The silver-haired man returned to his table, his tray once again full. Only this time, he sat on the opposite side, facing me. But he didn’t look at me. Not once.
I picked up another piece of bacon and chewed it thoughtfully.
“No, but some of them are. About half, I’d guess. The Soulbound couples share a pretty intense relationship, sometimes romantic, sometimes a really close friendship. It’s said they’re like soul mates or something. And Bound couples…well, sometimes their bond is strong, but never as strong as the Soulbound and sometimes…sometimes there’s no connection at all.” She nodded a few tables over to a girl with honey blond hair and long legs. Next to her stood a pale, redheaded boy who watched the girl’s every move as if it were a ballet. I guessed him to be her Healer. “Take Melanie, for example. David, her Healer, thinks she walks on water, but she barely notices his existence.”
I was about to ask who the guy with silver hair was, when Maddox swore under her breath at the clock on the wall. “You’re due at the headmaster’s office in five minutes, we need to go now.”
I stood and tried to pick up my tray, but Maddox shot me a look that said my picking up after myself would break some kind of Protocol and get her in big trouble, so I let her take care of it. I was beginning to understand why she thought all Healers were snobs. Apparently, the rules regarded Healers as delicate flowers that needed to be taken care of. Some Healers were probably all right with that, but I wasn’t.
Maddox had just returned to my table when Melanie stood and sashayed over to us, a small group right on her heels. I could feel Maddox’s muscles tensing beside me.
“So,” Melanie said, tossing her perfectly sculpted curls over her shoulder. “You’re the new girl, huh? Let me guess. You’re a Healer.”
Maddox spoke, her tone irritated. “Melanie—”
“Maddox, if I need a sitter, I’ll call you. Hush.” She had barely thrown Maddox a glance, and then turned her attention on me. Something spiteful was lurking in her eyes. “So?”
It was clear she hated Healers. It was written all over her face, and in the way she completely disregarded the boy next to her. I shrugged. “So…yes. I’m a Healer.”
“I knew it. There’s a certain look to the lower life-forms.” She groaned, and rolled her eyes for her audience. Something told me that Melanie always had an audience. “What a shame. This school needs more people who can fight and less walking bandages.”
I growled under my breath. “You want a fight? Throw a punch and I’ll give you a few wounds that no kind of bandage will fix.”
Melanie laughed, leaning closer. “Ooh, I’m scared…”
Maddox tugged my sleeve. “Come on, Kaya…the headmaster’s waiting.”
I eyed Melanie down, but she didn’t flinch, and to what I’m sure was her utter surprise, neither did I. I turned and followed Maddox out the door.
“All right, fak Protocol. That was brilliant. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anybody stand up to Melanie, let alone a Healer.” Maddox leaned over and hugged my shoulders as we walked down the hall. “You and I are officially friends, Princess.”
Maddox was really pretty nice once she let her defenses down.
We reached the headmaster’s office with a minute to spare. At Maddox’s knock, the headmaster called, “Enter, and be known.”
Maddox swung open the door and breathed a reminder. “I’ll be waiting for you after your meeting.”
The headmaster looked up as I stepped over the threshold and smiled. “Ah, yes, Kaya. How did you sleep? Did you have breakfast?”
Nodding, I took a seat in one of the chairs opposite his desk. “I slept okay, and Maddox made sure I ate.”
“Maddox is a fine guard.” He eyed me for a moment, his jovial expression cracking for a moment. “Though she needs a bit of discipline. It’s not customary to share details of punishments with students, but as containing the details is such an enormous challenge in a school full of teenagers, I suppose it doesn’t hurt to share that Maddox will have extra duties to make up for failing to collect you yesterday.”
“I’m sure it just slipped her mind. You don’t have to—”
“But I do, and I have. I don’t enjoy doling out punishments, but do so swiftly when needed. Now…onto business.” He opened the top drawer of his desk and withdrew a small black book, then slid it across the desktop. “This guidebook should greatly help your understanding of what will and will not be tolerated here at Shadow Academy. Please commit the rules to memory and follow them. I would hate to see you pulling extra duties alongside your guard.”
There it was again, his honey facade slipping just long enough to see the man he really was beneath.
Without missing a beat, he opened another drawer and withdrew a slip of paper, which he handed across the desk to me. “Here is your schedule. Absences are not allowed without the permission of one of the Master Healers who run the hospital wing or an instructor. Tardiness will result in suitable punishment, given by an instructor or myself. You will be issued six sets of uniforms later today and will be required to remain in uniform every day except for special occasions. Laundry will be collected every Friday evening. Just place your bag in the hall and we’ll take care of everything.”
I looked over my schedule:
HEALING 101
AN INTRODUCTION TO PROTOCOL
ANATOMY OF WAR
BOTANICAL MEDICINE
Not one class having anything to do with training. I frowned. “When do I learn how to fight?”
“Pardon?”
“When do I learn how to fight?”
As if summoning up all the patience he could muster, he took a deep breath and said, “Healers do not train for battle.”
My jaw hit the floor. Was he crazy? There was no way I was going to face another Graplar without knowing how to take the thing down, or at least delay its inevitable chomping of my midsection. “How am I supposed to defend myself?”
“It is your Barron’s duty to ensure your safety on the battlefield.” His tone was light, but condescending, as if he were speaking to a three-year-old.
Great. So now I was expected to be a damsel in distress? I didn’t think so. Quickly reorganizing my approach, I said, “But what if he gets hurt and I need to get to him?”
The headmaster’s mood slipped from condescending to really, really irritated. His face turned beet red, and I was pretty sure he was either having a heart attack or preparing for his eyeballs to explode. “Kaya, I understand that you were not raised in the tradition of Healers, but I would suggest that you embrace your calling very soon or else Shadow Academy will prove to be a very difficult place to live. Healers do not train for battle. End of discussion.”
Frowning, I sat back in my seat. I’d say it was sexist, but as all Healers weren’t girls, maybe it was healerist? It was annoying, anyway. I bet that I could kick a Graplar or two’s butt with the proper combat training.
“Now…as to your Barron…”
I sank down in my seat, my blood boiling.
“Trayton is very important to our cause at the front. Before his mother’s passing, his father, Cedric, was probably the finest Barron to ever grace the battlefield, and it stands to reason that Trayton will follow in his father’s genetic footsteps. It is crucial that a Barron of his potential caliber receive the utmost care and attention. And what with Cedric’s generous donations to the academy…”
I rolled my eyes, but only slightly. So not only was “my” Barron the all-star favorite around here, but he was a rich snob whose daddy had to pay his way to the front of the line.
“It was a terrible tragedy when Trayton’s Healer perished. It has been a long and arduous search for a fitting replacement, and, like it or not, you, Kaya, are that fit.”
Sighing, I was ready to hate Trayton, ready to despise him without ever having laid eyes on the pretentious, muscle-bound daddy’s boy. I parted my lips to ask when he would get here, but my words were interrupted by a knock on the do
or.
“Enter, and be known.”
The door opened to reveal a young man with shoulder-length black hair and smooth, pale skin. He was tall, thin, muscular, and lovely. Nothing at all like I’d expected. When his incredible eyes met mine, he seemed to relax. His lips curled into a smile, and mine naturally followed. He silently mouthed hello, and I felt myself smile against my will. I wasn’t supposed to like him. He was a spoiled, bratty rich kid who wasn’t giving me a choice of who I was supposed to spend the rest of my life with. He was probably dumber than a pile of rocks and incredibly dull to boot. And—I held his gaze, feeling my angry resolve melt away—he was the Barron, the man I’d come to be Bound to. He had to be.
And if he wasn’t, I’d demand a recount.
C H A P T E R
Six
The headmaster turned back to me, his face once again a normal flesh color, looking as proud as a father would of his most prized son. “Kaya, it is my honor to introduce you to the Barron to whom you will be Bound tomorrow morning. One of our finest students, and the son of a personal friend, I present to you…Trayton.”
I started, blinking in dizzy confusion. Tomorrow? That was so soon. Too soon. There was no way I was ready to be Bound to someone else for the rest of my life beginning tomorrow. I fidgeted uncomfortably, hoping I heard him wrong, but knowing that I hadn’t.
Trayton stepped into the room, his cheeks flushing pink for a moment, as if he were uncomfortable with receiving praise. Then he moved toward me and held his hand out, bowing his head. His words were soft, gentle, coaxing. “If I may…”
His voice was instantly familiar to me, like a song I’d once heard long ago, but forgotten. He was the person the headmaster had been speaking to at the dorms last night. The one who sounded so concerned about me.
At first I wasn’t exactly sure what he was doing. Then, with a mental forehead smack, I hesitantly placed my hand in his and relished his smooth, warm skin. He tilted his head up, meeting my eyes. A smile danced on his lips and he shook his head some, as if berating himself. Maybe he was chastising himself for being too kind, too familiar, too warm too soon. Maybe he was punishing himself for breaking some stupid Protocol rule that I wasn’t even aware of. Regardless, his eyes were sparkling. He said, “It’s my pleasure to make your acquaintance, Kaya.”
When he spoke my name, he drew it out in a near-whisper, as if savoring the taste of it on his tongue. He gave my hand a slight squeeze and stood once again.
The headmaster clapped his hands together. “Wonderful. Just wonderful! An excellent match, I can tell.”
My smile faltered some at the reminder that I wasn’t being given a choice in who I spent my life with. Not that Trayton wasn’t nice—and gorgeous—but I really hated that my entire life’s path had been decided for me.
Tomorrow loomed over me: dark, oppressive. I would be Bound, like it or not.
Bound.
What a scary word.
As the headmaster droned on about something called “proper procedure,” Trayton nodded and answered when he was expected to. The headmaster stood and began pacing slowly around the room as he spoke. Daring a glance at me, Trayton smiled and mouthed “It’s nice to meet you.”
I smiled back, mouthing, “You too.”
He leaned closer and pointed to his eyes as he silently said, “You have pretty eyes.” His skin flushed pink, and I found myself utterly charmed by him, despite my reservations.
He had pretty eyes too—slate gray and dazzling. I was in the middle of mouthing “thank you,” when my imagination wondered what color eyes the boy I was Soulbound to had had. I settled back in my seat, admonishing myself. It didn’t matter, anyway. That boy was dead. And I would soon be Bound to Trayton.
The headmaster’s voice broke in. “Trayton? Are you paying attention?”
Trayton’s eyes widened and, caught, we both shot the headmaster a look. Trayton stumbled. “I…of course. You were saying?”
The headmaster slanted his eyes. “A few rules to remember. First, you two will not be allowed to be alone together for one year following your binding ceremony. This will allow you time to adjust to your new arrangement. Maddox will accompany you at all times. When she can’t, a suitable chaperone will be arranged. Also, school policy dictates that there will be no…ah, er, well…I should say…no touching with the ah…uhm…nudity…”
My face flushed with embarrassed heat. When I glanced over, I could see that Trayton’s face was just as flushed as mine felt at the mention of sex. Trayton very calmly said, “I think we know what you mean, Headmaster.”
The headmaster took a moment to straighten some papers on his desk that didn’t really require straightening. It took him a moment to speak again. “Yes. Well. None of that.”
“Ever?” I squeaked, then immediately recoiled. Great. Trayton was going to think I was some kind of boy-obsessed girl, like Avery. “I mean…not that I…”
Trayton blushed a deeper shade of red.
The headmaster took on that sarcastic, snotty tone that I was beginning to understand was business as usual for him, at least in conversations with me. “Not while you are students here.”
“About that…how long do I have to stay here?” I had expected him to reply with the standard four-year answer that most upper schools in Kokoro fell under. The upper school in Kessler had been a four-year institution. I had no reason to expect any different here.
“You will attend Shadow Academy until it is determined that you are ready for what awaits you in this war, be that two years or twenty.”
With the schedule clenched in my fist, I shook it in disgust, my voice suddenly rising in anger. I didn’t want to be here, didn’t want to be part of their stupid war. Especially since it seemed like Healers might as well be walking around with a big target on their chest. “And what about math and science? What about training and self-defense? Why won’t I be learning those? Do you have any idea how important those subjects are?”
He looked down his long nose at me. “You will learn all that you, as a Healer, are required to learn.”
“Well, it’s a damn good thing I didn’t grow up around you people. It’d be a wonder that I could even read and write.” My hands were shaking. Trayton shot me a concerned glance, but didn’t speak. I was betting he was an absolute rule follower.
The headmaster sighed, annoyed with my interruption. “I grow very tired of your impertinence, young lady. I realize that you are not thrilled about being here. I assure you that if your participation in this war were not extremely necessary, we would have left you to lead your life among the Unskilled. We here at Shadow Academy do not make it a habit of bringing people in against their will. It tends to not go as smoothly as we would like, as I’m sure you’re aware. However, while you are here, you will follow our rules and you will do as you’re told. If you choose to make this a difficult experience, I can assure you that it is not only you and I who will experience these difficulties.”
The threat was veiled enough that I wasn’t sure if Trayton picked up on it, but I knew exactly what he meant. Get in line or my parents would be the ones to suffer.
When he spoke again, it was to Trayton and Trayton alone. After all, I was just a Healer. I had no business interjecting my opinion in a Barron-to-Barron conversation. The arrogance amazed me. My parents were both Barrons, but neither had ever treated me the way I was being treated now. Maybe it wasn’t a Barron thing after all. Maybe it was an arrogant dek thing. “Now back to business. Kaya must never be allowed to wander the grounds alone. I don’t have to tell you why. Please make certain this isn’t a problem—we can’t risk the loss of another Healer. Also, as you well know, Trayton, curfew is nine o’clock in the evening. Now…I believe you’re both due for your next course. Should you require anything at all, please don’t hesitate to stop by my office. If you’ll excuse me…”
Trayton held open the door and I exited with him close behind. When the door closed after us, we were surrounded by a hush.
For a long time, Trayton and I simply exchanged uncomfortable smiles. He turned his head briefly to look over at Maddox, to make certain we hadn’t been left entirely alone, and I spied the edge of the marking on the right side of his neck. Clearing my throat, and trying like hell to let go of all of the anger I was feeling for Headmaster Quill, I said, “Your Trace…can I see it?”
“Of course.” He drew back his hair and I took a closer look. A small black crescent, lovely against his pale skin.
I reached out to touch it, then caught myself and pulled my hand back. My cheeks felt warm again, but this time, it was a pleasant warmth. Trayton smiled, flicking his eyes in the direction of Maddox. I guessed he was suggesting that touching his Trace before we were Bound was a no-no and nodded. “I’m supposed to be in some stupid Healer class in about twenty minutes.”
He sighed, but averted his eyes, as if he wasn’t sure what he should say to me. “I’m supposed to be training as of ten minutes ago.”
I caught his gaze and smiled. “Well, aren’t we a pair?”
The corners of his mouth lifted and I swear, I almost melted into a puddle of goo right there. He turned to walk away, but paused midstep, as if wrestling with something in his mind. Then he turned back to me. “Do you like books?”
My mind drifted back to my bedroom in the cabin. Stacks and stacks of well-worn, well-read, well-loved books lined my walls. The memory brought a smile to my face. “Love them. Well, good ones. Why?”
“I want to show you something after dinner tonight, I mean…if you’d like.” He smiled sheepishly, revealing a small dimple just to the left of his mouth.
I could hardly contain my grin. “I’d love to.”
“Good. I want to take you to my favorite place on campus.” He nodded and moved down the hall and out the door. I watched every step.
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