Page 13 of Unbound

"Family name?"

Raith's jaw tightens before he answers. "Hollow."

Recognition registers on Bastian's face, followed by that carefully measured look of sympathy the privileged always seem to have ready.

"Hollow… An orphan from the northern border, then. I?—"

Raith moves so fast I barely register him shoving Bastian until the tall legacy is stumbling backward, nearly falling before he bumps into the stone wall. "I don't need your fucking sympathy." Raith spits on the ground, the saliva sizzling slightly where it lands. He turns to stalk away, the fire girl and earth boy falling in behind him like shadows.

A collective gasp rises from the students who were watching. Judging by their expressions, they seem to expect Bastian to strike Raith down where he stands.

But Bastian’s face is a mask of calm as he brushes the spot on his uniform where Raith touched him. His eyes linger on Raith several moments before turning to me.

"Are you okay?" I ask, hardly daring to breathe for fear that the trio will come back.

"Fine," Bastian says shortly. "We should get you to the combat assessment."

As we walk, I notice we're getting closer to the guards who are checking everyone's marks. My palms begin to sweat, and my breathing quickens. The silver spiral beneath my skin seems to writhe in response to my panic.

"Do they have to check our marks?" I ask, unable to keep the edge of hysteria from my voice.

"They're collecting the official count for Empire. Many die before Confluence Day and finally the Crucible, but Empire likes to keep statistics and have figures at every stage of development for its future primals," Bastian explains. "You'll be sent with others of your affinity for training, and after that, they'll send you to your affinity's tower. That's where you'll get your room assignment." His eyes drift to my hidden hand.

He must see the look of pure terror on my face, because he glances around, pulling me to the side for a moment of privacy in the busy corridor. "I know fire and earth get a bad reputation, but it's not the end of the world. Here at Confluence, you'll mostly deal with your own affinity, anyway. What the others think of you is hardly going to matter."

He thinks I'm embarrassed to bear one of the two elements most common in Red Kingdom. Fire or earth affinities. The marks of the enemy, to some. I wish it were only that.

The last thing I want to do is trust anyone here, but I can’t see a way out. I either have to trust Bastian or the guard. The choice seems obvious.

Adrenaline pumps through me as I withdraw my hand from my pocket.

The silver spiral gleams with its own magical light, shifting and flowing like liquid metal across my skin. It moves with a life of its own, coiling and uncoiling in an endless dance.

Bastian's eyes widen, not with fear but with something else I can't place. His breath catches audibly.

"Extraordinary," he whispers, reaching toward my hand before stopping himself. "But... you're an offering. Your mother or father weren't primals?"

I shake my head, not understanding the question.

"Fascinating." He scratches his chin, eyes sparkling with curiosity.

"You know what this means?" I ask, voice barely audible. "Because I sure as hell don't, and I?—"

"I think I do, yes. There’s a book in my family library with this symbol on the cover. I’ll send for it, but it may take some time. Weeks, possibly.”

Weeks.Will I even be alive weeks from now? The way this place seems to feed on fear and death, it's hard to imagine surviving until tomorrow, let alone for weeks. But I don't want to seem ungrateful, so I nod my head and smile. "Thank you."

Bastian hardly seems to hear me. He's still speaking, almost to himself. "It should be possible for you to disguise it."

"What?" I ask. "How would I do that?" Does he really remember all of this from some old book, or is there more at play, here?

"Just..." he looks around again, then pulls me deeper into a private alcove. When his fingers brush my arm, I feel a jolt like lightning, stronger than when he touched me before the trial. The silver mark flares in response. Energy, cool and flowing like air seems to fill me.

Bastian pulls his hand back as if burned, eyes shifting to my mark warily, but the concern vanishes almost instantly. "Close your eyes, clear your senses, and focus on the mark. Your life will be easier if you pick water or air. But whatever you choose, try to visualize the mark changing."

I don’t bother questioning if it’s possible. I need it to be. I need some way to hide this, so I close my eyes and think about which mark to choose. Which affinity.

Earth and fire are historically dominant elements in Red Kingdom. Choosing them would mean a lifetime of reactions like the one Mireen gave Nolan before the trial. It would mean suspicion and increased scrutiny.

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