“You cannot Cast in the Event,” Michael reminded him.
“I have beaten this House every year for the last three years, I didn’t need my Cast then and I don’t need it now.” Cord answered cockily.
“Aren’t you supposed to be humbler now that you’re Cast?” Michael grumbled as they approached Marcus’s rooms.
Cord laughed again, “Where’s the fun in that?”
Laughing still at Michael’s obvious discontent, Cord strode confidently up to the door and with no hesitation walked into Marcus’s rooms unannounced.
“You took your time,” Marcus grumbled as he set up the chess set. He looked up and stopped when he saw Michael. “Oh, I wasn’t expecting you.”
“What, I can’t witness an epic game of chess?” Michael replied easily as he headed to the low couch sitting under the window.
“No matter how much you watch a game, it doesn’t make you a player,” Cord chastised him. He took his usual seat at the table. “To be a Master, you need toplay.”
“You know I can’t, you know I lose in about five moves,” Michael grumbled.
“I know,” Cord grinned gleefully at him. “It pleases my soul to say it every time. The Heir of the great House Holt cannot play a simple game of chess.”
“Bite me,” Michael grumbled as he settled down to watch.
“Not appropriate,” Marcus grumbled, his stare hard on both of them. “Are you going to talk all night, or can we play?”
“We can play,” Cord bowed respectfully as he adjusted his robes.
“Good,” Marcus sat also, almost rubbing his hands with anticipation. “Oh, congratulations on attaining the robes. Knew you would choose Crimson.”
“You know I strive for neutrality in all things?” Cord’s natural mocking tone returned, the ease of a few moments ago forgotten.
“You? Neutral?” Marcus threw his head back and let out a loud laugh. “Never.”
Cord glanced enquiringly at Michael before looking at the Lycan. “Then how did you know I would choose Crimson?”
“Because you’re a contrary son of a Drakhyn and it would irritate all the Casts for you to be Crimson.” Marcus answered easily as Michael snorted with laughter.
“And it seems the first strike goes to Marcus,” Michael kicked his boots off as he got even more comfortable. “Who’s winning the second game?”
The Crimson Castor looked at the Lycan and the Lycan raised an eyebrow in challenge as he met his stare.
“I am,” they both answered at the same time. Michael’s laughter was loud in the room.
* * *
Tegan walked the perimeter again,her feet itching to go past the boundary, into andthroughthe trees and patrol the surrounding darkness not just these grounds. She had rejected the offer of accompaniment when the Lycan had asked her, she was fed up of his questions.Constantquestions. Instead she had presented herself at the Elite Sentinel’s Guard and handed them her authorisation papers. Tegan knew that the Principal Elder would have informed them of her new station, and she knew one or two of the Sentinels from her Trials.
They had barely looked at her. She was handed a pin depicting the shield and flame crest of all Sentinels but hers had black flames indicating that she was Elite. A silhouette of a grove of trees from long ago was also on the shield – letting Akrhyn know whose house she protected. A terse command to patrol the perimeter and familiarise herself with the grounds was given and she was dismissed. It had been comforting, this is what she wanted and had excepted. She knew that many of the Elite were aware of her age, her Trial times, her training. Tegan expected them to be distrustful of her. They also knewwhoseHouse she came from but more importantly, whose House shebelongedto. So, she had patrolled the perimeter, alone and slightly bored.
“It is quiet tonight?”
Tegan turned to find Salem behind her. “Not so quiet I didn’t hear you approach,” she dipped her head as was customary to greet the Principal Elder. “But yes, the woods, they aretooquiet.”
“You think there is Drakhyn in the woods?” Salem asked coming to stand beside her.
“There are always Drakhyn in the woods, even when you think you have killed them all, they spawn in ever increasing numbers.”
“Cynical,” Salem grunted, “but true.” He stood quietly beside her. “How long do you have on your patrol?”
Tegan commenced walking again as she glanced at the sky. “Two hours,” she answered.