Page 129 of Shattered Stars

My father stands and stalks towards me. “There are rumors of trouble at the border. Azlan has been sent there twice now. The chancellor doesn’t usually send him there.”

I nod. “Spencer hasn’t said anything.”

“The forces in the West are growing in strength and number.” My father comes closer and this time I concentrate on not shrinking away from him. I’ve never liked his odor. Or the soulless quality of his eyes. It makes my skin creep. “But my sources tell me we need to be prepared.”

I can’t help it, my eyes flick to his. The amusement and cruelty I see hovering in them making me feel sick. “Prepared for what, Sir?”

“An opportunity,” he says.

I know he wants me to ask more, but I’m not prepared to play his cryptic games, games designed for him to win and me to lose. The odds never ever in my favor. No, I won’t play his games anymore.

“I have to go,” I tell him. “I’m the star of the show and I can’t be late.”

I can’t help the dig, one I know will grate him. He may want me to follow in his footsteps but he certainly doesn’t want me to steal his limelight.

“Your mother should have cut your hair. You look like a hillbilly.”

My voice tenses. “She wanted to. I declined the offer.”

He grips my arm, his magic coiling tightly around my muscle, so tight it cuts into my flesh, makes my fingers tingle. I keep that blank expression.

“Take care tonight, son,” he snarls. “The eyes of all of Los Magicos will be on you. They’ll be depending on you.”

47

Spencer

It’sthe night of the victory ball. As captain, as the player who won the match for our team, they would probably have given me special dispensation to attend. But I never asked. I made a promise to myself to stay away. To stay far away from her. To protect her. It’s one I’m going to keep.

The beast doesn’t like it. But it only confirms in my heart that I’ve made the right decision.

It doesn’t mean I’m happy about it either though, so I’m grateful I’m on patrol tonight, marching the perimeter of the barracks with one other soldier I think is called Tim or Tom or Sam. We’ve already circled the eastern half of the barrack grounds, marched past the sleeping barracks and the other soldiers stationed at the gates, and we don’t speak as we near the western edge. I’ve nothing to say and soon the thwack of our boots in the mud is muffled by the distant booms of magic. I’ve become used to those booms by now. I hardly notice them, a background track to our daily lives here.

We take the path through the trees, gaze swinging obligatory left and right for any signs of intruders, anything unusual. I’ve been here for two weeks. Not once has anyone on night patrol discovered or encountered anything. It seems pointless to have us marching up and down like this when there are trackers among us anyway, magicals who can sense the presence of others.

I huff, my breath coming out in a misty cloud in front of my face, and rub my hands together, the tips of my fingers cold. The soldier beside me peers up at me from the corners of his eyes. I suspect he’s more scared of me than he is of any potential threat out here in the trees. He’s seen me pound others in training. Seen me take down everyone they’ve put me up against. He’s not the only one who looks shit scared of me.

“You hear there’s talk they’re going to send us to the front next week,” he says.

No, I hadn’t heard that, but it triggers a little excitement in my gut. I’m more than ready to stop messing around here at the barracks and face something real.

“About time.” The other man grimaces. I guess he’s not as keen as me. “You don’t want to go?”

“I’m in no hurry,” he says nervously. He eyes me. “They say you volunteered to come here.”

“It’s obligatory, mandatory. All registered have to do their service.”

“But you came early? Left the academy early?”

I nod stiffly. I don’t want to think about the academy. Not tonight.

“I remember you. You were a couple of years below me. Already on the dueling team. Weren’t you captain of the dueling team in the end?”

“Yes,” I mumble.

“Man,” he says wistfully, “I’d give anything to be back at the academy. The freedom, the parties. Fuck, the girls.” He chuckles. “I bet you got laid all the time. The captain of the team back in my day had girls queuing up outside his door.”

I glare straight ahead. I don’t want to talk about this.