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The cafeteria was full, each space at each table taken, and vah for a plate could be had Soe roo and waiting for the cereo into battle before, e thought we’d be facing down Sorcha, getting an opportunity to knock the s smile from her face and close that particular chapter of our lives Tonight, the mood was somber

Ethan sat beside me at the table, a pewter stein in front of him

"The Master’s chalice?" I asked

Ethan s so I could see the neat inscription on the opposite side: CADOGAN HOUSE BOWLING LEAGUE, FIRST PLACE, 1979

"Why haven’t we had a bowling league since I’ve been here? I can bowl"

"You’re the social chair," Ethan pointed out "So that’s technically your fault"

Tough, but fair "I didn’t know you bowled"

"I don’t," he said with a soes the spoils" He pushed back his chair and rose, buttoning the top button of his impeccable suit Even before battle, Ethan would lead his people He would Master them, and then soldier them

A hush instantly fell over the room "Novitiates"

"Master," they said in unison, as if responding to a pastor’s call-and-response

I didn’t say it, because I hadn’t known it was a thing I should have perused the actual Canon instead of just the Desk Reference Not that I’d had a lot of free time

"There have beenour people, andthe woer be spoken in its halls

"In those other battles, we followed the dictates of others who believed, however wrong they were, that they kneas best for the city Tonight, we strike out against athe city in our ownevery vaht with steel"

There hoops of approval

"Whatever happens here tonight, know that I am proud to be your Master, and proud that you are an House!"

"Cadogan House! Cadogan House! Cadogan House!" Hands slapped tables in ti, as Ethan drank from his stein and toasted the room

• • •

"It was a good speech," Malik said, when Ethan sat again "You will stay alive, or I will be monumentally irritated"

"Hear, hear," I said, and raised erous vaot’s staff, and food was dished out to hungry vaht the cart to our table herself

Margot placed dishes in front of us "Breakfast du jour," Margot said, and lifted the silver doh to serve the entire table was an enore, hah--sliced tomatoes, neatly cubed potatoes, toast, a muffin with a suspicious absence of chocolate chips, a cup of fruit, and a pile of what I thought were grits I hadn’t tried grits before Although that was beside the point There was also soelike that I didn’t want to think too much about

"I don’t think I need all this"