The Killing Grounds Read online

  Is there anyone else in the barracks I can trust? Two pulses. Is there anyone else in the Killing Grounds I can trust? One pulse. There were well over seven hundred people that either lived in the Killing Grounds or worked within its walls. How on Earth was she going to find them? She didn’t bother to ask the question to the stone as she already knew the answer; it was going to be up to her to figure that out. She wanted to drop her shield and make mental contact with Black, but there were five other minds out there searching for a way into hers. She would have to wait until later that night when the apprentices were sleeping to make her move. Opening her shirt she placed the stone next to hers and shrunk the shield so that it only covered the two stones. The effort to keep a small shield active was a lot less than keeping a larger one intact. As long as I keep it close to my heart I’ll always have a reminder. From that moment on their was only two things on her mind, make A-grade and no matter what else happens, find Lord Osari!

  ***

  The sleep that Alara had managed to get during the day was sufficient enough to allow her to study her textbooks into the small hours of the morning. Only the snores and farts of the sleeping apprentices broke the silence. The nearest cot to Alara’s was Lucinda’s and Alara was amazed at how loudly one small girl could grind her teeth. At one point Alara had almost put a mental gag in her mouth to stop the girl, but it would have woken her and alerted her to a mental attack, instead Alara chose to plug her own ears. She let her mind wander around the room, gently nudging each body and checking to see if they were asleep or playing possum. Once she was sure that she was the only one awake, she sent a mental call to Black’s mind, Wake up! I need to show you something.

  Who says I was asleep? She sent him a mental smile in the way of an apology. What do you want Du Preeze? She dropped the small shield around the stones and allowed him to scan her. That’s Lord Osari’s death stone! Where did you get that from? And put that shield back in place before the others find out.

  She quickly put the shield back around the stone to keep it safe from prying minds. He left it for me in his rooms. It’s still alive Black!

  Damn you! Why are you telling me?

  She hadn’t expected this response as all. The stone told me that you can help me find him.

  Stones don’t talk Du Preeze, leave me alone!

  She felt his shield being thrown up around him and didn’t bother to try and break through it, maybe he just needed time to process her news or maybe he just didn’t give a damn. She would be interviewed before him in the morning and she would have to share the knowledge of the stone with the Council. By the time they came to question him, the news of Lord Osari being alive would be public knowledge and Black’s awareness of the stone wouldn’t be an issue. She wondered if she had made the right choice in speaking to Black, but she felt the stone pulse once against her chest.

  Sleep came in fits and starts after the mental exchange with Black and she had tossed and turned for what seemed like hours. Questions spun around in her mind as if on the winds of some giant tornado that she couldn’t see the edges of, and she was relieved when two chefs entered the dorm with a canteen of boiling coffee and a trolley full of mugs. She climbed out of her cot and thanked the two young boys for their time and efforts. The coffee was strong and delicious, and underneath the trolley she found bowls of porridge to which she added cold milk and scoffed down the lot before the next boy even climbed out of his cot and made his way over for breakfast.

  Not wanting to engage the boy she went back to her bunk and checked on the stone, it was still glowing pale blue. Alara retrieved the Kipling book and replaced the stone into the void in the pages and placed it carefully back into her locker. She cast the most powerful protection spell she could manage on the case and patted the lid. Be safe! She spent the next hour exercising near her cot, she was still weaker than Lucinda and if she were to beat the girl in the gym she would need to become fitter and more supple. Gideon and Black were up and busy at the target area practicing their throws. Unlike most other days their mood was sombre and neither made an attempt to wager against the other. One boy had tried to lay a bet, but one look from Gideon and he’d retreated back to his cot in silence. Lucinda sat on her bunk with her legs crossed and her eyes closed deep in meditation, she’d become reclusive now that her girlfriends had been retired and she reminded Alara of a caged animal dying to escape her bonds.

  The claxon sounded in the hallway and two middle aged assassins entered the dorm and escorted Twenty-five out of the room. Alara was pleased to see that he held his head high and showed no signs of the inner turmoil that must be going through his mind. She thought about reaching out to the boy and offering some mental support but it was becoming evident to her that the male assassins always acted in pairs, and that one of them would be an Artist. This may be the ideal time to work out who the other Artists in the group were. She reached out with her mind and sensed that the other six were still somewhere in the room. One down twenty-two to go!

  It was a full hour before the first boy returned to the dorm, the two assassin guards dragged him back and dropped him onto his cot unconscious. Alara could feel the tension in the air as the guards escorted the next boy out of the room. Most of the others sat around the dorm talking in small groups and only Gideon, Black and Lucinda sat alone in deep thought. She sent out another mental enquiry and checked that the six were still present, and she wasn’t surprised that there was no change. Concerned for the rest of the class she wondered if she should own up to having the stone now and save them from this ordeal, but there was no guarantee that giving up the stone would make any difference at all. If Lord Osari wanted his death stone to be in the hands of the Guild Council he would have left it for them to find. She would have to do everything in her power to keep the knowledge of the stone a secret, but quickly realised that it was too late, she had already shared the secret with Black. She had made a few rash decisions in the past that had made matters worse and she hoped that sharing the secret wasn’t another one. It was only moments later when the second boy was brought back. She had expected to see him being carried in and thrown down unceremoniously into his cot, but instead he walked back in holding a thick meat sandwich. What the hell?

  “They never even asked me a question,” the boy said. The rest of the room ignored him.

  They’re trying to divide the room and sow derision into our ranks. This thought entered Alara’s mind but it wasn’t her voice, she looked to Black who was tossing his knife into the air; he wasn’t looking at her, obviously not wanting to draw attention to himself. This is a façade, be careful Du Preeze.

  She thought for a moment before responding. They know something’s not right don’t they?

  So it seems. Do you intend sharing the information of the death stone?

  I don’t know. Lord Osari left it for me to find, but if I tell them about it they will see he is still alive and start to look for him.

  Have you considered that they must already know about his state of being?

  She knew he was right; they had access to the other half of the stone and would have checked to make sure he was retired before making the announcement. Something wasn’t right here. Oh my God! They don’t know do they?

  So it seems. I suggest you rethink your plan.

  She attempted to reply, but Black had thrown up his mental shield to block her out. The third boy was brought back and was in the same state as the first, he had been beaten and blood flowed freely from his mouth and nose. He groaned as the two guards dropped him onto his cot. Alara watched carefully as the morning wore on, with boys coming back in various states. It was getting close to her turn and the butterflies in her stomach were out in full force. Seventeen was taken away by the guards and Alara sat on her bed trying to ready herself for whatever was to come. The six Artists were still in the room somewhere, she tried to contact Black again to see if he had any ideas, but he hadn’t dropped his shield to allow her in.

  The guards ha
d returned with the boy in tow untouched and ordered him back to his bunk. Alara stood and made her way to the guard, but they waved her away. Alara stood stunned for a moment and then moved back to her bunk, Black gave her a look that said “Just do as they say.”

  “Fifteen,” the guard announced. Lucinda fired a look of hatred at Alara and stepped gingerly between the guards. She tried to hang back and drag her feet, but the guards were having none of it and pushed her out of the door.

  Alara let her mind run free to check on the numbers and only found traces of five Artists. She wasn’t surprised at Lucinda having powers, she had guessed that the girl was one of the six, but now she had proof.

  I‘m guessing your secret is common knowledge to the Council, Black messaged.

  Alara was feeling really uptight at what was happening and she bit back at Black. So you can invade my mind when you feel like it and block me off when you don’t want to talk?

  You have the same options.

  She took a deep breath. Of course and I’m sorry for shouting.

  As you are undoubtedly aware we aren’t the only ones with this talent, and if my assumptions are correct Lucinda may be acting as a plant for the Council.

  Alara was surprised by the comment, why would the Council need a plant in the barracks?

  Black noticed the look of bemusement and continued. Not all of the Council members are in agreement of how the Guild is run, and Lord Osari was one of them.

  Is one of them, she corrected him.

  Indeed, without his presence the Council has the opportunity to elect a new member, one that sees things their way. The last thing they want is proof that he still exists. If they know of the stone’s whereabouts they may well make a play for it and that will not bode well for you. If they question me about it they will show their hand, so I believe I am safe for the time being.

  Is that why they left me out? she asked.

  No, I believe that as Lord Osari’s apprentice you are out of their reach for the time being. There are still members of the Council that are allied to Lord Osari and if you shared your information with those members the others would lose face. A full inquiry into the matter would be called for and some of them would be in jeopardy.

  Who are they?

  Well that’s the problem; no one really knows who is connected to which camp.

  Why are you sharing this with me Black? she asked.

  There was a minute's silence, but she needed him to answer and waited patiently for a response, It’s The White Man’s Burden, he replied, those that seek change are mainly Artists and they feel that the sharing of knowledge is paramount to taking the Guild forwards. Lord Osari openly condemns the use of the Arts and he is always vocal in protecting the ways of the old, but he understands that there is a need for change.

  Lucinda was brought back in and dumped onto her cot. She had a large gash on her forehead and her fatigues showed signs of being manhandled.

  Ignore her, Black said, she chose this course of action and it would be obvious that she was on their side if she returned unharmed.

  Alara considered his answer, she needed to make a decision on whether to trust Black or not. The stone hadn’t indicated to her either way, but she needed an ally, someone who she could use as a sounding board, and someone who could watch her back. After today there would be a huge target on her, if the Council saw her as a threat she would be public enemy number one. She was safe within the walls of the barracks, as assassin law clearly stated that no senior assassin be allowed to retire an apprentice, but that led to two problems. Firstly there were still twenty-four other apprentices that could retire her, and secondly if she were to find Lord Osari, chances were that he wasn’t in the Killing Grounds. To find him she would need to leave the building where she was fair game for any assassin’s blade or bounty hunter's bullet. I suggest a truce, until Lord Osari is found and back in his seat on the Council, we work as a team.

  What’s in it for me? he asked.

  A chance to beat your brother, she replied, either he’s on your side in this matter and my offer means nothing or he’s against change and thus a hurdle to overcome.

  Deal! he said and disappeared back behind his shield.

  Alara didn’t bother to try to talk with him any further; she had hit a nerve and gained an ally. She looked at Lucinda who was tossing and turning in her bunk in obvious pain. If they had been outside of the barracks she would have slid a blade between her ribs and put an end to her games, but she couldn’t. She did a mental sweep of the girl, taking advantage of her weakened state to probe her force field, it was in place and she knew instinctively that her injuries were part of the ruse. Alara took her time and examined the girl's spell. She could feel the power behind it; she mentally tasted the magic and let it seep into her mind. “I know you now,” she said quietly between gritted teeth.

  The rest of the class had been taken away and brought back in various states of health; some were unharmed and some near death. Only the A’s were left and she had identified three of the remaining six Artists. She had probed them on their return to the dorm and ascertained their mental capabilities to be less than hers.

  The two guards stood in the middle of the dorm, but failed to call out A5. Singh was standing to attention ready to be led away with a look of grim determination on his face when Lord Sirap marched into the dorm. “Class at ease,” he announced. He thanked the guards and dismissed them from the room. “The A’s are not required by the Council.” Singh sat back down on the cot; visible relief emanating from him. “Classes will resume first thing in the morning, the dorm will be in lockdown until then. Once these weaklings wake up,” Lord Sirap said pointing to the eight unconscious apprentices, “tell them to report to the infirmary immediately. A1 I’ll leave it up to you to escort them.”

  “Yes Lord Sirap,” Gideon replied.

  Black threw up a hand. “Something on your mind A2?” Lord Sirap asked.

  “Is the gym available for use Lord?”

  Lord Sirap thought for a moment and Alara watched with interest, “The gym will be made available for one hour.”

  She gave Black a quick look designed not to be noticed by anyone else in the room. He ignored her look and went back to tossing his blade into the air.

  “Get some rest class, you’re going to need it,” Lord Sirap said and marched out of the dorm.

  Wait for A1 to leave for the infirmary and meet me in the gym, Black messaged Alara.

  Twelve:

  Alara watched Black lie on his cot gently tossing and catching the blade, she didn’t try to mind speak with him as she knew the knife toss was part of his ritual when practicing his mental skills. She waited patiently for Gideon to leave for the infirmary with the wounded from the day, but it was taking a long time for the first boy to regain consciousness from the beatings and she was getting irritated. She reached out with her mind and checked on the state of Twenty-five, but he was still in a deep sleep state. She mentally nudged the boy trying to wake him up, but the boy's mind refused to become active. There was only one way to make the meeting with Black in time before the gym closed for the night. She delved deep into the boy's mind and searched for his pain. It came as a shock of white light and hit her with the force of a head-on car crash. She embraced the boy's pain, accepting it into her own body and grimaced as it tore at her, blood started to run from her nose, but she quickly wiped it away with the sleeve of her fatigues.

  The boy began to mumble and sat up, he was still in pain and held his head, but he was awake. Gideon crossed the room and helped the young apprentice to his feet. Black waited for Gideon to leave and then followed him out of the dorm and made his way to the gym. Alara followed closely behind and closed the gym door behind her hoping for privacy, but two other boys were already busy on the rope climb and ignored her as she began her warm up. She tried to mind speak with Black, but he warned her off. She wanted to tell him that she needed privacy, but the thunderous look on his face meant that he alre
ady knew. The boys were taking too long; she would have to make a move, but Black got there first. “Personal challenge,” he said to the two boys. They backed down to the floor and stood looking at him. “One hundred credits, five climbs,” he announced. The two boys looked at each other and shook their heads from side to side.

  “Accepted,” Alara said.

  The two boys looked first to Alara and then to Black. “Either of you two like to raise the wager?” Black asked. Both shook their heads in the negative. “Then get out,” he barked. The two boys looked at each other and then ran for the exit of the gym.

  Black looked toward Alara and closed his eyes. She felt him place a ward on the door of the gymnasium. “It won’t hold for long,” he motioned to the door. “I expect Gideon will notice our absence and head here as soon as he gets back to the dorm.”

  Alara nodded and crossed the gym so that she could speak without having to raise her voice. “I’m glad you came.”

  “We can’t use mind speak as much as I’d like, even those without powers will easily pick up on our conversations.”

  “How? They have no power!” she asked.

  “The Lords they work with will have set spells to allow them to listen. Each apprentice without powers has been sponsored by an Artist Lord, and those with powers choose to use them as they see fit. I don’t trust any of them,” he anticipated her question without the need for her to ask, “including you.”

  “Then why call me here?” she responded sharply.

  “Because I need you. My Lord fights for the change alongside Lord Osari, but I fear for his safety now that your sponsor has been eliminated.”

  “He’s not dead.”

  “I never said he was dead, but if he’s not found soon another will take his place on the Council and the balance of power will shift in the favour of the Affiliation.”