Soulbound by Heather Brewer Page A

rumbled.
    Inside was a huge room with stone walls and wooden rafters. Tables and groupings of chairs were scattered all over the room, most of them occupied. At the far end was a cafeteria line. Maddox led me to an empty table in the corner and went to grab some food. If she brought me a cinnamon roll, I was totally going to rethink that whole not liking her thing.
    During her brief absence, I took the time to survey the room. Less than half of the students were dressed in white soft-soled shoes, white cotton leggings and matching tops that wrapped around the front and tied closed at the waist. They must have been Healers. The other half—I guessed they were Barrons—dressed in black cotton pants that clung gently to their legs, black, loose-fitting, wrap shirts, and soft-soled black shoes. The Barrons with longer hair wore their hair tied back with leather thongs, but the Healers didn’t, for some strange reason.
    I noticed that everyone was sitting in small groups. Boys with girls, girls with boys, boys with boys, girls with girls. Some were Barrons and Healers, someHealers and guards, some small groupings of Healers, Barrons, and guards. But none, it looked to me, were sitting alone. Like I was.
    I bit the inside of my cheek and sighed. I was also the only one without a uniform.
    My parents hadn’t told me very much about the academy—just that the training sessions had been the best part. I wasn’t exactly a force to be reckoned with, but I was adept enough to take down my father once or twice while we were goofing off in the backyard, to everyone’s surprise including my own. I was looking forward to proving myself. But just because I was born a Healer didn’t mean I wouldn’t have to fight for my life on the battlefield.
    As I continued my examination of the crowd, I noticed a flash of silver hair three tables over. Even though he was facing away from me, I’d have recognized that hair anywhere. I smiled, recalling the way that he’d saved me from that horrible monster in the woods. Then I frowned at the memory of his weird departure. Why had he looked so irritated with me? Was my company really that bad? Hmm…Maybe I had bad breath. Or maybe he just hated Healers. Almost as though he could sense my presence, he stiffened. Then he stood and disappeared into the crowd with his tray.
    Maddox returned with a tray for me, piled with a variety of things. I looked over the mountain of oatmeal, muffins, toast, scrambled eggs, bacon, fried ham,banana, grapes, orange juice, and milk she’d brought and said, “You’re joking right? There’s no way I can eat all of this.”
    Maddox shrugged. “Well, I didn’t know what you’d like. So I brought you what I usually eat for breakfast.”
    Looking at her lean figure, I raised an eyebrow. There was enough food on my tray to feed three people. I had wondered if my parents’ appetites had been a fluke or if all Barrons ate that much. I was about to ask when Maddox confirmed it.
    She shook her head. “I always forget that you Healers require many fewer calories than us.”
    “Are you hungry? I’d hate to throw most of this away.”
    Maddox shook her head again, rolling her eyes some at my lack of common knowledge. “A guard can’t eat while they have a charge. It’s Protocol. I’ll eat while you’re in class.”
    “Protocol.” I rolled the word over on my tongue. It tasted bitter. “Something tells me I’m not going to like that word very much. What is it?”
    She raised her left eyebrow sharply. “Your parents never taught you Protocol?”
    When I shook my head, she said, “Protocol is a strict set of societal rules, put in place by the Zettai Council. It basically governs how people are suppose to react in certain situations.”
    Biting the inside of my cheek slightly, I said, “I see. And what happens when you break Protocol?”
    “Depends on whether you get caught.” Maddox winked and let out a chuckle. Something told me she could give a fak about