Chapter Twenty-Three: Square One

Yue got back from her talk with Zade trying to hold in her excitement and nervousness. The Wolf was coming back in the evening, and she couldn’t wait. She didn’t want to keep leading the Vanguard with Kol and Yiro. But she also wanted to touch base with him, to ask him how they should restart the search for the murderer.

She was out of ideas, and she couldn’t exactly gather all her friends to discuss it. They really were back at square one, and Yue had no idea what to do anymore. If their search was still inconspicuous, they might have been able to try something, but Joanne’s arrest and subsequent release had warned the murderers they were looking for them.

She was pretty sure there was more than one murderer. She’d gone through all the soldiers who had watched her match with Diamond. Their alibi’s were pretty tight. She guessed the one good thing about this was that at least they knew who had watched her match. One of them still had to be a murderer. That bit was true.

Then technically, Joanne could still be the murderer.

Yue didn’t want to face Joanne right now. The girl had been ignoring Yue since she’d been released from prison. Yue felt bad for her but couldn’t do anything about it. Sometimes, Yue could see her glaring at her across a room or the green. Once, she saw Joanne look sad, but when Joanne saw her looking, her face changed. Yue didn’t know if she’d been imagining it or not. She hoped she hadn’t though. If Joanne really was sad, then there was hope.

She was in Neena’s room at the hospital again. Neena’s breathing was still shallow, the slow rising and falling of her chest the only way Yue could tell she wasn’t dead. She had been bleeding in the morning again. Yue held her hand, feeling her steady heartbeat. It was slower than normal, but at least it hadn’t stopped.

Neena’s face was gorgeous but pained. Her eyes closed in peace, but her mouth was turned down, as if in fear. Sometimes, Yue heard her whimper in her coma, and it scared Yue. She hoped Neena wasn’t in too much pain.

Neena’s long, beautiful golden locks covered a bit of her face, so Yue gently brushed them off.

“I hope you recover soon,” Yue whispered, “Please don’t leave.”

Neena didn’t respond.

“This is unhealthy,” A voice came from the door behind Yue. Yue turned to find the nurse standing behind her, arms crossed. Yue didn’t know her name. Her face was twisted in concern, but she still found a way to stare at Yue sternly.

“What’s unhealthy?” Yue asked.

“You being here so much,” The nurse responded, laying a hand on her. “You come here every day, and today you’ve been here at least three hours. You should go live your life. Staying here won’t make her get better. She’d want you to do something productive, dear.”

Yue bowed her head. “I know. But it’s hard. I feel like she’ll die if I’m not here.”

“You think I can’t take care of my patients?” The nurse teased. “Don’t worry. She won’t die on my watch.” Yue knew the nurse was just trying to comfort her. The nurse couldn’t really do anything to stop Neena dying, but Yue appreciated the effort.

“You’re right,” Yue said, standing up. “Make sure I know if she wakes up, though.” The nurse smiled and nodded.

— — —

“Come at me,” Yue grinned. Xander rushed at her, sword stanced perfectly. Yue jumped to the side, swinging her sword up to block Xander’s. Xander was getting much better with the sword, and Yue wished he’d been in the tournament.

That reminded her that he was leaving today, right after this. She didn’t want him to go, but he had no choice. The more the Cult believed in him, the more chance he had of uncovering the killer. He had to take that chance. It was currently Yue’s only hope.

As Xander brought his sword down, Yue swung hers up to block it. The swords clashed, and Yue gritted her teeth as she felt as she felt pain lance up her arm. Xander was stronger than her, and the contact of their swords had hurt. His muscles bulged as he forced his sword down, and Yue struggled to defend herself. Eventually, her arm failed her and her sword dropped from her grip.

Xander stopped his sword inches from her head.

“I think I win,” He declared.

“Good job,” Yue smiled, “You did what Kol couldn’t do.”

“Only because you were going easy on me,” Xander retorted.

“I was not!” Yue laughed. “If I was, you would’ve had an easier time with me.”

Xander shook his head. “You’re a gem, you know that?”

Yue beamed at him, but her smile left soon after. “You have to leave now, don’t you?”

Xander nodded. “Don’t worry, I’ll be back soon.”

Yue hugged him fiercely. “Don’t let them do to you what they did last time.”

“I might not have a choice,” He replied. Yue pushed herself off him.

“Promise me.”

“I can’t.”

“Just do it. Please. For me.”

Xander sighed. “Fine. I promise.” He brushed her hair behind her ear and winked at her. She blushed.

“Thank you,” Yue whispered. He smiled.

“I’ll see you soon.”

She walked him to the edge of the Vanguard grounds, where he stopped her.

“You can’t go with me. It would be suspicious.”

“Goodbye, Xander.”

“Goodbye, Yue,” He said. “You better get a lot done before I come back.” Yue laughed.

“I’ll try. I’ll try.”

— — —

Yue watched the Wolf come back. He looked exhausted, which Yue expected. He had been traveling the world anyway. Even if he had recruited a mage to teleport him, he was still away from home. And he still had to talk to the royals of the different nations around the world. It was tiring work. Yue was just glad to see him back.

She wanted to talk to him as soon as she saw him, but knew it wasn’t wise. He needed to rest a bit. She would try to speak with him when he returned to his duties. Hopefully, it wouldn’t be too long.

Two hours after he arrived, she was going through her stances on the green. The tournament was around the corner, and she was making sure she was prepared for it. She had been sparring with basically every other Vanguard warrior who was fighting in the tournament and she was pleasantly surprised by how good they were getting. Yes, they had always been the most elite army in the world, but with this extra push, they really had advanced to something more. It was a wonderful feeling, like the Vanguard was uniting again.

The only thing that could make it worse was another death. After Rosalia’s, things had calmed down in the Vanguard. Hopefully, they stayed that way.

As she finished her practice, she found Yiro coming towards her. She’d never really talked to Yue. They were members of the Vanguard, but that was ir. Not that Yue didn’t like Yiro. They’d just never crossed paths until now.

“The Wolf is asking for us,” Yiro told her. “We need to meet at his cabin. Do you know the way there?”

Yue nodded. “I do. Where’s Kol?”

“He’s already there.” Yiro turned to leave.

“Wait! I’ll go with you,” Yue exclaimed. Yiro hesitated, and Yue caught up to her quickly. They set off together to the Wolf’s cabin near the woods.

“I’m really glad to be able to let the Wolf lead the Vanguard again,” Yue ventured. “How about you?”

Yiro shrugged. “I don’t know. I like leading. It was fun.”

“I did, too, but it was tiring,” Yue said. “Not that I’m complaining. Just that I’m happy it’s over.”

“I would like to be the captain of the Vanguard one day,” Yiro told her. “Leading the army if a war comes.” Her eyes shined.

“Well, from what I heard, you’re definitely qualified to do that,” Yue laughed. “You will have to wait a long time, though. The Wolf isn’t really going anywhere.”

“I’ve got time. Been practicing my entire life for it.”

“Me too. Dreams do come true, I guess,” Yue said.

“You’re the one investigating the murders in the Vanguard, right?” Yiro asked. “Didn’t you arrest the wrong person?”

“Yeah,” Yue winced. “Mistakes were made. I got too impulsive. If you have any leads…”

“Nah,” Yiro responded. “Whoever it is, though, I hope you catch him.”

“Them,” Yue corrected. “It’s more than one. And thank you.”

“How do you know there are more?”

“We eliminated every possibility for one person. Joanne was the last suspect.”

“So do you have any suspects now?”

“No,” Yue blushed. “Not yet.” She fell silent and Yiro didn’t press the issue.

Eventually, they reached the Wolf’s cabin. Yue knocked on the door. They waited for a minute. Then Kol opened the door right.

“We’ve been expecting you,” He smiled. Yue walked in first followed by Yiro.

“Welcome,” The Wolf said.

“I trust we’re here so you can reclaim your status?” Yue asked.

The Wolf nodded. “That is right. But not just that. I need a report on everything that has happened. I will talk with each of you in private. I need to know every tiny detail, every move the soldiers made. I’ve already heard a lot,” The Wolf looked at Yue sternly, “But I’m sure there’s a lot I haven’t.

“Let’s get started, shall we? Yue, you go first. Kol, Yiro, you may leave.”

— — —

“I have a lot to say,” The Wolf said. “First, you really should not have arrested Joanne before you had evidence. You made a horrible mistake. This will be a stain on your reputation, and it will be a while before anyone believes you again. But don’t worry. I’m sure you’ll figure it out.

“Second, we should bring Eva back.”

“But she attacked Joanne,” Yue interrupted.

“Yes, yes, but the tournament is so close,” The Wolf replied. “We will need her. She has not had the opportunity to train. She needs it.”

“Yes, sir,” Yue said.

The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

“Good. Third, you did good with the assassins. You said Neena hasn’t woken up yet?” Yue shook her head. The Wolf adopted a concerned look. “Hmm. That is not good.I am very sorry. Next time, tell me. I know I wasn’t here to help before, but I am now. If you get another letter, I can help you.”

“Thank you, sir,” Yue answered. “I am hoping the murderers don’t try anything else soon, but with the tournament coming up, I am a little scared they will.”

“I am too,” The Wolf said. “That brings me to my next point. We need to talk about the murderers. You said you eliminated every possibility of there being only one killer?”

“I did,” Yue nodded. “How will we search for them now?”

“I think we have to wait for their next move,” The Wolf smiled. “I bet the murderers are getting desperate to stop you. We need to guard you and your friends secretly until the murderers try something, then we attack.”

“I think we can defend ourselves on our own,” Yue replied. “We’ve done a lot so far.”

“That is true,” The Wolf admitted. “But you never know what they can do. I’ll keep some spies watching you secretly making sure no one is watching you. You won’t even notice they’re there. Sounds good?”

“I guess,” Yue responded.

“Good. I only have one more thing left to tell you. About Rosalia. Have her parents been told about what happened?”

Yue shook her head. “Not as of yet, but I was hoping you would do it,” She said sheepishly.

The Wolf chuckled. “Okay, I’ll do it. What about her funeral?”

“Deserey doesn’t want it yet. She wants to wait a little longer…”

“We should do it as soon as possible, hopefully before the tournament,” The Wolf interrupted. “I’ll see what I can do about that.”

“Is that all, sir?” Yue asked.

“I think so. I do have to check on the others, though.”

“It’s good to have you back sir,” Yue smiled.

“It’s good to be back.”

— — —

That night, Yue looked out in case Xander appeared. He had left almost seven hours ago now, and she knew she was being paranoid, but she was starting to get worried about him. She hoped he'd come soon. She stood outside her barracks looking out for him.

Eventually, she got tired and decided to visit her friends in the hospital.

Both Alyx and Artemis were asleep so Yue didn’t disturb them. Poli also wasn’t visiting Artemis, and that was the first time Yue hadn’t seen her there. That must be a good sign.

She knocked on the door, and heard a ‘Come in.’

When she opened the door to Aster’s room, Aster looked at her and smiled.

“Why are you up this late?” Aster asked.

“I could ask you the same question,” Yue responded defensively. “Couldn’t sleep. I was waiting for Xander to come back.”

“Did you hear? I’m being released tomorrow. I’m much better now. Still have to heal a bit, but I think I should be good to train a little tomorrow.”

“That’s great,” Yue said. “I’m excited to see you back.”

“The Wolf came to visit a couple hours back. Told me to get better. I expected him to talk about the tournament but he even told me that if I wasn't healed by the tournament, it would be okay.”

“He really is the greatest captain, isn’t he?” Yue told her. “I’m really glad he’s back. I think the killers won’t want to try anything with him around.”

“Maybe,” Aster said. “How’s Zade?”

“He’s good. He left the hospital today, so I did see him at lunch. He was feeling much better, which is amazing. The only struggle getting there today was the traffic. People are starting to arrive for the tournament, and Magefell is getting really crowded.”

“I bet,” Aster replied. “I can’t wait to see that. Does it remind you of the Magefell Festival?”

“A little,” Yue admitted. “Though not in a bad way. It is uncomfortable being around so many people, though.”

“And all those people to watch me win? Sounds like a dream come true!”

“You, win?” Yue laughed. “I think I'll have to teach you a lesson tomorrow.”

“Yeah, sure,” Aster teased. “Take advantage of the poor wounded girl. That’s low, Yue.”

“All’s fair in war,” Yue shrugged. “Plus, all the people are there to see me win.”

Aster snickered. “Humble as always, Yue.”

“No, that’s Alyx,” Yue retorted, and they both laughed out loud, Yue doubling over. As their laughter subsided, the room grew quiet.

“I am a little worried, though,” Yue told Aster. “With so many people, the Cult will find it easier to hide. And with whatever they’re planning, with so many people, it could cause so much more destruction.”

“That’s what I was thinking too,” Aster said. “If only we knew who they were… You could ask Joanne!”

Yue winced. “Not really. Joanne doesn’t really like me anymore.”

“She wasn’t even that long in jail,” Aster complained.

“So? I betrayed her. She has the right to be angry.”

“You know one of the killers could still be her, right?”

“I know,” Yue nodded. “But I have to give her the benefit of the doubt now. When we were eliminating soldiers off our list, it was guilty before proven innocent. That was necessary. Now, it’s the opposite. We have to assume no one is the killer, or else we just suspect all of the Vanguard. If we do that, we alienate ourselves and create a separation in the Vanguard. Right now, that is the worst that could happen. We have to step carefully. With three deaths, the Vanguard is fragile.”

“This is why you’re the leader, Yue,” Aster smiled.

“What?” Yue wondered.

“You think better than any of us. You’re clearly smarter. I’m lucky to have you as my leader,” Aster said. “Thank you.”

“I’m lucky to have you as a friend, Aster,'' Yue said, squeezing Aster’s hand. “Thank you.”

“Well, you should go to bed,” Aster told Yue. “Otherwise, you’ll wake up tomorrow with a horrible headache.”

“Same to you, Aster,” Yue said, walking towards the exit. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Hopefully outside this infernal place,” Aster smiled.

— — —

Yue didn’t even knock on Neena’s door. She knew there wouldn’t be any response. She just opened the door silently, and pulled up a chair.

“Hey, darling,” Yue said, “I hope you’re doing okay.” She knew it wasn’t good to be visiting Neena so much, but five minutes wouldn’t make too much of a difference, right?

There were flowers next to Neena’s bed now, probably Xander’s work. They were beautiful golden dandelions, exactly the flower that defined Neena. It made the room a little brighter, a little more hopeful. There was a note under the flowers. Yue picked it up.

We miss you, Neena. You’re the glue sticking us together. We need you. Get well soon. —Xander

Yue silently thanked Xander. She appreciated the short but elegant note. Neena would appreciate it, too. Once again, Yue thought about Xander. He had said he’d be right back. What did that mean? How long was it supposed to take?

She knew he was resourceful. He’d taken his sword. He could take care of himself. But they were mages. Not exactly your average foe. Even Xander wouldn’t be able to stand up to them. What happened last time was a testament to that, even though Xander hadn’t been fighting back at the time. He hadn’t wanted to.

Sometimes the scars on his bare chest made Yue cringe. She knew they must hurt like hell. She couldn’t imagine what it must be to have them. A painful, personal reminder of what he’d gone through. It was something she hated to see, but at the same time she was drawn into it.

Because sometimes, the scars made Yue smile more. Xander looked better with them. He looked like a man who’d weathered the storm and made it through, not without trauma, but more mature. More grown, stronger. More Xander. As much as they were a painful reminder, they were just as much a testament to how strong Xander was, and how together they could stand the Cult.

The Cult wouldn’t kill them.

She wouldn’t let her friends die.

She wouldn't let the Cult kill Neena. She would keep Neena alive, no matter what. Maybe she should ask Zade for some healing. She doubted he knew enough yet, but maybe he did. He might know another mage who could help her. She would do anything to keep Neena alive.

It was past midnight. She needed to get to sleep.

She left the hospital sadly, heading for her barracks. Hopefully, by the time she woke up, Xander was back.

The chilly wind bit at her nose, and she shivered. She should’ve worn a cloak here. The trees swayed in the wind, basked in the glow of the moon. Usually, she appreciated the night, but today it only reminded her of how dangerous her position was. Anyone could come out of the shadows now and attack her. She wouldn’t even notice.

That reminded her of the spies the Wolf would put watching her. She understood the need for them, but that didn’t mean she had to like it. It would be uncomfortable knowing that someone was watching them at all times. What if they needed to keep something private but the spies heard it?

Having the spies would be a risk to their safety just as much as it would be a help. If one of the spies thought what they said was dangerous…

Hopefully, the spies wouldn’t listen to hear conversations. She hoped they only tried to protect them. That’s why the Wolf would be hiring spies anyway, not bodyguards. Still, she didn’t know if it would work. If the cult really wanted to reach them, she was sure they could. There wasn’t much Yue would be able to do to stop them. Defending herself had been hard until now, but she was sure from now on it would only get harder.

The Cult would only try harder. They had shown themselves ready to kill members of the Vanguard associated with Yue. And they had sent assassins after her. She was sure they would have no problem taking down spies, or sending more powerful mages after her. She had to be careful from now on.

She tripped on a tree trunk.

That’s a little ironic, she thought.

She finally reached her barracks. She reached down sluggishly to take off her shoes, and heard a noise behind her. She looked around. There was a small slip of paper beside her.

Ugh. She was getting tired of these. She read the note by moonlight.

Behind the barracks. Now.

She felt goosebumps down her back. This was not good. She wanted to get some help, but knew whoever was asking for her wouldn’t stay if she got anyone else.

She should just ignore the note. She knew that, but…She had to check. She couldn’t stop herself.

Yue walked watchfully to the back of her barracks, which was cast in shadow. She could barely see anything, but she squinted her eyes. There was nobody there.

The wind breezed against her skin and she shivered for more than just the breeze. She felt a pair of eyes on her but couldn’t pinpoint where. Slowly, she put her hand on her sword.

Yue moved in a circle, wary of any movement. She heard a rustle of leaves, and turned sharply to her left.

Suddenly, she was swept off her feet, embraced in a powerful hug. She struggled to escape the mysterious person’s grasp.

“Calm down,” A familiar voice told her, “It’s just me.” Yue stopped and turned her body. Xander smiled down at her. She hugged him tightly.

“Xander, you’re back!” Then she pushed him. Hard. “Why did you scare me like that?”

Xander laughed. “I wanted to surprise you.”

“Well, it was definitely a surprise. Just don’t do it again,” Yue said sternly. She hugged him again. He hugged her back, and they held it for a good minute.

“So, how did it go?” Yue asked.

Xander looked away. “I said some bad things.”

“Tell me,” Yue said, putting her hand on his cheek. A tear appeared on Xander’s eye ,and she wiped it off.

“I… They forced me too,” He whispered.

“Start from the beginning,” Yue told him.

He nodded. “When I arrived at the place, they blindfolded me and locked me in the room. They took off my blindfold, but it didn’t really do much. The room was very dark, so I couldn’t see anything. Three Cultists entered the room, and they glowed with a certain red light that creeped me out.

“They asked me where I’d been and I told them the truth. I’d been healing from my wounds. Then they asked me why I helped you with the assassins.” Yue gasped.

“So it is them?”

Xander nodded. “Seems so. Anyway, I told them that I thought they were just normal assassins, and that I didn’t know the murders in the Vanguard were done by them. They believed it, thankfully.

“It got bad from there on out, though. They told me that they were planning something massive for the tournament. They didn’t tell me what, but they did say that I needed to get you out of the way.

“The first thing they made me say is that I would infiltrate our group. That I would work against you. That I would sabotage you. Make sure you don’t win the tournament.”

“But you didn’t mean it. It’s okay.”

“No, it’s not,” Xander choked out. “They made me make an unbreakable oath. They bound it with magic. If I disobey them in any way, I get punished.”

“Oh, no! I’m so sorry!” Yue grabbed his arm. “I hadn’t thought they could do that.”

“It gets worse, Yue,” Xander told her, “They made me promise two more things. First, they forced me to promise that if you got anywhere near the murderer, that I would find a way to stop you. Any way I could.

“The third promise is the one I hate the most,” Xander continued, tears forming in his eyes again. “They made me promise that… I had to say that I would kill you. Again! This time it was worse. I had to mention you by name, then promise to kill you, but before that I would have to torture you to make sure you learned a lesson. They told me when I would have to do it too.”

Yue shook her head softly. “Don’t worry. We’ll get through this.”

Xander grimaced. “I can’t go back on my word. I could die. I’m stuck with the Cult forever now. You have to cut ties with me.”

“Don’t say that!” Yue reprimanded him. “Please don’t. I can’t do this without you. Without everyone. I need you, Xander. You’re essential to this team. I don’t care if you’ll be forced to try to kill me. I won’t let it happen.”

“I don’t think you can stop it, Yue. I did win our sparring session today.”

“That was just practice,” Yue protested. “In a real fight, I could defend myself against you.” She kissed him on the cheek. “Please don’t leave. I need you,” She whispered in his ear.

He nodded. “Okay, fine. I won’t leave. For now. But if worse comes to worse, I’ll do anything to save you. Even if that means I must sacrifice myself.”

Yue didn’t want to hear it, but she let him say it.

They held each other as the day came in.

This could be one of the last times they were together.

Yue needed it.

She smiled in his arms.

He was here now.

And that was good.