Chapter 69

Chapter

Sixty-Nine

Kann

I ran across the suspended bridge as it swayed over the deep, misty chasm, the rickety wooden slats cracking and wobbling beneath my feet. An arrow zipped past my ear and was so close it ruffled my hair.

“ Grek me.” I forced myself to keep my gaze forward as I raced toward the other side that was blanketed in fog, my heart hammering. There was no point in looking back and confirming what I already knew—the aliens were gaining on me.

This wasn’t the first time I had faced off against the pygmy barbarians of the Lanthow, but today, they seemed faster than usual. Or I was slower. I gritted my teeth and lifted my knees higher, refusing to believe that they could catch me, even though the looming fog prevented me from seeing how much farther I needed to push myself before my feet were on solid ground again. Well, as solid as the ground got for Lanthow.

Another arrow skimmed my shoulder just as I squinted through the white haze to make out the edge of the chasm. I was almost there. I pumped my arms and bent low as the bridge shook from my relentless pace. Then I lengthened my stride, giving a final leap through the air to reach land as everything around me dissolved. The bridge fell away, the fog vanished, and I landed on nothing but the hard floor of the holo-chamber.

“What in the grekking hell?” I popped to my feet, wincing from the pain of my knees hitting something much harder than soil.

I strode to the exit, pressing the panel for the door to slide open, and stomped into the corridor. Two figures at the control panel jerked to standing. Well, one jerked and one merely glanced over at me.

“Were you in there?” Britta slapped her hands to her cheeks as I glared daggers at her and the Taori, who was cocking his head at me in either confusion to amusement, not that I cared at that point.

“Yes, I was in there,” I snapped. “You did not check before you opened the operating panel?”

Britta’s face flushed. “I was showing Zav the holo-chamber programming. I guess I got too excited and forgot to check.”

I exhaled, calming myself as I watched Britta’s pained expression. I knew the cadet well. She did not make mistakes. “It is fine. I am not hurt.” Even though my knees stung from the impact, a Blade would never admit to such a minor injury .

“I apologize for interrupting your session in the holo-chamber,” Zav said. “I understand that they are extremely lifelike, although they should not be dangerous. Is that correct?”

“Correct,” I admitted.

“As long as the safety protocols are engaged and functional,” Britta said, with a nervous giggle.

Zav nodded. “I should go. As part of my posting here, I must check in periodically with the Academy Master’s adjunct.”

“Tivek?” Britta tugged two sections of her high ponytail to tighten it. “He’s also really good at Drexian cards.” When the Taori raised an eyebrow, she shrugged and laughed again. “Not that you’d ever need to play cards during a check-in.”

“I hope not.” The Taori stroked a hand down the length of one horn as he walked away.

When he was out of ear shot, I pivoted back to Britta. “I’ve gotten used to the Taori being a bit enigmatic, but what is up with you?”

Britta released a tortured sigh. “I don’t know. The alien makes me nervous. I know I’m supposed to be acting as his liaison while he’s here, but every time I’m around him I feel like an idiot.”

I studied the female before grinning. She had a crush on the Taori. I put an arm around her shoulders. “I can help you, you know.”

She gave me a side-eye glance. “Help me with what?”

“Help you seduce the Taori, of course. ”

Her eyes flared wide. “Seduce the…what? I didn’t say…wait, you can?”

“If there is one thing I am exceedingly good at, aside from battle, it is seduction. If you want to entrance the warrior, I can tell you how to do it.”

“But he’s Taori and you’re Drexian.”

I grinned at her. “Males are males.”

She studied me with suspicion. “Are you sure you know—?”

I cut off her protests by using a single finger under her chin to tip her gaze to meet mine. Then I stared deep into her eyes until I saw the all-too-familiar flash of heat. I leaned over so that my lips brushed her ear, and I felt her shudder. “Of course I am sure. Do you doubt me?” I pulled back to gaze into her eyes again as she nodded silently, but it was my breath that was quick and shallow. It was my voice that cracked when I finally spoke. “Good.”

Suddenly, I had the strongest urge to crush my lips to hers and see if her soft lips tasted as sweet as they looked, but I stepped back and cleared my throat. Britta was a cadet, and we had become friends. Friends who did not kiss each other.

“So, you’ll teach me?”

I blinked at her, tearing my gaze from her curvy mouth. “What? Oh, yes. I will teach you.”

She smiled brightly as she started down the corridor, giving me a wave before turning away. “Thanks, Kann.”

I waited until she had rounded the corner to lean a hand against the wall so I would not stumble. Grek me. What had just happened, and what had I promised?