wizard?”
“I don’t think so,” Rafe said. They were talking in hushed voices as servants began to stir around the palace. “But Princess Ariel works magic, too. That’s why she was so interested in Tiberius when they were here.”
“If the princess knew, then Leonosis knows now. That’s probably why he’s sent ships to capture his brother.”
“That doesn’t explain the earls,” Rafe said. “This isn’t just about Ti learning magic. It’s a struggle for power.”
“How can you possibly know that?”
“Because I’ve seen it,” Rafe said. “I’ve seen what Tiberius can do. And we found something in one of the deserted cities. Ti doesn’t even know what it is, but Leonosis wants it.”
Grentz looked down, and Rafe wasn’t sure what his father was thinking. But after a moment, he looked up, and Rafe thought he looked more like his old self. The news of magic, seeing his banished son again, and even realizing that Tiberius had somehow healed Earl Aegus had all been hard for the sword master to take in. But now Grentz had settled it in his mind, and the natural-born commander was back in control.
“I’m going to see that the earl has food and drink,” Grentz said. “Then we have work to do. Don’t leave this post.”
“Yes sir,” Rafe said, not even trying to suppress the grin on his face.
“It’s good to see you, son,” Grentz said, squeezing Rafe’s shoulder. “I’m proud of you.”
Rafe didn’t know what to say, and before he could even reply, his father walked briskly away. Rafe knew his father loved him, but he had pushed Rafe to be the best with a sword. The training Rafe’s father had put him through had been grueling, and as his commanding officer, Grentz had been demanding. Yet Rafe had done everything his father had ever asked and risen through the ranks of the earl’s war band with a reputation as a good commander in his own right. Still, Rafe couldn’t remember his father ever telling him that he was proud of him.
Tears filled his eyes, but he blinked them away. Then he stood up a little straighter and double-checked his sword. He hadn’t known what to expect when he saw his father, but he had never dreamed that the fabled sword master of Avondale would actually be proud of him. And Rafe was now more determined than ever not to let his father down.
Chapter 9
Lexi
The sun was almost up when Lexi finally found the small home she had been looking for. She had been to the old man’s hovel only twice, both times in search of information about a mark she’d been contracted to steal from. Ennis was a strange old man. Sometimes he sold books in the various underground markets. Sometimes he could be found begging near the earl’s palace. But most of his time was spent in his tiny home on Avondale’s lowest level.
From the outside it looked just like any of the shanties around it. Most of the homes and shops on Avondale’s lowest level were carved into the soft volcanic rock that made up the foundations of the city’s magnificent homes and towering walls. The door was hung haphazardly, and a tattered blanket hung inside the hole that served as a window. From the smell in that section of the city, Lexi expected to find sewage pooling in the tiny hut, but she knew from experience that the home was well maintained and kept immaculately clean. She knocked softly on the door and waited.
She didn’t have to wait long. The door opened slowly, and Ennis’ face poked out. Even in the dark, Lexi knew he was the man she was looking for. He had sold Tiberius the book fragments, and if he didn’t know where more books on magic were, he would probably know someone who did.
“Lexi,” the old man hissed.
He pulled her quickly into his home and then looked carefully up and down the narrow street to see if anyone was watching her. Lexi waited quietly. The house was even more gloomy than the street. He closed the door and propped an old wooden chair against it to keep the door
“I don’t think so,” Rafe said. They were talking in hushed voices as servants began to stir around the palace. “But Princess Ariel works magic, too. That’s why she was so interested in Tiberius when they were here.”
“If the princess knew, then Leonosis knows now. That’s probably why he’s sent ships to capture his brother.”
“That doesn’t explain the earls,” Rafe said. “This isn’t just about Ti learning magic. It’s a struggle for power.”
“How can you possibly know that?”
“Because I’ve seen it,” Rafe said. “I’ve seen what Tiberius can do. And we found something in one of the deserted cities. Ti doesn’t even know what it is, but Leonosis wants it.”
Grentz looked down, and Rafe wasn’t sure what his father was thinking. But after a moment, he looked up, and Rafe thought he looked more like his old self. The news of magic, seeing his banished son again, and even realizing that Tiberius had somehow healed Earl Aegus had all been hard for the sword master to take in. But now Grentz had settled it in his mind, and the natural-born commander was back in control.
“I’m going to see that the earl has food and drink,” Grentz said. “Then we have work to do. Don’t leave this post.”
“Yes sir,” Rafe said, not even trying to suppress the grin on his face.
“It’s good to see you, son,” Grentz said, squeezing Rafe’s shoulder. “I’m proud of you.”
Rafe didn’t know what to say, and before he could even reply, his father walked briskly away. Rafe knew his father loved him, but he had pushed Rafe to be the best with a sword. The training Rafe’s father had put him through had been grueling, and as his commanding officer, Grentz had been demanding. Yet Rafe had done everything his father had ever asked and risen through the ranks of the earl’s war band with a reputation as a good commander in his own right. Still, Rafe couldn’t remember his father ever telling him that he was proud of him.
Tears filled his eyes, but he blinked them away. Then he stood up a little straighter and double-checked his sword. He hadn’t known what to expect when he saw his father, but he had never dreamed that the fabled sword master of Avondale would actually be proud of him. And Rafe was now more determined than ever not to let his father down.
Chapter 9
Lexi
The sun was almost up when Lexi finally found the small home she had been looking for. She had been to the old man’s hovel only twice, both times in search of information about a mark she’d been contracted to steal from. Ennis was a strange old man. Sometimes he sold books in the various underground markets. Sometimes he could be found begging near the earl’s palace. But most of his time was spent in his tiny home on Avondale’s lowest level.
From the outside it looked just like any of the shanties around it. Most of the homes and shops on Avondale’s lowest level were carved into the soft volcanic rock that made up the foundations of the city’s magnificent homes and towering walls. The door was hung haphazardly, and a tattered blanket hung inside the hole that served as a window. From the smell in that section of the city, Lexi expected to find sewage pooling in the tiny hut, but she knew from experience that the home was well maintained and kept immaculately clean. She knocked softly on the door and waited.
She didn’t have to wait long. The door opened slowly, and Ennis’ face poked out. Even in the dark, Lexi knew he was the man she was looking for. He had sold Tiberius the book fragments, and if he didn’t know where more books on magic were, he would probably know someone who did.
“Lexi,” the old man hissed.
He pulled her quickly into his home and then looked carefully up and down the narrow street to see if anyone was watching her. Lexi waited quietly. The house was even more gloomy than the street. He closed the door and propped an old wooden chair against it to keep the door
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