3. Rowan

Chapter 3

Rowan

" T his feels like a horse market," I mutter, setting my lunch tray down beside Ellie's at the mess hall. Until this year, we took our meals with the other enchanters studying at Spire East, but now we are officially in our fusion year so we have to eat with the combat track students. At present, that amounts to Kai Grayson and his leadership cadre looking over us before making squad assignments that maximize unit efficiency. Or minimize liability. Same difference.

And by leadership cadre, I mean the triad. Kai Grayson, Kyrian Sorel, and Logan Vance—plus two tall blondes from the combat track, who are perched on each of Logan’s thighs—preside over the mess hall from a table by the back wall. The girls alternate feeding Logan from a bowl of nuts and berries, and folding their hands on top of each other, as if touching him directly is beyond their right as mere mortals. The three don’t just look like gods of war made flesh, they act like it too.

Grayson shifts his weight and, before I can look away, his ice blue eyes go right to me. The way they did at formation. Penetrating me. Making my body heat in response .

I clear my throat and snap my focus back on Ellie. "It's one step short of them asking us to smile and check our teeth out."

Ellie flashes a dazzling smile showing off all her perfect teeth. "What do you say, will I fetch good coin with the combat boys?" she asks, summoning a puff of air to make her red curls flounce provocatively. She is an aeromancer, controlling the wind to help with reconnaissance or clearing smoke and gas. Lately, she’s been practicing using it to guide her arrows as well. And, apparently, to flounce.

I slap her shoulder and she snorts, both of us dissolving into laughter.

"What's so funny?" Collin asks, sliding in beside us, his brows furrowed.

“Nothing,” Ellie and I say together. She snorts.

Collin huffs. "Can you two act a little more dignified? Squad assignments are being worked out even now, at least some of us are trying to make a good impression."

“Well then you should have put meat on your tray,” Ellie waves her spoon at Collin’s salad. “I hear Grayson and the gods of combat like protein.”

“Really?” Collin glances back at the meal line.

Ellie rolls her eyes. “Gods, get the stick out of your ass, Chambers. You really think anyone cares what you eat for lunch? Or that I bothered finding out what Grayson eats?”

Color rises in Collin’s cheeks and he stabs his salad with a fork.

I shake my head at Ellie and touch Collin’s forearm, feeling the tension radiating from him.

“I’m sorry for making light of selection,” I say quietly. “I know it’s important to you.” Not just to him, either. Collin Chambers comes from a prominent family with a long history of service in Eryndor's military, and their expectations weigh down every step he takes, every test he studies for. And he’s worked hard for everything, from his grades to the muscle that now covers his otherwise gangly frame.

“It should be important to you too, Ro,” Collin shoots back. “The way my career tracks affects both of us.”

“Only if she decides to marry you,” Ellie says .

I hide a cringe. I love the girl, but she has zero tact. Yes, Collin does tend to act like our marriage is a forgone conclusion when it isn’t, but there is a time and place for that conversation. A time and place that will be of my and Collin’s choosing, not the middle of the mess hall on the first day of fusion year.

"Ah, if I've not found myself a whole table of red shirts." A stocky man in combat black and Brady on his uniform plops down beside Ellie. Grabbing a piece of bread from Ellie’s tray, Brady stuffs it into his mouth. He looks at us while he chews. "So," he says, his mouth still half full, "tell me what you all can do, and why I’d want you in my squad.”

Ellie flashes me a quick toothy smile and I choke on my water until she has to pound me on the back.

Brady frowns at me.

"I'm Collin Chambers," Collin says quickly, extending his hand. "Healer track. Top ten percent of the class in all areas except combat—I'm in the top five percent there." He grins, laying on his charm. "So I can fight beside you and save your ass when you take a shot. Twice the benefit for one meal ration."

Brady nods his head in consideration. With how thick his neck is, it looks like half his body nods along.

"I come as a pair, though," Collin puts his hand around my shoulders and pulls me toward him. "Ro here is an alchemist. She might not be much in a melee action, but without enchanters like her, the whole war would suffer. Protecting her is a responsibility that I for one take very seriously, and any squad leader should too.”

"There is that," Brady admits.

I try to slide out of Collin's arm but he holds me tighter. I know where he is going to go next, and I really don't want him to. I kick him under the table.

"Want to know something else?” Collin drops his voice low, ignoring my kick. “Her name tag may read Lexington, but that’s her middle name. Want to know her real surname? It’s Ainsley. As in Commandant Ainsley and Queen Ainsley."

Brady's brows rise, his gaze weighing me with new interest. "Well, that is good to know." His attention focuses on something on the other side of the room and stands. "I'll consider it. Ainsley. Chambers." He nods to Collin and me, ignoring Ellie, and leaves.

"Stop telling people my last name," I hiss at Collin, pulling his arm off me. "When I want them to know, I'll tell them myself."

"What's with you?" Collin snaps. “I’m bending over backwards here, trying to help you, so maybe cut back criticizing my every word? Unless you imagine you can last a week without me putting you back together, how about a little more gratitude and a lot more effort? Right now, we have to sell ourselves to the squad leaders. Get assigned together. I don’t like this process any more than you do, but the alternative is you getting hurt.” Collin straightens suddenly, jumping to his feet. “Sir. Good afternoon,” he says to someone behind me. “It’s an honor to meet you.”

My skin prickles with unease as I sense the piercing gaze burning into my back, and know immediately who is about to join us.

Unfortunately, I’m right. Pulling a chair out for himself, Kai Grayson sits at our table and takes us in silently. He has nothing but a cup of coffee in his hands. Plus at least a dozen daggers sheathed though various uniform loops. The lone thigh sheath at formation must have been a downgrade for the ceremony.

The awkward silence stretches, until Collin finally clears his throat. “Thank you for giving us your time, sir," he says, taking his seat again. His hand drums his thigh under the table, but his voice is steady. Smooth. "My name is Collin Chambers. I'm a healer, in the top ten?—"

"That puts a whole tenth of the class as better than you, by my calculation," Kai says, cutting Collin off. "Not interested."

Collin musters a dignified nod and stares at the tomatoes on his plate.

"Let me save you some time, Grayson," I say. "We are all below your standard at this table. So go intimidate someone else."

Collin struggles to suppress a cringe.

Kai stares me down, which makes his strong jaw look even more pronounced. "You don't want a chance to be in the flag patrol, Lexington?"

"Not if it's your flag being carried." I pop a piece of strawberry into my mouth. We might as well have this out now, just so there is no misunderstanding on where I stand on whatever plan he and my mother may have concocted. Or where I stand with him in general. "Like you said, you only want the top. So, off you go."

I pick up another strawberry as if mouthing off to commanders is a daily occurrence for me, but inside my heart is beating faster with every second Grayson sits with us. If he is going to throw me into the brig for insubordination, I’d rather get it over with now though, because I know there is no way in hell I’m going to spend the year genuflecting to him. I despise bullies, no matter how gorgeous a package they come in.

Kai ignores me and raises his hand, beckoning to someone. A moment later, another of the triad saunters to our table, grabbing a chair on his way. His dark hair is tousled, covering the tops of his ears and his eyes, his eyes—as blue and piercing as Grayson’s but dancing with a great deal more mischief—lock with mine briefly. He sets the chair beside Kai and straddles it, swinging one leg over the back effortlessly to sit. “What?”

“Kyrian, meet Rowan Lexington. The newest member of your patrol.” He points toward me with his chin. “Top academic scores in her year. So you’ll have at least one body that can read. Lexington, this is Kyrian Sorel. Your new master and commander.”

Kyrian shrugs a shoulder, which shouldn't look sexy as hell but somehow does. "Right. Welcome to the flag." He extends his hand, the sleeves of his tunic rolled up and showing off corded forearms with the tail of a tattoo I can’t make out peeking from the left side.

His handshake is brief but confident, a subtle show of strength that makes my already swift pulse rise another octave. “Good to have ye, Rowan.” Kyrian adds, his words rolling off his tongue with a melodic lilt. His accent wraps around each syllable like a velvet embrace, the r’s curling and purring in his throat.

I pull my hand back quickly, but not without feeling his calloused fingers trai l along my palm. Even with my hand safely back in my lap, I still feel the warmth of his touch.

What in the hells just happened?

Kyrian pulls a patch from his pocket and tosses it onto the table. “Put that on yer left shoulder. And while you are at it, get yourself a black uniform.”

“But… Enchanters wear red.”

“So do corpses. I think I’ll do without turning my patrol into a walking bullseye from a draken’s perspective. Change.”

Ellie chokes on a laugh.

Collin clears his throat. As if I'd forget him. I straighten my spine, quickly recalibrating myself. "I need Collin Chambers assigned to the same patrol as me,” I tell Kyrian.

"Not my problem," Kai answers for Kyrian. “Or his either.”

"An alchemist has to be assigned with a healer,” I protest. “And Collin knows me best. So either we go together, or neither of us comes. I personally would really rather you chose the second option." I'm completely making up the rule about alchemists and healers, but Collin and Ellie nod along as if it's true. With some luck neither of the combat cadets have dug through the enchanter's three inch thick regulations codex.

Kai rises and turns away, as if I’d not spoken. "Chambers, rut-off. Lexington, change your uniform and report to Kyr when he says. We are done here."

“Wait.” Collin jumps to his feet, his hands pressing into the table. Kai ignores him and keeps walking, but Kyrian turns, gracing him with another moment of his time.

“You are making a mistake,” Collin tells him. “You don’t need an alchemist in a flag patrol, you need a healer. Lexington is going to be a liability. Read her performance reviews for gods’ sake. She is a walking disaster. I?—”

All hints of civility disappear from Kyrian's face. In one fluid motion, he whirls back to the table, grabs Collin by the collar, and slams his face down onto the hard wood table with a sickening crunch.