Death Marked (Death Sworn #2)(24)

His laugh shut off as abruptly as her words. “You know, Teacher, I find it hard to believe the master sent you here still believing Renegai children’s stories.”

The sense of danger overwhelmed Ileni’s embarrassment. She tried to fight down her blush, and when that didn’t work, she tried to ignore it. “He told me I wouldn’t understand the truth until I saw it.”

Arxis snorted. “That’s probably true. I hope he’s right about you understanding it once you do see it.” He started toward his bed.

“Wait,” Ileni said. “When will you show me?”

He spoke without turning. “In two weeks.”

“Two weeks?” Ileni’s chest tightened. “That’s too long. What’s going to happen in two weeks?”

“I’ve made arrangements to go to the city then. Find a reason to come with me.”

“But—”

Arxis sighed and looked at her over his shoulder. “Do you think you can manage that?”

Ileni ground her teeth together. “I’ll do my best,” she said as haughtily as she could.

“Excellent.”

He waited, watching her, his body relaxed and predatory at once. After a moment, Ileni let herself out.

Arxis’s laughter rang in her ears as she headed down the corridors toward her room. Her skin tingled with embarassment. Was nothing she knew about the world true? And if so, how could she—ignorant, naive, wrong about everything—possibly make a decision that would affect the world so drastically?

But beneath her despair ran a tingle of hope. If her whole past was a lie, it changed the possibilities for her future. Maybe the Empire wasn’t evil. Maybe using the magic wasn’t so wrong.

And if so, maybe she wouldn’t have to give it up after all.





CHAPTER

8

“Blue really isn’t your color.” Cyn’s cool voice interrupted Ileni’s spell, making her jump. Strands of magic scattered through the room. “With your complexion, I would try orange. Or maybe dark green.”

Ileni unclenched her muscles, one by one, and pulled the magic back in. She had been planning to use it to lengthen her dress, but instead she took the time to turn the dress even bluer—until it was the shade of the sky through her small window—before she turned around, as slowly as she could manage.

Cyn was leaning in the doorway, wearing black leggings and a black tunic with a single red stripe across its front. She tilted her head back against the wall. “Just some friendly advice.”

You know, Ileni thought sourly, when I lived with assassins, my door was warded. What she said, as she smoothed down the front of her dress, was, “What are you doing here? Did you forget to show me a really, really nasty way to kill people?”

“Several,” Cyn said. She wasn’t joking.

Ileni rolled her eyes. “I can’t wait.”

Cyn shrugged. “Sorry for the intrusion, but you’re the first worthy sparring partner I’ve had in years. Lis is barely worth spending magic on, and Evin is too lazy to be interesting. Want to get in some practice before breakfast?”

Ileni hesitated, so she could tell herself she had, before she pulled in more magic and strode toward the door. “Sure.”


Ileni and Cyn strolled into breakfast together, late and sweat soaked. Evin looked from one of them to the other, then tilted his head back and studied the stone ceiling. “I think we’re all in trouble.”

“Where’s Lis?” Ileni asked.

“She had somewhere she had to be.” Cyn said it smugly, for some reason, as she slid onto the bench. Breakfast today consisted of some sort of strongly scented thin noodles, already heaped into ceramic bowls. Next to each bowl lay three oddly shaped sticks. Ileni eyed both the noodles and the sticks doubtfully. “Don’t worry, Evin. Apply yourself at practice today and you just might catch up to us.”

“Tempting.” Evin twirled noodles onto the sticks with practiced ease. Ileni tried to pay attention to how he did it. “But I’m going to be practicing with Arxis today.”

Ileni’s gaze shot from Evin’s hands to his face. Cyn scowled. “Arxis is barely a second-level.”

“At magic.” Evin slid some noodles into his mouth and spoke around them. “But at kobi, he’s a master.”

Before Ileni could say, What is kobi?, Cyn said, “Karyn will get back eventually, you know.”

“And then I will be very, very contrite.” Evin’s grin included Ileni. “You could both come. We’ll play with only three dice, for low stakes, to ease Ileni into it. And apparently you’ve had all the combat practice you need today.”

“Say that when you’re facing an assassin.” Cyn flicked a strand of hair away from her eyes. “Besides, not all of us get the benefits of being the headmistress’s nephew.”

“More to the point,” Evin said, “not all of us know how to act contrite.”

There were so many things Ileni should ask. But when she opened her mouth, what came out was, “You shouldn’t spend so much time with Arxis.”

Cyn picked up her own sticks, all three in one hand, and said, mildly, “I think he’s probably harmless if you don’t fall in love with him.”