Wes's story took until the sky was nearly dark and sprinkled with stars that winked in and out of sight behind wispy clouds. We both watched the drifting, changing landscape of the sky as I let his memories sink in.
It was a weird feeling. I wished I could take back knowing, but at the same time I knew it was right that I finally did. Like Wes had reached in and scooped out a place within me, and as painful as the experience was there was no denying the story fit there.
I'd known Jaden had entered the Glory Duels, and I'd known the Glory Duels were fights to the death, so logically I'd known he'd killed people to survive and win but that was different from knowing there were people dead because of him. And people that had been left behind, missing their family.
Missing their father.
"I'm sorry," I finally said. "I shouldn't have asked."
He gave me a side-glance, looking worn out. "Sorry you had to hear."
"What do you mean?"
"I mean... like you said before. We understand each other, because we both knew him. I know how you feel about him. He was good at that, being a... someone like a father. A good teacher, someone you look up to. If this takes that away from you, I'm sorry."
I put a hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry about that." I would sort out what I felt about this and what it changed some other time. I didn't know what thinking too hard about it might change, and if I was going to break down it wouldn't be in front of Wes.
He sighed. "You probably think I was an idiot, assuming he was my dad like that."
"Of course not. Like you said, he treated you like a son, didn't he? He probably felt guilty, wanted you to feel like you had a father in some way. It's not your fault you picked up the wrong clues."
"Maybe not, but if I hadn't been so set on the wrong conclusion maybe I would have picked up the right clues. I was looking so hard for signs he was or had been in love with my mother I missed other things. Well, other people."
"Gordan?" I guessed immediately.
"You'd think, wouldn't you? But looking back, I don't think so. There was another man I saw just a few times in the first year or two that Jaden was teaching me. A castle guard, I think he was, named Cabrel."
It took me a moment to catch the name but when I did I turned toward him so quickly he jolted and grabbed the edge of the roof. "Cabrel?"
"Pretty sure," he said, startled. "Mean anything to you?"
"I knew him, he was--" I bit off my sentence as soon as I realized what I was saying. Wes couldn't know that I'd grown up surrounded by guards. "Er. I knew him."
"Uh... okay. How, exactly?"
Cabrel had been my favorite guard when I was younger. He slipped candy to my friends and I and didn't turn us in when he caught us playing pranks. Unfortunately, he'd left when I was twelve and I never saw him again. But in the four years I'd known him, I'd made the connection between him and Jaden. Never explicitly, but I'd just... sensed there was some connection between them, something in the way both of them treated me.
But I couldn't tell Wes that.
"I've lived in the capital my whole life. Before now, I mean. I sometimes ran into him when I was younger."
"Yeah, he left the capital when I was thirteen or fourteen or so. He came to Maenar, actually. Jaden wanted him to stay, but he said he was under suspicion and had to get out. He was a rebel, so I guess they got wind of that."
I could only shake my head in shock. The more I entangled myself with the Phoenix the more I realized I had always been caught up with them. There was the prophecy that tied Nemia to the Phoenix, as well as Cabrel leaving the capital for the rebels and my parents joining after I'd been taken. Jaden had been my teacher, but Aiden had also had a history with him, and so had the Sage, who may or may not have structured Nemia's life around avoiding the prophecy of the assassin killing the king. Everything looped back around to connect to everything else, and the more I learned the more I suspected it went even deeper than I knew.
It was scary in a way that prickled my skin like something was sneaking up behind me. Not knowing how deep these connections went made me worry about accidently tripping over one.
I dragged my mind back to the subject at hand. "You think Jaden was in love with him?"
"I think they were in love with each other. I know it hurt him when Cabrel left for Maenar-- I think that's part of why I left too. I could have just cut ties with him, but I was angry. I wanted him to be hurt the way I was. I guess recreating Cabrel leaving felt like a good way to do that."
I winced. It explained why Jaden had always skirted around the subject of Wes leaving. Their break must have been just as painful for him. Having lost two people... and both to the rebels. No wonder he'd warned me away from them yet never expected me to listen. My heart hurt.
"I never got up the courage to talk to him, though. I guess I thought he'd be angry I tried to hurt Jaden. After all, he only left because he had to."
"Wait, what?"
"I said, I never got up my courage to talk to Cabrel, because--"
"Cabrel's here." Of course, that was what Wes had told me, but I hadn't been thinking. Cabrel was in Maenar, and so was I, looking for someone Jaden had sent me to find! What if Cabrel--
"No, actually," Wes said. "Not at the moment. He's kind of disappeared. He probably went on a mission."
My hopes deflated. Cabrel didn't fit Jaden's description anyway. An opponent, famous for killing without mercy. But I would have liked to see him regardless.
"Adina? Wes?"
We started at the shout, then leaned forward together to look down at the street below.
Kay waved one arm at us, looking frustrated. "Come down! We've got work to do."
"Story time over," Wes groaned. "Should we go down the short way?"
"Sure," I said, and we slid off the edge and climbed down the wall.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Therese was back, and angry that she'd been left out of the past few meetings, but Kay pointed out that it had been necessary.
"Until-- unless-- we complete an alliance with the Cycla, you're still an outsider. We can't have a noble sitting in on a High Circle meeting or getting involved with a war between factions."
She huffed, but there was no argument. "Fine. Are we working on my plan now?"
"My plan," Lucien corrected. "I came up with it."
"But I made it work."
"But I've been working my ass off making weapons for it."
Evvie stepped in with a sigh. "Quit it, no more fighting. I've got a headache already. It's nobody's plan until we make it work. Are we ready for phase one tomorrow?"
"I still don't think we should be starting the plan until we've figured out the war with the Silvers," Kay said.
"I agree," Evvie admitted, "But Aunt Ysmay doesn't want to put everything on hold. We shouldn't lose momentum."
"Well, isn't Adina going to figure out a solution to our war any day now?" Liz asked sarcastically.
"I might."
"Oh, don't you two start fighting too," Evvie groaned.
"We're not," Liz said, bumping her shoulder against mine. "Dina knows I'm joking."
"I wasn't," I said. "I'll figure something out."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
So, Cabrel, who I know was only mentioned briefly in TRT, has turned up again!
But more importantly, I've settled on a new title, and it's THE ROGUE GUARDIAN. I'll actually change the title in a day or two to give you guys a chance to see this note and expect it. And a cover change to match the new title will be coming soon (it might be similar to the current cover or not, I'm not sure)