She looked up to meet her friends’ eyes and sighed in disappointment, sending them a wry smile. “No change in my potential. Next year I want a different lollipop.”
It turned out that none of them had any changes either, which was both good and bad; bad because it meant Alex was stuck in Epsilon Combat without her friends again—she only hoped Kaiden and Declan would still be with her—but good because it meant she had their company in all of her other potential-based classes. D.C. was with her in Gamma Archery and Epsilon Equestrian Skills, both D.C. and Jordan were with her in Gamma Chemistry, and both Jordan and Bear were with her in Delta PE. And they would all be together in their age-based classes.
“Whoa, they must be trying to kill you this year,” Jordan said as he looked over Alex’s shoulder.
Alex squinted at the paper, trying to make sense of his words. But then she noticed where he was pointing and groaned.
“PE, Archery, Equestrian Skills and Combat all in one day? And three times a week! Who did I kill to deserve that?” Alex grumbled. Starting any day with Finn and ending it with Karter was just not nice.
“At least Thursday will be easier,” Jordan observed. “Only age-based classes all day. And your Tuesday isn’t so bad.”
He was right, but that didn’t make her Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays any better. It was going to be a very long year.
“If I can have your attention for a moment,” Darrius called out, standing in the middle of the room. “After you’ve finished dinner, the rest of the night is yours to spend settling in. Feel free to leave here at your leisure, but do remember there’s a nine o’clock curfew for first through to third year students, and ten o’clock for fourth years and up.”
Alex looked at her timetable again and was excited by the change of curfew that she hadn’t noticed before.
“And one final thing,” Darrius announced. “Fourth year students, I’ll need you to remain behind after dinner to hear about one of your upcoming curriculum options. Thank you.”
Apparently that was all he had to say, since menus immediately appeared in front of everyone. Alex eagerly picked hers up and, after a brief glance, she touched the circle beside the lasagne with chips, deciding to treat herself with a glass of bubbly purple dillyberry juice as well.
Within seconds her food appeared and she dug in with relish. She hadn’t eaten since Mrs. Gribble’s, and after the day’s events she was starving.
After she’d swallowed a few mouthfuls, she turned to her friends.
“Why do you think Darri—um—Professor Marselle wants us to stay behind?” Alex asked, hoping no one else at the table had noticed her slip with the headmaster’s name.
“I’m presuming, and hoping, it’s about Hunter’s class,” Jordan said, cutting into his steak. “We’re meant to be able to take Stealth and Subterfuge this year.”
“Yeah, I think it’s that too,” Bear agreed after taking a sip of his drink. “But I guess we’ll see.”
They finished eating in silence, mostly because there was so much noise in the food court that it was difficult to maintain a conversation. When they were finished their meals, their dirty dishes were whisked away by the TCDs, leaving the table immaculate once more.
Eventually the other students started to leave until only the fourth years lingered. It was then that the headmaster walked over to their table, followed by a lone figure whose face was hidden by a hooded cape.
“As I’m sure some of you have guessed, being in your fourth year means you have the opportunity to apply for Hunter’s Stealth and Subterfuge class,” Darrius said without preamble. “Since it’s an optional study extra, it’s held during your free time after dinner for two hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays. There are also mandatory classes held every alternate Saturday morning, along with the occasional whole-weekend assignment. It’s not an easy subject by any means, and I recommend you think long and hard before deciding to apply. Hunter, if you will?”
The caped figure raised his hands and pulled back his hood, revealing the darkly mysterious Hunter—or ‘Ghost’, as Alex knew he was sometimes nicknamed. There was no doubting the man was dangerous, especially considering the cache of weapons strapped to his belt, not to mention those which were likely hidden on the rest of his body beneath the dark cape.
“I don’t accept new students lightly,” Hunter said quietly, as if knowing they were hanging onto his every word. He glanced around the group with disinterest. “In fact, I’ll be surprised if I accept more than a handful of you this year. At best.”
Alex’s eyes roamed the table and she saw twenty apprehensive and slightly disappointed faces. She wondered briefly why Hunter’s class was so highly regarded. All she knew was that she certainly didn’t want to be a part of it, not with a name like ‘Stealth and Subterfuge’.
“If you want to apply, sign your name on the paper and come along to a trial lesson this Saturday after lunch. Whoever is accepted into the class will join the current students the following Tuesday evening and continue lessons from there. It’s my belief that learning alongside those with more experience will encourage you to excel faster.”
That just sounded nasty. And it reminded Alex of her Combat class, where everyone else had years of experience and she was a complete novice. Not pleasant.
Jordan nudged Alex in the side and she saw that he’d slid her the paper. She noted that so far everyone had signed it, but she immediately passed it straight on.
“You didn’t write your name,” said D.C., as if Alex had forgotten.
“I know,” said Alex. “I think I have enough to worry about without adding more challenges to my life.”
D.C. looked at her with understanding and quickly scribbled her own name before passing the paper on to Bear.
Alex glanced up and was startled to find Hunter’s dark eyes on her. The corner of his mouth quirked slightly before he turned his gaze away.
What was that about? she wondered.
When the paper reached him again, Hunter folded it up and pocketed it in his cloak.
“If you don’t receive a position in my class, you’ll have another chance to try out next year. That said, if you attend Saturday’s trial and you are offered a position, it’s mandatory for you to accept and you’ll be required to participate in classes just like any other subject. All successful candidates will be notified on Sunday evening. If you haven’t heard by then, presume that you didn’t make it this year.”
With those parting words, Hunter turned on his heel and walked away.
“All right, students, that’s all,” Darrius said. “Enjoy the rest of your evening.”
Alex and her classmates rose from their seats.
“Miss Jennings, if I may have a word?” the headmaster called before she could leave with the others.
Alex felt her stomach drop when she realised what she would have to tell him.
D.C. sent her a sympathetic look. “We’ll meet you back in our room.”
Once the court was clear of people, Darrius remained silent, apparently waiting for Alex to speak first.