Page 5 of The Stone Curse
We exchanged nods before my attention was drawn to Orix standing by a side door, deep in conversation with a dark-haired woman. There was something familiar about her—something in the curve of her mouth and her almond-shaped eyes.
She must have felt me staring because she looked over. Her mouth turned down as she said something to Orix before breaking away from him to stride toward me.
I wasn’t sure why, but I braced myself.
“Cameron Basque, my name is Nandini Aziza. I hear you killed my son.”
My stomach went rock hard. This was Prasan’s mother. “I didn’t kill him, but I wish I had.”
Her jaw flexed. “You misunderstand me. I’m grateful to you. What he did…” She swallowed hard. “He has brought shame on our family, and I assure you that I will personally stop at nothing to uncover the full extent of his duplicity. I’m…I’m sorry for your loss.”
Serath…
I pressed my lips together because there was nothing more to say. Her son had been a murderer. He might not have struck the killing blow, but he’d orchestrated the attack that had. I was not sorry for her loss. Not one bit.
She inclined her head and slipped away through a set of side doors which led fuck knows where.
“Haven’t seen her in years,” Sharniza said, joining us.
It was odd to think that Shar could be related to Prasan, the traitor, but they were blood. Distant cousins on her sire’s side.
“The woman is married to the Stone council,” Shar continued. “One of the few omegas to take a post outside of Arcadia’s nest. She practically lives at HQ from what I’ve heard. Azizas value their reputation above anything else, and her mate will blame her for Prasan’s defection. Any negative traits or fallacies are always blamed on the mother, and any triumphs are attributed to the sire.”
I didn’t have it in me to feel sorry for her. Emotions had been running a little dry of late; the only ones that seemed to come unbidden and easy were anger or rage. They seemed to traipse about hand in hand, waiting for any small fracture in my emotional shields to seep through.
But tonight was about poise and calm. Tonight, I’d get what I needed by using logic and clean-cut argument.
“We should be called in soon,” Orix said. “Once this is over, we can focus on the mission.”
“They’ll address the elite issue?” Shar asked.
“I’ll make sure they do,” Orix said.
There were dark circles beneath his eyes. Lack of sleep had caught up to him. The loss of his team—one friend’s betrayal and another’s death…
I’d been so caught up in my own loss that I’d failed in acknowledging the pain of those around me. Grief was indeed a selfish beast.
Guilt settled heavily on my shoulders as I looked, really looked, at my friends and fellow cadets—the slump of their shoulders, the smudges beneath their eyes. The loss…so much loss.
“Any more news on Selas?” Touron asked Curi.
“Not since last night,” Curi replied. He looked like he wanted to say more but then pressed his lips together and shook his head slightly.
“What?” Touron demanded. “What aren’t you telling us?”
Curi sighed. “I’m wondering whatyouaren’t tellingus.”
Touron’s expression shuttered. “I don’t know what you mean.”
“Yeah? Well, when you figure it out, know that we’re here and…I’m pretty sure she’s allowed visitors.”
Wait, who…Selas? The look on Touron’s face was pure devastation and longing and—Oh god…Did he have a thing for Selas?
“Everyone,” Orix said. “We’re being summoned.”
There was no time to press Touron on it now because the doors to the assembly hall were swinging open.
It was time to give testimony.
