Breathless, Jamie turned to apologize and was surprised to find the High Master of the Terra College looking back at him, a bemused smile on his face. And Jamie was relieved to see that Mike seemed to be no worse for wear—the last thing he needed was to do any permanent damage to the one High Master of the Council he actually liked.
“Jamie!” Mike said quickly, before Jamie could get his apology out. “Where are you going in such a rush?”
As he completed his question, Mike seemed to realize exactly where Jamie had been heading and shook his head with a small smile gracing his lips. “Stupid question, of course, you’re heading to Allyra.”
Jamie nodded. “I’m sorry.”
Mike waved the apology away. “No harm, no foul,” he said, “but you can slow down. I’ve just given her something to help her sleep.”
“You came here just to see her?” Jamie asked, a shot of fear rushing up his spine. If Mike had been called in, then Allyra’s injury was obviously more serious than he’d been led to believe.
“No, the Council had assembled for the completion of the Fourth Final. Nonetheless, I would’ve been called in for her particular injury,” Mike said. “The wound she received by the Revenant blade has reopened.”
“Her injury from the Between?” Jamie asked. “But, that’s old now. And well healed.”
Mike shook his head. “It was healed, but during the Fourth Final, it was reopened and started bleeding into her lungs.” Mike frowned, his fiercely intelligent features tightened in thought. “We have so little experience of Revenant poison that I can’t say with any certainty if this is expected or not.”
Jamie could see that Mike was holding something back and he pushed him to continue. “But…” he prompted gently.
For a moment, Mike seemed torn, but eventually spoke again, his voice dropping in volume despite the empty corridor. “I’m telling you this in confidence.”
“Understood.”
“Jason claims that Xolani and François had Revenant blades and cut Allyra with it. He believes that the reintroduction of the poison into her system aggravated her old wound.”
“A Revenant blade? Here? Impossible.”
“Jason seems very sure.”
“Jason can’t be trusted,” Jamie replied pointedly. “He’ll say anything if it serves his own interests. In fact, if anyone had a Revenant blade, I’d put my money on it being Jason.”
Mike shrugged noncommittally.
“What did Xolani and François have to say? It’s a pretty serious accusation that Jason’s leveled against them,” Jamie asked, sure that Jason was lying, but to what end?
“They haven’t returned, and the search parties have found no sign of them.”
“And Allyra? What did she say?”
“We didn’t get much of a chance to question her, but the little she said supports Jason’s version of events,” Mike replied.
Jamie felt as if his heart had suddenly been encased in ice, as a deep hollowness took root within him. It was just more proof of Jason’s corruption of Allyra. She was too trusting, and it would only be a matter of time before Jason stabbed her in the back, possibly as soon as she’d served his purpose.
“Can I see her now?” Jamie asked.
Mike nodded. “She’s in the last room.”
Jamie flashed Mike a smile and started making his way down the corridor, this time at a much more sedate pace. It gave him an opportunity to take in his surroundings. The corridor was wide and airy and the ceiling high above his head. Allyra was being housed in the medical wing of the Elemental College.
He took a deep breath as he reached the door to Allyra’s room. A strange sense of déjà vu swept over him—it seemed that he spent way too much time outside Allyra’s hospital rooms. Jamie opened the door gently, not wanting to disturb Allyra, expecting to find her sleeping. The scene that greeted him took him by surprise.
Allyra was sleeping, but she wasn’t alone. Jason was sitting at her bedside, holding her hand in his. His head was bowed close to hers, and if Jamie didn’t know better, he would’ve described the look on Jason’s face as concerned and affectionate.
Except he did know better. Jason simply wasn’t capable of such emotion.
Jamie took a deliberate step forward, his foot falling heavily on the slick tiles. Jason startled backward at the sound, withdrawing his hand quickly. When he looked up, his features were wearing that familiar mask of careless arrogance.
“Can I help you?” Jason drawled out, his voice bored.
“What are you doing here?” Jamie snapped back.
Jason’s lips curved into a lazy smile. “Just checking on my ticket to the top. Wouldn’t want her to die when we’re so close to achieving everything I’ve ever wanted.”
Jamie clenched his hands into tight fists, fighting the urge to slam one into Jason’s smug face. He managed to keep his anger in check by taking a couple of deep breaths, and when he finally spoke, his voice was both calm and deliberate. “You can go, I’m here now.”
Jason grinned, not fooled by Jamie’s attempt at composure. He leaned back in his chair and stretched out his long legs, placing his feet deliberately on Allyra’s bed. “But it’s just so comfortable here.”
Everything Jason did was calculated, and this was no different. Jamie understood that Jason was deliberately provoking him, but he still had to fight not to rise to the bait. Jamie plastered a fake smile on his face. “Surely you wouldn’t want to deny your adoring fans your presence.”
Jason shrugged carelessly. “I guess you’re right, my fans do get anxious when deprived of my sunny disposition.” He stood up lazily, yawning and stretching his long limbs. “Besides, there’ll be plenty of time in the days ahead for me to have some alone time with Allyra, so I wouldn’t want to deprive you of a few short
