Chapter 37
No one came to see him for the67Please respect copyright.PENANArgvhEx3akH
first day. Aside from some lukewarm water and moldy bread, he hadn’t had67Please respect copyright.PENANAReDqP0QEdd
anything to eat either. He spent his time curled in the corner allowing his67Please respect copyright.PENANA9ivij1lgUt
negative thoughts to control his mind. He thought about his failure at protecting67Please respect copyright.PENANAibp7oudQev
Malcolm that brought him to this place, forcing him on the run because he67Please respect copyright.PENANAxOvpmXBTf3
hadn’t been prepared. If they had taken a little more time to think about it,67Please respect copyright.PENANA3aTlQP2xCl
they should have been aware that there could have been another traitor amongst67Please respect copyright.PENANATNBILBraCQ
them. Cranton, the one who vetted all the servants, the closest to the king,67Please respect copyright.PENANAeoXu0dQQkd
and able to move unseen. There were clues, but they all ignored them.
Now his best friend, the one who67Please respect copyright.PENANAAF5NE61oK2
risked everything for him, might be in jail as well, or in trouble at the very67Please respect copyright.PENANASBg9LxmypA
least. He betrayed his vow all for the sake of friendship. At the very least he67Please respect copyright.PENANAS18tgGhy3p
could be removed from the Blades. At least he had someone to fall back on, if67Please respect copyright.PENANA1hGr0idtPs
this went south, Vander had no one. He didn’t even know where his grandfather67Please respect copyright.PENANAS4MfPntoV7
had gone and with no way to reach him, he had no one. The despair was too67Please respect copyright.PENANA3lx5OdLc1o
great, so he buried himself inside his own mind hoping that things would get67Please respect copyright.PENANAogZ4ORakhl
better.
The demon scraped against his mind67Please respect copyright.PENANA2LFatQ9gF6
begging to be released. He would make all those who hurt them suffer67Please respect copyright.PENANAa1LqZMKHwJ
unimaginable pain. He could start by removing their skin piece by piece until67Please respect copyright.PENANAF6cbMCHdYd
they passed out from the pain. Then he would carve out their organs with his67Please respect copyright.PENANA6AccEo9IOV
bare hands, not stopping even after the body died. Then they would be tossed to67Please respect copyright.PENANAlGGuJSEo79
the forest for the animals to have their fill. He begged, pleaded and67Please respect copyright.PENANAmMMnd7z7P3
threatened, but if there was hope, Vander would not give in. No matter how much67Please respect copyright.PENANA7EV3cQvLsz
he wanted to.
He wasn’t sure how long it had67Please respect copyright.PENANAQgzp1iIN90
been, but eventually he heard the door open. Based on the sounds their feet67Please respect copyright.PENANATkC7QDXKpF
made, there were four people coming down to see him. None of them, except one,67Please respect copyright.PENANAkvj96FIbPE
was wearing armor. He recognized her scent clearly compared to the others.67Please respect copyright.PENANAMOP8vBUU0M
According to the book, and her, the two of them were bonded. Despite knowing67Please respect copyright.PENANAIZ9SPHfecD
nothing about her, he didn’t want her to see him like this so he hid closer to67Please respect copyright.PENANAOWARZxK40l
the shadows hoping it would be enough. It wasn’t.
“Come out, Vander.” Her voice was67Please respect copyright.PENANA9jyJnhLrFg
soft, full of warmth. He felt the presence of Atza beckoning him, pushing the67Please respect copyright.PENANA1cHZyLNs3I
demon further into the recesses of his mind. He looked over to see her kind67Please respect copyright.PENANAjWKZkcSAL4
expression staring at him without hate or malice. In the face she looked67Please respect copyright.PENANAFBcdx0u8UF
worried. Her eyes were sunken in. Her normally glossy hair hung loose around67Please respect copyright.PENANAGQuKuTlKEo
her face. In the three months he had been missing, she lost quite a bit of67Please respect copyright.PENANAqVX9288hcJ
weight.
The others she was with didn’t67Please respect copyright.PENANAPqAbluAxas
really surprise him except Whitesun was there. He had no idea why the southern67Please respect copyright.PENANAaHDVR3KopF
warden was there to see him, but he couldn’t think of any good reasons. Maybe67Please respect copyright.PENANAUAxk7VmXTK
the council had finally made their judgement.
“Have you decided what you were67Please respect copyright.PENANA8XnRNZuD1a
going to do with me?” Vander asked. He looked over at Cuvera who met his stare67Please respect copyright.PENANAqSPuH86IjI
with his own.
“The council is split.” Cuvera67Please respect copyright.PENANAZ7IR1lX7ki
explained. “There are many who don’t believe you capable of killing my father,67Please respect copyright.PENANA0ydqraeGnu
but they also don’t believe that Peyton would have been capable either. Then67Please respect copyright.PENANArlGUZ8DsW8
there are those who think you did do it, and nothing would convince them67Please respect copyright.PENANAVA9MTjXU5O
otherwise.”
“Not once did we doubt you,67Please respect copyright.PENANAVzkerMzRZN
Vander.” Kiara’s voice was kind. “We were hurt that you felt you couldn’t stay67Please respect copyright.PENANAyp5LOxhXL6
and plead your case, but based on the considerable resources that were spent to67Please respect copyright.PENANAHTslAcPWJw
track you down, as well as the venomous rhetoric that was spread against you,67Please respect copyright.PENANASGpLdcPA2c
it ended up being for the best. You wouldn’t be safe here, not with the67Please respect copyright.PENANARCtOzr9lKp
influence many of the nobles have in the city.”
“Then why am I still locked up?”67Please respect copyright.PENANA1I5Je4CA04
he asked. “If you believe me, why keep me here?”
“Because we can’t release you67Please respect copyright.PENANAGov27cYjwv
without proof that Peyton killed my father.” Cuvera explained. “As it stands67Please respect copyright.PENANAjiBugUtUdc
it’s your word against his and he has more sway amongst the nobles. I know67Please respect copyright.PENANAbH4S9x4G8Z
you’re innocent, but they know that I would protect you because we are practically67Please respect copyright.PENANARZOAWCxdFE
brothers.”
“How do you know I’m innocent?”67Please respect copyright.PENANAquvioc05YJ
Vander countered. “I could be the monster they think I am.”
“Vander!” Eliza gasped. “Don’t say67Please respect copyright.PENANA93zk4Y0UcT
things like that.”
“I know because I saw what67Please respect copyright.PENANA8bzNGJTPYj
happened.” Cuvera sighed. “A week after my father died, the ceremony to take67Please respect copyright.PENANAekbAKxEfi6
the shard of Humjir into me was performed. I saw everything leading up to his67Please respect copyright.PENANAeUbhsaeqlL
final moments, including him telling you to run with his dying breath. I’ve67Please respect copyright.PENANAC1v7qrZDLZ
known him for months, but Peyton has the power now that my father’s gone. I67Please respect copyright.PENANAIYvkdVnFXv
can’t do a thing.”
“However, I do.” Whitesun spoke67Please respect copyright.PENANA6uZLUJqogO
softly. “Even though I am the farthest of all the Warden’s from the city,67Please respect copyright.PENANAQdKibXgvwr
Malcolm and I were good friends. I believe you Vander. I think you are a kind67Please respect copyright.PENANAprWGFZggDW
soul despite the stigma surrounding you, I can help you.”
“How?” Vander stared at the man, a67Please respect copyright.PENANAPboJMANFyd
stranger. He couldn’t quite believe someone would be willing to help him just67Please respect copyright.PENANAyrQzUYFAzC
for no reason. There had to be another motive, but he would be damned if he67Please respect copyright.PENANAlr6G088NDy
could think of one.
“You let me worry about that.”67Please respect copyright.PENANASMJJXvGYF3
Whitesun held out his hand through the bars. Vander studied it for a moment67Please respect copyright.PENANA696y8gs6Bb
before accepting it. The two of them held hands for a few minutes past what67Please respect copyright.PENANAccOdkwupcI
Vander was comfortable with, but before he could say anything, Whitesun let his67Please respect copyright.PENANAGdTnroVDIh
hand go. “I wanted to see what kind of person you were, Captain.”
“What have you discovered,67Please respect copyright.PENANA6R0afoly24
Warden?” Vander bit back.
“You are a principled man devoted67Please respect copyright.PENANAIrJk5OreG5
to your goal of protecting those you love.” Whitesun smiled. “There is no way67Please respect copyright.PENANAx48hWrugCC
you would have killed your surrogate father, no matter what may have happened67Please respect copyright.PENANA7T6KqSIrOV
between the two of you.”
“You gained all that from shaking67Please respect copyright.PENANAQv7fxoadkO
my hand?” Vander shook his head. “Excuse me if I don’t believe you.”
“No,” Whitesun laughed. “I got67Please respect copyright.PENANAQsLhwLJi5m
that from talking to your friends. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have some damage67Please respect copyright.PENANARM7VYiNEYT
control to do.” With that he excused himself by heading back up the stairs.
“If anyone can help you, it’s67Please respect copyright.PENANA8BJmlahIHE
Malakai.” Cuvera smiled. “You protected us from the Serpents, now allow us to67Please respect copyright.PENANADTYf33H49R
help you.”
“Thank you.” Vander embraced his67Please respect copyright.PENANA1TdJkGez6x
friend, though it wasn’t complete due to the bar standing between the two of67Please respect copyright.PENANAEvftfKGFNL
them. “After this is done, I will devote my sword to you and you are alone.”
“To us, Vander.” Cuvera wrapped a67Please respect copyright.PENANAKvUyUE2bsm
possessive arm around his wife. “And our child who we are going to name for my67Please respect copyright.PENANAgEgC9oOfZt
father and your grandfather: Malcolm Charles Elan.”
“Or Mary Charlie Elan.” Kiara67Please respect copyright.PENANA0pof6lYRK3
interrupted. “If it’s a girl.”
“Either way, we want you to be its67Please respect copyright.PENANAQMEY7M1c72
guard parent if anything were to happen to us.” Cuvera smiled. “Both you and67Please respect copyright.PENANA8z9WHf7Xxe
Eliza, even though she already agreed.” Vander was touched, but he knew that67Please respect copyright.PENANAnBaL7aVTKA
there was still a lot of work to be done before that would become a reality.67Please respect copyright.PENANAAW0KTVepaj
Starting with him being released.
“Provided I am released, I will.”
“Excellent.” Cuvera grinned, but67Please respect copyright.PENANARLPIZfQlMo
after a moment, he became a little more serious. “I need you tell me everything67Please respect copyright.PENANAd6R8VoqhX4
you can about this assassin who killed Humi. If someone this dangerous is in my67Please respect copyright.PENANADeT3uLEKSm
city, I need to know everything I can about them.”
“I didn’t know about them until my67Please respect copyright.PENANAP04zUC4ksi
attack on the Green Serpent base.” Vander explained. “I found a handwritten67Please respect copyright.PENANAlIMhpLyJ4R
note that said that someone known as Fang was coming after me. I assumed they67Please respect copyright.PENANAJLzU3986f9
didn’t know where I was because I didn’t end up with a knife in my side while I67Please respect copyright.PENANAF2lMyg7wC4
slept. They must have picked me up somewhere then waited until I was distracted67Please respect copyright.PENANAb32vFFFDLo
before coming after me. If it hadn’t been for Humi there was a chance, I would67Please respect copyright.PENANAGCC1KbU66w
be killed.”
“Any idea who they were?” Vander67Please respect copyright.PENANAk3jtYgnKEY
shook his head.
“None, they wore both a mask and a67Please respect copyright.PENANAHkoF7wYkpH
hood.” He explained. “However, they infiltrated a space that was protected by67Please respect copyright.PENANAk7SPl6jrIl
Humjir’s ability. Which,” he glared at Cuvera. “How is that possible? I thought67Please respect copyright.PENANAU0iqrype8f
only Malcolm, and now you, could use those powers?”
“It’s complicated, I don’t truly67Please respect copyright.PENANArhypBtMaJW
understand it myself.” Kiara placed her hand on Cuvera’s shoulder then67Please respect copyright.PENANACDdheh4TIu
whispered in his ear. “I’m sorry, but Kiara is tired. We must go but worry not.67Please respect copyright.PENANAzF1YYCnMhd
We will get you out of this.”
“Are you going to stay?” He looked67Please respect copyright.PENANADN28ObhvWN
at Eliza. He didn’t know why, but he really didn’t want her to leave.
“Of course.” She grinned, holding67Please respect copyright.PENANAJ5GfEcrJpK
up the cell keys. “I can’t let you out, but I can go in.” she placed the key67Please respect copyright.PENANAaWU64PEtVt
inside the lock and turned it. The door popped open, so she allowed herself67Please respect copyright.PENANA20nP6iqSSJ
inside.
“I’ll come to let you out in the67Please respect copyright.PENANA4kcGUhjqiF
morning.” Cuvera held his hand out for the keys, which she returned. “Enjoy67Please respect copyright.PENANAW6LW6M11Hn
yourself.” With that, Cuvera and Kiara left the room leaving the two of them67Please respect copyright.PENANAFrJSwtAVQq
together. For the first time in a long time, Vander felt tongue tied. He didn’t67Please respect copyright.PENANASHYNMNIbSm
know what to do.
“Sit down.” Eliza sighed. “You67Please respect copyright.PENANARE6cFiW2mY
look like you’re about to fall over.” She sat down against the wall then patted67Please respect copyright.PENANAARdz1ky0Vf
the open spot next to her. Not sure what he should do, he sat down next to her,67Please respect copyright.PENANAHDUUIuFrHS
but made sure none of his body touched her. “Am I that repulsive that you won’t67Please respect copyright.PENANA2wSt8o6oLO
even touch me?” she sounded hurt.
“I’m sorry.” He spoke. “I’m just67Please respect copyright.PENANAexc6uCwYxo
scared. For some reason I get nervous around you, like I don’t want to67Please respect copyright.PENANA1ICOs9mo92
disappoint you. I’ve had plenty of partners, but this seems foreign to me.”
“I guess that’s to be expected.”67Please respect copyright.PENANAOube7iSjGG
Eliza smiled. “I’ve known about you ever since I was young, so I’ve been67Please respect copyright.PENANAy9BMD0MpE9
preparing for my entire life. But you just found out a couple of months ago and67Please respect copyright.PENANA63cZt3vk4X
we never got to spend any sort of time together. So, for now, how about we just67Please respect copyright.PENANAQYQkIoNAT8
get to know each other and let this occur naturally?”
“You’d be okay with that?”
“Of course.” She spoke. “You can67Please respect copyright.PENANA0sUNtcFo2i
be completely honest with me; I won’t judge you Vander.” He hesitated, but he67Please respect copyright.PENANA8yZwRtTQsG
didn’t feel any treachery in her words. It was time he became honest with67Please respect copyright.PENANA7OD5sA94iF
someone other than Shea. It was time for him to be vulnerable.
“Are you sure you can handle it?”67Please respect copyright.PENANA4Gs2NXHbh8
he smiled. “You’d be my first actual relationship since getting dumped by67Please respect copyright.PENANAjinekgYizg
someone I wanted to marry. She left me for prestige and for someone I hate.”
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“It’s her loss.” Eliza shrugged.67Please respect copyright.PENANAYwx2xe270Q
“But if you asked me too, I’d punch her in the face for you.” He laughed and it67Please respect copyright.PENANAVHXLLudOoT
was the first real laugh he had had since his best friend’s wedding. Perhaps,67Please respect copyright.PENANAsXwprJS9x9
just for tonight, everything would be alright.