Brayan nodded to Titus, who set the pail on the floor and pulled a shallow wooden bowl from the pocket of his robes. He handed it to Annev, his eyes cast down.
Annev took it and realised Titus’s wide eyes had fallen on his rounded stump. His initial instinct was to hide it. But there was nowhere to hide and no longer any reason to do so, so he held his arm out for Titus to look while he plunged the bowl into the cool water and drank. After his first slow gulp had drained the vessel, he dipped it again and again into the pail, hurriedly filling his stomach with the precious liquid. Once his thirst was slaked, however, he became self-conscious.
‘Thank you for the water,’ Annev said, handing back the bowl.
‘You’re welcome.’
There was an awkward silence as the two boys stared at each other, one dressed in tan steward robes and the other naked on the stone floor.
Narach, who had been standing outside the door, made a disgusted sound and slunk back down the hall. Annev ignored him, grateful for the privacy. He nodded at his friend. ‘The steward robes look good on you.’
Titus smiled. ‘Thanks. I get to help Master Brayan with the animals – the horses, the dogs, even the bees – and Master Carbad’s been showing me the Academy’s ledgers and teaching me about our supplies. It’s not as fun as the animals, but it’s important.’
Annev managed to smile. ‘You’ll be a great steward, Titus.’
‘I think so, too. Master Brayan says if I do well they’ll make me Master Steward of Husbandry and switch my tan robes for blue ones.’
‘You mean … like Master Sage? The Master of Cooking?’
‘Yes,’ Titus said, nearly spilling his bucket in excitement. ‘I’d still be a Master Steward, not an avatar, but it’s still wonderful.’ He grinned. ‘It’s definitely better than being an acolyte.’
Annev nodded, realising Tosan had been right about Titus. It made him wonder what else the headmaster had been right about.
Brayan cleared his throat. Titus looked up and the quartermaster nodded at the water pail. Titus nodded back in understanding.
‘We’re supposed to wash you,’ Brayan said. ‘For the trial.’
Annev was only half listening. The trial would be quick, the outcome already clear. Strangely, he didn’t feel bad about that: he had always known the risks, and he had accepted them when he chose to risk everything and return.
Titus pulled a rag out of his pocket, dipped it in the water, and began to wipe the blood from Annev’s face. Annev sat still and mute, forcing himself not to cry out when the boy began combing dried blood from his hair.
‘Kenton defended you. He said you were trapped. That you cut off your own hand to escape a fire,’ Titus whispered.
Annev looked up, surprised. ‘If that were true, I’d be one tough bastard.’
‘I’d believe it,’ Titus said, smiling slightly, ‘but Elder Tosan says you’ve used magic to hide your arm ever since you came to the Academy.’
Annev’s heart thudded in his chest. How did he guess? He looked at Brayan, but the towering master stared straight ahead, giving no indication he was listening.
‘What does it matter now?’
Titus sopped the rag in the pail and wrung it out, turning the water pink. He scrubbed Annev’s back and shoulders. ‘It matters a lot. If you were injured during the retrieval then you’ve only recently been marked by Keos. But if you’ve been hiding your … your arm—’ Titus swallowed. ‘It’s bad, Annev. They’ve been asking the avatars a lot of questions. The masters, too. Tosan is livid, Myjun has locked herself in her room, and Sodar …’ His voice trailed off.
‘Sodar?’ Annev’s resignation and despair was suddenly replaced with concern. ‘Sodar’s here? Where? What are they doing to him?’
Brayan’s eyes narrowed. ‘Hurry up,’ he bellowed. And then quieter: ‘We only have a few minutes.’
Titus nodded, wringing out the rag once more. He began to wash Annev’s legs and arms, then stopped when he came to the deformed limb. He stared at it, the water dripping from the damp cloth.
‘Here,’ Annev said, reaching for it. ‘I can wash myself.’
Titus hesitated then nodded, handing the rag to Annev. As he scrubbed his stump clean, Titus averted his eyes.
‘Are you really a Son of Keos?’ he whispered, his head turned so that Brayan didn’t see him speaking.
Annev’s shoulders slumped. Even you, Titus? He dipped the rag in the pail and scrubbed again. ‘I’m the same person I’ve always been.’
Titus seemed to relax a bit. ‘You’re not—’ He left the sentence unfinished, hanging in the air.
‘Evil? A monster?’
Titus shrugged. ‘Yeah.’
Annev sighed, shaking his head. ‘I’m no more evil than you are, Titus.’
‘But you’ve been marked,’ the boy said, miserable.
Annev threw the rag on the floor, tired and disgusted. ‘I might have only one hand, Titus, but I’m the same person I’ve always been. I’m not a monster.’
There was a thunder of footsteps and voices beyond the open door.
‘… said he was doing his job, and I’m only trying to do mine.’
‘Of course, Master Narach. You did well to inform me. Master Kenton can assist me from here.’
‘It’s no trouble to stay, Elder Tosan.’
‘You can go,’ Tosan snapped. ‘Master Kenton has the keys.’
Narach grumbled something unintelligible and shuffled away down the hallway.
Brayan handed the torch to Titus. ‘Time to go.’ The quartermaster picked up the pail, took two quick steps to the drain, and splashed its contents down the hole.
‘Gods speed, Master Annev.’
‘And to you, Master Brayan.’
The hulking master ushered Titus to the door, but not before Tosan stepped into the room. A moment later, Kenton appeared, glaring over his shoulder, his fierce dark eyes travelling from Annev’s face to his stump.
‘Good morning, Master Brayan. Steward Titus.’ The headmaster nodded curtly. ‘Master Narach tells me you’ve been cleaning the keokum’s cell.’
‘Yes, Elder Tosan.’ Brayan tried to squeeze past the Eldest of Ancients, but Tosan didn’t budge.
‘If you have just cleaned the cell, why is that infernal light still there?’
Brayan worked his mouth amidst the mass of his great bushy beard. ‘It’s as I’ve said before, Elder Tosan. The lightwater leaks in from the Vault – and it will continue to do so as long as its source is undisturbed.’
Tosan sighed. ‘And I suppose sealing the door is too complex a task?’
While the ancient and master spoke, Annev spied the bowl that Titus had left behind. He snatched it up, giving no thought to what he might do with it, but feeling he should take every opportunity fate offered him.
‘… tried everything,’ Brayan continued. ‘I’ll have to go into the Vault and have a look around if you really want it stopped.’
Annev edged his way to the corner of the room where the golden liquid trickled down, the germ of an idea forming in his mind. He wedged the bowl into the drainage shaft, leaving only the lip of the wooden dish visible, then backed away.