Kingdom of Scourge and Shadow (The Sightstone Series #1)

Chapter Twenty-Three: Judith

"They say that darkness is killing the world, that he has doomed us all. I don't know if this is true, but I know the world has never seen a mage quite like him."

-from the Codices of Saint Caroline the Heretic

***

To Judith's surprise, Commander Fray led her not to the infirmary or to General Stark's office, but deeper into the grounds. After a few minutes, Judith realized that they were heading to the Shade Garden. This late at night, the grounds were empty and silent, except for the wind that howled up off the sea, scouring the forests and moors and bathing everything in damp cold.

When they reached the Shade Garden, Commander Fray stopped. "Go on," she told Judith. "I'll see you for training tomorrow morning."

"Wait," Judith blurted, fear and exhaustion taking hold and making her voice tremble. "What? Where are you going?"

Commander Fray's expression softened. "Don't worry," she said, and Judith noted that she didn't actually answer her question. "Commander Zhao's waiting for you. He'll help you; I promise."

"How?" Judith asked weakly. "What's happening to me?"

"I'm not sure yet," Commander Fray said gently, reaching out and smoothing Judith's hair. "But I promise that I'll find out. For now, Commander Zhao is the best person to help you, so we can make sure that it doesn't happen again. Now, go on. He's waiting for you."

Judith nodded and pulled her robe more tightly around her shoulders as the chill crept in. Already, she regretted not putting herself through the pain of putting on her jacket. The burn on her stomach throbbed as she shivered, and she cast one last glance over her shoulder at Commander Fray as she slipped into the garden.

In the darkness, the older woman's beautiful, scarred face looked wan and weary. Her shoulders were slumped, and her dark hair seemed to have lost some of its sheen, yet, still, even this early–or late; Judith wasn't sure exactly what time it was–she still looked beautiful.

The garden, where usually birds sang and dragonflies swooped low across the grassy lawn, was strangely silent, and Judith shivered as she made her way down the gravel path. The wind howled through the branches of the ancient, gnarled trees, making their leaves rattle eerily.

As Commander Fray had promised, Commander Zhao waited in the pavilion. It was the first time that Judith had seen him since the second day of training, and it was almost a relief to see that he seemed exactly the same. He stood ramrod straight, his red robe fluttering in the wind, his black hair neatly combed.

He turned at Judith's approach and said, as coldly as ever, "So, I hear you've caused a fair bit of chaos tonight."

Judith almost let out a sob as emotions overwhelmed her, and she stopped dead in her tracks. She clenched her jaw, trying to keep from crying as fear and weariness and confusion overwhelmed her again. More than anything, she just wanted this awful night to be over.

"Come here," Commander Zhao instructed, his voice gentler than usual.

Dutifully, angrily swiping at her damp eyes with her sleeve, Judith obeyed. She joined him under the clematis vines that covered the pavilion's trellis roof, shivering in the cold, dark night. The wind seemed to pick up, cutting through her robe like a knife.

"Commander Fray said the dark got away from you," Commander Zhao said, almost reproachingly, and it set Judith a bit more at ease to hear him return more to his normal, critical self. "Sloppy."

"Thanks," Judith said flatly. "I don't even know what happened."

"Bullshit," Commander Zhao snapped. "You called the dark. I call that progress. Now, do it again."