Page 6 of The Stone Curse
CHAPTER 3
The assembly room was designed for graduations and special events. But tonight, the stage at the back of the room was taken up by a row of seats, each occupied by a goyle that I didn’t recognize.
No, wait, there were six goyles and a human.Thehuman representative, no doubt.
More seats had been set in a row, backs against the base of the steps, taken up by more goyles, one of which was my sire.
Lionel Basque fixed his attention on me, assessing, probably checking to ensure I didn’t fall apart.
He’d been there for me after, and even though it didn’t make up for the years of radio silence, it mattered.
“No one will touch you, Cameron. You’re a Basque, and I won’t allow it.”He hadn’t held me. Hadn’t comforted me with physical touch, but his words had shown his support.
And he was here now. To speak for me if needed, andthatmattered.
A side door opened, and Prasan’s mother entered, followed by two cloaked alchemists.
“What are they doing here?” Touron whispered.
“Lie detectors, no doubt,” Shar said.
“They’ll probably be scanning our thoughts during this whole thing,” Curi said.
I had nothing to hide. Not any longer.
Prasan’s mother took a seat at the base of the stage while the alchemists flanked it, their faces hidden inside their hoods, hands clasped so that they were hidden by the bell sleeves of their cloaks.
The door opened again, and Levi slipped into the room. He stayed in the shadows, looking up at the stage. Of course, Ulrickson would be up there somewhere. Which one was he?
The one in the middle with the stunning sapphire eyes like Levi? Yes, he had the same straight nose too, but that was where the similarities ended. Where Levi’s mouth was full and generous, this goyle’s mouth was a thin slash of a line. Where Levi’s eyes held warmth and compassion, this goyle’s gaze was cold and calculating.
He was a Halle. Serath’s uncle. But I saw nothing of my mate in him.
He spoke, his mouth barely moving with the words. “You have been called to give oral testimony on the events of…” He looked down the stage toward the drapes that covered the side exits, where a small man was huddled over a notepad.
The man looked up, a startled expression on his face, pushed his spectacles up his nose, and recited the date of the cadet exam. A date etched into my memory but obviously not important enough for Ulrickson to remember.
Ulrickson nodded curtly at the man before continuing. “We have studied your written accounts of the evening in question and spoken to the goyles who witnessed or were part of the awful events, and we’re confident that we have a good understanding of what transpired; however, memory is a complicated beast, and there may be details buried in your subconscious minds. Wewill wish to view those.” View? What did he mean? “We’d also like to discuss the graynite behavior witnessed.”
Another goyle sat forward. “You say that there were five graynites to begin with. That they attacked you with the goal of eliminating Miss Basque. This makes sense as she is our only viable Basque at present. Eliminating her would give the graynites an advantage. But your statements also assert that several more graynites joined the fray toward the end of the battle and attacked the first troop of graynites?” He swept his gaze over us. “Is that correct?”
We all nodded and mumbled yes.
“This is unusual behavior for graynites,” the goyle said. “Our history of conflict with them shows that their strength lies in their unity.”
“Maybe there are fractures in their camp,” another one of the council members said.
“Yes, Iram. It wouldn’t explain why they would want to save our cadets.”
“Who says they were saving them?” Iram asked. “Maybe the second troop was simply taking the opportunity to eliminate the first. The cadets could merely have been a distraction.”
I’d been thinking about this over the past few days, and it didn’t make sense. Ignus saving me didn’t make sense. He’d tried to kidnap me once; if anything, I’d have thought he would have been on the side of the graynites trying to kill me…unless…Unless he wanted me alive and was working with thesecondtroop to take me, but then whyhadn’the taken me? It had been the perfect opportunity.
“Miss Basque? Are you listening?” Iram asked.
Shit. “Sorry?”
The goyle pursed his lips, clearly irritated with my lack of attention. “You say that this Ignus creature saved your life?”
