After lunch on Friday, everyone goes to the auditorium, where we get a lesson in lock-picking from Hejae. I'm not too comfortable knowing Anders is somewhere in this crowd, learning how to break in even after I've locked our door.

Then Ceek teaches us about edible plants and berries, in case we're ever stranded in the wilderness. She passes a sprig, leaf, or berry corresponding to each plant she mentions, so we can see actual examples. Then she does the same with poisonous plants. Ceek encourages us to feel, to sniff, and to examine each sample, as some safe plants look very similar to poisonous ones. I take avid notes in the notebook Hejae gave me on the first day. Eveia is doodling in hers. She better watch her temper tantrums, or I may not share my notes before the exam next Friday.

Hejae makes an announcement before dismissing us for dinner.

"Tomorrow is the first Visitation. This will be important, because this is your first of only two chances to quit the Kuzabn without confining yourselves to an Infirmid life. Family bonds stress loyalty. Loyalty is a valuable trait amongst the Kuzabn. Tomorrow, and again at the end of your fifth week, will be your last chances to leave us without dishonor.

"Families will join us for lunch, followed by an afternoon of Visitation. Invite them to meet your friends, your instructors. Floor leaders will be available during this time. Any questions may be directed to them. Dismissed."

Commotion breaks out as everyone discusses the chance to see our families again. Eveia can't wait to see her mother and tell her how I've never braided my hair before now. Wick wants to introduce us all to his older sister. Kaz doesn't say much. I wonder if his mother will come, and if she'll stand out.

I'm not looking forward to seeing Senka or Zarko. I hope desperately Krishel will come alone, though I'm sure he will not. I ask Eveia to braid my hair tomorrow. I want my parents to see my rejection of Viry principles immediately.

An excited glint flashes in Eveia's eyes. "Oh, I can make you look Kuzabn."

I'm a little afraid to ask, so I decide to trust her blindly.

That night before bed, she braids my hair in to two pigtails.

After breakfast, Eveia takes my hair out of the plaits. When I protest, she tugs a handful of hair and tells me to trust her. She braids the side of my head back to the crown. Then she pulls all the rest of my hair to meet it and attaches it all in a ponytail with one of the brightly colored hair elastics she always has around her wrist. My hair is wavy in the ponytail.

She takes tiny bunches and braids long, thin braids throughout. I look wild, but in a somehow tamed way.

Then Eveia pulls out a small box. "Do you really trust me?"

She opens it to reveal multiple pencils in different colors and small pallets of chalky colors. Kuzabn makeup. I feel a giddy sort of recklessness as I agree.

Eveia holds up a black pencil. "How bold you want to go?"

I bite my lip. "Not too bold."

She sighs and switches the black pencil for a bronze-colored one. She lines my upper and lower lid, then sweeps a metallic gray-brown from her pallet across my eyelids. She smudges a darker color around the outer corner of my eyes.

She finishes by sliding a light pink stick over my lips.

"Wow," she says, stepping back and taking in all her work. "Definitely not Viry."

I peer at myself in the mirror. The colors she added make my hazel eyes pop, intensifying them. I can't look away. It's not Viry, Eveia is right, but somehow, I feel this is the most beautiful I've ever looked. I whisper my thanks.

Eveia is already using the black liner on her eyes. "Yeah, whatever." But she smiles, clearly proud of herself.

                                                                                                 *

We go kill time before lunch in the lounge. The floor leaders are there, rearranging a few tables, preparing for the Visitation, no doubt. I watch them for a bit while Eveia and Kaz play the videogras. Briar and Shark carry a table, Hejae following with a chair in each hand. They move it over beside the "Official Kuzabn Only" door.

Iskren, head of the Viry, emerges from this door just as the trainers are walking away. I sit up. What's Iskren doing here?

Briar notices him, too, and pauses. He crosses his arms and watches as Ritter exits behind Iskren and resumes whatever conversation they must have been having. I get up and stand next to Briar.

"You know Iskren?" I ask. Something about the way Briar is looking at them, I assume he's not merely curious.

Briar glances at me out of the corner of his eye. "Do you know who your Viry family is?" he says after a moment.

His question throws me off guard, but then I guess he's wondering why Iskren's here, too. Maybe the Viry can't bear that I've rejected them, and Iskren is here to check on his agreement with Ritter. The thought makes me even more defiant against them.

"No, and I don't want to." I cross my arms, too. "They sent me away; why should I come crawling back to them?"

Briar slides his hands into his pockets. He doesn't look at me right away. "What if it wasn't like that?"

His tone is soft, almost defensive. That's preposterous, though. "How could it not be?" I raise an eyebrow. "The Viry throw their children out like we're trash, and only welcome us back if we've grown into beautiful people." I shake my head. "I don't want anything to do with that kind of family."

I eye him for a moment. "Why do you ask?"

Briar sighs. "Well, Iskren's probably here for you. Just wondering if you had any ideas about your Viry family. Or if you wanted to know."

"And who would tell me if I did want to? You?" I can hear my voice getting angrier. This whole subject infuriates me. "What do you know about me or my family?"

Briar rubs the back of his neck, uncomfortable. I feel bad for my outburst, but can't bring myself to apologize for it.

Finally he says, "I'm a Viry kid who wasn't welcomed back." He shrugs. "But I know why. Might not hurt to learn your story."

He turns and walks away. I debate calling him back to apologize for my rudeness. But it wouldn't change anything. I'm glad Briar has closure from the wounds he received from the Viry, but I doubt finding out my history would help me much. I rejoin my friends and focus on the silliness of Wick singing, but I'm still aware of where Iskren and Ritter are in the room.

After Iskren leaves, Ritter pauses beside our group on his way back across the room.

"Nadia, might I have a word?"

My friends give me wide-eyed stares, probably assuming I'm in trouble, but I'm pretty confident Ritter's request has to do with Iskren. I join him and he leads me through the "Official Kuzabn" door like Hejae had my second morning here, then ushers me into his office. Like that time, my file is on his desk, though this time it is thicker.

"I had high expectations last time you were in here, and you haven't disappointed," Ritter begins.

I grin, but I doubt Ritter just asked me here to praise me.

"You've refused to give up no matter what's been thrown your way. Even after the incident with that other recruit—"

My eyes widen and my face tingles when Ritter references Anders's attack.

"—Yes, I know about that. Your floor leader was impressed with your fortitude, and made a point of praising you for not quitting."

My floor leader? Hejae?

"So, when Iskren visited me in person to try to get me to send you with him, it was much easier to refuse him this time." Ritter picks up my file, then drops it back to the desk without opening it. He rubs the spot between his eyes then props his chin in his hand. "The arrangement has changed."

I figured as much. Unlike last time, I wait for him to finish before speaking.

"Iskren will honor the Kuzabn rule concerning recruits' freedom to leave during Visitations, in which case you may still join the Viry. Otherwise, should you quit, scarred or not, you will be executed. If you fail any Performance Reviews, you will be executed."

I speak without thinking. "Well, considering I've already got scars, that doesn't change anything for me."

Ritter nods. "I did wonder if the Viry knew about that scar on your back, and how that might affect your acceptance into the Viry under Iskren's original offer."

I'd meant the scars from my cutting; I forgot Ritter saw the buckle scar on my back. "So you agreed to that original proposal not knowing if I'd be safe even if I chose to leave?"

Ritter leans back in his seat. "I agreed to that proposal not expecting you to choose to leave."

---------------------------------------

The ultimatum intensifies.

What do you guys think of Briar? Hejae? I'm curious. Trustworthy or up to something?

ALSO, I wanted to ask. I was thinking of updating two times a week, but I want to know - what are the best days for you guys? That way, if I set specific days and not just whenever, you'll always know when to expect an update. Let me know.

Til next time,

x zuz