If I’d ever wondered about the fundamental difference between the Alchemists and the Warriors, I soon had my answer. Whatever their flaws, the Alchemists were almost always adherents of the think-first-act-later mindset. The Warriors? Not so much.

Once the opening formalities were out of the way, Master Ortega handed things over to the recruiting director—who, to my complete astonishment, turned out to be Chris Juarez: Trey’s cousin. I hadn’t seen him since the Warriors had held Sonya, and Trey didn’t really talk much about his family after they’d disowned him. Trey had humiliated them by dating a dhampir. Chris had apparently walked the straight and narrow, earning this esteemed position. He strutted out in front of us now, dressed simply in jeans and a muscle shirt that showed off his well-built physique.

“You wouldn’t be here if you weren’t interested in ridding the world of evil,” he told us. “And we’ll eventually determine just how interested you are. But before we get to that, we need to see if you can hold your own if it comes down to facing that evil. Are you afraid of pain? Are you afraid of getting dirty? Are you afraid of doing whatever it takes to keep humanity in the light?” His volume grew louder with each shouted question, stirring spectators and recruits alike into a frenzy. Some of the people standing near Eddie and me shouted back answers. One guy simply let out a primal battle scream that earned cheers from those in the stand. Me, I mostly tried to show excitement and interest, as opposed to the actual shock and disgust I felt.

While Chris had been speaking, other Warriors had been setting up the arena with an odd assortment of items: wooden boxes, tin cans, buckets, cinder blocks. I wondered if there was some sort of obstacle course in the works. When they finished that task, they came out to all the recruits and gave us each a wooden heart attached to a cord. My assumed name—Fiona Gray—was written on it. Eddie, going by Fred Gray, also received one.

“This represents your heart—your life,” said Chris. “Right now we need to know who wants this the most—who’s willing to do whatever it takes to be the victor. Ladies, please step aside and take seats over there.” He pointed to a section of the stands. “You guys, go find spots wherever you want.”

I met Eddie’s eyes briefly as we turned to each other before parting. “Good luck,” I said.

“No luck needed with this lot,” he replied.