Page 28 of Riftborne
Gritting my teeth,I turned and pushed the heavy door shut with a screech.
“I’m going to change. Don’t touch anything.” He wandered around the corner.
The space was massive with walls resembling pavement, coarse and textured in shades of gray. They seemed to go on forever before finally meeting the high ceiling, adorned with massive wooden beams.
The office itself was enormous. To the left, a desk of dark mahogany dominated the space. Its sleek surface, devoid of character or personality, bore the weight of neatly arranged documents and a precisely aligned set of writing tools. Sprawled out on the back of his desk chair lay a black coat, the upper part lined with badges.
The opposite side of the room housed a seating area. Low-slung furniture sat upon a cowskin rug, upholstered in subdued fabrics of charcoal velvet and muted leather. It was oddly organized. Almost uncomfortably organized.
Like a sociopath lived there.
I eyed the leather sofas across the expanse. It looked as if they had never been used… no creases, no indentions. My eyes threatened to roll. All this space, and he didn’t even appreciate it. Some of us had to scrape couches up off the street. Because in no world did I allow Osta or I to take a single gold from the royal delegation—the program that provided assistance to lower classes throughout the realm. These people already thought we owed them something. I wouldn’t let it be true.
Annoyance, perhaps even curiosity, pulled me closer. He said not to touch anything, but he never told me not to make myself comfortable. I sat awkwardly, shifting my weight on the firm leather. It offered little give.
Maybe comfort wasn’t the goal.
The General strode back into the room without giving me a second glance. His disheveled look was now replaced by a structured black shirt and gray trousers. Everything was buttoned this time, fortunately.
His hair was pulled tightly behind his head and his scar seemed darker this morning. Sitting down across from me, he laced up his brown boots in silence, like he’d forgotten I was there. Like my presence was simply an afterthought.
“We have some salve at the Apothecary that might help with your scar,” I said, trying to lessen the tension.
He looked up, surprise flickering across his eyes as he finished lacing his left boot.
It was annoying how good-looking he was.
“I appreciate your concern, truly.” He smirked. “But I’m afraid there’s not much that can cure this type of laceration.” Leaning back in his chair, he studied me, shifting the energy in the room.Silence engulfed the air as his eyes bore into me, like he was searching for something in the curves of my face. A familiar heat crept across my skin, threatening to expose my discomfort. But I fought it back with vengeance. In no way was I going to show him anything that could be interpreted as weakness.
An eternity passed before he furrowed his brow and shook off whatever he was thinking about. “So, I figured we could start with three days a week. I’ve reserved a private gym for us near your work. It–”
“I haven’t agreed to your proposition yet,” I lied. Again, I hadn’t meant to say it out loud, but the man clearly brought out the worst in me.
I expected to see anger in his eyes, but they stayed emotionless, serpentine, like my boldness had disturbed nothing within him.
“As I was saying, it shouldn’t interfere with your job at the Apothecary. At least our initial training shouldn’t. You can meet me in the evenings. Every other day should be sufficient. Excluding weekends. I’m sure your social life is titillating,” he said.
I fought back the urge to narrow my own eyes. His arrogance knew no bounds. My back hit the cold leather, as I attempted to settle into the rigid sofa, but it felt wrong. All of this felt wrong.
“I can make that work. My tone was neutral, but anxiety speckled rage continued to churn in my gut.
“Fantastic. And just so that you’re aware, this training is technically unofficial. You won’t need to move into the Compound until you reach initiate status.” He looked me over. “You won’t even join the Guard as a recruit until we’ve mastered control over your focus. Which we will.”
“How can you be so sure?” I asked, leaning forward onto my knees.
“Because I know what I’m doing. You’re not the first reckless cadet I’ve had the pleasure of training.” He sat back in his chair, crossing his arms as another one of his smirks played at his lips.
I forced my head into a nod, turning my attention to the corner of the room. I’d let him win the battle today.
“I have a special way with people. I know what makes them tick. I’ll figure out your blockages and we will remove them. Any further questions?” His voice was clipped.
“I think you just about answered them all.”
Tension brewed, crackling in the air between us like a storm about to burst. Whatever he was thinking was a mystery, but his eyes had a way of scanning me like he knew my greatest fears, like he knew how much I loathed being seen. I couldn’t hide here. Sitting in this Compound was like waiting for a dragon in his own lair. I wondered if he could read it on my face.
“Well, now that we’ve ironed out all of the details, I’ll walk you out,” he said, breaking the deafening silence that threatened to pull me under. He walked over to the desk, retrieving his coat and a stack of papers.
That was quick, simple, apart from his suffocating presence. Relief passed over me as I stood, making my way back to the door, perhaps a bit too quickly.
