Page 38 of Oath-Maker

I turned to find Isabel sitting beside me on the reading bench I’d claimed. It was closest to the door with a good view of the room. Isabel must have snuck up quietly and sat on the plush red cushion while I’d been lost in my thoughts.

An errant tear fell. I swept it away with a finger and blinked back the rest of the traitors threatening to follow suit. Nodding, I said, “Yes. I’m just thinking of what this place used to be. What it used to mean.”

Isabel’s brown eyes softened with understanding. “Family.”

I blinked in shock at how quickly and easily she’d summed up my thoughts. “Yeah. Something like that.”

She gestured to the room at large. I recognized most of the Shadow Paladins now, either as those who had returned again from last time, or as paladins I’d known before. Only the trainees had been totally new to me. But now we’d all been sworn in under a new oath.

“I’d say that family still exists, wouldn’t you?” Isabel asked. “Maybe you’re not as close to them as you once were, but you will be. Once this is over.”

Isabel’s confidence in our abilities and future made me smile, but it was small and didn’t reach my eyes.

“I hope so,” I whispered as I watched the paladins spar with one another. Their dedication and Isabel’s words had sparked a fight within me that nonetheless was fizzling out. I straightened on the bench. “We need to be ready for anything.” I stopped just short of saying, “Tomorrow.”

I wasn’t sure I wanted to tell them about tomorrow. And to be honest, I wasn’t sure if that was because I wanted to besureLucius and the army were coming, or if I was still, somewhere deep down, leery of trusting Isabel.

Why?I couldn’t pinpoint it beyond the length of time I’d known her. I had no reason to doubt her, aside from the ease with which we’d been able to train here hidden. She’d been a paladin trainee for a while now, long enough to know Merek before his death. Just because I didn’t remember her didn’t mean anything other than I’d been immensely distracted for a long time.

Still, doubt lingered.

Isabel nodded and stood. “We’re ready. Many of us are trained paladins, Ayla. We’ve had to keep ourselves hidden these last few days. But we’re ready.”

“Good.” I stood to match her and placed my hands on my hips. “You never know what will—”

The door to oursupposedlyhidden training room burst inward with a torrent of magic. The two paladins who’d been sparring in front of it were slammed in their abdomens and sent flying across the room, crashing into another pair of paladins.

I took a step toward them before assessing the danger and spun on my heel in time to find the Guardian—Merek—walking through those now-destroyed double doors. The wooden archway, previously hidden by magic, was now splintered. Soldiers filed through with calm and intention, forming handcuffs with radiant magic that looked like they’d burn. Commander Lumen was amongst them, and the look he fixed to me was deadly.

Our eyes met in the chaos, and I held Merek’s gaze.

“Tell them not to fight back,” he warned with a cool rage in his voice that seared me through. “If they resist, I’ll kill every single one of you for this treason.”

Was it treason if they chose to no longer uphold their oaths to Merek or the Order as he kept it? I wanted to argue that point but decided against it.

“Don’t resist!” I shouted. I didn’t want them to die, and now wasn’t the time to fight. Not in this tiny room filled with just as any soldiers as paladins. Because even if we got out of here, there were dozens of other soldiers nearby, countless celestials around the Tower. Too many for us to face right now. And yet…

My Shadow Paladins exchanged looks, but most dropped their weapons and raised their hands. Except Cole, who drew Merek’s immediate attention.

“Drop it,” Merek ordered him.

Cole drew the hilt of his celestial sword to his chest. “No. We’re allowed to train to better protect the Order. That’s all we’re doing here. Back off.”

Fool.“Do what he says, Cole.”

Merek raised an eyebrow. “Cole?”

“Yes,” I said, cutting off any response from the young paladin. “He has a name. Stop this, Merek.”

He whipped around to me, reaching for my neck with fire burning in his eyes. Real fire—radiant power. I grabbed his wrist, but his momentum had me staggering off-kilter until my shoulders slammed into the frame of the destroyed doors. His fingers held my throat tightly. “I told you not to go against me.”

“Actually,” I squeezed out while losing air, “you asked if I wasplanningto go against you. And I told you I was. But that has nothing to do with this.”

“Do you think me a complete fool?” he screamed in my face, his lips so close, spittle landed on my cheeks.

My eyes narrowed. Thank the gods I was pretty sure he needed me for just alittlebit longer because I couldn’t hold back anymore. “Yes, very much so.”

Merek reeled back, pulling me off the wall with him, and turned, swinging me off my feet. I slammed into the bench I’d been sitting on. Isabel caught my arm and helped me stand again. I rubbed my neck as Merek looked at the caught paladins with an ire so hot, it was like we’d all been poisoned with light sickness.

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