First Apprentice

Chapter 32 Part 2

"One of whom was either Arash or Gemma, who handle induction training," Philip said. "The first six months is all which form to fill out, who to avoid, how to travel the gates, work as a team, swap between teams, etcetera. They keep you working every second of every day. When they graduate you to another apprentice, you actually become a candidate. Most new candidates transfer to Rena, who will not enroll any candidate with less than five years experience. Her candidates rarely last the year because Rena is an arrogant brat with zero understanding of strategy and tactics beyond ways to get us killed. After the stunt Priya pulled on Maria, she no longer has candidates because Amit's concerned we'll murder his baby cousin. Priya copied Rena's policies word for word."

"Back to the topic at hand," I said before the argument spiraled out of control, "the Central Keystone is currently at half-strength." I hesitated. If they were unfamiliar with Drest, the official measurement for keystones, I doubted they knew how the Keystones themselves worked. "The Keystones are linked like spokes on a wheel. The problem is there's no hub. The hub used to be the Well. When Marstallis fell the first time, it nearly took the Well with it, so Saar unchained the Well from the Keystones. After they reclaimed Headquarters, the Border Guard never moved the Well back in place. The Central Keystone was supposed to hold Marstallis until it either stabilized itself or was remade then he'd take the Well's place as the hub, but that never happened. The Well destabilized during Khalida and Hadyn's last battle."

Tylar snorted. "Melted, you mean."

I glared at him. "A convenient lie both sides told so the populace wouldn't panic. Endellion always crafts her seals to withstand both aes and fire. Her seals would survive turning the Well into a volcano. The truth is the Dracon and the Border Guard were both using the Well like a storage facility. Except this storage facility's roof was held up by the boxes — the souls. The more they took, the less stable the structure grew until it collapsed. Hadyn died moving Headquarters to the Central Keystone. If the Dracon Gate falls tonight, there is a fifty-six percent chance she'll take the Central Keystone with her. If he falls, the clan keystones will topple like a stack of dominoes. At best, I can get him to three-quarters strength, which decreases the odds to thirty-two percent."

"What if he's at full?" Tylar asked. Philip and Stefan held their breath and cast worried looks at Terry as if asking him to deny it.

Fists clenched, Kevin ducked his head. "He won't be," he whispered.

"Less than one," I said, answering Tylar's question first, "but Kevin's right. Since his making, the Central Keystone's either lost or donated ninety-one percent of his original souls. The only way to bring him up to full strength is to feed him an army."

Terry leaned forward, navy blue strands questing out from his fingertips and wrapping around Tylar. I glanced at Terry's feet — no runes — and breathed a sigh of relief. He was reminding Tylar who he was, not accepting the challenge.

"Right now," Terry said evenly, "a mutiny would solve more problems than it would cause."

Tylar stumbled backward while my other sealers looked at Terry wild-eyed.

"Alannah cannot bear much scrutiny. Letting the Shedu claim her was the lesser evil, but the second they realize what we have all hell will break loose. Guardian trainers, a two thousand head loan, Article Fourteen," he shook his head. "After what Joel and I discovered this morning, I don't doubt the necessity. However, our allies are up in arms over this. The clans see hiring guardian trainers as usurping their traditional right to teach their clan magics as they see fit. The Tradesmen contract mostly with our allies. My annual budget is fifteen hundred heads. Alannah loaned your office two thousand then forbade purchasing any supplies from the Tradesmen citing quality concerns. Translation, she doesn't trust their suppliers, who are also our allies. Using Article Fourteen changes the political landscape. The bulk of our revenues are tariffs collected on goods passing through the gates. Whoever controls the gates controls the flow of goods and people between them. Your office now controls twenty-nine gates. With Article Fourteen in play, only a made chief can reassign them. Cut off our trade, and you'll bankrupt us.

"Last week, seventy-six candidates suffered mild to severe poisoning. As of nine this morning, you are the only survivors." He met my gaze. "It is not your fault, Alannah. The deaths began two days before your people checked themselves out at sword point."

Terry's lips twitched when I turned questioning eyes on Kevin, who bit his lip and stared at the wall over my head. Bemused, I shook my head then turned my attention back to Terry.

"I take it they forgot that part of the story along with abducting four of their colleagues from a secure ward. Gemma's core fractured during a healing ritual last night. She's not expected to live. Physically, Arash's expected to make a full recovery. Mentally..." Terry toyed with his spoon. Absently, he twirled it between his fingers as he stared fixedly at the fire.

Each death eats at you, Grandfather told me once. The day it doesn't is the day you die. If not physically, then metaphorically. Terry's aura flickered between his usual base, mourning white, and rage. How many times had he made a similar speech? How many funeral pyres had he built? He lost his mate and newborn daughter, dozens of apprentices, colleagues, friends, and family. Some like Grandfather chose their deaths, but others were ripped from him. How could anyone survive that year after year and remain sane? Maybe he hadn't. Maybe his coldness was a mask to protect what little of himself he had left.

"At this time, the second and third apprentice offices are disbanded. We are down two apprentices, possibly four if Krishna's investigation implicates Rena and Priya in this mess. Amit's office is also under investigation. Depending on what we find, he will likely be given a choice between swearing the prisoner oaths or becoming a guardian."

My breath hitched. Designed for prisoners of war, the prisoner oaths granted the war chiefs complete control over a person's thoughts and actions. No free will. No chance to betray anyone. They were also for life. The prisoner oaths were as abhorrent as submission bonds.

"Should Amit become a guardian," Terry continued, "Diane may follow him. Out of seven apprentices, only one has both the training and magic required for the Seven." Terry smirked and pointed at me.

"No."

"I don't want an unwilling member of the Seven, Alannah, any more than I want a traitorous one. With Article Fourteen in play,you're already cut off from me. If you have an issue that requires the Seven'sattention, you must present it yourself. You've also withdrawn your office from all services offered by the new corps. Sanctioning you is meaningless. So the Tradesmen won't sell you supplies? You won't buy from them anyway. A sanction merely gives the appearance that I'm displeased with you while causing certain parties to drop their guards. Because why would I investigate them when I approve of them punishing my apprentice for her actions?"