Chapter 19

“No.”

The whisper of disbelief escaped my lips as I stared at my father, forced to kneel before Captain Hector. I wanted to run to him but Bradey blocked my path, coming up to me. “Ren, you were told to wait in the courtyard,” he grumbled as he anchored a hand on my shoulder. I felt his weight on me, stopping me from attempting to move one way or another. He turned to the smoldering rubble and waved his hand. The flames grew, lapping up the fallen supports before they quickly extinguished, leaving only nonflammable debris behind, which he easily stepped over as he dragged me along. “You’d do well not to let the captain see you here,” he grumbled. “This place is getting locked down. Come along.”

I didn’t have much choice as his hand had shifted from my shoulder to my arm, a vice-like grip squeezing my bicep and letting him lead me away. I wanted to protest but I didn’t like my chances arguing with him while he had that wider eyed look, so I just followed along and tried not to hold him back as we marched through the compound, ending at the dormitory hall.

The other recruits were already there, confused as they waited, mumbling to each other. Brontus and Andor stood around, monitoring the group and the hallways, and I doubted that the former’s angry looking disposition was helping to calm the situation at all. Andor slid over as Bradey pushed me to the group, but I still managed to overhear their conversation.

“We heard the alarm and came in. What happened?”

“Someone got in with the others,” Bradey whispered back. “He should be on his way to the basement by now but we need to secure the recruits in the meantime until this mess is sorted out.” He turned to the group of us. “Alright, nothing to worry about; just a little situation but we need you all to wait in your rooms for a while.”

“How long?” called some voice I couldn’t quite pick out.

“Until we say!” Brontus snapped. “Now move it!”

“Hold on!” Lucian stepped forward, puffing his chest in indignation at Bradey. “I thought we were going to get a lunch after this. I certainly haven’t gotten to eat ye—” The last word didn’t quite make it out as Lucian stopped. The boy clutched at his throat as his eyes opened wide in sheer panic.

“Any other objections?” Bradey asked. There was no response from the others as they nervously backed into their rooms, a wheezing Lucian straggling behind. “Waiting for a personal address, Ren?” Bradey asked as I stood there in a slight daze.

“Sorry, no, sir,” I quickly said as I followed behind. I closed the door behind me, cringing as it slammed.

Christopher looked up from his bed, a bit surprised. “Hey, didn’t know if I’d see you again. How did it go? Did you pass? Do you know what’s going on? …What’re you wearing?”

I looked down, confused by the last question, only to be reminded about my wardrobe transformation. “Yeah, yeah, it… worked out.” Barely. “I need to get out of here though. Someone started attacking the mages and I need to know that he’s alright.”

Christopher leapt to his seat. “Someone attacked the compound!? That’s practically— no, literally suicidal.”

“But they captured him alive.”

“Yeah, probably to get information out of him.”

I needed to get him out of here. “Hold on,” Christopher objected as I stepped to the door, grabbing the knob, “we’re in a lockdown.”

I didn’t particularly care and stepped out of the room.

“Ren?” Bradey looked at me with a puzzled face. “Was I unclear earlier?”

“Please, Lieutenant Bradey, I need…” What did I need? What could I do? I had no power here. “I need to speak to Captain Hector.”

“No.”

“What?” I stared in disbelief. “It’s vitally important!”

“Did you not hear me?” He raised his hand threateningly. I inched back but tried to stand my ground. “You do realize that we are currently sorting out an attack on here!?” His voice raised until the last word when he seemed to be self-aware enough to lower it, glancing over my head at the row of closed doors. “I highly doubt that anything of concern is more pertinent to the moment than—”

“It’s my father!” Stupid! I blurted it out before thinking, but it seemed to do the trick.

Bradey stopped. His brow furrowed as he seemed to be processing the new information. “Then that means… hmm. Alright,” he said with a nod. “I’ll see about getting the captain.”

I was a bit surprised that that worked but I wasn’t going to question it. He nodded to his left and I followed his line of sight, almost jumping when I realized that Amalay was behind me, leaning against the wall the whole time.

I stood around, anxiously waiting. Minutes passed slowly, and Amalay didn’t move from her spot, just watching me with crossed arms. Eventually, Bradey returned. “Come along,” he mumbled as he led me down the hallways back to Hector’s office.

Hector was standing in the centre of the room, pacing the length of it while reading from a stack of pages. As soon as we entered though he set them down on his desk. “You wanted to see me?” He asked.

“Captain Hector, please, don’t execute the prisoner.” I didn’t waste words, cutting straight to the point.

“Ren, I really didn’t expect this from you… Or did you want to do it yourself?” He raised an eyebrow inquisitively.

I felt my gut turn as the offer appeared completely genuine. “N-No… I don’t… wish to kill my father.” I was about to throw up, coughing and clearing my throat as a disguise while I choked down the bile that threatened to spill out.

“Ah, a shame that. Even if we don’t kill him, he will of course have to stand trial for attacking a military base. And there is a certainty in his sentencing there, which makes the whole delay redundant anyways.” Hector leaned forward, brow scrunched as he stared into my eyes. “Do you… care about him?”

“He’s my father, of course I care about him!” And you’re the one who killed my mother. Even if my bond with her was not as strong, it was still in the forefront of my mind. I wouldn’t let him make me an orphan. “Please, just… don’t hand him over yet.”

“Hmm…” He hemmed and hawed, pacing back and forth along the width of the room. “Fine, I will indulge you in this, nephew, if only because he didn’t actually do any permanent harm…”

I felt a weight lift off of my very soul.

“In fact, I’ll even let you speak to him.”