Abaddon's Call

Chapter Twenty-Two

The bickering started as soon as Graydon and Naena left their room Monday morning. He had watched her walk away without locking the door, so he went back and actually locked it. Forgetting something basic like locking a door could get them both killed. Naena insisted she had locked the door.

She had even gotten upset with him and stormed off before breakfast.

Agitation ate away at Graydon.

He might have reported himself for being neurotic if not for the agitation that appeared to be coming off the servants, who wouldn't meet his eyes. When the servants were agitated, Graydon took his issues to Trathor, so he headed that way and walked past the dean's room, spotting the issue immediately.

Graydon knew it when he walked past the office and saw the new war mage still sitting there.

Trathor was missing.

His father wasn't concerned about the war mage. Having requested the official report, Graydon was awaiting it, but he doubted the war mage would be an issue.

Trild would have his own jobs to do. Kaulu's sole focus wouldn't be Naena. They had land to protect, and more important things to focus on than infighting.

Graydon took his concern over Trathor's disappearance to Nendan because he wasn't to take that sort of thing on. Lord Lugh commanded him to go about his day as normal but to be aware of Naena's presence.

He was to guard her in case Trathor was just the start or in case Trathor was preparing for an attack.

Or Jasor.

The fact that she had just that morning forgotten to lock the damned door didn't put Graydon's concerns at ease.

He drifted through his studies, and when lunch came about, they ate. Naena complained about having to pay for supplies because she was a shield, so her way was no longer free. He grunted in response but offered nothing more.

"Oh, by Mason, we are an old married couple," she said.

As what she said trickled into his consciousness, Graydon sat back and set his fork down. Shield and wife, when either said something that implied he hadn't been listening, he had to fix it before he ended up sleeping in the bathtub.

Doing that to his shield could end in his death or injury at her hands because she was too angry to respond properly.

It didn't help Graydon's mood to know that Naena had a valid reason for being upset. Keeping shields from receiving supplies presented to everyone would reclassify them as not-students. It might open the way to label others as not-students, resulting in bastards or wildlings being refused entrance.

"No, I am distracted," Graydon responded. "Trathor has gone missing, but my job is to stick to you. We can't go to the registrar at the moment because it's near the dean's office, which is currently in active investigation. It will be sorted, just not right now."

Naena glanced around the quiet dining hall.

Nothing suspicious was happening in the hall, no rushing about or nervousness aside from the servants. They were nervous, but they would glance at Graydon occasionally and appear to force themselves to relax and go back to work.

"What can we do?" Naena asked.

"Head back to the room for a nap," he said. "That's what I want."

"Go to bed earlier, then," she said. "I need to confirm a source for my second paper."

"If I didn't know the twisted joy you take from this all, I'd say you were working too hard," Graydon muttered. "I guess I could look over some things while we're there."