Moral Stand (Aether’s Revival Book 7)

Gregory let his resonance flow, then pulled it in like a cloak, tightening it around himself. There were many different branches of the paths to work on, and he did his best to rotate through them. Today was learning to exude and constrict his resonance— the bonus was that he could work on it while thinking about what his foresight had shown him.

Answers about the assassin were not going to be forthcoming; Magus Artok would summon him after breakfast and explain that he’d killed the man. There was no future where he got a clear answer from Artok, leaving him with the choice of pressing for nothing or accepting and building goodwill. It rankled Gregory that he’d be stonewalled by the magus, but short of full conflict, there was nothing to be done.

The man was a paid assassin, Gregory thought as he again let his resonance fill the room. Those aren’t cheap, and this man was a professional. If it’d just been some drunk, it could be anyone who hired him, but with the skill and planning, it points to someone with power or wealth. The only one I’ve upset to that degree up here is Chainer and his family, though it could be the Eternal Flame trying to distance their involvement, too. There was nothing obvious to decide the matter for him. If Artok knows something and is just refusing to share, it’s so he can profit from it. Either of those options would be grateful to not have their connection with the attack come to light… Wait and see is all I can do… Gregory set the matter aside; he’d be dealing with it later, anyway.

The fourth bell rang, and Gregory held his aether close to his body. It wasn’t ideal, but it was the first step of pulling aether back far enough to be undetected. Stretching as he got up, Gregory was soon out of his room, greeting the others.

“Are you going to get answers about the attack today, sir?” Davis asked as they headed downstairs.

“Yes and no,” Gregory said. “Artok ‘accidentally’ killed the would-be assassin. He doesn’t share anything about what he did find out before then, either. My only path forward is to let him have his way. Maybe it’ll engender more goodwill.”

“He wasn’t part of it, was he?”

“Not that I can tell without pushing. Either an old enemy has moved or a new one has made a play. There’s nothing I can do about it right now.”

“Besides being cautious in the towns,” Rafiq added.

“True enough, Rafiq. I’ll be summoned shortly after breakfast for Artok to stonewall me. I’ll be back around midday if you’d like to spar with me, Rafiq. I want to press my resonance a little by dodging your infused attacks while attacking in turn.”

“That’s fine, Greg. I’m to use my aether to block your attacks when I can?”

“Yes.”

“Sir, if you’re going to spar in the yard, the men would probably want to join,” Davis said.

“Let them know,” Gregory said. “Basal, Hanz, I’ll help you both, too. A half-hour for each of you unarmed, then another half with weapons.”

“Thank you, sir!” the boys smiled.

Gregory went to say good morning to Barny and the others. Thera was at the small table in the back of the room, looking dejected. “Good morning, everyone.”

The greeting was returned by everyone, but Thera’s reply was subdued.

“What’s the trouble?” Gregory asked.

“She blames herself for the attack,” Dot said.

“Thinks it was Chainer, upset at what you did,” Polka added.

“We’ve tried to cheer her up,” Barny shrugged.

Thera hunched in a little on herself, but didn’t say anything.

Gregory walked across the kitchen, taking the other seat at the table. “No.”

Thera’s brow furrowed slightly. After a moment, she looked up, puzzled. “No?”

“It’s not your fault,” Gregory said. “Even if it was Chainer, it would’ve been because of what I did, not you. There’s no saying it was him— it might’ve been the Eternal Flame. Gods know they hate me enough to try this.”

“Wouldn’t they send a magi?” Dot asked.

“Magi are tricky,” Polka disagreed. “Sending a non-magi would help hide it.”

“They might do either, or it might not have been them,” Gregory said.

“But—” Thera began, stopping when Gregory held up a hand.

“No. Like I said, even if it was Chainer, it wasn’t your fault. I would’ve done the same no matter who’d been beside me that day. The only difference is that I bought you. I might not have done that for another slave.”

Thera’s head tilted slightly. “You wouldn’t have?”

“I might have, but not as certainly. You weren’t broken by the system. You did what you needed to, but I saw the fire in your eyes. I wasn’t going to let you stay there and have that spirit snuffed out.”

Thera bowed her head. “Chainer might’ve been angry enough because you forced him to sell me.”

“I’d think, if it was Chainer, that it would be because I basically handed him over to Artok. The magus has shown me that he’ll break laws if he can be paid for it. The broken laws he had over Chainer would’ve meant a large bribe payment. I know there was a pay-off— Chainer wasn’t arrested, nor was the Golden Collar closed. So no, I don’t think it’s your fault.”

Thera swallowed as she stared at the table for a moment; Gregory had flipped every argument she’d had in mind, and his logic made perfect sense. She exhaled as she let go of her self-inflicted blame. “Alright…”

“Good. Next time, don’t shut out your friends. Dot, Polka, and Barny were all here trying to help. You’re not isolated and alone. You have people around who care and want to help.”

“Like we told you,” Polka said.

“We might’ve been born into slavery in the empire instead of free in the north, Thera, but we still consider you a sister,” Dot added.

“We aren’t family, but we’ll be as close to that as you let us be,” Barny said.

Thera exhaled slowly before she stood up. “Sorry… Thank you.”

“Good,” Gregory said, getting up. “Have the room arrangements been okay?”

“Fine with me,” Barny snorted a laugh.

Polka blushed a little. “We’ve made it work, sir.”

“The walls aren’t that thick,” Dot coughed.

Thera laughed as she watched the others. “It’s fine, sir.”

Gregory blinked, as he hadn’t known that Polka and Barny had decided to share a room— he’d thought the three women had all been stuck together. “Oh… uh… good. Carry on.” His quick exit had some quiet laughter follow him out.

“He’s a good one,” Thera said softly.

“The best we’re ever likely to know,” Dot murmured. “Now that you’re up, you can help with de-shelling.”

Thera looked at the pot of boiled eggs. “That’s only fair.”

~*~*~

Gregory took his seat in Magus Artok’s study, accepting the tea from the maid. “Thank you, miss.”

The eurtik’s eyes went wide, but she stayed quiet as she bowed, quickly retreating to her spot by the door. Gregory didn’t comment further— he’d never heard her speak, so he was sure Artok had enforced silence on her. The last thing he wanted was for her to be punished.

Artok arrived a few minutes later, looking dour. “Pettit, thank you for coming.”

“I’m always honored to be invited into your home, Magus,” Gregory said, playing his part.

Artok’s lips compressed as he took his seat. “I have bad news, I’m afraid.”

“Should we table it until you’ve had some tea, then? Let’s not start the conversation with you being upset.”

Artok sat back, thrown off-kilter by Gregory’s demeanor. “Ah… yes. That will work for me.”

The maid swiftly had tea for Artok and refilled Gregory’s cup.

When Artok was reaching the end of his drink, he finally set it aside. “Thank you, Pettit. I was sure you’d want to jump straight into the assassin’s information.”

“He’s safely locked away with the commander,” Gregory said, playing dumb. “There’s no reason to rush for a man who isn’t going anywhere.”

“About that… I’m afraid to say I was a little too vigorous in my pursuit of information. The assassin died while I… inquired… as to the who and why.” The pause in his sentence was clearly so he could swap one word for another.

“He died?” Gregory asked, setting aside his own cup. “Did he divulge anything of importance?”

“Alas, no. I felt I was right on the cusp of breaking him for that information, when he… passed. As I said, I might’ve been a bit too vigorous in my questioning.”

“Pity. I’d hoped to find out if he was sent by the Eternal Flame or not.”

“The Eternal Flame?” Artok was taken aback.

“I embarrassed the grandson of Grandmaster Shun several times at the academy. The enmity between our clans is on the brink of conflict. I wouldn’t put it past them to arrange an assassin as a way to remove me and distance themselves from the act.”

“Speaking of,” Artok said slowly, “he did go on about how you continually dodged his arrows.”

“My report,” Gregory said, summoning one of the copies he’d made on the assassination attempt. “I need to hand the other to Commander Roberts. The long and short of it is that I caught a glimpse of him on the roof, then used my foresight to monitor why someone was up there. Lucky for me that I was a little paranoid.”

“Very lucky, indeed. Your entire year thus far has been marked by luck, or perhaps your magic. No other adept has made it this far into their time without a single fatality.”

“I’d say it’s a combination of both,” Gregory smiled. “Well, if he’s dead and no information about who was found, I have no recourse. The assassin died, at least.”

“You’re taking this remarkably well.”

Gregory glanced at the maid, then back to Artok. Seeing the look, the magus nodded and dismissed the maid, leaving just the two of them alone in the room.

“I’m sure you did your best, Magus. If he hinted at anything before he died, I just thought you might… wish to pursue it on your own.”

Artok barely twitched, but Gregory was looking for it and saw it. “Hmm… I see.”

“I will not ask my senior to do anything for me,” Gregory went on smoothly. “I’d merely ask for leeway later.”

Artok nodded slowly. “Very well, Pettit. Let us call it a favor owed.”

Gregory bowed in his seat. “Then we can set the matter to the side and mark it as completed.”

Artok stood. “Very well. Let me show you out.”

“Gladly. I still have to check on my men.”

“I’ve heard nothing about them,” Artok said as they left the study. “They’re remarkably well-behaved. Most men attached to a magi have had at least a few reports by now.”

“Well, they have incentives that most don’t.”

Artok thought Gregory was talking about Thera. “That’s true,” he chuckled.

“A little bit of sweet can curtail many problems,” Gregory said, staying with the truth while letting Artok continue to think differently.

“Most men will behave themselves for the right incentives.”

“Indeed, they will.”