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In the running… That implied I wasn't the only one he was considering. What the hell?
Somehow, I managed to mask my confusion and rage. "What may I do for you, Your Excellency?" I asked, not doing quite as good of a job keeping the anger out of my voice as I had hoped.
"Nothing," he said, turning to his guest. "But the general has requested an audience. He wishes to apologize for recent matters that have put a strain on the truce between our organizations."
"Oh?" I asked. "Would that be related to the unprovoked attack on the Abbey that killed seven of my men, or the fact that Atticus cornered me and my protégé on the hunt while trespassing on our territory?"
Father Marius waited expectantly for the other man to answer.
The general cleared his throat. "Both misunderstandings were… unfortunate. As I was reassuring your master, the attack on the Abbey was not officially sanctioned in any capacity, and there will be no retaliation for our fallen, as they acted on their own and brought shame to the Order. As for General Gray, I can only say on his behalf that he wishes to continue our truce in good faith, his concerns about your protégé notwithstanding."
"And yet he isn't here himself," I remarked.
"He believed that would be taken as an act of further aggression," the man answered.
"He's right about that," I said bitterly.
"I appreciate you coming by, Major General Bartlett," said Father Marius. "You may extend my agreement to the terms we discussed to my sister, along with my regards."
Bartlett nodded to him and stood up, clearly eager to be done with the unpleasant task that had fallen to him.
"Good day, Your Excellency," he said, stopping to nod to me on his way past. "Father."
I kept my eyes on the man until he was out of the room, then turned to Father Marius. "Do you want me to make sure he leaves?"
"That won't be necessary, thank you," Father Marius said, studying me closely. "I've already asked Arrow to handle it."
"So he really came to apologize?" I asked.
"It would seem so, yes," Father Marius said thoughtfully. "Considering your close proximity to the matter, I would like you to be on guard. If my sister is going this far out of her way to secure relations between us, it can either mean she's planning something, or she really is losing control of her men.”
"Well ahead of you," I assured him, pausing to think about the whole ordeal. "Do you think Atticus is acting on his own?"
"It's difficult to say," Father Marius answered with a heavy sigh. "I must confess, I do not know my sister the way I once did. In any case, it's prudent to assume the worst."
It was rare that I found something to agree with him on lately, but we could certainly agree on that.
"Something troubles you," he said in a knowing tone. I wouldn't have been at all surprised if he already knew exactly what it was. "Speak plainly."
I clenched my jaw, knowing I needed to choose my words carefully, because while I was sure he also knew how angry I was, letting on would only serve to prove whatever point he was trying to make.
"Something you said to Major General Bartlett," I answered. "About me being one of your potential successors."
"Indeed," he said, making it clear he was going to force me to come out with it. "And I meant what I said. You are my most promising pupil to date."
"And yet, you’re considering someone else," I pressed.
"Ah," he said, leaning back in his chair. "I wondered if that was it."
"The last I was aware, I was the only one you were considering," I told him. "I take it that’s changed."
"It has," he admitted.
I clenched my jaw. "Who?"
He didn't answer right away. Instead, he studied me with that infuriating look on his face that said he knew exactly what he was doing—and that he found it endlessly amusing.
"Is it Arrow?" I pressed, no longer having the patience to bother pretending like I wasn't upset.
