Rise of Legends (The Kin of Kings Book 2) Read Free Page A

detained and questioned, but you will live. If you do not take this opportunity now, you’ll be killed without a trial when you’re discovered—and you will be discovered. Come down here now!”
    Murmurs arose as people turned their heads to look around, Cleve and Steffen joining in. He heard Steffen whisper, “Please come out.”
    Terren repeated his demand a few more times but got no response except for the murmuring of the crowd.
    “Fine,” Terren concluded. “There’s no point in questioning loyalty, because whoever is responsible for the deaths of our comrades is able to lie to our psychics without detection. I’m adding two new rules. The first is that no one is to go anywhere alone. The second is that everyone is to stay inside their houses at night. Chamber pots are being distributed in case you need to relieve yourself. These rules don’t mean you should worry. They’re being put in place so you don’t have to worry about more deaths.
    “Battle training will continue, but if you need to speak to an instructor about anything, we’re here to help you. We’re prepared for any battle. It might not seem this way to some of you, probably many of you first-years, but it’s the truth. There’s still much training to be done for all of you to reach your potential. But even if Abith Max returns tomorrow with twice as many men as before, we’ll still be standing when he gives the order to retreat.” As usual, Terren evoked applause with what seemed like an unplanned speech.
    Cleve didn’t want to wait for his next battle. The need for revenge made him hunger for it.
    Terren told them to get to battle training, and the stadium quickly cleared.
    The person Cleve wanted to talk to most about this whole thing was Alex. He would know the right words to encompass everything Cleve was feeling.
    I’ll never speak to him again.
    This was the wrong way to think about death, Cleve knew, but he couldn’t help it.
    Grief had seemed permanent to Cleve when he lost his parents. It made the present feel like the future. “Right now” became “eternity.” He spent years believing he would never be happy again. The death of his close friend threatened to pull him back to that state, but he was a stronger man now. He knew not to run from his feelings.
    So he let the pain come. It felt like a dagger wrenching his chest. As he continued toward the center of Warrior’s Field where Group One was to meet, he cried and ached at the loss of his friend, embracing these terrible feelings coursing through him.
    Raw with emotion, Cleve noticed his fellow warriors’ surprised looks as he wept openly, but he was not ashamed. They would understand when it came time for them to grieve, as everyone must eventually.
    He realized he wanted to see Alex’s body one last time. Someone needs to speak on his behalf. Something must be said about what kind of man he was.
    There’s time for that later , he reminded himself with some relief.
    Their instructor, Sneary, arrived and yelled for the warriors to form a line. Cleve took a spot next to Sanya.
    “I didn’t know him for long,” she said, “but I’m going to miss him. I’m sorry he’s gone.”
    Cleve nodded, still too pained to speak.
    Sneary spoke in a low voice that boomed out from his slightly distended stomach. “Pay attention, Sanya. As the only first-year in this group, you’ll have to focus to learn everything that will be a review for the others here.”
    While Sneary lectured about the different formations and orders they were bound to hear during battle, Cleve found it difficult to keep from feeling dejected as his thoughts stayed on the missing member of their group. After a while, Sneary must’ve noticed that several other men were unable to focus as well, for he stopped abruptly and announced, “We’re spending the rest of the time before lunch doing team duels.”
    Cleve soon found relief in the much-needed distraction. Nothing in their training required more