Page 62 of Nova Academy

Dorian clapped his hands to get everyone’s attention. ‘All right, guys, it’s time to head down. Oh, and no more destruction of property, yeah?’ he joked, and it got so quiet you could’ve heard a fly fart. But then Arty scoffed with a little laugh and everyone joined in.

‘You’re just mad because you wouldn’t be able to knock it off its hook let alone pulverise it,’ Arty joked, and the entire room broke out into raucous laughter. He didn’t joke very often, so it took me aback alongside everyone else. But it also accomplished something else.

‘All right, Mercer. I see you. Challenge accepted,’ said Dorian, taking the ribbing from Cadmus and Henrik. The rest of us merely smirked at him, ready for his epic failure. The punching bag Arty broke must have been faulty because those ones were notoriously indestructible. I doubted any of the others were in the same condition, but I was looking forward to seeing Dorian try.

It was nice that we could make a joke of it and move on.

Just as we were about to leave, Brin called out to Arty. ‘Hey, do you have a minute before you go to class?’

Bromm and I looked to him with the same question in our eyes, and he gave us a shrug. ‘Sure,’ he told her before turning to us. ‘I’ll meet you down there.’

He was dismissing us, but something about the CWO’s suddenly squirrely manner made me hesitate. He trusted her, that much was obvious, but alarm bells were blaring in my mind. So, instead of leaving with the others, I stayed by the door just in case I was needed.

Bromm had the same idea, sticking by my side and leaning his ear against the door to try to listen in. Curiosity got the better ofme and I followed suit, pressing my cheek against the cool metal to eavesdrop.

‘We didn’t get to finish our talk last night,’ came Brin’s distinct voice.

‘Pretty sure we did, Addy.’

‘I just meant you didn’t tell me what the plan is,’ Brin pushed.

‘Addy, you don’t get to know the plan. I thought we agreed you’d stay out of it.’

Bromm and I shared a look. Stay out of what? What plan?

‘No, we agreed that I would help you while you’re on this ship. You can’t do this alone. You need someone by your side, and don’t bother arguing because you know it’s true. Yesterday would never have happened if you weren’t doing all this alone.’

A pause.

‘And you know I’m not gonna forget it and pretend this isn’t happening. I’m not going anywhere and you can’t stop me so don’t even try. I’m helping, and that’s that.’

I didn’t think I’d ever heard Brin speak so sternly to anyone, even when she was interrogating me and Bromm. There was a steel in her tone that hadn’t been there before, and I considered that perhaps I had underestimated her. She was a CWO in the military, for star’s sake. She was no slouch, and her grit must have just been hidden a little too well behind her bubbly pink exterior.

A sigh that sounded like it originated from Arty travelled softly through the door. ‘There’s nothing you can do, Addy. Not really. I’ve gotten the attention of the recruiters and I need to hold that attention. If you get in the way they’ll notice you too and I can’t allow that.’

‘Tough shit, bitch. Tell me what you need me to do. Or tell me who’s recruiting and for what. Your choice.’

Another pause.

‘You’re really not gonna give up, are you?’

‘Nope. Never. You’re stuck with me. I keep telling you but itdoesn’t seem to be sinking in.’

I grumbled my objections but they landed on deaf ears. ‘Fine. I’ll think about it, but for the time being I just need you to lay low and act like everything is normal.’

Brin scoffed. ‘Normal. What’s normal about a secret and undoubtedly illegal recruitment team using a cadet academy as a hunting ground?’

‘What’s normal about a female pretending…’ Arty’s retort trailed off as his voice dipped lower, too low for us to pick up on it without being in the room.

‘We should get downstairs before they catch us,’ Bromm whispered to me.

I didn’t want to pull away, but I knew we had to. ‘Right.’

Neither one of us made a move to leave, nor did we speak.

‘Elevator?’ He knew I was asking for more than going down a few decks.

‘Elevator.’

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