Not totally thrilled with that thought, I kept reading. ‘The amount of magic a person is able to channel is directly linked to how many generations removed they are from the tremors. This is an undisputed fact, also found in Williamson’sLevels of Magic Theory, and Robert’sOur Changing Philosophies.’
How many generations removed from the tremors am I? I’d been born before they happened.
The sound of knuckles rapping on my door startled me, and I opened it to Brody, who stood with his hands clasped behind his back.
He smiled at me. “I missed you at the party last night.”
“Right, the party.” I bit my lips together. If I’d known where it was, I still would have avoided it. My evening with Ezra, to be repeated tonight, had been way better.
“I should have come and picked you up. You probably didn’t know where it was.” Brody smiled shyly. “I noticed you haven’t picked up your uniform or TB, and your orientation meeting with Valentino is coming up. We can go together.”
“Brody.” I didn’t open the door any wider. “I’d be happy to, as you actually know where you’re going. But.” I gave him what I hoped was a sweet smile. “Just as friends. I’m still figuring all of this out…”
He held out his hand to stop me. “I was too pushy. I don’t really get to talk to girls much. Their families usually keep them close.”
“I’m starting to realize that,” I said dryly, remembering Seth’s statistics.
There was an awkward silence between us. One I wasn’t going to fill.
“As friends,” he said. “I’ll keep pretending you’re a boy to make my boss happy. No strings attached.”
I narrowed my eyes. “If you push once, I’m out.”
Brody nodded so hard his hair flopped on his head. “Promise.”
I narrowed my eyes at him before letting out a skeptical breath. Not wanting to drag this out, I stepped into my shoes, grabbed my imaginary purse, and exited my dorm. Despite the uneasy energy around us, Brody’s entire face lit up, and I cringed. The kid didn’t seem to notice. A bad feeling settled in my gut, but it was too late now.
The day was overcast but clear as we headed toward Hope’s office. I could easily make out The Happy Rooster across the way. People ate and chatted in the outdoor seating. A few groups loitered outside Hope’s office. My discomfort with Brody eased in the safety of the general public.
“Hey, that’s the new guy who manifested a dragon.” A stranger pointed at me. “Why’s he trailing behind a work-study if he’s here to climb?”
I slowed, not understanding any of that.
“Maybe he likes his twinks young,” a different voice answered. “Everyone knows he likes it up the ass.”
Well, I did understand all of that and wished I hadn’t.
“Don’t let them get to you.” Brody slowed. “We know the truth.” He tried to reach for my hand, but I quickly pulled away.
If Brody noticed, he didn’t show it. With a smile still plastered on his face, he led me into Hope’s office, where I got a stack of clothing. The woman herself smiled at me and confirmed I received my TB, the little cube I’d found on my desk. Apparently, the devices were handmade by the Architect for his family. She handed me a glowing sheet of baby blue, explaining how to use it. I dumped all of it into my void, unwilling to let Brody know I needed help with anything.
Next, he rushed me to a hexagon-shaped building where I found myself crammed into a small room with six men, not including Brody, thankfully. I recognized two faces, but I didn’t know their names. Neither spared me a glance. Although a different pair was chatting, the rest waited, looking as out of place as I felt.
I shuffled to a back wall and leaned against it. A vivid memory of Rowan made heat rush to my face, and I let myself enjoy it.
“I’m supposed to have seven in the office. I only see six.” A man’s voice came from the opposite side of the room I was in. Everyone was so much taller than me; all I could see were shoulders and a few vivid pops of hair. Maybe Miss Q was running out of stock images to base her characters on.
I swallowed a dark chuckle and stuck my arms in the air. When he still didn’t say anything, I added a little jump and a wave.
“Ah, I see, on the short side,” the same man said.
A few people chuckled.
I couldn’t argue with that, so I kept quiet and waited.
“There’s no need for visuals. You can just listen,” the man continued. “I’m one of the five generals who run this family. Only the Architect and his number one stand above me. You can call me Valentino. I will keep this short and sweet. No one in this family came here becausethey had an easy life. Our family is young and full of misfits. The Architect, Alexander, created us seven years ago. He took this castle by force. He is the head of our family. His decisions are law.” Valentino paused. “However, unlike other families, our goal is to be accountable to each other. The Architect wants to build a world of equality and encourages new ideas. These placement tests will help you discover your strengths and how you’ll best fit into our family.”
He took a deep breath. “They do not dictate your future. You will have a say in your placement within our ranks.” His hand appeared above the tall people, and he pointed to something behind him. “We break up our jobs into departments: fight, physical, spiritual, science, technology, and logistics. At the end of your placements, you will get the opportunity to interact with each department at a Mixer.”
