Chloe was lying on the small couch reading a book when I walked in. She'd changed into a flowy sundress and braided her chaotic curls. Late evening sun slipped through the small window, dust particles glittering in the weak light. Her full lips curved into a hesitant smile that I couldn't help but return. She set her book aside, a clear indication that she was open to conversation, and I pushed away my natural inclination to hole up in my room.

"How was your day?" I asked, collapsing in a kitchen chair.

She shrugged while reaching over to turn on a lamp with a frilly cream shade. "It was mostly limit testing today. My Talents are pretty easy to measure. Once they make sure I'm not going to break everything I touch or zip off in front of someone because I'm nervous, they focus on finding out how strong and how fast I am. In a few days, they'll start teaching us hand to hand combat skills. Lamorak got around, so my Talent is pretty common."

"Are you kidding me?" I gawked. "You're like freaking Wonder Woman." I was gushing, my geek side showing out for sure, but I couldn't stop. "I don't get how you just shrug that off."

Her laugh was high and girlish. "Trust me, I don't shrug it off, but some people here have been part of this world for years, centuries even. What is a novelty to you and me, well, it's pretty standard for them. They teach you really quick that Talents aren't what make you special. Instructor Knight is very clear about that."

"I guess I haven't met him yet," I mumbled, scrounging up the energy to dig into the mini-fridge for sustenance. The room had started to spin while Chloe was speaking.

"You've not only met him, you've been personally trained by him," she explained, her voice taking on a note of wistfulness.

I choked on the sugary goodness of my Coke. I'd trained with three people and only one him. "Calum?"

"You call him by his first name?"

"I didn't even know his last name."

"Oh my gosh, Bri would die right now if she heard you call him Calum. She made the mistake one time, and he set her down pretty hard in front of everyone."

Appearing nonchalant was hard when her words warmed my aching body. "Well, not that I would tell Bri this, because let's be honest, she needs to be taken down a peg, but I wouldn't read anything into it. He was part of a crew that found me in the middle of a hot mess."

"We were all found in the middle of a hot mess. I didn't manifest my powers until I was a Freshman in college. Kind of late, really, but I'm thankful it happened when it did. My ex boyfriend wanted me back, but he'd cheated on me. I was done. He waited until I left the library and took me into the woods around campus. He shot me when I tried to run away. It wasn't fatal, but he was aiming the gun again. This surge went through my body, and I swear every hair stood on end. I outran a bullet that day. I'm still not sure how the Children kept that one quiet. Anyway, I spent a few days in the medical unit with Fleur and her students. Then they tossed me in with the newest training class. They were friendly but distant."

Ignoring the point she was trying to make about my unusual treatment, I hesitantly questioned, "How did you handle everything? How are you okay?"

A shadow passed over her deep brown eyes before the light returned stronger than before. "It was a struggle at first. I couldn't let go of the dreams that belonged to the old Chloe. I was going to be a teacher, get married, have babies, and retire to a house in the country. I never wanted anything extraordinary. Then I realized the gift I'd been given. If I was normal, I would have died. I guess I had to put things in perspective."

A weight settled in my chest. My life had always been chaos, but I couldn't ignore the wisdom she was speaking. Chloe appeared to be mulling over her next words, and wished I could confide in her. Something about her reminded me of Addie, and it was that very thought that stilled my tongue.

"There aren't many of us out there who don't know at least a little about what we are, what we come from despite how it looks. This is the biggest class in decades, and for the first time, the students from Talent-deprived families outnumber the traditional students. The old school Children are meticulous about keeping track of lineage. For a long time, they monitored offspring, even ones that didn't manifest, for generations. A lot of the other students here say their families had stories about a strong uncle or a psychic sister and finding out they were special was a little easier to learn."

"My family had the crazy stories, so I guess maybe I had an easier time of it. And it helps that my Talent isn't too debilitating. They say that once all the Talents were pretty standard, but inbreeding between bloodlines and within bloodlines has caused some of them to warp outside of what they were intended. That's why you get people like Brent. If he touches someone, he could steal their consciousness. You'd becoming a walking, breathing corpse."

"Dang."

She laughed, suddenly uncomfortable. "I can't believe I just told you all of that. I haven't really had anyone to talk to since I got here. I love Bri, but she really isn't into talking about anyone but herself or the cutest recruits."

"I get it," I explained, "It's been a while since I've listened to anyone. I've kind of pushed everyone away for so long that I let myself think that my story is the worst. Perspective, right?"

"Exactly. Um, I'm about to head to the Commons. Do you want to come with me?"

Moving seemed like the worst idea in the world, but she looked so hopeful. "Sure. I'm starving."

                                                                                            ***

"Ms. Vance. Please give the name of the sword that Mordred used to fatally wound King Arthur."

"Um," I droned, scouring my notes in search of the answer. "Clarent?"

Instructor Mara smirked. "Is that an answer or a question?"

I couldn't recall my time in school, but after taking classes on Children's history and mythology for two weeks, I realized I must have been a terrible student. I cast a longing glance through the window where I could see a sparring class in session before

"The sword was called Clarent."

"Very good," Mara nodded. "Few people, beyond scholars, know that Clarent was actually the sword in the stone, not Excalibur. Modern tales have become confused and made the two swords into one: Excalibur."

"Instructor, why is this important? The Children don't draw their power from the swords. We draw our power from the Grail." The speaker was barely older than fifteen, perhaps another reason I found this class to be irritating. I was by far the oldest in attendance.

"Excellent question Deidre. While it's true that the Children are powerful beings because of the gift of the Grail, Morgan LeFay is an adversary of great strength. No mortal weapon could defeat her. Clarent was forged by the sorcerer, Merlin, and placed in the stone to be retrieved by the strongest of the Fathers, the first of those gifted with the powers of the Morgens. Imbued with great magic, only the strongest could hope to wield the sword against Morgan LeFay. Arthur, as the world knows the story, drew the sword and became king. As we know it, he bound his bloodline to the sword and to the task of destroying Morgan LeFay."

"But Arthur died with no other heirs besides Mordred," Deidre piped up again. I glared at the girl. Physically, she was the complete opposite of Bri, but her pompous tone was identical.

"Right again," Mara cooed, her eyes twinkling at her star pupil.

Doing my best not to gag, I doodled around my notes. Hanging out with the teeny bopper crew on a daily basis was beginning to affect my maturity level. Anna had assured me taking the history classes wasn't necessary, but I was tired of walking around with gaping holes in my knowledge. My memory was bad enough. Add Bri's snide remarks and smirks to the mix, and I finally insisted on being allowed to sit on the classes.

The first few days were wonderful. Instructor Mara was a gifted teacher who spoke with a lilting Irish accent. She relayed facts and dates to the class with the same amount of enthusiasm she used when teaching one of the older Children to pull lightning from the sky. But as the broad scope of the stories narrowed, and the focus turned towards theories and speculations, I lost interest. As someone whose history was constructed from conjecture, I was more appreciative of facts than guesses.

"In fact, it's because of Mordred that Clarent is not as well known. He betrayed his father with the sword, and it became better known as the Coward's Blade. It's magic twisted, the blade became a cursed object capable of exerting control over those of weak will and courage."

Her words created a stir in my mind. Like leaves chased down a path by a breeze, the ghost of a memory surged forward, stealing my breath. Only once before had I ever felt a glimmer of my old life: When a name fell from lips, and I assumed it as my true name. I lifted a trembling hand into the air.

"Camille?" Mara called upon me, her voice laced with surprise.

"I know Arthur has no living descendants, outside of Mordred, but if he did, what would that mean for them? To be tied to a cursed coward's blade?"

"Merlin salvaged what he could from the blade, and from that, he forged Excalibur. It became Arthur's true weapon, and some would say the bond shifted to that sword."

Something about her statement didn't settle well. "Would the bond shift to Mordred? Does he have the power to wield Excalibur? And what does that mean for the Children? What became of Clarent?"

A range of emotions flitted across Mara's face, her eyes wide as I barraged her with my questions. "I'm afraid that, like the knowledge of it, it too has disappeared from the modern world. Okay, that's enough for today. Excellent discussion."

I gathered up my things and headed towards the door in no hurry to head to my training class, despite my lack of enthusiasm for the history lesson. Mara watched me with a knowing grin and surprised me by walking out of the class with me. "Did you need something?"

"I've heard Catherine is focusing on working through distractions right now."

I said nothing but nodded grimly, which prompted her to go on.

"I think that may have been my least favorite part of training, though my instructor was particularly foul. He used to call up the worst snowstorms and demand that we turn them into rain. All the while pelting us with buckets of water or dropping lightning close enough to make us go deaf."

"Sounds like he and Catherine compared notes. Yesterday, she made us run through the jungle barefoot, in the rain, while shooting energy blasts at moving targets. Do you know how many bug bites I have on the bottom of my feet?"

Mara's musical laugh echoed in the hallway, small lines forming around her eyes in an otherwise smooth face. "Well, don't let it get you down. We ask these things of you because the world will ask more. I've heard good things about you, Camille. It's admirable that you chose to take my class despite having the option to opt out."

"Thank you. I have to admit, I've second guessed that choice several times," I answered sheepishly. Her high praise stoked embers of guilt for my earlier thoughts.

"I think you'd enjoy it much more if you were with your own class, but I find most people lose interest when we get to this part of the class. People want to know the relevance of what they're learning. How does the loss of an ancient artifact affect today's mission? Why do I need to know which version of Guinevere is the most accurate?"

By this time, we'd reached the steps leading from the school to the beach. The salty tang of the ocean breeze stirred the powers in my gut, and I let loose a deep breath. There was something about being outside that energized me, and I noticed it more and more with each passing day. But neither of us moved towards our respective destinations. Mara focused on me with her pale brown eyes while I gazed towards the lazuli sea.

"But isn't that important? Understanding relevance?"

The older woman's shoulders drooped at my words, and I couldn't help but feel I'd disappointed her. "Yes. It is. But relevance isn't always obvious. You asked a good question today. What happens in the past can have far-reaching consequences. Generations. And if we take the time to learn the facts, we might find answers... relevance that we didn't know we were looking for."

She patted me on the shoulder and moved back into the school, disappearing into the shadows. I slung my bag over my shoulder and slipped my shoes off. Holding them in my hand, I headed towards my training group. Catherine could not find a better fit for me, so I'd remained with her class. The others in the group had accepted me with little trepidation, but from time to time I caught them watching me with furrowed brows. No one said anything else about my possible ties to the Fae.

Biting my lip, I thought about what Mara had said. The history she taught belonged to all of us, but if there was a lesson to be learned or the key to victory to be found, surely someone smarter would have discovered it after all of these years. I opened my palm and called forth the purple light. It danced prettily on the surface of my skin, doing exactly what I asked of it, which delighted me to no end. My unique power was certainly a consequence of my history. My mother or father had dallied with a Fae, and here I was. A conundrum. An outcast in a world of special people.

My blonde hair whipped about my face as my roommate came blurred in front of me. "Hey," she greeted, her breath not even catching.

"I still think I got jipped." I extinguished the orb floating above my hand. "How was training?"

"We've started incorporating weapons." She feinted to the right, then the left, before jabbing at my middle with an imaginary sword.

"Aren't you the weapon?"

"Well yeah, but you don't want to rely on just you power. Our powers are only as strong as the bodies supported them. The more I run, the more calories I have to consume. What happens if we get caught in the middle of a fight for hours? Or we've been captured and mistreated? Children have been killed trying to use their Talents beyond our limits. We're still just human."

Or part human, I thought to myself, with no small amount of bitterness. "I get it. I wonder when we'll start weapons training."

The girl beside me shrugged, her curls bouncing with each step. "With speed and strength, there isn't much to teach. I imagine we cover weapons faster than the other groups."

Our days spent on the beach had darkened her tawny skin to a deep bronze. A light dusting of freckles covered her pert nose. My chest swelled with sudden warmth. I'd once estimated that our relationship wouldn't exceed comfortable acquaintances, but I found myself drawing closer to Chloe. Her honesty was refreshing, and she possessed an iron will beneath her kind exterior. Iggy had possessed those qualities as well, but I shoved that thought away. I needed to stop poisoning my present with the pains of my past.

"How was Instructor Mara's class?" Chloe asked around a mouthful of cookie.

"Uh unh. I'm not answering that until you share." She rolled her eyes but handed me half of a warm chocolate chip cookie. Taking a big bite, I savored the sweetness on my tongue before swallowing.

"So?"

"Same as usual," I replied. "For the most part. She followed me out today and lectured me on the importance of appreciating history. Or at least that's what I think she was trying to teach me. And I get it. More than most, but I guess I just feel like such a small part of all of this. How can my understanding of anything change the war?"

"She really buys into the mythos of the Children, huh?"

"That's an understatement."

"I don't know that I believe all of it, but I do believe that we are fighting to make the world a better place. Right now, we're fighting against people who want to experiment on us to deepen their pockets. Instructor Anna asked me how I felt about moving to Headquarters. She thinks I'd do well working as part of the Intelligence Branch. Maybe even do a little spying on Mador and LeFay Industries. Get on the inside."

My pulse quickened, and I arranged my features in what I hoped was one of surprise and encouragement. "Chloe. That's awesome. But how on earth are you going to be a spy? You're terrible at lying."

"No, I choose to be honest. That doesn't mean I can't lie or pretend. How do you think I survived Bri for so long?"

"True," I laughed, my heart still thrumming with fear at the thought of her getting close to the people who'd tortured me and killed Addie. I glimpsed Catherine's frizzy head directing Paul and Portia in warm-up exercises while Annalise watched closely. "Guess I better join them. I'm already going to get an earful because I'm late."

"Cool. You want to eat in the room or with the others tonight?"

Kent's handsome face came to mind. I welcomed his charm and attention in lieu of someone else's blatant attempts to avoid me. "We can eat in the commons."

I waved goodbye and hurried to stand beside Annalise. Catherine scowled but said nothing as she watched Paul and Portia return heat energy to the sand. "Very good. Alright, everyone. Shoes off."

"Really," Paul moaned.

"Really. There were plenty of missed targets yesterday, and a missed target is a living enemy. Let's go," Catherine insisted, setting off towards the wilds around our compound, her stride smooth and efficient.

I followed suit, but only made it a few feet before slamming into something solid.. "What the hell," I muttered, wiping blood from my nose. Eyes watering, I studied the area in front of me but saw nothing that I could've hit.

"Camille, no stalling. You were already late getting to class today. I will not tolerate a slacker!"

"Coming," I called, before resuming a more cautious pace than before.

"What was that?" Portia asked when I caught up with the group. "It looked like you ran into a door."

Touching my still tender nose, I shook my head. "I have no idea."