Page 11 of Priest and his Anarchist

With weighted steps, my legs carry me across the tarmac. Whatever awaits on the other side, I’m sure I’ll be ready because I’ve always felt a sense of restlessness. I've often felt lost all mylife through the gaps of the year when we weren’t in Aspen. Born into a circus family, yet I despised the thought of performing. The disconnect between me and my Kiznitch ancestors became clear then. Anything that involves being the center of attention only makes me want to run. I’ve never connected to anyone like I do with Uncle Bishop, Nate, and, hopefully, River.

Damnit. I should have befriended her a long time ago. What if deep down, they are all similar to her, and I have kept myself out of their reach all this time.

The cabin's warmth falls over us when we finally make it inside and out of the wind. Sugary baked goods fragrance the air, causing a growl from my stomach. When was the last time I ate?

My mouth dries at the thought of forcing food down.

“Come on, Lulu. Sit…” River calls me over to where she’s snugged tight near the front. I count the recliners on my way.

One.

Two.

Three.

Sixteen, and they’re all empty except mine and River’s. Some seats are arranged in groups of four facing each other, some in pairs, and those at the back encircle a dining table. Where did Uncle Bishop go? Is he not coming?

River unzips herself out of her jacket, revealing her clothes underneath. A simple white long-sleeve top and yoga pants.

A pair of fuzzy white socks land on my lap as I lower opposite her. “Put these on. The trip shouldn’t be long, but they’ve always helped me relax during flights.”

I play with the soft material. “You scared of flying?” I haven’t even kicked off my shoes and slid my feet into the new socks when Uncle Nate and Bishop take the double seats beside us but face each other.

“Hello, Luna.”

My smile is short-lived when I notice the tight lines in their expressions.

“What is it?” The change is noticeable. They glance at each other before returning to River and me.

She moves closer. “No, seriously, what is it?”

We’re both in the same boat, but she’s much better at keeping herself distracted than I am.

“Nothing. There’s not much I can say except sorry.” Nate reaches out and caresses her cheek.

“No,” she whispers, her disbelief weighing down her voice.

“What?” I blink between them both. River and I are the same age, but my absence in this world is obvious by how River and I both process information differently.

Bishop remains passive, assessing River's reaction. This is BVH, not Bishop, my uncle, or Bishop, the father. This is Bishop Vincent Hayes, the leader of the EKC.

“You’re going to be leaving us for seven years, Luna. In those seven years, you will be broken, shaped, folded, tested, trained, and pushed to your maximum potential. River’s taking a different direction, but I’m sure you will see her often…or not at all”—silence stretches between us—“Riverside Elite schools are the guise. The Malum-Riverside family lineage are the runners of the schools, yes, but this one in particular isn’t that. No one knew about it for generations unless they attended or were in the Malum line.”

Years’ worth of memories flood my mind. Times I’d see my mother worry, or father argue, or daddy snap. They’d tried to get me to do everything in Midnight Mayhem.

Aerials. Fire. Stunts. Tricks. Ringleader.

I watched their frustration and exhaustion mount after each failed attempt and saw how it increasingly worried Mother and Father. Even Daddy didn’t seem pleased, but he wasn’t as bad as Mother and Father.

Was this why? Did they know they would ship me off?

Of course they did.

I don’t bother asking deeper questions. Asking too many questions in this setting would only piss them off. “Where will I be for seven years? At this school?”

“Not a matter of where, Luna.” Nate’s eyes shift to Bishop briefly. If I blinked, I would have missed it. “A matter of with who.”

“Who?” It’s no surprise that River’s the first to ask, since she’s been around both men and this world a lot longer than I have.

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