“All right, teachers, let’s have a good day,” Krill said and ended the morning meeting.

  As the teachers made their way out of the room, Basque went to the front. “Excuse me, Headmaster Yasher. There’s something I’d like to speak with you about.”

  Yasher shook his head. He’d been asleep. “What is it, Master Basque?”

  Next to them, Krill froze.

  “It’s about Daymein.”

  “The young mage?” Yasher leaned back and rubbed his beard. “That one has a bright future. Real powerful spells on him.”

  “I would like the Royal Mage to remove his spells.”

  Yasher blinked at Basque. “Say what?”

  “The boy is a homicidal menace who is abusing his classmates and teacher with his charm spell. He is unfit to be a mage.”

  The headmaster didn’t blink, and his face grew redder and redder. He spoke through gritted teeth. “Are you trying to create an international incident?”

  “Yesterday, unprovoked, he tried to kill two of my students.”

  Krill stuck his hand between the two of them. “And you didn’t report that this morning?”

  “Would you have cared?”

  Yasher pushed away from his desk, and his chair rolled across the floor until it slammed into the wall behind him. “Handle this moronicy, Deputy Headmaster.”

  “Yes, Headmaster.”

  After stomping off into his private room, Yasher slammed the door behind him.

  “Basque, how stupid are you? What are you even thinking, asking a question like that?”

  “I’m thinking about the safety of my students and the other students in this school! Earlier this year, Daymein killed a second-year girl. He attacked my students. He is abusing his classmates. You can’t seriously tell me you all are alright with this?!”

  Krill set down the papers in his hands. “There are four hundred and seventeen students in this school—”

  “Didn’t we start the year with four hundred forty-five?”

  “That’s less than a 7% decrease!”

  “There shouldn’t be a decrease!”

  Krill closed his eyes and exhaled. “This isn’t Hianbru, Master Basque. We do things our way here.”

  Basque wanted to reach over the desk and strangle the man. Why couldn’t he see that their way was wrong? If only they’d… That wasn’t his mission. He couldn’t save everyone—he couldn’t even save everyone in Hianbru.

  But it wouldn’t stop him from trying.

  “Deputy Headmaster Krill, please listen to me. Daymein is too dangerous. Royal Mage Billiam can stop him.”

  “As I was saying, there are over four hundred students in this school and only two mages. And you want us to deactivate one?”

  “How many students is he worth?”

  Krill sat down. “A lot.”

  “I can directly account for at least twelve students lost to him this year. Two deaths that I know of, and ten classmates destroyed by his charm.”

  A sigh. “Yes, you’re right, but mages are too important.”

  Putting his hands on Krill’s desk, Basque leaned forward. “You have my class. I guarantee that the least of them will kill more Yani than Daymein could. That’s twenty-five students. Twenty-five times the Daymein.”

  Krill leaned back and rubbed his eyes. He pulled his hands away and slapped his thighs. “I want Dyntril.”

  “What?”

  “You and I worked so well over the Jorellan takeover, I don’t see why we can’t do it again.”

  Basque stood up straight. “I’m not helping you kill more people.”

  “Oh, no. No killing. Just making Yasher look incompetent.”

  “You’re a real Yani, you know that, right?”

  Krill waved his hands. “I’m an opportunist. You are, too.”

  “I’m nothing like you.”

  “Oh, we’re more the same than you’d like to admit.”

  Folding his arms, Basque looked down at Krill and shook his head. “Delusions.”

  Krill sat up. “Look, I think our goals are lining up again. I’ll help you with your little murder muffin problem, and you can help me get what I want.”

  “Dyntril?”

  “Yes. Dyntril.”

  “How?”

  Krill looked at Yasher’s closed door, then back at Basque. “Over lunch. This weekend, before the tournament begins next week.”

  Basque’s stomach churned. He doubted that he would be able to keep anything down during that lunch, but he agreed. If it meant removing Daymein as a threat, he was willing to at least listen, even if it meant working with Krill again.

  Class E’s first period was a supplemental class for history taught by Davith. While he was normally just the weapon repair instructor, since Basque didn’t know the history of Kruami, Davith had offered to teach it for him.

  Sliding in through the back door to the classroom, the first thing he did was to look for Reianna. She was in her seat, taking notes. She looked perfectly fine, but then again, she’d been abused by Banca for a month and had never missed a class while looking fine.

  The atmosphere was heavy, and several kids were battling sleep. He’d never seen his class look that way. They’d always been energetic and lively. Standing in the back, Basque watched Davith teach.

  “Who can tell me when the Great Slayer Our Lord and King Alexadiam and the Relentless Vanquisher Her Gracious Majesty Lilylyn rose to their thrones?”

  No one raised their hand.

  “Miss Banca?”

  Banca stood. “Thirty-seven years ago in 1177.” She sat down.

  “Correct. Her Gracious Majesty the Relentless Vanquisher is the daughter of the former king. After her father failed to maintain his upkeep in 1177, he stepped aside, ushering in the greatest rulers our country has ever seen.”

  “The greatest? With that Yani up her ass?” Banca said.

  This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

  Every head in the room turned to Banca.

  “You’ve met her?” Cayelyn asked.

  “Both of them. Multiple times.”

  The entire class rotated to look at Banca.

  “Wait. You mean they’re even more of a Yani than you?” Taraia asked.

  “Well, she is. He’s kind of a muscle-headed floof. ‘Great Slayer’ really fits him as that’s like his only hobby.”

  Davith cleared his throat. “Miss Banca, I’m not sure this is entirely proper.”

  “Master Davith, did you know that he transfers most of her 108 annuals?”

  “Transferring has been forbidden for the last 400 years.”

  “Pfft, tell them that. I’d like to see how it goes for you.”

  “What’s transferring?” Emilisa asked.

  “What are annuals?” Kolt asked.

  “Now that is an appropriate topic. Students, if you could direct your attention back to me.”

  The class turned its attention to Davith as asked.

  “In order to maintain noble status, you must kill a certain number of Yani annually, thus ‘annuals’.”

  “Yeah, if you wonder why so many nobles keep so many animals, it’s because they’re lazy and hope they change for them in their backyard. Less roaming the wilderness outside the Wall needed."

  “Miss Banca!” Davith scolded.

  “Those lazy Yani,” Xav said.

  “I don’t think it’s that bad of an idea,” Ryleegh said.

  The class broke down into students giving and countering opinions.

  Basque clapped his hands. “Hey!”

  They went silent and turned to look at him.

  “Please continue, Master Davith.”

  “Thank you, Master Gerenet. When you graduate, the Royal Mage Billiam will activate a counter in your interface. It will log your lifetime and annual totals.”

  “It feels really weird,” Banca said.

  “Banca!” Basque scolded. “Enough with the interruptions.”

  “Sorry, Gerenet-Shr.”

  Basque frowned, but not at Banca. Billiam had failed to mention that he could activate things in the interface. He folded his arms as he further contemplated the implications.

  Why had he never heard of a mage like that in Hianbru before? Is that what a tattooist actually did? Tattooists were pretty hush-hush about their abilities. All that was really known about them was that they were mages.

  “Master Davith?”

  “Yes, Reianna?”

  “Please correct me if I’m wrong, but what Banca just said has made me curious. We in Class E don’t get our lifetime counters activated until we graduate, right?”

  “That is correct.”

  “But Banca already has hers activated, right, Banca?”

  “Yeah, I’ve got 236 kills.”

  The class let out a collective, “Whoa!”

  “That’s…” Davith cleared his throat. “That’s enough to make her a viscountess already.”

  “How do you have so many kills already?” Kolt asked.

  “How do you think I know about the animal trick? It’s really easy to ‘hunt’ a wounded Yani in a cage. Dad was grooming me to be the next duchess at the least.”

  Once more, the class dissolved into questions from “What are Yani like?” to “Was it scary?” This time, Davith called their attention back.

  “I think Miss Reianna still had another question.” He pointed at Reianna, who had her hand raised.

  “Yes, so when we’re third-years, Banca and the other nobles will receive credit for their hunting kills, in addition to whatever they got from home, correct?”

  “Yes.” Davith nodded. “That is correct.”

  “But we won’t?”

  The room was silent as everyone understood what Reianna was implying.

  “That is…also correct.”

  “Mother Yani of a baby Yani,” Kamron said. “Those Yani.”

  Basque’s face burned. Not only were they brought in to be “stress relief” for the noble children, but on the off chance that a Class E student did survive, they were already set up to be behind their noble counterparts.

  “Why can’t they get theirs turned on now?” he asked Davith.

  “Well, not all nobles have theirs activated. The activation fees are not cheap, and parents can sometimes be selective.”

  “Class D might not have, but I guarantee you that anyone in A or B do, and anyone viscount or higher in C,” Banca said.

  Throughout the discussion, Fawna just stared at her desk. Unlike the other students, she didn’t react to any of Banca’s statements, nor did she seem shocked by Reianna’s deductions, where even Cayelyn and Jame, who’d grown up as servants in noble households, had been surprised.

  Before Davith could resume the class, the bell rang. “Alright. Next time, we’ll get further into Kruamian history, without interruptions,” he said and looked at Banca. She shrugged.

  The class stood. “Thank you, Master Davith,” Saevi said.

  “Thank you, Master Davith,” the class repeated.

  He bowed to them, then left the room. As soon as he was gone, half the class surrounded Banca.

  “Fawna,” Basque called.

  The blonde turned around and looked at him, and he waved her over.

  “Yes, Gerenet-Shr?”

  “Are you okay?”

  She nodded. “Perfectly fine. Why?”

  He just looked at her.

  Fawna looked over her shoulder and saw that most of the class were engrossed in hearing Banca’s stories. Those who weren’t were chatting among themselves. No one was paying attention to Basque and Fawna.

  “I just…realized that Avali and her father weren’t as open to me and Papa as I’d been thinking.”

  “Do you think she’s been activated?”

  Fawna nodded. “They kept animals. Baron Magnus said he’d always wanted to have animals since he was a kid, but occasionally, Avali was called away to see them, and I wasn’t allowed to go.”

  He put his hand on her shoulder. “Sympathies,” he said and squeezed her shoulder.

  “Thank you. It’s just…I’m wondering how much of my childhood was a lie.”

  “What’s important is your future. Your friends here—Reianna—they love you with all their hearts. Don’t look back, look forward.”

  She nodded.

  After he sent her back to her seat, he walked to the front of the room. Fawna had joined Reianna and Jan, while some of the students surrounding Banca fractured off to talk among themselves. Basque watched them until the bell rang, then began his lesson on formation theories.

  The rest of the day flowed by, and by the time evening came around, Basque was full of anxious energy as he made his way out to the Tinkerers’ shed. He was happy that it happened to be the day for Reianna’s training because it meant he would see Loushee.

  While he wanted to see her and ask if she knew where Daymein was or if she could track him, he was still on edge from her attack on Reianna. However, Reianna said she wanted the fifth-year mage to come, so he hadn’t banned her. It didn’t mean Basque was comfortable with it, though.

  He didn’t wait long before Loushee showed up. As usual, she ignored him when she came into the room and sat in her chair. Usually, Basque ignored her as well, but he needed to find Daymein.

  “Loushee.”

  She looked at him.

  “I’m looking for Daymein.”

  “Why?”

  “He attacked Reianna.”

  Loushee’s face darkened. “He wouldn’t dare.”

  “He did. You can ask Reianna when she gets here. Do you know where he is?”

  She shook her head. “He left the academy, so I don’t know where he is.”

  “He left the academy?!”

  “Yes. He took a carriage to his home. He could still be there, or maybe not. I don’t know where he is, but if he attacked Reianna, he knows both of us will be after him, so he probably is hiding somewhere.”

  “You don’t think he’ll come back to school?”

  “Why would he?”

  “To graduate?”

  Loushee yawned. “He’s no good at physical attacks, which is the only thing Dyntril teaches. He only hung around as long as he did to play with girls and kill his opponents.”

  Basque shuddered at how blithely she made the comment, as if she wasn’t talking about lives. “So, you don’t think he’ll come back?”

  “No. There’s no point for him to.”

  “Can you find him?”

  She shook her head. “The city is too large. He’ll pop his head up soon, and if he touched Reianna as you said, I’ll pop that head off like a bad zit.”

  Basque frowned. “No killing.”

  “Why?”

  “Because we have other ways to deal with it.”

  “Billy Billiam?”

  “Yes.”

  She waved him off. “Fine. I’ll let you use Billiam if you find the little psycho.”

  Before Basque could respond, Reianna opened the door. Loushee slouched into her chair and didn’t speak again. Without greeting either of them, Reianna pulled out the thing that Loushee made for her and toggled it from book to dagger to mirror and back through.

  As he watched Reianna play with it, he cursed his luck with Daymein. The boy had run off, and the next time word was heard about him, it would be through dead bodies.

  First, Basque had underestimated Daymein’s willpower; then he’d let the boy get loose out into the world at large, fully powered. The worst part was that the boy’s targets would only be humans. His great powers wouldn’t be used to help humanity, but only to harm it, and Basque felt responsible for that.

  Basque knew he’d done what he could. He’d done the responsible thing and hadn’t harmed a child, but that didn’t ease his guilty conscience. He looked at Loushee, then at Reianna—the two remaining mages.

  Reianna would be a force for good. Loushee was…selfish. As it was, he couldn’t wait for Reianna to get out and leave her mark on the world. Loushee, at least, wouldn’t destroy it. She wanted something from Reianna. If Reianna knew what it was, she hadn’t told him yet.

  “Basque! Girls! Dinner!” Symantha called.

  All Basque could do was hope that Reianna’s goodness rubbed off on Loushee.