Page 9 of The Stone Curse
Raffe’s jaw flexed, eyes flashing, and for a moment I thought he was going to argue, but then he pulled up his hood. “Apologies, Master Halle.”
The second alchemist woke, and Nandini helped him to his feet.
“I think we’ve seen enough,” Ulrickson said. “Alchemists, you may leave the room.”
All four robed figures glided out, and my gaze flicked to Lionel in time to see his shoulders relax. He caught my eye and dropped me a slight nod before reclaiming his seat.
Around me, my fellow cadets were subdued. The council had torn open a wound that had barely begun to heal. Seeing the events play out before us like a movie had shaken us all. The alchemists had somehow infiltrated all our thoughts at the same time to create a full picture of events, all angles, all the tiny details. Everyone’s memories except mine.
“We’ve seen enough,” Ulrickson said. “The graynites are obviously divided for some reason. We can use that to our advantage. Attack the alpha while their forces are weakened.”
Lionel sighed. “For that, we must assume that the second troop in this scenario had no interest in the cadets.”
“The fact that they attacked the first troop then left, rather than finishing off the cadets, indicates just that,” Ulrickson countered.
“Or maybe they were protecting us?” The words were out before I could stop them, and the room fell silent.
“What is this academy teaching its cadets?” Ulrickson looked about as if searching for a tutor to hold accountable. “A graynite is a gargoyle’s mortal enemy. They seek to wipe us out so that they can claim this world as their own. That is theironlypurpose. Their only goal.” His eyes bore into me. “To entertain anything else is to weaken our defense.” I pressed my lips together to hold back my arguments. “Besides, can any of yousay with certainty that it wasn’t one of the second troop that murdered Serath Halle?”
My heart dropped into my stomach.
He held my gaze. “I believe it happened right before your eyes, Miss Basque. Although we were unable to view it.” He let the dig settle before continuing. “We are forced to rely on your oral and written account of the incident. So can you say for certain that the killerwasn’ta graynite from the second wave?”
The hollow pit inside me expanded, and the room melted away, and despite my desperate bid at blocking it out, the memory bloomed in my mind. For a moment, I was back in the field with Serath the instant before talons exploded from his chest. I didn’t want to see this. Didn’t want to remember.
There was movement in the periphery of my vision from where Levi had been standing, but my focus was wholly on Ulrickson—the bastard intent of poking at my wound. “What possible benefit would killing Serath have for them? You have other Halles to take his place on the elite team.”
“But no other Basques,” Ulrickson said. “Prasan Aziza must have known about your fated pairing.” He waited for me to confirm or deny, but I kept my mouth shut because saying anything would call into question who else had known. There was no way I was getting my friends into trouble over this. Ulrickson must have realized I wasn’t going to give him anything because he continued. “We all know that losing a fated mate can break even the strongest gargoyle, and you, Miss Basque, are a halfblood.”
“If that was the case, then why come in two troops?” Sharniza said. “If they had the same goal, then why not attack together?”
Silence greeted her question, and it was Lionel who finally broke it. “With all due respect, council, I don’t think there is anything further that we can glean from our cadets. We should simply consider the facts. Fact one, there were two troopsof graynites, one which attacked our cadets, and one which attacked the first troop. This suggests a conflict within the graynite camp, which, yes, we should exploit. Fact two, the first wave of graynites wanted my daughter dead.”
His daughter? He’d called me his daughter…
“Fact three,” he continued. “Prasan Aziza was workingwiththe graynites”—Nandini made a soft sound of distress—“which means there could be other moles, not only at this academy but higher up.”
One of the council members bristled. “What are you suggesting?”
“What we all should be considering,” Lionel said. “This incident has taught us that we must lookwithinand increase our security protocols.”
“I think we’re forgetting another importantfact,” Ulrickson said. “Yourdaughterwas fated to a sigma and kept it a secret. She broke the law.”
“And we have discussed this,” Lionel snapped, his eyes bright with anger. “As the only adult Basque, Cameron has been absolved of her crime. It has been agreed. We need her for the elite team.”
“At present we have no team,” Ulrickson said. “Something that must be addressed.”
Finally.
“The council has spoken on the matter,” Ulrickson said. “Selas Mason may not be fit for duty for some time and therefore must be replaced. We have agreed that Curi Mason step into her place, and Sharniza Aziza fill the role left by Prasan Aziza. And the Halle spot…” His gaze flicked across the room to where Levi stood, and my pulse stuttered. “The Halle spot will be taken by Levi Halle. My son.”
CHAPTER 4
Iwas the first out of the assembly hall, leaving the others behind in my desperation to get away.
He’d known. Levi had known what his father was going to do. Had he suggested it? To take Serath’s place?
My stomach rolled with nausea as I hurried out of the building and down the steps, where I stopped to suck in huge gulps of crisp, cool air.
