Page 21 of Shattered Empire (Shattered World)

“She mentioned that there were some big names who had a hand in my mother’s case file.” I thought back to the phone conversation I’d had with her. “She didn’t say who. Just that the detective on the case, Jonny Morelli, was as dirty as they come.”

“Why would they send you the files on an open case?”

“According to her, the case was closed.”

“Did they ever find out who did it?” Maksim eyed me through the rearview mirror.

“Well, no.”

Now that he pointed it out, I don’t remember anyone being arrested and charged with my mother’s murder. Nothing. If that was the true, how had they closed the case?

“Stop the car.”

Maksim growled as he slammed on the brakes. Vas grunted, his phone flying from his hands, his body jolting forward with the force of the stop.

“What the fuck?”

My eyes drifted out the window as we spoke, landing on the capacious grass courtyard that sprawled across one part of the compound. It was eleven in the morning, and it was already crawling with people.

Not just any people. Kids.

Teens, to be exact.

They were dressed in workout gear and paired off in groups of two or three.

“Why the hell aren’t they in class?” I snapped, throwing the door of the car open and stepping out.

“Ava…” Vas called, but I slammed the door on him before he could finish his sentence. “Wait.”

Fucker got out of the car.

I surveyed the scene before me with a fearful trepidation I’d never experienced before. Pain zinged across my chest, my heart lurching as I imagined the innocent faces of the children before me dying in a war they had no right being a part of.

The students were focused, our sudden halt not even registering on their radars as they dutifully performed maneuver after maneuver. Roman, their instructor, called out. Some of them I recognized as ones Kiernan and Seamus had drilled into me when they first taught me to defend myself. The longer I watched, the more complex and dangerous the moves became.

“What are you thinking?” I hissed at Vas when he came to stand beside me.

“They’re training,” he said, pointing at the obvious. “We’re readying them for war.”

“They’re children.”

Vas shook his head sadly. “They haven’t been children for a very long time, Ava. You should know that.”

He was right. I did know that. Most of them had grown up just like Matthias and me. There was no doubt in my mind that some of them had endured much worse.

“They need to focus on their grades and graduating,” I reprimanded harshly. “Not being forced to learn how to fight in a war they don’t belong in.”

Vas chuckled mirthlessly. “You still have so much to learn.” His voice was tinted with sadness, and I could hear the disappointment dripping from his tone. “These are the top students about to graduate. They all exceed expectations in every aspect of learning and training.”

“They still shouldn’t be forced to be out here learning to kill people.”

“None of them were forced.”

Eyes wide, I turned to him in surprise before shifting my gaze back to the students.

“They all volunteered to defend their leader and their home and avenge Matthias’s death.” Maksim came up behind me, his voice filled with a deep pride as he overlooked the courtyard. “We never force our students into anything. Hell, this was their idea.”

“Why?”

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