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I managed to look at Kort, whose brow was furrowed as his gaze moved from my face to my tight fists. I quickly uncoiled my fingers. “Memories of the maze.”
He nodded, as if thinking of what we had gone through explained my sudden change. “We were lucky to get out alive.” Kort pointed to a pair of Blades at the other end of the table. “If it had not been for those two, I would have been eaten alive.”
The mood at the table shifted, the conversation going from the pretty humans and what everyone wanted to do to them to tales of surviving the maze. Even though I had not talked about my experience so far, it felt good to hear others share their near-misses with death. As long as I did not let thoughts of the maze turn into thoughts of Jess, which was almost impossible.
I forced myself to focus on the stories and not on memories of holding up Jess when the toxic gas was enveloping us, the warmth of her body pressing against me as she started to go limp. At the moment, I had been so distracted by how right it felt to hold her that I had barely registered the fact that we were about to pass out or die. I had barely cared, as long as I could keep her in my arms.
I gave my head a curt shake, dislodging the memory and bringing myself back to the loud dining hall, the clattering of silverware on dishes reminding me that the maze was in the past. I stabbed a chunk of stew meat and took a bite, as Kort regaled the table with his maze survival story.
Then the group of females walked by our table toward the doors, and my gaze locked onto Jess. Her long hair fell down her back, and her ass swayed as she walked. The chatter slowed to a stop as everyone watched the females, and I knew that mine was not the only gaze on Jess.
You should not care. The human is the last thing you need.
Staying away from Jess was the smart move, but it was the one thing I did not believe myself strong enough to do.
Chapter
Thirteen
Jess
Ipaused at the bottom of the stairs, holding my breath and listening. Most of the other cadets were tucked away in their quarters, but some were still leaving the dining hall from dinner. When I was confident the corridor was empty, I hurried along it as light flickered from the sconces on the wall and sent long shadows stretching and writhing across the ceiling.
This was a mistake. I was too smart to be wrapped up in something as ridiculous as this, especially at my age. It was one thing to be sweet-talked into doing the quarterback’s homework when you’re a geeky freshman in high school, something I might have done, but it was another to still be doing the bidding of the hot guy when you were over twenty and one of a handful of women sent from Earth to the Drexian Academy.
I almost turned on my heel and headed back to the female tower, but then I remembered what Torq knew and what he could reveal. Now that we’d all made it through the trials and into schools, there was no way I could allow that to be put in jeopardy. Not if I could prevent it by doing a few tutoring sessions.
“How hard can it be?” I whispered to myself, as much to hear some sound aside from the soft tapping of my feet on the stone floor as anything. “I help the guy learn Kronock, and he keeps his mouth shut.”
When I said it like that, it seemed easy. When Torq said it, when he locked his hot gaze on me, when he touched me and his flesh made mine burn, it did not seem easy.
I rounded the corner, so caught up in thoughts of Torq that I didn’t stop to listen, and I walked straight into Reina.
She threw up her hands as we both staggered back. “I didn’t see you there, hon.”
I managed a smile at the Vexling, who was dressed in one of her usual dresses with so many bright colors that it almost hurt to look at her. “No harm. No foul.”
Reina tilted her head. “What a funny expression. Earth language is so colorful. Now, by foul do you mean birds?”
It took me a beat to make sense of her question. “Like chickens? No. It means a foul like in sports.”
“You have birds in sports?” Reina’s eyes grew even larger than normal. “How bizarre.”
I didn’t have time to explain sports and fouls to her. Not when I was already running late. “We’re a weird planet.”
She giggled and her blue, vertical swish of hair quivered. “That you are, hon.”
“Well, I’d better go.” I backed away with a wave.
Reina swiveled her gaze around the dark and empty corridor, as if noting for the first time that I was the only cadet around. “Shouldn’t you be in the female tower? Do you want me to walk back with you, since these corridors are so dark and spooky?”
I shook my head. “Nope. I’m fine. I don’t mind the dark corridors.” I did, but I couldn’t tell her that.
“Are you sure?” She stepped toward me, as if she was going to join me regardless of my protest.
“I’m actually not going to the female tower.”
That stopped her. “You aren’t?”
