When It Reigns (Cursed Reigns, #1)

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

My entire face flooded a bright red and I slammed the door shut, sputtering, "I didn't invite you here! I don't even know how you found my room!"

Zoran shrugged. "Don't worry about that. We have more important matters to discuss," he said, morphing his expression into one of stern concern. "I attended the war strategy meeting with my mother today. As the Commander of the Ice Force, she thought it would be important for me to get some firsthand experience before graduation which, by the way, has been moved forward."

"What're you talking about?" Apprehension made my stomach flip as I recalled my father mentioning having to push graduation to an earlier date to replenish the Elemental Forces if they continued to lose Champions at such high rates.

"The Ravos Kingdom is not abiding by the ceasefire. They think you're not going to acquire a power which would null the treaty since the prince won't marry you without an Insignia. They're still launching their forces at us full throttle and we can't keep it up much longer. We are more likely to surrender sooner than you are to develop a possible power."

The war was still raging in the Voltant Isles and it was only a matter of time before we were overtaken and they made their way to the Wrexial Mountains.

"The emperor said graduation will be two weeks from now."

I gaped at him, disbelief and shock making my eyes widen. "That's just after our midterm evaluations!"

He nodded, flipping the chair around as he adjusted himself on the backwards seat. Folding his forearms along the top of it, he spread his legs on either side of the back of the chair and dropped his chin on his arms, explaining, "Like Bayer said, the emperor is taking the top fifteen percent of our class for his Elemental Forces. I'm going to be in the Ice Force."

That didn't come as much of a surprise to me, but the fact he already knew what his Duty would be before the final challenge or midterm evaluations was unheard of.

"Only the shifters who earned a rank in the top percentage of our class have already been assigned to a specific Force depending on where their skills can be the most successfully utilized. Since the summoner's dragons choose who their rider's Champion will be, they are still in limbo."

"So, you know which pupils in our class are going to be in the Force?"

Lifting his chin from his arms, he said, "Yes, princess. Would you like the good news or the bad news first?"

Dread crawled its way up my throat. "Good."

"Good news is you ranked dead last."

My heart sunk. I hadn't landed a spot in the Fire Force.

"Bad news is you ranked last...in the top fifteen percent."

If my jaw dropped any lower, it would be on the ground. "I'm going to be in the Force?"

Zoran's eyes darkened and his lips thinned. "Do not tell anyone in our class yet. I think they are making a grave mistake sticking you in the war. You will be a liability to your Champion and your dragon."

"I'm sure my father echoed that opinion," I grouched. "I can't believe he's allowing it when he still wants me to marry and kill the demon prince."

"He didn't seem overly happy about it and was just as thrown off by your class status as everyone in the meeting, including myself."

Ever since I'd entered the academy, I'd been overlooked. My overall intelligence, battle strategy knowledge, hand-to-hand combat, and weapon wielding skills were all formidable, but the absence of my power overshadowed the skills I did possess.