“We need to talk,” I told her softly. “Gather Aunt Gracine and the others.”
She nodded, squeezing my hand. “I don’t care if you have magic or not, Brynn. I care that you’re safe.”
Tears slipped free despite my efforts to stop them. Of course, she knew. When her chest and my siblings’ remained unmarked, she must have guessed. She had probably believed me dead.
Ten minutes later, I stood in my Aunt Gracine’s tent. My cousins gathered with Uncle Gregg and Aunt Lynn. They looked weary but healthier than I had expected.
“What is it, Brynn?” my mother asked.
I squared my shoulders, lifting my head high. “I won the Arcane Trials, but I chose not to take magic.”
Gasps rippled through my cousins.
“I decided to keep this instead.” My hand dropped to Valkaryn. “Which I regret now, but there’s nothing I can do about it. I know I let you all down, and I’m sorry.”
Aunt Gracine, so like my mother, stepped forward and placed her hands on my shoulders. Her eyes glistened. “Honey, I can’t miss something I never had. Do we get to stay here?”
I nodded.
“Then all is well. Glad you’re home.” She kissed my cheek and slipped out.
Home. Hildreth was home now.
My uncle hugged me next. “Proud of you, Brynnie. Who cares about magic?”
“Yeah, who wants to be an Elite? Not me.” My Aunt Lynn chimed in with a grin, bumping her hip against mine.
“I wanted to,” Tyrus muttered.
I laughed, and for the first time in weeks, the sound felt real.
We left the tent together, and a weight slid from my chest.
That night, our family split between two tents. I shared one with the older kids while my mother stayed with the littles. I expected to lie awake, restless in this new place, but when my head hit the sleeping bag, peace wrapped around me. Elia’s words echoed in my mind.Kaelric is a man of his word; you and your people are welcome here. With that truth to anchor me, I slept more deeply than I had in months.
The next morning, jobs were assigned. A parchment with over thirty roles had been passed around, and each of us was told to mark three choices. I assumed it was because we would each be getting three jobs, but when they called the first name, Mr. Wheeler,and stated that he would be working at the railroad station keeping it clear of debris and rust, and then called the next name. We all grew confused. Murmurs began when the next name was called, and Tonea Berry was assigned to pumpkin harvesting.
“Greyseon—” The female wolfkin began to call the next person when Tonea cleared her throat.
“Excuse me, I thought we were to choose our top three jobs.” She asked the wolfkin in charge of assigning jobs.
The female wolfkin, stout and stern-looking nodded. “And if you don’t like it, you need to wait one year before asking for a change.”
I stood. “No, ma’am, what we are wondering is why you are only reading off one job when we chose three.”
The woman frowned in confusion, and Elia, who had been standing off to the side, cleared her throat and stepped over to the makeshift platform where the wolfkin woman was reading our names from a long list.
“Life in Hildreth isn’t like the Dregs. You have one job you work, and only eight hours a day. Then you go home to be with family or rest. We each get two days off a week, but it’s staggered so that the town doesn’t shut down for those days. If you’re sick, you don’t come into work, and you won’t be fired. If you’re over sixty-five, you don’t have to work, but you can if you want, part-time. If you’re under sixteen, your job is to go to school full-time. If you are pregnant, you are only expected to work part-time in your third trimester, and you get six months off from work once the child is born. Everyone does the same number of hours, and we all share everything. If there is an emergency, like last spring when the pumpkin field flooded, we ask for volunteers to help extra.”
Silence descended over the crowd, and my people stared in shock at what Elia had just said. Mrs. Bunson, a sweet widow in her seventies, burst into tears. Her fingers were so crooked and gnarled that she could barely cover her face to hide her weeping. Her daughter, Melody, held her, tears in her eyes as well. I glanced at Fiona to see her rubbing her swollen belly and smiling. Six months off from work after a child was born? My mother never had that.
One job. Eight hours a day. Two days off a week. It was a dream. It was unheard of.
The wolfkin woman cleared her throat, resuming the roll call.
“Greyseon Birks, firewood processing.” She said.
Greyseon was a large and strong man in his forties. He smiled at the assignment and hugged his wife. I listened as each one of my people was given jobs. Then, finally, my motherwas called.
