Lady Supreme about this.”
I pointed at the dead attacker. “Do you recognize him?”
“No,” Valaine said, shaking her head. “This is the first Darkling we’ve caught in over three thousand years. He’s dead, sure, but he can still help us investigate the matter further.”
We heard soldiers somewhere in the distance, running and shouting. They must’ve caught a trail for the Darklings. I knew Derek and Sofia needed to be told about this, as soon as possible. The presence of Darklings was an unexpected factor that could easily spoil our operation here. The worst part was that they’d just tried to kill Valaine, the daughter of the empire’s master commander and leader of the armies.
This was a targeted assassination attempt, and it had to be taken beyond seriously. In my experience, such incidents occurred when there was a political agenda in play. Someone’s interests required that Valaine be killed. But why?
Looking at her now, I couldn’t immediately think of a reason. She was a kind creature, though ruthless and calculated in her defense. It was probably why they’d sent four people to kill her, instead of one or two. But they could’ve waited until she was alone again, so… why did they attack now, while I was still with her? Were they trying to raise awareness regarding their presence in the palace, perhaps? Were they looking to spread fear-inducing rumors?
Their attack came at an inopportune time, as the Black Fever was returning about five thousand years sooner than it should’ve. I had a feeling we’d come to Visio at the worst possible time in its modern history, but it was too late to turn back now. If anything, I wanted to get to the bottom of it all even more, as more pieces of this gigantic puzzle came to light.
Esme
Training with Kalon had drained me of most of my energy. I’d never imagined he’d be such a ruthless drill sergeant, but the social and the sparring versions of him were two diametrically opposed personas. The Kalon who’d taken me riding and who’d joined me in the Blood Arena had been charming, intriguing, and mischievous. The Kalon who fought me in the training room was ruthless, methodical, and strict.
I was still wrapping my head around the two, my muscles sore and my knees a little weak, as Kalon escorted me back to my chambers. We hadn’t spoken since we’d put the blunt swords away back in the training room. It wasn’t because we’d run out of things to say or because of a falling out or whatever… no, we’d exhausted ourselves to the point where talking could’ve basically knocked us out. We were beyond tired, smiling like two of the happiest creatures who’d ever lived.
Personally, I loved this kind of fatigue. A hot bath would soften my muscles and relax my joints, and everything would ache in the morning, but I reveled in the sensations. This was my body telling me I’d given it a lot to work with, throughout most of the day. We’d planned on training for a couple of hours, tops, since Kalon had insisted that he could improve my form. Lo and behold, it was close to midnight when we made our way back to the first floor, where my room awaited.
“Thank you for today,” Kalon said, throwing me a sideways glance. “It was fun. Unexpected, but fun.”
“What exactly was unexpected?” I asked, smiling.
“The whole thing. I don’t know why, I just didn’t see you as the fighting type,” he replied, genuinely amused. The coldness had gone from his blue eyes, and, for a split second, I felt as though the sky had been captured in those irises, and not the frost I’d seen before. “Don’t get me wrong, it was a pleasant surprise. You and Valaine have more in common than you think.”
“How so?”
Golden guards rushed past us. They seemed upset, nervously looking around, as if searching for someone. I glanced over my shoulder, watching as they split into two groups, going left and right down other corridors.
“I can see you doing well for yourself in the Blood Arena,” Kalon said, his brow slightly furrowed as he, too, noticed the guards’ anxiousness. “I also think we’ve managed to improve your technique a little bit, bringing some of those styles you’ve picked up closer together.”
“Thank you for that,” I replied. “I do feel like I’ve got a better grip on the twin swords. Oh, and you’ve definitely helped improve my spear game. Seriously, thank you.”
Footsteps echoed through the hallways