"Burned with a blast. Her ashes were scattered outside, as usual."
"Did they send a Diviner?" Armon thought to ask.
"Yes. This is something you can never tell anyone else, Armon. This time is like other times that I've seen—the Diviner says there is nothing to divine—as if everything about her, except her identity, is missing in some way."
"What can cause that?" Armon asked after thinking about my words for a moment.
"We don't know. Father doesn't like hearing about it, because it's something outside his control."
"You don't believe it's accidental, or just an anomaly, do you?" Armon asked.
"No. It wouldn't be the first time an instructor from one training camp or another has been found in the same way—some of them came up missing while still teaching a class. All of them were found later, in much the same condition as the Bulldog, only dead of a snakebite or some other, mundane reason."
"I've heard they'd just went mental for some reason and ran away," Armon began.
"And that's what you're supposed to think, so we don't have mass panic."
"All right—this is beginning to scare me," Armon confessed.
"It scares you? I've carried this around for years and it still scares me. You're the first one outside the palace who's heard this, and it's because I trust you more than anyone else."
"Are there records of this? Written records?"
"Hunter has them buried, but they're recorded," I agreed. "I asked him to do it, because Father didn't want it written down. Drenn doesn't care, one way or the other. Missing instructors and strange deaths don't mean anything to him. There's something else, too," I added.
"Don't start with ghosts—please," Armon held up a hand.
"It's not that—this concerns you and Levi," I said.
"What's that?" Armon was concerned immediately, the moment I said Levi's name.
"I'm giving you both a promotion. When we reach the battlefield again, you'll be Colonel Armon, and Levi will be Captain Levi, special advisors and attachments to the Prince Commander. I need trustworthy people around me, and we both saw what happened to Merrin."
"I'm—speechless," Armon breathed.
"Get over it. We'll have to hit the ground running when we get there, and I'll have you both up to speed by that time if things go as planned."
"As you say, Commander."
"Go. Give Levi the good news—I've already gotten the approved paperwork filed with Hunter."
"Out-fucking-standing," Armon stood while a slow grin spread across his face. "Thank you. I'll tell Levi straight away."
He didn't bother walking out of my office—he stepped away, carrying the good news with him.
Sherra
I'd brushed Veri's verbal attack aside with the others, but I couldn't shake it from my mind—as if it were a warning of some sort. Therefore, I slept fitfully, waking often and then falling into troubling dreams.
In one of those dreams, I smelled a choking, acrid scent of burning before waking to the reality of it. Smoke filled our barracks, and the popping noise of dry, blazing wood hit my ears.
Fire! I shouted in mindspeak before shouting it verbally, in case the women around me failed to hear the mindspeak.
Immediately, everyone threw back covers, their first, indrawn breaths filled with smoke and making them cough. Light cast by flames at the south end of the building reflected off rising levels of smoke inside our barracks.
"Get out of here," I yelled at everyone, before stopping to pull Wend and then Jae to their feet on my way toward the door.
"The door's locked," someone shouted at me.
"Windows, too," someone else called out, amid heavier coughing and rising hysteria.
"Get down low," I commanded. "The air will be cleaner there." I raced toward the door, where a coughing fit hit me, taking up precious seconds of our time. If we didn't find a way out soon, we'd die from the smoke alone, before the fire burned our bodies to cinders.
Armon, I sent mindspeak, our barracks is on fire and the doors and windows are locked. We can't get out, I sent while attempting to force the door open.
It didn't budge, and I was beginning to feel terrified.
"Shields," I shouted. "Shield yourselves and hold as much good air as you can inside," I said.
We're coming, a blessed reply came from Armon.
Get back from the door, Kerok's voice sounded in my head.
"Get back," I told the others. "Keep your shields strong."
The barracks door blasted inward, causing a massive fireball to explode and whoosh through the building, lighting bedding on fire and giving new breath to an out-of-control blaze. If our shields hadn't protected us that night, we'd have died the moment Kerok's blast blew down the door.
K erok
Barth sat near my desk, an angry expression etched deeply on his face. The fire had been set shortly before dawn. The intention was to kill everyone inside Fourth's barracks.
Two deaths were discovered when the sun's light hit the camp—Lilya and Nina were found murdered in their beds—both dead of burning.
Colonel Kage had brought Barth to me shortly after I requested it. Hunter came with him.
"Now we know who, the how and the why, but we don't know the where," Barth reported. "I can't predict where she is, now."
He spoke of Veri, who'd committed two murders and attempted so many more than that.
She'd killed the two best instructors at North Camp. I was furious, as were Barth and Hunter.
Armon and Levi, with assistance from Colonel Kage, had their hands full, attempting to calm the remaining instructors, their trainees and the warriors.
Nina and Lilya had no power to fight back against Veri, who'd used what she had to kill. I had a feeling that Nina had given her the news of the Bulldog's death, and Veri had taken her revenge. She was already angry with both instructors for giving her well-deserved demerits.
"Do you think anyone else from the Bulldog's cohort has murder on their minds?" Hunter asked.
He stood near the window in my office, looking out over the training grounds and the still-smoking ruin that used to be Fourth's barracks.
"No. I've already discussed that with Armon and Levi. They say the same."
"If they hadn't put their shields up, those trainees would be dead," Hunter pointed out.
"I know." I wanted to find Veri and blast her myself for this. We were almost at the end of training, and two cohorts were now without instructors. Those instructors were the only ones capable of submitting recommendations for their final trainee rankings.
"If Sherra didn't have mindspeaking talent," Barth began.
"They'd be dead for sure," I acknowledged. "Veri melted the locks on windows and the door so they wouldn't open. I had to blast the door down."
"Behavior such as this has never been recorded," Hunter said. "Ever."
"Not with multiple murders and attempted murders," I agreed. We didn't discuss the events two hundred years earlier—when a newly-trained black rose had been responsible for the Crown Prince's death.
Laws had been changed following that event. Much of the previous records had been destroyed, too, so those of us here and now had only a narrow view into those incidents.
The one thing I knew for sure concerned the law that was written afterward, which prevented a Crown Prince from serving on the battlefield. Other princes or princesses were allowed, but never the one who'd inherit the King's position.
Drenn would be exempt, even if he'd been born with talent.
Just as Father had been exempt—and his father before him, all the way back to my many-times great-grandfather.
"Commander—the report from the infirmary." Armon knocked on the open door before entering my office. He placed the physician's message in my hand.
"What is your assessment, Armon?" I asked before opening the note.
"Smoke inhalation—a few bruises from being knocked around inside their shields. The physician says the dama
ge is minimal—their shields went up quickly enough to keep them from lasting harm. He also says for them to refrain from strenuous activity for a few days—he'll check on them before they're cleared for further field training."
"In other words, some coughing, a few headaches and hoarseness," I read through the physician's note quickly.
"That's right."
"Tell the physician and his staff that the Commander is grateful." I folded the note and slipped it into my top drawer.
"I will." Armon turned to go.
"Armon?" He stopped immediately and turned back to me.
"Pull the washouts away from their drudgery and place them in one of the empty barracks with Fourth cohort. Divide First into three parts and place a third with Second, Third and Fifth."
"I'll see to it, Commander."
Carry a message to Sherra, I sent mindspeak. Ask her and the others in Fourth to teach the washouts everything they can. Nothing strenuous on their part—only teaching, all right? Ask Levi to supervise.
It will be done, Commander. Armon stepped away from my office.
"Will this affect the upcoming trials?" Hunter asked.
"I don't know," I answered honestly. "I'll know more when we get the ones from First and Fourth onto the training field again."
"What about our murderer?" Hunter asked.
"I've sent four out looking for her, but it appears Veri can step. I don't think she'd have gotten away, otherwise. There are guards posted outside the perimeter, day and night."
"I've questioned the guards and divined their answers—none saw or helped her," Barth supplied. "This adds to the Prince's theory that she can step—a rather brazen thing to attempt, when untaught."
"Then it's my hope she impaled herself wherever she landed," Hunter gruffed.
"She knows her own village well enough; that's why I sent two warriors there, first thing," I said. "If she's there, they'll bring her back for the King's justice in this. The other two are searching nearby areas—anywhere she could have gone by sight-stepping."
"Also a precarious thing to do, when one is unaware of exactly where one's feet may land," Hunter observed.
"Hunt, we'll either find her or we won't, and we'll certainly place more guards around the barracks in case she thinks to return and try again," I attempted to soothe his worries.
"Your life could be in danger next time," Hunter blew out a frustrated breath.
"I can take care of myself against a trainee," I said. "Stop worrying."
"I'll stop worrying when they find her body and not before. Every building here is made of tinder-dry wood. Melting a metal lock is diabolical; setting fire to the building afterward is murderous in the extreme. Don't pretend it isn't."
"Frying instructors in their beds is worse," Barth grumbled. "If we're not careful, that story will spread like wildfire and we'll have an epidemic of murders on our hands."
"I think you're both taking this to the farthest extremes," I said. "This is an isolated incident, and should be treated as such."
"Thorn," Hunter frowned at me while using my proper name—something he seldom did outside the palace, "This comes too close on the heels of the unusual circumstances surrounding the Bulldog's death. I don't like it at all."
"Now you're just being superstitious. Yes, I think Veri heard the Bulldog was dead, and frankly, we should have guessed she'd try something. Just not—this." I swept out a hand.
"Have you made a choice in the lists?" Hunter asked. I should have known he'd get around to asking that question.
"The paper isn't filled out, if that's what you're asking," I grumbled.
"You know your father's feelings in this. And mine," he added.
"Make that mine as well," Barth said.
"I won't have you three making a choice for me—it's against the rules," I reminded them.
"Thorn, you need someone to protect you as fiercely as Sherra worked to protect her cohort last night," Hunter said. "I remember your arrival at the palace after being wounded on the battlefield last time. The King's physician says it's a near-miracle you survived that attack. So many others didn't."
Hunter turned back to the window at that admission. I knew he spoke the truth—on both counts.
"Hunt, I'm still here," I said softly. "The choice will be mine to make."
"Then make it the right one."
Sherra
Most of us were still having occasional coughing fits, after inhaling smoke the night before. Armon explained as much as he could—some of it in mindspeak, so as not to alarm the others.
Veri had done this. She'd murdered Nina and Lilya in their beds by burning them with her fire, when they had no defense to raise against that sort of attack.
Then, she'd melted the locks on the door and windows of our barracks, before setting it on fire, too.
Armon said she'd escaped after that, and it was suspected by Kerok, the Diviner and the others who'd come from the King's City that Veri could step.
Warriors were looking for her now.
Armon warned me to speak carefully about the cause of the fire and the deaths the night before, so as not to frighten everyone more than they already were. That didn't stop the rumors from running wild inside the infirmary, where Fourth waited for our relocation to an empty barracks building.
"We're moving you to the barracks nearest the warriors," Armon stepped into the infirmary—not far from where I was sitting. The long bench I occupied also held Wend, Caral and Jae—the others were up and wandering about. We stood the moment he arrived.
Everyone else stopped to listen as Armon made his announcement. "The washouts will be joining you permanently, and have been instructed to meet us there. For the next three days, you will be training them. No strenuous activity on your part—let them do the work. Is that understood?" he went on.
"Yes, sir."
"Good. The drudges have been working to air out your new barracks and replace burned uniforms and such. Things should be in place well enough to move in. Levi is waiting outside—he'll march your cohort over."
"Will we have a new instructor?" Misten asked.
"The commander is considering that, now. You'll be informed when a decision is made. In the meantime, begin teaching the washouts full-time, and show them everything you can, all right? News will come later, I'm sure."
Armon stood aside while Caral took the lead and walked out the door, the others falling in line to follow her. I waited to go last, to make sure all were accounted for.
Levi and I will be supervising Fourth, Armon informed me as I passed him on the way out the door.
Thank you, I replied.
"C atch it gently," I called out to the trainee. Reena was responding faster than anyone expected to her extended training period. I'd asked Levi to make a game of tossing small fireballs at the trainees, who were laughing as they went after the randomly-tossed flames.
Reena was doing it—catching fireballs some of the other trainees were missing, by moving about and carrying her shield with her instead of staying in a fixed position.
"That's great," I encouraged when Reena captured the latest one. "Now, toss it away."
I watched as she made the motion with her hands, and her shield obeyed, tossing the fireball toward the opposite side of the field. It fizzled out and became harmless before it ever hit the ground.
We'd had enough of burning, and had no desire to put out fires on the field.
Mostly, I gave credit to Levi, who could gauge the fireball's life-span before he ever released it.
On nearby fields, I could hear the commands of our three remaining instructors, as they worked with a few other warriors while training with both the old and new methods.
I hoped that we'd be ready to show the King enough that he'd approve and implement the new method, and see to the training of other instructors to train to it in the future.
"See how fast you can do it, this time," I told Reena, who turned to me with a smile and a nod before looking to L
evi to fire off another small blast.
Levi flipped the fireball high and to the side, while Reena raced toward it. I held my breath as she captured it with her shield and then flipped it away immediately, toward open, empty ground.
It fizzled with a pop just before it hit.
"Perfect," I crowed. The other trainees behind me clapped their appreciation for Reena's efforts.
This—this was what they'd needed all along—encouragement, more one-on-one training, and the knowledge that they were accomplishing the goal—not just for the cohort, but for themselves and for the lives in the King's army.
"Dinner," Armon arrived and called out. "Form your lines and we'll march in together."
"I love this part," Reena trotted up beside me. "Going in with you, instead of watching from the laundry or looking up from a scrubbed floor."
"You should have been there all along," I said and smiled at her.
"Thank you. That means a lot—to all of us."
K erok
"Commander, the washouts are blooming into roses," Armon grinned as he took the offered chair in my office. "One of the fire washouts has actually drawn ahead of the others, with the intensive training we've been giving them."
"Good news," I nodded. "Will they all be ready for the testing?"
"I believe they will—now that they're almost up to speed with the other classes."
"That sounds fine. Good work."
"You seem preoccupied," Armon's grin disappeared.
"Veri's body was recovered earlier today—near the spot where the Bulldog was found."
I watched as Armon went still for several seconds. "Tell me," he said after a few moments.
"Clean for the most part. Dead of snakebite, like the Bulldog. There's one big difference, however."
"What was that?"
"A dark handprint—as if she'd been slapped hard—before she was bitten by the snake."
"This is worse than ghost stories," Armon turned his head away. "The ones about the vengeful ghosts."
"I can't say how worrisome this is—coming so soon and so close in proximity to the incident with the Bulldog," I grimaced. "We have no idea how to explain any of it, and since Barth can't get a Diviner's reading off the victims, that only makes it worse."
The Rose Mark: Black Rose Sorceress, Book 1 Page 13
