Ginn Hale - Lord of the White Hell Book One

Kiram knew enough of Cadeleonian culture now to understand that it meant a great deal to stand beside another man in battle. He wanted to be the one beside Javier.

"I'll be fine," Kiram said and he was rewarded with a brilliant smile from Javier.

"We'll be unbeatable," Javier said.

Kiram grinned. He had no doubt of Javier's prowess and having won his uncle and Alizadeh over, Kiram's sense of his own abilities soared. That pride buoyed him through the morning.

Not even Master Ignacio's scowl could perturb him. He felt almost comfortable among his fellow schoolmates listening to the war master's stern lecture and smelling the horses all around them.

As they rode to the gold pavilion Kiram recaptured the sense of excitement that he'd felt the first day of the tournament. He smiled at the gathered crowds and bright banners. The warm sun shining over the clear blue sky seemed to reflect his happiness.

"Ybu're not dosed with more duera, are you?" Nestor asked him.

Kiram laughed, which he knew did nothing to alter Nestor's impression.

"My uncle has gone home. He decided to let me stay at the academy," Kiram told him.

Nestor grinned like a mad man. "That's fabulous! You're staying! Javier must be thrilled."

"Why do you say that?" Kiram couldn't keep from stealing a glance ahead to where Javier rode beside Elezar. Gazing at his lean form the memory of the feel of Javier's skin beneath his hands and the taste of his skin rushed over him.

Nestor shot Kiram a puzzled look as if he was reassessing Kiram's intelligence. "He's terribly fond of you. Haven't you noticed?"

Kiram used the excuse of scratching Firaj's cheek to look away from Nestor. Was he and Javier's relationship really that obvious?

"He takes his responsibility seriously."

"Oh, now you're just being coy." Nestor pushed up his spectacles to itch the thin scratch that ran across the bridge of his nose. "Seriously, Kiram. He likes you. You're smart and different from most of the men at the academy. Elezar aside, Javier doesn't give a crap about most of them but he goes out of his way for you. He never would have spent so much time wandering around the fairgrounds with you half out of your brain otherwise. You're definitely his friend. I think he may be a little fond of me as well, you know, by association."

"I'm sure he is."

"Riossa says that only an ass wouldn't like me." His pale cheeks turned slightly pink. "But you know she's a bit biased."

"Nestor, you charmer." Kiram smiled at Nestor's flushed pride.

"She can draw horses pretty well." Nestor gave Kiram a sly look. "And she kisses really well."

"But the real question is, are you any good at kissing?" Kiram expected Nestor to be flustered by the question but instead he beamed.

"I'm marvelous!" Nestor sounded so exultant that Kiram laughed. Nestor laughed along with him.

At the pavilion grooms took the horses. Students from both the Yillar and Sagrada Academy gathered in the center of the pavilion. Friends, admirers, family members, and countless onlookers cheered and shouted at them from the surrounding stands. Flowers and ribbons fell in showers. Occasionally perfumed favors and love notes drifted down.

A yellow kerchief pelted Nestor's head. Both he and Kiram glanced up to see Riossa and her family sitting in the second tier of the stands. Nestor waved to her broadly and Riossa shyly returned his gesture. An older man standing just behind Riossa scowled at him, but Nestor seemed utterly oblivious to his presence.

Before Kiram could comment, Master Ignacio called them to order. The upperclassmen who had been eliminated from the dueling and their underclassmen were sent into the stands to join their families and cheer their classmates.

Kiram bid Nestor a quick farewell, as he and his upperclassman Atreau made for the crowded boxed seats in the third tier of the stands. The Yllar students, too, were divided and the majority sent to cheer and watch while he, Javier and the other combatants retreated to the lowest stands to dress. Grooms handed out bundles of leather armor to the underclassmen, while teams of housemen brought out the heavier metal armor that the upperclassmen would wear.

"Look here, Javier." Elezar held up his breastplate. A red enamel bull reared across its surface. "I just got it re- enameled so try not to scratch it up while you're clinging to it and begging for mercy!"

Javier hefted up his black enameled groin piece in response. "Just so you know what to kiss when you want me to stop beating your ass."

Kiram dressed in his own armor quickly. He winced as he laced a leather guard over his injured forearm. Then, presented with the sight of Javier's bare back, Kiram utterly forgot his discomfort. Kiram touched his shoulder, feeling the smooth warm skin.

Javier gave him a brief, winning smile and then handed Kiram his chest plate. Kiram expected the chill of the metal but not the sheer weight of it.

"Make sure the buckles are tight. It can't slip while I'm out there." Javier's fingers briefly brushed over Kiram's hand. Then he dropped his hand and picked up his leather doublet.

"Not to worry," Kiram told him. "I've had lots of practice getting girths good and tight. I could probably even warm your bit if you had one."

Javier pulled the doublet over his head and then turned to allow Kiram to lace up the leather guard that protected his throat.

After that, the successive layers of Javier's leather armor, chainmail, and enameled plate armor monopolized Kiram's attention.

While Kiram knelt, adjusting the fit of Javier's greaves to his long shins, Scholar Donamillo and Holy Father Habalan arrived with muerate poison. Javier casually held his left hand out to the plump holy father. Scholar Donamillo opened the glass vial of black poison as Holy Father Habalan dragged his silver blade across Javier's wrist. Kiram felt Javier's muscles tense when the blade sliced into his flesh but his expression remained unconcerned.

Kiram bowed his head to keep the holy father from seeing his contemptuous sneer. Even so he smelled the tang of the meurate and felt a shudder pass through Javier as it entered his bloodstream.

"Kiram." Scholar Donamillo handed Kiram a roll of clean bandage. "Bind the wound, but not too tightly."

"Yes, sir."

"Scholar Donamillo?" Javier's voice was low. "Do you know how Enevir Helio is this morning? I'd heard that his leg was broken."

Kiram reflexively glanced up into the stands where the Helio box stood, conspicuously empty.

"His leg is the worst of his injuries," Scholar Donamillo replied. "But he's a strong young man and I expect that he will recover to a great extent within the next few months. Shall I give him your regards?"

Javier shook his head. The Helios were not Hellions, and therefore did not merit much interest. "I was just curious."

"Yfes. Well then. Good luck to both of you." Scholar Donamillo offered Kiram a smile. Kiram appreciated the words, but wished that they had not come with a dose of acrid black poison. He couldn't quite bring himself to thank the scholar. Javier, too, remained silent.

Holy Father Habalan and Scholar Donamillo departed as unobtrusively as they had arrived. Kiram wrapped Javier's wrist. His skin felt icy now. Javier's mouth was pale and he drew his breath with slow concentration.

Kiram laced Javier's leather gauntlet over the bandage, his own arm aching in sympathy. Then he helped work Javier's metal gauntlet up over both. Javier caught his hand briefly in a cold, steel grip. His expression was so drawn that Kiram feared he might collapse. Then Javier released his tight grip. He took up his helmet and pulled it on, hiding his face.

Kiram could hardly make out his dark eyes through the slits of his visor. He was a long expanse of steel and black enamel, like some strange union of mechanism and man.