Kiara leaned around his shoulder, one of her pigtails scratching against his arm, as she noted the yellow route he’d selected.
Brow lowering in concentration, she fiddled with hers until she’d selected the same. “I never pegged you for a freestyler.”
“You don’t know me very well.”
With a wink at Kat, he followed the fair-haired twin over to the wall. One scan from their controllers, and the entire face began to reshape and reform, a little mechanical miracle as thousands of tiny planes were rearranged. The yellow footholds were the last to emerge, riding up the side on little duro-pulleys.
“So what’s your game?” he asked when the wall had settled and he and Kiara peered up the ten-meter expanse. “First to the top?”
Kiara nodded, “And winner takes all.”
“I’ll give you a head start,” Lee offered.
She didn’t give him a chance to take that back as she grabbed her first hold, muscling herself straight up the broad face. Bold, he liked that.
But this was freestyle. Crimping one of the ledges off to her side with his fingertips, Lee swung himself up in a game of puzzles. A pocket here and a flake of thin edge there. But Lee didn’t need conventional handholds and footholds. He threaded himself up the wall, shooting along like the adrenaline through his bloodstream. The familiar strain through his arms and back was a song. And as he made the final leap, muscles warm, he pulled himself up and over the ledge.
“You’re not bad,” he called over, legs swinging beneath him, as Kiara muscled around that last hurdle. He’d expected as much for one with her resourcefulness. “But you’ve got to work on your technique,” he half-teased.
“I… demand… a rematch,” she ground out in-between breaths.
Lee was chuckling as he scanned his controller, riding one of the pulleys back down.
Kat stood at the base of the wall, hands braced on her hips, wearing a very obviousI told you what you guys were getting intolook.
“Did I live up to your expectations?” he asked, leaping down the rest of the way.
He’d expected her eye roll. But it was his eyes that were popping out of his head when Kat reached up onto her toes, planting an extremely wet, smacking kiss on his cheek.
“And then some,” she said.
The imprint of her lips was a cool, glitteringraison d’êtreas he slung an arm over her shoulders. “Good. Cuz now it’s your turn.”
An hour later, they stood with the twins and Whistler, and his latest cadet—fling?—whatever he was, at the base of the wall, each having had their fill of climbs.
“It’s nice to meet you—outside trainings, that is,” Lee said. “Remind me of your name?”
“Demi,” the cadet said, extending a hand for Lee, the gleaming hoops lining one of his warm-golden ears glinting with the movement.
“You guys all seem really close. I haven’t known too many Gammas who openly hang with the younger cadets,” Demi mused, sharing a grin with Whistler.
“We’re mature for our age,” Kamata joked, hopping from one foot to the other, already seeking out their next adventure.
“Some of us also share a history.” Kiara waggled her brows, the implications transparent. “And don’t even get me started on those two.” She batted her eyelashes heavily in his and Kat’s direction.
He stole a glance at Kat to gauge her retort, but a shadow had crossed over her eyes. As Kamata stated her plans to hit up the blaster range next, he slipped an arm protectively around Kat’s shoulders.
“We’ll catch up to you guys later. Raincheck?” Lee said.
“Fine, but next time, you have to promise you’ll show me where you get all your ninja stealth,” Kiara challenged.
“Have fun, you two cuties,” Kamata called.
“But not too much fun!” Kiara cut in with a wink.
“Nothing we wouldn’t do!” Kamata yelled behind her, and both girls giggled.
He and Kat left the training levels and the heptagon behind them, wandering around the dorms before Lee prodded the shadow that stalked her.
