Page 5 of Kingdom of Today
“If he is the same, describe who he was then and who he is now.”
Sweet goodness, I’d walked myself into a trap, hadn’t I? “He’s ... honorable.” Another truth.
“A great thing to be,” Mr. Vyle replied, obviously expecting me to say more.
No, thank you. A full minute passed in silence. Toward the end, Dr. Korey huffed with aggravation.
Mr. Vyle cast her a quick frown, nothing more, yet it seared deep pink into her cheeks. She bowed her head and withered, making herself smaller. With a wave in my direction, he continued. “You saw the berry. Describe it to me.”
Easy. “Small, round, and glowing red.”
He nodded and stood. “Thank you for your time, Lady Roosa.”
My eyes widened. That was it?
“That’s it,” he said, as if he’d read my mind. He refastened the button on his jacket. “You may go to class. I’m sure I don’t need to tell you not to discuss this with anyone save Cyrus.”
“Understood, sir.”
“If you recall any other details, inform Archduke Heta or Dr. Korey that you wish to speak with me.” With a graceful pivot, Mr. Vyle motioned for Dr. Korey to leave, which she did after removing the electrodes.
But. Where were the intimidation tactics? The accusations that I must be hiding something? The threats of being punished if I’d uttered a single lie?
“I don’t understand,” I breathed out before I gave my mind permission to speak.
Mr. Vyle stopped in the open doorway and turned just enough to meet my gaze. An almost smile tinged his perfect features. “The only thing you need to understand is this. I’m certain there’s a glower in our midst, playing both sides of the war, and I will stop at nothing to find them.”
Chapter Two
He who knows the end from the beginning need not fear the fires along the path, for My words shall forever stand.
—The Book of Soal1.23.46.10
In a daze, I trailed an unfamiliar knight through the winding corridors of the base. Thoughts tangled, creating a chaotic mess. Mr. Vyle suspected Cyrus of being a traitor. Probably me too. Okay, definitely me. Why else kick off the interrogation by highlighting my romantic involvement with he who’d once eaten a forbidden berry?
I should alert Cyrus. Hunt him down and explain all. Unless that was what the emperor’s right-hand man hoped I’d do.
Yeah, better to wait until Cyrus sought me out. In the meantime, I should act as if nothing was amiss. Besides, he probably expected the suspicion. He wasn’t a newbie double agent. Far from it. He had years of experience.
But dang it, foreboding slithered back in, constricting my airway in a viselike grip. We wouldn’t win this. Wecouldn’t. CURED was too powerful, too entrenched in every aspect of our worlds, and we were too weak.
What are you doing? Stop!I buried the newest doom seed in my memory garden, beside the last. For too long, I had believed CUREDwas the superior force, while Soal and his Soalians were lesser. We weren’t. Not even close. Wecouldwin this.
Calm came as my guide navigated the twisty hallways, leading me from the unfamiliar palace half of the building to the all-too-familiar prison half. The second we rounded a corner, everything altered, warm air turning stale and cold. Glistening crystal walls gave way to rough, pitted concrete. There were no statues here, but something equally ominous: a row of cells, each with a slightly rusted wall of iron bars. A distant drip echoed through the silence, each drop landing with a hollowplink, marking time.
The stark differences struck me as never before, and I wondered if the history I’d been told was accurate. CURED had lied about so many things, so why not this?
The most accepted theory: Over two hundred years ago, Ourland, my world, had fused with another world, Theirland, when someone sprayed certain chemicals into the air, burning through an invisible veil. In an instant, both territories became a mishmash of each other. Half and half. We retained a portion of our architecture and acquired a portion of theirs. Even our soil combined with theirs, causing the Great Soil and Seed Anomaly, with little able to grow. Not to mention we exchanged our good health for their Madness, a terrible disease that turned its victims into vicious killers.
The guard stopped at the women’s locker room. “You have five minutes to prepare.”
I didn’t bother responding. Entering the open space, I took in the banks of cubbies, the benches, and the individual shower stalls with smoked, armored glass. Empty. Everyone else must be in class. Morning warm-up, to be specific.
As quickly as possible, I changed into a clean uniform—which was no longer blue but green, the color for Archduke Baracas Heta’s students. Despite being only halfway into my first phase of training, I had a new lead instructor. I’d anticipated that, but being without Cyruswas going to suck. The fact that the archduke disliked me only added to the suckage.
Sighing, I adjusted my new necklace beneath the shirt’s neckline, then braided my hair and plotted my next move. Like Cyrus suggested, I must do this one day at a time. Today’s goals: Forget that the emperor’s right-hand man walked among us, determined to oust the double agent in his midst; keep my ears open for any tidbit that might help Cyrus become king; and avoid any hint of panic, all while proving to Mr. Vyle there was no reason to suspect us of being double agents. No big deal.
Tremors plagued me as I trudged from the locker room to the designated gym. My steps faltered when I realized my original escort had been replaced by two higher-ranking barons. One soldier moved in front of me while the other trailed us. Both remained silent. They were either here to act as my protectors or my wardens. Since I knew my words would be reported, I remained silent.
