Page 28 of Kingdom of Tomorrow (Book of Arden #1)

Follow the light and find life.

I waited on the pedestal for my connection to Cyrus to reactivate, tension mounting.

Waiting.

Too agitated to remain immobile, I disengaged the metal bars and paced in the POD.

Still waiting.

Hours passed. One after the other, soldiers completed their shifts and abandoned their cubbies, either shell shocked or jubilant. Foreboding stabbed me. Where was Cyrus?

Roman, Titus, Lark, and Jericho remained behind, engaged in major conflicts by the looks of it. Still I waited, not letting myself shout for help or demand answers. I needed to know Cyrus was okay.

Again and again my heart rate bypassed the threshold necessary to awaken his transmitter, but nothing happened. In desperation, I jogged in place. I wasn’t sure what to do, what to think.

Cheers resounded from the other PODs. I didn’t hear them, but I noticed the expressions and actions of the remaining lords- and ladies-in-training.

When Roman stripped out of his bodysuit, removed his accessories, and withdrew his card, I rushed to do the same.

We exited our PODs in unison, and I burst out, “Tell me what happened. Please.”

Roman grinned. “We mowed down the infected and captured eight glowers, that’s what!”

A confusing mix of relief and remorse assailed me. I wondered if Ember was among the prisoners. “Did you see Cy—the HP in your feed?”

“I caught a glimpse of him fighting John Victors one on one, but I didn’t witness the end result.

” Roman threw his arms around me, lifted me off my feet, and swung me in a circle.

“We just made history, baby! The most glowers captured during an inaugural training mission.” He set me down, ruffled my hair, and jogged to Lark, pretending to gobble up her neck while she laughed. “We’re going to celebrate so hard.”

“Those dead maddened were once human beings, and now they’ll never get a chance to recover,” Titus spat as he stalked past us.

That must be the reason for my remorse. If not for treatment, my own mother could’ve been among the masses too sick to realize her bloodlust came from an otherworldly disease.

“They were beyond treatment,” Roman called to the other lord-in-training’s back. “You’d do better sympathizing with the people those things enjoy killing.”

Titus raised a hand, flipping him off without looking back, and marched on. Roman huffed, and Lark whispered something in his ear, making him laugh again.

Though I wished to search for Cyrus, I knew it wasn’t my right.

Not knowing what else to do, I trailed the lovey-dovey couple to the counter, where we turned in our cards.

I was a total third wheel on the walk to a colossal common space, where a party already raged.

Members of my team mingled with knights and more-decorated barons, snacking, dancing, playing games, and discussing today’s adventures.

The words High Prince Dolion came up a lot, but only references to his fight with Mr. Victors.

A few lords and ladies fell asleep against the walls.

As I maneuvered through the crowd, wanting to be anywhere else, my stomach rumbled. What I wouldn’t give for more apple-and-fig tartlets. Or a doughnut. I hadn’t eaten all day.

Of course, the only food left on the tables was meal bars. Though disappointed, I snatched one. Better something than nothing.

Fatigue caught up to me after I swallowed the last bite, and I yawned. My eyelids were beginning to feel like sandpaper when I blinked. Though I searched, I didn’t find a safe, private spot to rest. No way I’d ever sleep out in the open.

Noticing Juniper standing alone in front of a statue, I closed the distance. “Hey.”

“Hey, Princess Panic.” She nodded, keeping her focus on the dinosaur man. The bubbly greeting conveyed only affection.

“Ooh la la. A title upgrade. I’ve really come up in the world. In school, I was merely referred to as Panic Girl.”

She snorted. “Please tell me you know something about these statues.”

“I was hoping you did.”

“I do, and I don’t. I skipped ahead in the archduke’s class, but details were vague at best. From what I gather, this statue represents a former king.”

Okay, that caught my attention. “Tell me more.”

Pointing to the base, where strange symbols were carved, she said, “I excel with languages, but this one is tricky. Some kind of mix between ancient Greek, Egyptian, and Norse. And yet, different.” She chewed on her bottom lip.

“If something as fierce as this creature stood no chance against the Madness, how are we supposed to win?”

“That’s a fair question to which I have no answer, only more questions,” I muttered, earning a second snort. I wondered what Ember might know about the guy.

“You’re the brave one.” Grinning, Juniper bumped my shoulder with her own. “You’re supposed to comfort me. Assure me we’ve got this.”

“We’ve got this?” I asked, and she grinned. “Honestly, before this conversation I thought we were winning.”

“Especially if the HP got John Victors off the streets.”

“Yes.” That would be a great thing. Wonderful. So why wasn’t I thrilled by the idea?

Find out the true purpose of Theirland.

My tension returned full force. So far, I’d seen nothing to suggest Soalians were the good guys and little to suggest Cured was evil. And yet, I remained unsettled.

“Juniper,” Jericho called behind us. “We celebrating or not?”

She glanced over her shoulder, waved, then gave me a half smile. “Gotta go. See you later, Ardie.” Off she raced before I could warn her about the sometimes-appealing, always-rotten Jericho Jones.

On my own, I shuffled around a corner and discovered a bench that overlooked a large window.

No one gathered nearby. Guess this was as private as I could get.

Easing down, I peered outside, on the lookout for flickers of light, wondering how many glowers were out there and what other purpose this world could possibly serve, other than containing the infected and mining pritis.

Cured didn’t mine the crystals, metals, or precious gems as well, so they weren’t after the treasure.

Unless there was another kind of treasure here.

Something more valuable than diamonds and gold.

I sat up straighter. That wasn’t a terrible idea.

“Well? What did you learn tonight?”

My gaze snapped up, my mind blanked, and my breath caught. Cyrus! He was alive. Relief propelled me to my feet. He towered before me, his arms crossed over his chest. Blood, dirt, and other things were splattered on him, and gashes marred his face and arms, but he wasn’t dead or hospitalized.

“Are you okay?” A bloodstained bandage covered his branded cheek.

“I told you there’d be an oral exam. What did you learn?” he asked again.

My pulse accelerated. “I learned you are incredibly skilled with a sword. And your fists. And guns, whips, and daggers.”

He rolled his eyes, drawing my attention to his long, long lashes. He motioned to the bench. We sat side by side, not touching but close, as if we were dating. Or at least building a friendship, what he’d claimed.

“Let’s hear what will help in your coming battles,” he said.

“For starters, you were right.”

“That admission was inevitable, but please, do continue. Tell me which of my wisdoms you found most accurate tonight.”

Easy. “Unless I get stronger, faster, and wiser, I’ll be a danger to myself and others. I need more practice, study, and practice. And yes, I mentioned practice twice, because it’s doubly important.”

A beat of silence lasted for an eternity. “Congratulations, Miss Roosa. Recognizing your weaknesses is necessary to overcoming them. Never take on a giant until you’ve defeated a bear.”

“I have no interest in taking on either, but I understand your metaphor. My weaknesses are the bear, and the maddened are the giant.”

“That works. For now.”

Hmm. What else could he have meant? “From this moment on, I will pour myself into improving.” I required lots and lots of seasoning. “You have my word.”

“Good. I’ll help you. You’ll spend your free time in special classes with me.”

“Yes, sir. Thank you, sir,” I said, meaning it with every fiber of my being. “And congratulations to you too. You survived a battle with the world’s most wanted criminal.”

He shrugged, as if the feat of the century were no big deal. “I captured him.”

Captured. Wow. “There was a girl in the garden with him.” Wait. “Please tell me you made it back with a berry.” The most important issue.

“Ember escaped,” he replied, and I ignored the little flicker of relief. “I didn’t arrive with a berry in hand. But I did lose my transmitters during the fight.”

Well, then. I had no use for mine. I removed both disks. He accepted them, and that was that. The last of our whispered conversations. And that was a good thing. Of course it was good. No longer would he clock every time he made my heart race. Which was far too often!

“I’m happy to say I held on to this.” He fished a small vial filled with soil from his pocket and passed it my way.

“For me?” I squealed, popping the cork and sniffing the earthy goodness.

Pleasure unfurled. No sourness or metallic twang.

Healthy. Excellent quality. Now this was a treasure worth guarding!

I could grow something in it, no problem.

“You sack of sugar! This is one of the most incredible gifts I’ve ever received.

” Maybe the HP and I were already friends.

He almost smiled. “Sack of sugar. Yes. That’s me.

” His attention returned to the window, and it wasn’t long before strain overtook him all over again.

Lines of tension branched from his eyes, and his lips pressed in a thin line.

He looked as if he carried the weight of the world on his shoulders and he could no longer hide it.

I didn’t have to wonder if something extra bad had occurred during his fight with John Victors.