Island of Exiles by Erica Cameron - Chapter 1 to 11

Chapter Three

Today I'll be spending more time with the doseiku class than I have since my last day as a trainee. It feels odd, like somehow stepping backward in my own life.

There are two separate sides to the yard, one for the doseiku and one for the nyshin and ahdo squads. I enter through the citizens' door, skirting the teams running drills and the nyshin-ma and nyshin-co shouting orders, and head for the long storage room that divides the two halves. I nod at those I recognize as I pass, staying out of the way but not hiding. The only person I'm avoiding is my brother. Yorri can't know I'm here, not if I want to see what Tessen hinted at. From the practice weapons in the storage room, I take a curved, narrow-bladed anto dagger and strap its sheath to my belt, and then I reach for a zeeka sword.

"This isn't where I expected to see you this morning, Khya." Bellows. Tessen.

He'll be more insufferable than usual as soon as he figures out why I'm here. Swallowing a frustrated growl, I try to keep my expression indifferent as I turn to face him.I think that expression falters as soon as I see him.

How does he always look like he's just had a week of bed rest? Almost everyone in the clan is sleep-deprived and hungover the morning after a celebration. Never Tessen. I didn't even drink any of the wine last night, and I still feel—and probably look—like I downed half a cask.

He smiles, his eyes alight with amusement.

Oh, of all the blood-rotten things. How long have I been staring at him?

I try to keep my face from flushing, but this is Tessen. There's no way his basaku senses missed the way my pulse rate just jumped. I clear my throat and pretend I don't know that. "Me being here is no odder than finding you here the morning after a celebration."

Tessen shakes his head, his smile going tight. "I've been assigned to work with the third-year doseiku today."

My gaze falls to the kaigo-sei pendant, and the fingers of my right-hand twitch, wanting to curl into a fist. Right. The early stages of a kaigo-sei's leadership training are working with small groups of doseiku. I'd been looking forward to doing that. I could do it well. I've already had years of practice working with Yorri.

"Then what are you doing talking to me?" I shift my weight, starting to turn back to the zeeka I was going to borrow for the day. Tessen slides a step to the right, keeping himself in front of me. His expression is serious when he asks, "Why did you run last night, Khya?"

"I didn't run." I don't run, not like that. Retreat is necessary sometimes, but running is hiding, and hiding is cowardly. I am not afraid of Tessen. "There was something else I needed to take care of last night, so I left."

"I'm sure you found something to do after you left, but you didn't leave the center circle until after you saw me looking for you." He steps closer, his voice low enough that anyone else who happens to come through the storeroom would have to strain to hear him. "If you didn't want to dance, all you had to do was say no."

"As if you would've listened."

"I would've, I will, and I am. You're still not saying no." He smiles, his teeth bright against his russet-brown skin.

"So I'll ask again next moon."

I roll my eyes and run my finger along the curve of my anto. "This is one fight you don't stand a chance of winning, Nyshin-ten."

"And yet not only haven't you said no, you're here on your free day, which means you might be listening to me about your brother after all." He shifts closer, his smile seeming warmer. "If it's all the same to you, I'll continue to hope, oh deadly one."