Page 12 of A Master's Destiny
Kat eyes both of us. “Yeah, the two of you sailed through it with flying colors. But, just so you know, it didn’t go unnoticed…” She nods at the other side of the commons.
I glance over to see the other three huddled together and catch Slater, i.e. Surfer Boy, glaring at me.
Jones slaps him on the shoulder to get his attention and Slater immediately looks away.
I can tell that Jones is still upset about being called out by the trainers. Although I can’t hear what he’s saying, the man is very animated when he talks, and he keeps pounding his fist into his hand.
“I don’t think that guy is going to last long,” Miss Reid murmurs darkly.
Ravenson looks over at Jones and frowns. “I bet the trainers are watching him closely.”
I nod in agreement.
Kat holds out her hand to Ravenson. “So, I’m Kat.”
He replies with a courteous smile, “I’m Samuel.”
“Can I call you Sam?”
He furrows his brow. “Certainly not!”
“That’s the reason I asked,” she laughs, turning to Ashford. “And, you?”
He looks up from his plate of food. “Huh?”
“What’s your first name?”
“Ashford.”
She snickers. “So, you’re telling me your parents named you Ashford Ashford, did they?”
“No,” he mutters, pushing his glasses back up before diving back into his food.
I appreciate Kat’s wit and chill manner. It helps to pass the time while we all wait for our next challenge.
When I glance over at Jones again, I’m relieved to see he’s calmed down some.
Surfer Boy suddenly looks up and smiles at me.
It’s the kind of smile that lets me know he’s up to no good.
Master Nosh walks into the commons while the others are still eating. I immediately stand up, assuming he’s come to direct us to the second practicum. However, he walks past me as he heads over to the group of three on the opposite side of the commons.
“Come to my office, Mr. Jones.” The tone in the Head Trainer’s voice leaves no room for dissent, and the man follows him out of the commons in silence.
“What do you think’s happening?” Kat whispers after the two leave.
“I’m certain we already know,” I answer somberly.
Being accepted into the Dominant Training program gave us all a sense of privilege, but tonight is proof that we are very much expendable.
Twenty minutes later, Master Nosh arrives without Jones and escorts us to the auditorium. No one says a word as we walk down the hallway.
It is sobering to know we can be cut from the program at any moment, but I can see the genius behind it, too. When you know this opportunity is something you can lose, you will work that much harder for it.
As we enter the auditorium, I’m surprised to find it’s circular, with a small stage in the center and rows of seats all around it. The other instructors are already seated and waiting for us.
Master Nosh leads us down to the center stage and gestures for us to take a seat in the front row.
