Radiance - The Alight Archives Book #1

34. Four Members

"No way!" Custas snarled like a mutt. "Absolutely not!"

"We don't have a choice. He willingly agreed to join us, and it's only temporary," Elaine whispered.

"Yeah, I get that, but, like, there's gotta be someone—anyone—we can choose besides the rich boy, over there." Elaine spared a reluctant glance past Custas at where she'd left Kliff near the front door of the club room. He was conversing with Fearne, her roommate doing her best at making small talk with him, although, what the two could have to talk about alluded her. Well, they were both nobles, so at least they had that in common.

"And you're positive Mason and Jack said that they...didn't want to join?" Custas asked with a cringe.

"Yes, they're both out," Elaine sighed. "But I really don't see what you have against Kliff, in particular. I mean, the moment I brought him through the door you already had a scowl on your face. What, is there a secret feud between you and him that I'm unaware of?"

"Please," Custas scoffed. "A lowborn like me having beef with a noble like him? What's next, a badger entering the Contest of Houses with a pride of griffins? Nah, before today, I wouldn't be surprised if he didn't even know I exist."

"Okay, then, what is the problem?"

"The problem?" Custas muttered. "Look, ever since I first laid eyes on that guy my instincts have been screaming at me, telling me that he's bad news. I've kept my distance, and if I had it my way, I wouldn't say one word to him, but here you are, asking him to join our club. I don't know, it's just...not what I expected is all."

"Your instincts?" Elaine frowned. "The same ones that got us lost on the first day of school?

"Yeah!" Custas confirmed loudly. "Those ones!"

Elaine rolled her eyes. "And just what are they saying exactly?"

"All I know is," Custas grunted, "they've never led me astray before...except for that one time...and then as well...and also— My point is! We're better off without fireboy over there sticking his nose into our business!"

Suddenly, someone coughed into their hand, and Elaine only then realized that Kliff was standing not more than ten footsteps from them. He must have heard what they were saying, yet miraculously, he didn't appear to be angry or even offended. If anything, that charming smile that had caused her heart to jump on more than one occasion implied that he was rather humored by...by something.

"You know," Kliff smirked, "I do have ears."

Custas whirled around to meet him with a glare. "Oh, do you? Well, I guess this makes my job a whole lot easier then. Sorry to break it to you, pal, but your services here will no longer be required. So, I kindly ask that you vacate the premises at one." Kliff tilted his head at that, but, once again, he still didn't seem bothered by Custas' overly apparent hostility. "There, that outta get my message across. Or does someone as opulent as yourself not understand my filthy lowborn tongue?"

"Custas!" Fearne snapped, arriving at Kliff's side, her cheeks puffed from her pout. "What are you doing? We need him!"

"Oh, please. We don't need him," Custas said harshly. "This campus is huge, in case you haven't noticed. I'm sure we'll be able to track down one more sucker long before our deadline."

"Is that so?" Fearne leered. "And tell me, where are the members you said you'd bring? You came back here without a soul following you. What happened?"

Custas scratched the back of his head and smirked. "Much to my defeat, it would turn out that the nobelings at this place are a lot more...resilient to my charmspeak than I thought. Could barely bend a single ear."