Chapter 4: Blair

                                    

                                          
I stride towards the training grounds, seething with rage. My father has no idea how much effort it takes to manage my emotions after our morning conversation.
On top of everything, now I have a  Imperial following me around. While it's a common honor for each participant during the Trials, having him shadow me now is confusing.
Father instructed Brian to stay close but discreet. Well, he's doing a great job: judging by the loud thuds of his boots on the stone floor, the Imperial  is following me at a distance of about ten steps.
Knowing he'll hear, I ask, "Do I annoy you?"
"A bit."
"Excellent."
"Glad to be of service."
"Like a guard dog."
I glance over my shoulder to catch his reaction, but the Imperial  remains completely unperturbed. His face is a stone mask, showing no emotions. He stops at the entrance to the training yard and nods slightly towards the rings.
"It's time."
He has the last word, which I definitely don't like. And though I could continue our exchange of barbs, I really must go – Rem is already waiting in the yard.
As I cross the yard, I catch the stares of the Elite. To them, I'm a spoiled princess who couldn't even bother to wake up on time. I feel the burning stares of several dozen eyes, full of disdain and mockery. A wave of anger and frustration rises within me.
Rem folds his arms across his chest and shakes his head disapprovingly. He has every right to be angry. I'm late again, and again because of a headache. But now it has a name.
Brian.
I stand on the platform before Rem, trying to hide my rising anxiety. He looks at me with reproach, and I know I'm at fault. Again.
"Well," I say, trying to keep the tremor out of my voice, "I'm here, and I'm ready."
Rem sighs.
"Sadie's already warmed up."
"So have I," I lie, "I did some rearranging in my room with my ability."
"Really?" Rem raises an eyebrow skeptically, and I nod, feeling my throat tighten with tension. "Then let's begin."
Sadie stretches her neck, and I hear the pop of her vertebrae. In any other situation, it would seem threatening, but not now, not when it's Sadie. We grew up together, and she would never actually harm me. Probably.
In the next second, the ring fills with countless copies of her. Sadie has never summoned so many at once, and I can't even count them. The sight sends a rush of adrenaline through my veins. I feel fear and uncertainty. If Sadie has advanced so much in her Cloner ability, what will happen to me, given that my Tele regularly fails me?
Rem nods, and I'm immediately swarmed by a crowd of clones. They move as one, each step perfectly synchronized. I dodge their strikes, throwing stones at them, but amidst the chaos, all I see are flashes of identical chestnut hair. Each clone is tall and agile, each one capable of pinning me down.
I focus on one, lifting her with my mind, only to feel a blow to my back. Another tries to take me down, but I growl and send her flying out of the ring.
"Stop!" Rem yells.
I turn, confused. All my opponents vanish, leaving only the real Sadie lying in the sand. It turns out I managed to defeat the original.
By random luck.
After the fight, we shake hands and act friendly, as if we hadn't been trading blows just moments ago. Sadie shows me a crumpled slip of paper and congratulates me. My heart skips a beat, which is strange since I already knew.
Father said I'd be participating in the Trials.
"Look, there are the princes and Jax!" Sadie points to the other end of the training yard. "Shall we join them?"
I nod. As we pass between the rings, Kai is throwing daggers. He's nervous, miscalculating his throws.
We stop next to the princes, and I nod in greeting.
"Boys."
Kitt gives us both a nod in return. Sadie smiles warmly and says,
"I wanted to congratulate you two on making it into the Trials."
I notice the surprise on Kai's face. Damn, did he not know he'd be going to the Trials with Jax?
Could it be that I know more than any of them?
Kai looks at Kitt in confusion. He needs another minute to process what's happening and connect the dots. Of course, the king wouldn't send his precious heir to his death, but he might very well sacrifice someone else's son. If the boy proves himself, great, it means the king raised him well; if he dies—no great loss. After all, he's not Kitt.
None of them are Kitt.
"Yes, at least two of the brothers will get to be together," I smirk and shift my gaze to Jax.
"W-what?" He's clearly stunned and delighted. The foolish kid will only survive the Trials if he stays within Kai's sight.
Jax grins. "I did it! I'm in the Trials!"
For me, this news is more good than bad. Kai will undoubtedly be protecting his younger brother and cousin Andy, which will significantly lower his vigilance. That means I'll be competing against the slum kids and Braxton. And Sadie too, but could we really hurt each other?
"Well, it looks like we are all rivals now," I say.
We exchange glances. I let out a smirk, and Kitt, addressing Sadie more than me, asks, "Do you know who else is competing?"
She reaches into her pocket and pulls out a flier. Kitt quickly scans the text.
"Yep. There are only three names I don't recognize. Must be Defensive or Mundanes from the city."
He hands the flyer to Kai so he can assess the competitors too. I watch the Enforcer out of the corner of my eye, noticing how his expression quickly shifts to one of... astonishment? Maybe it's my imagination, but it seems like Kai flinches. I wonder what, or who, surprised him.
"Shall we place bets?" Sadie laughs.
Kitt tilts his head as if considering her words, then grabs Jax by the neck and ruffles his hair.
"Of course! I'm betting on my little brother."
"Naturally," Kai smiles, "I'd bet on Jax too."
The boy snorts, fixing his hair. It doesn't help much; his zigzagging, tangled strands stick out in all directions.
"He probably meant you!" Jax remarks cheerfully.
"And you, ladies?" Kitt looks Sadie and me up and down. "Who would you bet on?"
"I'm a strategist, and this year it's quite obvious." She answers like the true daughter of a royal advisor. I almost roll my eyes.
Kai's lips twitch into a smile as he says, "Miss Archer?"
"On myself, of course," I reply with a smirk.
He nods knowingly, and we continue to discuss the upcoming Trials for a while. I act as usual, as if my father hadn't instructed me this morning to lose to Kai but in such a way that he would be certain of his absolute victory. As if the princes wouldn't drag my name through the mud when I finally have to yield to one of them after all the threats and cutting remarks.
As if these Trials wouldn't shatter my hopes.
As if they had any meaning at all.