Chapter 22

"Do they think me honorless?" Dane asked. He felt like spitting. He did not often feel that way, if ever. "I will not touch a hair on the head of a mundane person."

[Our diviners have confirmed that she is challenging the First Nightmare at this very moment] Lancel informed.

Kill the descendant of the first Saint and first Master…the thought made Dane bitter. It was a desecration of every single struggle of humanity in the face of the Nightmare Spell. But did he need to obey? Probably…or there would be bitter consequences depending on who issued the order.

Dane asked him, "Who ordered it?"

[The Queen herself]

Shit. His eyes settled on the two guests. "Is it wise? Discussing this in front of them? No offense."

Nova remained silent, finally electing to take a plate of food. Nolan just shrugged.

[Hearing this conversation is necessary for them. I'll tell you why I took them as wards now]

Nova paused, her eyes turning a shade sharper. So they didn't know either. Lancel started dictating to his communicator again, his voice low and gloomy.

[Nephis will by no means be an easy opponent to kill. She is all that remains of the Immortal Flame, and the pressure placed on her by the blood that flows through her veins has likely turned her into a monster of battle. And there is the Dream Realm itself…

Dane, should you die in the Dream Realm - the Gray Gust would be left without an heir. I have taken these two descendants of a fallen legacy clan vassal to the House of Night so that our legacy remains, with either becoming the next heir. Furthermore, I can not pledge my loyalty to the Queen any further. Nova and Nolan shall be valuable in gaining the trust of House of Night. At the opportune moment, we will leave Song and join them]

Dane nodded absentmindedly. His whole world was coming undone. His sister was murdered by their liege lords. He had been ordered, not asked, to murder a product of humanity's greatest struggles, and now they were to risk destroying the entire legacy of their family. His uncle had already started preparing for his death. Dane felt as if a mountain was weighing down on his shoulders. He looked at his new cousins with pity. To be adopted into a clan that was close to falling. He sighed.

"In that case, do I need to murder the girl? I can just let her go," he suggested.

[You can. I am not keen on this 'mission' either. I see it for what it is. They see us as slowly rusting tools and wish to make one last use of us before they dispose of us.]

Dane wiped the cold sweat off of his forehead. Something churned inside of him. There was anger, betrayal, a sense of doom, but this was something else. All his life, the great and mighty clan Song had boasted of honor, trust, nobility, and loyalty. Yet, this was what they had done. Hypocrites. The feeling stung worse than everything else. Everything he believed in was turning out to be a lie.

[Dane. If you can help it, stay in the Dream Realm for as long as possible. Saturate your core, grow your skill, and get a better feel for battle. We will need every ounce of strength we can get]

Yes, they would. He pricked a grape with his fork. "We need to get more Awakened serving us, uncle. We've already lost many, and Eliana, of course. Start responding to more Nightmare Gates. Paint a good picture of us in the eyes of the masses. The more Awakened we can attract and the support we have, the better."

[We must be careful with whom we recruit]

Dane agreed wholeheartedly. "Find people with good personalities. People with anger issues and other problems that could cause problems in public will only be liabilities." There were other concerns as well. "Song might also try to infiltrate our ranks."

Lancel smiled slightly.

[You're already starting to act like a lord]

In the fearful atmosphere, the statement burst the bubble of tension. Dane faltered, and he chuckled. Lancel's laugh was fuller. Nova and Nolan smiled awkwardly, unsure of what to say.

Lancel shook his head and resumed eating. Nolan tried making small talk as they ate, asking questions here and there. Lancel even stopped eating to transmit one of them to Dane.

"Will we learn your clan's legacy art?" he had asked.

Lancel replied, "Yes. You will both learn the battle art of the late Master Bastien. Nova will learn first since she is a sleeper already. You must refine your basics further."

Lancel said something to the boy, not sending it in a text message. Nolan looked at him with his gray eyes, smiling gratefully. Dane needed only one look at his uncle's sorry yet mischievous smile to understand that he had pawned off the boy's training to him.

Dane looked at Nova. "How long have you been a Sleeper?"

[Three months] Lancel transmitted for him as she spoke.

Three months. Enough to get used to an ability. "What is your ability?"

[She can distort the size of things]

"Can I see?" he asked.

The girl nodded and touched a loaf of bread. The bread doubled in length, leaving Dane incredulous. Lancel explained further.

Her ability only worked on non-living things that she was touching. It could only add or remove size in a single direction, and the object had to be smaller than the size she could add or remove. His uncle said that she was adept at using her ability. For example, when she sparred with Lancel, she randomly changed the length of her weapon and armor to create protrusions to attack and defend.

A terrifyingly versatile ability, Dane thought. He almost shivered at the thought of getting closer to attack, only to find the opponent's blade twice as long and already embedded in his guts. He only hoped that his ability was as good. It was from a Divine Aspect, so it must have been, right?

When he had finished eating, Lancel stood up.

[You must leave for the Academy today. Nephis will be there, most likely. Just come back if she isn't]

Dane got up, nodding to his new family members who were still eating.

[Come, let's get you some memories. Maybe Lian has something that can help with your flaw]