Page 36 of Nova Academy

I didn’t like the insinuation in his tone that we were lying, and I didn’t want to give him any more information. I got a weird vibe from him likehewas the one being untruthful, though I couldn’t exactly place what it was that gave me such an impression. Eitherway, something told me not to trust this man, and I listened to that little voice in the back of my mind.

There was a threat in his eyes when he eyed me up and down. It was mostly hidden and I wasn’t sure anyone else caught it as his expression didn’t change, but it was there, and it reinforced my initial impression that this man hiding his true self. My response conveyed my distrust.

‘We need to get going or we’ll be late for class, but if you have any questions feel free to direct them towards the captain. I’m sure if there’s something that he wants you to know then he’ll be more than happy to inform you himself.’

The malice in his eyes flashed at my blatant brush off. I hadn’t intended to insult him, necessarily, but I found it remarkably difficult to speak to him with any degree of respect. The way he held himself, that hidden danger lurking behind his eyes, it reminded me of the scientists from The Program, and I knew without a shadow of a doubt that I needed to stay far away from this man or he could become a problem. Possibly a large enough one to completely derail my mission.

‘I’ll do that,’ he said, his tone taking on a harder edge, though everyone was looking atmerather than him and I knew they hadn’t noticed what I had.

I gave him a brusque nod and then walked towards the elevator on the other side of the corridor. There were two, though one was reserved only for the captain or the first lieutenant, I assumed to give them exclusive access to the ship and it’s classified areas. It was only once we were inside that I realised I’d never gotten the man’s name.

‘What was that?’ Reece asked in a hushed whisper when the elevator door closed us in. The others were conversing softly with one another and not paying us any attention.

‘I don’t know,’ I admitted. ‘I just got a bad vibe.’

He arched an eyebrow. ‘Are your vibes usually correct?’

My lips flattened into a thin line. ‘Usually.’

He studied me before his chin dipped in a decisive nod. ‘Okay, then.’

His trust in me was flattering and went a long way in relieving the tension that had wound its way throughout my muscles. I hadn’t realised how much I’d needed someone to be on my side until that moment, but I was glad he was, even for just this one small thing. It made me feel a little bit less alone. I just hoped his faith in me wouldn’t get him hurt.

Or worse, killed.

???

It turned out that our first class for the day was combat training in the ship’s ridiculously large gymnasium. It contained different sections with various equipment, all to accommodate not only the varying lessons but the diversity of the races. It took up the entire length of the ship, the whole deck dedicated to physical training.

There was weight training in one corner, a track that lapped the circumference of the room, an obstacle course on the opposite side, training mats, a boxing ring, and even a domed ceiling for those of Drakfern descent. A few winged men already circled up high, gliding through an artificial air current generated by a fan as their brightly coloured plumes and scales glinted when the light hit at just the right angle.

Though I didn’t see women with their even more extravagant plumes, it was the first time I had seen a pure-bred Drakfern, let alone so many in one room as they stretched their wings and took flight. It was a breathtaking sight.

As we gathered around the centre of the cavernous room with the other congregating cadets, I couldn’t stop myself from gazing longingly at the rack of weapons lining the walls. Guns, lasers,bows and arrows, blades of various sizes and shapes. The list went on, and I was practically salivating at the chance to get my hands on them.

‘Cadets, gather ‘round!’ a male shouted from the edge of the mats. We followed the order quickly, which was a pleasant change from how the first week went. He was an older Yu’Rom male with shortly cropped, thinning hair, which was unusual for a Yu’Rom. Their hair a point of honour and pride. His weathered features were pinched as he drilled his gaze into us, but he stood straight and sturdy, strength emanating from him in an aura ofdon’t fuck me with medespite his shorter stature.

I liked him already.

‘This week will be centred on assessing you. We’ll test your strengths, discover your weaknesses, and determine a personalised training schedule for each of you that will be implemented when we land. Locker rooms are to the left. Your locker number is your identification number, and your uniforms are already inside. You have ten clicks to be back here and ready to receive further instructions. Go.’

We all scurried towards the only door within sight, though I maintained a distance back from everyone else. Reece noticed and held back beside me, shooting me a questioning look, but I couldn’t exactly tell him I was waiting to figure out how I was going to change without revealing my decidedlyfemaleanatomy so I kept quiet.

Luckily, most men were already in the process of changing when we entered, so they weren’t focused on me. The lockers were thin, full-length doors adorned only by the scanners, and since mine was the first I gestured for Reece to move on and find his own. His was quite a distance down, so we has a silent conversation in which he determined I was okay to be left alone. I’d spotted a sign for a restroom, so at least I had a place to change with some privacy.

It was oddly reminiscent of the way Libby and I wouldcommunicate in The Program, our subtle body language the only way to talk without the scientists discovering our unauthorised interactions. They didn’t always use multiple test subjects at the same time, but they did it often enough that we’d created an entire system of gestures that translated into our own secret language.

Fuck, I missed her.

My eyes started to sting with emotion. I quickly blinked away the tears before they could fall and focused on the present. It would do no one any favours for me to break down now, though I was aware I wouldn’t be able to keep it all contained forever. For now, pretending would have to do.

I grabbed the plain black shorts and simple grey tee that was provided for training purposes, the material thin, breathable and absorbent, and carried them to the restroom. It was a long room with stalls lining one wall and urinals lining the other. Naturally, I chose one of the stalls to enter. It was cramped, but spacious enough to change without any issues.

When I exited, I hurriedly stored my uniform in my locker and jogged to catch up with the others. Most of them were already waiting back at the mats, our instructor waiting patiently with two more officers.

There was one more cadet that ran up after me, and he was greeted with a scathing look from the instructor. ‘Now that we’re all here, let’s begin. I am Corporal Stanson.’ He gestured behind him. ‘And these are my colleagues, Corporals Hum’Rit and Gwym. Each morning you will be here for training, and you will rotate between the three of us. Those with me will be training in hand-to-hand combat and weaponry. Corporal Hum’Rit focuses on running, stamina, and the general health of your bodies and your minds. Corporal Gwym will either be tutoring you with weights or instructing aerial combat for those of you with wings. You got all that?’

If we didn’t, nobody wanted to be the one to say so. A fewof the other cadets looked a little lost but I didn’t mirror the sentiment. I was well-versed in this sort of training and my brain retained information better than most, thanks to The Program. I would have likely already studied much of what the instructors intended to teach, but the practical experience would round out the education.

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