‘Honeywine,’ Kenton said, smiling. ‘Dorstal drank it.’ The trio laughed and Annev felt encouraged by the admission.
‘Great,’ he said. ‘Maybe if the rod can be used by common folk, we can use it to save Duvarek rather than execute him.’
‘Hold on,’ Fyn said, raising a hand. ‘That’s not what we were told to do. If Kenton brings Duvarek back, he won’t earn his master title.’
‘True,’ Annev said, ‘so I’ll leave it up to Kenton.’ He looked at the scar-faced boy. ‘What do you think: if there’s a chance to help him, do you want to try?’
Kenton frowned. ‘It’s not that simple. I’d love to save Duvarek – getting my Master Avatar title tonight isn’t as important as his life – but the Rod of Compulsion is a dark rod, not a common artifact. To have any chance of using it on Duvarek, I’d have to have real magic – the kind you only get from making a pact with Keos.’
Fyn nodded in agreement while Annev bristled at the avatar’s words, both because he found them personally offensive and because now he couldn’t use the rod to save Duvarek; if he even tried, he’d be accused of being a Son of Keos and would then forfeit his own life for the mere chance of saving Duvarek’s. Annev admired his former teacher as a skilled Master Avatar, but he had no delusions of sacrificing himself to save the man.
‘We stick to the plan, then,’ Annev said. ‘Execute Dove, then kill Janak for using the dark rod and threatening the Academy.’ Fyn nodded in agreement, while Kenton agreed with obvious reluctance.
‘If we can subdue Duvarek without hurting ourselves or endangering the mission,’ Kenton said, ‘we could knock him out and drag him back to Chaenbalu. Once the dark rod is sequestered in the Vault, the effects should lessen and eventually wear off.’
‘I support that,’ Annev said enthusiastically and wheeled his horse about. ‘We have a plan. Let’s find a spot to tie up these horses.’
As he led them around the perimeter of the wall, Fyn quietly rode up alongside him. ‘You really going to try to save Duvarek?’ he asked, his voice a whisper.
‘Of course,’ Annev said, surprised. ‘He’s a bit rough, but he doesn’t deserve to die – and the Academy trains its Master Avatars too hard to dispose of them so easily. If we can bring him back to Chaenbalu, I’d prefer that.’
‘And what if one of us got snared by the rod?’
‘I’d do the same. Club you over the head and get you the hell out of there.’ He peered sideways at the boy, curious. ‘Why?’
Fyn shrugged. ‘I just don’t believe you would. It’s one thing to save your buddies, but it’s a whole different story with me or Kenton. Reckon it’d be easier to leave us behind – or kill us. You’d not really gain anything by bringing us back.’
Annev sized up his companion. He had once considered making friends with Fyn, but he’d long since given up on that possibility. Maybe he’d given up too soon.
‘I would, you know.’
Fyn snorted. ‘Sure.’ He rode on ahead, but then Kenton trotted up beside Annev.
‘What was that about?’ he asked.
‘Fyn doesn’t trust me.’
‘Are you surprised?’ Kenton said, raising an eyebrow. ‘Fyn’s always had trust issues, and you’re hardly the most reliable person.’
‘Me?’ Annev said, wondering if the boy had him confused with someone else. ‘You’re the one who betrayed his friends during the swimming contest – and then started working with Fyn to stop us getting our titles.’
‘Did I ever say we were friends?’ Kenton asked, his face expressionless. ‘I don’t recall having that conversation.’ He spoke with so little emotion, Annev wondered if the boy were joking. Before he could ask, though, Kenton shrugged and said, ‘I suppose we all have reasons to hate each other, but we can still work together. That’s what matters.’
Annev nodded, sensing that Kenton wished to drop the subject, but not willing to let it go. ‘So why do you hate me?’
Kenton studied him, his face a mask. ‘You remember the year I got my scar?’
Annev slowly nodded, understanding his offence against Kenton wasn’t a recent injury. ‘Three years ago, before Titus joined our reap and we began testing for our avatar titles.’ It was also the year after he’d become close friends with Therin and around the time Myjun had begun taking an interest in him.
Kenton nodded. ‘I started my private classes with Master Duvarek that year – me and one other student.’
‘Yeah,’ Annev said, ‘I remember how jealous I was when I found out.’
‘Jealous?’
Annev nodded. ‘I used to idolise Duvarek. He gets to leave the Academy more than anyone I know, he’s seen things and been places I can only dream of, and he’s got a perfect retrieval record.’
‘Not any more.’
‘Right,’ Annev admitted, realising he’d put his foot in his mouth, ‘but if we bring him home along with the rod, it’ll be like he never failed.’
‘Maybe,’ Kenton said. ‘I didn’t know you liked Duvarek. People give him a hard time because he drinks and keeps to himself, but there’s a reason the Academy sends him on the most missions. He’s a better fighter than Edra, but he doesn’t like to show off and he doesn’t have the patience to teach kids that don’t listen. That’s why they rotate him as a teacher for the witgirls.’
Annev saw no reason to doubt Kenton’s words. ‘He actually had a better reputation before—’
‘Before I got scarred?’ Kenton finished. Annev nodded and the boy huffed, disgusted. ‘Duvarek wasn’t a neglectful teacher. We weren’t even training when I got hurt.’
‘But you were injured in his class. Is that not right?’
‘That’s what I just said, isn’t it?’
‘So what actually happened?’
Kenton glared at him, eyes flat. ‘It’s my affair, so stop asking about it.’ He shook his head. ‘Besides, I wasn’t talking about that. I was saying that when Duvarek gave me private lessons, he had agreed to train one acolyte and one wit-apprentice. Elder Winsor chose me and Witmistress Kiara chose Myjun.’
‘Myjun?’ Annev felt his tongue grow thick in his mouth. ‘I didn’t … she never told me.’
‘Not surprised,’ Kenton said, his voice cold. ‘She probably didn’t say anything about me either.’ Annev shook his head, too stunned to speak. ‘I didn’t think so. She only trained with us for six months … and then she stopped coming.’
‘She never came back?’
‘No … not after I got scarred.’
Not after he got scarred? Annev calculated when his own relationship with Myjun had begun to blossom and realised the timelines matched up. His stomach twisted into a knot, and he suddenly found he couldn’t look Kenton in the eyes.
‘Did you—?’ Annev said, struggling to voice his thoughts. ‘I mean, did she—?’
‘She did,’ Kenton said, his voice barely above a whisper, ‘and I still do.’
They rode in silence, each focusing on the bobbing light of Fyn’s dim lantern.
‘You think she stopped coming because you got injured.’