Read Online The Queen of Blood by Sarah Beth Durst - Free Book Online Page B

bet anything that means we start today.” She ran faster down the stairs, and the two of them burst into a classroom that matched the number on their schedules. Other students shifted in their chairs, turning to watch them enter, proving that Daleina was right—and also late.
    Slowing, they walked to two empty desks and sat. Trying toquit panting, Daleina scanned the rest of the room—most were older students, their hair neatly tied back and their uniforms crisp and clean. A few with still-wet hair were new arrivals like Daleina and Revi. They faced the front of the room, with their backs straight and hands clasped on their desks. Several empty desks were scattered around the classroom, and Daleina wondered how many of the other new students were missing their first class. Not everyone had even met with the headmistress yet. She didn’t see Linna, though the caretaker’s daughter, Mari, was already there, with her wet hair impeccably braided.
    Only a few moments later, Merecot strolled into the room. Her hair, Daleina noticed, was dry. She had no idea how Merecot had managed that. Sitting beside Daleina, she opened her notebook and dipped a quill into an inkpot. She waited, quill poised.
    Oh no, I didn’t bring anything .
    Looking around, Daleina saw everyone else had notebooks and textbooks, except her and Revi. She hadn’t thought to grab one; she wasn’t even sure she owned one. She hadn’t checked the desk for supplies. Without even glancing at her, Merecot handed Daleina an extra notebook.
    â€œThank you,” Daleina whispered.
    Merecot ignored her.
    â€œHey, do you have another extra?” Revi whispered.
    â€œNo.”
    â€œJust ‘no’?”
    â€œShh.” Merecot put her finger to her lips and then pointed at the teacher.
    â€œYou can share with me,” Daleina whispered to Revi.
    The teacher was, to Daleina’s surprise, a man. She’d expected them all to be female, since only girls were born with an affinity for spirits. He was older, with tufts of white hair, and he shuffled as he paced in front of his desk. Mid-lecture, he didn’t acknowledge the new, late arrivals, and Daleina was grateful for that. It was bad enough to have the other students staring at them. “. . . in the third generation, the queen of Semo worked in concert with the queen of Chell to shrink the eastern mountains, in order to create what would become the northern fields of Chell.Doing so eased the burden here”—he tapped a map on the wall, one that showed all of Renthia—“but forced upheaval in the west. Literal upheaval. This mountain range increased in size by thirty percent. The results would have been catastrophic if the region hadn’t been evacuated . . .”
    Daleina focused on the map. She’d never seen such a detailed one of all of Renthia. It showed the five lands: their own Aratay with its vast forests, the mountains of Semo, the farmlands of Chell, icy Elhim, and the island chain of Belene. Beyond the known lands were the untamed wilds, where no humans lived. At the heart of Aratay was their capital, Mittriel, drawn in minute detail, with its interlocking trees and spiraling pathways. The Northeast Academy was, as the name suggested, in the northeast corner of the capital. Other academies were located in other cities, each drawn with as much care.
    â€œConsequences,” the teacher said, thumping his desk. “Every command has consequences, whether it be large like the thrust of the plates of the earth, or small like the life of a butterfly. You must think through all the ramifications before you act, or you will forever be reacting. And reacting poorly. Turn to chapter two, and we will discuss those whose reactions did not bring about the desired effect . . .”
    History and politics class ended with the assignment of reading, plus a paper on the relations between Aratay and the neighboring land of