Page 68 of Deck of Scarlets

“But we were not chosen. Our lineage may be qualified, but not all pass what the Lord needs for warriors,” Meghan whispered.

Colleen grabbed her by the hand. “We must be going.” Then both girls darted down the hall out of sight.

I eventually made it downstairs to a pissed-off Josh, but I couldn’t shake what Colleen and Meghan shared. Now they were outcasts, not allowed to speak with anyone who belonged to The Order, regardless of their bloodline. The purification ceremony gave them the easiest way out, yet they lost all contact and had to remain hushed in the shadows.

Heather would never get them as visitors.

Josh, surprisingly, opened the door for me to exit. “Thanks.”

“We’re late, keep up.”

Prick.

The heat decided to take a little break and give us a breather. Cooler air touched my cheeks, with the sun hidden behind clouds. It was a relief in some ways; in others, it reminded me of the night before and how drastic the temperature had dropped, only to bring a demon on campus.

I kept up with his brisk walk, glaring at his back. He wore a white shirt that clung way too well to his body and dark jeans. His hair, a disheveled mess, worked well with the mop of dark brown curls he sported. I had an urge to trip him just to watch him fall on his face, then had to choke back a laugh, only to receive a dirty look from prissy pants himself.

We cut across South Field, heading in the direction of Hamilton Hall. Baron appeared out of thin air beside us, walking with his twin, Chloe. She gave me a tight nod, keeping pace, a black bag slung over her shoulder.

Baron, however, fist pumped Josh, easing into conversation. “Do you know what this meeting is about?”

“Besides the obvious?” joked Josh.

Baron peeked over his shoulder, his eyes catching mine before turning back around. “She seems to be doing better.”

“Thank god she stopped throwing up.”

My foot purposefully stepped on the back of Josh’s heel, getting a hard huff of air out of him. Chloe only shook her head, while Baron stifled a laugh.

Good, I hope that hurt.

Entering Hamilton, we took a staircase down to the lower floor and into one of the lecture halls. I was taken aback by not only the Scarlets and Saints in attendance but every one of the Aces, including Dean Poverly. Standing next to him was a well-built man in Saint’s attire, only the “s” embroidered on his right breast was silver.

He had a crossbow strapped to his back, the feather on his arrows the same shade of silver.

I wondered if the color difference showed rank.

Chloe motioned for me to sit next to her, behind Josh and Baron, in the first few rows in the front. Anna sat in between Kal and Asher, with Zoey to the right. All the Aces stood to the left, watching Dean Poverly’s interaction with the Saint.

Minutes passed until both parties ended their rather tightlipped conversation, then Dean Poverly walked over to the podium.

The lights dimmed just as he cleared his throat. “It is no surprise that Captain Harrison has joined us for this meeting. I am aware of what breached our campus grounds yesterday, and as not only your Ace in rank, I am still dean of this school, and I must assist Father Benedict in damage control. Professor Toke will lead the rest of the meeting during my absence.” He said his goodbyes to the other Aces and exited through one of the emergency doors. Toke then approached the podium, adjusting his collar on his dark polo. “Captain Harrison, Dean Poverly, and I had discussed at length the possibilities that could’ve caused the breach. It would seem upon further inspection that the prayer Father Benedict performed to secure the perimeter has become faulty.”

Audible gasps were heard around the room.

I gave Chloe a quizzical look, not too sure what it all meant.

Thatcher was the first to speak up. “How? Security has been in place for years. The prayers performed are fool proof.”

Captain Harrison advanced toward the podium, moving Toke aside with just a sweep of his arm. His shiny bald head gleamed in the light, and he sported a gray goatee. “Our well-trained Saints and Scarlets took the liberty of scouting the area and found small nests on the outskirts of the campus. It seems they were overlooked.”

Thatcher glowered, her hands flexing at her sides. “That doesn’t explain the breach.”

“Actually, it does.” Coming down the stairs to the lecture room, a woman of dark hair and fair skin reached Captain Harrison, with another male in toe. Dressed in black leather fighting gear, she came face to face with Thatcher.

“Emilia. It’s been a while,” she commented, looking her up and down.

Her smile did not reach her eyes. “It has.”

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