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Kallos lets his golden cloak swirl in his wake as he approaches the board up front. He presses his palm to the blackboard. Scrolls of beautiful gold writing etch along as his mind compels them. Everyone watches in silence as the words finish with a silent wisp.
Name Retrieval: Demand the Shadow’s Name
A deep dread overcomes me as the memories of the boy with the skull enter my mind. Is that truly what my Shadow looks like or is it an illusion? I wish I didn’t know its name, but I already do.
Sully.
“Now, we already went over the basics last week regarding the sensation of the Shadows and how to interact with them. If you’ve been successful in the Shadow riding class and have seen your Shadow’s form, or even a semblance of it, please raise your hand.” Kallos’s golden eyes flick over the heads of the students.
The majority of the class raises their hands, with the exception of a few of those in beige cloaks. The Dvars students are much lower on the power totem, so it makes sense. They nervously scan the room and probably feel outcast compared to the rest of us. Vinnie, seated to my left, adjusts his glasses as he surveys the room too.
“Good. Now, if you have actually spoken with your Shadow, keep your hand raised.” All the hands go down, every single one—except mine. I swallow thickly. A thrum of power surges through me with all the eyes burning my skin.
Lucina and Vinnie stare at me from the seats beside mine. Lucina was there when I first properly met Sully; her blight proves it. But I haven’t spoken about the encounter with her or any of my friends from Za’Afiel.
Kallos’s gaze rests on me. “Good. Do you know its name?” I lie and shake my head. “All right—it’s still a good start. I will demonstrate first, then.”
The odd black-haired friend of Finn’s sits in front of me. I believe his name is Corvus. I study him and consider whether he is a potential traitor like Finn.
“Can I help you?” Corvus says flatly without looking at me. I don’t know how he can tell I’m staring holes into the back of his head, but he can. His purple cloak tucked to his side contrasts well against the black tactical gear.
“What do you make of Finn?” I ask evenly, deciding not to avoid him.
That gets his attention. Corvus turns to look at me and his eyes narrow with suspicion. “What’s your relation to him?”
I smile bleakly. “He’s my sister’s ex.”
Corvus doesn’t offer me a response. He just assesses me with his black eyes. I can sense his bright mind from the analytical thrums his fingers are making on the desk.
Okay. How about this then. “I think he’s a traitor to our country and a fox in the hen coop. I’ll ask you once more. What do you make of him?”
He hesitates and mutters a little too quietly, “I met him at the encampment site. Finn isn’t… He wouldn’t do that. Why would you even consider that he would?” He says the words but I can tell he isn’t entirely sure of them himself.
I lean forward and rest my chin against my palm. “He wouldn’t? It seems strange to me that he asked my sister to run away with him the morning of the attack. Seems odd that his father is the general of Barkovah, and yet, where is he?” My voice is a whisper, but Lucina and a few students around us turn to watch. Vinnie sets his hand on my arm but I ignore him. “It seems too convenient that he would be here—perfectly untouched and cared for. Like someone important. Don’t you think?” I tap my finger against the desk in the same fashion Corvus does, and he takes notice, looking down at my fingers then back at my eyes.
At the front of the room, Kallos crosses his arms and lets out a weary sigh.
“Edgar, it seems you're keen on being the center of attention today. Why don’t you come up here? You can be the first to demand the name of your Shadow,” Kallos says unenthusiastically. His golden gaze lazily hovers over me.
My blood is hot inside my veins and I can sense Sully coiling and twisting with hatred deep in my chest. This isn’t me. I try to take a soothing breath before moving.
I obey and absently walk to the front of the class.
“All right. Now close your eyes, and since you have seen your Shadow already, picture it. Think about every detail you can remember. Demand it to appear before you and share its name,” Kallos says calmly.
“You sure about that?”
“Yes.” Kallos side-eyes me, suspicious.
I bite down on my lip. Don’t be afraid. Don't be afraid.
Taking a deep breath and closing my eyes, I let myself picture Sully. At first, I just see myself, or rather, an image of who I was before becoming the young man watching as his father’s blood dripped from the window pane… No. Don’t think of that. I quickly shake the thoughts.
I wince and strain my mind to focus. The Shadow appears so dull in my mind. The skull isn’t as horrifying as it was at the sanctum. The eyes of the Shadow are red. They flick up to me and there’s nothing—a horrible and empty nothingness inside those eyes. Something sharp twists inside my chest.
A simultaneous gasp rolls from the students in the classroom. Echoing. Swirling. Dancing at the base of my ears. Ringing, louder and louder until I hear that horrible phone ringing in my conscience as I did when my father splattered across the window. Ringing and ringing and ringing.
Until.
