Page 2 of Great Falls Rogue
“River wouldn’t know it’s you who put the beast down, but he’ll certainly go out with Coal and Shade to do some cleanup,” Arisha continues as if I’d not spoken, acting more like her uncle than she would care to admit. “It would take the pressure off. And eventually, you can work up to going out together without needing to say anything that would trigger their veil magic.”
“No,” I repeat. “First, the sclices have wart patterns that make them near invisible to humans—I can take off my amulet and see the rodents, but the males can’t. They shouldn’t be fighting what they can’t see. And second…” I adjust my cloak, buying a heartbeat to gather myself. “Second, you were right when you said I should accept them as the personas they are now—and the personas they are now don’t know me. Might not even like me if they did. When I go out, I need to take off my amulet and be myself, not some pretense of a noble lady I’m not.”
“What happened to team, and quint, and mates?”
“A cracked rune tablet.” After a month, the words have almost stopped stinging. Even after I laid out the virtues of joining forces against magic’s threat so plainly that even Princess Katita bent the knee, the males still see me as nothing but a first-year cadet. River cares for little beyond my obeying rules and curfew; Coal goes out of his way to avoid physical contact with me even during training; Shade is too busy with all the girls lining up for sick call to even notice my existence; and Tye… Tye wants to talk. To reconcile the intensity of our unintended coupling against his Prowess training commitment. I’ve nothing to say to that. After serving in Zake’s stable, one would think I’d have learned the dangers of relying on men—but apparently, I’d needed a sharp reminder.
“I’ve my hands full enough trying to stanch magic bleeding into the mortal world without also chasing cocks, Arisha.” I give her a smile. “Besides, I’ve you and Gavriel and, err, Ruffle. And I did get you that beautiful snot-yellow Yocklol sample to play with, didn’t I?”
Arisha sighs—not in acquiescence, but in awe’ll talk about this laterway. “You are exhausted. I took the liberty of writing up your essay on Ckridel’s role in the Continental Alliance.”
My shoulders tense. “Arisha—”
“If someone told me a year ago that my role in helping keep the mortal realm from doom would be through doing extra homework, I would have sent the messenger to the asylum. But reality is that there is no physical way you can fight evil by night, attend classes, muck stalls for three hours,anddo homework. Once your stall duties finally finish tomorrow, the work is all yours.” She pats my shoulder. “But for tonight—copy the paper before bed. Neatly. It doesn’t do anyone any good if my brilliant words are all lost beneath smudges that make it seem like Rabbit wrote them. And truly, don’t worry. With Ostera holidays coming up, we’ll all be able to catch up on rest and studying soon enough. A week of liberty is going to feel like the stars’ own gift by then.”
I force a smile, thanking the stars Arisha can’t hear my heart’s sudden thundering. My friend still thinks it’s only the lack of time that’s keeping me back in class, and I can’t bear to tell my genius friend—who thinks theteachersslow of mind—that I can barely read.
Slipping inside the room, I shed my leathers, stashing them beneath the bed, and fall into my cot. The cot groans, sharp lupine claws expressing their dissatisfaction with having their space encroached upon by some interloper. No wonder Arisha was so eager to sneak out of the room to meet me. I poke Shade. Push him. Brace against his sizable bulk and shove with all my might. The wolf twitches one ear, his eyes piously closed. Feigning deep sleep, the bastard. Fine. Carving out a spot against Shade’s side, I curl up against his fur and capture the last few hours of sleep.
2
Lera
“Leralynn of Osprey proposes that Ckridel’s role in the Continental Alliance was defined by self-preservation.” Master Daniel’s voice from the front of the room breaks through my haze of fatigue.
A moment later, Arisha’s foot hits my shin. Hard. Then she sneezes.
Blinking my eyes open, I force my mind into a rapid survey of the battlefield. The individual wooden desks, each with a well for ink, stand in a semicircle of rows around a high-ceilinged classroom. The scent of someone too fond of rose perfume fills the thick air, mixing with the dust on the thick red curtains. Despite the pleasantly cool weather outside, the room is as stuffy as the bald master at the front of it—tall stained-glass windows let in streams of tinted light, but no air to speak of. The formal court attire we wear to academic classes little helps the cause either. Sitting at the back of the classroom, I’ve the protection of three dozen heads separating me from the instructor’s dais—usually enough to guard against extra attention. Today, however, that fortune seems to have run out.
At the front of the room, Daniel is now pacing in front of a large chalk slate. “Princess Katita, on the other hand, asserts that Ckridel’s role came from benevolence. Leralynn, could you summarize your thoughts for the class?”
Heads turn toward me as I rise to my feet, my face blazing. Despite what Arisha thinks, I can’t evenunderstandmost of what she writes for me.
“This should be entertaining,” Katita whispers to the girl beside her, my immortal hearing picking up the snicker without fail. Her silky sheaf of white-blond hair is clipped back behind her ears, an innocent look that clashes with the shrewdness in her turquoise eyes.
I clear my throat, my gaze darting to the window to check the sun’s position. At least half an hour of the class still left.
“We are all here, Lady Leralynn,” Daniel prompts.
Chuckles echo through the room. Even the two girls who were busy sketching outfit ideas for the upcoming Ostera ball put aside their side whispers to enjoy the new entertainment. Bloody Ostera. While the Academy readies to celebrate spring and fertility, all I can think of is the surge of magic the moon will bring that night.
“Could you repeat the question, please, sir?” I ask.
Daniel’s lips press together, the sun’s rays reflecting off his polished head. “Please tell us why you believe self-preservation was the driving force behind Grendel’s actions in the establishment of the Continental Alliance.”
On my left, I can feel Arisha’s expectant stare. Here goes nothing. “Because, self-preservation is the force behind all decisions,” I say. Nice and philosophical and—most importantly—can be argued based on common sense instead of the reading.
Daniel rocks back on his heels. I think he is waiting for me to continue.
I go to sit down instead.
“What about moral high ground, benevolence, love?” Daniel prompts, his glare enough to keep me on my feet.
“What about them, sir?”
Flashes of smirks and smiles ripple through the room, the public support swaying momentarily to my side.
Arisha covers her eyes. I’m sure she wrote something painstakingly brilliant on the topic and expects me to share it instead of antagonizing the teacher. Which I’d love to be doing as well, if not for reality getting in the way.
