Sleepers by Megg Jensen Page A

smiled and blew bubbles when I tickled his chin.
    My heart pounded, like it wanted to break out of my chest. I was leaving my only home and I could only hope Kellan would take me in. It wouldn’t be easy. Aric didn’t know I’d been spending my nights there, but he would know I’d been dismissed from the castle and he might get in trouble for harboring me. I wasn’t sure any place was safe.
    I left the room, not bothering to say goodbye to Albree. She didn’t say anything either. She was probably happy I’d left.
    As I walked through the castle halls, people whispered to each other while they eyed me. Word traveled quickly in a castle and I was the newest scandal. Well, not me, but I was connected to it. A casualty of Mags’ infidelity.
    The fire flickered in me, begging to be set free. My only instinct was to fight, but I restrained myself, knowing, once again, it wouldn’t help. If I got in trouble now, I’d be put in the dungeon with Mags and never have a chance of setting her free. If I could force myself to walk out of the castle without creating a scene, I’d be free to make my plans.
    I needed to get to Kellan. He’d said he had ideas for getting in the castle, ideas that revolved around my access to Mags. But now that I’d been banished, I wasn’t sure how I’d get close to the king again, close enough to kill him with my bare hands.
    I’d never been allowed to touch a weapon. Aric knew his place and only taught us hand-to-hand combat. He broke the rules by teaching us to fight, but kept us from being too deadly by withholding weapons training. Kellan carried weapons to and from the training grounds all day, but he only learned strategy. He’d never wielded a sword or a mace in practice or in battle. It was his job to learn strategy and bring it back to our people. But handling weapons, well, I wondered who was supposed to teach that to our people if we were supposed to be the links from the Fithians to the Dalagans. Maybe the Fithians didn’t want anyone to know how to fight.
    They were smart, using us as pawns in their war. If it weren’t for the Awakening, I would have gone on appreciating them. I never would have seriously wondered if they really had my best interests at heart. I shook my head, wondering how I’d been clueless for so long.
    Kellan, Bryden, and I weren’t allowed the same luxuries as the natives. We spent our days serving like many other Fithians, but at night, instead of being restful were spent learning about the war. Our teachers told us it was cultural training, but there were many nights I spent blanketed in a cold sweat from the nightmares I’d had about my own people.
    Their mysterious magic floated around in my dreams, destroying everything it touched. It was enough to make me fearful of returning home when I turned twenty, knowing if magic hadn’t been bled from them, I’d never be able to defend myself. Never be able to teach them about the wonders of the Fithians and how they saved us.
    I laughed at my naiveté. I’d believed them so easily, trusted them to care for me and protect me. Knowing the truth now, I couldn’t wait to destroy them. I didn’t understand how Bryden survived for so long and played along with the charade, and yet he still didn’t want them killed.
    Maybe his injury softened him, and not just his leg. I just couldn’t understand why he sympathized with them. Mags and her sons were the only Fithians worth loving and I would do anything for them. But everyone else just followed the king’s edicts, no matter how twisted.
    By the time I arrived at Aric’s house, it was nearly evening. They’d be done with their training, probably home cooking dinner. I took a deep breath before knocking on the door and steadied my hand. I’d have to face Aric sooner or later. Might as well know my fate now.
    I knocked and heard nothing but silence. The door opened just a crack and I saw Aric’s eyes and Kellan hovering behind him.
    “Lianne,” Aric