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“Wow,” Ashlani whispered, taking on a look of pity. “That is very unlucky. If it helps you at all, you’re always welcome in my room! My roommate is that girl over there.”
I followed her gaze to a short yet strongly built female fae standing by herself near the mentors. She had a drink in her hand and busied herself with pacing in small, lazy circles while she observed the details of the courtyard.
She seemed smart. Calculated.
“That’s very kind of you,” I admitted, forcing a smile. The truth was, sleeping with an enemy who outwardly disliked me was a safer bet than sleeping with two I wasn’t sure I could trust. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
I took a second to observe the rest of the recruits. Lanson, Wolf, Ashlani, and I made up four. Nathaniel from home made five. I tried to scan the faces and put them in my memory.
A group of fae—strong ones, it seemed—stood whispering a few feet away. They were tall, nearly as tall as Wolf. They stood with their shoulders back and their chins up. Arrogant, I could already tell. They had likely been training for this school for some time.
So had I. I just hadn’t known it.
“Do you know anything about them?” I asked Ashlani and Lanson, who quickly glanced in their direction. They shared a tentative look before returning their gaze to me. “What?”
“They’re bad news,” Ashlani whispered. “Do yourself a favor and stay away.”
“Why? Are they dangerous?”
“Lethal,” Lanson answered. “They grew up near me. We used to be friends, actually, when we were children. But they’ll do anything to get into The Golden City. They’ll cut you down in an instant if they think you’re a threat.”
I stole one more glance. Two of them were nearly identical; they both wore sleek black clothing with shaved hair. Their fae shoulders were sculpted and massive, and if what Lanson said was correct, they likely spent a lot of time killing.
Practicing.
“Well, that’s terrifying,” I said. It was a lie, of course. I couldn’t wait to challenge them. They would underestimate me without question.
Everyone always did.
“Alright,” Ashlani sighed. “I’m going to get a drink. Want anything?”
“No, thanks,” Lanson and I replied in unison.
With a shrug, she was off.
“What about you?” Lanson asked. “Have you been training for this?”
I slipped my hands into my pockets. “Not exactly. It was a bit of a last-minute decision. Frankly, I never imagined trying to get into The Golden City. It seemed too good to be true.”
“I know the feeling,” Lanson said. He mimicked my body language and slid his own hands into his pockets, which I noticed immediately. “It’s a dream. We aren’t actually supposed to get into The Golden City, right?”
“That’s what I was raised to believe.”
“In Midgrave?” he asked. My eyes snapped to him in surprise. He pulled his hands from his pockets in a defensive shrug. “It was a guess,” he said. “You seem like the type with some survival instincts.”
“I should probably be insulted that you guessed correctly.”Okay, Lanson. You’ve been paying attention. I’ll give you that.“Where are you from?” I replied, flipping the conversation. “I can tell by your clothing that it’s not Midgrave.”
He laughed, flashing his perfectly straight teeth. “You’re right. I’m from a larger town up north. Ashlani and I came here together, actually.”
“Oh, I didn’t know you two were…”
“We’re not,” he corrected. “No, we’re just friends. We weren’t that close before, but from what I have seen, she’s one of the good ones.”
I turned my attention to the rest of the courtyard again. “That’s good to know,” I breathed. “So far, it’s hard to tell.”
Lanson may have been convinced, but I still wasn’t sure. Between the cocky fae, Ashlani’s roommate, Lanson, and Wolf, I had no idea who to trust. Lanson seemed to like me, which was a good sign.
A scream cut through the chilling air, followed by a roar of what sounded like water pouring.
