Soulbound by Heather Brewer Page A

unfolded my schedule, as if it alone gave me reason for not being here on time. According to the clock, I was. But maybe she meant I was late for being early. “My name is Kaya. I’m supposed to be—”
    “Kaya,” she snapped, and I took a step back.
    “Yes…ma’am?”
    “You will address me as Instructor Baak.” She picked up a sponge and started wiping the already smudged words from the board on the wall, already dismissing me like I was no more than some annoying fly buzzing around her head. “For your tardiness you will have extra duties tonight after your final class.”
    I swallowed hard, shuffled my feet, and wished that everyone in the class would stop staring at me. “But I already have extra duties tonight.”
    That got her attention. She whipped her head back around and gave me the evil eye, staring as if she were trying to read the small print on my forehead that labeled me a troublemaker. “Tomorrow then. I’ll give your guard the details. Now take your seat.”
    Great. My first day and I already had two days of extra duties to look forward to. I was on a roll.
    I slid into the nearest empty seat, at a table next to a boy who kept making moon eyes at the mousy-looking girl next to him. Barrons weren’t allowed to couple up with other Barrons, and the same went for Healers, as far as I knew. It was kind of odd to see a Healer openly gawking at another Healer like that, but I shrugged and tried to pay attention to the instructor lady’s lecture on the importance of being a Healer.
    “Barrons have been fighting for lifetimes to keep the Graplars at bay. Both to bring an end to this century-long war and to preserve our way of life—something that would be impossible if not for the aid of Healers.After all, for as long as Healers continue to heal their Barrons, the Barrons will remain healthy and strong, fit for the battlefront. Small wounds, of course, can be healed with the smallest touch. Larger wounds require a longer touch. A Healer can bring a Barron back from the brink of death on the battlefield. Almost always.”
    I didn’t question the
almost
part, though I very much wanted to. Instead, I groaned a bit. No pressure, Kaya, just know that whether or not Trayton lives or dies is all on you.
    The instructor’s head snapped in my direction. “Something you care to add, Kaya?”
    She hated me already, and I had only just taken my seat for the first time. “I’m afraid I’m not much of a nurse. Seriously, I can’t even keep a bandage from falling off. How am I supposed to save my Barron’s life on the battlefield?”
    She pursed her lips so tightly that it looked like she’d had lemons for breakfast. “Self-doubt is the mark of an amateur.”
    Without waiting for a response, she turned back to the board and continued her lecture.
    That didn’t exactly answer my question, but…whatever. I slumped down in my chair and tried to stay awake—and quiet—until class let out.
    After another forty-five minutes of Instructor Baak droning on about what a gift it was to be a Barron, and what a duty it was to be a Healer, class finally,mercifully ended. Maddox was waiting right outside as promised. Several guards were milling about, waiting for their Healers too. “How’d it go?”
    I sighed heavily. “I think Instructor Baak hates me.”
    “Don’t worry about it. From what I understand, she hates everyone.”
    “Great. At least I’m fitting in.” We both laughed as we walked toward my next class.

C H A P T E R
Seven
    W ith just minutes left in my Anatomy of War class, I stared at the door, willing time to speed up so that I could escape the dull hell that was Mr. Ross’s lecture.
    “In fact, the very reason that our training schools exist lies solely in the hands of King Darrek. Without war, we would have no reason to train Barrons with katana skills or Healers in the art of healing. The katana training is especially important here at Shadow Academy, as our reputation precedes us all