The Ritual of Blood and Bone

Chapter Forty-Three

The rest of the class is a disaster. None of her team listens to her. They snicker and laugh every time she gives them an order. Well, Tommen and Slade do. They joke around and wrestle with each other, blatantly ignoring Seraphina snickering at her every time she opens her mouth. Ajax ignores all of them. Seraphina finds some comfort in the fact he looks down on everyone in their group, not just her. Every time Tommen or Slade make a stupid joke, Ajax gives them a disgusted stare. Still, every time Seraphina gives an order, he does something else. He doesn't argue, he just walks away from her and does whatever the fuck he wants.

Then, there is Levana. Who spends the whole time either laughing at Seraphina with Tommen and Slade or arguing back with Seraphina every time she tries to get her to do something.

By the end of the lesson, Seraphina can't get out of there quickly enough. She tumbles onto her bed, holding back tears.

"I'm fucked," she says to Nysa. "They don't respect me. They don't listen to me. They just spend the whole time laughing at me."

"Zap them with some lightning like you did with Seren," Nysa suggests, not looking up from her books. Seraphina sighs and sits up, looking at Nysa.

"No," she says. "I want them to respect me because I am the superior officer. Not because they are scared of my power. Plus, I can't trust myself that I won't kill them."

Nysa shrugs. "Well, you have to think of something."

"Yeah, I know," Seraphina sighs. "I'll give it a few days and see if they settle. If they don't, I'll speak to Thorne." 

"Uh huh," Nysa mumbles.

"How is your group? You have to order around the whole class."

"Fine," Seraphina says. "They're all scared of me so they do as they're told. Plus, they value my skills and what I have to teach. It isn't every day they get to learn from someone from the Western Tribes."

"You're lucky," Seraphina grumbles.

"I'm not lucky, Phina. I just don't let myself get walked all over."

"I'm working on it," Seraphina argues.

"I know. But work harder."

Seraphina rolls her eyes and bites back a smile.

"Come on," Nysa says, sitting up quickly. "I'm hungry. Let's get dinner."

"Yes, Student Corporal," Seraphina jokes, then squeals as Nysa playfully slaps the back of her head.

***

Seraphina is woken early by a knocking on the door. She groans and sits up in her bed. Nysa huffs in her bed, throwing her pillow over her head. Seraphina looks at the window, noticing the sun still has yet to rise.

"Who is knocking at the time of morning?" Cora groans from her bed.

"No idea," Ari sighs, standing up to answer the door. Before she can fully open it, Nathanial appears, barging past Ari who squeals in fear. 

"We could have been changing!" Nysa shouts.

"Get up," he says, ignoring her.

"Why?" she asks.

"You're private tutor is here and you're going on a trip. Up. Now."

Before she can even form an argument, he has already stormed out. Ari closes the door slowly and Cora sits up in her bed, turning on the lamp and staring between Seraphina and Nysa.