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Kort jerked his head to me. “But he was going to join the rescue.”
“He can join you after he speaks with the Drexian who has just arrived.” Volten took a step back and waited for me to follow. “Former High Commander Kax is waiting.” He pivoted to Kann. “And your fellow Inferno Force warrior Jaxon.”
Chapter
Sixty-Seven
Torq
The chatter of voices and booming cheers as cadets returned from the hunt in the Gilded Peaks faded as Volten led me away from the cavernous main hall. We did not head toward the School of Flight or the Academy Master’s office, which made me wonder where this Drexian warrior who had been so hard to track down was being kept.
When Volten paused outside the heavy doors leading to the Stacks, it hit me that I had not set foot in the place for the entire term. Blades had little use for old parchments or ancient tomes, and the Stacks had always been the domain of the Assassins and Irons. For a moment, I wondered if Jess would be inside. She had been helping Ariana in the search for her sister. Would Kax wish to speak with her and her friend Morgan about their progress?
I steeled myself for the possibility of seeing Jess, telling myself that I could not reveal my feelings, even though it was impossible to keep from gazing at her. My heart raced and my chest constricted, as the Wings instructor pushed hard on the doors to open them.
Walking into the Stacks, I breathed in the scent of dust and aged paper, old leather and candle wax. Even though real candles had not burned in the wrought iron chandeliers hanging overhead for decades, the scent remained. It was a scent I had smelled on Jess when she had come to me from a study session in the Stacks. I might have been the only Blade to be aroused by the aroma of ancient books and melted candles.
We walked through a maze of tall bookshelves jammed with well-worn volumes, until we reached a corner in the back with a wooden table and brass-shaded lamps running the length of it. I released a breath of dismay and relief when I saw that Jess was not among those sitting around the table.
I had expected to see Ariana, and even her friend Fiona, but I stiffened at the sight of Commander Vyk. What was he doing here? I knew he was Inferno Force, but from my understanding, Kax was not. His brother Dorn had been an Inferno Force commander, but Kax had served on the High Command until he left to undertake missions for Drexian intelligence.
All heads turned to us as we approached, and the only two Drexians I did not know stood. The one with short hair spoke first. “Torq of House Swoll? ”
The Drexian was tall with sandy-brown hair cropped short and eyes such a vivid shade of green that they seemed to shine. He did not wear an academy uniform or even a Drexian military uniform. The ship that had delivered him was emblazoned with an Inferno Force emblem, but he did not wear any such identifier on his simple black clothes, although it was clear who he was. I thumped a fist across my chest in salute. “High Commander Kax.”
He gave me an easy smile. “Not High Commander anymore. Call me Kax.”
I relaxed. “Call me Torq.”
The other Drexian looked every bit like he was Inferno Force, with long black hair, scruff on his cheeks, and his black sleeves rolled up far enough on his arms to show glimpses of dark tattoos. “I am Jaxon, of Inferno Force.”
Kax inclined his head. “I understand you have been working with the Lieutenants to locate the missing pilot.”
As much as I liked the sound of that, I could not claim it. “I only attempted to use my father to find you, even though he refused my request. There are others who have been working diligently to find Sasha. They should be here.”
Kax studied me for a beat. “You are sure you are from House Swoll?”
I wanted to tell him that if he had met me during the first term or even earlier in the second, he might not have asked that. He would have seen the arrogance and pride that I had shared with my clan for so long. He would have known that I was House Swoll without asking. “I am.”
He nodded. “The academy has a way of changing cadets.” He flicked a glance at Volten. “I did hear that you were courageous in the trials, and you teamed up with a group of female cadets.”
“That is true.” I thought of Jess and my heart seized. “I would not have made it through without them.”
Jaxon grunted. “I know something about working with strong human females.”
“We worked as a team,” Ariana said. “Everyone contributed to everyone else’s survival.”
Commander Vyk shifted slightly in his seat, and I wondered again why he was at the meeting. He had been part of the reason that the trials had been so deadly, and I still held resentment that he had been working to purge the academy of the humans, especially now that I understood the value and intelligence of them.
“I am glad to hear it.” Kax pivoted to the table. “It will take teamwork to pull off this mission.”
“But you went into Kronock territory to rescue a woman by yourself,” Vyk said. “I was part of the team called in by your brother to find you when you did not return.”
“Which is why this mission will not be a solo one.” Kax leaned down and spread his arms on either side of an unfurled star chart I had not noticed on the table. “Not everyone can call in a favor with Inferno Force like my brother.” He shot Vyk a grin. “Thank you for coming after me, though.”
Vyk sat up straighter. “Any Inferno Force warrior would walk through fire for your brother.”
“A hundred times,” Jaxon added, gaining him a resolute nod from Vyk.
