Yin and Yang: A Fool's Beginning (28 page)

Yin snaps her hand
back before he can touch it
. “Nothing.
Nothing happened. It's fine. I just cut myself a little. But it was
pretty small, and it has healed already,” she says in the same
breath, her words a rambling mess.

“How?” Castor asks
.

“They made me fight
. . . I can't remember what they're called
. . . but they can make themselves go invisible. I just
. . . got sloppy and must have injured myself. I'm fine
though. It's healed. I found the best herbs in the infirmary and
they worked fast.”

“Illusionists,”
Castor says. He looks at me. “They're called illusionists. It
. . . surprises me they made you fight one.”

“Two,” she corrects,
her breath still quick and filled with nerves.

“Two,” he repeats. He
doesn't take his eyes off me as he adds, “you must have made quite
an impression if they requested you train with such . . .
merciless opponents.”

“It wasn't really a
request,” Yin notes as she hides her left hand behind her
back.

Castor nods.

He doesn't turn to
her once. He holds all of his attention for me
. “Well, I trust you aren't giving anyone trouble,” he says
quietly.

Yin looks powerfully
confused now as she bites her lip
. “I
. . . Castor?”

“I trust you will
also be more careful. Now, if you will excuse us, Captain Yang and
I need to discuss something with her Royal Highness Princess Mara,”
Castor nods at me.

I don’t return the move.

Instead I wait for him to tell Yin everything. That's
what he's going to do, right? That's what this whole strange
routine is in aid of.

Or is he trying to unsettle me further?

“I . . .
but . . . what's going on? When will I see you? Do I have
to stay here?” Yin begins, her words a torrent now. “I want to go
home,” she adds, her voice shaking so much it makes me shiver and
blink quickly.

I still don't shift my gaze off Castor though.

“You are no longer my
apprentice; I now work for Princess Mara. You are now at the
disposal of the Royal Army. You will never go home again,” he adds
as he turns from her.

She chokes, slamming a hand over her mouth as more
tears race down her cheeks.

“Study hard; the
Royal Army does not accept failure,” with that, Castor turns to the
shelf, selects a book, and hands it to her in a fluid, smooth move
that sees him barely stopping as he walks away.

For the first time I take my eyes off him and I watch
her.

With tears streaming down her face, she closes her
eyes and hugs the book close to her chest.

Torn between staying and following—even though I have
no reason to comfort her—I turn away and jog to reach Castor.

He doesn't stop, he doesn't look back—he marches for
the door.

I'm barely a step behind him, and I feel like I'm
walking in the wake of a tidal wave. Officers and soldiers move out
of his way wordlessly, and I see the reverence flashing in the
gazes.

There's no reverence in mine though. Just confusion
and repulsion.

Yin, despite her annoyances, didn't deserve that.

It's clear Castor is the closest thing to family she
has. Yet apart from his brief interest in her injury, he showed her
nothing but cold disdain.

I press a hand into my face, wiping it down my closed
eyes as I follow Castor silently into the hallway.

Again anyone in our path moves away without request.
I half start to wonder if the very walls would do it too if Castor
walked close enough to them.

It's as if nothing would dare get in his way.

“There's nothing she
can tell you,” Castor speaks as we enter an empty
hallway.

I don't answer, but I do shiver.

“She knows nothing of
my past.”

I don't speak. I walk a step behind him.

“Is it standard
practice to pit a recruit against illusionist assassins? Or is Garl
trying to send me a message?” Castor suddenly asks.

I blink back my surprise at his question.

He stops. Dead in the middle of an abandoned
corridor, he turns to me.

“I asked you a
question? Is Garl trying to send me a message?”

“Garl
. . .” I begin.

“Did they have
knives?” Castor changes the topic quickly.

“Sorry,
what?”

“The illusionist
assassins—did they carry knives. That’s what they usually carry.
That is how they kill so quickly and silently. Now, tell me, did
Garl arm them before he sent a woman against them? It sounds like
something he would do.”

I shake my
head
. “Garl is—”

“Ruthless. A man who
gets what he wants no matter the cost. Now answer my question. Is
that how she was injured? Defending herself from an armed enemy she
has never seen and has no training against. Unless things have
changed, it takes years before a soldier is ever pitted against an
illusionist—to do so early would lead only to injury or
death.”

“I . . .
don't know how she got cut. In fact . . . she's not even
injured,” I answer truthfully. I'm so flustered, I don't realize
what I've said until Castor's eyes lock on me.

“What are you talking
about?” he asks, and there's such a commanding quality to his voice
that it feels as if he's somehow wheedled his way into my
mind.

“Her hand is
uninjured. I don't know why she's wearing that bandage. I saw her
palm this morning—there's no cut.” Though I know I shouldn't be
speaking to him, no matter how hard I try, I can't stop.

It really is as if he's in my head.

He takes a step
closer to me, his expression darkening
.
“Tell me.”

“I . . .
heard from the soldiers attending the fight she was injured
badly—her left hand was covered in blood. But this morning, I could
see no sign of any cut. She tried to hide it from me, but her
bandage slipped off. She's hiding something,” I add.

I
. . . can't stop myself from speaking.

I try, with all my might I try, but I am being
compelled, and I can’t fight it.

Staring at him in
horror, I repeat
, “she's hiding
something.”

Castor shifts his
head to the side, a calculating look flashing in his
eyes
. “Let us return to the Princess,” he
says.

I blink, staggering
back
. “What . . . what did you
just do to me?” I say, my words a gargling jumble.

“Sorcerer, I told you
I would break you. I told you it would be easy. It is.” Castor
turns and walks away.

I stand there with a
hand hooked on the wall for support, breathing as hard and fast as
I can. With my chest pumping against my armor and sweat pouring
down my brow, I watch Castor get further away
. “Stop,” I manage through a wheeze. “Stop.” I push myself
up and command magic to burst over my hand.

It's cold. No, frozen. The feeling of it jumping out
of my body bleeds the emotion building within.

That cold certainty and comfort my magic has always
given me bolsters me now.

Castor slowly
turns
. “Whatever you say to Garl, it
won't matter. Whoever you tell, it won't matter. Nothing you do,
Captain Yang, will matter.”

I take up a defensive stance, the magic now gushing
down my arms as it whips faster and faster around my outstretched
hands. Despite the fact there is little light in this corridor, a
blue glow emanates from the center of my Arak band, illuminating my
arms in an eerie, cold fire.

“You're planning
something, and I am not going to let you get away with it,” I
manage as I draw in another cooling breath. As the magic builds
within, it keeps bleeding the feeling from me until I feel
numb.

Thankfully numb.

No more confusion, no more fear. Just nothing at
all.

Castor
smiles
. “I'll admit, you are very good. I
can feel your control even from here. Your connection to your Arak
device is strong. However, the spirit within is cold, leaving you
completely open to attack.”

“Try it,” I say
harshly. “I won't hold back,” I assure him in another
breath.

“I don't want you
to,” Castor exclaims.

I shift forward, my boots squeaking over the hard
stone floor as I fling myself at him.

Castor doesn't move as I send a powerful jet of magic
shooting right towards him.

He stands there and takes it.

He is not wearing armor, and unlike a sorcerer, can’t
summon his own magic to protect himself. Instead he shifts forward
slightly and lets my blow slam into the center of his unprotected
chest.

Immediately the move reminds me of what Yin did in
her first fight with Mae. Yet while Yin jumped and twisted and
rolled, flinging herself with violent force at Mae's attacks,
Castor barely shifts.

Yet, somehow, my jet of magic breaks against him.

I shift back, but I don't stay surprised for long.
Instead I swing forward with a violent move of my arm, and send
another powerful slice of magic shooting towards him. It's enough
to chop through a wall, and yet, as it reaches Castor, all it does
is cascade off his chest.

Letting out a grunt,
I move my whole body forward as I command all my magic, sending an
enormous wave of power towards him. It's enough to topple ten men,
yet Castor
. . . he walks right
through it.

It breaks around him, sparks rushing down the
corridor in great waves.

I rock back now, unable to contain my shock.

Castor takes the opportunity. Putting on a quick
burst of speed, he flips right over my head.

Just as I shift back to defend myself, he anchors a
hand on my neck and one on my arm. Then he muscles me to the ground
in a powerful move that I can’t resist. Pressing my head into the
stone, it's clear I've lost.

Trying to wrestle free, I can't. So I lie there,
waiting for him to do his worst.

He leans down close
to my ear
. “If you are to be her
guardian, you will need to learn to defend yourself better than
that.”

I shift back, but he
locks me in place all the harder and continues
, “if you wish to learn to fight, you must find the true
base of your power. Not what the army has taught you—the spirit of
magic. The fundamental base of the force your Arak band unleashes.
Until you know that, you will be useless to her.”

“I'll do whatever I
can to protect Mara,” I snap back.

“Hmm, Mara, yes, of
course,” he says distractedly. “But your best will not be good
enough. If I can beat you, they will be able to as
well.”

“. . .
Who?” I stop struggling, my head now turned to the side as I
breathe against the polished stone.

No matter how much I try to call on my magic, it will
not come.

“They'll come. This
age is ending sooner than I thought it would. They will come. With
the first drop of blood, they'll be called to her. Now, if you want
to fulfil your destiny, you must learn to fight.”

“I'll do whatever it
takes,” I say through bared teeth. “Now let me up.”

“Learn an espre
ritual, find your center,” Castor says. Then, without another word,
he steps away.

I push myself up immediately, backing away from him
and keeping my fists up as I watch him warily.

He raises an eyebrow and closes his eyes as if he's
bored by my act.

It doesn’t last.

The same fire I heard
in his voice returns to his expression as he takes a step
closer
. “Tell Garl if you please,” Castor
looks from my feet to my face, “but I would not trust that man if I
were you. His goals are not yours. Nor are his methods. If you were
to dig into his past, you would realize that, son of
Baqu.”

I shudder back. Up until that point, I'd been
determined to show no weakness, but now I can't hold it back.

“I trained your
father. In fact, he was the last person I trained before renouncing
the Royal Army and leaving for the mountains. You have a little of
him in you, but not enough,” he begins.

“Shut up,” I
snarl.

“To ruin you,” he
continues. “When I learnt who you were, I thought you'd be
irredeemable, but maybe I'm wrong. Maybe you can renounce your
origin and find your own path, after all.”

“My father was a good
man,” I spit, so emotional I'm actually shaking. My eyes are wide
and my lips jerk back and forth with every word.

“Your father was
worse than Garl. Now you have two options—you either learn from his
mistakes and walk away from his ways, or you embrace them. Do the
latter, and I'll kill you myself,” Castor warns.

“How dare you—” I
begin.

“If you dare do
anything to her, I will break you down, wall by wall, and watch you
drown under the torrent of emotion you've pushed back and denied
your whole life.”

I open my mouth. I'm full of hatred, disgust, and
fire, but just can't get it out. It's stuck in a growing ball right
between my chest and throat.

“Now. Learn. Go find
the true base of magic. Commit the ritual. You'll be useless to her
until you have,” Castor turns and walks away.

“I'll report you to
the General,” I manage, only able to speak once Castor's
overpowering presence is gone from my side.