Page 31 of Nova Academy

I understood from that interaction that she had her secrets, and it would take a while for me to uncover them all, but I would. Iwasn’t sure I’d like what I learned, but I could sense she wasn’t a bad person. It’s why I hadn’t turned her in when I realised. She really had struck me as sad and lonely, but also determined. I wanted fill that hole.

It would require a lot of effort to prove I was worth trusting, that I really did have her best interests at heart, but I was just as determined. Once I set my mind on something, I didn’t stop until I got what I wanted.

And I wanted Artemis.

CHAPTER 14

Artemis

…Fuck.

CHAPTER 15

Reece

Dorian was pacing. The man was completely beside himself with worry, and it was causing a domino effect reaction among the rest of us. Bromm was getting anxious, which in turn made Foryk even more moody and alert. The three from the other team were watching Dorian’s movements with varying levels of concern, ranging from mild to verging on intense. The other Yu’Rom mutt looked just about ready to join Dorian and rush back down to where we’d left Arty and Brin.

My concern stemmed more from whatever it was that Brin wanted to speak to Arty about, and why it needed to be a private conversation. Our new security team’s reactions were probably a result of their assignment rather than the cause. The last two were blatantly glaring daggers at me, and I didn’t blame them. I was doubting my actions as well.

I didn’t want to put Arty at risk – or Brin through proximity – but I saw the determination on her face when she pulled him away. She was going to get him alone to have that discussion eventually, but at least this way we knew where they were. I was sure they were safe enough with each other. It wasn’t as if I’d just abandoned him alone, or with those that were targeting him. Brin had achieved a decently high ranking within the IU military, she surely knew how to handle a threat, and I wasn’t so sure they were even in danger. I was the one that had been falsely accused, not Arty. They would be fine.

My only regret was the distance I had put between us. It hadn’t occurred to me in the moment that the elevator would take us away. The fear and anxiety over how others on board this ship would react to us had unreasonably increased at the additionalprotection from the other team. It was as if the captain had proven we were in more danger than we’d realised through the singular action of providing us with a protection detail. I’d merely intended to put a barrier between us to keep Dorian’s protests at bay, but I had instead inadvertently triggered those fears.

As time ticked on and there was still no sign of either of them, my own anxiety skyrocketed.

Every time the door swished up and someone stepped out, we gathered around to see who it was. And every time we were disappointed that it was someone else. Five times. Six. At one point there was an individual who appeared to resemble Arty and it got our hopes up only to be dashed when it wasn’t him. Then there was a pink Griknot female, only the shade of her skin was a little too dark and her head a little too tall.

Disappointment after disappointment ratcheted up the tension, and soon all seven of us were practically throwing ourselves at the elevator whenever we heard it.

Finally –finally!– the door receded to reveal the man we were waiting on. He was alone, which gave our security team the incentive to shoot more dirty looks my way, and even Foryk joined in on that one. Bromm, however, just seemed relieved that he was well and that the wait was over.

‘Stars above, Arty, that tookforever,’ he whined, and if I hadn’t just seen how nervous he’d been then I never would have guessed he was worried.

Arty didn’t respond with words. He patted Bromm on the arm and pushed his way through us toward the mess hall.

Now that the initial reactions to his arrival had subsided I took note of the way he seemed suddenly withdrawn. His face was paler than usual, shoulders so tense they almost touched his ears, and his strides were stilted and awkward. Something had gone down in that conversation that had spooked him, and he was reverting back to the man I had met last week.

Cold. Distant. Solitary. Closed off.

I didn’t like it one bit.

I rushed to catch up with him, and he was smart enough to wait before entering the mess hall so we wouldn’t be separated. At least that was something.

‘Hey, you okay?’ I asked, reaching out to touch his arm.

He jolted when my fingers brush the sleeve of his shirt and moved out of reach. It stung, but I knew it wasn’t about me so I didn’t let the hurt feelings dig any deeper.

‘I’m fine,’ he said in strong voice that failed to coincide with his body language.

I tutted. ‘What did you tell me about that phrase?I’m finealways means the opposite.’

‘It’s nothing, Reece. Drop it,’ he snapped, and that time I couldn’t prevent my hurt feelings from showing on my face. When he saw, his expression gentled. ‘Please.’

I could see that it was important to him that he process whatever had happened on his own, but I would still make myself available if he needed a friend. ‘Okay, sure.’

His relief was palpable, but still not enough to completely remove the dark cloud surrounding him. Others could sense it too. When we walked inside people kept a wide berth, shooting him nervous looks as if he was about to attack them at any moment if they drew any sort of attention to themselves.

Dorian and his group, whose names we still had to put to the faces, sat with us at a secluded table in the back of the room. I managed to ensure my usual spot beside Arty in spite of his sudden introversion. The distance from everyone else allowed me to relax a little. If anyone came for us, they’d have to cross the room to get here which would be too obvious in such a public setting. No. If someone were going to try to act against us, they would do it more discretely

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