Tosan rubbed his temples. ‘Thank you, Master Brayan, but only Master Narach and myself – and the new Master of Curses, of course – shall enter the Vault for the moment. Perhaps Master Kenton can look into it.’
Brayan bowed. ‘As you wish, Elder Tosan.’
Tosan stepped back into the hallway and, once Brayan and Titus were past him, he gestured for Kenton to precede him into the cell. The young man entered carrying a torch in one hand and a ring of keys in the other; he stood erect in the crimson robes of a Master Avatar, and Annev felt a pang of grief and envy.
Tosan eased the door closed then stared at Annev. ‘How long have you been hiding that?’ the ancient spat.
Annev’s eyes flickered to Kenton, but the avatar refused to make eye contact. He looked back at Tosan, thinking what he might say, and in the end said nothing.
Tosan sneered. ‘Your silence won’t protect Sodar. Nor will your lies. So, if you want to save your precious mentor, you will tell me the truth.’
Annev bit his lip, pained by the reminder they held Sodar in their custody, yet he knew the truth wouldn’t save him or the old man. Did he dare to lie? Tosan’s ability to discern the truth was well known, and Annev suspected he was using an artifact – his ring – to do it. Knowing that, he saw no advantage to speaking and let the silence speak for him.
Tosan’s face darkened and he pointed to Kenton. ‘Master Kenton swears you cut off your hand to escape a fire during last night’s retrieval mission. Master Fyunai believes this is correct – he says you were chained to Duvarek’s corpse and unable to free yourself.’ He sneered, evincing his disgust at that statement. ‘They both believed you were dead, yet somehow you escaped.’
He waited for Annev to respond, but the boy said nothing.
‘I’m to believe you cut away your own hand, then sprinted all the way back here, miraculously outpacing Fyn and Kenton, who were on horseback.’ He waited for a reaction, his voice dropping lower, becoming softer. ‘And during that time you were inexplicably healed?’ He gestured at the round stump of Annev’s limb, waiting. Still, Annev remained silent. The headmaster’s eyes smouldered, his mouth twitching.
‘I don’t believe that for a moment,’ he said, pacing once more. ‘It reeks of magic …’ He glared at Annev. ‘Did you make a pact with Keos? Did you promise him your soul in exchange for his healing?’
Annev shook his head. It was absurd.
‘No, I didn’t think so. The truth is much simpler … and far more sinister.’ He studied Annev, his eyes glinting with malice. ‘You were born like this, and you used magic to hide it. You’ve always been able to remove that arm, haven’t you?’
Annev blinked. He would have been caught off guard by the question, but he’d been expecting it after his conversation with Titus. He stared at the headmaster, unmoving.
‘Haven’t you!’ Tosan shouted, slapping him across the face. When his naked prisoner still didn’t answer, Tosan kicked him in the ribs, knocking him against the wall. Annev reached out to steady himself and inadvertently rubbed his stump in the glowing liquid trickling down the back wall. His skin burned from it, but before he could pull back, Tosan kicked him again.
‘How dare you taint my Academy, my daughter!’ Another kick.
Annev collapsed, vomiting up the water he’d just drunk.
Tosan crouched beside him. ‘I remember killing your parents, Tuor and Aegen. She was a keokum, too, wasn’t she?’
Annev coughed in response, strings of saliva dribbling from his lips.
‘I should have guessed.’ Tosan grabbed a fistful of Annev’s hair, pulling him closer. ‘I know your secret now. The priest has been hiding you all this time – a keokum, in my house. Promised to my daughter. Training in my Academy.’ He shoved Annev away, his voice cold. ‘I had the priest brought to the village square. He’s there right now. Tied up. Waiting for us. You will die together.’
Annev slowly turned his head until he was looking the ancient full in the face. His eyes burned with an intensity that overrode the pain he felt, and he brought all his anger and frustration to bear, remembering the ills he had suffered at the Academy’s hands.
‘I know your secret too, Tosan,’ Annev hissed. ‘I found your book … I’m not the only one who’s been hiding their magic.’
The ancient recoiled as if he’d been hit and snapped a look at Kenton. The boy shook his head, and Tosan slapped Annev in the face again.
‘Liar!’ He sputtered as footsteps pounded down the hall. He raised his hand again then stopped when someone banged on the opposite side of the iron door.
‘Elder Tosan!’ Carbad shouted. ‘Elder Tosan! Chaenbalu is under attack!’
Chapter Sixty-Four
Kenton yanked the door open. Master Carbad stood there, panting.
‘Men,’ he said in between breaths. ‘Metal … twisted … horrible.’
‘Speak up! Who is attacking the village?’
Carbad shook his head. ‘Monsters. Demons made of metal.’
‘Made of metal?’ Tosan’s eyes bulged and he glared at Annev. ‘Is this your doing? Did you bring the feurog with you? Are you in league with that witch Kelga? Is she still alive?’
Annev shook his head, though his stomach had lurched hard at Carbad’s words.
How could they enter the village? He thought frantically. Could they have followed me? Sodar said we were protected …
‘The masters are fighting as best they can, but the villagers are being torn to pieces.’
‘Bring everyone inside the Academy. We’ll lock—’
‘They are inside the Academy!’ Carbad shouted, his calm shattered.
‘What?’ The headmaster looked dazed.
Narach appeared at Carbad’s elbow, his spindly frame comical in his oversized nightshirt. ‘What’s all the shouting?’ he complained. He peered over Carbad’s shoulder. ‘Is the Son of Keos loose?’
Tosan ignored him. ‘Master Carbad, find and protect Myjun. Understood?’
‘Where are you going?’
‘To put an end to this,’ the headmaster said, his tone dark and unyielding. Carbad wheeled round and sprinted back down the hallway. Tosan turned to Kenton.
‘Master Kenton, you will guard this cell. If the keokum tries to escape, kill him.’
‘Yes, Elder Tosan.’
‘Master Narach, we will fetch the hellfire wand.’
‘The hellfire wand?’ Narach’s wrinkled face puckered. ‘Fighting demons with demon magic? No good will come of it. And that one’s a dark rod, only keokum can use it.’
‘The rod, Narach!’ Tosan shouted. ‘Now!’
The Master of Secrets backed away from the door, his head bobbing. ‘At once, Elder Tosan.’ He fled and Tosan shot Annev a hate-filled glare as he too left the cell.
Kenton stopped halfway out and looked back at the naked boy on the floor, a puddle of sick pooling around him. He jangled the ring of keys in his hand. ‘If Myjun is hurt,’ he said through gritted teeth, ‘I will tear out your throat with my bare hands.’
Annev met his glower, his own rage slowly bubbling to the surface. ‘You’ve always hated me … because she chose me.’
‘She loved me!’ Kenton roared, stepping back into the cell. ‘She loved me first. And you know why that changed?’ He gestured at his scar. ‘Because of this. Because of your stupid friend Titus!’