Vitiosi Dei (Heritage of the Blood Book 2) by Brent Lee Markee Page A

Cleric or a Priest from her short speech. A large portion of her speech was taken up by her giving directions to her office from the mess hall, and if Shawnrik knew where that was he was sure that he would have found the advice helpful. When Silvianna Stonebank finished her speech, she announced the Headmistress as Torva Blackbriar.
                  Shawnrik was surprised by the reception that the Headmistress received from the assembled audience. It became obvious that the woman was greatly respected by the students and her peers, who were clapping just as enthusiastically as the kids, although with quite a bit more aplomb. She started her speech talking about how much the students and the faculty would get to know each other better over the coming months. Shawnrik had never heard the word faculty before, but he guessed from the way that the Headmistress was using it that it meant the Instructors at the Institute. Her next topic was classes that had been newly added to the course list, and ones that were no longer available, each announcement was met with applause or loud booing respectively.
                  It was sometime during the long list of course changes that Shawnrik felt his attention once again beginning to wane. He had just begun stretching his neck muscles when something the Headmistress was saying caught his ear.
                  “I am also happy to announce that for the first time since the Institute's inception over two and a half millennia ago, we will have our first student joining us who was born and raised in Safeharbor.” Her announcement was met by a wave of conversations throughout the amphitheater, and Shawnrik groaned when he looked over and saw Verrian gawking at him. Before Shawnrik could catch his bearings, however, the Headmistress continued speaking.
                  “As many of you are aware, this Institute has very strict rules for who is allowed to attend, and the secrecy with which its existence must be kept. Because of this, only a child whose parents both attended the Institute may themselves attend. Those who marry outside of the Institute are kept to a strict confidence that pertains to even their immediate family. I assure you that this person meets all of these requirements.”
                  She knows who my parents are? As if to answer his unasked question, the Headmistress continued.
                  “Some of you may have heard of his mother, Lilly Lightfeather, daughter of Pedrial Lightfeather, but more still will know his father's name, Aerick Heartstone.”
                  As the Headmistress said his mother's name, a small wave of recognition surged throughout the crowd, but as she said his father's name the crowd once again erupted into thousands of conversations. Shawnrik looked towards his new roommate for support, but Verrian looked like he was choking, his face was so pale.
                  The names themselves had meant nothing to Shawnrik, who had recognized neither of them. The fact that Pedrial was his grandfather explained a lot, and Shawnrik was beginning to think of a million questions for the old smith. One thought stuck out amongst all the others though: if his mother's last name was Lightfeather and his father's was Heartstone, where did the name Larston come from? Once again, the Headmistress was ahead of him.
                  “When Aerick left his tribe,” a fresh wave of something Shawnrik couldn't recognize came forth from several sections of the crowd, but the Headmistress talked over them, “Lilly went with him, and since Aerick was no longer willing to accept the name Heartstone, he changed his last name to Larston when he and Lilly married. The ceremony took place in the Church of Cypheria in the heart of Safeharbor, and a year later they had a son.”
                  At this point, the conversation in the crowd hit a climax, and