Breaker (Ondine Quartet Book 4) (18 page)

I’d hoped Catrin’s charismatic talents would fend off a few Redavi on my behalf, but her absence was a small price to pay for what we might gain.
 

Preliminary preparations had already begun for the covert operation scheduled the day after tomorrow. Ian was departing for Rivelleu tonight.

“Prince Belicoux has been notified and I assume Ian has filled Ms. Rossay in.” A pause. “Do you still wish to keep Julian out of it?”

A trace of dismay colored Jeeves’ polite tone.

I understood his hesitation, but Ian’s central involvement complicated matters.

Nix presence at my confirmation ceremony clarified my stance on the matter, but the dramatic move had also temporarily pushed the Council as far as it could go.

The fewer people that knew about the op, the better. And given the current discord among the chevaliers, bringing Julian in would only generate more unpredictability in an already volatile situation.

“For now.” Worry chewed on the pit of my stomach. “Do you think this will work?”

“It’s a good plan.” Jeeves set aside the folder and studied me. “And Mr. MacAllister is exceptionally bright. I’m sure he’ll be fine.”

He was right, of course. Tristan had also supported the idea.

This was what Rhian would’ve done.

But despite their confidence, fear had taken root.

Knowing something was the right thing to do wasn’t the same as believing in it.
 

After spending a few more minutes going over details for tomorrow night, I left for the Training Center’s basement.
 

Despite Rhian’s untimely death and the uncertain atmosphere created by the Merbais and Fontesceau attacks, the ondine training program had proceeded forward.

Prepared as always, my grandmother had ensured its viability before the end of the Elemental Conference.
 

Several communities had committed to developing their own programs, but lacked the facilities and resources to immediately implement them.

The result was integration. Ten new ondine recruits now trained alongside Chloe and Amber Blanchard. Of those, five came from outside Haverleau, enrolling at Lumiere to participate in the experimental curriculum.
 

A sterile concrete corridor stretched before me, illuminated by flickering lights.
 

I opened the door to my left. Magic flared against my skin.
 

“Watch out!”

I ducked.
 

A thick vine snapped through the space my head had occupied a second ago and flailed wildly in the air.
 

Another surge of energy crackled. The vine retreated, shrinking until it transformed into a delicate tendril harmlessly resting beside a potted plant.
 

Across the room, several ondines stared, their mouths agape.

I slowly straightened. “Learning how to take out an Aquidae’s eye?”

“Sorry,” a meek voice said.

A young ondine cringed against the wall, looking acutely mortified. I gave her a reassuring smile.

The color drained from her face.

“Sorry, Kendra,” a matter-of-fact voice said. “Trina was just practicing.”

Amber Blanchard slowly moved her hand above the plant, brows furrowed in concentration. Her blonde hair was pulled back and she wore less make-up than usual. Pale green eyes reflected a thoughtfulness that softened the lines and angles of her usually haughty face.

“It’s better,” she told Trina.
 

If that was a better version of her Transmutation Virtue, we were in big trouble.
 

“She’s come a long way,” Amber said as if she knew what I was thinking. Her smile was a bit too wide. “Made a great deal of progress in a short amount of time.”

Trina flushed under the praise.

“That’s great.” I struggled to conceal my skepticism. “Amber, a word, please?”

She flashed the ondine another encouraging smile then joined me at the far end of the room.
 

“Look, I know what you’re going to —“

“Are they all like that?” I kept my voice low.

She exhaled. “The younger ones, yeah. Trina’s only fourteen.”

The same fear I’d felt with Ian inched its way deeper. She was just a kid.
 

“Does she really belong in the program?”

“Well, we can’t exactly be selective.” Amber raised her brow. “It’s not like hordes of applicants are knocking on our doors.”

She had a point. “Can’t we get more Virtue instructors?”

Several chevaliers were helping with the marksmanship portion of the program. Skilled in weaponry, battle strategy, tactics, and armed with years of field experience, they were ideal instructors for the novices.

A few Redavi ondines, like Amber, volunteered to help the younger recruits with Virtue development.

But they weren’t skilled educators. If Academy teachers got involved, it would make everything a lot easier.

Amber shook her head. “Lumiere faculty is in an uproar over the entire program. Some are even refusing to teach participants during regular class hours.”

“They can’t do that!”

“They are.”

I struggled to think of legal reasons why they couldn’t, but failed to come up with a single argument.
 

I’d have to ask Jeeves about it later. “What is Pelletier doing about it?”

“At first he sided with them, but then I reminded him this initiative was a personal project of the Governors, both past and present.”

Not bad. Pelletier was a stickler for following the rules and bringing up my grandmother’s involvement would’ve quickly brought him over to our side.

“Now he’s trying to make them see reason, but the hold-outs insist it’s their right to withhold teachings from those they deem troublesome.” She rolled her eyes.

“Wait. Are they doing it to you?”

“I mean, honestly. The hypocrisy is ridiculous. Ms. Francois is totally screwing around with Mr. Allard. At least he’s not mated.” She picked at invisible lint on her shirt. “Can you imagine if she had murder on her hands? The other day, Cara caught them coming out of the storage closet —“

“Amber,” I said through my teeth. “Focus.”

She shrugged. “No big deal. If I fail my finals, my mother will go ballistic and they’ll have to graduate me anyway.”

One of the perks of belonging to a powerful Redavi family. Unfortunately, others wouldn’t be so lucky.

“I know you’re busy recruiting new ondines —”

She perked up. “Got two to sign up this week.”

“Think you could persuade a few instructors to help with the program?”

“Already on it. Several Academy teachers owe favors to my parents.” Her expression turned shrewd. “I’m thinking it’s time I called them in.”

Amber could be manipulative, arrogant, and a complete pain in the ass.

Enormously advantageous qualities when she was on your side.
 

Magic faintly brushed against me. Trina spoke to another ondine, hands gesturing wildly. Her excitement caused the plant tendril to wiggle again.
 

“Have you seen Chloe?” I asked casually.

“Nope. She hasn’t been around the past few days.”

My heart fell. “Oh.”

I’d hoped to talk to her, but she’d been avoiding me since I returned from Fontesceau.
 

Chloe wanted me to organize a rescue mission for her father, but my hands were currently tied. We had no leads, no info, no clear plan I could take to the Council.

Until I worked out a strategy, I couldn’t jeopardize the safety of the other communities.

The likelihood of her understanding my position was slim to none. But I had to try.

“Amber!” Trina frantically looked at us, her voice shrill with panic. The tendril contorted into a pretzel shape with rows of angry spikes. “What am I doing wrong?”

“I’ll be right there.” Amber’s expression was surprisingly somber. “Give her some time, Kendra. I’m sure she’ll find you when she’s ready.”

I nodded stiffly and turned away before humiliation made me say something I’d regret.
 

How had things changed so much that Amber was now giving me advice about Chloe?

She went to deal with the plant emergency and I headed for the partially open door across the corridor.

A gardinel handed over safety headphones. I placed them on and waited.

A series of gunshots shook the slightly stale air. Once they stopped, I removed my headphones and entered the indoor firing range.

Lucas Fredriksen leaned against the wall, his arms crossed. His hair had grown longer, the thick black locks now falling in front of his eyes.

“I still think you’re holding it too high,” he said critically.
 

“You shouldn’t pick on an ondine with a loaded weapon.” Irritation lined Helene’s face. “Besides, I hit the Origin twice.”
 

“Out of ten shots. In battle you won’t have a second chance.”

“Just you wait, Fly Boy.” She jutted out her chin. “I’ll be shooting better than you in no time.”

Lucas shook his head and leaned toward me for a quick hug. “Hey, Kendra.”
 

Although he was a human, the fourteen-year-old was no stranger to elementals and our war. For years, his family had piloted flights to and from the Selkie Kingdom.

After Lucas’ brother and father died in a brutal Aquidae attack, Dr. Daniel Clavet had taken him in and brought him to Lyondale.

Since I last saw him, his stocky build had filled out a bit, probably from working with Michael. His smile came a little easier and he seemed less ill at ease in his skin.

But the dark shadows under his eyes, though faded, hadn’t disappeared. He already had the grim, slightly haunted face of someone who’d been marked by hell.

I clapped his arm. “I didn’t know you were here.”

“Only for a few days. Michael helped me work on breathing and trigger control.”

“Are you staying?”

He shook his head. “I’m leaving for Daniel’s cabin tomorrow. Dax called. Said he could use the company.”

Guess the nix watching was getting a little boring for Baby Belicoux.

Helene sniffed. “Dax is an over-privileged, obnoxious brat.”

I hid a smile. “He’s a fully inducted gardinel now —“

“He thinks he knows everything.”

“You’re just pissed because he’s going to teach me what he knows,” Lucas said easily.

A shadow fell across her eyes and her thin shoulders tensed. “Doesn’t matter. I’m learning stuff here, too.”

The loneliness echoing in her voice sent guilt trickling through me. I should’ve checked up on her.

Lucas looped an arm around her shoulders. “Yeah, but I won’t be gone long so don’t advance too far without me.”

A smile ghosted her mouth and within a few minutes, he had her laughing again.
 

After promising to catch up with her once this hellish week was over, I left, my heart heavier than when I’d arrived.

Visiting the ondine training program was meant to reassure me. It was one of Rhian’s greatest accomplishments and a vindication of what my mother had long believed in.

But I hadn’t considered how young they’d be - Trina, Helene, Lucas.

The image of the young ondine in Merbais, her broken body hastily covered with floral-patterned drapes, flashed before me.

Assuming the mantle of governorship meant accepting the power necessary to end this war.

But with each passing second, I felt a growing helplessness as if I floated in the middle of a vast ocean, removed from everything I once connected to.

The more I tried to reach out and grab ahold of something - anything - the more I drifted away.

An unusual silence blanketed the Quad. With the end of the year approaching, most students were busy studying or training for final exams.

Dark clouds gathered along the horizon. Empath trembled, sensing the air’s disquiet.

She waited for me near the Academy parking lot. The setting sun glinted against her hair, gold swimming within the red locks.

Her stormy expression meant Ian had passed the ball to me.

“You can’t send him,” she said fiercely.

I moved past her. “That’s not your decision to make.”

Aubrey grabbed my arm. “Hey.”

Damn it, Ian.

I steeled myself and turned to face her.

She let go, eyes blazing like emerald fire. “This isn’t a reckless mission the
sondaleur
goes running into. Ian will be alone. It’s dangerous.”

“You think I don’t know that?”

“What if something goes wrong?”

“We’re doing everything in our power to make sure—“

“You know the risks are high.”

“Yes.” I kept my tone even. “And he does, too. I’m not going to stop him, Aub.”

“Then let me go with him.”

“No.”

“Why?”
 

“Because you’re not trained to deal with the situation if something goes wrong.”

“Ian’s not, either!”

“He knows how to handle a fellow nix better than any of us. He’s the most qualified for the mission.”

Her mouth tightened. “He has no stake in this —“

“Yes, he does.” I crossed my arms. “You know better than anyone what he and the other nixes have been through.”

Ian had found me, initiating contact before I knew anything about Haverleau or a prophecy.
 

He’d participated in the downfall and demise of his father. He was the first nix ever allowed to remain in an elemental community under the Governor’s protection.

If anything, Ian had a greater stake in this than everyone else. He was fighting for more than just the war.

Tension rolled off her. “In the Lyondale factory, we went together. I don’t understand why we can’t do that here.”

“Everyone blamed what happened to you on Ian because he was with you.”

“That’s ridiculous!”

“I know,” I said impatiently. “But Ian’s trying to change how nixes are perceived. If you go with him, you weaken that effort. If we succeed, Ian won’t get the credit. You will. If we fail, he’ll be blamed for what happens. It’s the way Redavi work. You know that.”

Nixes couldn’t win either way. It sucked.