Page 36 of Architecti
Mother fucker.
“Wow, did he kill your puppy?”Bastien says, looking me up and down.
I tear my gaze away.“No, but…” I pull my sleeve up, showing him the brand.
“Ah,” he says.
“Yeah.”I yank my sleeve down.
“So that’s why you’re here?Trying to find a way to break your contract?”he asks.
“Bingo.”
Lex touches my arm.“How long do you have?”
Bastien leads us to a row of empty seats.
“A year, just under.”
“Shit,” Bastien says.
“Yeah, and given I am clearly behind on the basics, I’ll be spending my days vag-deep in study.”
Bastien and Lex share a glance as they sit.
Lex takes my arm and shoves my sleeve up examining Ignatius’s brand.“We could help, you know.Do you have a copy of your contract?I’ll bet I can find a loophole.And hey, if Bastien manages to get through this ceremony, maybe he can bring you back after… if… well, you know what I mean.”
“If?”Bastien snaps.
“What?I heard some people don’t make it.”Lex shrugs.
“Encouraging.Real encouraging, both of you,” I slouch in my seat.
Lex pouts at me, her expression drooping.She’s so forlorn I shove a fake smile on because I can’t bear the sight of her looking like that.“I’d love your help.Both of you, if you’re sure.”
“CANDIDATES OF FINIS ACADEMY,” Ignatius booms, cutting our conversation off.
I didn’t notice how quickly the room had filled.
“Welcome and congratulations on receiving your invitation to take the Severance Rite.Taking the rite does not guarantee you entry into the campus to study.In order to do that you must complete our sacred ritual.And only the strongest participants complete the rite.”
“What happens if we don’t succeed?”a voice shouts from near the front.
Ignatius looks less than impressed at the interruption.He scans the audience until he finds the culprit.
His lip curls into a vicious little snarl, one I recognise far too well.It makes the hairs on the back of my neck rise.
“If you’re unsuccessful, you don’t get in,candidate…”
“Yeah, but I heard some students die trying to complete the rite,” the young voice shouts again.
Ignatius’s expression turns feral.Very little knowledge makes its way out of Finis Academy—it’s a vault.And that’s what makes gaining entry so sought after.Unless you have family who have studied here and can pass down details, you’re on your own.The Academy and its graduates protect the city, and the rest of the mortals go about their business mostly ignorant.
I’m assuming someone in Lex’s family studied here for her to be so knowledgeable.The only other way you find anything out is if you’re in close proximity to the demons—like being a reaper.
Though this job is not worth the additional knowledge.The only other useful tidbit I’ve picked up from Ignatius is that a demon’s heart crystallises with each contract they create.The more contracts they create, the more possible futures they eliminate for us mortals, and the more magic they harness.Given how dark Ignatius’s eyes are, I’d imagine his heart is good and solid about now.
He rounds on the student, even though he’s still on stage, and his looming presence makes the entire front row shrink back in their seats.
