A Blaze in the Dark (A New Dawn #1)

Chapter 46 - Nick

Brother, Since you've been gone, threats are rising in all corners of the kingdom. Yet there is no war. I wish there was. War I could handle. These elaborate mind-games steal my soul, freeze my heart, and cloud my judgement. I'm trapped between the scorching halls of the Seven Halls. Each night I burn harder.

Nick froze. One second, Vic's hot breath was breathing down on him, the sharp blade of the knife coming dangerously close to him. Then a flash came. A single blink later, Jasper held Vic by the arm, dragging him out of the tent. As the Serjeant's weight pounded against the brown fabric, the flap flew wide open and Vic's knife was knocked out his hands. It skidded across the ground cloth.

From outside came the unmistakable sound of fists landing against flesh. "Have you completely lost your mind, you utter buffoon? He's still Nicky—our Nicky!"

"I trusted him, Jas." Vic bawled like a lamb. "I thought he was my friend, but he's like all the others. He thinks he stands above the law and doesn't have to suffer. It's not fair. It's just not fair."

Nick coughed, touching his throat as if to check that he really hadn't been hurt. Three pairs of eyes stared right at him. Eric held his hand around Dan's wrist, as if to stop the slightly younger soldier from intervening. Sam crouched and laid his hand on his shoulder, patting it. "Are you alright?"

He didn't dare answer as the battle continued. The God of Wrath was holding Vic into a stranglehold. He kicked Jasper in the groin, after which the latter uttered a blasting roar and smacked the Cadet to the ground. "Seven Hells, Vic! Calm yourself!"

Vic slammed his boot into Jasper's back. "You don't understand! One day he'll rule over all of us, and he won't give a damn. He'll just let us die if that means he can survive."

"The officers have messed with your mind, man!" Jasper planted his arm on Vic's legs, keeping the Cadet entirely immobilised.

It wasn't working. Vic fought as though his life depended on it, attempting to beat Jasper in the chest. Shame settled in Nick's gut. It wasn't even his fight, but their patrol leader had intervened as a loyal friend would have.

"I'm sorry," Nick said to Sam. "I never asked for any of this. You have to believe me—it was just as much a surprise for me that Vic got picked instead of me. I—"

"Stop, I don't care," Sam whispered. "I've already known for moons that you lived at the castle."

"But how? I thought only Bart knew?"

Well... I was on guard duty together with Bart when a boy in tattered clothes collapsed not even a quarter of a mile from the city gate. There was a white horse with him—that's how we noticed. On his back laid the body of a young girl with the most frightening burn wounds I've seen in my life." Sam winced.

"Abby."

"Yeah, later I found out that boy was Lord Sebastian. When you joined our patrol shortly after, Bart confided in me that you were her brother."

"Jas is right—you are still our Nicky. Who cares where you sleep?" Eric shrugged. Then as Jasper raised his fist and knocked Vic in the head, the soldier cowered away. "That can't be good."

"No, but look!" yelled Dan.

From up the hill came half of a dozen Lieutenants, their feet thundering on the ground. Two of them roughly plucked Jasper from Vic, with three others taking care of a now squealing Vic. As the Cadet rolled over, screaming that they were all murderers, Lieutenant Stephen grabbed a set of iron handcuffs and arrested Jasper too. "You know the rules—no fighting."