Heritage: Book Three of the Grimoire Saga (11 page)

He crossed his arms. “Stelian or not, I was saving you. Why betray the person who helped you escape? It’s stupid.”

Aurora glanced to the floor. “I thought it was a trap. I wasn’t thinking straight. Father never told me political secrets, so I didn’t have any information to give up during torture. But Blood Carden didn’t believe me, and I was afraid he’d come up with some clever trick to get me to share information I didn’t have to someone I trusted during the rescue. I’m sorry.”

Braeden stared out the window, not wanting to look at her even as he’d already begun to forgive. He’d gotten soft if he could forgive her for nearly landing him in the prison from which he rescued her.

The princess took a step forward. “When I was in the Stele, I couldn’t protect myself. I was completely vulnerable.”

“Most people are when faced with Carden’s hatred.”

“That sounds like firsthand experience.”

Braeden caught her eye but didn’t say anything.

She nodded. “I don’t ever want to feel helpless again, Braeden.”

“I don’t blame you.”

“That’s why I want you to train me. Please,” she added.

Braeden laughed. “Train you?”

She frowned. “Don’t laugh. I have every right to save myself if I need to.”

“Then training is something your father should arrange, not me.”

“He would never allow it. Heir or not, I’m just a woman. He wouldn’t waste the effort.”

“This really isn’t my fight, Aurora.”

“I have no one else to go to, Braeden. Please help me. I need to know how to defend myself.”

“Ithone would be furious if he found out.”

“That’s why he can’t know. Hopefully, I’ll never have to fight, and this will just be our secret. But I can’t ever be the victim again.”

“Even soldiers can lose. Winning a match is all about your opponent’s strength and your ability to match or outwit him.”

“Maybe. But I need to have something to build on. At the very least, it will be a start.”

Braeden sighed and rubbed his face. “I’ll think about it. I want to talk to Gurien first.”

“Absolutely not! He would tell Father in a heartbeat. You will never tell him about this, or anyone for that matter.”

Braeden’s eyes snapped toward the princess. “Don’t ever speak to me like that again. I don’t owe you anything. You have no right to give me orders, especially when you’re asking for my help.”

Aurora frowned, her eyes narrowing. “I apologize, but you don’t need to go about asking permission.”

“I trust the general a great deal more than I trust you, Heir. Don’t forget it. And I’m not asking for permission. He’s a friend, and he would understand the consequences of this training better than you.”

She took a deep breath and headed to the door. “Very well. I cannot force you to teach me, Braeden. I appreciate your time, but I hope you’ll sleep on it rather than talk to Gurien. He’s a good man, but I don’t want to risk him telling Father.”

“He won’t.”

“I hope you’re right.”

The princess slipped into the hallway, and the door shut behind her with a click. Braeden rubbed his neck. What had he gotten himself into?

Braeden wandered Ayavel for about an hour, not really sure where to find Gurien. The Kirelm general rarely ventured far from Blood Ithone, so Braeden hadn’t rushed to find him. He needed a plan to get Gurien alone, but so far he had no ideas.

After a while, he headed outside. The sun baked the summer air, and sweat clung to his shirt almost instantly. Just behind the palace, a cluster of roughly twenty Kirelms circled two soldiers in an impromptu sparring ring. The match reminded him of his days he spent in the Kirelm capital, disguised as one of them in an effort to protect Kara on her goodwill mission to meet with Blood Ithone. He sparred with Gurien then, back before they were friends—more importantly, before Gurien knew what he was.

Two Kirelms with white wings wrestled in the center of the ring, apparently forgoing magical attacks in favor of a physical competition. One of the men spun and pinned his opponent to the ground.

Gurien.

The general held his soldier to the grass, twisting the Kirelm’s arms behind his back. The guard grunted, trying to wriggle free. After a minute of immobility, Gurien’s victim hung his head and sighed.

“You win, General. Again,” the man said.

Gurien laughed. “You’ll beat me eventually.”

“Not at this rate.”

The soldiers lining the ring laughed and clapped. Gurien stood and helped the guard to his feet, catching Braeden’s eye through gaps in the bodies.

“What can I do for you, Heir Drakonin?” he asked.

The Kirelms hushed and turned to face Braeden. Smiles faded into thin lines, and many stared at him. A few soldiers crossed their arms. Others stretched their wings as if tensing for a fight.

“Enough of that!” Gurien snapped.

Most of the soldiers relaxed their shoulders or stepped back to give Braeden space, but none of them smiled again. Braeden had been welcomed as a brother back in Kirelm when he was disguised, and no one knew who he really was. But now, only Gurien showed him any real kindness.

“Break off into pairs,” Gurien ordered.

The Kirelms rushed to obey, dividing into groups of two and assuming fighting stances. Some began their sparring right away, while others eyed the newcomer as they circled their opponents.

“Warm welcome,” Braeden muttered when Gurien joined him.

The general shrugged and lowered his voice. “Sorry about that. They’re having trouble seeing you as more than a Stelian. Don’t worry. Once they see you in battle, they’ll respect you again. Most don’t even know you and I dueled back in Kirelm. Doesn’t seem right to mention it.”

“Good choice.”

“Do you need something?” the general asked.

“I do. Can we talk in private?”

“Of course. Follow me.”

Gurien headed toward the nearby forest line with Braeden in tow. They crossed into the trees, stopping just under the canopy’s shadow. A cool breeze tickled Braeden’s neck. Relief shot through him as he escaped from the summer heat.

“We should be fine here as long as we keep our voices low,” Gurien said.

“All right. I have to ask you about Aurora.”

Gurien tensed. Desire flitted across his face at the mention of the princess. “Oh?”

Braeden laughed. “You’re so transparent.”

“Not really. It’s obvious once you know.”

“If you insist.”

“So what about Heir Aurora?”

“She came to me earlier to ask for training. She wants to learn how to fight.”

“What? Why?”

“I think you know why.”

“Her wing?”

Braeden nodded. “More importantly, the time she spent in my father’s torture chamber.”

Gurien sighed and rubbed his face. “I would give anything to undo what happened to her.”

“But you can’t. That’s why she wants to learn to fight—so it never happens again.”

“Understandable.”

Silence settled between them. Braeden took in the warm evening. Sunlight filtered through gaps in the forest as the sun made its descent.

“Why did she come to you?” Gurien finally asked.

“Desperation, I think. She says you’re a good man, but she thinks you’re too loyal to Ithone to help her.”

Gurien laughed. “If she only knew.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’ve been trying to convince Blood Ithone to instruct her for years. Woman or not, she will be our Blood. She needs to know how to fight and strategize.”

“But if I train her, won’t Ithone be angry?”

“Furious. He won’t have it. So you’ll have to be quiet about where and when you give lessons.”

“You think this is a good idea, then?”

“Only if Blood Ithone never finds out. If he does, I’ll have to pretend I have no idea what’s going on. If he forces me to tell the truth, though, I’ll lose everything. I’ll lose my title, my position, and my betrothal to Aurora. I don’t enter into this lightly.”

“Understood. But what will he do if he finds out?”

Gurien shrugged. “He’ll make your life hell, for one. He’ll banish Aurora back to Kirelm. I don’t think he would leave, though. He has too much riding on this alliance.”

Braeden sighed. “I respect where Aurora is coming from, but I don’t think teaching her to fight is worth the risk.”

“Please do it.”

“But you just—”

“I’ve wanted her to learn to fight for three years now. I didn’t like the idea at first, but it just makes sense. I don’t want her to have to wait until her father dies to have the freedom to protect herself. I’m afraid by then it will be too late.”

Braeden frowned. “I don’t even know where we could train in secret.”

“While looking for any sort of sparring arena—which they don’t seem to have—I found a clearing in the back of this forest, one that doesn’t seem to be used at all. It’s a trek, but you’ll have privacy. You can have a real match without attracting attention. I’ll keep an eye on Blood Ithone and try to keep him away from the area whenever you spar.”

“Why don’t you teach her, then?”

Gurien tensed his jaw. “Blood Ithone specifically forbade me from it. I can, however, teach her theory. That would give you time to continue planning your attack on the Stele without hindering her lessons.”

Braeden took a deep breath and leaned against a tree. “You sure this is a good idea?”

“No, but she needs it. I would be forever grateful if you would teach her.”

“It’s what friends are for,” Braeden said with a grin.

Gurien laughed. “I suppose you’re right. If I can ever repay the favor, I will. Would you or your woman perhaps like to learn a bit about Kirelm techniques?”

“You don’t have to worry about Kara. She’s training already.”

“I’m glad to hear that. How is she?”

Braeden crossed his arms and glanced into the forest. “Fine, I guess. She’ll be safe as long as she stays away from this mess.”

“I’m sorry for what happened to her in Ethos. I didn’t find out about Blood Aislynn’s plan until afterward.”

“It’s not like you would have done anything. We weren’t friends yet at the time.”

Gurien sighed. “I suppose not. I still feel guilty for implicating her. She’s only a girl.”

Braeden shook his head but kept his mouth shut. Powerful new magic had awoken within Kara. The woman he loved was so much more than an ordinary girl, and he sometimes wished it wasn’t the case. He could handle a human, but an isen—he would have to be careful.

“I should get back to my men,” Gurien said.

“All right. I’m still undecided as to whether or not I’ll help Aurora. I think I need to sleep on it.”

“That’s reasonable. Find me when you’ve decided.”

Braeden nodded, and the general jogged to his troops. They grinned when he approached, talking to him in low tones Braeden couldn’t understand. He walked toward the palace, keeping within the treeline so as to remain unseen. After the welcome he’d just gotten from the Kirelms, he wanted some time alone.

His mind raced as he walked, thoughts blurring by too quickly for him to focus on any one in particular. At first, he mulled the risks and consequences of training Aurora. If Ithone found out, he would likely banish Aurora to their home city and might even attack Braeden out of spite. But for Gurien to ask him to do it anyway—Braeden sighed. He didn’t have many friends, and he didn’t want to let the general down. As long as he was careful, Ithone would never have to know.

Braeden walked into the castle and, after a while, came to a stop. He blinked himself out of his thoughts and glanced around. An archway stood before him, the thin stones around the entryway shaped to resemble book spines. A pair of wooden doors hung open beneath the arch, the room beyond littered with endless bookshelves.

The Ayavelian library had served him well in his hunt for information on the Stele. Few visited, which meant he could enjoy quiet without being banished to his tiny office. More importantly, the room held the knowledge of the entire Ayavelian race. Many secrets from the time of Ethos survived here.