Page 57 of To No End

The golden figure sitting nearby scoffed in disbelief. “Oh, come on…you’re not going to tell them who you really are?Whatyou really are?”

Trace shot a glare to his left and his features began to roil. I knew Trace well enough to know he was exerting an extreme amount of self-control. I watched as his hands resting on the table before us now curled into tight fists. He remained obstinate and silent.

“Why so shy? Not proud to be Commander Wick’s son?”

Commander… Did that mean his father led Aeon’s military?

Finally, Trace could no longer refrain from engaging. “You really want to get started on the topic of fathers? As if you know anything about me,” he spat back.

Trace had made the same correlation I had.

“I know that for someone who doesn’t want to own up to who they are and what they’ve done, you sure are flaunting those tattoos like a badge of honor, black cloak.”

His words were venomous, and they had hit their intended mark because Trace stood abruptly. His antagonist sat there unmoving and unbothered.

Saryn began to laugh again. “This is fun, truly, watching you all continue to act like anything from your pasts even matters. Perhaps it’s been too long since I was in your shoes. Takes time to adjust to being nobody; each of your histories washed away like silt in a river.”

Trace resolved to take his seat again, unsure of what would result if he acted out against one of us. I made a mental note to find out later what a black cloak was and why it vexed him to becalled that. I already knew the meaning of the tattoo, or at least, I thought I did.

“Just when I thought we weren’t going to be graced with anyone mouthier than darling Gia over there, we have you to thank. And who might you be?” he questioned, pointing his finger at the white-haired antagonist.

“Varro.” He paused. “And yes, if it weren’t already obvious, House Corliss. I find the mountain air displeasing, but I suppose I wasn’t asked if seaside accommodations were an option.”

He was about as smug as they came. Exactly what I’d expect from the son of the barbarian who slaughtered an entire bay of innocent people.

Saryn smiled. “I think I’m going to like you. You’ve got humor, and you’re going to need it.” He then turned away from Varro saying, “And last, but certainly not least, who are you?”

“Cairis Tiernan, bastard son of his most ardent Lord Magnus Tiernan and the lucky winner of this ‘lottery of heirs’ we all happen to be a part of.”

Cairis’ words dripped with sarcasm and a hint of an accent I wasn’t familiar with. Who refers to themselves as a bastard when introducing themself? Maybe he just wanted to get it out of the way before anyone else made a point of it, since that was becoming a theme. I guess I could admire the transparency.

“Well, aren’t we just an enthusiastic bunch? I can already tell we’re going to have a lot of fun training together. You all need some time to cool off, let’s call it a day. Tonight, another one of your instructors will arrive at dinner. Until then, explore, relax, and get to know one another. I need to speak with Idris before he departs.”

With that, Saryn made his exit, and we were all left seated and aimless. Never in my life had introductions felt this combative. The air was thick with tension. This wasn’t going to be anything like what I’d experienced at the academy.

We filed out of the room in silence, all of us heading back toward the common area and dormitories. I followed at an inconspicuous distance behind Trace as he made his way back to his room. I wasn’t about to let another minute go by without getting to the bottom of a very long list of questions.

CHAPTER

17

I glanced over my shoulder to make sure no one was watching. He shut the door behind him, but I caught it with my hand, slipping into the room quietly. When he didn’t hear the click of the door, he turned. He inhaled sharply, and I stood there staring in silence, unsure of who should speak first or what to say.

“What are you doing here?” His words were harsh and cold. Not what I had expected.

“I could ask you the same thing.”

“I knew you were lying about something, but I never imagined this,” he said, shaking his head in disbelief.

“What made you think I was lying to you?” I tried to think back on our time together. I thought I’d done a pretty decent job of avoiding anything misleading.

“Your hands. They’ve never seen a day of work, they’re too soft. Not to mention that purebred horse of yours costs more than a house.”

He sat down on the edge of the bed, resting his head against his hand in frustration. “Gods, I thought maybe a rebellious daughter of a wealthy noble, but not this. The daughter of a High Lord. I’m a fool.”

Why was that such a bad thing? My chest felt flustered with sad disappointment. He did not seem happy or relieved to see me in the slightest.

“I know we both lied, but is it possible we’re somehow lucky to be here together? I mean, I thought I’d never see you again,” I said shyly, trying to conceal my feelings as best I could.

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