Page 37 of Above
“That definition includes you, Dofrel. Now get out of my way.”
He merely laughed, his entire body shaking. What was it with these cores and their inability to listen?
“Unlike my fellow cores, I find the idea of purity and total annihilation to be quite dull.” So nonchalant was the man before me, face bored and posture sinking, that I could do nothing but stare at him open-mouthed. Not even Zade had said such a thing. It was almost scandalous, hearing a core family memberdenounce purity. And, while I shouldn’t have believed him, I found myself nodding along as he continued. “I will say, some of us aren’t so gracious. In fact, some of us might even have quite horrible plans for you. So, maybe be careful who you show your back to, okay?”
“That’s enough, Cal. Get out or I’ll kick you out.” Blinking, I focused on Zade. I had almost forgotten he was there. Of all the people in this place, Dofrel was one of the last that I would expect to warn me about Altair. Not that he needed to, I was already well aware of the dangers that the general’s son presented.
“Fine. Seriously though, Tershetta, be careful. Sometimes pretty things are the most poisonous.” Zade shoved Dofrel toward the door, growling like a rabid dog. All I could do was stew in Dofrel’s words as I looked down, pretending to nonchalantly pick at my nails. That was when I saw it. Dried blood, nearly black, beneath my pinky nail.
My mind flashed back to my last match when I had struck Altair—to the moment I had scratched him in the hopes of getting his hands off my throat.
Core blood.
The next day, I stood at attention before Jedidiah Dofrel, the colonel in charge of my company in the Alchemy Division, with none other than Caleb Dofrel himself. I hadn’t thought much about the fact that most core children would be bred to leadthe division their fathers did, but at that moment, I was kicking myself in the ass for it.
Only four of us had been assigned to Colonel Dofrel, but he didn’t seem bothered by the lack of numbers. In fact, he didn’t appear to care about anything other than being stuck with the akhata.
“This won’t be an easy company to succeed in, Trainee Tershetta,” he boomed for what had to have been the third time that morning.
“Understood, Colonel.” Not much else to say.
“I won’t cut you any slack for your lack of knowledge either.”
Interesting, seeing as his son wasn’t the one who noted the poison in our food that second day. Nor had he helped me make the antidote. But, oh, how little the of eadi must know.
“Yes, Colonel.” My chin lifted a quarter of an inch, just the slightest show of dissent.
In retaliation, the colonel smacked me across the face with his whip.
The strike was so hard that my body spun, the dizziness and the pain mingling and bringing me crashing to the ground. My head smacked into the tile, rattling my teeth. “Just so we’re clear, I find you to be a disgusting waste of space.”
A chuckle bubbled up my throat, the stinging burn on my cheeks and lips nothing in comparison to just how utterly fucked I was.
“Get her out of my sight, Caleb,” the colonel muttered, waving his bronzed hand at his son before walking out of the room. “We’re done for today. You three can thank Trainee Tershetta for that.”
“Yes, Father.” Dofrel swept me up, not so much as speaking to me as blood poured over the two of us.
II
Act II
Some fear equality, not because they don’t want to disrupt the perceived peace, but because they wish to maintain their own control.
Interlude
While it is often suggested by those who dare to disregard the stars that shaytan and eadi alike are more important to our divine beings above than they are to us, most know better. We would be nothing without the stars. Every step we make should be carefully thought out and held above our worldly desires. It would be borderline sacrilegious to care more about your own wants than the satisfaction and entertainment of the stars.
So, what happens then, dear reader, when what you want is so different from what the stars will that you must then choose between our beautiful darkness above and your peace below? Do you choose yourself and forsake their holinesses? Or do you ignore your desires and pray for their forgiveness?
Perhaps a better question is, are you prepared to face the consequences that come from turning your back on the ones who deign to let you live?
Chapter Eighteen
Nova
“I was reading about the core families today. I found out that during the dark times they were leaders in King Tobin Dremly’s forces, just as they are now. The only notable difference was that they weren’t special back then. It made me realize why they cling so desperately to their purity. Without it they are no better than any of us. What a tragedy that would be.”
-From the journal of Nova Tershetta, 9269 AS
