Total pages in book: 121
Estimated words: 114617 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 573(@200wpm)___ 458(@250wpm)___ 382(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 114617 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 573(@200wpm)___ 458(@250wpm)___ 382(@300wpm)
“No! No, of course not.” Sunella lost her haughtiness fast. “Of course you would never claim false witness in Luame’s name, High Priestess. Forgive me.”
“Try it again.”
I heard her inhaled a deep, gusty breath. “What was the vision our moon goddess sent you, High Priestess?”
“She sent me a vision of an equal society. Shifter wolves living free and thriving on the happiness of choosing their own path in life,” I said. “It’s why I came back even though I had no reason to. It’s why I enrolled in the academy. In my heart, I know this is where Luame wants her great work to begin.”
“I see.” There was shuffling on the phone, and then she hissed at someone, “Get the other councilmembers on the phone. Now!
“And what does this great work entail?” she asked, returning to our conversation.
“Nothing drastic or that would concern the council. I’ve simply done away with the tracks and mixed the students—”
“Excuse me!”
“—and that whole ‘approved job list’ thing is done with. Students can now take whatever courses they want, and apply for whichever jobs they want.”
“But, High Priestess!” Sunella was trying not to scream, and was failing. “You cannot make these changes.”
“I must make these changes. Luame demands it.”
“But what you’re speaking about is drastic and most certainly concerns the council. Please don’t tell me you’re allowing omegas to take alpha classes?”
“The alpha classrooms are now eighty percent omega. Very popular courses for classrooms that were only half-filled a week ago.”
“Get them now. I don’t care what they’re doing,” she shouted at someone. I wondered if it was Edric’s sister. “High Priestess, this simply will not do.”
“Are you suggesting that I ignore Luame’s command?” My tone told her what I thought of that.
“No. What I’m suggesting is that maybe... possibly... you have misinterpreted Luame’s meaning. I’m certain it is not her wish for her children to spend years toiling away, studying and training for careers and positions they will never get.”
“Why wouldn’t they get it?” I kicked my feet up on my new desk. “If anyone other than me read the school handbook, newly issued this year, it says that the old recommendation system has been done away with. Every student begins at zero.
“Over the years as they complete their tracks, they’ll be ranked and scored against the other students, and those with the highest ranks will be first in line with a top recommendation for their chosen career.”
“Precisely. That’s exactly why—”
“But what it doesn’t say anywhere,” I sliced in, “and I’ve read it three times to be certain, is that the new ranking system is separated by wolf. It only says the students in the track, not the alphas or omegas in the track. And since now that the tracks are mixed, they are all starting at zero, and most points wins.”
“You— That— You are speaking of a typo,” she snapped. “An accidental ambiguity! Students in the tracks don’t have to be clarified by wolf type, but there’s only ever been one wolf type in each individual track.”
I clicked my tongue. “Sunella, I’m very confused by your tone right now. I am merely carrying out Luame’s wishes, and doing it peacefully. Every student who doesn’t wish to abide by the new systems has been allowed to leave. The instructors included. If they’re on board, and Luame is pleased, why would the alpha council object?”
“What we object to is you blowing into Corvin and making sweeping changes without informing a single member of the council. You have much power as the high priestess, but you don’t have that much power. If Luame demands more of Wolf Nation, it is for the council to discuss and deliberate on the best way to bring about her wishes. Your only role is to deliver the message.”
I whistled. “Oooh. That put me in my place. From the goddess’s chosen and mother of a new generation... to delivery girl. What a demotion.”
She sniffed. “And you’ve got a nerve speaking to me about peacefully carrying out her wishes. My informants, as you call them, have also told me that you blackmailed and threatened them all! That’s right after you confessed to the murders of Warren Hall and Holly Fitch, and the attack on Nia Dole.”
“Eeehhh,” I blared. “Never happened. First of all, blackmail is an ugly word. I prefer encouraged them to make the right choice. Second, those knives were obviously headed for me. Nia only got hit because she jumped in the way and hugged me at the last second. Why am I being blamed for someone else’s botched assassination attempt on the mother wolf? If you ask me, we should all just be glad neither Nia nor I died.
“As for Hall and Holly, what I actually said, while under the promise of telling only the truth, is that I did not kill Holly or Hall, nor do I know who did. But I do know why they died.”