Chapter Forty-Three – The Uncertain Captain

  After Gray and Rynn dropped off the other three squad members off at First Field, the two didn’t stop talking until they were back in Ruin Manor. They felt a little bad about abandoning their friends at Third Barracks, but they did make sure that Freek and his orcs knew that the same deal held true. Midj, Tomi, and Ames were staying on the same room that they had slept in before they escaped.

  Both gray and Rynn didn’t see the point of them staying in the barracks, but there was nothing they could do at the moment. The captain’s warding was still up, and getting all three girls through would be extremely difficult. Besides, Settie was clear that she didn’t want company at Ruin Manor. She was tolerating their presence out of the goodness of her heart.

  Back in the manor, they found Settie sitting in a chair in the living room near the window where she could look out onto the dark streets of the demon-haunted town. In her hand was a half-empty bottle of wine. Yellow was near her, but when Gray came through the door to the basement, the dog ran out over, tail wagging.

  Rynn bent to pet the dog.

  The captain didn’t say a word. She just kept on looking out the window. Gray could feel how upset she was. Part of him thought his best bet for a quiet evening was to wish her goodnight and go to bed. He knew that if he said one word to her, it would open the floodgates.

  Maybe that wasn’t such a bad thing. He was curious about what she’d found out about Pinch and their chances at surviving Culling Day.

  Settie stood up. “You two should be at the barracks. I did enough for you, bringing you here, paying for your entry fees, giving you fucking magic. I shouldn’t have to house you.”

  Rynn watched Settie carefully, not saying a word.

  The dragon woman drank directly from the wine bottle.

  Gray knew he had to be careful. “You have a nice home, and we appreciate your hospitality. However, you make several good points. In the end, though, Yellow gets the final say.”

  Yellow gave them an understated woof.

  “"It certainly says a lot about my fall from grace when a dog’s vote counts more than mine.” Settie sighed. “I talked with the Magistrate, Malcon Crewel, and he agreed to let us run a squad of five. He doesn’t think we’ll go very far, and he’s probably right. I spent years planning for this squad and for what? A fucking fae pays off a couple of human sluts to betray me. No, just the one slut, Sindara, with her lust resonance. She needed the money. Blythe didn’t. Blythe betrayed me for far more personal reasons. I am curious, but at the same time, I don’t care. I am going to make them both pay, in money or blood or both.”

  The captain turned on Rynn. “You knew Blythe? How can I hurt her?”

  “I don’t know,” the elf girl whispered. “I don’t think in those terms. You are right, however. Her parents are very wealthy. She didn’t abandon our squad for money.”

  “I know I’m right,” Settie snapped. “Of course you don’t care about revenge. You’re such a nice girl after all. I knew I could trust you. I was less certain about Blythe and Sindara from the beginning.”

  Rynn stood and faced the captain. “We trained with Midj, Tomi, and Ames today. Gray connected to their cores. I think we have a chance, despite our numbers, because of what Gray can do. I don’t think we should give up hope.”

  The captain laughed. “We’re not giving up hope. We’re going to compete. We still have two full days before Culling Day, and miracles can be done such time. Besides, I haven’t run a squad in ten years. In that time, I scoured all of Midmere to find the perfect recruits. I mostly succeeded. Mostly.”

  “What were you doing in Cradleport?” Gray asked. “And I don’t suppose you heard anything about a Blind John in the marketplace.”

  Settie shook her head. “No.”

  She didn’t say more.

  Rynn’s brow was furrowed. It was clear she wanted to say something, but she was torn. Finally the words bubble out of her. “Did you have to leave the Belly to find recruits because—” She abruptly stopped talking.

  Settie frowned. “What are you talking about?”

  Gray stepped in front of the captain’s vicious glare. “You know you don’t have a good reputation in Pit City or in First Field. People hate you for everything from destroying the Wrath Pylon to destroying Alastria. There were even rumors you fought in the Second God War. There is also talk of you killing off entire squads. You do have an agenda, I know, but I don’t suppose you want to tell us about your past.”

  “I don’t speak of the past,” the captain said stiffly. “My affairs are my own. Yes, there is something I want, and this is the first step in achieving that goal. I need your kill squad to do well. Everything depends on it.”

  Rynn sat down on the ground to pet Yellow. It was probably an attempt to shield herself from the captain’s ire.

  Gray didn’t care. “So across the world, your name still commands respect but not here. We’re fighting for you, Settie. We deserve to know why. Everyone has warned us about you.”

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  Settie folded her arms across her chest. Even Yellow gave her a worried glance.

  Gray didn’t move. He didn’t think he’d win, just like she hadn’t given him anything on why she had returned to Cradleport. She might’ve said something about another recruit there, but Gray had found that unlikely.

  “I won’t list my sins,” the captain said finally. “I doubt either of you would either, and frankly, it doesn’t matter. I earned my reputation at First Field by being ruthless, and I’ll have you know, for over a century my squads have outperformed all others. My recruits have risen in the ranks of all six of the Watchfire families in all six of their cities. My success has made me target. And let’s not forget envy. There’s an entire fucking city in the Belly devoted to jealousy. Yes, I’ve fallen in esteem, clearly, because I had two recruits betray me.”

  Gray and Rynn were silent, but Gray made it clear they weren’t leaving.

  Settie sighed. “You’re right, in the Belly, no one wants to work with me. It’s why I can’t find recruits to replace Blythe and Sindara. Since I don’t have the status I once did, I looked outside of the seven cities. Amaranthis was the first recruit that I heard about, a powerful healer, but too strange for most to work with. She was desperate to leave, though, and like Rynn, Midjara Munch, her family wanted to make connections with the Watchfire families. You’ll see very few goblins at First Field. Most go directly to Gluttony City for the Tournaments there, but to get in, you have to have money, a great deal of food, and connections. No, Mulinda’s best chance to gain status is to do well at First Field, who will take anyone. I know Tomika wouldn’t want me discussing her past, nor where she’s from, and so we move on to Rynn, who was my first choice.”

  “Because I’m a good fighter,” the elf girl said softly.

  “That is correct,” Settie agreed. “And because of your father’s business interests here, at the bottom of the world. Since I had to go to the Crown, I asked about other recruits, and the best of the best were Blythe and Sindara, who both were fully marked neophytes.”

  “And Gray?” Rynn asked.

  The captain lifted her chin. “I tavel to Cradleport like many do… to enjoy the company of those without cores, to take care of certain desires without the threat of bonding.”

  “Like the husked Fae,” Gray said. “In the Pleasure Market, I’ve heard about them. Funny, I was friends with some Cradleport prostitutes, and they never mentioned any of the Blood Races.”

  “Most of us can pass as human,” Settie said.

  “With a mask and hat for example,” Gray pointed out.

  She ignored that jab and kept talking. “Orcs and goblins rarely have a lust resonance, and so they can keep their desires under control. As for the Beastkin, it’s not easy to hide ears or other characteristics.”

  Settie paused, searching Gray’s face. “On one of my visits to Cradleport, I heard of a certain gladiator who unexpectedly survived the Battle Royale. You didn’t have magic, but I sensed a greatness in you. The rest you know. There was one other in Cradleport, but things with her have become complicated. I have sent word to her. I don’t expect anything to come from it.”

  “I’m the only boy on the squad.”

  “I like girls,” Settie said simply. “I find them pretty to look at, and I work better with them. There is generally less posturing and testosterone. You were an exception because of what I sensed in you. It’s why I’m even considering competing with only five recruits.”

  “It will make our victory better.” Gray nodded. “But can a squad of five win the Testing? How does this even work. No one seems to know.”

  “There’s a reason for that.” The captain sat down. “I’m weary and can’t talk long, but I will say this. Culling Day will have three events and the top three squads of each event will win awards—the golden victor, the silver slayer, and the bronze survivor. But know this, to get the attention of the Watchfire families, you don’t necessarily need to win. You need to stand out. Winning of course, is the best, because you have proven yourself worthy, but I’ve seen recruits get chosen for sacrificing themselves, for bravery, for team spirit, or for evil cunning. Yes, there was one girl who sacrificed the life of a squad mate to win the gold. She went on to become a general in a kill squad for the Supera family in Pride city. She wasn’t even a dragon but she was reptilian enough for them. Cold-blooded. Cold-hearted.”

  Gray pulled up a chair to listen closely. Rynn remained on the floor, happy to be petting a very grateful Yellow who was soon fast asleep.

  Settie offered him the wine bottle. He took a long pull.

  “I shouldn’t be surprised by Blythe’s betrayal,” she said after a while. “There are few rules at First Field. All is the Testing and all is the Test. I thought to have eight recruits—seven and one extra—just in case this happened. Never, in my life, did I think I’d lose two and fail to recruit a third. Thank you for staying here and listening to me. I would’ve ran you both off and sulked. It’s the weight of the past, you see. I have sinned, and while I struggle to let go of the past, it haunts me. Do you feel that?”

  Gray was surprised at her change. Then again, she’d been drinking, and Blind John said that drinking invited storms…of all kinds.

  “I feel it,” Rynn said.

  “I do too,” Gray added. “If we do well on Culling Day, I think we should invite the rest of our squad to live here. We could use all of Old town as a training ground. All of this testing is to get on a kill squad to hunt demons. Why not start now? It’s what we want—"

  Rynn cut in. “No. That’s not what you want, Gray.”

  Gray was surprised. “What do you mean?”

  “You’re in this for self-mastery. Am I wrong?”

  That made him chuckle. “No, you’re not wrong. I’ve learned a lot this summer. It’s been the best summer of my life.” He had to smile. “Because of your friendship. That and the magic. There was this whole world I never imagined. It’s been a blessing.”

  He passed the bottle back to the captain. “But there’s something else I want. While I can’t trust you, Settie, I do want to help you. I owe this all to you, my heart, my core, this life I get to live. We’re going to do well.”

  The captain smiled at him, and it was surprisingly warm. “You have to do well, precious boy. Culling Day is just that, it culls out the weak and the failures. Everyone will be betting against us. If we only knew what the three exams were going to be.”

  “Do the water barrels in the coliseum mean anything?” Rynn asked.

  Settie’s face lost all expression. “Why were you in the coliseum?”

  When Gray told her what had happened that day, the captain smiled. “I could kiss you, Grayson Fade. I know what the exams will be. This changes everything.”

  “You’ve already kissed me,” Gray said.

  That made Settie laughed. She wasn’t embarrassed at all. “And I swore never again. You and the elf girl can kiss all you want. We are going to get past Culling Day. And then, yes, I think Ruin Manor might make a fine barracks, but only if you don’t fuck up. Now, tell me everything you saw in the coliseum.”

  Gray felt hope, but he also knew that hope could be dangerous.

  They hadn’t made it through Culling Day yet.