Kin of Kings (The Kin of Kings Book 1) (40 page)

BOOK: Kin of Kings (The Kin of Kings Book 1)
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Basen shifted him to sit him up as much as possible while still running. The warrior was strong and heavy, a boulder in his arms. Basen’s legs started to wobble as he pushed his body to the utmost limit. His arms began to shake. He could see the medical building ahead, though, a blissful sight with lamp light pouring out of the windows.

His vision had begun to blur by the time they made it inside. Someone yelled something unintelligible, and then they were taking Alex from Basen’s arms.

He staggered, feeling as if he couldn’t breathe, suddenly aware that his heart hadn’t slowed since the psychic spell had sent it galloping faster and harder than he’d ever felt in his life. He spotted a chair and tried to fall into it.

 

 

*****

 

 

He awoke lying flat on his back. People hovered over him he didn’t recognize, third-years by the looks of them. One turned and announced that he was awake.

Steffen came through the small crowd. “How are you feeling, Basen?”

He tried to sit up, but dizziness stopped him halfway and he lay back down. “Fine, is Alex all right?”

“The best healers are helping him right now,” Steffen said. “Many students heard shouts. Some came straight to the medical building, while others went to fetch instructors. I was on my way back from meeting with Jack. After I arrived, Effie told me what happened.”

Basen sat up, closing his eyes to fight against the dizziness. “How is she?”

“Worried. You can see her in a moment. I just need to make sure you’re not going to faint again and crack your skull.”

“I’m fine.” Basen swung his legs over what appeared to be a medical bed, and the third-years got out of his way, a couple holding onto his arms, however. Someone lent him a shirt. He thanked the man as he threw it on.

Students continued to help him unnecessarily as he walked down the hall, where he found Effie seated outside a closed door. She stood and ran forward to hug him.

“Thank you everyone,” Steffen said. “We’ve done everything we can here. Can two of you make sure Terren has been notified? The rest of you should probably go to sleep, if you can.”

A young man and woman volunteered to tell Terren. The rest left after Basen and Effie assured them they didn’t need anything else.

With one arm still around Effie, Basen asked her, “What did the healers say about Alex?”

“They think he was able to drink some caregelow, which is a good sign. But he’s lost a lot of blood and continues to lose more. They’re trying to close the gash in his throat. You weren’t out for long.” Her hold on him tightened. “You got him here so fast. He might live because of you.”

Steffen encourage them to sit down. “We must talk about the incident.”

“Why so soon?” Effie asked.

“Because there might be clues in your memory as to who did this. It must be difficult with Alex in there, possibly dying, but try to ignore that for the moment.”

Effie’s face scrunched in anger. “Steffen, I love you, but you’re the worst person to be here right now. I might have to hit you if you say something else like that about Alex.”

“I’m sorry, Eff. I’ll try to be more sensitive. You know these situations are difficult for me.” He awkwardly touched her arm. “I care about him, too.”

“And so do I,” Basen added, “but Steffen’s right. The murderer revealed a lot tonight.”

“What?” Effie asked. “I can think of nothing.”

“Well for one thing, he might be a she. I believe I was about three or four inches taller. I assume there aren’t more than a hundred men in the Academy that match that lesser height.”

“Do you believe she’s someone in the Academy?” Effie asked.

“I do, because we have too many wall guards for someone to slip by them, and I find it even less likely for someone outside our walls to have felt me making a portal.” A swarm of fear invaded his chest. “Steffen said that you told the people here in the medical building everything already. Did you tell them about the portal?”

She nodded. “Everything I could remember. Basen, whoever it is knows you’re the one making them now. I didn’t see the reason to keep it a secret.”

“She’s right,” Steffen said.

But Effie being right didn’t help relieve his fear. “So now the murderer knows what I can do.”

“We’ll find whoever it is,” Effie assured him.

“Is there anything else you can tell us?” Steffen asked.

“This woman cannot only detect portals,” Basen said, “she’s willing to kill to keep them from opening.”

“Steffen, you and Jack would know better than anyone why someone would do this,” Effie said.

“We’ve been speaking about it, but we’ve yet to come to a theory. Keep going, Basen. What else about this woman can you tell us?”

“She’s obviously a psychic, and she does have the ability to destroy or at least change bastial energy enough so that mages and psychics cannot use it. After she did that, she could no longer hurt us with psyche. Effie, did you smell it?”

“Yes, it was like a stale potion.”

Steffen pulled over a chair and knelt as he rolled out a scroll on it. Then he began to write.

“I don’t think she expected three of us,” Basen continued. “Probably came to the training area ready to kill the caster but then stopped at the sound of our voices. Then she took the time to try to sense who we were, which is when we felt the psyche. What do you think, Effie?”

She stared at the ground, her wavy black hair covering her face. Basen put his hand on her back, and she wiped away a tear as she lifted her head. She looked as if she hadn’t heard him.

“That sounds right to me,” Steffen said, continuing to scribble.

Effie began to breathe loudly, her inhales shaky, her exhales quick. Basen rubbed her back, but it didn’t seem to alleviate her panic. Suddenly she stood up.

“I need to see him. I need to…in case I don’t ever get another chance.”

Steffen jumped up and put both arms around her in an awkward embrace. “You’ll get to see him soon.”

“After he’s dead!” Effie thrashed, and Steffen let her go.

Basen was confused. Had Effie been exaggerating when she made it seem like Alex would live?

Now crying heavily, she tried the door but found it locked. She began to pound. “Let me see him!”

“Effie…” Basen put his hand on her shoulder. No matter what Alex’s chances were, her bursting into the room wouldn’t help.

She pushed him away and then kicked the door. “Open it!”

“Get away from the door!” someone yelled from inside. “I’m trying to concentrate!”

She kicked even harder. Basen asked Steffen, “Are all of the healers in that room?”

“All three who were on duty.”

Finally the door flew inward. Effie ran in but covered her mouth and sank to her knees at the sight of Alex sprawled out in front of her, bloody and completely still. There were three men in long coats that used to be white but now were stained red. One was hovered over Alex’s neck, blocking the view. Another was leaning in from the other side. The third was handing a tool to the second while screaming over his shoulder, “Get the hell out of here!”

“I want to see him.” Effie reached out for something to help her up, and Basen grabbed her hand. “If he’s going to die, I want to see him first,” she choked out.

“He will die if you distract us, now get out!”

“That means he’s still alive, Eff,” Steffen said.

Basen swept her up, and she didn’t fight him as he carried her out of the room.

Outside, he tried to get her to sit, but she just stood and watched around the edge of the partially open door. Everything the healers said could be heard clearly.

“He’s still losing blood. We have to close the wound better.”

“The caregelow should be working by now.”

“He must’ve swallowed less than we thought. Give him more.”

“Alex, blink if you can hear us.”

Effie stood on her toes, swaying back and forth in hopes of a better glimpse. Basen watched over her head as one of the healers grabbed a vial of silver liquid and held it to Alex’s lips. Basen couldn’t see if Alex drank because too many white-red coats were in the way.

“Get the gauze. He’s bleeding through the stitches again.”

As Basen listened closely, he could hear soft coughs and then a pained choking sound.

“Sit him up!”

The coats parted and the first glimpse of Alex came through as they got him upright. He was pale. Limp. His eyes had rolled back in his head. If it wasn’t for his gurgling sounds, Basen would’ve assumed he was dead already.

Basen knew Effie saw all of the same things he did and quickly put himself in front of her. She cried into his chest as he enveloped her with his arms. Steffen grabbed the door and managed to get it shut. Basen put Effie into a chair and knelt beside her as she cried.

“He’ll live,” he said, using a strong voice in hopes of convincing himself as well.

It wasn’t long before the healers opened the door.
Much too short of a time for good news.
Basen’s heart climbed up into his throat.

Effie gazed up at them, appearing too weak to stand. The three had long faces.

“I’m sorry,” the middle one said. “The cut was just too deep and too long.”

Effie slid off her chair and puddled to the ground. “No.” She put her hands over her face, continuing to choke out the same word between sobs. “No…no…no.”

Basen had been strong for Effie, but now his own sadness overtook him. He came down beside Effie, tears running heavily down his cheeks as he put his arms around her.

 

 

 

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

 

“Sanya?” Alabell yelled from the hall.

Damn woman’s hearing is too good
. “What?” Sanya could hear Alabell running toward her room. There was only time to get her shoes off before she jumped into bed and pulled the covers up to her chin.

Her door burst open. Alabell jumped in wielding a dagger and throwing looks in every direction.

Sanya forced a laugh. “What are you doing, you madwoman?”

“I thought I heard someone come in through the window.” Alabell ran to it and peered out.

“No one came in through my window.”

But she didn’t seem to hear Sanya, crouching to look under the bed, then opening Sanya’s wardrobe while ready to strike with her dagger.

“Alabell! Go back to sleep.”

“You didn’t hear anything?” she asked incredulously.

“Only you screaming my name. I told you I sleep deeply.”

“Well get up and help me check if someone’s hiding in your room! I know I heard the window open and shut. Was that you?”

Damn this woman’s ears!
Sanya couldn’t get up until Alabell left.
I would’ve been better off with the psychic.
Sanya regretted altering Annah’s bastial energy during the loyalty test to make it seem like Annah was lying. Sanya didn’t want to have to constantly alter her own bastial energy to keep Annah from discovering the truth about her, but it still might’ve been easier than living with the jumpy Alabell.

“You’re hearing things. No one’s in my room but me. I’m going back to sleep. Shut the door after you, please.”

Alabell took a deep breath as she glanced around the room one last time. “Fine. But call me if you hear anything strange.”

Sanya forced out a giggle. “I’m the warrior of this house. I’m supposed to be the one protecting you, chemist.”

“Just promise me.”

“If you let me get back to sleep.”

“Very well,
warrior of the house
, sleep well.”

Alabell left the door open.

“Shut it behind you!” Sanya called.

“But then it’s harder to hear if someone comes into your room.”

“Shut it!”

Alabell obeyed. Sanya listened as her footsteps receded down the hall and then culminated with the shutting of her bedroom door.

Sanya finally let herself breath, inhaling sharply and exhaling quickly. She was feeling faint from restricting it for so long. As quietly as possible, she got out of bed and hurried to remove her black robe. She’d lost another knife. There was only one left now, but it was enough for what she needed to do.

She felt along the base of her wardrobe until her fingers came to the familiar gap. She pried off the chunk of wood, then grabbed the handle beneath it and lifted.

Light poured out of the secret compartment, the akorell bracelet its source. She made a fist over it, and the glow was gone. She took out a vial of safli potion and had a swig. Then she put it back, stuffed her black robe down on top of everything, and put the door back in place with the floorboard on top of it.

She checked her hands for blood and was relieved to find none. The gloves sewn into her black robe must’ve caught any that came from Alex’s throat. It was much less messy this time than when she’d killed Nick. Fortunately, Basen had needed her help transporting Nick to the medical building, giving her the perfect excuse for the blood that had stained her arms and hands.

BOOK: Kin of Kings (The Kin of Kings Book 1)
9.62Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
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