Page 86 of Swords of Soul and Shadow
“I was named after the greatest warrior of our people and was even given a holy sword, but I was Called to heal after preparing my entire life to fight,” he said, not really answering the question. “My parents were quite distraught.”
Jove vaguely remembered Saldr saying something about Called in that breakfast meeting, but he couldn’t remember specifics. He didn’t need backstory. He just needed to know if the man could help. “What does that have to do with—”
“You should be able to help, you mean,” his mother interrupted, giving him a glare that shut his mouth, “but you can’t?”
“Indeed. Lord Saldr or Healer Jera would be able to perform more complicated diagnostics if we are ever recovered from these dark depths,” Kainadr replied, wiping sweat from his brow. “However, I will watch him closely until that time comes and endeavor to make sure he doesn’t fall toward the darkness. His condition seems to have reached an equilibrium, at least.”
Jove didn’t understand half of what the man said, but he could gather enough to understand that Anderson was healed enough that he was no longer in danger. And if that was the case, all Jove really wanted right then was to rest.
His mother left Anderson’s side and inspected the rest of the small cavern, where water slid down the walls and pooled into a narrow cistern-like basin among the rocks. “We have water, and with a little foraging, we could likely find something edible.” She dusted off her gown. “If we stay put, our likelihood of being found swiftly goes up quite a bit. We’ll be rescued soon.”
Jove could appreciate her optimistic outlook, but he had to look at the harsh reality: they’d fallen into a hole during the middle of an attack on the city. They had water, yes…and a giant corrupted Zuprium crystal that was supposedly causing cave-ins. If anything, this was where they would probably die. No one would come looking for them.
And Jove wasn’t even sure if he wanted them to try.
Chapter 17
ANSWER ME
Kase
SITTING IN HIS FATHER’S TENT didn’t feel much different than waiting for his punishment in the Manor’s study. No matter where he waited to take the brunt of his father’s fury, he still felt small.
Between the confined quarters and the bedraggled furniture, his father had little room to pace, as was his usual habit in Kase’s company. The sporadic quiver of his father’s feet told him he wanted to, but resisted. Kase refused to look anywhere but at Harlan’s worn and muddy boots.
Never in his life had he seen his father so unkempt. In the small glimpses he chanced, days of salt-and-pepper stubble decorated his father’s cheeks—more salt than pepper. Kase couldn’t remember a time when he’d worn anything but a perfectly trimmed mustache. The only thing that was normal was the hair smoothed back from his face and his hard stare. Kase quickly dropped his eyes back to the mud-speckled boots.
“Where have you been?” Harlan asked, his voice cold, not betraying the anger and frustration smoldering beneath the surface.
But Kase wasn’t cowed completely. He wouldn’t just sit there and allow himself to be trod upon.
“Where’s Jove?” The words came out filled with disdain. He knew that tone would lead to an argument—it always had in the past—but it was just a reflex, a way to defend himself against the man before him.
A flinch of Harlan’s left foot. Kase thought one of the mud smudges reminded him of a Zuprium crystal. His father’s rough hand grabbed him by the chin and thrust his face up. Kase gritted his teeth, but he didn’t resist.
“Do not change the subject,” Harlan ground out, dragging Kase a little closer. “Answer me. Now.”
He couldn’t yell here—not if he wanted to keep their conversation mostly private. Guards stood on the other side of the tent walls. Kase wasn’t sure where Stowe had gone, nor was he aware of Eravin’s whereabouts. He was stuck with the man he hated most in the world, though Correa ran a close second.
But he’d faced down torture at the hands of the latter. If he could do that, he could handle his father.
Kase grabbed Harlan’s wrist and pushed it away. He stared his father directly in his eyes, the ones that reminded him so much of Zeke.
For the first time in months, he didn’t have to repeat his mantra when he thought about his middle brother. He knew Zeke had made a choice, and Kase would never have taken that away from him. Unwavering, he held his father’s gaze. “Tell me where Jove is.”
Harlan’s nostrils flared, not unlike Jove’s did when he argued with Kase. He waited a minute before responding. “Asection of the tunnels collapsed a week ago. We believe Jove fell in, but we aren’t certain how far.”
Kase’s skin went hot, then cold. It was true. He’d fallen. If Kase hadn’t been sitting, he might’ve lost feeling in his legs and fallen himself. “No.”
“We have a crew searching, but without our technology, it’s been fruitless,” Harlan said, no emotion leaking into his voice, not even anger or concern. As if they were discussing the recent weather changes instead of the potential death of his eldest son. But he continued, “Now answer my question. Where have you been?”
The words didn’t quite reach Kase’s ears.
His thoughts still hadn’t caught up to the conversation at hand. His head swam like he was drowning, the water pouring into his lungs and filling him up. He worked his mouth, trying to say anything, but nothing came out.
He tried to suck in a breath, but everything had stopped working. Kase was barely aware of his father moving about. Kase could only focus on the reality that he was the only Shackley child left. On how unfair it was that, out of all of them, he’d been chosen to survive.
He’d needed Jove to be there, to take control. Jove would know what to do—he always knew what to do.
