The Killing Grounds Page 22

  An hour later the servants arrived with her locker and Alara was glad to see that the spell was still intact, she waited for them to leave and then unpacked the rest of her things and made the room as bearable as possible.

  The thought of having to babysit the Junior Council members on the eve of the most important day of her life annoyed her, but anything was better than sitting around in her room. She showered and dressed in her used fatigues, she didn’t care about showing a few creases to the highborns and she was keeping the fresh set for the finals in the morning.

  The claxon sounded in the hall and Alara made her way to the foyer of the great hall. The wards in the corridor were still in place, but she could feel them fall away as she descended the stairway, there were three floors remaining when Alara stopped. There was an opportunity here that she didn’t want to miss out on, if the rest of the class were on this side of the Killing Grounds they would have to use the same stairway and she would be able to see who was close. She may not be able to tell exactly what floor they were on, but the intel was worth having. She bent down to tie her boots laces and waited. Three boys below A-status all from upper floors passed her in a hurry, and she heard one enter the stairway below her. That one could have been an A, she’d looked over the balcony, but the assassin had been quick to move on. She waited for thirty seconds and climbed down the remaining stairs to the foyer that was starting to fill with Guild members and guests. She caught sight of Black and Lucinda, but they were in full conversation with their guests. Alara scanned the room with her mind, but there were so many Artists present and they were all trying to scan and shield at the same time that she found the effort exhausting and gave up the search and threw up her own shield.

  “Good evening Miss Du Preeze.”

  Alara spun around and came face to face with Bastian. She hadn’t spotted him in the crowd and he’d managed to creep up on her. Damn the boy is sneaky! “Good evening Lord Millhaven.”

  “I was so glad when I was told you were to be my escort tonight.”

  “It is my honour to host the Junior Council, Lord Millhaven,” she said wanting to get the formalities over and done with.

  “I am afraid it is only me Miss Du Preeze, the others seem to have an aversion to the Killing Grounds,” he smiled at her and she felt like a rat in a trap.

  “I was looking forward to meeting the rest of the Council, but nevertheless I always enjoy your company.” If she were to be stuck with the boy she would at least try to keep up with the political correctness.

  “Maybe you can visit the Junior Council once the finals are over?”

  “I intend on doing that very thing,” she said, trying to keep the veil of her threat as loose as possible.

  “Of course, to collect on your payment,” he said a little too loudly.

  A few heads turned at his comment, but no one that Alara recognised. She interlaced her arm in his and led him to a wall where a giant mural of the city hung on brass rings. “Maybe it would be a good idea if we kept that between the two of us Lord Millhaven?” she said, pretending to show him the picture.

  “No need to worry Miss Du Preeze, no one that matters is close enough to listen in and I dare say the Artists in the room are too busy trying to peak in each other’s heads to take any notice,” he said pointing at Millhaven House. “The mansion looks so small. Let’s drop the formalities Alara, may I call you Alara?”

  “You already did Lord Millhaven,” she was annoyed at his frivolity.

  “Good for you Alara, not many people outside of Millhaven House have the balls to stand up to me, and I find it refreshing. Are you ready for the exam tomorrow?” he looked her up and down.

  She neglected to answer the question, “So why did you ask for me specifically?”

  “Directness as well, you would make a good politician, dear girl.”

  She hated his condescending tone, but let it slip, “I have no interest in politics.”

  “That seems a shame, but to answer your question, I thought that our last date went so well that I wanted the chance to get to know you on your home ground, per se,” he smiled at her again, but this time Alara thought she saw some realism. “Maybe after the finals we can meet somewhere more informal?”

  “Perhaps,” she said, “after all we will have the matter of Lord Osari’s whereabouts to discuss.”

  “Indeed we will.”

  “Did you leave out anything out of the dragon story Bastian?” she asked with as much sincerity as she could muster.

  “Ah, so my baby sister added her opinion to the tale did she? It’s just a story Alara, nothing more than that.”

  Alara wasn’t so sure, there were too many similarities for her to ignore. “Yes, but all stories have an underlying meaning.”

  “Indeed they do, and when we meet for your payment you can share your understanding if you like, but tonight we are here to celebrate your impending successes. Tell me,” he said nudging closer, “have you found a way to make good on your end of our bargain?”

  “The less you know the better Lord Millhaven, but rest assured I will be taking you up on the offer of another date.”

  “Splendid, I know this little coffee shop in the city that sells the most delicious pastries, they also have these cosy little booths where two youngsters, like us, can get to know each other better,” her stomach turned at the thought, but when she looked at him he was laughing. “I’m just kidding Alara, take no notice.”

  A gong sounded for dinner and Alara led Bastian to a large board that sat on an easel at the entrance to the great hall where the seating arrangements had been posted. Bastian was delighted to see that they were seated at the main table with the Senior Guild members and the rest of the A’s. Alara kept a straight face, but was inwardly dismayed; she was hoping to be placed on a table at the back of the hall away from the hustle and bustle of the main area. She quickly ran her eye over the other names on the list; along with the expected guests Lord Basel’s name had been added.

  “So it seems our friend is sitting in Lord Osari’s chair already, that should make things interesting,” Bastian said under his breath.

  “It makes no difference,” she said straight-faced.

  “Au contraire, an opportunity to get to know one's enemies should not be sniffed at.”

  “Lord Basel is no enemy of mine Lord Millhaven; he is a business proposition and nothing more.”

  “I love the way you assassins view life and death. Assassins and politicians are cut from the same cloth,” he said thoughtfully.

  “I seriously doubt the truth of that,” she led him into the main hall.

  “Really, and why do you say that Miss Du Preeze?” His tone was formal again.

  “The Guild offers services to the community for payment, the retirements are rarely, if ever, personal. Before the Guild was established alongside the resurrection policies the prison system was in chaos and the taxpayers suffered the burden of the cost. The Guild operates under the guidance of the Senior Council and doesn’t involve itself in the day to day running of the city,” she stated.

  “Alara excuse me for saying this, but you are being a little naïve. It is true that the official propaganda states exactly what you have just so eloquently said, but in real life that is as far from the truth as it could possibly be. Your Guild Council has more sway in political circles than any other Guild; you only have to look around this room to know that is true. Politics relies on money,” he pointed to his father and Lord Black who were in deep conversation with the Guild Lords, “your Guild is the richest in the city, far exceeding its closest rival and with wealth comes greed, and greed leads to corruption.”

  “Are you suggesting that the Guild is corrupt in its dealings Lord Millhaven?” she asked angrily.

  “Not all of them Alara, but the bounties on your head were not all from outside of your Guild. Even the Junior Council have eyes and ears inside of this Guild and its practices are questioned daily, hence the absence of the rest of my Counc
il’s members.”

  She’d thought that they were just frightened to come to the Killing Grounds, but if Bastian was correct their motives couldn’t be denied. “If that is true then the Junior Council is as corrupt as the Senior Council.”

  “Ah and in that statement lies the rub, unlike the Senior Council we have no direct say on policy and our hands are tied on matters of change. Therefore our mandate is the betterment of the city and not the wealth in our bank accounts. The Senior Council sees us as a threat to their way of living and turns us around every time we try to rectify the wrongs.” He was being evasive and Alara could see it. “It would be wrong of me to share details Miss Du Preeze, as I am sure you understand.”

  She nodded; he certainly made some valid points.

  They were nearing their table when Bastian led her to the bar instead. “We believe that should you be successful we could offer some sort of protection for you.”

  “I need no protection Lord Millhaven. Once Lord Osari is returned their focus will be away from me and I can continue with my studies with the reassurance of being a Guild member in full standing.”

  “That will never happen Alara, as soon as you retire Lord Basel you will have gone against your Guild and they will hound you until you are retired or killed off by some other method,” he was now deadly serious. “But, the Junior Council will be in a position to put you on retainer thereby assuring the Guild of a steady income. This may negate the fact that you retired one of their Affiliates.”

  That was the first time Bastian had used the word Affiliates, she didn’t want to trust the boy but she had no choice. “This is the second time you have propositioned me Lord Millhaven and much like the dragon story, I feel that you are leaving parts of the tale untold. Nevertheless I accept your version for the time being and will consider your offer.”

  “That is all I ask for Miss Du Preeze,” he said smiling at her. “Now, dinner looks scrumptious,” he took her by the arm this time, “shall we?”

  Alara was quiet during dinner while Bastian was the centre of attention with his anecdotes and tales; his father visibly revelled in his son's acumen into the politics of the city as the rest of the table listened. Unlike the conversation they had earlier, Bastian told them exactly what they wanted to hear and rubbed the egos of his elders at every given opportunity. Lord Basel was the only one that wasn’t one hundred percent vested in Bastian's banter and no matter what the boy did to invite him into the conversation the assassin passed. Alara could feel his eyes drilling holes into her for the entire meal and couldn’t wait for the evening to end.

  As the servants cleared away the final course the Quartermaster called the room to order and gave a speech to the room about how proud he was of his class. He also thanked the dignitaries for their involvement in the night’s revelries. Each of the ten apprentices was introduced to the room and thanked for their contributions during the three years of schooling. Alara was singled out for her outstanding achievements, but she was almost knocked sideways by the amount of mind scans that hit her when she stood. Her shield held true, but the effort was excruciatingly painful and she was glad to say thank you and sit back down. The Quartermaster asked the room to raise a glass and toasted the apprentices before thanking everyone for coming and closed off the night.

  “That was fun!” Bastian said as Alara escorted him out of the main hall.

  “If you say so,” her head was aching as the clock in the foyer chimed midnight. “It’s been a lovely night,” she lied, “but I really must get some rest Lord Millhaven.”

  Bastian took both of her hands and stared into her eyes, “All we ask is that you serve your Guild with distinction tomorrow Alara,” he leant into her. Alara panicked inside, but he tilted his head and kissed her on her cheek. “I look forward to our next meeting,” he kissed her on the other cheek and stepped away.

  She blushed and took a step back, “Thank you Lord Millhaven. I think.” She turned and walked away, but not before catching a smile from Lucinda and Black who were busy chatting to each other across the room. She ignored them and raced back to her room, she had planning to do, and if they wanted to stand around and chat, more fool them.

  Alara fell onto the bed with her head on her pillow, talking with Bastian always tired her out and she needed to rest if she was going to be on the top of her game in the morning. Her mind was swimming, would it be such a bad thing to be retained by the Junior Council if, and it was a big if, what Bastian said was true? And she would have room to manoeuvre without a mass of assassins on her tail. On the other hand she would be dragged kicking and screaming into the politics of the city and she didn’t like the idea of having to do the Junior Council's bidding. There was no choice, she had to free Lord Osari, and if this was the only way it was going to happen she would do it and figure out how to deal with the bureaucrats later.

  She turned her mind to the finals and mentally examined each of the top ten apprentices' strengths and weaknesses, it would be easier to hunt and retire the bottom five candidates. She had regularly beaten each of them in the final weeks and she knew she had the upper hand on each one, but it was the others that caused the problem. Gideon was a threat; he wasn’t scared to take any of them on, with the possible exception of Black. Alara wondered if the two boys would intentionally search each other out and sort out their differences for good. She would love to be a fly on that wall and watch the action take place, and if Gideon won he would be in a pretty poor state and she could finish him for Black. She dismissed the thought as weakness, if there was an opportunity for her to match with Gideon she would do so on her own terms and not just clean up the mess left by someone else. She searched for quiet within the peace of Lord Osari’s death stone and sat turning it over and over in her hands. The crystals were dim and she feared for his life. “What should I do?” she asked out loud, but the stone remained dormant. “Do I go after the bottom five?” she asked using a more direct question. The stone pulsed three times. That was new, “Does three mean you don’t know?” The stone pulsed twice for no. “Does it mean maybe?” Again two pulses. She thought long and hard and then asked, “Does it mean I have other options?” One pulse! “What other options?” she said aloud without thinking. Not surprisingly the stone lay dormant. Alara chastised herself for asking such a stupid question and closed her eyes to focus on the future. “I don’t need to retire any of them do I?” The stone pulsed twice. “But that’s not the best option is it?” The stone was inactive. “So that’s for me to decide?” she asked. The stone pulsed once. “It’s all part of the test.” The stone pulsed once again. “And you won’t help me with that?” Two pulses. “So be it.” Alara returned the stone to her locker and switched off the lights to sleep, but as much as she tried, sleep evaded her.

  Twenty-Two:

  Alara tossed and turned all night as the thought of the upcoming finals played heavily on her mind. As the first golden rays of morning light filtered into her room through the ugly curtains she jumped into the small shower and blasted as much hot water over her body as her skin could withstand. She needed to be loose and ready for any eventuality. Her blades were already sharp from the last time she’d used the leather strap, but she went through the motions and made sure that each one had an edge that could cut free-falling hair. She looked at her fatigues and smiled, everything that had happened in the Killing Grounds led up to this moment and outside of the door to her room her future awaited, whether that was death or glory. She thought of the others and the realisation that they probably were as tired as her lifted her spirits even more. A year ago she was just a learner in the Guild of Arbitration and now she stood on the threshold to becoming something much more.

  She’d spent an age debating what her plan of attack should be, but she knew deep down inside that she only really had one option, find the closest five apprentices and retire them one by one. If she was quick enough Black and Lucinda would be safe without ever being in trouble, but the more she thought about it, the more
she realised that even though the plan had merit it probably wasn’t realistic. Gideon was out there and he wouldn’t be holding back, and neither would Black. Damn it Alex, just stay safe and look after Lucinda. She knew Lucinda was a skilled and feared competitor, but if she came across Gideon she would be heading to the mines. There was no doubt in her mind that both her friends would be as far away from her as possible, the Affiliation would make sure of that! Having friends limited her target from nine to seven, but seven was enough and she steeled her resolve to go and hunt down as many apprentices as the time allowed.

  The claxon sounded three times and Alara’s hand went immediately to her blade belt as someone knocked on her door. She dropped to the floor and rolled across the carpet until her back was against the wall, No way could one of them could be that quick, and they damn well wouldn’t knock on the door girl, get a grip! She stood up, but still refused to leave the relative safety of the wall and slowly made her way to the door. She scanned the corridor, but only came up against a strong ward that hid whoever was present. She tried the peephole in the centre of the door, but it had been painted over and she slapped herself silently on the side of the head for being so lax as to not check it out the previous night. Well whoever you are you’d better be ready! 3,2,1... She burst through the door and threw herself at the man that stood on the other side of the door, knocking him sideways and onto his back. Alara was on him in a flash and pinned his hands behind his body. She growled into the man's ear, “Move and you're dead!” But he didn’t fight back.

  “You can release me anytime you’re ready Du Preeze,” Lord Basel said.

  Her blood was boiling and it took her a few seconds to realise who it was. She let go of his hands and helped him up. Unless five apprentices were already retired she was safe from the bounty on her being active. “I apologise Lord Basel.”