“Oh, yeah, who, Aric?” I ask. “He definitely has his eyes on me all the time.”
Spider glances away, making sure no one hears him, before he leans forward.
“I can’t say, but just know that I’m rooting for you both.”
He sits upright and winks at me before slipping out. I roll my eyes at his theatrics. One thing about Spider is that he can’t resist the urge to gossip, which means he hasnonews to share. He just wants to mess with my head. What an idiot. Even knowing how silly he is, I feel a strange sense of camaraderie with him.
I can see why the other members of Black Star don’t get along with him. He tends to use his humor and biting tongue as a shield. They neglect to see that, beyond all that, he is a rather sweet, funny boy.
The Founder’s Day ceremony is to be held in the Primary Hall. The chamber is a vacuum of power, filled with dignitaries, cadets, and soldiers. Uniform medals twinkle under the crystal chandelier lights.
I’m in full regalia. The fabric of my coat is stiff and unforgiving. My undershirt is pressed to perfection, and silver-trimmed epaulets hang from the shoulder blades. I feel safe withmy holster at my hip, and my boots planted like stakes on the marble floor.
Flint and Rei flank me, their backs as taut as bowstrings. Everyone is a little on edge. It’s our first public appearance. Only the Gifted are invited to this affair, except for me. It’s strange to be in a room full of people who see me as their lesser. My coat doesn’t have a colored collar. It is clear to see that I don’t belong.
Anytime someone strikes up a conversation, the first question they ask Rei and Flint is their surname and classification, while they ignore me.
“This is going to be unbearable,” Rei mutters. “A bunch of stuck-up Gifted, judging us in silence.”
I raise a brow. “Youare a stuck-up Gifted.”
Rei waves a hand. “That was yesterday. Today is today.”
I exchange an amused glance with Flint.
The cadets are a little nervous about how the soldiers will treat them. Everyone is trying to be on their best behavior and not make any powerful enemies who will make their lives hell when they graduate.
My eyes roam the space. It’s a small mercy that Warrick won’t be here. He’s attending the celebration dinner at the capital instead.
Ender stands in the middle of the room. His obsidian coat molds to his shoulders and chest like armor. His dark hair is drawn back with some type of gel, revealing his elegantly beautiful face. Beside him stands Clover, her eyes locked on his, as he speaks with a bulky man with graying temples.
The way Clover looks at him disturbs me. She is gazing at him like the world lies in the palm of his hand. It isn’t just respect that glows in her midnight-blue eyes. It is devotion and love.
“Does your sister know that her husband has a woman who would get on her knees for him if he gave her the smallest cue?” Rei asks.
My fist clenches to my side.
“He wouldn’t dare humiliate my sister like that,” I say, between gritted teeth.
I would kill him without hesitation.
Ender takes the stage to begin the welcome speech; Clover follows him and stands to his left. She looks beautiful. Crests are pinned above her breasts, commemorating her various victories. Her pale hair is tied in a stern bun that pulls at her temples like pins are woven beneath her flesh.
Mercy should be there. Mercy should be the one smiling politely at the guests and standing by Ender’s side.
Not Clover.
“Easy,” Flint whispers, squeezing my shoulder. “It isn’t exactly a surprise for high-ranking officials to take mistresses.”
“What?” I ask, turning to face him.
Flint shifts, uncomfortable by the wrath in my eyes.
“It’s not that unheard of,” he mumbles. “Tasteless. Yes. But does it happen? Yes, and more than anyone cares to admit.”
Ender cuts an impossible figure on the stage. Everyone in the room is focused on him. Their eyes are wide with awe, and it makes me realize that I spoke too soon when I said he’d make a terrible politician. He fits right in with the rest of those snakes. He doesn’t need their admiration because they both fear and respect him.
“Soldiers and esteemed dignitaries,” he begins. “Today, we gather to honor the legacy of our Founder, Bane Vale, and celebrate him for the system he built with courage and sacrifice.”
