The Rage Eater

Chapter 3: Always Watching

"There are more than a dozen academies in Silk Province alone," said Priestess Wu. "Academies for soldiers, blacksmiths, bards, merchants, alchemists. How many did you apply to?" One of her hands lay on the scarred wooden table. The other was raised, stroking the falcon perched on her shoulder. Its beak was sun-yellow, its eyes black and unblinking.

"None," Sadie said.

"None," Priestess Wu repeated. "You applied only to Barrett's Academy, a school built for the Kingdom's ruling Clans, which offers only two positions to commoners a year. Why?"

Sadie trembled, wet with rain and raw with fear. Thunder rumbled in the distance and rain drummed on the alchemist's glass. "Because I don't want to be a blacksmith or an alchemist. I want to become a Warrior. To train a beastly and fight orc like Warrior Devi Bilton."

Good, Sadie thought. The Biltons—Devi's clan—were long-time allies of the Galerans.

"If you're so fond of Warriors, then I'm sure your familiar with my Clan. And its words."

"Always Watching," Sadie said, reciting the Galeran words.

"That's right," Priestess Wu said. "We see everything and miss nothing. Including lies. Understood?"

Sadie nodded yes.

"What makes a Warrior great?"

"Bravery?" Sadie said uncertainly.

Priestess Wu gave the barest hint of a nod, her expression inscrutable.

"And what makes you braver than every other lowborn?" said Priestess Wu. "What makes you worthy of a scholarship and a beastly?"

Sadie squirmed in the old chair, casting her gaze around the tavern's dusty common room. The air was thick with the funk of ale, and, beneath it all, she could still smell smoke. But red magic didn't make her brave or worthy. It only made her dangerous, like Bloom.

"I don't know," she said.

Priestess Wu nodded slightly, her gaze unwavering. The falcon ruffled its spotted feathers.

"What do you dream of?"

Like a crashing wave, everything from that terrifying dream came roaring back: the thud of the battering ram and crack of splitting wood, the sight of her double staring back at her. "I can never remember," Sadie lied.

"Have you ever done things that seemed impossible? Moved objects without touching them? Started a fire without a spark?"

"No!" Sadie said abruptly.

"Then how did this tavern almost burn to the ground?"

"It was an accident! A candle fell. I was careless."

"A candle, at dawn, in a room with alchemist's glass," Priestess Wu sneered.

Before Sadie could respond, the Priestess rose from her chair. She swept around the table towards Sadie, her robes billowing behind her, her falcon balancing on her shoulder, digging its talons in. "Your arm," said the Priestess.

Shaking with nervousness, Sadie laid her forearm out on the table. The Priestess watched her hand glow green, then touched Sadie's arm.

Sadie gasped as an unnatural warmth crawled from her arm to her head, prying open her mind. She sensed the Priestess inside her, observing her thoughts as if they were a hand of cards splayed on a table.

The falcon hopped from the Priestess' shoulder to the table, so it was facing Sadie, staring at her. Priestess Wu tightened her grip, her green hand glowing more intensely. Sadie's eyes rolled back, and she plunged into a dreamlike darkness, only dimly aware of the world in front of her.

"You're alone in a grassy clearing, a heavy sword in your hand and a hyena by your side," said Priestess Wu. "In the distance, you hear an orc charging through the forest, twigs snapping under his clawed feet. The sound grows louder. There are more of them. And they're fast approaching."

Sadie fell deeper into the dream, the imagined scene crystallizing as the real world slipped away like water through her fingers.

"Do you stand and fight or flee?"

"Stand and fight," Sadie mumbled. She was no craven.

"A horde of orcs stampede out of the forest, battleaxes raised and jaws frothing. You unsheathe your sword, ready for battle, when you hear laughter from the woods. It's a group of boys, sons of a great Clan, and they're laughing. Laughing at you."

Anger bubbled up in Sadie's chest, and her throat tightened. But there was no controlling it—she was lost in the dream.

"Next, the orcs remove their masks—they're boys too, shrieking with laughter."

"No, that can't be," Sadie said. "I would've seen it. They couldn't have tricked me."

"But they did trick you. And now they're pointing at you, the fool. The commoner who thought herself a warrior. The mamzer of Silk Province."

"No!" Sadie screamed, rage and power exploding through her.

Sadie snapped out of the dream as Priestess Wu wrenched her hand away. The falcon screeched and flew back to her shoulder.

Sadie stared up at the Priestess, her anger quickly giving way to shame. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to—"

"Barrett's Academy will send a pigeon within the month," Priestess Wu said. "And whatever their decision, it will be final." For the first time since she'd arrived, she refused to meet Sadie's gaze.

Then, as she hurried to leave, robes flapping behind her, Sadie caught a glimpse of something in the movement of her eyes and the corners of her mouth.

It looked like fear.