Lukas descended the stairs to the Palace, where the nobles were having their party just outside its gates. He rushed through the crowd to find Lord Sulli. His uncle was one of the few individuals Lukas knew who could handle the information; Reza might have been able to help, but Lukas had no idea where he was, and he knew precisely where Lord Sulli was.

  He had little trouble climbing the stairs, though, more than one person yelled after him as he pushed by. But Lukas ignored them; he had more pressing matters than someone’s feelings.

  It took only a moment for him to find Lord Sulli engaged in conversation with a small group of older gentlemen, all holding glasses of amber liquid and speaking extremely loudly with Lord Rewan, the most prominent figure in both cases.

  Lukas waited impatiently for the story Rewan was telling to conclude before tapping Sulli’s shoulder. “Can I speak with you alone for a moment? It’s urgent,” Lukas said. He glanced at the other gentleman. “I apologize for interrupting your evening. I will only take a moment of my Uncle’s time.”

  They all laughed, and Rewan slapped him on the shoulder. “Take him, Lukas. The old man can’t muster a smile on this fine night. Perhaps you’ll have better luck.”

  “Rewan, you’ve told me that story a dozen times in the past year. I barely laughed the first time,” Lord Sulli said, moving away from the group. “Let Herod tell the stories; he can at least make them entertaining.”

  The men laughed, and even Rewan joined in before they turned away, with Rewan loudly recounting a fight Lucious had started in a tavern some years ago.

  Lord Sulli approached the Palace’s barred gates and pulled Lukas into a spot just to the right of the gates, where he could still observe the groups of nobles reveling in Hallows Eve.

  “Weren’t you with Marie and the others?” Lord Sulli asked.

  “I was, but the girls were going to tea when Severin appeared, and I followed him,” Lukas replied. He spent the next few minutes recounting what had transpired in the tower to Lord Sulli, detailing the noose and the man, Stern.

  “Is there anything else you can recall?” Lord Sulli inquired. He had remained silent throughout, allowing Lukas to explain uninterrupted. Not once did he offer any indication of his thoughts.

  “We must inform the Praetor and the council about this. Perhaps even Sorana’s church,” Lukas rambled. He yearned to turn and return to the men who constituted part of the council, but Sulli laid his hands on his shoulders, preventing him from moving.

  “Not so fast,” Lord Sulli stated. He let his hands drop but maintained his gaze on Lukas, keeping him rooted. “You must keep this to yourself, Lukas. I will not have you spreading this tale to anyone else.”

  Lukas’s mouth fell open in disbelief. “Do you not believe me? We must inform others; the man killed Marcellus and is connected to the army besieging the Legion.”

  “Keep your voice down,” Lord Sulli pulled Lukas further from the group. “It’s not about my beliefs or whether I believe you are telling the truth. Unfortunately, it would be your word against Tannic’s. I have no doubt you heard what you heard, but the Church of Sorana will not take action unless they have proof, and I cannot present this to the council either. Your tale will not be sufficient.”

  Lukas wanted to scream; he clenched his fists, yearning to return and punch Tannic. However, that would only exacerbate his anger, potentially resulting in his death. Lukas held his head low. Lord Sulli was right; he could not prove what he had witnessed, not yet at least. There must be someone in this city who could corroborate it—a wraith with the power to read minds or something similar.

  “We must warn Reza at the very least?” Lukas argued.

  “In due time,” Sulli glanced over Lukas’s shoulder and turned back to the group of nobles. “First, we’ll assign some men to watch Tannic and the people around him. I’ll put Pullo in charge of gathering a few of our more discreet men.”

  “What can I do?” Lukas asked, feeling a sense of urgency. “I need to take action.”

  “I’m sending you home, and you’ll be returning to your training tomorrow,” Lord Sulli said, gesturing for one of the house guards to walk towards him. “Let our people do their jobs, and we may find something to corroborate your story. I don’t like the sound of this, and it would be better to know why such a man would participate in the contest and what his ultimate plan is.”

  Lukas wanted to argue, but the stern look on Lord Sulli’s face prevented him from doing so.

  “Lukas, you did well in bringing this to my attention. We possess knowledge about Tannic, and his people are unaware of our processing,” Lord Sulli acknowledged the guard.

  “Yes, sir,” the guard saluted as he stood to attention.

  “Take Lukas home with three men and send Pullo to me immediately,” Lord Sulli ordered.

  The guard saluted again and waited for Lukas to join him. Lukas turned to his uncle.

  “Can I inform Reza tomorrow?” he asked.

  “I will send for him tomorrow. Don’t worry yourself until we have more information,” Lord Sulli replied, leaning against the wall and gazing up towards the Wraiths. “Go now. I will handle everything.”

  Lukas left with the guard. More could have been done; how had he been so foolish to believe that his word would be sufficient? However, as he reflected, he wasn’t sure what evidence he could have gathered from the exchange. Even if he were to return to the tower, a place he didn’t particularly want to revisit, he doubted he could prove that anyone but himself had been there.

  ————————————————————————————————

  “Lukas, what are you doing?” Vorcana yelled, catching his attention.

  Lukas looked up at his master. He glanced around to see that Rhyael had finally joined them for the training session. She was dressed in elegant practice clothes of dark blue fabric. Her Wraith, Narisa, stood at Rhyael’s hip, glancing towards him.

  “Sorry, Master. I didn’t sleep much last night,” Lukas said, leaning against his quarterstaff.

  Vorcana motioned to Rhyael. “Well, our new addition has finally joined us, so we’ll change things up for the rest of the session. I find myself getting bored watching you fight on the dummies for the entire session,” Vorcana said, glancing over to the wooden poles Lukas had used earlier that day. “So, we’ll have you both spar and see Rhyael’s skill. If we’re lucky, we might even get some idea about her Wraith.”

  He moved to the side of the practice sand, allowing Lukas to place himself about ten feet away from Rhyael. “Are you ready?” he asked, bringing his quarterstaff between them.

  Rhyael smiled, unsheathing two wooden shortswords and moving one foot back to balance herself. “You can start whenever,” she said.

  Lukas held his ground. “Master, should I use Severin or not?” His Wraith leaned against the wall some twenty feet behind Lukas. A glance revealed what Lukas already knew: Severin was flipping cards into the air, each landing on a person’s head, causing them to float in front of him.

  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

  Vorcana shook his head. “For the first portion, no. We can take a break and see how to help Rhyael with her Wraith.”

  Lukas nodded, forcing all the thoughts of the night before out of his mind. He held his eyes on Rhyael and smoothly began to circle her, waiting for her first move. She winked at him while slowly turning to keep him in front of her, a small smile playing on her lips the entire time.

  “She’s good; she probably won’t move until I make my first move,” he thought. “I have the advantage, might as well use it.”

  Lukas took a step to the side before rushing Rhyael. He swung his quarterstaff, aiming for her left shoulder. Rhyael calmly raised her blade and stepped to the side, allowing his quarterstaff to glance off her edge. He then moved past her.

  Lukas turned, placing his weight on his foot to turn and swing again. Rhyael danced away, keeping herself out of the distance of his staff. They continued their long sparring session, where Rhyael blocked attack after attack, rarely countering. When Rhyael did counter, her attacks were crisp, forcing Lukas to retreat against the pressure.

  Lukas and Rhyael paused, both breathing hard from the sparring.

  “Now, this has been fun. Let’s bring it up a notch,” Lukas said, coming in full force and swinging his quarterstaff right at Rhyael’s head. She ducked under it and countered, attempting to cut across his thigh. Lukas twisted out of her reach and passed by her. As she took the offensive, he brought his staff to bear, striking and attacking with each sword.

  Lukas retreated before Rhyael scored the first hit of the contest across his ribs, making him wince. She didn’t let him stop there, forcing him to straighten. He had to block two more attacks before he could separate himself from her and regain his reach advantage. Using the momentum, he came in using the full force to smack his staff off her sword. He then let it bounce off and moved past her, getting her square in the back with the other end of his staff.

  Rhyael let out a brief gasp. Lukas turned and held himself ready.

  “Enough, take a break. Good job, both of you,” Vorcana yelled, walking over with a couple of glasses of water. He handed one mug to each, and Lukas drank deeply, savoring the cool water.

  “That was amazing. You are quite impressive,” Lukas said after he finished his water. “I could barely get through your defense.”

  She smiled and nodded, reciprocating his gesture. “I agree. That was the first time someone genuinely attempted to spar with me on an equal footing. I’ve always been able to overpower my other sparring partners effortlessly. This makes me question their abilities or their willingness to concede defeat.”

  Lukas nodded in agreement. It was likely that they were weaker than she in combat. Her skill with the swords was exceptional, and Reza would undoubtedly be delighted to offer her some valuable insights into duel weapon fighting.

  “Did I miss anything?” Reza’s voice resonated behind Lukas, as if summoned by his thoughts.

  Lukas and the others turned their attention to Reza as he joined their small group. He had bright eyes and was sipping from a steaming cup of something. His guards promptly took their positions at the gate of the practice area. Lukas’s apprehensions from the previous night's events resurfaced upon Reza’s appearance. He felt compelled to speak with him.

  “We just concluded a sparring session between the two of them. I was thoroughly impressed with both. Lukas continues to demonstrate remarkable potential with the quarterstaff. And Rhyael fights in a manner that closely resembles yours,” Vorcana remarked.

  Lukas tried to maintain a composed demeanor. Although he felt a surge of pride in the words, his primary focus was on engaging in a conversation with Reza and conveying a warning. Despite Lord Sulli’s instructions, he felt compelled to do so.

  “Reza, can I talk to you alone for a moment?” Lukas asked, stepping away from the others. Reza followed, and he turned to face him when he felt safe.

  “Tannic was the one who killed Marcellus,” Lukas explained. “I overheard him talking to someone in the broken tower last night.” He hesitated momentarily, unsure how much to reveal, but he knew Reza needed to know.

  Reza raised his hand, signaling for him to continue. “Hold up a moment. Let’s return to the beginning, and you can explain everything.”

  Lukas took his time, recounting the events from the night before, including his conversation with Lord Sulli about the incident. Reza remained composed as he listened attentively.

  “He said he would talk to you later, but I had to inform you just in case he didn’t,” Lukas said. “I’m at a loss. Lord Sulli said without proof, There’s nothing anyone can do.”

  “Well, I think Lord Sulli was mostly right. They likely wouldn’t take any action. Sorana herself has met with Tannic, though I’m glad you told me about this,” Reza replied, glancing over his shoulder. “It doesn’t change that I’ll face him tomorrow, whether he’s an enemy or a combatant.”

  Lukas’s stomach still churned with worry, and Reza’s words did little to ease his apprehension.

  “I suppose, but what if Sorana knew what I saw? Maybe she can’t perceive that part of Tannic,” Lukas tried to convince himself, but he knew they had both been right. Nothing would change. “At least Tannic is being watched now, so he can’t cheat or do something before the fight.”

  “True, Lord Sulli’s men might find the evidence to support your claims. But I’ll face Tannic and Lukas and make them pay for everything they did. Nothing changes in that regard,” Reza placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. “Now, let’s return and help Rhyael find her powers.”

  Lukas nodded, forcing a smile back on his face. He tried to hide his worry. “Alright.”

  They joined the others, and Reza took the lead with Rhyael. “Good, I see you already have your Wraith out.”

  Rhyael’s young Wraith stood at her hip once more. Narisa observed them before approaching Severin and extending her hand. Lukas watched Severin shuffle his cards, pulled two, and handed them to Narisa. She smiled and returned to Rhyael, showing the card to her.

  Lukas glanced over to see two cards: the Lovers and the Old Gods, staring up at him. This was an extraordinary combination of cards, though he couldn’t decipher their meaning. Despite this, they were both of the thirteen major cards.

  “Why isn’t that amazing?” Rhyael exclaimed happily. “Anyway, I’m sorry about that. She’s an inquisitive one; she always approaches different Wraiths.”

  “Don’t worry,” Reza replied, addressing Narisa. “She can continue to do that if she wishes.”

  “I want you to grasp the power to see what unfolds,” Reza said. “Lukas, Vorcana, would you be so kind as to back up?”

  Lukas retreated to the wall next to Severin, while Vorcana stepped back a few steps and raised a shield before him. His excitement grew as he pondered the reason behind Rhyael’s powers.

  Elana appeared at Reza’s side but quickly moved to Narisa, dropping to one knee in front of the Wraith. Narisa smiled, and they remained in that position for a while.

  “Sabine feels the power’s desire to be used,” Reza explained. “Mine, on the other hand, wants to be controlled and forced to be used. I believe Lukas manipulates him like a coin. Everyone has a slightly different way of utilizing their power.”

  He continued to explain the distinction between active and passive powers, though Lukas assumed she possessed an active power since nothing seemed to indicate power being used during the session.

  Everyone waited, but nothing happened. Rhyael struggled, her face increasingly tense as she stood still with Narisa looking up at her.

  Reza motioned to her. “Well, Rhyael, we’ll have to employ a different approach. Prepare yourself.”

  Finally, Reza pulled his blades out.

  “What do you mean?”

  “I’m going to attack and force Narisa to awaken the power between you,” Reza declared. “Are you ready?”

  Rhyael nodded, and Reza vanished. He reappeared before her, smacking his dagger into her shoulder before she could react. He disappeared once more, reappearing in his original position. “I said, were you ready?”

  Rhyael raised her swords and observed him silently. She remained silent as she waited. Narisa stood beside her, glaring at Reza.

  Reza vanished again, and he approached her side. Rhyael attempted to block him but missed, and Lukas witnessed Reza’s dagger strike against her ribs. She gasped but managed to hold herself up as she panted slightly. Lukas checked on Rhyael. He could swear her eyes glowed for a moment. Rhyael stood upright once more and held her sword high.

  Reza vanished and reappeared, slashing down. This time, Rhyael blocked the attack, and he attempted a second slash. Lukas watched as tiny wisps of mist emanated from Reza before vanishing near Rhyael.

  This continued for a few minutes as she attempted to block his attacks, and he continued his onslaught. Reza ceased using his powers, opting instead to spar with her one-on-one. She was forced to retreat on the defensive throughout the match but held her own. Lukas observed as he occasionally caught her eyes glowing, and small amounts of mist left Reza at different moments during the game. Rhyael slowed significantly as more and more of Reza’s attacks found their mark. She remained silent throughout the entire ordeal, rarely attempting to stop them.

  However, Rhyael tripped as she attempted to block Reza’s next attack, and the tip of his blade caught her pale cheek, causing blood to drip down her face.

  Reza stopped and backed away. “Are you alright? I didn’t mean to cut you?”

  Rhyael wiped the blood away. “It’s fine, nothing but a scratch.”

  She stood, her swords raised, ready for the next attack. Reza paused, and Lukas stared. Even from this distance, it was evident that there was no cut, only remnants of blood left behind.

  Reza smirked. “I suppose we might have a clue about your powers now?”

  Lukas was astounded. A power akin to his own, and the thought of her discovering its workings and harnessing it sent shivers down his spine.

  Rhyael smiled. “Let’s continue. I’m eager to delve deeper into Narisa’s power.”

  “That’s enough from me,” Reza nodded to Lukas. “It’s your turn. If you wish, you can use your power.”

  Now, this was going to be thrilling. Lukas grinned and grasped his quarterstaff. He spun his power, propelling himself towards Rhyael as he eagerly awaited the card that would be drawn.