It reminds me a little of Byron Worth, who’s currently a familiar imperious presence on the other side of the room. He always gives off a faint impression of frustration.
I’m never sure whether to appreciate that he seems to take his work more seriously than most of his classmates or be annoyed that his entitlement comes with a sharper edge. Even if he has to work a little harder to receive the same platter, he’s still getting his life handed to him on it.
He’ll never have to strive half as desperately for anything as the people who never set foot in Luminary Academy do.
But the heir to the Devine family has always given off carefree airs before. Where the hell did she get off challenging me when I called out her laziness last class?
I was ready for her to laugh it off as if my complaints weren’t worth her consideration. That’s what she’d normally have done.
Instead, the flash in her eyes jabbed right under my skin… and stirred an uncomfortable heat in places I’d rather not think about.
What the fuck is going on with her?
Why the fuck do I even care?
I shouldn’t, other than for the reason that I’m reminded of a moment later as the last students file in. Asher slips quietly to his spot in the back corner, out of the way like he prefers to be.
His attempt at flying under the radar doesn’t work as well as it usually does. Several glances dart his way, followed by a renewed flurry of gossipy murmurs.
My jaw sets on edge. Whatever attitude adjustment Elodie is undergoing, she should have thought twice before aiming it at my brother. Yelling at him like that in the middle of the hall, when even in my brief glimpse as I came around the corner, I could tell he was only trying to help her?
She’s painted a target on his back, as if the one already there as a Beacon Prep transfer student wasn’t big enough.
I restrain the urge to glare at her. If I turn the screws too blatantly, all I’ll get is a dressing-down by her father—and possibly her grandparents—in the headmaster’s office.
If she’s going to face real consequences, she has to be the instigator of the problem. I’ll need to catch her crossing a line no one can deny and then write her up for it.
I can’t make much of a difference to any of these spoiled heirs, but I can make them pay a little. Knock them a few steps down the rankings. Turn the gossip on her rather than my brother.
The class has quieted. They’re watching me—the chime just sounded—I’ve gotten distracted. Damn it.
She’s crept too much into my head, scattered my thoughts. I need to be at the top of my game this afternoon.
I already picked out an assignment for today that should cater to my goals just fine. Divide and conquer. It’ll get Asher away from prying gazes too.
I push my chair back with a deliberate squeak to bring any wayward eyes to me. Folding my arms over my chest, I contemplate the room without letting my gaze linger on any particular student. Especially not a particular student with purple hair and a suddenly guarded expression.
“As you’d better all know by now, the highest pinnacle of divinatory skill isn’t in reading what’s already existed but being able to extrapolate from the ephemera you sense into the future. The greatest diviners have been able to anticipate events as far as months in advance.”
I let my mouth curve into a smirk. “I wouldn’t expect those heights from any of you. But it’s time you stretched your abilities in that area farther. I want you to spend the next hour examining Luminary’s campus and evaluating ephemera until you’re ready to write down a prediction about something that will happen within the next few days. The closer you are to correct, the better your grade. But I’ll also award a higher grade for larger and more complex correct predictions than for simple ones.”
Discontented mutterings pass between the desks. Byron Worth fixes his incisive gaze on me and raises his hand.
I restrain a sigh. “Yes, Mr. Worth?”
“Do you have any guidance about how to approach this assignment? Best strategies to follow?”
His tone is even, but I’m sure he’s perfectly aware that he’s implying I’m not doing my job.
I frown at him. “I believe we’ve covered approaches to predictive divination many times over the course of your studieshere, Mr. Worth. If you’re unsure of yourself, perhaps you should review your notes.”
His face tightens as if he’s restrained a wince, but I feel no guilt.
They’ve got only a little more than a year left of their schooling. If they can’t think for themselves yet, they’re hopeless.
I direct the class toward the door with a shooing motion. “Get on with it. Your hour has already started. I’ll make my way around campus and check on your progress.”
And ignore their attempts at prodding easy answers out of me.Someonein this damned place needs to make them knuckle down.
