Chapter 189: How to Win a Fight Without Throwing a Punch (It Really Pisses People Off)

She went back to the couch, retook her spot, and returned to her phone.

The tension broke like a fever.

Carmen clapped her hands together. "Right! Now that we’ve established that half of you have god complexes and the other half are either too smart or too stupid to care, let’s get you settled." She pointed toward the stairs. "Boys’ wing is west. Girls’ east. Your names are on the doors. Don’t swap. Don’t visit after curfew. I find out someone’s playing musical beds, I’m making you run laps around the island in full combat gear."

Akari raised her hand. "Define ’visit.’"

"Don’t test me, Chains."

"Just clarifying the parameters, Sensei."

"I’m not your Sensei. I’m the person who has to file paperwork if you idiots die. Now get." Carmen made a shooing motion. "Dinner’s at six. Don’t be late. Professor Miller hates tardiness almost as much as he hates enthusiasm."

The group started to disperse, grabbing their bags. Jaime hefted his duffel like it weighed nothing, already chattering at Jacob, who looked like he wanted to melt into the floor. Marco and Malachi moved together toward the stairs, quiet and watchful.

I grabbed my bag.

Natalia’s hand brushed mine. So quick no one else would have noticed. A secret touch. A reminder.

We’re in this together.

I glanced at her. She was already walking away, following the other girls up the stairs, Emi trailing after her like a puppy.

Carmen sidled up next to me, sake bottle dangling from one hand.

"That was quite the speech, kiddo."

"Just setting expectations."

"Mmhmm." She took a swig. "You know what happens to kings who build empires on the backs of people they claim not to care about?"

"Enlighten me."

"They wake up one day with a knife in their back." Her good eye fixed on me, suddenly sharp and completely sober. "Because the thing about treating people like tools? Tools don’t give a shit when you break."

She patted my shoulder.

"But hey. You’re young. You’ll figure it out. Or you won’t, and I’ll get to watch the spectacular implosion. Win-win for me."

Carmen wandered off toward what I assumed was her room, humming an old drinking song.

I stood alone in the living room.

Well. Almost alone.

"She’s not wrong, you know." Juan’s voice drifted from the couch. "The whole ’king without friends’ thing. It’s a good speech. Very dramatic. The girls probably wet themselves a little."

I turned. He still hadn’t moved, eyes closed, looking for all the world like he’d fallen asleep mid-conversation.

"But?"

"But kings need advisors. Need people who’ll tell them when they’re about to do something phenomenally stupid." One green eye cracked open. "And from where I’m sitting, you just painted the world’s biggest target on your back."

"I’m aware."

"Are you?" He sat up, finally giving me his full attention. That lazy posture didn’t hide the sharp intelligence in his gaze. "Julian Valerius is going to come for you. The other guilds are going to come for you. And half the people in this house? They followed you here because of that speech at the exam. Which means their expectations are now sky-high."

He pulled out a deck of cards, started shuffling.

"You’ve set yourself up as the protagonist of this story. And protagonists? They’re the ones who get hit the hardest. It’s narratively satisfying."

I walked over, sat on the edge of the coffee table across from him.

"And what’s your role in this story, Navarro? The wise slacker who provides sage advice from the sidelines?"

The ghost of a smile played across his face as he started dealing cards onto the table, each one landing perfectly despite his languid movements.

"God, I hope so. Being the wise slacker sounds way less troublesome than whatever suicide mission you’re concocting in that head of yours." He placed a red seven on a black eight with casual expertise. "Simple role. Low expectations. Plenty of nap time."

"Then why join Onyx at all? With your ability, you could have written your ticket to any guild. Someone with your strategic mind would be valuable anywhere."

Juan snorted, flipping another card. "Told you already. Best rooftop." His fingers danced across the solitaire layout. "Also, my cousin Carmen would’ve kicked my ass six ways to Sunday if I’d joined anywhere else. Family loyalty." He sighed dramatically. "It’s such a drag, but what can you do?"

I filed that information away carefully. Carmen Navarro was his cousin. The connection between the lazy genius and our provocatively dressed teaching assistant suddenly made perfect sense. Another piece on the board revealed.

Juan looked up at me, his expression shifting to something almost serious.

"Here’s some free advice, since you seem determined to speed run your way to an early grave. That girl, Natalia? The one who just publicly chained herself to your sinking ship?" He pointed a card at me. "She’s all in. Completely. And that’s going to be a problem."

"How so?"

"Because the second someone figures out she’s more than just your ambitious second-in-command, they’ll use her against you." He went back to his cards. "And you care. I saw it. Just for a second when she stood next to you. You actually care what happens to her."

The Liar’s Brooch stayed cool.

Damn it.

"That’s a weakness. And in a place like this? Weaknesses get exploited." He yawned. "But what do I know? I’m just the lazy guy on the couch."

Footsteps on the stairs.

Raphael stormed back down, veins bulging in his neck.

"I’m not done with you!" He jabbed a finger at me. "You don’t get to just give some big dramatic speech and walk away! If you think you’re the king of this guild, prove it!"

I stood slowly.

"You want a fight?"

"Damn right I want a fight! Right here, right now! Show me this ’empire builder’ isn’t just talk!"

Juan groaned. "Can you two measure dicks literally anywhere else?"

Carmen’s voice rang out from wherever she’d disappeared to. "First person to break my furniture buys me a year’s supply of top-shelf sake!"

Raphael’s fists ignited with blue fire. The temperature in the room spiked.

I didn’t move. Didn’t activate a single ability. Just stood there, hands still in my pockets, watching him like he was a child throwing a tantrum.

"No."

"What?"

"I said no." I walked past him, heading for the stairs. "I don’t fight to prove a point. I fight when it matters. You want to establish a pecking order? Fine. Wait for the arena. Wait for the rankings. Wait for when beating you actually accomplishes something other than satisfying your fragile ego."

I stopped on the first step, looked back over my shoulder.

"But make no mistake, Vargas. When that day comes? I will put you on the ground. Not because I hate you. Not because you challenged me. But because you’ll be in my way."

I climbed the stairs.

Behind me, I heard Akari’s delighted laugh.

"Oh, I like him. He’s fun."

"He’s a sociopath," Skylar corrected.

"Same thing."