Page 110 of The Incendiary

Mina informed me that they’d gone up against the bearlike beast with antlers. For long minutes, they circled and dodged it, but the moment it looked at Mina, Mavic had shot it through its brain with Hoss’s bow and arrow.

The twins wouldn’t let me into our cabin until I showered, changed, and sent my leathers to be laundered. I couldn’t blame them. Now, I sat on Mavic’s bed in a linen set of lounge clothes while fidgeting with the ends of my wet hair.

“I think they sent each team away once they were finished.” Mina was twiddling her thumbs. “I saw them come back in groups, and no one appeared to be missing from what I could count.”

“Do cadets usually die during training?” I began to twist the chain on my neck. Doing so used to calm me, when there were two rings there instead of one.

“It’s happened once or twice, a long time ago, and only by accident,” Mavic answered. “Since Winterton took over, it’s been more controlled. Lives are too valuable to just throw away.”

I nervously worked my fingers through my hair and bit my thumbnail.

“I can’t believe I’m defending him, but I really don’t think he’s going to let anyone die,” Mavic added. “He’s careful and prepared. Always has been.”

“Maybe.” I folded and unfolded my arms for what felt like the hundredth time. “But I should have stayed, despite his orders. I should have made sure everyone was safe. Maybe I should have revealed myself.”

Mina frowned. “Are you ready to?”

“No.” I didn’t have to think about it. “Not yet. But it’s not just about me.”

“Okay.” Mina considered my words. “Well, if someone died today, you can make your hair go all silver and rip him a new one for it. If everyone’s fine, I say you keep doing what you need to do until you feel the time is right.”

“Agreed.” Mavic grinned. “I like knowing secrets no one else does.”

Mina slapped his arm.

“You are very mean to me, sister, did you know that?”

I opened my mouth to express my gratitude for their support but was cut off by abrupt knocking. I ran and tore open the door to find Valda standing on the other side of the threshold.

“Fera.” She nodded firmly. “Commander Winterton has requested you in his office.”

“Lucky you,” Mavic muttered as the twins approached, one standing on each side of me.

“Is anyone dead?” I rushed out.

Valda rolled her eyes. “Just five vile beasts. Now hurry up.”

Relieved, I slipped on my clean pair of boots to follow her, not bothering to change. The less interested in my appearance Elias was, the better. I planned to approach the subject delicately and express my disappointment with tact and reason.

When Valda opened the door to his quarters and I spotted him lazily leaned back in his chair, arms crossed, the epitome of calm, unaffected arrogance, my plan was thrown out the window.

“What you did today was dangerous and cruel!” I snapped at him, forgetting all about my rank. Fera from Brinnea’s rank, rather. His eyes narrowed at me, and I waited.

“Thanks, Val,” he called over my shoulder before she left me alone with him. He nodded at the bandage on my arm. “Did Abram take care of that wound for you?”

“I’m fine.” I clenched my fists at my sides. Mina had cleaned and bandaged it for me after my shower, but that was none of his business. “You’re lucky no one died today, Commander.”

“Am I?” He picked lint off his sleeve. “By whose judgment am I… lucky?”

I bit back the urge to spew out my title. “Someone who cares,” I retorted. “Right now, I’m not sure I can say that you do.” I wanted to keep my emotions close to my chest around him, but I let my disappointment bleed out. “As our leader, I wish I could.”

“Is that how little you think of me?” Elias rubbed his chin and studied me. “That I would feed my inexperienced cadets to deadly, famished monsters?”

I threw my arms up. “That’s exactly what you did!”

“And what about when they’re sent out on missions, in the wild? They must know how to handle themselves. Besides, those beasts were chained, Fera.”

“Barely!” I snapped. “You⁠—”