Page 142 of The Tribes of Magic
I frowned.
And Rhett nodded. I did not like his smile.
“The General was busy in meetings that day the whole thing went down, if you’ll remember, so the evidence was sent to Senator Gaines, who was filling in for him. The Senator signed the order to kick Bronte out of the Apprentice Program. You made a big fuss about the whole thing, so word eventually got back to the General that you were trying to prove Bronte’s innocence. Cunning man that he is, the Generalletyou prove it. He knew you’d go to the Black Obelisk, so he had the Watchers make it appear as if the security camera footage I’d found wasn’t genuine, thereby clearing Bronte’s name and allowing her to continue in her role as his spy. So there you have it, Savannah Winters. The whole, raw story. Are you happy now?”
Rhett’s smile told me he knew I wasn’t.
“If the General wanted me to prove Bronte’s innocence, why did he reward you for exposing her? Why didn’t he punish you?”
Rhett’s smile was sticky-sweet and doubly satisfied. “Oh, come now, Winters. You’re smarter than that. And the General is more cunning than that too. He had to reward me. It was the only way to buy my silence.”
“You’re not being very silent right now.”
Rhett laughed. “Because I don’t have to be anymore. I’ve been watching you, Winters. I knew you were closing in on the truth. Very soon, Sir Kato’s tablet will beep, confirming what I’ve told you: Bronte Vance is the spy. You’ll have your evidence, and I’ll keep my points. The General will never know I’ve broken my word. Bronte Vance will be gone, and I will be King of the Scoreboard.”
“Unless Kato tells the General that you broke your deal.”
“He wouldn’t do that. He’s too honorable.”
I looked at Kato. His face was as unreadable as it was when hidden under a helmet. Great. Rhett was right. Kato wouldn’t tattle. And I couldn’t. The General would never believe me. And he was about to be very angry with me for exposing his spy.
“You are not honorable,” I told Rhett.
“All right, fine. Believe that if it makes you feel better.”
“It’s the truth.”
“I came here, didn’t I? I didn’t have to tell you what I know. Vance is going down either way.”
“Then why did you tell me what you know? Just to rub it in?”
“I told you because you’re the sort of person who has to know things. And I told you because you shouldn’t feel bad about turning her in. Because it’s the right thing to do for you.”
I frowned. I didn’t know what to do with that information.
“Bronte Vance is not a helpless lamb. She’s also not a bad person. She just wants to win, like me. That’s why she spied on you for the General. That was her clearest path to the top. Brontedid what she had to do. I did what I had to do. People do what they have to do. You should learn from that, Winters, and start doing whatyouhave to do, instead of running around helping everyone but yourself like you’re some sort of fairy godmother.”
With that said, Rhett turned and walked away. I stood there, still, frowning, long after his footsteps had faded. Conner reappeared. I could feel the loaded stares being exchanged between him and Kato.
Finally, I found myself able to speak again. “Rhett is way smarter than I thought.”
“So you like him now?” Kato asked.
I laughed. “No. I still don’t like him at all. He’s a brute and a bully…”
“But he has a point?” Conner said.
“Rhett’s point is everyone’s only looking out for themselves, and you have to do what you have to do to get ahead. I refuse to embrace such a cynical outlook on life. Some people do good because they genuinely want to do good. Not everything boils down to personal gain—or at least it shouldn’t.”
“I don’t know, Red. Based on my experience, most people are inherently selfish.”
“But notKnights. Knights are better than that. Knights inspire others to be better than that.”
Conner smiled at Kato. “I love the way she thinks.”
“As do I.”
“Chivalry isn’t dead. It’s the new normal,” I told them. “You guys have proven that again and again, with every right decision you’ve made. Sure, you make mistakes. I make mistakes. We all make mistakes. But even so, we strive to be better. We want to do what’s right. Humanity can rise above our flawed nature. We can be better.”
