Chapter 12
chapter
twelve
Haven
Imissed my alarm by thirty minutes.
I’m tugging my foot into my pants when the door to my bedroom opens. Ender stands there, his mouth tight in his signature scowl. His pale eyes flare like lightning in a storm. I stop jumping around and squeal loudly. My pants are halfway to my thighs. He just saw an eyeful of my underwear.
Ender turns around, giving me the illusion of privacy.
“Are you insane?” I yell. “I could have been naked!”
“Why would you be naked right now when training started thirty-six minutes and fifteen seconds ago?” Ender barks.
I hastily let the band of my cotton pants snap around my waist.
“I missed my—”
“Excuses will not fly with me,” he cuts me off.
He spins around and steps into the room. The space feels stiflingly small when his massive frame enters. I take a step back, wondering when he plans to stop, but he just marches forward until my back hits the wall.
His hand slips behind his back, and something cold presses to my head. A gun. He is pointing a weapon at me.
“Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t blow your head off?” he asks.
Fear slides down my spine, but I lift my chin, refusing to back down.
“You’re going to kill me because I was late for a training session?”
“I kill people for looking at me wrong,” Ender says. “I don’t need a good reason to put down insects.”
I grapple for the knives on my bedside table, but he’s close enough to feel my hand shift. The gun digs deeper into my skin, and a light click sounds. He just took off the safety catch.
My heart races rapidly.
He killed a boy yesterday. He didn’t hesitate. From his cold, glass-like eyes, I know Ender Vale hates me a lot more. He would relish my death.
“It won’t happen again,” I say nervously. “You have my word.”
“Your word isn’t good enough,” Ender hisses. “You’re a filthy liar.”
“No, I’m not.”
“So, you haven’t lied to me about anything?” he asks.
I’m starting to suspect he might know about the twin switch. This is not the first time he’s hinted at my deception. And since that is the only thing I did that might upset him, it’s safe to presume he knows.
I run my tongue along my lips.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Are you sure, Mercy?”
Yeah, he definitely knows. He spoke my name like a curse word.
“Yes.”
His eyes burn. He doesn’t like that response. Not one bit.
The gun lowers, but he doesn’t retreat.
“Don’t you want to know how your sister and I are getting along?” he asks. “Last time, we met, she nearly tore out my throat with her teeth?”
“You have a flair for the dramatics,” I say. “The worst thing she called you was Bender. And I thought that was funny.”
“Of course, you did,” he bites out. “You’d be surprised to know she’s been unnaturally obedient as of late.”
“Haven is a Saint. She can handle any situation with grace,” I say. “Her patience is unwave—”
“So, that’s how you’re going to play it?” he asks. Eyes filled with disdain. “You’re going to deny it.”
“I’m not sure what you’re implying.”
He tucks his gun into the band of his trousers.
“Get your ass to the field, Warrick,” he orders. “Before I change my mind.”
A sigh escapes me when he steps aside. I couldn’t think straight with his proximity. He was intimidating me with his height and build. He has to be at least 6’4 and is packed with muscle.
I can hear the menacing thud of his boots behind me as I walk down the hallway.
It hits me then that he accessed my room when it was locked.
“How did you get into my room?”
“I’m the Commandant,” he says. “I can access any door in this place.”
“Isn’t it an abuse of power to enter a recruit’s room without permission and gawk at their naked behind?”
“Those bland, military-picked cotton undergarments wouldn’t tempt anyone under the age of sixty,” Ender says dryly. “Let alone me.”
I open my mouth, but he continues.
“Don’t worry, Warrick,” he adds. “I find you utterly unappealing,”
“You didn’t need to say all that,” I mumble. “How does my sister deal with you? I’m starting to pity her.”
“My relationship with your sister is none of your concern.”
“Do you at least find Haven appealing?” I ask.
It’s a trick question. He can’t compliment Mercy without indirectly feeding my ego. Ha. I’m eager to see how he answers this one.
“No,” he responds. “I find her as intolerable as you.”
The smile that was tilting the corner of my mouth drops abruptly. He’s such an asshole. I can’t believe I was almost stuck with him in that house. It’s hard enough being around him a few hours a day; imagine living with him. I’d probably shoot myself in the head.
The doors slide open, and Ender heads towards the observatory deck. I suppose he doesn’t plan to lead today’s session.
Spider points at me and signals a couple of other recruits.
“You four. Over here,” he calls.
It’s me, Rei, a boy with curly, brown hair, and a tall girl with a crooked nose and auburn hair.
“Listen, you four are mine,” Spider says. “And I plan to ride you hard.”
“No, thanks,” I say. “I’m not into group sex.”
Spider laughs. “Good one.”
“You shouldn’t be speaking to him like that,” Rei says snootily. “Spider is our squad leader.”
Spider waves his hand. “A bit of informality and mild flirting is acceptable. But I expect you all to make it to the final test. If you survive, it reflects well on me.”
“Why is their squad bigger?” I ask.
Orion has five people on his side. Also, Clover seems to be helping him out. That doesn’t seem fair.
“We both got to pick six each, and Ender got the final choice.”
Orion got six, but one attempted to escape, leaving him with five. I do the math quickly before I respond.
“So, all of his picks were selected, and just four of yours?”
Spider’s cheeks flush, and he folds his arms across his chest defensively.
“Look, Orion is a kiss-ass. He would unzip Ender’s pants and suc—”
“Whoa,” Knox says. “What the hell did I walk into?”
“She asked why Orion’s team is bigger, and I had to tell her about Black Star history,” Spider says. “Oh, also, Clover is obsessed with Ender. She was devastated when she found out that your sister was picked to be his wife.”
“Can we keep the gossip to a minimum?” Knox asks. “Ender told me to supervise your squad because he doesn’t trust you.”
“What?!? How could he say that about me?” Spider demands. “I’m capable of managing three little ones.”
“Four,” I correct.
“Four little ones,” Spider says.
Knox turns to us, ignoring him.
“You’re expected to make it to the end,” he says. “You’ll have to work togeth—”
“How can we work with a Common?” Rei cuts him off. “I don’t want to be on this squad. She’ll slow us down. She is not strong enough to keep up.”
“Nice cut.” I nod at her lip.
That was a parting gift from me yesterday. Rei takes a step forward, but Spider comes between us.
“You’re on the same side,” he says. “And that Common was picked by the Commandant. So, unless you want to speak with him and explain why you refuse to work with her, then be my guest.”
He steps aside and points to the stairs that lead to the deck. Rei swallows and looks away first. She wouldn’t dare complain to Ender.
“Take a seat on the bench. All of you,” Knox says. “We’ll be doing one-on-one sparring sessions soon.”
We sit down, and I do my best to ignore my new teammates.
“What’s your name?” the curly-haired boy asks.
He has freckles on his nose, blocky brows, and an interesting face. One that tells a story.
“Common,” Rei bites. “She’s not one of us, Flint.”
The boy, Flint, quirks a brow.
“Is that your name?”
“Don’t care to make friends.” I fold my arms across my chest, spreading my legs in the hopes that it intimidates him.
It doesn’t matter if we are in the same squad. Only one of us makes it to the end.
They are all Gifted except for me. Spider mentioned my sister, and I could see Rei and Flint’s brows raise in surprise.
They didn’t expect me to have ties to the Commandant.
By the end of the day, they’ll know my surname and my story.
I don’t care to make friends with people who value me based on my upbringing.
At least the other girl is silent and keeping to herself. She knows as well as I do that there is no room for friendship here.
“I know your name,” Flint says, leaning forward to whisper. “I just didn’t want to be creepy.”
“Too late,” I say. “And I have a boyfriend.”
The lie slips easily from my tongue. He throws his head back, laughing.
“Relax,” he says. “I’m just making conversation.”
“I don’t trust you,” I say.
“That’s probably smart, but if you haven’t noticed, nobody likes you. You could use an ally.”
“Aren’t we forced by circumstances to stick together?”
I point to where we all sit. Orion’s squad is on the opposite side.
“That makes us allies by default,” I finish.
Flint leans down. “Rei doesn’t like you much. Might even kill you to get ahead. And Kaia isn’t much of a team player.”
“Well, I’m not a team-player either,” I say. “So, bugger off.”
Knox speaks loudly, capturing our attention.
“Today you’ll fight one-on-one,” he says, “No powers. No weapons. No mercy.”
My stomach knots.
A bell clangs.
Pairs are called at random before I hear my name.
“Mercy Warrick fights Rigel Rye.”
I tense. Rigel is tall, broad, and confident. A beast compared to me.
“You got this,” Flint whispers. “Don’t let his fists land.”
Rigel’s grin is lazy and smug when I enter the circle.
There are shallow red lines that are meant to keep us within.
The shock barrier will zap us if we pass it.
Rigel is a Sonic who can transmit a sound so painful that it can shatter one’s eardrum.
I stuffed my ear with a noise-cancelling earbud I borrowed from Spider in case there was a fight that allowed powers.
But looks like I won’t be using it today.
It is better to be over-prepared during these challenges than to fail. Because failure means death.
“Lucky me,” Rigel says. “I get the little mouse.”