Page 58 of Nova Academy

‘Xander needs to know about this.’

My head snapped up at that, sheer panic writhing through my veins. ‘No! Addy, you can’t tell anyone. Promise me you won’t!Please.’

‘Artemis…’

‘No, Addy. I’ve come so far and I’m so close. I’ve already caught their attention and I have a plan. If you tell the captain, it’ll destroy everything I’ve worked for. I’ll never get back to Libby. Please,please, I am begging you, don’t tellanyone.’

She didn’t look convinced, but I relaxed at her slow nod. ‘Okay. But only when it’s still safe for you. If you’re in trouble I’m telling him.’

That pulled me up short. ‘What?’

‘Xander is a good man. He’s the kind of good that will follow his moral compass even when others try to convince him he’s wrong. It’s why The Carina’s crew has been demoted to instructing at Nova Academy. They’re trying to keep us out of the way, because we’d all follow him even if he went rogue. But that’s neither here nor there… My point is that he’s a good man and will go to the ends of the earth to protect those that need it.’

‘Then all the more reason why we can’t tell him. Adara, this is dangerous. More dangerous than you could possibly know. You don’t know what they’re capable of. If you’re caught, it’s a fate worse than death. I shouldn’t have even told you anything because it puts you at risk- ‘

‘You should have told me sooner,’ she interrupted. ‘I want to help you Artemis. This is bigger than I thought. I suspected you had a difficult upbringing, maybe in cult or something, but this, whatever you’ve survived, it’s clearly evil. You shouldn’t have to be alone in this. You’renotalone. Not anymore.’

But I was already shaking my head no. ‘I’m serious Addy. You can’t get involved.’

‘Arty, I’m here and I know. Just let me help.’

‘No.’

‘It’s too late, I’m already involved.’

‘No.’

‘I’m helping whether you like it or- ‘

‘I won’t lose you too!’I screamed in her face.

She shut up then. Finally, blissfully quiet.

‘I can’t lose anyone else, Addy,’ my voice cracked, but I pushed on. ‘I care about you too much. You’ve been a true friend to me in such a short time, and I won’t put you in danger. So no. You won’t be helping me. You won’t be getting involved. You won’t tell a soul. Do you understand me?’

Her arms came around me then, tucking me into an embrace that was both a comfort and a source of pain. But I hugged her back, needing that physical connection, needing to feel that she was okay, that she was safe.

That I was okay, that I was safe.

‘Please,’ I whispered.

‘Okay,’ she replied in an equally small voice. ‘Okay, I won’t get involved. Not like that. But I will still help you.’

I pulled back. ‘Addy…’

‘No, you had your turn to speak and now it’s mine, so listen up. You are my friend. You need help. I am on your side and I’m not going anywhere so you’ll just have to deal with it. I can respect your need to keep me safe, but I won’t let you do this on your own, so you can either tell me how I can help or I’ll find a way to do it behind your back. The choice is yours.’

I thought about it for a minute, allowing the sensation of having someone in my corner again to wash over me and warm me in a way I hadn’t felt since Libby. I could see it in her eyes, though. That stubborn determination. I messed up by telling her as much as I had, putting another person I cared about at risk.

But it was done and I couldn’t take it back. And I believed her when she said she wasn’t going away, so there was really only on path forwards that I was even remotely willing to accept.

‘You promise you won’t tell the captain?’

She pursed her lips as she frowned, but I could see she would agree. ‘I don’t like keeping things from him, but if it’s what I need to do to keep you and him and everyone on this ship safe, then… Okay.For now.’

‘Thank you,’ I breathed out, understanding that was the most I could ask of her.

She stood up, pulling me with her. ‘Come on. You should eat something and then get some sleep. All that screaming and crying and trauma dumping must have beenexhausting.’

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