Page 13 of Blood of Ancients

“Correct.” Kelvar nodded gravely. “I think you are starting to understand the gravity of the situation. Were your blood to get into the wrong hands . . .”

“It already has!” I shouted, standing because my anger didn’t know what to do with itself. It was a rather foreign emotion for me. “That conniving bitch sucked me dry for two damn months!”

Kelvar steepled his fingers in front of him, letting me finish my outburst. “For better or worse, Magnus, you have me on your side. You let me handle Dahlia Alfinn.”

“You can’t protect me all the time, Whisperer. If her tainted blood is out of my system, like you say it is, then I can defend myself against her.”

He snorted. “Oh, she won’t do anything like challenge you to a duel, foolish boy. She’s more conniving and duplicitous than that.”

I blinked. “What do you mean?”

“Well, you’re correct about me not being able to protect you forever. Because I have some bad news.”

Before I could say anything more, Kelvar reached into his dark tunic and pulled out a letter. He wagged it in the air, setting it on the table near his beakers, then jabbed a finger down. “Thisis your field duty mission for the start of your cadet year. I was given it earlier this evening.”

“And?”

“And you have been ordered to join a surveillance team aboveground.”

“A scouting mission?” I shrugged. “I can brave poor weather. Hel, Sven Torfen just got back from a two-day mission outside—”

“Let me finish.” He patted the paper again. “This fieldwork is sending yououtsidethe academy grounds, to the portal site Ravinica opened.”

My head lurched, shocked. “Theelven encampment? It’s a suicide mission. Trudging through heavy snowfall is one thing. You’re talking about a place that’s—”

“Days away from the relative safety of the academy. Yes, I know.” He nodded grimly, slowly, as if trying to punctuate the danger of my mission with his gaunt face. “Sadly, there’s nothing I can do about it. It’s been signed off by Gothi Sigmund.”

The wheels turned in my head. A moment later: “You said I’ll be part of a surveillanceteam. Do I get to choose—”

“No. The Huscarls accompanying you have already been chosen. You won’t get Ravinica or your friends.”

Shit.This was not good. “How long is the mission?”

“One week. Three days there and three days back. If all things go well.”

A lot can go wrong out in the wilderness. It’s easy to bury a body in the snow.Before I could let my mind wander, I sighed, trying to find the silver lining. “At least I won’t be alone.”

As if that made it better.

The expression on Kelvar’s face told me it did not—that I could trust the Huscarls I’d be with about as much as I could trust Gothi Sigmund himself.

“You haven’t heard the best part.” He scratched his forehead in preparation for the bombshell.

I sat back, throwing my arms wide in defeat. “Lay it on me, Whisperer.”

“Tomekeeper Dahlia handpicked you for this mission.”

My shoulders sank. Disappointment swam through me, yet I wasn’t angry or surprised.Of course she did.The person who hates me most here is sending me to the furthest reaches of the Isle, during a torrential snowstorm, with academy soldiers I’ve never met before?

I’ve seen this movie before.

Burying a body in the snow was looking a lot more likely.

Without another thought to my unfortunate situation, I stood from the chair, grabbed my trench coat off the seatback, and shrugged it on.

Kelvar looked at me askance. “Where are you going?”

I met his eyes as I stepped for the door. “I suppose I’ve got to find Ravinica, Hersir. So I can tell her it’s been nice knowing her.”

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