Page 4 of Origins

“Thank you for coming. I’m not disrupting anything, am I?”

I shook my head. “The theory classes are all kind of boring, honestly.”

Her expression softened with pity. “I know, and thank you for always giving them your full attention.”

I shifted against the plastic chair. I reallydidn’tpay attention—it’s just that the classes were so easy a dog couldpass them, which made it even more infuriating to watch Jack fail.

“Mom, if you don’t need anything else, I’m going to head to the center and organize the filing cabinet,” Callie stated.

I glanced back at her, realizing that while I had entered the room, she’d stayed huddled in the doorframe.

“No, Callie. I’d like you to come sit with us. This involves you, as well.”

Flora gestured toward the spare seat beside me. A vine slithered out from under the desk, pulling the chair out to make room for her daughter. Callie hesitated for a moment. I sat a little straighter as she began slowly closing the gap between us. As she folded herself into the empty chair, she clutched her skirt closer to herself and nervously tucked her hair behind her ear. The confidence I’d seen from her in the hall had all but vanished, replaced with a sort of anxious energy that didn’t feel quite right.

My knee knocked against hers as I shifted in my seat, trying to attain some level of comfort under the intense scrutiny of Flora’s gaze. She leaned back in her leather desk chair and folded her hands in her lap.

“Sulien. In my many years here at Vanguard University, I’ve never seen a student with potential quite like yours.”

A smile threatened to grow on my lips, but I stifled it, reminding myself that she wouldn’t bring me all the way here just to sing my praises. Still, all of Vanguard had seen what I was capable of during physical training. At the risk of sounding cocky, I was fucking impressive.

“Why haven’t you found a placement?” Flora’s brow pinched as she tipped her head to the side. A few red curls escaped her bun, bouncing lightly beside her face as she watched me.

“I’ve been trying,” I promised, suddenly feeling a little less confident.

Flora regarded me with a softness only a mother could have, but there was a strange weight behind her gaze.

“I know,” she reassured. “You have your father’s legacy to contend with. I’m sure you already understand, but overcoming that stigma is going to be like swimming with a lead weight on your chest.”

Impossible.

“I know. I’m just hoping if I work harder, people will start to see that I’m more than just his son.”

I would never say this out loud, but honestly, my dad wasn’t a bad guy. He was a terrific father, and he genuinely cared about people. Unfortunately, he found himself in a situation where villainy was his only option to provide for us.

“You shouldn’t have to work harder just because the world thinks you’ll be bad at being good,” Flora continued. “In a few weeks, we have our yearly showcase.”

My heart skipped at the idea. I’d been too busy with my home life to participate in previous years, but I was scheduled to be one of the first students to run through the emergency simulation this year. And, while I knew it was a long shot, I’d been hoping that my performance would be enough to get me recruited.

I raced through my response: “Should I train harder? If I just had access to—”

Flora shook her head. “I have no doubt you’ll perform well. On paper, you’re the perfect candidate for an internship: stellar grades, excellent times in all of your safety drills. You don’t need more training, Sulian. You need someone to boost your reputation.”

Her words felt like an accusation. She said Ineededsomeone, implying that I had no hope of fixing my problems on my own. It was almost as if she knew my public image was the one thing I’d never have control of.

“So... maybe I should start doing charity work? Get my name out there by helping people?”

But Flora shook her head. “No, my dear. Callie is going to assist you with your reputation.”

My jaw tightened as my attention turned to her. Callie seemed to shrink into the chair as if she was willing the earth to swallow her whole. I wondered if she knew this conversation was coming.

“Our family is well-known and highly regarded. If you’re seen with my daughter, the public may begin to see you in a more positive light. We’re... also hoping that this arrangement will help hone her public relations skills.”

“Callie?” I echoed, still trying to process her plan.

Flora nodded.

“With her by your side, you won’t have to face these hardships alone.”

---