Total pages in book: 134
Estimated words: 127026 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 635(@200wpm)___ 508(@250wpm)___ 423(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 127026 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 635(@200wpm)___ 508(@250wpm)___ 423(@300wpm)
As do I, Kerrigan. As do I.
37
THE TRAINING
Days turned into weeks, and Society members poured into the mountain. Kerrigan had never seen so many all in one place. Even during the dragon tournament, there wasn’t a full mountain’s worth of members. But with a summons to select the next council members, the place was a beehive.
But Kerrigan wasn’t their queen.
That was Alura Van Horn.
Kerrigan had more visitors than she’d ever had in her life. Society members dropping in at unexpected hours to look at her studies, get lunch with her, and invite her to events happening during campaign week. Still it was nothing compared to Alura.
Kerrigan only found out about everything Alura was doing because Ben and Bay spoke with other servants. Alura was gone at all hours of the day, bombarded with people showing support. There might be two seats open for the council, but one of those was almost assuredly Alura’s. Though every time Kerrigan saw her in passing, she looked smaller and smaller and smaller.
As if the very idea of stepping into her father’s shoes had made her deteriorate. Kerrigan hated to see her once-hardened commander falling into this. Not that she could say anything to Alura, who glared at her so fiercely every time they were in each other’s presence that it was as if others could feel the frost coming off of her.
Kerrigan wished that Cleora’s training with illusions would actually work for her. She could send a different Kerrigan into the mountain to deal with all of the Society members who wanted her time. But try as she might, she had no luck. It was as if illusions were utterly barred from her.
At least, she was succeeding in magical artifact training. Though she hated that Society members had started to show up for the training. Many of them were disgusted that she was even doing it, and then others had requested to also be trained. The crowds had gotten bigger on both sides, to the point where Bastian had considered moving their training sessions elsewhere. But where else was there in the city?
“That’s it for today,” Bastian said with another resigned sigh.
The two dozen Society members in various bedraggled states slumped in relief. They backed away in groups, speaking animatedly about the new training methods. Audria and Roake hadn’t been able to make this meeting because of the duties they had to their tribes. So many tribes were having individual parties and meetings since everyone was in one place.
Kerrigan should have been going to the ones that Bryonica had invited her to, but she had sent her father in her place. She still hadn’t seen him, and he’d scolded her for mentioning her mother in a letter. She was wondering if she would only see him again if she went to one of those stupid Bryonican parties.
“Kerrigan, might we have a word?” The speaker was a female Society member who Kerrigan had been training with.
“This way, please, Kerrigan,” Bastian said.
She shot him a relieved look. “Next time,” Kerrigan said to the female. Then, she hurried after Bastian.
He guided her away from the onlookers. “We’ve had little luck getting together since everyone has come in for the election.”
“It’s been a lot,” she admitted. “Most people don’t like what I’m doing. I hope I’m not hurting your chances. We could stop until after the election.”
He waved a hand. “I’m not worried about my chances,” he said with a private smile. “Plus, you have to stand for something, or you’ll fall for everything.”
“Yeah. I’m just not sure the thing that I stand for is what everyone wants.”
“I feel the same way,” he said with a light in his eyes she’d never seen before. He gestured to the book she’d taken to lugging around with her everywhere in a bag at her hip after someone tried to snatch it right out of her hands earlier that week. “What is the next section that you have been studying?”
“I sort of skipped ahead last night,” she admitted. She braced herself. She had been waiting for this moment for so long. She hadn’t known how to bring it up, so she had made excuses not to do so. She hadn’t seen Valia in weeks. She needed more information. “I was reading about something called … the Collector.”
“A fascinating piece. What did you read about it?”
“There’s not much known, except that it can recognize all those who have touched it.”
“Indeed. It was a sort of magical roster. Lost to the Great War, I’m afraid.”
Kerrigan chewed on her lip. “Sir, I don’t think it’s lost.”
Bastian raised an eyebrow. “Why do you say that?”
“I went to a Red Masks rally and saw them using something that looks just like it.” She flipped the book open to the page with the disc in it. “They had everyone who entered put their hand on it.”