Page 59 of Vicious Princess (The Trials of Death and Honor #1)

CHAPTER FIFTY-SEVEN

T here are about a hundred cadets gathering in the great hall of Ezkai Castle. I’m one of them.

All of us have trained and worked relentlessly up until this day.

But not all of us will receive an invitation to join the Order and get the honor of calling ourselves Ezkai.

With a deep inhale, I raise my chin and square my shoulders. The wound in my side is only a faint ache by now—over the last three days, it’s almost healed completely. The mender says I won’t even have a scar.

As if that matters. Adding one more to my extensive collection won’t make a difference.

Eagerly, I scan the army of black-clad Ezkai gathered in front of us across the great hall. There’s one face in particular I ache to see.

There . My heart flutters when I lock gazes with Daegel. He looks tall and proud. Proud of me .

A deafening screech pierces the air. I look up. Through the opening in the tall ceiling, a regal dragon soars, with the Ezkai General riding on its back.

The ground under our feet shakes when the creature lands.

It raises its long neck and head, stretching upward. The white flame that sprouts from its open jaw sends a gust of warm air over us.

With ease, the General slides off his dragon, and the moment he’s securely on the ground, the creature raises its bat-like wings and, with a roar, rushes towards the sky.

A little smile dances at the corner of the Ezkai General’s lips as his eyes slide over the trainees in front of him.

“Honorable cadets,” he bellows loudly enough that his voice bounces off the stone walls and echoes all around us. “We have gathered here for a very special occasion.”

None of us cheer. Not yet.

“First of all, congratulations on making it through your rigorous training at Ezkai Academy. Surviving that and making it alive and well to this day is an accomplishment on itself. You should be proud of that, of everything you’ve learned and managed to accomplish to this day.”

“Yet it’s not enough to let everyone join,” whispers Roman, who stands on my right.

I elbow him on the side and hiss, “Shut up.”

“That being said, not all of you will make it into the ranks of the Order.” The General gestures at the soldiers behind him.

“As your final academy assignment, you were sent into missions where your performance was evaluated by all five Ezkai units. Those of you who left an impression strong enough for a unit to want you in their midst will be extended an invitation to join the Order. Those who don’t receive the invitation…

Well, better luck in the next lifetime.”

I take a deep inhale, then slowly exhale.

Fear slams into me with such force, my chest tightens. What if my good performance wasn’t enough? What if someone else knows what Kata knew and no unit will choose me?

Once again, I find Daegel in the crowd.

Nothing in his gaze or face tells me I should be worried. He made sure nothing stands between me and my destiny, my future as an Ezkai.

I lift my chin and look straight ahead of me.

“When you hear your name called, you have a choice to make—to accept the invitation extended to you or reject it. If you choose to accept it, take your spot with your unit. Proudly,” the General says.

“Unit representatives, step forwards,” he orders. The power in his voice sends a shiver down my spine. “Announce your choices.”

Five familiar faces step forwards.

Ezkai Gavriel, Ezkai Cassandra, Ezkai Xander, Ezkai August, and Daegel all move to stand on both sides of the General. Each of them carries a scroll.

“See you on the other side, princess,” Roman whispers and squeezes my pinky finger in his hand.

The touch is brief, but offers me the assurance I didn’t know I needed.

I smile at him.

“Cadet Foltembalem, the Scrivener Unit chooses you.” Ezkai Gavriel reads the first name from the parchment in his hands.

A tall, lanky fae from a different group of cadets marches forwards with his head held high. His group mates cheer for him.

Only ten names are called by Ezkai Gavriel, none from our group. Ezkai Cassandra is next to step forwards. She calls for twenty cadets, and the last name is from our group.

“Cadet Vesper, the Protector Unit chooses you,” she reads.

Bloom and the rest of our group—except for me—cheer the giant on as he charges forwards to take his rightful place amongst the Ezkai from the Protector Unit.

Ezkai August is next.

He’s in no rush as he lifts the parchment in front of him and slowly unravels it. When he calls the first name, I cheer the loudest of all the trainees.

“Cadet Barthol, the Mender Unit chooses you,” Ezkai August calls out.

Roman’s face lights up.

Proudly, I clap and cheer as, with one last glance my way, Roman walks over to where the Ezkai from his unit stand. And just like that, we stand on opposite sides.

Ezkai August calls for only seven names; all the rest are from other cadet groups.

The odds of receiving an invitation are even lower than I thought. There are over a hundred of us here, yet barely half will make it to the Order if they call for so few. I hoped for the Protector Unit, but Ezkai Cassandra doesn’t think I fit whatever they’re looking for.

Only two more units left.

Ezkai Xander’s next. He goes through the names quickly—there are only three. My stomach sinks when I realize Fern from our group is the last one on the list.

When Daegel steps forwards and unrolls his parchment, my lungs cease breathing. With each name he reads out loud, my head becomes lighter.

It takes a moment for me to realize my name wasn’t called by either of the last two Ezkai.

The ground under my feet shifts.

I think I may throw up.

That can’t be.

“Today we have an unusual occurrence,” the General says. I manage to gather myself and shift my focus to him. “In very rare cases, the units don’t agree on who gets to extend an invitation to a cadet because the cadet is wanted by more than one unit. That is the case today.”

I perk up. No way.

When the General’s gaze slides over the crowd and lands on me, I again think I may throw up. For a totally different reason.

“Cadet Wildarrow, please step forwards.”

Every pair of eyes turns to watch me leave the formation and walk to stand in front of the General and the Ezkai flanking him.

Ezkai Cassandra is the first to speak. “Cadet Wildarrow, the Protector Unit chooses you.”

A murmur goes through the crowd of cadets behind me.

Next is Ezkai Xander. “Cadet Wildarrow, the Spy Unit chooses you.”

The chatter gets louder.

Daegel’s eyes meet mine. “Cadet Wildarrow, the Executioner Unit chooses you.”

The whole space is lost in the uproar between the cadets and Ezkai until the General raises his hand in the air.

“Three units have extended an invitation to you, Cadet Wildarrow. The choice is yours,” he tells me.

I can’t believe this is happening.

Three Units chose me.

Three.

The backs of my eyes burn.

I blink back the tears. I wish with my whole heart that Mom and Dad were here to witness this moment.

The choice is obvious to me. I don’t even have to think twice.

“I choose the Executioner Unit, sir,” I say.

The General dips his chin in silent acknowledgment.

There’s a long beat of silence.

Roman’s cheer shatters it, and others join him, too.

My feet move forwards of their own accord. I take my place with the Executioner Unit.

My unit.

“Thank you for your sacrifice to those who didn’t make it,” the General says.

Then he turns to face the Ezkai, which now includes me.

“Congratulations again to those who did. Don’t get too comfortable yet, Ezkai—it’s time for your official initiation into the ranks. Follow your unit representatives.”