The Root of Magic

Chapter 20

How stupid can I be?

Destan kept his mouth shut and his face in a frown as Aruna came up to him and Keara.

I almost told her about Julia. Thank the atraments Aruna interrupted us before I could. Sighing at his own stupidity, he carefully avoided Keara's gaze. Not now. He could scold himself another time. Right now he had to focus on Aruna.

"We have a new mission for you."

Keara's head snapped to her trainer. "An assignment? Now?"

"Indeed," said Aruna. "We need you to go into Grimsby and bring back the boy who started all this."

"What?!" Destan blurted out. He felt red creep up his neck as he added, "The Chief is in that meeting right now, isn't he? Why would we capture the Inops while they're negotiating peace?"

The two women stared at him, Aruna with thinking lines deep on her forehead, while Keara's eyes radiated confusion.

"He's right," said Keara. "That makes no sense at all. We'd be risking everything the Chief is working for right now."

"I'm glad you two are so perceptive," said Aruna, not sounding happy at all. "But I'm afraid my hands are tied. And so are yours. This is an order from the top – or what constitutes for the top now that Remus is away."

"What does that mean?" said Destan.

Aruna gave him a penetrating stare, before answering. "The top, when the Chief is away, is his advisor. This order came from your uncle, Destan. And he specifically chose you and your team to complete it."

It felt as if his heart skipped a beat. Trying desperately to keep his face straight, Destan forgot how to breathe. His lungs would not listen, not until Aruna averted her gaze.

"You will go and find the boy named Nero and you will bring him back here. Keara, go and get Elias, please. He doesn't know about this task yet."

"Uhm, a-actually, Destan, could you do that for me?" Keara turned to him with a blush on her face, stumbling over her words.

Destan was about to agree – he knew exactly why she was asking him this, after all – but Aruna interrupted once again.

"Keara. Go and get Elias. I need a word with Destan before you leave for your mission."

She didn't dare go against such an outright order from her the tribe's trainer. With obvious reluctance, she cast one more pleading glance at Destan, as if there was anything he could do, then made her way through the trees towards camp.

Destan glanced up at the older woman, fidgeting with the sleeves of his shirt. Aruna was an intelligent woman. Could he have let something slip by accident, without even noticing?

Aruna wasn't looking at him, though. Instead, she paced around with her eyes on the ground, worry-lines deeper than ever before. "I'd like to ask you something," she said after a while.

Destan's mouth went dry. Please don't. "Okay, what is it?"

"I need to ask you if there's anything you'd like to tell me." She finally stopped pacing, but Destan wished she hadn't. He couldn't bear those piercing eyes looking right through him, as if they could see any secret he'd ever had. He couldn't bear lying to his trainer, straight to her face.

"I can tell something's wrong," she elaborated. "You've been acting strangely lately. The sudden outbursts, the wound on your arm. You're hiding something. I'd like to know what it is."

Destan hesitated. He knew he'd have to answer quickly, or it would only look suspicious. Would he tell her about Nero, and how this whole war had started? Could he tell her about Julia?