Page 21 of The Honor Society

“Because, War. Out of everyone, the oldest of The Four Horsemen, should know the consequences of destroying any page from The Ledger. I handed it over without blemish and you took it within your hands to destroy what was not yet settled.”

“What? It’s gone! The entire thing!” Gideon glares.

“Oh War, a page can burn,” I step through the ashes. “A claim cannot, especially since The Proctor who invoked it is still breathing.”

He holds up his knife and motions to men behind me.

I lift my hand. “Any act against me is an act against The Chancellor. Immediate voting to remove War will be decided by my hand. Then again, you’ve already made your choice haven’t you, War? It’s either you and the heir you choose, or you’ll burn your house down yourself the same way you did the page. Doesn’t work that way old man.”

He nods to the man anyway.

A calm falls over me. “So be it, War.”

A hand moves to my mask. I knock my head back and take the man out then lean down to grab my knife slicing across his throat before he can mutter one more word. A gurgle follows. I slowly wipe the knife across my trousers. As if to say, next.

Footsteps sound, one, two, side step, ah, cute, they jumped at an angle. I dodge and flick my knife backwards shoving it into their throat in one clean stab. Something slams into my back, I pivot and kick the man down then make my way slowly over to Jenner. “Should we cut you down?”

Gideon lingers in the shadows. “You won’t win this. You can’t.”

I check my watch and tap the screen with my fingers, three times to signal the men that The Proctor has spoken, pick a side. He has no idea I already own him and his men. “You have ninety seconds.” I sigh. Pitiful. “The thing about War is you may be a head of a family, but if the people beneath you are aware of your betrayal, who do you think they legally want to stand behind? An old man with empty promises or the one who hold this.” I pull out The Ledger. “And has the ear of The Chancellor. You know, seventeen more days, all you needed to do was wait it out, wait until the night before even, take a chance, but greed got ahead of you. I don’t know if you’re what’s behind the absolute breakdown within The Horsemen, but know I will snuff it out. If more want me dead then I’ll litter your precious homes and companies with a trail of blood that stains so severely you’ll never forget my name.” I nod my head. “By destruction of a remnant of The Ledger, I, The Proctor recognize Jenner Calloway as claimant.”

Gideon laughs. “He’s a bastard! You can’t be serious!”

Jenner’s eyes widen. I shrug. “He’s breathing, which is more than I can say for you in the next few minutes.” I level my stare. “All who recognize the challenge, say ‘aye’.”

“Aye.” A deep voice says.

“Aye,” another follows. And another, another, another, until he sees what he’s lost as the lights turn on and every single one of his mercenaries and captains are standing behind me, not him. To be fair, I did warn him, and give him ninety seconds. A fucking gift if you ask me.

I make slow dramatic movements of pulling out my pen and putting the cap in my mouth as I scribble down on a new page.

Gideon Calloway

And so begins his page.

“Want to know what your sin is, Gideon?” I smirk. “Misplaced greed, thinking that you were owed what was handed to you on a shiny platter.”

He gulps, his white hair slicked back, his pristine grey pinstriped suit and red tie look embarrassingly loud in such an environment, as if he needs the world to notice him and the world simply said, we don’t give a shit. “What, Proctor, then, is my debt?”

“A life for a life of course.” I whisper. “Your choice, would you like me to appease the debt or would you prefer the new War do the honors?”

His eyes dart from me to War then back again.

And that’s when it hits me.

Gideon.

Professor Gideon Calloway, how could I forget? He used to work at the University with Lilah’s father. And worked closely with Jude’s father before retiring. It makes sense now that he would have ties to The Honor Society. I thought he looked familiar, I rarely forget a face, voices, however, I memorize. And it’s his voice. Which makes me wonder even more, are his ties to Edward? Is it War and Conquest coming for us? Attempting to unmask me, attempting to gain both The Ledger and The Dean’s List, interesting.

“I ask my blood be spilled by The Proctor and I ask he do me the honor of removing his mask so the last thing I see is my debt paid in his eyes.”

“Jenner,” I put The Ledger back into my pocket. “Please leave and escort everyone out, this won’t take long. Someone help him walk. Leave the lights on, I like doing it in the light.”

Every minute that ticks by, the more blood leaves Gideon’s face, the more arrogant his smile as if he needs to pretend to be something he’s not in order to survive what’s to come.

When the door closes and I know it’s just us. I walk over to Gideon and shove him into a corner, just in case there are cameras and Edward Hale is pulling strings. Who knows what Gideon may or may not owe him.

I slam his body against the wall and grip his neck with a gloved hand. He’s weak. I lean in and sniff along side his skin. “You smell like fear, old man.”