A Crumble of Walls (The Kin of Kings Book 4) Read Online Free PDF

was too tired to lift the chest and dragged it into the hallway instead. As he got to the door of his old room, however, Micklin opened it from the other side.
    “I heard you fought with Hiller’s men!” the boy gushed. “Oh, do you need this room? I could share.”
    Cleve grumbled. “Why’d you come here?”
    The boy’s face fell. “I wanted to stay in your house. I finally got a chance to ask Terren after the battle and he said there was an open room here. I hope that’s all right. Can you tell me what happened when you went past the wall? Did you kill anyone?”
    Cleve grumbled again. He was too exhausted for this. He walked around to the other side of his weapons chest and pushed it toward Effie’s room. She could share a bed with Reela tonight and move her belongings into Reela’s room tomorrow.
    “Don’t mind him,” Reela told Micklin. “He’s just tired. You should get to sleep because it’ll be a busy day for you tomorrow.”
    “You don’t have to mother me,” he told Reela somewhat coldly, to Cleve’s surprise, then shut the door. Perhaps Cleve’s lack of a response had angered him.
    Had Reela heard something about Terren’s plan for civilians like Micklin who were unable to fight? Cleve hadn’t seen anyone Micklin’s age yet, but there had to be more orphaned by the war. Unless they went back with Stanmar last night.
    “What do you mean it’ll be a busy day for him?” Cleve asked her.
    “I don’t know what he’s going to do,” Reela whispered, “but I’m sure he’ll have a job like everyone else.”
    A job, not sword fighting. Good. Cleve didn’t have time to worry about Micklin. He needed to keep a close eye on Abith’s men during the next battle.
    “Good night,” he muttered to Reela.
    “Cleve, wait.” She backed into her room and gestured for him to follow.
    His pulse quickened. He missed touching her and realized this now with such ferocity that he momentarily forgot why they were fighting.
    She pointed at the bed. He yearned to see the look of love in her eyes, craving it more than sleep and food.
    But she gave him the dead-eyed stare he’d grown to hate.
    “You forgot your pillow.”

 
     
     
    CHAPTER FOUR
     
    Basen’s first morning back at the Academy started off as delightful as he’d anticipated it would be during his time away. Breakfast hours had been extended to give everyone ample time to sleep, and he’d rested well after the short battle. It was a new day, the air fresh and the sun bright in the cloudless sky.
    Basen was determined to come up with a solid plan for Fatholl today, no matter if he missed battle training. He’d promised to return to the Elf in a week and had only a few days left. He wasn’t about to go without knowing what to expect. Fortunately, he had Annah walking with him to the dining hall. She probably knew more about Krepps and Elves than he could hope to learn in a day.
    She appeared not to have slept as well as him, her blue eyes red and swollen as she continued to glance south as if expecting Tauwin’s army to come rushing through the broken wall at any moment.
    “They’ll be back soon,” she said. “If you leave, you won’t be here to help us defend the Academy.”
    Last night, she’d begged to know every detail of the battle with the catapult, and he’d made the mistake of telling her that he and Cleve had managed to catch it on fire. Now she had the impression the Academy would lose the next battle if he left to fulfill his promise to Fatholl.
    It was sad to see someone as smart and powerful as Annah so easily frightened. He figured it had to do with the years she’d spent fixing her fear with psyche instead of learning to accept it for the harmless feeling it was.
    “I overheard Terren speaking with Abith and my father,” Basen said, “right after Stanmar recruited our people and left. Terren believes Stanmar will come back today and attempt to recruit more. It means battle won’t happen for a while, especially