Resurgence - Fourth Wing

Chapter Twelve - Subterfuge

In the best interest of preserving peace within Navarre, no more than three cadets carrying rebellion relics may be assigned to any squad of any quadrant.

—Addendum 5.2, Basgiath War College Code of Conduct

In addition to last year's changes, marked ones assembling in groups of three or more will now be considered an act of seditious conspiracy and is hereby a capital offense.

—Addendum 5.3, Basgiath War College Code of Conduct

------------------------------------------------------------

The moon shone bright as I stealthily wandered through the waist high grass that grows alongside the river beneath the citadel. My cloak wasn't the best camouflage, but it would keep my moon-white hair hidden from anyone in search of those out past curfew.

The Iakobos River rushes with summer runoff from the peaks above, and the currents are fast and deadly this time of year, especially coming out of the steep drop of the ravine. No wonder that first-year died when he fell in yesterday during our downtime. Since Parapet, our squad is the only one in the quadrant not to lose anyone, but I know that's unlikely to last much longer in this ruthless school.

Tightening my heavy satchel over my shoulder, I move closer to the river, along the ancient line of oaks where I know one vine of fonilee berries will be coming into season soon. Ripe, the purple berries are tart and barely edible but, picked prematurely and left to dry, will make an excellent weapon in the growing arsenal that nine nights of sneaking out has given Violet. I assumed this was exactly the reason Violet brought the book of poisons with her. She insisted she do the foraging herself, but there was no way in hell I was letting her risk herself again. Especially if it was within my power to stop her.

Challenges start next week, and she needs every possible advantage.

Spotting the boulder I've used as a landmark for the past five years, I count the trees on the riverbank. "One, two, three," I whisper, spotting the exact oak I'll need. Its branches spread wide and high, some even daring to reach out over the river. The lowest is easily climbable, even more so with the grass oddly trampled underneath.

I hum a little tune Brennan and I used to sing in this exact spot and begin to climb by moonlight and memory. The memory pulls a smile to my lips, the simple melody filling my veins with warmth.

The fonilee vine looks deceptively like ivy as it winds up the trunk, but I've scaled this particular tree enough times to know this is the one. I moved expertly through the branches, used to carrying my cloak with me in situations like these. A cool breeze blows strands of white across my vision as my hands steadily reach for the next branch, my mind filled with memories of a girl like fire and a boy like water giggling over whispered secrets.

Bark scrapes my palms as I climb higher. The tips of the vine leaves are white at this height, barely visible in the mottled moonlight through the canopy, but I grin as I find exactly what I've been searching for.

"There you are." The purple berries are a gorgeous, unripe lavender. Perfect. Digging my fingernails into the branch above me, I manage to keep steady to retrieve an empty vial in my satchel and uncork it with my teeth. Then I pluck just enough berries off the vine to fill the glass and shove the stopper back in. Between these, the mushrooms I've already hunted tonight, and the other items I've collected, Violet should be able to make it through the next month of challenges.

I'm almost down the tree, only a handful of branches to go, when I spot movement beneath me and pause. Hopefully it's just a deer.

But it's not.