Kin of Kings (The Kin of Kings Book 1) (25 page)

“What happened?” Henry asked, taking Basen’s chin to get a closer look at his dark bruise. The old man’s eyes filled with pride. “You convinced them to let you train as a warrior instead of a mage.”

“No, I’m going to be a mage for the rest of my life.” It was important to be blunt and direct with his father.

“Eh, one day you’ll find your way back to sword training. Come with me.” Henry began taking the stairs two at a time. “You’re not going back without a sword.” He shoved a pouch of coins into Basen’s hand. “Buy a training sword and a steel one. You remember how to judge the quality of the sword, don’t you?”

“Yes.” Basen couldn’t hold back his sarcasm any longer. “By the way, Father, I’m doing fine at the Academy. I can see you’re doing well here. Can you believe where we are now after starving in the workhouse just a week ago? I can’t, either. All right, now that we’ve gotten that out of the way, we can go back to arguing about what class I should choose.”

Henry stopped at the second floor and took Basen’s shoulder. “We both have Alabell Kerr to thank for the opportunity. You’ll see her soon. You should marry her, Basen. She’s rich and beautiful, and she asks about you every time I see her.”

“You had me convinced at rich,” he quipped. “Where’s the family engagement ring? Oh, yes, it’s with Mother, wherever she is now.”

Henry just shook his head and returned to his hurried pace, leading Basen up to the third floor. He took one of the many hallways that eventually led to a smaller stairway, this one made of stone instead of sleek wood like the rest of the stairs and many of the walls thus far. Basen wondered why there would be wood at all.

Tenred’s castle was made entirely of stone because that was the resource the kingdom had in abundance. He began to recall discussions of trades between Tenred and Kyrro, and Kyrro usually wanted stone. Perhaps that explained the lack of it at this castle.

“I hope you don’t speak to your instructors the same way you speak to me,” Henry asked without asking.

“Luckily there isn’t a lot of speaking between instructors and students.”
So I found another way to ruin my chances at being judged fairly.

Henry took Basen into a small room where two other men sat wearing uniforms identical to his father’s. “I had to fetch my son,” he told them as an excuse, not bothering to introduce Basen. “Did you each look over the plan?”

“We did,” one answered with the same hurry as Henry. “And we agree. We can ready the men in an hour.”

“Can we make it three quarters of an hour?” Henry’s tone was the same as he’d always used in Tenred’s castle, a cross between demanding and requesting. It took until now for Basen to realize his father actually had sounded gentler during their time in the workhouse. “I’ll help you in a moment,” Henry continued. “I need to speak with my son.”

The other two men collected and stacked the papers spread across the table between them, then hurried out. Henry closed the door after them.

Basen made himself comfortable in a seat, putting his legs up on the table. “Looks like you’ve earned some respect already.”

“Only because I have a plan to fix something that others were worried about before I got here.” He sat beside Basen and leaned forward. “Many are concerned that King Kerr is too trusting.”

“What is there not to trust? The people in Kyrro seem to like him.”

“He values their favor too much. Keeping power should be just as important to a king as caring for his citizens. But King Kerr takes few measures to protect himself from rebellion. Fortunately, I’ve at least convinced him, through Alabell’s introduction, to hire me to help protect him. He doesn’t want to raise alarm, so we are to be discreet as we investigate.”

Basen took down his feet from the table to lean forward, admittedly interested. “Investigate what?”

“Lack of loyalty, money passing between the wrong hands, meetings between powerful families—anything that could lead us to believe a rebellion is coming.”

“But Kerr is to give the crown to someone else as soon as he chooses the right man. Why would someone want to rebel against a temporary king who’s loved by his citizens?”

“Because they might use his lack of control as their opportunity to take the crown for themselves. The first men we’re investigating are those who came to Kerr requesting to be considered, later to be denied.”

“And
you
are in charge of this?”

“Yes.”

“What could you have possibly told the king to convince him to put you in charge?”

“The truth. My brother was wicked as both a man and a king, but he knew how to maintain power and even deceive his people into believing he had their best interests in mind, which I helped him do until he betrayed us. It’s not something I’m proud of, but I’m the best at knowing what needs to be done for the King of Kyrro.” Henry stood. “Unfortunately, I have to leave now.”

Basen jumped up. “Wait, I thought you only helped Tegry with army strategy: positioning, formations, surprise attacks, that sort of thing.”

“I did that as well. I’ve wanted to tell you of the other stratagems, but I never found the right time.” The hard look in his father’s eyes was gone. “I’m sorry, Basen. I plan to make up for it by helping to protect a good king this time. I don’t imagine any deceit will be necessary.”

God’s mercy, could Tegry have become so reviled without my father’s help?
A realization struck him.
My father helped spread false rumors as well. That’s why people in Kyrro believe William and his wife were poisoned when it was an illness. Henry and Tegry took every opportunity to win over the hearts of Tenred’s citizens and army in case there was a war against Kyrro.

“Can we speak more about this later?” Basen asked.

“Yes, I’ll visit you as soon as I have time. You can show me around the Academy as well.”

Basen smiled in surprise. “A true father and son activity. I look forward to it.”

Henry wrapped him in a hug that was over too briefly. “Alabell will send someone for you as soon as she’s ready to meet. She keeps herself busy, so don’t take more time than she offers. Be courteous.”

“I always am.”

“
More
courteous.”

He left. Basen sat down again and wondered how necessary it really was for his father to investigate the possibility of a rebellion. From Henry’s haste, it was as if he felt they were already months behind.

Basen soon found himself dozing. He awoke to someone gently caressing his sore cheek and applying a cool balm with a light touch. He opened his eyes to find Alabell’s lips close enough to kiss with a simple turn of his head.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to wake you.” She stayed close as she smoothed out the balm, her warm breath against his chin. “I came in while you were asleep and saw your injury. What happened?”

“Tried to stop a warrior from fighting someone.”

“Who? I may know him.”

“Peter. I don’t know his last name.”

She frowned. “Yes, I know him, and that doesn’t surprise me. Who was he fighting?”

“Have you heard of the woman who joined as a first-year warrior?”

“Sanya Grayhart. I was fortunate enough to meet her soon after you left Worender Training Center.”

She was there in Oakshen?
Alabell touched his chin lightly to turn his face, looking at each side in comparison. He couldn’t tear his gaze away from hers, his heart fluttering like the wings of a bird about to soar into the sky.

She leaned back, and the rest of her came into sight. The cut of her blue and silver dress gave a generous tease of her ample breasts. Heat surged through his body. It became a struggle to speak as he wondered whether she’d purposely donned clothing that flattered her curves in anticipation of seeing him. She was even more beautiful than he’d first realized.

“Thank you,” he finally managed.

She took her hand off his chin, though her gaze lingered. “Of course.” Then she cleared her throat as she stood upright. “I’m glad you came. Now tell me everything about evaluation week, and I’ll be happy to show you around the castle.”

Basen gladly took to her side. “By the way, my father and your great-uncle—who would’ve thought the Kerrs and the Hillers would be helping each other.”

She let out a soft giggle. “Hopefully it’s just the beginning of a long friendship between our families.” He caught the corner of her eye, then drew the rest of her gaze with his smile. She looked down shyly.

Maybe Sanya was onto something about keeping my mouth shut and speaking more with my eyes.

Basen began his recount of evaluation week with meeting Nick the first day. Meanwhile, Alabell took him around each floor, showing him the busy kitchen, the enormous laundry room, the spectacular quarters for honored guests, and seemingly everything else there was to see.

To answer his questions about the wood within the castle, she explained that it was ironbark, stronger than stone and just as incapable of catching fire, cut from the ironbark trees in southern Kyrro. The small forest of the precious, black trees was managed by a division under the king—illegal to cut by anyone else, making the wood extremely expensive. The remaining sections of stone in the castle would be replaced by ironbark in time. Basen realized the mage recruiter’s wand at the training center was made of the same wood, but he hadn’t known it was so valuable.

Alabell brought Basen by the throne room, but her great-uncle wasn’t there. Basen didn’t mind skipping his opportunity to meet the king when it would eat into his time with Alabell. By then, their conversation about the Academy had jumped to a lively pace, but he had yet to tell her about Nick’s murder. Hopefully, someone of her position would know already. But that still didn’t make it easy to address.

She brought him to her lavish quarters on the third floor, where lunch awaited them. They had just finished sharing their experiences with Sanya when Alabell sat down.

“Do you mind if I shut your door?” he asked.

“I don’t mind.”

“Something happened during the week that I’ve left out,” he said as he sat down across from her. “I don’t know who else to ask about it.”

“I’m happy to help as best I can.”

He showed her a grin. “I’ve realized that about you. Can I also trust you not to speak to others about this?”

“Yes. Now I’m even more intrigued. What is it?”

“Do you remember that the last time we met I asked if you’d ever heard of—”

“A ring of fire within a cluster of bastial energy, yet the energy didn’t light,” she interrupted. “I’ve wondered what it could’ve been but came to no conclusions.”

“I’m flattered you’ve taken time to think about it. So, I’ve been able to reproduce the spell, and it looks to be some sort of portal.”

She stopped eating as she blinked at him.

“I swear I’m not insane,” he said.

“Could you show me this spell?” She sounded a little skeptical.

“There’s a problem. It has only worked in two of the places I’ve tried: the training center and Nick’s room. I’m not sure if it will work in here, but even if it did, I wouldn’t want to cast it.”

“Why not?”

“I think it’s why Nick was killed.” He felt a shiver down his back at saying it aloud.

Alabell’s thin eyebrows moved close together in confusion. Basen gave her a moment, partly because the words were hard to speak, but mostly because he knew she was smart and could figure it out.

The realization seemed to force out a gasp. “Because you cast the spell in his room not long before he was killed?”

Basen nodded. “It was the first and only time I cast it within the Academy, and he died hours later.”

“My stars…” She seemed to be finished eating, staring at her plate instead.

“I should’ve waited until after lunch.”

“No, it’s fine. I just…wish I knew what to tell you. Could it be a coincidence?”

“It could be. But what if it wasn’t?”

“Then you’re saying someone saw your spell and thought Nick had cast it?”

“Or they felt it coming from his room and assumed it was him.”

The features of her face squished together. “I don’t think that’s possible.” She gasped and put her hands on the table. “Unless you really were making a portal and they were connected to it.”

“Connected to it? It sounds like you know something about portals.”

“Only a little, and it’s all theory.”

“That’s better than nothing.”

“The only talk of portals I’ve heard is related to akorell stones. Have you heard of them?” Alabell took a few quick bites of her food.

“I haven’t.”

She swallowed quickly. “Akorell is the name of a metal that absorbs bastial energy. It pulls BE into it, making the metal warm in seconds. But it takes days for it to reach its capacity. By then, it’ll glow white and be too hot to touch. An akorell
stone
is a small sphere of akorell metal with a barrier of rock around it to allow its wielder to hold it without getting burned.”

“So it’s extra energy waiting to be used,” Basen realized.

“Yes, a tremendous amount of it. Mages who are powerful enough can pull the energy out of the akorell metal to use in their spells.”