Sovereign - The Dark Sorcerers: Book 2

Chapter 9: The Remains of a Rebellion

Kenna

"Kenna, are you paying attention?" Elijah snapped his fingers in front of my face, startling me from my daydream. My mind always seemed to wander off these days. The conversation about my origins with Cain the other night had left a deep impression, causing me to question everyone and everything as I waited for more news on the legends of the Elves and their possible relation to me.

"What were you saying?" I asked, throwing Dominic a hateful glance when he snickered at my discomfort. I bit back a growl and focused on the map lying in front of me on the table. It showed Vallinstra; potential hideouts of the remaining rebels had been encircled with chalk, sprawled across the entire city. Elijah's finger pointed at one white circle in particular, a street in the Market District.

"Two soldiers under my command were on patrol in the Market District yesterday. In their reports, they write that they spotted a few individuals near the Gate whose appearance corresponds to that of the missing rebels," he explained, his voice calm despite the growing impatience in his eyes.

"Which rebels?"

"William Ainsworth and Sterling Wyatt." He placed his hands on the table and leaned forward, his eyes boring into mine. "Do you know them?"

"Vaguely."

"Do you think they would let you in if you knocked on their door?"

I scoffed, shaking my head in disbelief. "After I watched their friends' execution from the front row? No, I don't think they'll welcome me with open arms, Lieutenant." He flinched, like he always did when I confronted him with his title. It only added to my suspicions against him.

During the past few weeks, I had noticed that Lieutenant Elijah Aberdeen often disappeared late in the evening, along with several Sorcerers from the lower ranks in the army. I had asked Dominic whether he knew about a secret, underground society in Vallinstra, but he had shrugged and answered that if I wanted to know about Elijah's activities after dark, I should try to follow him. 

Disgruntled, I had acted on his advice, but the lieutenant was too clever not to notice my presence trailing him. He had walked into a bar, drunk a few mugs of beer with some locals and headed back to the Tower of the Honored afterwards. The whole affair had left me biting my nails until they bled. As long as I couldn't provide any direct evidence against Elijah, there was no point in taking the matter to Cain.

"Kenna?"

"What?" I snapped, irritation boiling like acid in my stomach while I met Elijah's gaze.

He raised a thick eyebrow, unimpressed. "Would you like to accompany Dominic and me as we go investigate the matter this afternoon?"

I sighed, forcing a bored expression onto my face. "Do I have a choice?"

"No." Elijah rolled up the map and gathered the sticks of chalk balancing dangerously near the edge of the table. He was about to walk out of the room when he halted in the doorway, spinning on his heel to look at me. "Do you think Jaeger could track them if we gave him a sample of the rebels' scents? I could ask one of my men to pick up clothing from Ainsworth's or Wyatt's house so that he can sniff it."

Winding a long strand of brown hair around my fingers, I nodded. "There's no harm in trying."

"Good. I'll meet you on Sapphire Square at noon. Make sure that Jaeger is there as well."

***

Little snorts escaped Jaeger's nose as the black Dragon bent his terrifying, leathery head to sniff at Sterling Wyatt's shirt. Even I could smell the vague, sour stench of sweat around the piece of clothing, yet Jaeger took his time to inspect it thoroughly, his snout travelling all over the shirt. After he'd covered every square inch of the white fabric, he lifted his mighty head and craned his neck as though he wanted to howl at the burning sun like a wolf howled at the crystal moon.