by Kyle West
“That, and he had access to a Radaska,” Ret said.
Elder Aurelius raised a gray, bushy eyebrow. “Jorla?”
Ret nodded. “I noticed...well, I suppose if it will help you find him. I noticed he would leave sometimes during the night, and one time I followed him. I saw him there on the wall, apparently speaking to Jorla.”
“I see,” Aurelius said. “And when you woke this morning, he wasn’t there.”
“Isaru commonly wakes early, so I didn’t think much of it. He wasn’t at breakfast either, so Samal and I looked for him in the library. He wasn’t anywhere on the first floor, but at that point we had to go to our lesson. Isaru wasn’t there, either.”
“He’s gone, then,” Karu said, the brow of her narrow face furrowed in thought. “He used Jorla to run off somewhere, I’m sure of it. It fits in with his character.”
At that moment, Apprentice Martin appeared in the doorway. “I’ve found Elder Arminius, Elder Tellor, and Elder Draeus. Of Elder Isandru and Elder Lian, I’ve found no sign. The first three are on their way.”
“Good,” Arminius said. “Check the Elder Prophet’s office.”
Martin’s face spoke apology. “Forgive me, Elder, but I’ve searched there already. It’s been a few hours since anyone has seen him.”
“Hm. Well, keep looking. Thank you.”
Apprentice Martin bowed his way out, and Aurelius turned his light brown eyes back on us.
“Is there anything else you can tell me?”
We all shook our heads, and Aurelius’s gaze fell on me.
“Shanti, you know nothing?”
“Nothing, Elder,” I said. “I haven’t seen Isaru since yesterday.”
“Any ideas where he might have gone?”
“He could be anywhere,” Ret said, butting in. “Dragon like that, he could be a hundred miles away by now, if not further.”
“Yes, but where would he go? What motive does he have for leaving?”
“We thought it might have something to do with his father,” Ret said.
“His father?” Aurelius asked. “He’s not due to arrive for another week at least.”
“Well,” Ret continued, a bit awkwardly, “the rumor is that they don’t get along so well. Maybe he wanted a place to hide out for a while...”
“Isaru not being here by the time King Taris arrives would be a disaster,” Karu said. “We’ll need to order some of our Seekers to begin a search at once.”
“How many?” Arminius asked. “We must leave some behind to defend against any potential Mindless threats.”
“While the Prince is out there at risk?”
Arminius frowned, clearly seeing Karu’s point. “We’ll need to consult the Chief Elder.” He then turned to each of us. “Find out what you can, and report back to me. I want you to go through everything in his room, any notes he has taken. Anything that might lead us to his location.”
“Have we considered that he might still be in the Sanctum, somewhere?” Nabea asked. “There are places in the Grove where someone could get lost for days.”
“An excellent point,” Arminius said. “How about you and Jaim search the Grove while Isaru’s roommates go through his room. Go to the library as well; I know he spent a lot of time there, so he might have left something behind.”
I was glad I took Isaru’s notes to Isandru’s office. Hopefully, no one would disturb them there. I also worried that I might have left some notes behind. A single sheet of paper falling between the desk and the wall might be recovered. Whether they could deduce where Isaru truly went was another question entirely. Even sitting where I was, I doubted my own conclusion. Isandru had been quick to believe that Fiona and I were correct, so there was that.
“I want everyone to do as I’ve said,” Arminius said. “Everyone, with the exception of Shanti. I have some more questions I’d like to ask her.”
I did my best to keep my face expressionless, but already my heart was racing. The others cast me a glance as they left the room, until I was left alone with Karu and Aurelius.
“Now,” Aurelius said, “you seem to know Isaru better than the others. Is there something you can tell us? Perhaps something you couldn’t say in front of the others?”
What did he mean by that?
“I haven’t seen him since yesterday. At dinner. Isaru and I have been rather distant lately. He’s...more secretive. I don’t know how to explain it.”
“I see,” Aurelius said. “Have you noticed anything strange in his behavior, other than his reclusion?”
Both Karu and Aurelius were looking at me intently.
“Not particularly,” I said. “He does spend a lot of time in the library, but that’s pretty normal for him. And I know he and Jorla have gone off on adventures like this before.”
“That much is true,” Karu said.
“We have no motive, though,” Aurelius said. “That’s what is missing.”
Aurelius’s eyes looked into mine. I could tell that he knew I was hiding something. I couldn’t say how, but he did.
“I will be blunt, Shanti,” Aurelius said. “I know for a fact that you know something. That is why I kept you behind. My Gift of Insight tells me as much. You seem ill at ease, and what’s more, I sense that you are deeply troubled. Troubled, not because you do not know where your friend is. You are troubled because you do know where your friend is, but feel as if you can’t tell us. Perhaps because you are bound by secrecy?”
My eyes widened, and I mentally berated myself for being so obvious.
“Where is he, Shanti?” Karu asked gently. “You do not need to fear being disciplined...unless you helped him leave, of course, but I don’t think you have. Either way, we require an answer.”
“I didn’t help him,” I said, my voice coming out as a whisper. “And I truly didn’t know about this until today.”
I knew Isandru had instructed me not to say anything, but he had underestimated Aurelius’s abilities. Aurelius was one of the most talented Seekers in regard to Insight. It was a Gift common among Sages, and I knew I had to tell him something to get him off my back. Even if I did tell them the truth, they would probably think I was lying.
“When I noticed he was gone this morning, I went to the library, like Samal and Ret. I believed I would find him there. I went to the second floor, knowing that’s where he likes to study, and there was no apprentice on duty. When I got to his desk, he wasn’t there.”
“His desk?” Karu asked.
“There’s a place he likes to study in particular. By the window somewhere deep on the second floor.”
“I know the place,” she said. “Go on.”
I shook my head. “That’s it. There were some notes, but nothing else.”
“Notes?” Karu asked. “Did you read them?”
I shook my head. “I left immediately. I had to get to my lesson.”
“Those notes must be recovered,” Aurelius said.
Karu nodded. “I’ll see to it myself. Pray to the gods they’re still there.”
I felt bad as I watched her leave, knowing that she wasn’t going to find them. When they came up missing, I would be the chief suspect, and they might even search my possessions. However, they would never find them on me. They were safely in Isandru’s office, though I couldn’t remember where the Elder had left them.
“Elder,” I said. “I was supposed to meet with Aela around this time...”
Aurelius blinked, coming out of deep thought.
“I see. No doubt, Karu and I will need time to go over the notes with the rest of the Elders. If we need you again, we’ll summon you.”
I nodded. That would happen, eventually. For now, I could only be grateful for getting a chance to breathe. “Thank you, Elder.”
After bowing my way out, I walked quickly from the Hall of Elders, my heart racing. I didn’t know how long I could keep this secret. Everything seemed to be out of my control, and the best I could hope for was holding my silence.
&n
bsp; One thing I did know: Isaru deserved a good punch in the face the minute he got back.
CHAPTER TWENTY
PRACTICING FORMS WITH AELA WAS only a temporary reprieve, but at least for a couple of hours, my mind could get lost in forms rather than worrying about Isaru.
Aela scored an easy hit on my side, breaking into a smile. I should have seen that coming, but at the moment, I was too distracted.
“Something on your mind?” she asked.
“You have no idea,” I said.
So I told her about Isaru missing, and what I had told the Elders. She pursed her lips thoughtfully.
“Tell me the truth,” Aela said. “You know more than you told them.”
I nodded. “It’s true that I do. But I really can’t say. I...promised not to tell.”
“That’s fair,” Aela said. “Gods know I’ve kept some secrets for boys. Take it from me, though; they’re not worth it in the end.”
“It’s nothing like that,” I said. “It’s more as if it’s so unbelievable that...well, never mind. Let’s get back to practice.”
I could tell Aela wanted to know more, but thankfully, she didn’t pry. If it had been Isa, I would have been overwhelmed with questions. She hadn’t said anything directly to me, but I had caught her stealing long glances at him from time to time — if anything, she’d be more upset by his disappearance than me. It wasn’t hard to see why. Isaru was the Prince of Haven, the most powerful Elekai kingdom. He was Gifted, intelligent, handsome, and more than a bit mysterious...and everyone seemed to think Isaru and I were closer than we actually were. We were close, but not in that way. He was more like a brother, though I couldn’t have told you why.
I finally let my worries melt away in physical action, and for once, I was able to give Aela the practice she needed. I stayed in Tree while she tried out some new sequences in varying forms; I was good enough by now to serve as an adequate training partner, although I could do little more than provide a solid defense. After seeing me win, Aela wanted to continue training; not as a teacher, but as a peer approaching her level of skill.
Again, after exchanging several sequences, Aela dropped her practice blade to catch her breath.
“You’ve gotten really good,” she said. “I’ve created a monster.”
“Thanks,” I said.
“Tell me,” Aela said. “How do you feel when you’re fighting?”
The question put me off guard for some reason. Maybe it reminded me too much of the source of my skills.
“I guess I feel...nothing. It’s like there’s a void permeating my entire being. Silence. There is nothing except the blade and my movement, and the movement of my opponent. A deep awareness and understanding of all physicality, of all motion. Everything else burns and fades away, leaving only emptiness.”
“Silence,” Aela said, nodding. “It’s what every Champion aspires to. Perfect Silence, the epitome of the Discipline of Stillness. From the way you describe it, it’s as if it’s already a part of you. Still, I struggle with breaks in my concentration, even after being here for two years. Champions struggle with it as well. Yet for you, it comes so easily.”
I didn’t detect any envy in Aela’s voice; she was merely stating a fact. That was another secret I had to keep from her. How to tell someone that you have a perfect connection to the Xenofold simply because of who you are? I didn’t merely have the blood of the gods flowing through me; my blood was of the gods. Anna may have been a mere mortal, but there was something supernatural about her as well, as there was with everyone with a drop of Elekai blood.
“Another round?” I asked.
Aela shook her head. “It’s time we went inside. Dinner will be starting soon.”
With dinner would undoubtedly come the announcement of Isaru’s disappearance. And perhaps by now, they had discovered Elder Isandru’s disappearance. Whether they would think he went after Isaru, or whether they would think they left together, I couldn’t say. It all depended on whether they found Isaru’s notes in the Elder’s office.
Whatever the case, I also knew I would have to get ready for more questions.
ISARU’S DISAPPEARANCE wasn’t mentioned, but it was clear word had gotten around. No one seemed to pay me any special mind, surprisingly, and it was only when I was finished with dishes and walking toward my dorm that I started to believe I had gotten off free. I was heading past the library when a dreaded voice hailed me from behind.
“Hey. You.”
I turned to see Seeker Haris, obscured in the shadow of the hallway. He must have just left the library, and it was late enough that its lamps had been turned out. Several initiates and apprentices walked past him, done with their duties for the night. Still, his eyes remained on me, and I couldn’t help but feel a chill.
“Yes, Seeker Haris?”
“Tell me what you know of Isaru,” he said.
I blinked, and was thankful for the darkness not betraying my features. “I’ve told the Elders everything I know already.”
“Don’t lie to me, girl.”
He then held up something in his hand, and at first I didn’t know what it was. After a moment, I realized it was a book. A rather thick book.
“I didn’t know you were so interested in Judge Kais’s rather...charming...work on the formation of Elekai law,” Haris said, his voice amused. “You’ve certainly taken copious notes on the subject.”
My face reddened, and despite the darkness, it felt as if Haris could see it.
“I’m going to need you to come with me,” he said, turning back for the library.
I stood only for a moment before walking in. He took a seat at one of the long, empty tables, lighting a lamp so that there would be light. He waited with steepled fingers and a face that seemed almost pleasant.
I sat, and watched as he retrieved the three pages of notes that Fiona, Isaru, and I had all written back and forth. We hadn’t written anything directly incriminating, so there was no telling what Haris would think of the situation.
“I recognize Initiate Isaru’s writing, and I surmised the S is you. Who F is, I can’t say, but apparently he or she means to go south soon. That would mean it’s a Seeker; no initiate or apprentice would be given such license.” Haris chuckled. “You can imagine how I’d be most curious.”
I wanted to talk back to him, but I knew that would do me no favors.
“Normally, I wouldn’t be interested in such matters, but some of Isaru’s wording was noteworthy. He made several references to his studies in the library, studies which are apparently of worth to you and whoever this F is. Something about F is tripping my memory...no matter. If you don’t tell me who they are, I will discover soon enough. Now, it wasn’t hard to figure out the object of Isaru’s studies. Much of it is what would be typical for an initiate to study, plus a few odd subjects thrown in. But there were several books about dragons, the history of the Three Tribes, Colonia, and the city of Hyperborea. Those are usually not objects of interest for an initiate, and certainly not to the degree Isaru was studying them. Having one person interested in these subjects is one thing, but having three interested...now, that interests me.”
“Why?” I asked.
His eyes suddenly lit. “Ah! F is Fiona. It has to be. Her uncle is the king of Sylva, which is to the south. And it makes sense, as you and Isaru are likely to be apprenticed to Isandru. And Isandru, too, has gone missing...”
I watched, trying to hide my horror, as Haris was connecting the pieces of the puzzle. Though he was connecting them, would he get the right picture? I was thankful that I had taken away the notes. If he had found them, it would have all but sealed the deal.
“Where is Isaru? What does Isandru have to do with it? What’s more...what do you and Fiona have to do with it?”
“Why don’t you ask her?”
Haris looked at me blankly. “Because I’m asking you, Initiate. I can make things rather...unpleasant for you. A lot of dust has been collecting in some of the more waywa
rd library corners...”
“It’s going to take more than dust for me to say anything,” I said. “It doesn’t concern you, Seeker Haris.”
“Doesn’t concern me?” Haris leaned forward. “You pass notes in my library, it does concern me, Initiate. Especially when, quite possibly, the Prince’s life is at stake and his father is due here in just a few days!”
“It still doesn’t concern you,” I said. “We will no longer pass notes in your library, if you wish. This is assuming he even comes back.”
Haris arched an eyebrow. “So it’s possible that he won’t?”
“Anything is possible, Seeker. Isaru doesn’t get on well with his father, which you should know. For all I know he’s halfway to Atlantea by now.”
“Bah,” Haris said, waving a hand. “You think you’re fooling me?”
“I’m not fooling anyone,” I said. “I’ve already told the Elders everything I know, which isn’t much.”
Haris looked at me darkly — almost dangerously. I wasn’t easily bullied, though. Living four years in the Subura, it was going to take a lot more than talk for me to admit anything.
“Do you like it here in the Sanctum, Shanti?”
I didn’t respond. I was already starting to see what Haris was getting at.
“It must be hard, to be from Colonia. Nowhere left to go. It’s only by the mercy of others that you have a place here. Is that not true?”
It was true that if it weren’t for the Sanctum, I wouldn’t have anywhere else to be.
“I’m sure the Elders will be as interested — if not more so — in what I’ve found. Who can guess their actions when they found out you’ve been caught in a lie?”
“I haven’t lied,” I said.
“Ah, but you have withheld the truth. That, in a way, is more insidious. Initiates have been expelled from the Sanctum for far less.”
“You can’t get me expelled,” I said. I wasn’t sure of that, and the idea of it made me a bit nervous.
“Perhaps you’re right,” Haris said. “But is it worth the risk?”
I folded my arms. There was no way Haris could get me expelled. He couldn’t. Elder Isandru wouldn’t allow it.
