I stopped in front of a black, wrought iron fence.
There were spikes at the top of the fence, and the building was made of dark wood and rough stone. It was completely out of place next to the beauty surrounding it. It looked hundreds of years old with its turrets on each end, like an ancient castle, except for the embellished, fancy sign on the front that stated Military House.
The gate and front doors were still open.
I quickly shook the man’s hand who had led the way here. “Thank you so very much.”
He still wore a shocked expression, his mouth hanging open—and not because he was winded. “You’re most welcome.”
I nodded once to the others who had followed, and then I bolted through the front gate and ran up the walkway.
One of the men’s voices carried quietly, “I would never have imagined that.”
“It’s been what? Over a hundred years…”
“I know.”
I ignored whatever they were blathering on about and sprinted up the stairs. I stopped inside the doors where an older graying man in a Corporate Army uniform stood. I placed my hands on my knees and panted.
I whispered in awe, “I made it.”
The CA soldier cleared his throat.
I stood up and placed my hands on my lower back, stretching my muscles. I removed my sunglasses and peeked up at him. “I’m here for the Corporate Army sign ups.”
His gaze was cold as he looked me up and down. “Are you sure, miss?” He glanced at his silver bracelet, checking the time.
That was a better response than I had received from other CA soldiers when I had stopped them to ask for directions. Those assholes had taken one look at my smaller stature and just laughed at me.
I nodded. “I’m sure.”
“Then you made it just in time.”
He shut and locked the heavy wooden doors.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
The dining hall was filled with a little over one hundred candidates. Only ten of those were women. They had already sent home seventy-four others who didn’t have the right forms filled out or were missing signatures from a male legal guardian. The meal we were eating wasn’t terrible as I had feared. It had all the basic food groups.
The worst part was waiting for a CA soldier to come into the room and call out one of our names. They could do it anytime, and we would then leave for an interview. Most already had theirs completed, having arrived days earlier. Only a few candidates arrived today as I had, and the interviews were running nonstop. My turn was coming soon.
The two girls on either side of me ate silently. No female was here to make friends. It was common knowledge that only twenty percent of the women passed the requirements to become a CA soldier. So that meant only two out of the ten of us would obtain a position within the Corporate Army. The other eight would leave to become breeding machines for a husband.
I chewed the corn on my plate, trying to enjoy the scrumptious vegetable. I wasn’t hungry, but I knew I would need the energy. Plus, I didn’t have a lot of units remaining to spend. My sunglasses had cost more than five expensive meals in Port. New City was expensive.
The door opened, and the room quieted.
A soldier in black stated loudly, “Poppy Carvene.”
All eyes inside the room suddenly went on alert, more than a few gasps were heard. My father was legendary. And so was his hatred for anything corporate—especially for Mr. King who ran it all. The other candidates’ reactions weren’t surprising.
“Poppy Carvene,” the soldier repeated.
I lowered my fork and stood.
I kept my shoulders back and my gaze straight.
The eyes spearing me with curiosity were mostly annoying, though my cheeks blushed in shame. Word would soon get out that General Carvene’s only child didn’t agree with his politics. This would hurt him in some circles.
He was tough, though.
My father hadn’t held his position for over thirty years without knowing how to deal with problems such as this. There had been many men who had tried to usurp him only to be burned down. Sometimes literally.
His contacts were endless.
I followed the soldier out of the room, thankful when he shut the door to the dining hall behind us, effectively cutting off the gossip murmuring through the crowd.
The soldier peered at me from the corner of his eye while leading me down a hallway to the back. “You’re really General Carvene’s daughter?”
I ground my teeth together. “I am.”
He grunted and turned his eyes forward. “You won’t have it easy here during the tests. Those recruits will be brutal.”
“Because of who I am,” I clarified.
“Yes.”
“I know.”
His eyes flicked to me once more, glancing down my body. “Do you think you have a chance?”
“I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t.”
He chuckled. “Spoken like a general’s child.”
“Meaning?”
He stopped and opened a door for me. “Don’t let your pride get in your way.”
I stepped into the room and stared back at him.
I didn’t have a superiority complex. Not at all.
He didn’t enter the room with me. “Good luck.”
He shut the door, the wood only inches from my nose.
“Ms. Poppy Carvene?” a woman asked from behind me.
I quickly twisted and wiped away any surprise.
The room wasn’t empty.
Five CA soldiers were sitting at the back of the rectangular room. There was a long table in front of them with tablets for each person, and a lone chair sat facing their group. The room was white. Completely white, including the furniture.
Interview time.
I nodded and walked forward to the empty chair. “Yes, I’m Ms. Carvene.”
Four men and one woman ran their intelligent eyes over my person. I hadn’t had time to shower or change before the dinner bell had rung. I’d barely been assigned my small room and dropped off my bag before the herd of candidates had filled the housing hallways, all in a rush for the dining hall.
The woman gestured to the seat with a wave of her hand. “You may sit down.”