Chapter 30 Death
BRYNNE
“Father,” I begin. The argument I should have spoken when he mentioned the academy to Soma leaps to my throat. Father glares at me while pushing at my mind’s wall to connect with me. But I keep the mindlink shut. “She’s not fit for the academy. Is she even educated?”
“Your Majesty, I have a diploma.”
Father’s lips curl in mild amusement. I tip my head back to look at Soma, and she squares her jaw. Silly fool. She can’t see that I’m trying to help her.
“Oh, really?” I tease.
“Yes. I have a diploma from Calvary High.”
Father and I flinch at the mention of her school. It’s a public high school for the poorest of the poor. The nothings. Those who failed at getting a chance into the regular schools because they were dumb or poor.
Draping an arm around the back of my chair, I hold her gaze, saying, “Let me guess, you graduated with a 0.5 or maybe they let you off because you’re too dumb.”
Her mouth opens and closes. When she tries to speak again, her annoyance is gone, replaced by barely concealed fury.
“3.95, Your Highness. I would have been valedictorian if class didn’t matter, even among the poor.” Father clears his throat, and she flashes an apologetic smile. “Your majesty. I’m fit to attend the academy.”
“No, she’s not,” I snap before he talks. I rise, my arms trembling at my sides as I try to calm down. “What are the three treaties that keep peace between each pack?”
She answers correctly.
“Why is Shadowspire named what it is?”
She answers correctly again. My blood boils, and my veins threaten to pop. But I’m not willing to give up.
“A rogue wolf is caught hunting on the pack’s territory. What’s your first move as the Luna of Shadowspire?”
“Kill him,” she answers smoothly.
It’s the correct answer. Again. The law is straightforward: death to rogues. I press on because I’m certain she only said that to impress Father.
“Even if it were someone you know?” I tease.
“Especially if it’s someone I know.”
“Your lover,” I insist, towering over her. “What if it were your lover?”
Her lips curl, and she tells me, “If he’s stupid enough to come back here, then death. Death. To him.”
That does it. Calmness flees, and rage settles. “Enough. What makes you think you’re special enough to be here?”
Soma shoots to her feet, her chest rising, and her eyes blazing with the same anger in mine. “Because the Moon Goddess says so, Your Highness.”
A thick, uncomfortable stillness cracks the air. Father leans back in his chair, his voice echoing in my head.
She’s right. Let it be.
How can I?
He made my brothers and me undergo two years of training after high school before we got admitted into the academy. And he’s offering it to her on a platter.
But there’s not much I can do now since she came prepared. Lilith must have warned her.
“Even if you want her there, she can’t afford it,” I say lamely as my last defense. If Father wants her at the academy, money won’t be an issue. Still, it’s worth a fight. “She’s too poor for it.”
“Before the Queen died,” Father begins. I stiffen. Soma is not worthy to hear about Mother. “She always expressed her desire to change certain things about the educational system. Especially for the poor. We will start the change with Soma by introducing a scholarship system for the best student. It will be termed The Queen Raine’s Scholarship in memory of your late mother.”
A jolt goes through my heart, and I fold my hands on my chest like it will ease the ache. He knows how I am about Mother or anything related to her. This is low, a means to end this argument.
“We can offer one scholarship per year,” he continues. “Lady Soma is the first winner of this year’s scholarship. If she does well, we might consider increasing the slots to two students.”
“Five?” she blurts out.
Father chuckles, and I scoff. Ungrateful wench.
“How old are you?” he asks.
For the first time, she looks uneasy, and it makes me interested in her answer.
“Your Majesty, I turn twenty next month. October fifteen.”
“Interesting,” Father says. I’m not surprised he doesn’t focus on her age since we didn’t get into the academy until our training ended. I was a few months over twenty when I resumed at the academy, when most started at eighteen. “If you graduate with a 4.0 GPA, maybe I’ll reconsider the quota.”
She inhales shakily. “I won’t disappoint you, Your Majesty.” Dipping in a curtsy, she adds, “Thank you for everything. The shopping, the room, and even the opportunity at the academy. I don’t take any of this for granted.”
“Time will tell,” he says, waving her away.
As she hurries to the door, I rush after her. Once we both step into the hallway, I pin her against the wall. All the guards on duty immediately look away. They know better.
Her eyes widen, and her fists beat weakly against my chest.
“Let go,” she whisper-yells. My forearm presses into her neck, letting her know she’s stuck here until I free her. Her knee comes up to ruin my family jewels, but I duck. “Let me go.”
To keep her from calling Father’s attention to us, I place a hand over her mouth. Panic fully sets in, and her breathing comes out in fast bursts. She struggles beneath me, trying to twist free, but my other hand reaches up and closes around her throat.
“Stop,” I growl.
But that only encourages her to claw at my wrists. I see the wild defiance in her eyes, the fear, and the confusion. I try to take advantage of her weakness by probing into her mind, but I’m met with a thick wall that keeps me out.
As my fingers flex around her neck, heat sparks beneath my skin, simmering low like the flame within me wants out.
James rears his head, noticing the shift. I force myself to focus. “There’s still time,” I mutter, my voice sharp with desperation. “I can get you out of here. I can get you to him.”
She impressed Father today. I can’t let her live here and charm the rest of the palace.
Her eyes flare, and I loosen my grip to show sincerity, but the internal flame burns brighter and deeper. The guards on this floor have vanished, but my voice stays low.
“We’ll say you got lost,” I continue quickly. “There’s a way through the kitchens. If you leave now—”
Soma cuts me off with a shove. I stumble back a step, shocked by her anger. Her chest heaves, and she points a finger at me. I expect a tirade of insults, but she slides past me and runs.
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