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“Maybe the Drexian forces or the Earth Planetary Defense or some kind of specialized strike team that knows something about the Kronock?”
I stood quickly, my grief quickly replaced by the hot flush of anger. “She’s my sister. I have to go after her. I can’t wait for military bureaucracy.”
Fiona glanced at the pile of shirts. “Your grand plan to run off by yourself tonight?”
“Not by myself,” I snapped. “Volten is coming with me.”
She rolled her eyes. “That’s it? Two pilots against the might of the Kronock? That’s insane.”
“No, it’s not. Insane is what I’ll be if I don’t go after her.”
Fiona scraped a hand through her hair. “You can’t just fly out of here!”
I hated fighting with the woman who’d become closer to me than anyone since my sister, but she was very wrong. I could just fly away from the academy. I could if it meant saving Sasha.
Chapter
Seven
Jess
“Ihad no idea the Drexians knew how to have fun like that.” Morgan swept her blonde hair from her mascara-rimmed eyes as we walked up the spiraling steps of the female tower. The softest glow of sunlight was bouncing off the surprisingly placid surface of the Restless Sea and seeping into one of the slivers of window, as if confirming my friend’s words.
“I don’t think they do it often.” I glanced over my shoulder to ensure that no one was following us. The only reason I hadn’t come back to my quarters earlier was because I didn’t want to leave myself open to being cornered by Torq again. It wasn’t that I was afraid of the fellow cadet. After working with him to survive the maze, I knew he wasn’t as bad as he wanted everyone to think he was.
I was afraid of myself when I was with him.
My heart tripped in my chest as I thought about his eyes resting on my mouth and how much I’d wanted him to kiss me. For a moment, I’d been sure he would. Then he pulled away.
Because he’s not into you. Guys that hot do not go for nerdy girls.
Not that I cared. Not really. I was used to being overlooked while the pretty girls got the guys. It had been the story of my life, so why would the Drexian Academy be any different?
“Do you think we’ll have a massive party after the battle between the schools at the end of the year?”
I looked at Morgan, trying to forget thoughts of Torq and concentrate on her question. “Battle between the schools?”
“Kind of like the trials, but it’s schools fighting it out, and it doesn’t take place in a maze.” She cast her eyes toward the ceiling. “Thank you, whichever Drexian god finessed that.”
I almost tripped on the next step, catching myself before I slammed my knee onto the stone. “There are more trials?”
“I said they’re kind of like the trials, but not really. From what Fiona said, they should be less deadly, and they take place outside the academy.”
“I guess that’s good.” How had I missed the discussion about this new competition? And why did there need to be more competitions at all? We’d already made it through the trials and into schools. Wasn’t that enough?
“It’s not until the end of the year, so we have plenty of time before we need to worry about it, although Fiona did say she wanted the Assassins to win.” Morgan spun toward me when we reached the landing with our rooms. “Apparently, the Blades have won twice in a row.”
Torq would be pleased to know that. Maybe it would make him happier with his school. Why was I thinking about Torq again, and why did I care about his feelings? If I thought about him at all, it should be to be outraged that he’d blackmailed me into tutoring, and implied that he might want more than that.
But instead of being flooded with anger at him, my heart pounded at the idea of what more he might want from me.
Oh, for fuck’s sake, Jess. Get it together, girl. Stop obsessing over the Drexian hottie. He only wants you for what you can teach him.
“You can’t just fly out of here!”
The sharp words brought Morgan and me to a standstill. That was Fiona’s voice, but it was coming from Ariana’s room. We exchanged a look as we stepped closer to the open door.
“What would you do, Fi? Sit around and let your sister be tortured by the Kronock?”
