Read Online Stealing Sorcery by Andrew Rowe - Free Book Online

was enjoying this more.” Velas stretched her arms. “How about you, Landen? Up for something a little more...exciting, than what we’ve been doing lately?”
    He leaned his face into his fist. “Your idea of exciting is, unfortunately, somewhat different from mine. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy putting you in the dirt as much as the next guy, but—”
    “Oh, if you want to talk like that, I’ll—”
    “Actually,” Taelien cut in. “I think I have a better idea for all of us for the day. Something even you might appreciate, Velas.”
    “Oh?” She turned away from Landen, quirking a brow at Taelien.
    “You wanted to gather information earlier – we can do that right now. Just not the kind of information you were talking about.”
    “Go on.”
    ***
    “I’m not sure how looking at paperwork would be considered exciting, Taelien.”
    The swordsman retracted his hand, pulling the stack of papers to his chest and giving her a hurt look.
    The three of them were sitting in the commissary, and they were not the first to arrive. She saw a few other recruits with bags under their eyes – including that pompous blade sorcerer, Keldyn Andys. As big as he talked, he must have been just as nervous as they were. That soothed her ego a bit, which simultaneously made her feel a little bit like a horrible person for reviling in someone else sharing her misery.
    Emotions were such nuisances sometimes.
    “You could at least look at them.” Taelien frowned.
    Velas sighed. “You’re such a baby sometimes.”
    She stuck her spoon into the nondescript gruel that served as “breakfast” in here. This paste is so thick I’ll probably develop my arm muscles just by stirring it.
    Taelien handed the papers to Landen.
    The brown haired former Queensguard scanned over the first page, then raised an eyebrow. “Where’d you get these?”
    “I have friends in high places.” Taelien smirked.
    “Okay, so what did Lydia give you that’s so impressive?” Velas continued stirring her food, although she glanced toward the doorway and noticed a trio of unfamiliar figures wandering into the room.
    The first was an androgynous looking brunette with a long scar that curved from beneath her right ear to the center of her chin. While she had no visible weapons, Velas noted that the newcomer moved with the kind of confidence that came with being prepared for instant violence. She wore an immaculate red tunic embroidered with the symbol of a rose with a dagger blade in the place of a stem.
    The second was a clean-shaven man in glistening plate armor, the same symbol on his breastplate. Velas rarely saw anyone wearing armor in the commissary, but it wasn’t strictly unheard of. The matching heraldry was more interesting – it wasn’t uncommon for multiple members of the same family or organization to try to enter the paladin examinations together, but she hadn’t seen other groups like that yet.
    Finally, a towering figure ducked through the doorway, nearly his entire form concealed within a voluminous red cloak. As he walked, she saw a glint of matching armor beneath, and a pair of weapon hilts on his hips. His face was concealed by a veil of similar material to the cloak and his eyes were a darker red than his garb. He had no sclera in his eyes.
    Wearing a cloak and veil into the mess hall? That’s a little bit pretentious. I suppose he wants to cultivate a “mysterious” image, but he’s trying far too hard.
    It was none of those three that truly intrigued Velas, however. A lone man entered several minutes later, quickly taking a seat in a far side of the mess hall, his back to the wall. He was tall, with an athletic build, and cleanly cut short blonde hair. His form-fitting black shirt helped emphasize the musculature in his arms, while a cerulean vest and a darker blue hat displayed a hint of style that she rarely found amongst the other paladin recruits. A bronze-hilted rapier sat on his left hip. The complete image struck her as