Chapter 337

Silence rings out in the room behind me but I keep my eyes firmly on the Captains.

He straightens up, again looking at me with surprise.

If I’m honest, I think he expected a meltdown – expected me to protest, and to yell, and to demand reconsideration. In short, I think – quite frankly – that he expected me to act like a spoiled little girl.

But that’s not what I am. At least, not anymore.

“I’ve been spending quite a lot of time considering my identity over the past couple of months.” My voice is quiet, though not a single person here has any trouble hearing me, as I’m pretty sure that most of them are holding their breath. “And honestly, sir, I’m not entirely sure who I am anymore. I’m certainly not Princess Ariel, who was willing to completely negate her happiness and sell herself into a loveless marriage for the sake of a treaty.”

The Captain blinks at me, taken aback. I don’t give him a chance to protest and instead move forward with what I have to say.

“I became Ari Clark in September,” I say, quite calm. “But I’m not him either – not really. He was frightened, and just wanted to be with his friends, and had no real purpose. No, I’m someone else now.”

I glance back here at everyone else in the room, wondering if they’re aware of the full transformation that I’ve gone through in the past few months. And with the way that some of their mouths turn up at the corners – Jesse, Rafe, and Jacks in particular – I know that they get it.

“But even if I am confused about my personal identity,” I say, turning my attention back to the silent Captain, “there are some things I do know for sure. And one of that is the law of Moon Valley, which my father changed the day he ripped out the previous King’s throat. With his teeth.”

I let my own teeth show a bit, even as I stand proud and calm before this man.

“Are you aware, sir?” I continue. “Of who takes the throne in the case of the horrible occurrence of Rafe’s death?” I nod over my shoulder towards my brother, though I don’t look at him. “Because should Rafe be tragically taken from us, it’s not my Uncle Roger who would take the throne. And it’s not Roger’s heir, Jesse Sinclair. It’s not my grandfather Henry, it’s not my mother, and it’s not even my little brother Mark.”

I take one step towards the Captain, whose eyes widen.

“No, sir,” I say, dropping my voice lower. “The third in line to the throne of this nation is me. A fact which I sometimes forget, and which I think you have too.”

I let silence reign for a moment as I stand before the Captain, looking evenly at him even if I have to tilt my head back to do it. “Now, I’m not sure how it is that you and your colleagues decide which Cadets at this school are suitable for Command positions. I do not begrudge your decision to mark Jackson and Rafe as worthy of command – they were excellent choices who have proven their worth.”

I frown, tilting my head to the side, considering my superior officer.

“But this Academy has long made the mistake of assuming that only Cadets with remarkable physical prowess – those on Warrior track, I mean – are suitable for Command. Never, ever has a Cadet been marked for Command from Espionage, Ambassador, or Assassin track. In fact,” I glance now at the little handbook still sitting on my desk in the nook, “we’re ineligible for it.”

“Your point, Sinclair?” the Captain growls, starting to grow impatient and perhaps seeing the fault in his plans here.

“My point, sir,” I say, a little thrill going through me to hear him address me – finally – in the same way that he addresses Rafe. “Is that from the very start you have marked me as ineligible for Command. Which is a mistake, considering that if I am not the hardest working Cadet at this school, I am also potentially the smartest, the best shot –“

He opens his mouth now to interrupt and I simply raise my voice, speaking over him.

“Not to mention a politically poised demigoddess of remarkable power who recently discovered that she has the probable capacity to burn a city to the ground simply by raising her hand.”

I unclasp my hands from behind my back as I speak and calmly raising one at my side, palm up. Whatever words the Captain was going to say get stuck in his throat as he just stares at me, stunned by my claims.

But they’re not claims. My wolf howls in my chest, proud and angry, knowing that they’re true. That I’m all of that and more.

“Now I’ve seen you listen to Jackson when he interrupts your plans,” I say quietly, not looking to my mate but feeling his wolf close to mine, just at the other edge of the bond, ready to race across it should I need him. “When he told you that he wanted to train me differently, to teach me how to sharpshoot on the run, you listened to him. In fact, you immediately approved the addition to my training. Because he’s short-listed for Command.”

The Captain closes his mouth, standing straighter.

“And I don’t know whether it is simply because I am ineligible for command,” I continue, my voice quieting now, “or if it is simply because I am a girl, and I am small, and I am pretty, and have a tendency towards a sweet disposition. But despite the reason, I find that it is true that you will hear out Rafe and Jackson. You took two meetings with them regarding the draft, heard their case for why I should be reassigned.” I pause, turning my head to the side and considering him. “But when I asked you for the same courtesy last night – for you to simply hear me out and watch a simple demonstration that proves incontrovertibly why I should not be trained separately from my team – you refused.”

The Captain inhales a deep breath, clenching his jaw, realizing that I’m right.

“And now that I’ve done enough to finally get your attention, sir,” I say, “that’s again all that I ask – for you to simply hear me out as you do Jackson and Rafe. And once I have finished explaining you why I should not be trained separately from Jackson, Jesse, Luca, and Tony, I will follow every single one of your orders without hesitation or complaint.”

Finished, I stand straight before the Captain, evenly meeting his eyes.

He takes a long moment, standing very still, before he inhales a deep breath and crosses his arms across his chest. “I am not so arrogant as you would believe me, Cadet,” he growls. “I can admit when I’ve made a mistake.”

I nod to him, knowing better than to preen at his tacit admittance that I’m right – that he did dismiss me, a little, because I’m an Espionage cadet and a girl. That had it been Rafe demanding a demonstration last night, he would have listened.

The Captain sighs deeply then, glancing down the hall then, towards the stairs.

“All right, then,” he says. “If you’ve got some sort of earth-shattering power that will change my mind about all of this and keep you in this school, then I guess I’d better see it.”

I squeal then with triumph and excitement, jumping once and clasping my hands together in front of my chest.

The Captain turns immediately to me and raises an eyebrow. I clear my throat, dropping my hands and giving him a serious nod.

But he smirks, and I can’t help the smile that breaks out on my face as I turn to everyone in the room and wave them forward. “Come on!” I call, eager. “Let’s show him what we can do!”

“Oh, god, the whole party’s coming?” The Captain sighs as all of my friends get to their feet and move towards the door. “Even the seamstress?”

“Yes,” I say, nodding to him as I step into the hall at his side. “I need her opinion on fire-retardant battle gear.”

The Captain does a double-take when he realizes that I’m serious, but then he groans and turns, heading down the stairs. “Come on!” he calls, waving us after him. “Team Sinclair, outside with me. Now.”

I bite my lip with excitement, glancing over my shoulder at all of my friends as we together troop down the stairs.