Page 136 of The Stone Initiation
“And I know how much you mean to him. How much he meant to you.”
“How could you…” Oh…Oh shit. “Youtold him about me, didn’t you?”
He looked sheepish. “Not directly, but I may have left some paperwork lying around for him to find.”
“You knew my mother died…”
“I’m sorry.” His throat bobs. “She was a sweet woman. A decent woman. When you called that day, you sounded so much like her that for a moment…for a moment I forgot…”
My throat pinched. “We have to do something. We have to get Romi back.”
“There is only one way to do that,” Basque said. “Only one way to free Romi and stop the Graynites once and for all, and that is to kill the alpha.”
He made it sound easy. “The alpha who’s hiding behind wards? That alpha?”
“We’re close to cracking his wards, but without an elite team at full power that knowledge is useless.” He gave me a pointed look.
My scalp prickled. “Wait… are you saying—”
“Yes, Cameron. I want to claim you as my heir. As a Basque. And I want you to fill Romi’s place on the elite team.”
He was insane. “I’m a halfblood.”
“You’re a Basque and even at halfblood your blood is more potent than most.”
Mistress Carter coughed into her hand.
Basque lifted his chin. “What? It’s true. Look at her. She made it here, didn’t she? She survived a grotesque attack and fought off a Graynite.” He sounded almost…proud.
But hang on…“Ignus is a graynite?”
He gave me a small tight smile. “Classified intel for elite status only.”
Bastard. Way to bait a gal. I wanted to save Romi, but I wasn’t delusional. I knew my limits. “I’m no elite.”
“Not yet,” Basque said. “But you will be. Your training will be fast-tracked and intensified, and in a few weeks you’ll take the official elite trial.”
“What about the initiate exam?”
“There’ll be no need for that,” Mistress Carter said. “As the only Basque available to take the elite spot you’ll be allowed to skip it.”
“A fewweeks? Will Romi survive that long?”
Basque’s nostrils flared and he lifted his chin, eyes blazing. “My son is strong. Basque blood is powerful. I have faith in him.” His shoulders heaved. “And I have faith in you, Cameron. You can do this.”
There was a knock on the door. “Come in,” Basque called.
Selas entered the room followed by Prasan, Orix, and finally Serath. He kept his gaze fixed ahead, but I knew he sensed me because his hands curled to fists and his neck muscles flexed as if he was fighting the urge to turn his head to look at me.
“Elite team, thank you for coming,” Basque said. “You’ve been debriefed, but now I’d like to introduce you to your new trainee, Cameron Basque. My daughter.” The elites finally looked my way, and a jolt passed through me at the intensity of their regard.
“Mr. Halle,” Basque said. “As elite leader, I’m putting you in charge of my daughter’s training.”
Halle? That was…
Serath’s shoulders tightened. “With all due respect, Mr. Basque, I believe that Selas would be—”
“I’ve studied the team stats, Mr. Halle, and my decision is final. You willpersonallytrain her in preparation for the elite trial.”
