Excerpt: Of the Immortals Realm

Once he had sat down, the room fell quiet and Nicholas of Darkamelin got to his feet. “Seeing as I’m the only fourth year page in this group, I will be leading the Introductions this year.” He smiled. “At least I don’t have to fight anyone to be able to talk this year.”

Every page in the group laughed with the exception of the first year pages. Denna assumed that something must have happened last year with the fourth year pages.

“Anyway,” Nicholas said once all the laughter died down, “we saved three new first years this year.” He smiled at Denna. “And one of those first years is the only new girl. Sometimes I pity Kyle and his group for missing out on these fine jewels year after year.” He winked at all three girls, who were all seated in the same area.

Nicholas went on. “I’m not sure how many of you know why I’m the only fourth year page in this group. But I’m sure that even fewer of you really understand what it means for me to be the only fourth year in our little group this year.”

He looked at all of them, meeting every person’s eyes before continuing. “Until just after Midwinter of my first year as a page, there were five boys in my year.” He looked down at the ground, as if he was trying to collect himself. After a few seconds of silence, he looked back up at the group, his eyes blazing with fury. “Stephen of Tirrsmont was killed a few weeks after Midwinter. We didn’t even know about it until one of the hostlers began searching for what was making the horses so upset. None of us knew that it had even happened until he was found. I personally wasn’t able to see him, but one of my friends did. He told us that Stephen was lying on the ground, red snow everywhere. His head had been split open and both arms and a leg had been broken. Of course, we looked into it. One of our own had been killed, we had to know why. I’m sure you know where this is going by now: They killed him.” He let the silence that followed drag on, letting the entire group take in the magnitude of what he just said.

“Our dear training master, Baron Sir Aldon of Haryse, thinks that letting this fighting continue is acceptable. He thinks that it strengthens us. I think that he couldn’t be more wrong. That is how this has always gone on. These past years have been filled with attacks from both sides, random ambushes in the middle of the night. I was even jumped by no one other than Kyle and Matthew during my second year on my way to the bath house before lunch. But that’s not going to happen this year. Maybe it will from them, but not for us. This has been my goal since they found Stephen behind the stables: End the fighting. I know it won’t happen this year, and it probably won’t be next year either. I’m not saying that we should all buddy up to those cold hearted thugs, but change has to start somewhere. I have never seen or heard of a page that enjoys fighting as much as Kyle of Stone Mountain. Along with the help of the slime, Matthew of Heathercove, this year is going to be hard. On our part, this year is a defensive year.”