The Hidden Prince Read Free Page A

today’s load.”
    The mantel clock’s second hand ticked. One. Two. Three.
    Then Knight broke into a grin, his entire posture shifting as he motioned me to my desk. “Have a seat, Tobiah. We do have a lot of work, but hopefully we can get through it quickly.”
    With a smile, I shucked off my jacket and threw it over the back of my chair. “Before we get started, I have a question.”
    â€œLet’s hope I have an answer.” Knight, too, removed his jacket. Faint sweat stains marked his shirt, which I pretended not to notice.
    â€œThis morning, I had breakfast with the Chuters.”
    Knight smirked. “I’m sure that was very educational.”
    â€œIt was interesting, certainly.” Too full of energy to sit, I paced the room. “Lord Chuter mentioned a new variation of shine on the streets.”
    The mantel clock ticked again, this time with true tension filling the seconds. Each click reminded me that even though he was my favorite teacher, he wasn’t my friend . There would always be a barrier between us.
    â€œSo,” Professor Knight said, “you thought my history meant I’d know something about this?”
    The question hit me in the chest. It was fair, though. That was one of the reasons I’d asked him and not one of my othertutors. But also: “I thought you’d know because you know something about everything. And you’re more likely to tell me the whole truth, rather than gloss over whatever is really happening.”
    He gave me a long, even stare, and finally nodded. “Well, that’s all true.”
    I risked a smile.
    â€œUnfortunately for you, I don’t know much about the new variation, except that it’s worse than regular shine.”
    â€œHow is it worse?” Regular shine was already dangerous enough. It was a mix of wraith mist and chemicals, which made users feel as tall or strong or smart as they desired. It was a wish-fulfillment drug, except that the wishes weren’t really granted.
    Until they were.
    Some said it was overdoses that triggered the change, or after a certain amount of shine was taken, or that it was random and it could happen after one hit or one hundred, but eventually the changes became real and irreversible, and entirely grotesque. Shiners became glowmen, and glowmen were monsters.
    Not that I’d ever seen one, but I’d heard stories.
    â€œThe new variation is called firefly.” Knight combed his fingers through his beard. His nervous habit. “And the thing that makes it worse is the thing that saved my life. Regular shine, you can quit. You don’t really want to. That’s the draw of it. But you can, if you have the determination. Firefly is another matter. It’s more addictive; if you quit taking it, you will die.”
    That thought chilled me. “Then there’s no recovery? You quit and die, or you continue taking firefly and become a glowman.”
    Knight offered a grave nod. “Not that anyone wants to quit. That’s what addiction is. It’s a hundred small excuses to keep feeling the way you want to feel. For people who have no control in their lives, it’s the illusion of having control.”
    Even with as little control as I had, the decision to destroy oneself with shine was unimaginable to me.
    I dropped into my chair. “Who would produce such a thing? Who would condemn people to live as monsters or die for their freedom?”
    â€œPeople who want to make money.” The professor scooped up a packet of papers from his desk. “People who don’t care about others. People who like to set fires and burn as many others as possible.” His tone was bitter. Angry.
    Understandable. He spent most of his youth mixed up with shiners, and took it himself for an entire year before a teacher at the Academy found him, recognized his brilliance, and helped him clean up. By that time, Knight’s family had disowned him,