“Uh-huh,” Aria said, the smile not even faltering. “And what part of those excuses makes you think Viv and I aren’t going to run you into the ground about this until your dying days regardless?”
“You forgave Catcher!” Rei countered in exasperation. “He knew like… fifteen minutes after I did!”
Aria shrugged, pulling herself off the wall and heading down the corridor, towards the stairs at the far end. “Catcher got punished enough in the two days you avoided us. He’s taken his licks.”
Rei, thinking fast as Aria moved by him, considered his options. In the end he had only one card left to play. He’d been holding onto it, looking for the right time, but now seemed like as good an opportunity as was ever going to present itself.
“Fine,” he said, effecting a casual air while half-turning to watch her walk away. “If you’re not gonna invite me, then I’m not going to ask you the question I’ve been wanting to.”
Aria froze almost mid-stride, and Rei had to compose his face to hide the glee of success as she looked over her shoulder at him.
“What question?”
“Well if I answered that, it would kinda defeat the purpose of my threat, right?”
Aria glared, staring him down as though willing him to break under the sheer power of her gaze. Rei didn’t flinch, knowing her too well, and even when she shrugged and turned away again he said nothing more.
“Fine, keep your question,” she told him with forced nonchalance, heading for the stairs again. “It’s not like it’s important to me.”
“Of course, of course,” he said solemnly, nodding along in mock agreement. All the while, he counted Aria’s steps.
One, two, three…
She’d made it a solid ten paces before whirling around again, hands clenched at her sides.
“Ugh! Fine! You’re on the team if you want to be! Now what’s your stupid question?!”
Rei grinned from ear to ear, hoping Aria couldn’t hear the frantic beating of his heart that he could feel in his hands.
“You’re staying over leave, right?”
Aria frowned. “Yeah… I told you that last week I was planning to regardless…”
“Want to go into the city with me?”
Aria blinked. “The city? Castalon?”
“If there’s a closer one, I’m not familiar with it.”
Aria stuck her tongue out at him, then looked serious. “That might be fun. Viv said she’s never been, and I don’t think Catcher has either. Maybe we can—”
“I don’t want to go with Viv and Catcher, Aria. I want to go with you. Just you.”
Aria stared at him for a good long moment, mouth hanging open slightly. Then, slowly, in layered shades her face began to brighten, realization dawning on her as she blushed.
By the time she gave a single, unsteady nod, her entire face was nearing the color of her hair again.
“Is that a yes?” Rei asked, feeling his own ears growing hot despite his bravado.
Another shaky nod.
“Sorry. I need verbal confirmation.”
A mumbled answer.
“Still not getting it.”
“IT’S A YES, YOU JERK!”
Aria’s yell had Rei laughing almost at once, which obviously didn’t do anything to help her embarrassment.
“Shut up,” she grumbled. “It’s not smooth to make fun of a girl you just asked out…”
“Who says I asked you out?”
Aria’s eyes went wide. “Wait… Did you not? You didn’t mean…?”
“Oh, I totally did. I’m just saying you shouldn’t assume things.”
“Reidon Ward, if it wouldn’t get me expelled, I would use Hippolyta to skewer you to the wall and leave you there until someone found you.”
Rei only smiled broader, at that.
Then, though, he felt his humor slip ever so slightly.
“We still need one more, right?”
Aria blinked at him, confused. “One more what?”
“One more member. On your team.”
“Oh,” she frowned. “Smooth change to topic. But… Yeah.”
“A Mauler, you said? You’re sure?”
Aria hesitated, then nodded. “I think so. Cashe and I will form a solid defensive core, while you and Viv can provide speed and versatility. Especially versatility.” She eyed Shido pointedly. “Catcher offers a good balance of everything, making him adaptable, but that leaves us without an aggressor. Without someone who won’t have trouble charging right into a fight.”
“That definitely sounds like a Mauler…”
“It does,” Aria agreed with a grimace. “Problem is there aren’t too many impressive options. I was thinking Easton. Or maybe Gillian North. Neither is a perfect candidate, but with the rest of our lineup we should be fine.”
“Aria…” Rei said slowly. “There’s one. There’s one perfect candidate.”
Aria hesitated, looking a little disconcerted. “Rei… You’re not suggesting…”
“Yeah. I am. You want the all-star line-up, then that’s what you build. No half-measures.” He pointed to his temple to indicate his NOED. “Viv knows what suite number is his. If you tell her why you’re asking, I’m sure she’ll give it to you.”
Aria looked unconvinced. “You’re sure? You’re absolutely sure?”
“Not even a little bit. But it’s your team, not mine, and if you want to know one thing I am sure of, it’s that if you don’t get to him soon, someone else will beat you to it. He might not have qualified individually, but you and I—and everyone, really—knows he should have.”
Aria took a breath, then nodded. “Okay. Then I’ll ask him.”
“Okay. Good.”
“Good.”
They stood there for a second, then, suddenly not sure what else there was to say, cheeks and ears still blushing.
Eventually, Rei decided to quit while he was ahead.
“I’m gonna get back to work,” he said as casually as he could. “Don’t forget: Castalon. It’s a date.”
Aria’s redness redoubled, and her voice was just a little high when she answered. “Yeah. It’s a date.”
With a last smile, Rei turned away from her, looking forward to punching the air in silent success the moment he rounded the corner in the hall.
He didn’t make it two steps before Aria called out to him again.
“Oh. Rei.”
He glanced back at her. She was watching him with a bit more of her normal smile.
“I don’t know if you heard. They released the recordings of the Intra-Schools to the public feeds a few days ago.”
“Yeah, I did,” Rei turned to face her fully. “Been watching a few, actually.”
“Have you seen it, then?”
“Seen what?”
Aria looked suddenly unsure of herself. “In the forums. And the video comments. You haven’t seen it?”
“I don’t read them. Seen what, Aria?”
She paused, chewing on her tongue for a bit before seeming to give in. “Your name. What they’re calling you. It’s not an official field name, or anything, but that’s how these things often start.”
Rei stared at her, stunned.
“A name?” he asked quietly. “The viewers are giving me a name?”
“Yeah.” she nodded. “And it’s a good one, too.”
Rei only hesitated a moment before asking. “What is it?”
Aria smiled. “Apparently there’s rumors circulating that you’re a favorite of Valera Dent. They say you’re the ‘heir apparent’ to the strongest A-Type in the system.” She brought a hand up to form a half-circle with thumb and fingers at an angle atop her head, like the start of a crown. “They’re calling you ‘the Iron Prince’.”
Thank You All! Please Read!
After months of effort, back-and-forth, and editing, the first installment of this crazy collaboration that is the Warformed Universe has f
inally hit the shelves! We are so grateful to you—yes you, reading this right now—for making the investment in and taking the time for Iron Prince, joining us on this sci-fi cyberpunk adventure. It’s your support that makes it possible for writers like the pair of us to practice our craft, and your involvement that makes this journey so enjoyable for us.
On that subject, a few notes:
First: Please, please, consider rating and reviewing Iron Prince on Amazon, as well as any of your other favorite book sites. Many people don’t know that there are thousands of books published every day, most of those in the USA alone. Over the course of a year, a quarter of a million authors will vie for a small place in the massive world of print and publishing. We fight to get even the tiniest traction, fight to climb upward one inch at a time towards the bright light of bestsellers, publishing contracts, and busy book signings.
Thing is, we need all the help we can get, and that’s where wonderful readers like you come in!
Second: If you want to join our growing community, be sure to join Wraithmarked Creative’s private readers’ group on Facebook! Both of us are active participants in the group, so tag us with any questions, check out all the other awesome books Wraithmarked is publishing in the coming months, and chat with those authors as well!
Regardless of whether or not you choose to review, reach out, or support us elsewhere, thank you again for taking the time to read Iron Prince, and we will see you in the sequel!
Your biggest fans,
Bryce O’Connor & Luke Chmilenko
Iron Prince: A Progression Sci-Fi Epic (Warformed: Stormweaver Book 1) Page 102