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Fiona’s frown deepened to a scowl. “It doesn’t matter. Just trust me that he isn’t a fan of us being here, and he’s definitely not a fan of me.”
“What did you do to piss him off?” Morgan asked in a furtive whisper.
Fiona squared her shoulders. “I might have told him what I thought about his part in the trials. I might have gotten in his face, and I might have threatened to cut off his balls and use them as castanets.”
A laugh erupted from me, and I slapped a hand over my mouth.
“You did what?” Morgan’s eyes danced with amusement and disbelief.
“It was at the initiation banquet. I knew he’d been found locked in the dungeons so he couldn’t reveal the sabotage, but I also knew that he’d been the reason there were four monsters in the maze. I was still livid that Ariana had risked her life to save the cadets and could have died, and I’d had enough of Drexian superiority bullshit. I walked up to him and let him know exactly what I thought of him.”
Fiona didn’t look ashamed. She seemed proud, and I didn’t blame her. I wished I had the courage to tell others exactly what I thought of them. I wished I didn’t feel like I had to run when things got tough. I wished I was the kind of woman that no one would dare mess with.
“What did he do?” Morgan gave her a quick once-over. “You’re still standing and you’re still here, so that’s a good sign.”
“He didn’t say much.” Fiona gave us a wicked grin. “He did seem surprised when I threatened to cut off his balls, and he asked me to define castanets.”
“He must not have believed his universal translator implant.” Morgan giggled. “I wish I’d seen the Drexian’s face. If you ask me, he deserved it.”
“That’s what I thought.” Fiona’s grin faded. “But it does mean that I can’t exactly ask him for help with this project. I don’t think I’m his favorite human.”
Morgan and I exchanged wary glances. Neither of us wanted to approach the gruff Drexian who despised humans, either.
“There must be another way to get the information,” I said. “He can’t be the only Drexian to have entered Kronock space.”
Morgan sighed. “But he might be the only one at the academy.”
“Grek that.”
We all turned toward the voice, as Ariana hurried into the classroom as if she’d run the entire way. Behind her was Reina, wringing her hands and jogging in high-heeled boots that made her blue hair almost brush the ceiling.
“There’s more than one Drexian who knows about Kronock space.” Ariana stopped when she reached us and put a hand to her side. Then she spun on one foot and waved for us to follow her as Reina sucked in a breath and fluttered a hand at her throat. “Are you coming or what?”
Chapter
Thirty-One
Torq
“How often do you sneak down there?” I bit into a slightly burned strip of fried padwump as we walked up the staircase from the lower level that held the kitchens.
Kort mumbled something unintelligible as he chewed on a piece of bread, but I took it to mean that his visits were not infrequent. Kort seemed to be liked among the kitchen crew that was mostly comprised of non-Drexians.
He had a way of charming others that I envied. I’d always gotten what I’d wanted through intimidation or flashing my status, but Kort didn’t do that. I was starting to see that there were better ways to go about life than the way I’d been taught.
I’d seen firsthand from Jess that status had no part in intelligence or even achievement, especially with humans. As far as I was aware, none of the cadets who’d been sent to the academy from Earth had any sort of name or clout. At first, I’d been offended that I was surrounded by cadets from low clans. Then I’d enjoyed being one of the few elite Drexians in my class. Until I’d discovered why there weren’t many high-born Drexians.
No one in our cadet class was supposed to have survived the trials. Including me. Including a cadet from House Swoll. So much for my superior clan protecting me. If it hadn’t been for the human cadets, I would have died. That fact haunted me daily.
Kort swallowed his mouthful as we reached the top of the stairs. “I’m surprised your older brother didn’t let you in on the secret of the kitchens. Wasn’t he here before you?”
Kort said this without a trace of aggression or spite. Either he didn’t know my brother had washed out, or he didn’t care. Even though I did know about the kitchens, my brother had not told me. He would not have. We did not have that kind of relationship. Actually, we had little relationship. He had no use for a younger brother, and I avoided him and his easily provoked fists.
I eyed Kort, surprised he did not comment more on my brother. If I’d been in possession of the same information, I would have used it as a taunt or worse, to manipulate an advantage. The shame of this realization washed over me and prickled the back of my neck.
That had been the old me, I reminded myself. I wasn’t the same Drexian I’d been.
But you did blackmail Jess.
