Chapter 214

To one one’s surprise, Neumann again glances at his watch. “I already told Cadet Sinclair that I’d be disappointed if she didn’t return. I’ve put quite a bit of preparation into her continued enrollment this semester.” He glances at Alvez and the Captain on either side of him. “If either of you have objections to the Princess’s continued enrollment please be aware that you will incur my wrath as well as the…shrimp’s.” He smirks here, turning his eyes to me, clearly tickled by the diminutive he hasn’t yet heard.

I scowl, hating that he knows my stupid nickname. And here I was, hoping to have his respect!

“I am pleased to continue,” Alvez says evenly, folding his hands behind his back and smiling around the room at all of us. “Cadet Sinclair – Ariel, I mean, for clarity – is the only one of my students to have begun manifesting their powers. At least…” he takes a moment here to smirk at Jacks – a fact no one misses. “As far as I know.”

Jackson doesn’t react at all, staring back at Alvez with perfect equanimity. I fight a smile, pleased that Jackson’s secret still remains safe with me.

“Anton Davis, of course, has manifested his – but he came in that way,” Alvez continues with a casual sigh. “So, as you can imagine, I am eager to continue working with the one pupil whose course seems to be…working for her.” He gives me another sly smile and I glance at my parents, still shocked that they don’t seem to be noticing this.

Rafe too just blinks and nods.

But down the bond with Jackson, I feel his wolf raise his hackles. I send a little burst of panic his way, inquiring why no one else is noticing the way Alvez is looking at me. He sends back a feeling like a hand smoothing down my hair – cool and calm. I exhale slowly, leaning into that calm hand, trusting him.

But there’s no time to consider it – not really – as the Captain begins to speak.

“So,” he snaps, clearly not as happy as my other to professors. “It’s all down to me, then? To levy discontent, when everyone else is happy to let her break the rules simply because she’s a princess?”

Anxiety turns in me, easily overtaking the cool calm that Jackson passed me a moment ago. Because he’s right – of course he is. I’m only still here because I have the right connections.

“To be fair,” my mom says, her voice calm and considering. “If another young lady had accomplished as much as Ariel this past semester and I were on a panel to decide whether or not she could continue her enrollment, I’d vote for it. My fondness for my daughter aside, I think she’s earned her place here.”

“I won’t be accused of misogyny in this situation,” the Captain snaps, looking my mother evenly in the eye and then ensuring that each of the rest of us get the same treatment. “I have no problem with women – I’m not the type who thinks that they’re lesser than men, or weaker. But I was on this council at the start of this school twenty years ago when it was decided that single-sex education would be better.”

“I was on the council as well,” my dad says, and we all turn our attention to him. “And I remember that your opinion was split. Rest assured, Ivan, whatever your decision today – we won’t hold it against you or make assumptions about your politics.”

“I’m grateful for that,” the Captain says as I blink, absurdly surprised by the fact that he has a first name and isn’t just The Captain. “But I have to say that I agree with the decision. Girls at the school – it’s too much chaos. I’m not saying it would be anything the girls themselves did – but the boys will get distracted. Falling in love, having fights over who is dating who.” He shakes his head with a grimace. “It would be chaos – which we can’t have, not at a serious institution that is working hard to turn out fine warriors.”

I blush horribly when I realize that what he says is true – that all of that did happen when I showed up, and I’m just one girl. But…I mean, none of us are any further behind in our studies for it, are we?

“Your point about the chaos of enrolling young women is well taken,” Neumann says, speaking quickly and on a bit of a sigh as if he really doesn’t have time to indulge in this. “It unfortunately fights against hundreds of years of gendered ideology to assume that a group of idiotic young men won’t go to pieces just because a girl is around. But luckily there is an easy solution to this.”

The Captain turns to him, as the rest of us do, with eyebrows raised.

“Ariel will merely continue to keep her secret,” Neumann says, gesturing towards me. “Her brother and cousin will continue scent marking her to hide her scent. The realities of her sex and gender will be kept strictly secret amongst those who already know, which…” he pauses and gives Jackson a quick once-over, a little smirk on his lips, “apparently has already gotten out already.”

I blush again, realizing that Neumann has probably guessed more about my romantic situation than I ever wanted him to know. But of course he does – why else would Jackson be here?

“It depends,” the Captain says, snapping his eyes back to me. “Who else knows about this? How big has it gotten? Jesse Sinclair and…”

“Ben Ternicki and Luca Grant,” I say instantly. I bite my lip, wondering if I should mention Daphne, but I hold my tongue, not wanting to get her in trouble.

“This is all?” The Captain asks, and when I nod he lifts his eyes to the ceiling, considering.

“If I may, sir,” I say, taking a hesitant step forward. He returns his eyes to me, nodding. “I want to tell Tony,” I hesitate, wondering if I should use his full first name, which I honestly just learned today. “I mean, Anton Davis as well.”

The Captain’s mouth pops open a little, I think appalled at the idea.

I continue in a rush. “He’s the only one in our magic class that doesn’t know,” I say quite quickly. “And we’ve all already sworn ourselves to secrecy regarding our magical gifts – I’m confident he can be trusted. It’s just…unfair, in a classroom of seven people for him to be the only one who doesn’t know. Plus, counter-productive for our lessons.”

“Anton Davis,” my mother murmurs, drawing all attention to her even though she keeps her eyes on me. “The one who has manifested his magical gift?”

I nod to her, intrigued.

“I’ve met so few people with fully manifested magic – I’d like to meet him,” she says, turning her face up to my dad. “Do you think it can be arranged? If we have time?” He frowns at her for a second and then shrugs as he nods, implying that it can.

“If we may,” Neumann says on a heavy sigh, clearly done with all of this. He gestures towards the Captain, who stands with his arms crossed, clearly deep in thought.

“There will be an uproar if she’s found out,” the Captain says, speaking his thoughts as he works through them. “I won’t have that. But…as long as she’s not found out, I’m…I’m not against her staying in the school. She’s a fine shot and the military will certainly be able to use her – it would be a loss to send her away just because she’s a girl. But if the other Cadets find out and break into protest, your Highnesses,” he says, looking at my mother and then my father. “My first priority is to the mission of the school, not to one student. Am I clear?”

“You are,” my father says with a stern nod. Then he looks at me. “Do you agree to these terms, Ariel?”

“Yes,” I say, my word barely a breath as happiness races through me and my wolf turns happily in my soul, her little feet prancing. I beam at each of my instructors in turn. “Thank you. You won’t regret it.”

“Make sure of that, young lady,” the Captain says, giving me a stern nod.

Alvez claps his hands together and smiles at us as he moves forward around the table. “I’m sorry that my time is short here,” he says, bowing to my mother and father and giving them all the proper obeisances. Then he turns to Rafe, Jackson, and I. “The three of you I’ll look forward to seeing in class the day after tomorrow. Come ready to report any…progress.”

He gives me another one of those sly grins alongside a little chuckle before moving out of that room.

“What a charming man,” mom says with a little sigh as he goes. I stare at her like she’s insane, and when mom notices she just frowns at me, clearly asking what’s wrong. Unfortunately, there’s no time to respond.

“And I will see you tomorrow, Ariel,” Neumann says, stepping close as the Captain pulls my father aside for a word. “I’ve got quite a bit in store for you,” he says with a smirk of his own – though his makes me nervous for a totally different reason than Alvez.

“Really?” I ask, my eyes going wide as I tuck my hands behind my back and clasp them together.

“Oh yes,” he says, grinning wickedly. “We’re going to have a lot of fun this semester. Or at least I will.”

I nod seriously to him and then let out a little sigh as he goes, because this is clearly going to be a more exhausting semester than even the last.