I sit near the back in Hejae's classroom on Monday, my own little act of defiance for him taking me from Briar. I'm not exactly looking forward to a full day with Hejae.

He strolls in a few minutes later, whistling, his hands in his pockets. He's dressed differently, a little more Viry than normal. His light blue shirt is tucked into charcoal grey pinstripe slacks, with a matching suit vest. His sleeves are rolled to his elbows, and his patterned tie matches the ensemble exactly.

"As I said before," Hejae begins after calling the six of us to order. "You were chosen for a reason. Look around." He pauses until we reluctantly glance at one another. I glare at Anders when he smirks my way.

I bet Eveia is already learning a new weapon skillset.

"Maybe you've noticed you all have certain features in common. Certain features which to most would be considered beautiful."

I thought I'd just made a point of turning my back on the Viry and shedding the life in which more stock was put in my looks than my skills.

"Today," Hejae says, "I will teach you to become Viry."

Son of a monkey. I raise my hand.

"What if I've already been through this training?"

Hejae smiles at me. "You'll be my little helper, won't you?"

Any camaraderie I felt with Hejae when I first arrived has dimmed. I realize now it was the urge to trust in his beauty, the kindred spirit I felt when I saw his Viry face. He's really little better than the rest of them, using looks for power and control. I cross my arms and slouch in my seat, my lips pressed into a line. After all, it's not like I have anywhere else to go.

Ceek helps Hejae; we learn basic dances like a waltz and foxtrot. At lunch, we eat in the training room, with Hejae teaching table etiquette. It's as if I'm back in Asevy's class, except here there is no Milo to exasperate.

This afternoon, we go through what Hejae calls wardrobing. I've had some experience in heels and dresses, so it only takes me a little while to get used to walking and dancing on the balls of my feet, balancing on the spindle of a heel. The other girls, Kaja and Raechyl, seem to struggle a bit more.

"I want you ladies to wear heels everyday this week. Not all day, but even during some of your training sessions." Hejae passes us each heeled boots, similar to our ordinary training boots, but with an extra couple inches of rubber sole at the heel.

I raise my eyebrows, and I know I'm not the only skeptical one. Walking in heels, even all day, is one thing. Fighting in them? Hejae must be crazy.

"You are being trained for undercover work. Often, the Viry request undercover bodyguards from the Kuzabn. There could come a time you find yourself in trouble while deep in your Viry character. You may not have time to change your clothes or kick off your heels before engaging an enemy."

I'm a little suspicious about the possibility of an attack from outside forces in the Viry compound, but Hejae has gotten my attention.

"Besides," he continues, "those heels could prove to be most effective weapons. You'll receive specialized weapon-training with them."

A boy with sandy-colored hair raises his hand in front of me.

"Will we be able to use special weapons in the assessments Friday?"

Hejae smiles like he's been waiting to give us exciting news. "Actually, Milhov, you won't be performing in the Assessments this time." Hejae pauses for dramatic effect, but doesn't let our confused questioning reach more than babble before continuing. "Your assessment will take place off-site, in the form of a preemptive re-con mission."

"What does that mean?" Clearly Milhov is as tired of Hejae's theatrical pauses as I am.

Hejae motions for us all to take our seats before he explains.

"On Friday, you will be taken to the Krasavets Palace Courtyard, where you will have to blend in with the Viry residents. Your mission is to find a specific person, whose identity will be revealed later, and report back about the security detail surrounding him or her."

"How will this affect rankings? If we're caught, we fail?" Raechyl asks.

Hejae's smile widens. "Due to the nature of this mission, Viry leaders will not be informed of your presence. Should you be caught, you may be treated as a spy, and punished as such. By being chosen for my team, you're guaranteed a place with the Kuzabn once you make it back successfully. There will be a final interview with Icarit, but, fulfill your mission, and you will be Kuzabn. Fail, and you could be dead."

Story of my life.

"One more thing," Hejae says. "This mission is top secret. You can't discuss it with anyone outside this room."

He looks at me when he says this, as if he knows I'll run and tell Kaz and the others immediately. And what am I supposed to say when they ask about my placement in the assessments?

"You'll train as usual," Hejae answers before I can ask. "We'll even pass out fabricated Performance Review schedules, to avoid awkward questioning from peers."

He sets a stack of boxes on his desk.

"Now, the fun part," he says. "You have to be Viry, so we have to tweak a few things." He passes each of us one of the boxes. At Anders's desk, Hejae says, "Some of you, more than others."

Inside mine is hair dye a few shades lighter than my own color, and more scar cream. Raechyl has hair dye and green-colored contacts.

"Viry believe beauty comes naturally. Well, the Kuzabn believe in doing everything in our power to adjust ourselves to best excel in any given situation. So, Viryavati yourselves!"

My floor mates dig into their boxes; it sickens me to see how eager they are to remove the last barriers between themselves and structured "beauty". I push my box away.

Hejae comes to stand in front of my desk. No one else notices us, so absorbed in their own boxes.

"Don't like your kit, Nadia?" Hejae says.

I shrug and look away. Anders is watching us, that same eerie smile stretching his lips. I turn back to Hejae. "I would have been welcomed to the Viry without any help. I'm not changing my hair." I don't mention the scar lotion I already have.

"That's fine." He smiles, too. I don't know why, but I don't trust that grin anymore. "You're not going on the mission."

"Why not? Because I don't want to dye my hair?" I'm slightly offended that he would remove me from the task.

"Others have requested that you remain behind this time," Hejae says.

"That's pretty stupid, considering I'm the most Viry person on this team, and I'm pretty sure that's why I was picked in the first place." I cross my arms.

Hejae nods. "I would have to agree. But, maybe you're not ready to go back into the Viry world just yet."

"Who thinks that? Did Briar say that?" I don't know why Briar would interfere with my training, but he's the only one I can think of who would be concerned about me enough to step in.

Hejae seems to size me up. "You're absolutely sure you can handle this mission?"

Is this a trick? What better way to prove I am fully Kuzabn than to help them infiltrate the Viry? "Of course."

"Perfect. You're in."

Just like that? I definitely don't trust the smile Hejae gives me now, but I don't push my luck with any more questions.

*

"Must be nice, getting a free period first thing," Eveia says at breakfast the next morning.

I push my oatmeal around the bowl. "I think I might go to your lesson with you. I don't want to just sit around doing nothing with my life for an hour and a half the last week of training."

"Miss Briar that much, eh?" Wick asks, grinning.

I roll my eyes. Now that Kaz knows for sure he's the only one I'm interested in, I don't care so much if the others joke.

"Oh yes. Oh, Briar, what will I do without you constantly in my life?" I sigh dramatically. "Seriously though, I want to keep my knife skills top notch. Might as well practice in my free time."

"You don't want to come tracking with us?" Kaz says. "It's wicked fun."

"Oh, it's not so bad." Wick shakes his head at Kaz's sarcasm. "Yesterday's swim session was a little intense, yes, but it will be worth it when we're hardcore Rescue and Recovery agents."

"Maybe I don't want to do Rescue and Recovery." Kaz sets down his biscuit.

"But you're such a great swimmer." Wick looks at Kaz, lips parted slightly, like he can't wrap his mind around a person shunning the skills they're strongest in. It sounds like Kaz hasn't told Wick about his little sister.

Kaz shrugs. "I guess we'll see when rankings come in."

Eveia and I climb the stairs to U-Gym, like we did so many times together before. Was it only a couple of weeks ago? It feels like a lifetime since I first met Eveia.

"So, how are things on Hejae's floor? I feel like we haven't talked in forever," she says.

I laugh. "I was just thinking that. It's not so bad. Get a lot of freedom, as you know, and I get to take advantage of my Viry background."

I briefly explain the Viry bodyguard possibility, careful to leave out the upcoming mission.

"Sounds sketchy. Did you know you'd get undercover bodyguards when you were going to join?"

I think about it for the first time. Eveia is right; I never heard anything about receiving protection, or even why there could be a need for some. I shrug.

"Maybe they don't tell you about potential dangers until after you've officially joined."

"Yeah, that would be the kind of underhanded thing those snobbish Dolls would do." Eveia pulls open the gym door and steps back for me to enter first. "No offense."

I know Eveia really doesn't mean to offend me personally with the remark, regardless of her pet name for me, so I brush it off.

Briar seems pleased to have me join them.

"Hejae boring you already?" he says.

"You know, for all the freedom, he really doesn't appreciate us playing with knives like others do." I grin, forgetting for the moment that I'm annoyed with Briar for trying to sabotage my Assessment mission.

He returns the grin before beginning his class. They are learning to use something that looks like a mechanical bow and arrow. I fiddle with the wall of weapons, selecting my knives for the day.

Briar motions me aside while his class gathers their own weapons to begin practice.

"I'll set up a knife dummy for you. Unless you want to join the crossbow class?"

While I wouldn't mind expanding my weapons knowledge, I doubt I'd like the crossbow any more than I enjoyed the bow and arrow, and I tell him as much.

He goes to get my dummy while I stand off to the side of the gym, watching the other's backs as they gauge aim with the new weapon. It seems powerful, but probably harder to control than a regular bow and arrow.

When Briar returns, he sets up the molded man, securing it to the foundation, then surveys the class. He must be satisfied with their attempts because he turns back to me. I'm glad he's not going anywhere just yet.

"Did you tell Hejae I wasn't ready for a Viry mission?" I keep my tone neutral, as if it doesn't really matter if he did.

His eyes widen in surprise. "No, but if he'd asked I probably would have said something along those lines. I'm not sure it is such a good idea for you to be heading right back into the crowd that has hurt you. Especially knowing Iskren's attitude toward you."

I'm a little stupefied that Briar's not the one who Hejae meant, but more than that, I'm angry he agrees. "I can handle myself just fine. If you knew anything about me you'd see this is the best way for me to set myself apart from the Viry once and for all."

"I know more than you think, Nadia. But if you want to be stubborn, go. I can't stop you; I'm not your floor leader."

Arrows fly behind him, each person preoccupied with their own instrument. Briar moves closer, leaving only a few inches between us. He takes the knife from his hip and runs his fingers lightly over the blade, turning the hilt in his hand.

"This was a—" he stops abruptly and clears his throat. "My mothers. Take it with you." He hands it to me, hilt first. "Even when Hejae demands all weapons left behind. Take this."

I close my fingers around it, weighing it in my palm. It feels so familiar, like it's always belonged in my hand.

"I thought recruits aren't allowed to have weapons in their rooms?" I'm mostly teasing, but also curious why he'd give me his personal knife.

"Hejae has no such rule," Briar says. "And I know Anders's on your floor. If he tries anything—"

"Uh, Briar?" One of the boys calls over. "I might have a problem."

The recruit stabbed himself through the hand with one of his arrows. I practice a bit with the knife Briar gave me, but he never returns to finish our conversation.

I assume he was going to tell me to stab Anders.

At least, that's what I'll do if the kunder tries anything.

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

Do you think Hejae is up to something sketchy?

Til next time,

x zuz