“Ah,” Audek smiled, “he’s here.”
Rema glanced at the main entrance. Savenek stalked into the mess hall. After grabbing food, he headed to their table. Instead of sitting in the empty spot on the bench next to Audek, Savenek sat at the other end of the long wooden table near a group of young men.
“Wow, he’s more upset than I thought he’d be,” Audek mumbled.
“His ego took a beating,” Vesha whispered. “I’m sure he’ll be fine once he cools off.”
“Or finds a way to get back at our dear Rema,” Audek laughed.
Would he attempt to seek revenge upon her? If he was honorable, as Vesha claimed, then he should take the loss with grace and move on. Rema peered down at the other end of the table. Savenek talked and laughed with the group of young men around him. He seemed just fine to her.
“What will he do?” Rema asked, curious about this man.
“Nothing,” Audek answered. “He values structure and our cause above all else. He would never risk losing his position.”
“Your cause . . . you mean overthrowing King Barjon?”
“You bet,” Audek said. “It’s all Savenek cares about.” He patted Vesha on the back, giving her a sympathetic look.
Wanting to change the topic, Rema asked, “What happens after lunch?”
Vesha pushed her empty bowl away and answered, “Depends. All of us are on different schedules. But I have class followed by archery, and then skills.”
“Skills?” Rema asked. “What does that involve?”
“Specialized instructors work with students on things like knife throwing, setting traps, and making poisons. You can attend whatever interests you or what you’re particularly good at.”
“We should be going,” Audek said, standing with his now-empty bowl.
“What class do you have?” Rema asked him.
“I’m going to history. I’m studying the major battles on the mainland and their outcomes,” Audek said.
“And I teach basic medical skills,” Vesha answered.
“Does Mako want me to stay with you?” Rema asked her.
Vesha’s attention was on something directly behind Rema. “Um, I don’t think so,” she answered.
Rema twisted around and found Savenek’s cold eyes staring down at her. “Ready?” he asked. Audek and Vesha quickly left, leaving Rema alone with Savenek. Rema nodded her head. “Your training begins now.” He turned around and walked away, not looking back to see if she followed.
Scrambling to her feet, Rema grabbed her empty bowl, putting it with everyone else’s on the table near the kitchen door, and then hurried after Savenek. She jogged in order to not lose sight of him. All the hallways they traveled through were dark with a musty smell to them. Savenek rounded a corner. Rema hurried to catch up. When she turned down the corridor, she found Savenek off to the side, talking to Mako.
Mako glanced up, his eyes meeting hers. “Rema, I was just about to come looking for you.” His usual smile was gone.
“Is everything all right?” she asked. The lines around Mako’s eyes were creased.
“Of course,” he answered. “I just have a message to deliver.” Mako shifted his weight from foot to foot, and Rema wondered if he was nervous.
“Has Darmik found . . . ?” Rema began to ask, thinking that Darmik might be close to finding her. Maybe she should leave in order to lead him away from this place.
Savenek made an odd sound like he was close to laughing. He stood there, shaking his head at her. Perhaps she should have referred to Darmik as Prince Darmik, or Commander, instead of so informally, or maybe he still thought the idea of Rema remaining any of Darmik’s concern, laughable. Her face warmed.
“No,” Mako answered.
“Then what’s—?”
“What’s going on around here is none of your business,” Savenek snapped at her. “Leave the running of the army and the military details to those of us who actually know what we’re doing.”
Rema straightened her back and glared at Savenek.
“Savenek,” Mako chided, “you will not address Rema in such a manner. Is that understood?”
Savenek’s eyes widened in surprise. It looked like he’d been slapped across the face. “But—”
“Is that understood?” Mako repeated, louder this time, the expectation of being obeyed clear.
“Yes, sir,” Savenek answered in disbelief.
“I have a message from Maya and Kar,” Mako gently said to Rema, his face softening. “They wanted me to tell you they’ve left the compound for a bit, but will return shortly.”
“What?” Rema practically yelled. How could they leave her?
“They went home, but won’t be gone for long.”
Rema went cold all over. Lennek probably had soldiers watching the place. “It’s not safe there for them.” She grabbed Mako’s arm, pleading with him.
“I know, but Kar insisted they leave against my request that they remain here.”
“I don’t understand.” Tears filled Rema’s eyes.
Mako placed his arm around her shoulders, half-hugging Rema. “I’m sorry,” he whispered. “Kar was afraid that staying here would jeopardize your safety. He felt that if they were seen elsewhere, like near their farm, then word would reach the king. Kar’s hope is that the king sends Commander Darmik after them, with the intention of thereby finding you.”
“If anything happens to them, it’ll be my fault. I should go help. Maybe if I’m seen. . . .”
“No,” Mako firmly said. “You’ll be killed.”
“But Maya and Kar!”
“If caught, they will be used as leverage to get to you, not killed. Then there’s the chance to save them.”
Tears slid down her cheeks. If anything happened to them, she would never forgive herself.
“Kar, the horse breeder?” Savenek asked in a deadly voice. He stood perfectly still with his hands clasped behind his back. Rema nodded. “Kar is your uncle?” he confirmed.
“Yes,” Rema answered, wiping the tears from her eyes.
Savenek’s face hardened. “Perhaps that bit of information should have been revealed before our race.”
“What race?” Mako asked.
“Nothing,” Rema answered, not wanting Mako to be mad at her for challenging Savenek. She moved away from Mako. “Please let me know if you hear anything about them.”
“Of course,” Mako answered, bowing slightly.
Rema walked away, assuming Savenek followed. At the end of the corridor, she stopped, not sure which way to go, or even where they were headed. She felt numb. Rema had just been reunited with her aunt and uncle; she couldn’t lose them already.
Savenek stepped around her, going down the dark corridor to the left. He abruptly stopped and spun around to face her. The hallway was void of people. Rema took a step back, away from him. His eyes darkened as they stared at her.
“I don’t know why Mako has taken such an interest in you, and I don’t know why you think you’re so special,” Savenek said in a quiet voice.
“But I’m not—”
“Silence,” he ordered. “I didn’t ask you anything.” He pointed his finger at her.
“I don’t know what your problem is.” Rema shoved his hand away. “But we had a bet. Do you plan to honor it?” She squared her shoulders, standing tall.
Savenek shook his head in disgust. “Yes,” he finally spat. “I never go back on my word.”
“Then let’s get on with it. There’s no need to stand around talking.”
Savenek growled, running his hands through his brown hair, pulling it in frustration. “Fine.” He continued down the hall, stopping before a door on the left. He shoved it open, revealing an empty room. The only light came from a single torch hanging next to the door.
“What’s this?” Rema asked. She assumed they would be working in the training hall with other people.
“A private room. It’s used for individualized instruction. Mako ordered me to use it
.” Savenek grabbed the torch, walking around the room, lighting a half dozen others. After he replaced the torch, Savenek stood in the middle of the room, staring at Rema.
Savenek cleared his throat, and motioned for Rema to come to him.
“What are we going to work on?” Rema asked, standing a good three feet away from him.
“I haven’t decided,” Savenek admitted.
They stood, staring at one another. Rema felt like he was trying to figure her out. Was she the first person to join their cause from the outside? Had he ever left the compound? Did Savenek have any idea what life was really like in the kingdom?
“So Kar is your uncle?” Savenek finally asked. Rema nodded. “Did you spend a lot of time on his horse farm? Is that how you learned to ride so well?”
Rema didn’t want to talk about her family with Savenek. There was no need to pretend to be friends, for him to know the details of her life.
“Well?” he asked, waiting for her to answer.
“Yes, my Uncle Kar taught me to ride,” Rema whispered.
“And what about your parents? What do they do?”
Rema looked up into his eyes. “Why do you want to know anything about me? Does it matter?”
Savenek sighed. “No, it doesn’t.” He crossed his arms and glanced at the ceiling. “I’m just trying to find out about your background in order to determine your strengths and weaknesses.” He looked back to her.
Rema felt oddly exposed before him. Focusing on the ground, she said, “My parents died during the takeover. My aunt and uncle raised me.” Rema didn’t want Savenek to feel sorry for her. Peering up at him, she saw a look of sadness flutter across his face. His focus was on the wall behind her. Then she remembered Mako saying his adopted son had lost his parents too.
“So you have some basic combat training, then,” he said.
“No,” Rema answered, confused by the change in topics. “Why would I have any combat training? I was raised on a horse farm, not a battlefield.”
Savenek stared at her like she was stupid. “You mean to tell me that you lived with one of the greatest military captains from King Revan’s Army, and he didn’t bother to teach you any basic skills?” Savenek raised his eyebrows in disbelief.
“Perhaps you have my uncle confused with someone else.” Her aunt and uncle had never mentioned anything about Kar being in the military, let alone a captain. However, thinking back, Rema did remember seeing scars on his arms, and she’d wondered if he’d once been a soldier. But her aunt and uncle wouldn’t keep something like that from her. Savenek must be thinking of another Kar.
“No,” Savenek said, shaking his head. “Kar was a captain, right under Mako.”
“Mako?”
“Don’t you know anything?” Savenek asked, shaking his head in disbelief. “Mako was the commander for King Revan and Queen Kayln. That’s how Kar and Mako know each other.”
It didn’t make any sense for Uncle Kar to have kept this from her.
Savenek tilted his head, his eyes boring into hers. “What about your parents? What did they do?” Rema shook her head; she had no idea. “What are their names?” Savenek asked. “Perhaps I know their professions since you don’t seem to know anything.”
Rema was embarrassed to admit she didn’t know that information either. She suddenly felt ridiculous for not knowing. But her aunt and uncle always referred to her parents as her parents or called them Rema’s mother and father. They never used their names.
“Speaking of not knowing much,” Rema said, “are we going to stand around talking all day, or are you going to teach me something?”
“Very well,” Savenek said, leaving the subject unfinished. He raked his hands through his hair, clearly agitated with her. “So you know how to ride a horse like nobody I’ve ever met, but you don’t know a thing about defending yourself?”
Rema gave a curt nod.
“First of all, you’ll need to start conditioning. Otherwise, you’ll never be able to keep up.”
“Just tell me what to do, and I’ll do it.”
“Tomorrow morning, run five laps around the castle with everyone else. Then, every week thereafter, add an additional lap until you’re able to run twenty.”
“Got it.”
Savenek smirked. Rema knew she’d have difficulty running a single lap, let alone five. But she wouldn’t give Savenek the satisfaction of seeing her fail. She’d complete the task, no matter what.
“All right,” Savenek said, stepping closer to her. “Let’s start with the basics. Punch me.”
Gladly, Rema thought. She raised her right arm and punched Savenek with all her strength.
Only, she completely missed.
Laughing, he said, “You punch like a girl.”
She went for him again, and missed.
“Okay.” Savenek laughed, raising his hands in surrender. His smile vanished, and he became serious. “If someone is coming at you without a weapon, the goal is to stop them before they can hit you. Since you don’t know how to punch, and they’ll most likely be bigger than you, focus on incapacitating them.”
Rema had no idea what he was talking about.
“Watch me.” Savenek came at her with his fists raised as if to punch her. “When my hand comes at you, I want you to hit my forearm downward.” When his right arm struck out toward her face, Rema did as instructed. Then his left arm came at her. “Good, now step next to my arm that’s throwing the second punch.” Rema turned sideways, moving to Savenek’s left side. “Perfect, now hit the back of my head.”
Rema hesitated, not sure how to hit his head without hurting him.
“The goal is to knock your attacker out. Here, let me show you.” Savenek came up behind Rema. “You want to hit here.” He touched the base of her skull near her neck. “Use your palm. If you can’t, then just try to hit hard enough so your attacker falls to the ground. It will help buy you time to run away.”
They practiced the drill several times until Rema was able to do it without thinking. Then he taught her how to accurately throw a punch without hurting her hand. It was surprising that Savenek had the patience necessary to teach without making fun of her. At the end of their first session, Rema’s body ached. She suspected Savenek knew it, although he didn’t make fun of her.
Darmik
“Glad you made it,” Darmik said, closing the door behind him. “Can I get you anything?”
Trell regarded him with a cool indifference. “Bold move bringing me here, don’t you think?”
“Calculated, not bold,” Darmik replied.
Two men from Darmik’s personal squad, Branek and Traco, had put a bed in the room and moved the table with the interrogation instruments off to the side. Several candles were lit, but the room was still cold and unwelcoming.
Darmik ordered his men to leave to get more blankets and some hot food for Trell.
Finally alone, Darmik sat on the bed next to the old man.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” Darmik asked.
Trell raised his eyebrows. “Tell you what, exactly?”
“I’m not a fool,” Darmik said. “I came to you for help about the tattoos. But you knew, the whole time, you knew. You were the one who told my father babies weren’t marked until their first birthday.”
Trell leaned back against the wall and sighed. “Get to the point, Commander.”
“You’ve known since the takeover that Princess Amer escaped.”
Trell’s eyes found Darmik’s. He held them, not responding to the accusation before him.
“Why?” Darmik demanded. “I don’t understand.”
Trell shook his head, a sad smile across his face. “You’ve been to Emperion,” Trell finally said. “You know how things are there.”
Emperion was ruled by a man more cruel than King Barjon. It was the largest kingdom on the mainland, and solely focused on war.
“Emperor Hamen sent me here to ensure the king and queen were overthrown and his brother-in-law Barjon c
rowned in their place. There was so much killing. Blood everywhere.” His voice faded, lost in memories.
“When Queen Kaylen was murdered, the baby stabbed in her own arms, I knew I’d had enough. Killing in battle is very different from cold-blooded murder. What we did to the royal family—that was murder, plain and simple. I decided I would never take another order from the emperor. I made the deal with your father for the art, books, and relics, and then retired. I left the city, built my house in Werden, and have lived a secluded, peaceful life ever since.”
“When did you discover the baby had been switched?” Darmik asked.
“Afterwards, Barjon ordered the bodies be brought to him as proof. He decapitated them and removed their tattoos. The baby didn’t have one. I knew then and there that it had been switched. I saw no need for further killing. What if King Barjon ordered all babies of that age be slaughtered? I told him the lie, and ended it.”
“Do you know where the child is now?” Darmik asked, curious if Trell knew about Rema.
“I have my suspicions. It isn’t hard to figure out.”
The door opened, and Darmik’s men slipped quietly inside with steaming food and blankets.
Trell took Darmik’s wrist. “Don’t forget what you promised me,” he whispered. Darmik nodded. He remembered—no unnecessary killing. “I plan to hold you to it,” Trell said. “It’s time to fix our wrongs and help this kingdom. You are the only hope we have.”
****
Darmik entered the king’s office, taking a seat across from his father. A man dressed in solid black with blond hair and blue eyes stood just outside the doorway—he had to be from Emperion.
“You want to see me,” Darmik said, unnerved at the sight of someone from the brutal kingdom.
The king stood, leaning forward on his fists toward Darmik. “I want to know what’s going on,” King Barjon demanded, a note clutched in his hand bearing the emperor’s seal.
“I’ve been telling you,” Darmik seethed, “people are being overtaxed, they’re starving. They are banning together to overthrow you.” He did not intend to take the fall for his father’s mistakes.
A flash of irritation shadowed the king’s face. “That’s not what I was referring to,” King Barjon spit. “I’m not worried about some rebels.” He said it like the word was foul. “The army will get the situation under control. Of that I have no doubt.” The king came within inches of Darmik. “What I am referring to is Rema.”
Red (The True Reign Series) Page 11
