Chapter 76

After Arran and Darkfire left the Governor’s office, a servant escorted them to the guest quarters, which turned out to be an otherwise empty building with a handful of bedrooms, a dining room, a sitting room, and several bathrooms .

Once they arrived, several other servants brought them food and drinks, then departed, leaving the two of them alone in the dining room .

For some time, Arran and Darkfire sat in silence, eating their meals while drinking the Governor’s fine wines .

Finally, Darkfire spoke .

“You can use magic,” he said, a complicated expression on his face .

“I can,” Arran replied .

“You didn’t tell me . “

Even if Darkfire didn’t sound angry, Arran could hear some disappointment in his voice, and he knew Darkfire’s trust had been hurt by Arran’s failure to tell him earlier .

“I would have told you,” Arran said, “but we only just met, and with the Academy after me, I try not to show it too much . “

“No matter,” Darkfire said, his expression softening . With a slight grin, he added, “That fight of yours was truly something . That Shadowblood idiot didn’t know what hit him . “

Arran laughed, glad to change the subject . “I hadn’t expected it to go that far . I never thought he would actually try to kill me . “

“I’m afraid I’m to blame for that,” Darkfire said, looking uncomfortable . “They targeted you to get to me, and it almost cost you your life . “

Although Arran wanted to deny it, he knew it was true . Even if he didn’t blame Darkfire for what happened, the Shadowblood novices’ true target had almost certainly been Darkfire .

After a moment, Arran shrugged . “Whatever their reason, they got what they deserved . “

“And then some,” Darkfire said, laughing . “When you stomped on his knee, I think people could hear him scream even beyond the city walls . “

Arran winced at this . Although it had been the best decision in the heat of battle, he had not intended to be that ruthless .

“You’ve seen a lot of battle, I take it?” Darkfire asked .

“I have,” Arran answered honestly . “Ever since the Academy came after me, it’s been one battle after another . What about you?”

“I’ve been in a few fights,” Darkfire said, “though mostly against bandits and the like . I’ve never been up against real opponents . Not in real fights, at least . “

The answer surprised Arran . He had expected Darkfire to be a seasoned fighter, given the young man’s obvious skill .

Seeing Arran’s confounded look, Darkfire laughed .

“It’s not that I’ve avoided battle, I just never had many opportunities to fight outside of training,” he said . “I spent my youth in the Shadowflame Society, and after that, I moved here . Just about all good fighters I’ve met were Society members . “

“What about the Shadowbloods?” Arran asked .

“Loathsome though they are, they’d never attack a Society member,” Darkfire replied . “Not inside the borders, at least . “

“What about outside the borders?” Joining the Shadowflame Society would require Arran to travel beyond the Empire’s borders, and he felt some worry about what could happen there .

A thoughtful look appeared on Darkfire’s face . “I suppose things will be different there . Many initiates and novices disappear beyond the borders every year, and there’s little anyone can do to find out who’s responsible . “

The answer did little to ease Arran’s worries, but the wine proved to be more effective . They spent several hours drinking and talking, until they had all but forgotten about the day’s events .

When they finally went to bed, it was well past midnight, and Arran had barely fallen asleep when a loud banging sounded on his door .

“Time to wake up!” a voice sounded, followed by more banging on the door .

Arran rubbed his eyes, then called out, “Who is it?”

The door opened, and briefly, Arran saw only a broad-shouldered silhouette standing in the doorway . When his eyes finally adjusted to the light, he saw that it was Captain Xiao .

“Get dressed! We’re leaving in half an hour!”

Seeing that Arran was well and truly awake, Captain Xiao moved on, leaving him to drag his weary body from the bed .

Although the fight the day before hadn’t been too bad — as far as fights went, at least — his body was still sore, and his shoulder still injured . Even if the injury was a minor one, he wished he had more time to rest and allow it to heal . Yet clearly, rest and healing would have to wait .

After Arran got dressed, he headed to the sitting room, where he found Captain Xiao and a sleepy-looking Darkfire . He greeted Darkfire with a nod, then turned to Captain Xiao .

“We’re leaving already?”

“The two of you can eat first, but I want to be out of the city a good two hours before sunrise,” the big man said . “This time of morning, there’s few prying eyes . And after yesterday, I figure the fewer people who know where you are, the better . “

They ate quickly, and before long, Arran and Darkfire were following Captain Xiao along the dark city streets, the three of them all covered in gray cloaks . When Arran remarked that the cloaks only made them look more suspicious, Captain Xiao laughed .

“The city is filled with suspicious people,” he said . “What matters is that they don’t know which of them we are . “

As Captain Xiao had said, they left the city a good two hours before sunrise, and by first light, they were already several miles away . Even if the man had not seemed especially nervous earlier, Arran could see that Captain Xiao’s became more relaxed as they put distance between them and the city .

The journey took them several uneventful days, and eventually, they arrived at an estate that was surrounded by farmlands . Although Governor Eddarin had said the estate was small, to Arran’s eyes it looked quite large, with several buildings surrounding a sizable courtyard .

“This is it,” Captain Xiao said when they arrived . “I’ll be leaving you here, but there are half a dozen servants who can help if you need anything . “

After they said their goodbyes it wasn’t long before Captain Xiao departed again, leaving Arran and Darkfire behind at the estate .

They settled in quickly, each of them picking an empty room in the main building . The rooms were simple but luxurious, as if they had been decorated according to a wealthy official’s idea of what a farmhouse should look like .

Once they finished picking rooms, they explored the area surrounding the buildings . It was mostly empty farmland, with a small vineyard and a few acres of rocky hills .

Altogether, it was a pleasant if somewhat dull place — perfect as a temporary hideout, even if Arran would prefer not to stay there for too long .

That night, Arran and Darkfire sat together in the sitting room, drinking wine as they talked about the city and the Shadowflame Society .

As they talked, an idea entered Arran’s mind .

“You have a Realm, right?” he asked .

“I do,” Darkfire said, the topic bringing a gloomy look to his face . “I just never managed to open it . I tried for several years, but I never succeeded in even finding it . “

Arran hesitated, but only for a moment . “I think I can help,” he said .