Chapter 3

Chapter

Three

Fiona

T he Stacks loomed around us, dusty and quiet, shelves upon shelves crammed with leather bound books that had been tucked away for centuries. The wooden table in front of me was covered with yellowed papers, unrolled parchments, and glowing tablets.

In the dim light from wrought-iron chandeliers that dangled from the vaulted ceiling, Ariana's face was etched with worry lines I'd come to know all too well since she’d learned that her sister was being held as a prisoner of the Kronock.

"Thanks for staying, Fi," Ariana’s voice echoed softly off the stone floors. "I couldn’t do this without you."

"Wouldn't dream of being anywhere else. We're going to find her.”

Ariana nodded, but her top teeth worked the corner of her bottom lip. “You’re sure you wouldn’t have rather gone back to Earth between terms?”

I scoffed at this. “And miss the chance to walk around without hundreds of massive Drexians stomping around like they own the place?”

“They do own the place.” Ariana allowed herself a small smile.

I shrugged. “Point taken, but I still like the academy better when there’s less testosterone. Besides, even with jump technology, it takes a while to get all the way back to Earth.”

My friend grimaced. “And a lot of jumps.”

I didn’t hate jumping through space as much as Ariana did, which was unusual, since she was the daredevil pilot, and I was supposed to be the rational strategist. But I’d learned that my pilot friend did not like space travel she couldn’t control, or heights, which was another unusual fact about the woman.

“We aren’t the only ones who stayed,” I reminded her. “Only a few human cadets went home.”

“And not all the Drexian instructors left.” My hostile meeting with Commander Vyk was an all-too-potent reminder that he had remained.

Footsteps broke the quiet, and Jess strode into view, her brown hair in a high ponytail and her posture relaxed, a stark contrast to the tension knotting my shoulders. She flashed us an apologetic grin. “Sorry I’m late.” Then she swept her gaze around the table that was empty except for me and Ariana. “Am I late?”

“Not really. Since we’re between terms, it feels like everyone has switched to vacation time. ”

Jess wrinkled her nose. “I don’t think I’ve ever been on vacation time, but you’re right that the school feels different now that there aren’t classes and schedules.”

The way she said it made me laugh. “I take it you’re not a fan?”

Her cheeks colored slightly. “I don’t mind having more free time, but the place feels almost eerie. I’m starting to believe the stories that it’s haunted.”

I knew that Jess had chosen to stay at the academy between terms not because she disliked jumping through space to return to Earth, but because her boyfriend Torq was staying. He was no longer welcome in his clan since he’d chosen a human, since he’d chosen Jess. I also got the feeling she didn’t have much to return to on Earth.

“Who says it’s haunted?” Ariana straightened and then glanced nervously around the ancient library that was shrouded in shadow.

“Every old building everywhere is said to be haunted.” I shook my head, dismissing the idea out of hand. “Maybe we should take the academy being deserted as an opportunity to stage a coup.”

Jess barked out a laugh. “If I was going to stage a coup, I would want to take over a place that needed considerably fewer repairs and less cleaning.”

The old, alien school had endured an attack by the Kronock before we’d arrived, and although most of the damage had been repaired, there was no denying that the place was worn and weathered from hundreds of years of cadets passing through its stone halls .

“Where is Torq?” Ariana narrowed her gaze at Jess. “I thought he would be with you.”

“He’s coming from a session in the holo-chamber with your guy.”

Ariana bobbed her head slowly, as if just remembering where Volten was, as well. “I’ll never understand why they think it’s fun to pretend to be attacked by various alien monsters.”

“Like I said, too much testosterone.” I cut a glance to the table with our research. “They can catch up when they get here.”

Jess took a seat and pulled out her tablet, tapping her fingers on the surface. "We've managed to narrow down the long list of places they could be holding Sasha to a few sites. Vyk's intel on Kronock territory has been invaluable."

Ariana breathed a sigh of relief, and I couldn't help but groan inwardly at Vyk's name. "Speaking of Vyk,” I was unable to suppress the shudder that ran through me, "he may not be so eager to share more if I’m around.”

Both Ariana and Jess turned to me.

Heat flushed my cheeks. "I might have barged into his office and demanded he get rid of the last monsters in the dungeons." My hands balled into fists at the memory of our heated exchange. "I might have lost my temper…and raised my voice."

"Good.” Jess’s voice carried unexpected steel. "After what I saw down there, someone needed to say it."

"Your request wasn't unreasonable, Fiona.” Ariana’s hand found mine in a comforting squeeze. “Not after the trials. ”

"Maybe, but diplomacy isn't exactly my strong suit, and I shouldn’t have lost my temper at a Drexian we need for this mission.”

"Vyk terrifies me," Jess whispered, as if he might be lurking nearby to overhear her, “even if he did help save me last term.”

“He’s pretty intimidating,” I admitted.

“But I thought he was your type." Ariana nudged me, laughter dancing in her eyes. "Hot silver fox?"

"Please.” I rolled my eyes. "Vyk might be easy on the eyes, but his disdain for humans is a colossal turn-off. He wants us gone from this academy—how could I possibly see past that?"

"True," Ariana frowned "No woman wants to be with someone who thinks she’s beneath him.”

"Exactly," I agreed, feeling the heat rise to my cheeks once more at the thought of being romantically linked to a Drexian who saw women, especially human ones, as inferior. "I could never be with someone like Vyk—” My sentence cut short as movement caught my eye, and a figure emerged from behind a monolithic bookshelf.

Vyk.

The man was a fortress of muscle and scars, his presence commanding the air itself. Gray streaked his dark hair, silver scruff framing his tense jaw. Fuck fuck fuck.

“Commander Vyk.” My voice cracked as the tension around us snapped. His expression, unreadable as ever, gave nothing away .

I exchanged a quick glance with Ariana, who had stiffened. Jess shifted uncomfortably beside me, her earlier smiles dissolving under Vyk's steely gaze.

"Apologies," Vyk rumbled, his voice deep enough to resonate against the Stacks' old stone. "I did not mean to intrude."

Sure, like a Drexian battle commander ever 'intrudes' unintentionally. But I wasn't about to call him out on it—not when the possibility hung heavy in the air that he'd heard every word of my outburst against him.

"Um, we were just discussing the plan to find Sasha," I managed, forcing my tone to steady.

"Indeed," he replied. His gaze briefly locked with mine—a flash of something there, something unreadable, yet intense.

Why did this gruff warrior make me feel like a misbehaving child, and why did a deep dark part of me want him to punish me?