Jackass.
Lunella shot Dorian a look I was sure I wasn’t supposed to see, then turned to me. “Kimber. You are the most logical choice. The mountain speaks to you, and that alone makes you the best candidate. I know you believe you’re too young, but Master Vitus was elected to the council at just fifty years old.”
I shook my head. “Mister Vitus was born using magic.”
Master Vitus chuckled this time. “She’s right.”
“Shut up, Vitus.” Lunella narrowed her eyes.
His hand covered a smirk on his face, and he shifted away from Elex and me.
“Masters, if you don’t need me, I’ll leave now.” Elex bowed his head respectfully and started to back up.
“Lord Everettson, you are to join Mistress Raven in her apartments.” Master Dorian stood as he made the announcement.
We both halted, sharing a shocked glance, and at least two of the other masters in the room didn’t like what he had said. There was disgruntled mumbling.
“That’s not the way this is done, Master Dorian,” Master Bebbinel stated.
Master Dorian turned, and the look he tossed at the man could have withered stone. “I don’t give a shit about your rules and regulations. She should have been made to move into these rooms as soon as we suspected she was the Breaker. But no, you asses had to go and try to deny this. Danai would not be dead—”
“Do not try to pass the blame to us,” Master Argo started.
“I’m not passing blame, you burning bag of shit. I’m telling you, you’d all do well to stop ignoring me. I am the oldest living among you, and you all get stuck in propriety and tradition that is bullshit.”
He whipped back to us. “You two will occupy the apartment. No questions asked. Elex, you are to protect Kimber. Kimber, you are part of the council.” Master Dorian raked his gaze over every other person in the room. “I’m done waiting for you blazing morons to do things. If I see fit, I will do what I need.”
“The rules came in for a reason, Dorian.” The calm alto of Lunella’s voice seemed to slice through the tension in the room, dropping it to a comfortable level.
“I don’t have—”
She held up a hand. She seemed to be one of the few people that could stop Master Dorian on one of his tirades. “None of us have to follow the rules, Dorian. We’re all powerful, and we’re intelligent. The rules never were for us, and you know that.”
He grunted and walked back to his seat. After dropping down into it, unhappy, he still managed to stare at Elex and me. “You are both still going to be moved into the apartments.”
Lunella shook her head, ever so slightly. “My dear, you have a day to yourself tomorrow. We will send the servants for your things, and you may take the day to settle in. The following day, your duties begin.”
I curtsied again, and one of the servants herded Elex and me out through a side door into the rest of the building.
This was home now.
I was a master.
I wasn’t ready.
Chapter Three
Kimber
Jallina turned the cup in her hands, staring at the small eddies the motion created.
I smirked. This was her “I’m thinking” activity. I could see the wheels in her head turning.
“You were really made a master.”
“The news is going to go out tomorrow.” I traced the rim of the coffee cup. “Today is my day off.”
The laughing didn’t quite make it out of Jallina, but her lips twitched. “Your day off.”
I nodded regally. “Master Dorian saw fit to give me a day.”
“Master Dorian is a jackass, isn’t he?”
A burst of laughter escaped me. I slapped my hand over my mouth. “I thought exactly that yesterday.”
“And are they going to announce this to the public?”
Taking a giant swallow of coffee, I tried to steady my nerves. “Tomorrow morning at dawn. There’s some… ceremony thing they have to do to install me as the newest master.”
But a moment later, I shook my head quickly. “I’m not ready for this, Jallina. This isn’t who I am. I’m a teacher, and that’s really all I wanted to do.”
Jallina grabbed my hand across the small table. “Don’t think like that. Don’t go into this with a ‘you’re not worthy’ attitude. You are. You’re smart, kind, and your magic has been growing. I’m sure that you’ll grow even more.”
“It was nearly unanimous. Who was the last one?”
“Whoever wasn’t there.” Jallina pulled her hand back. “Whoever didn’t show for the announcement in the meeting. That’s the way I understand it. You show up if you agree with the decision.”
“Even you know more than I do about the council!”
A low chuckle rumbled through her. “Only because that’s what I studied in college. Remember that. I only know these things because of my history training. The common person wouldn’t know that.”
“So who wasn’t there?”
Who hadn’t been there?
“Master Argo wasn’t. He was the only one.”
“Ah, Master Disagreeable from the Southern Temple. He doesn’t like the council. He has a particular problem with Vitus. Doesn’t think that someone as powerful as Vitus has any place in an office.”
“It’s not an office, really.” Confusion rolled through me.
With an indulgent smile, Jallina patted my hand. “No, no. Not a literal office. He thinks a mind like Vitus’s should have been trained for the military. For defense. Not politics.”
My eyebrow went up. “Vitus? Political? He has a mouth on him!”
Jallina sighed. “Doesn’t he, though? A dreamy one…”
Gasping, my jaw dropped. “You like him?”
She straightened in the seat. “He’s a very good-looking man.”
“Oh, my gods, you have a crush on Master Vitus!”
She glanced around furtively. “Will you keep it down?”
I wanted to cause trouble. “You know he’s available. He’s not dating anyone that I know of, and he’s not mated.”
Her hands slid over her face. “Oh, I regret this.”
“Want me to set you up?”
“No! Oh, this was a bad idea.”
I patted her hand. “I’ll drop your name at dinner.”
“No, please, no. Don’t.”
Her hand was trembling. I was surprised. She really liked the guy, at least from afar. “Jallina. Jallina, look at me.”
Her eyes were fearful as she brought them up.
“I’m not going to tell him, Jallina. I was teasing. I would never do that to you, you know that.”
With a quick glance at the floor, she gave a mirthless chuckle. “Yes. I know. My obsession with him is unhealthy. I have tried to keep it under wraps. But the man has a body to die for and…” She cleared her throat. “Never mind.”
“It’s okay, Jallina. Your secret is safe with me.”
“I’m sorry. This went sour. We’re supposed to be talking about you taking on the role of leader of S’Kir and ended up talking about my lusting after one of the masters.”
We could go on like this for hours. I bit my tongue and let my laughter settle for a few minutes. The coffee was a critical cover up for that.
Jallina also sipped her coffee and cleared her throat. “So, is anyone allowed to come to this ceremony? I’d like to be there for my friend.”
“Not the sunrise one. There’ll be another in about a week that will be a public announcement and party.”
My hands started shaking. Again. I couldn’t stop them. I was going to be named a master, one of the rulers of S’Kir. A person who was sought out for their wisdom.
Jallina grabbed my hands and tried to still them.
“You’re trembling.”
“I’m terrified.” The confession fell from me.
“What wisdom do I have? Lemon goes well with tea. Willow bark is a good painkiller. Don’t wear black with brown. Steak should be cooked medium. Vinegar is a great deodorizer.”
“That’s not the kind of life advice people are going to seek from me.”
They were going to want to know if they should turn to one profession or the other. They would ask me to mediate their disputes.
And magic. They would ask me to help with magic.
That was my real weakness. I was a poor magic worker. I was not strong.