The Guild Conspiracy Read Online Free PDF Page A

her teeth, she raised her gaze to the boy standing across the table. “Something wrong, Selby?” she asked, propping a hand on her hip. Rupert was at her side in an instant.
    Selby’s gaze swept over her disguise—­her brother’s old trousers and loose shirt, hair tucked into her hat. He wrinkled his nose. “Yance,” he called. “Come see who’s signed up for the next tournament.”
    Lyndon’s son wandered over, and Selby passed the paper to him.
    Yancy scanned the list of names, finally reaching the bottom. “Petra . . . Wade ?” There was a disapproving murmur among the students as Yancy glanced up from the paper, a deep frown on his face as he recognized her through her disguise. “You can’t be serious.”
    â€œAnd why not?” she asked. Her face burned, heat rising up her cheeks, but she refused to back down. “I’m a student. I can pay the entry fee. Let me fight.”
    Selby scoffed. “The very idea.”
    A titter of laughter rolled through the crowd of students.
    â€œWhat would be the point?” he went on. “You’ll just lose.”
    â€œIsn’t that for my mech to decide?”
    â€œYou can’t possibly think you might win ?”
    â€œI know it,” she said, stepping closer. Her heart beat faster, filling her with an empowering defiance she had kept quiet for too long. She jabbed a finger into his chest, meeting his cold gaze with one of her own. “I’ll win your little tournament, and when I beat your miserable contraption into scrap, you’ll see who the better engineer is.”
    Selby glared daggers at her, roughly pushing her hand away. “You have no idea what you’re up against, Miss Wade ,” he spat. “This is our domain, not yours. Go back to your stitchery and whatever else it is you women do.”
    Petra inhaled a slow, measured breath, her teeth clenched hard. “Is it because you’re afraid to face me, Selby?” she asked, keeping her voice level. She could see the tension in his face, flushed with contempt. Provoke him enough and he would let her fight. He had too much pride to back down from a direct challenge. “Afraid to lose to a girl? Is that it?”
    He scowled, grinding his teeth. “As if I’d be afraid of you ,” he hissed. “Fine. Enter the tournament if you must. But you’ll get no special treatment. No handicaps for being a girl. You fight by our rules, win or lose.”
    â€œI wouldn’t have it otherwise.” She offered her hand. “Deal?”
    Selby glowered at her open palm.
    â€œJohn . . .” said Yancy, glancing between them. “She can’t fight; she’s not one of us. She’s—­”
    â€œNo,” said Selby. “She isn’t . And when she loses, it will only prove we were right about her. She doesn’t belong here. It’s time she recognizes that.”
    Yancy eyed his friend a moment longer, the conviction in Selby’s expression unyielding. “All right, then.” With a resigned shake of his head, he turned toward Petra and regarded her warily, his frown so like his father’s. “Entry is a pound note, date of first fight to be decided. Have your mech ready in time and you’re in.” He slowly stuck out his hand. “Welcome to the tournament, Miss Wade.”
    The fighters and spectators disbanded then, returning the room to its usual state. They replaced the rugs and positioned the furniture over the haphazard scorch marks and grease stains. Petra stood out of the way, a nervous laugh bubbling up her throat. She gripped the brass railing at the wide window overlooking the city, grinning to herself.
    After so many months of playing the part of the meek, obedient girl, subdued by the Guild in exchange for her freedom, she finally felt herself again. And though the Guild still refused to acknowledge her, refused to give