Chapter 213
“I wasn’t out with another girl,” Jackson protests, frowning at Jesse but still clearly not getting it. “Is that…bad? Is…” he frowns, clearly thinking back on it. “I just thought she was being friendly. Plus, free drinks…”
I just scowl at Jesse and wrap my arm possessively around Jackson’s, not liking this at all. “No, Jacks,” I say bitterly. “It’s fine. You didn’t do anything wrong.” But I keep scowling, glaring at Jesse who is delighted and, I’m sure, planning to milk this for all its worth. Still, a little part of me is quite smug and pleased that we’re heading off to an all-boys academy where the only other eligible girl is my friend and dating my brother.
I raise my foot and give my still-smirking cousin a sharp kick, but he just laughs a little and turns away, waving a hand at me to let me know he’ll drop it. For now.
“I like this one,” Jackson says quietly, and I blink, pulling myself out of my thoughts and turning my attention to him.
“What?” I ask, looking up into his face.
“This one,” he says, tapping the magazine. I look down to see his finger tapping on the image on the cover, the one of him in profile looking down at me with a beautiful smile on his face, of me laughing as I look up at him, the wind blowing my hair a bit. And I smile, all of my jealousy immediately wiped away. Because Jackson liking another girl…god, I’m wasting my time worrying about that, aren’t I?
“Yeah, that’s a good one,” I say, wrapping my arm tighter around his and pressing myself closer. “Maybe we can get a copy. Have it framed.”
“Oh,” Jackson says, turning to me with surprise. Then he smiles too. “Yeah, I think I’d like that.”
I nod once as he turns back to the magazine, looking through it again, and I look over at my mom who is sitting across from us. She sends me a quick wink, letting me know that she’s heard and that she’s on it.
I smile at my mom, grateful, not really angry at her anymore. Because I can’t wait to see Luca again, but if he’d been here, we wouldn’t have had this moment.
And so I turn my attention away from all of that and towards the future: to the Academy where we’re going and the war that awaits us beyond that. As my stomach turns with anxiety I realize that my mate drama is the least of my worries – and that it’s time to pay attention again to the things that really matter.
As we start to land at the Academy on the lawn by the candidate barracks, I sigh and slip my cap onto my head, carefully tucking my hair back beneath it and mourning, passively, that I’m going to have to do this every day again. Not that it’s a big deal it’s just…annoying.
“Ohh, is this Ari Clark!?” mom says, leaning forward and grinning at me gleefully. “Ugh, you’re such a cute boy.” She presses her hand to her chest, clearly meaning it and turning to my dad. “Should we have another? A little boy this time that looks like me –“
“No more children, Ella,” dad murmurs passively, like this is a discussion they have all the time. Mom sighs but there’s no more time to think on it as the helicopter touches down and we all start to climb out.
“Jesse,” dad says, nodding to him as we walk through the gates and start into the castle. “If you wouldn’t mind going to your room and settling in? The rest of us have a meeting with Ari’s professors.”
My mouth falls open just as Jesse’s does as our little group makes its way down the hall.
“Why am I being left out!?” Jesse protests.
“Cousins,” dad says, dry, “don’t need to be part of this.” We all move towards the elevator and my stomach plummets. Because honestly, I forgot dad’s ultimatum – I passed the Examination and all of my finals, but he did insist that all of my professors know that I’m a girl. God, what if the Captain protests? What if Alvez does something weird?
“Why does he get to go!?” Jesse protests, pointing a finger at Jackson.
Dad just quirks an eyebrow at Jesse. “Because he doesn’t ask as many questions as you.”
Jesse scowls but gives in, glaring at all of us as he climbs into a separate elevator from ours.
“It’s so cool here,” mom whispers eagerly, bumping her shoulder with mine as the elevator doors shut and we start to move upwards. “I wish I lived here.”
“Mom, you already live in a palace,” Rafe laughs, glancing at her over his shoulder. “Now you want a castle?”
“Yes, it’s much spookier here,” mom says with a tragic sigh. “Very atmospheric. Like there could be a ghost. Or six ghosts. Ten!”
“Yes, just what everyone wants when they’re searching for the perfect home,” dad murmurs, sending her a smirking glance. Mom nods eagerly, like that’s obviously true.
Jackson and I keep quiet, standing close together. Feeling my anxiety, he sends a warm pulse of reassurance down our bond and brushes his hand against mine. I smile up at him and send my thanks, but then I sigh and turn towards the doors as they open.
It’s a short, quiet walk down the hall to the room where my professors wait, and when the five of us enter the Captain raises his eyebrows in surprise. Neumann just smirks like he was expecting it and then glances at his watch like he’s eager to get this over with. Alvez, to my surprise, is the warmest.
“Ella!” he says, striding eagerly over and reaching for her hand.
“John!” she says, fond, taking his hand and leaning forward to exchange brief kisses on the cheek. My eyebrows fly up and I look, a little stunned, between Rafe and Jackson, who return my expression. I mean, we knew that mom hired Alvez, but we did not know that they were friends.
My dad clears his throat and Alvez murmurs his apologies, bowing quickly to my dad and taking his spot back on the other side of the table.
“If we could?” Neumann says, his bored voice ringing out in the room. “I have prep work to do, especially as the semester is starting so much earlier than expected.”
My dad smirks and nods to Neumann. I frown at this as well. How well do these two know each other?
Why are all the adults friends and no one told me?
“Of course,” dad says, gesturing for us three Cadets to line up next to him, which we do. Mom stands at dad’s side, her habitual place, and he puts a casual arm around her, his hand resting on her hip. Neumann, Alvez, and the captain stand across the table from us, looking towards my dad with interest, the Captain’s eyes a little wary.
“Thank you for meeting with us today,” dad says, his voice even and business-like. “I’m afraid that my child has been engaging in quite a bit of deception this past semester, and I’d like your opinion on how we should handle it.”
The Captain frowns as his eyes move immediately to Rafe, but Neumann and Alvez look at me, Alvez with a smirk, Neumann with a slight nod.
“Ariel?” dad says, turning to me. “If you would?”
I sigh and then reach up, taking off my cap and letting my hair fall down around my shoulders. “I’m sorry,” I say, looking between each of my professors. “I wouldn’t have lied if I could have told you the truth and stayed in the school. But I think we’re all aware that that wouldn’t have happened if I had.”
Neumann just looks back at my dad like he’s waiting for him to make this worth his time, and Alvez looks at me with a deeper grin, his eyes moving slowly over the length of my hair like he quite likes it. A shiver passes through me and I glance at my mom, who doesn’t seem to notice.
“Oh, goddess help us,” the Captain murmurs, half dismayed and half frustrated. “The shrimp is a girl.”
My pulse quickens as I turn to stare at my professor – as we all do. He covers his face with his hand and heaves a deep sigh, turning half away from us like he’s embarrassed to have missed it.
“When I initially learned of my daughter’s subterfuge I was vehement that she would not be returning to school this semester,” my dad says, continuing on even as the Captain collects himself. “But my family,” dad turns to frown at us like we’re a great deal of trouble – which I suppose we are. “Convinced me to leave it in your hands.”
The Captain drops his hand from his face with a sigh and looks at me evenly, a frown on his face.
“Ariel has passed all of her final exams with honors,” dad says, looking at me, unable to keep a bit of pride from his voice. “And, despite her injuries, she did legally pass the examination by leaning on the strength of the bonds she has with her fellow cadets. By the rules of the academy, she has every right to continue as a student. But if you, her professors, will not have her here then I will take her home with me now and we will find another way use Ariel’s talents to aid the nation in this time of war.”
I stop breathing, my spine going straight as I look out at my professors – these three men who hold my fate in their hands.
