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“Now we need to walk through fire to retrieve our pilot.” Kax met Ariana’s eyes. “Your sister fought alongside us in the battle for Earth. Not only does she deserve our loyalty, but we also cannot risk the Kronock using her to their advantage.”
“Sasha would never give the enemy information,” Ariana said quickly. “She would die first.”
“It is not information the Kronock desire.” Kax drummed his fingers on the table. “They desire a technological and biological advantage over other species.”
“Biological?”
Kax made a low, disapproving sound in the back of his throat. “The Kronock have been known to take DNA from other species and use it to modify their own. We do not want your sister to be used for this.”
Ariana’s face paled, and Volten walked behind her chair and rested his hands on her shoulders. “We will not let that happen.”
“No, we won’t.” Kax curled one hand into a fist. “We need to have our team ready to go as soon as possible. I have given the information your Assassins have sourced to some Inferno Force friends, and they will do a deep dive into Kronock communications to find where Sasha is being held.”
Jaxon cleared his throat as Kax looked at him. “After that, Inferno Force will execute reconnaissance missions to determine her exact location before a full extraction team can be deployed. I am a bit of an expert of that, as is Kax. Once we have found the target, I assume you all wish to be involved in the rescue?”
“Absolutely,” Ariana said as Fiona nodded.
“Are you all prepared to go at a moment’s notice?” Jaxon asked.
Everyone agreed, but as his words sank in, I looked around the group, not quite believing what I had heard. “You wish me to be part of the team?”
“It wasn’t Volt who insisted, although he vouched for your bravery.” Ariana held my gaze, and I suspected she had taken some convincing after her experience with me during the first term.
“Who, then?” I hoped my father had not pulled strings or used influence to gain me a place I did not deserve, although I got the feeling he would be using none of his influence to aid me anytime soon.
“One of the Assassins who has been working with us.” Fiona leaned back in her chair with a knowing grin. “Jess insists that you will be an asset to any attack team, and that your Kronock is excellent.”
My heart tripped in my chest as I tried to compute this information. Should I be honored that Jess had recommended me for a deadly mission, or should I be worried that she was trying to get rid of me? It was true that my Kronock was very good, all thanks to her, but was I ready for this?
Then I reminded myself that I was a Blade, and no one crossed us.
Jaxon twisted his head and winked at me. “We needed another Blade brother. Welcome to the team.”
Chapter
Sixty-Eight
Jess
Itouched a hand to my hair as I stepped into the banquet hall, wishing I’d had time to do more than towel it dry and run my fingers through it. I’d spent too much time in the shower but standing under the hot water had unwound the knots in my shoulders and rid me of the slightly murky, mildew smell that had clung to my clothes and hair. It had also done a good job of purging me of the unwanted feelings of loss that had been haunting me since I walked away from Torq.
It was the right decision. It was the only decision.
I’d told myself this so many times as the water had pounded on my back that it had become my new mantra. As much fun as I’d had with Torq, and as free as I’d felt, it had been an illusion made possible by the secluded cave and the dark. It hadn’t been real. It couldn’t be. He was a Drexian who was expecting to align himself with someone just like him, and I was a human cadet who cared more about her career than about being anyone’s mate.
“It was fun while it lasted,” I told myself now, as I surveyed the growing crowd gathering around long tables and congratulating each other for returning from the hunt for the stones.
“Talking about thinking we won the battle?” Morgan nudged me as she joined me at the entrance.
I managed to smile at her as I marveled at how well she’d cleaned up. The leaves were gone from her blonde hair, and you never would have known that she’d climbed trees and come down them the hard way. “You know it.”
“I don’t really care that the Irons won. Apparently, it’s been a while since their school has been victorious, so I’m happy for Britta.”
I glanced around, catching sight of our friend’s distinctive silvery-blonde hair, as she stood with a cluster of big Drexian Irons. They did look ecstatic, which took away a bit of the sting from not getting our stone back to the academy first.
“We should be glad you found our stone.” Morgan dropped her voice, even though with the chatter surrounding us, I doubted anyone could hear. “The Wings didn’t find theirs.”
I spotted some Wing cadets near the front of the room. “But they’re back?”
