The Grim (Ravens #3)

ii. guns loaded

By 8 am the following morning, the twenty recruits in the Fortress' guard training program were lined up on the small field in uniform, standing at attention as their instructor paced in front of them. Of the group, perhaps seven had been a part of the Wild Crew, while the rest had always been safe in the fortified city. It was an interesting mix, as the higher ranks observed. Never before had the Fortress' own trainees been so motivated, so intent to prove themselves as when they were put next to kids who had come to age in a world of disorganized lawlessness.

"Augustus!" called the instructor, eyes darting to the oldest boy in the row. Sebastian gulped, hands shaking behind his back. Could he smell the last night's alcohol on his breath? Did he appear to be hungover? He had not drank that much, only a couple of beers, but the paranoia weighed heavy in his bones. "Records say your birthday was yesterday, correct?"

"Yes, sir," Sebastian nodded, heart dropping as he became more and more convinced the man knew exactly what had happened the night before.

"You're twenty-one now," he said, "You've graduated this program. You're a real guard now, kid. Junior guard, but that doesn't mean shit. Come with me, we'll get you set up with Jordan."

"Um, okay, yeah," Sebastian blinked, utterly shocked that he was not called out to get in trouble. Down the line, Donny snorted at his friend's inarticulateness. Although Donny had had far more to drink than his friend, he was completely unafraid of what consequences they may now have to face. Sebastian wished he could feel the same way, experience that relaxation where the aftermath of their actions could not hurt them.

He followed the instructor inside the office buildings where the real guards were gearing up to take their posts and the officials were making their way to their assigned cubicles. Once the door behind them closed, the older man turned to his student and asked, "How drunk were you all last night?"

"Excuse me?"

"Don't play dumb with me, kid. Of course you all drank last night, I just need to know which of my kids are going to start throwing up the moment I make them run," the instructor laughed, "Nova Vidal, the one who works with the technicians? She had a morning shift today, Dennis said she vomited on the spot. I don't want to deal with cleaning that up from your friends."

"We won't get in trouble for this, right?"

"I have better things to do than write up a bunch of teenagers for drinking. Besides, it's not like any of you are actually in the guard yet. It would be different if you were on supposed to be on patrol today, but since you're not, you're fine. But please, who's getting sick on me today?"

"I don't think any of them will. The most wasted aren't involved with the guard at all," said Sebastian, "Phoenix, maybe. He was a little out of it this morning, but it was early, and—"

"Kid, you don't have to defend him. He's not going to get in trouble. And how are you? Are you good to patrol today?"

"I should be."

"Good," said the instructor, "Because you don't have another option. Jordan!"

A girl standing against the gray lockers whipped around. She was tall, skinny but with her arms were defined with muscles and colorful tattoos. Her hair was cut short and swept over the right side of her face. A pixie cut, as it was called, but her arrogant scowl confirmed she was not delicate in the slightest. She stood next to a lanky Asian boy whose smile contradicted the bitter attitude of the girl beside him. There were perhaps a year or so older than Sebastian, but he didn't really feel threatened by them. The girl would have been terrifying had she lived in the woods, but he always seemed to invincible against kids of the Fortress.