Dark of the West (Glass Alliance)

“Do you know why I can get away with what I do?” Arrin presses. “It’s not because I play a fool. It’s not because I do what I want. It’s because when I’m on the frontlines, I’m everything he expects me to be. I’m brilliant. And he needs me. That’s the only thing he’ll negotiate with. The only card that wins.”

“You’re carrying the tradition,” he continues, “and you had it coming. Don’t look at me like that—you did. Trying to flunk out of the squadrons without Father noticing. Are you an idiot?”

“Better than your brand of it.”

“Father’s rather furious with you,” Arrin observes.

“I hadn’t noticed,” I reply.

Anger’s still hot inside me. I’m certain it was Arrin who told Father about my seventh-place standing. Arrin who would have made a deal of it and suggested that maybe I wasn’t trying entirely hard enough, whispering my treason.

He shrugs after a moment. “I’m sure it was the same speech we’ve all heard. How he didn’t sacrifice everything to have such a lousy, useless, rotten son. Am I right?” There’s a trace of humour in his voice.

“Maybe,” I say, annoyed he’s right.