't want her aid either way. Alex had helped me that second year back in Ishir, but that had been for a broken arm - not a bruise. What was Byron always saying? "Pain is how we build strength." Well, I could certainly use some after today.

"I'll be just fine, but thank you for the kind offer."

The woman cracked a toothy smile. "Wise choice. I've offered it to two others so far and you are the first to turn me down. I can't respect anyone who coddles themselves."

A wave of relief washed over me. I would not be one of those people she marked off her list for potential service, at least not yet. "Who were the other two?"

She chuckled. "Check the dining commons. Byron and I have a little game we play every time he brings his apprentices to my keep. I give him the name of any apprentices foolish enough to accept the help I offer and then he orders them a week without rations to help them build their resistance to pain. It saves my cook's stores as well, so it's win-win."

I was doubly glad I had refused her offer. One night without sleep and a throbbing foot was bad enough; I did not need to withstand a week of starvation as well.

"Be sure to tell Byron I refused your offer, he doesn't like me much," I told her. It was reckless, but I felt a lit bit braver now that I hadn't fallen for her hoax.

Commander Nyx's eyes crinkled. "He doesn't like me much either, but his methods work. Have no fear, apprentice, I'll make sure to put in a good word… What is your name?"

"Ryiah."

"Well, Ryiah, welcome to Ferren's Keep."





****





In the next couple of days, three more Combat apprentices went a week without meals as our training got more intense and they caved to Nyx and Byron's scheme. I had been delighted, at first, to find out Radley was one of them. But then he became more nasty than usual and it was even harder to resist casting him off the steep forest backdrop behind us. I became so consumed with fighting off my growing dislike for my mentee that I almost forgot about Darren.

Until the afternoon I ran into him and Priscilla arguing quietly outside the men's barracks. The girl was clutching a letter in one hand and brandishing her fist with the other. I heard her shout "Shina" before I turned heel and left. I didn't want to hear anything else. I didn't need to.

When I ran into Darren later that day I avoided his gaze. I was sad and upset, and I wasn't sure which one was worse. Depressed that I still wasn't over him? Or angry that I really hadn't known him at all?

For a while last year, I had entertained the notion that maybe the prince did care. I'd told myself his father forbade him. Threatened his life even. Poor Darren, he'd had no choice in the matter. He loved me, but he'd been powerless to stop his family.

But that dream had not reconciled with his words at the Academy and the fight on the night of Ian's ascension ceremony. Darren hadn't been afraid to disobey the king then. No, he had openly fought for the princess he wanted and tried to make himself his father's heir. That Darren was fearless, and not the least influenced by what his vile family said.

Seeing Darren's letter from Princess Shinako only made the truth that much worse.

Between drills, weekly visits to see Derrick, the occasional armory chore, and all the extra arm-strengthening lessons I could manage, I quickly lost all track of time. I didn't really lose track of Darren, but then again that had never been an option.

As much as I might wish it were.





CHAPTER EIGHTEEN


"I second Eve."

"Darren."